Consecration and Worship

I know it has been a while since my last post. I am always amazed at how time "flies." And while I do enjoy "the blog," I find myself "bogged" down with other things. Maybe I just am not disciplined enough to keep up. However, if given a choice between ministry and blogging, ministry must always prevail. May I live up to my motto:

"Preach, pray or die!" (oh yeah, "or lead music").

I was reading from "Valley of Vision" and was moved by these words:

My God, I feel it is heaven to please Thee, and to be what Thou wouldst have me be. O that I were holy as Thou art holy, pure as Christ is pure, perfect as Thy Spirit is perfect! These, I feel, are the best commands in Thy Book, and shall I break them? must I break them? am I under such a necessity as long as I live here?

Woe, woe is me that I am a sinner, that I grieve this blessed God, who is infinite in goodness and grace! O if He would punish me for my sins, it would not would my heart so deep to offend Him; But though I sin continually, He continually repeats His kindness to me.

At times I feel I could bear any suffering, but how can I dishonour this glorious God? What shall I do to glorify and worship this best of beings? O that I could consecrate my soul and body to His service, without restraint, for ever! O that I could give myself up to Him, so as never more to attempt to be my own! or have any will or affections that are not perfectly conformed to His will and His love! But, alas, I cannot live and not sin.

O may angels glorify Him incessantly, and, if possible, prostrate themselves lower before the blessed King of heaven! I long to bear a part with them in ceaseless praise; but when I have done all I can to eternity I shall not be able to offer more than a small fraction of the homage that the glorious God deserves. Give me a heart full of divine, heavenly love.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Time's "The Man"

I thought this was an interesting item, particularly in light of my previous post on evolution and adultery. It just goes to show how confused "man" is!!!

TIME’s “the man:” News weekly risking miscommunication?
Wednesday, March 15th, 2006by Jeff Robinson

Apparently TIME magazine is not aware that the use of the universal masculine "man" to mean "human race" risks confusing postmodern readers.

On the cover of the March 13 edition of the news weekly, TIME appropriates the term in a headline "The Untold Saga of Early Man in America." The headline alludes to TIME’s cover story on human skeletal remains discovered in America estimated to be more than 9,000 years old.

The common argument of evangelical Bible translators who take a so-called "gender-neutral" approach to translating is that the use of the universal masculine—"man"—is so outdated that postmodern readers do not understand its meaning.

Thus, the argument goes, for the sake of accuracy and clarity, masculine gender language—though long understood as a general term for human beings—must be dropped and replaced by a clearer, less offensive "gender neutral" term. Bible translations such as Today’s New International Version (TNIV) take such an approach.

Wayne Grudem, board member for The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and author of a number of books and articles on Bible translation, points out that TIME’s use of "man" still accords with standard contemporary style guides including the Associated Press Stylebook, Strunk and White’s Elements of Style, and most dictionaries.

"Too bad that way of using the word ‘man’ went out of the English language about 10 years ago, according to TNIV translators," Grudem said. "I guess that means nobody will understand what TIME means by its headline."

Evolution and Adultery - Science Run Amuck

Obviously our culture wants to do anything and everything to eliminate the "s" (sin) word from its existence and based up this latest study, we now have the perfect excuse as to why a wife would cheat on her husband. Are you ready for this?

According to the article (which I will post below), when a wife has "wandering eye" it is only because she wants to "improve the species." Based upon a study done by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of New Mexico, "The pool of exceptional men is only so big. When a woman finds a sexy man, she innately deduces that he has better genes to pass on to a baby." How is that for an excuse? The article goes on to say that "men who are less attractive seem to have an innate sense to guard their ovulating wives from other men by showering attention on them and acting particularly possessive." It further states, "Put more crudely, ovulating women who are married to men who score low on the "stud scale" tend to notice men whose faces, voices, odors and demeanor could be deemed more masculine. The men have to protect what is theirs."

