Voting and the Bible

In this year in which we are to vote for a new president I have been increasingly concerned by the way many professing Christians decide on whom to vote for.  This is not a liberal or conservative issue as I see professing Christians from both viewpoints seeking out wisdom from everywhere but scripture, or at the least not giving supremacy to scripture.  It seems for some Christians the top priority is for a particular candidate not to win so they will vote for anyone to stop that candidate.  For others the top priority is some social issues and they will vote for that candidate no matter what their views are on such issues as abortion.  What I see from this is that there is a severe lack of trust in seeking scripture for an answer and then trusting in the answer that God gives through His word. 

Now I am not saying that these professing Christians do not claim to use scripture but even if they are close to the correct interpretation there often does not seem to be an issue if a particular candidate does not meet biblical criteria.  Yes, for believers we do need to vote for candidates that meet biblical criteria.  If a particular candidate sees no issue with the killing of innocent life but has good economic principles and even if they can help some disadvantaged people they would be disqualified from a biblical standard for ones vote.  While I may or may not see us as being a Christian nation it would be unconscionable for me not to vote so as that to be an outcome if God so deems it.  By the way, everyone in some manner votes to have their values upheld so why would not Christians do the same.

At the heart of the matter for many Christians is an apparent fear.  This is a fear that a particular candidate may win so many Christians speak of voting for a lesser of two evils.  When did it ever become OK to vote for any evil?  If there are no candidates that meet the biblical criteria then the call would be not to vote for any of the available candidates.  At the end of the day it is better for the church to have a clear conscience before God, a clear conscience based on His word and not subjective feeling, than to have voted for a candidate that God has said is not qualified.

So the question then seems to be what qualifies a candidate.  Well it is not perfection but scripture does give qualifications that believers need to pay attention to when it comes to choosing our leaders.  In the coming weeks, as time permits, I will mention some of these qualifications but the first would be that they are a brother in Christ.  Yes I said a Christian should be voting for a Christian.  Why, as Doug Phillips says in the CD set mentioned below, for starters scripture says that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Prov 1:7) thus it would sure seem wise to vote for one that is not a fool.  Thus voting for one that is not a Christian is not an option no matter their other views. 

The bottom line is we are not to be fearful and toss out scripture simply because we think the worst thing that can happen is a certain candidate would win.  Actually the worse thing that can happen is we have to stand before God and answer as to why we voted for a candidate that God says was not qualified.   Let us hold firm to our confidence in God and follow His guidelines and not some pragmatic plan that in the end denies the sufficiency of scripture and the sufficiency of God in the voting process.

For a sound biblical look at this topic I recommend a CD set by Doug Phillips:  Biblical Principles of the Ballot Box.  He gives a good overview on how we need to decide on whom we vote for.  

Around the Web and Blogosphere (2/20/08)

Well I was either on a plane or in an airport for 8 hours again today.  The truth is I hardly travel but it seems that lately I have been all over the place for work; today it is Denver on the way to St. Louis.  So, while siting in the airport I looked over the following:

Steve Camp writes: “"God in the Hands of Complacent Sinners"
...the dire need to recover a reverence for God in ministry”  While Steve’s focus is on the emergent folk who have “drank the kool-aid  of the emergent movement” there is a place where this article speaks just as much about the church as a whole.

 

Mark Dever writes: The Bondage of "Guidance".  I would add that often decisions would be much more clear if we just looked to scripture first.  So often people seek the subjective when the objective answers of scripture stare them right in the face because is many times the last place people look for answers to God’s will in a decision.  Simply because scripture does not say “take X or Y job” it does have clear biblical principles that will greatly minimize our choices.  When the choices are down to the minimum the Sprit of God will be the deciding factor.  Saying scripture is sufficient is not something we are to just say but we are to live as such.

 

Scott Brown has a great quote from George Whitefield: I Love those That Thunder Out the Word.  In 1739 Whitefield said: “I love those that thunder out the Word. The Christian world is in a deep sleep. Nothing but a loud voice can waken them out of it..” It is expository preaching through all of God’s word that allows it to be “thundered.”  Not just the parts that people want to hear but all of it clearly exposited.  Scott is part of an Expository Preaching Workshop March 7-8 in Wake Forest.  

