am-ministries

Shining after the rain

2010-07-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

"He who would have a fruitful ministry must have clear shining after the rain, by which I mean, first, law, and then, gospel. We must preach plainly against sin. In our ministry there must be rain, we must have the clouds and darkness, and divine justice bearing heavily upon the sinner's conscience. Then comes in Christ crucified, full atonement, simple faith, and clear shining of comfort to the believing sinner. But there must be the rain first. He who preaches all sweetness and all love, and has nothing to do with warning men of the consequences of sin, may be thought to be very loving; but, in truth, he is altogether unfaithful to the souls of men. I do not suppose that any of you women can sew without needles. Yet your object is not simply to get the needle into the stuff, is it? No; you want to get in a bit of cotton, or thread, or silk. Well, now, try whether you can sew with a piece of silk alone. You cannot do so. You must put in the needle first, must you not? And he who would do any work for God, must have a sharp needle, as he deals plainly with the sin of man, and he must then draw after it the silken thread of the gospel of Christ. There must be rain first, and clear shining afterwards."

--Charles H. Spurgeon

Hmmm... Good.

2010-07-12T14:13:00.001-07:00

"Where is the young man who fears the judgment to come? What is the breath of an enemy of God to the blast of the soul by the breath of the Almighty? If you fear the frowns of a fellow worm, how will you stand in judgment with an angry God?"

The sinner, under the afflictive hand of divine providence, is always made better or worse. If sickness and pain and the death of friends do not wean him from the world and drive him to God, they harden his heart. This is the effect of all the judgments of heaven and of all the calamities and miseries of human life. This is strikingly illustrated in the case of Pharaoh, King of Egypt. "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil" (Ecclesiastes 8:11). Thus despising the riches of divine goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads him to repentance, after his hardness and impenitent heart and with a stiff neck, he perseveres in his course of rebellion, treasuring up unto himself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God (Romans 2:4,5)."

--Asahel Nettleton

Heavenly Rest

2010-07-12T07:23:00.001-07:00

Now, reader, according to the directions already given, conscientiously practice meditation as well as prayer. Do it daily if possible. Retire into some private place at the most convenient time, and lay aside all worldly thoughts. With all possible seriousness and reverence look up towards heaven. Remember there is your everlasting rest. Study its excellency and reality. Rise from sense to faith by comparing heavenly with earthly joys. Then mix exclamations with your soliloquies, until, having pleaded the case reverently with God and seriously with your own heart, you have ignited yourself from dust to flame. It will change you from a forgetful sinner and lover of the world, to an ardent lover of God; from a fearful coward to a persistent Christian; from an unfruitful sadness to a joyful life. In other words, this activity will wean your heart from earth to heaven; from crawling in earth's dust to walking with God.

- Richard Baxter -

Cast all of your burdens on Him because He cares for you.

2010-06-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

"What may be before me, through what scenes of difficulty and distress I may pass, or where I may find a fixed residence, should this be the case, I know not nor am I anxious to know. To endeavor to extend the knowledge of Christ among the heathen, is undoubtedly right. It is the Lord's not mine, to determine whether such endeavors shall be successful. To Him would I cheerfully commit myself, my brethren, and the missionary cause."

Luther Rice

From a letter to his brother while suffering poor health and opposition from the East India Company

The only effectual reformer of the world!

2010-06-15T10:45:00.001-07:00

(Samuel Davies, "Serious Reflections on WAR" 1757)

"When He comes--He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment!" John 16:8

The Holy Spirit is the only effectual reformer of the world! If He is absent--
legislators may make laws against crime;
philosophers may reason against vice;
ministers may preach against sin;
conscience may remonstrate against evil;
the divine law may prescribe, and threaten hell;
the gospel may invite and allure to heaven;
but all will be in vain!

The strongest arguments, the most melting entreaties, the most alarming denunciations from God and man, enforced with the highest authority, or the most compassionate tears--all will have no effect--all will not effectually reclaim one sinner, nor gain one sincere convert to righteousness!

Paul, Apollos, and Peter, with all their apostolic abilities, can do nothing, without the Holy Spirit. Paul may plant the seed--and Apollos may water it; but God alone can make it grow! "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything--but only God, who makes things grow!" 1 Corinthians 3:6, 7.

Never will peace and harmony be established in this jangling world--until this Divine Agent takes the work in hand.

It is He alone--who can melt down the obstinate hearts of men into love and peace!

It is He alone--who can soften their rugged and savage tempers, and transform them into mutual benevolence!

It is He alone--who can quench those lusts that set the world on fire, and implant the opposite virtues and graces. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, are mentioned by Paul, as the fruit of the Spirit, because the Spirit alone is the author of them. And if these dispositions were predominant in the world--what a serene, calm, peaceful region would it be, undisturbed with the hurricanes of human passions!

Oh, how much do we need the influence of the blessed Spirit . . .
to break the heart of stone,
to enlighten the dark mind, and
to comfort the desponding soul!

Consider the SHORTNESS of your time!

2010-06-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

"Knowing the TIME, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep!" Romans 13:11

Consider the SHORTNESS of your time! That part of time which is parceled out to you, is not only uncertain--but extremely short! It is uncertain when it will end, but it is absolutely certain that it will end very soon!

In a short time--you will be conveyed you from this world--to heaven or hell.

And is it not high time then for you to awake out of sleep! Your work is great--and your time is short! You have no time to spare--none to trifle away!

Methinks it would shock a man to enter upon a new year, without knowing whether he will be in heaven or hell before the end of it!

We are all standing upon the slippery brink of eternity!

This day let us put this question to our hearts: "What really am I? Am I an humble, dutiful servant of God? Or am I a disobedient, impenitent sinner? Am I a disciple of Christ in reality? Or do I only wear His name, and make an empty profession of His religion? Where am I bound for? For heaven--or for hell? Which am I most fit for in my disposition? For the region of perfect holiness--or for that region of sin and impurity? Shall I stupidly delay the determination, until it is passed by the irrevocable sentence of the Supreme Judge, before whom I may stand before this year is at a close? Alas, if it should then be against me--then my doom will be remediless!"

There is none of this salvation work in hell! They no sooner enter into the eternal world--than their state will be unchangeably and eternally fixed!

All are ripe for eternity, before they are removed into it!

The godly are ripe for heaven--and the wicked are ripe for hell!

The godly are vessels of mercy, prepared for glory; the wicked are vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction, and for nothing else!

And therefore they must remain forever in their respective lodgings!

Sinners do indeed repent when in hell--but their repentance is their punishment, and has no tendency to amend or save them. They mourn and weep--but their tears are but oil to increase the flame! They cry, and perhaps pray in hell--but the hour of acceptance with God is past--past forever! The means of grace are all gone! The sanctifying influences of the Spirit are all withdrawn forever! And hence, they will corrupt and putrefy into mere masses of pure unmingled wickedness and misery!

Sinners, realize this thought--and surely, it must rouse you out of your lethargy and sleep!

Trifle on a little longer--and it is all over with you!

Spend a few days more as you have spent your time past--and you will be engulfed in as hopeless misery--as any devil in hell!

Be Careful, we often lower our standards to meet our goals....

2010-06-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

This was a great article I read from Don Currin. Don is with Heart Cry Missionary society. I recently heard him speak on Ezekiel chapter 36 and how it applies to glorifying God in our families. God wants us to being glory to His name in all parts of our lives. May the Lord be pleased to give us the ability to do so for His great name sake!

Sola del Gloria!
- Aaron

Are we amusing the mixed multitude?

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
Psalm 40:3

Only Christianity affirms the relationship between its founder and followers with a song. Where there is an absence of song, there is an absence of the Son. One of the assurances of conversion is the song that Christ places in the heart of the believer. The nature of the Lord’s song is revealed in the character of His children.

In David’s inspired testimony, he says, “he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God.” Praise characterizes the song of God.

There is nothing more noteworthy of Christ’s composition in the heart of a redeemed sinner than adoration. Christians have a sense of being out of tune with God when their walk ceases to show forth the praises of Him Who hath called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. While the lyrics may vary from life to life, the outstanding note of Christ’s song is praise.

William Cowper expressed his heart of undaunted praise for God when he penned the words-

The dearest idol I have known,
Whate’er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from thy throne,
And worship only thee.

The Lord’s song has called us to an everlasting preoccupation with Him and we will not be content until we yield to its influence.

Another characteristic of the Lord’s song is sacredness. In Psalm 137:1-4, the harpists of Israel were required to perform His song before a people who were bent on entertainment. Desiring to be amused, they commanded these musicians to sing them a song of Zion. Esteeming the Lord’s song sacred, these harpists refused to play before these idolaters.

Tragically, in the process of accommodating the demand of contemporary culture that would rather be amused than confronted about their sin, these churches have become more concerned with entertaining the goats than feeding the sheep. This ecclesiastical compromise has led to grievous repercussions in the Church. A.W. Tozer warned in his book The Root of the Righteous:

For centuries the Church stood solidly against every form of worldly entertainment, recognizing it for what it was-a device for wasting time, a refuge from the disturbing voice of conscience, a scheme to divert attention from moral accountability. For this she got herself abused roundly by the sons of the world. But of late she has become tired of the abuse and has given over the struggle. She appears to have decided that if she cannot conquer the great god Entertainment she may as well join forces with him and make whatever use she can of his powers. So today we have the astonishing spectacle of having millions of dollars being poured into the unholy job of providing earthly entertainment for the so-called sons of heaven. Religious entertainment is in many places crowding out the serious things of God. Many churches these days have become little more than poor theaters where fifthrate “producers” peddle their shoddy wares with the full approval of evangelical leaders who can even quote a holy text in defense of their delinquency.

Sadly, much of the contemporary music that is presented today does not promote the loftiness of the Creator. Rather it humanizes God, magnifies self, and paves the way for a feel good religion. Of the tragic consequences that have resulted, contempt for the Lord’s song heads the list. Many church leaders seem to go to any extent to make the song of the Redeemer more palatable to the sensual taste of the lost. John Chrysostom warned, “Everything must be banished which recalls the cult of pagan gods and the songs of actors.” While noted hymnwriter Fanny Crosby admonished, “It is never right to take the lyrics of Zion and put them to the tune of Babylon”.

In his article Music in Worship: Demanding a Distinction, Lenny Seidel wrote, “The church has capitulated to a reversal of emphasis in worship: the focus is now on the individual worshiper rather than on a holy God who is the object of worship. The result is a flood of music characterized by weak theology and designed to make people feel good. The issue is that the gospel should not be presented in an entertainment mode. The reason is that the gospel is about a person-the Lord Jesus Christ-and nothing about His like was entertaining.”

With the increased temptation to lower God’s standard in music, let us wage war against the God of this age who would seek to bring contempt upon the Lord’s song. Let us resolve to guard the sacredness of that holy song by protecting our worship services from music that appeals to the flesh and “serves and worships the creature” more than the Creator. Let us strive to preserve the sacredness of the Lord’s song that Christ may receive the preeminence that He rightly deserves.

~ Don Currin

Be putting an End to sin or it will be puting an End to you!

2010-06-02T09:22:00.001-07:00

Here is a small excerpt from John Owens books -
MORTIFICATION OF SIN IN BELIEVERS;

THE NECESSITY, NATURE, AND MEANS OF IT:
WITH A RESOLUTION OF SUNDRY CASES OF CONSCIENCE THEREUNTO BELONGING.

BY JOHN OWEN, D.D.,

A SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE WORK OF THE GOSPEL.

Mortification is the work of believers: Rom. 8:13, "If ye through the Spirit," etc., -- ye believers, to whom there is no condemnation, verse 1. They alone are exhorted to it: Col. 3:5, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth." Who should mortify? You who "are risen with Christ," verse 1; whose "life is hid with Christ in God," verse 3; who "shall appear with him in glory," verse 4. An unregenerate man may do something like it; by the work itself, so as it may be acceptable with God, he can never perform. You know what a picture of it is drawn in some of the philosophers, -- Seneca, Tully, Epictetus; what affectionate discourses they have of contempt of the world and self, of regulating and conquering all exorbitant affections and passions! The lives of most of them manifested that their maxims differed as much from true mortification as the sun painted on a sign-post from the sun in the firmament; they had neither light nor heat. Their own Lucian sufficiently manifests what they all were. There is no death of sin without the death of Christ. You know what attempts there are made after it by the Papists, in their vows, penances, and satisfactions. I dare say of them (I mean as many of them as act upon the principles of their church, as that call it) what Paul says of Israel in point of righteousness, Rom. 9:31,32, -- They have followed after mortification, but they have not attained to it. Wherefore? "Because they seek it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law." The same is the state and condition of all amongst ourselves who, in obedience to their convictions and awakened consciences, do attempt a relinquishment of sin; -- they follow after it, but they do not attain it.

It is true, it is, it will be, required of every person whatever that hears the law or gospel preached, that he mortify sin. It is his duty, but it is not his immediate duty; it is his duty to do it, but to do it in God's way. If you require your servant to pay so much money for you in such a place, but first to go and take it up in another, it is his duty to pay the money appointed, and you will blame him if he do it not; yet it was not his immediate duty, -- he was first to take it up, according to your direction. So it is in this case: sin is to be mortified, but something is to be done in the first place to enable us thereunto.

This is that I aim at: unless a man be regenerate, unless he be a believer, all attempts that he can make for mortification, be they never so specious and promising, -- all means he can use, let him follow them with never so much diligence, earnestness, watchfulness, and intention of mind and spirit, -- are to no purpose. In vain shall he use many remedies; he shall not be healed. Yea, there are sundry desperate evils attending an endeavour in convinced persons, that are no more but so, to perform this duty:--

You are on the road to eternity!

2010-06-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

"For I know that You will bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living." Job 30:23

If you are in Christ, you may well bear your trials.

Death will put an end to all your troubles!

If a man on a journey is not well accommodated, where he lodges only for a night--he will not trouble himself much about the matter; because he is not to stay there, it is not his home.

You are on the road to eternity!

Let it not distress you that you meet with some hardships in the 'inn of this world'.

Fret not, because it is not so well with you as with some others. One man travels with an expensive polished cane in his hand; his fellow traveler, perhaps, has but a common staff or stick: either of them will serve the turn. It is no great matter which of them is yours; both will be laid aside when you come to your journey's end.

When I look at some of the trials I am experiencing lately, I thank God that this life is fleeting and all I have to look forward to is love and fellowship with my Lord Jesus Christ!

- Aaron

A Treatise on Prayer, or, a Confession, and Declaration of Prayers Added Thereto, just a small portion.

2010-05-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

AGAINST SUCH AS WOULD HAVE MEDIATORS TO JESUS CHRIST. Alas! Whosoever is so minded shows himself plainly to know nothing of Jesus Christ rightly. Is he who descended from heaven, and vouchsafed to be conversant with sinners, commanding all sorely vexed and sick to come unto him [Matt. 9:11-13] (who, hanging upon the cross, prayed first for his enemies [Luke 23:34]) become now so intractable, that he will not hear us without a person to be a mean? "O Lord! open the eyes of such, that they may clearly perceive thy infinite kindness, gentleness, and love toward mankind."

Above all precedents is to be observed, that what we ask of God ought to be profitable to ourselves and to others, and hurtful or dangerous to no man. Secondly, we must consider whether our petitions extend to spiritual or corporeal things. [30]Spiritual things, such as deliverance from impiety, remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and of life everlasting, we should desire absolutely, without any condition, by Jesus Christ, in whom alone all these are promised. And in asking hereof, we should not pray thus: "O Father, forgive our sins if thou wilt;" for he has expressed his will, saying, "As I live, I desire not the death of a sinner, but rather that he convert and live;" which immutable and solemn oath whoso calls in doubt makes God a liar, and, so far as in him lies, would spoil him of his Godhead.[31] For he cannot be God except he be eternal and infallible verity. And John says, "This is the testimony which God hath testified of his Son, that whoso believeth in the Son hath eternal life" (1 John 5:11-13); to the verity whereof we should steadfastly cleave, although worldly dolour apprehends us. As David, exiled from his kingdom, and deprived of all his glory, secluded not from God, but steadfastly believed reconciliation by the promise made, notwithstanding that all creatures in earth had refused, objected and rebelled against him: "Happy is the man whom thou shalt inspire, O Lord" (2 Sam. 15).

[32]In asking [for] corporeal things, first let us inquire if we be at peace with God in our conscience by Jesus Christ, firmly believing our sins to be remitted in his blood? Secondly, let us inquire of our own hearts, if we know [that] temporal riches or substance do not come to man by accident, fortune, or chance, neither yet by the industry and diligence of man's labour; but to be the liberal gift of God only, whereof we ought to laud and praise his goodness, wisdom, and providence alone.

Just Good Stuff...

2010-05-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

"I did then preach much upon original sin, repentance, the nature and necessity of conversion, in a close, examinatory and distinguished way; laboring in the meantime to sound the trumpet of God's judgments, and alarm the secure by the terrors of the Lord, as well as to affect them by other topics of persuasion: which method was sealed by the Holy Spirit in the conviction and conversion of a considerable number of persons, at various times and in different places in that part of the county." - George Whitefield by Arnold Dallimore, (Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Banner of Truth), Volume L 417.

"A true revival means nothing less than a revolution, casting out the spirit of worldliness, making God's love triumph in the heart." - Andrew Murray

Amen and Amen!

2010-05-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

I am persuaded that the use of a good Catechism in all our families will be a great safeguard against the increasing errors of the times, and therefore I have compiled this little manual from the Westminster Assembly's and Baptist Catechisms, for the use of my own church and congregation. Those who use it in their families or classes must labor to explain the sense; but the words should be carefully learned by heart, for they will be understood better as years pass.

―C. H. Spurgeon

"There never was a man in the world without a creed. What is a creed? A creed is what you believe. What is a confession? It is a declaration of what you believe. That declaration may be oral or it may be committed to writing, but the creed is there either expressed or implied."

―B.H. Carroll

Prayer moves the hand of Almighty God.

2010-05-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

William Booth

ONE OF THE MOST effective weapons in General
Booth's arsenal was fervent prayer. It was not unusual
for Booth to hold "an all night of prayer" when
he came to preach the Word of God. People would
flood the altars every where he went. "The power of
God was wonderfully manifest in the meetings . . .
people were frequently, struck down, overwhelmed
with a sense of the presence and power of God."

The Salvation Army's success at freeing the captives
was uncanny, especially when one considers those
who it strived to reach. General Booth's battle cry
was "Go for souls and go for the worst." The worst
of sinners were saved, saloons were closed and
entire cities were shaken. Booth's success attracted
not only supporters but also enemies. Those who
served in the Army were pelted with hot coals,
sprayed with tar and burning sulphur, beat, stoned
and even kicked to death in the streets. The Salvation
Army resisted their enemies with a cheerful
"God bless you", and a prayer. General Booth, himself
was often in the thick of it. When spit on during
the Midlands tour, Booth encouraged his fellow
soldiers, "Don't rub it off - it's a medal!"

At another time, two Salvation Army officers set out
to found a new work, only to meet with failure and
opposition. Frustrated and tired they appealed to
the General to close the rescue mission. General
Booth sent back a telegram with two words on it,
"TRY TEARS." They followed his advice and they
witnessed a mighty revival.

During the course of William Booths ministry he
traveled 5,000,000 miles and preached 60,000 sermons.
God help us in this desperate and distracted
day in which we live to heed the General's advice.
"Work as if everything depended upon your work,
and pray as if everything depended upon your
prayer."

- Aaron -

Only a broken man made alive by God can worship God RIghtly.

2010-05-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

This is a small excerpt from Horatius Bonar - (1808-1889) --
It comes from his book - The Rent Veil.

- Aaron

How am I to worship God? man asks; and he has answered it also in his own way. In the gorgeous temple, in the pillared cathedral, with incense, and vestments, and forms, and ceremonies, and processions, and postures, he says.1414These are defended on the ground that they teach certain truths. But worship is not for teaching; it is for the taught. To multiply teaching and symbols is to injure worship; for teaching is not worship, and worship is not teaching. But these performances are the will-worship of self-righteousness, not the obedient service of men worshipping God in ways of His own ordination. Man cannot teach man how to worship God. When he tries it he utterly fails. He distorts worship; he misrepresents God, and he indulges his own sensuous or self-righteous tastes. His "dim religious light" is but a reflection of his own gloomy spirit, and an ignorant misrepresentation of Him "who is light, and in whom is no darkness at all." God's answer to man's question is given in the Lord's words, "they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." The vestments may or may not be comely; that matters not. The music may or may not be fine: the knees may or may not be bent; the hands may or may not be clasped; the place of worship may or may not be a cathedral, or a consecrated fabric. These are immaterial things; adjuncts of religion, not its essence. The true worship is that of the inner man; and all things else are of little moment. As it is with love so it is with worship. The heart is everything. God can do without the bended knee, but not without the broken heart.

The conscience...

2010-05-13T08:52:00.001-07:00

Your conscience will not always sleep!

(Samuel Davies, "Divine Mercy to Mourning Penitents")

"They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them." Romans 2:15

The principal means which God uses in conversion, is that of conscience; and indeed without this, all the rest are in vain. Outward afflictions are of service--only as they tend to awaken the conscience from its lethargy to a faithful discharge of its duty. It is conscience which makes the sinner sensible of his misery and scourges him. The lashes of a guilty conscience are intolerable; and some under them have chosen strangling and suicide, rather than life.

Conscience is a serpent in his breast, which bites and gnaws his heart; and he can no more avoid it, than he can fly from himself!

Let not such of you as have never been tortured with its remorse, congratulate yourselves upon your happiness, for you are not innocents! Your conscience will not always sleep! It will not always lie torpid and inactive, like a snake benumbed with cold, in your breast!

It will awaken you either to your conversion--or condemnation!

Either the fire of God's wrath flaming from His law will enliven it in this world--to sting you with medicinal anguish; or the unquenchable fire of His vengeance in the lake of fire and brimstone will thaw it into life--and then it will horribly rage in your breast, and diffuse its tormenting poison through your whole frame! And then it will become a never-dying worm, and prey upon your hearts forever!

Theology Time.

2010-05-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

Supralapsarianism

1. Elect some, reprobate rest
2. Create
3. Permit Fall
4. Provide salvation for elect
5. Call elect to salvation

Infralapsarianism

1. Create
2. Permit Fall
3. Elect some, pass over the rest
4. Provide salvation for elect
5. Call elect to salvation

Amyraldism

1. Create
2. Permit Fall
3. Provide salvation sufficient for all
4. Elect some, pass over rest
5. Call elect to salvation

Arminianism

1. Create
2. Permit Fall
3. Provide salvation for all
4. Call all to salvation
5. Elect those who believe

- A small note on all the above by Dr. Phil Johnson.