I have a far more simple reason as to why a wife (or for that matter a husband) would have a "wandering eye" and would cheat on her husband (or a husband on his wife) - SIN! According to the authoritative Word of God we read -

Ephesians 2:1-3

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

What is sad is that the so-called "science of evolution" (which by the way is only a theory, and not a very good one at that) is now (or still) being used to justify sin. It is the theory of evolution that drove Hitler to seek the annihilation of the Jews. And, unknown to most people, evolution teaches that women are an "inferior race" to that of man. Consider the following:

A review of the most prominent late 19th century writings by biologists focusing on Charles Darwin reveals that a major plank of evolution theory was the belief that women were intellectually and physically inferior to men. Female inferiority was a logical conclusion of the natural selection worldview because men were exposed to far greater selective pressures than women, especially in war, competition for mates, food and clothing. Conversely, women were protected from evolutionary selection by norms which dictated that men were to provide for and protect women and children. Darwinists taught that as a result of this protection, natural selection operated far more actively on males, producing male superiority in virtually all skill areas. As a result, males evolved more than females. The female inferiority doctrine is an excellent example of the armchair logic that has often been more important in establishing evolutionary theory than fossil and other empirical evidence. (Jerry Bergman - http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v14/i1/females.asp)

So, for all you evolution fans, there's a big problem. You can use it to justify the sin of adultery, but you must then acknowledge the inferiority of women. But if Darwin was wrong about women, then it just as reasonable that he, and others like him, were wrong about evolution.

Again, I will take Scripture at its word:

Genesis 1:27
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Men and women have been created in the image of God and He has given specific roles for each in order to bring Him glory. As it is written:

1 Peter 3:7
You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

I will take God at His Word and leave the conflicting and demeaning theory of evolution to run amuck.

Here is the link to the evolution and adultery article - (there is a somewhat sugggestive picture)

http://channels.netscape.com/love/package.jsp?floc=hp-tos-popc-b-01&name=fte/cheatingwife/cheatingwife

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

I Will Fear No Evil

Ok, I know it has been a whole week since my last blog. And, based upon my title, some may think that I am trying to muscle in on our "Pilgrim Ponderings" (a ministry of Hope CBC delivering daily quotes from great men and preachers of the faith right to your email - http://www.xlministries.org/pilgrimponderings.php - hosted via the web-site of a like-minded ministry). However, as the pastor I have heard about a lot of trials and sufferings this week on the part of the people. I have been in prayer, in tears and in utter dependence upon God, beseeching Him to encourage and satisfy His people.

This afternoon, as I came into my office to make some final revisions to my message, I happened to read Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening," April 8th pm. I could not believe how much it spoke to me as well as addressing some of the issues that many of this flock are facing. Therefore, I submit this to you all for your encouragement and edification. May God use this to bring joy to your soul:

"I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me." (by Charles Spurgeon)
Psalm 23:4

Behold, how independent of outward circumstances the Holy Ghost can make the Christian! What a bright light may shine within us when it is all dark without! How firm, how happy, how calm, how peaceful we may be, when the world shakes to and fro, and the pillars of the earth are removed! Even death itself, with all its terrible influences, has no power to suspend the music of a Christian's heart, but rather makes that music become more sweet, more clear, more heavenly, till the last kind act which death can do is to let the earthly strain melt into the heavenly chorus, the temporal joy into the eternal bliss! Let us have confidence, then, in the blessed Spirit's power to comfort us.

Dear reader, are you looking forward to poverty? Fear not; the divine Spirit can give you, in your want, a greater plenty than the rich have in their abundance. You know not what joys may be stored up for you in the cottage around which grace will plant the roses of content. Are you conscious of a growing failure of your bodily powers? Do you expect to suffer long nights of languishing and days of pain? O be not sad! That bed may become a throne to you. You little know how every pang that shoots through your body may be a refining fire to consume your dross - a beam of glory to light up the secret parts of your soul. Are the eyes growing dim? Jesus will be your light. Do the ears fail you? Jesus' name will be your soul's best music, and His person your dear delight. Socrates used to say, "Philosophers can be happy without music;" and Christians can be happier than philosophers when all outward causes of rejoicing are withdrawn. In Thee, my God, my heart shall triumph, come what may of ills without! By thy power, O blessed Spirit, my heart shall be exceeding glad, though all things should fail me here below.