At the Vaugnshire Farm blog there is a good post, Parallel Economy, by Paul on how the government often hinders free trade among its own people in the name of economics. By far things are not as bad as in many places in the world but never the less the government in the name of economics does hinder free trade and as Paul mentions it may only get more intrusive.  

February Giveaway at Challies.com

You can enter this months giveaway at Challies.com by clicking on the banner below.



From Tim:

This month’s sponsor is Franklin Springs Family Media. Franklin Springs exists “to provide families with top-quality DVDs that set forth a vision for the fullness of a God-honoring family life.” Their vision “is focused squarely on providing a picture of the exciting reformation that’s happening in families across the country. It’s a world of courageous servant/leader fathers, nurturing mothers who embrace the nobility of raising children, and children who embody the joyous adventure of being raised in a unified family.” If you have read this blog for any length of time you’ll know that I have reviewed most of the existing Franklin Springs titles and have found them well worth owning and well worth viewing.

The Prizes
First prize: Five Films Gift Pack: Still Standing: The Stonewall Jackson Story, Inherit the Land: Adventures on the Agrarian Journey, The Eden String Quartet: A Bountiful Blessing, A Journey Home, The Peasall Sisters: Family Harmony.

Second prize: New Films Pack: Still Standing: The Stonewall Jackson Story, Inherit the Land: Adventures on the Agrarian Journey.

Third Prize: Still Standing: The Stonewall Jackson Story.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (02/12/08)

There is a new wed site called Puritan Library that as a lot of Puritan works you can read online for free. This is a great resource and if you have not had the joy of reading any puritan works this is a good opportunity to do so at no cost, so check it out. I am presently reading John Flavel’s The Mystery of Providence, as part of the Puritan Reading Challenge. It is a great book that will give you a much greater appreciation for God’s works of providence in ones life and help you see how understanding providence does affect how we live the Christian life.

Over at Pulpit Magazine there is a post on Home, Private or Public Schooling? Read through the comments as I find it interesting that when the subject of Christians not using the public schools is broached that many take a defensive position and get upset. I have not always held my current views on public schooling, even while we homeschool our children, but have in the last few years come to see public schooling in light of scripture and can not reconcile the two. I would recommend watching Voddie Baucham’s DVD series, The Children of Creaser and especially part 1 entitled Whoever Controls the School Controls the World. Dr. Baucham gives a sound biblical basis for Christians to not send their children to public school and answers many of the objections to Christian parents pulling children from the public school system.

John Piper writes on: Abraham Lincoln's Path to Divine Providence. He also references an article by Marvin Olasky at World Magazine: Pilgrim Politician. Both of these articles are worthwhile reads. It is interesting to see that the despair of war that surrounded Lincoln drove him to God while Charles Darwin who was born (Feb 12, 1809) on the same day as Lincoln came to an entirely different conclusion when he looked at the world.

Germany Vs. Greece, Philosophy at its finest

And now for something completely different:



Thanks to the Conventicle Blog for reminding me about this video.

$25 Off at Vision Forum

By clicking below to get to Vision Forum and typing in the coupon code word, VISION, you can get $25 of on your next order.

This coupon is available to all customers as many times as you would like, one coupon per order, until midnight (CST) Saturday February 9th 2007.

Let us Gather Together

As I sit in Bradley International Airport (Connecticut) awaiting my flight home to Anaheim (CA) I began to contemplate the passage I am studying for this up coming weeks sermon, in light of last weeks sermon.

How lightly in this individualistic age do we take gathering together! As I continue in my study of Hebrews and get to Heb 10:26-31 I began to think about it’s connection with the preceding “Let Us…..” passages which includes one on stirring up one another by gathering together (10:24-25).

Not that the continual deliberate sinning mentioned in V26 is confined to “gathering together” but it would seem the thought that would enter the original listeners mind would at the least first go back to what was just said (V24-25). But, how many today see avoidance of fellowship with other beliers as a sin? I would suggest that many see it as some sort of necessary bother if even that. That may stem from a number of reasons with the first probably simply being the unregenerate nature of the professing church today. But right up there is the narcissistic preaching of many that is so focused on the individual that a natural consequence would be for the listener to seek ones own desires before that of the community, if there is any time left for community.

This is not to say that God is not interested in the individual but we must realize that a believing community is made up of individuals connected by the blood of Christ. Hebrews, in dealing with perseverance, speaks to this in 3:12-14. We are to care for one another not just physically but also spiritually. How can this be done if we are intent on our own self-interest above all things. Let us” sitr up” (Heb 10:24) and “exhort one another” (Heb 3:13) as we are called to by scripture. Let us gather together not simply to fulfill a duty but as a delight to be with the people of God in the presence of God.

If gathering together feels like it has become a chore, and you are truly a believer, God may have set this dryness as a sign to wrong motives for gathering together. While there is an aspect of being recharged for the week ahead in the world that can come from gathering together it sure seems like the vast number of “one another” verses would say that gathering is for service others rather than primarily self. This dryness may be ones sign to seek the heart God desires when gathering together. It is not a time to quit gathering until the correct motivation arrives but one of a time to continue gathering and repent of the attitude of duty and ask God to give you the delight that should come from obeying God and being with His people.

I pray that while the call to repentance is not always appreciated that you take this as intended because it is with repentance we can gain the joy we are designed as believers to have from communion with other believers. If need be come before God today and ask Him to set your heat as He intends it for this up coming Lord’s Day.

By the way Scott at These are the generations of.. has a good quote from Martyn-Lloyd Jones on going to church from Jones’ book Preachers and Preaching.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (2/1/08)

Don’t forget that all through the month of February that Sovereign Grace Ministries has a sale. All CD’s are $6 as well as reduced prices on some books and music. These prices along with no shipping charges makes for a great deal for great God centered music. If you only want on CD my favorite is the Valley of Vision CD.

John Piper writes: How Shall We Love Our Muslim Neighbor?

The White Horse Inn about a week ago aired a segment entitled: “Joel Osteen: A Case Study in American Religion.” You can listen to or download it HERE. This is part of series they are doing on the church today with other titles such as Christless Christianity and Crossless Christianity. You can listen to or download other shows HERE.

Over at Encouraging Expository Excellence John Brand has a link to a PDF on “rules for correctly handling parables” in his post: Profiting from Parables

SGCF after 6 Months

As we have reached the 6 month point in the life of Sovereign Grace Christian Fellowship it is time to reflect on what has transpired in those 6 months and here are a few thoughts:

First, the church got off to a rocky start due to a doctrinal issue that I thought had been covered but in the end I guess I had not done so to the degree it needed to be covered. The lesson I have learned is to make sure that key doctrinal areas are covered. Even if you think you may have covered them make sure you reiterate them again to get a consensus so as to avoid surprises.

One of the great positives has been the setting of the Lord’s Day service being in our house. This has made things seem a whole lot more relaxed and, at least to me, conducive to building community. What I have found though, and this may be a Southern California thing is that the fact the church is in our home may be foreign to some that are so used to the usual church building. The other thing I find myself dealing with is helping people see the difference between us having church in our house and being a house church. The main difference is, again this may be a Southern California thing, that most house churches seem to be more of a bible study than an actual church and the goal of SGCF is to be a church, no matter the setting.

It has a been a great joy when the smaller children join in with singing and take part in the service as a whole. What better way to learn to be part of a body of believers than to be with other adults from the beginning. In talking to some parents their main concern is that their children, who are usually used to the Sunday School routine, may not sit still. My usual comment is that we are here to help and it will take time but the results are well worth the effort. The longer one resides in the routine of Sunday School and youth group the harder it is but as I see this form of worship as the most biblical God will empower us to have the patience and stamina to change old habits. The other thing that greatly helps children to sit through a service is regular family worship, at home. We try and give tools for home worship such as a catechism for the month and a CD of the month’s songs that can be used to aid family worship at home. The family that has children that worship at home regularly will find it much easier to have them sit during the Lord’s Day.

