Frankly Speaking

The Sinner's Prayer 2.0

2011-03-03T18:48:00.003-06:00

I vote we replace the "sinner's prayer" with this:

My Father,

I could never have sought my happiness in thy love,
unless thou had'st first loved me.

Thy Spirit has encourage me by grace to seek thee,
has made known to me thy reconciliation in Jesus,
has taught me to believe it,
has helped me to take thee for my God and portion

May he grant me to grow in the knowledge and experience of they love,
and walk in it all the way to glory.

Blessed for ever be thy fatherly affection,
which chose me to be one of they children by faith in Jesus:

I thank thee for giving me the desire to live as such.
In Jesus, my brother, I have my new birth,
every restraining power,
every renewing grace.
It is by thy Spirit I call thee father,
believe in thee, love thee;

Strengthen me inwardly for every purpose of my Christian life;
Let the Spirit continually reveal to me my interest in Christ,
and open to me the riches of they love in him;

May he abide in me that I may know my union with Jesus,
and enter into constant fellowship with him;

By thy Spirit may I daily live to thee,
rejoice in they love,
find it the same to me as to thy Son,
and become rooted and grounded in it as a house on rock;

I know but little -
increase my knowledge of thy love in Jesus,
keep me pressing forward for clearer discoveries of it,
so that I may find its eternal fullness;

Magnify thy love to me according to its greatness,
and not according to my deserts or prayers,
and whatever increase thou givest,
let it draw out greater love to thee.

From the Valley of Vision: A Converts First Prayer

Free ebook!

2011-02-06T19:13:00.003-06:00

Get your free copy now!

Monergism Books is currently offering a free download of J.C. Ryle's book Practical Religion for the Kindle. To purchase your free copy of the book simply click here and the add the book to your cart. Hurry though as these offers only last a short period of time!

Pray without Ceasing

2011-01-16T17:56:00.002-06:00

The following selection is taken from Richard Rushing's excellent book "Voices From the Past: Puritan Devotional Readings"

"The closet and solitary prayer is necessary duty, and a profitable one. It does much for the enlargement of the heart. When a man seeks to deal most earnestly with God, he should seek retirement, and be alone. Christ in his agonies went apart from his disciples. It is notable that when Jacob sought to wrestle with God, it is said, 'And Jacob was left alone' (Gen. 32:24). When he had a mind to deal with God in great earnestness, he sent away all his company. A hypocrite finds a greater flash of gifts in his public duties; but he is slight and superficial when he is alone with God. Usually God's children are able to most affectionately pour out their hearts before him in private. Here, they find their affections free to wrestle with God. Here, one finds most communion with God, and enlargement of heart. In private we are wholly at leisure to deal with God in a child-like liberty. Now, will you omit this duty where you may be most free, without distraction, to let out your heart to God? The sweetest experiences of God's saints are when they are alone with him. Without seeking God often, the vitality of the soul is lost. We may as well expect a crop and harvest without sowing, as living grace without seeking God. God is first cast out of the closet, and then out of the family, and within a little while, out of the congregation. Omit secret prayer, and some great sin will follow. A man who is often with God, does not dare to offend him so freely as others do. Religion, as it were, dies by degrees. Whatever else is forgotten, God must not be forgotten. Make God a good allowance. Make a prudent choice yourselves, and consecrate such a part of time as will suit with our occasions, your course of life, and according to your abilities and opportunities."

- Thomas Manton, Works, 1:13-20

Solitude

2011-01-03T20:06:00.004-06:00

Happy the man, whose wish and care

A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air

In his own ground.

Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire;
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter, fire.

Blest, who can unconcernedly find
Hours, days, and years slide soft away
In health of body, peace of mind;
Quiet by day,

Sound sleep by night; study and ease
Together mixed, sweet recreation,
And innocence, which most does please
With meditation.

Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me die,
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie.

Link of the Week #25

2010-12-24T09:19:00.008-06:00

Hello readers! As you well know tonight is Christmas Eve. A night when millions of people will gather in churches around the world to remember the night that God's only Son, Jesus Christ, became incarnate to redeem His people from the world. For many believers, this night marks a high point in their year. But those of you who have spent some time in the world of Reformed Presbyterianism will know that these Christmas celebrations can often bring consternation as well. Although the vast majority of Presbyterians now celebrate holy days like Christmas and Easter, it wasn't too long ago that such a thing would have been unheard of. Allow me to explain.

When our forefathers penned the Westminster Standards (which have served as guides for Presbyterian doctrine and practice for hundreds of years) they attached to it what they called a"Directory for Publik Worship." This Directory gave guidance and direction for churches who were seeking to worship God according to Scripture. Many of these churches were emerging from the mass of man-made traditions found in both the Roman Catholic and in the Anglican communions, and they realized the pressing need to reexamine why things were done the way they were. This reevaluation led to a far simpler, more biblical, form of worship in many of these new Puritan and Presbyterian congregations. This new document called for many changes and one of these changes concerned the celebration of holy days like Christmas and Easter. As the Directory says:

"There is no day commanded in scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord's Day, which is the Christian Sabbath. Festival days, vulgarly called Holy-days, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued."

In essence, the Directory believed that celebrating these holy-days violates the law of God and the regulative principle of worship. (To gain a more thorough understanding of why they thought this was the case go here.)

Ever since that time Presbyterians have been faced with a choice. Will we stand with our forefathers against the church calender, or, will we stand with many other evangelicals with the church calender? This is a question that has been hotly debated for centuries and I doubt that any "quick fix" will emerge to solve our problem. But I do believe that the tension many Presbyterians feel is perhaps a false one. The question is often presented in rather stark terms. Either we buy into the entire Christmas package (like we see in so many churches today) or we will refuse to celebrate or recognize Christmas as some of our brothers do. However, I believe there is a third option, and that brings us (at last) to this week's link.

This week, we'd like to highlight a series of links from the Q & A section of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church's website. These links help us understand how we can perhaps incorporate some of the good aspects of the Christmas season without adopting many of the un-biblical practices and requirements that it often brings. Although there are still many questions that these links don't answer, I believe that they can help us to find a middle ground between the wholehearted acceptance, or the wholesale rejection, of the church calender. Enjoy!

To read this week's links go here, and here.

Link of the Week #24

2010-12-03T21:41:00.003-06:00

Hello readers! Those of you who have read this blog for any length of time will know that we are big fans of the Puritans. Over the past 50 years God has blessed the church with far greater access to the works of these wonderful men. Many classic Puritan books, sermons, and journals are being re-typeset and published for a whole new generation of readers. However, this blessing brings with it its own challenges. With so many Puritans (and so many Puritan works) out there, where does one start? Who is publishing these books and how does one sort through the various editions? How can a 21st century reader penetrate the sometimes daunting language of the 16th and 17th centuries? What is unique about the Puritans? Who are the Puritans anyway?

Well, to help answer these questions we would like to highlight two links this week. The first is to a wonderful article by Joel Beeke called "Why You Should Read the Puritans." In this article Beeke helps orient the reader to who exactly the Puritans were, and then he lays out nine helpful contributions that the Puritans have made to Christian doctrine and life. Our second link is for those of you who may have a bit more time on your hands. In 2006 Randall J. Pederson & Joel Beeke co-edited a book called "Meet the Puritans." In this 895 page tome the author provide us with a wonderful resource for all Puritan lovers. As Westminster bookstore puts it:

"The Puritans were unmatched in their ability to combine deep, theological thinking with warm, practical living. In recent decades, many of their writings have been brought back into print but few Christians know who these men were or why their works are worth reading.
In Meet the Puritans, Joel R. Beeke and Randall J. Pederson go a long way toward alleviating this problem. This resource provides biographical introductions to every Puritan whose work has been republished in recent decades. Along with each biography is a guide to the written works of that Puritan author."

We hope that you will take the time to consider these resources, and we hope that you will consider digging into the works of some Puritan authors as you seek to grow in grace in the coming year!

Happy Birthday Jack...

