Witnesses Unto Me

Dishonesty from The Watchtower

2010-03-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 ESV)

In the Watchtower article Is Jesus God? they quote A. T. Robertson as part of building their case that John 1:1 does not teach Jesus is God. This is very deceptive because if we let A. T. Robertson speak for himself on John 1:1 he says this:

And the Word was God (kai theos ēn ho logos). By exact and careful language John denied Sabellianism by not saying ho theos ēn ho logos. That would mean that all of God was expressed in ho logos and the terms would be interchangeable, each having the article. The subject is made plain by the article (ho logos) and the predicate without it (theos) just as in Joh 4:24 pneuma ho theos can only mean “God is spirit,” not “spirit is God.” So in 1Jo 4:16 ho theos agapē estin can only mean “God is love,” not “love is God” as a so-called Christian scientist would confusedly say. For the article with the predicate see Robertson, Grammar, pp. 767f. So in Joh 1:14 ho Logos sarx egeneto, “the Word became flesh,” not “the flesh became Word.” Luther argues that here John disposes of Arianism also because the Logos was eternally God, fellowship of Father and Son, what Origen called the Eternal Generation of the Son (each necessary to the other). Thus in the Trinity we see personal fellowship on an equality.

A. T. Robertson is correct here. John 1:1 affirms the deity of Christ while rejecting modalism. John 1:1 is a clear verse in favor of the trinity. It is very clear that John understood the doctrine of the trinity and carefully recorded it under inspiration of the Holy Spirit so we too would understand it.

The Jehovah's Witnesses did not always deny that Jesus is God. In 1945 225,302 Jehovah's Witnesses voted to pass their amended charter which states that a purpose of the Watchtower is to worship Jesus. While disallowing worship of anything but God, we must conclude that in 1945 the Watchtower believed Jesus to be God.

Yellow Stripes for the Elect

2010-03-06T21:55:00.000-08:00

I went on a hunt for the famous Spurgeon quote about preaching only to the elect if God would have marked them with yellow stripes. I was certain I read this in a primary source, but to my dismay, I was mistaken. After a little Googling, I learned Dan Phillips had undertaken this same exercise and come to the same conclusion some time ago. Phil Johnson chimed in also, stating that Spurgeon would never have used an illustration of pulling up shirts and looking upon the naked skin for a stripe. Phil Johnson concludes this racy pulpit talk is an invention of the 20th century. The evidence agrees.

J. Vernon McGee seems to be the earliest account of the yellow stripe story:

"Now God knows who the elect are. I don't. Someone came to Spurgeon one time and said, "Mr Spurgeon, if I believed as you do, I would not preach like you do. You say you believe that there are the elect, and yet you preach as if everybody can be saved." Spurgeon's answer was, "They can all be saved. If God had put a yellow streak up and down the backs of the elect, I'd go up and down the streets lifting up shirt tails to find out who had the yellow streak up and down his back. Then I'd give that person the gospel. But God didn't do that. He told me to preach the gospel to every creature and that whosoever will may come." That is our marching order, and as far as I am concerned, until God gives me the roll call of the elect, I am going to preach the "whosoever will" gospel. That is the gospel we are to preach today."

Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee.

Spurgeon does give an illustration similar to this by paraphrasing Rowland Hill. However, Spurgeon credits Rowland Hill as challenging men to chalk up the backs of the elect so he can preach to them. Following are three examples of this illustration from Spurgeon.

Sermon 2954, The Big Gates Wide Open, Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington,

6/6/1875:

My text, however, cuts the ground from under your feet, if you seek to act thus, for it tells you this, which is all you need to know, that all who are God's chosen ones may be known by this mark, that they come to Christ as he said, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me." So that those who come to Christ are God's chosen people, and those who live and die without coming to Christ are not God's people. If you come to Christ and trust in him, you are one of those whom the Father gave to his Son. If you refuse to come to Christ,—it matters not what excuse you may make,— your blood will be upon your own head. You will perish if you do not come to Christ; and if you do not come to, him, it will be because you were not one of his sheep, neither did the Father give you to Christ. Rowland Hill, when he was asked to preach only to the elect, said that he would do so if somebody would chalk them on the back. That cannot be done; but God does, in process of time, mark them all, not on the back, but on the heart. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and his faith proves that he was chosen of God to that life; but he that believeth not on thee Son, if he persists in that unbelief, will assuredly perish, for there shall be no deviation from this divine declaration, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." That is the matter with which we have to deal; may God help us, like prudent man, to deal with it, earnestly!

Sermon 2843, The Seed By The Wayside, Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington 9/13/1888:

I remember Rowland Hill's reply, when somebody said that he ought to preach only to the elect. "Very well," he said, "next Sunday morning, chalk them all on the back; and when you have done that, I will preach to them." But the chalking of them on the back is the difficulty, we cannot do that; and, as we cannot do that, the best way is for us to leave our God to carry out the purposes of his distinguishing grace in his own effectual way, and not attempt to do what we certainly can never accomplish. There, scatter a handful of seed "by the way side." Even if the birds of the air do devour it, there is plenty more where that came from, and it would be a pity for us to leave any portion unsown because we were miserly and niggardly with our Master's seed.

Sermon 215, His Name-The Counsellor, Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens 9/26/1858:

"Now," says one, "Sir, I want to know one thing, and if I knew that, I would not care what happened. I want to know whether God from all eternity ordained me to be saved." Well, friend, I will tell you how to find that out, and you may find it out to a certainty. "Nay," says one, "but how can I know that? You cannot read the book of fate; that is impossible." I have heard of some divine, of a very hyper school indeed, who said, "Ah! blessed be the Lord, there are some of God's dear people here; I can tell them by the very look of their faces. I know that they are among God's elect." He was not half so discreet as Rowland Hill, who when he was advised to preach to none but the elect, said, "He would certainly do so if some one would chalk them all on the back first." That was never attempted by anybody, so Rowland Hill went on preaching the gospel to every creature, as I desire to do. But you may find out whether you are among his chosen ones. "How?" says one. Why, Christ is the angel of the covenant, and you can find it out by looking to him. Many people want to know their election before they look to Christ. Beloved you cannot know your election, except as you see it in Christ. If you want to know your election, thus shall you assure your hearts before God.-Do you feel yourself this morning to be a lost, guilty sinner? go straightway to the cross of Christ, and tell Christ that, and tell him that you have read in the Bible, "That him that cometh unto him he will in no wise cast out." Tell him that he has said, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom you are chief." Look to Christ and believe on him, and you shall make proof of your election directly, for so surely as thou believest thou art elect. If thou wilt give thyself wholly up to Christ and trust him, then thou art one of God's chosen ones; but if you stop and say, "I want to know first whether I am elect," that is impossible. If there be something covered up, and I say, "Now, before you can see this you must lift the veil;" and you say, "Nay, but I want to see right through that veil," you cannot. Lift the veil first and you shall see. Go to Christ guilty, just as you are. Leave all curious inquiry about thy election alone. Go straight away to Christ, just as you are, black, naked, penniless and poor, and say,

"Nothing in my hands I bring,

Simply to thy cross I cling,"

and you shall know your election. The assurance of the Holy Spirit shall be given to you, so that you shall be able to say, "I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him." Now do notice this. Christ was at the everlasting council: he can tell you whether you were chosen or not, but you cannot find that out anyhow else. You go and put your trust in him, and I know what the answer will be. His answer will be-"I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore in lovingkindness have I drawn thee." There will be no doubt about his having chosen you, when you shall feel no doubt about having chosen him.

new tract: Would a loving God allow me to suffer?

