Someone Saw This Coming

Thanks to the Truth in Love Blog post: Did Anyone See This Collapse Coming? Yup! For the videos below. Peter Schiff is shown in the videos below talking about a coming collapse (these are from as far back August of 2006) in our economy due to fundamental flaws in how our economy works. The many that scoffed at him should be embarrassed at the how they laughed at his predictions.

While there are many “fat cats” that have contributed to this economic “crisis” all too often that is used as an excuse to overlook the basic aspect of greed by Americans that has contributed to this current problem. If you build an economy on spending, and specifically spending on credit, it has to collapse sometime because sooner or later the bubble bursts. As Schiff relates in the midst of the videos the only true course of action is a tough pill to swallow but it is to allow our economy to naturally correct. Spending our way out of economic times such as these is foolhardy and actually very irresponsible.

I was saddened, but not surprised, as I listened to the President’s press conference Monday as all that I heard was the usual mantra from Washington: “We are the only one who can solve your problems” & “We need to spend more money to do it.” Again, while not surprised it was interesting to see the press never really ask tough questions such as: “Where is the money going to come from for all these plan’s.” One person came close when asking about our spending problems but the answer given by the President was laughable, he once again blamed everyone but us as a nation, and his answer was not questioned.

While the President could take time to remark about what lessons our children will learn from Alex Rodriguez’s steroid use he did not mention the lessons our children would learn from the Government. A lesson that they can spend now and contemplate the consequences later and when it comes to consequences the lesson is that there are none.

The government is not the answer. God has placed governments in place to protect the people and serve Him, the most important part, (Rom 13:1-7). However our government, as most in the world, does everything but serve God and instead seeks to have the people serve their whims and fantasies. When a government has no basis for what it does but relies on its “own understanding” (Prov 3:5-6) and does what is right in “its own eye’s” (Judges 21:25) you get the government we presently have and not the one that wrote our constitution.

Let us pray that our country sees the need to return to a standard that is not man’s but God’s. The truth is that even Peter Schiff misses the answer. Not that his economic principles may be correct but they need a foundation and that foundation must be the word of God, all of the word of God. Tough times are not new and God places His people in them to refine them and we may be in such a time. It is only principles firmly rooted in God’s word that have lasting affect and so that is where we are to turn and not to government. Let us pray that our government begins to see its true purpose, to serverGod and be used by Him for His glory.

Here are the videos:

Around the Web and Blogosphere (2/6/09)

This months free audio book download at ChristianAudio.com is: Not For Sale by David Batstone. Use the coupon code FEB2009 when checking out to get the free download.


Having recently signed up for Facebook I found Albert Mohler’s article: Facebook Turns Five: Thoughts on Social Networking to be one that may be helpful to those out there that are new to Facebook as well as those that have used it for some time. While it may be a way to communicate from what I have seen it can also be a way for people to disconnect from real relationships that are face to face. Also, it, as with many other technologies seems to be one that can begin to consume vast amounts of time if one is not careful. I encourage parents to take Dr. Mohler’s advice and be vary wary about letting children and youth use this medium without appropriate supervision.


Over at the Truth and Love blog is a post on college education: Searching for an Alternative College Education. Voddie endorses College Plus which I would as well from what I have been able to see of it from their website and a seminar I have been to. Also of interest should be Voddie “synopsis of a five-point sermon” he says his children have heard over and over and the points given are ones we should be sharing with our children and others as well.


You can download the messages from the 2009 Desiring God Pastors conference here.


Doug Phillips has a blog post on: Our Coming Demographic Winter, Part I. I posted on the DVD Demographic Winter some time back, here, and it is a very good one to watch

New Book by Voddie Baucham

Voddie Baucham has a new book out this month: What He Must Be: ...If He Wants to Marry My Daughter. On his blog post, New Book to Launch Next Week, he mentions the importance of sales in the first weeks that in many respects decide how vendors will promote and sell the book. Any reader of my blog will know that I value Voddie’s messages and I am sure this book will be no different. Here is the description at the Crossway site:

Does it matter what kind of man our daughters marry? If so, how are we preparing them to choose the right kind of man? For those of us with sons, what are we doing to shape them into the kinds of men godly young women should be seeking?

All parents want their daughters to marry godly young men. But which qualities, specifically, should they be looking for?

What will you say when that certain young man sits down in your living room, sweaty-palmed and tongue-tied, and asks your permission to marry your daughter? What criteria should he meet before the two of them join together for life? What He Must Be… If He Wants to Marry My Daughter outlines ten qualities parents should look for in a son-in-law, including trustworthiness, a willingness to lead his family, an understanding of his wife’s role, and various spiritual leadership qualities.

Author Voddie Baucham follows up on his popular book Family Driven Faith with this compelling apologetic of biblical manhood. By studying the principles outlined in his book, parents who want their daughter to marry a godly man—as well as those who want their sons to become godly men—will be well equipped to help their children look for and develop these God-honoring qualities.


Here is the link to Crossway and below is a link to Amazon.

A Lesson in Government

Thanks to Voddie for linking to the video below on Government. This is a 10 minute video that is well worth watching and sharing with others. It is a very good explanation of government and its right use. How many out there think we are a democracy but the truth is that the founding fathers set up a republic and this video does a great job of differentiating between them. Incorrect teachings about government and our government in particular have led to the state we are in today, one that heads towards total government control and the loss of the aim of the constitution, a true republic with the law of God as the basis for justice.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (2/1/09)

Over at Ketocton Baptists they have a copy of a letter by Doug Phillips wife Beal in response to a letter they received some years ago. In light of Mrs. Pelosi’s irresponsible comments lately this letter is very timely. Here is the question asked by the questioner and the beginning of Mrs. Philips response:

[Mr. Phillips] Your poor wife must be sick of popping out kids? Stop overpopulation! Use birth control for (expletive deleted)! Pitiful. Stop adding “freaks” to our society. Abstain. God would want you to (sic).

“Dear _, God bless you. This is Doug’s “poor” wife here writing to assure you that “popping out” kids, though challenging, is among the most glorious gifts that the Lord bestows upon a redeemed woman. ………”



Paul Vaughn has opened up a blog that has many good articles on economics: Full Quiver Financials. I alwaya appreciate Paul's vies onteh economy so am looking forward to reading what he has on this site.



Here is a Pro-Life add that as I understand it NBC decided not to show. It is definitely filled with irony considering the views on life of the person mentioned at the end.

By This Standard

I have hesitated in writing about the recent book I have read for the simple reason that from what I have seen on the internet the mere mention of theonomy raises the hairs on many people’s necks. I am fairly sure that most of this distaste comes from a lack of understanding of what theonomy is as I am quite certain that many have learned what they know not from the sources of theonomic writings such as Greg Bahnsen but from others teachings about theonomy second hand.

