Pilgrim’s Progress Free Audiobook Download

This month’s free download at ChristianAudio.com is Pilgrims Progress. Simply by signing up, its free, you can download this unabridged audio book for free. The coupon code is: JUN2008

Around the Web and Blogosphere (6/07/08)

Philip Ryken blogs on the upcoming ESV Study Bible. Ryken says:
I look forward to seeing the whole ESV Study Bible when it is finished, and to studying its notes more carefully. But what I have seen so far leads me to believe that Crossway is producing the apotheosis of the study Bible.

And here is the definition of “apotheosis.”



Richard Smith has an article at The Spurgeon Blog entitled: The Glory of God Who Loves Himself. He says:
The true Gospel is that there is hope that God will save based on grace which has its cause within the God who loves Himself. The true Gospel is that there is hope that this God will have mercy and will change the heart of the sinner so that it now loves Him rather than itself.


Mark Dever at the 9Marks Blog writes on the use of video in corporate worship: When Seeing Doesn't Help Believing: Videos "in Church".



At Doug Phillip’s blog there is a list of articles dealing with a number of important issues: Vision Forum Articles on Life, Babies, and Biomedical Ethics.



Don’t forget to enter the Reclaiming the Culture DVD Contest on my previous post

Reclaiming the Culture DVD Giveaway.

Thanks to Vision Forum for once again allowing me to offer a free DVD. The free DVD will be your choice of one of the 7 DVDs from the Reclaiming the Culture DVD Collection.

All you need to do is leave a message that you would like to be entered in the contest. I will take entries until 5PM on June 29th and will contact the winner on the 30th to get a shipping address, so leave your e-mail address. This giveaway is limited to the 50 States, Canada and those in the US Armed Forces. Once I get the winners shipping information and DVD choice I will forward it Vision Forum and they will get the DVD to you in about 3 weeks.

You can watch clips from the collection here.

Here is the list of the DVDs in the collection:

The Promise: The Beauty and the Power of the 5th Commandment
What is Biblical Femininity?
Training Dominion-Oriented Daughters
Foundational Elements of a Godly Estate
Providential Nexus of Jamestown and Plymouth
We Cannot But Speak
Guerilla Apologetics for the Glory of God





You can also click below if you would like to go to the Vision Forum website to see other items they have to offer.

God’s Loving Discipline, Yes Loving!!

As I was studying for last Sunday’s sermon at SGCF on Hebrews 12:3-6 (God's Loving Discipline-Part 1) I kept wondering how much people’s lack of understanding of discipline affects their correct understanding of these verses. When I say this I am not speaking of unbelievers but of believers or at the least professing believers. In a day and age where states seek to pass law against spanking and people see discipline of children as “stifling their creativity” what do you do with a passage that speaks of discipline as that which we are to be thankful for?

Keep in mind that the author speaks of discipline in two manners: that of correction for sins we have done and that which is simply to build us for what He has planned and are not specifically tied to particular sins. So discipline covers a wide gamut of things in our lives. The goal of discipline is to disciple and train us to be the men and women of God we are called to be. It is to move us to holiness so that we become more holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:13-16, V16 cites Lev 1:44).

The writer of Hebrews continues on to encourage his audience to endure the race before them and that the struggles that they will encounter are of the God. Even including those struggle that lead to the shedding of blood (12:4). With the popularity of such beliefs as “Open Theism” this is obviously an area of struggle for many. How can a “loving” God allow, or even ordain, that which is painful for His children some, if not many, will say. Well V6 says why; because he loves His children and by the way all of His children are disciplined. In using a quote from Prov 3:11-12 the writer is also making a vital connection with the past and letting those he is applying this to, including us, realize God is working as He always has. God’s having always worked this way is why the “cloud of witnesses” in V1 are so vital to the Hebrew believers and us, they too have been through this at the hands of the Lord.

One needs to always keep in mind when reading Hebrews that this message, or sermon, to the Hebrew believers was meant to encourage, exhort and bring hope. Yes, to know God is intimately involved in our trials is to bring hope. The alternative is hopelessness, in that if God is simply a reactor to trials what type of God is that. A God that is not part of our struggles and is not the ordainer of them may seem comforting for a short time until you realize that there is then no purpose to what goes on in our lives.

Instead we are to see God, as the writer of Hebrews sees Him, as the architect of all that happens first for His glory then for our good, by the way they coincide for His children and that is the point behind V11. So what may “seem” painful now, and they are truly painful from a temporal perspective, will be joyful when God produces in us what He desires and ultimately when we get to glory. Our foresight is forever getting shorter and that is why the smallest pain is often seemingly unbearable. Unlike in times past when life was generally more hash our pain threshold, so to speak, is much lower.

This passage is also not about getting through trials and pain by gritting our teeth and plowing on. It is as James says in 1:2 to be counted all joy when we face trials since when seen in light of Hebrews 12 it is proof of God’s love for us. Let us thank God for the love He shows us as His children in disciplining us and working in us to make us holy. Thank Him for His work in us to make us useful instruments in His hands. Let us truly “cuont it all joy” when we face all kinds of trials.

Another Update on Subway Contest

Although I could not find the Subway/Scholastic apology myself AFA has checked into it and has a copy on their website: Subway apologizes to home scholars. Thanks to Paul at Vaughnshire Farm for letting me know about this response.

Lay Aside Every Weight - Hebrews 12:1-3

This past Lord’s Day I preached on Hebrews 12:1-3 (Sermon: Exhortations for the Christian Pilgrimage) and the study for this passage was to say the least convicting.  I think we often read this passage, I have, and do not stop to contemplate what “lay aside every weight” really means.  What I think you will find if you take time to stop and pray about it is that these four words are asking believers to make radical decisions about how we go about our Christian pilgrimage.

Since verse one separates “every weight” and “sin” we need to as well and to look at both areas.  Most will easily agree that we need to put aside sin in our Christian walk, or in this case run.  But what are we to do with this idea of excess “weight?”  Well the idea, in taking from the analogy of being in a race, is to put aside or take off what ever will hinder one from the goal of finishing the race they are in.  I would even say that it is not just about finishing but finishing in such a manner that we most glorify God by our manner of running.

With this in mind what does it mean for a believer to “lay aside every weight” or some translations may say “hindrance.” This is not simply about listing specific sins to stop because we have seen the author has set sin as a separate area.  When it comes to hindrances the issue becomes more convicting because there are many things that are not in and of themselves a sin but that get in the way of our Christian walk. 

How often when deciding on what we are to do we contemplate how a particular action will affect our walk?  Many times we do things that not only may lead us to sin but we also do things that simply take time away from what we should be doing.  In a race one puts aside everything that will hinder their run and in our Christian walk we should do the same.  Again it is not just about running but running in a God glorifying manner.

One area that I struggle with and I am sure many others do is in the area of entertainment.  I quite often am good at justifying that I just need to relax but what I find is that a short time of relaxation leads to more time relaxing at the expense of time with God.  Our preoccupation with entertainment seems to be more about escapism than relaxation and renewal.  Should we not get to a point where time with God is the renewal and relaxation we require.  So, while some entertainment may not specifically be a sin if it is interfering with our time with God and doing what God desires of us we need to put it aside.

There are many things that on the surface may seem good but can end up being detrimental to our walk. When areas such as these show themselves we need to make adjustments and lay aside what needs to be laid aside.

I guess my call is for us to better look at what we do.  Not in light of what everyone else does but in light of how it affects our walk in the eyes of God.  In doing this we need to ask if what we are doing takes from God’s glory and if it detracts from our progress towards holiness.  This may, or I should say will, lead to making decisions that will result in us looking different from the world around us.  But being a Christian is to be a pilgrim and pilgrims do not look like those around them.

So re-read Hebrews 12:1-3 in the context of all that is around it and then stop to meditate and pray about the things you do and ask if there are things that need to be laid aside.  Are we not only running the course that God has set before us but are we running it in a manner that God gets all the glory.

Subway Update

I received an e-mail today that made me think that I may need to be clearer on my previous post with regards to the Subway Writing contest that does not allow Home Schoolers to participate.

For me the contest is not a discrimination issue with regards to legalities as I realized Subway is private company and could make the contest for whatever group they like. The issue is more about letting others know that homeschoolers are often singled out for no apparent reason other than a personal bias, in this case a corporate bias. From a Christian perspective if we homeschool for biblical reasons, rather than simply academic reasons, we should not find this bias surprising.

I think that often we as believers rely too much on such things as the constitution, not bad in and of itself, as the Bible tells us to rely on Him, and by extension His Word, and by doing so we will in the end be singled out as every other believer has been in history. Jesus Christ was singled out for doing the Father's will so why should we expect different treatment.

This does not mean we as believers should not seek to have influence in laws and government but I think we do have to be careful not to end up relying on that rather than God, the one who even allows those that lead us to do so.

Subway Contest Prohibits Home School Children

I was forwarded an e-mail that links to a writing contest that Subway is having for students PreK-6. What is interesting and disturbing is the restriction at the bottom of the entry that says:

Contest is open only to legal US residents, over the age of 18 with children in either elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted (I put this in bold to highlight it)

I would encourage you to write them a note to ask why they would restrict Home School students from their contest. You can send comments here.

While my family don't have children in this age group and would probably not enter this contest if we did it does show a blatant disdain for home schoolers. In a time when there is increasing acrimony towards Home Schooling it is good for others to know of things such as what Subway is doing.

Here is whatI have written to them:

I would like to air my concern and surprise that you would exclude home school students from your writing contest. A brief look at history would mean that you would also exclude the following authors that were all home schooled in some manner: Hans Christian Anderson, Mark Twain, George Bernard Shaw, Irving Berlin, Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis. Not only were these authors along with others homeschooled but so have many other great men and women in the past and present.

By singling out “Home School” as excluded for your contest you are displaying that you have some bias against this group of people. You do not restrict the contest from private school and parochial school students but you deny home school students the opportunity to enter an seemingly otherwise open competition.

As a public company I am sure you accept money for sandwiches and other foods from home schoolers so why not stories written by home school students. I would ask that you please reconsider your restrictions and allow students to be able to freely enter your contest no matter where they are schooled.

Thank you for your time,
Tony Konvalin

I have added an update to this post to clarify some things as far as how I view this issue: Subway Update

Around the Web and Blogosphere (5/25/08)

Keep the Steven Curtis Chapman family in your prayers as they lost their five year old daughter this last week.



Paul at Vaughnshire Farm writes on Big Oil, Big Government, Big Profits, Big Contributions and Big Tax Cuts.



At the American Vision site they write on Voddie Baucham and Bruce Shorts resolution at the next Southern Baptist Convention Annual meeting. Their resolution urges parents in California to withdraw their children from public schools. Voddie Says:

“What do the California school administrators and California legislators have to do to children before people say enough is enough?” he asks. “Do they have to start eating children before we finally say we’ll pull them out of those schools? Because so far they have done some of the most radical, unspeakable things as it relates to the training of these children, and parents still have not woken up. And what’s worse, the church seems to be asleep on these issues,”

Here is a link to Voddie Baucham's blog post on this subject: John Wesley on Education



James McDonald writes in The Abortion President? about Senator Obama’s views on abortion. Also be sure to watch the video.

May Giveaway at Challies.com

Click the banner below to enter this months giveaway, a $200 Shopping Spree at Monergism.com, from Challies.com.

Faulty Theology in Songs

I was listening to the radio today, maybe that was my first mistake, and heard some words to a song by Kutless called Run. I had to listen hard as I could not believe the words I heard. Here are some of the words from the song that was playing:

Why do you run why do you hide oh don't you know I
just, just want to be with you

Looking down from above as you watch TV
Wondering why, why you're ignoring me
Do you remember, remember when I came to you and you loved me
And I'm waiting for you, And I'm waiting for you

Why do you run why do you hide oh don't you know I
just, just wanna be with you, to be with you
Hey, why do you run why do you hide oh don't you know
I just, just wanna be with you, to be with you...

Whatever happened to the love, the love you had for me
When you first came to me
Don't you know that I died, I died so I could be with you, forever
And I’m waiting for you, And I'm waiting for you

As I heard this song I wondered what Jesus it was speaking about as it reflects a needy Savior who is helpless and in need of a friend. Christ did not die so He could be with us forever but died so sinners could come before the Father. So a disobedient obstinate people could come and worship the God of all creation. A basic reading of Hebrews, let alone the rest of scripture, revels a Savor quite different from the Jesus of this song.

What is disconcerting about songs such as this is that some will get their theology from words such as these. They will get their understanding of Jesus from words that speak nothing of what scripture says about the savior rather than taking the necessary time to read the true source of truth.

This also speaks to the necessity of the church taking preaching and teaching seriously. It is only when we instill a firm theological base that songs such as this will be seen for what they are. Songs such as this are the result of a church that delivers milk instead of meat.

This is also a lesson for parents to make sure they listen to what their children are hearing. Just because a song sounds good and Jesus or God is mentioned is not enough as the theology of the music, and all music has a theology, will influence ones children if they are not firmly grounded in the truth. My prayer is that the church will raise up families that raise up children that will discern the error of songs such as these themselves.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (5/14/08)

You can download a sample of the new ESV Study Bible on the ESV site as they have the Introduction to Luke. They are also giving a 35% discount on pre-orders.


At the Surgeon Blog there is a good article on being God-Centered: God is not Man-Centered. In the article Richard Smith makes the excellent point that unless we see God as God-Centered we will invariably have a Man-Centered God. This will in the end affect all that we do as it will make our evangelism man-centered, our discipleship man-centered and our worship man centered, among other things. People will often proclaim in their speech to be God-Centered but their theology played out in life, orthopraxy, will end up being anything but if they do not start with a God-Centered God. I would even go so far as to say that over time ones orthopraxy, or lack thereof, will have the effect of changing ones beliefs as we try and mold them to the practices we partake in. So in all things we need to keep a focus on a God-Centered God as all we do should flow out of this.


Mike Ratliff at Possessing the Treasure writes on the loss of a focus on personal holiness in; Strange Fire. When we loose sight of our place in Jesus Christ as priests we loose sight of living as priests are called to live.


And by the way did I mention the new Sovereign Grace Music CD is out: Come Weary Saints :) Just another reminder as I have listened to this CD quite a few times and it is very good. Again, not simply for the music but more so for the content.

Come Weary Saints – Sovereign Grace Music’s New CD

I just received the new Sovereign Grace Music’s CD: Come Weary Saints. As usual it is excellent. I have long enjoyed their music and while they do a fine job with the musical side of things it is the words that capture my heart. Even the description from their website drew my interest, see below. So often we sing in such a way as to lead the world to think being a believer leads to a life devoid of sorrow and pain. However a cursory reading of scripture will reveal something quite contrary to that. Believers we will get weary and suffer but we can find joy in the being able to go to our heavenly Father through the Son. Here is how SGM describes this album:

As Christians, we know that our greatest problem—separation from God—has been solved. Jesus Christ, the only Savior, has taken our sin upon himself, enduring God’s wrath in our place and rising from the dead to assure us of our forgiveness.

But all our problems don’t end when we turn to Christ. We still get sick. Marriages end. Children die. Our plans, great or small, are disrupted. We grow weary in the battle.

Scripture assures us that God is sovereignly using our difficulties as tools to make us more like his Son. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Ro 5:3–5) While we know these things are true, in the midst of our hardships we can lose perspective. Problems can loom large, and our hopes can grow dim.

Come Weary Saints is an invitation to redirect your focus to the God whose love has been forever demonstrated at the cross of Calvary. As you listen to these songs, may your faith and joy in the Savior be strengthened for the challenges you face, now or in the future.

You can also download a free song from the new album here. I highly recommend this CD as well as a previous release of theirs, Valley of Vision.

Here are words from the song As Long As You Are Glorified; you will not find words such as these many places:

Verse 1
Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt

Chorus
Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified

Verse 2
Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are You King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night

Bridge
So quiet my restless heart,
quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart in You

Around the Web and Blogosphere (5/1/08)

Voddie Baucham has a good article on Barack Obama and abortion: BARACK OBAMA: A WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING. People can call it “a CHOICE” but it is only a choice on one side of the ledger.


Thanks to Erik at the Irish Calvinist in pointing me to this video. What Piper says is so true and even for us that agree with him we need to always be aware of what we preach so that we do not preach the world rather then the WORD.






