Sunday, March 14, 2010

gospel from isaiah 59.

If this isn't straight gospel from the OT, I'm not sure what is...

Isaiah 59:1-20 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters wickedness. 4 No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly. They trust in confusion and speak lies; They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity. 5 They hatch adders' eggs and weave the spider's web; He who eats of their eggs dies, And from that which is crushed a snake breaks forth. 6 Their webs will not become clothing, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And an act of violence is in their hands. 7 Their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, Devastation and destruction are in their highways. 8 They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked, Whoever treads on them does not know peace.

9 Therefore justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us; We hope for light, but behold, darkness, For brightness, but we walk in gloom. 10 We grope along the wall like blind men, We grope like those who have no eyes; We stumble at midday as in the twilight, Among those who are vigorous we are like dead men. 11 All of us growl like bears, And moan sadly like doves; We hope for justice, but there is none, For salvation, but it is far from us. 12 For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And we know our iniquities: 13 Transgressing and denying the LORD, And turning away from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words. 14 Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter. 15 Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey.

Now the LORD saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. 16 And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him. 17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. 18 According to their deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense.

19 So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream Which the wind of the LORD drives. 20 "A Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the LORD.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

fear God.

Today on my bus I read a book on hell. It was very insightful, sobering, and motivational to share the gospel. I want to note some of the quotes that spoke to my heart:

"The death that each of us has to die one day does not make an end of man. All is not over when the last breath is drawn and the doctor's last visit has been paid—when the coffin is screwed down, and the funeral preparations are made—when "ashes to ashes and dust to dust" has been pronounced over the grave—when our place in the world is filled up, and the gap made by our absence from society is no longer noticed. No all is not over then! The spirit of man still lives on. Everyone has within him an undying soul...
--JC Ryle

"I am one of those old-fashioned ministers who believe the whole Bible and everything that it contains. I can find no Scriptural foundation for that smooth-spoken theology that pleases so many in these days, and according to which everybody will get to heaven at last."
--JC Ryle

"If you saw a blind man tottering towards a precipice, would you not cry out, "Stop!"? Away with such false notions of charity! ... It is the highest charity to bring the whole truth before men. It is real charity to warn them plainly, when they are in danger. It is charity to impress upon them that they may lose their own souls forever in hell."
--JC Ryle

"Here is a sobering consideration for anyone brought up in a Christian home but still uncommitted to the Savior. The deepest pits of hell may well be reserved not only for the notoriously wicked, but for those who from childhood were familiar with the message of salvation, yet never embraced it for themselves."
--Edward Donnelly

"We must remember that hell exists for God's glory ... In hell, and we can say this only in trembling reverence, God's glory will be unveiled in new and amazing ways. His kingly authority will be seen more clearly than has ever been possible before. Fresh aspects of His holiness and justice will be revealed to His wondering people."
--Edward Donnelly

"We can conceive but little of the matter. To help your conception, imagine yourself to be cast into a fiery oven or a great furnace, where your pain would be as much greater than that occasioned by accidentally touching a coal of fire, as the heat is greater. Imagine also that your body were to lie there for a quarter of an hour, full of fire, and all the while full of vivid sense. What horror would you feel at the entrance of such a furnace! How long would that quarter of an hour seem to you! And after you had endured it for one minute, how overbearing would it be to you to think that you had it to endure the other fourteen! But what would be the effect on your soul if you knew you must lie there enduring that torment to the full for twenty-four hours! How much greater would be the effect if you knew you must endure it for a whole year! And how vastly greater still if you knew you must endure it for a thousand years! O then, how your hearts would sink if you knew that you must ear it forever and ever! That there would be no end! That after millions of millions of ages, your torment would be no nearer to an end and that you never, never should be delivered! ... This is the death threatened in the Law. This is dying in the highest sense of the word. This is to die sensibly, to die and know it, to be sensible of the gloom of death. This is to be undone. This is worthy of the name of destruction. This sinking of the soul under an infinite weight that it cannot bear is the gloom of hell. We read in Scripture of the blackness of darkness—this is it! This is the very thing. We read in Scripture of sinners being lost and of their losing their souls—this is the thing intended. This is to lose the soul. They that are the subjects of this are utterly lost...
--Jonathan Edwards

don't let sin go untouched.

"Sin left untouched reveals an indifference to sin, a disregard for God's holiness, a rejection of God's command to repent, and, hence, a soul that is unregenerated and without the living breath of spiritual life."

Monday, March 8, 2010

don't be an enemy of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:17-21 17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. 18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

In Philippians 3 the enemies of the cross of Christ are noted by four characteristics. First, they are those whose end is destruction. These enemies have as their final end the destruction prepared by God for all unbelievers. This does not refer to extinction or a time of completion of suffering but rather a horrific, eternal, conscious eternity of torment (Matt 25:46). Second, their god is their appetite. The appetite and lusts of the flesh are their passions. They worship their “bellies” and that which satisfies their cravings. Third, their glory is in their shame. They not only glory in the wickedness of others but they glory in doing the wickedness themselves. The only thing these enemies of the cross of Christ have to boast in is their own wicked shame. Fourth, they set their minds on earthly things. Those who have their minds set on earthly things are, as Paul says, enemies of the cross of Christ. Notice the enemies of the cross of Christ are characterized by deeds of action. They prove by what they do that they are not cherishers of the cross of Christ but enemies of the cross of Christ.

But Paul contrasts them with true believers who have been transformed by the cross of Christ and are no longer enemies of God but are friends of God. It is these true believers who cherish the cross and marvel at the grace of God manifested in the death of Jesus in place of wretched sinners whose citizenship is in heaven! It is from heaven, Paul writes, from which we as believers await a Savior—Jesus Christ—who will descend and transform our humble bodies into conformity with the glorious body of the LORD Jesus Christ. This is only possible by means of the exertion of the power that Christ has to subject all things to Himself.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

reasons I'm excited this week.

