A Comment on Complementarianism

I received a comment on Complementarianism and posted a response. If this topic is of interest to you, please read the post and the comments by clicking (here).

Here is my response - which may seem a bit out of context unless you read the post I am addressing:

Thanks for responding personally. I am still a bit new to the blogosphere and may need to make some adjustments to the settings so as to better moderate any Anonymous postings. Often times, not all the time, such anonymous postings are not meant to do anything but provoke and criticize without allowing any real engagement in the issue. I appreciate that your intentions are not as such.

With regard to your post, I do not see that I have a problem with my assertion that gender roles are “not an issue of capability but of responsibility.” Rather, I see that you have a couple of problems.First, whether or not my statement is in compliance with Wayne Grudem is not the issue. The issue is what does the Word of God say? Second, with that much said, the problem with your citing Grudem is that you did so out of context, or rather with not in enough context to grasp the basic gist of what he was addressing.

Here is the full quote:“God gave men, in general, a disposition that is better suited to teaching and governing in the church, a disposition that inclines more to the rational, logical analysis of doctrine and a desire to protect the doctrinal purity of the church, and God gave women, in general, a disposition that inclines more toward a relational, nurturing emphasis that places a higher value on unity and community in the church (v14)”

Without getting into great detail at this time (I would like to go home and spend the evening with my family), Mr. Grudem did not say that women were incapable or mentally limited in their abilities, even as it comes to teaching, leadership in the church and the analysis of doctrine. I see that you took Grudem out of context and then came to some illogical conclusions. A disposition, as Grudem uses the word, is not about ability, but how one is inclined to go about accomplishing a particular task. He is stating that in general a man’s disposition is better suited than a woman’s for teaching and leading the church. Men, when following the mandates of the Lord, do tend to be better disciplinarians, better teachers and better systematizers of doctrinal truth. It is interesting that with some 2000 years of church history, the great theological thinkers have been men. And before anyone says that is only because men have suppressed women, women of all ages have fought against this and today, in an age where women have the best opportunity to show forth doctrinal prowess, there is yet no true woman theologian who ranks with the likes of Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Spring, Ryle, Hodge, Warfield, or Lloyd-Jones. Even in the contemporary setting no true woman theologian has been noted along with R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur or John Piper. This is not because women are mentally incapable of knowing and understanding such truth, but in the context of communicating and administering this truth, women’s dispositions are not geared like men. In general, a godly woman’s communication of truth, while it may be theologically accurate, does not come across with same authority as that of godly man. Why? Because God ordained it so. God called upon the men to be the communicators of the truth to the congregation at large while leaving opportunity for women to teach one another (in like disposition) and children.

Grudem also stated (this you left out) that a woman’s general disposition is better suited for relational and community oriented aspects of church life. To conclude, as you did, that what Grudem means is that women are “somewhere between and adult man and a child in their ability to be rational and logical” is faulty – it was never about ability, but inclination or disposition. Now here is a statement for you to sink your teeth into. I believe that the Bible presents us with a picture for godly male leadership in the home and in the church that if followed would have godly women lovingly and most willingly desiring to follow such leadership. When this Biblical method of leadership is interrupted or abandoned, the church suffers. The feminization of the church may result in churches that are more relational, more nurturing and big on community, but by and large such churches will be woefully weak doctrinally leaving people with improper understandings of God and worse yet, false assurances of genuine faith. I don’t need anymore proof of the failure of women in leadership in the home and in the church than what we see taking place all around us. And, as men in sin tend to take the path of least resistance, leaving more and more of these leadership positions to women, we are not seeing a revival but yet a further decline in the spiritual well being of the church. Men need to be men and lead, according to God’s Word. Women need to be women and faithful follow their godly heads (fathers, husbands, brothers) as they picture all who follow the true head who is Christ the Lord.I think it takes a tremendous amount of ability for a man to be a faithful and godly leader in the home and at church. I believe it equally takes a tremendous amount of ability for a woman to be a faithful and godly helpmate in the home and at church. No, it is not about ability, but about God-given dispositions and responsibility. God has given leadership responsibilities to men who must seek to faithfully administer those responsibilities. God has given complementary responsibilities to women who must seek to faithfully administer those responsibilities. If the genders wish to cross these responsibilities up, both have the capability to do so, but it will be to their own detriment, to the detriment of the church and in disobedience to God’s Word.

That’s all I have time to cover for now.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Took the Day Off

I took yesterday off to take my family to Silver Dollar City. We just needed a break as things have been hectically busy. What made this trip special was that our niece, Monica, who has not been to SDC for several years, was able to go with us. Monica just graduated this past May and has been working hard. It was a blast to go with someone who hasn't been in a while. We all laughed and had a great time.

I thought I would include a couple of pics from the day:

Yes, we hit all the "big" rides:

Monica used to hold Beth in her arms - but now...











It was a lot cheaper to eat at Taco Bell and so this is where we ended our night.










Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Trust in the LORD (Yahweh)

Some of you may be aware that the Pope made a speech a few days back that questioned the reasonableness of the use of violence as practiced by some Islamic group as a means of conversion. Strangely enough, this touched off violence by some Islamic groups. What I find amazing is how it is that these Muslims took offence at a call to be a peaceable people using arguments from their own Scriptures as well as from some of their noted leaders and turned it into an occasion for violence.

Personally, as I have read through the Qur’an (large sections - not in totality) - I find very little in it that would inspire peace. Here are some examples:

"But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." (Koran 9:5)

"O Prophet! Make war against the unbelievers [all non-Muslims] and the hypocrites and be merciless against them. Their home is hell, an evil refuge indeed." (Koran, 9:73)

"When you meet the unbelievers in jihad [holy war], chop off their heads. And when you have brought them low, bind your prisoners rigorously. Then set them free or take ransom from them until the war is ended." (Koran, 47:4)

"The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and his messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be to be killed or crucified, or to have their hands and feet chopped off on opposite sides, or to be expelled out of the land. Such will be their humiliation in the world, and in the next world they will face an awful horror." (Koran, 5:33-34)

"When we decide to destroy a population, we send a definite order to them who have the good things in life and yet sin. So that Allah's word is proven true against them, then we destroy them utterly." (Koran, 17:16-17)

"In order that Allah may separate the pure from the impure, put all the impure ones [all non-Muslims] one on top of another in a heap and cast them into hell. They will have been the ones to have lost." (Koran, 8:37)

"How many were the populations we utterly destroyed because of their sins, setting up in their place other peoples." (Koran, 21:11)

"Remember Allah inspired the angels: I am with you. Give firmness to the believers. I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: you smite them above their necks and smite all their fingertips off of them." (Koran, 8:12)

Anyone who calls Islam a "peaceful" religion is not familiar with the writings and teachings of the Qur’an. I do believe that the vast majority of Muslims desire peace and want to be a peaceable people - however, this is inconsistent with the teachings of the Qur’an.

In light of all this, how are Christians to respond? I appeal to an article written by John Piper and included in this post:

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How Christians Should Respond to Muslim Outrage at the Pope's Regensburg Message About Violence and Reason
By John Piper

September 20, 2006

“Whoever offends our Prophet Mohammed should be killed on the spot by the nearest Muslim.” Those were the words of Sheikh Abubakar Hassan Malin to a gathering of Muslims in Mogadishu on Friday, September 15, 2006. On Saturday, Palestinians wielding guns and firebombs attacked five Christian churches in the West Bank and Gaza. On Sunday, September 17, in London, outside Westminster Cathedral, Anjem Choudary addressed a demonstration and said that those who insulted Islam “should be subject to capital punishment.”

