YouVersion iPhone Bible App from YouVersion on Vimeo.

The guys at LifeChurch have been working hard to build an online Bible with tons of interactive features.

You should do yourself a favor and go sign up right now. These guys rock, I love seeing Christians giving away their hard work to help people know and love Jesus more.

Download the iPhone app | Go to YouVersion | Facebook

1. Go to the ESV Reading Plans page.
2. Right-click (Ctrl-click on a Mac) the “RSS” link of the feed you want.
3. Choose “Copy Link Location” or “Copy Shortcut.”
4. Start iTunes.
5. Choose Advanced > Subscribe to Podcast
6. Paste the URL from step three into the box.
7. Click OK.

(HT: JT)

We wholeheartedly recommend the resources published by Crossway Books and we encourage you to consider their many titles, old and new alike. One of Crossway’s crowning achievements is their publishing of the English Standard Version Bible.

If you’re like me, you have been waiting with great anticipation the arrival of the ESV Study Bible.

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We wholeheartedly recommend the resources published by Crossway Books and we encourage you to consider their many titles, old and new alike. One of Crossway’s crowning achievements is their publishing of the English Standard Version Bible.

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See a sample of the inside (Matthew 1-5).

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pg. 109-110

… when we give attention and authority to all parts of the New Testament canon, substitution [speaking of the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement] becomes the center and focus of the Bible’s witness to the meaning of Christ’s death, and the measure of God’s redeeming love.

pg. 110

Evangelical theology affirms the vicarious, substitutionary Atonement of Jesus Christ. It does not claim that this theory does justice to all aspects of Christ’s atoning work, but it does see substitution as the heart of the Atonement.

C. T. Studd’s famous statement: “If Jesus Christ be God, and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”

Charles Spurgeon … “It is our duty and our privilege to exhaust our lives for Jesus. We are not to be living specimens of men in fine preservation, but living sacrifices, whose lot is to be consumed.”

Two insightful articles from the Spring 2008 Edition of The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology are available for download in PDF format. The Spring 2008 Edition is devoted exclusively to the topic of “The Kingdom of God”.

Here are the two online articles:

1. “Reflecting on the Kingdom of God”
2. “The Kingdom of God in Paul’s Gospel”

In any case, the real question is this, is Driscoll honoring God and operating in discernment in presenting this teaching in the manner he has?

This video is being used by Driscoll to introduce the Song of Solomon Bible Conference. When browsing the Song of Solomon Bible Conference site, you will find speakers like Tommy Nelson, Voddie Baucham, Andy McQuitty, Mark Driscoll and others.

Here are some quotes from men you will likely recognize about this conference.

Single or married, you will enjoy the warmth of this incredible text — which is both practical and relevant for our culture today — Jack Graham (Senior Pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church)

…Attending this conference not only will eliminate much heartache and confusion, but also will enable singles and couples to develop a biblical marriage filled with love, tenderness and excitement — Zig Ziglar

Of the Song of Solomon Bible Conference it is said:

to be “…a candid, funny, and real look at the Real Truth about Love, Dating, Marriage and Sex. And, the best part about is that it is Straight out of the Bible.” Whether you are married, single, divorced or a college student, this message of truth and hope will impact this most relevant and often times most painful area of life.

Of special interest, given the background of these speakers, is Andy McQuitty (Senior Pastor, Irving Bible Church)

Here are a few excerpts from my post, The Death of Discernment In The Church, which highlights some of what McQuitty is about.

The pastor, Andy McQuitty, has publicly stated that both John Paul II and Mother Teresa are most assuredly in heaven. In the May issue of the church’s monthly magazine Chatter, he featured a 11 ” by 14″ picture of these two influential Catholics who deceived the world with another gospel. McQuitty called the differences between Catholics and Protestants “theological pettiness.” He said, “it is just plain silly to write each other off as far as true Christianity is concerned. We’ll have plenty of time in Heaven to figure out who was right about Purgatory and Mary.”

—-

Evidently Irving Bible Church (IBC) has a few discerning souls who prompted McQuitty to send out this public e-mail. “A few of you have raised concerns, most of which can be boiled down to this question: ‘Is IBC becoming Roman Catholic?’ To which the answer is, ‘No way, Jose.”‘ He wrote: “I understand where the question comes from, though. The introduction at IBC of certain elements such as candles and liturgies and communion wafers and the reference to communion as the “Eucharist”, combined with the recent death of Pope John Paul II and the attendant recognition that his life received here, has caused some (particularly those who were raised Catholic and had a less than happy experience) to bristle.”

Voices like Steve Camp, Ken Silva, and Ingrid Schlueter (Link 1, Link 2) have reported on the Driscoll video.

It is my hope and prayer that Driscoll will re-think his approach on this video and his ministry in general. I think a God honoring, brother loving, rebuke from leaders like John Piper, Tim Keller, Mark Dever, Voddie Baucham, Tommy Nelson, Wayne Grudem, J. I. Packer and others who have commended Driscoll, is in order.

See also: Mark Driscoll catching some heat over his Song of Solomon Video Clip (continued)

Note: Consider supporting this blog by going to Monergism Books or Westminster Bookstore when looking for great deals on Christian books. — Shane Trammel

Hermeneutics is the art and science of interpretation; biblical hermeneutics is the art and science of interpreting the Bible. At the time of the Reformation, debates over interpretation played an enormously important role. These were debates over interpretation, not just over interpretations. In other words, the Reformers disagreed with their opponents not only over what this or that passage meant, but over the nature of interpretation, the locus of authority in interpretation, the role of the church and of the Spirit in interpretation, and much more.

During the last half-century, so many developments have taken place in the realm of hermeneutics that it would take a very long article even to sketch them in lightly. Sad to say, nowadays many scholars are more interested in the challenges of the discipline of hermeneutics itself, than in the Bible that hermeneutics should help us handle more responsibly. Ironically, there are still some people who think that there is something slightly sleazy about interpretation. Without being crass enough to say so, they secretly harbor the opinion that what others offer are interpretations, but what they offer is just what the Bible says.

Carl F. H. Henry is fond of saying that there are two kinds of presuppositionalists: those who admit it and those who don’t. We might adapt his analysis to our topic: There are two kinds of practitioners of hermeneutics: those who admit it and those who don’t.

The fact of the matter is that every time we find something in the Bible (whether it is there or not!), we have interpreted the Bible. There are good interpretations and there are bad interpretations, but there is no escape from interpretation.

This is not the place to lay out foundational principles, or to wrestle with the “new hermeneutic” and with “radical hermeneutics.” [For more information and bibliography on these topics, and especially their relation to postmodernism and how to respond to it, see my book The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism, esp. chapters 2-3 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996).] I shall focus instead on one “simple” problem, one with which every serious Bible reader is occasionally confronted. What parts of the Bible are binding mandates for us, and what parts are not?

“Greet one another with a holy kiss”: the French do it, Arab believers do it, but by and large we do not. Are we therefore unbiblical? Jesus tells his disciples that they should wash one another’s feet (Jn 13:14), yet most of us have never done so. Why do we “disobey” that plain injunction, yet obey his injunction regarding the Lord’s Table? If we find reasons to be flexible about the “holy kiss,” how flexible may we be in other domains? May we replace the bread and wine at the Lord’s Supper with yams and goat’s milk if we are in a village church in Papua, New Guinea? If not, why not? And what about the broader questions circulating among theonomists regarding the continuing legal force of law set down under the Mosaic covenant? Should we as a nation, on the assumption that God graciously grants widespread revival and reformation, pass laws to execute adulterers by stoning? If not, why not? Is the injunction for women to keep silent in the church absolute (1 Cor 14:33-36)? If not, why not? Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again if he is to enter the kingdom; he tells the rich young man that he is to sell all that he has and give it to the poor. Why do we make the former demand absolute for all persons, and apparently fudge a little on the second?