The distinction between infralapsarianism and supralapsarianism has to do with the logical order of God's eternal decrees, not the timing of election. Neither side suggests that the elect were chosen after Adam sinned. God made His choice before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4)—long before Adam sinned. Both infras and supras (and even many Arminians) agree on this.
SUPRALAPSARIANISM is the view that God, contemplating man as yet unfallen, chose some to receive eternal life and rejected all others. So a supralapsarian would say that the reprobate (non-elect)—vessels of wrath fitted for destruction (Rom. 9:22)—were first ordained to that role, and then the means by which they fell into sin was ordained. In other words, supralapsarianism suggests that God's decree of election logically preceded His decree to permit Adam's fall—so that their damnation is first of all an act of divine sovereignty, and only secondarily an act of divine justice.
Supralapsarianism is sometimes mistakenly equated with "double predestination." The term "double predestination" itself is often used in a misleading and ambiguous fashion. Some use it to mean nothing more than the view that the eternal destiny of both elect and reprobate is settled by the eternal decree of God. In that sense of the term, all genuine Calvinists hold to "double predestination"—and the fact that the destiny of the reprobate is eternally settled is clearly a biblical doctrine (cf. 1 Peter 2:8; Romans 9:22; Jude 4). But more often, the expression "double predestination" is employed as a pejorative term to describe the view of those who suggest that God is as active in keeping the reprobate out of heaven as He is in getting the elect in. (There's an even more sinister form of "double predestination," which suggests that God is as active in making the reprobate evil as He is in making the elect holy.)
This view (that God is as active in reprobating the non-elect as He is in redeeming the elect) is more properly labeled "equal ultimacy" (cf. R.C. Sproul, Chosen by God, 142). It is actually a form of hyper-Calvinism and has nothing to do with true, historic Calvinism. Though all who hold such a view would also hold to the supralapsarian scheme, the view itself is not a necessary ramification of supralapsarianism.
Supralapsarianism is also sometimes wrongly equated with hyper-Calvinism. All hyper-Calvinists are supralapsarians, though not all supras are hyper-Calvinists.
Supralapsarianism is sometimes called "high" Calvinism, and its most extreme adherents tend to reject the notion that God has any degree of sincere goodwill or meaningful compassion toward the non-elect. Historically, a minority of Calvinists have held this view.
But Boettner's comment that "there is not more than one Calvinist in a hundred that holds the supralapsarian view," is no doubt an exaggeration. And in the past decade or so, the supralapsarian view seems to have gained popularity.
INFRALAPSARIANISM (also known sometimes as "sublapsarianism") suggests that God's decree to permit the fall logically preceded His decree of election. So when God chose the elect and passed over the non-elect, He was contemplating them all as fallen creatures.

Those are the two major Calvinistic views. Under the supralapsarian scheme, God first rejects the reprobate out of His sovereign good pleasure; then He ordains the means of their damnation through the fall. In the infralapsarian order, the non-elect are first seen as fallen individuals, and they are damned solely because of their own sin. Infralapsarians tend to emphasize God's "passing over" the non-elect (preterition) in His decree of election.
Robert Reymond, himself a supralapsarian, proposes the following refinement of the supralapsarian view:
Reymond's Modified
Supralapsarianism

1. Elect some sinful men, reprobate rest
2. Apply redemptive benefits to the elect
3. Provide salvation for elect
4. Permit Fall
5. Create

Notice that in addition to reordering the decrees, Reymond's view deliberately stresses that in the decree of election and reprobation, God is contemplating men as sinners. Reymond writes, "In this scheme, unlike the former [the classic supra- order], God is represented as discriminating among men viewed as sinners and not among men viewed simply as men. (See Robert Reymond, Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, 489). Reymond's refinement avoids the criticism most commonly leveled against supralapsarianism—that the supralapsarian has God damning men to perdition before He even contemplates them as sinners. But Reymond's view also leaves unanswered the question of how and why God would regard all men as sinners even before it was determined that the human race would fall. (Some might even argue that Reymond's refinements result in a position that, as far as the key distinction is concerned, is implicitly infralapsarian.)
All the major Reformed Creeds are either explicitly infralapsarian, or else they carefully avoid language that favors either view. No major creed takes the supra position. (This whole issue was hotly debated throughout the Westminster Assembly. William Twisse, an ardent supralapsarian and chairman of the Assembly, ably defended his view. But the Assembly opted for language that clearly favors the infra position, yet without condemning supralapsarianism.)
"Bavinck has pointed out that the supralapsarian presentation 'has not been incorporated in a single Reformed Confession' but that the infra position has received an official place in the Confessions of the churches" (Berkouwer, Divine Election, 259).
Louis Berkhof's discussion of the two views (in his Systematic Theology) is helpful, though he seems to favor supralapsarianism. I take the Infra view, as did Turretin, most of the Princeton theologians, and most of the leading Westminster Seminary men (e.g., John Murray). These issues were at the heart of the "common grace" controversy in the first half of the Twentieth Century. Herman Hoeksema and those who followed him took such a rigid supralapsarian position that they ultimately denied the very concept of common grace.
Finally, see the chart (above), which compares these two views with Amyraldism (a kind of four-point Calvinism) and Arminianism. My notes on each view (below) identify some of the major advocates of each view.

NOTES ON THE ORDER OF THE DECREES
© 1994, 1997, 2000 by Phillip R. Johnson

Greatly incouraged to trust in Gods ability.

2010-05-05T10:14:00.001-07:00

Today during my time with the Lord, I was greatly encouraged to not look to myself or what I could do, but to put all my trust in His ability to deliver His children. Through a timely message and the Word of God I was more encouraged to put all I have and all I am into Him. He has proven time and time again that I will not be disappointed in Him. Praise God for His faithfulness. I pray He will make a name for Himself from this dilapidated ball of flesh.

2 Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His...

- Aaron

A few words of wisdom from Brother George Whitfield.

2010-05-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

But he is unworthy the name of a minister of the gospel of peace, who is unwilling, not only to have his name cast out as evil, but also to die for the truths of the Lord Jesus.

If your souls were not immortal, and you in danger of losing them, I would not thus speak unto you; but the love of your souls constrains me to speak: methinks this would constrain me to speak unto you forever.

It is a poor sermon that gives no offense; that neither makes the hearer displeased with himself nor with the preacher.

It is an undoubted truth that every doctrine that comes from God, leads to God; and that which doth not tend to promote holiness is not of God.

Let us, therefore, not be weary of well-doing; for we shall reap an eternal harvest of comfort, if we faint not.

Mere heathen morality, and not Jesus Christ, is preached in most of our churches.

No, if we come in the spirit and power of our Master, in this, as in every other part of his sufferings, we must follow his steps.

No, the religion of Jesus is a social religion.

O my brethren, my heart is enlarge towards you. I trust I feel something of that hidden, but powerful presence of Christ, whilst I am preaching to you.

Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you.

Take care of your life and the Lord will take care of your death.

The great and important duty which is incumbent on Christians, is to guard against all appearance of evil; to watch against the first risings in the heart to evil; and to have a guard upon our actions, that they may not be sinful, or so much as seem to be so.

The righteousness of Jesus Christ is one of those great mysteries, which the angels desire to look into, and seems to be one of the first lessons that God taught men after the fall.

You see, my brethren, my heart is full; I could almost say it is too big to speak, and yet too big to be silent, without dropping a word to you.

We are immortal until our work on earth is done.

A very SOLID ROCK!

2010-05-04T09:59:00.001-07:00

Where shall you find a rock?

(Samuel Davies, "Jesus Christ, the Only Foundation" 1757)

"The present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men! The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be burned up!" 2 Peter 3:7, 10

The fiery deluge of divine vengeance, which has been gathering and swelling for thousands of years; but has been, as it were, restrained and kept within bounds by divine patience--shall then rise so high as to burst through all restraints, and overwhelm the guilty globe, and turn it into a universal ocean of liquid fire! This resistless torrent shall sweep away all the refuges of lies, and those who trusted in them--into the gulf of remediless destruction!

Well my friends, where shall we find a support to bear us up in this tremendous day? Where shall we find a rock to build upon, that we may be able to stand the shock, and remain safe and unmoved--in the wreck of dissolving worlds? What can uphold us--when this vast machine of our world, formed with so much skill and strength by the hands of a divine Architect, shall be broken up and fall to pieces?

Now, now is the time for us to find the refuge; it will be too late when all created supports are swept away, and this solid globe itself is dissolved beneath our feet into a sea of fire!

And where will you look? Where will you turn? This earth, and all its riches, honors, and pleasures--will prove to be but a quicksand in that day! Your friends and relations, were they ever so great or powerful--can then afford you no support! Therefore, think--where shall you find a rock on which you may build a happiness that will stand the shock in that dreadful day?

Everything else besides Christ . . .
is sliding sand,
is yielding air,
is a breaking bubble!

In that dread day . . .
wealth--will prove to be a vain shadow,
honor--will prove to be an empty breath,
pleasure--will prove to be a delusive dream,
your own righteousness--will prove to be a spider's web!
If we rely on these, disappointment and doom are inevitable!

Nothing but Christ, nothing but Christ, can stably support us in that dread day! "He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress--I will never be shaken!" Psalm 62:2

His righteousness is infinitely perfect, equal to the highest demands of the divine law--and therefore a firm, immovable ground of trust. We may safely venture the weight of our eternal all--upon this rock! It will stand forever, without giving way under the heaviest pressure; without being broken by the most violent shock. Let thousands, let millions, with all the mountainous weight of guilt upon them, build upon this foundation, and they shall never be moved!

The firm foundations, the stately columns, the majestic buildings of Nineveh, Babylon and Persia, and all the magnificent structures of antiquity, though formed of the most durable stone, and promising immortality--are now shattered into ten thousand fragments, or lying in ruinous heaps!

But here in Christ--is a foundation for immortal souls--a foundation that will remain the same to all eternity! His righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, His strength an everlasting strength, and Himself the everlasting Father. He ever lives forever to make intercession for His people, and therefore he is able to save to the uttermost, to the uttermost point of duration--all who come unto God by Him!

Millions and millions of depraved, wretched, ruined creatures, have always found Him perfectly able, and as perfectly willing--
to expiate the most enormous guilt;
to deliver from the most inveterate corruptions;
and to save to the very uttermost!

Ten thousand times ten thousand, have built their hopes upon this rock--and it has never failed so much as one of them! Manasseh, Paul, and Mary Magdalen, and thousands more atrocious sinners--have ventured upon this all-sufficient rock with all their load of sin upon them, and found it able to sustain them!

---
Hebrews 7:25 - Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
---

Praise God!
- Aaron

Are you a Disciple or an Attender?

2010-05-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight-walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up, until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He returns to claim His own, He will have no problem in recognizing me. My colors will be clear.

Lord gives us callus knees and broken hearts!

2010-04-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

Revival doesn't cost a red cent, except broken hearts.

We Christians are debtors to all men at all times in all places, but we are so smug to the lostness of men. We've been "living in Laodicea", lax, loose, lustful, and lazy. Why is there this criminal indifference to the lostness of men? Our condemnation is that we know how to live better than we are living. The Bible parable says that while men slept, the enemy sowed tares among the wheat. A boy who rises at 4:30 to deliver papers is considered a go-getter, but to urge our young people to rise at 5:30 to pray is considered fanaticism. We must once again wear the hardness of discipline. There is no other way.

A man may study because his brain is hungry for knowledge, even Bible knowledge. But he prays because his soul is hungry for God.

To be much for God, we must be much with God. Jesus, that lone figure in the wilderness, knew strong crying, along with tears. Can one be moved with compassion and not know tears? Jeremiah was a sobbing saint. Jesus wept! So did Paul. So did John...Though there are some tearful intercessors behind the scenes, I grant you that to our modern Christianity, praying is foreign.

No man - I don't care how colossal his intellect - No man is greater than his prayer life.

In revival God is not concerned about filling empty churches, He is concerned about filling empty hearts.

Just to give a man a license to preach because he has so much academic ability is like giving a blind man a driving license. If he doesn't know God, why is he in this business?!

Leonard Ravenhill

Limited Atonement.

2010-04-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

The doctrine of Limited Atonement (or Particular Redemption) is probably the most controversial of the doctrines of grace and most difficult to accept by many believers. Limited Atonement states that Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect only, and actually secured salvation for them. His death was the substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ's redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation; including faith which unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ died, therefore guaranteeing their salvation.

- Aaron

"In short, limited atonement affirms that Jesus Christ in dying bore the sins of his people, enduring all the punishment that was due to them by becoming the curse that the law demanded. It pleased the Lord to bruise him for this purpose, for in so doing he gained - by his meritorious death - forgiveness, righteousness, sanctification, and eternal glory for a large and definite number of people, all of whom he knew and to whom he was joined before the foundation of the world."

- Thomas J. Nettles

"[If Jesus died for all men]...why then, are not all freed from the punishment of all their sins? You will say, "Because of their unbelief; they will not believe." But his unbelief, is it sin, or not? If not, why should they be punished for it? If it be sin, then Christ underwent the punishment due to it; If this is so, then why must that hinder them more than their other sins for which he died from partaking of the fruit of his death? If he did not, then he did not die for all their sins."

- John Owen

"We are often told that we limit the atonement of Christ, because we say that Christ has not made satisfaction for all men, or all men would be saved. Now, our reply to this is, that, on the other hand, our opponents limit it: we do not. The Arminians say, Christ died for all men. Ask them what they mean by it. Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of all men. They say, "No, certainly not." We ask them the next question--Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of any man in particular? They answer, "No." They are obliged to admit this, if they are consistent. They say, "No, Christ has died that any man may be saved if..." --and then follow certain conditions of salvation. Now, who is it that limits the death of Christ? Why, you. You say that Christ did not die so as to secure the salvation of anybody. We beg your pardon, when you say that we limits Christ's death; we say, "no my dear sir, it is you that do it." We say Christ so died that he infallibly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number, who through Christ's death not only may be saved, but are saved, must be saved and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of being anything but saved. You are welcome to your atonement; you may keep it. We will never renounce ours for the sake of it."

- Charles Spurgeon

When witnessing remember there NO ONE who is GOOD.

2010-04-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

What was wrong with him?

(Arthur Pink) Arthur Walkington Pink (1 April 1886 – 15 July 1952) was an English Christian evangelist and Biblical scholar known for his staunchly Calvinist and Puritan-like teachings.

"One thing you lack" Mark 10:21

Those words addressed by our Lord to the rich young ruler who had approached Him with such apparent eagerness and earnestness, and in whom there were some admirable qualities which are rarely found in young men, especially those of affluence.

Yet there was a fatal defect, for the sequel informs us that he turned from Christ, and "went away sad" (Mark 10:22). What was wrong with him? "'One thing you lack--Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.' At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth." (Mark 10:21-22).

There was a struggle between his convictions and his corruptions; he desired to serve two masters--God and mammon; and when Christ told him that was impossible, he was chagrined.

His fatal deficiency may be described in a variety of ways. He had no conviction that he was a ruined, lost and Hell-deserving sinner, no consciousness that he was a spiritual leper in the sight of God, no realization of his utter helplessness to better his condition. Though religious, he was still in nature's darkness, and therefore, his affections were not raised above the vanities of this world. There was no love for God within him; and consequently, he was unwilling to deny himself, abandon his idols, and give God His rightful place in his life--serving, pleasing, and enjoying Him. He lacked a real and unreserved surrender of his heart to God.

Is that the case with you, dear reader?

Witnessing Opportunity this weekend.

2010-04-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

Please pray for me and a few other men for the ability, strength, and power of the Holy Spirit, to abide with us this weekend. Panoply is this weekend and we are hoping we will have the opportunity to pass out Gospel Tracts and witness as God leads us. Pray for me as I need a person to watch my Son. The Lord may just ask me to stay at home, but I am praying He will be pleased to let me go!

- Aaron

Panoply, “The South's Most All-Embracing ARTStravaganza,” is held the last full weekend of each April in downtown Huntsville, Alabama; this annual celebration of the arts attracts over 100,000 people to Big Spring International Park (with record-breaking attendances exceeding 100,000 during 2007 - 2009!).

Conviction of sin.

2010-04-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

Conviction of Sin

Robert Murray M'Cheyne (1813-1843)

"He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment!" John 16:8

1. Conviction of sin, by the Holy Spirit, issuing in conversion—is not the mere smiting of the natural conscience. Although man is utterly fallen—yet God has left natural conscience behind in every heart to speak for Him. Some men, by continual sinning, sear even the conscience as with a hot iron, so that it becomes past feeling; but most men have so much natural conscience remaining that they cannot commit heinous sin, without their conscience smiting them. When a man commits murder or theft, no eye may have seen him, and yet conscience makes a coward of him. He trembles, fearing that God will take vengeance. Now that is a natural work which takes place in every heart—but conviction of sin is a supernatural work of the Spirit of God. If you have had nothing more than the ordinary smiting of conscience—then you have never been truly convicted of sin.

2. Conviction of sin, by the Holy Spirit, issuing in conversion—is not any impression upon the imagination. Sometimes, when men have committed great sin, they have awful impressions of God's vengeance made upon their imaginations. In the night-time, they almost imagine that they see the flames of Hell burning beneath them; or they seem to hear doleful cries in their ears telling of coming woe; or they have terrible dreams, when they sleep, of coming vengeance. Now this is not the conviction of sin which the Spirit gives: it is altogether a natural work upon the natural faculties.

3. Conviction of sin, by the Holy Spirit, issuing in conversion—is not a mere head knowledge of what the Bible says against sin. Many unconverted men read their Bibles, and have a clear knowledge that their case is laid down there. They know very well that they are in sin, and they know just as well that the wages of sin is death. One man lives a swearer, and he reads the words, and understands them perfectly: "The Lord will not hold him guiltless—who takes his name in vain" (Exodus 20:7; Deu 5:11). Another man lives in the lusts of the flesh, and he reads the Bible and understands those words perfectly: "No immoral person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God" (Ephesians 5:5). Another man lives in habitual forgetfulness of God—never thinks of Him, and yet he reads: "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God" (Psalm 9:17). Now in this way, most men have a head knowledge of their sin and of its wages—yet this is far from true conviction of sin.

What—then, is this conviction of sin?

It is to feel the loathsomeness of sin. A child of God has seen the beauty and excellency of God; and therefore, sin is loathsome in his eyes. But no unconverted person has seen the beauty and excellency of God; and therefore, sin cannot appear dark and loathsome in his eyes.

It is a just sense of the dreadfulness of sin. It is not mere knowledge that we have many sins and that God's anger is revealed against them all; but it is a heart-feeling that we are under sin. It is a sense of the dishonor it does to God, and of the wrath to which it exposes the soul.

Conviction of sin is no slight natural work upon the heart. It is all in vain that you read your Bibles and hear us preach, unless the Spirit uses the words to give feeling to your dead hearts. If we could prove to you with the plainness of arithmetic, that the wrath of God is abiding on you—still, you would sit unmoved. The Spirit alone can impress your heart.

Does God attend your Sunday Service..

2010-04-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

Why is the Church
Powerless?

SPIRITUALLY WE ARE in a shocking condition.
The status of many local fellowships is bad news,
and deteriorating by the minute.
We have become more proud of the number of successful
businessmen in our churches than of the
number of men of God. The dollar has become our
master. The claims of the businessworld have been
given more place than the claims of Christ. The
corporation counts more with us than the Church.
Our condemnation is found in the words of Samuel
Johnson, “The lust of gold, unfeeling and remorseless,
is the last corruption of degenerate man.”
We have become a status-seeking people. We sacrifice
everything for prestige jobs, prestige homes and
prestige cars. And we have prestige ambitions for
our children. Truth is that in our mad desire to see
them successful and comfortable in the world, we
are causing many of them to pass through the fire in
this life and to suffer the pains of hell in the next.
Too often we are living double lives. Outwardly
there is an appearance of piety and respectability.
But in business there are bribery, shady deals, dishonesty
and numberless forms of compromise. And
in our personal lives there are coldness, bitterness,
strife gossip, back-biting and impurity. We are living
a lie.
We have become thoroughly worldly, living for the
love of passing things. We have been enraptured
victims of the idiot tube, and lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God. Most willingly have we
been poured into the mold of the world, its fashions,
amusements and ideals. The sin of prayerlessness
has been all too apparent. In our abounding wealth
and self-sufficiency, we have not had any strong
inward necessity driving us to prayer. Many of our
prayer meetings need closing down.

William MacDonald (1917-2007) - Prolific author
and teacher, was a mentor to many. William Mac-
Donald was involved in active service for the Lord for
over 70 years.

- This thought is not original with me, but a very Godly man once said that Sunday morning in the USA is the biggest sin of idolatry we have ever seen. -

- Aaron

Truths to Meditate on....

2010-04-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

Chapter 9: Of Free Will

1. God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice, that it is neither forced, nor by any necessity of nature determined to do good or evil.
( Matthew 17:12; James 1:14; Deuteronomy 30:19 )

2. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God, but yet was unstable, so that he might fall from it.
( Ecclesiastes 7:29; Genesis 3:6 )

3. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.
( Romans 5:6; Romans 8:7; Ephesians 2:1, 5; Titus 3:3-5; John 6:44 )

4. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, he freeth him from his natural bondage under sin, and by his grace alone enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good; yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruptions, he doth not perfectly, nor only will, that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil.
( Colossians 1:13; John 8:36; Philippians 2:13; Romans 7:15, 18, 19, 21, 23 )

5. This will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone in the state of glory only.
( Ephesians 4:13 )

Chapter 10: Of Effectual Calling

1. Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, he is pleased in his appointed, and accepted time, effectually to call, by his Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by his almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace.
( Romans 8:30; Romans 11:7; Ephesians 1:10, 11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14; Ephesians 2:1-6; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 1:17, 18; Ezekiel 36:26; Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel 36:27; Ephesians 1:19; Psalm 110:3; Canticles 1:4 )

2. This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature, being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit; he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it, and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead.
( 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 2:8; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:5; John 5:25; Ephesians 1:19, 20 )

3. Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit; who worketh when, and where, and how he pleases; so also are all elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.
( John 3:3, 5, 6; John 3:8 )

4. Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men that receive not the Christian religion be saved; be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the law of that religion they do profess.
( Matthew 22:14; Matthew 13:20, 21; Hebrews 6:4, 5; John 6:44, 45, 65; 1 John 2:24, 25; Acts 4:12; John 4:22; John 17:3 )

Chapter 14: Of Saving Faith

1. The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word; by which also, and by the administration of baptism and the Lord's supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened.
( 2 Corinthians 4:13; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:14, 17; Luke 17:5; 1 Peter 2:2; Acts 20:32 )

2. By this faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the authority of God himself, and also apprehendeth an excellency therein above all other writings and all things in the world, as it bears forth the glory of God in his attributes, the excellency of Christ in his nature and offices, and the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit in his workings and operations: and so is enabled to cast his soul upon the truth thus believed; and also acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come; but the principal acts of saving faith have immediate relation to Christ, accepting, receiving, and resting upon him alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.
( Acts 24:14; Psalms 27:7-10; Psalms 119:72; 2 Timothy 1:12; John 14:14; Isaiah 66:2; Hebrews 11:13; John 1:12; Acts 16:31; Galatians 2:20; Acts 15:11 )

3. This faith, although it be different in degrees, and may be weak or strong, yet it is in the least degree of it different in the kind or nature of it, as is all other saving grace, from the faith and common grace of temporary believers; and therefore, though it may be many times assailed and weakened, yet it gets the victory, growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith.
( Hebrews 5:13, 14; Matthew 6:30; Romans 4:19, 20; 2 Peter 1:1; Ephesians 6:16; 1 John 5:4, 5; Hebrews 6:11, 12; Colossians 2:2; Hebrews 12:2 )

The Great Change - When you were Converted!