That I get paid to study the Bible and preach the Word baffles me constantly, but I praise the LORD that He has sovereignly called me to such a vocation. I love what I do and I would never want to change it. This week is especially exciting for a few reasons:

1) I'm starting the book of Ephesians in our Tuesday night Bible study. Tonight is a jet tour through the book and what a joy it has been to read through this marvelous book. I'm embarking upon Ephesians for a host of reasons, a few of which are (a) to understand the supremacy and sovereignty of God in our salvation; (b) to give the gospel every week (and it's in the text too!); (c) to show how it is absolutely imperative to be what you are (live a life of obedience as a believer who has experienced the new birth. It should be fun.

2) I'm resuming my study on Wednesday night in the book of Psalms. We're on Psalm 55 this week. We're over one-third of the way through the book and I'm enjoying the study immensely. God is good and His character is infinite.

3) I'm going to the Shepherd's Conference with my dad @ Grace Community Church. What a joy to hear men like Steve Lawson, John MacArthur, Al Mohler, Rick Holland, Phil Johnson and many more open God's Word and faithfully proclaim the Word with all boldness and authority as mouthpieces for God Himself. Speak, O Lord!

Sunday, February 28, 2010

home to LA and preaching today.

God is so good. I made it home last night to my beautiful wife and my happy-and-clapping son! We had a wonderful evening together talking over dinner @ Panera. (Amazingly, both my flights were NOT canceled—a miracle in and of itself. God is good.)

But now I'm reviewing for my sermon this morning on Hebrews 1:1-5 - the Sovereignty of the Supreme Son!

I'm geared up, locked, loaded, and ready to let the fire out. God, give me gentleness, grace and gospel-driven passions.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

a healthy reminder for Christians...

Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
—Luke 14:25-27

Friday, February 26, 2010

Doug Pagitt's Preaching Re-Imagined Book...

Last night I started and this morning I rushed to finish Doug Pagitt's work on Preaching Re-Imagined.

You can read and download the full 6-page pdf critique here.

But here is my conclusion...

It is my plea that all preachers and congregants—yes, all Christians—reject Pagitt’s philosophy of “progressional preaching” or “dialoguing”. He rejects the biblical practice and command of preaching–even though the command couldn’t be more clear as coming by the sovereign authority and command of God Himself—in order to cater to others because he thinks that a new method will work. This is flat out to be rejected. It is, unfortunately, Pagitt’s way of seeking to ‘please men’ rather than ‘pleasing Christ’. He is, therefore, not honoring the LORD in what he calls leading people in the ‘way of Jesus’ (cf. Gal 1:10). Whether preaching seems to work or not from our perspective we must never—ever—reject the commands of God because we think that new methods, a new cultural demand, or hearing others’ opinions will do the job that preaching just couldn’t accomplish! How haughty a thought. May we be Christians who seek to please Christ (2 Cor 5:10) by loving and longing to hear His Word faithfully proclaimed and preached with all authority (2 Tim 4:2-4). Let us say with David: “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps 119:97). Let us long for the pure word of God, for the faithful and urgent, and passionate, and expository preaching of God’s Word just as newborn babes long for milk (1 Pet 2:2).

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Shall we preach or shall we discuss?

This week has been one of the most challenging weeks thus far in my PhD program—not in terms of busywork necessarily but in terms of really thinking through the issues. I'm taking a course now on Advanced Bible Teaching Methods (some of you are saying ... "finally!"). Nevertheless, I have been confronted with this issue: should we incorporate dialogue into our Sunday morning preaching? In other words, is there a place for "conversation"? In Sunday morning services?

I preached today in my class and one of the first comments from my professor was this question: "how come you didn't interact with us verbally?" Up to this course, I have been quite convinced that the sermon is a heralding forth of divine truth from the preacher to the hearer. And, frankly, I'm still firmly committed to this truth. Yet, I have been confronted with differing opinions suggesting that we should engage people by interacting with them in our sermons (not that it HAS to be done this way, but it certainly is, perhaps, more effective)... or is it?

I did some research tonight and here are some helpful quotes on preaching:

There is an heraldic element in preaching. The Bible sometimes envisages other forms of oral communication, of course: we may be invited to reason together with the Lord (Isa 1:18), for instance, or enter into a dialogical confrontation with Him (e.g., Mal 1:2-8; Rom 6:1-2). Yet in the oft-repeated “Thus says the LORD” of the oT, or in the proclamation so common to the NT, there is an unavoidable heraldic element—an announcement, a sovereign disclosure, a nonnegotiable declaration (DA Carson).

And,

Expository preaching is: “the only form of authentic Christian preaching." The heart and soul of expository preaching … is reading the Word of God and then explaining it to the people so that they understand it. [And,] If you do believe that God speaks though His Word, then why would you substitute anything else in place of the expository preaching of the Bible? What is more important for your people than to hear from God, and how else is that going to happen unless you, like Ezra, open the book, read it, and explain it to them (Albert Mohler).

And finally,

Without the Word, no sermon. If what the minister proclaims are human insights, however perceptive—mere human words even though they are pearls of wisdom—what is happening is not what the Bible regards as preaching. In the strict sense of the term, authentic preaching is expository preaching ... “exposition means a “setting forth.” In expository preaching the sermon “sets forth” or “exhibits” the truth of the selected biblical text. Such preaching represents the assertions of the text in the form of a sermon. The sermon must say what the text says" (James Daane).

In light of this, I went to the library and checked out Doug Pagitt's most recent work on preaching: Preaching Re-Imagined: The Role of the Sermon in Communities of Faith. I'm going to read this and see how this relates to my class and my own thinking.