Mark Chanski writes an article entitled: Jesus the Lone Refuge in which he speaks of Christ as the only way. This is not popular in our pluralistic anything goes age but it is what the Bible teaches and what we need to proclaim. I was thinking the other day that if our biblical views are well accepted in the world we either have unbiblical views or we are not expressing them correctly and completely. Scripture and history shows us that the exclusivity of Christ is a thorn in the side of the world and if we do not expose that thorn in our preaching and evangelism then we may be falling short of the full message of the Gospel.



Here is this months free book from ChristianAudio.com: Martin Luther: In His Own Words (Unabridged). All that you need to do is to put the following code, MAY2008, in when you order the MP3s.

From ChristianAudio.com:
Most all Christians know the name Martin Luther. Less familiar, however, are his words. This compilation of many of Luther's most important writings serves as an excellent introduction to those new to Luther. It also provides a fresh medium for people familiar with his writing.

Challies.com Book Giveaway

Here is this months book drawing from Challies.com. You can click here or on the banner below to enter.

Some Questions to Ponder

I was thinking the other day about all of the preconceived ideas we have and how often if we really delve into them we find they are not grounded in scripture but the world that surrounds us. Over time I will probably comment on some of these but for now I simply bring them up to think about.

1) Why is it frowned on for a family to have lots of children, and I do not simply mean more than two?

2) Why is it assumed that one is automatically to go to college after High School?

3) Why is it seen as absurd to some that a girl would decide to prepare for marriage rather than college?

4) For that matter where did the concept that everyone has a right to go to college start?

5) While I am on the question of education when did IQ begin to be the ends of education?

6) Where does the concept of marrying later so as to get done all one can while single come from?

7) Why is it seen as strange by so many if ones children do not spend inordinate amounts of time playing video games?

8) Where did the idea of people needing peer groups come from, especially for children and teens?

9) Why is one looked on with questioning if ones children do not partake in organized sports?

10) Why is there such a pull for people to have their children educated in public schools?

11) Why is valuing the biblical model, as presented in scripture, of the family seen as outdated?

As Christians we are called to be pilgrims and different from the world around us but all too often, and I am guilty of this, we begin to assume the presuppositions and mindset of the world that surrounds us rather than those of scripture. This begins when we spend more time consuming the world’s offerings rather than feeding on the Word of God.

I pray these questions are ones that get us to think about how we come to their answers rather than simply to answer them. It is when we question how we come to conclusions that we best see what our world view is.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (4/25/08)

You can go to the Together for the Gospel web site and down load the messages for free. If you want the panel discussions you can get them at the Sovereign Grace Ministries site. I have listened to the first five messages and as usual they were great.


Over at Unashamed Workman Colin Adams has written The Seven Commandments of Illustrations. I will have to go and check my sermon for this week. Truth is these are very good guidelines to be thought of when preparing a sermon.


At the Banner of Truth Geoff Thomas writes on Limited Atonement. This is often a hot topic with many people but if anything this article should help those that disagree better understand what Limited Atonement.


Coming in October of 2008 is the new ESV Study Bible. I have way too many bibles already but I may have to break down on this one. I have the Reformation Study Bible which I really like but this may be different enough to warrant adding it to my wish list. I highly recommend the ESV as it reads very well and from what I can tell it is faithful to the original languages. You can also read more about the ESV from Scott head at These are the Generations of…. in his post: Thoughts on Bible versions and a plug for e-Sword. By the way I also use e-Sword and it is a great study tool.

More on Expelled – A Clash of World Views (Updated)

Well we did make it to see Expelled: no intelligence allowed and was pleasantly surprised at how well the film was done. It did a very good job of contrasting world views, hence my own sub title above for the movie. Many others will give much more detailed reviews as I do not remember all of the names and comments. The whole motif of the Berlin Wall that represents the wall that Darwinian Evolutionary thought in academic institutions has set up to keep out any competing ideas was very well done. I can see how this will inevitably infuriate people but while it may make people angry it is very much the truth if one simply opens their eyes to what is going on.

However it is very obvious that academia has a world view (atheistic/Darwinian) that it does not want to relinquish. They appear to be willing to do what ever it can to hang on to the reins of academia. In a setting such as universities, not to mention public schools, that often tout themselves as places of “Free Thinking” they are anything but that.

A number of the interviewees, specifically Richard Dawkins, let the cat out of the bag, if it was not out already, that the main goal in all of this is to do what ever is needed to deny God. Dawkins goes as far as rather believing in aliens or some other form of life “seeding” earth rather than admit to the possibility of there being a God. However he never answered, at least in the clip shown, where the aliens would have come from other than he felt they had to also come through some evolutionary process.

All in all I would recommend this movie and I have heard in a comment to one of the reviews that the DVD will have much more footage of the interviews. This is not a religious or even Christian movie and does, I think, a good job of making sure that the message is that academia is locking out freedom of thought. While the topic of God was not avoided a number of the IDers interviewed were agnostics or would have at least not held to a Christian view of God. So this movie simply portrays the clash of world views and that for now one world view, academia’s Darwinian thought, hold the keys and does not want to let other in to play.

On the negative side as with any documentary, especially one aimed also as entertainment, there has to always be some healthy skepticism about editing. Michael Moore is probably not alone in editing footage to put people in the light they desire them to be and portray a message that is desired. With Expelled we need to make sure that we do not simply take Ben Stein’s version of things as sufficient. We should take the given data and place it alongside other data and see what results. Also, personally, the added breakaways to extraneous footage to make a point was for me not necessary but I realize it was part of the entrainment side of things.