On a personal note the study I have had to do while preaching through the book of Hebrews has given me insight into Hebrews that I have never had before. As I study I simply cannot fathom how one can down play the atonement of Christ by the sacrifice of Himself on the cross for the forgiveness of sin unless one simply ignores this book. As I read and study it is so clear that ones view of the cross will influence ones view of everything else. I can only surmise how others in our church are growing as we go through this book but I know I have grown in my time in Hebrews.

As we go into a new year we are excited to see how God will use SGCF. I pray that although we refer to ourselves as a Family Integrated Church people will understand we do not worship the family but the God who created the family to worship as he desires to be worshipped. As we move further along God’s path for us I will share the journey God is leading us on. I would also ask for your prayers for this year that God would use us as He sees fit to reach His world for His glory.

If you are in our area and looking for a place to worship we would enjoy having you worship with us on the Lord’s Day. You can check out more about the church on our website: Sovereign Grace Christian Fellowship.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (01/25/08)

Don’t forget you can still join the Puritan Reading Challenge. It’s never too late to read the Puritans.

We went to a conference this past week (1/19-1/20) that The Maxwell Family was speaking at. It was very good if not at times convicting. I am sure in this day and age of the church being enamored by the culture The Maxwell’s would seem quite strange to many but I was greatly encouraged by the talks that were given. I left realizing I have to ask myself how much I have allowed the culture dictate what I do rather than scripture. We all too often do not realize that the culture around us is dictating our actions until we see others that are seeking to push back. This is not, as Steve Maxwell mentioned, a call for isolationism but a call to live biblically regardless of what the goes on around us and regardless of what the culture sees as acceptable.

How often do Christians wonder about their purpose and what God would have them do? The problem is we tend to ask these questions but the answers are right in His Word, the place few people look for the answer. Mike Ratliff at Possessing the Treasure writes a post entitled God Wills Us to be Holy that speaks to one of the things God desires of us and which is a purpose of every believer, seeking to be holy. This does not speak to perfection as God will bring that about when we are called home but does speak to what we need to seek in our lives through the power of the Spirit. So if you are seeking to know God’s will for your life today one of His desires is for us to seek to be holy. It is also brought out that this is done by reading His Word and thus knowing what God commands us to do to seek this holiness He calls us to.

A Steward of the Secret Things blog has moved to a new site called Encouraging Expository Excellence.

We recently got the DVD “Children of Caesar” by Dr. Voddie Baucham and it is very good. So far we have only seen the first of the two DVDs that is entitled: Whoever Controls the School Controls the World. It was very good and I am sure that many will be upset with Voddie’s blanket rejection of public education. I think he does a great job of defending his position first from scripture as well as giving statistics that should reveal the truth about public education. As was said in the DVD ( I hope I get this right): “If we continue to send our children to Caesar for their education, we need to stop being surprised when they come home as Romans.” This is a DVD I highly recommend and even if you have heard much of what is said in other of Voddie’s presentations it is good to have it all in one place. You can purchase the DVD here.

Next month (2/1 – 2/29) there is a great sale at Sovereign Grace Ministries: Sovereign Grace CDs and Books for Ridiculous Prices — and Free Shipping. All of their CDs are $6 and their Pursuit of Godliness books are $5. To top this off there will be free domestic shipping.

Worships Now - Worship Later

As I was studying Psalm 63 this last week in preparation for Sunday last I was struck by how David did not simply out of the blue put aside all of his worries and turn to God but all that he did was a result of a life of worship. How we worship God now will greatly influence how we worship Him later. If we simply see God as a vending machine or bodyguard we will be disappointed when in the midst of a trial things do not turn out as we like

However, if we as David did, turn to God on a daily basis simply to worship Him as our Lord then when we are faced with troubles we can still cling to God, the one who sustains us (Ps 63:8). David in the midst of being hunted down by his son Absalom (2 Sam 15:13-37) in the wilderness does not turn to God and say “oh woes me, why me God” but instead as he had done many times before simply called out to God as his God and that in all of the mess he was in what was most important was that he sought after God.