2010-04-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

The Great Change -
Conversion
CAN YOU NOT remember, dearly-beloved, that
day of days, that best and brightest of hours, when
first you saw the Lord, lost your burden, received
the roll of promise, rejoiced in full salvation, and
went on your way in peace?
When I was in the hand of the Holy Spirit, under
conviction of sin, I had a clear and sharp sense of
the justice of God. Sin, whatever it might be to other
people, became to me an intolerable burden. It was
not so much that I feared hell, as that I feared sin;
and all the while, I had upon my mind a deep concern
for the honour of God's name, and the integrity
of His moral government. I felt that it would not
satisfy my conscience if I could be forgiven unjustly.
But then there came the question,—"How could
God be just, and yet justify me who had been so
guilty?" I was worried and wearied with this question;
neither could I see any answer to it. Certainly, I
could never have invented an answer which would
have satisfied my conscience. The doctrine of the
atonement is to my mind one of the surest proofs of
the Divine inspiration of Holy Scripture. Who
would or could have thought of the just Ruler dying
for the unjust rebel? This method of expiation is
only known among men because it is a fact: fiction
could not have devised it. God Himself ordained it;
it is not a matter which could have been imagined.
When I was anxious about the possibility of a just
God pardoning me, I understood and saw by faith
that He who is the Son of God became man, and in
His own blessed person bore my sin in His own
body on the tree. I saw that the chastisement of my
peace was laid on Him, and that with His stripes I
was healed. It was because the Son of God, supremely
glorious in His matchless person, undertook
to vindicate the law by bearing the sentence
due to me, that therefore God was able to pass by
my sin.

C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) - British Baptist
preacher known as the “prince of preachers.” He
wrote volumes of works that are still reprinted in our
day. Used to bring many souls to Christ in England.

- My heart still cries "O How can it be that thou my God dist die for me!"
- Aaron

True Repentance is to do so NO more!

2010-04-14T11:35:00.001-07:00

The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson

COUNTERFEIT REPENTANCE

To discover what true repentance is, I shall first show what it is not. There are several deceits of repentance which might occasion that saying of Augustine that `repentance damns many'. He meant a false repentance; a person may delude himself with counterfeit repentance.

1. The first deceit of repentance is legal terror
A man has gone on long in sin. At last God arrests him, shows him what desperate hazard he has run, and he is filled with anguish. Within a while the tempest of conscience is blown over, and he is quiet. Then he concludes that he is a true penitent because he has felt some bitterness in sin. Do not be deceived: this is not repentance. Ahab and Judas had some trouble of mind. It is one thing to be a terrified sinner and another to be a repenting sinner. Sense of guilt is enough to breed terror. Infusion of grace breeds repentance. If pain and trouble were sufficient to repentance, then the damned in hell should be most penitent, for they are most in anguish. Repentance depends upon a change of heart. There may be terror, yet with no change of heart.

2. Another deceit about repentance is resolution against sin
A person may purpose and make vows, yet be no penitent. `Thou saidst, I will not transgress' (Jer. 2.20). Here was a resolution; but see what follows: `under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot'. Notwithstanding her solemn engagements, she played fast and loose with God and ran after her idols. We see by experience what protestations a person will make when he is on his sick-bed, if God should recover him again; yet he is as bad as ever. He shows his old heart in a new temptation.

Resolutions against sin may arise:
(1) From present extremity; not because sin is sinful, but because it is painful. This resolution will vanish.
(2) From fear of future evil, an apprehension of death and hell: `I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him' (Rev. 6.8). What will not a sinner do, what vows will he not make, when he knows he must die and stand before the judgment-seat? Self-love raises a sick-bed vow, and love of sin will prevail against it. Trust not to a passionate resolution; it is raised in a storm and will die in a calm.

3. The third deceit about repentance is the leaving of many sinful ways It is a great matter, I confess, to leave sin. So dear is sin to a man that he will rather part with a child than with a lust: `Shall I give the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?' (Mic. 6.7). Sin may be parted with, yet without repentance.
(1) A man may part with some sins and keep others, as Herod reformed many things that were amiss but could not leave his incest.
(2) An old sin may be left in order to entertain a new, as you put off an old servant to take another. This is to exchange a sin. Sin may be exchanged and the heart remained unchanged. He who was a prodigal in his youth turns usurer in his old age. A slave is sold to a Jew; the Jew sells him to a Turk. Here the master is changed, but he is a slave still. So a man moves from one vice to another but remains a sinner still.
(3) A sin may be left not so much from strength of grace as from reasons of prudence. A man sees that though such a sin be for his pleasure, yet it is not for his interest. It will eclipse his credit, prejudice his health, impair his estate. Therefore, for prudential reasons, he dismisses it. True leaving of sin is when the acts of sin cease from the infusion of a principle of grace, as the air ceases to be dark from the infusion of light.

Keeping the Focus..

2010-04-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

As the leader in my home it is up to me to keep everyone focused on Christ and His glory. One of the ways I attempt to keep the focus is to prayerfully seek Gods direction on what verses He would have us cling to. About 2 months ago the Lord really impressed on me Matthew 16:24-26. The mission we are trying to focus on is; is our discipleship costing us or are we deceived? Would He say "depart from me I never knew you, or well done good and faithful servant." Since we are in a battle and as humans are prone to laziness, I find it very necessary to examine our walk with Christ intensely in contrast to Christ's harshest demands. Looking at Christ as only the lamb leads to an imbalanced view of Him. We must remember He is the Lion and Lamb. As one good preacher put it He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and He will bolt out of Heaven on a white horse, His garments are dripped in blood and He is coming to dominate and to slaughter. This coming King has always upheld perfect forgiveness while upholding perfect righteousness. "YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS." The cost is very great, your life, not just the physical, but your idols, dreams, hopes, aspirations. We must put them out side the camp where they belong, and be like Christ and say for the JOY set before us we despise all and run to Him. And in the end our reward will be great we will get Him.

This is what I have posted on the Frig...

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

25 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

26 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

- Aaron

Just a Christian that Loves the Doctrines of Grace

2010-04-13T12:31:00.000-07:00

I was out a friends house this weekend who broke out an old copy of the Onley hymns. Just before he broke it out we were discussing the Doctrines of Grace. He like me believes that these truths only widen our understanding of the greatness of God revealed in the scriptures. He like me believes that all "GOOD" theology and doctrine leads the believer to worship Christ more rightly. When I told my friend that I cannot seem to live without these Doctrines, since they fill me with the awesomeness of God. He brought this little book out and told me to read an excerpt written by John Newton.

-Aaron

In the preface to the Olney hymns, John Newton wrote, "The views I have received of the doctrines of grace are essential to my peace; I could not live comfortably a day, or an hour, without them. I likewise believe . . . them to be friendly to holiness, and to have a direct influence in producing and maintaining a gospel conversation; and therefore I must not be ashamed of them."

A little on Prayer, and such...

2010-04-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

I was grateful again last night that I was able to attend prayer meeting at my local church. There aren't many who go but I praise God for those who are able to go. It seems as though lately all the attendees are beginning to be moved by the Power of God. I would like to think that I have learned a little in the area of prayer. I know that we have a God who hears and acts on the prayers of His people.
I thank God that He put me through the toughest time of my life so He could show Himself faithful and true. The cost was very very great but He is far greater. And the truth is what was lost is not lost but found by Christ and I will see them again; but for now they are hidden from eyes. I often pray that God will keep my focus and perspective on eternity, becasue this will all be over soon.
I am thankful that God never stops revealing His greatness and glory and my weakness and need for Him. I still see many things in this man that needs to be refined but I am sure of this He will do it. We who call on the great name of Christ must learn to die, die, die, and give all dominion and control over to Him. The trials are so tough but they fill me with a sense of the Glory of God, and they bring me in such sweet, true fellowship, I feel a life without these tests would be no life at all. God has designed testing and trials for all His children to make them conform into the image of Christ. We all should embrace them with open arms and hearts and get our fill of Jesus.
This has been a hard time for me but also very sweet too. I have learned that with the knowledge of God comes simplicity. I often pray "Gentle Jesus meek and mild come unto a little child. Lord pity my simplicity, suffer me to come to thee." In these few words I understand that I am not wise, powerful, or great; but I am a simple man from the dust who needs All Mighty God to rescue him daily.

- Aaron

RJ is getting Bigger and cuter.

2010-04-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

RJ is just getting cuter and it is getting harder to discpline him. :)

- Aaron

2010-04-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

It is finished!

(J. C. Ryle)

"It is finished!" John 19:30

Let us turn from the story of the crucifixion, every time we read it--with hearts full of praise.

Let us praise God for the confidence it gives us, as to the ground of our hope of pardon. Our sins may be many and great--but the payment made by our Great Substitute far outweighs them all!

Let us praise God for the view it given us of the love of our Father in heaven. He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all--will surely with Him give us all things!

Not least, let us praise God for the view it gives us of the sympathy of Jesus with all His believing people. He can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows what suffering is. Jesus is just the Savior that an infirm body, with a weak heart, in an evil world, requires!

-Aaron

Praise God. Jesus Died.

2010-04-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

God has privledged me many times to sit under this mans preaching. The power of God is real, but will we submit to Christ ALL THE WAY. I have met Paul Washer many times and what he asks me everytime is to pray that he is a Godly husband and good father.

Oh Lord give us a hunger for you!

2010-04-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Psalms 24:3-6 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah

Have We No Tears for Revival?

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." (Ps. 126:5). This is the divine edict. This is more than preaching with zeal. This is more than scholarly exposition. This is more than delivering sermons of exegetical exactitude and homiletic perfection. Such a man, whether preacher or pew dweller, is appalled at the shrinking authority of the Church in the present drama of cruelty in the world. And he cringes with sorrow that men turn a deaf ear to the Gospel and willingly risk eternal hell in the process. Under this complex burden, his heart is crushed to tears.

The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church, grieved at the blindness of the Church, grieved at the corruption in the Church, grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil. He is embarrassed that the Church folks no longer cry in their despair before a devil-ridden, sin-mad society, "Why could we not cast him out?" (Matt. 17:19).

Many of us have no heart-sickness for the former glory of the Church because we have never known what true revival is. We stagnate in the status quo and sleep easy at night while our generation moves swiftly to the eternal night of hell. Shame, shame on us! Jesus whipped some money changers out of the temple; but before He whipped them, He wept over them. He knew how near their judgment was The Apostle Paul sent a tear-stained letter to the Philippian saints, writing: "I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18). Notice that he does not say they are enemies of Christ; they are, rather, the enemies of the cross of Christ. They deny or diminish the redemptive values of the cross. There are many like this today. The church of Rome does not stand as an enemy of Christ; it traces heavily on His holy name. Yet it denies the cross by saying that the Blessed Virgin is co-redemptive. If this is so, why was she not also crucified? The Mormons use the name of Christ, yet they are astray on the atonement. Have we tears for them? Shall we face them without a blush when they accuse us of inertia at the Judgment Seat saying that they were our neighbors and an offense to us, but not a burden because they were lost?

The Salvationists can scarcely read their flaming evangelical history without tears. Has the glory of the evangelical revival under Wesley ever gripped the hearts of the Methodists of today? Have they read of the fire-baptized men in Wesley's team? Men like John Nelson, Thomas Walsh, and a host of others whose names are written in the Book of Life; men persecuted and kicked in the streets when they held street meetings? Yet as their blood flowed from their wounds, their tears flowed from their eyes. Have the Holiness people set a guard at the door of the beauty parlors lest any sister should enter to get her hair curled, while a block away there is a string of prostitutes trying to sell their sin-wracked bodies with none to tell them of eternal love? Do the Pentecostals look back with shame as they remember when they dwelt across the theological tracks, but with the glory of the Lord in their midst? When they had a normal church life, which meant nights of prayers, followed by signs and wonders, and diverse miracles, and genuine gifts of the Holy Ghost? When they were not clock watchers, and their meetings lasted for hours, saturated with holy power? Have we no tears for these memories, or shame that our children know nothing of such power? Other denominations had their Glory Days of revival. Think of the mighty visitations to the Presbyterians in Korea. Remember the earth-shaking revival in Shantung. Are those days gone forever? Have we no tears for revival?

Leonard Ravenhill

Justification by Faith ALONE - Sola fide

2010-03-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

For some reason the Lord has been having me defend this truth more and more lately. So I thought why not put up some information on what others like minded as myself have thought on the matter.

Martin speaks my heart on the matter here...

"This doctrine [justification by faith] is the head and the cornerstone. It alone begets, nourishes, builds, preserves, and defends the church of God; and without it the church of God cannot exist for one hour…. For no one who does not hold this article – or, to use Paul's expression, this 'sound doctrine' (Titus 2:1) – is able to teach aright in the church or successfully to resist any adversary . . . this is the heel of the Seed that opposes the old serpent and crushes its head. That is why Satan, in turn, cannot but persecute it."

"Whoever departs from the article of justification does not know God and is an idolater . . . For when this article has been taken away, nothing remains but error, hypocrisy, godlessness, and idolatry, although it may seem to be the height of truth, worship of God, holiness, etc."

Here John puts into words perfectly why this doctrine is so important...

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.

Read on what great minds blessed by Gods wisdom think...

What Edwards Thinks.

John MacArthur, Jr.

Marin Luther

What Makes you Happy?

2010-03-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

"Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle." Proverbs 23:5

People are badly cheated in this world. They imagine that the things they can see are the real things--that the gold, lands, and stocks are the true treasures. So they toil for those things and gather them into their possession, piling up what they suppose to be wealth. Thus they live in pomp, with their fine houses, and all their brilliant show. But one day their supposed riches sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. Or they may keep their wealth, perchance, and die at last in the midst of it, and have a great funeral; but they find that they cannot carry a penny of it with them. "How much did he leave?" was asked about a rich man who had died. "All of it!" was the answer.

If only people knew that there are things which will never fly away--they would no longer live for fleeting worldly wealth. They would pass by the glittering unrealities, to lay hold of the true riches. He who is rich toward God--is the truly wealthy man

Go Steve!

2010-03-26T15:45:00.001-07:00

Directions for Hating Sin, By Richard Baxter

2010-03-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

Direct. II. Yet must you be willing and obedient in applying the remedies prescribed you by Christ, and observing his directions in order to your cure. And you must not be tender, and coy, and fine, and say his is too bitter, and that is too sharp; but trust his love, and skill, and care, and take it as he prescribes it, or gives it you, without any more ado. Say not, It is grievous, and I cannot take it: for he commands you nothing but what is safe, and wholesome, and necessary, and if you cannot take it, must try whether you can bear your sickness, and death, and the fire of hell! Are humiliation, confession, restitution, mortification, and holy diligence worse than hell?

Read the whole sermon here

This one hit me right between the eyes.

2010-03-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

This is devastating but True!

2010-03-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

This may sting some of you and may even hurt your feelings. That is not my intention but to see your soul saved and Christ glorified.

- Aaron

It WILL COST YOU to follow Christ.

2010-03-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

Advice to Missionary Candidates by Adoniram Judson

2010-03-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

To the Foreign Missionary Association of the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution, N. Y.

DEAR BRETHREN: Yours of November last, from the pen of your Corresponding Secretary, Mr. William Dean, is before me. It is one of the few letters that I feel called upon to answer, for you ask my advice on several important points. There is, also, in the sentiments you express, something so congenial to my own, that I feel my heart knit to the members of your association, and instead of commonplace reply, am desirous of setting down a few items which may be profitable to you in your future course. Brief items they must be, for want of time forbids my expatiating.

In commencing my remarks, I take you as you are. You are contemplating a missionary life.

First, then, let it be a missionary life; that is, come out for life, and not for a limited term. Do not fancy that you have a true missionary spirit, while you are intending all along to leave the heathen soon after acquiring their language. Leave them! for what? To spend the rest of your days in enjoying the ease and plenty of your native land?

Secondly. In choosing a companion for life, have particular regard to a good constitution, and not wantonly, or without good cause, bring a burden on yourselves and the mission.

Thirdly. Be not ravenous to do good on board ship. Missionaries have frequently done more hurt than good, by injudicious zeal, during their passage out.

Fourthly. Take care that the attention you receive at home, the unfavorable circumstances in which you will be placed on board ship, and the unmissionary examples you may possibly meet with at some missionary stations, do not transform you from living missionaries to mere skeletons before you reach the place of your destination. It may be profitable to bear in mind, that a large proportion of those who come out on a mission to the East die within five years after leaving their native land. Walk softly, therefore; death is narrowly watching your steps.

Fifthly. Beware of the reaction which will take place soon after reaching your field of labor. There you will perhaps find native Christians, of whose merits or demerits you can not judge correctly without some familiar acquaintance with their language. Some appearances will combine to disappoint and disgust you. You will meet with disappointments and discouragements, of which it is impossible to form a correct idea from written accounts, and which will lead you, at first, almost to regret that you have embarked in the cause. You will see men and women whom you have been accustomed to view through a telescope some thousands of miles long. Such an instrument is apt to magnify. Beware, therefore, of the reaction you will experience from a combination of all these causes, lest you become disheartened at commencing your work, or take up a prejudice against some persons and places, which will embitter all your future lives.

Sixthly. Beware of the greater reaction which will take place after you have acquired the language, and become fatigued and worn out with preaching the gospel to a disobedient and gainsaying people. You will sometimes long for a quiet retreat, where you can find a respite from the tug of toiling at native work -- the incessant, intolerable friction of the missionary grindstone. And Satan will sympathize with you in this matter; and he will present some chapel of ease, in which to officiate in your native tongue, some government situation, some professorship or editorship, some literary or scientific pursuit, some supernumerary translation, or, at least, some system of schools; anything, in a word, that will help you, without much surrender of character, to slip out of real missionary work. Such a temptation will form the crisis of your disease. If your spiritual constitution can sustain it, you recover; if not, you die.

Seventhly. Beware of pride; not the pride of proud men, but the pride of humble men -- that secret pride which is apt to grow out of the consciousness that we are esteemed by the great and good. This pride sometimes eats out the vitals of religion before its existence is suspected. In order to check its operations, it may be well to remember how we appear in the sight of God, and how we should appear in the sight of our fellow-men, if all were known. Endeavor to let all be known. Confess your faults freely, and as publicly as circumstances will require or admit. When you have done something of which you are ashamed, and by which, perhaps, some person has been injured (and what man is exempt?), be glad not only to make reparation, but improve the opportunity for subduing your pride.

Eighthly. Never lay up money for yourselves or your families. Trust in God from day to day, and verily you shall be fed.

Ninthly. Beware of that indolence which leads to a neglect of bodily exercise. The poor health and premature death of most Europeans in the East must be eminently ascribed to the most wanton neglect of bodily exercise.

Tenthly. Beware of genteel living. Maintain as little intercourse as possible with fashionable European society. The mode of living adopted by many missionaries in the East is quite inconsistent with that familiar intercourse with the natives which is essential to a missionary.

There are many points of self-denial that I should like to touch upon; but a consciousness of my own deficiency constrains me to be silent. I have also left untouched several topics of vital importance, it having been my aim to select such only as appear to me to have been not much noticed or enforced. I hope you will excuse the monitorial style that I have accidentally adopted. I assure you, I mean no harm.

In regard to your inquiries concerning studies, qualifications, etc., nothing occurs that I think would be particularly useful, except the simple remark, that I fear too much stress begins to be laid on what is termed a thorough classical education.

Praying that you may be guided in all your deliberations, and that I may yet have the pleasure of welcoming some of you to these heathen shores, I remain

Your affectionate brother,
A. JUDSON
Maulmain, June 25, 1832

Do Not Try to Save Yourself!

2010-03-09T11:09:00.000-08:00

If you think about it, God's value of heaven and yours are very different things. His salvation, when he
set a price upon it, was to be brought to men only through the death of his Son. But you think that your good
works can win the heaven which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, procured at the cost of his own blood! Do you
dare to put your miserable life in comparison with the life of God's obedient Son, who gave himself even to
death? Does it not strike you that you are insulting God? If there is a way to heaven by works, why did he
put his dear Son to all that pain and grief? Why the scenes of Gethsemane? Why the tragedy on Golgotha,
when the thing could be done so easily another way? You insult the wisdom of God and the love of God.
There is no attribute of God which self-righteousness does not impugn. It debases the eternal perfections
which the blessed Saviour magnified, in order to exalt the pretensions of the creature which the Almighty
spurns as vain and worthless. The trader may barter his gold for your trinkets and glass beads, but if you
give all that you have to God it would be utterly rejected. He will bestow the milk and the honey of his
mercy without money and without price, but if you come to him trying to bargain for it, it is all over for you;
God will not give you choice provisions of his love that you do not know how to appreciate.
The great things you propose to do, these works of yours, what comparison do they bear to the blessing
which you hope to obtain? I suppose by these works you hope to obtain the favour of God and procure a
place in heaven. What is it, then you propose to offer? What could you bring to God? Would you bring him
rivers of oil, or the fat of ten thousand animals? Count up all the treasures that lie beneath the surface of the
earth; if you brought them all, what would they be to God? If you could pile up all the gold reaching from
the depths of the earth to the highest heavens, what would it be to him? How could all this enrich his coffers
or buy your salvation? Can he be affected by anything you do to augment the sum of his happiness, or to
increase the glory of his kingdom? If he were hungry he would not tell you. “The cattle upon ten thousand
hills are mine,” he says ( Psa 50:10). Your goodness may please your fellow-creatures, and your charity may
make them grateful, but will God owe anything to you for your gifts, or be in debt to you for your influence?
Absurd questions! When you have done everything, what will you be but a poor, unworthy, unprofitableservant?
You will not have done what you ought, much less will there be any balance in your favour to make
atonement for sin, or to purchase for you an inheritance in the realms of light.
You who are going to save yourselves by reforms, and by earnest attempts and endeavours, let me ask
you, if a man could not perform a certain work when his arm had strength in it, how will he be able to
perform it when the bone is broken? When you were young and inexperienced, you had not yet fallen into
evil habits and customs. Though there was depravity in your nature then, you had not become bound in the
iron net of habit, yet even then you went astray like a lost sheep and you followed after evil. What reason
have you to suppose that you can suddenly change the bias of your heart, the course of your actions and the
tenor of your life, and become a new man? “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?” (
Jer 13:23). Are there not ten thousand probabilities against one that as you sinned before you will sin still?
You found the pathway of evil to be so attractive and fascinating that you were enticed into it, and you will
still be enticed and drawn away from that path of integrity which you are now so firmly resolved to tread.
The way to heaven by following the law given at Mount Sinai is very steep and narrow, and it takes only
one wrong step for a man to be dashed to pieces. Stand at the foot and look up at it if you dare. On its brow
of stone there is the black cloud, out of which lightning leaps and the blast of the trumpet sounds loud and
long. Do you not see Moses tremble, and you will dare to stand unabashed where Moses is fearful and
afraid? Look upwards, and give up the thought of climbing those steep crags, for no one has ever striven to
clamber up there in the hope of salvation without finding destruction among the terrors of the way! Be wise,
give up that deceitful hope of salvation which your pride leads you to choose and your presumption would
soon cause you to rue.
Suppose you could do some great thing, which I am sure you cannot, and it were possible that you could
from now on be perfect, and never sin again in thought, or word, or deed; how would you be able to atone
for your past delinquencies? Shall I call for a resurrection in that graveyard of your memory? Let your sins
rise up for a moment, and pass in review before you. Ah, the sins of your youth may well frighten you; those
midnight sins; those midday sins; those sins against light and knowledge; those sins of body; those sins of
soul! You have forgotten them, you say, but God has not. Look at the file! They are all placed there, all
registered in God's daybook, not one forgotten—all to be read against you in the day of the last judgment.
How can future obedience make up for past transgression? The cliff has fallen and though the wave
washes up ten thousand times, it cannot set the cliff up again. The day is bright but still there was a night,
and the brightest day does not obliterate the fact that once it was dark. The self-righteous man knows that
what he is doing cannot satisfy God, for it cannot satisfy himself; and though he may perhaps drug his
conscience, there is generally enough left of the divine element within the man to make him feel and know
that it is not satisfactory.
To believe what God says, to do what God commands, to take that salvation which God provides—this
is man's highest and best wisdom. Open your Bible. It is the pilgrim's guide, in which God describes the
glory yet to be revealed. This is the one message of the gospel, “believe and live.” Trust in the incarnate
Savior, whom God appointed to stand in the place of sinners. Trust in him and you shall be saved.