I know my responsibility is to preach God's Word faithfully and accurately from the Word of God to the hearers in the pew. But is there a way that I can engage them even more during a Sunday morning sermon? That's the fundamental question I'm after...

Monday, February 22, 2010

Great reminder!

“Let us beware of despising preaching. In every age of the Church, it has been God’s principal instrument for the awakening of sinners and the edifying of saints. The days when there has been little or no preaching have been days when there has been little or no good done in the Church. Let us hear sermons in a prayerful and reverent frame of mind, and remember that they are the principal engines which Christ Himself employed when He was upon earth. Not least, let us pray daily for a continual supply of faithful preachers or God’s Word. According to the state of the pulpit will always be the state of a congregation and of a Church.”

J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts On the Gospels, Volume 2. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2007), 128-129.

HT: Passion for Preaching

Sunday, February 21, 2010

A new hymn I learned this morning in Church

This morning I visited Grace Baptist Church in Glenburn, PA and was greatly edified by a new hymn. You can sing it to the tune of: "Take my Life and Let It Be." It was written in 1817 by Ralph Wardlaw and is entitled: Christ, of all my hopes the Ground.

Christ, of all my hopes the Ground;
Christ, the Spring of all my joy;
Still in Thee may I be found,
Still for Thee my powers employ,
Still for Thee my powers employ.

Let Thy love my heart inflame;
Keep Thy fear before my sight;
Be Thy praise my highest aim;
Be Thy smile my chief delight,
Be Thy smile my chief delight.

When affliction clouds my sky,
And the wintry tempests blow,
Let Thy mercy beaming eye
Sweetly cheer the night of woe.
Sweetly cheer the night of woe.

When new triumphs of Thy Name
Swell the raptured songs above,
May I feel a kindred flame,
Full of zeal, and full of love!
Full of zeal, and full of love!

Life’s best joy, to see Thy praise
Fly on wings of Gospel light,
Leading on millennial days,
Scattering all the shades of night!
Scattering all the shades of night!

Fountain of overflowing grace,
Freely from Thy fullness give;
Till I close my earthly race,
May I prove it “Christ to live!”
May I prove it “Christ to live!”

When, with wasting sickness worn,
Sinking to the grave I lie,
Or, by sudden anguish torn,
Startled nature dreads to die,
Startled nature dreads to die.

Jesus, my redeeming Lord,
Be Thou then in mercy near!
Let Thy smile of love afford
Full relief from all my fear,
Full relief from all my fear.

Firmly trusting in Thy blood,
Nothing shall my heart confound;
Safely I shall pass the flood,
Safely reach Emmanuel’s ground,
Safely reach Emmanuel’s ground.

When I touch the blessèd shore,
Back the closing waves shall roll;
Death’s dark stream shall never more
Part from Thee my ravished soul,
Part from Thee my ravished soul.

Thus, O thus, an entrance give
To the land of cloudless sky;
Having known it “Christ to live,”
Let me know it “gain to die,”
Let me know it “gain to die.”

Jesus Christ is LORD of the World

This morning I had breakfast with a fellow PhD student who is from Myanmar (if you don't know where that is, it's OK, I didn't either). He just finished all his coursework and is now studying for all his "comps" (=comprehensive reading exams) and then he'll embark upon his dissertation. This is now my second time here to BBS for courses and the second time that Kim and I have been able to talk theology and talk about his home country.

Kim wants to return home and start a seminary in his country. He told me this morning that Myanmar has 35million people and is 6% Christian (but, only 1% is Bible-believing, conservative Christian!). He wants to go back and teach pastors how to study their Bibles and how to preach. I have asked him what the greatest challenge is to the church in Myanmar and he said without hesitation: hermeneutics. He said that people just don't know how to read and interpret their Bible. You can imagine hearing sermons like this week in and week out. Inasmuch as many men don't know how to properly study and preach God's Word, His Spirit sovereignly still uses His Word to save souls!

What a great opportunity to us to partner with Kim in sending men over there for one week teaching modules at his seminary—expository preaching, hermeneutics, OT survey, NT survey, etc. Perhaps God may open a door for me to go over to his country and help him in his seminary there by preaching a week-long module to men who, Kim says, are 'hungry' for the Word of God.

Good reminder that we serve and worship a global God. He is the King of the nations!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Pray when you Preach! Pray for your Preacher!

This article by Dr. Rosscup gave me much encouragement this morning as I meditated on the need for preachers to bathe in prayer and the ministry of the Word (cf. Acts 6:4).

I have found that it's all too easy to grapple with the original languages, the theological intricacies, the historical ramifications, and the practical applications that I sometimes neglect the diligent and pervasive and (most!) important element of prayer and intercession. How could we expect to preach God's Word without engaging in fellowship with Him who has the power to drive our words home to the hearer's hearts!? Let us be reminded of the necessity of prayer in preparation, preaching, and persistent application by this marvelous statement. Quoting EM Bounds, Rossup writes:

"The young preacher has been taught to lay out all his strength on the form, taste, and beauty of his sermon as a mechanical and intellectual product. We have thereby cultivated a vicious taste among the people and raised the clamor for talent instead of grace, eloquence instead of piety, rhetoric instead of revelation, reputation and brilliancy instead of holiness" (34).

Source:
Rosscup, James E. "The Priority of Prayer in Preaching." The Master's Seminary Journal 2, no. 1 (Spring 1991): 21–44.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Fat-Head

This is not a derogatory term for anyone. This is, rather, the current condition of my brain. I feel as though it's fat and on the verge of bursting! Today Dr. Decker lectured for about seven hours on the NT's use of the OT. Today was the laying of the groundwork in the whole debate. It was very definitional and setting the parameters whereas tomorrow we'll dig into the texts.

