Dangerous Ways of Trying to be Holy -- Session #1

I don't really have time to clean-up and expand my point form notes on the various sessions of the 10th Annual Cambridge Reformed Bible Conference, but I will post my note none the less. If there are any mistakes, bad theology, or typos. Or, if you cannot make head nor tails of what is here, again fault my typing and transcription failings, not necessarily the speaker. With that said, here are my notes, such as they are, for the first session.

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Read: Gal 3:1-14; 2 Cor 5:14-15

-in OT the word for holy or holiness is qadosh

-discussion about what the root means

-some say “to shine”

-others “to be separate”

-from certain things and to God

-to be separate from what is unholy and separated to God with the goal of our shining

Exo 19:6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel."

-after people separated from other people

-taken out of Egypt

-told that they were to be a distinct, separate people

-who could shine light of God in their midst

lev 11:[44] For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground.

-set apart

-to be holy for this reason, because God is holy

-we are people of God

-while by nature were were children of wrath like the rest

-god called us out from the whole to be like him

-not to be conformed to the world

-see 1 Peter 1-2

-law cannot make people holy

-because of the weakness of fallen flesh

-prophets however spoke of a new age

-when Messiah would come

-and make all things new

-Eze 36 [22] "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. [23] And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. [24] I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. [25] I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. [26] And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. [28] You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

-God does this for his name sake

-his sanctifying

-cleansing

-setting apart

Matt 1 [21] She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

-Jesus is the only one who can sanctify a person

-came to save his people from their sins

Rom 6 [6:1] What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? [2] By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? [3] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. [6] We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

-there is a definitive time when each Christian died to sin

-old self crucified with Christ

-so that rising with Christ we might walk in newness of life

-and no longer slaves to sin

-living in sin is contrary to our new nature

Rom 8 [29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [30] And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

-goal of predestination

-to be conformed to image of his Son

2 thes 2 [13] But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. [14] To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thes 5 [23] Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

-any view of Christianity that does not have a well developed view of holiness does dispite to God and what he has done

-source of sanctification

-the gospel

-the good news

-the source of our sanctification is the love of God in Jesus Christ

-O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus . . . (Hymn)

-in sanctification section of Trinity Hymnal

(another sanctification hymn “love divine all loves excelling”

-how does it come

-God from the foundation of the world

chooses men/women/boys/girls to be his

-in love

-designed to make us like Christ

-to be conformed to his image

-to say a person can be a Christian and not be holy

-flies in the face of the calling of God

-and its goal

-God gives a new heart

-given from Christ

-God's own heart

-so it is a heart that hungers and thirst and beats and throbs for what God is

-has righteousness of Christ

-so no condemnation

-and hunger for holiness

-the gospel is the root of all sanctification

-must be a genuine Christian

-or cannot take one baby step in the work of sanctification

-witness Nicodemus (John 3)

-religious leader

-Jesus tells him, “You must be born again”

-sovereign work of God

-what are the means of sanctification

-deal with more tomorrow morning

-the means God uses is a faith that works

-phil 2:12-13 [12] Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

2 aspects of sanctification

-one is definitive

-have died with Christ

-other is progressive

-2 cor 7:1 [7:1] Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

-growing in grace

-how to put all this together

-think of sanctification as a change of kingdoms

-God translated us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his own beloved son in whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sins (Don't know scripture pass.)

-removed from dominating power of world, flesh, devil

-to where reigning power is Christ

-but old kingdom still has a lot of influence

-still some terrorist attacks

-dangerous ways of sanctification

-ways that become substitutes for sanctification

1. Moralism

-trying to be holy outside of Christ

-putting makeup on cancer

-how does it influence us?

-as our culture moves further from anything remotely like Christianity

-but Mormons, Muslims, and others are with us in moral area

-before you know it Rush Limbaughs are not far from the kingdom of heaven

-not because of faith

-but because of their moral standards

-John 15, without Christ we can do nothing

-the most moral, upright citizen

-voting, thinking, protesting the same thing we do

-if outside of Christ

-there is no comparison in terms of Holiness

2. Legalism

   -trying to be sanctified by laws or the law in themselves

   -if i just meditate on the Ten Commandment I will be more holy

   -if I just pay attention to the laws of Old Testament I will be more holy

-this is like playing with a sharp scaple

-the law by itself will not sanctify anyone

-Gal 3

-this is very attractive in lawless culture

-behind Federal Vision ideals

-want people who walk by the precepts of the Word

-if you emphasize law outside of faith in Christ

-you are not fine

-apart from Christ that cannot sanctify

3. Crisis experiences

-expereince that is meant to sanctify

-Methodism, Keswich and others

-crisis experiences are not going to sanctify you completely

-if one looks for this

-they will be very disappointed

-and will constantly be seeking these experiences

4. Spiritual breathing

   -breath in Spirit

   -breath out sin

   -preach gospel to self

-but there is a whole lot more to this than that

must have well developed view of Biblical holiness

-backdrop of all this is the battle

-the fight

-flesh lusts against Spirit and Spirit against flesh

-Rom 7, Gal 5?

-our culture doesn't like war

-tries to get out of it as soon as possible

-but only one way out of this war

-end of this life

-either death or return of Christ

-you want to be holy

-lord has enlisted you in his army

-to fight

-the love of God is behind all of this

-to fight

-can only be done if one has received the love of God (Rom 8)

Cambridge Reformed Bible Conference

Last night and today I was at the Tenth Annual Cambridge Reformed Bible Conference. This, sadly, little known conference has been going on for ten years now. It is a work put together by the collaboration of several reformed congregations in and around Cambridge Ontario. I attended two years back when they had O. Palmer Robertson speaking on Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and this year with Rev. William Shishko. As far as I know this conference happens every year on the last Friday and Saturday of April. This year they once again used the facilities of Calvary Pentecostal church on Hwy #24 in Cambridge.

I what unfamiliar with Rev. Shishco never having heard him before, but I was interested in the topics. Friday night he was scheduled to speak on Dangerous Ways of Trying to be Holy and today he was scheduled to speak on Sanctified as God's Children and Sanctified as Christ's Bride.

I arrived Friday night, and their was a decent crowd out including many young people. Rev. Shishko was ok, but I found him difficult to follow. This was probably due to two things. First, I was tired after a day of work, and second, apparently he arrived a little late and I would guess that hindered his preparation time.

I spent the night sleeping in the back of my van which perfectly fits a double bed mattress, so don't make the mistake of thinking it is an uncomfortable place to sleep. I actually slept through my alarm clock, but that wasn't a big problem as the conference did not start until 10AM.

The morning session was excellent. Very informative. Very convicting. Rev. Shishko proclaimed the word of God clearly.

For lunch I headed out to Applebees and had an excellent meal as I continued to think through some of what was taught that morning.

The afternoon session started at 2PM, and Rev. Shishko once again was very good as he passionately pointed out that for a Christian to grow in holiness, they need to be an active, committed, fellowshipping part of a congregation. As he said, "It takes a church to grow in sanctification."

Overall this is an excellent, all be it, not very well known conference. If you live in the Cambridge Ontario area, keep it in mind for next year. I will post a notice about it on my blog, if I remember, to remind everyone who might be interested.