These were among the reactions to a speech given by Pope Benedict XVI at Regensburg University, in Germany on Tuesday, September 12. Perhaps connected to the speech was the murder on Sunday in Mogadishu of sixty-six-year-old Leonella Sgorbati, an Italian Catholic nun serving as a nurse in a children’s hospital.

In the speech, the pope was addressing the foundation of the secular university. The subject was faith and reason. He was arguing that the foundation of the university, and the spread of truth and faith, lay in the rationality of God. He asked, “Is the conviction that acting unreasonably contradicts God's nature merely a Greek idea, or is it always and intrinsically true?” He answers, “I believe that here we can see the profound harmony between what is Greek, in the best sense of the word, and the biblical understanding of faith in God.”

In other words, the pope is arguing that the university, and all people, have an obligation to act in accordance with reason, because reason is rooted in God. At this point, he brought in a discussion of the difference between Islam and Christianity on the relationship between God and reason. Christianity, he argues, sees reason as rooted in God. But, citing a noted French Islamist R. Arnaldez, he says that “Ibn Hazn went so far as to state that [in Islam] God is not bound even by his own word, and that nothing would oblige him to reveal the truth to us. Were it God's will, we would even have to practice idolatry.”

This, he implies, disconnects God and reason and opens Islam to a use of violence in spreading their faith that is not governed by reason. He cites Sura 2, 256 from the Qur’an, where Mohammed says that there is no compulsion in religion. Then he draws attention to the later developments in the Qur’an by quoting the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus in 1391 in Ankara (today’s capitol of Turkey). The emperor apparently said that Mohammed taught that one could “spread by the sword the faith he preached.” Then the pope said,

The emperor goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul…. God is not pleased by blood, and not acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats…. To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death…. The decisive statement in this argument against violent conversion is this: not to act in accordance with reason is contrary to God's nature.

These references to the role of reason in Islam, and the apparent endorsement of violence (in parts of the Qur’an) as a way of spreading Islamic faith, have outraged Muslims and sparked violence and calls for violence. Subsequently, the pope said, “I am deeply sorry for the reactions in some countries to a few passages of my address at the University of Regensburg, which were considered offensive to the sensibility of Muslims. These in fact were a quotation from a medieval text, which do not in any way express my personal thought.”

How should Christians respond to this situation? I will suggest ten responses that flow from the Bible.

1. Admit that the Christian church has often been too entangled with civil governments, with the result that violence has been endorsed by the church as a way of accomplishing religious, and not just civil, goals. The Crusades, for example, stand as a monument to collective Christian blindness to the teaching of Jesus. We should make every effort today to avoid political alignments between the Christian church and any civil government or political party. (See my article, Tolerance, Truth-Telling, Violence, and Law.)

2. Make clear that the use of God-sanctioned violence between Israel and the nations in the Old Testament is no longer God’s will for his people. The coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as a suffering servant, rather than a warlord, and his gathering of a people from all nations rather than only one, are two of the many reasons why the Christian church today should not—and almost universally does not—endorse or use violence to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. Admit that there are many Muslims today who do not approve of violence in the spread of Islam. Admittedly, to many of us in the West, their number seems small and their voice seems muted by the reputation of the more violent strains of Islam. We do not know how large that segment of Islam is.

4. Point out how Islam, in its most sacred writings and authoritative teachings, belittles Jesus Christ, not just occasionally in the news, but constantly by its dominant claims. Islam denies that Jesus Christ was and is God, a central truth of the New Testament and the Christian church (John 1:1-3; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8). Dominant streams of Islam deny that Jesus died on the cross and therefore deny that the claim that his death atones for sin and propitiates the wrath of God is true (1 Corinthians 15:1-3; Romans 3:21-26; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18). Therefore, defenders of Islam daily defame Jesus Christ and insult the glory of his gospel.

5. Point out that, in response to this constant defamation of Jesus Christ, there are no public threats or demands for apologies. This is not because we do not love Jesus above all things, or because we have no zeal for the glory of his name. It is because he told us to expect this (Matthew 10:25; John 15:20) and then modeled for us how to react: “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).

6. Do good to those who hate you—and, of course, those of other faiths who don’t hate you (Luke 6:27). This is not because Christians do not believe in vengeance. We simply believe that it is not ours to give. And this age is not the time to give it. This is an age of mercy and patience and forgiveness toward those who malign the King of the universe. He will have his Day of Wrath. But we are too sinful to be entrusted with that righteous judgment. Rather, we should obey the words of the New Testament: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head’” (Romans 12:19-20).

7. Seek to win others to saving faith in Jesus by persuading with words, not imposing with force. This was the way the gospel spread among many religions in the early centuries of the Christian church. The earliest teachers said, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others” (2 Corinthians 5:11). When the New Testament speaks of the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17) or “the weapons of our warfare” (2 Corinthians 10:4), it clearly means the word of God and power of spiritual persuasion.

8. Always be ready to die, but never to kill, for the sake of commending Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died for sinners and rose again as the Lord of the universe. Jesus promises to triumph through our accepting suffering, not our causing suffering. He died to save all who will believe—from every nation and religion. He calls us to follow him on this Calvary Road. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). This is not the death of a suicide-murderer. This is the death of one who loves his enemies and, as he dies, prays, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), and, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60).

9. Pray for the salvation of all those who belittle Jesus Christ. Pray that they would put their faith in Jesus Christ who died for our sins so that if anyone—from any nation or any religion—would embrace him as Lord and Savior and Treasure of their lives, they would be saved from the guilt of sin and the wrath of God. They would have eternal life and joy. This is the way the great apostle Paul prayed: “Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved” (Romans 10:1).

10. No matter the cost, continue to exalt and commend Jesus Christ as the great and only Savior that he is. Say with the apostle Paul, “It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” The day will come when every knee will bow to Jesus as Lord and as God (Philippians 2:10-11). Until that day comes, affirm with Paul: “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

Longing for the Savior to be exalted,

Pastor John

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The times in which we live require daily commitment and dependence upon the gracious hand of the One True God - Yahweh - the Self-Existent One; not upon Allah.

Proverbs 3:5-8
5 Trust in the LORD (Yahweh) with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD (Yahweh) and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

A Morning Prayer

Heavenly Father,

I arise this day with a keen awareness of my feebleness, my fickleness, and my sinfulness. My heart longs to bring You glory, to honor Your name and to magnify Your Beloved Son. Yet even with these noble thoughts, I know that sin follows me – it follows me into my prayer time; it follows me into my reading of the Word and it follows me into every situation in which I might be a witness of Your greatness. How I long for that day when I will be wholly and truly freed from sinning – when I shall gaze upon the lovely face of my Savior – Jesus Christ.

Until such time, I beg of You, Lord – protect me and allow me unfettered access to the knowledge of Your grace –

7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. 8 They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. 9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. (Psalms 36:7-9).