2010-02-24T08:53:00.000-08:00

God is love, but there is more to the character than His love. He is also just and holy. To understand why God is just to allow suffering, we must understand who He is and who we are as His creation.

You have a purpose

God is the perfect being that created all things out of nothing. God’s Word tells us that he made you with a purpose:

"everyone who is called by my name,
and whom I have created for my glory
whom I have formed, ,
yes, whom I have made." Isaiah 43:7 (WEB)

You fail to fulfill your purpose

God created you for His glory. Are you serving your purpose? If you have failed to consider what most glorifies God before you make a decision, you have failed to serve your purpose and have sinned against your creator. God’s word makes this clear:

“whatever is not of faith is sin” Romans 14:23c (WEB)
"whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31b (WEB)

You have sinned against a holy God

You have sinned against God. You probably consider yourself a pretty good person. But, no amount of good will allow God to overlook your sin. God compares your good deeds to filthy rags. You may not have killed anyone, but Jesus said if you hate someone that you are guilty of murder. God’s word makes it clear; any violation of His law is serious:

"For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." James 2:10 (WEB)

You have earned the wrath of God

Every sin earns God’s wrath. For us, this means eternity in Hell. Jesus explains:

"The angels will come forth, and separate the wicked from among the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:49b-50 (WEB)

Jesus paid the price for all who repent and believe

God did not leave all men in this condition. He sent His only son to this world to take the punishment due to all who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus alone to save them. Jesus was perfect and did not deserve to die. Jesus was nailed to the cross and killed in place of all believe. On the third day, Jesus rose from the grave and is alive today. Turn away from your sins and turn to God for strength. Believe in Jesus alone to save you from the Hell you have earned.

If you have repented of your sin and believe in Jesus, He promises us eternal life:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (WEB)

God’s promise to Christians

If you have repented of your sins and believed in Jesus alone as your savior, you will have eternal life with your creator in glory. You might wonder what this means to your current situation here and now. We can expect further suffering, and even persecution. God promises us our best life later when we are in his presence. However, we do have a glorious promise now. We are assured that even the things that seem horrible, God will use for our good. You can go through life trusting God to work all things together for the good of Christians including yourself:

"We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (WEB)

Download tract as PDF. Tract takes up one half sheet of letter sized paper. Print on letter sized paper front and back, cut in half.

The Cross Is.... Twitter contest. Winners.

2010-02-23T07:37:00.000-08:00

The task was to explain the meaning of the cross in the size of a tweet. The winners will get free copies of Pursuing God by Jim Elliff to use for outreach in their church or personal evangelism. Please join me in praying for them and their efforts. Please also keep Jim Elliff and Christian Communicators Worldwide in your prayers and ask God to continue to use this writing ministry powerfully in reaching the lost and edifying the saints. The prizes are complements of CCW and Jim Elliff, you can find them both on Twitter: @JimElliff and @CCWToday.

Here are the three best tweets, according to popular vote:

1st place

David Catoe

"The cross is Grace unearned… Justice served... Wrath turned… Ransom delivered… Sin conquered… Eternal life assured… God glorified"

David Catoe is Pastor of Fresh Spring Baptist Church, you can also find him on Twitter.

2nd place

Jerry Cain

"The cross is my ride home"

You can find Jerry Cain on Twitter, he is also starting a new blog at CainScape.com.

3rd place

Trevor Marsteller

"The cross is where God put the punishment we deserve on Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, so that sins might be atoned for.Rom 3:23-26"

You can find Trevor Marsteller blogging at Arguing with Angels and on Twitter.

The Cross Is.... Twitter contest. Vote for the best tweet

2010-02-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

We got some profound Biblical explanations of the cross for The Cross Is Twitter Contest, all to fit into the size of a tweet. Thank you for all the entries. Now it is time to pick the winners. Please read over these entries and submit your vote for the entry you think did the best job of describing the meaning of the cross in a tweet.

Top three vote getters win copies of Pursuing God by Jim Elliff. First place wins 25 copies, second wins 10, and third wins 5. These will surely be a great blessing to your personal or church outreach.

A special thank you to Jim Elliff and Christian Communicators Worldwide for providing the prizes and for their ministry which has been a blessing to me and many others.

Voting closes Monday, February 22. Please vote before then.

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

The Cross Is.... Twitter contest

2010-02-08T18:08:00.000-08:00

When we witness, content is important. Even when we only have a few words to use, we still need to be a faithful witnesses.

As an exercise in remaining faithful even with few words, I've partnered with Christian Communicators Worldwide to host a Twitter contest.

The rules:

Share a statement that fits in a tweet that starts "The cross is"
Either tweet it or post it in the comments here
Use no more than 140 characters including "@witnesses #TheCrossIs " which should be how you start your tweet. That means you have only 117 characters of your own to use. This will make sure I catch all the entries.
Enter from only one twitter account, but enter as many times as you want with unique tweets. No duplicate entries, please.
Enter by midnight Eastern time on Monday February 15th. A poll will then be opened up and the top three vote getters for best tweet will win their respective prizes.

The prizes:

1st place: 25 copies of Pursuing God - A Seekers Guide by Jim Elliff
2nd place: 10 copies of Pursuing God - A Seekers Guide by Jim Elliff
3rd place: 5 copies of Pursuing God - A Seekers Guide by Jim Elliff

Pursing God

Pursuing God is itself a great example of making content a priority. It is a seekers guide, but it is by no means "seeker sensitive." Jim Elliff makes no attempt to force decisions or win converts with some consumer driven need. Instead, Jim Elliff is faithful to the scriptures and wins souls with the Word of God.

You can use these books in personal evangelism or in your local church. For thanksgiving my local church gave away 18 copies of Pursuing God, accompanied with a turkey and a complete thanksgiving dinner. I also keep some in my Sunday School class to give to new faces that I see. If we had more money in our budget for outreach materials, I could easily use a case of them for God's glory. Pursing God retails for $5.95 per copy, discounts are available based on the number of copies you buy. Visit the CCW catalog for more details.

See Tim Challies review of Pursuing God.

Get started

Post your tweet

Tell your friends

Spurgeon on bitterness

2010-02-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

"Some who have aimed at holiness have made the great mistake of supposing it needful to be morose, contentious, faultfinding, and censorious with everybody else. Their holiness has consisted of negatives, protests, and oppositions for oppositions sake. Their religion mainly lies in contrarieties and singularities; to them the text offers this wise counsel, follow holiness, but also follow peace. Courtesy is not inconsistent with faithfulness. It is not needful to be savage in order to be sanctified. A bitter spirit is a poor companion for a renewed heart. Let your determination principle be sweetened by tenderness towards your fellow-men. Be resolute for the right, but be also gentle, pitiful, courteous. Consider the meekness as well as the boldness of Jesus. Follow peace, but not at the expense of holiness. Follow holiness, but do not needlessly endanger peace" (C.H. Spurgeon, 1870).

Pictures of the Christ by J. Marcellus Kik

2010-02-02T21:56:00.000-08:00

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth below, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”—Exodus 20:4-6

In this second commandment we are forbidden to make any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. We are forbidden to bow down to them or to serve them. Now the question has been asked whether or not this commandment forbids the use of pictures of Christ. Naturally the commandment forbids the bowing down before such pictures and worshipping them. There can be no question of that. But in many Protestant churches and in many evangelical churches pictures of Christ are used in teaching and in the homes of Christians pictures of Christ are hung up to remind them, I suppose, of Christ. Is that Scriptural? Does it meet with the approval of God? Is it sinful? It is another way of breaking the second commandment?