Here area a few more reviews of the movie

American Vision: Expelled: The Movie—Part 1 & Expelled: The Movie - Part 2
Parchment and Pen: Expelled: Evolution vs. Intelligent Design - A Review
The Constructive Curmudgeon: Break Down the Wall: A Movie Review of "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed"
He Lives: Expelled, the Review
Pulpit Magazine: Expelled

Reviews of Expelled

Here some reviews of the movie Expelled:
Triablogue: Expelled: A Brief Movie Review & First Impressions on Expelled
Bock’s Blog: Interesting to See Reviews on Expelled April 18.08
Answers In Genesis: Expelled Reviewed
CampOnThis:  Expelled: ....... no intelligence allowed 

Now I admit that the above reviews do not include the many anti-Expelled reviews on the internet, just Google “Review of Expelled.” I simply put some on that I ran across that seemed to be fair reviews and gave an overview of the film. As with many documentaries there will be those that do not like what they see and will thus write not so glowing reports of the film while those that like the outcome of movie often write elaborated reviews. So I chose the four above and while there are many more out there these should give a feel for the movie.

Now some thoughts on the movie, or better yet its premise, that I admit I have not seen yet.

I am not sure if I will see the movie at the theaters as they cost so much and with 5 people to pay for there is a side of me that asks if this is a good use of the funds available. Also, I am sure as with most movies of this type I will probably be left wanting. I think the premise is good, that the academic world is not really open to free thinking, but I pray that Christians do not again see this as some great, or even the greatest, witnessing tool sent by God. All too often Christians seem to think that every movie or other entertainment event that somehow has Christian overtones, or undertones, is such an event. Truth is from what I have seen and heard the focus is mainly on evolutionary thought versus Intelligent Design (ID) and I do not think that ID is the answer to the evolutionary debate. Yes, I do believe there is an intelligent designer but why can we not simply call Him God. Disguising God by some other name such as “Intelligent Designer” seems to sort of be a bait and switch and an attempt to get a foot in the door but is it necessary. What ID does is simply say that we as Christians can play on the scientific community’s court and to their rules and here is how we see creation by your standards. True the people in academia who own the court do not like to play with others the truth is until we as Christians lose the fear of simply saying that even though there is plenty of proof of what we believe the only proof we truly need is the infallible word of God we will always be fighting an uphill battle. The reason for this being that the scientific community will invariably continue to change the rules to meet their needs and until God changes their hearts they will not believe, in a saving manner, simply based on good argumentation.

So at the end of the day I will probably rent the movie when it comes out and I do think that it may be a good place to begin conversations but let us not see it as the panacea for evangelism as was done with so many things to precede it. Also, it is good that the world, whether they buy into it or not, see the often one sidedness of the academic institutions our tax dollars often pay for.

By the way I would imagine that my unashamedly young earth views would probably be laughed at by both sides as many IDers seem to not see it as viable.

Christian Contentment

In reading this month’s 2008 Puritan Reading Challenge book, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs, I was struck by a point with regards to The Mystery of Contentment.

Burroughs in Chapter 2- point two: A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by way of addition, as by way of subtraction (pg 45) says: “

“That is his way of contentment, and it is a way that the world has no skill in. I open it thus: not so much by adding to what he would have, or to what he has, not by adding more to his condition; but rather by subtracting from his desires, so as to make his desires and his circumstances even and equal.”

How true this is for me. When I become discontent with my circumstances I immediately think of all that that needs to be added to bring contentment but it never does. Rarely if ever do ask myself if I need to change my desires. Burroughs is so right that we need to seek after the heart of God and make sure our desires are aligned with His.

Burroughs quotes another author on page 47 as saying: "The way to be rich is not by increasing wealth, but by diminishing our desires." The issue is that we need to seek after godly contentment and not contentment as defined by the world around us.

This, however, does not mean a Christian will never be discontented as Burroughs touches on in Chapter 2 for the first point (page 42): "It may be said of one who is contented in a Christian way that he is the most contented man in the world, and yet the most unsatisfied man in the world; these two together must needs be mysterious." The point being that while we are content in Christ being in this world should leave us with a manner of discontentment that will only be met when we are spending eternity with God at the time of our final rest.

So let us not allow the world to impose its desires and lead us to a discontentment that is not pleasing to God. But at the same time let us foster an understanding that this is not all there is and thus have a godly discontentment with the world around us. The truth is we are to be content with God but discontented with the world. Our contentment with God is to grow daily as we walk with Him and as we walk with Him in our pilgrimage in the world our discontentment will invariably grow as we long for eternity with Him.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (4/10/08)

Charley at HomeDiscipling Dad has some good thoughts on the whole issue of being “Peer Dependent” in his post: Peer Dependent or God Dependent?



Over at the Reformed Baptist Fellowship they link to a great message on the Lords day by Alistair Begg. You can go to Truth For Life and listen to it on line, here, or sign up for the Podcast and listen to it for free, here. If you sign up for the Podcast you will also be able to get the other messages on the Sabbath. I am looking forward to listening to the other messages as the one I have linked to above was the last in the series on the Sabbath.



There is a good quote over at Unashamed Workman on preaching from Philip Ryken’s new book entitled City on a Hill. Ryken says:

“What ministers are to do is preach the Word - that is, the Word of God. A faithful minister does not preach the latest news. He does not preach his private opinion, his personal experience, or his political agenda. He does not even preach his own theological tradition, although of course he does preach within it, insofar as his system of doctrine is derived from Scripture. What he preaches is God’s eternal, infallible Word, as written in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.”




Thanks to Fide-O for linking to this, below is a video on Oprah that is not overly long and it definitely gives a good view into Oprah’s beliefs. What is scary about all of this is the number of Christians that watch her. Watch the entire video and you would be hard pressed to say she is a Christian as she does not hold to any orthodox beliefs that that I can tell. As far as the book that is spoken of at the end I do not know anything about it but I would agree with the title and that is “Drink the Kool-Aid” of Oprah.

Updated SGCF Website

I just finished redoing the church website using iWeb.

You can check it out here:  Sovereign Grace Christian Fellowship.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (04/4/08)

Tom Ascol has a funny video form when he spoke at a conference in Brazil: Every Interpreters Nightmare. As he explains the funny part starts about 1:45 into the video. This does show how we need to be careful of using idioms as many will not get the connection to what we are trying to convey, “If you get my drift.”

After finishing March’s Puritan book in the 2008 Puritan Reading Challenge, The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson I would highly recommend it. But this comes with the warning that you need to be prepared to be convicted as Watson pulls no punches as to what God desires of His people. But he does so in a manner that will lead one to seek to truly be the man or woman God has called them to be. This is a book replete with scripture to show that God has not hidden what He desires but it is plainly there for all to see, in His Word.

Justin Taylor from Between Two Worlds linked to a good article by Michael Gerson: Osama’s Abortion Extremism. This article reveals that while abortion may not be the most pronounced topic for Obama he does have views on the subject and his voting record would show that he even supports partial birth abortion by his opposition to the ban on such a vile act.

This looks like an interesting movie: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed with Ben Stein. The movie reveals the strangle hold Darwinian thought has on the educational system. While I think, I have not seen the movie, that the focus is on the exclusion of Intelligent Design from our intuitions of higher learning the bigger picture is that those that hold an evolutionary opinion of origins are so fearful of being found lacking in substantiation for their beliefs that they close the door on any other thought as to the origins of man. The trailer is here.

Called to be Pilgrims

What is it about the world that so draws us to itself? As I read through scripture it is clear that we are called to be pilgrims in this world as we journey to our final destination, the better country, a heavenly one (Heb 11:16). Many passages look at the believer as a sojourner, an exile and a stranger in the world. The picture is that what God calls us to is not to find our home here but to see our place as our final destination

Passages in scripture that speak to believers as sojourners:
Gen 23:4 - Abraham refers to himself as a sojourner and foreigner
Gen 47:9 - Jacob calls himself a sojourner
Psalm 39:12 - David refers to himself as a sojourner
Phil 3:20 – Paul speaks of where our true citizenship resides, in heaven
1 Peter 1:17 – Peter refers to the believers as being in exile
1 Peter 2:11 – Paul in urging believes to be honorable refers to them as sojourners and exiles

This is not a call to remove ourselves from the world but as the puritan Thomas Manton said; “We cannot get out of the world when we please, but we must get the world out of us.” We are to do the work that God has for us to do while He has us here but not let the world take up residence in our hearts. My fear is that too many have become comfortable in this world and allowed it to impinge on the work we are to do in glorifying God.

We should ask ourselves; “if the things of this world were removed and all that was left was God, His Word and His people would we be satisfied. This question is important because if we were to truly live as that which most pleases God would we not give up much of what the world offers and be left with the God, His Word and His people.

The end result is that we as believers should look different from the world around us. This is not a forced difference but one that results from simply living as God dictates in His word. As we live to glorify Him we will stand out in this world and in so doing we will be the light we are called to be. As much as we try and think that we need to look like the world to reach it is would seem that is the difference in us that God uses to draw people to Himself.

In scripture we simply see people living as God dictates in His Word and God drawing people to them. Nowhere do we see “Ex-Gladiators for Christ” or “Former Pharisees for Christ” but we see people changed by the Spirit to be simply Christians. But, today we have so many groups that seem to portray all that is to change is ones viewpoint but in reality when we become a believer we become a new person (1 Cor 5:17).

So let us be the pilgrims we are called to be and not let the world steal our affections.

Update on Homeschooling in California

Here is an update from HSLDA on the recent issue of homeschooling in California:

Court of Appeal Grants Petition for Re-hearing

On March 25, the California Court of Appeal granted a motion for rehearing in the In re Rachel L. case—the controversial decision which purported to ban all homeschooling in that state unless the parents held a teaching license qualifying them to teach in public schools.
The automatic effect of granting this motion is that the prior opinion is vacated and is no longer binding on any one, including the parties in the case.

The Court of Appeal has solicited a number of public school establishment organizations to submit amicus briefs including the California Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and three California teacher unions. The court also granted permission to Sunland Christian School to file an amicus brief. The order also indicates that it will consider amicus applications from other groups.
Home School Legal Defense Association will seek permission to file such an amicus brief and will coordinate efforts with a number of organizations interesting in filing briefs to support the right of parents to homeschool their children in California.

“This is a great first step,” said Michael Farris, chairman of HSLDA. “We are very glad that this case will be reheard and that this opinion has been vacated, but there is no guarantee as to what the ultimate outcome will be. This case remains our top priority,” he added.


I would agree that this is a good first step but the fact that the step had to be taken at all speaks volumes about where we are as a society and the leanings that exist towards socialism and the state knowing what is best for our children. Please keep this in prayer as simply because this wave of resistance to homeschooling seems to have been held back I am sure there are more to follow.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (3/26/08)

James McDonald writes on: Abortion Illogic. He also has a pretty cool video on the site as well.

Speaking of abortion. I would recommend watching Doug Phillips talk from the History of the World Mega Conference on the Mayas. This talk spoke of the great achievements of the Mayas and their brilliance in astronomy, mathematics and other areas but it also spoke of their great violence, especially themselves. If we look at their history we see a great nation by many accounts but their great lack of biblical morality and thus the ability to sacrifice their own people and children eventually led to their being wiped out, by themselves no less. We as a nation can boast any number of great things such as technology but our moral base is such that we will sacrifice millions of children for the cause of personal comfort. Is the future of the US to be the same as the Mayas or can we regain the moral compass of the bible and avoid destruction? By the way the other DVD’s in the collection are very good as well.


Dr. Albert Mohler writes: Has the Notion of Sin Disappeared? In this article he notes that: “Perhaps the most interesting angle on the story is the fact that the secular world seems to understand that something has changed when it comes to the preaching of many churches and the beliefs of many who call themselves Christians.” What a sad commentary when the world notices the minimization of sin and the professing church does not seem to.


I recently read an article by N.T. Wright on Christianity Today’s web site entitled: Heaven is not our home. If his goal is to lead people to live the life we are called to now and not just sit back and wait for Christ’s return there are others ways to do this. If one simply reads Hebrews 11 you quickly see the motif with Abraham of him being an alien and stranger that is looking to a promised home, heaven. It was this look to the future promises that was the impetus for his living in the present as it is to be for us. It appears that Wright’s presuppositions about the central mission of the church have driven his understanding of scripture. Yes we as believers are to live as scripture calls us and thus should be salt and light in the world but that does not necessitate tossing out a view that Heaven is our true home and to look forward to that as Abraham did. Again, it is the look to the future promises of God that fuels our present journey that God has us on.

The Lasting Implications of the Cross

This year for Easter I preached from Romans 5:1-11.  The reason I chose this passage was that it is one that follows on Paul’s teaching on justification by faith and shows the implications this has for life after the cross.   That the same faith that saved is the same faith we are to live by.  The message at Easter should be one that speaks of the reconciliation with God at the cross for those that believe and continued reconciliation for the life of the believer until they are called home or Christ returns.

Paul, in Romans 5:1-11, speaks of seven implications of Justification by faith: Peace with God, Access to God, a hope of glory, the ability to rejoice in suffering, the love of God in us, being saved from the wrath of God and continued reconciliation to God.  What was interesting is that the Gospel message that Paul delivers is not one of deliverance from trials or troubles but one that delivers us from God’s wrath to peace with God.  The implications given are not ones that we often hear but is one that needs to be preached often. 

I often wonder, if the only promise we offered when delivering the Gospel message was to have peace with God would people still see it as pleasing.  So often the message that is delivered, and especially at Easter, is one of deliverance from our personal dilemmas but the only dilemma we truly need to be delivered from is our enmity with God.  We are estranged from God due to our sin and only the cross can rectify that.  But that is not the end of the story as salvation is not just about a past event with future implications but instead has implications for the here and now.

So, we need to see that when we share the Gospel the cross is just the start as when God gives one the faith to seek Him it is that same faith that allows us to have the ability to serve and worship Him as He desires.  To find God’s commands as not being burdensome (1 John 5:3) one needs the see that life is to be lived by the same faith that reconciled us to God.  The faith to walk daily is the same faith that saved. 

So let us see that Easter is about the start of a journey and that journey begins at the cross.  It is a journey that is made possible by the gift of faith, a gift from God (Eph 2:8-9).

Around the Web and Blogosphere (3/17/08)

With regards to the homeschooling issues in California Albert Mohler in his article, Overt Hostility toward Homeschoolers, reveals that while some are saying not to worry the court decision has brought out the true colors of those that oppose homeschooling. Reading this article shows me that there is a true fear that homeschooling interferes with the humanist agenda and they would like to do whatever is necessary to stop those that homeschool. Walter P. Coombs and Ralph E. Shaffer whose article is cited by Mohler use the same class warfare language that is often bandied about during elections to try and incite others to rise up against those that homeschool. Please keep this whole issue in prayer because whether you live in California or not the issues here will effect you in some way.

Jim at OldTruth.com has a good quote from Robert Godfrey titled: Worship is Neither Evangelism or Entertainment.

Scott Brown has a link to an interview he did with Doug Phillips on Kevin Swanson’s radio show Generations: Choosing Candidates: What Does the Bible Say? Scott also in his post, Workshop In Expository Preaching, has a good quote from E.M Bounds on preaching from Bounds’ book Power of Prayer

At the Banner of Truth Trust is a good article by Geoff Thomas titled: Preaching Christ from the Old Testament. As he shares the preachers of the New Testament shared Christ from the Old and so should we.

Update on Homeschooling in California

HSLDA reports that:

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell comes to the defense of homeschool families. “The California Department of Education policy will not change in any way as a result of this ruling. Parents still have the right to homeschool in this state,” he said.

This is good news but there still needs to be prayer because obviously while Mr. O’Connell feels this way not everyone does.

You can read the entire HSLDA article here: Defending Homeschool Freedom in California

Homeschooling in California

As many of you may already know there was recently a court ruling that if upheld would prohibit homeschooling unless the parents homeschooling are certified teachers.  Even with this stipulation one has to ask if this means certified for a particular grade and thus it would still limit families from homeschooling.  There are many working on this case to either have the case over turned or “depublished” which would not allow it to be used as precedent and thus less of an issue.  Based on published reports this ruling could affect 160,000 families and possibly more so it is no small matter

What is disturbing in all of this is the mindset of the judiciary that parents have no right to school their own children as they see best for them.  If this is not socialism at its finest I am not sure what is.  If people think that this is a problem of a liberal state such as California they need to understand that the outcome of this case will effect just about everyone as it will create a precedent for every state that has similar feelings.

While this may have caught many people by surprise we should not have been surprised that something like this would not happen eventually.  I simply look at the school systems and the legal system has shown a propensity to lean towards removing parental rights and handing them over to the state.  This is also not only an issue with the state but also with the Federal Government as seen by many leanings toward socialism and thus the governments feeling that it is better prepared to care for children than their parents.

Am I fearful of all these happenings.  Not really, I know that I am called by God’s Word to homeschool and thus I also know God has a plan in all of this and if that plan is that my family has to move then so be it.   My concern is that many in other states will not take notice of this and simply wait until something similar happens.  We should not expect the world to understand the things of God so why would we expect them to understand homeschooling from a biblical context.

I ask that you pray for the numerous homeschool families in California.  Pray that we will do what is biblical and if at the end of the day that is to vacate California so be it as answering to God for what we do is much more important than answering to the state.

Here is a petition you can sign with regards to this situation:  HSLDA Petition

Below are some other Blog Posts and Audio Broadcasts on the subject

Blog Posts:

Home Discipling Dad:  What is Educations Purpose

Reflections on the Times:  Parents: No rights to Homeschool?

Dr. Albert Mohler: A Bolt From the Blue -- A Homeschooling Decision in California

These are the Generations of….. :  California Homeschool Setback

Doug’s Blog: Homeschooling Rights in Jeopardy in California

Broadcasts:

Focus on the Family Broadcast

Cross Talk America

Preaching and the Culture

What is our call as Christians with regards to the culture? This comes to mind due to a recent blog I read about a pastor who is well known for his use of “foul” language and often overly graphic descriptions. This pastor is often defended by persons with equally colorful language. The point is usually that as this is what our culture is like and we need to reach this culture we need to relate to them as such and since the church is growing in an “unchurched area” then this must be OK.

The first point seems to say that since the culture lives a certain way and speaks a certain way we need to preach in the same manner. However, I am not sure this can be defended by scripture. The usual call is to such verses as 1 Cor 9:22 to bolster the claim that we need to do all that we can to save people. I don’t think Paul is saying he is becoming like an unbeliever so as to reach them but that he needed to come to them where they were to reach them. There is a vast difference in coming to someone in the condition they are in and not asking them to change first than to simply take on the persona of those we are to reach.

Before someone chimes in that we all take on culture in some form, you are correct. But this is not about trying to evangelize in Nigerian while traveling around Sweden. We do need to use words that are understandable to the listener but this does not necessitate using inappropriate language which scripture says in wrong, Eph 5:1-4. Simply because the culture sees something as normal does not dictate its normalcy to the believer. So yes there is a level of delivering the gospel that is done in a cultural context but there is also a limit.

As far as the argument that it must be Ok as many are coming to the Lord and the church I would have to say that size is not the arbiter of acceptability. Notice I did not say success because success in our world is often dictated by numbers as this particular pastor and others like him are seen as successes. Acceptableness is deemed by God, not man, and His word. Since scripture is clear that the use of foul language is inappropriate then I have to surmise it is inappropriate in all situations. Size may reveal the blessing of God but as we have seen over the years in the Western Church the number of attendees in a church does not necessarily correlate to spiritual transformation by God. Only time will tell if those that come to see the stage show are truly called of God or if they are there for the entertainment.

The bottom line is we are simply to preach the Word in a clear and understandable manner, as faith comes by the Word of God (Rom 10:17). It is not by ones exegetical prowess or mastery of speech but by the Holy Sprit that men and women are changed. One can claim to hold to the sufficiency of scripture but when one has to turn to means not dictated by God to deliver the message one is not truly showing a reliance on the sufficiency that may be preached.

This is not even necessarily about vulgar preaching, even thought tha is what instigated this, but it is about the vast numbers of preachers that claim to rely on God and His word but in practice rely on everything but His Word and the Holy Sprit to transform people. This is not trying to say that if one is in a foreign country one should not dress as those around them but is about trying to bridge the gulf between man and God with the materials of the world rather than the word of God. We have to seriously seek God’s word for what we are to do rather than our own understanding of how we think things should be.

I pray these thoughts were not too random as this was more me thinking out loud as there are numerous levels in which we let culture dictate what we do. We are often so entrenched in our culture that we become oblivious to it. The only way to combat this is to truly rely on the sufficiency of scripture and the sufficiency of scripture to reach His people through His Word plainly preached

Around the Web and Blogosphere (3/1/08)

Scott at These are the Generations of…. has a link to Family Life Today interview (2 parts) with Dr. Baucham entitled: The Call to Discipleship. This is a good interview and it is good to hear the interaction to many things I have heard Voddie speak on before. You can either pay for the download from Family Life Today or do as I do and sign up for the pod cast for free through ITunes.

Charley at HomeDiscipling Dad has some suggested books to read to help gain a biblical vision for discipling at home. I have read both When You Rise Up as well as Family Driven Faith and they are very good. We have Upgrade and it is on my list to read. By the way I have reviewed Family Driven Faith in the past and here is a link that will take you to a review of each chapter: Links to Chapter Reviews of Family Driven Faith

Paul at the Vaughnshire Farm blog speaks of the term Cultural Secession. Upon reading the post it is a good term as while many speak of those that resist culture are labeled as being irrelevant the truth is it is those that can remain outside, in some manner, the cultural norm that are the most likely to change it. When we become so entrenched in the culture around us we not only become blind to the problems inherent in the culture we also, over time, become unable to be the change agent we need to be.

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