35 Reasons not sin.

2010-03-02T12:16:00.001-08:00

35 Reasons Not To Sin
By Jim Elliff

1. Because a little sin leads to more sin.
2. Because my sin invites the discipline of God.
3. Because the time spent in sin is forever wasted.
4. Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.
5. Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.
6. Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.
7. Because I am doing what I do not have to do.
8. Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.
9. Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.
10. Because my sin saddens the godly.
11. Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.
12. Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.
13. Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.
14. Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.
15. Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.
16. Because sin is a very brief pleasure for an eternal loss.
17. Because my sin may influence others to sin.
18. Because my sin may keep others from knowing Christ.
19. Because sin makes light of the cross, upon which Christ died for the very purpose of taking away my sin.
20. Because it is impossible to sin and follow the Spirit at the same time.
21. Because God chooses not to respect the prayers of those who cherish their sin.
22. Because sin steals my reputation and robs me of my testimony.
23. Because others once more earnest than I have been destroyed by just such sins.
24. Because the inhabitants of heaven and hell would all testify to the foolishness of this sin.
25. Because sin and guilt may harm both mind and body.
26. Because sins mixed with service make the things of God tasteless.
27. Because suffering for sin has no joy or reward, though suffering for righteousness has both.
28. Because my sin is adultery with the world.
29. Because, though forgiven, I will review this very sin at the Judgment Seat where loss and gain of eternal rewards are applied.
30. Because I can never really know ahead of time just how severe the discipline for my sin might be.
31. Because my sin may be an indication of a lost condition.
32. Because to sin is not to love Christ.
33. Because my unwillingness to reject this sin now grants it an authority over me greater than I wish to believe.
34. Because sin glorifies God only in His judgment of it and His turning of it to good use, never because it is worth anything on it's own.
35. Because I promised God He would be Lord of my life.
Relinquish Your Rights - Reject the Sin - Renew the Mind - Rely on God

John 11:23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

2010-02-23T12:59:00.000-08:00

There are many who have gone before us. I hope these few words from our dear departed brother Horatius Bonar brings someone as much joy and happiness and it has brought me.

- Aaron

Walking thus by faith and not by sight, what should mar our joy? Does it not come from that which is within the veils? And what storm of the desert can find entrance there? Our rejoicing is in the Lord, and He is without variableness or shadow of turning. We know that this is not our rest; neither do we wish it were so, for it is polluted; but our joy is this, that Jehovah is our God, and His promised glory is our inheritance forever. Our morning and our evening song is this “The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines have fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage” (Psa 16:5).
Why should we, then, into whose hands the cup of gladness shall ere long be put, shrink from the vinegar and the gall? Why should we, who have dearer friends above better bonds that cannot be dissolved, be disconsolate at the severance of an earthly tie? Our homes may be empty, our firesides may be thinned, and our hearts may bleed: but these are not enduring things; and why should we feel desolate as if all gladness had departed? Why should we, who shall wear a crown and inherit all things, sigh or fret because of a few years’ poverty and shame? Earth’s dream will soon be done; and then comes the day of “songs and everlasting joy”—the long reality of bliss! Jesus will soon be here; and “when he who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory.”

Shall trial shake us? Nay, in all this we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Shall sorrow move us? Faith tells us of a land where sorrow is unknown. Shall the death of saints move us? Faith tells us not to sorrow as those who have no hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, them also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. Shall the pains and weariness of this frail body move us? Faith tells us of a time at hand when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and death shall be swallowed up in victory. Shall privation move us? Faith tells us of a day when the poverty of our exile shall be forgotten in the abundance of our peaceful, plenteous home, where we shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more.

Shall the disquieting bustle of this restless life annoy us? Faith tells us of the rest that remaineth for the people of God—the sea of glass like unto crystal on which the ransomed saints shall stand—no tempest, no tumult, no shipwreck there. Shall the lack of this world’s honors move us? Faith tells us of the exceeding and eternal weight of glory in reserve. Have we no place to lay our head? Faith tells us that we have a home, though not in Caesar’s house, a dwelling, though not in any city of earth. Are we fearful as we look around upon the disorder and wretchedness of this misgoverned earth? Faith tells us that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Do thoughts of death alarm us? Faith tells us that “to die is gain,” and whispers to us, “What, are you afraid of becoming immortal, afraid of passing from this state of death, which men call life, to that which alone truly deserves the name!”

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

Hallelujah yeah LORD!

Trying to be Resolved

2010-02-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

I have been reading the Resolutions of Johnathan Edwards for encouragement in my endeavors with fighting sin and trying to attain Christ likeness. So far I think Resolution number twenty four is a noble goal to attain to at this time. I think some of the "Ol Time Religion" is good for the soul.

24. Resolved, Whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Praise God!

- Aaron

All those who desire to Live Godly will suffer Persecution.

2010-02-18T08:13:00.000-08:00

I agree Mr. Spurgeon.

Do not believe that the common Christianity of the present age will carry anybody to heaven. It is a counterfeit and a sham. It does not make men to differ from their fellows, it pretends to faith and has none, talks about love and does not show it, brags of truth and evaporates it into thin air in its latitudinarian charity.

God give us back the real thing—stimuli, strong belief in the gospel, real faith in Jesus, real prayer to him, real spiritual power.

Then again there will be persecution, but it will only blow away the chaff and leave the pure wheat!

The world likes us better because we like the world better; it calls us friends because we doff our colors and sheathe our swords and play the craven; but if we preach and live the gospel in the old apostolic way, we shall soon have the devil roaring round the camp and the seed of the serpent hissing on all sides, but we fear not, for "the Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."

Wow all things are in His power.

2010-02-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

Psalms 115:3 Says But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. How true is this! Let me say this up front, I am going to be vague to protect the innocent. :) I was hurt very badly by a person almost 4 years ago. I actually hated this person in my heart, at the time of what happened I was not a Christian. Yesterday I found out that the same way that this person hurt me, they were hurt in return in the same way by another.
When I was told of this situation that this person was in, I was brought almost to tears instead of feeling "well they deserve this". At first I was so shocked at the power of God in my life. Where I was once filled with anger and hatred I loved my enemy.
I prayed in my heart after listening to all that is happening to this person; Lord save their soul. Today I was moved to write this person a letter that contained my concern, forgiveness, and condolences. I also put the Gospel of Jesus Christ in plain language and I Hope that God will pluck another brand from the fire. We all who claim the name of Christ have been forgiven much and we must forgive much too.

Blessings,
- Aaron

Grief is a process -- not a race

2010-02-04T06:48:00.000-08:00

C.S. Lewis said; losing a love one is like having your leg amputated. You don't get over an amputated leg. The wound may heal, but the leg will never grow back. You'll always have that absence in your life, and you'll always walk with a limp.
Mr. Lewis I totally agree. I have lost many a loved one over my brief stay here on earth, and I feel like I need a wheel chair. The loss of my sister was my first amputation and it hurt. Then my grandparents which were closer to me than my parents at one time. Next my Father passed away; there goes more of my past. Not too long after him my Mother passed away; now any proof of former memories are gone. Finally no more than 11 weeks ago I lost my best friend, my love, my wife. All the loss before losing Shawna could not compare to the loss of losing her.
My feelings most days are like one who has been cut in half. All around me my soul gives way, but Jesus is all my hope and stay. When my sorrows like sea billows roll, I can say it is well, yes it is well with my soul. The bottom fall out on me quite often, but Christ has promised that He will never leave me or forsake me. What more do I need to carry out my days for His glory.
In many ways I envy Shawna. She has left this life; this life that we as Christians call death, but those who that are without hope in the world call life; to enter life eternal the REAL life. In His presence is the fullness of Joy, in His right hand there are pleasures forever. Praise God for making a way for ruined sinners.
In my grief and sorrow, I call upon the name of the LORD who is worthy to be praised. Because His loving kindness is better than life, my lips will praise Him. I seek Him earnestly to take refuge in Him, and to taste and see that the LORD is good. When my pain is at it's worst and the feeling of loss seem to know no end, I hope in Him. I hope and seek His loving kindness, and His joy fills my heart with praise. I can really say with David, I sought the Lord, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.
So what am I an amputee? No Jesus has made me whole again. The reality of loss is very near to me each and every day but He is nearer. I cry, but He is there and He wipes away all my tears and comforts all my fears. So when it hurts real bad I turn to His most excellent Word; O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders. Plans from long ago with perfect faithfulness.

- Aaron

None of us would want to have our hearts photographed!

2010-01-26T04:26:00.000-08:00

I get a daily email from www.gracegems.org and I thought it would be good to share some of the "GEMS" that are in these emails. Most of the authors of the GEMS are men of God from years past. This GEM is from J.R. Miller - James Russell Miller was born on March 20, 1840 at Frankfort Springs, Pennsylvania and died on July 2, 1912. Besides authoring over 80 books, booklets, and pamphlets, Dr. J.R. Miller was the Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication and a very active pastor in a succession of churches. You can read more about J.R. Miller here. I hope these words encourage you to look to Christ.

- Aaron

J.R. Miller

"Having loved His own who were in the world--He loved them unto the end!" John 13:1

A friend is one who loves--and does not cease to love. Christ having loved His people--loves them unto the end.

One quality of true friendship, is trust. What could be more sacred than this comfort of feeling safe with a person, absolutely safe? That is the kind of friend Jesus is. You may always feel safe with Him. You may confess all your sins to Him. You may tell Him all your faults and your failures--how you denied Him the other night, how you failed to be true to Him, and all the evil thoughts of your heart; and He will be just as tender and gracious--as if you never had sinned! He loves unto the end!

None of us would want to have our hearts photographed, and the picture held up before the eyes of our neighbors! We would not want even our best friends to see a full transcript of our secret life--what goes on within us:
the jealousies,
the envyings,
the bitter feelings,
the impure thoughts,
the meannesses,
the selfishnesses,
the suspicions,
the doubts and fears!
Yet Christ sees all this unworthy inner life--He knows the worst that is in us--and loves us still! We do not need to hide our weaknesses from Him. He never withdraws His love. We may trust Him absolutely and forever!

"Having loved His own who were in the world--He loved them unto the end!" John 13:1

New Year New Direction

2010-01-18T17:38:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 3:5-6 ⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

This has been the hardest year of my life. God gives and He takes away praise be the name of the LORD. He gave me a son, an inheritance, whom I love very much. He gave me the closest year of my life with my wife. He brought a trial that I must thank Him for. Praise the Lord from the rising of the sun to its setting.
As I step out on faith this year I want to live Proverbs 3:5-6. My wife is now with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ. I miss her so much. She was my everything I feel like I am half a man now. But the Lord knows all things and He is good and does good. So I know without a shadow of a doubt that God will guide me through the pain and grief and lead me to where the sorrow turns into joy.
My wife's blog is still active you can read about this amazing woman here.. Shawna

A good practice to cultivate.

2009-04-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

TWELVE WAYS TO HUMBLE YOURSELF

1. Routinely confess your sin to God. (Luke 18:9-14) All of us sin and fall short of the glory of God. However, too few of us have a routine practice of rigorous self-honesty examination. Weekly, even daily, review of our heart and behavior, coupled with confession to God, is an essential practice of humility.

2. Acknowledge your sin to others. (James 3:2, James 5:16) Humility before God is not complete unless there is also humility before man. A true test of our willingness to humble ourselves is being willing to share with others the weaknesses we confess to God. Wisdom, however, dictates that we do so with others that we trust.

3. Take wrong patiently. (1 Peter 3:8-17) This has been a difficult one for me. When something is unjust I want to react and rectify it. However, patiently responding to the unjust accusations and actions of others demonstrates our strength of godly character and provides an opportunity to put on humility.

4. Actively submit to authority…the good and the bad! (1 Peter 2:18) Our culture does not value submission; rather it promotes individualism. How purposely and actively do you work on submission to those whom God has placed as authorities in your life? Doing so is a good way to humble yourself.

5. Receive correction and feedback from others graciously. (Proverbs 10:17, 12:1) In the Phoenix area, a local East valley pastor was noted for graciously receiving any negative feedback or correction offered. He would simply say "thank you for caring enough to share that with me, I will pray about it and get back to you." Look for the kernel of truth in what people offer you, even if it comes from a dubious source. Always pray, "Lord, what are you trying to show me through this?"

6. Accept a lowly place. (Proverbs 25:6,7) If you find yourself wanting to sit at the head table, wanting others to recognize your contribution or become offended when others are honored or chosen, then pride is present. Purpose to support others being recognized, rather than you. Accept and look for the lowly place; it is the place of humility.

7. Purposely associate with people of lower state than you. (Luke 7:36-39) Jesus was derided by the Pharisees for socializing with the poor and those of lowly state. Our culture is very status conscious and people naturally want to socialize upward. Resist the temptation of being partial to those with status or wealth.

8. Choose to serve others. (Philippians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 4:5, Matthew 23:11) When we serve others, we are serving God’s purposes in their lives. Doing so reduces our focus on ourselves and builds the Kingdom of God instead of the Kingdom of self. When serving another costs us nothing, we should question whether or not it is really servanthood.

9. Be quick to forgive. (Matthew 18: 21-35) Forgiveness is possibly one of the greatest acts of humility we can do. To forgive is to acknowledge a wrong that has been done us and also to further release our right of repayment for the wrong. Forgiveness is denial of self. Forgiveness is not insisting on our way and our justice.

10. Cultivate a grateful heart. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) The more we develop an attitude of gratitude for the gift of salvation and life He has given us, the more true our perspective of self. A grateful heart is a humble heart.

11. Purpose to speak well of others. (Ephesians 4:31-32) Saying negative things about others puts them "one down" and us "one up"…a form of pride. Speaking well of others edifies them and builds them up instead of us. Make sure, however, that what you say is not intended as flattery.

12. Treat pride as a condition that always necessitates embracing the cross. (Luke 9:23) It is our nature to be proud and it is God’s nature in us that brings humility. Committing to a lifestyle of daily dying to self and living through Him is the foundation for true humility.

What it is to Accept Christ. A.W. Tozer

2009-04-14T13:39:00.001-07:00

Meet your NEW youth pastor

2009-03-13T18:44:00.001-07:00

Ignatius from travis hawkins on Vimeo.

evangelical collapse

2009-03-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

A very interesting article from :

An anti-Christian chapter in Western history is about to begin. But out of the ruins, a new vitality and integrity will rise.

By Michael Spencer

Oneida, Ky. - We are on the verge – within 10 years – of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity. This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West.

Within two generations, evangelicalism will be a house deserted of half its occupants. (Between 25 and 35 percent of Americans today are Evangelicals.) In the "Protestant" 20th century, Evangelicals flourished. But they will soon be living in a very secular and religiously antagonistic 21st century.

This collapse will herald the arrival of an anti-Christian chapter of the post-Christian West. Intolerance of Christianity will rise to levels many of us have not believed possible in our lifetimes, and public policy will become hostile toward evangelical Christianity, seeing it as the opponent of the common good.

Millions of Evangelicals will quit. Thousands of ministries will end. Christian media will be reduced, if not eliminated. Many Christian schools will go into rapid decline. I'm convinced the grace and mission of God will reach to the ends of the earth. But the end of evangelicalism as we know it is close.

Why is this going to happen?

1. Evangelicals have identified their movement with the culture war and with political conservatism. This will prove to be a very costly mistake. Evangelicals will increasingly be seen as a threat to cultural progress. Public leaders will consider us bad for America, bad for education, bad for children, and bad for society.

The evangelical investment in moral, social, and political issues has depleted our resources and exposed our weaknesses. Being against gay marriage and being rhetorically pro-life will not make up for the fact that massive majorities of Evangelicals can't articulate the Gospel with any coherence. We fell for the trap of believing in a cause more than a faith.

2. We Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it. Our young people have deep beliefs about the culture war, but do not know why they should obey scripture, the essentials of theology, or the experience of spiritual discipline and community. Coming generations of Christians are going to be monumentally ignorant and unprepared for culture-wide pressures.

3. There are three kinds of evangelical churches today: consumer-driven megachurches, dying churches, and new churches whose future is fragile. Denominations will shrink, even vanish, while fewer and fewer evangelical churches will survive and thrive.

4. Despite some very successful developments in the past 25 years, Christian education has not produced a product that can withstand the rising tide of secularism. Evangelicalism has used its educational system primarily to staff its own needs and talk to itself.

5. The confrontation between cultural secularism and the faith at the core of evangelical efforts to "do good" is rapidly approaching. We will soon see that the good Evangelicals want to do will be viewed as bad by so many, and much of that work will not be done. Look for ministries to take on a less and less distinctively Christian face in order to survive.

6. Even in areas where Evangelicals imagine themselves strong (like the Bible Belt), we will find a great inability to pass on to our children a vital evangelical confidence in the Bible and the importance of the faith.

7. The money will dry up.

What will be left?

•Expect evangelicalism to look more like the pragmatic, therapeutic, church-growth oriented megachurches that have defined success. Emphasis will shift from doctrine to relevance, motivation, and personal success – resulting in churches further compromised and weakened in their ability to pass on the faith.

•Two of the beneficiaries will be the Roman Catholic and Orthodox communions. Evangelicals have been entering these churches in recent decades and that trend will continue, with more efforts aimed at the "conversion" of Evangelicals to the Catholic and Orthodox traditions.

•A small band will work hard to rescue the movement from its demise through theological renewal. This is an attractive, innovative, and tireless community with outstanding media, publishing, and leadership development. Nonetheless, I believe the coming evangelical collapse will not result in a second reformation, though it may result in benefits for many churches and the beginnings of new churches.

•The emerging church will largely vanish from the evangelical landscape, becoming part of the small segment of progressive mainline Protestants that remain true to the liberal vision.

•Aggressively evangelistic fundamentalist churches will begin to disappear.

•Charismatic-Pentecostal Christianity will become the majority report in evangelicalism. Can this community withstand heresy, relativism, and confusion? To do so, it must make a priority of biblical authority, responsible leadership, and a reemergence of orthodoxy.

•Evangelicalism needs a "rescue mission" from the world Christian community. It is time for missionaries to come to America from Asia and Africa. Will they come? Will they be able to bring to our culture a more vital form of Christianity?

•Expect a fragmented response to the culture war. Some Evangelicals will work to create their own countercultures, rather than try to change the culture at large. Some will continue to see conservatism and Christianity through one lens and will engage the culture war much as before – a status quo the media will be all too happy to perpetuate. A significant number, however, may give up political engagement for a discipleship of deeper impact.

Is all of this a bad thing?

Evangelicalism doesn't need a bailout. Much of it needs a funeral. But what about what remains?

Is it a good thing that denominations are going to become largely irrelevant? Only if the networks that replace them are able to marshal resources, training, and vision to the mission field and into the planting and equipping of churches.

Is it a good thing that many marginal believers will depart? Possibly, if churches begin and continue the work of renewing serious church membership. We must change the conversation from the maintenance of traditional churches to developing new and culturally appropriate ones.

The ascendency of Charismatic-Pentecostal-influenced worship around the world can be a major positive for the evangelical movement if reformation can reach those churches and if it is joined with the calling, training, and mentoring of leaders. If American churches come under more of the influence of the movement of the Holy Spirit in Africa and Asia, this will be a good thing.

Will the evangelicalizing of Catholic and Orthodox communions be a good development? One can hope for greater unity and appreciation, but the history of these developments seems to be much more about a renewed vigor to "evangelize" Protestantism in the name of unity.

Will the coming collapse get Evangelicals past the pragmatism and shallowness that has brought about the loss of substance and power? Probably not. The purveyors of the evangelical circus will be in fine form, selling their wares as the promised solution to every church's problems. I expect the landscape of megachurch vacuity to be around for a very long time.

Will it shake lose the prosperity Gospel from its parasitical place on the evangelical body of Christ? Evidence from similar periods is not encouraging. American Christians seldom seem to be able to separate their theology from an overall idea of personal affluence and success.

The loss of their political clout may impel many Evangelicals to reconsider the wisdom of trying to create a "godly society." That doesn't mean they'll focus solely on saving souls, but the increasing concern will be how to keep secularism out of church, not stop it altogether. The integrity of the church as a countercultural movement with a message of "empire subversion" will increasingly replace a message of cultural and political entitlement.

Despite all of these challenges, it is impossible not to be hopeful. As one commenter has already said, "Christianity loves a crumbling empire."

We can rejoice that in the ruins, new forms of Christian vitality and ministry will be born. I expect to see a vital and growing house church movement. This cannot help but be good for an evangelicalism that has made buildings, numbers, and paid staff its drugs for half a century.

We need new evangelicalism that learns from the past and listens more carefully to what God says about being His people in the midst of a powerful, idolatrous culture.

I'm not a prophet. My view of evangelicalism is not authoritative or infallible. I am certainly wrong in some of these predictions. But is there anyone who is observing evangelicalism in these times who does not sense that the future of our movement holds many dangers and much potential?

Proverbs.

2009-03-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

(Samuel Clark, "The Saint's Bouquet" 1641)

"Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach." Proverbs 22:17

Sin is the spawn of the old Serpent, the source of hell, and the vomit of the Devil.

Sin is more hateful to God than the Devil; for God hates the Devil for sin's sake--and not sin for the Devil's sake.

Sin is like a serpent in our bosoms, which cannot live--but by sucking out our life blood.

The conflict of the godly--is with the defilement of sin. But the conflict of the wicked--is only with the guilt and punishment of sin. The godly hate sin--because it has filth in it to pollute the soul. The ungodly fear sin--because it has fire in it to burn the soul.

The deluge of waters which overflowed all the world, washed away many sinners--but not one sin! The world shall one day be all on fire--yet all that fire, and those flames in hell which follow--shall not purge one sin!

All the evils in the world, serve to give names to sin.
Sin is called poison--and sinners, serpents.
Sin is called vomit--and sinners, dogs.
Sin is called mire--and sinners, sows.
Sin is called darkness, blindness, shame, nakedness, folly, madness, death and whatever is filthy, vile, infective, or painful.