No doubt, if I state that the use of pictures of Christ is unscriptural: that it does not meet with the approval of God: that it is sinful; and that it is a breaking of the second commandment—I will be considered a fanatic, a reactionary, and perhaps not quite normal. But before you have such unkind thoughts, please hear me out. If we are Christians, our service and worship will be regulated by the Word of God. The Bible is our infallible guide in faith and worship. Now here is the surprising thing. Nowhere in the Bible, either in the Old Testament or New Testament, is there a physical description of Christ. Isn’t that strange if God wanted to use the picture of Christ in spreading the Gospel or in worship, that we are not told whether Christ was tall or short, fair or dark, light or dark hair, blue eyes or brown eyes?

With all their love for the Lord you would think that Peter or John would have given a description of Him unless, of course, they were forbidden. They wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Surely it is significant that neither they nor any other of the Scriptures gave a physical description of the Lord. Surely if God desired the use of pictures of Christ to further the cause of Christ He would have had a physical description of His Son in His Word. Why should we consider ourselves wiser than God and provide what he has deliberately left out?

The second amazing fact is that in the first four centuries of the history of the Church, no picture of Christ was used. These were the years when the Church made her most astonishing growth. These were the years in which the Christians conquered pagan Rome. It is so frequently stated that we need pictures of Christ to teach the Gospel. The apostle Peter did not need pictures of Christ to instruct the young or bring the Gospel to adults. The apostle John did not need pictures of Christ to convert pagans and instruct the Church. The apostle John did not need pictures of Christ to convert Barbarians and Greeks. The early church did not need pictures of Christ to conquer paganism. They accomplished it by preaching the Word in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When pictures were first introduced they were opposed. The Church historian Eusebius who lived in the fourth century declared himself in the strongest manner against images of Christ in a letter to Empress Constantia who asked him for such an image. Amongst other things Eusebius wrote: “Who can therefore counterfeit by dead and insensible colors, by vain shadowing painter’s art, the bright and shining glistering of such His glory? Whereas His holy disciples were not able to behold the same in the mountain; who therefore, falling on their faces, acknowledged they were not able to behold such a sight.”

Here Eusebius touches on on of the reasons why it is impossible to have a true picture of Christ. If you want a picture of Christ do you want it as He was upon earth or as He is now in heaven? If you want a picture of Him as He was upon earth, you have quite a problem. There was no picture of Him painted. The so-called picture of Christ which are present today are from the imaginations of the artists. That is why there are so many different pictures. Not one of them is a true picture. So every time you say this or that is a picture of Christ, you are uttering a lie. You cannot teach truth by a lie. Christ is the Truth and surely He would not want the use of a false means to point to Him. Christ abhors lies and falsehoods.

How would you like it if someone who never saw you painted a picture and told everyone that it was a picture of you? Cerainly, you would resent it. And certainly Christ must resent all those counterfeit pictures of Him.

But supposing you wanted a picture of Christ as He is now. The disciples had such a vision of Him on the mount of transfiguration. We read in Matthew 17:2, “And his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” This was the glorified Christ. No artist could give us a picture of Christ which would show the glowing of Christ’s face as the sun and His raiment as white as the light. They would only rob Christ of His glory by miserably falling short of a true painting of Christ in His present glory.

But someone will state that at least we can depict the humanity of Christ as He appeared upon earth. But who are we to separate His humanity from His divinity! The apostle John states in his Gospel, chapter 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Notice that the apostle states that even while Christ was in the flesh they beheld His divinity as well as his humanity. This, one cannot paint. So one must not behold His humanity as separate from His divinity. Then one falls into the ancient error of Nestorius. He stated that Christ consisted of two persons: one human and the other divine. There was, according to Nestorius, a separation between the human and the divine persons.

That was the ground on which the Council called by Constantine V condemned paintings of Christ. You see, this question of pictures of Christ was the subject of controversy throughout the eight century. So Constantine called a council in 753 of three hundred and thirty bishops. Their conclusion was this: “If any person shall divide human nature, united to the Person of God the Word; and, having it only in the imagination of his mind, shall therefore, attempt to paint the same in an Image; let him be holden as accursed. If any person shall divide Christ, being but one, into two persons; placing on the one side the Son of God, and on the other side the son of Mary; neither doth confess the continual union that is made; and by that reason doth paint in an image the son of Mary, as subsisting by himself; let him be accursed. If any person shall paint in an image the human nature, being deified by the uniting thereof to God the Word; separating the same as it were from the Godhead assumpted and deified; let him be holden as accursed.”

This council points out the difficulty and indeed the impossibility of painting a portrait of Christ. Christ is more than man. He is God-man. It is impossible to depict by a painter’s brush the almighty power of Christ; the glorious majesty of Christ; the infinite knowledge of Christ. You cannot localize by a painter’s brush the everywhere presence of Christ. One can only succeed in degrading Christ. When one considers the deity of Christ it is no wonder that the apostles did not attempt a physical description of their Lord and Savior. There is always, also, the danger of worshipping the picture of Christ and attaching power to it. Even a Protestant publishing firm stated that there is power in a picture of Christ. It is stated: “When one plants deeply and firmly in his mind the picture of Christ, it has a strong and powerful influence in his life.” Thus instead of attributing this influence to Christ and the Holy Spirit they attribute it to the picture they are trying to sell. That is a breaking of the second commandment.

But can it not help in the saving of souls, it is asked. But how? Looking at a picture of Christ hanging upon the cross tells me nothing. It does not tell me that He hung there for sin.It does not tell me that He is the Son of God. Only the Word of God does that. And it is the Word of God that has been given us to tell the story of salvation through the blood of Christ. It is not through the foolishness of pictures that sinners are converted but through the foolishness of preaching.

It is amazing how slowly unscriptural practices enter the Christian Church. We must at all times go back to the Scriptures. The Bible is our infallible guide. And if our practices and doctrines do not conform with the teachings of the Scriptures, then we must eliminate them. The Bible instructs the Church not to make any likeness of Christ. The present day pictures of Christ are false and no one would make a serious claim that they resemble Christ upon earth. They separate His humanity from His deity. They do not at all give us a glimpse of his present glory. They are not condoned by the inspired apostles. God has ordained the foolishness of preaching to evangelize the world. He has promised to attend the preaching of the Word with the power of the Holy Spirit. The so-called pictures of Christ are a hindrance and a temptation to idolatry. Let us cleanse the Temple of God from them.

The True Church By J. C. Ryle, Bishop of Liverpool

2010-02-02T21:07:00.000-08:00

I want you to belong to the one true Church: to the Church outside of which there is no salvation. I do not ask where you go on a Sunday; I only ask, “Do you belong to the one true Church?”

Where is this one true Church? What is this one true Church like? What are the marks by which this one true Church may be known? You may well ask such questions. Give me your attention, and I will provide you with some answers.

The one true Church is composed of all believers in the Lord Jesus. It is made up of all God’s elect—of all converted men and women—of all true Christians. In whomsoever we can discern the election of God the Father, the sprinkling of the blood of God the Son, the sanctifying work of God the Spirit, in that person we see a member of Christ’s true Church.

It is a Church of which all the members have the same marks. They are all born again of the Spirit; they all possess “repentance towards God, faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ,” and holiness of life and conversation. They all hate sin, and they all love Christ. They worship differently, and after various fashions; some worship with a form of prayer, and some with none; some worship kneeling, and some standing; but they all worship with one heart. They are all led by one Spirit; they all build upon one foundation; they all draw their religion from one single book—that is the Bible. They are all joined to one great center—that is Jesus Christ. They all even now can say with one heart, “Hallelujah”; and they can all respond with one heart and voice, “Amen and Amen.”