Thank-you to the congregations that are part of planning this, Cambridge Orthodox Christian Reformed Church, Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Cambridge, Grace Covenant Church (OPC) in Sheffield, and Zion United Reformed Church in Sheffield.

All Registered for the Banner Conference

Once again this year I hope to attend the Banner of Truth Minister's conference. This is a conference I was encouraged to attend by a fellow pastor while I was training for ministry, and when I first started out pastoring the congregation I currently serve. For years I had other things I needed to use my study week for. Then about 5 years ago I had nothing I needed to use my study week for, and decided to go to the Banner. It was the best decision I have ever made. The preaching there encouraged me, exhorted me, challenged me, and by the grace of God changed me as well. It was just what I needed, and since then I have returned every year, and been as blessed each time.

Gathering with fellow Reformed ministers from various denominations, yet who all seek to serve the same Lord and Saviour, is a great blessing. Each year I get to know more people, and each year I have more people who I look forward to seeing again.

If you are a pastor or an elder who loves the doctrines of grace. Consider attending this conference. This year the speakers include:

* Sinclair Ferguson
* Derek Thomas
* Mark Johnston
* Patrick Harrison
* Ben Short
* Jonathan Watson

I have heard three of these men speak, and they have been greatly used by God to open my eyes further to his glory and grace. If you are considering going you can find more information here.

He's Alive

[John 20:1] Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. [2] So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." [3] So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. [4] Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. [5] And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. [6] Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, [7] and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. [8] Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; [9] for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. [10] Then the disciples went back to their homes. [11] But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. [12] And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. [13] They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." [14] Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. [15] Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." [16] Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). [17] Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' " [18] Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"—and that he had said these things to her.

Jesus is alive! Do you believe?

Thursday Thoughts

Thabiti Anyabwile asks an important question, "Which provokes more awe: An Evangelical Church Service of the U.S. Marines"  I have to say that in my experience many Evangelical worship services do not provoke much awe at all.  This was a good reminder to me of how important it is to strive to exalt God and His Son our Saviour Jesus Christ in worship.  Sadly, I am sure I have failed at that many times.

Over at Beauty and Depravity, there is an excellent post on Pastoral Health that points out that working as a pastor is now considered "one of the most dangerous or unhealthiest professions."  I wish I could say I did not see that in pastoral ministry, but in my own experience and in my interaction with other pastors, I see it all around me. 

Related to this Mark Driscoll post on how his health is being affected by ministry.  I have been there, and over the past month or so have been there.

Finally, Jim over at Old Truth posted a brief observation on Evangelism, Then and Now.

I haven't been posting a lot

I have not been posting a lot lately. If you check here regularly, you know that. It is not that I have been especially busy all that time, although this week with Good Friday and Easter certainly is busy. However, the bigger challenge is that I have been finding that my spirit is heavy within me, and that means doing what I normally do is very difficult.

If one has a job that is physical labor or something similar, you can keep going when your heart is feeling heavy. You can even be pretty much as productive as you are when that is not the case. However, I find when ministering as a pastor, having a spirit that is in one of those times like Elijah faced in 1 Kings 19, it makes ministry very difficult. It takes all I have to get two sermons a week done. One visit will leave me exhausted. I become short with my wife and son. All of which makes getting through the day to day work of pastoral ministry very difficult.

As you may have surmised from the preceding, that last several weeks have been like that for me. I can't put a finger on anything specific, but it seems that no matter what I do, I have been feeling that it is of little or no use. I feel drained spiritually, and although it is slightly better this week, I know it is still there.

On the positive side, usually when this sort of thing happens God is doing something that either surprises me or that I need. That has happened more than once in the past, but knowing that does not remove the struggle of the current time.

Instead of posting, I will be spending my time in prayer and the Word, waiting upon God to bring times of refreshing.

Thursday Thoughts

Over at Grey in Black and White, Shawn links to this article in the Ottawa Citizen that points out that Christianity builds democracy. Sadly, most people in North America seem to have forgotten this completely, and started to see Christianity as a threat to democracy.

Al Mohler has been putting up some wonderful posts this past week. I have linked over in an other post, but thought this one was worth adding to Thursday Thoughts. It deals with the growing tendency to put aside church activities for "Family" time. It also speaks a little of something that I believe is very important, that is, that the church should avoid "segregating families once they arrive." I believe the church is meant to break down the divisions between believers, not re-enforce what the world does.

That is all for this week.

My Irish Name

Your Irish Name Is...

Aidan Gallagher

What's your Irish Name?

A Rabbi Gets It, Why Don't Christians

Al Mohler posted on an article by a Jewish Rabbi who understands that if the documentary, The Lost Tomb of Jesus is correct in their assertion that they have found the body of Jesus and his family, that Christianity is false. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinithians 15, "And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied."

What amazes me is that there are a whole host of people out there who hold the name of Christian up high as what describes them, but think that is makes no difference if Christ was really bodily raised from death. They claim it Christianity is all about loving one another, and that won't stop even if Jesus body is found.

Such belief shows just how deceived their minds have become. As the Rabbi pointed out loving one another is not something uniquely Christian, rather what is uniquely Christian is that the basis for both that command and the power to fulfill it rest in a historical event of the death AND resurrection of Jesus Christ that sets those who believe free from the sin in their hearts so that they can now live as obedient children of God. Without that event, our faith is in vain, we have misrepresented God, and instead of being admired we should be pitied because we have bought into a lie.

But, Christ has been raised not just spiritually, but physically. He is has won the victory, and if you believe he will set you free from sin so it domination over you will be broken.

Claiming to be a Christian while at the same time saying the resurrection is not important is lying to others and to yourself. If you are one who does that, do everyone a favor, including yourself, and stop calling yourself a Christian because you are not one at all.

Thursday Thoughts

Dan over at Pyromaniacs posts on how to be a pathetic leader. I figure this comes pretty easily to all of us, so we need the warning about it.

Denny Burk posts on how even the secular archaeologists think that the Jesus Tomb that is being produced and plugged by James Cameron is a bunch of hog-wash.

If you know a little Biblical Greek, or are considering learning it, check out Dan Phillips new blog.

That is it for this week. It is cold, snowy, icy, freezing rainy outside, and I have more work to do.

Good day

Although there were things that I wished I could have finished today, over all it was a good day.

It didn't start well. I was sound asleep when I was woken up by a barking dog, and worse yet, it was one of ours. Riley had to go outside and when he went out, Sassy had to follow. When she is outside, she feels this need to protect us, and barks at passing dogs, people, and other things she thinks should not be there. So I woke up before I should have, and was very grumpy (sorry hun, I know I was a grumpy bear this Morning). Thankfully, that is not where things ended.

We took Justin in to the hospital to have the tubes checked and see how his hearing is now that they are in. His hearing went from about 50% to completely normal. God is good :) It is amazing how fluid in the middle ear can so hinder hearing.

While we spent all that time waiting, I spent my time working. I got a lot done of my sermon preparation, and that allowed me to get the first draft of my Sunday morning sermon finished when we got back. I also got some other work done as well while we were at the hospital, so it was far from wasted time sitting in the waiting rooms.