A glutton may fill his belly--but he can never fill his lust. A covetous man may have his house full of money--but he can never have his heart full of money. An ambitious man may have titles enough to overload his memory--but never to fill his pride.

The Devil's last stratagem is, if he cannot beat us down to sin--to blow us up with pride.

Nothing will make God's children so pure, as to wash themselves every morning in their tears of repentance.

Without sound repentance, sin is not accounted as the greatest evil--nor Christ as the greatest good.

Dealing with Cancer.

2009-02-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

We found out on Wednesday that the spot on Shawna's liver is a tumor. The tumor is rather large and it is cancer. She has liver cancer, yuck. We now see that God is the one who is in charge of his creation. The first doctor we saw made us think we ought to seek a second opinion. So we are seeking a second opinion. Please pray with us that God glorify his name in this trial. We are scared but not hopeless. Please pray with us.

- Aaron

This is a Must Watch!

2009-02-23T06:28:00.000-08:00

The Dangers, Results, and History of Decisional Regeneration.

You want to know where and how "Alter Calls" came to be WATCH this video!

True. Very True.

2009-02-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

For the most part, we are a nation of Christians by profession--and a nation of heathens in practice.

There is to be found in the religious world--what may be termed--a pretty, cultured sort of evangelism, which too well combines luxurious ease, and serving of the world, and the flesh--not to say of the devil also. But such kind of religion will not prepare the soul for sickness, death, and eternity. At best, it will leave the soul a prey to the most fearful delusions of false peace. The way that leads to eternal life is much more narrow than many of our modern professors are aware of--the gate is too straight to allow all their trifling, and self-will, and worldliness, and carnal-mindedness, to press through it.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14

Interpreting Scripture

2009-02-19T19:20:00.000-08:00

How to Interpret the Bible
by Paul Washer

The Bible is a spiritual book that
is to be interpreted through the
illumination of the Holy Spirit, but at the
same time the Bible is a book and the
only correct interpretation is the one that
agrees with its grammar -what is
written. For this reason it is important
for us to be familiar with the rules or
principles of interpretation. The science
of Hermeneutics is the study of these
principles.
Hermeneutics is a serious matter.
Our interpretation of the Bible will
determine our beliefs and these beliefs
will determine how we think and act.
In the following you will find 13
principles that we must follow when we
interpret the Bible:

1. The Bible is the Absolute Authority.
It is impossible to interpret the Bible
correctly without the conviction that the
entire Bible is the Word of God. We do
not have the right to reject certain parts
of the Bible because they oppose our
traditions, opinions, or life-style.

2. The Holy Spirit is the best teacher
of the Bible. The Lord Jesus said that
he would send the Holy Spirit to guide
the Church to all the truth (John 14:26;
16:13) and without his illumination it is
impossible to understand the Bible (I
Corinthians 2:14). This does not mean
that in the name of the Holy Spirit
we have the right to depart from what
is written in the Word or to add to it.
Only that which is written in the Bible
can be affirmed as doctrine. Our feelings
and emotions have little value in the
formation of a biblical faith.

3. The Bible is its own best
commentary. When we cannot
understand the interpretation of one part
of the Bible or we want to widen our
understanding of it, we should seek the
explanation in other biblical references.

4. The Bible does not contradict itself:
Therefore there should always be
harmony in our interpretation of
different texts. If our interpretation of
one text contradicts the interpretation
of another then we are mistaken.

5. Unclear Texts must be interpreted
through clear texts. Those texts
whose interpretation is not very clear
should be interpreted in light of the texts,
which can be understood clearly.

6. The Grammar determines the
Interpretation. The text or verse that
we are studying has only one correct
interpretation and it is the one that is in
agreement with the grammar (what is
written). Even though the text can have
various applications, it has only one
correct interpretation and that is the one
that is in agreement with what is
written.
Hermaneutics is a serious matter.
Our interpretation of the Bible will
determine our beliefs and these
beliefs will determine how we think
and act.

7. The Context is important. The Bible
is like a puzzle in that it is impossible to
interpret one piece of , Scripture without
a general understanding of all the
others. Each word should be
interpreted in the context of the
sentence, each sentence in the context
of the paragraph, each paragraph in the
context of the book and each book in
the context of the entire Bible.

8. The Words are important. God
chose words to communicate his will
to us. Therefore it is important to
determine the meaning of each word.

9. The simplest interpretation is
usually best. The Bible was not written
for theologians or mystics, but for the
common man. Even though there are
allegories, metaphors and symbols in the
Bible we should seek the most
straightforward interpretation.

10. The Old Testament should be interpreted
in light of the New. For the Christian,
the New Testament deter- mines the
application of the Old Testament to his
life. A good example is the doctrine of
the Holy Spirit.. In the Old Testament,
he could be taken from the believer
(Ps.51:11), but in the New, he remains
forever with him (In.14:16-17).

11. The Interpretation should not go
beyond the revelation of Scripture.
What the Bible does not explain we
should accept as a mystery. If we go
beyond what is written we are in
danger of forming false doctrine.

12. The Goal is Exegesis. The word
exegesis comes from the Greek verb
exegeisthai [ ex = out/ hegeisthai =
lead] .When we interpret Scripture we
must extract the true meaning from the
text and at all cost we must avoid
reading into the text what we think it
might mean.Wemust avoid interpreting
the Bible according to our own
presumptions or preconceived ideas.
Our presumptions are like colored
glasses that distort our view of
Scripture. We must endeavor to take
off our glasses and see the text as it is.
This is the great work of the Bible
student.

13. Our personal interpretation
should be compared to that of the
Church. For the last 2,000 years,
dedicated theologians, pastors and
other Christians have been studying
the Scripture. We should compare our
findings to theirs. If our interpretation
is not found among the dedicated
Christians of history, we are probably
wrong. There should be no new
discoveries in Christian doctrine.
Jude refers to the Christian faith as
that which was once and for all
entrusted to the saints (Jude 1:3).

Powerful.

2009-02-18T14:24:00.001-08:00

Renew your mind Daily.

2009-02-18T11:27:00.000-08:00

This verse jumped off the page for me today.

Deuteronomy 4:9
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Remember to renew your mind daily with the Word Of God.

Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

-- R.C. Sproul - http://http://www.ligonier.org/

As Paul makes clear in Romans, the goal of spiritual growth is a transformed life. The way of transformation is through the renewed mind. The renewed mind is one that is informed by the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is revealed in the Word of God. The transformed mind is a mind that lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. In simple terms, if you want spiritual growth, if you want a renewed mind, you have to feed your mind with the Word of God.

Blessings!

You are loved!

2009-02-18T07:47:00.000-08:00

1 John 3:1.
"Behold what manner of love has the Father bestowed upon us."

Preach the Gospel to yourself!

2009-02-18T07:44:00.001-08:00

I have heard Paul Washer say this before and I think it is a good idea. We should preach the Gospel to ourselves often. I preached it to myself this morning. I need more practice.

- Aaron

All men are sinners who love their sin. John 3:19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. No one can escape the judgment of God he sees all things Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. The Holy Spirit must reveal to you that you are lost and stained with sin; Psalm 51:3,4 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
What a problem we have. Who can take away the sin of all mankind? Jesus. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. When John the baptist saw Jesus he said "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! God requires a perfect sinless sacrifice.
Who is this Jesus? Jesus claimed to be God; John 8:58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." Through Jesus all things were made John 1:3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. Jesus said unless we believe that he is God we will perish John 8:24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." Who else can take away your sins? No man could ever ever do what Jesus did.
Jesus is the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Jesus's perfect payment on the cross paid for our sins, past, present, and future. Romans 3:24-25 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; The word propitiation in verse twenty five means total satisfaction. There is nothing we can do to atone for our own sins. 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
All of our works to attain right standing with God are like garbage and stench to the Lord. Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. I want to stress this again only Christ alone can take away your sins. Hebrews 10:10-18 10By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.
14For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 16"THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART,
AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,"He then says, 17"AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDSI WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Outside of Jesus there is no salvation!
After Jesus died on that Cross he buried and laid in a tomb for three days and then God raised him from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. God raised Jesus from the Dead he is not in the tomb like the other religions leaders. Luke 24:6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father; Acts 7:54-57 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
Our response to this great act of mercy and love should be one of repentance and faith. Jesus told us to repent and believe the gospel. Mark 1:15 .. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." We are to turn from our dead works and sins and turn to the living God. We are to confess and renounce our sins to Jesus and he will be faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. Call on the name of Jesus and you will be saved; Romans 10:13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." Put no more confidence in your flesh and trust in Jesus Christ alone.

Believe

2009-02-17T10:54:00.001-08:00

What does it mean to believe IN Jesus?

John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only (only begotten) Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Pitfall: “I believe in Jesus”, often said in the same way one says, “I believe in God”. What most people are actually saying is: “I believe that God exists. I am not an atheist. I also believe that God had a Son named Jesus, who died for our sins.”

Explanation: Believing that God exists is not the issue. All of humankind has been programmed by God to know that he exists (see Ecc 3:11b; Romans 1:19-20; 2:15, Psalm 19: 1-4). James 2:19 tells us that even demons believe that there is one God (See Mark 1:23-24). So belief in the existence of God is NOT sufficient for salvation. You must believe IN Jesus Christ.

To believe IN someone means that you earnestly follow every word and order your life after that person. Hebrews 11:6 says that you must not only believe that God exists, but that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. It is this diligence that captures what the "IN" is referring to. "Believe" also means "trust". When you trust in Jesus, you lean upon Him and not upon your own understanding [Proverbs 3:5-6]

"God doesn't want you to believe in Jesus the same way you believe that George Washington was the first president of the United States"

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1Peter 3:18: For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

Pitfall: “I know that Jesus died for everyone’s sins. Since I am one of those people included in the word ‘everyone’, and I acknowledge that he did die for my sins, then I am saved.”

Explanation: The verse says “for”. i.e. it is available for all people. There once was a man who put an ad in the paper that said he was giving out money from his front door. Many did not believe it was true and did not go. Many were curious, and set out for his house but were distracted along the way and didn't get there. One man went to the house and demanded the money. The owner said that you must ask, not expect or demand. So the man left. But there were a few who believed, went to the house and asked the owner for the money and they received more than they could ever imagine.

See Matthew 22:1-10;14.

"Christ died to bring you to God. Christ died to bring YOU to God. Christ died to bring YOU to God."

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Romans 10:9: That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Pitfall: Just saying: “Jesus is Lord and he rose from the dead”

Explanation: This sounds like someone reporting the facts.

Look at the context of Romans 10:1-3 and Romans 10:8.

Jesus is MY Lord

Jesus is God

This passage illustrates the importance of our heart in our belief, and not just our mind.

Analogy of starting a car: A 4 year old would never be able to start a car. No matter how hard he worked at it, banging the car, running around the car, pressing buttons, it would never start. For the 4 year old to start the car, would require Dad to get the keys (and only Dad has the keys), put the keys in the ignition, put his 4 year old son’s hand on the ignition, and turn the ignition for him, with Dad’s hand on junior’s hand. So you see, no matter how badly junior wants the car to start, he can’t do it by himself. But if he asks Dad in a nice voice, Dad will gladly get the keys and start the car. So starting the car is actually very easy for the 4 year old…. All he has to do is to ask his Dad to do it for him.

"Let what you know about Jesus to affect your heart and change your life. This is what it means to be 'born again'"

Jesus is my all in all.

2009-02-16T06:56:00.000-08:00

Before the Lord saved me

(Legh Richmond, "The Dairyman's Daughter")

Before the Lord saved me--I was a proud, thoughtless girl, fond of dress and finery. I loved the world and the things that are in the world. I went once on a Sunday to church, more to see and be seen--than to pray, or hear the Word of God. I thought I was quite good enough to be saved, and disliked and often laughed at pious people. I was in great darkness; I knew nothing of the way of salvation; I never prayed, nor was sensible of the dreadful danger of a prayerless state. I was tolerably moral and decent in my conduct, from motives of carnal and worldly policy; but I was a stranger to God and Christ. I neglected my soul; and had I died in such a state, hell must, and would justly, have been my portion!

But He who loved me with an everlasting love--drew me by His loving kindness, showed my the way of peace, and taught me that, while without Him I could do nothing--yet I could do all things through His strength!

I was convinced of my own guilt--and Jesus is my 'Righteousness'.

I saw my corruption--and Jesus is my 'Sanctification'.

I felt my slavery to sin and Satan--and Jesus is my 'Redemption'.

Baptismal Regeneration

2009-02-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

Hot topic today........

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."—Mark 16:15-16.