Deliver me, O Lord, from the snares of evil one. Keep me, O Lord, from the temptations of this world. But above all, O Lord, guard me and guide me away from trusting in self or of even looking to self. May my flesh be crucified and may I walk by Your Spirit. Oh, let me walk by the Spirit, and I will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For my flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh… But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now, since I belong to Christ Jesus, I have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

May I live for You this day – be glorified in my life to such an extent that people do not see me, but rather they see the lovely form of my blessed Redeemer – even Jesus Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Taking the Day Off

Mondays are supposed to be my day off and so - here I go!

Have a blessed day!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Not an issue of capability but of responsibility

One of the ladies in our church who keeps a blog has been under attack for defending the Biblical (Complementarian) view of the roles of women in the church as opposed to an unbiblical (Egalitarian) view of such roles. The roles of men and women in the church are ordained by God, not determined by men (or women). And before someone asks the question, "Do you not believe a woman is just as capable as a man with regard to some of the roles in the church?" - my first response is this - It has never been an issue of capability but of responsibility. God, in His Word, has ordained the husband to be the head of the wife even as Christ is head of the church (1 Corinthians 11:3). Similarly, God has ordained a plurality of God-gifted men to be elders to shepherd the flock of God (1 Timothy 3:1-7).

Let me quickly define complementarian - the Biblical teaching that both men and women are equal in status before Christ, but have different and complementary roles in the family and the church. A brief definition of egalitarian is - the teaching that men and women are equal in status before Christ and therefore each have the right to pursue leadership in both the home and the church. Please consider reading this (summary) of the two positions.

Several years ago, the church (Hope CBC) was confronted with this issue and had to make a statement at its District Conference meeting. I have included the Affirmations of Hope Community Bible Church (then Hope Evangelical Free Church). These affirmations were adapted from the "Danvers Statement."

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Affirmations and Resolutions of Hope Evangelical Free Church

(Now Hope Community Bible Church as of October 2003)
With Regard to the Roles of Men and Women in the Home and in the Church
As Determined at its Annual Business Meeting – October 14, 2001

AFFIRMATIONS
The congregation of Hope Evangelical Free Church (now Hope Community Bible Church) has Biblically considered the issue of roles for men and women in the church over the past year. Upon review of this issue, the congregation makes the following affirmations:

1. We believe that men and women were created in God’s image, equal before God as persons, yet distinct in their manhood and womanhood (Gen 1:26-27, 2:18).

2. We believe that God has ordained distinctions in the roles given to men and women in both the family and within the Church (Gen 2:18, 21-24; 1 Cor 11:7-9; 1 Tim 2:12-14).

3. We believe that Adam’s headship in marriage was established by God before the Fall and therefore was not a result of sin (Gen 2:16-18, 21-24, 3:1-13; 1 Cor 11:7-9).

4. We believe that the Fall of man introduced distortions into the relationship and roles of men and women (Gen 2:16-18, 21-24, 3:1-13; 1 Cor 11:7-9);

· In the home, the husband’s loving, humble headship tends to be replaced by domination or passivity; the wife’s intelligent, willing submission tends to be replaced by usurpation or servility.

· In the church, sin inclines men toward a worldly love of power or an abdication of spiritual responsibility, and inclines the woman to resist Biblical limitations on their roles or to neglect the use of spiritual gifts in appropriate ministries.

5. We believe that the redemption brought by Christ Jesus has as one of its goals to restore right relationships and roles between men and women that were distorted by the Fall.

· In the family, husbands should forsake harsh or selfish leadership and grow in love and care for their wives; wives should forsake resistance to their husbands’ authority and grow in willing, joyful submission to their husbands’ leadership (Eph 5:21-33; Col 3:18-19; Tit 2:3-5; 1 Pet 3:1-7).

· In the church, redemption in Christ gives men and women an equal share in the blessings of salvation; nevertheless, some governing and teaching roles within the church are restricted to men(Gal 3:28; 1 Cor 11:2-16; 1 Tim 2:11-15).

6. We believe the Biblical principles and practices of role distinctions in the Christian community apply to the church universal, be it in the context of a local congregation or in a larger context of saints gathered to worship, pray, seek God’s will and advance God’s kingdom.

7. We believe that both the Old and New Testaments manifests equally the high regard and dignity God attached to the roles of both men and women and that both Testaments affirm the principle of male headship in the family and in the covenant community.

8. We believe that the Lord and His Word alone are the supreme authority and guide for men and women, so that no earthly submission – domestic, religious or civil – ever implies a mandate to follow a human authority that neglects or rejects the teaching of the Word of God (Dan 3:10-18; Acts 4:19-20, 5:27-29; 1 Pet 3:1-2).

9. We believe that both men and women are to use their spiritual gifts for the edification of the church in appropriate ministries and settings, never turning aside the Word of God and its teachings to justify a particular ministry or role that contradicts or undermines the clear teachings of Scripture (1 Tim 2:11-15, 3:1-13; Tit 1:5-9).

10. We believe that neglect of, or failure to these stated principles by the Church has caused devastating spiritual consequences on our families, on the church and on our culture.

11. We believe it is the Church’s responsibility to call God’s people back to the Biblical principles and practices of gender role distinctions, encouraging true male and female piety in accordance with the Word of God.

RESOURCES
· Cottrell, Jack “Headship, Submission and the Bible,” Cincinnati Bible Seminary, 1997.
· Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, “The Danvers Statement,” 1987
· Grudem, Wayne “But What Should Women Do In The Church?” CBMW News (November 1995). 1:2.
· MacArthur, John Different By Design, Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1994.
· Piper, John, and Wayne Grudem, eds. Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1991.
· Strauch, Alexander Men and Women: Equal Yet Different, Littleton, CO: Lewis and Roth Publishers, 1999.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

The Crocodile Hunter

As some of you know, I was a big Steve Irwin fan (the Crocodile Hunter). While I had nothing in common with the man theologically and disagreed profusely with his evolutionary thinking, I did appreciate his love of animals and zeal for life. When I learned that he had been killed - and by a stingray nonetheless - I was shocked. It did make me start to think a bit more about the status of his soul. How much more ought I to have concern over those around me whom make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ and are therefore, by virtue of their lack of profession, demonstrate that they are children of wrath, who, apart from the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ being manifested in their life, are doomed to perish in a Christless eternity.

Oh Lord, give me a heart and burden for the lost and may be an effective and faithful witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Acts 1:8
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.

2 Corinthians 5:20
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God

The other day I was reading through the Answers in Genesis website (www.answersingenesis.org) and came across this aricle by Ken Ham and thought it worth reading and posting. It is a little longer than most of my posts but I hope it is insightful.

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"Crocodile hunter" dies
by Ken Ham, President, AiG - USA
September 4, 2006

I woke up on the Labor Day holiday in the USA (September 4) to hear the news that the famed "Crocodile hunter," Steve Irwin, died in Queensland Australia. Because of his well-known daring encounters with crocodiles and other dangerous animals, his death received headline news. People all over the world are expressing their shock and grief.

When I was in my early 20s as a high school teacher in Queensland Australia, I took my biology classes on excursions to a small reptile park run by Steve's family near the Glasshouse Mountains and north of Brisbane. At that time, Steve would have been a little boy preparing for his life ahead. At that time, I never envisaged that this reptile park would become one of the world's most popular and well known zoos.