Obviously, I have raised enough questions for a dissertation or two. What follows in this article is not a comprehensive key to answering all difficult interpretive questions, but some preliminary guidelines to sorting such matters out. The apostolic number of points are not put into any order of importance.

(1) As conscientiously as possible, seek the balance of Scripture, and avoid succumbing to historical and theological disjunctions.

Liberals have often provided us with nasty disjunctions: Jesus or Paul, the charismatic community or the “early catholic” church, and so forth. Protestants sometimes drop a wedge between Paul’s faith apart from works (Rom 3:28) and James’ faith and works (Jas 2:4); others absolutize Galatians 3:28 as if it were the controlling passage on all matters to do with women, and spend countless hours explaining away 1 Timothy 2:12 (or the reverse!).

Historically, many Reformed Baptists in England between the middle of the eighteenth century and the middle of the twentieth so emphasized God’s sovereign grace in election that they became uncomfortable with general declarations of the Gospel. Unbelievers should not be told to repent and believe the Gospel: how could that be, since they are dead in trespasses and sin, and may not in any case belong to the elect? They should rather be encouraged to examine themselves to see if they have within themselves any of the first signs of the Spirit’s work, any conviction of sin, any stirrings of shame. On the face of it, this is a long way from the Bible, but thousands of churches thought it was the hallmark of faithfulness. What has gone wrong, of course, is that the balance of Scripture has been lost. One element of Biblical truth has been elevated to a position where it is allowed to destroy or domesticate some other element of Biblical truth.

In fact, the “balance of Scripture” is not an easy thing to maintain, in part because there are different kinds of balance in Scripture. For example, there is the balance of diverse responsibilities laid on us (e.g. praying, being reliable at work, being a biblically faithful spouse and parent, evangelizing a neighbor, taking an orphan or widow under our wing, and so forth): these amount to balancing priorities within the limits of time and energy. There is the balance of Scripture’s emphases as established by observing their relation to the Bible’s central plot-line; there is also the balance of truths which we cannot at this point ultimately reconcile, but which we can easily distort if we do not listen carefully to the text (e.g. Jesus is both God and man; God is both the transcendent sovereign and yet personal; the elect alone are saved, and yet in some sense God loves horrible rebels so much that Jesus weeps over Jerusalem and God cries, “Turn, turn, why will you die? For the LORD has no pleasure in the death of the wicked.”). In each case, a slightly different kind of Biblical balance comes into play, but there is no escaping the fact that Biblical balance is what we need.

(2) Recognize that the antithetical nature of certain parts of the Bible, not least some of Jesus’ preaching, is a rhetorical device, not an absolute. The context must decide where this is the case.

Of course, there are absolute antitheses in Scripture that must not be watered down in any way. For example, the disjunctions between the curses and the blessings in Deuteronomy 27-28 are not mutually delimiting: the conduct that calls down the curses of God and the conduct that wins his approval stand in opposite camps, and must not be intermingled or diluted. But on the other hand, when eight centuries before Christ, God says, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hos 6:6), the sacrificial system of the Mosaic covenant is not thereby being destroyed. Rather, the Hebrew antithesis is a pointed way of saying, “If push comes to shove, mercy is more important than sacrifice. Whatever you do, you must not rank the marks of formal religion in this case, burnt offerings and other mandated ritual sacrifices with fundamental acknowledgment of God, or confuse the extent to which God cherishes compassion and mercy with the firmness with which he demands the observance of the formalities of the sacrificial system.”

Similarly, when Jesus insists that if anyone is to become his disciple, he must hate his parents (Lk 14:26), we must not think Jesus is sanctioning raw hatred of family members. What is at issue is that the claims of Jesus are more urgent and binding than even the most precious and prized human relationships (as the parallel in Mt 10:37 makes clear).

Sometimes the apparent antithesis is formed by comparing utterances from two distant passages. On the one hand, Jesus insists that the praying of his followers should not be like the babbling of the pagans who think they are heard because of their many words (Mt 6:7). On the other hand, Jesus can elsewhere tell a parable with the pointed lesson that his disciples should pray perseveringly and not give up (Lk 18:1-8). Yet, if we were to suppose that the formal clash between the two injunctions is more than superficial, we would be betraying not only our ignorance of Jesus’ preaching style, but also our insensitivity to pastoral demands. The first injunction is vital against those who think they can wheedle things out of God by their interminable prayers; the second is vital against those whose spiritual commitments are so shallow that their mumbled one-liners constitute the whole of their prayer life.

(3) Be cautious about absolutizing what is said or commanded only once.

The reason is not that God must say things more than once for them to be true or binding. The reason, rather, is that if something is said only once it is easily misunderstood or misapplied. When something is repeated on several occasions and in slightly different contexts, readers will enjoy a better grasp of what is meant and what is at stake.

That is why the famous “baptism for the dead” passage (1 Cor 15:29) is not unpacked at length and made a major plank in, say, the Heidelberg Catechism or the Westminster Confession. Over forty interpretations of that passage have been offered in the history of the church. Mormons are quite sure what it means, of course, but the reason why they are sure is because they are reading it in the context of other books that they claim are inspired and authoritative.

This principle also underlies one of the reasons why most Christians do not view Christ’s command to wash one another’s feet as a third sacrament or ordinance. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are certainly treated more than once, and there is ample evidence that the early church observed both, but neither can be said about foot washing. But there is more to be said.

(4) Carefully examine the biblical rationale for any saying or command.

The purpose of this counsel is not to suggest that if you cannot discern the rationale you should flout the command. It is to insist that God is neither arbitrary nor whimsical, and by and large he provides reasons and structures of thought behind the truths he discloses and the demands he makes. Trying to uncover this rationale can be a help in understanding what is of the essence of what God is saying, and what is the peculiar cultural expression of it.

Before I give a couple of examples, it is important to recognize that all of Scripture is culturally bound. For a start, it is given in human languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek) and languages are a cultural phenomenon. Nor are the words God speaks to be thought of as, say, generic Greek. Rather, they belong to the Greek of the Hellenistic period (it isn’t Homeric Greek or Attic Greek or modern Greek). Indeed, this Greek changes somewhat from writer to writer (Paul does not always use words the same way that Matthew does) and from genre to genre (apocalyptic does not sound exactly like an epistle). None of this should frighten us. It is part of the glory of our great God that he has accommodated himself to human speech, which is necessarily time-bound and therefore changing. Despite some postmodern philosophers, this does not jeopardize God’s capacity for speaking truth. It does mean that we finite human beings shall never know truth exhaustively (that would require omniscience), but there is no reason why we cannot know some truth truly. Nevertheless, all such truth as God discloses to us in words comes dressed in cultural forms. Careful and godly interpretation does not mean stripping away such forms to find absolute truth beneath, for that is not possible: we can never escape our finiteness. It does mean understanding those cultural forms and by God’s grace discovering the truth that God has disclosed through them.