After I was done my work, I went back to working on our Sunrunner and our Mazda Protege. The Sunrunner needs new brake lines and the Protege needs a new belt put on. I worked on the Protege for a while, and then got frustrated because things were not working. I then went to work in the Sunrunner.

I have been working at it for a while because the brake line fittings are so rusted they are difficult to get off. I got one end off earlier in the week, and got one line out completely fairly soon after, but the other end of the second line I need to replace just did not want to come loose. I tried the propane torch on it, and even that didn't work. Eventually even the flare nut wrench rounded off the fitting, so I had to go to vice grips. I tried the torch on it one more time then using the vice grips at last I got it off. So all that is left is bending the new brake lines, installing them, refilling the brake fluid and bleeding the system. Probably the hardest part of all of that is the bending of the new lines. I hope I can get it all done by next week Monday.

To top the day off, we had our prayer meeting. We have few who come out, but the time together in prayer is still very good.

So, it was a good, productive day of work even though it didn't start that well.

Just Tried Out Skype

I had heard about Skype for a long time, but I had never thought of trying it. Today, however, was different. I decided at last to try it out. I have to say, I like it.

If you don't know what Skype is let me tell you. It is a free voice over ip (voip for short) phone service. If you have high speed internet access, you can use it to make phone calls. It is completely free if the people you are calling also have Skype. Even better, you can also call normal phone numbers for a small fee. I have not paid out for this feature yet, but I probably will in the very near future. As with the other voip providers, you can even get phones that will work with it so you can have that comfortable handset that you are so used to.

At the moment I don't know anyone with Skype, but I am going to encourage some of my friends to get it. The sound quality while doing the test call to set up my microphone was excellent. Now I just need to get some people I know onto this so I can call them for free.

I encourage those of you with high speed access to the internet to try it out if you haven't already. Oh, you will need a microphone that can be used with your computer as well.

No Thursday Thought This Week

For some reason this week has been very busy for me. There isn't any one thing that I can place my finger on that has made it busy, but I am behind in the vital things like sermon preparation and writing. That means, no Thursday Thoughts this week.

I also ask that people pray that God will give me what I need to get the two sermons I need to write this week done. Right now my mind doesn't seem to be able to really grasp the scriptures as it should, and I find there is a great sense of something there but not accessible to me. That is also why I have not posted much else on the blog this week either.

Inexpressible Joy - 1 Peter 1:6-9

In this continuation of our evening series on 1 Peter we look at the fact that Christians can have joy even in the midst of their troubles and afflictions.

Inexpressible Joy -- 1 Peter 1:6-9

Standing In Troubled Times

Standing In Troubled Times -- 1 Timothy 4:1-16
Morning Service February 18, 2007

Reasons To Praise God -- 1 Peter 1:3-5

I am a little late in posting this sermon. It was preached last Sunday at our evening service.

Reasons To Praise God -- 1 Peter 1:3-5

Surgery All Done

It is all done. Surgery is past, and Justin now has tubes in his ears. Sure enough he had another ear infection, so he is on antibiotics, but this time they are drops that are put in his ear, not oral ones. Thanks be to God all went well, and while all of us are VERY tired (this pretty much wrote off today as a day I would get work done), Justin his happy and seems to be feeling pretty good.

I knew everything had went well and Justin was feeling good when I asked if he was out of recovery yet. Only one parent is allowed in, so Annette went. The receptionist said that he was about to leave, and just then I hear Annette back in the pre-op area saying, "Justin get back here." Right then and there I knew he was feeling good and alert.

Justin's Surgery

Justin is scheduled to have his surgery to put tubes in this ears tomorrow at 8am. While I know this is a minor surgery, this is one of those firsts as a parent that I would much rather not have to go through. I ask for the prayers of those who read my blog, that God may be honored and his hands direct the surgeons that they may be effective and that this procedure may go well.

Thursday Thoughts

Over at johnrmccraken.com, John posts a helpful tip on Evangelism and small groups.

Another blog that I have started to read, and find very encouraging, interesting, and helpful, is Sharing Jesus. This blog has both helpful hints on sharing the gospel every day, and the person doing it practices what he teaches. He is out there doing it. Some may question the value of some of the things he does, but he is out there doing it. Are they? Two helpful posts of those I have read are The Gospel of John as as Tract (which has a useful link to a source for free Gospels of John) and Starbucks Coffee Shop (which reminded me that places like coffee shops can be a place to meet with unbelievers and talk to them about the gospel)

With all the talk about Global Warming, it is interesting that unlike those in the spotlight want to claim, actual scientists who are not sponsored by big oil companies are questioning the truth of human caused warming. Here is an article in the National Post. Also check out these radio interviews of men with actual credentials who point out some of the shortcomings of the IPCC. Finally, yet another article. When other types of pollution are much more harmful to people right now (think of the horrible smog found in many large cities around this world that not only contains carcinogenic compounds and causes severe asthma attacks in those susceptible to them not to mention the wastes from industry that kill wildlife) focusing on warming that probably has more to do with Solar cycles than Carbon released into the atmosphere seems to be far from the most Christian response to good stewardship.

Over at Ebenezer Reformed Church blog, there is a good post on the problem of pursuing morality as an end in itself.

All I can say is 'Yuck!'

Over are Reformation21, Rich Phillips continued his posts on Biblical Masculinity with Biblical Masculinity #4: Integrity and Biblical Masculinity #5: Self-Control. I missed both of them last time, but happily noticed them before they disappeared from my RSS reader.

Above All Earthly Powers

I finished reading through David Wells Above All Earthly Power last night. I don't really know what to say about it. I find that I am amazed, in a negative way, at the prevailing world-view around us right now. In fact, I find that even reading something like this book, that seeks to clearly explain how people think, I still have a hard time grasping it. On the other hand, there are places where I find that I am affected by it as well. There is a part of my that throws my hands up in the air wondering how the gospel will ever spread in such a climate. Then another part of me reminds me that the world has always been opposed to the gospel. The modern world-view was just as opposed to the Christians world-view as the post-modern one is. The only reason to not despair is the same one that forms the title of this book, we follow one who is above all earthly powers. To quote Him, "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

How to Put Audio Files Online

I was asked how I put my sermons online. There are few ways to do this, but there are some basic steps that are part of this.

1. Getting your sermon onto your computer.
If you want to get your sermon onto the Internet, you need to get it into a digital format. How I do this is by using the audio from the digital video tapes we make of our services. We make these tapes because we also broadcast our services twice a month on the local cable access channel. This is a very easy way to do this as all one has to do it have a digital video camera, a firewire interface card, and a video editing program. When I capture video this way I can save it out with my video editing software as an mp3 file.

However, realizing that many people will not have this sort of equipment, another option is to hook a computer up to the sound system using an adapter cable that will allow you to plug it into the audio input that most computer sound cards have. If you already do audio tapes of the services, then a simple y-connector that will split off the signal that is going to the tape-deck will work with the correct cable to switch to the plug that will go into your computer. Then you will only need some software to capture the audio. Windows comes with software that does that, but I don't believe it is very good. Perhaps checking over at TUCOWS for audio software would be the place to start looking. There is probably something there that is free. The program I often hear mentioned in connection with Pod-casting is Audacity, which is a free audio editor and recorder program. The advantage to Audacity is it not only will allow you to record the audio, but to edit it and save it as an mp3 file.

2. Getting Your Sermon Online.
Again there are many ways to do this. What I do, since I have a broadband connection and Linux, is use the Edna mp3 streaming webserver. That allows me to simply save the sermon audio to the directory the mp3 files are included in, and they are online right away. However, many people will not have this option. It also has its drawbacks such as if I want to podcast, I would have to write up the podcast xml file myself every time I add a new sermon. For me that would two a week. More work than I want to do.

That leads to the other option. Free hosting on the web. I use this as well, but it also has its limitation. Usually there are limits on the number of files they will host free, and the quality of the audio is based on how they compress it. Having said that, the advantages are that they do the xml file for podcasting for you, so you can add it to the various pod-casting aggregators so more people may come to know about it.

The free service I use is Sermon Cloud. This is a free hosting site for sermons. Basically they provide space for one year (52) sermons, and then the oldest ones will be replaced by every one that is added after you reach that limit. When you upload the audio to their site they re-compress it to meet their standards, but the sound quality is still good.

As you can see, this is fairly simple to do, and only requires a little bit of computer knowledge. If there are additional questions, feel free to ask as I was putting this together quickly and may not have been as clear or complete as I would have liked.

Of First Importance--Part III

The final of three sermons dealing with beliefs found at the centre of Christianity.

Of First Importance--Part III 1 Corinithians 15:1-11

Building a New People For God -- Part 1

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:11-22

Over at Voice of Vison I was reading this post about how we as Christians are not to think we can do it on our own. As I considered that post, and looked at the various comments that have been made, it reminded me of a pastor friend of mine who often struggles with the fact that some families in the congregation he serves have left for a church that is larger and has more youth programs. Particularly they have need activities such as, if I remember correctly, a rock climbing wall.

As I considered that in the Meta, I asked the following:

I wonder, in the long run, will that rock climbing wall keep those young people in the church? Does it do anything to nurture and build up a child in the faith. Is it an example of a way the body builds itself up, or is it only a way to keep the kids occupied?

As I considered this more and more, it brought to mind this section of Ephesians. It brought it to mind because is says so much about Christ building a new people. I don't think in one post I can deal with the whole passage, so I will try to work through it in several posts.

As this section starts, it starts with a reminder about what things are like in a world dominated by sin. It is a reminder because those Paul is writing to are already believers, but in that reminder it also points to what things are like for those who do not believe in Christ. We read, "Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Here Paul looks at those Gentile believers, and says in essence, remember what you were. Remember that before you believed you were separated from Christ. You were alienated from the people of God and that promises that they have from God. You were without hope. You were without God. You were in the world with all its emptiness, alienation, and all that means.

That was what they were, and that is what any person who is outside of Christ is now. If you do not trust in Christ and what he has done, you are living in a world where you are alienated not just from the people of God, but from one another. You are living in a world where you cannot get to God, and where ultimately there is no hope. That is true for all those who are outside of what Christ has done, and the only way to receive that is through faith.

Many people don't realize this, at least not in a way they can put their finger on it. Others, do realize it. They look at their life and the world around them, and they see no purpose, no hope, nothing bigger than the futility of one life in a world of billions. A life that when it ends will have no lasting meaning. So they start to look for that meaning in the various spiritualities around them as if they can find it that way. Yet, the real problem cannot be solved that way, because no matter how much you look in yourself for answers, it is your very self that will keep you from finding them. Others, who may or may not realize they are without God and without hope in this world, may seek to deal with this through entertainment, work, or a whole host of other distractions; but as soon as they are alone with themselves, back it comes. It comes back, because that sense of aloneness, alienation, separation, etc. is part of what it means to be separated from Christ and from God.

This is why it disturbs me that we somehow think that rock climbing walls, sports programs, movie nights, and all the rest are what will keep young people, or not so young people, in the church. It disturbs me because not one of these things will move a person from being separated from Christ to being joined to him. Not one.

Now again, don't get me wrong. I am not against fun or enjoyment. I don't think any of these things are wrong in themselves, but when a parent or congregation thinks that without them there is no hope for their children, then I say you are missing the point, because these things may keep your kids in church for a while, but when they grow up, if they have not received Christ in faith by the grace of God, then they will find that the world does a much better job at entertaining them than the church ever did. If they do not love Christ, trust Christ, want to worship Christ for Christ, then they probably don't believe, and no rock climbing walls, cool gymnasium, or any other entertainment will change that. They are separated from Christ, alienated from God's people, without God and without hope. It is in realizing that, that you can start to see that the only solution is to point them to Christ.

It is only there that this situation be changed, and that will only happen in a congregation where the Word of God is preached. Where the Bible is proclaimed and lived out as the very word of God written. Where people strive to learn and understand what God is revealing in the written word which all points to the living Word Jesus Christ.

None of that requires all those other things that so many are thinking are important today. It does, however, require that you as a believing parent realize the importance of being part of a church where the things that really matter happen, even if it doesn't have a lot of children, or rock climbing walls, or a gymnasium, or all that stuff. It also requires that you realize how you treat church will have a lasting effect on how your children treat church. If you act as if it is optional, or you constantly complain about it then don't expect them to value it or what it stands for.

If you find a church where the Bible is preached as it should be, don't look and decide based on the excessive number of gray or bald heads, don't decide based on the lack of various 'fun' activities for children, decide based on whether they will be taught of Christ and challenged to put their life in his hands. Anything else will never deal with the real problem.

Ever Heard of Lock Bumping

It is a way to open a lock without having the proper key for it. Apparently it does not work on all locks, but it does work on many of them. Check it out.

Thursday Thoughts

It has been a slow week in terms of blogs or news that I have found interesting.  To top that off I have been busy this week as well, so there is very little in Thursday Thoughts. So enjoy the only thing I have to share this week.

Some people just have too much time and too much technology on their hands. These two guys had a Nintendo Wii and a robot, and decided to see if they could control the robot with the Wii. The result is a tennis playing, sword swinging accident waiting to happen.

Banner of Truth 2007 Conference Information Online

As those of you who know me are already aware, the one conference I try to attend yearly is the Banner of Truth Minister's Conference in Grantham PA. It is a conference for men who are pastors or elders to come and learn and be strengthened through solid preaching of the word of God and Christian fellowship with one another. The first year I attended the Banner conference I was so greatly encouraged that I could not imagine missing one.

Today I received an e-mail reminding me that the Banner conference information is now posted online. The conference is planned for May 29th to 31st, and will be held at Messiah College in Grantham, PA. You can click the picture to be taken to the conference web-site, or below are direct links to the brochure and online registration.

To see the conference brochure in PDF form, Click Here

If you want to register online--Click HERE

Lord willing I will be there.

Knowing The Fear of The Lord

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.
2 Corinthians 5:11 (ESV)

As I was reading scripture this morning, many thoughts about what is being said in this chapter of 2 Corinthians were flying through my mind. However, not many came to rest. This is probably an indication of how distracted my mind is over my abysmal failure at fixing my video editing computer. As a side comment, I find it amazing how something that really isn't that important, a computer that I have done without for several months which still isn't working, can so easily distract me. I don't think it should be that way.