N the preceding verse our Lord Jesus Christ gives us some little insight into the natural character of the apostles whom he selected to be the first ministers of the Word. They were evidently men of like passions with us, and needed to be rebuked even as we do. On the occasion when our Lord sent forth the eleven to preach the gospel to every creature, he "appeared unto them as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen;" from which we may surely gather that to preach the Word, the Lord was pleased to choose imperfect men; men, too, who of themselves were very weak in the grace of faith in which it was most important that they should excel. Faith is the conquering grace, and is of all things the main requisite in the preacher of the Word; and yet the honoured men who were chosen to be the leaders of the divine crusade needed a rebuke concerning their unbelief. Why was this? Why, my brethren, because the Lord has ordained evermore that we should have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. If you should find a perfect minister, then might the praise and honour of his usefulness accrue to man; but God is frequently pleased to select for eminent usefulness men evidently honest and sincere, but who have some manifest infirmity by which all the glory is cast off from them and laid upon Himself, and upon Himself alone. Let it never be supposed that we who are God's ministers either excuse our faults or pretend to perfection. We labour to walk in holiness, but we cannot claim to be all that we wish to be. We do not base the claims of God's truth upon the spotlessness of our characters, but upon the fact that it comes from him. You have believed in spite of our infirmities, and not because of our virtues; if, indeed, you had believed our word because of our supposed perfection, your faith would stand in the excellency of man and not in the power of God. We come unto you often with much trembling, sorrowing over our follies and weaknesses, but we deliver to you God's Word as God's Word, and we beseech you to receive it not as coming from us poor, sinful mortals, but as proceeding from the Eternal and Thrice Holy God; and if you so receive it, and by its own vital force are moved and stirred up towards God and his ways, then is the work of the Word sure work, which it could not and would not be if it rested in any way upon man.
Our Lord having thus given us an insight into the character of the persons whom he has chosen to proclaim his truth, then goes on to deliver to the chosen champions, their commission for the Holy War. I pray you mark the words with solemn care. He sums up in a few words the whole of their work, and at the same time foretells the result of it, telling them that some would doubtless believe and so be saved, and some on the other hand would not believe and would most certainly, therefore, be damned, that is, condemned for ever to the penalties of God's wrath. The lines containing the commission of our ascended Lord are certainly of the utmost importance, and demand devout attention and implicit obedience, not only from all who aspire to the work of the ministry, but also from all who hear the message of mercy. A clear understanding of these words is absolutely necessary to our success in our Master's work, for if we do not understand the commission it is not at all likely that we shall discharge it aright. To alter these words were more than impertinence, it would involve the crime of treason against the authority of Christ and the best interests of the souls of men. O for grace to be very jealous here.
Wherever the apostles went they met with obstacles to the preaching of the gospel, and the more open and effectual was the door of utterance the more numerous were the adversaries. These brave men who wielded the sword of the Spirit as to put to flight all their foes; and this they did not by craft and guile, but by making a direct cut at the error which impeded them. Never did they dream for a moment of adapting the gospel to the unhallowed tastes or prejudices of the people, but at once directly and boldly they brought down with both their hands the mighty sword of the Spirit upon the crown of the opposing error. This morning, in the name of the Lord of Hosts, my Helper and Defense, I shall attempt to do the same; and if I should provoke some hostility—if I should through speaking what I believe to be the truth lose the friendship of some and stir up the enmity of more, I cannot help it. The burden of the Lord is upon me, and I must deliver my soul. I have been loath enough to undertake the work, but I am forced to it by an awful and overwhelming sense of solemn duty. As I am soon to appear before my Master's bar, I will this day, if ever in my life, bear my testimony for truth, and run all risks. I am content to be cast out as evil if it must be so, but I cannot, I dare not, hold my peace. The Lord knoweth I have nothing in my heart but the purest love to the souls of those whom I feel imperatively called to rebuke sternly in the Lord's name. Among my hearers and readers, a considerable number will censure if not condemn me, but I cannot help it. If I forfeit your love for truth's sake I am grieved for you, but I cannot, I dare not, do otherwise. It is as much as my soul is worth to hold my peace any longer, and whether you approve or not I must speak out. Did I ever court your approbation? It is sweet to everyone to be applauded; but if for the sake of the comforts of respectability and the smiles of men any Christian minister shall keep back a part of his testimony, his Master at the last shall require it at his hands. This day, standing in the immediate presence of God, I shall speak honestly what I feel, as the Holy Spirit shall enable me; and I shall leave the matter with you to judge concerning it, as you will answer for that judgment at the last great day.
I find that the great error which we have to contend with throughout England (and it is growing more and more), is one in direct opposition to my text, well known to you as the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. We will confront this dogma with the assertion, that BAPTISM WITHOUT FAITH SAVES NO ONE. The text says, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;" but whether a man be baptized or no, it asserts that "he that believeth not shall be damned:" so that baptism does not save the unbeliever, nay, it does not in any degree exempt him from the common doom of all the ungodly. He may have baptism, or he may not have baptism, but if he believeth not, he shall be in any case most surely damned. Let him be baptized by immersion or sprinkling, in his infancy, or in his age, if he be not led to put his trust in Jesus Christ—if he remaineth an unbeliever, then this terrible doom is pronounced upon him—"He that believeth not shall be damned." I am not aware that any Protestant Church in England teaches the doctrine of baptismal regeneration except one, and that happens to be the corporation which with none too much humility calls itself the Church of England. This very powerful sect does not teach this doctrine merely through a section of its ministers, who might charitably be considered as evil branches of the vine, but it openly, boldly, and plainly declares this doctrine in her own appointed standard, the Book of Common Prayer, and that in words so express, that while language is the channel of conveying intelligible sense, no process short of violent wresting from their plain meaning can ever make them say anything else.
Here are the words: we quote them from the Catechism which is intended for the instruction of youth, and is naturally very plain and simple, since it would be foolish to trouble the young with metaphysical refinements. The child is asked its name, and then questioned, "Who gave you this name?" "My godfathers and godmothers in my baptism; wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven." Is not this definite and plain enough? I prize the words for their candour; they could not speak more plainly. Three times over the thing is put, lest there should be any doubt in it. The word regeneration may, by some sort of juggling, be made to mean something else, but here there can be no misunderstanding. The child is not only made "a member of Christ"—union to Jesus is no mean spiritual gift—but he is made in baptism "the child of God" also; and, since the rule is, "if children then heirs," he is also made "an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven." Nothing can be more plain. I venture to say that while honesty remains on earth the meaning of these words will not admit of dispute. It is clear as noon day that, as the Rubric hath it, "Fathers, mothers, masters, and dames, are to cause their children, servants, and apprentices," no matter how idle, giddy, or wicked they may be, to learn the Catechism, and to say that in baptism they were made members of Christ and children of God. The form for the administration of this baptism is scarcely less plain and outspoken, seeing that thanks are expressly returned unto Almighty God, because the person baptized is regenerate. "Then shall the priest say, 'Seeing now, dearly beloved brethren, that this child is regenerate and grafted into the body of Christ's Church, let us give thanks unto Almighty God for these benefits; and with one accord make our prayers unto him, that this child may lead the rest of his life according to this beginning.'" Nor is this all, for to leave no mistake, we have the words of the thanksgiving prescribed, "Then shall the priest say, 'We yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for thine own child by adoption, and to incorporate him into thy holy Church.'"
This, then, is the clear and unmistakable teaching of a Church calling itself Protestant. I am not now dealing at all with the question of infant baptism: I have nothing to do with that this morning. I am now considering the question of baptismal regeneration, whether in s or infants, or ascribed to sprinkling, pouring, or immersion. Here is a Church which teaches every Lord's day in the Sunday-school, and should, according to the Rubric, teach openly in the Church, all children that they were made members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven when they were baptized! Here is a professedly Protestant Church, which, every time its minister goes to the font, declares that every person there receiving baptism is there and then "regenerated and grafted into the body of Christ's Church."
"But," I hear many good people exclaim, "there are many good clergymen in the Church who do not believe in baptismal regeneration." To this my answer is prompt. Why then do they belong to a Church which teaches that doctrine in the plainest terms? I am told that many in the Church of England preach against her own teaching. I know they do, and herein I rejoice in their enlightenment, but I question, gravely question their morality. To take oath that I sincerely assent and consent to a doctrine which I do not believe, would to my conscience appear little short of perjury, if not absolute downright perjury; but those who do so must be judged by their own Lord. For me to take money for defending what I do not believe—for me to take the money of a Church, and then to preach against what are most evidently its doctrines—I say for me to do this (I judge others as I would that they should judge me) for me, or for any other simple, honest man to do so, were an atrocity so great, that if I had perpetrated the deed, I should consider myself out of the pale of truthfulness, honesty, and common morality. Sirs, when I accepted the office of minister of this congregation, I looked to see what were your articles of faith; if I had not believed them I should not have accepted your call, and when I change my opinions, rest assured that as an honest man I shall resign the office, for how could I profess one thing in your declaration of faith, and quite another thing in my own preaching? Would I accept your pay, and then stand up every Sabbath-day and talk against the doctrines of your standards? For clergymen to swear or say that they give their solemn assent and consent to what they do not believe is one of the grossest pieces of immorality perpetrated in England, and is most pestilential in its influence, since it directly teaches men to lie whenever it seems necessary to do so in order to get a living or increase their supposed usefulness: it is in fact an open testimony from priestly lips that at least in ecclesiastical matters falsehood may express truth, and truth itself is a mere unimportant nonentity. I know of nothing more calculated to debauch the public mind than a want of straightforwardness in ministers; and when worldly men hear ministers denouncing the very things which their own Prayer Book teaches, they imagine that words have no meaning among ecclesiastics, and that vital differences in religion are merely a matter of tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum, and that it does not much matter what a man does believe so long as he is charitable towards other people. If baptism does regenerate people, let the fact be preached with a trumpet tongue, and let no man be ashamed of his belief in it. If this be really their creed, by all means let them have full liberty for its propagation. My brethren, those are honest Churchmen in this matter who, subscribing to the Prayer Book, believe in baptismal regeneration, and preach it plainly. God forbid that we should censure those who believe that baptism saves the soul, because they adhere to a Church which teaches the same doctrine. So far they are honest men; and in England, where else, let them never lack a full toleration. Let us oppose their teaching by all Scriptural and intelligent means, but let us respect their courage in plainly giving us their views. I their doctrine, but I love their honesty; and as they speak but what they believe to be true, let them speak it out, and the more clearly the better. Out with it, sirs, be it what it may, but do let us know what you mean. For my part, I love to stand foot to foot with an honest foeman. To open warfare, bold and true hearts raise no objection but the ground of quarrel; it is covert enmity which we have most cause to fear, and best reason to loathe. That crafty kindness which inveigles me to sacrifice principle is the serpent in the grass—deadly to the incautious wayfarer. Where union and friendship are not cemented by truth, they are an unhallowed confederacy. It is time that there should be an end put to the flirtations of honest men with those who believe one way and swear another. If men believe baptism works regeneration, let them say so; but if they do not so believe it in their hearts, and yet subscribe, and yet more, get their livings by subscribing to words asserting it, let them find congenial associates among men who can equivocate and shuffle, for honest men will neither ask nor accept their friendship.
We ourselves are not dubious on this point, we protest that persons are not saved by being baptized. In such an audience as this, I am almost ashamed to go into the matter, because you surely know better than to be misled. Nevertheless, for the good of others we will drive at it. We hold that persons are not saved by baptism, for we think, first of all that it seems out of character with the spiritual religion which Christ came to teach, that he should make salvation depend upon mere ceremony. Judaism might possibly absorb the ceremony by way of type into her ordinances essential to eternal life; for it was religion of types and shadows. The false religions of the heathen might inculcate salvation by a physical process, but Jesus Christ claims for his faith that it is purely spiritual, and how could he connect regeneration with a peculiar application of aqueous fluid? I cannot see how it would be a spiritual gospel, but I can see how it would be mechanical, if I were sent forth to teach that the mere dropping of so many drops upon the brow, or even the plunging a person in water could save the soul. This seems to me to be the most mechanical religion now existing, and to be on a par with the praying windmills of Thibet, or the climbing up and down of Pilate's staircase to which Luther subjected himself in the days of his darkness. The operation of water-baptism does not appear even to my faith to touch the point involved in the regeneration of the soul. What is the necessary connection between water and the overcoming of sin? I cannot see any connection which can exist between sprinkling, or immersion, and regeneration, so that the one shall necessarily be tied to the other in the absence of faith. Used by faith, had God commanded it, miracles might be wrought; but without faith or even consciousness, as in the case of s, how can spiritual benefits be connected necessarily with the sprinkling of water? If this be your teaching, that regeneration goes with baptism, I say it looks like the teaching of a spurious Church, which has craftily invented a mechanical salvation to deceive ignorant, sensual, and grovelling minds, rather than the teaching of the most profoundly spiritual of all teachers, who rebuked Scribes and Pharisees for regarding outward rites as more important than inward grace.
But it strikes me that a more forcible argument is that the dogma is not supported by facts. Are all persons who are baptized children of God? Well, let us look at the divine family. Let us mark their resemblance to their glorious Parent! Am I untruthful if I say that thousands of those who were baptized in their infancy are now in our gaols? You can ascertain the fact if you please, by application to prison authorities. Do you believe that these men, many of whom have been living by plunder, felony, burglary, or forgery, are regenerate? If so, the Lord deliver us from such regeneration. Are these villains members of Christ? If so, Christ has sadly altered since the day when he was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. Has he really taken baptized drunkards and harlots to be members of his body? Do you not revolt at the supposition? It is a well-known fact that baptized persons have been hanged. Surely it can hardly be right to hang the inheritors of the kingdom of heaven! Our sheriffs have much to answer for when they officiate at the of the children of God, and suspend the members of Christ on the gallows! What a detestable farce is that which is transacted at the open grave, when "a dear brother" who has died drunk is buried in a "sure and certain hope of the resurrection of eternal life," and the prayer that "when we shall depart this life we may rest in Christ, as our hope is that this our brother doth." Here is a regenerate brother, who having defiled the village by constant uncleanness and bestial drunkenness, died without a sign of repentance, and yet the professed minister of God solemnly accords him funeral rites which are denied to unbaptized s, and puts the reprobate into the earth in "sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life." If old Rome in her worst days ever perpetrated a grosser piece of imposture than this, I do not read things aright; if it does not require a Luther to cry down this hypocrisy as much as Popery ever did, then I do not even know that twice two make four. Do we find—we who baptize on profession of faith, and baptize by immersion in a way which is confessed to be correct, though not allowed by some to be absolutely necessary to its validity—do we who baptize in the name of the sacred Trinity as others do, do we find that baptism regenerates? We do not. Neither in the righteous nor the wicked do we find regeneration wrought by baptism. We have never met with one believer, however instructed in divine things, who could trace his regeneration to his baptism; and on the other hand, we confess it with sorrow, but still with no surprise, that we have seen those whom we have ourselves baptized, according to apostolic precedent, go back into the world and wander into the foulest sin, and their baptism has scarcely been so much as a restraint to them, because they have not believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Facts all show that whatever good there may be in baptism, it certainly does not make a man "a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven," or else many thieves, mongers, drunkards, fornicators, and ers, are members of Christ, the children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven. Facts, brethren, are against this Popish doctrine; and facts are stubborn things.
Yet further, I am persuaded that the performance styled baptism by the Prayer Book is not at all likely to regenerate and save. How is the thing done? One is very curious to know when one hears of an operation which makes men members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven, how the thing is done. It must in itself be a holy thing truthful in all its details, and edifying in every portion. Now, we will suppose we have a company gathered round the water, be it more or less, and the process of regeneration is about to be performed. We will suppose them all to be godly people. The clergyman officiating is a profound believer in the Lord Jesus, and the father and mother are exemplary Christians, and the godfathers and godmothers are all gracious persons. We will suppose this—it is a supposition fraught with charity, but it may be correct. What are these godly people supposed to say? Let us look to the Prayer Book. The clergyman is suppose to tell these people, "Ye have heard also that our Lord Jesus Christ hath promised in his gospel to grant all these things that ye have prayed for: which promise he, for his part, will most surely keep and perform. Wherefore, after this promise made by Christ, this infant must also faithfully, for his part, promise by you that are his sureties (until he come of age to take it upon himself) that he will renounce the devil and all his works, and constantly believe God's holy Word, and obediently keep his commandments." This small child is to promise to do this, or more truly others are to take upon themselves to promise, and even vow that he shall do so. But we must not break the quotation, and therefore let us return to the Book. "I demand therefore, dost thou, in the name of this child, renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the desires of the flesh, so that thou wilt not follow, nor be led by them?" Answers "I renounce them all." That is to say, on the name and behalf of this tender infant about to be baptized, these godly people, these enlightened Christian people, these who know better, who are not dupes, who know all the while that they are promising impossibilities—renounce on behalf of this child what they find it very hard to renounce for themselves—"all covetous desires of the world and the desires of the flesh, so that they will not follow nor be led by them." How can they harden their faces to utter such a false promise, such a mockery of renunciation before the presence of the Father Almighty? Might not angels weep as they hear the awful promise uttered? Then in the presence of high heaven they profess on behalf of this child that he steadfastly believes the creed, when they know, or might pretty shrewdly judge that the little creature is not yet a steadfast believer in anything, much less in Christ's going down into hell. Mark, they do not say merely that the shall believe the creed, but they affirm that he does, for they answer in the child's name, "All this I steadfastly believe. Not we steadfastly believe," but I, the little baby there, unconscious of all their professions and confessions of faith. In answer to the question, "Wilt thou be baptized in this faith?" they reply for the infant, "That is my desire." Surely the infant has no desire in the matter, or at the least, no one has been authorized to declare any desires on his behalf. But this is not all, for then these godly, intelligent people next promise on the behalf of the infant, that "he shall obediently keep all God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of his life." Now, I ask you, dear friends, you who know what true religion means, can you walk in all God's holy commandments yourselves? Dare you make this day a vow on your own part, that you would renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful s of the flesh? Dare you, before God, make such a promise as that? You desire such holiness, you earnestly strive after it, but you look for it from God's promise, not from your own. If you dare make such vows I doubt your knowledge of your own hearts and of the spirituality of Gods's law. But even if you could do this for yourself, would you venture to make such a promise for any other person? For the best-born infant on earth? Come, brethren, what say you? Is not your reply ready and plain? There is not room for two opinions among men determined to observe truth in all their ways and words. I can understand a simple, ignorant rustic, who has never learned to read, doing all this at the command of a priest and under the eye of a squire. I can even understand persons doing this when the Reformation was in its dawn, and men had newly crept out of the darkness of Popery; but I cannot understand gracious, godly people, standing at the font to insult the all-gracious Father with vows and promises framed upon a fiction, and involving practical falsehood. How dare intelligent believers in Christ to utter words which they know in their conscience to be wickedly aside from truth? When I shall be able to understand the process by which gracious men so accommodate their consciences, even then I shall have a confirmed belief that the God of truth never did and never will confirm a spiritual blessing of the highest order in connection with the utterance of such false promises and untruthful vows. My brethren, does it not strike you that declarations so fictitious are not likely to be connected with a new birth wrought by the Spirit of truth?
I have not done with this point, I must take another case, and suppose the sponsors and others to be ungodly, and that is no hard supposition, for in many cases we know that godfathers and parents have no more thought of religion than that idolatrous hollowed stone around which they gather. When these sinners have taken their places, what are they about to say? Why, they are about to make the solemn vows I have already recounted in your hearing! Totally irreligious they are, but yet they promise for the baby what they never did, and never thought of doing for themselves—they promise on behalf of this child, "that he will renounce the devil and all his works, and constantly believe God's holy Word, and obediently keep his commandments." My brethren, do not think I speak severely here. Really I think there is something here to make mockery for devils. Let every honest man lament, that ever God's Church should tolerate such a thing as this, and that there should be found gracious people who will feel grieved because I, in all kindness of heart, rebuke the atrocity. Unregenerate sinners promising for a poor that he shall keep all God's holy commandments which they themselves wantonly break every day! How can anything but the longsuffering of God endure this? What! not speak against it? The very stones in the street might cry out against the infamy of wicked men and women promising that another should renounce the devil and all his works, while they themselves serve the devil and do his works with greediness! As a climax to all this, I am asked to believe that God accepts that wicked promise, and as the result of it, regenerates that child. You cannot believe in regeneration by this operation, whether saints or sinners are the performers. Take them to be godly, then they are wrong for doing what their conscience must condemn; view them as ungodly, and they are wrong for promising what they know they cannot perform; and in neither case can God accept such worship, much less infallibly append regeneration to such a baptism as this.
But you will say "Why do you cry out against it?" I cry out against it because I believe that baptism does not save the soul, and that the preaching of it has a wrong and evil influence upon men. We meet with persons who, when we tell them that they must be born again, assure us that they were born again when they were baptized. The number of these persons is increasing, fearfully increasing, until all grades of society are misled by this belief. How can any man stand up in his pulpit and say Ye must be born again to his congregation, when he has already assured them, by his own "unfeigned assent and consent" to it, that they are themselves, every one of them, born again in baptism. What is he to do with them? Why, my dear friends, the gospel then has no voice; they have rammed this ceremony down its throat and it cannot speak to rebuke sin. The man who has been baptized or sprinkled says, "I am saved, I am a member of Christ, a child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. Who are you, that you should rebuke me? Call me to repentance? Call me to a new life? What better life can I have? for I am a member of Christ—a part of Christ's body. What! rebuke me? I am a child of God. Cannot you see it in my face? No matter what my walk and conversation is, I am a child of God. Moreover, I am an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. It is true, I drink and swear, and all that, but you know I am an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven, for when I die, though I live in constant sin, you will put me in the grave, and tell everybody that I died 'in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life.'"
Now, what can be the influence of such preaching as this upon our beloved England? Upon my dear and blessed country? What but the worst of ills? If I loved her not, but loved myself most, I might be silent here, but, loving England, I cannot and dare not; and having soon to render an account before my God, whose servant I hope I am, I must free myself from this evil as well as from every other, or else on my head may be the doom of souls.
Here let me bring in another point. It is a most fearful fact, that in no age since the Reformation has Popery made such fearful strides in England as during the last few years. I had comfortably believed that Popery was only feeding itself upon foreign subscriptions, upon a few titled s, and imported monks and nuns. I dreamed that its progress was not real. In fact, I have often smiled at the alarm of many of my brethren at the progress of Popery. But, my dear friends, we have been mistaken, grievously mistaken. If you will read a valuable paper in the magazine called "Christian Work," those of you who are not acquainted with it will be perfectly startled at its revelations. This great city is now covered with a network of monks, and priests, and sisters of mercy, and the conversions made are not by ones or twos, but by scores, till England is being regarded as the most hopeful spot for Romish missionary enterprise in the whole world; and at the present moment there is not a mission which is succeeding to anything like the extent which the English mission is. I covet not their money, I despise their sophistries, but I marvel at the way in which they gain their funds for the erection of their ecclesiastical buildings. It really is an alarming matter to see so many of our countrymen going off to that superstition which as a nation we once rejected, and which it was supposed we should never again receive. Popery is making advances such as you would never believe, though a spectator should tell it to you. Close to your very doors, perhaps even in your own houses, you may have evidence ere long of what a march Romanism is making. And to what is it to be ascribed? I say, with every ground of probability, that there is no marvel that Popery should increase when you have two things to make it grow: first of all, the falsehood of those who profess a faith which they do not believe, which is quite contrary to the honesty of the Romanist, who does through evil report and good report hold his faith; and then you have, secondly, this form of error known as baptismal regeneration, and commonly called Puseyism, which is not only Puseyism, but Church-of-Englandism, because it is in the Prayer Book, as plainly as words can express it—you have this baptismal regeneration preparing stepping-stones to make it easy for men to go to Rome. I have but to open my eyes a little to foresee Romanism rampant everywhere in the future, since its germs are spreading everywhere in the present. In one of our courts of legislature but last Tuesday, the Lord Chief Justice showed his superstition, by speaking of "the risk of the calamity of children dying unbaptized!" Among Dissenters you see a veneration for structures, a modified belief in the sacredness of places, which is idolatry; for to believe in the sacredness of anything but of God and of his own Word, is to idolize, whether it is to believe in the sacredness of the men, the priests, or in the sacredness of the bricks and mortar, or of the fine linen, or what not, which you may use in the worship of God. I see this coming up everywhere—a belief in ceremony, a resting in ceremony, a veneration for altars, fonts, and Churches—a veneration so profound that we must not venture upon a remark, or straightway of sinners we are chief. Here is the essence and soul of Popery, peeping up under the garb of a decent respect for sacred things. It is impossible but that the Church of Rome must spread, when we who are the watch-dogs of the fold are silent, and others are gently and smoothly turfing the road, and making it as soft and smooth as possible, that converts may travel down to the nethermost hell of Popery. We want John Knox back again. Do not talk to me of mild and gentle men, of soft manners and squeamish words, we want the fiery Knox, and even though his vehemence should "ding our pulpits into blads," it were well if he did but rouse our hearts to action. We want Luther to tell men the truth unmistakably, in homely phrase. The velvet has got into our ministers' mouths of late, but we must unrobe ourselves of soft raiment, and truth must be spoken, and nothing but truth; for of all lies which have dragged millions down to hell, I look upon this as being one of the most atrocious—that in a Protestant Church there should be found those who swear that baptism saves the soul. Call a man a Baptist, or a Presbyterian, or a Dissenter, or a Churchman, that is nothing to me—if he says that baptism saves the soul, out upon him, out upon him, he states what God never taught, what the Bible never laid down, and what ought never to be maintained by men who profess that the Bible, and the whole Bible, is the religion of Protestants.
I have spoken thus much, and there will be some who will say—spoken thus much bitterly. Very well, be it so. Physic is often bitter, but it shall work well, and the physician is not bitter because his medicine is so; or if he be accounted so, it will matter, so long as the patient is cured; at all events, it is no business of the patient whether the physician is bitter or not, his business is with his own soul's health. There is the truth, and I have told it to you; and if there should be one among you, or if there should be one among the readers of this sermon when it is printed, who is resting on baptism, or resting upon ceremonies of any sort, I do beseech you, shake off this venomous faith into the fire as Paul did the viper which fastened on his hand. I pray you do not rest on baptism.

"No outward forms can make you clean,
The leprosy lies deep within."

I do beseech you to remember that you must have a new heart and a right spirit, and baptism cannot give you these. You must turn from your sins and follow after Christ; you must have such a faith as shall make your life holy and your speech devout, or else you have not the faith of God's elect, and into God's kingdom you shall never come. I pray you never rest upon this wretched and rotten foundation, this deceitful invention of antichrist. O, may God save you from it, and bring you to seek the true rock of refuge for weary souls.
I come with much brevity, and I hope with much earnestness, in the second place, to say that FAITH IS THE INDISPENSABLE REQUISITE TO SALVATION. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned." Faith is the one indispensable requisite for salvation. This faith is the gift of God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. Some men believe not on Jesus; they believe not because they are not of Christ's sheep, as he himself said unto them; but his sheep hear his voice: he knows them and they follow him: he gives to them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hand. What is this believing? Believing consists in two things; first there is an accrediting of the testimony of God concerning his Son. God tells you that his Son came into the world and was made flesh, that he lived upon earth for men's sake, that after having spent his life in holiness he was offered up a propitiation for sin, that upon the cross he there and then made expiation—so made expiation for the sins of the world that Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. If you would be saved, you must accredit this testimony which God gives concerning his own Son. Having received this testimony, the next thing is to confide in it—indeed here lies, I think, the essence of saving faith, to rest yourself for eternal salvation upon the atonement and the righteousness of Jesus Christ, to have done once for all with all reliance upon feelings or upon doings, and to trust in Jesus Christ and in what he did for your salvation.
This is faith, receiving of the truth of Christ: first knowing it to be true, and then acting upon that belief. Such a faith as this—such real faith as this makes the man henceforth sin. How can he love the thing which made the Saviour bleed? It makes him live in holiness. How can he but seek to honour that God who has loved him so much as to give his Son to die for him. This faith is spiritual in its nature and effects; it operates upon the entire man; it changes his heart, enlightens his judgment, and subdues his will; it subjects him to God's , and makes him receive God's Word as a little child, willing to receive the truth upon the ipse dixit of the divine One; it sanctifies his intellect, and makes him willing to be taught God's Word; it cleanses within; it makes clean the inside of the cup and platter, and it beautifies without; it makes clean the exterior conduct and the inner motive, so that the man, if his faith be true and real, becomes henceforth another man to what he ever was before.
Now that such a faith as this should save the soul, is, I believe, reasonable; yea, more, it is certain, for we have seen men saved by it in this very house of prayer. We have seen the harlot lifted out of the Stygian ditch of her sin, and made an honest woman; we have seen the thief reclaimed; we have known the drunkard in hundreds of instances to be sobered; we have observed faith to work such a change, that all the neighbours who have seen it have gazed and admired, even though they d it; we have seen faith deliver men in the hour of temptation, and help them to consecrate themselves and their substance to God; we have seen, and hope still to see yet more widely, deeds of heroic consecration to God and displays of witness-bearing against the common current of the times, which have proved to us that faith does affect the man, does save the soul. My hearers, if you would be saved, you must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me urge you with all my heart to look nowhere but to Christ crucified for your salvation. Oh! if you rest upon any ceremony, though it be not baptism—if you rest upon any other than Jesus Christ, you must perish, as surely as this Book is true. I pray you believe not every spirit, but though I, or an angel from heaven, preach any other doctrine than this, let him be accursed, for this, and this alone, is the soul-saving truth which shall regenerate the world—"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Away from all the tag-rags, wax candles, and millinery of Puseyism! away from all the gorgeous pomp of Popery! away from the fonts of Church-of-Englandism! we bid you turn your eyes to that cross, where hangs as a bleeding man the Son of God.

"None but Jesus, none but Jesus
Can do helpless sinners good."