That such a well-known, active and young man (44) died was such a shock to all hearing the news today. However, the fact that anyone dies should be a reminder to us that ultimately everyone will die. And it can happen when you least expect it. So many of us thought Steve might get killed by a crocodile or by being bitten by a poisonous snake after all, he interacted with these creatures in ways the rest of us would not dare to! Instead, he was killed swimming alongside a sting ray, something many people do today, killed in a way that is rare; it wasn't considered very dangerous as he was filming underwater off the Queensland coast earlier today.

Sadly, Steve Irwin wasn't a creationist. He mentioned evolution and the concept of millions of years many times in his television programs. For example, he once told Larry King on CNN's Larry King Live cable program that crocodiles had been around for 200 million years, and if you weren't careful they would kill you.

Over the years, I've had people tell me they sent Steve Irwin some of our creation books, who knows if he ever read any of them. At least these AiG supporters tried to witness to this very famous and brave man. Our hearts and prayers go out for his wife (an American, by the way) and their young children.

At Answers in Genesis, we have written many articles about why death and suffering exist in this fallen world. We explain in clear terms how to understand how there can be a God of infinite mercy, of infinite love, yet we see death all around us. We, in Adam (Genesis 3), committed high treason against the God of creation; and as a holy and just God, He must judge sin (with death). But at the same time, because He loved us so much, He stepped into history 2,000 years ago, and in an act of infinite love, paid the penalty for our sin by dying and being raised from the dead. While we are separated from God because of our sin, our loving God offers us a free gift of salvation.

This month, AiG began a special campaign to let the world know that answers to life's tough questions exist, and most of all, to know that the ultimate answer to life's problems, salvation in Christ, is free. Throughout September, the anniversary month of when thousands died in the World Trade Center five years ago, this website will feature a special emphasis on the death-and-suffering issue.

Why did Steve Irwin die at such a young age? In one sense, his death seems so unjust, he wasn't a bad man! Steve was so friendly, so entertaining. As a conservationist, he did so much to help the environment. He made people laugh, and he brought much awareness to people about animals and how we can care for them. I'm sure many around the world, with this news making headlines, will question how Christians can believe in a loving God when they see death all around us. The Bible does answer this question though, and I encourage you to read the answers on this website and watch Dr. Tommy Mitchell's video A God of Suffering? Christ faced objections in Luke 13 about the seemingly unjust death of people. Someone had brought up an "unjust" situation after Pilate had killed Galilean citizens and mixed their blood with his sacrifices (a hideous atrocity for sure). Jesus cut to the real issue, however, with this response:

Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:2-5).

Issues of "fairness" and supposed "injustice" may pester us all our lives, but the core issue that Jesus focuses on is the one we teach through our messages at AiG: they died. It was their time. And you are going to die. Now is the time to repent and turn to the Lord. Make sure you have committed your life to Christ, for death is a reality, and what happens beyond the grave depends on your choice today.

For all Steve Irwin's popularity, for all the worldly goods he may have obtained, none of this could save him from the penalty that we are all under as children of Adam - death. And as the Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:8-10:

Therefore, I consider all things loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to his death...

What does the death of Steve Irwin mean for us? It's a reminder that we all need to repent of our sin so that we can be saved for eternity - because we all face death. As a witnessing opportunity at this time, point more of your friends/relatives to AiG's website for answers to this important questions one that affects everyone's eternity.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Your Vision of Christ?

What do we have “in Christ”? How’s that for a question? Such a simple question - what do we have “in Christ”? - yet how profound!

I believe that how one answer such a question depends largely upon how vivid of a vision he has of Christ. One of the things that the author of Hebrews could not be accused of is a small or limited vision of Christ. It must be that by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the book of Hebrews was given to those first readers, as well as to us, to warn and keep us from having a small vision of Christ. In the Letter to the Hebrews Christ is presented as vastly superior to all the greatness that any Jewish person could conceive. Jesus is shown to be superior to the great prophets of the Old Testament; superior to the angels of heaven; superior over Moses and Joshua; and even superior over Aaron and the Levitical Priesthood. For any of the first Jewish readers to consider such these things as better and worthy of reverence and practice over faith alone in Christ was to reveal a limited vision and knowledge of the majestic and marvelous person and work of Jesus Christ.

This makes me wonder how often we might be guilty of holding a small vision of Christ. What need do we have to read and study these words of the book of Hebrews? Beloved, if our vision of Christ is small, our faith will be even smaller. Let us not be content with a little faith. For as it has been noted by Charles Spurgeon, “Little faith will save a man, but little faith cannot do great things for God.” I submit to you that the greater vision we have of Christ, the more we come to learn what we have “in Christ” - the greater our love, the greater our devotion, the greater our service to the Lord will become.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Is This Really Science?

On the lighter side - I found this "science" experiment that was rather fun to watch. Who would have thought it possible to be so elaborate with Mentos and Diet Coke. Who pays these guys?

Okay - I pulled the embeded video because it was too hard for the people with dial-up. So instead I am including this link (click here). It should be interesting to say the least. What you will see is as follows:

The Extreme Diet Coke & Mentos Experiments: What happens when you combine 200 liters of Diet Coke and over 500 Mentos mints? It's amazing and completely insane.The first part of this video demonstrates a simple geyser, and the second part shows just how extreme it can get. Over one hundred jets of soda fly into the air in less than three minutes.

Pastor Ed

Pray for Your Pastor

So I am on a Gardiner Spring kick. This man of God is certainly not as well known as other pastors and writers of his time but his messages are on th emark. As I was reading through some of sermons and articles, I came across this concerning prayer for the minister of God. By way of confession, I have felt a bit dry as of late and have been pleading with God for His living water to refresh me.

To that end, I ask all who will take the time to read through this article by Mr. Spring to pray for their Pastor(s)!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Such is the importance of the Christian ministry, that we are constrained to entreat for it one particular favor. It is a request in which we feel a very deep personal concern, Pray for us! "Pray for us", pleads the Apostle in I Thessalonians 5:25; pray for us is the hearty response from every Christian pulpit in the land, and in the wide world. If the prayers of good men were entreated by such a man as Paul; and if, with his giant intellect, his eminent spirituality, and his intimate communion with God and things unseen, this holy man needed this encouragement and impulse in his work, who will not say "Brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified!" (II Thessalonians 3:1).

It is a delightful thought to a young man entering upon the ministry of reconciliation that, unworthy as he is, the prayers of thousands of God's people are continually going up, on his behalf, to his Father and their Father, to his God and their God. He seems to hear the church of God saying to him, We cannot go to this sacred work, but we will follow you with our prayers! He seems to hear many a Christian parent say to him, "We have no son to send to this hallowed vocation; but you go to it, and you shall not lack an interest in our prayers!" Not a few of the churches of this land have enjoyed the high privilege of sending forth into the spiritual harvest a considerable number of beloved youth from their own more immediate family. And it has been the practice of such churches, to an extent that is gratefully remembered, to assemble for the more special service of commending their young brethren to the care and faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God. How fitting, in every way, is such a service! How full of encouragement to the heart that trembles under a view of the responsibilities of the sacred office! how delightful this spiritual stimulus to a mind almost ready to sink under its own conscious infirmities! And how unspeakably precious the thought to all who labor in this great work, whether in youthful, or riper years, that they are thus habitually remembered in the prayers of the churches! Let the thought sink deep into the heart of every church, that their minister will be very much such a minister as their prayers may make him. If nothing short of Omnipotent grace can make a Christian, nothing less than this can make a faithful and successful minister of the Gospel!

We entreat the churches to regard with a more deliberate and devout mind the great work itself to which their ministers are devoted. To explain the doctrines and enforce the duties of genuine Christianity; to defend the truth against all the subtlety and the versatility of error; to sustain within their own minds that sense of God's presence, and of those moral sanctions which are revealed in His Word. And to experience that deep and tender impression of the things that are unseen and eternal, that are necessary to give earnestness to their preaching, as well as that consistent life and bearing that are necessary to give power to their preaching; to do this in a way that shall adapt itself to different times, places, occasions and characters, and without being disheartened by difficulties, overwhelmed by enemies, and weary of the yoke which they have taken upon themselves, is no ordinary work! If a people are looking for rich sermons from their minister, their prayers must supply him with the needed material; if they seek for faithful sermons, their prayers must urge him, by a full and uncompromising manifestation of the truth, to commend himself to every man's conscience in the sight of God (see II Corinthians 4:2). If God's people are going to expect powerful and successful sermons, their prayers must make him a blessing to the souls of men! Would they have him come to them in the fullness of the blessings of the Gospel of peace, with a pounding heart, a burning eye, and a glowing tongue, and with sermons bathed in tears and filled with prayer? If so, their prayers must urge him to pray, and their tears inspire his thrilling heart with the strong yearnings of Christian affection. It is in their own closets that the people of God most effectively challenge their beloved ministers to take heed to the ministry they have received from the Lord Jesus (see Acts 20:24).

And who and what are ministers themselves? Frail men, fallible, sinning men, exposed to every snare, to temptation in every form; and, from the very post of observation they occupy, they are an easier target for the fiery darts of the foe. They are not trite victims the great Adversary is seeking, when he would wound and cripple Christ's ministers. One such victim is worth more to the kingdom of darkness than a number of common men; and for this very reason their temptations are probably more subtle and severe than those encountered by ordinary Christians. If this subtle Deceiver fails to destroy them, he cunningly aims at neutralizing their influence by quenching the fervor of their piety, lulling them into negligence, and doing all in his power to render their work burdensome. How perilous is the condition of that minister then, whose heart is not encouraged, whose hands are not strengthened, and who is not upheld by the prayers of his people! It is not in his own closet and on his own knees alone, that he finds security and comfort, and ennobling, humbling, and purifying thoughts and joys; but it is when they also seek them in his behalf, that he becomes a better and happier man, and a more useful minister of the everlasting Gospel!

Nothing gives a people so much interest in their minister, and interest of the best kind, as to pray for him. They will love him more, respect him more, attend more cheerfully and gain more profit from his ministry, the more they commend him to God in their prayers. They feel a deeper interest in his work the more they pray for him; and their children feel a deeper interest both in him and in his preaching, when they regularly listen to supplications that affectionately commend him to the throne of the heavenly grace.

The results of a preached Gospel are associated with the most interesting realities in the universe. In fact, they form no small part in affecting the realities themselves. There are no such bright and radiant exhibitions of the ever-blessed and adorable God-head, as are made where a preached Gospel has free course and is glorified. That wondrous exhibition of the Divine nature, that progressive development which is in itself so desirable, and in its consequences so endeared to every holy mind, never shines forth with such impressive distinctness and subduing luster, as when the hearers of His truth and grace, proclaimed from lips of clay, indicate that appearing of His great glory. Had the people of God on the earth minds as pure as the angelic intellect around the throne, with what deep concern, anxiety and prayer, would they watch the progress and follow the labors of the humble and faithful ambassadors of the cross, as they proclaim this glorious Gospel, and as the effects of their preaching reveal new and lasting exhibitions of the manifested Deity! The effects of their preaching upon the souls of men are nothing less than the savor of life unto life in them that are saved, and in them that perish of death unto death (II Cor. 2:15,16). The same light and motives that are the means of fitting some for heaven, when abused and perverted, only fit others for hell.

O it is at a fearful expense that ministers are ever allowed to enter the pulpit without being preceded, accompanied, and followed by the earnest prayers of the churches. It is no marvel that the pulpit is so powerless, and ministers so often disheartened when there are so few to hold up their hands. The consequence of neglecting this duty is seen and felt in the spiritual declension of the churches, and it will be seen and felt in the everlasting perdition of men; while the consequence of regarding it would be the ingathering of multitudes into the kingdom of God, and new glories to the Lamb that was slain!

On his behalf therefore, and on the behalf of his beloved and respected brethren in the ministry, the writer would crave an interest in the prayers of all who love the Savior and the souls of men. We are the dispensers of God's truth and at best fall far below our mighty theme. The duties of our calling return upon us with every returning week and day. They often come upon us with many and conflicting demands. They sometimes put a demand upon all our thoughts, and at the very time when we have lost the power of thinking; and sometimes they call for all the intensity and strength of our affections, just at the time we are the least capable of expressing them. There is also associated with these demands that pressing distress, and decaying anxiety, which exhausts our vigor, cripples our courage, and drinks up our spirits. And then, in addition to all this, there are so many disappointments in our work, that we desperately need the sympathy and comfort of the prayers of God's faithful people!

Our spirit is sometimes stirred within us, and we go forth to our people flooded with the hope of rescuing them from everlasting burnings; and in some unfortunate hour of self-sufficiency, we vainly imagine the work and triumph are our own. We are ready in season, and out of season (II Tim. 4:2); we make a business of preparing for the conflict, sometimes polishing our arrows and sometimes leaving them rough and barbed. We put on our armor, and enter the field with the determination to lay out all our strength, and with the confident assurance that we must complete our assigned task. But what a lesson of self-abasement! We cannot convert a single soul. "We played the flute for you and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament" (Matthew 11:17). We press home the Divine commands, and they trample upon His authority; we press home His threatenings, and they despise His justice; we speak tenderly of His promises, they heed not His faithfulness; of His Beloved Son, and they tread Him under their feet; of His patience and long-suffering, but their impenitence and obstinacy are proof against them all. We reason and plead with them, until the obstacles to their conversion seem to us to rise higher by every effort we make to overcome them; until, finally, we sink in dejection, and cry out, "What mighty power can break these granite-like hearts? What omnipotent grasp can rescue these perishing men from everlasting burnings?" O you blood-bought churches, your ministers need your prayers, for the exceeding greatness of that power which God worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead (Eph. 1:19,20).