It is a Church which is dependent upon no ministers upon earth, however much it values those who preach the gospel to its members. The life of its members does not hang upon church membership or baptism or the Lord’s Supper—although they highly value these things, when they are to be had. But it has only one Great Head, one Shepherd, one chief Bishop—and that is Jesus Christ. He alone, by His Spirit, admits the members of this Church, though ministers may

show the door. Till He opens the door no man on earth can open it—neither bishops, nor presbyters, nor convocations, nor synods. Once let a man repent and believe the gospel, and that moment he becomes a member of this Church. Like the penitent thief, he may have no opportunity of being baptized; but he has that which is far better than any water-baptism—the baptism of the Spirit. He may not be able to receive the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper; but he eats Christ’s body and drinks Christ’s blood by faith every day he lives, and no minister on earth can prevent him. He may be excommunicated by ordained men, and cut off from the outward ordinances of the professing Church; but all the ordained men in the world cannot shut him out of the true Church.

It is a Church whose existence does not depend on forms, ceremonies, cathedrals, churches, chapels, pulpits, fonts, vestments, organs, endowments, money, kings, governments, magistrates or any act of favor whatsoever from the hand of man. It has often lived on and continued when all these things have been taken from it. It has often been driven into the wilderness, or into dens and caves of the earth, by those who ought to have been its friends. Its existence depends on nothing but the presence of Christ and His Spirit; and they being ever with it, the Church cannot die.

This is the Church to which the scriptural titles of present honor and privilege, and the promises of future glory especially belong; this is the Body of Christ; this is the flock of Christ; this is the household of faith and the family of God; this is God’s building, God’s foundation and the temple of the Holy Ghost. This is the Church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven; this is the royal priesthood, the chosen generation, the peculiar people, the purchased possession, the habitation of God, the light of the world, the salt and the wheat of the earth; this is the “holy catholic Church” of the Apostles’ Creed; this is the “One catholic and apostolic Church” of Nicene Creed; this is that Church to which the Lord Jesus promises “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” and to which He says, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 16:18; 28:20).

This is the only Church which possesses true unity. Its members are entirely agreed on all the weightier matters of religion, for they are all taught by one Spirit. About God and Christ and the Spirit and sin and their own hearts and faith and repentance and necessity of holiness and the value of the Bible and the importance of prayer and the resurrection and judgment to come—about all these points they are of one mind. Take three or four of them, strangers to one another, from the remotest corners of the earth; examine them separately on these points: you will find them all of one judgment.

This is the only Church which possesses true sanctity. Its members are all holy. They are not merely holy by profession, holy in name and holy in the judgment of charity; they are all holy in act and deed and reality and life and truth. They are all more or less conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. No unholy man belongs to this Church. This is the only Church which is truly catholic. It is not the Church of any one nation or people: its members are to be found in every part of the world where the gospel is received and believed. It is not confined within the limits of any one country, or pent up within the pale of any particular form or outward government. In it there is no difference between Jew and Greek, black man and white, Episcopalian and Presbyterian—but faith in Christ is all. Its members will be gathered from north and south and east and west and will be of every name and tongue—but all one in Jesus Christ.

This is the only Church which is truly apostolic. It is built on the foundation laid by the Apostles, and holds the doctrines which they preached. The two grand objects at which its members aim, are apostolic faith and apostolic practice; and they consider the man who talks of following the Apostles without possessing these two things to be no better than sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.

This is the only Church which is certain to endure unto the end. Nothing can altogether overthrow and destroy it. Its members may be persecuted, oppressed, imprisoned, beaten, beheaded, burned; but the true Church is never altogether extinguished; it rises again from its afflictions; it lives on through fire and water. When crushed in one land it springs up in another.

The Pharaohs, the Herods, the Neros, the Bloody Marys, have labored in vain to put down this Church; they slay their thousands, and then pass away and go to their own place. The true Church outlives them all, and sees them buried each in his turn. It is an anvil that has broken many a hammer in this world, and will break many a hammer still; it is a bush which is often burning, and yet is not consumed.

This is the only Church of which no one member can perish. Once enrolled in the lists of this Church, sinners are safe for eternity; they are never cast away. The election of God the Father, the continual intercession of God the Son, the daily renewing and sanctifying power of God the Holy Ghost, surround and fence them in like a garden enclosed. Not one born of Christ’s mystical Body shall ever be broken; not one lamb of Christ’s flock shall ever be plucked out of His hand.

This is the Church which does the work of Christ upon earth. Its members are a little flock, and few in number compared with the children of the world: one or two here, and two or three there—a few in this parish and a few in that. But these are they who shake the universe; these are they who change the fortunes of kingdoms by their prayers; these are they who are the active workers for spreading knowledge of pure religion and undefiled; these are the life-blood of a country, the shield, the defense, the stay, and the support of any nation to which they belong.

This is the Church which shall be truly glorious at the end. When all earthly glory is passed away then shall this Church be presented without spot before God the Father’s throne. Thrones, principalities, and powers upon earth shall come to nothing—dignities and offices and endowments shall all pass away; but the Church of the first-born shall shine as the stars at the last, and be presented with joy before the Father’s throne, in the day of Christ’s appearing. When the Lord’s jewels are made up, and the manifestation of the sons of God takes place, Episcopacy, and Presbyterianism, and Congregationalism will not be mentioned; one Church only will be named, and that is the Church of the elect.

Reader, this is the true Church to which a man must belong, if he would be saved. Till you belong to this, you are nothing better than a lost soul. You may have the form, the husk, the skin and the shell of religion, but you have not got the substance and the life. Yes, you may have countless outward privileges: you may enjoy great light and knowledge—but if you do not belong to the Body of Christ, your light and knowledge and privileges will not save your soul.

Alas, for the ignorance that prevails on this point! Men fancy if they join this church or that church, and become communicants, and go through certain forms, that all must be right with their souls. It is an utter delusion; it is a gross mistake. All were not Israel who were called Israel, and all are not members of Christ’s Body who profess themselves Christian. Take notice; you may be a staunch Episcopalian or Presbyterian or Independent or Baptist or Wesleyan or Plymouth Brother—and yet not belong to the true Church. And if you do not, it will be better at last if you had never been born.

Anxiety by Arthur W. Pink

2010-02-02T20:03:00.000-08:00

"In nothing be anxious." (Phil. 4:6, R.V.)

WORRYING is as definitely forbidden as theft. This needs to be carefully pondered and definitely realized by us, so that we do not excuse it as an innocent "infirmity." The more we are convicted of the sinfulness of anxiety, the sooner are we likely to perceive that it is most dishonoring to God, and "strive against" it. (Heb. 12:4) Buy how are we to "strive against" it? First, by begging the Holy Spirit to grant us a deeper conviction of its enormity. Second, by making it a subject of special and earnest prayer, that we may be delivered from this evil. Third, by watching its beginning, and as soon as we are conscious of harassment of mind, as soon as we detect the unbelieving thought, lift up our heart to God and ask Him for deliverance from it. The best antidote for anxiety is frequent meditation upon Gods goodness, power and sufficiency. When the saint can confidently realize "The Lord is My Shepherd," he must draw the conclusion, "I shall not want!" Immediately following our exhortation is, "but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God." Nothing is too big and nothing is too little to spread before and cast upon the Lord. The "with thanksgiving" is most important, yet it is the point at which we most fail. It means that before we receive Gods answer, we thank Him for the same: it is the confidence of the child expecting his Father to be gracious. --A. W. Pink

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought (anxious concern) for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6:25,33)

Images of Christ addressed by the Ecumenical Seventh Synod, Constantinople, A.D. 754.