However, as I said, this sentence did come to settle, thanks be to God. Paul had just finished speaking of the new heavenly body that believers will receive, and the implication from that, that believers should strive to please God now in our moral bodies. The ground for that was that there is a judgment coming where people will receive what is due for what they have done in the body.

It is immediately following this that we find this sentence. "Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others."

What struck me is that an implication of this statement is that if one is not seeking to persuade others, if one is not active in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, if one is not, if one is not functioning in what is later in this chapter called the ministry of reconciliation, that would mean they very likely do not know the fear of the Lord as they should. They do not really know what it is to hold God in reverence and awe. To fear him as he should be feared as the Holy God. Nor, probably in many cases, do they fear him in the sense of realizing that outside of the way he has provided for people to be saved, a person is doomed to punishment for the evil they have done in the body.

It would also seem to imply that if we are lacks in seeking to persuade others, we should pray that God will fill us with that holy fear that will move us to do so. That we will come to know what we need to know, not just cognitively but experientially, and so be moved to greater activity in being about the great commission Christ has given us.

I am sure this needs to be expanded on, but at the moment my brain is tired.

AARG!!

For those of you who followed my blog when it was back on Livejournal, you may remember when my video editing computer died on me when the CPU overheated. Well, at last I got around to getting another CPU on E-bay, a new power supply (because I put the old one into another computer, and a new fan and heat sync.

I received the CPU today, and after letting it warm up for a while, I installed it into the motherboard (ECS K7S5A). It looked like it is in good condition, unlike the previous CPU. I attached the heat-sync to it, and plugged in the power supply. Turned it on, and the fan on the heat-sync started to spin, but nothing else was happening. Turn it off, made sure the connections were all good, they were, turned it on again and the power supply, the new one, blew up (loud cracking noise and sparks). Turned everything off. Took a power supply out of another computer. Plugged it in, and the fan on the heat-sync spins, but again, no power up, no signal to the monitor.

So, I run into a conundrum. Either the CPU is DOA, always a possibility with used products and it has a DOA guarantee. And/or, the new power-supply fried the motherboard and the CPU was fine. And/Or, the problem was the motherboard all along. It could be any one, or any combination of the above. At this point all I can say is AAARRRRGG!

I will have to get a replacement for the power-supply. I just have to decide if I want to assume the CPU is dead, and take advantage of the DOA guarantee, or look for another motherboard (used of course since finding a new Socket A motherboard would be very unlikely.)

Suggestions?

Lord's Supper

It seems that this has been the theme for the day. We celebrated it this Lord's Day, one of the 5 times per year that we do so. I personally would love to celebrate it more often, at least once a month, but so far this is as often as well celebrate it.
I say it is the theme for the day because two other blogs I read had posts about it.

First, over at Voice of Vison, Even So posted on it in terms of the necessity of it being celebrated in the context of the gathering of believers. I agree whole heartedly with him, and still remember my shock and dismay when Discipleship Journal had an article on celebrating Communion by oneself.

Second, at Biblical Christianity Dan posted a tip on how he explained to unbelievers why they should not partake in the Lord's Supper. I liked his illustration.

What we do to fence the table, that is to keep the unrepentant and the unbelievers from eating and drinking judgment against themselves, is first to put an insert in the bulletin. Being a small congregation our intention is to have one of the Elders approach those who are visting, and go over it with them to make sure they understand. It is as follows:

“Should I take Communion here?”

If you are visiting us you may wonder whether or not you should receive the sacrament of Holy Communion (the Lord's Supper). We don't want anyone who should partake to feel uncomfortable in doing so. However, we also don't want anyone to partake merely as a form or ritual or just to be sociable! In fact, the Bible says that it is dangerous to do so. This isn't our table. It isn't the table of the Reformed Church. This is the Lord's Table. Therefore, we try to follow His instructions as nearly as we can.
In light of His instructions, we invite you to commune if each of the following is true:

1. You have been born again by the power of the Holy Spirit, have repented of your sin, and trust Jesus Christ - plus nothing - for right standing with God.
2. You have been baptized (either as an infant or as an adult). Baptism (the sign of union) must always come before the Lord's Supper (the sign of communion). If you wish you may speak to one of our elders about making arrangements for baptism.
3. You are not living secretly and unrepentantly in sin but are striving by the help of the Holy Spirit to glorify God with your entire life.
4. You have joined or been confirmed as a communing member of a church that proclaims the gospel. If you have not, then we invite you to consider becoming a member here. If you would like more information about this please speak with one of our elders.
5. You have not been excommunicated or asked by your church to refrain from taking communion. We respect the discipline of other churches, and we do not want to encourage the practice of lowering the standards of Christian living or evading accountability by allowing unrepentant people to do what their own congregation will not allow them to do.
If you can sincerely say "Yes" to each of these things, we invite you to inform one of our elders, so that we can welcome you to the Table in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We believe that He wants both you and this church to recognize the obligations of His covenant in this way.
If you cannot say "Yes" to each of these things - or if you are not sure - then we ask you to refrain from partaking at this time. We invite and encourage you to talk to our elders about the steps you need to take to enable you to openly enjoy communion with Christ and His people.

Second, we have what is called a preparatory exhortation. It is part of our liturgy, and it meant to explain to people how they are to come to the table of the Lord. This is not the one we use, but a newer one. Frankly, while I don't mind this one, I prefer the older one once some of the language is updated.

Of First Importance -- Part II

In this second sermon in this series, we continue to look at 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. In this message we look at what it was that Paul presented as of first importance when he came to Corinth, and we find that at the centre of the gospel is Jesus Christ.

Of First Importance -- Part II 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

If you try this link and are denied access, please tell me in the comments section.

No Worship This Evening

It has been decided. We will not have worship this evening. Not because of the Super Bowl; Not because we a spiritual carnal; but because of the weather. It was quite blowy and snowy this morning, and we had quite a few families that could not get to worship because of the snow. By the late afternoon, the weather had gotten worse, with the forecast of stronger winds and more snow. Our organist, who lives a fair distance away decided that rather than staying and possibly getting storm stayed, that he would head home. And, after some discussion with one of the elders, we decided that we should cancel the evening service.

Church Growth . . . Or Not

I'm part of the 2%

I was sent the following quiz. Follow it through and see if you are in the 98% or the 2%. I am in the 2%.

This won't take long and it is kinda spooky: (I thought it was odd but not spooky)



At the end of this message, you are asked a question.

Answer it immediately. Don't stop and think about it.

Just say the first thing that pops into your mind.


This is a fun "test". Give it a try, then e-mail it around (including back to me) and you'll see how many people you know fall into the same percentage as you. Be sure to put in the subject line if you are among the 98% or the 2%. You'll understand what that means after you finish taking the "test."

Now - just follow the instructions as quickly as possible.



Do not go to the next calculation before you have finished the previous
one..


You do not ever need to write or remember the answers, just do it
using your mind.


You'll be surprised.



Start:


How much is:
15 + 6

























3 + 56



























89 + 2

























12 + 53





































75 + 26



































25 + 52





























63 + 32
































I know! Calculations are hard work, but it's nearly over..


Come on, one more!


























123 + 5























































QUICK! THINK ABOUT A COLOR AND A TOOL!










































Scroll further to the bottom....












































A bit more...


