I have said all this to say that I have just read Bahnsen’s shorter work on theonomy, By This Standard: The Authority of God’s Law Today. As with my understanding of the doctrines of grace much of what I read in this book is what I had already deduced from scripture beforehand but had not categorized it other than simply seeing a call to obey all of God’s law. How that is done I still need to work through but it was clear to me as it seems clear from Bahnsen that the standards of God in all His word are to be obeyed.

In the first chapters of this book Bahnsen sets out that the goal of this work is to seek to convey that to not see God’s entire word as our standard for ethics is faulty.
In Chapter 20 Bahnsen sets out what the Law can and should do:

1) The law declares the character of God
2) The law displays the demand of God on our lives
3) The law pronounces blessing upon adherence to its demands
4) The law provides a definition of sin
5) The law exposes infractions and convicts of sin
6) The law works to incite rebellion in sinful man
7) The law condemns all transgression as deserving God’s wrath and curse
8) The law drives us to Christ for salvation
9) The law guides the sanctification of the believer
10) The law servers to restrain the evil of the unregenerate

Then in Chapter 21 he speaks of how the reformers broke the use of the law down to three categories or uses. These were: 1) The political use of the law, 2) The pedagogic use of the law, convicting of sin and creating a senses of spiritual need, 3) The didactic use which supplies a rule for the life of the believer. Of these three both 1 and 2 are very often argued against today.

As I had never read Bahnsen before but had read much comment on the evils of theonomy I was surprised to find so little to be able to argue against in his book. Again my guess is that many have not read his works but have instead based opinions on a misunderstanding of the basic position of theonomy or have take a particular segment of these that hold to theonomy and applied to all aspects of theonomy. I would encourage those that have not read this book to do so. As this is only a sort of brief overview, if you want a deeper understanding you would need to read Bahnsen’s larger work: Theonomy in Christian Ethics.

Daniel Ritchie at Reformed Covenanter has written a good post, Differences among Theonomists on the Modern Application of the Law of God. In his post he looks at five areas and explains the difference in each that exist among Theonomists. The five areas are:

1) A difference of opinion arises as to whether or not all the death penalties are mandatory, how many are mandatory or are they merely maximum punishments
2) There are differences of opinion as to what was, and what was not, circumstantial to Older Testament Israel.
3) There are differences of opinion over whether the New Testament has modified certain penalties so that they may be punished differently from what they were in Israel.
4) There are differences of opinion whether there is an increased number of crimes in the New Testament than there was in the Older Testament.
5) There is also confusion surrounding the term “judicial law.”

But as Daniel says: “The important thing in all this is not to agree with me, or with Greg Bahnsen, or with the Puritans, but to accept that the Bible alone is our only objective standard for socio-political justice.” I cannot agree more with this statement. It is not a matter of disagreeing with any particular person but one must take the texts that they apply and seek to see what they truly say.

Does this make me a theonomist, I don’t know? What I do know is that before I ever read a word from Bahnsen, Calvin or others I had seen clearly in scripture that God has commands he demands of us and that He has equipped us by His sprit to follow and we need to do so.

Another book I Highly recommend that I have written on before, Bolton on the Law, is The True Bounds of Christian Freedom by Samuel Bolton. From whence comes one of my favorite quotes:

“The law sends us to the Gospel for our justification; The Gospel sends us to the law to frame our way of life”

Next on my list to read will need to be: 1) Theonomy in Christian Ethics and 2) No Other Standard:Theonomy and Its Critics both by Bahnsen

Fireproof Free w/Purchase

With a purchase of $100 or more you can get Fireproof for free. The movie itself is also available at a discount price.

Nancy Pelosi and Family Planning

Nancy Pelosi in an ABC interview said that we need to give part of the stimulus package to “family planning” (code words for contraception which includes abortion) because it will help the states and the economy. From US News here is a quote from the ABC talk:

"Well, the family planning services reduce cost. They reduce cost. The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children's health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs. One of those - one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government."

By her reckoning children are a burden and to get out of our financial crisis we need to get rid of that burden, what’s next? I guess she may see the elderly as a drain on the economy, how about the infirmed, how about the unemployed. It’s hard to believe people like this get voted in, but they continually do. I know where we can cut spending and that would be in getting grid of many of the politicians we have since they are the ones intent on spending money they do not have and taking raises, of which Pelosi got a big one, while doing inadequate jobs, that would help the economy.

It will be interesting who on capital hill will speak out against Pelosi’s views. My guess is very few and by their silence and the silence of the new president you learn much. In this brave new world we live in it is the government that decides who is worthy of life and who is not. But this decision is not, as Pelosi reveals, based on God’s word but on human logic and reason. When we no longer have as a basis for our decision making God’s law we are left with ill-fated and immoral decisions.

Below is a video of Pelosi's comments, I have a really hard time even watching her speak:



(Updated) Let me make a confession. Before God changed my life the views of Mrs. Pelosi were not much different from mine when it came to such things as dealing with children. I would have been one of those that saw the mandatory sterilization of those on welfare as a viable economic option. I am eternally grateful that God has so changed my views as to be appalled that I could have even thought of such a thing in the past.

A Dilemma

Well this week SGCF faced a dilemma that is not usually faced in larger churches. That dilemma was that I, as the lone elder, am sick as are two others in my family. Now for many churches this is not an issue but when you have four families and meet in our home it is a problem. With one of our families who has already been struggling with sickness for a number of weeks the issue becomes not only my ability to preach but also the spreading of a rather nasty cold to every one in the church.

So while I could probably preach we decided it was probably best this week that we all meet individually on the Lord’s day with our families so as not to infect others so they would not be able to worship in the following weeks. I have to admit that this was a tough decision but one that was needed for the benefit of the entire church. Pastoring a small church has facets to it that others in larger churches may not see. But the truth is I am sure that in the first century there were days when things just happened so that those that met together could not meet as they usually did.

This issue shows the need for multiple elders in a church. It also revels that for those such as us that meet in homes alternate plans for places to meet as well.

So pray for my family and others in our church that they get better and that we can meet again, Lord willing, next Lord’s day.

The Government Knows Best, SPEND MORE

Thanks to Voddie Baucham for linking to this video of Fred Thompson. If you do not understand all of the complexities of the current economic problems, because you use common sense, watch Mr. Thompson explain how the government knows best how to correct the current problem, SPEND MORE!!!

National NCFIC Conference

Don’t forget to put the National NCFIC Conference on your schedule for this year. It will be in Cincinnati December 10 – 12th and the title for the conference is: The Sufficiency of Scripture for Church and Family Life. The speakers are scheduled to be: Paul Washer, Ken Ham, Doug Phillips, Voddie Baucham, Kevin Swanson, Joe Morecraft, Andrew Davis and others.

“The speaker team will affirm their belief that scripture alone is capable of supplying the right answers to our modern day questions on home and church life. This conference will seek to fortify our understanding of the doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture and to illustrate how it applies in church and family life. We believe that the doctrine of the sufficiency of scripture is the most important doctrinal battle ground in the church today. Hanging in the balance is purity of the Church.”

