Quote From Old Truth
First of all let me entreat every reader of this paper not to refuse this doctrine of Election, merely because it is high, mysterious, and hard to be understood. Is it reverent to do so? Is it treating God's Word with the respect due to revelation? Is it right to reject anything written for our learning, and to give it hard names, merely because some misguided men have misused it, and turned it to a bad purpose? These are serious questions. They deserve serious consideration. If men begin rejecting it, they are on slippery ground. There is no saying how far they may fall.
What after all do men gain by refusing the doctrine of Election? Does the system of those who deny Election save one soul more than of those who hold it? Certainly not. Do those who hold Election narrow the way to heaven, and make salvation more difficult than those who deny it? Certainly not.
The opponents of Election maintain that none will be saved except those who repent and believe. Well: the advocates of Election say just the same! The opponents of Election proclaim loudly that none but holy people go to heaven. Well: the advocates of Election proclaim the same doctrine just as loudly!
What, then, I ask once more, is gained by denying the truth of Election? I answer, Nothing whatever. And yet, while nothing is gained, a great deal of comfort seems to be lost. It is cold comfort to be told that God never thought of me before I repented and believed. But to know and feel that God had purposes of mercy toward me before the foundation of the world, and that all the work of grace in my heart is the result of an everlasting covenant and an eternal Election, is a thought full of sweet and unspeakable consolation. A work that was planned before the foundation of the world, by an Architect of almighty power and perfect wisdom, is a work which will never be allowed to fail or be overthrown.
Old Paths, 1878
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Another Book to Read
Readers of this blog know I have been having problems with certain things I hear presented as the "gospel." I think the major problem with much of what I hear is that the speaker(s) assume our culture still shares an inherited belief in there being a god. Sadly to say, this is not so.
American schools have spent the better part of half a century "educating" their charges that the very idea of god is an illusion perpetrated by some men who have an agenda to control the masses of men. So some preachers pretend to preach "the Gospel" by beginning in the middle of the story, Christ died for sinners, with the assumption that the listeners have built-in knowledge to confirm what they are saying. It is a tragedy in the Americanized church and a slap in the face to the God of the Bible.
There is a new book out that I ordering, today, which, according to reviews is one that should be read by all preachers and everyone claiming to be a Christian. It is "What is the Gospel, by Greg Gilbert. You can read about it here.
Here are the main points:
American schools have spent the better part of half a century "educating" their charges that the very idea of god is an illusion perpetrated by some men who have an agenda to control the masses of men. So some preachers pretend to preach "the Gospel" by beginning in the middle of the story, Christ died for sinners, with the assumption that the listeners have built-in knowledge to confirm what they are saying. It is a tragedy in the Americanized church and a slap in the face to the God of the Bible.
There is a new book out that I ordering, today, which, according to reviews is one that should be read by all preachers and everyone claiming to be a Christian. It is "What is the Gospel, by Greg Gilbert. You can read about it here.
Here are the main points:
- Who made us, and to whom are we accountable
- What is our problem? In other words, are we in trouble and why.
- What is God's solution to that problem? How has He acted to save us from it?
- How do I - myself, right here, right now - how do I come to be included in that salvation? What makes this good news for me and not just for someone else?
I'm going to order the book right now. I may give my copy to someone I know who needs it badly.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Evading reality
Many years ago I was attempting to witness to a lady who lives near my Baptist church. She looked me in the eyes and said, "that church is a cult." I have never gotten those words out of my mind. Then, I ignored her words and tried to forget them. Now, all these years later I think I am beginning to understand what she was trying to say.
Christianity is a belief system that is given to mankind as the only story of redemption for mankind. Philosophers would call it a narrative, technically it is a meta-narrative, meaning it is the all encompassing story for life. It is the story of redemption given to us by God himself in Scripture. It is the story of God (theology) and man (anthropology) which is all inclusive in describing how we - mankind - are to live in relation to the Holy God.