We have a concert of prayer for the heathen, another for Sunday Schools, and yet another for the blessing of God upon the distribution of religious tracts. Why should we overlook the great means of God's own appointment for the salvation of men? May there not be something in the form of a concert of prayer for the ministers of the Gospel? If nothing better can be suggested, why may there not be a general understanding among Christian men, and Christian families, to set apart the morning of every Lord's Day, for this great and special object? This was the practice in the family of my venerable father, and it has long been my own as well. And it is a most precious privilege. The time is a very appropriate one; and such a ministry of prayer would not fail to exert a delightful influence on the privileges of the sanctuary. "Before they call I will answer; and while they are yet speaking I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24). Should God be pleased to give to the churches the spirit of prayer for their ministers, it would be with the purpose of answering it. "He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer" (Psalm 102:17; cf. Nehemiah 1:5,6). It is written, that "on every dwelling-place of Mount Zion, He will create a fire and smoke" (Isaiah 4:5); nor will the altar be profaned, nor the incense less fragrant, if those words of hope are more often upon the lips of those who offer it, "Clothe Your priests with salvation, that Your saints may shout aloud for joy!" (Psalm 132:16). Nor is this all! Let the ministers of the Gospel have an habitual remembrance at the domestic altar every day. "It is no small thing", says a modern writer of our own city, "for any congregation to have daily cries for God's blessing ascending from a hundred firesides. What a spring of refreshment to a pastor! The family devotions of praying Kidderminster, no doubt, made Richard Baxter a better minister, and a happier man; and it is possible we are reaping the fruits of them in his books "The Saints Everlasting Rest' and "Dying Thoughts".*

You then, who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest (Isa. 62:6,7). When the churches cease to pray for ministers, ministers will no longer be a blessing to the churches. Brethren, pray for us, that we may be kept from sin; that we may walk carefully, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time (Ephesians 5:16); that our hearts may be more devoted to God, and our lives a more impressive example of the Gospel we preach; that we may be more completely furnished for our work and our conflicts, and put on the whole armor of God; that we may be more faithful and wise to win souls, and that we may discipline our body, and bring it into subjection, lest after having preached to others, we ourselves be cast away (1st Cor. 9:27). When we turn our thoughts toward barren ordinances and a fruitless ministry, our hearts sink within us, and we would gladly throw ourselves at the feet of the churches and implore a remembrance in their prayers. If you ever enter into the "secret place" of the Most High, and get near the heart of Him whom your souls love, plead earnestly that His own power may attend the stated ministries of His Gospel. If you ever lie on Jesus' bosom, please remember us! Open your desires; tell your Immanuel of His costly sacrifice and wonderful love; tell Him of His power and our weakness; speak to Him of the unutterable glory, and the interminable anguish beyond the grave. With tears of solicitude press home your plea, and tell Him that He has committed the treasure of the glorious Gospel to earthen vessels, in order that the excellency of the power may be all of God!

"Brethren, pray for us!" AMEN!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Where Have I Been?

Sorry about the lack of posts. Life has gotten rather busy as of late with a stretch of long days that started early and ended late. It all started on Saturday with Men's prayer. What a blessed time of prayer we had. I had shared with the men that my own communion with God was not where I wanted it to be, having felt a bit dry and distant as of late. Well, this time of prayer did much to renew and encourage me as we lifted up one another, our families, and our church before the Lord.

All this was followed by working on the new fellowship hall (which is coming along). It is amazing how much more work a project like this is than you imagine it is going to be. And for those of you that know me, I am pretty good at imagining the work and effort of things. I am so grateful for the men of the church who are going to make this project possible. Tyler Vanden Heuvel and Mike Olson have been hard at work doing dry wall and electrical work respectively. Loyd Bennett will be working on the plumbing before long (hopefully today). Several others have helped with clean up and coming up will be our attempt at laying tile and carpet. Jase, Cathy, Laura and myself have been looking at cabinets and getting prices. When this project is done we should have a much cleaner, nicer and larger area to gather between services.

Sunday Services were another blessing to me (as they usually are). The youth gathered Sunday afternoon to quiz on Philippians 2 and I was impressed by the number of youth that were prepared. Keep on memorizing! (see Memorizing Philippians). This was all followed by evening services and then a short time of fellowship at the home of Jase and Cathy.

Monday (my day off) started off by catching up on some personal matters that had been put off way to long (and working on them took way too long - from about 4 hours)! Then we headed out to my In-laws for a late lunch to see Laura's Grandfather who is visiting from San Diego. Shortly after lunch Laura and I headed back into town for a hospital visit and later that evening we had dinner with the Samuelson youth (CiCi's pizza never saw it coming - we ate a lot of pizza). When we arrived home, we played some games with our kids and then called it a night.

Now it is Tuesday and the Lord knows what He has in store for me. I only hope that by God's grace I will be of His service and glory.

One final note, here's a pic from Nanci Lea who is out gallivanting around there in California (the land of fruits and nuts). We received an email from her on Sunday, thinking she was going to report about her experience at church. We need to pray - she sent some pictures of a visit to the shrine of Lucas and had her picture taken with Yoda (of Star Wars fame). I sure hope she hasn't converted to the FORCE (ha ha).

Have a blessed day everyone!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

A Living and A Dead Faith

In our Thursday Evening Bible Study we began a series looking through Gardiner Spring entitled, "The Distinguishing Traits of Christian Character." We have not moved very far in our study, having just finished part 2 of the first chapter. The opening chapters concern themselves not so much with the distinguishing traits of Christian character but rather those traits that so many often suppose means they are Christians. For example, visible morality, the art of living some semblance of a "good" life is often construed as verifying one's Christianity. However, as Mr. Spring wrote:

A merely moral man may be very scrupulous of duties he owes to his fellow man, while the infinitely important duties he owes to God are kept entirely out of sight.

Mr. Spring pointed out that the merely moral man may do well from a human perspective, but his heart, that is his true desires are governed more from selfishness rather than from devotion to God. Mr. Spring wrote:

The sum and soul of obedience to the divine law consists in love to God. But the people whom we describe, though they may has some knowledge of God and may confess His worthiness to be loved, love almost everything else more than He.

There then lies the test - how is my love to God? Or, do I find that I love everything else more than Him? That is a question to consider carefully for the church is filled with a multitude of "visibly moral" people. But, do they love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength? As noted by Mr. Spring, "There then is no true holiness in mere morality.” Let us examine our motives and hearts well that we be not deceived into contentment with mere morality. Holiness of life must flourish. This is the Biblical call:

1 Peter 1:14-16
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

Failure to make a distinction between holiness and morality may mean the difference between heaven and hell. Again, as Mr. Spring noted:

A man may be very moral, but if the disposition of the heart with which the acts of morality are performed be not such as God requires and approves, though he may believe he is going to heaven, he is in the broad way to hell. Mere morality never aims at the heart and would never touch it if it should.

Lord, take aim at my heart and make me holy!

I close with this hymn by William Cowper subtitled "A Living and A Dead Faith":

The LORD receives his highest praise,
From humble minds and hearts sincere;
While all the loud professor says,
Offends the righteous Judge’s ear.

To walk as children of the day
To mark the precepts’ holy light
To wage the warfare, watch and pray,
Show who are pleasing in his sight.

Not words alone it cost the LORD,
To purchase pardon for his own;
Nor with a soul, by grace restored,
Return the Savior words alone.

With golden bells, the priestly vest,
And rich pomegranates bordered round,
The need of holiness expressed,
And called for fruit, as well as sound.

Easy, indeed, it were to reach
A mansion in the courts above,
If swelling words, and fluent speech
Might serve, instead of faith and love.

But none shall gain the blissful place,
Or GOD’S unclouded glory see;
Who talks of free and sovereign grace,
Unless that grace has made him free.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Remodeling Has Begun!

After much planning and anticipation we have finally begun remodeling the back area of our facility to create a "Fellowship Hall" of sorts. It unofficially began last Saturday when Jase and Cathy emptied the rooms to be demolished. On Monday, Tyler and I moved some of the big items (piano, pew, etc.). The plan is to take out the walls of two rooms in order to open up a larger area to be used as a Fellowship Hall. On Tuesday, Jase, Cathy, Laura and I went to price cabinets and counters (nothing cheap about that). It should be a helpful addition to our growing congregation. Our existing "room" was about 325 square feet (31x10.5). The total square footage of the new area will be about 730 square feet.

In the meantime, things are dusty, messy and noisy, but such is the price of growth. After the demolition, which is to be completed today, Tyler will come in and do the dry wall and painting with Mike O doing the electrical work. We will be calling upon some of the men to help put in tile, carpeting and cabinets (it will take about 5 weeks for the cabinets to come in).

It has been such a blessing to have the funds for this project. The Lord has truly been gracious to the church and it is our prayer that this remodeling will be helpful to the congregation.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

New Efficient and Effective Means of Counseling

I am always on the look out for new, efficient and effective means of counseling people. How can one quickly and in a straight-forward manner evaluate and exhort people aright? Some might think that counseling is difficult, requires long hours of preparation and even longer hours actually meeting with the counselee. Well, I am pleased to have come across a couple of techniques for counseling that may make it possible for just about anyone to do.

The first I learned from Dr. Al Mohler, who serves as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world. At the Shepherd’s Conference 2006 held at Grace Community Church (John MacArthur), Dr. Mohler offered such a counseling technique to quickly get to the heart of an issue and to the resolution of the matter by asking three questions:

1. What’s your problem?
2. What would God have you do about it?
3. Why are we having this conversation?

Now, for those of you who think this may be just a bit too straight-forward, consider watching this little training video on proper counseling techniques. It is about 6 minutes long but you may find this insightful. (I hope everyone realizes this is all in fun).

Mad TV Bob Newhart - Stop It

Efficient and Effective Counseling Technique?

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

The Ten Marks of a Flesh-Pleaser

I continue today with my exploration of the issue of sin. How does sin manifest itself in our lives? Galatians 5:17 tells us:

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

The flesh and the Spirit are in opposition to one another, that is to say, they each have their own agenda. It does us well to know how the flesh accomplishes this opposition that we may recognize it and then by prayer and the grace of God combat such fleshly desires in favor of following after God.

To that end I came across this list, "The Ten Marks of a Flesh-Pleaser" by Richard Baxter (1615-91, English nonconformist clergyman; Puritan). May this list be used as a gauge by which we might measure our following after the flesh rather then being in submission to the Spirit of God.

The Ten Marks of a Flesh-Pleaser
by Richard Baxter

The signs of a flesh-pleaser or sensualist are these:

1. When a man in his desire to please his appetite, does not do it with a view to a higher end, that is to say to the preparing himself for the service of God; but does it only for the delight itself. (Of course no one does every action conciously with a view to the service of God. Nevertheless, the general manner or habit of a life spent in the service of God is absent for the flesh-pleaser.)
2. When he looks more eagerly and industriously after the prosperity of his body than of his soul.
3. When he will not refrain from his pleasures, when God forbids them, or when they hurt his soul, or when the necessities of his soul call him away from them. But he must have his delight whatever it costs him, and is so set upon it, that he cannot deny it to himself.
4. When the pleasures of his flesh exceed his delights in God, and his holy word and ways, and the expectations of endless pleasure. And this not only in the passion, but in the estimation, choice, and action. When he had rather be at a play, or feast, or other entertainment, or getting good bargains or profits in the world, than to live in the life of faith and love, which would be a holy and heavenly way of living.
5. When men set their minds to scheme and study to make provision for the pleasures of the flesh; and this is first and sweetest in their thoughts.
6. When they had rather talk, or hear, or read of fleshly pleasures, than of spiritual and heavenly delights.
7. When they love the company of merry sensualists, better than the communion of saints, in which they may be exercised in the praises of their Maker.
8. When they consider that the best place to live and work is where they have the pleasure of the flesh. They would rather be where they have things easy, and lack nothing for the body, rather than where they have far better help and provision for the soul, though the flesh be pinched for it.
9. When he will be more eager to spend money to please his flesh than to please God.
10. When he will believe or like no doctrine but "easy-believism," and hate mortification as too strict "legalism." By these, and similar signs, sensuality may easily be known; indeed, by the main bent of the life.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

Jesus Really Satisfies!

Hebrews 7:25-27
25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

Only the sacrifice of Jesus has satisfied God's righteous wrath against sin. The call is for people tot draw near to God through Jesus, the sole satisfaction. Why do we so easily look to other things to satisfy us when the only permanent satisfaction come through Jesus? Where are you seeking satisfaction today? Praise be to God for our perfect High Priest who offered Himself "once for all" - a sacrifice never needing to be repeated nor added to in any way.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

35 Reasons Not To Sin

In my review of "sin" I came across these motivators not to sin and found them insightful:

35 Reasons Not To Sin

1. Because a little sin leads to more sin.
2. Because my sin invites the discipline of God.
3. Because the time spent in sin is forever wasted.
4. Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.
5. Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.
6. Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.
7. Because I am doing what I do not have to do.
8. Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.
9. Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.
10. Because my sin saddens the godly.
11. Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.
12. Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.
13. Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.
14. Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.
15. Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.
16. Because sin is a very brief pleasure for an eternal loss.
17. Because my sin may influence others to sin.
18. Because my sin may keep others from knowing Christ.
19. Because sin makes light of the cross, upon which Christ died for the very purpose of taking away my sin.
20. Because it is impossible to sin and follow the Spirit at the same time.
21. Because God chooses not to respect the prayers of those who cherish their sin.
22. Because sin steals my reputation and robs me of my testimony.
23. Because others once more earnest than I have been destroyed by just such sins.
24. Because the inhabitants of heaven and hell would all testify to the foolishness of this sin.
25. Because sin and guilt may harm both mind and body.
26. Because sins mixed with service make the things of God tasteless.
27. Because suffering for sin has no joy or reward, though suffering for righteousness has both.
28. Because my sin is adultery with the world.
29. Because, though forgiven, I will review this very sin at the Judgment Seat where loss and gain of eternal rewards are applied.
30. Because I can never really know ahead of time just how severe the discipline for my sin might be.
31. Because my sin may be an indication of a lost condition.
32. Because to sin is not to love Christ.
33. Because my unwillingness to reject this sin now grants it an authority over me greater than I wish to believe.
34. Because sin glorifies God only in His judgment of it and His turning of it to good use, never because it is worth anything on it's own.
35. Because I promised God he would be Lord of my life.

Relinquish Your Rights - Reject the Sin - Renew the Mind - Rely on God

Copyright © 1992 Jim Elliff Christian Communicators Worldwide, Inc.201 Main, Parkville , MO 64152 USA www.CCWonline.org Permission granted for not-for-sale reproduction in exact form including copyrightOther uses require written permission. Write for additional materials.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

What is the First Sin?

Yes, this is my second post of the day! Who would of thought? Anyway, I have received some questions regarding the historicity of Adam and the nature of sin so I thought I would post something to that end.