2010-01-31T22:10:00.000-08:00

The decrees made by the 338 bishops attending this council were quickly overturned by the second Council of Nicaea. However, they spoke some great truth that we should consider today. The sinful worship of Mary and the saints was accepted by this council, so we must be sure to discern their words carefully. The Council also condemns other art, which I disagree with. I do however agree with their position on images of Christ.

The Council makes a profound statement:

"The only admissible figure of the humanity of Christ, however, is bread and wine in the holy Supper."

The Council backs up their position with scripture:

Moreover, we can prove our view by Holy Scripture and the Fathers. In the former it is said: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth;" and: "Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath;" on which account God spoke to the Israelites on the Mount, from the midst of the fire, but showed them no image. Further: "They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man,…and served the creature more than the Creator."

The Council explains their position well:

Wherefore we thought it right, to shew forth with all accuracy, in our present definition the error of such as make and venerate these, for it is the unanimous doctrine of all the holy Fathers and of the six Ecumenical Synods, that no one may imagine any kind of separation or mingling in opposition to the unsearchable, unspeakable, and incomprehensible union of the two natures in the one hypostasis or person. What avails, then, the folly of the painter, who from sinful love of gain depicts that which should not be depicted--that is, with his polluted hands he tries to fashion that which should only be believed in the heart and confessed with the mouth? He makes an image and calls it Christ. The name Christ signifies God and man. Consequently it is an image of God and man, and consequently he has in his foolish mind, in his representation of the created flesh, depicted the Godhead which cannot be represented, and thus mingled what should not be mingled. Thus he is guilty of a double blasphemy--the one in making an image of the Godhead, and the other by mingling the Godhead and manhood. Those fall into the same blasphemy who venerate the image, and the same woe rests upon both, because they err with Arius, Dioscorus, and Eutyches, and with the heresy of the Acephali. When, however, they are blamed for undertaking to depict the divine nature of Christ, which should not be depicted, they take refuge in the excuse: We represent only the flesh of Christ which we have seen and handled. But that is a Nestorian error. For it should be considered that that flesh was also the flesh of God the Word, without any separation, perfectly assumed by the divine nature and made wholly divine. How could it now be separated and represented apart? So is it with the human soul of Christ which mediates between the Godhead of the Son and the dulness of the flesh. As the human flesh is at the same time flesh of God the Word, so is the human soul also soul of God the Word, and both at the same time, the soul being deified as well as the body, and the Godhead remained undivided even in the separation of the soul from the body in his voluntary passion. For where the soul of Christ is, there is also his Godhead; and where the body of Christ is, there too is his Godhead. If then in his passion the divinity remained inseparable from these, how do the fools venture to separate the flesh from the Godhead, and represent it by itself as the image of a mere man? They fall into the abyss of impiety, since they separate the flesh from the Godhead, ascribe to it a subsistence of its own, a personality of its own, which they depict, and thus introduce a fourth person into the Trinity. Moreover, they represent as not being made divine, that which has been made divine by being assumed by the Godhead. Whoever, then, makes an image of Christ, either depicts the Godhead which cannot be depicted, and mingles it with the manhood (like the Monophysites), or he represents the body of Christ as not made divine and separate and as a person apart, like the Nestorians. [emphasis added]

The Council continues by anathematizing those who continue in sinful idol creation or worship:

(8) If anyone ventures to represent the divine image (χαρακτήρ) of the Word after the Incarnation with material colours, let him be anathema!
(9) If anyone ventures to represent in human figures, by means of material colours, by reason of the incarnation, the substance or person (ousia or hypostasis) of the Word, which cannot be depicted, and does not rather confess that even after the Incarnation he [i.e., the Word] cannot be depicted, let him be anathema!

(10) If anyone ventures to represent the hypostatic union of the two natures in a picture, and calls it Christ, and thus falsely represents a union of the two natures, etc.!

(11) If anyone separates the flesh united with the person of the Word from it, and endeavours to represent it separately in a picture, etc.!

(12) If anyone separates the one Christ into two persons, and endeavours to represent Him who was born of the Virgin separately, and thus accepts only a relative (σχετική) union of the natures, etc.

(13) If anyone represents in a picture the flesh deified by its union with the Word, and thus separates it from the Godhead, etc.

(14) If anyone endeavours to represent by material colours, God the Word as a mere man, who, although bearing the form of God, yet has assumed the form of a servant in his own person, and thus endeavours to separate him from his inseparable Godhead, so that he thereby introduces a quaternity into the Holy Trinity, etc.

OliveTree BibleReader for BlackBerry, installation demo

2010-01-30T22:31:00.000-08:00

After my earlier review, I was asked for another video showing how to install BibleReader for BlackBerry. This three minute video shows the installation process. This is an updated version of BibleReader for BlackBerry that includes support for Greek and Hebrew resources. I hope to provide a review of the new Greek and Hebrew resources in the near future.

The current version also takes care of a pesky little bug that caused the books, chapters and verses to get scrambled in the verse chooser. There are also some improvements with the look, having more attractive menus and icons. The default of scrolling by page is now by line, allowing for a much better reading experience. This was possible to change in earlier versions, but now this setting is taken care of right out of the box.

Glo Bible: Cool technology, questionable theology

2010-01-27T20:50:00.000-08:00

As a Bible reading platform for the layman, Glo's technology really stands out. Glo brings together text, video, maps, and the Bible text in a well presented fashion. The navigation system is easy to use and familiar. Researching a topic is like using an online mapping service. Just as you start off with a globe and zoom in to find states, cities, then streets; in Glo you see clouds of major topics, zooming in shows more and more sub-topics. Unfortunately, this flashy technology will expose you to some questionable theology.

Maps

The mapping software is also quite cool. You can zoom in on modern satellite and aerial images. This is cool, but I wonder if it is really beneficial. Zooming in on the swimming pool behind a house where Ephesus was might be neat, but it doesn't serve much purpose for the sake of Bible study. In fact, this seems to be more of a distraction than anything else.

Translations

Glo provides KJV, NIV and CEV translations of the Bible.

Articles

The written articles are very good. I was unable to find any credits for the written work, upon my inquiry, I was told these articles came from Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible.

Bible Study Tools

Note taking in Glo is a place where the technology shines. Your notes build up a journal and they are stored online for safe keeping. You can also take screen captures of anything you are working on in Glo to save as PDFs or JPEGs.

Pictures

As I look through the images, I see a lot of content that is a distraction more than anything. For example, alongside Matthew 15:16-17, we are shown a picture of native children from the neighborhood of Jerusalem. I do not see how this is relevant. Also, images of Christ are abundant, which I believe is sinful. Sometimes a picture can be a help, but I do not trust these pictures.

To compare, the ESV Study Bible has a picture of the ark. I trust the editorial team of the ESV Study Bible enough to believe they took great care following the scriptures to create this picture. In Glo, you will find multiple different pictures of the ark, and I doubt that much care was taken or that any editor compared the pictures to the Biblical text.

Video

My biggest problem with Glo is the video content. It is horrible. After reading some great written articles, I was shocked by the videos. The videos constantly undermine the sufficiency of the scriptures. Writer and narrator, Troy Schmidt, often starts segments by saying "To truly understand the God Man..." then he interviews a modern fisherman or a nun or goes to a historical site. Let me make this clear: to truly understand Jesus, read your Bible.

Glo as a platform

This year, Glo will be releasing tools to customize the content distributed with Glo. I do not recommend this product as it comes off the shelf because I dislike the stock content. However, the technology is very cool. With the proper authoring tools and content, you could release a theologically sound version to your church members. I could see some mega churches doing this, including video sermons indexed by Bible verse and topic. I would buy a copy if it was filled with theologically sound content. Perhaps someone wants to make a John Piper version? He surely has enough published work online to fill a product like this.

It Is Well with My Soul

2010-01-23T21:26:00.000-08:00

This hymn was penned by Horatio Spafford. Horatio was a great man of faith who trusted God's will so much that after devastating events he was able to say "it is well with my soul." The Library of Congress has a great online exhibit telling the story.

In 1871, Horatio Spafford, a prosperous lawyer and devout Presbyterian church elder and his wife, Anna, were living comfortably with their four young daughters in Chicago. In that year the great fire broke out and devastated the entire city. Two years later the family decided to vacation with friends in Europe. At the last moment Horatio was detained by business, and Anna and the girls went on ahead, sailing on the ocean liner S.S. Ville de Havre. On November 21, 1873, the liner was rammed amid ship by a British vessel and sank within minutes. Anna was picked up unconscious on a floating spar, but the four children had drowned.

Could you say "it is well with my soul" after hearing that your children have drowned? We must grab hold of the fact that all things work together for the good of those who love God (Rom 8:28) and trust Him.

It Is Well With My Soul
1873
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea-billows roll,
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to know:
"It is well, it is well with my soul."
Tho' Satan should buffet, tho' trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed his own blood for my soul.
My sin - oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin - not in part but the whole -
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh, my soul.
And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend;
"Even so - it is well with my soul."

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live,
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou shalt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Witnesses Unto Me on your Kindle

2010-01-12T09:24:00.001-08:00

Just in case you cannot leave the house without reading Witnesses Unto Me, you can get it on your Kindle. Courtney won the free copy of RC Sproul's Chosen By God lectures on DVD for being the first person to take a picture of Witnesses Unto Me on the Kindle and post it.

Get it now: Witnesses Unto Me Kindle Edition

The Institutes in WORDSearch 9

2010-01-10T22:02:00.001-08:00

Did John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion make your 2010 reading list? I encourage you to partake in a one year journey through the Institutes. You will not be alone, Bound With Christ is a new blog which provides a reading schedule and a place to discuss the reading.

Once you make the commitment to read through the Institutes, you need to pick up a copy. You can buy a paper copy, read it on the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for free, or download it as a PDF.

I will be reading using my eBook software. Specifically, I will be reading in the new WORDSearch 9. WORDsearch provides over 200 free books, and the Institutes of the Christian Religion is one of them. You can either read it for free using the free eBook software Bible Explorer 4, or you can use the more powerful WORDSearch 9 software. WORDsearch 9 packages start at $49.95 for the Thompson Bible Library and goes up to $349.95 for the Preaching Library. I purchased WORDSearch 8, but was provided a complementary upgrade to WORDSearch 9 for the purpose of blogging about it. For the purpose of reading the Institutes alone, you will do just fine with the free Bible Explorer 4 software. All of the features I use in this post are available in Bible Explorer.

WORDSearch 9 allows for custom desktops, which are really just saved window arrangements. I have several setup and have found setting up the perfect desktop for the task is really the key to being productive in WORDSearch.. For example I have a desktop setup for commentary reading. In one corner is the cross reference explorer, in another corner are all my Bible translations, then taking up half the screen are my favorite commentaries. In the same way, I have created myself an Institutes desktop. I have 2/3rds of the screen dedicated to the Institutes, the other 1/3rd I have open the ESV Bible. I also have my person notes open, just under the Institutes and the rest of my library hidden. A couple of quirks to note, the desktop does not save perfectly, the screen split resets to 50/50 and the personal notes are hidden when you exit WORDSearch.

So, why is this better than reading it on a website or a PDF?

Linked Bible. Just hover your mouse over a scripture reference to read that verse. Click it to have your Bible window jump to that verse.
Notes. Taking notes in a PDF is not ideal. I've used PDFs as ebooks before and it is quite cumbersome. Taking notes on a website is even harder, although possible with services like sidewiki.
Highlighting. Several colors are available, quick and easy to apply.
Bookmarks. Easy to place, easy to jump to.
Navigation. The table of contents makes for easy navigation and can stay open on the left or can easily be hidden.

Let Jesus into your heart!

2010-01-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

A phrase often criticized in reformed circles because of it's typical use by Arminian evangelists, often coupled with Revelation 3:20 out of context they will say "Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart, wont you let him in?"

Of course we know Jesus is no beggar. But does that mean we need to shun the phrase Let [or receive] Jesus into your heart? The prince of preachers didn't seem to think so. Of course Spurgeon does not couple the phrase with an out of context Revelation 3:20 or use it to make false converts. Here is what Spurgeon does say:

There is no way of knowing God, and being reconciled to God, except as we receive Jesus Christ, his Son, into our hearts, and learn of him, through the Holy Spirit's teaching, all that he delights to reveal to us concerning his Father.

Spurgeon's Collected Sermons - Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit. #3222 - The Lamb Of God. Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington. 2/20/1870, 11/3/1910. emphasis added

My dear hearer, if you get Christ, you have obtained riches which you can take with you in the hour of death. The rich man clutched his bags of money, and as he laid them on his heart, he murmured, "They will not do, they will not do; take them away!" If you receive Jesus into your heart, he will be death's best antidote.

Spurgeon's Collected Sermons – Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit. #0745 - The Unsearchable Riches of Christ. The Agricultural Hall, Islington. 4/14/1867. emphasis added

The Lamb himself has become your food; feed on him; remove your spiritual hunger by receiving Jesus into your heart. This is the food whereof if a man eat he shall live for ever. Be filled with all the fullness of God, as you now receive the Lord Jesus as God and man.

Spurgeon's Collected Sermons – Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit. #1956 - On The Cross After Death. Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington. 04/03/1887. emphasis added

This last example shows where Spurgeon puts the power for us to receive Jesus into our hearts. He is clear that even faith is a gift from God.

And when you and I receive Jesus Christ into our heart, he evermore comes as a gift. The faith by which we receive him is a gift: the gift of God is faith, but Jesus Christ himself never comes to a soul that has faith, as a reward.
Spurgeon's Collected Sermons – Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit. #0782 - Saying Knowledge. Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington. 11/24/1867. emphasis added

An experiment with Aardvark

2010-01-01T22:35:00.000-08:00

Robert Scoble blogged the top 25 startups to watch in 2010. #2 on his list is Ardvark. You ask a question on Aardvark, and you are matched with a friend or friend of a friend to answer you. Aardvark allows you to login using Facebook, then pokes around in your content to determine what kind of questions you can answer and who your friends are.

As an experiment, I thought I would see how Aardvark would handle some theology. I asked "Why does God love Jacob, but hate Esau, even before they were born?"

Shortly after asking the question, I started getting emails with answers. Over a 15 minute period of time, I got five answers to my question.

The first answer comes from someone that doesn't seem to believe the Bible is the Word of God. I did let him know that it is.

Dont take the story literally. Its just a metaphor. Look for a deeper meaning. There is no right answer...it is what u make of it.

The second answer simply ignores the Biblical text.

god doesnt hate anybody

The third answer gives the question some thought. Personally I take the word hate at face value, but I know that Strong's says it means "loved less." This person makes the mistake of thinking all people are God's children, when the Bible clearly teaches a difference between children of God and Children of the devil.