One thing I know for sure. The NT authors quoted the OT with integrity and we must interpret the Scriptures seeking to understand the meaning in and authorial intent from the text.

I am thankful for God's Word and that we can study His Word and understand the truths revealed there.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

What's on your heart today?

You shall love the LORD your God

with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your might.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them

when you sit in your house,
and when you walk by the way,
and when you lie down,
and when you rise.

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand,
and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.


HT: Justin Taylor

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Update from Cold Clarks Summit, PA

Did I mention that it has been snowing here in (COLD) Pennsylvania yet in my blog posts? Well, it hasn't stopped snowing since my LAST post. In fact, just to tell you how dangerous (and fun!) it is, I was walking with two different men today (one on the way to class this morning and one on the way to lunch this afternoon) and BOTH of them slipped on the ice (one fell and the other did a nice ice-skating-type-pose "shuffle"). I refrained from laughing. I do find it quite amusing that I didn't end up on my rear. I guess I owe that to my hockey days; the balance must still be with me (!).

Enough of the trivial matters, this morning I had my 1.5 hour presentation on Hebrews 1:5 and its usage of the Old Testament. I taught for 1 hour and 27 minutes and left three minutes for discussion at the end. The guys were super gracious and we had a great 3 minute discussion. I think that it went well. Thanks so much for praying. I was slightly intimidated in going first for the presentations but God gave a greater grace to those in need (ME!).

Tonight I'm studying for THREE more presentations I have to give NEXT week for my course. Then, I'm going to walk back down the hill (=perhaps I may "shuffle"—intentionally or unintentionally!) to get my $1 coffee and then head back to my dorm room.

That leads me to one final thought. I have a leak in my room. My window that overlooks a snow-covered field is now leaking water INSIDE my dorm room. I solved the problem by putting the trash can there to gather the water. Two men from my PhD class thought it'd be helpful (Ha—and funny!) to OPEN my window and let some of the 'cool' (like 20 degrees 'cool') weather in my dorm room. Thanks guys.

We have lots of fun. I conclude with one final note of utmost importance...

Tonight I had a Krisby Kreme doughnut before dinner. AND, I have one more Krisby Kreme doughnut sitting on my desk waiting for me upon my arrival at the dorm room!

God has truly been good to me.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Spurgeon—Too irresistible to NOT quote

If you're a Christian, you should read this. If you think you're a Christian, you should read this. If you're not a Christian, you should still read this to see how Christians should be living.

Do not believe that the common Christianity of the present age will carry anybody to heaven. It is a counterfeit and a sham. It does not make men to differ from their fellows, it pretends to faith and has none, talks about love and does not show it, brags of truth and evaporates it into thin air in its latitudinarian charity.

God give us back the real thing—stimuli, strong belief in the gospel, real faith in Jesus, real prayer to him, real spiritual power.

Then again there will be persecution, but it will only blow away the chaff and leave the pure wheat!

The world likes us better because we like the world better; it calls us friends because we doff our colors and sheathe our swords and play the craven; but if we preach and live the gospel in the old apostolic way, we shall soon have the devil roaring round the camp and the seed of the serpent hissing on all sides, but we fear not, for "the Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."

—CH Spurgeon

HT: Phil Johnson

Biblical Intertextuality Update #1

This morning started our first day of the "internal residency" which means that all of us in the class (only six of us) meet with our prof (Dr. Decker) to go over our readings and give presentations regarding our work for the 2nd part of the course.

Today consisted of five book reviews of 45 minutes each and discussion. I gave my review of Hays' Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul. Good book—but the historical critical ideologies permeate the book. The presentation went well and God is good.

Tomorrow I'm first up for an hour and a half presentation on Hebrews 1:5 (the 2 verses quoted by Auctor [the name by which I affectionately like to call the anonymous author]—Ps 2:7 and 2 Sam 7:14). I've got the powerpoint (actually, "keynote") ready and all my notes prepared. I'm ready for this one and excited for the rest of the week and the interaction with these Godly (and much older!) men!

Again, tonight, I walked out of the cafeteria to find snow falling from the sky. In fact, I heard that there is a "severe winter warning" in effect for Clarks Summit tonight (not sure what that means, but to me, a Californian, severe winter warning + snow = FUN!). It just may demand that I go to the on-campus coffee-shop again (man, that'll be day #2 in a row!) and purchase my coffee for $1 and walk in the snow! (Ah, can't do that too often in LA.)

God is good. If you think of me, pray for me tomorrow at 10am (EST) as I give my 1.5 hour presentation on Hebrews 1:5. Pray for wisdom, guidance, direction, and accuracy as I speak and exegete these passages for the men.

"Give thanks to the LORD for He is good; His covenant-love endures forever!" —Ps 136:1

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Safe in Clarks Summit, PA

After a long day of traveling and some clear evidences of God's providence I made it safely to my dorm room here at Baptist Bible Seminary for my two weeks of PhD modules. My friend Paul picked me up at the airport and then we hit up Taco Bell (a good way to say 'welcome' to your new roommates!). And then I unpacked and four of us from our NT intertextuality class walked to the campus coffee shop (they have a white mocha that is just as good as Starbucks!). After we hung out there, we stepped back outside to find it snowing! Praise the LORD for 20 degree weather! (Note: it was almost 80 degrees back home in LA today.)

God is good. More updates to come throughout the week.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Chauffeured on LA Public Bus System

Today I was coming home from the seminary and had an interesting encounter with three people I've seen before on the bus.

First, there's the guy who talks 84 mph and has two friends who all get tgoether great on the bus. But then when this guy gets off the bus, his two friends bag him and ridicule him for talking so much about nothing worthwhile. It's a good lesson on how easy (and harsh) the sin of backbiting is. God protect us from that heinous sin.