I will post more on the conference as it becomes available. If you would like more information you can also contact: David Brown: Dbrown@NCFIC.org

I Didn’t Find it Funny

Joseph Lowery at the end of his address made some statements that some may have seen as an attempt at humor but to me his comments on “whites” and “yellows” did not seem all that humorous. The gist being that the only people who have done wrong are “whites” and “yellows”, I assume that refers to Asians, take things too seriously. If that is not making color an issue I am not sure what is. If the goal of this new administration is unity I would have to say that was not a very unifying prayer to start things off. Again, some may say this was just humor and we should be able to laugh at ourselves but at an event such as the inauguration I am not sure that type of humor has a place, if you really want to call it humor. Here is the section of his prayer that this relates to:


"We ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to give back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right."

Around the Web and Blogosphere (1/19/09)

Scott Head at These are the Generations of.... has added to my review of Scott Brown’s message “What is the Family Integrated Church.” I greatly appreciate Scott’s further building on my short review. I encourage you to read his first two installments on: Orthodoxy and Families Worship Together. I pray more is to come.


At Voddie Baucham’s blog he comments on Gene Robinson speaking at this weeks inauguration: Warren Vs. Robinson: Who Should Be Offended?


Elizabeth Botkin has written the second installment with regards to homeschooling: Christian Homeschooler Syndrome Part 2. Here is the link to Part 1


Here are links to C.S. Hayden’s 3 part review of the 2009 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (SAICFF):
Part 1 , Part 2, Part 3

As an aside we just watched The Widows Might, the Jubilee "Best of Festival" winner at the SAICFF, and it was very good.

A Tactic of Fear

I recently found on the internet a Google Map that shows contributors to the “Yes on Prop 8” state constitutional amendment measure here in California back in November. The listing shows the amount donated the name of the person and for some, such as myself, their employer and job position. This obviously was put on the internet to intimidate and where possible create problems for those that donated to the ballot measure. Now we are not here talking just about larger donor amounts but down to $100, there may have been lower amounts but I did not look at them all.

This truly shows the depths the people who are seeking homosexual marriage will go. What is interesting is that I am quite confident these same people would say the black list that circulated during the McCarthy era (late 40’s) was wrong. But they now are trying to the do the same thing.

I would guess their bigger agenda is to instill an element of fear by sending the message “we know who you are and where you live.” Thus when the next election cycle comes around they can put some sort of measure on the ballot, with help of the current California administration, and many voters will be less likely to donate due to fear of reprisals.

The fact they would use this tactic of instilling fear was clearly seen in the documentary “Shaky Town” that I commented on some time ago here. It is also ironic that the same people who carried signs that read “No on Prop Hate” would be the one showing such hate and loathing.

I would also ask you to pray that the government officials in California who were voted into office to uphold the people’s voice would do so. Unfortunately from Gov. Schwarzenegger to the California Attorney General Jerry Brown, the same Jerry Brown that tried to sway the vote by his misleading rewording of Prop 8, all that is seen is supporting the overturning of Prop. 8. Which by the way is the second time California has passed a ballot measure of this kind and all California does is dismiss the voice of the people.

If you are in another state pray for California because if the homosexual community and those that support the overturning of Prop 8, as our incoming President would desire, should succeed do not be surprised if the same does not happen in other states such as yours.

Paul says in Romans 13 that the leaders, civil magistrates, we have are there by God’s hand, whether they believe so or not, to uphold His standards and not their capricious standards based on their own feelings. Just as we need to promote just laws based on the word of God so too must the leaders God places to rule, rule justly. Let us pray they do just that.

What is Your Eschatalogical View?

I just found this new gadget that lets you take polls. In the future I will probably place a poll in the side bar from time to time but for now please vote in the poll below.

Congress Gets Pay Raise

Is there not something wrong with the government being able to vote for their own pay raises? It is reported here that they will get a $4,700 a year raise starting this month. The problem is the impetuous for them not to do so should come from the people, us, calling them on the carpet for giving themselves raise when they cannot balance the budget without raising taxes, and even then they cannot do so, and are basically doing an awful job, but alas there is no outcry. If I was to do the job they are doing I would be fired and for sure not get a raise.

Here in California there is talk of the state government giving IOUs for tax refunds this year. I am thinking there has to be some illegality here since the money is not even theirs if they have to give it back to over taxing. Let alone many of them get a pay raise as I hear Nancy Pelosi will get a $6,100 raise. I have worked in at least one company that as the company floundered financially we got pay decreases but we will never see that in the bloated government we have.

But I forgot all that will change when the new messiah comes into office in a few weeks, wonder if he got a raise as well. Remember this is the messiah that raised over $700 Million to win an election but remember he is just a guy like you and me, at least that is what he told people and I guess a large number of people believed him.

I really do not write much on politics because it just infuriates me when I read all these politicians do and then call themselves public servants. I think for many of them they mean we are their servants. The problem is they are to serve God (Rom 13:1) as God places them where they are for His purposes not theirs and we need to constantly remind them who they ultimately serve even if they do not believe in God. At the end of the day they are going to answer to God and the way our government seems to be heading I would not want to be them.

The Call to Dunkirk

While not popular to hear I truly think that Christian parents are fooling themselves if they think that the public school system will not greatly impact their children in a negative way. All too often I hear that if the children of Christians are taken out of the secular schools who will evangelize the schools. Well, if we are honest we will have to admit that for the majority, the vast majority, of children the evangelism has been done by the state and it has been a success. As Voddie Baucham has said before “ if you send your children to Creaser don’t be surprised if they return as Romans.” Christians take way to lightly God’s word when it comes to the education of our children and the world has taken advantage of that to indoctrinate our children into its humanistic way of thinking.

Check out the two videos below. The first is from Exodus Mandate and the second is a short one of Voddie speaking on sending our children to the state.

Comments from an Atheist on Witnessing

At Divine Calling there is a video, see below, of Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller ,speaking about a man who handed him a pocket New Testament after a show. He makes some interesting comments about sharing ones faith that make it a quite convicting video, especially when one considers it is from one that denies the very existence of God.

(I would not advise going to the other linked videos)

Our Affect on the Generations

The more I read Judges and specifically 2:10 the more I see this generation. Judges 2:10 speaks of the time after Joshua and the Elders that led with him were gone and the current generation being one that did not know the Lord or His works. As I go around the web and look at many that write on issues of faith I see people that increasingly rely on their own understanding and desires. If one wants to raise the hair on the neck of the current generations just mention that God’s word, the Old and New Testaments, is sufficient to not only inform our daily lives but actually sets out how we are to live. When I speak of the current generation I am not specifically singling out any particular age group as it seems that the pervasiveness of antinomianism is across generational lines.