There is life in a look at the crucified; there is life at this moment for you. Whoever among you can believe in the great love of God towards man in Christ Jesus, you shall be saved. If you can believe that our great Father desireth us to come to him—that he panteth for us—that he calleth us every day with the loud voice of his Son's wounds; if you can believe now that in Christ there is pardon for transgressions past, and cleansing for years to come; if you can trust him to save you, you have already the marks of regeneration. The work of salvation is commenced in you, so far as the Spirit's work is concerned: it is finished in you so far as Christ's work is concerned. O, I would plead with you—lay hold on Jesus Christ. This is the foundation: build on it. This is the rock of refuge: fly to it. I pray you fly to it now. Life is short: time speeds with eagle's-wing. Swift as the dove pursued by the hawk, fly, fly poor sinner, to God's dear Son; now touch the hem of his garment; now look into that dear face, once marred with sorrows for you; look into those eyes, once shedding tears for you. Trust him, and if you find him false, then you must perish; but false you never will find him while this word standeth true, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." God give us this vital, essential faith, without which there is no salvation. Baptized, re-baptized, circumcised, confirmed, fed upon sacraments, and buried in consecrated ground—ye shall all perish except ye believe in him. The word is express and plain—he that believeth not may plead his baptism, may plead anything he likes, "But he that believeth not shall be damned;" for him there is nothing but the wrath of God, the flames of hell, eternal perdition. So Christ declares, and so must it be.
But now to close, there are some who say, "Ah! but baptism is in the text; where do you put that?" That shall be another point, and then we shall have done.
THE BAPTISM IN THE TEXT IS ONE EVIDENTLY CONNECTED WITH FAITH. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." It strikes me, there is no supposition here, that anybody would be baptized who did not believe; or, if there be such a supposition, it is very clearly laid down that his baptism will be of no use to him, for he will be damned, baptized or not, unless he believes. The baptism of the text seems to me—my brethren, if you differ from me I am sorry for it, but I must hold my opinion and out with it—it seems to me that baptism is connected with, nay, directly follows belief. I would not insist too much upon the order of the words, but for other reasons, I think that baptism should follow believing. At any rate it effectually avoids the error we have been combating. A man who knows that he is saved by believing in Christ does not, when he is baptized, lift his baptism into a saving ordinance. In fact, he is the very best protester against that mistake, because he holds that he has no right to be baptized until he is saved. He bears a testimony against baptismal regeneration in his being baptized as professedly an already regenerate person. Brethren, the baptism here meant is a baptism connected with faith, and to this baptism I will admit there is very much ascribed in Scripture. Into that question I am not going; but I do find some very remarkable passages in which baptism is spoken of very strongly. I find this—"Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." I find as much as this elsewhere; I know that believer's baptism itself does not wash away sin, yet it is so the outward sign and emblem of it to the believer, that the thing visible may be described as the thing signified. Just as our Saviour said—"This is my body," when it was not his body, but bread; yet, inasmuch as it represented his body, it was fair and right according to the usage of language to say, "Take, eat, this is my body." And so, inasmuch as baptism to the believer representeth the washing of sin—it may be called the washing of sin—not that it is so, but that it is to saved souls the outward symbol and representation of what is done by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the man who believes in Christ.
What connection has this baptism with faith? I think it has just this, baptism is the avowal of faith; the man was Christ's soldier, but now in baptism he puts on his regimentals. The man believed in Christ, but his faith remained between God and his own soul. In baptism he says to the baptizer, "I believe in Jesus Christ;" he says to the Church, "I unite with you as a believer in the common truths of Christianity;" he saith to the onlooker, "Whatever you may do, as for me, I will serve the Lord." It is the avowal of his faith.
Next, we think baptism is also to the believer a testimony of his faith; he does in baptism tell the world what he believes. "I am about," saith he, "to be buried in water. I believe that the Son of God was metaphorically baptized in suffering: I believe he was literally and buried." To rise again out of the water sets forth to all men that he believes in the resurrection of Christ. There is a showing forth in the Lord's Supper of Christ's , and there is a showing forth in baptism of Christ's burial and resurrection. It is a type, a sign, a symbol, a mirror to the world: a looking-glass in which religion is as it were reflected. We say to the onlooker, when he asks what is the meaning of this ordinance, "We mean to set forth our faith that Christ was buried, and that he rose again from the , and we avow this and resurrection to be the ground of our trust."
Again, baptism is also Faith's taking her proper place. It is, or should be one of her first acts of obedience. Reason looks at baptism, and says, "Perhaps there is nothing in it; it cannot do me any good." "True," says Faith, "and therefore will I observe it. If it did me some good my selfishness would make me do it, but inasmuch as to my sense there is no good in it, since I am bidden by my Lord thus to fulfil all righteousness, it is my first public declaration that a thing which looks to be unreasonable and seems to be unprofitable, being commanded by God, is law, is law to me. If my Master had told me to pick up six stones and lay them in a row I would do it, without demanding of him, 'What good will it do?' Cui bono? is no fit question for soldiers of Jesus. The very simplicity and apparent uselessness of the ordinance should make the believer say, 'Therefore I do it because it becomes the better test to me of my obedience to my Master.'" When you tell your servant to do something, and he cannot comprehend it, if he turns round and says, "Please, sir, what for?" you are quite clear that he hardly understands the relation between master and servant. So when God tells me to do a thing, if I say, "What for?" I cannot have taken the place which Faith ought to occupy, which is that of simple obedience to whatever the Lord hath said. Baptism is commanded, and Faith obeys because it is commanded, and thus takes her proper place.
Once more, baptism is a refreshment to Faith. While we are made up of body and soul as we are, we shall need some means by which the body shall sometimes be stirred up to co-work with the soul. In the Lord's Supper my faith is assisted by the outward and visible sign. In the bread and in the wine I see no superstitious mystery, I see nothing but bread and wine, but in that bread and wine I do see to my faith an assistant. Through the sign my faith sees the thing signified. So in baptism there is no mysterious efficacy in the baptistry or in the water. We attach no reverence to the one or to the other, but we do see in the water and in the baptism such an assistance as brings home to our faith most manifestly our being buried with Christ, and our rising again in newness of life with him. Explain baptism thus, dear friends, and there is no fear of Popery rising out of it. Explain it thus, and we cannot suppose any soul will be led to trust to it; but it takes its proper place among the ordinances of God's house. To lift it up in the other way, and say men are saved by it—ah! my friends, how much of mischief that one falsehood has done and may do, eternity alone will disclose. Would to God another George Fox would spring up in all his quaint simplicity and rude honesty to rebuke the idol-worship of this age; to rail at their holy bricks and mortar, holy lecterns, holy alters, holy surplices, right reverend fathers, and I know not what. These things are not holy. God is holy; his truth is holy; holiness belongs not to the and the material, but to the spiritual. O that a trumpet-tongue would cry out against the superstition of the age. I cannot, as George Fox did, give up baptism and the Lord's Supper, but I would infinitely sooner do it, counting it the smaller mistake of the two than perpetrate and assist in perpetrating the uplifting of baptism and the Lord's Supper out of their proper place. O my beloved friends, the comrades of my struggles and witnessings, cling to the salvation of faith, and abhor the salvation of priests. If I am not mistaken, the day will come when we shall have to fight for a simple spiritual religion far more than we do now. We have been cultivating friendship with those who are either unscriptural in creed or else dishonest, who either believe baptismal regeneration, or profess that they do, and swear before God that they do when they do not. The time is come when there shall be no more truce or parley between God's servants and the time-servers. The time is come when those who follow God must follow God, and those who try to trim and dress themselves and find out a way which is pleasing to the flesh and gentle to desires, must go their way. A great winnowing time is coming to God's saints, and we shall be clearer one of these days than we now are from union with those who are upholding Popery, under the pretence of teaching Protestantism. We shall be clear, I say, of those who teach salvation by baptism, instead of salvation by the of our blessed Master, Jesus Christ. O may the Lord gird up your loins. Believe me, it is no trifle. It may be that on this ground Armageddon shall be fought. Here shall come the great battle between Christ and his saints on the one hand, and the world, and forms, and ceremonies, on the other. If we are overcome here, there may be years of and persecution, and tossing to and fro between darkness and light; but if we are brave and bold, and flinch not here, but stand to God's truth, the future of England may be bright and glorious. O for a truly reformed Church in England, and a godly race to maintain it! The world's future depends on it under God, for in proportion as truth is marred at home, truth is ed abroad. Out of any system which teaches salvation by baptism must spring infidelity, an infidelity which the false Church already seems willing to nourish and foster beneath her wing. God save this favoured land from the brood of her own established religion. Brethren, stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free, and be not afraid of any sudden fear nor calamity when it cometh, for he who trusteth to the Lord, mercy shall compass him about, and he who is faithful to God and Christ shall hear it said at the last, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of the Lord." May the Lord bless this word for Christ's sake.

Fatten Up.

2009-02-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

"But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your
door, and pray to your Father who is in secret." Mat. 6:6

Secret duties are the most soul-enriching duties. Look! as
secret meals make fat bodies--so secret duties make
fat souls! And as secret trades brings in great earthly riches,
so secret prayers makes many rich in spiritual blessings and
in heavenly riches. Private prayer is that secret key of heaven
which unlocks all the treasures of glory to the soul. The best
riches and the sweetest mercies, God usually gives to His
people--when they are in their closets upon their knees.

All the graces of the saints are enlivened, and nourished, and
strengthened by the sweet secret influences which their souls
fall under, when they are in their closet-communion with God.
Certainly there are none so rich in gracious experiences--as
those who are most exercised in closet duties.

The tender dew which falls in the silent night makes the
grass and herbs and flowers to flourish and grow more
abundantly--than great showers of rain which fall in the day.
Just so, secret prayer will more abundantly cause the sweet
flowers of grace and holiness to grow and flourish in the soul,
than all those more open, public, and visible duties of religion,
which too, too often, are mingled and mixed with the sun and
wind of pride and hypocrisy.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
Colossians 4:2

By Thomas Brooks

Do Christians Sin?

2009-02-12T07:43:00.000-08:00

I read this today very good, and short too. I learned a new word too.

com⋅punc⋅tion

1.	a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain; contrition; remorse.

2.	any uneasiness or hesitation about the rightness of an action.

- Aaron

Do Christians Sin?

by Kyle Butt, M.A.

A quick reading through the small epistle of 1 John reveals a number of verses that seem to disagree with each other. For instance, in 1 John 1:8,10 the author assures his readers that all people have sinned. In 2:1, John seems to indicate that even Christians will sin and therefore need Jesus Christ to be their advocate. Yet, 3:6 has John on record as saying: “Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.” In verse 8 of chapter 3, John wrote: “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.” And verse 9 states: “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” Steve Wells, in his work, The Skeptic’s Annotated Bible, wrote concerning these verses in chapter 3: “Earlier in this letter (1:8,10) John assured us that everyone sins. Yet in these verses he claims that Christians don’t sin” (Wells, 2003).

Are these verses examples of contradictions within the Bible? If they are not, what do they mean? Do Christians sin, or don’t they?

The answers to these questions actually are much simpler than it may, at first, appear. When we compare other translations of 3:6,8,9, we see that the actual Greek wording of the verses makes a major difference in the understanding of the passages. R.C.H. Lenski translated 3:6 as follows: “Everyone remaining in him does not go on sinning; everyone continuing to sin has not seen him, nor has he known him” (1966, pp. 457-458, emp. added). Lenski translated verse 9: “Everyone that has been born from God does not go on doing sinning because his seed remains in him; and he is not able to go on sinning because he has been born of God” (p. 462, emp. added). The New International Version translates 3:6: “No on who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him” (emp. added).

Lenski explained that 1 John 3:6,9 uses a Greek construction called the present durative, which should be translated “does not go on sinning” (pp. 458,462). John, then, is saying no more in these verses than what Paul was saying in Romans 6:1-2, when he stated: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any long in it?” Numerous other verses teach that Christians will commit sins, even after they have been washed in the blood of Christ (cf. Romans 7:14-25; Philippians 3:12-13). However, John is saying that any person who rebelliously continues to sin, making it his or her usual, habitual way of life, is not following God. In 1 John 3:9, the Greek present infinitive means to habitually sin without compunction. In more practical terms (to offer an example), it is one thing for a Christian to slip up and commit an act of sexual immorality for which he or she is penitent. It is altogether another thing for a person to live as a prostitute and claim to be “having fellowship with the Father” (1 John 1:6).

Therefore, it is easily shown that no discrepancies exist between the verses under discussion in 1 John. Furthermore, it is refreshing to know that when a Christian does sin, “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

Trials

2009-02-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

Hello All. My wife and I have been experiencing some trials over the last four months. If you read this blog I am asking for your prayers, please. Shawna has been having sever tiredness after giving birth to our son. Since the delivery she has had a few health issues. This all may run together or it may not but it is my best effort to post a coherent list of events. To simplify Shawna has 3 major issues right now. 1 Heart issues due to a congenital heart defect, 2 Hepatitis C which was contracted during a open heart surgery in 1987, and 3 a large spot on her liver.
Please forgive me if things get confusing during this post. Here is the latest with Shawna's health. She had a doctors visit today with the stomach doctor concerning a large spot on her liver and hepatitis C treatment. We found out that the hepatitis C is a very mild strain 1 A which is the most common. Also 1A has a very low virus load, so treatment should be easy.
But this doctor is very concerned about the spot on Shawna's liver. The doctors office is scheduling Shawna with an appointment at the UAB comprehensive cancer center. At UAB they are going to preform more scans and tests. At this point the test will be to try to determine what this spot is exactly, benign or cancerous. I am praying that it is not cancer. Right now Shawna has two major issues. One is her heart, we are praying that will be treatable by oral medication and not require another surgery; and the other is the spot on her liver.
We just returned from an over night stay at UAB becasue Shawna had a Heart Catherization that required hospitalization. Here is a little more history on that.
She did not need a stint installed as previously thought from her doctors. The Pulmonary artery stenosis is not causing Shawna's tiredness. The doctor said that there are 3 or 4 small things that are probably culminating and attributing to the tiredness, swelling, and shortness of breath. Shawna was born with Truncus arteriosus. Truncas is characterized by a large ventricular septal defect over which a large, single great vessel (truncus) arises. Basically a normal heart has a clear path to the left and right ventricle, truncas patients do not. She has patch that closes the hole in her heart, and a human piece that connects all the ventricles together.
Here are the findings. A normal pulmonary artery size is 18 - 25mm. Shawna's left ventricle is 33mm and her right is 12mm, that size difference is what was seen on the CT scans and caused the doctors for alarm, but it is fine. Now were the (homograph) the human organ installed to fix the truncas; is narrowed by maybe only 10% where the ventricle attaches to the homograph, again not a big deal. The doctor found that there are small mild leaks where the homograph attaches to the right and left ventricle. Also the homograph is a little aged; it is actually 21 years old. Shawna knew that it might have needed to be replaced years ago.
Now the big unexpected finding is this. Where her aorta where attaches to the homograph has some tearing and is leaking on a moderate level. The doctor said that would probably be the explanation as to why her symptoms worsened at the last trimester and have not gotten better. When there is moderate leakage a person will experience heart failure symptoms, such as swelling in ankles and hands, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Shawna exhibits all of these. The doctor(s) believe that all of these mild leaks plus the moderate leak are causing her problems.
Here is the solution. The doctors have increased her water pill dosage, and have added a new medicine to her regimen. The new medicine will help to get maximum blood flow to the heart, which we all hope will make the leakages minimal, and Shawna will start feeling better. The trial period for this is 2 to 3 months. If Shawna is not getting better she will need another open heart surgery. The open heart surgery will involve replacing the homograph conduit connecting the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. Unfortunately the conduit may become narrowed or stenotic over time. Thus, it may have to be replaced from time to time. Shawna has been blessed that she has been able to go so long with out needed a replacement. The surgery will also involve an Aortic valve replacement. Apparently the tearing of this and leakiness over time often need to be replaced in truncas patients.
Our prayers are that our family as a whole will look to the Lord for strength, courage, his will in the midst of circumstances, and give him praise and adoration.
Also we are praying that the new medicine will work well for Shawna and avoid a surgery right now. And finally we are praying that the spot on here liver is benign. Please pray with us.

Blessings,
-Aaron

Video Games and Eternity

2009-02-05T07:34:00.001-08:00

Video Games and Eternity

(By Austin Duncan)

Today's post is excerpted from our new staff book, Right Thinking in a World Gone Wrong. It is taken from Austin's chapter giving a pastoral perspective on video games.

From the most complex games to solitaire on your cell phone, games take time. Much of what can be said about video games in this regard could also be applied to other aspects of electronic entertainment—such as blogging, watching television, and surfing the internet. When large amounts of time each day are devoted to these activities, it means that in fact large portions of life are being wasted. Regarding television in particular, John Piper says this, “No one will ever want to say to the Lord of the universe five minutes after death, I spent every night playing games and watching clean TV with my family because I loved them so much. . . . Television is one of the greatest life-wasters of the modern age” (Don't Waste Your Life, 119-120). The same could easily be said about video games.

Due to their computerized complexity, today’s video games often require days to master and weeks to beat. A game that only costs forty or fifty dollars to purchase may actually cost hundreds of hours in wasted time. In many games, the player’s character develops as he advances through the virtual storyline, becoming more skilled and better equipped. Yet, players themselves gain little more than carpel tunnel symptoms and an otherwise useless knowledge of fictional weaponry.

Time invested in such pursuits is lost, and cannot be reused for things that matter. Hours that could be spent working, praying, reading, serving, fellowshipping, evangelizing, or just thinking, are instead wasted on activities that have no lasting value. God’s Word teaches us that time is precious (Ps. 90:12; cf. 39:4–5). Using it wisely is an issue of good stewardship. We must not forget that our lives are not our own, we belong to Christ (1 Cor. 6:20). When we waste time consistently, a few hours each day, we waste the very lives we have dedicated to Christ.

One of the central themes of the book of Ephesians is the “walk” of the believer. It is a metaphor the apostle Paul used to represent living. Believers are to walk in good works (Eph 2:10), in love (5:1–5), in holiness (5:6–13), and in a way consistent with their calling (4:1–16). They are also to walk in a way that is purposeful and wise. Paul writes this, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Eph 5:15–17). Paul’s point here is not strictly about time management (in terms of better scheduling), but life management (in terms of making the most of every opportunity to honor, serve, and worship God). The one who walks wisely will view his or her limited time in this life in light of eternity, taking advantage of every opportunity to bring glory to God.

What is a pastor supposed to be like?

2009-02-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

What Makes Men Change?

2009-02-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

Jesus!

Beating of the Day

2009-01-28T08:07:00.001-08:00

The Christian's heaviest burden

(Arthur Pink, "An Honest Heart")

"Behold, I am vile!" Job 40:4

Sin is the Christian's heaviest
burden--and his greatest grief.

"We are lying if we say we have fellowship
with God--but go on living in darkness."
1 John 1:6

Repentance is not only a sorrowing for
sin--but also a turning away from it;
the throwing down of the weapons of
our warfare against God.

If we truly love God, we will . . .
forsake our sins,
abandon our idols
and mortify our lusts.
An honest soul cannot do otherwise;
anything short of that would be hypocrisy.

The upright man is the one who "fears
God--and turns away from evil." Job 1:8

Thomas Watson said:
"It is better to go to Heaven with much difficulty than to Hell with ease."

Our thoughts are the seed of sin.

2009-01-28T06:40:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I was listening to a message this morning that really spoke to me. The message was on guarding your thoughts. Phil Johnson was teaching that every sin is hatched and cultivated in the mind. I agree with Phil because scripture backs up his thinking. James Chapter 2 verses 14 and 15 say 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. The evil desire is conceived, or birthed, in the mind and then grows into sin ( I guess you could say something like I am coveting a cor vet and then I actually commit the act of stealing it.) and then all sin leads to death. So with that small introduction please look over these little notes and tell me what you think..

Sins of the mind.

The sins of the mind grieve God. God destroyed the earth becasue of the thoughts and heart of men. This passage says that God the Almighty grieved and his heart was filled with pain.
Genesis 6:5-7
5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them."

God sees all of our thoughts, when we sin in our mind we sin in his presence. God sees you all the time.
Psalm 1391:-8
1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

What we think is what we are. If we are thinking abotu iniquity we will act out those actions if we think about righteousness we will act our those actions.
Proverbs 23:7
7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “ Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.

Jesus said that the sins of the mind are just as vile as the act, and require the same punishment.
Matthew 5:27-30
You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Our acts cannot save us even Jesus looked on the heart. Defilement that is on the inside cannot be washed away by ceremonial cleansing. Jesus said outwardly a person can appear righteous, but on the heart (mind) they are full of full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
Matthew 23:25-35
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ 31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

We need repentance. Only God's Spirit can create in us a clean heart that breaks the unholy alliance from sin.
Psalm 51:10
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
2 Cor 7:9-12
9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 12 Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.

Name it and Claim it Baby!

2009-01-27T20:10:00.001-08:00

Hmm ... 1, 2, 3, give me a new car.... Why didn't that work? Waaa... I followed the recipe...

1) Positive Confession: The Theology of the Spoken Word (Rhematology), or thought actualization, is commonly known as positive confession. It stresses the inherent power of words and thoughts. Each person predestines his own future by what he says verbally and by how well he uses spiritual laws. As such, it is as if we live in a mechanistic universe instead of a personal one (see, Kenneth Copeland, Laws of Prosperity, p. 15; Charles Capps, The Tongue A Creative Force, pp. 117-118; Releasing the Ability of God, pp. 98-99, 101-104).

2) The Gospel of Health: Isaiah 53 is used to justify blanket coverage for the physical healing of every Christian who has enough faith. "...it is the plan of our Father God in His great love and His great mercy that no believer should ever be sick, that every believer should live his life full span down here on earth and that every believer should finally just fall asleep in Jesus" (Hagin, Seven Things You Should Know About Divine Healing, p. 21). Hagin also denies having a headache for forty-five years, labeling such as "simply symptoms rather than any indication of a headache" (In the Name of Jesus, p. 44).

3) The Gospel of Wealth: A central tenet of the prosperity gospel is that God wills the financial prosperity of every Christian. If a believer lives in poverty, he/she is living outside God's intended will. "You must realize that it is God's will for you to prosper" (Copeland, Laws of Prosperity, p. 51).

Lets learn some new words

2009-01-27T20:06:00.001-08:00

If it ain't in there it ain't in there.

Extra-biblical ---
Teachings, concepts and practices claimed to be supported by or taught in the Bible, but which are based on incorrect interpretation. In hermeneutics, the study of the methodological principles of interpretation, this is known as "eisogesis" (super-imposing a meaning onto the text), as opposed to "exegesis" (drawing the meaning out of the text).

-- Aaron

Ministry Alert! Justin Peters

2009-01-27T19:38:00.000-08:00

Hello all. I met Justin Peters at the deeper conference put on by WOTM this past October. Justin is a very, very Humble minister of the Gospel, who suffers from a relatively mild case of Cerebral Palsy. His ministry is educating believers about the Word of Faith movement. Justin has done A Biblical Critique of the Word of Faith Movement or commonly know as he Health and Wealth or Prosperity Gospel. Justin seminar contains dozens of audio and video clips (primarily the latter) of various WoF leaders such as Benny Hinn, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Jessie Duplantis, Creflo Dollar, etc. I have purchased the materials and I must say it was eye opening. He also goes over WoF theology and it's beginnings. I would say that the WoF movement is a cult since they believe in a different Jesus. I also would say that there are probably born again Christians in this movement, but they were not saved at these crusaded. The WoF leaders add things like tongues, healing, and prophecy to salvation. They would say if you do not show these attributes then you are not saved. They also deny the trinity, don't believe Jesus is God, and deny other basic Christians tenants about Jesus and God. You can check out his ministry at Justin Peters , and you can watch the Justin Demo here.

More on Benny Hinn
More on the Copelands
More on the WoF

Blessings,
-- Aaron

Count it all Joy.

2009-01-27T07:27:00.000-08:00

Hello All. Please pray for my family. We have been going through a bout of sickness and strain in our lives. My wife who has a congenital heart defect is going to have a catheterization done on February 9th. Please pray the Lords will be done and we accept his good plans. Also she was diagnosed with Hepatitis C yesterday, again please pray that we praise, honor, and Glorify our Lord who saved us becasue he loves us in this situation. Also RJ my son, has a pulmonologist appointment today to see if his lungs are OK. And finally pray that I would be the man that God needs me to be in all of this. That I would honor the Lord with thought, action, and deed, and our family would glorify his precious name. We have been clinging to the Cross during our trials and we hope that through all of this we can strengthen our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.

Please hold this scriputer close to your hears.

James 1:2-4
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I almost forgot. 1 Timothy 4 coupled with Colossians 2

2009-01-26T09:34:00.000-08:00

Just and FYI I am an X Catholic. Being Catholic there were certain ordinances and thing we were taught. I read something in 1 Timothy and Colossians today that just jumped off the page for me. I cannot believe I have never seen this before. Back in the days, when I was Catholic we abstained from eating certain foods, like meat, fish, and so on. Also the Priests are not allow to marry. With that being said read these scripture verses..... Does it sound like the Catholic Church is out of order with Scripture?

- Aaron

1 Timothy 4:1-5
1The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

Colossians 2:20-23
20Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Iron Sharpening Iron

2009-01-23T06:34:00.001-08:00

Hello all. Here is a great site for free sermons. These sermons are by pastor teacher Phil Johnson. Phil Johnson is John MacArthur's right hand man, so you know they are NOT heresy. :)

Enjoy
-- Aaron

Do you know the Gospel?

2009-01-22T06:40:00.001-08:00

OK. I guess I am picking on the Emergent Church quite often here.... Well if they would just do what the bible says I guess I would be OK. I have read yet another article where the Gospel they preach is one of GOOD WORKS to attain salvation. We can never attain salvation through our good works, we have no righteousness of our own. This is the Galatians Heresy repackaged. We cannot teach a false Gospel, look at the consequences of teaching a false Gospel: Galatians 1:8,9 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have reached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! This is strong language. The word accursed used here means "go to hell" in the Greek. Our Good Works cannot attain righteousness for us. Romans 3:10 says As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; This is the testimony of Scripture about man Genesis 8:21 21The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done. Our hearts are wicked so if we are left up to our own judgment we think we can attain salvation by our own means. But again the Bible says : Jeremiah 17:9 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? We need to be clothed in Christs Righteousness to be saved. This is the Gospel , read it and beleive.

- Aaron

Morfication of SIN.

2009-01-21T06:18:00.000-08:00

This is probably one of the best sermons I have heard on Mortifying SIN by Phil Johnson. You can listen to it here at The Grace Life Pulpit. This message has some great examples of how to destroy the problem of indwelling sin in the believers life. I hope it helps you as it has me.

Blessings.
- Aaron

The Emergent Church is WRONG!