Given that it is God who has revealed Himself to us, there are no optional choices that can be made concerning our responsibility in our practical application of this narrative in our lives. We are made in such a way that we either must conform to the entire narrative or find in the end that in denying part of it we have become guilty of denying the whole, there is no middle ground.
The reality of the Christian belief system is that its story of redemption cannot be told in part if it is to be affective. If we tell a person he can be saved without explaining to him saved from what and why he needs salvation, the price paid for his redemption is cheapened and thus denied by default. The price paid by Christ was too costly not to be told as the major reason for God's demand that we repent. The gospel (good news) is not good news if any part of it is evaded or omitted in the re-telling. Repentance and redemption are opposite sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other.
When we preach "ye must be born again" without explanation of why this "rebirth" is necessary, followed up with explanation of the requirement of repentance, we have effectively nullified a major component of what the Holy God has revealed of Himself. God is a just God and part of His justice demands an acknowledgment from those He is redeeming that they have indeed violated His law and are sorry for their affront to His nature.
The general (overall) narrative in Scripture is a litany of mankind's flouting of God's law and His actions taken to redeem his chosen violators. His plan of redemption began in the Garden of Eden, and ended with the death of Jesus, His Son, on the Cross of Calvary. Without telling others this basic narrative, at some point preaching will deteriorate into a gloss of man-made concepts which quickly slide into no gospel at all. Preaching will become nothing more than psychological manipulation as the Preacher attempts to coerce people into a false sense of security that will soon evaporate - as all of man's desires do.
When someone tells another human being that all they need to do to gain heaven is accept Jesus as their "personal savior," without an explanation of the entire narrative, that person has committed what can only be seen in God's eyes as an usurpation of His authority. Moreover to inform someone that they are "guaranteed" heaven when they die, goes beyond simply usurping authority, it becomes a matter of assuming the role of God. This is a very dangerous enterprise for any human to undertake.
Scripture says that "faith comes by hearing..." but Scripture also says that mankind is born "dead in trespasses and sin." Faith is not something that one man can tell another he has or has been granted. Faith is the ability to believe and only God can give a human that ability. Faith is a change in one's nature that is granted super-naturally by God to His elect after He has "quickened" or regenerated their dead souls. Faith is not something men can casually walk down an aisle and tell a Preacher, "Hey Dude I believe that stuff you said, now what?" Or, more commonly, "I gave my heart to Jesus, what I gotta do now?"
Evading telling the entire story of redemption either for personal or secular reasons, for example, to brag about a tally of numerical conquests, can only be the result of a mind blinded by the particulars of the immediate moment. The particulars of the moment may be as innocuous as a desire to "win the lost," but no matter how one achieves an affirmative response to this kind of spiritual manipulation, it is dangerous work. Whatever the underlying motivation, to imply to another human "you have been granted the faith to believe" is God's prerogative, not ours.
Faith, once it has been given by God is evidenced by a change in desires on the part of the grantee. Scripture calls it "fruit." The evidence of being born again is not in writing the day, date, and time of a "decision" in the front of a Bible; the evidence is shown by a life lived out denying execution to old impulses and desires. It is a costly change for God but for us it is free. Our only job once this faith has been granted is to use it. We do that by taking up our Cross daily as we follow Jesus who gave us the Holy Spirit as our assistant in this endeavor. Anything less than full disclosure of the entire Gospel message is, in my opinion, a terrible sin committed against God. In ethical terms, it is fraud.
Unless we accept the fact that God told us He "added to the church daily those who should be saved," we will continue to have churches in America filled with unregenerate pretenders who are living a reality evading life. Those responsible for this effrontery will, I'm sure, be judged in the end.
For too long I participated in the charade which perpetuates this kind of thing. I have finally learned enough to know that what I was doing was wrong and plan to spend the rest of my life trying to make amends. I've started by trying to educate myself in the meta-narrative as given to us by God and not the particular one men have made up to further their own agendas.
I think I have finally figured out what the neighbor lady meant when she said that church is a "cult." She meant it was mistaken in some of the things it did. I agree and hope to live long enough to see if God will make changes in its narrative to the World.
Christianity is a belief system that is given to mankind as the only story of redemption for mankind. Philosophers would call it a narrative, technically it is a meta-narrative, meaning it is the all encompassing story for life. It is the story of redemption given to us by God himself in Scripture. It is the story of God (theology) and man (anthropology) which is all inclusive in describing how we - mankind - are to live in relation to the Holy God.
Given that it is God who has revealed Himself to us, there are no optional choices that can be made concerning our responsibility in our practical application of this narrative in our lives. We are made in such a way that we either must conform to the entire narrative or find in the end that in denying part of it we have become guilty of denying the whole, there is no middle ground.
The reality of the Christian belief system is that its story of redemption cannot be told in part if it is to be affective. If we tell a person he can be saved without explaining to him saved from what and why he needs salvation, the price paid for his redemption is cheapened and thus denied by default. The price paid by Christ was too costly not to be told as the major reason for God's demand that we repent. The gospel (good news) is not good news if any part of it is evaded or omitted in the re-telling. Repentance and redemption are opposite sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other.
When we preach "ye must be born again" without explanation of why this "rebirth" is necessary, followed up with explanation of the requirement of repentance, we have effectively nullified a major component of what the Holy God has revealed of Himself. God is a just God and part of His justice demands an acknowledgment from those He is redeeming that they have indeed violated His law and are sorry for their affront to His nature.
The general (overall) narrative in Scripture is a litany of mankind's flouting of God's law and His actions taken to redeem his chosen violators. His plan of redemption began in the Garden of Eden, and ended with the death of Jesus, His Son, on the Cross of Calvary. Without telling others this basic narrative, at some point preaching will deteriorate into a gloss of man-made concepts which quickly slide into no gospel at all. Preaching will become nothing more than psychological manipulation as the Preacher attempts to coerce people into a false sense of security that will soon evaporate - as all of man's desires do.
When someone tells another human being that all they need to do to gain heaven is accept Jesus as their "personal savior," without an explanation of the entire narrative, that person has committed what can only be seen in God's eyes as an usurpation of His authority. Moreover to inform someone that they are "guaranteed" heaven when they die, goes beyond simply usurping authority, it becomes a matter of assuming the role of God. This is a very dangerous enterprise for any human to undertake.
Scripture says that "faith comes by hearing..." but Scripture also says that mankind is born "dead in trespasses and sin." Faith is not something that one man can tell another he has or has been granted. Faith is the ability to believe and only God can give a human that ability. Faith is a change in one's nature that is granted super-naturally by God to His elect after He has "quickened" or regenerated their dead souls. Faith is not something men can casually walk down an aisle and tell a Preacher, "Hey Dude I believe that stuff you said, now what?" Or, more commonly, "I gave my heart to Jesus, what I gotta do now?"
Evading telling the entire story of redemption either for personal or secular reasons, for example, to brag about a tally of numerical conquests, can only be the result of a mind blinded by the particulars of the immediate moment. The particulars of the moment may be as innocuous as a desire to "win the lost," but no matter how one achieves an affirmative response to this kind of spiritual manipulation, it is dangerous work. Whatever the underlying motivation, to imply to another human "you have been granted the faith to believe" is God's prerogative, not ours.
Faith, once it has been given by God is evidenced by a change in desires on the part of the grantee. Scripture calls it "fruit." The evidence of being born again is not in writing the day, date, and time of a "decision" in the front of a Bible; the evidence is shown by a life lived out denying execution to old impulses and desires. It is a costly change for God but for us it is free. Our only job once this faith has been granted is to use it. We do that by taking up our Cross daily as we follow Jesus who gave us the Holy Spirit as our assistant in this endeavor. Anything less than full disclosure of the entire Gospel message is, in my opinion, a terrible sin committed against God. In ethical terms, it is fraud.
Unless we accept the fact that God told us He "added to the church daily those who should be saved," we will continue to have churches in America filled with unregenerate pretenders who are living a reality evading life. Those responsible for this effrontery will, I'm sure, be judged in the end.