2010-11-29T20:02:00.005-06:00

This Monday marked the anniversary of the birth of one of the single greatest influences on my life and thought. On November 29, 1898 C.S. Lewis (or "Jack" as he like to be called) was born to a middle class family in Belfast, Ireland. The story of Lewis's life has been well recounted in many places (notably in George Sayer's book "Jack: A Life of C.S. Lewis" and in Lewis's own book "Surprised by Joy: The Shape of my Early Life") so I'll restrain my historian's impulse to recount his life story. Instead, I'd like to recount some of the quotes I've come across recently in my reading of Lewis. I've been re-reading "Out of the Silent Planet" which is even better than I had remembered, but another gem that I've been reading for the first time is Lewis's wonderful collection of essays called "Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories"

"An unliterary man may be defined as one who read books once only. There is hope for a man who has never read Malory or Boswell or Tristram Shandy or Shakespeare's Sonnets: but what can you do with a man who says he 'has read' them, meaning he has read them once, and thinks that this settles the matter?"

"We do not enjoy a story fully at the first reading. Not till the curiosity, the sheer narrative; lust, has been given its sop and laid asleep, are we at leisure to savour the real beauties. Till then, it is like wasting great wine on a ravenous natural thirst which merely wants cold wetness. The children understand this well when they ask for the same story over and over again, and in the same words. They want to have again the 'surprise' of discovering that what seemed Little-Red-Riding-Hood's grandmother is really the wolf. It is better when you know it is coming: free from the shock of actual surprise you can attend better to the intrinsic surprisingness of the peripeteia."

"I will not say that a good story for children could never be written by someone in the Ministry of Education, for all things are possible. But I should lay very long odds against it."

"A critic not long ago said in praise of a very serious fairy tale that the author's tongue 'never once got into his cheek'. But why on earth should it? - unless he had been eating a seed-cake. Nothing seems to me more fatal, for this art, than an idea that whatever we share with children is, in the private sense, 'childish' and that whatever is childish is somehow comic. We must meet children as equals in that area of our nature where we are their equals."

"The modern view seems to me to involve a false concept of growth. They accuse us of arrested development because we have not lost a taste we had in childhood. But surely arrested development consists not in refusing to lose old things but in failing to add new things? I now like hock, which I am sure I should not have liked as a child. But I still like lemon-squash. I call this growth or development because I have been enriched: where I formerly had only one pleasure, I now have two. But if I had to lose the taste for lemon-squash before I acquired the taste of hock, that would not be growth but simple change. I now enjoy Tolstoy and Jane Austen and Trollope as well as fairy tales and I call that growth: if I had had to lose the fairy tales in order to acquire the novelists, I would not say that I had grown but only that I had changed.
A tree grows because it adds rings: a train doesn't grow by leaving one station behind and puffing on to the next. In reality, the case is stronger and more complicated than this. I think my growth is just as apparent when I now read the fairy tales as when I read the novelists, for I now enjoy the fairy tales better than I did in childhood: being now able to put more in, of course I get more out. But I do not here stress that point. Even if it were merely a taste for grown-up literature added to an unchanged taste of children's literature addition would still be entitled to the name 'growth', and the process of merely dropping one parcel when you pick up another would not. It is, of course, true that the process of growing does, incidentally and unfortunately, involve some more losses. But that is not the essence of growth, certainly not what makes growth admirable or desirable. If it were, if to drop parcels and to leave stations behind were the essence and virtue of growth, why should we stop at adult? Why should not senile be equally a term of approval? Why are we not to be congratulated on losing our teeth and hair? Some critics seem to confuse growth with the cost of growth and also to wish to make that cost far higher than, in nature, it need be."

"Once in a hotel dining-room I said, rather too loudly, 'I loathe prunes.' 'So do I,' came an unexpected six-year-old voice from another table. Sympathy was instantaneous. Neither of us thought it funny. We both knew that prunes are far too nasty to be funny. That is the proper meeting between man and child as independent personalities."

Selections from Table Talk

2010-11-22T18:02:00.005-06:00

The following story is taken from Martin Luther's Table Talk.

Of the Archbishop of Mentz, one of the Spiritual Princes Electors, his Censure of the Bible.

Anno 1530, at the Imperial Assembly at Augsburg, Albertus, Bishop of Mentz, by chance had got into his hands the Bible, and for the space of four hours he continued reading therein; at last, one of his Council on a sudden came into his bed-chamber unto him, who, seeing the Bible in the Bishop's hand, was much amazed thereat, and said unto him, "what doth your highness with that book?" The Archbishop thereupon answered him, and said, "I know not what this book is, but sure I am, all that is written therein is quite against us."

Inversnaid

2010-11-17T20:11:00.003-06:00

THIS darksome burn, horseback brown,
His rollrock highroad roaring down,
In coop and in comb the fleece of his foam
Flutes and low to the lake falls home.
A windpuff-bonnet of fawn-froth
Turns and twindles over the broth
Of a pool so pitchblack, fell-frowning,
It rounds and rounds Despair to drowning.
Degged with dew, dappled with dew,
Are the groins of the braes that the brook treads through,
Wiry heathpacks, flitches of fern,
And the beadbonny ash that sits over the burn.
What would the world be, once bereft
Of wet and wildness? Let them be left,
O let them be left, wildness and wet;
Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.: - Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889)

Link of the Week #23

2010-10-29T18:31:00.002-05:00

Hello readers! Because of my work, I have the wonderful privilege and opportunity of listening to rich and thought-provoking books, sermons, lectures, and podcasts. Just today I finished listening to one such rewarding track, in which C.J. Mahaney interviews Sinclair Ferguson. The more that I listen, read, and study the more I think that if I could sit under any one man it would be Dr. Sinclair Ferguson. In this interview (as always) Dr. Ferguson shows not only the sharp theology of a systematician, but also the kind, rich, deep wisdom of a pastoral heart. I trust that you will be blessed by this link!

To listen to this week's link go here.

Link of the Week #22

2010-10-22T18:20:00.003-05:00

Hello readers! It seems that there are certain topics about which people are always talking, and baptism is definitely one of those issues. With the resurgence of Calvinism and Reformed thought in recent decades has come a renewed interest in the historic debates about baptism. Although it is doubtful that any one book will help to resolve these debates we are encouraged to see a new generation of Christian pastors and theologians who are taking up pen to examine this issue with scholarly insight and brotherly love.

Most recent among these books is John Fesko's new book "Word, Water and Spirit: A Reformed Perspective on Baptism." This book dives into the historical arguments, the biblical-theological arguments, and the systematic arguments for paedobaptism. Our friends over at Reformed Forum recently had Dr. Fesko on their show to talk about his book and the Reformed discussion concerning baptism. Whether you're a paedobaptist, credobaptist, or something in-between we hope that his link will prove helpful!

You can listen to this week's link here.

The Second Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women Part 2

2010-10-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hello readers! This is the final installment in a two part series on the question of female rulers. In this part we deal with common objections to the arguments we laid out in part one. We encourage you to read part one here.

Although more could be said, this four-part argument provides a solid foundation towards understanding the complementarian position. So how do the semi-complementarians respond?According to the semi-complementarian position the existence of historical and Old Testament figures is evidence that God is pleased by female civil magistrates. CBMW is typical when they say, “Rather, the Queen of Sheba is presented...in a positive light in her interaction with King Solomon. Queen Esther offers an even better example of a woman who appropriately exerted influence for the good of her people without holding the highest position of national authority...”^¹² Yet, in almost all of the examples they list (including the two mentioned above) the women are not in fact civil rulers. The queen (although still influential) was not a civil magistrate or ruler. To use these examples of godly queens as proof for the legitimacy of female civil magistrates today is to fundamentally misunderstand the role of a queen. The analogy of Esther would apply to the wife of a political candidate today, and not to any candidate herself.