So when God commands people to rend their clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, are these precise actions so much of the essence of repentance that there is no true repentance without them? When Paul tells us to greet one another with a holy kiss, does he mean that there is no true Christian greeting without such a kiss?

When we examine the rationale for these actions, and ask whether or not ashes and kissing are integratively related to God’s revelation, we see the way forward. There is no theology of kissing; there is a theology of mutual love and committed fellowship among the members of the church. There is no theology of sackcloth and ashes; there is a theology of repentance that demands both radical sorrow and profound change.

If this reasoning is right, it has a bearing on both foot washing and on head-coverings. Apart from the fact that foot washing appears only once in the New Testament as something commanded by the Lord, the act itself is theologically tied, in John 13, to the urgent need for humility among God’s people, and to the cross. Similarly, there is no theology of head-coverings, but there is a profound and recurrent theology of that of which the head-coverings were a first-century Corinthian expression: the proper relationships between men and women, between husbands and wives.

(5) Carefully observe that the formal universality of proverbs and of proverbial sayings is only rarely an absolute universality. If proverbs are treated as statutes or case law, major interpretive and pastoral errors will inevitably ensue.

Compare these two sayings of Jesus: (a) “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters” (Mt 12:30). (b) “…for whoever is not against us is for us” (Mk 9:40; cf. Lk 9:50). As has often been noted, the sayings are not contradictory if the first is uttered to indifferent people against themselves, and the second to the disciples about others whose zeal outstrips their knowledge. But the two statements are certainly difficult to reconcile if each is taken absolutely, without thinking through such matters.

Or consider two adjacent proverbs in Proverbs 26: (a) “Do not answer a fool according to his folly…” (26:4), or (b) “Answer a fool according to his folly…” (26:5). If these are statutes or examples of case law, there is unavoidable contradiction. On the other hand, the second line of each proverb provides enough of a rationale that we glimpse what we should have seen anyway: proverbs are not statutes. They are distilled wisdom, frequently put into pungent, aphoristic forms that demand reflection, or that describe effects in society at large (but not necessarily in every individual), or that demand consideration of just how and when they apply.

Let us spell out these two proverbs again, this time with the second line included in each case: (a) “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.” (b) “Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.” Side by side as they are, these two proverbs demand reflection on when is the part of prudence to refrain from answering fools, lest we be dragged down to their level, and when it is the part of wisdom to offer a sharp, “foolish” rejoinder that has the effect of pricking the pretensions of the fool. The text does not spell this out explicitly, but if the rationales of the two cases are kept in mind, we will have a solid principle of discrimination.

So when a well-known parachurch organization keeps quoting “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” as if it were case law, what are we to think?

This proverbial utterance must not be stripped of its force: it is a powerful incentive to responsible, God-fearing, child-rearing. Nevertheless, it is a proverb; it is not a covenantal promise. Nor does it specify at what point the children will be brought into line. Of course, many children from Christian homes go astray because the parents really have been very foolish or unbiblical or downright sinful; but many of us have witnessed the burdens of unnecessary guilt and shame borne by really godly parents when their grown children are, say, 40 years of age and demonstrably unconverted.

(6) The application of some themes and subjects must be handled with special care, not only because of their intrinsic complexity, but also because of essential shifts in social structures between Biblical times and our own day.

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves” (Rom 13:1-2). Some Christians have reasoned from this passage that we must always submit to the governing authorities, except in matters of conscience before God (Acts 4:19). Even then, we “submit” to the authorities by patiently bearing the sanctions they impose on us in this fallen world. Other Christians have reasoned from this passage that since Paul goes on to say that the purpose of rulers is to uphold justice (Rom 13:3-4), then if rulers are no longer up- holding justice, the time may come when righteous people should oppose them, and even, if necessary, overthrow them. The issues are exceedingly complex, and were thought through in some detail by the Reformers.

But there is of course a new wrinkle added to the fabric of debate when one moves from a totalitarian regime, or from an oligarchy, or from a view of government bound up with an inherited monarchy, to some form of democracy. This is not to elevate democracy to heights it must not occupy. It is to say, rather, that in theory at least, a democracy allows you to “overthrow” a government without violence or bloodshed. And if the causes of justice cannot do so, it is because the country as a whole has slid into a miasma that lacks the will, courage, and vision to do what it has the power to do. What, precisely, are the Christian’s responsibilities in that case (whatever your view of the meaning of Romans 13 in its own context)?

In other words, new social structures beyond anything Paul could have imagined, though they cannot overturn what he said, may force us to see that the valid application demands that we bring into the discussion some considerations he could not have foreseen. It is a great comfort, and epistemologically important, to remember that God did foresee them but that does not itself reduce the hermeneutical responsibilities we have.

… the telltale evidence (not the cause) of one’s election is holiness. Harold Ockenga, pastor of Park Street Church and founding president of Fuller Seminary and Gordon-Conwell Seminary, put it in no uncertain terms:

If God has elected us He has not elected us to remain sinners but to become holy. It is an anomaly or an error to speak of the elect living in sin. God never chose us to continue in sin. We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Therefore, the test of our election is the holiness of our lives. Christ “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” We out not to delude ourselves into believing that we belong to the elect of God if we are not living holy lives before Him. . . . The proof of this is that we become holy, that we approximate the character of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus John was able to say, “Whosoever sinneth hath not see him, neither know him. . . . He that committeth sin is of the devil. . . . Wosoever is born of God doth not commit [practice] sin.”

If your life is characterized by a pattern of conscious sin, you very likely are not a Christian.

The following is an abstract of the article

Moving From Uncertainty Toward Assurance — How God Assures His Adopted Children

God not only rescues His people from their sins; He also grants them assurance of salvation. We see God at work assuring His adopted children that they are truly part of His family in three ways. The Father gives His children the promise of adoption in His Word, He sends the Spirit of His Son into our Hearts to assure us, and He changes our lives so that we bear an imperfect, but real, family resemblance to Him and His Son.

You will find the complete article here.

Also very helpful is the book Assurance of Our Salvation: Exploring the Depth of Jesus’ Prayer for His Own by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“What is sin? It is often described as ‘missing the mark’—that is, failure to live up to the rigorous standard of God’s holy law. But the Bible makes it clear that it is much more than that. In Leviticus 16:21, sin is described as transgression; literally, as rebellion against authority. In the prophet Nathan’s confrontation of David over his sins of adultery and murder, Nathan describes sin as a despising of both God’s Word and God himself (2 Sam. 12:9-10). And in Numbers 15:30-31, Moses characterizes sinners as acting ‘with a high hand,’ meaning defiantly. Therefore, we can conclude that sin is a rebellion against God’s sovereign authority, a despising of his Word and his person, and even a defiance of God himself. It is no wonder Paul wrote that because of our sin, we were by nature objects of God’s wrath (Eph. 2:3).” (The Great Exchange: My Sin for His Righteousness), p.20

Welcome to the expository preaching of Pastor Phillips. Here you will find Pastor Phillips’ sermons arranged by the books of the Bible in alphabetical order.Pastor Phillips’ sermons are available in MP3 and PDF format.

Note: To save the sermon to your computer, right-click the download link and select ’save link/target as.’

