vassal of the King

read my latest article over at vassal of the king entitled: God's Love Expressed In His Hatred .

Jeremiah 23:24 — Do I not fill heaven and earth? Though God be in all places, even in the heart of a sinner by His inspection, and in hell by His justice, yet He does not mingle with the impurity or receive the least hint of evil. Augustine stated, "the divine nature does not intermix with created matter, nor is contaminated by its impurities." No more than the sun shining on a dunghill is defiled or its beauty tarnished, neither was Christ, when He was among sinners, defiled, because His Godhead was a sufficient antidote against infection. Excellent words by Thomas Watson. I believe he is spot on. If God is everywhere, shouldn't this also be a motivation for holiness ?

As God is a Spirit, so the rewards that He gives His children are spiritual, and the chief blessings He gives us int his life are spiritual blessings, not gold and silver. He gives Christ, His love, and He fills us with grace. . . . Earthly crowns fade, but the believer's crown, because it is spiritual, is immortal; it is a crown that never fades away. . . . This truth may comfort a Christian in all his labors and sufferings here on earth; he gives of himself to the service of God and has little or no reward here. But remember, God, who is a Spirit, will give spiritual rewards in heaven: the very sight of the face of God, white robes, and weight of glory . Be not then weary of God's service here on earth. Think of the spiritual rewards that await His children in heaven, a crown of glory that will not fade away. —Thomas Watson. Amen.

Judges 12:8-10 8 ¶ Now Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel after him. 9 He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters whom he gave in marriage outside the family, and he brought in thirty daughters from outside for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. 10 Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem. He had 30 sons and 30 daughters = 60 children (yikes that's a lot of names!). So much for the households that begin every child's name with "J"...

The bones are burning to proclaim Ps 119:161-168 this morning to our congregation. I pray God will use His word to draw deadened sinners to himself, convict slothful Christians, and to encourage those who are walking with Christ and in obedience to His Word. "My heart trembles at your Word" (Ps 119:161).

I preached tonight on Revelation 3:7-13 - Jesus's letter to the Church of Philadelphia. In this sermon: 1. I say why I believe we will not be here during the 7-year future Tribulation period of God's relentless wrath on earth . 2. I beg men to repent and believe in Christ so that they're not punished by Christ in hell . 3. I call them to hold on to Christ's Word because He is holy and true. Listen here .

I firmly believe in prayer and I firmly believe in preaching. Thus, I heartily recommend these videos for you.

But CNN even picked up on this (how sad this is). Read the article by Stephanie Smith on Frequent Churgoers Frequently Fatter : Frequent churchgoers frequently fatter Young, religiously active people are more likely than their non-religious counterparts to become obese in middle age, according to new research. In fact, frequent religious involvement appears to almost double the risk of obesity compared with little or no involvement. What is unclear from the new research is why religion might be associated with overeating. "Churches pay more attention to obvious vices like smoking or drinking," said Matthew Feinstein, lead author of the research and fourth-year medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine . "Our best guess about why is that...more frequent participation in church is associated with good works and people may be rewarding themselves with large meals that are more caloric in nature than we wo

Steve Lawson says this so well: Commenting on Psalm 96:10 — Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity." "All believers should declare that God rules over all the affairs of men. In spite of any chaotic appearances to the contrary, in spite of the turmoil and threats of the nations, the world is firmly established. All events and developments are under the overruling government of God. Although evil temporarily escapes unpunished, God will judge the peoples with equity. This final judgment of all mankind should be declared to the nations (Acts 17:31), bringing about their repentance unto eternal life. Such a proclamation will surely yield new worshippers of God " (Lawson, Psalms 75-150 , Holman Old Testament Commentary, 118).

Pray for me. I have a topic that everyone struggles with—especially youth/college students. And this is precisely to whom I'm preaching tomorrow. My title: Flee Sexual Immorality! My text: 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 My power: not from myself but from God the Spirit My goal: to be bold, blunt, persuasive, and very practical. Pray for me.

“How could God let this happen?” This is the question that CNN posed to Rabbi Kushner & Franklin Graham. Here are the answers... Rabbi Harold Kushner, author whose books include “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” Whenever a disaster like this occurs, I go back to the Bible, to the First Book of Kings. Elijah, in despair over the situation in Israel, runs to the desert, back to Mt. Sinai to find the God of the Revelation to Moses. "And lo, the Lord God passed by. There was a mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks, but the Lord was not in the wind. There was an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake." To me, that is the key: the Lord was not in the earthquake. Natural disasters are acts of nature, not acts of God. God cares about the well-being of good people; Nature is blind, an equal-opportunity destroyer. Where is God in Japan today? In the courage of people to carry on their lives after the tragedy. In the resilience of tho

Hear it from the president of Fuller Seminary regarding Rob Bell's new book Love Wins : But Richard Mouw , president of the world's largest Protestant seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary based in Pasadena, Calif., calls Love Wins "a great book, well within the bounds of orthodox Christianity and passionate about Jesus. HT: USA Today

According to tradition, some of the well-known prophets died quite brutal deaths: 1. Isaiah - he was cut in two by a wooden saw by the hands of the wicked Manasseh 2. Jeremiah - he was stoned by the children of Israel and slain 3. Ezekiel - the children of Israel dragged him by his feet over the rocks on a mountain until his brains gushed out. This is only tradition. But isn't it interesting that these bold, fearless, and faithful men of God were tortured in such great ways? And should we expect an easy life as faithful preachers of God's Word? I don't think so.

This morning on my bus, I sat next to "Louisa" who was talking on her cell phone in another language. I noticed she kept saying: " thank you po ." If you know Tagalog "po" is a term of respect and courtesy. So when she got off the phone I asked her where she was from in the Philippines and we had a lengthy chat. She's Roman Catholic. I shared the gospel with her. She warmly opened up and we had a good conversation. I invited her to our church and to our mid-week study on Psalms after she told me she had gone through some hard times with health and surgeries in the family. Pray that God works in her heart so that she may believe in Christ and be forgiven of her sins and be freed from Roman Catholicism. Ephesians 1:7-8 7 In [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, 8 which He lavished upon us.

On Thursday, from 2:30-4:00 PM (Eastern), Southern Seminary will be livestreaming a panel discussion on Rob Bell’s Love Wins . I look forward to talking with and learning from Drs. Mohler, Moore, and Burk. I’m sure audio and video will be available on the site at some point after the event.

Thomas Watson said: what fools are they, who, for a moment of pleasure, drink a sea of wrath. Sin gratifies for a moment but God’s wrath, if left unconfessed, lasts forever. How important it is to remember that sin lurks at every opportunity. It endeavors to pop its heinous face at every instance in our lives to tempt us and thrust us down as its companion to hell. Even as believers we must strive to flee temptations because of a healthy fear of dishonoring the glory and holiness of God. How wise we would be to remember that sin pleases for a moment but holiness benefits for eternity. Pleasures are gratified temporarily but godliness is befitting for us which will last eternally. Hear the words of Watson again: what fools are they, who, for a moment of pleasure, drink a sea of wrath.

This is well worth the fourteen minutes. It is the great 20th c. preacher speaking about the great 18th c. preacher. What a treat to hear Lloyd-Jones address Mr. Whitefield.

We do what we call family worship every night after dinner. (If we'll be unable to eat dinner together then we do it after breakfast.) This is an element of our day that is absolutely essential . Family worship for our family consists of three elements: 1) Singing We begin our time of family worship by singing a song/hymn that we know so that we can consider the truths of the gospel in song. We also try to teach Kiah these songs as well (Amazing Grace, Trust and Obey, Go Tell It on the Mountain, etc.). 2) Reading Then, we have a time where we read through God's Word. We're currently reading through the Book of Proverbs. This does numerous things. First, it allows us as a family to read and study God's Word together. Second, it teaches Kiah to sit in one place for a few minutes without being distracted—especially when God's Word is being read! And third, it gives us opportunity to study the Word of God together so that if there are questions we can ask and answer th

Here is an interview that a TMC grad had with Dr. Varner about his recent commentary on James that was just published. Enjoy! [CK]First off, thank you Dr. Varner for taking the time to answer a few question. If you can, can you tell the readers a little bit about yourself, where you teach, where you did your graduate work, where you pastor, etc.? [DrV] I was saved at the age of 17, did my undergraduate work at Bob Jones University, then went on to receive my M.Div. and Th.M. (NT) at Biblical Seminary in PA. Along the way I also picked up an M.A. in Judaic Studies at Dropsie College and an Ed.D. in theological education from Temple University. I teach at The Master’s College and also pastor the Sojourners Fellowship at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA. [CK]You have recently published a commentary on James. What attracted you to James and what makes your work stand out amongst many well written and useful works on James? [DrV] I preached through James as a pastor, b

I believe in a future 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ on earth—literally and physically. Part of the believer's hope in glorification, when believers are perfected with new physical bodies, is that we will share in the Messiah's royal reign and we will serve His kingdom purposes on earth (Matt 19:28; Luke 22:30). 1 Corinthians 6:2 - do you not know that the saints will judge the world? We will have the privilege of ruling and reigning with Christ (cf. 2 Tim 2:12). Let us long for that future day when we will: 1. behold our Savior face to face 2. serve our Savior for all eternity 3. worship our Savior with unceasing joy 4. reign with our Savior as vice-regents who do His bidding. Praise the LORD. What a hope we have!

Just went to Alex Montoya's seminar at the Shepherd's Conference on Preaching with Passion . Man am I convicted. Here are some quotes that I typed out. (Many of them have abbreviations in them as I tried to type out what he said word for word.) Quotes: A holy minister is an awesome weapon in the hand of God (Robert Murray McCheyne) “If it’s human I will try to convert it” -- Alex Montoya. The power (=unction) doesn’t begin in the pulpit, it begins in your closet, in your daily living; when you’re on your knees playing w/ your kids; talking w/ your wife; living for God and having God control your life. When we are convinced of God’s Word, we won’t LACK passion. The bible is a biblia , a book, and it has an answer to every ailment in the human life. “The pastor needs to be the sharpest knife in the drawer.” -- Montoya. You can never be overprepared for God’s ministry. “You’re the chef, as you’re cooking, you’re slurping and eating along the way, so when you deliver the goods, yo

Watch Rick Holland preach it up this morning at 9am (PST). Watch it live here . I heard he's preaching on 1 Pet 5:1-5. Should be great! Then MacArthur preaches at 10:45. You can watch that too. Tonight Al Mohler will preach at 7pm. Looking forward to a day to fill my heart and mind with God's enduring truth.