The passage eloquently compares the physical with the spiritual in that David desired God more than food and water. Not just any water but the passage speaks of what would have been thought of as the finest food. He desired God so much he describes himself as panting or thirsting after Him. Remember his son is after him and it is not to borrow the car but to take his life and he still saw God as most important.

The message is that in whatever trial that God has we are to turn to Him. Not simply to have the trial subside but to instead simply be with God. This attitude of worship is one that is cultivated in times that are not as troubled. A true attitude of praising God on a constant basis will be instrumental in going through the valleys of darkness that we all face in various ways.

Our priorities now will greatly influence how we react to times ahead. If our priority is God then in times of trial He will be our priority then. If we are satisfied by stuff and then struggles ensue when stuff is hard to come by we will not be reaching out for God but we will be reaching out for things that we think that God can provide. David simply sought to cling to God, the God who sustained and supported Him.

My prayer for myself and for others is that I would truly cultivate a practice of worship now that will influence my life and the life of others later.

If you would like a copy of this weeks sermon you can either go to the church sermon page and click on Psalm 63 or you can go directly to Sermon Cloud and listen to. or download. it there: Worship Now-Worship Later

Around the Web and Blogosphere (01/15/08)

Don’t forget you can still join The Puritan Reading Challenge. It’s never too late to read the Puritans.


Scott at These are the generations…. linked to a good article at Reformation Theology entitled: Growing in Grace & Conscious of Sin. The recognition of sin in our live can be a source of assurance rather than doubt. As we grow in Christ we will more and more recognize that which displeases God and previously pleased us. God makes us conscious of our sin so that we can have an ever increasing “distaste” for it.


At Equipping Christians Ministries they have a page that sheds some light on Basic Mormon Doctrines. In doing this they help to show how the words used by Mormon’s do not align with orthodox definitions of the very same words.


At OldTruth.com Jim revels that someone has actually based a paraphrase on a paraphrase: Paraphrasing Relevance: Pop Goes The Bible.

The Heart that Eagerly Awaits (Heb 9:23-28)

As I finished up chapter 9 of Hebrews it struck me that in the midst of all that God is revealing through the authors exhortations to seek after Christ he then turns to speak about Christ’s return and ends by describing attitude of those that are truly His.

Hebrews 9:23-28 has so much to say as it starts with the reminder that the Old Covenant pointed towards the New and that all of the sacrificial systems offerings were shadows, or copies, of the reality that is Christ. How often do we turn to shadows and copies rather than reality? We latch onto things we can get our hands around such as traditions and practices that seem so important. The problem is not in the tradition or practice, per say, but in the value we put on it. The writer of Hebrews never says the sacrificial system was a mistake but is revealing that it was always meant to lead the people to seek after something more and that something more is the savior that the whole system pointed to. They should have seen the futility of continual sacrifices and from that feeling of futility cry out for a better way, the better way that was promised in the New Covenant (Jer 31-31-34). Unfortunately like many they had a hard time leaving the comfort of the old ways they were used to and the persecution the true way would lead to.

But what was so striking was how Chapter 9 ended in that God did not simply want the people to think the author had a better apologetic for his position and then decide to follow Christ instead of continuing in the sacrificial system. No, God puts before them the heart of those that are truly His. The heart that He Himself had changed (Jer 31-31-34) so as to even have the attitude He calls for. And what is that attitude: so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Heb 9:28). It is not a heart eager to avoid conflict, pain, suffering or even hell but one that simply has an eager anticipation for Him so that one can serve Him (Heb 9:14).

I know I need to more and more realize that kind of heart, the heart that only God can provide. I need to be eager in a manner that is reflected in my actions. How often, if I was to stop and think about it, I would not be so eager for Christ to return in the midst of some action or attitude that is not glorifying to Him. Part of the eagerness that we are to have is in realizing the sanctification that God promises and provides.

So I would encourage you, if you have been cleansed by the blood of Christ and have experienced the forgiveness He provides in the sacrifice of Himself, to seek through the power of the Holy Spirit to foster a heart that eagerly awaits His return. A heart that actively is realizing the sanctifying power of God in your life.

If you would like to hear this last Lord’s Day sermon on Hebrews 9:23-28 you can access it through the Sovereign Grace Christian Fellowship web site or directly through Sermon Cloud here: Christ Will Return: For Those Who Eagerly Await Him

The Puritan Reading Challenge

Over at Provocations & Pantings Timmy Brister previously had shared his personal challenge to read the Puritans in 2008. Well that challenge has taken on a wider role and if you would like, I am, you can join the challenge and reap the benefits of The Puritan Reading Challenge .

Here is the list and reading schedule for the year.

January: The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes (128 pp)
February: The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel (221 pp)
March: The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson (252 pp)
April: Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks (253 pp)
May: Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ by John Bunyan (225 pp)
June: The Mortification of Sin by John Owen (130 pp)
July: A Lifting Up for the Downcast by William Bridge (287 pp)
August: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs (228 pp)
September: The True Bounds of Christian Freedom by Samuel Bolton (224 pp)
October: The Christian’s Great Interest by William Guthrie (207 pp)
November: The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter (256 pp)
December: A Sure Guide to Heaven by Joseph Alleine (148 pp)

For those of you that do not have these books there are numerous places you can get them but Timmy has a link to Reformation Heritage Books as they have a deal for those that would like to buy all 12 Puritan paperbacks for $65 instead of the regular retail of $101.

So if you are interested go to his site and let him know you are joining in. Also, let me know as during the readings I will from time to time share my thoughts on the various books and would like your input as well.

If this sounds daunting to you keep in mind that this is only about 30 minutes a day or around 7-10 pages a day. It will be a well spent 30 minutes after you have spent your time in God’s word first.

Enjoy and be ready to be stretched as you may have not been stretched before.

Free Paradise Lost MP3 Download

This month’s FREE Audio Book download at ChristianAudio.com is: Paradise Lost by John Milton. All that you have to do is sign up for a free account, if you have not before, and then you can get the monthly free downloads. When you check out you need to put in the Coupon Code of JAN2008.

Even if this book does not interest you check back every month because there is a new free download each month.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (1/01/08)

Well, here is the first "Around the Web and Blogosphere" for the new year.

As we enter a new year, yes it is here already, Doug Phillips gives some good advise on things to do at this time: Three of the Most Important Things You Can Do at This Time of The Year. The three things, which are fleshed out in the article, are:
I. Outline and Chronicle the Many Providences of God
II. Say ‘Thank You’ to Those Who Have Invested in Your Life
III. Forgive Those Who Have Wronged You


If you’re thinking of making New Years resolutions I encourage you to read The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards.


The new 9Marks eJournal is out and has a focus on corporate prayer. You can view either the PDF version or on their website.


If you need a reading plan to read through your bible in the up coming you can check out the various reading plans on the ESV site: Bible Reading Plans


Here are some just some of the new blogs I have begun frequenting this past year:
Family Reformation
Unashamed Workman
Reformed Baptist Fellowship
Scott Brown Online
A Steward of the Secret Things

Are Mormons Christians, Joel Osteen thinks so

When I hear people either equivocate or simply get it wrong when asked about other religious beliefs it can be troublesome. When this comes from a professing Christian pastor it is down right disturbing. Recently on Fox News Sunday (12/23/07) in an interview with Joel Osteen he was asked whether he thought Mormons were true Christians. Here is his answer and you can read the entire transcript here:

WALLACE: And what about Mitt Romney? And I've got to ask you the question, because it is a question whether it should be or not in this campaign, is a Mormon a true Christian?

OSTEEN: Well, in my mind they are. Mitt Romney has said that he believes in Christ as his savior, and that's what I believe, so, you know, I'm not the one to judge the little details of it. So I believe they are.
And so, you know, Mitt Romney seems like a man of character and integrity to me, and I don't think he would — anything would stop me from voting for him if that's what I felt like.

WALLACE: So, for instance, when people start talking about Joseph Smith, the founder of the church, and the golden tablets in upstate New York, and God assumes the shape of a man, do you not get hung up in those theological issues?