Second, there's the FEDEX lady who cussed me out on the bus because I was studying my sermon notes. This was a number of months ago. I finally turned to her and said: You need to wash your mouth and watch what comes out of it! I don't feel unsafe on the LA metro bus ever but that was one of the few times I felt like I could have gotten pounded—and that from a woman (yea verily, a FEDEX woman!). It's another good lesson on the power of the tongue/words.

Third, there's a high school girl named Katherine. We get on the bus at the same stop and she gets off just a few stops before I exit at the seminary. Today, we sat next to each other on the bus and she said: "I always see you reading a book!" (Ha, what a marvelous complement!) We struck up a conversation and I began to ask her questions. I know she goes to St. Genevieve High School (obviously, a Catholic School). She's a junior and as I began to probe about her interests I found out she is an altar server and she is very proud of the fact that she can serve her priest every Sunday morning at the 7:30am service! Then she proceeded to tell me about how she's been going to "confirmation classes" on Tuesday nights and has been memorizing all the prayers. As we were getting off the bus I said: "I bet it's quite easy to just recite those prayers quite heartlessly without even thinking about what you're saying, huh?" She nodded and acknowledged in affirmation. It's a good less on the wickedness of heartless worship.

Did I fail to mention, I love being chauffeured on the LA public bus system?

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Randomness for Bloggers...

A few random thoughts as I embark upon my studies for the day...

I am reading through Leviticus in my quiet times and I'm reacquainted with the reality that God is holy and anything or anyone defiled is unholy and MUST be cleansed before entering the "community" or "God's presence again. I think we would do well to meditate on this simple truths and apply it to our lives so that we live holy and are pure and acceptable before Him.

I'm reading books on the NT use of the OT. I have never been more overwhelmed with such a vast (and confusing) subject at times. I find myself bewildered at the NT's usage of the OT. Nevertheless, I still am convinced that they must have quoted them with integrity for the original contexts (and not simply using them as 'proof-texts').

Tonight we are having a praise & worship night at Church. Anyone is welcome to attend. It's an hour of hymns, worship songs, and Scripture readings as we reorient our focus toward the Cross and our Savior.

I'm leaving in a few days for Pennsylvania and am hoping that I can get there on Sunday because the weather says it's supposed to snow there on Sunday—yikes!

God gave me such a (timely!) encouragement on Sunday. A young senior in high school gave me a note expressing her appreciation for her pastors who faithfully preach and teach God's Word every week. That is, hands down, the best encouragement anyone could ever get. Praise God.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Come to RESOLVED



All High School seniors and College students are invited to join us this year (this is the trailer from the 2009 conference but it gives you an idea of what goes on there).

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Preach the Book of Revelation

One of the books I'm currently preaching through is Revelation. I just laughed in agreement when I read this quote:

Many good and faithful preachers rank preaching on apocalyptic texts alongside handling serpents; they have heard that people do it, but they have no desire to come anywhere near them"
—Larry Paul Jones and Jerry L. Sumney.


How (dissapointingly) true it is!

Monday, February 1, 2010

Saturday, January 30, 2010

The First Inhabitants of the Eternal Lake of Fire—Be Warned!

I’m preaching tonight on Revelation 19:11–21 on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to earth. He came 2,000 years ago as a baby but in the near-future He’s coming back, not as a baby, but as a Sovereign and vengeful Judge.

It is at this Second Coming when, as John says in Revelation 19, that the beast (=the Antichrist) and the false prophet (=the side-kick of the Antichrist who performs many miracles and deceives many into believing the cunning lies of the Satanic Antichrist) will be thrown alive into the Lake of Fire. How fitting it is for these two human beings to be the first to populate the eternal Lake of Fire.

At the present, when humans die who have not received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior die, they are immediately cast into Hell (=Hades)—a place of torment, but NOT the Lake of Fire (this is, the Second death according to Rev 20:11–15).

Note how one commentator speaks of this casting of the Antichrist and the false prophet into the eternal Lake of Fire:

“Two men, be it noted, are taken alive. They are the two arch-conspirators who have bulked so largely in this book (=Revelation)—The beast and the false prophet, the civil and religious leaders of the last league of nations, which will be Satan-inspired in its origin and Satan-directed until its doom. THese two men are ‘cast alive into the lake burning with fire and brimstone,’ where a thousand years later they are still said to be ‘suffering the vengeance of eternal fire,’ thus incidentally proving that the lake of fire is NOT annihilation, and that it is not purgatorial either, for it neither annihilates nor purifies these two fallen foe of God and man after a thousand years under judgment” (quoted in Walvoord, Revelation of Jesus Christ, 280).

Better News Simply Does Not Exist...

“The gospel, in brief, is the good news about the person and finished work of Jesus Christ. Consider for a moment that the eternal Son of God relinquished the glories of heaven to become a man, a human being like you and me. He lived a perfect and sinless life (unlike you and me), fulfilling every requirement of God’s holy law in a way we could never hope to accomplish. And then in a glorious display of God’s love for sinners like us, he willingly received the full fury of God’s righteous wrath against sin by dying for our sins on a cruel Roman cross.

Because God’s absolute and perfect holiness demands an equivalent holiness from all who come before him, in ourselves we are hopelessly lost and condemned. But Jesus, who had no sin of his won to pay for, took our place, paid our penalty, and suffered our punishment. Because his death as our substitute was perfectly sufficient to pay for our sin, God vindicated him by raising him from the dead. So now all who place their trust in Jesus’ work on their behalf and turn from their sin will be forgiven, counted righteous in him, and saved from judgment for all eternity . . . all by God’s marvelous grace. This is the gospel. This is the good news. Better news simply does not exist!”

- Gary & Betsy Ricucci, Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 2006), 21-22.

HT: Randy Kirkland

Friday, January 29, 2010

God, Sex, and Purity Conference Media

The sermons are now up and available if you weren't able to make it to the camp with us.

Session 1 - "God—The Creator and Encourager of Sex" - Gen 2:18-25
Session 2 - "Purity—God's Demand of Your Life" - 1 Thess 4:1-8
Session 3 - "Pornography—God's Hatred of It" - Hebrews 13:4 and Selected Scriptures
Session 4 - "Dating—Maintaining Purity Throughout" - Song of Solomon 8:4
Session 5 - "Resolved—Determining to Live a Pure Life" - Proverbs 5:1-23
Session 6 - Q&A with Pastor Geoff - Selected Scriptures

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Great quotes on evangelism and preaching the gospel!

I'm preaching on Evangelism and the Great Commission this Sunday at Church and here are a few quotes that I have mused over today...

"'Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world."
--William Booth

"Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."
--C.T. Studd

"If sinners be dammed, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one GO there UNWARNED and UNPRAYED for."
--Charles Spurgeon

Monday, January 25, 2010

God, Sex, and Purity CCC Retreat -- in retrospect

Just got home last night from our youth and college winter retreat. We were supposed to go to Big Bear to ski and board but all the freeways going up to Big Bear were closed. So we resorted to plan B—a local hotel. We had a blast as we studied the Word of God in the Executive Room at the Residence Inn. We also traveled up to Frazier Park and had a great day of sledding down some of the hills and played a great game of football in about 6 inches of snow. God truly blessed us with a great weekend. No injuries. No problems. No stoning the preacher. It all worked out well. Our theme for the weekend was God, Sex, and Purity. One of the things I was reminded of was how high (and necessary!) the calling is to preach and live out what you preach. God truly is good and I am thankful, yet again, for the clarity and power of God’s Word. The sermons are up and available to listen and/or download.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Are you depressed--God has the solution for you.

Hope for the Depressed

by Ed Welch

Never has so much been crammed into one word. Depression feels terrifying—your world is dark, heavy, painful. Some days you think that physical pain might be easier to endure; at least the pain would be localized. Instead, depression goes to your very soul, corrupting everything in its path. Dead but walking is one way to describe it. You feel numb, but you still remember when you actually felt something. Somehow that makes it harder to bear.

So many things about your life are difficult right now. Things you used to take for granted—a good night’s sleep, having goals, looking forward to the future—now seem beyond your reach. Your relationships are also affected. The people who love you are looking for some emotional response from you, but you feel empty. Sometimes you are cranky and doubt their love, and then relationships are even more strained.

You aren’t alone, of course. Depression affects as much as 25% of the population. But statistics offer little comfort. In fact, a depressive spin on them can make you feel worse: You wonder why so many people are depressed, and you’re afraid that means there is no solution to the problem. Yet there is another perspective. God tells us that he cares about one wandering sheep in a hundred (Matthew 18:10–14) and counts the hairs on individual heads. If he has this much compassion for a solitary, lost individual, he certainly cares for you and such a large group of suffering people. You may not understand how he cares for you, but you can be certain that he is.

SUFFERING MAKES US AWARE OF GOD

You are suffering, and suffering brings God into view. That’s the way it always happens. The soldier who escapes from a treacherous battle will instinctively thank God. The stock broker who just lost a fortune might instinctively curse him. When hardships come we either cry out to God for help, shake our fist at him, or do both. There is actually a picture of this in the Bible: throughout history God has taken his people out into the wilderness, and you are certainly in the wilderness.

The journey in the wilderness is intended, in part, to reveal what is in our hearts, and to teach us to trust God in both good times and hard times. Why does he do this? To show us those things that are most important. Don’t forget that God takes his children into the wilderness. He even led his only Son into the wilderness. We shouldn’t be surprised if he takes us there as well.

While you are in the wilderness what are you seeing in your own heart? How are you relating to God? Do you avoid him? Ignore him? Get angry at him? Do you act as though he is very far away and too busy with everything else to attend to your suffering? Are you frustrated that God is powerful enough to end your suffering but he hasn’t? In your depression, let God reveal your heart. You might find spiritual issues that contribute to or even cause your depression.

WHICH PATH WILL YOU CHOOSE?

You are on one of two roads: faith or isolated independence. On the road of faith you are seeking and following God. You are calling out to him. You don’t understand what is happening, but you have not lost sight of how the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ assure you that he is good. You feel like you are walking in the dark, but in your best moments you are putting one foot in front of the other as an expression of your trust in God. Whether you know it or not you are being heroic. On this path, although you are suffering, you are still able to notice and marvel that God’s Spirit is empowering you to trust him through darkness and pain.

The other path is the more common one, even among Christians. Even if you believe that God has revealed himself to you in Jesus Christ, it doesn’t seem to make much difference. You don’t feel as though you are consciously avoiding God. You are just trying to survive. But if you look closely you will notice that you are pushing God away. Look at the tell-tale signs:

  • You have no hope, even though Scripture, God’s words to you, offers hope on almost every page. Here’s just one example, “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:21–23).
  • You think life is meaningless, even though you are a servant of the King and every small step of obedience resonates throughout eternity. This is God’s purpose for you today, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6).
  • You think God doesn’t care, even though Scripture makes it clear that we run from God, not vice versa. Listen to what God says to you, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6–7).
  • In other words, in many areas of life, you simply do not believe what God says.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Media flood on the next generation


Bonnie Ribune of the Chicago Tribune writes:

The amount of time young people spend consuming media has ballooned with around-the-clock access and mobile devices that function practically as appendages, according to a new report.

A few years ago, the same researchers thought that teens and tweens were consuming about as much media as humanly possible in the hours available. But somehow, young people have found a way to pack in even more.