I have a friend who would answer positively to this question. I disagree with him. Here are my reasons why.

I need to be reminded of this. Often. And my guess is that you do too. O Fountain of all good, Destroy in me every lofty thought, Break pride to pieces and scatter it to the winds, Annihilate each clinging shred of self-righteousness, Implant in me true lowliness of spirit, Abase me to self-loathing and self-abhorrence, Open in me a fount of penitential tears, Break me, then bind me up; Then will my heart be a prepared dwelling for my God. Then can the Father take up his abode in me, Then can the blessed Jesus come with healing in his touch, Then can the Holy Spirit descend in sanctifying grace.

Joel Beeke also believes in it. The Bible overwhelmingly speaks of the existence of eternal hell for all unbelievers who reject Christ. Joel Beeke on Hell from Puritan Reformed on Vimeo .

John Murray writing on John Calvin's view of Providence... "For the believer the presence of God appears no less in the perpetual government of the world than in its origin . . . . But all events whatsoever are governed by the secret counsel and directed by the present hand of God. Not a drop of rain falls and no wind ever blows but at the special command of God. Every year, month, an day is governed by a new and special providence of God. Chance and fortune do not belong to a Christian man's vocabulary. Events are often fortuitous to us because their order, reason, end, and necessity are hid in the counsel of God and are not apprehended by the mind of man. But they are not fortuitous for God—they proceed from His will." Numbers 24:23 who can live except God has ordained it? Ephesians 1:11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

Tomorrow we have the privilege of remembering the gospel as we gather to worship our LORD. Here is the layout for the morning. 1. Man's Sin and Need for a Savior 1 Timothy 1:15 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Sing: I Stand Amazed in the Presence of Jesus the Nazarene I stand amazed in the presence Of Jesus the Nazarene, And wonder how He could love me, A sinner, condemned, unclean. Refrain O how marvelous! O how wonderful! And my song shall ever be: O how marvelous! O how wonderful! Is my Savior’s love for me! For me it was in the garden He prayed: “Not My will, but Thine.” He had no tears for His own griefs, But sweat drops of blood for mine. Refrain He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own; He bore the burden to Calvary, And suffered and died alone. Refrain When with the ransomed in glory His face I at last shall see, ’Twill be my joy thr

watch this EXCELLENT clip from Dr. Horner—one of my English profs at The Master's College:

Storm the throne of God regularly and relentlessly. We find that Jesus commanded His disciples to pray “at all times” (πάντοτε) and to “not lose heart” (μὴ ἐγκακεῖν). Luke 18:1 reads: Ἔλεγεν δὲ παραβολὴν αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὸ δεῖν πάντοτε προσεύχεσθαι αὐτοὺς καὶ μὴ ἐγκακεῖν (And he was telling them a parable so that they may always pray and not lose heart). The parable goes as follows. There was a man in a city who didn’t fear God and didn’t respect man. He was a judge (v.2). There was, however, a widow in that city and she constantly came to him and asked this judge for legal protection from her enemies (v.3). To her chagrin, every time she came before the judge, he refused her offer to give her protection (v.4a). But finally, because of her persistence and because of her regularity in coming to the judge with the same request, he finally thought to himself, “Though I don’t fear God or care about humans, I will give her legal protection. For if I don’t, she will wear me out” (v.4b-5). And th

Tonight I'm preaching on Psalm 94. It speaks of the way believers in God should respond to times when they are mistreated by the wicked. I just want to elucidate a few points that have spoken to my heart. Verse 12: Hebrew: אַשְׁרֵ֤י׀ הַגֶּ֣בֶר אֲשֶׁר־תְּיַסְּרֶ֣ נּוּ יְהוָ֣ה וּֽמִתֹּורָתְךָ֥ תְלַמְּדֶֽנּוּ׃ Translation: Blessed is the man whom Yahweh disciplines; whom you teach from Your Law. This verse reminds us that the man is blessed whom the Lord disciplines. This is not a punitive discipline but an instructional discipline (cf. Heb 12:4ff). This is the one whom the Lord loves . And thus, because Yahweh loves His own, He disciplines and instructs them for their good and for His glory. Sometimes this chastisement can be painful—and even unpleasant! Nevertheless, God is sovereign and we as His children must submit to His fatherly rebuke so that we would be adequately trained and growing in maturity. Verse 14: Hebrew: כִּ֤י׀ לֹא־יִטֹּ֣ש יְהוָ֣ה עַמֹּ֑ו וְ֝נַחֲלָתֹ֗ו לֹ֣א יַעֲזֹ