There are pockets of those seeking to live biblically in light of a world that despises God. There are people that seek to see God worshiped and His name exalted in the world not just in word but also in all of life. The call of God is not to separate our lives into compartments but we are to live all of life for His glory. I fear that the understanding that many have that we have two spheres we live in, the spiritual (home and church) and the civil, leads to a lack of biblical living. Now, I realize I am treading on thin ice by the reactions I see on the internet to those that hold to God’s law being applicable to all peoples, but I find it hard not to hold this view from a plain reading of God’s word. I think it is important to see that God does not desire us to compartmentalize our lives and we need to spread this to the next generation. We need to teach the coming generations all that God desires of His people. We need to be the fathers that God speaks of in Psalm 78, ones that spread His glory.

I suppose that many are simply living out that the world cannot follow God’s law without God reworking their hearts. However, the fact that man is not able to do as God commands in a manner that pleases God does not negate that the world needs to be held to God’s law and standards. I think unwittingly when we tell the next generation that there are two spheres we live in, and I agree there is a manner in which this is true, we tell them they can live what in the end are schizophrenic lives. Lives that claim Christ as savior but in the end live lives that are not lived with Christ as Lord. When I say Lord this is not simply a claim to be made but one that lives out God’s commands, as God desires from His entire word.

When I said there is a manner where we live both in the city of God and the city of man I mean that we are not to retreat from the world around us in some manner. We will still probably work and live among pagans just as God’s people always have. But this living in the world is to be done in a way that reveals His people as pilgrims, as those separate from all those around them. God’s people are to be decidedly separate and that separation is a natural outcome of living out God’s word to it’s fullest. Not part of it but all of it.

We also need to be aware that when we teach the next generation that there are parts of God’s word that do not apply in life, such as His laws, we in essence send the message that God’s word and thus God change, since His law is a way that God defines who He is. We may not mean to teach this but whenever we mold God’s word to the culture, to the world we live in, we send the message that God’s word is malleable to our needs. Let us make sure we reveal God as His word reveals He is not as we would like Him to be.

I pray I was clear in all this and if I was not forgive me. My heart in this is that we do not underestimate the part God uses us in how to raise the next generation and by extension the generation after that. We need to get back to His word and it’s sufficiency for all of life so that we pass on to the succeeding generations that they do not need to turn to vain philosophies and rationalizations but can rely on His word. Let us be parents, and especially fathers, that emulate Psalm 78 and raise children that “keep His commandments” (Psl 78:6). To do this we need to know God’s word more intimately and live out His word more consistently. We need to be willing to be seen as strange in a world that sees God’s word as strange. We need to be a people that are intent on making His name known in the entirety of our lives so that we raise generations that do the same.

Let us not have the description of Judges 2:10 be placed on us.

New National Center for Family-Integrated Churches Web Site

Check out the new National Center for Family-Integrated Churches web site. There are numerous resources including a number of messages you can listen to.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (1/6/09)

This months free audio book download at ChristianAudio.com is: Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God by David McCasland . Use the coupon code JAN2009 when checking out to get the free download. While I was on there I also saw that there is an abridged version of Future Grace by John Piper that is no cost as well and no code is needed. They have a number of Piper audios for free here, that you can also get from Desiring God.


Paul Vaughn at Vaughnshire Farm writes: Corporate Bailouts North of the Mason Dixon Line. He has a link to a good article, Uncivil War: Detroit Blames the South, that gives a perspective on the bailouts of the auto industry that you probably will not find in the mainline press who do not like to rock the Union, that’s union as in UAW, in this case, boat. Paul has also added Corporate Bailouts North of the Mason Dixon Line - Part II based on an article from The TimesOnline .
(Updated 1/7/09 to include Paul's Part Three: Corporate Bailouts North of the mason Dixon Line - Part III)

Over at RBS Tabletalk they give: Some Guidelines for Making New Year’s Resolutions. At Sovereign Grace Christian Fellowship a couple Lord’s Day past I spoke on how one should plan to run the race God has us in, in the year ahead: How Will You Run in 2009?


The ESV Bible Blog has links to ESV Reading plans for the up coming year. They have 10 plans that you can access in a number of ways;
· web (a new reading each day appears online at the same link)
· RSS (subscribe to receive by RSS)
· email (subscribe to receive by email)
· iCal (download an iCalendar file)
· mobile (view a new reading each day on your mobile device)
· print (download a PDF of the whole plan)

NCFIC Conference CD Recommendation, Wake Forest Dec 5-6

[Updated 1/7/09: The link below is not working as the NCFIC is in the process of changing thier website. As soon as I get the new link I will update it.]

We just got back from a road trip to my mother’s house in Arizona and took that time to listen to the CD’s from the NCFIC conference that was held in Wake Forest December 5-6. The title of the conference was: How the Church can Strengthen the Family in the 21st Century. I highly recommend the CD’s which you can get at the link above. I have not gotten through all of the CD’s but what I have heard is very good.

The message on “The Trap of Family Idolatry” is one that many need to listen to, both in the FIC movement and outside of it. All too often when I read critiques of Family Integrated Churches they launch the claim that FICs worship the family. While there may be churches that do this it is not the norm, at least with the churches I personally know. Jeff Pollard does a good job of dealing with this issue and I think it is clear from his message that the Family Integrated Church is not focused on worshiping the family. If a church becomes family integrated, I like the term multigenerational, without a biblical basis for it there is the danger of “family idolatry” but this stems not from the concept of being multigenerational but instead from a wrong foundation for being multigenerational. When anything is done without the correct foundation, scripture, there is a danger of heading in a wrong direction.

So again, I highly recommend this series: How the Church can Strengthen the Family in the 21st Century. These messages may be challenging but it is only when we are challenged by God’s Word that we grow. Below are the titles of the messages along with the name of the person, or persons, presenting the messages.

How Should Your Family Treat the Local Church? - Scott Brown


Relationships - What Does a Healthy Church Look Like? - Kevin Swanson

The Discipleship of Children in the Meeting of the Church - Steve Breagy

The Lord’s Table - Dan Horn

Figuring out Modesty in an Immodest World - Jeff Pollard

A Vision for Church and Family Reformation - Kevin Swanson and Scott Brown

The Trap of Family Idolatry - Jeff Pollard

How Do I Become the Father God Wants Me to Be - Scott Brown

How Do I Become the Husband God Wants Me to Be - Kevin Swanson

Women’s Ministry in the Church - Jeff Pollard

The Fact, Importance and Reach of the Creation Order for Men and Women - Bill Einwechter

Family Worship - Dan Horn

Family Life that Blesses a Community - Jason Dohm

The Creation Order in the Civil Sphere? What about Deborah the Judge? - Bill Einwechter

How Young Men and Ladies Should Treat One Another in the Church - Scott Brown

Surviving Tough Economic Times - Kevin Swanson

Considering The Marriages of our Sons and Daughters - Principles and Practices, Scott Brown

Vision Forum Year End Sale

Vision Forum is having a Year End Liquidation Sale that goes until December 31st. Click on the banner below to see the sale items.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (12/24/08)

Ligon Duncan offers 10 Reasons to read through Calvin’s Institutes in 2009: Why Read through Calvin’s Institutes in 2009? You can keep up with this at Blogging the Institutes and there is a link so you can have a Reading Schedule emailed to you. I think I will try this which simply adds to the already increasing number of books I am lining up for next year. If you have books you want to read next year leave a comment as I like to hear what people are reading. Thanks to Scott at These are the Generations of… for linking to this site.


At Voddie Baucham’s Truth in Love Blog is the December edition of the Continuing Collapse by Bruce Shortt.


At Al Mohler’s blog he answers the question: Can a Christian Deny the Virgin Birth? This may sound strange to you but it is a place that many attack and in our “lets all just get along” age we need to answer as Mohler answers:
"The answer to that question must be a decisive No. Those who deny the virgin birth reject the authority of Scripture, deny the supernatural birth of the Savior, undermine the very foundations of the Gospel, and have no way of explaining the deity of Christ."


So many people like to take the Christmas story and use it to meet some means other than conveying that the Father sent the Son to live among sinful man with the purpose of dying on a cross to redeem a people for Himself. Gary DeMar in his post; “Is Christmas about a Homeless Couple?” deals with just such a revisionistic rendering of Christ’s birth.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (12/17/08)

If your looking for a new Christmas album that you can play all year long. One that is Christ centered and not season centered, at least in my opinion. Then I suggest Sovereign Grace Ministries: Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Become Man

Check out The National Center for Family Integrated Churches Conferences for 2009

This sounds like a good conference that is being held March 5th -7th in Indianapolis. National Leadership Summit with Kevin Swanson, Doug Phillips, Chris Klicka, Voddie Baucham, Dr. Brian Ray. You can get more information and register here.

"In March of 2009, Christian Home Educators of Colorado will host homeschool leaders from around the country at a national gathering in Indianapolis. The Purpose? To lay out a vision for home education in the 21st Century. In the same format of the 2006 Men’s Leadership Summit in Oklahoma City, this Summit will allow a time of vision-casting from nationally-respected speakers as well as a weekend full of fellowship between like-minded homeschool fathers in leadership from across the country."

An interview on ABC “Nightline” with President Bush. Personally I did not hear anything that I did not already know. His answers, unfortunately, are the same that I suspect that many professing believers would give if asked the same questions. They fit a very postmodern bent and the direction that many appear to be heading as the bible becomes only one of many books on the shelf and God becomes moldable to ones own personal beliefs.

Christmas

With this being the Christmas season and all the conversation of many Christians turns to how secular the season has become. What I find interesting is that the question of whether we as believers should even celebrate Christmas is rarely asked and if one does ask the question is not often appreciated. Now this journey to see God’s desire for this time of year is one my family and I am have been on for the last few years. I also think this is an area that we need to show grace in regardless of our conclusions because hundreds of years of tradition are difficult to wade through. For me as a Pastor I also need to make sure that my personal convictions do not hinder the use of this season to express the need to worship more consistently. I above all things see this conversation revolving around what is and what is not the worship that God not only desires but prescribes. How are we to worship God and where do we find this worship, in our traditions, in the Word of God or some amalgamation of both.

If we truly want to be “bible believing” Christians that see not only the inerrancy but the sufficiency of scripture in all areas of life we need to ask if scripture warrants or calls for a celebration of the birth of our savior and is that celebration to come at a specific time of the year. Keep in mind that if the final conclusion one comes up with is that we are not to celebrate Christmas that does not mean one is disregarding the birth of the savior. It simply means that one sees the celebration of the traditional idea of Christmas as not a biblical mandate. I would go further to say that even if ones conclusion is that the celebration of Christmas is allowed by scripture we need to re-evaluate how we worship in an unbalanced manner. By unbalanced I mean, why do we make much of celebrating the birth of our savior once a year when we should recognize His coming to live among men every day. Why would we not in our corporate gatherings worship Jesus Christ as heartily 52 weeks a year as we would for the 4 weeks or so at the end of the year? I would even go as far as to say why do we put such effort into this one season of the year and comparatively so little effort into the celebration of the Lord’s table as it truly is, I think, the most worshipful event we can partake in as it celebrates both the birth and death of our savior in one activity.

It seems to me that Christians create an atmosphere that tells people that this time of year is more important than all other times with the effort we put out, along with Easter. But should we not worship every day as we do this time of year. Should we not celebrate the Lords’ table each week as a sign of our devotion and love for the one that came to live a perfect life among us sinners to be the perfect sacrifice to die for those that would call upon His name. Should we not offer up our praise more than once or twice a year and would not our consistent worship reflect more love for our Savior to the world than a once or twice a year production?

Most know of the background that Christmas was originally a pagan holiday (Saturnalia), and is rapidly returning to its roots, that the church took over so as to minimize the pagan celebrations. I realize this is a very over simplified rendition but it is the gist of the matter. I would say that in and of itself should not be enough to prohibit someone from worshipping on the 25th. I am sure that many pagans worship, check out how filled sporting venues are, on Sundays in their way but I will still worship on the Lord’s Day. It should be realized that the name itself, Christ-mass, is something that we should at the least wince a little at as protestants since we should have an aversion to the idea of the “mass.” There is much that can and has been written on this and I will list some below but at the end of the day we have to answer to scripture as that needs to be the final court of arbitration with regards to Christmas.

My goal here is not to necessarily sway anyone but to spur others on to investigate what they believe and why. At the end of the day we need to turn to His word to see how God wants to be worshipped. Many will say it is all about the heart but while that is true there is more as the heart reveals itself in actions. Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10:1-2) may have had a good heart but they offered up strange fire and suffered for it. Saul could not wait for Samuel (1 Sam 10:8; 1 Sam 13:-14) and may have thought it was a good thing to offer up a sacrifice but God did not think so. I would even go as far as to say the issue with Cain’s offering was not just about his heart but also about what he offered ( Gen 4:5). Worship is about both what we do and the focus of our heart and without the two being acceptable to God, as defined by His Word, our worship is unacceptable, no matter the time of year or place of worship.

So again it is not just about the heart as we need to make sure that our hearts align with God’s Word. I am still on the journey and my families worship this time of the year is not as it has been or as mine was as a child. But my goal is not simply to minimize worship now but to maximize it daily and weekly. My sermon this week will speak to Christmas in a manner that tries to get people to focus on Christ in a way that I pray would be taken past the 25th to every day of the year. I want to maximize Christ and minimize the day. My challenge to others, and myself, is that if you feel that God desires you to celebrate Christmas make sure you do so in a biblical manner and that your worship overflows to the rest of the Year. Let our worship be directed by Him, through His word, and not the world

Other sites, alphabetically by name of article, with thoughts on Christmas that I have come across lately. Some of these may challenge you but that is a good thing as it is when I have been challenged that my understanding and faith have grown the most. I think you will find that this is an issue that is not so easily resolved but as I have said often whatever your answer it needs to be based on the word of God and not the wisdom of man.

Luther on Advent

Feedback: The Origins of Christmas

Take Christmas back to its Pagan Roots

The Observation of the Birth of Christ, the Duty of all Christians; or the True Way of Keeping Christmas by George Whitefield

Once Upon A Time, When Christmas Was Banned...

Should Christians Celebrate Christmas? By John Piper
Why Christian's Don't Seem to Mind Violating The Regulative Principle During Christ-mass

New Vision Forum Sale Dec 15-17

Click on the banner below to go to the new Vision Forum Sale that runs from December 15th to the 17th (Midnight CST). Also, this time they are offering FREE SHIPPING* on all orders of $25 or more (domestic orders only and no specialty items). Now is the time to stock up on great gifts for your entire family!




Starting Monday, Vision Forum is offering discounts on everything in the store! The sale will last for just 3 days, ending at midnight on Wednesday, December 17.
Once again, all toys will be 20% off, and all books, audio and DVDs will be 30% off.
But here's the best part: a long list of new and old favorites will be 50% off!

50% off items will include:
*Thoughts for Young Men
*All-American Pop Gun
*Passionate Housewives Desperate for God
*Spy Monocular
*Toy Crossbow w/Darts
*Teach Them To Your Children
*1911 Official Handbook for Boys Scouts of America
*Ten P's in a Pod
*Swiss Family Robinson
*Little Bear's Outdoor Adventure Guide
*True Story of Noah's Ark *Umbrella Doll Stroller
*(DVD) Return of the Daughters
*Western Revolver Cap Gun
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*Fuel Cell X7 Car
*20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
*Gulliver's Travels
*(DVD) Training Dominion Oriented Daughters
*Frontier Tomahawk
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*Men of Science, Men of God
*(DVD) Putting on the Whole Armor of God
*(CD) Curriculum Advice Volumes 1 & 2
*Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
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*(DVD) Measure Twice, Cut Once
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*(DVD) History of the World Boxed set
*Silk Ribbon Embroidery
*Princess Ka'iulani Doll Dress
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*(CD) Bible Lessons for Manhood
*Rubik's Cube
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*Swiss Military Field Telephone
*Edison Light Bulb Kit
*John Gill's Commentaries 9-vol SET (With Free CDROM and Book)
*Jonathan Park Hat (Blue) Child's Size Adjustable

Around the Web and Blogosphere (12/10/08)

I asked my wife to let me know what blogs and websites she frequents so I could provide some godly resources directed at women and the following are the sites she gave me. To tell the truth I have checked out many of these myself and highly recommend them.

Ah.. the Life
Amy’s Humble Musings
A Pondering Heart
Being Virtuous Women
Biblical Womanhood
Divine Calling
Generation Cedar
Girl Talk
Joyfully at Home
Ladies Against Feminism
Laine’s Letters
Living Sacrifice
Noble Womanhood
Passionate Homemaking
Prairie Muffin
Pursuing Titus 2
Randombling
Revive Our Hearts
Sisters with Standards
Tammy’s Recipes
Titus2Talk
Training Daughters Teaching Wives
Vaughnshire Farm (for both men & women)
Visionary Daughters
Your Sacred Calling

(I've added these to a new "Sisters in Christ Blogs" listing in the sidebar)

Studying Scripture: What did the original listener hear?

As I have been preaching through Genesis I have been stressing that to understand the text one must, to the best of their ability, try and hear what the original audience heard. We may hear more but we cannot hear less and also what we hear should not deny what they heard. This is applicable to both the Old Testament and the New Testament and is of great value. Much of the troubles we have in interpreting scripture comes from not taking this principle into account and thus coming up with interpretations of scripture that the original listener would never have understood or even have contemplated. Again this does not mean we will not see more but this would come from God revealing more through His Word over time.

Also, all too often we read the text of scripture, especially narrative texts such as Genesis, as sort of a travelogue rather than a message from God. By attempting to see the text through the eyes and ears of the original audience it opens up a new world of understanding, understand that I believe is that which God desires us to have. It will also help us to move past simply knowing more about the text to understanding how it is to affect our lives as it was to affect the lives of the original audience.

So, when it comes to Genesis we need to understand that this was written by Moses, in all probability, as the Hebrews were wandering through the wilderness preparing to enter the promised land. Moses is both trying to educate as to God’s work in the world up to that point in time and to give the Hebrews the hope and insight they needed as they headed into a pagan land with all sorts of issues. Pagans that would be enticing them to abandon the God that created them, release them from Egypt and was now promising a new land.

When they read Genesis chapter one and hear words such as “day” (yom) the Hebrews of course would understand it as the twenty four hour day they regularly experienced. If Moses wanted to convey a different thought he could have and would have done so. Moses wanted the Hebrews to see the magnitude of God’s creative power and revealed that to the Hebrews, through the inspiration of God, by letting them see God as the creator and sustainer of all things. A God that created in a manner that would relate to their week and the Sabbath they celebrated. This would add meaning to their days and in process give great hope to them in their up coming journeys.

They would also understand the bareness of the world at the beginning of creation by the bareness they saw around them on their journeys and so this is how they would understand scripture. This they would gain hope that as God turned bareness to fruitfulness so could God do the same for them, what a great hope to hold on to. For us to try and see things that they could not see and had no reason to see would be to do the scripture an injustice and not give the hope that the Hebrews were to gain as they headed into a pagan world.

As I have studied Genesis it has amazed me how relevant this text is to today as we believers are constantly bombarded by the pagan world we live in. While I think it is important to understand the “how” of creation we only make much of it because we do not take it as fact as the Hebrews did. I would suggest that Moses did not delve into the “how” because by simply telling the Hebrews that God created all things in the same twenty four hour cycle the Hebrews daily experienced they were to see this as fact and no extra information was needed. When we try and see the text other than intended and argue over it we then begin to miss the greater point and that is that God is the creator of all and the one we owe all to, something that needs to be grasped when faced with pagan thoughts that question this paradigm.

This integral part of interpreting scripture is vital if we are to see and hear all of what God is saying. To ignore this principle of hermeneutics (the art and science of biblical interpretation) is to be historically arrogant. By this, historically arrogant, I mean we tend to think we simply know better than those before us but often I find this is not so. We need to understand God’s word to the original listener to hear what He has to say to us today. While this was only a short and probably inadequate explanation of this principle I pray that the next time you read a text one of the first questions you will ask is, “what did the original audience hear or read.” I pray this will help you understand what God is really saying.

R.C. Sproul Interviews Ben Stein

Over at the Chalcedon blog there is a video of R.C. Sproul interviewing Ben Stein. It is a good interview that was done some time prior to the release of the movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. The interview is about 28 minutes long and for some reason I could not get it to play on my blog from Google Video so it is broken down into 3 parts below from You Tube.

Part 1





Part 2





Part 3

Franklin Springs DVD Special

Franklin Springs Family Media has a great price on their 10 Pack Library Collection of their DVD’s. Our family has many of these and they are very good. You can get this 10 pack for $99, regualr price is $199.50, for two more weeks.

Discount on “The Second Mayflower”

Until December 12th you can get Kevin Swanson’s The Second Mayflower for $19.95, that’s 20% off. When you buy the book online using the coupon code SAVE20 from the Generations with Vision resource store.

"Four hundred years ago, a ship landed on the shores of New England bearing a fledgling band of people, committed to living life by the principles of God's Word. This people eventually formed a nation conceived in liberty and blessed by God.

Now four hundred years later, their vision has almost faded. Liberty is dying. Humanism dominates. The family, by all indices, has disintegrated. But there still beats within the hearts of a remnant in this nation, the principles of the First Mayflower. In this 300 page manifesto, author Kevin Swanson lays out a vision by which the values of faith, family, and freedom may be salvaged for at least one nation for future generations. The voyage of the Second Mayflower is just beginning."

Also, if you have not already and wish to, you can read my review of this great book from an earlier post: Review of The Second Mayflower

Free From ChristianAudio.com

December’s free offering from ChristianAudio.com is 90 days of Morning & Evening (Unabridged) by Charles Spurgeon. Simply sign up for an account ,if you do not have one yet, and order the audio book then when asked for the coupon code put in: DEC2008

Around the Web and Blogosphere (12/1/08)

There is a good article on what is referred to as the separation of church and state at The American View: Jefferson’s “Wall” Not In Constitution, Misrepresents Constitutional Principles In Many Different Ways



There is a good article at VisionaryDaughters.com entitled: Childish Homeschooler Syndrome. While this may not perfectly reflect your family it is good to know the tendencies spoken of so that we can make sure we avoid them. We need to realize in Christian Homeschooling that above all else we are to be raising children for the glory of God and that means preparing them to be the most God glorifying ambasadors for Christ we can raise. As the article accurately relates children need to take responsibility and move past parental failures, of which there may be many, but we as parents also need to do the best job we can as well. Check back to the Visionary Daughters site for Part Two.



Paul Vaughn’s article: How the Industrial Revolution Made Life Harder has a link to an article written at Pursuing Titus 2 that speaks to some ways the industrial revolution has made some things tougher. The industrial revolution is one of those events, if you can call it an event, in history that is troubling as we enjoy many of the benefits but seem to not realize the many issues it created. Mrs. Parunak writes about this with regards to motherhood, which also deals with fatherhood, in her two part article: Why Modern Motherhood is So Much Harder than it Ought to Be & Why Modern Motherhood is So Much Harder than it Ought to Be, Part 2: What You Can Do About It



Scott Brown announces an Expansion of the National Center for Family Integrated Churches (NCFIC).
This expansion includes the following:
1. Spinning the NCFIC web site out as a stand-alone resource.
2. Locating the offices of the NCFIC in Wake Forest, NC.
3. Getting to work on a big build-out of the web site content in audio, print and video.
4. Adding new functions and capabilities to the web site.
5. Adding employees.
6. Conducting a national conference in Dec 3-5, 2009 with Voddie Baucham and Doug Phillips
7. Discipling interns.

Vision Forum's December Kick-Off Sale

Check out Vision Forum’s Sale. Click on the banner below to enter their site and see the specials they have. The sale runs through Midnight (CST) on Friday December 5th.

Praise and Thanksgiving

In honor of the celebration of Thanksgiving Day the following is a devotion from The Valley of Vision entitled Praise and Thanksgiving:

O My God,
You fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out all that fullness before You in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee
ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
for adorning it, for sanctifying it,though it is fixed in barren soil;
for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigour,
for providing senses to enjoy delights,
for the ease and freedom of my limbs,f
or hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness,
for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,f
or my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language to express,
for what thou are to thy creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

True Thanksgiving

As we approach the traditional celebration of Thanksgiving I have been reading William Bradford’s “Of Plymouth Plantation.” It is a book that I highly recommend as it sheds light on what is often only glossed over and worse yet revised by many. For many Thanksgiving is for fun, food and football but if you truly understand the mindset and worldview of the Pilgrims you would see that Thanksgiving is to be a religious observance to thank God for all he has and will provide.

It was in reading through a number of Puritan books this year and now reading Bradford’s book that the meaning of Thanksgiving Day truly comes to light. With Thanksgiving this week I preached at SGCF on Phil 4:4-13 this last Lord’s Day to look at what True Thanksgiving was. It was not just about the food the Pilgrims had or the crops they harvested it was about a recognition that no matter their stead God was still sovereign and had them where they were for His purposes. We must keep in mind this first gathering in early November of 1621 was after a tough year where the Pilgrims lost almost half of their group and the future was still troubling, at least from all outward appearances. But the Pilgrims had a firm grasp on God’s providence and while I am sure there was anxiety and some worry at times it was dealt with by a heavy dose of prayer and scripture. Thus they could be thankful as Paul was thankful, in whatever our circumstance.

In Phil 4:4-13 we see Paul being thankful for a gift from the Philippian church but not so much for the gift but for the thought and intent behind it. He wanted to make sure that the Philippians who would have the opportunity to face their own persecution did not see thankfulness as hinging on circumstances. No, they were to ground their thankfulness in the cross of Jesus Christ. The Pilgrims also grounded their thankfulness, no matter their circumstances, in Christ and Scripture.

Anxiety is one of those sins we all deal with but all too often neglect to see it as such. I think it is when we see anxiety as a lack of trust and thankfulness in the Lord that we can begin to be victorious in fighting it. In these questionable economic times if you are a child of God, one who is covered by the blood of Christ, you can be as thankful as the Pilgrims were no matter your situation. This is not an easy task but it is when we begin to see thankfulness as being more than simply gratitude for what we have and more about a deep understanding of God’s grace and providence then anxiety is able to be overcome.

I pray this Thanksgiving Day in the midst of your family celebrations that you would take a moment to be Truly Thankful for God no matter your circumstances.

Review of: What is a Family Integrated Church? By Scott Brown

The following is a review of Scott Brown’s; What is a Family Integrated Church? that you can get, if you did not get it for free a week or so ago, at Behemoth.com. You can also download it form the NCFIC website for free here.