In the last five years, the time that America's 8- to 18-year-olds spend watching TV, playing video games and using a computer for entertainment has risen by 1 hour, 17 minutes a day, the Kaiser Family Foundation said.

Young people now devote an average of 7 hours, 38 minutes to daily media use, or about 53 hours a week — more than a full-time job.

"What surprised me the most is the sheer amount of media content coming into their lives each day," said Kaiser's Vicky Rideout, who directed the study. "When you step back and look at the big picture, it's a little overwhelming."

The numbers zoom even higher if you consider kids' multitasking — such as listening to music while on the computer. Those data show young people are marinating in media for what amounts to 10 hours, 45 minutes a day — an increase of almost 2.25 hours since 2004.

The report, "Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-year-olds," is based on a survey of more than 2,000 students nationwide. It is the third wave of the nonprofit's ongoing look at children's media use, providing a glimpse at current viewing and listening patterns while also documenting changes from five and 10 years ago.

The huge increase since 2004 can be attributed to the transformation of the cell phone into a content delivery device, Rideout said.

"Kids are spending more time using their phone to play video games, watch TV and listen to music than to actually talk on them," she said.

And, of course, the last time Kaiser took the nation's temperature, social networking sites barely existed.

"The average day for me, if I am not at work, I will text all day or be on MySapce or Facebook," said Felinda Seymore, 17, of Waukegan. "That's my life."

On Sunday, for instance, she fiddled around online from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., updating her status and commenting on her friends' pages, she said.

Yikes--O how important it is for us to saturate our minds with God's Word!

Believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved!

I am utterly convinced that the responsibility to preach and teach God’s Word is the highest calling God could have placed upon feeble man. Last night I had the privilege of preaching at church and I delivered a sermon on why you should believe in the gospel. It was a gospel message. I had seven reasons:

It reconciles you with a holy God
It transforms you from the inside out
It rescues you from eternal torment
It promises you eternal life at the moment of death
It gives you perspective in this world
It compels you to evangelize the unsaved
It instills in you a God-glorifying desire

These truths are just a few of the myriad of reasons Scripture gives for us to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ! It is only in the gospel of Christ where sins may be forgiven, we may be washed and cleansed, and made right with Almighty God.

Listen here.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

An argument for the inspiration of the psalm titles

Nearly all OT scholars affirm that the superscriptions (the titles) in the book of Psalms are not inspired. I differ, however. I am absolutely convinced they’re inspired and written by the author to enhance the historical setting and meaning of the psalm.


For example, I’m preaching Psalm 51 tomorrow and the superscription (=title) says:

בְּֽבֹוא־אֵ֭לָיו נָתָ֣ן הַנָּבִ֑יא כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־בָּ֝֗א אֶל־בַּת־שָֽׁבַע׃


When Nathan the prophet came to him when he went into Bathsheba. (Title in the English psalms)

One reason why I believe the superscriptions are part of the inspired text is because of verse four (v.6 in Heb).

לְךָ֤ לְבַדְּךָ֨ חָטָאתִי֮ וְהָרַ֥ע בְּעֵינֶ֗יךָ עָ֫שִׂ֥יתִי 

Against you and you alone have I sinned and the evil in your eyes I have done.


The amazing note is when David says: I have committed the evil. Virtually no commentators make reference to this but the only referent to this article on “evil” is the superscription speaking of David’s going-into Bathsheba (=adultery). Without this superscription showing which specific sin David is referring to, the definite article here is meaningless. This is why the original languages are important and why it is crucial to examine every nuance of the languages so as to find what the inspired text is.

Psalm 51 - God's Forgiveness of Us and Our Restoration to Him

I am currently preaching through the book of Psalms. Tomorrow night we are blessed to study Psalm 51. In studying this psalm, I came across this hymn that I’d never heard of before. I am going to close by reading a few of these verses.


Written by Samuel Stone in 1866, Weary of Earth and Laden with My Sin contains marvelous theology:

Weary of earth, and laden with my sin,
I look at Heav’n and long to enter in,
But there no evil thing may find a home:
And yet I hear a voice that bids me “Come.”

So vile I am, how dare I hope to stand
In the pure glory of that holy land?
Before the whiteness of that throne appear?
Yet there are hands stretched out to draw me near.

The while I fain would tread the heav’nly way
Evil is ever with me day by day;
Yet on mine ears the gracious tidings fall:
“Repent, confess, thou shalt be loosed from all.”

It is the voice of Jesus that I hear;
His are the hands stretched out to draw me near,
And His the blood that can for all atone,
And set me faultless there before the throne.

’Twas He Who found me on the deathly wild,
And made me heir of Heav’n, the Father’s child,
And day by day, whereby my soul may live,
Gives me His grace of pardon, and will give.

O great Absolver, grant my soul may wear
The lowliest garb of penitence and prayer,
That in the Father’s courts my glorious dress
May be the garment of Thy righteousness.

Yea, Thou wilt answer for me, righteous Lord;
Thine all the merits, mine the great reward;
Thine the sharp thorns, and mine the golden crown;
Mine the life won, and Thine the life laid down.

Naught can I bring, dear Lord, for all I owe,
Yet let my full heart what it can bestow;
Like Mary’s gift, let my devotion prove,
Forgiven greatly, how greatly I love.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU...

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU…


How would you finish this statement? What would you say? What is the most important thing you…? In our culture today, some think that the most important thing you can do is make a lot of money and support a family. Others suppose that the most important thing to be done is to better society and make our world “greener.” Still others, perhaps, think that we need to help others and make our world a “better place to live.” There may be a few others who think that the most important thing is to please—or appease—God by living a morally good life.


Yet according to the Bible none of these are the most important thing. According to God—whose opinion alone ultimately matters—the most important thing you need is to be reconciled to God. Very bluntly, you were born into this world as an enemy of God. If you are not a Christian you are God’s enemy and none of God’s enemies enter heaven—ever. Souls are at stake, eternally. Eternal hell is at stake. Eternal heaven is at stake.