This leads us to the second common objection made by semi-complementarians: what about Deborah? This question is often the first and strongest objection people raise, and it is also the question that takes the most time to answer.^¹³ There is first and foremost an important hermeneutical issue at stake here. As Einwechter says, “First, in regard to the account of Deborah, recognize that it would be unwise to cancel out the explicit biblical teaching on the headship of man, the clear statements of the law, the picture of the virtuous woman, and the lament over women ruling on the basis of what took place in Israel in one of the most confused periods in Israel's history.”^¹⁴ Einwechter is alluding to the principle laid out in the Westminster Confession of Faith, “The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself: and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly. ”^¹⁵ This foundational principle, in essence, maintains that we must always allow the explicit (or clear) passages of Scripture to interpret or explain the implicit (or unclear) passages of Scripture. Indeed, this is the way that many orthodox theologians have interpreted Judges 4:1-5:31. John Calvin is an excellent example of this, “If any one bring forward, by way of objection, Deborah (Judges 4:4) and others of the same class, of whom we read that they were at one time appointed by the command of God to govern the people, the answer is easy. Extraordinary acts done by God do not overturn the ordinary rules of government, by which he intended that we should be bound.”^¹⁶

This hermeneutical issue is important, but as we dig into the text of Judges 4 and 5 another question is raised; can we even consider Deborah to be the “judge” in the story? First we must understand how the Bible uses the term “judge” here. It is not referring to the legal judges that we have today, but is rather a reference to the military leaders (or “avenging deliverers”) that God raised up during this time. Yet Deborah is not the military leader in the story, Barak is. This view would seem to be supported by Hebrews 11:32, which lists Barak in the hall of faith instead of Deborah. As Einwechter says, “Would it not be more accurate to say that Barak was the true 'judge' here (cf. Hebrews 11:32 where Barak alone is mentioned), and that Deborah's role was that of a 'prophetess' who gave divine guidance to Israel?”^¹⁷ In other words, Deborah only “judged” insofar as the people sought her out for advice due to her divine wisdom from God. This view becomes even more clear as we look at the Song of Deborah and Barak in Judges 5. In verse 12, Deborah is called to “Awake and sing” while Barak is commanded to “Arise and lead.” Also, in verse 9 the songs says, “My heart goes out to

the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the LORD.” The Hebrew word here for “commander” is literally, “lawgiver, or leader” in other words, Israel had elders and leaders during this time. As Einwechter says, “There is no question that Deborah was a great and godly woman who had considerable influence in Israel. But in the light of the evidence it is highly questionable to build a doctrine of women rulers from the case of Deborah. Deborah's role in Israel was that of a 'prophetess,' but not that of a civil ruler or military leader.”^¹⁸

As we look at the biblical headship of man laid out in the created order, the biblical qualifications for the office of civil magistrate, the biblical lament that “women rule over them” in Isaiah 3:12, and the picture of biblical womanhood laid out in Proverbs 31, it seems clear that God has been far from silent on the issue of women rulers. It seems that a consistent application of complementarianism, and a consistent application of Scripture, supports the idea that just as God has established complementarianism in the home and the church, so He has ordained it in the state as well. It is imperative that complementarians rally around the biblical teaching on this issue, as the semi-complementarian position simply does not have the internal strength or consistency to answer the objections of evangelical feminists and egalitarians. As Einwechter says,

“By arguing that the absence of a formal and express prohibition against female magistrates means that women can be magistrates, they [the semi-complementarians] have undermined the integrity of their argument for an all male eldership because there is no formal and express prohibition against female elders. By selectively and with insufficient explanation drawing from one or two obscure examples in the Old Testament, while dismissing or simply ignoring clear examples and precepts, they have modeled an improper approach to Scripture. By defending the propriety of a mother of young children ruling over the nation, they have undermined the doctrine of male headship and women as keepers at home.”^¹⁹

This issue could not more significant to the modern church. In an age of gender confusion and role reversal, it is imperative that Christ's church stand strong on the biblical teaching for the family, the church, and the state.

12David Kotter, “Does Sarah Palin Present a Dilemma for Complementarians? Part I,” The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood blog, entry posted on September 3, 2008, http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/Does-Sarah-Palin-present-a-Dilemma-for-Complementarians-Part-1 (accessed December 8, 2009).

13For a full exegetical treatment of the story of Deborah, see William Einwechter's excellent article But What About Deborah? http://www.visionforumministries.org/issues/ballot_box/so_what_about_deborah.aspx

14William Einwechter, “Should Christians Support a Woman for the Office of Civil Magistrate?” Vision Forum Ministries, http://www.visionforumministries.org/issues/ballot_box/should_christians_support_a_wo.aspx (accessed December 8, 2009).

15Westminster Assembly, The Westminster Confession of Faith. (Public domain, 1652), under “Chapter One: of the Holy Scripture,” http://reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/ (accessed December 8, 2009).

16John Calvin, Commentary on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. (Public domain, 1551), under Chapter 2, part 4, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom43.iii.iv.iv.html (accessed December 8, 2009).

17William Einwechter, “Should Christians Support a Woman for the Office of Civil Magistrate?” Vision Forum Ministries, http://www.visionforumministries.org/issues/ballot_box/should_christians_support_a_wo.aspx (accessed December 8, 2009).

18Ibid.

19William Einwechter, “Sarah Palin and the Complementarian Compromise,” Vision Forum Ministries, http://www.visionforumministries.org/issues/ballot_box/sarah_palin_and_the_complement.aspx (accessed December 8, 2009).

Link of the Week #21

2010-10-18T21:12:00.003-05:00

Hello readers! Allow us to begin with an apology for not having a link the last two Fridays. October has proven to be a very busy (although still wonderful) month so far and there are no signs of slowing down! We appreciate your patience with us and we hope that you will enjoy the link that we have for you this week.

For those of you who travel in Presbyterian and Reformed circles, you may have heard about the doctrine of "Union with Christ." If you're like me, you may have looked on these discussion as being a bit confusing. So this week, we'd like to highlight a set of lectures that should serve as a helpful primer on this discussion. These lectures are lucidly and passionately presented by Dr. Lane Tipton from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Dr. Tipton unfolds Calvin's views on union with Christ and contrasts it with the views of much Lutheran thought.

To listen to this week's link go here.

The Second Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women Part 1

2010-10-12T06:00:00.007-05:00

Hello readers! As November approaches and election day gets closer, Christians will once again be faced with a plethora of choices. Do we vote Democrat, Republican, Third-party, or Independent? Do we cast our ballot for the liberals, the conservatives, the moderates or the tea-party candidates? Which proposals are we for, and which are we against? There are many questions that we must answer before we cast our vote, but one question that is seldom thought about is the issue of female rulers. When Sarah Palin burst onto the political scene a few years ago, some Christians had to ask themselves whether God's Word prohibited a woman from holding the office of a civil magistrate. Not too long after this time, I (Ben) wrote a paper for my theology class examining this issue and we'd like to share that paper with you in the hopes that it will prompt you to study the Scriptures and grow in grace. It is not our goal to condemn those that disagree with our conclusions, rather, our hope is that this paper will prompt your own study of this important (but often overlooked) question. We've broken the paper into a two part series. We'll post the first part (which deals primarily with the arguments against female rulers) today and the second part (which deals with the main objections to these arguments) next week. We ask that you prayerfully, and thoughtfully consider these arguments as you prepare to vote in November.

“To promote a woman to beare rule, superioritie, dominion or empire aboue any realme, nation, or citie, is repugnant to nature, contumelie to God, a thing most contrarious to his reueled will and approued ordinance, and finallie it is the subuersion of good order, of all equitie and iustice.”^¹ With these words, the Scottish Reformer John Knox began his 1558 treatise entitled, The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. Knox used this work to argue against the legitimacy of the queens that ruled Scotland and England at that time. He maintained that allowing women in the office of the civil magistrate was a violation of Scripture and the created order. Yet exactly 450 years later, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (or CBMW) presented a very different perspective in a 2008 statement on the role of women when they said, “So a female vice president, or even a female president, doesn't necessarily pose a dilemma for complementarians. It is inevitable in God's providence that a gifted woman will lead the United States, just as women have led England, Germany, India and many other countries around the world.”^² At first glance one might assume that Knox and CBMW stand at opposite ends of the spectrum in their views on the role of women, but in reality both Knox and CBMW stand as firm defenders of what we now call the complementarian position. This raises the obvious question: which view is truly complementarian, and even more importantly, which view is truly biblical? This paper hopes to show that supporting a woman for the office of a civil magistrate is at odds with both a consistent application of complementarianism and a consistent application of Scripture. We will begin by examining the primary arguments raised in support of this thesis^³ and then attempt to answer the common objections of semi-complementarians. Due to the limitations of this paper it will be assumed that the reader is already approaching this question from at least a semi-complementarian position (as espoused by CBMW.)

At the root of any discussion of complementarianism lies the issue of understanding God's created order and the biblical teaching of male headship. In the first few chapters of the creation narrative we are taught that God made man first, and then made the woman to serve as a helper and companion to the man. These foundational texts in Genesis 2:7 and 2:18-24^⁴ are later picked up by Paul in 1 Timothy 2:8-15 as he discusses the role of women both in daily godliness (vs. 8-10) and in the context of the church (vs. 11-12). It is significant that Paul appeals to Genesis for support by saying, “For Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing – if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control” (vs. 13-15). Paul appeals to the creation order as laid out in Genesis to underscore his commands about daily life and the operation of the church. Paul makes this connection between the role of women and the creation order even more explicit in 1 Corinthians 11:3 where he says, “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.” William Einwechter draws these passages together and concludes that, “Therefore, the Apostle Paul teaches that God has decreed that the order of authority be as follows: God-Christ-Man-Woman. Each one in this 'chain of command' is under the headship (i.e., authority) of the one preceding him or her.”^⁵ This hierarchy of authority is a pattern played out in the family (Ephesians 5:22-24), the church (1 Timothy 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 14:34-35), and as we shall see, in the state (1 Corinthians 11:3; Exodus 18:21).

It is striking that, as Einwechter puts it, “Every time the Scripture speaks to the subject of the necessary qualifications for those who will bear rule in the civil sphere, it always speaks in terms of men and never in terms of women.”^⁶ In accordance with the creation order outlined above, Moses commands Jethro in Exodus 18:21 saying, “Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.” Moses repeats this command in Deuteronomy 1:13 “Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads.” Masculine language is consistently used to describe rulers, with the king acting as a “brother” who was cautioned against “multiplying wives to himself.” As Einwechter says, “Importantly, the word for 'men' chosen by the Holy Spirit in both of these texts is the Hebrew, gender specific word for a man, i.e. a male as opposed to a female. [...] Likewise, in every other passage of Scripture dealing with the civil magistrate and his qualifications and duties, men are in view (2 Samuel 23:3; Nehemiah 7:2; Proverbs 16:10; 20:8, 28; 29:14; 31:4-5; Romans 13:1-6; etc.).”^⁷ This language reminds us of the qualifications that Paul lays out for an elder in the New Testament, and indeed the arguments are very similar.

Yet not only does God consistently describe the civil magistrate as male, He uses the example of a female ruler as a sign of covenantal disconnect and divine curse. Isaiah 3:12 says, “My people – infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your paths.” This truly is a remarkable passage as it is seen, not as CBMW put it, “inevitable in God's providence that a gifted woman will lead”^⁸ but rather as a sign that Israel has been “mislead” and “swallowed.” Einwechter sums it up well when he says, “Whatever the exact connotations of this text are, one thing is clear: women ruling over men in the civil sphere is put in a very unfavorable light. The fact that Israel had women reigning over them is seen to be the result of sin and a part of God's retributive justice; it is certainly not considered a blessing in this text!”^⁹

The final argument hinges on the biblical depiction of womanhood found in the Bible. The classic text on biblical womanhood is, of course, Proverbs 31:10-31. As Solomon describes a godly woman we see a picture unfold of someone who is industrious, wise, kind, and virtuous. Yet of particular interest to our discussion is verse 23, “Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.” This verse reveals a lot about the character of a godly woman. As Einwechter says:

“The 'gates' in Old Testament times referred to the place where the leaders of the city (i.e., 'the elders of the land') would gather to discuss community affairs, administer civil law, and judge in criminal and civil cases. The 'gates,' therefore, is a reference to the 'city hall,' the 'capitol building,' the 'courthouse,' or, in short, to the seat of civil government. The key for us is to note that, in the case of the virtuous woman, it is her husband who is active in the gates; the virtuous woman is not herself seated in the gates – she is active in her home.”^¹⁰

This matches perfectly with Paul's exhortation for women to be “workers in the home” in Titus 2:5. Because of the faithful ministry of the godly woman in the home, her influence and power extend beyond her immediate reach through her influence on her husband and sons. Ironically, the biblical picture seems to indicate that the calling in the home provides a greater opportunity for service and power than serving in the civil sphere ever could. Far from limiting women, this passage (and others like it) elevate the role of the woman to a very high standard. As Einwechter puts it, “Let no one speak lightly or disparagingly of the woman's appointed role...and let no woman set aside the example of the virtuous woman and seek to sit in the gates with the rulers of the land. And let no Christian have any part in putting her there.”^¹¹

1John Knox, The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. (Southgate, London: 1878), top of the page, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/knox/blast.iv.ii.html (accessed December 8, 2009).

2David Kotter, “Does Sarah Palin Present a Dilemma for Complementarians? Part I,” The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood blog, entry posted on September 3, 2008, http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/Does-Sarah-Palin-present-a-Dilemma-for-Complementarians-Part-1 (accessed December 8, 2009).

3This portion of the paper will draw heavily from the writings of Dr. William Einwechter, particularly from his excellent essay, Should Christians Support a Woman for the Office of Civil Magistrate? http://www.visionforumministries.org/issues/ballot_box/should_christians_support_a_wo.aspx

4All Scripture is quoted from the English Standard Version.

5William Einwechter, “Should Christians Support a Woman for the Office of Civil Magistrate?” Vision Forum Ministries, http://www.visionforumministries.org/issues/ballot_box/should_christians_support_a_wo.aspx (accessed December 8, 2009).

6Ibid.

7Ibid.

8David Kotter, “Does Sarah Palin Present a Dilemma for Complementarians? Part I,” The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood blog, entry posted on September 3, 2008, http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/Does-Sarah-Palin-present-a-Dilemma-for-Complementarians-Part-1 (accessed December 8, 2009).

9William Einwechter, “Should Christians Support a Woman for the Office of Civil Magistrate?” Vision Forum Ministries, http://www.visionforumministries.org/issues/ballot_box/should_christians_support_a_wo.aspx (accessed December 8, 2009).

10Ibid.

11Ibid.

Growing Old

2010-10-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

Be with me, Beauty, for the fire is dying;
My dog and I are old, too old for roving.
Man, whose young passion sets the spindrift flying,
Is soon too lame to march, too cold for loving.
I take the book and gather to the fire,
Turning old yellow leaves; minute by minute
The clock ticks to my heart. A withered wire,
Moves a thin ghost of music in the spinet.
I cannot sail your seas, I cannot wander
Your cornland, nor your hill-land, nor your valleys
Ever again, nore share the battle yonder
Where the young knight the broken squadron rallies.
Only stay quiet while my mind remembers
The beauty of fire from the beauty of embers.

Beauty, have pity! for the strong have power,
The rich their wealth, the beautiful their grace,
Summer of man its sunlight and its flower.
Spring-time of man, all April in a face.
Only, as in the jostling in the Strand,
Where the mob thrusts, or loiters, or is loud,
The beggar with the saucer in his hand
Asks only a penny from the passing crowd,
So, from this glittering world with all its fashion,
Its fire, and play of men, its stir, its march,
Let me have wisdom, Beauty, wisdom and passion,
Bread to the soul, rain when the summers parch.
Give me but these, and though the darkness close
Even the night will blossom as the rose.

- John Masefield (1878-1967)

Link of the Week #20

2010-10-02T09:22:00.004-05:00

Hello readers! I've struggled a bit to determine exactly what to post for our link this week. This wasn't because of the lack of good material, but rather because of its great abundance! However, after some thought I'd like to highlight two talks given by the eminent preacher, teacher, and pastor Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson.