Title	Scripture	Date	Download
The Word	John 1:1-3	2007.07.08a	MP3
Christ, the Life	John 1:4-5	2007.07.15a	MP3
A Witness to the Light	John 1:6-9	2007.07.22a	MP3
The Unknown Christ	John 1:9-11	2007.07.29a	MP3
Children of God	John 1:12-13	2007.08.05a	MP3
The Word Became Flesh	John 1:14	2007.08.12a	MP3
The Unique Savior	John 1:15-18	2007.08.19a	MP3
The Word and the Voice	John 1:19-28	2007.08.26a	MP3
Behold, the Lamb of God	John 1:29-34	2007.09.02a	MP3
Two Baptisms	John 1:33	2007.09.09a	MP3
Rabbi!	John 1:35-42	2007.09.16a	MP3
Bringing Them to Jesus	John 1:35-42	2007.09.23a	MP3
Jacob’s Ladder	John 1:43-51	2007.09.30a	MP3
Water into Wine	John 2:1-12	2007.10.07a	MP3
Cleansing the Temple	John 2:13-22	2007.10.14a	MP3
Christ’s Knowledge of Man	John 2:23-25	2007.10.21a	MP3
Born Again	John 3:1-8	2007.11.04a	MP3
The Answer	John 3:9-27	2007.11.11a	MP3
The Greatest Verse in the Bible	John 3:16	2007.11.18a	MP3
To All Who Believe	John 3:16-18	2007.12.02a	MP3
The Case for Judgement	John 3:19-21	2007.12.09a	MP3
How to Be a Useful Christian	John 3:22-30	2007.12.16a	MP3
The Revealer from Heaven	John 3:31-36	2007.12.30a	MP3
Jesus the Evangelist	John 4:1-10	2008.01.06a	MP3

May we remember during 2008 to rejoice in the Lord and again rejoice for He is the God of our salvation !

Habakkuk Rejoices in the Lord

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.

For those interested in reading a biblical defense of doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture I would like to point you to this most helpful resource from The Master’s Seminary Journal.

The article is simply titled THE PERSPICUITY OF SCRIPTURE.

Here is an abstract of the article:

The perspicuity or clarity of Scripture in its relation to alm ost all areas of systematic theology is affected by postmodern hermeneutics that fail to respect the authority of Scripture. The doctrine raises a number of questions difficult to answer in a brief span, but two very basic issues are the meaning of the doctrine of perspicuity and the long-range historical context in which the doctrine has arisen. The basic doctrine means that the Bible can be understood by people through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and that people need to search the Scripture and judge for themselves what it means. Scripture itself attests its own perspicuity, but not to the point that it cannot be misunderstood or is in every point equally simple and clear. The doctrine does not rule out the need for interpretation, explanation, and exposition of the Bible by qualified leaders. The doctrine does mean that Scripture is clear enough for the simplest person, deep enough for highly qualified readers, clear in its essential ma tters, obscure in som e places to people because of their sinfulness, understandable through ordinary means, understandable by an unsaved person on an external level, understandable in its significance by a saved person through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, and available to every believer whose faith must rest on the Scriptures. Historically, debates about perspicuity have related to Marcion’s attack on the OT, the fathers’ denial of OT perspicuity, covenant theology’s subordination of the OT to the NT, and the medieval church’s attack on biblical perspicuity. The Reformers, the Protestant scholastics, and the German pietists supported the doctrine which is of primary importance for the practice of contemporary Christians.

You may find these links eqaully valuable as a source of study.

(2004) Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture

The Necessity of Scripture | The Sufficency of Scripture

The Rationality, Meaningfulness, and Precision of Scripture

The Perspicuity of Scripture | The Authority of Scripture

Perspicuity of Scripture: The Emergent Approach

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Description: The ESV Literary Study Bible approaches the Bible as literature and shows how the application of literary tools of analysis helps tremendously in reading and understanding the Bible. Readers are introduced to the literary features of each book of the Bible and to each section within each book. While traditional Bibles are reference books, this is truly a reader?s Bible. The format and commentary make it ideal for private devotional reading, for preachers and Bible teachers, and for use in group Bible studies.

It is no wonder, then, that liberalism is totally different from Christianity, for the foundation is different. Christianity is founded upon the Bible. It bases upon the Bible both its thinking and it’s life. Liberalism on the other hand is founded upon the shifting emotions of sinful men.”

—J.Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism

(HT: Josh Harris)

Helpful links:
J. Gresham Machen’s Response to Modernism
Wiki

The Journaling Bible™ is a unique format with wide margins and ruled lines designed for writing prayers, observations, sermon notes, and personal reflections. It also includes a one-year Bible reading plan.

-> Words of Christ in black
-> 7.5-point type
-> Wide margin with ruled writing space
-> Ribbon marker
-> Size: 6.25″ x 7.25″

FULL ASSURANCE IS GOD’S WILL FOR US. “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end.” Hebrews 6:11

ASSURANCE IS PARTIALLY SUSTAINED BY OBJECTIVE EVIDENCES FOR CHRISTIAN TRUTH. “To [his apostles] He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days.” Acts 1:3

ASSURANCE CANNOT NEGLECT THE PAINFUL WORK OF SELF-EXAMINATION. “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

ASSURANCE WILL DIMINISH IN THE PRESENCE OF CONCEALED SIN. “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.” Psalm 32:3

ASSURANCE COMES FROM HEARING THE WORD OF CHRIST. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

“These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:31

REPEATED FOCUSING ON THE SUFFICIENCY OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS CRUCIAL FOR ASSURANCE. “Since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” Hebrews 10:21-22

WE MUST PRAY FOR EYES TO SEE THE TRUTHS THAT SUSTAIN ASSURANCE. “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Ephesians 1:18-19

ASSURANCE IS NOT EASILY MAINTAINED IN PERSONAL ISOLATION. “And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you.’” 1 Corinthians 12:21

ASSURANCE IS NOT DESTROYED BY GOD’S DISPLEASURE AND DISCIPLINE. “Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, and I will see His righteousness.” Micah 7:8-9

WE MUST OFTEN WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE RETURN OF ASSURANCE. “I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:1-3

ASSURANCE IS A FIGHT TO THE DAY WE DIE. “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life.” 1 Timothy 6:12

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

ASSURANCE IS FINALLY A GIFT OF THE SPIRIT. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:16

“The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself… And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” 1 John 5:10-11

Longing for your assurance,

Pastor John

Transubstantiation is derived from the Latin term tansubsubstaniato, meaning ”change of substance”. This term was incorporated into the creed of the Forth Latern Council in A.D. 1215

Transubstantiation is defined by the Roman Catholic Church’s Council of Trent as follows: “By the consecration of the bread and wine, a conversion (or change) is made of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord, and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of His blood; which conversion is, by the holy Catholic Church, suitably and properly called Transubstantiation.”

The Catechism of the Council of Trent expands this belief by stating: “In this sacrament are contained not only the true body of Christ, and all the constituents of a true body, such as bones and sinews, but also Christ whole and entire”. It also explains, “Christ whole and entire, is contained, not only under either species, but also in each particle of the same species.” (Species = bread and wine)

The Church of Rome teaches that when the priest in the Mass blesses the bread, it is no longer bread but Jesus Christ himself and similarly the wine is Jesus Christ himself.

In the final analysis, it is important to note that David Lister calls on Roman Catholics to go back to the Word of God and search for the truth.

Read the complete post here.

This is a volume worthy of any library, a resource you will use over and over again in your study of the Bible.

Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old TestamentEdited by G.K. Beale & D.A. Carson / Baker Academic Readers of the New Testament often encounter quotes or allusions to the Old Testament that may be unfamiliar or obscure. In this volume, G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson have brought together a distinguished team of scholars to isolate, catalog, and comment on both the obvious Old Testament quotations and the more subtle allusions found in the New Testament. The result is a comprehensive commentary on the Old Testament references that appear from Matthew through Revelation. It is a vital resource for the reference library of every student of the New Testament.

No New Testament epistle is more foundational to the faith than Romans, and no exposition of Paul’s letter is more insightful than that of Lloyd-Jones. Drawn from his messages at Westminster Chapel from 1955 to 1968, this masterful series of sermons blends evangelical interpretation with practical applications to provide sound doctrinal teaching on this fundamental document. 14 hardcovers, from Banner of Truth.

From The Christian Post we read these words from Palmer:

Are you just a little bit sad? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is out, and it really is the end of an era. If you’re one of the 325 million people who has purchased at least one of the books in this series, like me you’re sensing the finality of a famous fantasy that magically whisked people into a previously unknown world of muggles, mythical creatures, and missing noses.

Palmer goes on to share:

did you notice that many of the key plot points in the Harry Potter series begin with the letter “H?” Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione, Hagrid, Half-Blood Prince, Hallows, Halloween, Horcruxes, etc. And so it is with our story as well, because when the last chapter of our life takes place and the back cover of our lives is shut, there are only two destinations possible for us:

And they both begin with “H”…

Palmer goes on to talk about Hell and Heaven. That is all well and good I suppose, but what about the danger of watching or reading material with witchcraft as a major theme.

It’s obvious we can not expect this kind of advice from Lane Palmer since he seems to be a fan of Harry Potter himself. Obviously, Palmer is of the opinion that Harry Potter is harmless entertainment for all.

I suppose it is in the name of being relevant that Dare2Share uses movies like Harry Potter, The Simpson, The Bourne Ultimatum, Transformers, Evan Almighty, and Ocean’s Thirteen as ‘ministry tools’. At the Dare2Share web site you can find articles on ‘How to Share Your Faith Using _____’ place a movie from above in the blank. Does this not actually help our kids justify going to watch many of these movies?

Let me end it by saying we don’t need to use movies to share our faith. We need to teach our kids the sufficiency of scripture and the power is has when it is proclaimed.

1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. — 1 Corinthians 2:1-2

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. – Romans 1:16

I would encourage anyone who has a heart for our younger generation to send a strong rebuke to Dare2Share for some of the methods they are using. You can contact Dare2Share via email using this address information@dare2share.org

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

I am asking all of you who believe in the power of prayer to lift up my father (Gale) when you can. Dad has brain cancer (Glioblastoma Multiforme)

*** Update on My Father’s Prognosis — Aug 9, 2007 ***

Dad had his first visit with the Radiation Oncologist and the Dr. confirmed what he had come to understand through some research on the internet. There has been very little advance in the treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme in the last 30 years. Dad was told those with his condition can expect to live anywhere from 6 – 18 months. As you can imagine, this is not what we wanted to hear, but it is in line with the statistical mortality rate associated with Glioblastoma Multiforme.

So that is what the Doctors say but we will trust in the report of the Lord. We will continue to walk in faith, trusting in the Lord for Dads healing.

Please join us as we continue to pray for Dad. You may also want to pray for these needs as well.

*** Update on My Father’s Prognosis — Aug 6, 2007 ***

Dad was released from the hospital today and the final word in the natural realm is that Dad has level 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme. He will be meeting with a radiation oncologist this Thursday. Please continue to pray that God will touch Dad and make him whole again. We are praying for doctors who have a true concern for the well-being of there patients.

Psalm 121

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

*** Update on My Father’s Prognosis — Aug 3, 2007 ***

Preliminary reports suggest that my father has Glioblastoma Multiforme. This is the most critical or advanced form of brain cancer. Obviously this is not the report we where hoping for but we continue to put our trust in the King of kings and the Lord or lords.

We continue to ask that you agree with us in prayer that God will completely heal my father. We understand God’s ways are not always our ways and his purposes are not always our purposes. Yet we continue to ask God to touch Dad.

What on earth is the Church of England thinking?

As if the Simpsons are not enough relevant garbadge, the Church of England has now embraced witchcraft by introducing a Harry Potter ‘Youth Guide’.

Consider this outrageous quote regarding the ‘gospel according to Potter’.

The Anglican Communion should learn lessons from Harry Potter, the Bishop of St. David’s, Carl Cooper, said on the eve of the release of the final book in the long-running series. Cooper told the Western Mail and Echo newspaper that the Christian virtues of humility, respect and love portrayed in the stories about the teenage wizard should be replicated within the church.

Now, if we dare, let us consider the Word of God for a moment.

2 Timothy 4:3-4

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

[italics, emphasis mine]

Did you catch that; their ears will be turned unto fables rather than the truth. What more is Harry Potter than fables? You be the judge!

You can review some of the links found bellow and start praying for revival, you can know I am.

Harry Potter ‘Youth Guide’ Links:

Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5

Those of you familiar with Rick Warren’s writings are aware that this man is a scripture twister. He constantly rips passages out of context, exegetes bad paraphrases and generally proof texts his own ‘made up’ doctrines.

Read the complete post here.

From “The Sacred Sandwich”, you may find this post informative.

Here is the post.