OSTEEN: I probably don't get hung up in them because I haven't really studied them or thought about them. And you know, I just try to let God be the judge of that. I mean, I don't know.

I certainly can't say that I agree with everything that I've heard about it, but from what I've heard from Mitt, when he says that Christ is his savior, to me that's a common bond.


Now for the man on the street this is probably the answer I would suspect but for a professing Christian pastor to say such a thing is greatly troubling. Mr. Osteen as a Christian pastor with a voice in the public arena needs to be more careful with his words and if he does not know about Mormon beliefs he needs to not answer the question rather than simply make statements as he did. Does he not know how Mormons define who God and Jesus are? To make statements as he did may be damaging to those that hear him speak and then see no problem belonging to a Mormon church since he said they were OK. As teachers of God’s word one cannot take the responsibility lightly as is seen in James 3:1.

Why is it so hard to say that based on Mormon Doctrine they are not Christians? Not too many years ago Mormons would have not been so evasive and were not afraid to air the differences as they wanted people to join their “true church.” In our local Sunday paper (Orange County Register) was an interview with a Mormon where the interviewer did not ask the correct questions. The interviewer simply asked the basics and since Mormon’s use many of the same words as biblical Christianity the Mormon was made out to be no different than any other professing believer. Never did the author ask the Mormon to define his words such as who is God and who is Jesus and how do you define the trinity. In essence the Mormon Church got a free advertisement in the morning paper with web links and everything.

I am not sure if there is a concentrated effort to deceive by the Mormons or simply ignorance on the part of many Mormons, including their elders (an unbiblical term as they use it). I recently talked with a couple of nice Mormon guys a few month’s ago and in talking to them they were very elusive in there terms and it took close to two hours to get them to see that we did not use our words the same way and that we did not believe the same things. I again do not know if this is purposeful, probably was, or simply ignorance. The problem is that unless terms are defined conversation cannot start. It is not enough to simply say “Do you believe in Jesus as your savior” but one needs to define who Jesus is and the Jesus of Christianity is not the Jesus of Mormon doctrine.

If we are to share the Gospel with Mormons we need to make sure we know they need the Gospel, and they do. So in sharing the Gospel make sure you define your words carefully so that the message given is the one that we are to give.

Some Funny Videos

Here are some funny Tim Hawkins Video’s

This first is a take off of Carrie Underwood’s Jesus Take the Wheel and is called Cleatus Take the Wheel.




This second video on Church is funny as I have actually heard from a friend that they did hear a church pray that God would remove the calories from the donuts they were too eat.



You can see some other videos at his web site: Tim Hawkins

What Child is This?

This week we went through Hebrews 9:15 and it is amazing how much this particular text speaks to this time of season. While it does not speak to the actual birth narratives it does speak about the work that Christ came to do, the reason for His birth. As 9:15 is basically a sort of summarization of what has gone before, and in many ways what will follow, it lets us see the work our Saviour came to do.

In the text we see that Christ came to be a mediator just as the previous high priests had been mediators, between man and God. Christ came for a specific people, a people called to Him as we know from John 10:25-30. He also came to make eternal salvation available for those that were given to Him. Christ came to die; yes he came to die, so that redemption would be available since a substitute was required. Lastly, Christ came to take care of sin completely.

This is not the usual message of Christmas but maybe it should be as when we so focus on the singular aspect of His birth we may be detracting from the reason for His birth, that being His substitutionary death. A required death foreshadowed in the Old Covenant’s sacrificial system.

At this time of year let us truly focus on who Christ is. Let us do this in such a way that we do see Him for who He truly is, what He has done and what He is still doing as our eternal mediator between us and God.

If you would like to hear this week’s sermon you can do so here: What Child is This? Or through the Sovereign Grace Christian Fellowship’s web page here: Sermons.

The DVD Winner is...........

And the winner of The League of Grateful Sons DVD is: (Drum Roll)….. David Owens.

I have sent an e-mail to you so I can get shipping information.

Keep checking back as Vision Forum has said they would have other things such as special buys and the like in the future.