I have been considering this question as to what was the first sin. Let me qualify that I am speaking of the first sin as found in Adam and therefore the human race. For prior to the disobedience of Adam and Even, sin was present as found in the person of Satan and subsequently the angelic host that followed him into rebellion against God.

I wonder if we can rightly identify the first sin of Adam as being of singular facet. What I mean is this – is the sin of Adam “pride” or “self-confidence” or “rebellion against God”? Biblically speaking, the first sin of man is simply called “disobedience” (Romans 5:19) which is “the transgression” (Romans 5:15-18). And just what is this “disobedience”? This disobedience is Adam’s disregard for the revealed will (commandment of God). God “said” and Adam “did not heed” the commandment of the LORD. What prompted Adam to so disregard this command of God? Was it pride? Was it self-confidence? Was it rebellion? Perhaps it was a mixture of all these things. But let me appeal to Mr. Wayne Grudem who offers some interesting insights:

But with respect to the human race, the first sin was that of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-19). Their eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is in many ways typical of sin generally. First, their sin struck at the basis for knowledge, for it gave a different answer to the question, “What is true?” Whereas God had said that Adam and Eve would die if they ate from the tree (Genesis 2:17), the serpent said, “You will not die” (Genesis 3:4). Eve decided to doubt the veracity of God’s Word and experiment to see whether God spoke truthfully.

Second, their sin struck at the basis of moral standards, for it gave a different answer to the question, “What is right?” God had said that it was morally right for Adam and Eve not to eat from the fruit of that one tree (Genesis 2:17). But the serpent suggested that it would be right and what would be good for her, rather than allowing God’s word
to define right and wrong. She “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,” and therefore she “took of its fruit and ate” (Genesis 3:6).

Third, their sin gave a different answer to the question, “Who am I?” The correct answer was that Adam and Eve were creatures of God, dependent on Him and always to be subordinate to Him as their Creator and Lord. But Eve, and then Adam, succumbed to the temptation to “be like God” (Genesis 3:5), thus attempting to put themselves in the place of God.

It is important to insist on the historical truthfulness of the narrative of the fall of Adam and Eve. Just as the account of the creation of Adam and Eve is tied in with the rest of the historical narrative in the book of Genesis, so also this account of the fall of man, which follows the history of man’s creation, is presented by the author as straightforward, narrative history. Moreover, the New Testament authors look back on this account and affirm that “sin came into the world through one man” (Romans 5:12) and insist that “the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation” (Romans 5:16) and that the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning (2 Corinthians 11:3; cf. 1 Timothy 2:14). The serpent was no doubt, a real, physical serpent, but one that was talking because of the empowerment of Satan speaking through it (cf. Genesis 3:15 with Romans 16:20; also Numbers 22:28-30; Revelation 12:9; 20:2).

[Let me interject a thought here: if the story is simply allegory, then there is not a real man that brought sin and judgment into the world and therefore the argument for a real man (the God/man Jesus) to bring righteousness and justification could not be properly be understood as literal. How can we rightly interpret one action to be figurative and the other one literal when we have no basis to do so? The action of the first man is presented by Paul as just as literal as the action of Christ. The literal accounting of Genesis 1-3 is understood and offered by Paul as the theological proof that the forgiveness of sin introduced to mankind by the historical and literal Adam has been accomplished by the historical and literal person of Jesus Christ upon the cross].

Finally, we should note that all sin is ultimately irrational. It really did not make sense fro Satan to rebel against God in the expectation of being able to exalt himself above God. Nor did it make any sense for Adam and Eve to think that there could be any gain in disobeying the words of their Creator. These were foolish choices. The persistence of Satan in rebelling against God even today is still a foolish choice, as is the decision of the part of any human being to continue in a state of rebellion against God. It is not the wise man but “the fool” who “says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). It is the “fool” in the book of Proverbs who recklessly indulges in all kinds of sins (see Proverbs 10:23; 12:15; 14:7, 16; 15:5; 18:2; et al.). Though people sometimes persuade themselves that they have good reasons for sinning, when examined in the cold light of truth on the last day, it will be seen in every case that sin ultimately just does not make
sense.

Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, pp. 492-493

A proper Biblical understanding of sin, its consequences and its remedy is only founded in both a literal Adam as understood from a literal reading of Genesis 1-3 and a literal “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45). As it is written, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

One last thought – the key error in Adam and Eve’s thinking is well summarize this way. When they determined to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in direct violation of God’s expressly revealed will, they failed to take into consideration the following:

Knowing “good” they would be unable to do it; knowing “evil” they would be unable to resist it.

This is the curse. This is the total depravity of man – not that man is as bad as he can be, but rather that he is as bad off as he can be, unable to stand in the presence of the Holy God based upon any of his own works or merits. The first literal man (and subsequently all his posterity) needed a literal Savior. Praise be to our Father God, the Almighty, who has given us His Son (John 3:16), the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), to be our Lord and Savior (Luke 2:11).

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed

A Whore's Forehead

I was confronted again with an issue of sin in the Church that needed to be dealt with. While I was praying, reading Scripture and the writings of others I came across this. While it is heavy and forthright, it so accurately addresses some of the issues being dealt with in a couple in our Church. Ponder these thoughts:

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A Whore's Forehead
Thomas Brooks, "The Privy Key of Heaven" 1665

"You have a whore's forehead, you refuse to be ashamed!" Jeremiah 3:3

"Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all! They do not even know how to blush!" Jeremiah 6:15

They had sinned away shame--instead of being ashamed of sin. Continuance in sin had quite banished all sense of sin and all shame for sin; so that they would not allow nature to draw her veil of blushing before their great abominations. How applicable these scriptures are to the present time, I will leave the prudent reader to judge.

But what does the prophet do, now that they were as bold in sin, and as shameless as so many harlots; now that they were grown up to that height of sin and wickedness; now that they were above all shame and blushing; now that they were grown so proud, so hardened, so obstinate, so rebellious, so bent on self-destruction--that no mercies could melt them or allure them, nor any threatenings or judgments could in any way terrify them or stop them? The prophet goes into a corner, he retires into the most secret places, and there he weeps bitterly; there he weeps as if he were resolved to drown himself in his own tears.

"I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears." Jeremiah 13:17

In the times wherein we live, hell seems to be broken loose, and men turned into incarnate devils! Soul-damning wickednesses walk up and down the streets with a whore's forehead, without the least check or restraint.

Ah, England, England! what pride, luxury, lasciviousness, licentiousness, wantonness, drunkenness, cruelties, injustice, oppressions, fornications, adulteries, falsehoods, hypocrisies, atheisms, horrid blasphemies, and hellish impieties--are now to be found rampant in the midst of you! Ah, England! England! how are the Scriptures rejected, God derided, and wickedness tolerated!

And what is the voice of all these crying abominations--but every Christian to his closet--every Christian to his closet--and there weep, with weeping Jeremiah, bitterly--for all these great abominations whereby God is dishonored openly. Oh weep in secret for their sins--who openly glory in their sins, which should be their greatest shame. Oh blush in secret for those who are past all blushing for their sins; for who knows, but that the whole land may fare the better for the sakes of a few, who are mourners in secret?

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Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Ed