To print: Click here or Select File and then Print from your browser's menu

Justification by Faith by: John MacArthur The Reformation doctrine of justification by faith is, and has always been, the number one target of the enemy’s attack. It provides the foundation of the bridge that reconciles God and man-without that key doctrine, Christianity falls. But the doctrine that the Reformers so painstakingly clarified, even spilled blood over, has become so muddled today that many Protestants barely recognize it. Sadly, there are some who react against a clear presentation of justification, calling it nothing more than useless hair-splitting. The superficial interests of the seeker church have caused doctrinal issues to be downplayed and deemphasized-what “unchurched” person wants to come hear about theology? Under the influence of pragmatism, the seeker-sensitive movement has traded God-honoring doctrinal clarity and biblical purity for entertainment and motivational speeches. Social and political concerns have brought evangelicals and Catholics together in recent years to unite against the forces of secularism. Under the influence of ecumenism, it’s difficult for either group to remember what it was that divided them in the first place. The pragmatists and ecumenicists are aided in their forgetfulness by new theological movements that redefine justification in more Catholic terms. Under the influence of liberalism and postmodernism, proponents of the New Perspective on Paul, the Emergent Church, and others have so confused and redefined the doctrine of justification that it has become shrouded in darkness once again. The Christian church today is in danger of returning to the Dark Ages. The seeker movement has Christianity turning in its Bibles; the ecumenical movement urges Christians to use worldly means to accomplish temporal ends; and current theological movements look through the lens of philosophy-Enlightenment rationalism and postmodern subjectivism-rather than Scripture. The departure from sola scriptura has led to the departure from sola fide-justification by faith alone. Back to the Beginning In the 1500s a fastidious monk, who by his own testimony “hated God,” was studying Paul’s epistle to the Romans. He couldn’t get past the first half of Romans 1:17: “[In the gospel] is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith” (KJV). One simple, biblical truth changed that monk’s life-and ignited the Protestant Reformation. It was the realization that God’s righteousness could become the sinner’s righteousness-and that could happen through the means of faith alone. Martin Luther found the truth in the same verse he had stumbled over, Romans 1:17: “Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith” (KJV, emphasis added). Luther had always seen “the righteousness of God” as an attribute of the sovereign Lord by which He judged sinners-not an attribute sinners could ever possess. He described the breakthrough that put an end to the theological dark ages: I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that “the just shall live by his faith.” Then I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning, and whereas before the “justice of God” had filled me with hate, now it became to me inexpressibly sweet in greater love. This passage of Paul became to me a gate to heaven. Justification by faith was the great truth that dawned on Luther and dramatically altered the church. Because Christians are justified by faith alone, their standing before God is not in any way related to personal merit. Good works and practical holiness do not provide the grounds for acceptance with God. God receives as righteous those who believe, not because of any good thing He sees in them-not even because of His own sanctifying work in their lives-but solely on the basis of Christ’s righteousness, which is reckoned to their account. “To the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness” (Romans 4:5). That is justification. Declared Righteous: What Actually Changes? In its theological sense, justification is a forensic, or purely legal, term. It describes what God declares about the believer, not what He does to change the believer. In fact, justification effects no actual change whatsoever in the sinner’s nature or character. Justification is a divine judicial edict. It changes our status only, but it carries ramifications that guarantee other changes will follow. Forensic decrees like this are fairly common in everyday life. When I was married, for example, Patricia and I stood before the minister (my father) and recited our vows. Near the end of the ceremony, my father declared, “By the authority vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you man and wife.” Instantly we were legally husband and wife. Whereas seconds before we had been an engaged couple, now we were married. Nothing inside us actually changed when those words were spoken. But our status changed before God, the law, and our family and friends. The implications of that simple declaration have been lifelong and life-changing (for which I am grateful). But when my father spoke those words, it was a legal declaration only. Similarly, when a jury foreman reads the verdict, the defendant is no longer “the accused.” Legally and officially he instantly becomes either guilty or innocent-depending on the verdict. Nothing in his actual nature changes, but if he is found not guilty he will walk out of court a free person in the eyes of the law, fully justified. In biblical terms, justification is a divine verdict of “not guilty-fully righteous.” It is the reversal of God’s attitude toward the sinner. Whereas He formerly condemned, He now vindicates. Although the sinner once lived under God’s wrath, as a believer he or she is now under God’s blessing. Justification is more than simple pardon; pardon alone would still leave the sinner without merit before God. So when God justifies He imputes divine righteousness to the sinner (Romans 4:22-25). Christ’s own infinite merit thus becomes the ground on which the believer stands before God (Romans 5:19; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Philippians 3:9). So justification elevates the believer to a realm of full acceptance and divine privilege in Jesus Christ. Therefore, because of justification, believers not only are perfectly free from any charge of guilt (Romans 8:33) but also have the full merit of Christ reckoned to their personal account (Romans 5:17). Here are the forensic realities that flow out of justification: We are adopted as sons and daughters (Romans 8:15) • We become fellow-heirs with Christ (v. 17) • We are united with Christ so that we become one with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17) • We are henceforth “in Christ” (Galatians 3:27) and He in us (Colossians 1:27) How Justification and Sanctification Differ Justification is distinct from sanctification because in justification God does not make the sinner righteous; He declares that person righteous (Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16). Notice how justification and sanctification are distinct from one another: Justification imputes Christ’s righteousness to the sinner’s account (Romans 4:11b); sanctification imparts righteousness to the sinner personally and practically (Romans 6:1-7; 8:11-14). • Justification takes place outside sinners and changes their standing (Romans 5:1-2, sanctification is internal and changes the believer’s state (Romans 6:19). • Justification is an event, sanctification a process. Those two must be distinguished but can never be separated. God does not justify whom He does not sanctify, and He does not sanctify whom He does not justify. Both are essential elements of salvation. Why differentiate between them at all? If justification and sanctification are so closely related that you can’t have one without the other, why bother to define them differently? That question was the central issue between Rome and the Reformers in the sixteenth century, and it remains the main front in renewed attacks against justification. Justification in Roman Catholic Doctrine Roman Catholicism blends its doctrines of sanctification and justification. Catholic theology views justification as an infusion of grace that makes the sinner righteous. In Catholic theology, then, the ground of justification is something made good within the sinner-not the imputed righteousness of Christ. The Council of Trent, Rome’s response to the Reformation, pronounced anathema on anyone who says “that the [sinner] is justified by faith alone-if this means that nothing else is required by way of cooperation in the acquisition of the grace of justification.” The Catholic council ruled “Justification … is not remission of sins merely, but also the sanctification and renewal of the inward man, through the voluntary reception of the grace, and of the gifts, whereby man of unjust becomes just.” So Catholic theology confuses the concepts of justification and sanctification and substitutes the righteousness of the believer for the righteousness of Christ. What’s the Big Deal? The difference between Rome and the Reformers is no example of theological hair-splitting. The corruption of the doctrine of justification results in several other grievous theological errors. If sanctification is included in justification, the justification is a process, not an event. That makes justification progressive, not complete. Our standing before God is then based on subjective experience, not secured by an objective declaration. Justification can therefore be experienced and then lost. Assurance of salvation in this life becomes practically impossible because security can’t be guaranteed. The ground of justification ultimately is the sinner’s own continuing present virtue, not Christ’s perfect righteousness and His atoning work. What’s so important about the doctrine of justification by faith alone? It is the doctrine upon which the confessing church stands or falls. Without it there is no salvation, no sanctification, no glorification-nothing. You wouldn’t know it to look at the state of Christianity today, but it really is that important. Adapted from makeThe Gospel According to the Apostles, © 1993 and 2000 by John MacArthur. All rights reserved. • Grace to You (Monday, March 21, 2005)

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Is it possible that someone actively and ernestly contending for the Faith could be perceived and thus labeled a bigot? I think the answer is YES !

In todays religious climate, it is very unpopular to make a clear stand for truth. The Church is bursting at the seams with false teachers, yet addressing the problem openly and biblically is considered unloving and hateful. Even more, lovers of Truth, willing to fight against false religious systems like the Roman Catholic Church, are labeled hatemongers.

Many Christians today are weary of the long war over truth. They are uneasy about whether doctrinal disagreements and divisions are a blight on the spiritual unity of the church and therefore a poor testimony to the world. These and similar questions are constantly heard nowadasys: “Isn’t it time to set aside our differences and just love one another?” “Rather than battling people with whom we disagree over various points of doctrine, why not stage a cordial dialogue with them and listen to their ideas?” … Conflict is not always avoidable. That is Jude’s whole point in writing his epistle. To remain faithful to the truth, sometimes it is even necessary to wage “civil war” within the church — especially when enemies of truth posing as brethren and believers are smuggling dangerous heresy in by stealth. — John MacArthur, The Truth War, pg. 73

“Weary” Christians are all to willing to set aside essential doctrinal truths in the name of unity. The ecumenical movement (reconciliation with Rome), is gaining momentum daily and in my humble opinion is a sign of the end of days. For those who champion truth, we must stand up and be counted regardless of the cost to our own well being.

Evangelical Christian leaders of all stripes are in record number affirming ecumenical statements of faith and proclamations of unity. It is said by these leaders that the tie that binds Evangelicals and Catholics together is the saving work of Jesus. The truth however is this, Orthodox Evangelicals and Roman Catholics have a very different concept of ’salvation through Jesus’ or Justification. It is this very real difference that creates an enormous gulf between them. This gulf will remain until Rome dismantels here man-made, man-centered religious system. The only hope for Rome is that she returns to an orthodox, biblical understanding of Justification (by faith alone, in Jesus alone, as understood through His Word alone).