You just thought about a red hammer , didn't you?



If this is not your answer, you are among 2% of people who have a
different, if not abnormal, mind.

98% of the folks would answer a red hammer while doing this exercise.

If you do not believe this, pass it around and you'll see.

Be sure to put in the subject line if you are among the 98% or the
2% and send to everyone.

This Was Fun

Over at Doulogos, Daniel posts about one of those things going around where a person is tagged by someone else. In this case they are to take the closest book to them, turn to page 123, go to the fourth sentence and post the fourth, fifth and sixth sentence.

He didn't tag me, but I thought I would do it none the less. The closest two books to me were the phonebook and a dictionary, neither of which I though really qualified, but the next closest was The Doctrine of The Knowledge of God by John Frame.

Page 123, sentences 4-6 are:

Rationalism recognizes a need for criteria, or standards; empiricism a need for objective, publicly knowable facts; and subjectivism a need for our beliefs to meet our own internal criteria. A Christian epistemology will recognize all of those concerns but will differ from the rationalist, empiricist, and subjectivist schools of thought in important ways. Most importantly, the Christian will recognize the lordship of God in the field of knowledge.

Now that is an interesting three sentences.

If you read here, consider yourself tagged. Please post in the comment section your answer to this.

Thursday Thoughts

I found this rather humorous picture over at By His Grace Alone. I have to agree, only in America, or Canada if our weather was different would this sort of thing be found. Although I have to say that when I was really into lifting weights I would have appreciated it after my 'leg' days. I could barely walk up the flight of stairs where I used to work out on those days.

An interesting article in The Australian talks about a windmill that produces water out of air.  How this works in detail is not explained because of a patent not yet being received on the technology, but it sound very interesting.  If it works it could provide water for many people in arid and not so arid climates.

R. Scott Clark has a brief post on the truth that the gospel really does produce fruit.  All to often we forget this and start to move to some sort of new legalism. He also has an excellent interaction with Doug Wilson's Federal Vision views on justification entitled, oddly enough, Doug Wilson is Right.

Rick Phillips over at Reformation 21 has a series of posts on Biblical Masculinity:  Biblical Masculinity #1:  Fear of the Lord;  Biblical Masculinity #2:  A Definition; and Biblical Masculinity #3:  Industry.  In our world with such mixed up ideas of masculinity and femininity, these posts are very welcome.

Finally over at the New Attitude Blog you can find a link to a message dealing with Conversational Apologetics.  That is, it will help you to understand how to give a response for the hope that is in you.  If you want help in how to talk with others about Christ, this may help.

Update From Iraq

No, this isn't serious, but it is funny. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Spurgeon Quote

Now that Ref21's rss feed is working again I have some catching up to do. Phil Rykin posted this wonderful quote by Charles Spurgeon:



From Charles Spurgeon, "The First Cry from the Cross":



"These
places of worship are not built that you may sit here comfortably, and
hear something that shall make you pass away your Sundays with
pleasure. A church in London which does not exist to do good in the
slums, and dens, and kennels of the city, is a church that has no
reason to justify its longer existing. A church that does not exist to
reclaim heathenism, to fight with evil, to destroy error, to put down
falsehood, a church that does not exist to take the side of the poor,
to denounce injustice and to hold up righteousness, is a church that
has not right to be. Not for thyself, O church, dost thou exist, any
more than Christ existed for himself. His glory was that he laid aside
his glory. . . . . To rescue souls from hell and lead to God,, to hope,
to heaven, this is [the church's] heavenly occupation. O that the
church would always feel this!"

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Me Church

I'm sure others have seen this, but this certainly seems to be the logical ending of where many people say the church should be going to bring in new people.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Proverbs 14:12 (ESV)

(HT: Biblical Christianity)

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Why Christians Should Be An Active Part Of The Church

The sheer number of people I know who claim to be believers in Jesus Christ, yet who have no interest to be part of a local church or to actively participate in her life or worship is astounding. Lately Even So has been dealing with this very thing, and I have linked to some of them. I am happy to say that now over at Voice of Vison, Even So has now added a link to all his posts about the need for those who believe in Christ to be an active part of a Christian fellowship. Check it out.

Are We Even Able To Think Of Christ Like This Today?

Mark 1:4-8 (ESV)
4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

As I was reading this part of my Bible reading today, I suddenly noticed John the Baptist's words about Jesus. He said, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie." What grabbed my attention is what he was saying. John the Baptist, one who is described this way by Jesus, "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist." The prophet who was sent to prepare the way for Jesus the Christ. A man who was from our human perspective was a righteous man. Yet, he said of Jesus that he was not worthy to untie the straps of his sandals. That is he was not worthy of serving Jesus even in doing the sort of tasks a servant would do.

One could say this speaks of John's humility, but I think much more importantly it speaks of Christ's majesty. John realized his own falleness, and that in himself he was not worthy even to serve as a slave of Christ. He was not worthy to do this because of the mightyness of the one who would come after him.

I don't know about you, but I am no John the Baptist. Compared to him, from a human perspective I don't even come close. If John in himself was not worthy to serve Christ, how much more is that true of me, or you?

So often we don't even consider this. We think we are worthy to serve Christ in ourselves, but that little phrase reminds us that we are not. Do we even understand that today? Or have you and I made Jesus Christ into someone safe and easy, rather than who he is, mighty and awesome? In yourself, in myself, we are not worthy to even untie his sandals.

Yet, that does not mean you and I cannot serve him, just that we cannot serve him in our own position or power. I did not give the complete quote of Jesus statement about John the Baptist above. The whole thing is this, "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

In yourself you cannot serve Christ, but when you serve in Him, when you are washed of your sins by grace through faith, you are transferred from the kingdom of this world to the kingdom of heaven. That only comes one way, through what Jesus has done, and that means that if you serve him, the only way to do it, is through what he provides.

I think that is often the problem today. People seek to serve Christ without realizing that in themselves, in their own power, and by their own wisdom they cannot. They, like John the Baptist and like me, are not worthy to even untie his sandals. It is only when you and I come realizing that is true about us, that we can then serve--not in our worth, but in Christ's; not in our strength but in his by the Spirit given to us by him; not in our wisdom or understanding, but in his given through his word as the Spirit opens our hearts to it.

Even So Is On a Roll

Even So has yet another great post on the need for Christians to be active in the gathered worship of the church. Check it out here.

Called To Be Clean

This evening we started a new Series working through the 1st letter of Peter. This message focuses on how being the elect of our triune God is a comfort, especially in the face of persecution.

1 Peter 1:1-2 Called to be Clean

Of First Importance -- Part I

It seems that there are many voices around that say various different things are what are important, but the Bible is clear that what is of first importance is the gospel. In this first of a multi-part series preached at the morning service at Bethel Reformed Church in Exeter, we look at why the good news of Jesus Christ is not merely some peripheral part of Christianity, but instead is the central part of Christianity.

Of First Importance -- Part One 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Why Be Part Of A Church?

Even So has a well written, and very straight forward post of why if you are a believer you should be part of the church. He pulls no punches, so to speak, and the truth of what he says strikes at the core of those who argue that they can be Christians without being an active part of a local church.