And now, let me follow this up with this Scripture:

Psalm 5:11-12
11 But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You. 12 For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield.

Please let me know if this has ministered to you.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Sainthood - for John Paul or all the Saints?

Pope John Paul II is not forgotten. He’s in the hearts of many as we approach the first anniversary, which falls on Sunday (April 2, 2006).

Visitors to Rome are flocking to his tomb, in the grotto underneath the massive dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, where he and 60 other popes are buried. One of the tombs is believed to be the last resting place of St. Peter.

But for the last year, John Paul’s tomb has been the main attraction.

Catholics and non-Catholics alike pray and place flowers at the Polish pope’s tomb, which is lighted for visitors and simply labeled, in Latin loannes Paulus PP II.

Many are already calling him John Paul the Great. He’s also on a fast track to being named a saint of the church. It’s no wonder.

(By Jim Jones - Special to the Star-Telegram)


If you are not familiar with the process of sainthood in the Catholic Church, let me give you the basics. First, the candidate for sainthood is supposed to be dead for at least five years. That rule was waived for Mother Teresa and has also been waived for John Paul. Second, for beatification (sainthood), a miracle, attributed to John Paul's intercession after his death (that is a neat trick), must be declared authentic after a Vatican-appointed panel of medical experts rule out any worldly explanation for the healing. Then a second miracle, attributed to John Paul's intercession after his beatification (while still dead), would then be required to qualify for canonization, or conferring of sainthood.

I know that many in the world venerate John Paul, but what a messed up theology of sainthood. All this runs contrary to the teaching of the Bible. Sainthood is not conferred upon anyone after death. In fact, if John Paul was not a saint before he died, I can certainly tell you that he will never be a saint at all.

According to the Word of God, all genuine believers are truly saints. Part of the process of sainthood for John Paul is to examine his life, to see if he is virtuous enough to be conferred with the title of “Saint.” Yet, what saith the Scriptures?

1 Corinthians 1:1-2
1 Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

Anyone who reads through the book of 1 Corinthians knows that not all who where in the Corinthian church were great heroes of the faith. Many of them struggled spiritually and yet all who were born-again were called “saints.”

Romans 1:1, 7
1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God…7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here we read that “all who are beloved of God in Rome” are “called as saints.” Biblically we may simplify this to “all who are beloved of God are saints.” The word “saint” literally means “holy one.” All who have trusted in Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection as the only and sufficient payment for their sin and rebellion against God, who have been transformed by the power of the Spirit of God, have been made “holy” (set-apart for God’s use), that is, they are “saints.” There is no waiting process and the only miracle needed is the “new birth” (John 3:3) wrought by the sovereign hand of God, not one generated by the person after he or she dies.

Ephesians 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:

Again, these Ephesian believers were not dead when the apostle Paul wrote to them and yet they are “saints.”

Philippians 1:1
Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:

Contrary to what some may think, we see here that even the overseers (Elders) and deacons are also “saints” (said with sarcasm). The point is, all who are in Christ are saints by the will of God; not by the cries of people as heard at John Paul’s funeral; Santo Subito, or "Sainthood Now." Nor does sainthood come at the consent or hand of a council of men (bishops or otherwise). And there is no "fast track." No, sainthood is confirmed by the promise of God’s Word as one truly trusts in Jesus Christ. In John 1:12-13 we see the true process of sainthood:

John 1:12-13
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Here we read that we who have “received” Him have been given the right to be “children of God” (saints) and that such a position manifests itself by consistent believing (present active verb) in Him. But notice, this position is not the result of anything human, “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man,” but is the act of God. Beloved, may we live out our position before God as saints. Yes, we may often fail to live up to our calling, but let us strive after our calling, lives of holiness and lives that bring glory to God.

Ephesians 4:1
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling (as saints) with which you have been called…

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed