Book Review: A Lie Never Justifiable by H.C. Trumbull

H.C. Trumbull was a prisoner of war during the Civil War and his captured cohorts devised a plan to escape that hinged on him lying to the guards. They put their confidence in the wrong man since he refused to go along with the plan because he said it is always wrong to lie. Needless to say, he was not the most popular man in the hoosegow and his cell mates failed at their attempts to persuade him that sometimes it is justifiable to lie, especially to Confederates and especially when lying would free you from said Confederates. Trumbull, at the time, felt it was wrong but wasn't settled that he had done the right thing, so he determined if and when he was released from prison, he would devote himself to coming to the conclusion of the matter.

The title gives away the ending. You know his conclusions going in but get to benefit from his search as he goes as deep into the subject as a person probably could and quite frankly, deeper than most people really want to go - down to if it is possible to lie to a fish if you are using artificial bait. There are all sorts of scenarios he goes over, i.e. is it a lie to leave lights on in your home to pretend you are home, is it a lie to throw a change-up, deceiving the batter (I think that is the illustration, but I could be mistaken - which, by the way, wouldn't be a lie would it?). There are several others, that gave me a chuckle, but I got the point when he asked if you can lie to your horse, and if you can, should you?

Trumbull gives some interesting anthropological information concerning tribes and peoples and religions all over the world, looking for a group that did not believe that lying is wrong. According to his research, he couldn't find a society that accepted lying in their morality. He also gives the Christian history of the argument and that this has been debated since the days of the early Christians, which I thought was very interesting.

His point is basically since God cannot lie, neither can you. He addressed the common objections such as Rahab (brother Proctor jogged my memory of the book) and the lying spirits in I Kings 22 and gives a sufficient answer, in my opinion. However, he does make distinctions by defining what actually constitutes a lie. For example, if you have no right to the information, I don't have the obligation to give it to you. If you are deceived by your lack of information, it is not my duty to make sure you are not deceived by telling all I know. If you are the goodman of the house, you don't have to make sure to reveal when you are going to be the most vulnerable to theft. So it is vital to tell the truth, but it is not vital nor wise to tell all the truth in all situations in a pearls before swine sort of way.

If you are interested in reading his position, there are reprint editions available or you can get it on you favorite e-reader for free.

Grace & Peace,
Doug

Please Stand By

Hello dear readers. The blog has been a little slow. Full report to come.

Grace & Peace.

Miscellany

I have a whole list of random things I was going to write about, but never finished. So I'll give you a bit of weekend randomness, miscellaneous materials, indiscriminate items, unsystematic observations – stuff. Enjoy.

Item 1 

Tolkien didn't want The Hobbit published in Nazi Germany: Though he was popular in Germany for his academic writing on old Germanic and Norse cultures, Tolkien was disgusted by Nazi Germany, and called Adolf Hitler a "ruddy little ignoramus." When it came time for a German edition of The Hobbit, a German official asked Tolkien to prove that he was "Aryan" enough, in accordance with Nazi law. Tolkien instead wrote a letter back expressing regret that he didn't have Jewish ancestors. (Link embedded to original article).

Item 2
This summer we went to the place where General Stonewall Jackson died. He was shot by his own men, and killed by his own doctors (not purposefully mind you, but does that really make it any better?). They spent all efforts to save him, but what was "good medical treatment" at the time actually killed him. Had he not been on the receiving end of the priority treatment, he would have probably survived.

This is the bed that General Jackson died in. The blanket at the foot of the bed also was the same blanket that covered him.











The clock on the wall also was original to the room.  The daughter of the home was 11 years old when Stonewall died. She kept the bed, the blanket, and the clock for 70 years. She donated them to the National Park services, and came into the home and arranged the furniture exactly how she remembered it when Stonewall passed away.


Item 3
The King James Bible shaped our language. You won't say that about modern translations.

Winking and Prating

Proverbs 10:10  He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.

I hope that you aren't winking and prating about because that would indeed grieve the heart. You may ask "how do I know that is it bad to be prating and winking?" We know this from the result of each - sorrow and falling. So we know from the start that this is not a good thing. Since we know it is bad, let's figure out what it is that is bad. 

Winking with the eye in the Bible is always shown as a devious act (Pro. 6:13; Job 15:12; Psa.35:19). Really no different than it is today. 

Prating is babbling, and the fool who babbles speaks his heart. So a prating fool goes on and on, with each word revealing to every unfortunate soul in earshot that he is indeed a fool. 

In this proverb, as in most, we have two different people, with two different outcomes. The word "but" separates the the two situations. Often "but" will transition from good to bad. For example, if you would scan up to the previous verse, we conveniently have an example in Proverbs 10:9.  He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known. Here we see that the upright walk sure footed *but* the man that perverts the way shall be known. You have the godly and ungodly compared and contrasted showing you one way is superior to the other.

Our proverb is different though, because both ways are bad and both outcomes are bad. 

A) He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: 

but 

B) a prating fool shall fall.

So the "but" in verse 10 doesn't transition from bad to worse, but we know that this conjunction does transition us some way, so what are we contrasting? Both A and B are people you do not want to be and both end results are places you do not want to go. Now we need to think about what the difference is in order to gain wisdom.

The difference is in the person that is hurt. The "winker" of line A hurts other people. He causes sorrow. The prating fool of line B hurts himself. The fool who rambles on in his foolishness can and often does hurt other people (read the whole of chapter ten with the theme of work and words in mind and you can see the result of the words of a fool). Though he may not necessarily hurt others, he will hurt himself. He is going to fall.

I believe that this proverb is a warning for those with a foolish mouth. The liar and the deceiver the backbiter and the thief is universally known to hurt other people. We all know the kind of person that is being described and we've all experienced the pain of a wrecking ball of deception  Perhaps, such were some of you. But the foolish talker doesn't realize the pain he causes because he hurts himself, and nobody wants to hurt themselves, for no man ever yet hated his own flesh. If the foolish talker knew he was a) a foolish talker and b) was hurting himself, he would surely probably stop. 

Here is the important part. We have to press on. We can't stop here, or we just learned a proverb. We have to look in the mirror and examine our own words. Am I a foolish babbler? What do I talk about? Does my mouth have a break and if so does it work and do I know where it located? Is there a filter between head and mouth and if so, is it working? 

Think about it this way. In you minds eye, the part of "he that winketh with the eye" will be played by a car thief  The prating fool will be portrayed by a person who never checks their oil in their car. The car thief will cause sorrow to others. But the person who never checks or changes the oil in their car only brings hurt on themselves. They hop in the car, cruising with the windows down, without a care in the world. "Those windshield wipers slappin out a tempo, keepin perfect rhythm with the song on the radio, gotta keep rolling" says Mr. Rabbit and all is right in the world. But the fun and games come to a stop when the engine does. The whole car was groaning under the foolishness of the car owner, who was oblivious to the harm their foolish behavior was causing and the pattern of foolish behavior brought the bad fruit. There is another option, which I think hits the mark for most people. The fool knew they were doing wrong and just didn't care or didn't believe the warning was true. 

The prating fool will fall.

Doug

Post Election Wrap-up

Well, that didn't go like I thought it was going to. I am disappointed and I am sad for our country, but do not despair, because God is still God and he is in control of the affairs of men.

I pray for President Obama. He is a husband, father, and a soul. I pray that he will hear the true and saving gospel. I pray that God, in his common grace, would direct his mind and give him wisdom.  He is the commander in chief and has the lives of many of our men and women in his hand. Proverbs 21:1  The king's (and President’s) heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

I pray, that by God’s grace, he would grant that His elect be able to live quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty here in this country. We have had so much freedom - to write, to preach, to witness, to worship, to broadcast over the airwaves. Let’s face it - we are on our way to being socialist nation now because that is what the majority of Americans wanted. Secular and socialistic countries eventually will limit speech. To what degree, it remains to be seen, but I pray that it doesn't.

I pray that God would give grace to His people in this country and that we will do the will of God as citizens and “put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” and by living submissive and godly lives, by living for King Jesus (I Peter 2).

                                                                                                                                                      

I pray that we will remember that the election did not take God by surprise.

If you have a few moments read the introduction to A.W Pink's Sovereignty of God today. After you finish this, of course!

I pray that my words, thoughts, prayers today will be seasoned with love. Love for my neighbors  love for my Saviour, and love for my fellow citizens. May we be salt and light. 

I pray that Governor Romney will come to know the Lord Jesus Christ in saving faith.  

Luke 10:2  “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” - Jesus Christ

I pray that people who trusted the Republican Party, and who are now without hope, will find that Jesus Christ is the only true Hope of humanity. Christ is already victorious over death and those that put their trust in His finished work on the cross and His resurrection have eternal life. There will be a lot of conservative pundits trying to give people hope in the next election cycle. I hope they hear a preacher of the gospel today. 

I pray that those that are currently putting their trust in the Democratic Party will become equally disillusioned.

Socialism and class warfare is another name for covetousness. As God’s people, let’s use God’s terminology and wield the Sword of the Spirit. The sword of Ronald Reagan is a Nerf toy.

God's judgment is not coming. We have been in the midst of it for a while (Romans 1:18-32). However, let it move us to be more like Paul "So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel..." Romans 1:15

Government is given by God as a common grace to restrain evil. The government’s job is greatly hindered when those in charge call evil good and good evil. That is where we come in. It is our job to call good, good. It is our job to call evil, evil.

I pray this will finally give Christians a realistic view of the country. We are not a Christian nation - we are a secular nation. I hope that this finally displays that superficial, non-Lordship salvation, nominal cultural Christianity that has been so prominent has bore its rotten fruit and been worse for this country than either party could be. President Obama ran on a pro-abortion platform, mentioning Planned Parenthood no less than four times in the town hall debate, and yet a nation that is supposedly a majority Christian nation, overwhelmingly supported him. Combine that with the advances that the homosexual marriage results, there should be little doubt about the souls of our fellow citizenry. But that is a good thing, in a way. It is far better to be awakened to the truth than to continue to believe a lie.

Ronald Reagan is not going to come back, and there is only one Good Man on a white horse (Rev. 19:11) that will save us, and he isn't coming to “restore American” (Psalm 2) and there is none good but God. Stop waiting for a political Saviour. Serve the only Saviour.

I pray that this wakes us up. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. (Rom 13:11-14)

"A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within. The essential cause of Rome's decline lay in her people, her morals, her class struggle, her failing trade, her bureaucratic despotism, her stifling taxes, her consuming wars".--Will Durant in Caesar and Christ. HT: The Imaginative Conservative

In 1352 Pope Clement VI issued a decree for a “purification” of France of the Baptist.  In “The History of the Waldenses” by J.A. Wylie it is documented how many of the Baptist were saved from the sword.  

“The zeal of the Pope, however, was but indifferently seconded by that of the secular lords. The men they were enjoined to exterminate were the most industrious and peaceable of their subjects; and willing as they no doubt were to oblige the Pope, they were naturally averse to incur so great a loss as would be caused by the destruction of the flower of their populations.” 

 These godly Anabaptists, who suffered the heavy hand of persecution, were the prize citizens of their country.  Our government should look upon the populous and say that if every citizen acted like the Christians, this country would be a better place. If we suffer, if we are persecuted and hated, let it be for righteousness sake, not for the Republican or Democratic Party’s sake.

In Christ, you have a living hope because you have a living Saviour. 1 Peter 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Grace & Peace,

Doug

Intro to Psalm 1: The Happy Man

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.  (Psa 1:1-6)

What a glorious way for the book of Psalms to start, BLESSED!  HAPPINESS! What a wonderful God we serve, blessedness and happiness are His ways for us. How truly great and merciful is our Lord, not only does He save us, but desires and provides ways for our happiness. Isn't that what the world is looking for? Isn't that what most people are looking for in a President, one that would bring them happiness? People want to be happy, but don't know where to find happiness. Don't believe me? Look at how many results come up when you Click here. This is clearly something people are looking for something people THINK they have the answer to. 

God tells all people how they will be happy, yet His ways are forsaken. Are you looking for happiness? If you have not found this gladness of heart, where are you looking for it? There are two paths, two roads in the Psalm. The happy man doesn't walk with the ungodly, he does not stand in the way of sinners, he does not sit with the scornful. Are you looking for happiness with the wind driven chaff?

Happiness and gladness of heart comes from the Lord and contentment in His ways and His Word. There is delight in the scriptures. There is happiness in thinking about them, meditating on them, learning more of Christ. The Holy Spirit takes that Word and grounds us in that blessed truth, then produces fruit in us, which only brings about more happiness. 

I exhort you to take this Psalm to heart, to memorize it, to keep it with you all the days of your life, that you will never forget the way of peace and joy.

“This Psalm carries blessedness in the frontispiece [the decorative engraving on the first page of a book] ; it begins where we all hope to end; it may well be called a Christians’ Guide, for it discovers the quicksand where the wicked sink down in perdition, and the firm ground on which the saints tread to glory” Thomas Watson’s Saints’ Spiritual  Delight

Grace & Peace,

Doug

Vinegar upon Nitre - Not a Good Thing

Proverbs 25:20  As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.

First things first. What in the world is nitre?

I like the definition in Nave's Topical Dictionary. I think he understood as much as I do. His full definition: "a chemical". So, there you go. 

Since I'm no chemist and somehow passed chemistry in high school by the skin of my teeth by putting in Naves-like effort in learning about chemical properties, I'll give you what little I have come to understand about the aforementioned nitre. This chemical, from what my betters have discovered, is potassium nitrate, which is like a soda or carbonate and bubbles and fizzes when combined with acids, like vinegar. Apparently it was used to wash clothes in ancient times. Some sort of Ancient Egyptian Secret. I did a search on YouTube for potassium nitrate, and apparently we Americans have harnessed this power in different ways.

Without exactly knowing that vinegar causes nitre to be as bubbly as a Hello Kitty tour guide, we can tell by the taking the coat away in the cold example, that it isn't a good thing. It doesn't do much good taking a persons coat when they are freezing. Nor would it help a person carrying nitre to have you go and start a chemical reaction in their hands. Upon reflection, neither of these things would be optimal.

The "as" and the "so" is the key. Not to be overly simple, but these little words clue us in on how to read proverbs. As these two bad things are, so it is equally bad to do this other bad thing. In other words, only a jerk would take away a man's coat in a blizzard or dump water in a box of a man's Tide and everyone knows that.

It is equally bad to sing songs to a heavy heart. It is trying to overlook the pain of one whose heart is heavy by applying the wrong medicine at the wrong time. Proverbs 17:22  says A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. But be discerning enough to know when to apply this salve to which wound. I'm sure Tylenol would help the pain of a rattlesnake bite, but lets deal with the deadly poison coursing through my veins first. In other words telling someone to "cheer up" when they have just been devastated is not likely to be the best medicine. Another bit of science, the world doesn't revolve around you, or me as far as that goes. In fact, almost failing chemistry is one of the ways I learned that said earth's rotation has little to do with me and my proximity. Because you are not sad, that doesn't mean others are not, and trying to make them happy by singing songs is not going to help the situation, it is only going to make it worse.

There are those unfortunate souls who revel in sorrow and are their happiest when they are miserable. We are dealing with a person who is genuinely sad and a person who genuinely wants to help. One person has a very good reason to be brokenhearted, and the other person hates to see them that way. The problem arises in how to help them. Solomon is telling us if we go and act like a morning radio show in the midst of someone's sorrow to try to "help them" you are going to make it worse.

There are exceptions, of course, but if most people could just "cheer up" they would. There is a time to grieve and if you want to be a friend, don't be superficial with your friends pain. Sympathize, show loving compassion. There is a middle ground between being a clown and being a "friend to Job".

There is a time to weep and a time to laugh. Learn the difference.With kindly and brotherly affection, weep with them that weep. Help them, hear them, pray for them, and point them to Christ.

Grace & Peace,
Doug

How Many Legs Does a Dog Have?

Most Christians would affirm this and hold to the sufficiency of scripture. But there seems to be an exception when it comes to the church and how the church is supposed to operate. Like everything else concerning the Word of God, it does not matter what we think is right and wrong, but what God say’s is right and wrong. The church is a divine institution, with a divine head, who gave her a mission and book of faith and practice. We are at no more liberty to move an inch with the church than we are with any other portion of scripture.

 Abraham Lincoln once said “How many legs does a dog have, if you call his tail a leg? The answer is four, because calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.”  It doesn’t matter what we think is right, but what IS right, and we know what is right and wrong by the Word of God.  When it comes to the church, Christians sometimes become like the world and say that a “tail is a leg.”  

Backhoe vs. China Vase

Douglas Wilson On I Peter 3:7

 "Too often men read this passage and unfortunately respond to it with a junior high mentality. Thinking of every difference in terms of competition, they start doing a little touchdown dance. 'My wife loses! I am the strong one!' But this response just proves, among other things, that the men can't read. Peter assumes that the information he is providing will lead men to honor their wives. A china vase is weaker than a backhoe. But it is superior to the backhoe for a whole range of activities. And the backhoe is better for others. Our triune God did not create differences in the world so that we could try to figure out whether the sun or moon is better" (From 5 Paths, p. 75).

 

The Beauty of Holiness

Psalms 96:9  O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

The beauty of God’s holiness and the fear of the Lord go hand in hand. Even the holy angels that spend their existence in the presence of God declaring his holiness must cover their eyes before Him. When Moses was called to the burning bush, God told him to remove his feet because he was on holy ground and Moses “hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God (Exodus 3:5-6).”  There is a fear that is in all creatures when we come to the holy God. But the fear comes from the greatness of God, and that greatness of His holiness is beautiful. It is at the same time beautiful and fearful. God’s beautiful holiness is too much for any person to behold.

Holiness is the magnificence of every attribute. God could not be just without being holy. God could have ultimate strength, but could not be God without holy strength.

All of His attributes are seasoned by holiness.

His strength is His holy arm, (Isaiah 52:10).

All his works and ways are holy ways  (Psalm 145:17).

His promises are holy promises (Psalm 105:42).

His law and commandments are holy (Rom 7:12).

His calling is a holy calling (II Timothy 1:9).

His mercy is holy, His Justice is holy, His sovereignty is holy, His omnipresence is holy

His love is holy love His mercy is holy mercy.

God’s holiness is an eternal holiness. God’s Holiness is beautiful, and all His attributes are beautiful.  They are pure, perfect and right in every way.  Beauty is this sinful world is fleeting.  The young girl who stops traffic with her beauty, will in the process of time, loose her beautiful appearance.  The young man, whose beauty is his strength and athleticism, will in the process of time, become slow and weak because of sin.  Beauty in mankind is always fading because of the corruption of sin.  But God, who is eternally holy, never fades, His holiness never lacks luster or beauty. What is pure now will be forever.

God cannot sin because is opposed to who He is.

God cannot sin in ignorance; He is infinitely wise.

God cannot sin is weakness; He is infinitely strong.

God cannot sin in wickedness; He is infinitely good.

God cannot sin unjustly; He is infinitely just.

God cannot sin in thought; He is infinitely pure.

God cannot sin in rebellion; He is infinitely unchangeable.

God cannot sin by being deceived; He is infinitely omniscient.

God has called us to be holy. That is the great end of our salvation.  Ephesians 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. What end were we chosen? That we would be holy. Negatively put, we are without blame, and positively put, holy. That is the fearful and beautiful hope and should be the object of every child of God to pursue holiness.

Psalms 96:9  O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Grace & peace,
Doug

Single Sisters, Don't Settle

A man that truly loves a woman will honor her, not exploit her. He will fight for her honor and would never dishonor her himself. He will treat her with respect. He will treat her with dignity. He will treat his wife as his own body and would rather die than allow harm to come to her. A man that loves a woman will live sacrificially and will protect her. He will delight in who she is and respect her as a person made in the image of God. Dear Sisters in Christ, if you are unmarried, do not settle for a “boy” who does not treat you as an heir to the grace of life that you are. I Peter 3:7  

Grace and Peace.

Doug

A.W. Pink and the Impeccability of Christ

Picking back up where I left off I found this article by A.W. Pink article on the Impeccability of Christ.

"The constitution of Christ’s person proves His impeccability.  In Him were united (in a manner altogether incomprehensible to created intelligence) the Divine and the human natures. Now “God cannot be tempted with evil” (James 1:13); “it is impossible for God to lie” (Heb. 6:18). And Christ was “God manifest in flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16);“Immanuel”—God with us (Matt. 1:23). Personality centered not in His humanity. Christ was a Divine person, who had been “made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:7). Utterly impossible was it, then, for the God-man to sin. To affirm the contrary, is to be guilty of the most awful blasphemy. It is irreverent speculation to discuss what the human nature of Christ might have done if it had been alone. It never was alone; it never had a separate existence; from the first moment of  its being it was united to a Divine person."

The heart of the issue arrives from the definition of a man as well as Christ. Those that hold that Christ could have sinned, take their view of humanity from themselves, i.e. they are the standard of humanity. Since Christ was a man, He had to be like they are now in order to succor those who are tempted. But Christ was not born depraved, Christ was without sin, He was the perfect man. When the Word was made flesh, He was what humanity was to be, not what humanity has become. You and I are deformed, we are mutated and depraved. We are far from what true humanity is supposed to be. Jesus was fully man and fully God, He was not less man, nor was He less God, but the Godman. His perfection did not detract from His humanity. His impeccability did not detract from the attack of Satan.

We are so corrupted and tainted by sin, we cannot begin to conceive of sinless perfection. However, our imperfection and the knowledge of who we are should only cause us to bow in humble adoration to the truth of our Great God and Saviour, Christ Jesus the Lord.

A nice ceremony

There was a man whose favorite place on earth was my dad’s farm. He told his family that he wanted to be cremated and his ashes sprinkled on top of the hill overlooking the apple orchard. The family honored his request.

My dad watched them as they said a few solemn words as the sun crept over the mountain and opened the urn and dumped the ashes. If the swift breezes that are common to a Kentucky hilltop was one of things that endeared the man to this particular spot, he had left his family in the dark. Just as they turned him upside down, there was a gust of wind followed by the family spitting the remains out of their mouth and brushing him out of their hair.

All things considered, a nice ceremony. 

Animal Illustration

Matthew 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Jesus uses four animals in this illustration. Two animals describe people categories and the other two are used to describe personal attributes and actions. The sheep are God's elect and Christ's servants and the wolves are the predatory servants of Satan. The serpents and doves are used to describe how the sheep are to act.

Neither the serpent nor the dove by itself is a good example. It is no good to be subtle as a snake (Gen 3:1) with no direction. It is no good to be harmless like a dove with no zeal (Hos 7:11). However, when combined we find wisdom.

A wise snake without love is a tyrant.

A harmless dove without wisdom is a coward.

The dove without backbone hides from every danger, flies from every conflict and hides from every opposition.

But a harmless servant of Christ, who wisely walks through this world, sees and understands the times and what is going on with a Biblical mind, renewed and transformed by the Spirit and the word will glorify Christ - for they will be Christ like.

Touchdowns and Justice

This play was pretty bad, but I'm sure the refs did the best they could, but their best wasn't good enough. I listened to a sports talk radio show on my way to work the next day and there was outrage, OUTRAGE I say. They quoted the rule book line by line and rule by rule explaining how bad the call was. They were outraged at the injustice done.

I've been thinking about this all week, not so much from a Packers perspective (as I am a Giants fan when it comes to the NFC) but from the perspective that  humans yearn for justice and things being set right. Where does that come from? Certainly not a evolutionary process. The strong survive, right? Who cares about justice when the point is to pass your genes along? Where did all the outrage come from over a clear breaking of the rules and injustice going unpunished?

God has created man with the knowledge of God and natural laws written in their hearts. Man yearns for justice because they are made in the image of a just God. This football game doesn't amount to much and I'm not making more of it than it is - but think about the stir it caused and why.

Also think about how these same people will apply situational ethics to moral issues. They will say "you have your truth, I have mine" when it comes to the moral law. Why not apply that same ethic to football? If there is no right and wrong, then why isn't a touchdown?

Is God less concerned with right and wrong with His rules than you are with the NFL's? So when the NFL has a rule and it is violated we say injustice. But when God has a rule and it is violated we say "to each his own."

God is a God of justice and He will set things right.
God is a God of laws and He will punish the evildoer and breaker of the law.
And people know it.

What is worship?

Worship isn't a question of whether, but of who. God created man to worship and every human will worship something, even if their god hangs over their belt (Philippians 3:19). What is worship? Is it the singing? is it the preaching? Is it life? Worship is giving homage and due reverence to God, starting in the heart, then it is  manifested in outward expression. Where did I get that? Glad you asked. In both Hebrew and Greek the word translated basically means to bow down, or kneel down or do homage, at least, so says Brown-Driver-Briggs and Thayer for those who care for such information.

But when you read the Scripture, it’s clear that worship is more than the outward movements.

• Exodus 34:8  And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
• Nehemiah 8:6  And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
• Matthew 2:11  And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
• Matthew28:9  And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.
• Revelation 19:4  And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia
• Revelation  And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
• Revelation  And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

Note that they fell down and they worshiped. Bowing down was part of the worship process here, but it was not the actual worship. Something happened first that caused them to fall down. They first prostrated themselves inwardly and this affected their outward expression of praise. It was the recognition that they were in the presence of a Holy God and they worshiped Him in the beauty of Holiness. It is adoration, homage, reverence, submission to God.

Preaching or singing or praying is not, of itself, true worship. I’ve heard a lot of Christ-less preaching that was not worship, it was moralism because it did not bring me to God in Christ. You can sing your little heart out, but be thinking about how awesome you sound. Who is it you are lifting up again? You can be a Baptist and amen when the preacher smacks the pulpit and not even be thinking about what he said. My dad was preaching once and illustrated the absurdity of a false doctrine by saying something like "let's say I said the moon is made of cheese" and someone shouted AMEN! I have more confidence that the man was not listening and felt it was his turn to say "amen" rather than supporting the likelihood of lunar Limburger. Point being, going through the motion of preaching or listening isn't worship either.

Vines says..."it is not confined to praise; broadly it may be regarded as the direct acknowledgment to God, of His nature, attributes, ways and claims, whether by the outgoing of the heart in praise and thanksgiving or by deed done in such acknowledgment."

Much of what is described as "worship" is sentimentality.

 Jonathan Edwards in “Religious Affections” said “As there is no true religion where there is nothing else but affection [feelings/experiences], so there is no true religion where there is no religious affections.”

Understanding worship is very important, as it is required of man to worship. I believe that God has given man a desire to worship, we were created to worship - but in our fallen state men are drawn to worship idols (Romans 1). The first four commandments regulate the proper worship of God. Men will either worship the true God or they will worship idols. God is worshiped in Spirit and in truth, but God is also not mocked. If you sow to the flesh in worship, you will reap its rewards.

Have you read part 1? Click these words and you can.

Sing, Sing, Sing

I was lurking in a Baptist internet forum, as I am wont to do, and I was very interested in a topic on worship and singing, which has lead me to our present post. I don't usually post on the forum because I'm not very good at it. I have a tendency to come off harder than I intend to be, bringing more heat than that light - which I admit, repent of and am working on. I think it all started when I was a child...wait, what was I saying? Oh yes, singing.

Singing is for both instruction and for the worship of God and it is a sign that one is full of the Holy Spirit. A Spirit filled believer is going to be singing to God. In the worship of God, we are to sing both to God and each other.

Col 3:16-17 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

We teach and admonishing one another, signing for the benefit of the saints, and we sing with grace to the Lord. Not only singing, but everything we do be done unto the Lord. Singing isn’t an ornamental aspect of the church, - it is a required part of the worship of God.

Eph 5:18-19  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

Songs we sing should be theological, they should be instructive, they should make us think, not just tap our toes, but can make us tap our toes. That is how awesome God is. He gave us the gift of music so we can love Him and enjoy Him as we worship Him. Think about it, God didn't have to invent three part harmony, He didn't have to invent sound and have our ears and brains receiving the sound as pleasing, but He did because He is good. Combine the good gift of sound with the good gift of music and instruments with the blessed gift of Christ honoring lyrics and you have a wonderful opportunity to worship God.

Those that have been given the talent to sing should do so for the people of God. Yes, sing unto the Lord, but sing for us, help us worship God with you. Please, lift up your hearts unto the Lord. Hymn writers write out in poetic form what we wish we could say on our own.

Eph 5:18-19  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

Songs we sing should be theological, they should be instructive, they should make us think, not just tap our toes, but can make us tap our toes. That is how awesome God is. He gave us the gift of music so we can love Him and enjoy Him as we worship Him. Think about it, God didn't have to invent three part harmony, He didn't have to invent sound and have our ears and brains receiving the sound as pleasing, but He did because He is good. Combine the good gift of sound with the good gift of music and instruments with the blessed gift of Christ honoring lyrics and you have a wonderful opportunity to worship God.

Those that have been given the talent to sing should do so for the people of God. Yes, sing unto the Lord, but sing for us, help us worship God with you. Please, lift up your hearts unto the Lord. Hymn writers write out in poetic form what we wish we could say on our own.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down!

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

I feel that. I know that. I wish I wrote that. When I sing his words, I think of our Saviour. With great skill, Brother Watts penned how God's children feel. Though I don't have the ability to express my feelings in such beautiful verse, the hymn writers do and help us worship God.

More to come.

Grace & peace,
DP

Objections to the Ten Commandments

Typical Objections to the Ten Commandments and Christians by Richard C. Barcellos.

Some good thoughts on the the law and the Christian.  

Jeremiah prophesies that Christians have the law that God wrote on stone tablets, the Ten Commandments, written on their hearts by the Spirit of God sent by the Son of God (Jer. 31:33; 2 Cor. 3:3). The Spirit of God also causes us to delight in God’s law and obey it (Ezek. 36:27, “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”). The New Testament gives us the way in which the Ten Commandments are to be applied by Christians. Though this seems clear and is, by far, the majority view of the Christian church throughout her history, some disagree. To be fair to those who may disagree, we must admit that some statements of the New Testament make this issue difficult to understand (Rom. 6:14, for example). In light of this, let us consider four typical objections and interact with them.

Read more here.

Grace & Peace - Doug

Book Review: Pastoral Graces: Reflections of the Care of Souls by Lee Eclov

Pastoral Graces: Reflections of the Care of Souls

Lee Eclov

Chicago: Moody Publishers, 201. 171pp. ISBN: 9780802405678

 

Have you ever wondered what pastors may talk about when they get together to fellowship? Pastoral Graces: Reflections of the Care of Souls by Lee Eclov gives you that kind of feel – an inside and behind the scenes look at the world of a pastor, warts and all.

This book is a collection of stories on how God has blessed and worked in the life and ministry of Pastor Lee Eclov. This is not intended to be an instructional book about the work of the pastor or an exposition of Pastoral Epistles or Biblical imperatives, but rather this book is a assortment of frank accounts of the successes and failures of one man in his attempt to serve the Lord in the work of the ministry. But don’t confuse this as a biography, but rather it is more a collection of “war stories” with a point. Eclov uses his experiences as illustrations to the overarching point he is making; namely that God is gracious to pastors in a special way. He focuses on the three major themes of this grace in the book. God gives pastors grace to do the work of the ministry in the Word; secondly God gives pastors grace as they lead the church; and God gives the pastor grace as they deal with the reality of death in the lives of the people God has placed in their care. The book is optimistic in that it focuses on the Grace of God in the work of the pastorate.

I did have a few points of disagreement and concern. The experiences of the author will not relate to all situations, especially pastors of smaller churches. Much of the advice that is given won’t work unless you have a similar church framework. There are ecclesiological and theological issues that are briefly mentioned in passing that I found to be potentially problematic.

I appreciated the overall message of the Pastoral Graces - that pastoring is worth it. It is worth the pain, it is worth the trials, it is worth the labor. Paul told Timothy that if a man desires the work of the pastor, he desires a good thing and I appreciated the fact that there was a positive outlook on the work and that he agrees that it is a good thing to be a pastor. The trials of this life cannot be compared to the glory that awaits those who love His appearing. I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review. My thanks to Moody Publishers.

LEGO Perseverance

If you have 17 minutes, this is worth watching. My family love LEGO'S. My boys have spent every spare moment the last two days building. I'm thankful for the joy this brings my boys.

I didn't know the story behind the LEGO, and it is a wonderful story. So many people are defeated after one set back, after one failure. It was perseverance that kept he company alive.



It struck me how that the father never saw the business fully realized. That he died not knowing what he had started. He died not knowing how his little idea had affected the world.

Perseverance in trial does not guarantee success in life, but giving up certainly guarantees failure.

Tolerance & Diversity

HT: @WretchedRadio

Tolerance - The ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.

Diversity - Difference; dissimilitude; unlikeness. the state of being diverse, variety. A range of different things.

New Oxford American Dictionary.

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West from fretboardjournal on Vimeo.

Can we be honest about Alligator Lizards?

Can we be honest with each other?  Really, can we?  Here is some evidence that I would like to bring before you about the nature of men.  All men (and yes, that includes scientist, politicians, authors, teachers, and celebrities too).

• Psalm 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
• Romans 3:4  let God be true, but every man a liar;
• Psalm 116:11 I said in my haste, All men are liars.
• Romans 3:13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 
• Jeremiah 10:14  Every man is brutish [stupid; barbarous] in his knowledge:

Now that we are are drooping like a wet sock, let's consider the following:

• Psalm 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
• Psalm 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever.
• Psalm 147:5  Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

There is truth, but it isn't found in your heart and it isn't found in the wisdom of men. Since the beginning, Satan has attacked God’s word telling Eve “Ye shall not surely die” when God said they would if they ate the fruit.  Eve had to ask herself “who am I going to believe?”  It was a direct attack on the authority of God’s word.  Every since, man and Devil alike have attacked God’s word, its truthfulness, its accuracy, its reliability, its authenticity; yet the Word of God remains!  We must use the bible as our proof and standard, because it is the best proof and it would be foolish not to. 


When it comes to creation, marriage, politics, family, or anything area of life, why should the Christian give more credence and weight to a man than the pure Word of God? Why follow an actor who makes a living pretending to be someone else, reading what someone else wrote. Who are you going to believe? 


Some will trust their souls on the words of a musician or musical artists (or is it arteests?). If you are caught up in the hype and are being influenced by a rock star here is a fun exercise. Write down the lyrics and read them out loud in front of people. That should sufficiently reveal the weight of their intellectual fire power and perhaps shed some light on their inability to be a guide for your eternal soul. As the poets of America profoundly said...

Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair 
And the days surround your daylight there 
Seasons crying no despair 
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air 


Did di di di dit ... 


Alligator lizards indeed.

Introduction to Hosea

It is truly a worthwhile endeavor to grasp Old Testament history. I don't mean knowing stories from the Old Testament, but having in your mind the historical flow of the OT, especially in the divided kingdom. Knowing who wrote the book, the condition of the people to whom he wrote it can help us when we read the minor prophets.


Chronologically, Hosea is the fourth (possibly fifth, depending on where Joel falls) in the minor prophets. Hosea came right after Amos, but the Israel Hosea knew was not the same as when Amos preached. Amos prophesied in the height of Israel’s financial prosperity but foretold of their downfall. Hosea lived in the fruit of their cow-worshiping, lawless religion of false gods. 

 First, B.H. Carroll and then George Allen Smith, which was quoted by Baxter’s Explore the Book.

“The period covered by his prophetic utterances was undoubtedly the darkest in the whole history of the kingdom of Israel. Political life was characterized by anarchy and misrule. The throne was occupied by men who obtained possession by the murder of their predecessors and the people were governed by military despotism. Zechariah was slain after a reign of six months; Shallum, after only one month. A dozen years later Pekahiah was assassinated by Pekah, who met the same fate at the hands of Hoshea. All these were ungodly rulers, and the morals of the nation were sinking to the lowest ebb. The conditions were terrible in the extreme; luxurious living, robbery, oppression, falsehood, adultery, murder, accompanied by the most violent intolerance of any form of rebuke.”
--B.H. Carroll


“It is not only , as in Amos, the sins of luxurious, of them that are at eas in Zion, which are exposed; but also literal bloodshed, highway robbery with murder, abetted by the priests. Amos looked out on foreign nations across a quiet Israel; his views of the world are wide and clear; but in the Book of Hosea the dust is up, and into what is happening beyond the frontier we get only glimpses. There is enough, however, to make visible another great change since the days of Jeroboam. Israel’s self-reliance is gone. She is as fluttered as a startled bird; ‘thy call Egypt; they go to Assyria’ (7:2). But everything is hopeless; kings cannot save; for Ephraim is seized by the pangs of a fatal crisis.”


“There could be no greater contract (than Hosea) to that fixture of conscience which renders the Book of Amos so simple in argument, so firm in style. Amos is the prophet of law: he sees the Divine processes work themselves out, irrespective of the moods and intrigues of the people, with which, after all, he was little familiar. So each of his paragraphs moves steadily forward to a climax, and every climax is doom – the captivity of the people to Assyria. You can divide the book by these things; it has its periods, strophes and refrains. It marches like the host of the Lord of hosts. But Hosea had no such unhampered vision of great laws. He was too familiar with the rapid changes of his fickle people; and his affection for them was too anxious. His style has all the restlessness and irritableness of hunger about it – the hunger of love.”
--George Adam Smith

Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.


**This was first published a couple years ago
______________________________________________________________________


Douglas Newell IV

Compared to what?

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1, chapter 1

"On the other hand, it is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he have previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself. For (such is our innate pride) we always seem to ourselves just, and upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced, by clear evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity. Convinced, however, we are not, if we look to ourselves only, and not to the Lord also - He being the only standard by the application of which this conviction can be produced"

"For, since we are all naturally prone to hypocrisy, any empty semblance of righteousness is quite enough to satisfy us instead of righteousness itself. And since nothing appears within us or around us that is not tainted with very great impurity, so long as we keep our mind within the confines of human pollution, anything which is in some small degree less defiled delights us as if it were most pure just as an eye, to which nothing but black had been previously presented, deems an object of a whitish, or even of a brownish hue, to be perfectly white."

Price of Peace?

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

This question has haunted me over the last week. It says a lot about people who will give up liberty for safety and peace. There was a time when men believed in eternity. When there were things that were higher than our bodies, our safety, our comfort. When men would hazard for truth and the glory of God and the good of their fellow man. I've been listening to biographies of American Christian hero's recently, and one thing they had in common was how they lived sacrificially. They believed they were in the hands of a Sovereign God and that they were bought and purchased by the blood of Christ and they were safe in Him. Many were soundly Calvinistic in theology and had a firm reliance and trust in God's providence and would gladly lay down their lives for what was right. Not all thought like that, as is made plain in quote above. Patrick Henry asks a good question. What is the cost of peace?


In fact, one could go further and ask if it was really peace that they had. Henry asked if they would purchase their "peace" with chains and slavery. They could live and they could avoid war, but it would cost them freedom and liberty. Not only for them but for all the colonies and subsequent generations. The war was not over high taxes, that is a over simplification of the war. There was long and settled constitutional practices that were being trampled upon. Did they actually have peace, or did they have a lack of  immediate conflict? I contend that the avoidance of inevitable conflict is not peace.


Peace at any cost is no peace at all. When there is tyrany and wickedness, there can be no peace. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said “These easy-going, peace at any price people are often lacking in a sense of justice and righteousness; they do not stand where they should stand; they are flabby. They appear to be nice; but if the whole world were run on such principles and by such people it would be even worse than it is today.  So I would add that your true peacemaker is not an “appeaser”, as we say today.  You can postpone war by appeasement; but it generally means that you are doing something that is unjust and unrighteous in order to avoid war. The mere avoidance of war does not make peace; it does not solve the problem.” 


I'm afraid too often we conveniently say I want peace, I won't fight, when we really mean I want no conflict -which isn't really the same thing. 


I have been encouraged and blessed by learning about these godly men. I'm a victim of the public school system, so I learned that George Washington was the first president and he may or may not have chopped down a cherry tree. We fought a war against the British and one, and there used to be 13 stars on the flag because there were 13 colonies. Time for recess. 
You can Patrick Henry's whole speech or download and listen to a dramatic reading HERE.

Doug -

Dan'l Boone

David Grisman and Mike Barnett - Fretboard Journal from fretboardjournal on Vimeo.


Here is a video of my favorite mandolin player David Grisman (aka Dawg) and Mike Barnett playing Dan'l Boone.

Enjoy!

The Image of the Invisible God

The book of Colossians was written while the apostle Paul was in a Roman prison. Epaphras was the pastor of the church at Colosse and had made a long, dangerous journey of over 1,000 miles to speak to Paul. Overall, the church at Colosse was spiritually sound. However, there were some false teachings coming into the church – some thoughts and ideas and doctrines that put “secrecy wisdom” ahead of God’s Word. It would develop into what is called Gnosticism.

The book of Colossians deals with that heresy by giving the antidote to it – The Lord Jesus Christ.   Their problem was a mixture of a type of Judaism, mysticism and philosophy that corrupted the truth about who Jesus Christ is. Much like many of the cults today (Mormonism, J.W.) they were using the words of Christianity, but applying different doctrines and philosophies and meanings to the words.

There were many errors, many serious problems in the church, but there was one answer that was the antidote to all the problems—Christ is enough. Christ is all and in all. He is sufficient. He is the creator, He is the Savior, He is the Head of the church, He is our Lord  that in all things he might have the preeminence (Col. 1:18). The first chapter tells us who the Lord Jesus Christ is instead of telling why all the other heresies were wrong. Jesus is the Godman. Edwin Dargin said “We have in these verses on of the most profound and important passages in all the writings of Paul.” 


Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

John MacArthur:

"Unlike man, Jesus Christ is the perfect, absolutely accurate image of God. He did not become the image of God at the incarnation, but has been that from all eternity. Hebrews 1:3 describes Jesus as the radiance of God's glory." Christ reflects God's attributes, as the sun's light reflects the sun. Further, He is said to be the exact  representation  of God's nature. Charakter ("exact representation") refers to an engraving tool, or stamp. Jesus is the exact likeness of God. He is in the very form of God (Philippians 2:6). That is why He could say He who has seen me has seen the Father". In Christ, the invisible God became visible "and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father" John 1:14."

The verses go on to describe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. Far from this verse showing that Jesus was a created being, these verses show He is God. The irony in the J.W. using these verses in Colossians is that the book was written to combat a heresy very similar to their own. The book was written to show that Jesus was not an angel, a gnostic emanations, an eon, but God himself.

Our family was studying this passage when we were interrupted by a knock on the door. I was handed some literature and was provided with an illustration of why it is important for Christians to know what the Bible says about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Listen to God, not your heart.

Proverbs 28:26  He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

Matthew Henry says:

"The character of a fool: He trusts to his own heart, to his own wisdom and counsels, his own strength and sufficiency, his own merit and righteousness, and the good opinion he has of himself; he that does so is a fool, for he trusts to that, not only which is deceitful above all things (Jer. 17:9), but which has often deceived him. This implies that it is the character of a wise man (as before, Prov. 28:25) to put his trust in the Lord, and in his power and promise, and to follow his guidance, Prov. 3:5, Prov. 3:6. 2. The comfort of a wise man: He that walks wisely, that trusts not to his own heart, but is humble and self-diffident, and goes on in the strength of the Lord God, he shall be delivered; when the fool, that trusts in his own heart, shall be destroyed."

Over the Rainbow and Psalm 18

No, over the Rainbow and Psalm 18 is not a lame sermon illustration, but a Sunday acoustical musical extravaganza! Not one, but two - that's right, TWO songs for your abundant, auditory amusement.

Up first we have, courtesy of the Fretboard Journal, John Reischman playing Over the Rainbow on the mandolin.




To close things out, Natan Clark George with a rendention of Psalm 18. (Right click to download.) The second link, if one were adventurous enough to click it and because Mr. Clark is a good brother, you would discover that he has provided for you the chords and lyrics! So, click away my guitar pickin' friends. Click, listen, worship, learn and then play at your church and use the gifts God has given you to worship in the assembly.

Psalm 18 along with the chords and lyrics.


Enjoy!

Under the gospel oak.

Jeremy Walker wrote an article on Singing in Worship that I found to be very thought provoking. This portion in particular struck a chord (pun intended) with me.

It seems to me that simplicity is of the essence of our worship, allowing the spiritual substance to be expressed with sincerity and without distraction. As I have commented to our own congregation, imagine a situation in which the church is being persecuted. The secret police have learned that following the people who leave their homes with pianos on flatbed trucks on Sunday mornings is usually quite a productive train of enquiry, no less so those who carry violin or guitar cases. Perhaps it is too great a risk even to carry a Bible. Therefore, taking all necessary precautions, the believers meet at a pre-appointed place in the misty dawn, perhaps under a gospel oak as they did in days not so long ago. The saints gather swiftly and silently and with much prayer for their safety. There the appointed preacher arrives, and after prayer asks one of the saints to recite from memory the portion from which he intends to preach. He then expounds the passage, making its appropriate applications. The saints softly sing a couple of psalms or hymns together, ones easily memorized and readily learned. In a nearby stream a new convert is baptized, changing swiftly out of wet clothes, and then the Lord's supper is celebrated by the saints breaking bread and passing around wine. Before they depart they sing again, their voices muted but intense. Before long, the service is over, and the believers melt away into the growing day, leaving in various directions and small groups so as to arouse no suspicion.
What more is required? I am not saying that this is the ideal, or that anything different would be inherently sinful, but I do contend that absolutely nothing is lacking to make this pleasing to the Lord.

When we become comfortable, little things mean a whole lot more than essentials. That things we want become things we think that we NEED in order to worship the Lord God. Something to think about. You can read the whole thing by simply clicking here.

Book Review: Christ's Prophetic Plans: A Futuristic Premillennial Primer

Christ’s Prophetic Plans: A Futuristic Premillennial Primer

General Editors: John MacArthur & Richard Mayhue

Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2012. 220pp. ISBN: 9780802401618

Can a person really know what the Bible says about prophecy? Is Israel, Israel? Are you supposed to take the Old Testament prophets literally? It is little wonder some Christians shy away from the study of the end times. Christ’s Prophetic Plans: A Futuristic Premillennial Primer provides a beneficial introduction to Futuristic Premillinalism and lays out a scriptural foundation for what the Bible teaches about the promises God made in the Bible. Each of the five contributors provide a Biblical explanation and overview of the theological end times position known as Futuristic Premillinalism, which teaches the Biblical prophesies concerning the nation of Israel, the return of Jesus Christ, and His kingdom are to be believed literally and are future in fulfillment.  This primer, or basic introduction, defines, discusses and defends Futuristic Premillinalism while showing that Biblical prophecy is both profitable and knowable if we hold to the sufficiency and perspicuity of scripture and we treat prophetic passages as we treat other passages in our interpretation.

The strength of the book excels in what so many books on end times fail to do – it begins at the beginning, the interpretation of scripture. The differences in eschatology can be boiled down to one question: “how do we interpret the Scriptures?”  The overall theme of the book derives from the necessary principle that we must interpret Scripture literally and read them as the author intended. Later chapters deal with the inconsistencies in many in the reformed camp who use a literal interpretation but switch to an allegorical method of interpretation when coming to end times prophecy. This issue is addressed in the chapter Does Calvinism Lead to Futuristic Premillinalism?  John MacArthur explains that “Futuristic Premillinalism results from understanding and applying prophetic Scripture in a way that is most consistent with the normal or literal approach for interpreting Scripture.” However, this is not a book on hermeneutics - rather the book illustrates how a literal interpretation of scripture applied to prophesy must by necessity leave one to a Futuristic Premillennial view.

Richard Mayhue skillfully tells us why we should study prophecy in the introduction - that the Biblical message of the end times is plenteous and is Christ centered. We can be certain about Biblical prophecy because God’s Word is clear and authoritative. This book is not a sensational “interpret the headlines” kind of book and condemns such attention grabbing works. The plethora of fantasy novels, books, diviners of the nightly news along with the unscriptural view of salvation by some dispensationalist have muddied the waters as to what dispensationalism actually teaches. Michael Vlach spends a couple chapters telling us what Dispensationalism is and what it is not. The term Futuristic Premillinalism is helpful in defining this eschatological view and as John MacArthur explains in the preface that the term “serves as a more focused term than dispensationalism when addressing prophetic issues.” There have been some dispensationalists who combined their eschatology with their faulty soteriology to add peripheral issues to define dispensationalism, and that is unfortunate. To quote MacArthur again “…dispensationalism shapes one’s eschatology and ecclesiology. That is the extent of it. Pure dispensationalism has no ramifications for the doctrines of God, man, sin, or sanctification. More significantly, true dispensationalism makes no relevant contribution to soteriology or the doctrine of salvation.”  The book then sets out to prove the basic tenets of Futuristic Premillinalism that:

1.       A normal interpretation of scripture is used for prophesy

2.       God’s promises to Israel in the Old and New Testament are future

3.       God’s promises in Revelation are future

4.       The church is not Israel

Chapter three begins the study of Biblical prophecy by defining the common eschatological views, how they differ, and then on to why the Bible teaches Futuristic Premillinalism. The introduction of other views is important to the work as these other views will be mentioned throughout while comparing them to Premillinalism. Every chapter title is a question (i.e. “Why a Pretrib rapture?” or “What about Israel?”) so every chapter is both explaining the position and answering common objections. 

The book is written by different authors, so you have different voices and different styles from chapter to chapter. There is a few instances overlap in some of the arguments of different portions of scripture (Acts 1 and Revelation 20) made by different contributors in different chapters. Chapter four answers common objections to Futuristic Premillinalism and I felt it interrupted the flow of the book and may have been better served as an appendix for future reference. However, the book will likely be most beneficial as a study guide or to come back as a reference book, so these are minor quibbles. The teaching style of the book was well written, plainly introducing each topic and leading the reading into the next. This will be helpful for those unfamiliar with prophetical study.

Christ’s Prophetic Plans set out to be an introduction on Futuristic Premillinalism and succeeds. This book would well serve anyone who is unfamiliar or intimidated by Biblical prophecy or one who may think that eschatology is vanity and not important. I also believe that those in the postmil/amil camp would benefit from reading what Futuristic Premillinalism actually teaches. Christ’s Prophetic Plans: A Futuristic Premillennial Primer is a readable introduction to the subject - but is by no means lightweight or frivolous. This could also be a great resource for pastors and teachers who are looking to do a study on eschatology to help map out a plan of attacking the series - it does a great job of laying out the basic beliefs on a logical and easy to follow path.  I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review. My thanks to Moody Publishers.