For too long I participated in the charade which perpetuates this kind of thing. I have finally learned enough to know that what I was doing was wrong and plan to spend the rest of my life trying to make amends. I've started by trying to educate myself in the meta-narrative as given to us by God and not the particular one men have made up to further their own agendas.
I think I have finally figured out what the neighbor lady meant when she said that church is a "cult." She meant it was mistaken in some of the things it did. I agree and hope to live long enough to see if God will make changes in its narrative to the World.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
A New Book
I love to read and spend more on books than I should. Perhaps that is a curse. I don't know. I do know that the reading I've done over the years has opened World's to me I did not know existed. As a Christian I have been introduced to areas of worship that opened vistas of grandeur that my "Fundamentalist" upbringing was afraid to admit existed.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Agreeing to disagree?
I read this excerpt on Dr. James Galyon's site 2 Worlds Collide:
Johnny Hunt notes in the foreword to the book Whosoever Will: A Biblical Theological Critique of Calvinism, “As Baptists, we all know that we have Calvinists and non-Calvinists within our ranks. I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is highly exalted when we can acknowledge our differences but join hands around a gospel-centered message to proclaim its truth to the nations.” He adds, “What I have come to love most about theology is the capacity to agree to disagree but to do it in the spirit of Christ.”
Johnny Hunt notes in the foreword to the book Whosoever Will: A Biblical Theological Critique of Calvinism, “As Baptists, we all know that we have Calvinists and non-Calvinists within our ranks. I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is highly exalted when we can acknowledge our differences but join hands around a gospel-centered message to proclaim its truth to the nations.” He adds, “What I have come to love most about theology is the capacity to agree to disagree but to do it in the spirit of Christ.”
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Galaxies and Cremation
"Sometimes the “culture wars” that really matter aren’t the ones you’re screaming about with unbelievers in the public square; they’re the ones in which you’ve already surrendered, and never even noticed."
Russell Moore, Professor at SBTS, posted the above in an interesting article concerning cremation for Christians. He is opposed to it. I'm not, and intend to be cremated when the Lord takes me home.
Russell Moore, Professor at SBTS, posted the above in an interesting article concerning cremation for Christians. He is opposed to it. I'm not, and intend to be cremated when the Lord takes me home.
Westminster Cathedral and Smiley Faces
Easter is the day Christians remember that our God, Jesus Christ, resurrected from His grave. I always anticipate this special day because the way we celebrate the day in church generally leads to reflection and meditation on Christ. I always anticipate returning from Church with an imagined image of something like the picture below in my mind. For whatever reason man-made attempts to bring into life a sense of what heaven might be like seem to capture my sense of awe. Whenever I am in Cathedrals or Churches I can't help but think of the my Savior and His sacrifice. The photo is the interior of Westminster Cathedral, London, how could anyone think of anything other than the God of the Universe with this in their mind.
This Easter was disappointing for me. Of course I tried to the best of my feeble ability, to retain visions of grandeur in my mind as I went through the day, but the service I attended did not help. For some unknown reason this particular church thinks images like the one below flashed on the worship screens at the front of the church will not distract from the sense of awe we should have for what Christ has done for us.
The church I attended has ordered its' service so that at the end of the service while the offertory is being played a power-point runs supposedly to announce the mundane activities of the church which is designed to entertain and amuse. This church also has a printed bulletin, given to every attendee, but obviously believes we are illiterate and cannot read it. The need for this redundancy escapes me. Having said that, however, I think that most people today are image oriented - thanks to our television oriented culture - and tend to remember bits and pieces of information in reverse order. The last thing we see is the first thing we remember. So, as I left church on Easter 2010 the thing that I couldn't get out of my mind were the animated smiley faces and cartoons of fat babies flashing on those screens.
Here it is Wednesday, and still what I recall most prominently about this service is the above. I wish the last thing I had seen on the screens had been an image of the risen Christ ascending and not a post-modern, idiotic, childish, reminder that our true god appears to be ourselves and our cultural icons.I would rather have seen the picture below as the memorial memory for Easter service 2010.