If you are not sure what a Family Integrated Church (FIC) is I would suggest you listen to this MP3. There are many that may claim some form of Family Integration but being Family Integrated is much more than the name that is used. I have found that since we started our FIC, Sovereign Grace Christian Fellowship, I have found many that misunderstand what we are about. There are those that mistakenly see this as simply about having everyone in a service together and having a disproportional focus on the family. Others simply do not get it and don’t like the concept as it does shake up the current segregated paradigm church has been in for some time. Then there are churches that see a need to use the moniker of being Family Integrated but do not really understand the motivation, direction and mission that many of those that seek a change in the church that would hold to being family integrated as Scott reveals. So, again, the following is a short overview of Scott’s talk and I would pray that you would listen to his talk and learn what being an FIC really is.

WHAT IS A FAMILY INTEGRATED CHURCH
Scott Brown

The church is the body of Christ and we are to act as such and to do that which most glorifies God. So the idea of Family Integration is only one element of the church, or as Scott says it is one piece of the puzzle. I would have to say it is a piece sorely missing and one that needs to be restored to make the church all it can be. The “foundation and preservation of the FIC is fidelity to the Doctrine of Scripture.” That is to say this is not about new ideas, it is not, but it is about being true to what scripture proclaims and not adding to it as seems best to us.

Scott then gives 14 characteristics of an FIC and any comments I make will be italics underneath each point:

1. It is an orthodox church that is faithful to biblical theology and practices.
- Key here is that the goal is that the church would not only practice orthodoxy (right doctrine) but also orthopraxy (right practice).

2. The FIC seeks to see families worship together.
- It has been claimed that the FIC is only about families and some of that may be a perception from the name as well as the fact that FICs probably do preach on families more than other churches.
- This is not due to an inordinate focus on families by most churches so this does make FICs seem like they speak more on families.
- But it is true that we do as FICs seek to see families reunited in the worship of God in the corporate setting as well as worshipping together in private.

3. Singles are incorporated into the full spectrum of church life. (1 Cor. 7)
- FICs do have a place for singles. It may not be as the other churches see it by segregating them. The plan for the FIC is to match up singles with families so they can grow and learn about God’s plan for them with regards to families

4. Fathers are being equipped to be spiritual leaders of their homes.
- This is one of those areas that is most missed by the segregation of the families
- By taking the responsibility of discipling away and giving it to “trained professionals” we have helped to diminish and in some places eradicate the role of fathers that scripture reveals

5. Biblical roles and jurisdictions are in order. (Rom. 13)
- The church has roles and order in them and the goal of all churches should be to seek these out and follow them in both the church and in the civil realm.

6. Children are not isolated but incorporated as full participants in the life of the church.
- This is probably clear already that children are to be treated as an integral part of the church and to participate as they can in the group setting and not simply among their peers.

7. Biblical youth ministry is implemented.
- This is not youth ministry as the world sees it but it is ministry that fathers are equipped to do and then allowed to do

8. FICs seek to see wives functioning according to their biblical complimentarian roles as helpers to their husband and nurturers of the children in the home.
- This is again about God’s order for the family and not man’s idea of how things should be.
- We are to seek to have women, and for that matter men as well, to fulfill their God given roles as all of scripture reveals them to be.

9. Biblical offices and biblical requirements for church leaders are applied.
- The FIC seeks to again follow biblical guidelines in being led by such offices as Elders and Deacons as God’s word describes them

10. Family integration as a principle guides programs for equipping and evangelism. (Acts 21)
- The idea of being a FIC that does things differently than other ministries and churches does not negate that discipleship and evangelism is done. It may look different but it is accomplished as God’s word shows it to be done.

11. The household and hospitality are the center of community ministry.
- The family becomes a source of hospitality to the others in the church and to the world and thus is a vital ministry that is missed in churches that segregate the church.

12. The ministry is not primarily programmatic but relational.
- This is not about programs but about the relationships that form in families and between others in the church family, of all ages. What forms is truly a multigenerational church family that if the church today was honest is missing.

13. The fatherless are brought into the mainstream of church and family life. (Job 29)
- A large part of the FIC ministry is to bring fathers back to their biblical roles as family leaders
- For too long the church has, although often unwittingly, enabled men to vacate their positions as leaders of their families by supplanting their role
- The FIC seeks to equip men to regain their place as the leaders of their families and in biblical leadership in the church

14. Multigenerational faithfulness is promoted.
- Lastly this point covers many of the previous points in that while the name Family Integrated rightly shows a focus on family, church and individual, the true picture of the FIC is that it is multigenerational in both the church family life and the family life of the individual church members

I pray that you can see that in each of the characteristics above the FIC is to seek out God’s word as being sufficient to reveal what His church is to look like for His people for all time. The FIC is the “result of the architecture of God’s church” and not man’s ever changing whims. So whether you may or may not agree with the Family Integrated Church I would hope you would better see that this is simply a movement to seek out how God desires His church to be built. I also realize that in any movement that sees God’s plan for his church in one way that is opposed to another person’s method there is conflict. But I would pray that in all things the goal is to be as faithful to all of God’s word as we can be. My conclusion after much prayer, study and reflection is that while not perfect the FIC is truly attempting to be the church God desires to have worship and glorify him.

I pray that you would not simply take my thoughts on Scott’s talk but would listen to it yourself as he does an excellent job of proclaiming what we in the FIC are truly trying to achieve: God’s Glory. Here is the link to the MP3 again: What is a Family Integrated Church?

Thanks to my wife, Donna, for writing down the points as I listen to much of what I hear while driving to and from work and it is not only hard but unsafe to to takes notes at that time.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (11/19/08)

Voddie Baucham writes a good article on present life in the SBC for those that hold to the Doctrines of Grace: The SBC and Calvinism: A Personal Perspective.


Here is an interesting interview with Barak Obama about his faith, sounds like many American’s view of faith, very postmodern: Obama's Fascinating Interview with Cathleen Falsani


Book suggestion for the day, one that I am presently reading: Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford. Also, as a reminder please consider reading Kevin Swanson’s new book The Second Mayflower and you can read my review here.


James McDonald posts on public school, and he is only giving three of many reasons: Three Good Reasons to Avoid Public Schools


Consider signing the petition to fight FOCA at: Fight FOCA.
The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would eliminate every restriction on abortion nationwide.
- FOCA will do away with state laws on parental involvement, on partial birth abortion, and on all other protections.
- FOCA will compel taxpayer funding of abortions.
- FOCA will force faith-based hospitals and healthcare facilities to perform abortions.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (11/11/08) - Free Stuff Day

At Behemoth.com you can download today and tomorrow (11/11 – 11/12) the MP3 “What is a Family Integrated Church” by Scott Brown.

In this message Scott identifies fourteen characteristics of family integrated church life. Family integration is only one architectural element of biblical church life, but if you lose that one element, you lose much.

Covenant Life Church has released an album, How Sweet the Sound, of traditional hymns. You can get it for whatever you feel is fair or you can get it for free by referring 5 email addresses.

At ChristianAudio.com you can download Calvin: Of Prayer and The Christian Life (Unabridged) for free by putting in the following code when ordering, NOV2008.