Rise up, join the fight for truth, be a part of this worthy battle. May the Lord be glorified as we proclaim the truth in all humility and love.

– Shane Trammel

Noteworthy Links:

1. http://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/05/rick_warren_joi.html
2. http://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/05/roman_catholici_2.html
3. http://www.symphonyofscripture.com/?p=73
4. http://www.sliceoflaodicea.com/?p=175
5. http://www.helpforcatholics.org/
6. http://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/05/the_roman_catho_1.html
7. http://christianresearchnetwork.com/?p=2005
8. http://watcherslamp.blogspot.com/2007/05/sbc-pastor-echoes-silence-of-sbc.html

This is a very helpful resource to those interested in understanding more about Catholicism.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5  |  Part 6  |

Pulpit Magazine has a three part series on Religion Affections and you can get to the series with these links:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Disclaimer: As you read any information I may reference or write myself, consider it in the light of God’s Word. I will surely make mistakes and others have and will. I may reference or point you to Edwards, Wesley, Luther, Newton, Piper, etc. This in no way should be understood as an acceptance of all they have written or said. Please read these men and take what you can from them and always be on guard. Men are that, merely men and most definitely fallible.

Google Video Link Here

HT: Ben Davis, Symphony of Scripture

At Symphony of Scripture, Ben Davis has taken the time to provide some great notes to go along with this video. Enjoy.

[bibleblock]Exodus 8:28[/bibleblock]

This is a crafty word from the Pharaoh. If the poor bondaged Israelites must go out of Egypt, then he bargains with them that it will not be very far away – at least not far enough to escape the terror of his arms and the observation of his spies. After the same fashion, the world would have us be more charitable and not carry matters with too severe a hand. Death to the world and burial with Christ are experiences which carnal minds treat with ridicule. Worldly wisdom recommends the path of compromise and talks of moderation. According to this carnal policy, purity is admitted to be very desirable, but we are warned against being too precise. Truth is of course to be followed, but error is not to be severely denounced. “Yes,” says the world, “be spiritually minded by all means, but do not deny yourself a little frivolity. What’s the good of criticizing something when it is so fashionable and everybody does it?” Multitudes of professing Christians yield to this cunning advice to their own eternal ruin. If we would follow the Lord wholly, we must go right away into the wilderness and leave the carnal world behind us. We must leave its maxims, pleasures, and religion and go far away to the place where the Lord calls His sanctified ones. When the town is on fire, our house cannot be too far from the flames. To all true believers, let the trumpet call be sounded,

[bibleblock]2 Corinthians 6:17[/bibleblock].

Do you know for sure if a pastor, evangelist or TV preacher’s teaching is biblical? How do you measure the fruit of his ministry – by the number of decisions for Christ he generates? This CrossTV.com clip will help you judge the preaching and teaching at your church, comparing it with the bible.

About a year ago I was listening to a CD from Jason Upton called Remember. The whole CD is awesome, but there is a song on it titled “We Are One In The Spirit“. As I was listening to that song, something occurred to me, our love for one another is a great evangelism tool. If the Holy Spirit truly resides in us, we have the capacity to love each other in a way the world has never seen. The world wants that kind of love so much. Many in the church do to. It is sadly missing in many, if not most churches today. I am talking about authentic, true, real love for one another. The kind of love expressed in John 15:12-15

Can you imagine all the other expressions of love we would have for one another if we where literally ready to die for our friends.

So, back to my original point, to the extent that Christians can truly express love for one another, they will draw the world to them. John 13:34-35 This is where love becomes a tool. As the world is drawn to us, we give them Jesus. We share, in love, the complete Gospel. That is, we share sin, judgment, death, eternity, repentance, hell, the blood, faith, love, grace, forgiveness, and heaven. We give the Law to the proud and self-righteous but we give Grace to the humble. In all this we should consider the direction Paul gives in Colossians 4:5-6

So, in your prayer time, ask God to fill you with love for one another that only he can give us. I know this is my prayer. This is the prayer I pray with my five and six year old boys.

Lord, give us love for one another like we have never had before. May this expression of love draw people to us that we may share You (Jesus) with them (the world)!

Here is the song from Jason Upton and the lyrics below as well. I pray this will move you as you listen.

[odeo="http://odeo.com/audio/11161233/view"]

We Are One In The Spirit

Written by Peter Scholte
Friday, 04 March 2005

We are one in the Spirit
We are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit
We are one in the Lord A
nd we pray that all unity
May one day be restored

And they’ll know we are Christians
By our love, By our love
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians
By our love

We will walk with each other
We will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other
We will walk hand in hand
And together we’ll spread the news
That God is in our land

We will work with each other
We will work side by side
We will work with each other
We will work side by side
And we’ll guard each man’s dignity
And save each man’s pride

All praise to the Father
From whom all things come
And all praise to Christ Jesus
His only son And all praise to the Spirit
Who makes us one

Make us one, Lord!

Make us one, Lord!

© copyright 1966 Peter Scholte

I found something really cool today. The ESV New Testament Text for the IPOD.

This awesome tool comes from the web site podBible.

Go to the download page.

Download for ipod nano.

Download for ipod video.

Note: I just downloaded and installed this stuff today. Be forwarned, I have not tested the application for bugs or accuracy of the text. You will have to do that for yourself. Enjoy!

Much of the church nowdays seems to think Christians are supposed to be at play rather than at war. The idea of actually fighting for doctrinal truth is the furthest thing from most churchgoers’ thought.
–John MacArthur (from The Truth War)

The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception
By John MacArthur / Thomas Nelson

Right now, Truth is under attack, and much is at stake. In a postmodern culture, Christians are caught in the crossfire of alternative Christian histories, emerging faulty texts, and a cultural push to eliminate absolute Truth altogether. As a result, many churches and Christians have been deceived. Worse still, they propagate the deception that poses itself as Truth! In The Truth War, John MacArthur reclaims the unwavering certainty of God’s Truth and anchors Christians in the eternal, immovable promises found in His Word.

[odeo="http://odeo.com/audio/11144333/view"]

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I like much of what is taught in this message but would add that we are to address false doctrine in the church at large. So, some, as God calls, are raised up to be voices in each generation. These voices must speak to the corporate church and carry out the charge that Paul gave Timothy.

2 Timothy 4:1-8

Yet, nevertheless, the church on earth has, and until the second advent must be, the church militant, the church armed, the church warring, the church conquering. And how is this?

It is in the very order of things that so it must be. Truth could not be truth in this world if it were not a warring thing, and we should at once suspect that it were not true if error were friends with it. The spotless purity of truth must always be at war with the blackness of heresy and lies.

–C.H. Spurgeon

We remember how he suffered before going to the Cross and then what he went through on the Cross.

We think about why he endured the Cross. Hebrews 12:1-3

We think about how his shed blood provides for us a way of escape. An escape from the wrath to come on the Day of Judgment. Hebrews 9:27-28 By repenting of our sins and putting our faith and trust in Christ we gain eternal life with Jesus in heaven. What a comfort we have in knowing the truth of the redemption we have through Jesus death on the Cross.

Colossians 1:13-14

We think of the healing that is ours through the Cross. 1 Peter 2:24

We should think about how we need to tell others the story of the Cross. The meaning of the Cross. The redemption that can be received through the Cross.