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Betrayed From Within

Over at Mark J's blog I found this quote from David Well:

"The post-modern world has destroyed logic, dispensed with history, discarded meaning, but deep within itself, as a Trojan horse, is its betrayer. What betrays it is the ineradicable sense of being part of a moral order that has never been pushed aside entirely successfully, of having to use language in a meaningful way in order to deny that meaning exists, of finding that in the moment in which the triumph of the emancipated self seems supreme, its own sickness becomes most serious. Fallen life is, indeed, in full flight from reality, and part of Christian responsibility in this fallen world is to illumine that flight."

David Wells. Losing Our Virtue, pg 177.

I am currently reading another book by David Wells, Above All Earthly Power. As I was reading I was struck more and more that the basic premise that many people in Canada and the US live by is rooted in inconsistency. It is rooted in a truth that says there is no truth. My thought is that people and a culture cannot continue to function with such a basic premise as their foundation. Such an internally inconsistent way of looking at the world will ultimately either fall to pieces because it does not actually help one understand the big questions of life, or it will lead to individual and societal breakdown into anarchy.

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Thursday Thoughts

The Iceland review reports that some research indicates that an enzyme found in Icelandic cod may be a cure for bird flu. Apparently the enzyme "penzim" will kill 99% of the H5N1 virus in five minutes. I'm not sure how this helps us unless we all bath in the stuff, and the article does not really explain how it could be delivered, although they do mention that is might work for other flu and cold viruses. I guess those mothers who said, "Take your cod liver oil, it will keep you healthy." were actually right.

I have always been against abortion, but I cannot say that I have been as effective a voice as I would like to be. If you feel the same way you will appreciated that John Piper has some resources to help you argue against abortion. Check them out, but better yet, speak out for the unborn whose lives are in constant danger in our culture of convenience. HT: Between Two Worlds.

Here is an interesting web-cam of an African watering hole.


Dr. Al Mohler shares the lessons he learned through his recent medical crisis. Good observations that I realized I should consider while I am healthy and clear headed.

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Does Richard Dawkins Exist?

Browsing through some of the blogs on the League of Reformed Bloggers, I found this posted at 3:17. It is a good parable of how foolish certain smart people can be. Check it out.

In The Beginning

As I thumbed my way through the pages of "The God Delusion", a question
dropped into my head. Does Richard Dawkins really exist?

Being a scientific and rational person, I decided that I wasn't going to
just accept any old theory on this question. If Richard Dawkins exists,
then I would need to be shown the proper evidence for it. Others can
have their own superstitious beliefs, based on who-knows-what, but I
would only be convinced by empirical science. If there is a Dawkins,
why hasn't he shown himself to me?

What Happened Next

As I pondered this, a man wearing a pointy hat wandered into the room.
He erected a little box a few feet off the ground, climbed on to it,
and began speaking to me.

As he talked he began, rather dogmatically, to insist on a number of
things. Apparently, it was clear and obvious that Richard Dawkins
existed. Did I not have his own book in my hands? Did it not have
Dawkins' name on the front, and the imprints of his thoughts on every
page? If I wanted to see evidence for Dawkins, was it not to
be found throughout this little tome? Dawkins, he said, had shown
himself to me everywhere. What could be a sufficient cause for such a
book, if not a Dawkins? The alternatives were incredible. They required
far more faith than simply to accept that the pages were the work of
the said Richard.

Enter The Expert

As I pondered this idea, a man with a white coat suddenly appeared. He
smiled warmly, showed me a piece of paper with a huge number of letters
on it, and began to address me. As he did so, he drew my attention to a
number of undeniable facts. The book that I was holding, you see, was
made up of pages. And each of those pages could be shown to be composed
from a certain type of paper, made from wood pulp. Upon the paper, were
a number of very tiny dots, arranged in a kind of code. Everything
about the book could be explained, and he had explained it.

(Read More)

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If Anyone Wanders -- James 5:19-20

The final sermon in our congregation's study of the letter of James. This one looks at our mutual responsibility to care for one another in our walk with Christ.



When One Wanders -- James 5:19-20





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New Look

Even though my wife doesn't like three column blog layouts, I do, so I decided to switch from the abundance of two column blog templates to a three column one. It was a little more work than I expected, but I hope those who visit here will enjoy the new layout.



Notice also that I am now included in the League of Reformed Bloggers aggregator. It took a little while, but not that long. Check out some of the other blogs from that list in the left most column.

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Workshop on Biblical Exposition

As I was reading Ref21 today I saw that Phil Ryken posted about the Biblical Exposition workshop that is going to be held at Tenth on February 6-8. Although I would very much like to go, the cost this year would be a little much. However, going to the web-site of the organization that puts on these workshops I noticed they also have other workshops across the USA and Canada. Happily they have one in Toronto as well that is planned for March 7-9. Although there may be a conflict for me on the 7th, the rest of those days are open right now, so I am seriously thinking of going.



If you are a pastor in South-Western Ontario or in the Golden Horseshoe, I hope that you are aware of this, and consider taking advantage of it. The price is quite reasonable.





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How we Proclaim Christ is Important

1 Corinthians 2:1-5



1And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.



As I was doing my morning Bible reading, well early afternoon today, I was struck again by this passage. In it Paul points out to the Corinthian church that when he came to them and preached the good news of Jesus Christ, that testimony of God, he did not do it with "lofty speech or wisdom."



To understand what is going on here we need to remember that one of the problems in the church in Corinth seemed to be a going back to Greek wisdom, if not outright, at least in terms of how they viewed those who they heard proclaiming the gospel. By that I mean that at the very least the way they judged those who spoke was on how well they used rhetoric, hence the various divisions following various teachers. At worst they were looking for the teachings to match up with those of the various Greek philosophies of the time. More than likely it was some mixture of both of these.



But, Paul points out to them that he did not come like this. He did not come as some itinerant philosopher who spoke with great rhetorical skill (lofty words) or who presented some mere human wisdom. Instead, Paul strove to proclaim one thing only, "Jesus Christ and him crucified." He set out with the intention of proclaiming a message that earlier he said was, "folly to the Gentiles." The message of a man, who is more than a mere man, who was put to death by the shameful execution on a cross. Paul gave them not the wisdom of the world they could find from any traveling philosopher, but Jesus Christ the Son of God put to death on the cross for the sins of his people.



Neither did Paul get caught up with a stylish presentation. He came in "weakness and fear and much trembling." He came now in his own seeming power, but in humility, knowing his own weakness. He did not use the words of the wisdom of this world, but instead came with a demonstration of the Holy Spirit and of power.



But, why did Paul come this way? Why not use the "lofty speech or wisdom?" Would that not be what would attract a good crowd since that is what they were used to? Would that not have given his message more authority in their eyes? From our human point of view we would think so, but Paul realized that to do so would be to compromise the message, the testimony of God he came to proclaim.



This is not to say he used obscure language that they could not understand. Nor did it mean he never used rhetorical devices to make the message clear, but rather that first, he did not depend on these things, and second, he realized that, to be anachronistic, "the medium is the message." Paul did not want them to miss the message of Christ crucified. He know that message was folly to the natural mind, so he did not try to overcome that by making it seem less foolish by use of those things that might obscure it. Instead he looked to the power of the Spirit to work as he proclaimed as clearly as he could "Jesus Christ and him crucified."