This Easter was disappointing for me. Of course I tried to the best of my feeble ability, to retain visions of grandeur in my mind as I went through the day, but the service I attended did not help. For some unknown reason this particular church thinks images like the one below flashed on the worship screens at the front of the church will not distract from the sense of awe we should have for what Christ has done for us.
The church I attended has ordered its' service so that at the end of the service while the offertory is being played a power-point runs supposedly to announce the mundane activities of the church which is designed to entertain and amuse. This church also has a printed bulletin, given to every attendee, but obviously believes we are illiterate and cannot read it. The need for this redundancy escapes me. Having said that, however, I think that most people today are image oriented - thanks to our television oriented culture - and tend to remember bits and pieces of information in reverse order. The last thing we see is the first thing we remember. So, as I left church on Easter 2010 the thing that I couldn't get out of my mind were the animated smiley faces and cartoons of fat babies flashing on those screens.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Friends
This is Fred. He's lived in this neighborhood for a long time. At least I think he has. I can't seem to tell him from Freda his live-in companion. Anyway one of them, I think this one, comes to our deck door begging for food every now and then. In the past I would throw bread on the lawn of which he would get a couple of nibbles and the birds would steal the rest. So today when he visited I decided to give him some crackers. I gave him three, one of which he is munching on in this photo. He will be back, I'm sure, since I've learned over the years Squirrels are like cats: if you feed them they will not leave. Next time he visits maybe I'll see what he does with ice-cream. Oh! BTW, I did give him water to slake the thirst after eating three "saltines."
Home Depot
I read a headline this morning that I have to post just so I don't forget it.
Home Depot Theology: You can do it; We can help!
To my mind that pretty much sums up what is so wrong about so much in the church today. In too many instances God appears to be thrown in as an after thought to rationalize why we do what we do.
I could go on, but I won't. I think those who read this blog know what I am talking about.
Home Depot Theology: You can do it; We can help!
To my mind that pretty much sums up what is so wrong about so much in the church today. In too many instances God appears to be thrown in as an after thought to rationalize why we do what we do.
I could go on, but I won't. I think those who read this blog know what I am talking about.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Books, Study, Knowledge
All men are different in some aspect of personality. That is a God-given axiomatic assertion. However, when it comes to enterprises all men should participate in, personalities must be set aside. For example we are commanded in Scripture to "put on this mind which is in Christ."
There is only one way for a human to do that and it is study: reading, thinking, contemplating, prayerful supplication for wisdom and more importantly the faith to believe that the Holy Spirit will "guide (us) into all knowledge."
There is only one way for a human to do that and it is study: reading, thinking, contemplating, prayerful supplication for wisdom and more importantly the faith to believe that the Holy Spirit will "guide (us) into all knowledge."
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Easy Believism on Steroids!
I thought I had pretty much seen and heard it all during my 70 years! Not! Seems a church in Texas is giving away 1 million dollars in prizes to those who attend services on Resurrection Morning. (Most call this day by its pagan name Eastre (Easter).
I'm almost a loss for words on this one. But, close doesn't count so here goes. Not only does the Pastor in the video delight in the fact that he has all those prizes to give away - including 16 new cars - he is delighted that he will be able to "give heaven for free" to anyone who wants it on Easter morning. Talk about Pagan religions this one has to be the epitome.
I could have sworn I read somewhere that Jesus went balistic when He came across this same activity in the temple in Jerusalem. But, hey, what do I know? I'm just sayin".
If Jesus were to appear at that monstrosity on Sunday I wonder if the Pastor or any of his followers would recognize Him. I think he and they would be like the disciples were on Resurrection morning when they met Jesus. They didn't know him and according to Scripture these folks in Texas don't either.
I could have sworn I read somewhere that Jesus went balistic when He came across this same activity in the temple in Jerusalem. But, hey, what do I know? I'm just sayin".
If Jesus were to appear at that monstrosity on Sunday I wonder if the Pastor or any of his followers would recognize Him. I think he and they would be like the disciples were on Resurrection morning when they met Jesus. They didn't know him and according to Scripture these folks in Texas don't either.
Orwell was right!
Judge Andrew Napolitano is known by most of us from his "legal consultant" stints on the Fox News Network. He is bright, articulate, and a concerned American. In this video he points out some things in the law that most of just do not know exist. It is because of men like Napolitano that our government has not had the nerve to become as dictatorial as some would like it to be.
About halfway into this video Napolitano points out a little know provision of the "Patriot Act." It allows Federal police agencies to hand-write warrents, serve them with full force of law, and make you a criminal if you tell anyone what has transpired.
Talk about Orwelian rule of law. This has to be it. Anyway after watching the video you will know why I carry a gun. (All legal of course - for now at least). I will protect my Constitutional Right to legal counsel no matter what some hand-written note says.
About halfway into this video Napolitano points out a little know provision of the "Patriot Act." It allows Federal police agencies to hand-write warrents, serve them with full force of law, and make you a criminal if you tell anyone what has transpired.
Talk about Orwelian rule of law. This has to be it. Anyway after watching the video you will know why I carry a gun. (All legal of course - for now at least). I will protect my Constitutional Right to legal counsel no matter what some hand-written note says.
Strange
Some things humans do just seem strange to me. I don't know why we do some of the things we do - we just seem to do them for no reason. For instance, when Lenin died and we were shown pictures of hundreds of thousands of people lined up to walk past and view his body I thought "don't those people have something better to do?"
As far as I've been able to determine Lenin is still dead. His body hasn't moved of it's own accord and he is still dead. Princess Dina's funeral and cult-like following a few years later produced greater crowds of people trying to get a glimpse of her dead body.
Now, Lenin was an atheist, and those who "worshiped" him were as well. So, I would imagine the only hope they had was either that his ideas would live long after him (some of them do and are embodied in the politicians in Washington DC) or perhaps he would come back to life. But, by default that is out of the question because he and they claimed there is no after-life. So, I can't figure out what all the looking at his dead body is all about.
What is really strange, however, is the idea that so-called Christians would believe there is some benefit to be gained by watching a dead body or in this case the grave of a dead person. Liberty University has a Web-cam streaming live video of Jerry Falwell's grave 24/7. Christians, by default, are supposed to believe that when a person dies his body rots and returns to dust but that his soul is with the Lord. So why in the mind of any thinking Christian would this be thought to be something Christians are supposed to waste God's resources on? The money could be sent to A Place of Hope Africa orphanage in Nigeria where it would feed, clothe, and house some of God's neediest children.
But, then, a Church which builds this kind of "memorial" - eternal flame and all - for a dead man, probably has issues other than using a webcam so that the world can watch a pile of dirt in which is housed a decaying body.
Somethings are just to too strange to comprehend: This is one of them.
As far as I've been able to determine Lenin is still dead. His body hasn't moved of it's own accord and he is still dead. Princess Dina's funeral and cult-like following a few years later produced greater crowds of people trying to get a glimpse of her dead body.
Now, Lenin was an atheist, and those who "worshiped" him were as well. So, I would imagine the only hope they had was either that his ideas would live long after him (some of them do and are embodied in the politicians in Washington DC) or perhaps he would come back to life. But, by default that is out of the question because he and they claimed there is no after-life. So, I can't figure out what all the looking at his dead body is all about.
What is really strange, however, is the idea that so-called Christians would believe there is some benefit to be gained by watching a dead body or in this case the grave of a dead person. Liberty University has a Web-cam streaming live video of Jerry Falwell's grave 24/7. Christians, by default, are supposed to believe that when a person dies his body rots and returns to dust but that his soul is with the Lord. So why in the mind of any thinking Christian would this be thought to be something Christians are supposed to waste God's resources on? The money could be sent to A Place of Hope Africa orphanage in Nigeria where it would feed, clothe, and house some of God's neediest children.
But, then, a Church which builds this kind of "memorial" - eternal flame and all - for a dead man, probably has issues other than using a webcam so that the world can watch a pile of dirt in which is housed a decaying body.
Somethings are just to too strange to comprehend: This is one of them.
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