These talks were given in 2008 one week after Dr. Ferguson turned sixty. In these talks Dr. Ferguson gives some "Reflections at Sixty" by walking through his early life in Scotland and touching on various aspects of the gospel ministry along the way. For me, this was a very powerful and helpful use of my time. I've never heard Dr. Ferguson speak so comfortably and freely. It truly was a blessing to hear such a wise, and godly, man speak about what Christ has done in and through him over the years. I hope that it will be a blessing to you as well.

To listen to this week's link go here.

Link of the Week #19

2010-09-27T21:30:00.003-05:00

Hello readers! You may have noticed that we've tried to branch out a bit with our weekly links to include more than just audio resources. In the past couple of weeks we've highlighted articles, websites, and podcasts in addition to our traditional sermon/lecture links. We're trying to create some variety and we're trying to offer something to those of you who may not have time to listen to an hour lecture every week. We hope that this is a help to you, but as with everything we do on this blog, we're open to comments and suggestions. If you like or dislike what we're doing here feel free to give us your feedback.

Well, in keeping with our (recent) tradition of non-lecture links, we'd like to highlight a resource that we have found to be quite wonderful (although it is a bit dangerous.) Allow me to explain. Every Friday, Ligonier ministries selects a handful of their resources and offers them for only $5 apiece. This includes books that normally retail for $20 dollars, cd's that usually cost $12 dollars, and even video conferences that would easily run you $60 or more! This is a wonderful way to build up a library or collection of solid reformed materials without breaking the bank. They post their selected resources every Thursday, then the 24 hour sale begins on Friday. We'd encourage you to take a look at this page every week and see if there is something from which you can benefit. Enjoy!

To view this week's link go here.

Stonewall Jackson on the Practice of Prayer

2010-09-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

The following quotes are taken from pgs. 72 & 73 of Ted Baehr and Susan Wales book "Faith in God and Generals."

"Once a friend asked [Jackson] how he understood the Bible's command to "pray without ceasing." Jackson said that the habit of prayer had become like breathing with him: "I have so fixed the habit in my own mind that I never raise a glass of water to my lips without lifting my heart to God in thanks and prayer for the water of life. Then, when we take our meals, there is grace. Whenever I drop a letter in the post-office, I send a petition along with it for God's blessing upon its mission and the person to whom it is sent. When I break the seal of a letter just received, I stop to ask God to prepare me for its contents, and make it a messenger of good. When I go to my class-room and await the arrangement of the cadets in their places, that is my time to intercede with God for them. And so in every act of the day I have made the practice of prayer habitual."

I also found the following quote helpful, as Jackson perfectly describes the way that I pray:

"I find that it greatly helps me in fixing my mind and quickening my devotions to give utterance to my prayers, and hence I am in the habit of going off into the woods, where I can be alone and speak audibly to myself the prayers I would pour out to my God. I was at first annoyed that I was compelled to keep my eyes open to avoid running against the trees and stumps; but upon investigating the matter I do not find that the Scriptures require us to close our eyes in prayer, and the exercise has proven to me very delightful and profitable."

Link of the Week #18

2010-09-18T18:32:00.003-05:00

Hello readers! One of the great joys of the Christian life is to grow in the knowledge of God through the study of His Word. As our minds are renewed and our vision is sharpened we begin to understand who God is and what He has done with increased clarity. The Word of God is truly a rich goldmine of doctrinal and devotional wealth for the Christian. But what do we do when our brothers in Christ read the same Scriptures we do yet come to completely different conclusions? What do we do when doctrinal differences and divisions arise within Christ's body? What should our reaction be to those who have a faulty understanding of the faith? How are we to respond to false teaching in the church? These questions are of pressing importance to everyone who cares for the purity and peace of Christ's church.

In this week's link, we'd like to highlight a letter written by the famed Reformed pastor (and hymn-writer) John Newton that deals with this very topic. In this letter, Newton provides us with helpful, and biblical, advice on the often sticky issues involved in doctrinal disagreement. We hope you enjoy this weeks link!

To read this week's link go here.

(For those of you who may be new to the blog, we've touched some on these issues before. Enjoy!)

John Flavel on Journaling

2010-09-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

The following excerpt is taken from John Flavel's 1678 book "The Mystery of Providence" published by Banner of Truth in 1963.

The Advantages of Recording Our Experiences of Providence

In consideration of the great and manifold advantages resulting from a humble and careful observation of Providence, I cannot but judge it the concern of Christians that have time and ability for such a work, to keep written memorials or journals of Providence by them; for their own and others' use and benefit. For want of collecting and communicating such observations, not only ourselves, but the Church of God is greatly impoverished.

Some say the art of medicine was acquired and perfected thus. When anyone had met with some rare medicinal herb, and accidentally discovered the virtues of it, he would post it up in some public place; and so the physician attained his skill by a collection of those posted experiments and recipes.
I am not for posting up all that a Christian knows or meets with in his experience, for, as I have said before, religion does not lay all open; yet there is a prudent, humble and seasonable communication of our experiences and observations of Providence which is exceeding beneficial both to ourselves and our brethren.

If Christians in reading the Scriptures would judiciously collect and record the providences they shall meet with there, and (if destitute of other helps) but add those that have fallen out in their own time and experience, O what a precious treasure would these make! What an antidote would it be to their souls against the spreading atheism of these days, and satisfy them beyond what many other arguments can do, that 'The Lord he is the God; the Lord he is the God' (1 Kings 18:39).

Whilst this work was under my hand, I was both delighted and assisted by a pious and useful essay of an unknown author, who has to very good purpose used many Scriptural passages of Providence which seem to lie out of the road of common observation. Some passages I have noted out of it which have been sweet to me. O that Christians would everywhere set themselves to such work! Providence carries our lives, liberties and concerns in its hand every moment. Your bread is in its cupboard, your money in its purse, your safety in its enfolding arms; and surely it is the least part of what you owe to record the favours you receive at its hands.

Do not trust your slippery memories with such a multitude of remarkable passages of Providence as you have, and shall meet with in your way to heaven. It is true, things that greatly affect us are not easily forgotten by us; and yet, how ordinary is it for new impressions to raze out former ones? It was a saying of that worthy man, Dr. Harris: 'My memory never failed me in all my life; for indeed, I durst never trust it.' Written memorials secure us against that hazard, and besides, make them useful to others when we are gone, so that you do not carry away all your treasure to heaven with you, but leave these choice legacies to your surviving friends. Certainly it were not so great a loss to lose your silver, your goods and chattels, as it is to lose your experiences which God has this way given you in this world.

Take heed of clasping up those rich treasures in a book, and thinking it enough to have noted them there; but have frequent recourse to them, as oft as new needs, fears or difficulties arise and assault you. Now it is seasonable to consider and reflect. Was I never so distressed before? Is this the first plunge that ever befell me? Let me consider the days of old, the years of ancient times, as Asaph did (Ps. 77:5).

Beware of slighting former straits and dangers in comparison with present ones. That which is next to us always appears greatest to us, and as time removes us farther and farther from our former mercies or dangers, so they grow less in our eyes, just as the land does from those who sail. Know that your dangers have been as great, and your fears no less formerly than now. Make it as much your business to preserve the sense and value as the memory of former providences, and the fruit will be sweet to you.

Link of the Week # 17

2010-09-11T18:33:00.000-05:00

“There is nothing like a good book!” But not everyone takes the time to sit down on a regular basis and read a good book. For those who would like to read, but never seem to get around to it, for whatever reason or another, this week’s link is for you!

Our Link of the Week is actually several links; links to some of the best web sites for FREE audio books. If it is difficult to find time to read then consider downloading a free audio book and listening to it as you exercise, drive to work, soak in a hot tub or any other number of activities one might do throughout the day.

A few good free audio book web sites include:

Please keep in mind that we do not endorse all the content on these sites. Readers are reminded to use discretion & discernment in their selection of materials. However, there are many wonderful books available for free in audio format. Here is just a sampling:

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (From Gutenberg Audio Project)
Summa Theologica (part 1) by Thomas Aquinas (From Books Should Be Free)
Emma by Jane Austen (From Gutenberg Audio Project)
The Mortification of Sin in Believers by John Owen (From Books Should Be Free)
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville (From Books Should Be Free)
Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris (From Books Should Be Free)
Institutes of the Christian Religion (Book 1) by John Calvin (From Books Should Be Free)
The Golden Goose by Brothers Grimm ( From Storynory)
Foxe's Book of Martyrs Vol 1, A History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Triumphant Deaths of the Early Christian and the Protestant Martyrs (From Books Should Be Free)
The Brave Little Tailor by Brothers Grimm (From Storynory)

As one can see there are a wide variety of audio books available. So take the time to peruse these sites, find a good book to listen to and enjoy!!!

Bit's o' Bavinck

2010-09-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've been reading through Herman Bavinck's four volume "Reformed Dogmatics" with some friends recently and I thought I'd share some of the juicy quotes that I've come across while reading the first volume over the last few weeks. (For those of you who may not be familiar with Bavinck here is a helpful introduction to the man and his work.)

"Among Reformed theologians, therefore, the following proposition returns again and again: "the principle into which all theological dogmas are distilled is: God has said it."" - pg. 30

"To preserve, explain, understand, and defend the truth of God entrusted to her, the church is called to appropriate it mentally, to assimilate it internally, and to profess it in the midst of the world as the truth of God." - pg. 31

"Just as wood does not burn because it smokes but smoke nonetheless signals the presence of fire, so truth confessed by the church is not a dogma because the church recognizes it but solely because it rests on God's authority." - pg. 31

"A religion without dogma, however vague and general it may be, without, say, faith in a divine power, does not exist, and a non-dogmatic Christianity, in the strict sense of the word, is an illusion and devoid of meaning." - pg. 33

"A choice has to be made: either there is room in science for metaphysics and then positivism is in principle false, or positivism is the true view of science and metaphysics must be radically banished from its entire domain." - pg. 37

"The scholar can never be separated from the human being. And therefore it is much better to see to it that the scientific investigator can be as much as possible a normal human being, that he not bring false presuppositions into his work but be a man of God completely equipped for every good work." - pg. 43

"The imperative task of the dogmatician is to think God's thoughts after him and to trace their unity... Accordingly, he does not come to God's revelation with a ready-made system in order, as best he can, to force its content into it. On the contrary, even in his system a theologian's sole responsibility is to think God's thoughts after him and to reproduce the unity that is objectively present in the thoughts of God and has been recorded for the eye of faith in Scripture." - pg. 44

"The individual believer who puts his mind to the pursuit of dogmatic studies will only produce lasting benefit from his labors if he does not isolate himself, either in the past or from his surroundings, but instead takes his place both historically and contemporarily in the full communion of the saints." - pg. 46

Link of the Week #16

2010-09-03T19:00:00.014-05:00

Hello readers! As we noted in the recent blog post on history, many today view history as little more than a bunch of dry, boring, and useless facts. But not only is history a rich and rewarding source of knowledge it is also of foundational importance in the life of every thoughtful Christian.

In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon describes the process of learning. According to Solomon, there is a progression as men gain first, knowledge, then understanding, and finally wisdom. Knowledge is gained as we are exposed to the basic "facts" about any given topic. Knowledge serves as the building blocks in learning. But knowledge alone leaves us with nothing but a mass of unconnected dots. That's where understanding comes in. Understanding takes the points of information gained in knowledge and connects the dots to form a full picture. But there are many smart people (both Christians and non-Christians alike) who have both knowledge (familiarity with the basic facts) and understanding (the ability to connect those facts). What sets the mature Christian apart is one thing: wisdom. Wisdom takes the pictures gained through the connected facts and puts that learning to good use. Wisdom is the outworking of both knowledge and understanding.

Now at this point you're probably wondering how all this connects to history! To put it simply, history is one of the best ways for us to grow in both knowledge and understanding. It exposes us to the men, movements, and moments that have shaped our day to day experiences. As we become acquainted with what happened in history (and with the "why" of history) we move closer to gaining real wisdom. And that brings us to this week's link, or links, to be more precise.

This week I'd like to highlight a few of the history podcasts that I listen to on a regular basis. It's our hope that a familiarity with the facts of history will help you to grow in your Christian walk towards greater knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.

Historyzine:

The first podcast I'd like to highlight is the Historyzine podcast run by a man named Jim Mowatt. As the description says about this wonderful podcast, Historyzine is: "History narrative, linguistic history trivia and history podcast reviews, all topped off with the current special feature, which is the War of the Spanish Succession."

Twelve Byzantine Rulers:

The next podcast I'd like to highlight is called Twelve Byzantine Rulers. As the website puts it: "This history lecture podcast covers the little known Byzantine Empire through the study of twelve of its greatest rulers." This is one of my favorite podcasts and the author of this podcast (Lars Brownsworth) is one of the leaders in historical podcasts.

The History of Rome:

The last podcast I'd like to highlight is the History of Rome podcast. As the website says it is: "A weekly podcast tracing the history of the Roman Empire, beginning with Aeneas's arrival in Italy and ending (someday) with the exile of Romulus Augustulus, last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. " I've found this podcast to be particularly helpful because the creator, Mike Duncan, tackles the massive subject of the history of the Roman Empire in very manageable bites. Each podcast is only about ten or fifteen minutes long and Duncan shows a real skill for knowing which facts are important and which are not.

We hope you enjoy this week's links!

When the Past Meets the Future

2010-09-01T21:14:00.005-05:00

To many, history is dry and boring; merely the study of dates, places and people that appear to have nothing to do with our lives today. This is an unfortunate perspective, especially if the history that one is studying is the history of the church. Church History is so much more than antiquated events and people; it is actually the record of God's dealings with His people in both Biblical and Post Biblical times. God did not stop His dealings with His Church at the end of the New Testament but rather continues His dealings with His church even today! It is unfortunate that so many Christians are ignorant of what God has been doing in the past 2,000 years through His Church because it has so much to do with why the church is the way it is today! It is in the people and events of Church History that the church learns to deal with what it faces today and in the future.

As the New Testament period comes closer to an end, the Gospel is going forth and the church is expanding. But one of the primary means that God uses to bring about this expansion is through the persecution of His Bride; the church. While the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire was not constant, nor widespread through the empire, it was nonetheless very real and many Christians were tortured & killed mercilessly for the sake of the Gospel. As a matter of fact, at one point in history Christians used to hold their services in the Roman catacombs. The catacombs were a great underground labyrinth of passages (approximately 600 miles) where the dead were buried. It was amongst these tombs that Christians held their worship services; unbeknown to their persecutors.

So while the Roman Empire raised its mighty hand against the church, the Gospel continued to spread and the church flourished. George Fisher sums up this period as follows:

It was the heroic age in the history of the church, when, with no aid from an arm of flesh, the whole might of the Roman empire was victoriously encountered by the unarmed and unresisting adherents of the Christian faith. Imperial Rome, the conqueror of the world, was herself overcome by the bands of Christian disciples, whose meek but dauntless courage was more than a match for all her power.

What a great lesson for the church in America to remember as it appears more and more apparent that She will face increased persecution in the not so distant future. Persecution has always faced the church (2 Tim. 3:12) and still does around the world, even in our day (the American church being the exception). But no matter how powerfully Satan has sought to oppose & destroy the church, Christ’s Bride has continued to flourish! Not even persecution can separate God’s children from Christ’s great love (Rom. 8:35)! Let us stand firm in the love & grace that God gives us each day, no matter what opposition we encounter. To God be the glory!

In Christ,

Rick

P.S. If you would like to learn more about the history of the church and how it impacts the life of the church today, please plan to join us on Sunday mornings at 9:15 am (sharp) in the church library. If you are already attending a Sunday School class, but would like to know more about God’s dealings with his people throughout the ages, then check out our Sunday School Class’ web site where you can listen to the class lectures as well as download the handouts from the class!