Born into the world as an enemy of God Almighty because of our sin, we all as humans have one fundamental problem, namely, we are sinners through and through. Our nature rejects God. Our flesh wants to be in control. We are proud, arrogant, immoral, impure, defiled, idolatrous, and self-sufficient. We, in and of ourselves, love to dethrone God and enthrone self. This is at the heart of Satan’s sin and Satan rejoices with all the demons in hell when individuals fall prey to this same self-idolatrous sin.


The only way to be reconciled to God is for GOD to reconcile you to Himself. And the good news is that Jesus has come. He has lived the perfect life. He has died an undeserved death in the place of sinners who rightly deserve the wrath of God. But Jesus came to bear that divine and ultimate wrath of God for sinners who believe in Him. In a word, the only way you can ever be reconciled with God is by believing in Jesus Christ alone as your Savior. Belief includes more than a simple trust that He once existed as a human person. It demands more than a sheer intellectual knowledge that He was God’s Son (nearly everyone in the world would acknowledge that). Rather, true faith and belief demands a knowledge that Jesus is truly the God-Man who came as God to live a perfect life and as man to relate to us humans and a life-commitment and total-surrender to this Sovereign King.


The plea on the table before you today is this: be reconciled to God! Don’t wait. Don’t put it off. Don’t say no. Don’t reject it. Fly to Christ for if you do not you will at the instant you close your eyes in death (whenever that may be) you will forever be in agonizing torment being personally and vehemently crushed by this God who once offered you reconciliation!


2 Corinthians 5:20-21 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Raise Up Godly Men in the Local Church


One of the greatest blessings in a preacher’s ministry is when he raises up Godly men, teaches them the rules and methods of hermeneutics (biblical interpretation), educates them on how to prepare and preach a sermon while instructing them in godly living. This is one blessing that has become mine recently. A young man in our church was saved this past summer and as he has been delving into church ministry, church involvement, weekly men’s discipleship times, I’ve had the privilege of raising him up as a leader in our youth/college group.


This week I am not preaching Tuesday night. The reason is because this man is going to preach his first sermon. I have met with him numerous times. We’ve gone over the rules of biblical interpretation, how to prepare a sermon, and how to preach a sermon. He preached his sermon for me this past week and I have him a sermon evaluation form completely filled out with encouraging remarks and helpful tips for improvement.


What a joy to see a young man pursue Jesus Christ and read his bible often (putting some of us to shame!) and stand strong for Jesus Christ at a public college here and be ridiculed for his faith. God is truly honored in this kind of radical discipleship.


Matthew 10:32 32 "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.


I am excited for this privilege to sit back and hear the Word of God preached as he opens the truth of God’s Word to us this Tuesday night.


2 Timothy 2:2 2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Lessons from Israel

Just got home yesterday from an 11 day tour in Israel. Here are a few lessons God taught me this trip.

First, God Guides. I knew this already. I have experienced this before in my life. But this trip reminded me and showed me that God truly is the One sovereignly orchestrating every single step of our lives. In Israel as I led our group of six around the land, I prayed daily for God to guide us and lead us to the perfect sites, that I would find them if they were tucked away in a corner somewhere. And God totally answered that prayer--daily.

Second, God Guards. I also knew this. But God protected us. We had people that were nearly 70 years of age on the trip and that God protected them and guarded their bodies as we walked all around the Old City the final few days is remarkable. Additionally, God guarded us in a land that is very different than our own and a culture that is very different than our own. God truly is a wonderful shield.

Third, God Convicts. I pray just as every Christian does. Yet when we were sailing on the Sea of Galilee I was meditating on the verses in the gospels where Jesus got away to an isolated place (Mt Arbel?) to pray. As I was on the boat looking at Mt Arbel, God convicted me for my prayerlessness. Christians must pray. And if pastors are sovereignly entrusted with the duty of overseeing the spiritual condition of the souls of the sheep in his fold, then how much more ought pastors to pray. Earnestly. Urgently. Fervently. Constantly. God is good and God convicted me and starkly showed me that I must delve into more times of prayer with God.

Fourth, God is Good. We know this from Psalm 119:68--You are good. When people tell me that they have seen the land of Israel and are amazed at how small the land is and how and why events happened the way they did (e.g., for geographical reasons), I am overjoyed. When people tell me that they have a greater hunger to go home after the trip and start in Genesis 1 and read the entire Old Testament again with the knowledge and understanding gained because of this trip to Israel, it is all worth it.

Again, we can say with the Psalmist:

"Give thanks to the LORD for He is good; His lovingkindness endures forever." Ps 136:1

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Charles Wesley pens a "Calvinistic" hymn...

I laughed as I read Sinclair Ferguson this morning when he said:

"John Duncan, professor of Hebrew at New College, Edinburgh, once read out the words of Charles Wesley's hymn And Can it Be that I Should Gain?:

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
fast bound in sin and nature's night
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light
My chains fell off my heart was free;
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee
My chains fell off my heart was free;
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Duncan commented quizzically, "Where's your Arminianism now, friend?" The Wesley brothers were indeed Arminian in theology (despite their conviction that many of their views were 'within a hair's breath of Calvinism [and, I might add, many of the Arminians then are more Calvinistic than many Calvinists today]). But at this point, Charles Wesley's expressions of praise are rooted in a theology borrowed from his Calvinist friend George Whitefield's preaching on the new birth.

Praise God that He has quickened our souls to the new birth as Wesley penned in the words of this hymn.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Cute Cat

Now, I post this not only cause it's cute, but because I think it's funny that all the guys in my youth group love this video and brought it to my attention last week!

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