God loves all of his children unconditionally, so "hate" here clearly doesn't mean "hate" in the sense that you and I think of hate. Just looking on the surface, my initial guess would be that this is talking about blessings. Jacob was given the birthright after Esau lost it. The order of events here is largely irrelevant, because the Lord sees the end from the beginning, and often times the physical "cause" of our blessings comes before the spiritual obedience that we are being blessed for. Of course this is only a guess, and I haven't bothered to validate it by digging into definitions of the original language.

The fourth answer is a typical Arminian one.

The ability of the Almighty to know all things is shown time after time in his selection of men who prophesied under his direction by holy spirit. To be able to ascertain the heart condition of those twins and their love for or lack of love for spiritual things is a testemony to his perfect wisdom.The fulfillment of these prophesies builds our faith in God

Finally, the fifth answer is pretty good

Paul sort of answers that question in romans 9, and I think it is best in the New Living Translation "But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.”In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.” Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! For God said to Moses,

“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,
and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”"

read the whole chapter for a better understanding. Romans 9:10-23

response from: M. Andre P./19/M/Rochester,NY

This was an interesting experiment. Caveat Emptor. Be discerning, Aardvark probably isn't the best place to get your answers to theological questions. I did respond to each person and perhaps some good will come of the interactions.

Win a free ESV Study Bible

2009-12-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

Christian Book Notes is giving a free ESV Study Bible on 1/4/2010. Head on over and fill out the form here to enter the free drawing before then: http://christianbooknotes.com/2009/winsday-esv-study-bible/

2010 Reading Plan

2009-12-30T07:40:00.000-08:00

The book I will read in 2010

1) The Bible

Top 12 books I hope to read in 2010:

1) The Meaning of the Pentateuch by John Sailhamer

2) Gospel Powered Parenting by William P. Farley

3) Total Church by Tim Hester and Steve Timmis

4) Sola Scriptura by Joel R. Beeke, et al.

5) The Soul Winner by Charles H. Spurgeon

6) Jonathan Edwards on Revival

7) 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith: A Modern Exposition by Samuel E Waldron

8) John (St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary) by Dr. R.C. Sproul

9) Homilies on the Gospel of John (1-40) (Works of Saint Augustine A Translation for the 21st Century)

10) The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Tim Keller

11) Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grudem)

12) Jesus the Evangelist by Richard D. Phillips

Top 3 books I want to read but probably wont get to in 2010:

1) Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin

2) George Müller: An Autobiography

3) Institutes of Elenctic Theology by Francis Turretin

And in truth, I probably will not read all of the top 12 list either, but I will work on it :)

See Matt Svoboda's top 10 list which encouraged me to make a 2010 reading plan.

What do you plan to read in 2010?

Win a Donald S. Whitney Library

2009-12-15T16:13:00.001-08:00

I found this great giveaway thanks to Tony Kummer for sharing it in Google Reader.

Head on over to Christian Book Notes to enter. Here are all the great prizes:

Grand Prize: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life–Study Guide, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, How Can I be Sure I am a Christian?, Simplify Your Spiritual Life, 10 Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, and Family Worship.

Two First Prizes: Autographed copy of either Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life orSpiritual Disciplines Within the Church. The choice will be given to the first person chosen. The second name drawn for this prize will receive what the other person did not want.

Second Prize: Audiobook collection: this contains both Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Lifeand Family Worship.

Third Prize: Family Worship book and audio CD

Fourth Prize: Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church

OliveTree BibleReader for BlackBerry with ESV Study Bible, a review

2009-12-15T09:06:00.000-08:00

BibleReader 4 for BlackBerry

from OliveTree

Overall I am very happy with the product. I was using YouVersion on my BlackBerry for Bible reading and I found that having to access the internet caused too much latency to get to a verse. Particularly in a rural church with block walls keeping out wifi and most cell signal. BibleReader 4 is the best Bible reader I have used thus far on my BlackBerry. I will keep YouVersion on my BlackBerry, but only to use when I want a translation not in BibleReader.

General navigation in BibleReader is quite easy. I am able to get to a verse faster than I could using a paper Bible. In the past, using YouVersion, I would be the last person to the text in a Bible study because it was so slow. Using BibleReader, I am the first one there. The verse chooser is very easy to use and quick, which you can see in both videos. One caveat about speed, although getting around is quick once you are in BibleReader, it is not quick to load. Be sure to have it open to the library before you are ready to use it or you might find yourself in a pickle. I assume some of this slowness has to do with the amount of resources I loaded. I have about 150 MB in my library. When I say navigation is quick, I am talking about after you load the library.

I want to make it clear that I am very happy with what BibleReader does before I sink my teeth into what it doesn't do.

UPDATE: What I thought was a problem with the way text scrolls, is actually a setting. By default, it is set to page scrolling, but by changing to line scrolling it is much easier to follow the text.

Note taking and highlighting is unfortunately missing from OliveTree on BlackBerry. I hope to see this added soon as it would really go a long way to making BibleReader a real alternative to a pocket sized paper Bible. Next to this, I would like to see some advanced search options, particularly searching across multiple resources. For example, I often want to find a specific phrase in the Bible, but am not sure what translation I am remembering the phrase from. Finally, some greater cross reference tools would be nice. When I am in a text, it would be great to see what resources I have the reference the verse rather than having to check each one to see if there is commentary on the verse.

Free Resources

OliveTree makes over 150 resources available for free. I am very impressed with the selection which includes great resources by John Piper, Spurgeon, Augustine, Luther, Calvin and others.

Some of the free resources are formated better than others. None of the ones I tried allowed for bookmarks to be placed. Searching did work well which is great.

Perhaps there is a way that I have missed, but I would love to be able to import my own resources. Think how powerful it would be to import your sermon notes or lesson plan right into BibleReader and also how great it would be if you could link to the text from your notes.

ESV Study Bible

The ESV Study Bible is a great resource. Heather uses it as her primary paper Bible and I frequently use the web version.

Navigation is easy. A cool feature is being able to access the ESV Study Bible notes from any translation. You can effectively have the ESV study Bible commentary with the NASB text or whatever your favorite translation is. When you are on a verse, you simply select the ESVSB from the library, and you are taken to the commentary for the verse you are on. Clicking the BlackBerry back button takes you back to the text or you can click the text in the commentary to be taken to that text in the Bible.

I am not going to get into an in depth review of the ESV Study Bible, I think it is already well recognized as one of the best study Bibles in existence. C.J. Mahaney says it well: "I can’t imagine a greater gift to the body of Christ than the ESV Study Bible. It is a potent combination indeed: the reliability and readability of the ESV translation, supplemented by the best of modern and faithful scholarship, packaged in an accessible and attractive format. A Christian could make no wiser investment for himself, a pastor could recommend no better resource for his congregation."

The ESV Study Bible is huge. Now you can carry it in your pocket and you can navigate it quicker than ever.

Video demonstration of BibleReader with ESV Study Bible

Please excuse the audio in these videos, the only microphone I have is built into my laptop and it has an echo and picks up my laptop fan noise just as well as my voice.

Update:

After posting this review I received an email from Christopher Coleman, the developer for BlackBerry at OliveTree. He showed me that the scrolling problem that I mentioned is an option. Line scrolling will become the default in later versions, but for now you can change this in the options menu.

Christopher also pointed out a few more things:

The version of BibleReader in my video is not the latest. It seems OliveTree had an outdated link that I found. Christopher tells me the new version has a much nicer user interface than what you see in the video. I just upgraded and can confirm, it is much prettier! I do not have much more to say yet though because I have not had time to use this version at length yet.
The Strongs numbers can be hidden or shown using an option in the menu.
Notes and highlighting are coming soon
Searching and cross referencing across books is also on the to do list already.
The next features we will see: Greek & Hebrew support!

Give Your Children an Ephesians 6:4 Christmas

2009-12-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

2009 Christmas Buying Guide

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4 (ESV)

I've dug around and picked out the resources that will help in bringing up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. These resources we either already own, are buying for Christmas, want to buy when finances permit, or plan to buy when Delilah is old enough for them.

Picture Bibles

The Children's Story Bible. 3 Volume Paperback edition. By Catherine Vos.

This edition respects the reformed tradition on images of Christ. You will not find any in this picture bible. In a time when sinful illustrations of Jesus are everywhere, this is hard to find.

Westminster Bookstore lists this on their early elementary (age 6-7) list, but we ordered one for Delilah (age 2) for Christmas. She will surely need us to read to her, but isn't that how all reading is done with a 2 year old?

The New Children's Bible by Anne De Vries. Hardcover.

This Bible was recommended to me by brother Nathan White as another picture Bible without images of Christ.

Brother Nathan recommends this book for ages 5 and up.

Catechism

The Baptist Catechism Set to Music

Putting the catechism to music is an incredibly effective means for memorization. Countless times I am in a conversation and a topic addressed in the catechism comes up. I find myself singing the song to myself to recall a specific doctrine.

We gave these CDs to Delilah on Easter last year and she loves them. We enjoy them too! Really a gift for all ages.

Truth and Grace memory books

We have just the first in the series so far. It is for age 2 through the 4th grade, so it should last us a long time since Delilah is 2 now. These books give age appropriate memory verses, catechism questions, and hymns. Delilah has Genesis 1:1 and Ephesians 6:1 memorized thanks to these books. She also is getting the hang of the Doxology and knows some of the catechism questions. Plus it is just fun to hear her say 'Doxology.'

Book two is for grades 5-8 and the third book is for grades 9-12.

Story Books [and animatic DVDs]

The Eaglet, available as a book, animatic DVD, or combo pack with both.

The Eaglet is an allegorical tale of a baby eagle that wants to fly and does so against the warning of his father. The first part of the DVD is this story. The second explains the allegory in a way that children can understand while remaining theologically sound and being very evangelistic. Finally the third part is a recap boiled down into five truths you cannot forget. See my full review here.

Dangerous Journey

Recommended by Jim Elliff and Steve Burchett in an interview on Children's Ministry. They tell us:

One “world-class” book for your use is Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. For years a rendition of this book for children, Dangerous Journey (Zondervan), has been a favorite of ours for the excellent graphics and choice of story portions. Along with this excellent tool, a DVD using the book itself is available.

Sammy and His Shepherd

Sammy and His Shepherd is a allegorical tale where Sammy (a Christian) has a wonderful Shepherd (Jesus) and befriends a sheep with a bad shepherd (a lost friend). In each of the eleven chapters, Susan Hunt does a wonderful job of using the allegory to exegete a passage of Psalm 23.

Susan Hunt takes us through Psalm 23 in a way both parents and children will learn from. Cory Godbey did a wonderful job with the illustrations, but the words to pictures ratio was a bit off to keep my two year old's attention. I'd recommend this book for ages 5 and up. I do not mention an upper limit here because even though this book is targeted for kids, tweens, teens, and even adults will find the book entertaining and enlightening.

Read my full review here

The Lightlings by RC Sproul

The allegory is clear for our young children and will help them grasp Biblical concepts. The story begins with creation, continues with the fall of man, and ends with the gift of Jesus. Read my full review.

The Lightlings is also now available as an animatic DVD.

The Prince's Poison Cup by RC Sproul

The Prince's Poison Cup is an allegory explaining atonement and is the next logical story to help children understand the Gospel.

The Prince's Poison Cup is now also available as an Animatics DVD

Doctrine

Learn About God (6 Book Set) (Board Book)

These six board books teach children infants to age 3 the doctrine of God. The titles are available both as a set or individually:

Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers 4 Book Set (Hardcover)

Includes: The Trinity, The Gospel, The Scripture, and The Mission.

This is a set of books Delilah will get getting for Christmas this year. I am quite excited about them. These are very important doctrines, explained in a way our young kids can understand. The entire book on the trinity is available for preview. The book ends with the Constantinopolitan Creed of A.D. 381 quoted in full. I am impressed.

Publisher's Description: The Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers series introduces children ages four to eight to the fundamental teachings about God based on the Bible. The most foundational teachings of the Christian faith are presented in this four-book set at a level preschool and elementary children can understand. Colorful illustrations compliment every page of orthodox Christian doctrine, creating an enjoyable learning experience for the child. In contrast to self-centered theology and watered-down Bible storybooks, the Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers series promotes God-centered theology with simple and precise teaching while offering stability and a strong, lasting connection with the faith.

Music

If you only get one CD, be sure you have the Baptist Catechism set to music. But if you are looking for more, consider these hymn books with CDs. Each comes with a nice hardback book including the music sheet, a story, scripture, and a prayer for each song. This is a great way to really get some meaning out of the hymns.

Hymns for a Kid's Heart, Vol. 1 with CD

Hymns for a Kid's Heart, Vol. 2 with CD

Christmas Carols for a Kid's Heart, Book with CD

Passion Hymns for a Kid's Heart with CD

UPDATE: The Cecil and Friends series has been removed from this list. When putting it on this list I had only read one from the series. After reading the rest of the books I am forced to retract my recommendation due to images of Christ.

I will not sign the Manhattan Declaration

2009-11-29T13:29:00.000-08:00

We, as Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians...

The root of the problem is in the first sentence of the Manhattan Declaration. Think about how you must define Christian in order to sign this document. As for me, I would not ascribe the title of Christian to anyone that rejects the truth that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The Roman Catholic Church does just that, they reject this plain truth from the scriptures in favor of their traditions.

The problem gets worse. The Manhattan Declaration continues:

It is our duty to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in its fullness, both in season and out of season. May God help us not to fail in that duty.

Well, you did fail in that duty here. The Gospel is not proclaimed. Instead of the Gospel, we are given law as a basis for social action. The declaration sets up a Gospel presentation, but we are given the law instead of Gospel. The law is not the Gospel, the law cannot save only condemn. Part of this problem comes from a group of people who disagree on what the Gospel is, trying to do a good work for the sake of the very Gospel that they disagree about.

On the other hand, I would have no problem signing a secular petition containing the same social statements found within the Manhattan Declaration. I have to ask, why this ecumenical attempt? Why not create a secular petition that states our political beliefs? We could sign our names on it right next to the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholics and anyone else that agrees with the agenda set forth.

The Origin Into Schools Project @ UNLV

2009-11-23T14:40:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, November 19th Delilah and I joined the Las Vegas Outreach Team at UNLV for The Origin Into Schools Project. In only 90 minutes, we distributed 1,000 copies of Darwin's Origin of Species with a 50 page introduction by Ray Comfort which included the Gospel.

Brother Doug intended to get some video footage, but by the time he was done distributing the books to all the drop off locations, they were gone before he could even get out his video camera. Brother Doug did get a great 5 minute video up on YouTube with some stills shots and a great testimony from Brother David.

Brother David and his wife were both staunch atheists with a pact to never get involved in any religion. Their agreement called for a divorce if one party abandoned atheism. God blessed them both with faith within days of each other. After some time of being afraid of telling the other, they finally shared their faith with each other and were astonished that the other had the same experience. You have to watch the video and hear Brother David tell the story.