2009-01-19T12:21:00.001-08:00

I have to say that the emergent church has got to be crazy. It seems to me like the leaders of this movement read the scriptures (maybe they do) and then decide to go to the opposite direction. I recently read a posting where they are now have a spin off movement called... Queermergent. Why would they support homosexuality? The bible calls homosexuality an out right sin. I beleive we are seeing the Wrath of God in the form of abandonment. The emergent church must repent they are leading people into open and out right rebellion. To say that homosexuality is OK is just another form of supplanting the authority of GOD Holy word, and denying the exclusivity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. GOD can save these people out of that sin; Nothing is impossible for GOD. I pray the Lord would cleanse society, before it's too late.

Romans 1:18-32 (NIV)
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

God is Love. Is that ALL?

2009-01-15T15:05:00.001-08:00

Everywhere I go I see God is Love. God is Love. Yes he does love us. But is that all he is? God is also, Holiness, Goodness, Justice, Truth, Spirit, Infinite, Eternal, Wisdom, Eternal, Unchangeable, just to name a few. We must understand God and all of his attributes to give an accurate understanding of who and what God is. The first question I like to ask people who say God is love is... If God is so loving why is there , hurt, pain, and disease, in the world? This question usually leaves the person in a lurch. I am going on a Tangent : Our evangelism cannot be "lets show Gods love". The truth is man is evil and man sees all the hurt in the world and makes up a God that is the exact opposite of what he sees. Man breaks the second commandment and invents a God that is just Love, no other attributes like WRATH and ANGER, and JUSTICE. Genesis 6:5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. Before the regeneration of the Holy Spirit we are in sins and trespasses. Ephesians 2:1 1As for you, you were in your transgressions and sins. The question is why does God love at all? He loves us because he is Love. Sounds funny. God loves because he is love. We love because we need an opposite reaction to and anger. There is a difference between us and God. Gods ways are not our ways. We all deserve the WRATH and ANGER of a GOOD GOD, but instead he sent his only begotten son to die on a cross for us. End Tangent! We must be diligent to learn about GOD and all of his attributes so we can love him more.

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.

GOD IS HOLY : Separate for sin and sinners. Isiah 6:1-3 HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
GOD IS WRATH : Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is revealed.
GOD IS JUSTICE : Isiah 30:18 God is a God of Justice.
GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE : Malachi 3:6 I the LORD do not change
GOD IS TRUTH : John 17:17 Your word is Truth.
GOD IS WISDOM : Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom
GOD IS SPIRIT : John 4:24 God is spirit.
GOD IS OMNIPRESENT : PSALM 139:8 God is everywhere.
GOD IS OMNISCIENT : ACTS 15:18 God sees everything, even your thought life.
GOD IS OMNIPOTENT : Matthew 19:26 God can do whatever he wants to.

Ouch that stings......

2009-01-15T14:01:00.000-08:00

It is little comments like these that make me realize I need the Lords power to keep me on his path. I need him in his power to keep my heart separated unto him. I beleive that Robert Robinson said it best in his hmyn "Come thou fount of every blessing" where is says: "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above." Lord seal our hearts for your courts above.

- Aaron

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this--to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

Holiness means separation unto God. The life which belongs to Christ--must be kept from sin. The hands which are held up in prayer--must not touch any unclean thing. The lips which speak to God, and sing His praise--must not be stained by any sinful or bitter words. The heart which is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit--must not open to any thought or affection which would defile God's temple. The feet which Christ's pierced hands have washed--must not walk in any of sin's unhallowed paths. A Christian's life must be holy.

Unholiness is very subtle. It creeps in when we are not aware. It begins in the heart. At first it is but a thought, a moment's imagination, a passing emotion, or a desire. Hence the heart should be kept with unremitting diligence. Only pure and holy thoughts should be entertained.

It is in the thoughts, that all acts begin. All acts are first thoughts. Our thoughts build up our character, as the coral insects build up the great reefs. "As a man thinks in his heart--so is he." If we are to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, as we pass through its foul streets--we must see to it that no unholy thing is for a moment tolerated in our heart! A crime stains one's name before the world; a sinful thought or desire stains the soul in God's sight, and grieves the divine Spirit within us! "Above all else, guard your heart, for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23

Fight the good fight of faith.

2009-01-14T11:50:00.000-08:00

Wow. Great Testimony by Paul Washer. We must all realize that we are susceptible to the devils schemes. As a man I know that I am very susceptible to the images that all around us in this culture. This clip was helpful for me to watch. Enjoy.

Well Well Put. Modesty.

2009-01-09T11:47:00.000-08:00

Modesty is a big issue in our culture and in the Church. I have noticed that the dress in most modern evangelical borders indecency. Clothing is too tight, or too revealing, or the T-Shirts say some pretty dirty things. Mrs. Ingrid Schlueter is a host on Cross Talk , and very Godly woman, who address the issue in her broadcast and Blog post. I was just listening to the show on January 7 that was addressing modesty in the Church and Culture. I have to say she handled the issue very well, and showed it how it really is. I would highly recommend that everyone listen to this broadcast. You can listen to it by going to the link in this post and then going to recent broadcasts on the main page. Also read her blog Ingrid . There is a post on there called Thoughts on Godly Femininity, which talks about the disgusting practice of sexualization of children. It seems as though our culture is more determined than ever to totally destroy purity. I cannot wait for the King to return.

Will the apostles recognize the Gospel you Preach?

2009-01-02T06:34:00.000-08:00

I was challenged by Dr. Al Mohler yesterday to ask myself; will the apostles recognize the Gospel I preach when talking with lost people? I challenge you to confront yourself with the same question. Please read what Aurthur Pink said about today's evangelism. I found his words very frighting becasue they speak the truth.

When they awake in hell!

(Arthur Pink, "Present Day Evangelism")

If "modern evangelism" is weighed in the balances of Holy Writ, it will be found lacking; lacking that which is vital to genuine conversion, lacking what is essential if sinners are to be shown their need of a Savior, lacking that which will produce the transformed lives of new creatures in Christ Jesus.

The "evangelism" of the day is not only superficial to the last degree--but it is radically defective. It is utterly lacking a foundation on which to base an appeal for sinners to come to Christ. There is not only a lamentable lack of proportion (the mercy of God being made far more prominent than His holiness, His love than His wrath)--but there is a fatal omission of that which God has given for the purpose of imparting a knowledge of sin. There is not only a reprehensible introducing of humorous witticisms and entertaining anecdotes--but there is a studied omission of dark background upon which alone the Gospel can effectively shine forth.

In twentieth-century evangelism, there has been a woeful ignoring of the solemn truth of the total depravity of man. There has been a complete underrating of the desperate case and condition of the sinner. Very few indeed have faced the unpalatable fact--that every man is thoroughly corrupt by nature, that he is completely unaware of his own wretchedness, blind and helpless, and dead in trespasses and sins! Because such is his case, because his heart is filled with enmity against God--it follows that no man can be saved without the special and supernatural intervention of God.

The teaching of Holy Writ on this point is unmistakable: man's plight is such that his salvation is impossible, unless God puts forth His almighty power. No stirring of the emotions by anecdotes, no regaling of the senses by music, no oratory of the preacher, no persuasive appeals--are of the slightest avail. None but the Holy Spirit can make him willing in the day of His power (Psalm 110:3). He alone can produce godly sorrow for sin, and saving faith in the Gospel. He alone can make us not love ourselves first and foremost, and bring us into subjection to the Lordship of Christ.

But serious indeed as is the above indictment, worse still is that which is being retailed by the cheap-jack evangelists of the day. The positive content of their message is nothing but a throwing of dust in the eyes of the sinner. His soul is put to sleep by the devil's opiate, ministered in a most unsuspecting form. Those who really receive the "message" which is now being given out from most of the "orthodox" pulpits and platforms today--are being fatally deceived. It is a way which seems right unto a man--but unless God sovereignly intervenes by a miracle of grace, all who follow it will surely find, that the ends thereof are the ways of death! Tens of thousands who confidently imagine that they are bound for heaven--will get a terrible disillusionment, when they awake in hell!

What is the Gospel? Is the Gospel a message of glad tidings from heaven to make God-defying rebels at ease in their wickedness? Is it given for the purpose of assuring the pleasure-crazy young people that, providing they only "believe," there is nothing for them to fear in the future? One would certainly think so, from the way in which the Gospel is presented--or rather perverted, by most of today's 'evangelists'! And the more so, when we look at the lives of their 'converts'! Surely those with any degree of spiritual discernment, must perceive that to assure such 'converts' that God loves them and His Son died for them, and that a full pardon for all their sins (past, present and future) can be obtained by simply 'accepting Christ as their personal Savior'--is but a casting of pearls before swine! Because the churches are so largely filled with these 'converts', explains why they are so unspiritual and worldly.

Who can we trust?

2008-12-31T06:32:00.000-08:00

The "so called Christian" leadership in America has left me wondering; who can I trust? It seems that if a teacher puts out a book or has a successful TV ministry they are safe. We have popular teachers like Joel Osteen will not say that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes who endorses Homosexuality. The Christian Book stores are riddled with false teaching, and anything that teaches "Die to myself" or "Christ Alone, Faith Alone, Repentance." Is considered non tolerant, and therefore is not promoted. I believe America as a great majority has strayed away from the core tenants of Christianity, and we need a great awaking and call to repentance. Oh that God would have mercy on this nation that we could turn from our ways and come back to him.

From Larry King Live: True or False

Here is manuscript of a conversation between Joel Osteen and Larry King. Osteen denies the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice, he praises the pagan, false-religion of India as "I know they love God." I pray the Lord will give his followers discernment to see the deception.

On Larry King Live, the following very disturbing conversation occurred with Larry King and Joel Osteen:

KING: What if you're Jewish or Muslim, you don't accept Christ at all?

OSTEEN: You know, I'm very careful about saying who would and wouldn't go to heaven. I don't know ...

At this point, even Larry King appears surprised by Osteen’s answer. Then Larry tosses Osteen a "soft-ball" to explain his previous answer. And again Osteen openly denies that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way of salvation.

KING: If you believe you have to believe in Christ? They're wrong, aren't they?

OSTEEN: Well, I don't know if I believe they're wrong. I believe here's what the Bible teaches and from the Christian faith this is what I believe. But I just think that only God will judge a person's heart. I spent a lot of time in India with my father. I don't know all about their religion. But I know they love God. And I don't know. I've seen their sincerity. So I don't know. I know for me, and what the Bible teaches, I want to have a relationship with Jesus.

What about Rick Warren; is he safe? He does not speak out on things like Gay Marriage or abortion. He also is a supporter of the "universal" or "emergent church". Many in the "emerging" and "Emergent church" movements also state their intention to transcend the divisive issues like abortion and homosexuality, which Rich Warren Supports. The web site onenewsnow.com quoted Warren saying:
“I was trying to point out I’m not opposed to gays having their partnership. I’m opposed to gays using the term marriage for their relationship.” - Rick Warren
I believe his fence sitting answers leave the Christian mind wondering "what is truth."

Another name on the shelf that I have seen at my local grocery store is T.D. Jakes. Before I posted this I was thinking, not T.D., but the spirit of Universalism has over taken him as well. In a sermon Jakes says that Ruth and Naomi were lesbians.

“Ruth turns to Naomi and says “I shall not leave thee.” She makes her statement to this woman…that sounds somewhat, somewhere in between poetry, intimacy, and borders on lesbianism. People don’t even know how to explain what Ruth said to Naomi. It makes them uncomfortable. They’re afraid to talk about it. They don’t want to teach on it. Same thing with David and Jonathan…where there were same-sex relationships getting too close, people don’t even know what to say.” T.D. Jakes

These are just a few teachers to name a few. I know there are more out there. Unfortunately friends I believe we need to be on our guard against all that is put before us in the name of Christianity. Look at Paul's warning to Timothy "2 Timothy 4:3-4 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. Has America turned it's ears away from the truth and turned to myths? Read on.

Read This: Taken from Al Mohler

As Cathy Lynn Grossman of USA Today reports:
Most American religious believers, including most Christians, say eternal life is not exclusively for those who accept Christ as their savior, a new survey finds.

Of the 65% of people who held this open view of heaven's gates, 80% named at least one non-Christian group - Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists or people with no religion at all- who may also be saved, according to a new survey released today by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

"When 34% of evangelicals reject the truth that Jesus is the only Savior, we are witnessing a virtual collapse of evangelical theology. There is also additional cause for concern. As Cathy Lynn Grossman reports, "Pew's new survey also found that many Christians (29%) say they are saved by their good actions; 30% say salvation is through belief in Jesus, God or a higher power alone, which is the core teaching of evangelical Protestantism; and 10% say salvation is found through a combination of behavior and belief, a view closer to Catholic teachings."

Only preaching of the "True Gospel of Jesus Christ" can save our nation.

Mark 1:14,15 "14 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, " The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

Cool Plugin for Firefox.

2008-12-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

I found this really cool plug-in for the Firefox web browser. It takes pop ups and turns them into bible verses. Check it out Bible Verse Plug-In . Also I was crusing on I'll Be Honest and found some great testimonies. And this was amazing.

Your works are FILTHY RAGS - Jeff Noblit - Sermon Jam from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

Regeneration, have your desires changed?

2008-12-19T11:51:00.001-08:00

This is a nice little explanation of Regeneration.

Regeneration by J.I. Packer from Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs
In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” JOHN 3:3

Regeneration is a New Testament concept that grew, it seems, out of a parabolic picture-phrase that Jesus used to show Nicodemus the inwardness and depth of the change that even religious Jews must undergo if they were ever to see and enter the kingdom of God, and so have eternal life (John 3:3-15). Jesus pictured the change as being “born again.”

The concept is of God renovating the heart, the core of a person’s being, by implanting a new principle of desire, purpose, and action, a dispositional dynamic that finds expression in positive response to the gospel and its Christ. Jesus’ phrase “born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5) harks back to Ezekiel 36:25-27, where God is pictured as symbolically cleansing persons from sin’s pollution (by water) and bestowing a “new heart” by putting his Spirit within them. Because this is so explicit, Jesus chides Nicodemus, “Israel’s teacher,” for not understanding how new birth happens (John 3:9-10). Jesus’ point throughout is that there is no exercise of faith in himself as the supernatural Savior, no repentance, and no true discipleship apart from this new birth.

Elsewhere John teaches that belief in the Incarnation and Atonement, with faith and love, holiness and righteousness, is the fruit and proof that one is born of God (1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4). It thus appears that as there is no conversion without new birth, so there is no new birth without conversion.

Though infant regeneration can be a reality when God so purposes (Luke 1:15, 41-44), the ordinary context of new birth is one of effectual calling—that is, confrontation with the gospel and illumination as to its truth and significance as a message from God to oneself. Regeneration is always the decisive element in effectual calling.

Regeneration is monergistic: that is, entirely the work of God the Holy Spirit. It raises the elect among the spiritually dead to new life in Christ (Eph. 2:1-10). Regeneration is a transition from spiritual death to spiritual life, and conscious, intentional, active faith in Christ is its immediate fruit, not its immediate cause. Regeneration is the work of what Augustine called “prevenient” grace, the grace that precedes our outgoings of heart toward God.

Will Homosexuals Inherit the Kingdom of God.

2008-12-17T13:15:00.000-08:00

In today's society there is a big Homosexual society, and I see the question come up often. What does the Bible say about Homosexuals? Well it's pretty clear. It says they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. I guess I don't understand what all the hub bub is about. The Bible is "God Breathed", so he said it. The Bible is our final authority too.
Before I was saved I made the rules and I decided what was really bad, and what was just a little dirty. Oh before regeneration I wanted Jesus, plus my sin. Until you are regenerated by the Holy Spirit you will never be able to look at sin as it really is. God sees lying the same a murder. Only the Gospel can save the lost, liar, thief, idolater, adulterer, murderer. We must repent of our sins and Trust in Jesus as our righteousness. And remember Christian 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

The Gospel 101

2008-12-15T06:48:00.001-08:00

Great interview with John Piper on the Gospel.

What God Requires Christ Provides

Good Theology

2008-12-15T06:44:00.001-08:00

This is a good primer for those out there who aren't sure what reformed theology is.

Reformed vs. Calvinist

by Rick Long

Recently I was asked “what exactly is reformed theology?” This is a great question. Another great question is “what is the difference between reformed theology and Calvinism?”

I want to draw a distinction between the two because it is important to understand why I say that I am reformed but not a Calvinist.

Some people treat the terms “Reformed” and “Calvinist” as being synonymous. Still many people disagree with this linkage. There are many similarities between the two, but there are enough distinctive differences in my own understanding and use of the terms that I think of them as two seperate, though linked, mindsets.

The Reformed theological stance arose from the Protestant Reformation. By affirming Reformed theology we are implicitly denying other theologies, such as Catholic theology (which Reformed theology rose in opposition to) and Arminian theology (which later rose in opposition to Reformed theology). There are generally two camps within Protestantism: Reformed/Calvinism and Arminianism.

Christianity refers to all religions that are based at least partially on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible. Christendom is separated into four main divisions: Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant and Cults. Very generally, Protestants can be defined as those who are part of churches which arose from the break with the Catholic Church during the Reformation.

Reformed theology adheres to all the foundational beliefs taught in the Bible. These beliefs were the foundation of the early church and are based on the teachings of the Bible as interpreted by the apostles and early church fathers. Many of these beliefs were changed or lost as the Catholic Church grew in power and authority from the fifth century onwards. Throughout history there were pockets of non-Catholic believers who held to many or all of these points of doctrine, but they were largely lost until the time of the Reformation. Reformed theology emphasizes God rather than man.

The base of Reformed theology is something known as the Five solas (latin for slogans):

1. The authority of Scripture: Scripture alone is the standard and provides truth about God, His Son, His ways and His plan.

2. the basis of salvation: Grace alone provides the basis of salvation.

3. the means of salvation: Faith alone provides the means of salvation: faith in Christ by the grace of God.

4. the merit of salvation: Christ alone is the one who saves, who has purchased forgiveness and who offers salvation to those who trust Him.

5. to God alone be the glory in all things.

These five statements correctly and fully summarize what I ascribe to as Reformed theology.

Again, these form the basis for Protestantism as much as they do for the Reformed tradition. These are the principles that drove the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century and separated it from the Roman Catholic Church. These points of doctrine are based entirely on the Bible and were the theological driving force behind the early Protestant movement.

There are five distinct points of doctrine known as the five points of Calvinism (T.U.L.I.P. for Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irrestible Grace and Preservation of the saints). These were first articulated after the Reformation by followers of John Calvin in the early 16^th century. Most evangelical churches do not hold to all of these points. Some hold to two or three (and occasionally even four). The alternative to ALL five points of Calvinism is Arminian theology. The 5 points of Calvinism have long been controversial and even divisive. But clearly all Christians hold to some of the five points, so some would say that all Christians are at least a one or two point Calvinist.

So by the terms I have outlined here, I am not a 5 point Calvinist nor does The Point embrace Calvinism as our theological base. I am convinced that the five solas of the Reformed theological stance as I have outlined here are completely Biblical. This is what I mean when I say that I am reformed and this is what we mean we say that The Point is reformed in our theology. I also believe that these are truths that all Christians would claim, either explicitly or implicitly.

Scripture Alone. Faith Alone. Grace Alone. Christ Alone. To God alone be the glory.

What is the Emergent Church Movement?

2008-12-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

Question: "What is the emerging / emergent church movement?"

Answer: The emerging, or emergent, church movement takes its name from the idea that as culture changes, a new church should emerge in response. In this case, it is a response by various church leaders to the current era of post-modernism. Although post-modernism began in the 1950s, the church didn't really seek to conform to its tenets until the 1990s. Post-modernism can be thought of as a dissolution of "cold, hard fact" in favor of "warm, fuzzy subjectivity." The emerging / emergent church movement can be thought of the same way.

The emerging / emergent church movement falls into line with basic post-modernist thinking—it is about experience over reason, subjectivity over objectivity, spirituality over religion, images over words, outward over inward, feelings over truth. These are reactions to modernism and are thought to be necessary in order to actively engage contemporary culture. This movement is still fairly new, though, so there is not yet a standard method of "doing" church amongst the groups choosing to take a post-modern mindset. In fact, the emerging church rejects any standard methodology for doing anything. Therefore, there is a huge range of how far groups take a post-modernist approach to Christianity. Some groups go only a little way in order to impact their community for Christ, and remain biblically sound. Most groups, however, embrace post-modernist thinking, which eventually leads to a very liberal, loose translation of the Bible. This, in turn, lends to liberal doctrine and theology.

For example, because experience is valued more highly than reason, truth becomes relative. Relativism opens up all kinds of problems, as it destroys the standard that the Bible contains absolute truth, negating the belief that biblical truth can be absolute. If the Bible is not our source for absolute truth, and personal experience is allowed to define and interpret what truth actually is, a saving faith in Jesus Christ is rendered meaningless.

Another area where the emerging / emergent church movement has become anti-biblical is its focus on ecumenism. Unity among people coming from different religious and ethnic backgrounds and diversity in the expression of corporate worship are a strong focus of the emergent church movement. Being ecumenical means that compromise is taking place, and this results in a watering down of Scripture in favor of not offending an apostate. This is in direct opposition to passages such as Revelation 2:14-17, Jesus' letter to the church of Pergamum, in which the Church is warned against tolerating those who teach false doctrine.

False doctrine seems to abound within the emerging / emergent church movement, though, as stated previously, not within every group espousing emerging / emergent church beliefs. Because of this, care must be taken when deciding whether or not to become involved with an emergent church group. We all need to take heed of Matthew 7:15-20, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

While seeking new ways to witness to a changing culture is admirable, utilizing ways which compromise the Truth of the Gospel in any way is nothing more than promoting false doctrine and leading others away from Christ instead of to Him.

Jesus Loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.

2008-12-09T09:42:00.000-08:00

What ever happened to "Repent and believe the Gospel!". Jesus said in Mark 1:15 , The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT ye, AND BELIEVE the gospel. Look at Luke 5:32 "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to REPENTANCE." Jesus even commanded the disciples to preach repentance, Luke 24:46-47 and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Jesus has called all men to repent and believe the Gospel!

Justification Does James 2 contradict Romans 4

2008-12-03T10:13:00.000-08:00

I read a great article on Justification by Dr. John MacArthur at www.monergism.com. If you have ever read any of the epistles written by Paul you will know that a man is justified apart from works of the law, and he also states if righteousness comes from the law then Christ died needlessly. It is apparent in scripture that a man cannot save himself nor does he want to. But here is the question at hand. How can we reconcile James chapter 2 vs Romans 4 and other Justification by faith alone versus. I believe the key ingredient here is to understand who is doing the Justifying in these texts. In James 2:24 "You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone." Justification before men is in view in here and Justification before God is in view Romans, and the other epistles. James said If a man says he has faith but no works that man's faith is worthless... I believe James was proving to his readers that Righteous works are the necessary proof of saving faith in Jesus Christ before "MEN". So logically if a man says he has faith, but he is unrighteous, and his acts do not back up his claims; then his faith is worthless. Works is the justifying ingredient to "MEN" and faith is the justifying ingredient to "GOD". With that statement being said you can see who is how Romans 3:30 points out who is justified and who is doing the justifying. 30 "by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight" In who's sight? God's sight.Who will not be justified, (MAN) any flesh that uses the law to justify themselves to GOD.

- Aaron