The reason for this is found in the last verse, "that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." That is, how the message of Christ is presented can change what a person's faith rests in. It is possible to use lots of wonderful techniques, and end up with people whose faith is not resting in the power of God, that is in "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Cor. 1:24)



This is a sobering reminder to myself as a pastor, and to all of us as Christians, that we must be careful to make sure that we are proclaiming Christ crucified in the power of the Spirit, and not obscuring him or the seeming foolishness and weakness, from a human point of view, of the cross by our techniques. This is something that we must consider. We must ask ourselves are the things we are doing bringing people to rest in Christ the power of God, or to rest in some mere human thing like the appealing speaker, or the helpful life advice, or the wonderful music (contemporary or traditional), or any other thing. We need to consider how do we in our congregational worship and life, and in our personal life, "know nothing . . . except Jesus Christ and him crucified."



These are vitally important questions. They are questions we too often have neglected to the detriment of the church as a whole. I am sad to say that there are many people in churches today whose faith is not yet resting in Christ because it is instead resting in something else that has obscured him from their view. So ask yourself how do I show people by all I do that they are to rest in Christ alone?











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Thursday Thoughts

This will be a new and hopefully regular installment on my blog. Basically, this is another blog-spotting and things I have found interesting this past week type of post. Partly I do it so I can keep various things I have found interesting in some location where I can find them again, and partly I do it to share those things with others. I hope those few people who read here will enjoy this new addition.



Carl Truman had some very insightful things to say about how congregations and pastors can give in to pride in our presentation or promotion of ourselves to those around us. As I read it I realize that there is a great danger in how we promote ourselves to other, and realizing that leads to the question Carl Truman asks, "How do we attract others to what we have that is good without drawing attention to ourselves rather than Christ?" An excellent question, and one that I am a pastor and the congregation I serve in need to ask more often.



Tim Challies has an excellent post concerning providence that grew out of a posting by Paul Martin on the current move in Canada to recommend genetic testing on all pregnancies so that those in their 20's can have the same choice to put their unborn child to death as those who are over 35, and Paul's following up on the dangers of genetic counseling. All of these are well worth the read.



Ian over a Rumination By The Lake has a helpful selections of links dealing with Global warming. I agree with his that human caused Global Warming is not nearly as clearly truth as the MSM would have us believe. He also challenges believers in Jesus Christ to realize that taking not taking care of the creation is a sin, and asks, "What should be do, as Christians, to provide for the environment without falling into earth-worship?"



R. Scott Clark answers a person's question on whether the call to "believe" is law or gospel.



Finally, a post from a person I count as a friend and brother in Christ who also serves in an RCA congregation. F. Scott Petersen ask and gives what he thinks the answer to "What constitutes Fruitfulness?"







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Last Time On The Chan Video

I posted here because I was too tired to fiddle with posting a comment on Pyromaniacs when it told me I was with the new blogger and asked me to log in, Dan Phillips has an excellent post on what Chan's biggest mistake in his video was . . . well not really. It is a tongue in cheek approach that shows how easily we ignore things like titles. If Chan had titled the video, "A Systematic and Full Presentation of Every Dimension of Gospel Truth" then he would have been misleading his viewers, but that is not what he did. It was entitled "Just Stop and Think." As I said here if that was the purpose, to make people stop and think, then the video achieves that. The title itself shows that is the intention, to have people stop and think and for those the Spirit is working in, to start them down the road to understanding the gospel. To further support that, notice that under the video is a link entitled, "What to see more to think about?" taking a person back to the "Just Stop and Think" web-page where there is more detailed information.



With Dan, I would not want the many people out there who are not a Don Carson, a James White, or one of those other excellent apologists, to not give an answer because they are worried that what they say may not be a complete and systematic exposition of the gospel. Instead, I want them to answer as best they can, as true to scripture as they can, in whatever conversations with unbelievers that God in his providence provides.

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The Power Of Prayer

Last Sunday Evening we looked at the last part of the section on prayer in James chapter five. After speaking of how prayer is a fitting personal response of the believer to times of suffering, how those who are sick should call the elders of the church to pray for them, and how we have a responsibility to prayer for one another, James was inspired to encourage those to whom he was writing to pray by reminding them of the power of prayer.



The Power of Prayer -- James 5:16b-18





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The Francis Chan Video

For those who follow the same sort of blogs I do, (Pyromaniacs, ... and his ministers a flame of fire, Camponthis, etc) you probably have read at least a bit about the video on the internet by Francis Chan. The discussion has went back and forth about whether this video presents the full gospel. As I considered the various discussions I found I agreed that there were certain things lacking in the video. There are places where it could be better, especially if it is meant to be a full orbed gospel presentation. However, the more I consider it, the more I wonder if that is what it is supposed to be.

Perhaps the problem here is that those who want a full gospel presentation in the video are expecting something that was never intended. If this video was intended not so much as a full gospel presentation, but as something to make people "just stop and think" then to expect the gospel in all its wonderful detail to be presented might be looking for it in the wrong place. Just a quick look over the web-site that the video in found on finds more detailed information in the various links. Maybe not as much as we might like, but certainly enough for a person to come to a fuller understanding of the gospel, and to warn against some of the false hopes people have.

I don't know the intention of the video, but having watched it several times, I do know that for many people it would make them stop and maybe think about things they have never considered before this. It may be used by the Holy Spirit to start someone down the road to repentance and faith. If that is what it was intended to do, then I think it has achieved it.

Are there things I would do differently? Certainly. But, this video is very well done, and I hope and pray it is used to make many people stop and think.

An excellent take on this is given by Phil Johnson over at Pyromaniacs. I encourage you to check it out.

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When Liberals Gain Power

I found this insightful posting by Dan Phillips. He is speaking about the situation in the USA, but I think much the same could be said in Canada. Yes, we have more than two parties, but in reality there are only two that will form the government under the present electoral system. One is virtually completely against a Christian world/life view, the other while often against it, is not always against it. Which should we vote for? I think the answer is clear.

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BIG Bunnies

I would never have thought that a rabbit could get this big, but apparently, as reported here, Karl Szmolinsky has bred a German Gray Giant rabbit that tops the scales at 10.5 Kilograms (that is a little over 23 pounds.) Apparently the North Koreans want this line of bunnies to try to help with their food shortage, and Mr. Szmolinsky is doing all he can to help them establish a breding program. All I can say it that is one big bunny.





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Praying For One Another

Sermon on James 5:16a.



Praying for one Another





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Not What I Like To Do On Saturday

Today was filled with working on our van. It along with our other two vehicles, stopped working, that is, it wouldn't start. Well, after posting over at AstroSafari and reading the replies there, and talking to one of the members (Peter) who called me on the phone, I realize that the probable cause was the age of the spark-plugs, rotors, and distributor cap. I replaced those, that was a real chore, but it is all done. That solved the problem, and the van is running again. A difficult day, but a good day.





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Offroading Taken To The Extreme

I came across this video through the Astro/Safari site I am a member of. I can't say I like the music, but those Russian guys certainly take "off road" to the extreme. What made me laugh is one scene where their vehicle is almost completely under water and they turn on their wipers as if that will help.

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