God Bless each of you this Easter season and remember to turn to Christ, worship him, and devote yourself to serving him for the rest of your days here on earth.

Albert Mohler, discussing the book, The Secret, reminds us, “There Are No New Heresies”. Apparently The Secret is currently the top selling book in the nation.

Click here to read Albert Mohler’s comments on The Secret in detail.

When thinking about the statement ‘There are no new heresies’, I am reminded of King Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 1:9-10

There is nothing new under the sun, just a repackaging for a new generation.

I live in Texas, not Peoria, so I have never been to this church before.

In every church I can ever remember being a part of, there was always an explanation of what communion represents and a warning given that only believers should partake.

Here is the question:

Should the pastor explain what communion represents and discuss who should partake and who should not?

I think [biblelink]1 Cor. 11:17-33[/biblelink] helps us understand this better.

Former President Jimmy Carter is at it once again. In a recent interview with Beliefnet.com, Mr. Carter stated once again his belief that there is salvation outside of faith in Christ. But this time he seems to have gone even further, suggesting openly that all persons will be saved.

Here is the relevant exchange at Beliefnet.com:

Do you believe that grace ultimately applies to people who don’t presently believe in Jesus?

Yes, I do. I remember two things. One is that in John 3:16, which is probably the best known verse in the Bible – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.” And Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, for instance, said we should love our neighbors, but also love those who despise us and hate us and our enemies. So, the opportunity for everyone to be saved through the grace of God with faith in Christ applies to everyone.

And I have been asked often, you know, in my Sunday School classes, which are kind of a give and take debate with people from many nations and many faiths – what about those that don’t publicly accept Christ, are they condemned? And I remember that Christ said, “Judge not that ye be not judged.” And so, my own personal belief is one of God’s forgiveness and God’s grace. That’s the best answer I can give.

Well, that’s not good enough. The former president’s answer is a confused mash of out-of-context biblical citations set to the music of universalism. For some time Mr. Carter has been arguing that explicit faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is not necessary for salvation. Now, he takes this argument further, and the inescapable conclusion a reader of his latest comments must reach is that President Carter evidently believes that all persons will be saved.  This, in fact, is how Beliefnet.com characterized his position.

But Mr. Carter’s argument, if one can call these sentences an argument, is also self-contradictory.  In one sentence, he argues that “the opportunity for everyone to be saved through the grace of God with faith in Christ applies to everyone.”  Does the opportunity apply to all, or does salvation?  If he means the former, how do all persons confront this opportunity?  The tragic reality is that millions of persons have never heard the Gospel of Christ. As the Apostle Paul makes clear, this is the central thrust of the missionary mandate.

The apparent contradiction in Mr. Carter’s argument comes with the second paragraph of his answer, in which he argues that God’s grace and forgiveness is extended even to those who do not profess faith in Christ.  He goes on to suggest that when Jesus taught love of neighbor and the limitations of human judgment, He was teaching universalism.  This is nonsense, of course, since those texts mean nothing of the kind.  Beyond this, Mr. Carter’s interpretation would mean that Jesus contradicted himself when He warned of Hell and condemnation for sin.

The Bible is clear that not all persons will be saved.  Jesus contrasted the wide gate that leads to destruction with the narrow gate that leads to salvation.  As the Lord said in Matthew 7:13:

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

The fact is that many persons are embarrassed by the Gospel as revealed in the Bible and taught by Christ. The central issue of offense is the exclusivity of the Gospel of Christ,  And yet, Christ left no doubt about the matter.

In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  The first sentence is not the ground of offense.  The second sentence is.  The “but by Me” statement leaves no room for confusion.

In recent decades, some have attempted to argue that faith in Christ is indeed necessary for salvation, but this faith need not be explicit faith in Christ.  This position, known as inclusivism, suggests that persons may know nothing of the Gospel, and yet be saved.  This argument is often used to claim that adherents of other faiths and belief systems will be saved through the work of Christ, even though they may not hear of Him in this life.  Many Roman Catholic theologians have adopted this argument.  The late Karl Rahner put an interesting twist on the theme by suggesting that some persons are “anonymous Christians.”  These would be persons who now think themselves devotees of other belief systems but who are actually Christians who have no explicit faith in Christ. This argument cannot be squared with the biblical witness.

Universalists take the argument even further, with most arguing that all persons will be saved, completely without regard to faith in Christ.  With this latest interview, Mr. Carter appears to join these ranks.

The Apostle Paul refuted both inclusivism and universalism in Romans 10, where he insisted that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.  Paul explained that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ — which means explicit knowledge of the Gospel.  He explained that salvation comes to all those who confess with their mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised him from the dead.  Then, just in case we missed the obvious, Paul explains the missionary mandate — a mandate completely undercut and contradicted by inclusivism and universalism (and by President Carter’s comments):

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. [Romans 10:13-17]

The logic of Paul is clear.  If they hear they may believe, but if they never hear they will never believe.  And, if they never hear and believe, they will not be saved.

In a series of books, interviews, and comments, Mr. Carter has dismissed biblical inerrancy and once suggested that his faith would not be shaken, even if Jesus did not perform some of the miracles attributed to him in the New Testament.  He has adopted liberal positions on a host of issues and once identified liberal theologians such as Paul Tillich as major influences in his life and thought. 

Nevertheless, it is tragic to see this man of influence, now releasing another published set of his recorded Sunday School lessons, set himself so clearly against the Bible and the historic faith of the Christian church.  This, like all demonstrations of theological error, is both sad and deeply dangerous.  What could be worse than getting the Gospel wrong? 

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By Ray Comfort / Genesis

What Did Jesus Do? examines the biblical use of God’s Moral Law (the Ten Commandments) in witnessing, showing that not only did Jesus use the Law evangelistically, so did Peter, Paul, James, Jude, John the Baptist, and Stephen. So did Spurgeon, Wesley, Whitefield, and many others through the ages. Each of these men of God did what Jesus did: they used the Law to reach the lost. In a day in which many crucial truths are neglected, Ray Comfort calls the Church back to the way of the Master Evangelist, to consider “What did Jesus do?” and then to go and do likewise.

Get a free PDF of the book HERE!

The Bible tells us that Judas led a “multitude” to Jesus. His motive, however, wasn’t to bring them to the Savior for Salvation. Modern evangelism is also bringing “multitudes” to Jesus. Their motive may be different from Judas’s, but the end result is the same. Just as the multitudes that Judas directed to Christ fell back from the Son of God, statistics show that up to 90% of those coming to Christ under the methods of modern evangelism fall away from the faith. Their latter end becomes worse than the first. They openly crucify the Son of God afresh.In their zeal without knowledge, those who prefer the ease of modern evangelism to biblical evangelism betray the cause of the gospel with a kiss. What may look like love for sinner’s welfare is in truth eternally detrimental to him.

Like Peter (v.51), our zeal without knowledge is actually cutting off the ears of sinners. Those we erroneously call “backsliders” won’t listen to our reasoning. As far as they are concerned, they have tried it once, and it didn’t work. What a victory for the prince of darkness, and what an unspeakable tragedy for the Church!
- Ray Comfort
the above post comes originally from www.symphonyofscripture.com

– post originally in first person at http://www.reuel.com.au/symphony/?p=12

[bibleblock]Jeremiah 6:16[/bibleblock]