Link of the Week #15

2010-08-28T09:07:00.007-05:00

If you haven't read C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters, you should. Of all the helpful, and wonderful, things that came from the pen of Lewis The Screwtape Letters may be among the most helpful in the day-to-day life of the average Christian.

The premise of the book is simple: Screwtape (a senior demon) writes to his young, and often inexperienced, nephew Wormtongue counseling him on how best to deal with his "patient." As you can imagine, the demon's patients are us. Their job, as Screwtape puts it, is to "fuddle him." The brilliance of Lewis's work is that as we see the strategies and tactics of the devil explicitly explained we are taught in reverse. It's much the same approach taken by the great Puritan Thomas Brooks in his very helpful work "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices" Sin shrivels in the open, and when we understand how Satan's attacks work they often lose much of their former power. For this week's link we'd like to highlight an article, instead of our normal audio lecture/sermon. Blogger, writer, and Pastor Kevin DeYoung has recently written an additional letter for Lewis's classic book. He's called it "A Lost Letter to Wormwood" and we trust that you will find it helpful and encouraging!

To read this week's link go here.

Does it really take a village?

2010-08-23T18:56:00.011-05:00

I was listening to NPR this morning and they had a segment on the challenges facing the elderly in this country. One of the big challenges facing millions of aging Americans is how to grow elderly without leaving their homes. They have established lives, with friends and communities that mean a lot to them. Understandably many older folks don't want to move halfway across the country to live with their kids and even more balk at the idea of moving into assisted living or senior apartments. And as Betty (an 80 year old interviewee) said: " "We like to be around young people," she says. "There's so many walkers over there, and I feel sorry for them because they're in these long corridors."

So what is Betty's solution? She (along with many others around the country) are founding 'villages'. As the article describes them villages are "an organized network of volunteers dedicated to doing what's needed for seniors to stay in their own homes. For an annual fee, these communities help seniors manage household tasks they can no longer handle and arrange transportation when they can no longer drive." Whether an older person needs work done on the house, transportation to and from the doctors office, or a bit of expertise with electronics, these villages (and their many volunteers) are there to help. And this story is far from rare. As the article puts it "There are already 50 of these nonprofit groups around the country, with 100 more in the works — and it's a trend that's expected to gain steam as baby boomers hit their golden years."

So the question we face is simply this: how are we as Christians to react to such movements? On the one hand it's wonderful to see people reaching out to the elderly. In an age when so many view anyone over the age of 65 as useless it's wonderfully encouraging to see elderly people get support and assistance from their local communities and networks without falling back on government programs or expensive professionals. But something is not quite right here.

The testimony of the New Testament clearly shows us that we need not rely on any of the means listed above to care for the elderly. At the end of the day it's not up to governments, neighborhoods, or 'villages' to care for the elderly. Why? The answer is simple: you don't need a village when you have the church. The book of Acts gives us insights into many of the practices and beliefs of the first generation of Christians. A cursory glimpse at the first eight chapters of Acts shows us that the early church was very intentional about ministering to the weak and downcast in their midst.

How did they do this? The first (and primary) way that the early church cared for the elderly is stunningly ordinary. They called the family, and specifically the children, of the elderly to provide for their comfort and care. As the apostle Paul says in 1 Timothy 5:8 "if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." It was through the mundane, day in and day out, life of the home that the church cared for the aging in their midst.

When this was not an option (either because of the callousness of the children or because the elderly person did not have any children) the church cared for them through a vibrant diaconal ministry. Acts chapters 3-6 pay special attention to the way that the early church provided not only for the elderly, but also for orphans, and anyone else who was in need. As Luke records it in Acts 4:34a "There was not a needy person among them..."

The third way the early church provided for the elderly and widows may be the most difficult for modern Americans to embrace. We live in a culture that values output, and older people are often not able to "produce" as much as they once did. Joints ache, memories fail, tempers run short, and life slows down. For us, the elderly are little more than a burdensome nuisance. But this was not the case in either the Old or the New Testaments. As Solomon rhapsodizes in Proverbs 16:31 "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life." Indeed the book of Proverbs sounds the death knell for a low view of the elderly. Proverbs is a book about covenant succession. It's about passing down the faith from one generation to the next. And one of the most important ways that God does this is through the precious gift of age and experience. According to the teachings of Scripture (think Titus 2) the elderly are one of the single greatest gifts that God has given to the church.

We live in an age of unparalleled prosperity, yet many elderly folks in our midst suffer from lack of income and (just as importantly) from lack of love. What if the modern church were to look to some of the passages we've mentioned to care for the aged? What if the church once again called children and grandchildren to the mat for their negligence? What if we valued gray hair and wisdom like Solomon? Perhaps we don't need a village after all.

Link of the Week #14

2010-08-20T22:10:00.000-05:00

Hello readers! We had the great privilege of worshiping with the saints at Bethel OPC in Broomfield, Colorado last week. We heard part two in a series that the Pastor (Rev. Greg Thurston) is beginning on the prophets. Needless to say I've gone back and listened to part one as well and both sermons were excellent. The prophets are probably the most neglected portion of Scripture and sadly even many mature Christians know next to nothing about them. Yet the truths contained in these 16 books are as relevant to the church today as any of the Pauline epistles. As Christians who wish to proclaim (and receive) the "whole counsel of God" we cannot afford to ignore these books any longer. Let me encourage you to subscribe to the podcast so that you can grow in your knowledge of and appreciation for, this wonderful portion of Scripture!

To listen to this week's link go here.

Wisdom for Distracted Souls

2010-08-09T03:00:00.000-05:00

It is amazing the amount of junk mail and publications that a pastor has come across his desk! Every ministry, business, & cause wants to convince the pastor of the importance of what they are doing so that he will become their cheerleader and promote whatever it is that they are advocating. They know that if they reach the pastor, they will most likely reach the church. So it becomes very easy as a pastor to become less than enthusiastic in sorting through the numerous publications & pieces of mail that come his way.

Having said that, this week I was sorting through my usual pile when my attention was caught by the title of an article published in the Tolle Lege (pick up and read) newsletter that I receive from Reformation Heritage Books (a company that has GREAT books). The title of the article was Wisdom For Distracted Souls. As I read the article, the Lord used that article to remind me that regardless of what I am going through at this time in my life, I was not made for this earth but for a better place. Not only that, but as a Christian I am to live my life on this earth with the reality of heaven in mind. It was a timely reminder for me and I thought it might be beneficial for you as well:

During times of personal or public worship, do you find your heart wandering from religious duties? Do prayer, meditation, and listening to the Word become times of deep inner struggle as your heart is pulled from one distraction to another? We are all familiar with such times, for sin ever fetters the heart of man to the things of this world so that even in times of solemn worship we find we cannot raise ourselves to where Jesus Christ is seated. In his book, Attending upon God without Distraction, Nathanael Vincent writes:

While we are in this world, truly this world is too much in us; it is suitable to our senses, and apt to entice and draw away our hearts. Let the eye of faith pierce through the clouds and see heaven’s joy and glory, and then this world’s vanity will be the more apparent. How vain it is for you to be so thoughtful about it and eager after this world. When faith has seen how God is attended upon by saints and angels above, it may help to kindle in you a holy zeal and a vehement desire to more resemble those excellent attendants, and to serve the Lord more gladly and seriously here below.

Oh, cry out to have the cure of distractions carried on further toward completeness. Live as strangers and sojourners here on earth, not concerned about worldly things as others are. Declare plainly that you are born from above, and let your hearts and thoughts more and more ascend there. Carry yourselves as fellow citizens with the saints, and as those who are of the household of God. Let there be more of God, and more of grace in all you do and speak, in all the powers of your souls, in all the duties you perform. And think with gladness and longing of the blessed inheritance, when you shall be fully delivered from sin and death, and from all deadness and distraction in mind and heart. Everlasting rest must eternally exclude whatever now troubles you. How perfectly healed and perfect in holiness and joy will you be in every way when you have attained to the glorious liberty of the sons of God!

As Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:1-4:

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (Col 3:1-4 NAU)

May God give you the ability to see the circumstances of earth through the lenses of eternity!

In Christ,

Rick

Link of the Week #13

2010-08-07T00:53:00.005-05:00

Hello readers! As a follow up to last weeks link, we'd like to highlight something that just came out today. Our friends over at Reformed Forum recently interviewed Chad Van Dixhoorn about the Westminster Assembly. He is also the guy behind the magnificent Westminster Assembly Project which is tirelessly working to make the minutes, papers, and writings of the assembly available for print. Be sure to check out the website and maybe consider how you might volunteer. We hope you enjoy this week's link!

To listen to this week's link go here.

Link of the Week #12

2010-07-23T22:25:00.003-05:00

Hello readers! There are many things that we take for granted. Obviously there are the day to day things like family, friends, or a good job. But often our ingratitude extends into other areas of life and can often come to the forefront when we think about our theology. Modern men tend to neglect and ignore the enormous gifts that our spiritual forefathers have granted to us. No where is this more evident than in our view towards creeds, confessions, and the men who made them. In this week's link, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson tackles this attitude of ingratitude by bringing us face to face with the situations and context of one of these great confessions: the Westminster Standards. I found this lecture to be very helpful in gaining a picture of what it meant to work on these important documents. I hope you enjoy this week's link!

To listen to this week's link go here.

A Gift of God...

2010-07-21T03:00:00.000-05:00

"Among other things which are suitable for men's recreation and for giving them pleasure, music is either foremost, or, at least, must be esteemed one of the most prominent; and we must esteem it a gift of God to us with that purpose."
-John Calvin

Link of the Week #11

2010-07-18T18:00:00.000-05:00

Hellos readers! In case you haven't noticed, we live in a very distracted society. Between Facebook, Twitter, texts, and e-mails not only is it hard to focus many no longer few focus as something to be desired! But what if all our multi-tasking actually undermines the tasks we seek to accomplish? What if our constant busyness keeps us from getting anything done? In this weeks link, our brothers over at the White Horse Inn interview T. David Gordon (the author of Why Johnny Can't Preach & Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns) on Distracting Ourselves To Death. We hope you find this interview insightful and convicting!

You can listen to this week's link here.

Passion & Patience in "Pilgrim's Progress"

2010-07-13T00:07:00.001-05:00

I saw moreover in my dream, that the Interpreter took him by the hand, and had him into a little room, where sat two little children, each one in his chair. The name of the eldest was Passion, and the name of the other Patience. Passion seemed to be much discontented, but very quiet. Then Christian asked, "What is the reason of the discontent of Passion?" The Interpreter answered, "The governor of them would have him stay for his best things till the beginning of the next year; but he will have all now; but Patience is willing to wait."

Then I saw that one came to Passion, and brought him a bag of treasure, and poured it down at his feet: the which he took up and rejoiced therein, and withal laughed Patience to scorn. But I beheld but a while, and he had lavished all away, and had nothing left him but rags. The said Christian to the Interpreter, "Expound this matter more fully to me."

So he said, "These two lads are figures; Passion of the men of this world, and Patience of the men of that which is to come: for as here thou seest, Passion will have all now, this year, that is to say, in this world; so are the men of this world; they must have all their good things now; they cannot stay till next year, that is, until the next world, for their portion of good. That proverb, 'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,' is of more authority with them, than are all the Divine testimonies of the good of the world to come. But as thou sawest that he ahd quickly lavished all away, and had presently left him nothing but rags, so will it be with all such men at the end of this world."

Happy Birthday!

2010-07-10T10:28:00.004-05:00

Today is John Calvin's five-hundred and first birthday! We'd like to kick off the celebrations by highlighting a book review posted by our friend Adam Parker over at Bring the Books. Adam provides a helpful review of Bruce Gordon's recent biography of the great reformer which looks to be an excellent work. You can read Adam's review here.

Link of the Week #10

2010-07-09T22:37:00.001-05:00

Hello readers! I want to begin this week by apologizing for the lack of content over the last two weeks. As many of you know the PCA's General Assembly met last week and most of our family was out of town. But we're back in the saddle this week and we have a wonderful talk to share with you.

One doesn't have to look far nowadays to see criticism of the church. It's popular to view Jesus as the eternal rebel, as the one man willing and able to buck all the trends. Meanwhile, His bride is viewed as a stale, establishmentarian, out-of-date institution. The church (we're told) is an organism not an organization. But does this popular view reflect the teachings of Scripture? What exactly is the Church and why should we value her? In this week's link Rev. Kevin DeYoung speaks to these questions. We hope you enjoy it!

To listen to this week's link go here

So That We Might Comfort....

2010-06-26T05:00:00.001-05:00

Life is painful. Whether we like to admit it or not, no one goes through life without some degree of suffering, pain, and discomfort. Suffering is a fact, even in the life of the believer. This can be a rather discouraging thought. No matter how good you are or how many things you have, you are going to experience pain. No matter how much you try to protect yourself or those around you, you are going to suffer, be hurt, and experience discomfort. Pain is not something that many people deal well with, especially in the lives of others. When someone comes to us with a problem we often want to direct them to somebody else -- a pastor, teacher or friend -- anyone but ourselves! The last thing that we are prepared for is for a friend to tell us that they just had an abortion and are feeling guilty. Or that your best friend is struggling with drugs. Or that the person who had it all together just committed suicide. Too often we as Christians try to drop these problems like a hot potato, and we miss the incredible opportunity that God has given us.

God does not put us through pain and suffering for no reason. James talks about this when he says in James 1:2-3, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” God does everything for His glory and we are often the beneficiaries of that (Psalm 23:3). 2 Corinthians tells us that God comforts us so that we can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1).
The pain that we are going through is not pointless, nor is it random. It is happening at a specific time for a specific reason, and through it God is glorified. To the believer this is a tremendous truth! Not only do our trials make us stronger and better prepared to help others; they also bring glory to God! This can be an incredible promise, but it is something more. God does not just ask us to help others. He does not just want a select few to counsel and advise those in need. He commands us all to comfort others.

All the pain, tears, and suffering that we experience have a purpose. One of which is that we might experience the comfort of God, and thereby comfort others. Without suffering comfort is meaningless. Unless we experience pain we cannot have healing, without sin there can be no redemption. It is the very suffering we experience that brings the comfort we crave. God allows us to suffer in order to know Him more intimately. Think of Job. Stripped of everything he ever valued; health, love, family, friends, wealth, and even God. (Or so he thought!) Yet it was through this suffering and pain that Job experienced God like never before.

Yet is this comfort a private thing between us and God? Are the trials, and subsequent, comfort, only for us? No. 2 Corinthians 1:3-6, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.”

God’s grace is often nuanced and multifaceted. He takes private suffering and comfort and transforms it into a powerful tool of ministry. Suddenly our experiences with sin and pain become means of comfort, love, and redemption. As we experience trials we grow in character and godliness. God, in His mercy, comforts us and we grow into a deeper relationship with Him. However this comfort & redemption are not private matters to be stored within the deepest recesses of our hearts. God gives us the opportunity to minister to others with the comfort, that He gave to us in our trials. As we comfort one another we have an increased sense of community. As we experience trials we grow in grace and receive comfort that can be applied to others. And through it all God is glorified.

Pain is inevitable. Yet God transforms even the most tragic events, (like the cross) into glorious moments. He takes the horror of sin, and grants transforming love. So the next time you experience suffering, remind yourself that God has a greater purpose. To comfort you in your affliction, and prepare you to comfort others as well.
Soli Deo Gloria!-To God alone be the glory!

Link of the Week #9

2010-06-19T10:25:00.005-05:00

Hello readers! Thus far our links have (primarily) highlighted individual sermons or lectures, but this week rather than pointing you to a particular sermon we'd like to point you to some particular preachers. In Romans 9 and in 1 Corinthians 1 the apostle Paul underscores the supremacy and importance of preaching in the life of the church. One of the advantages that our current technological age gives us is the ability to listen to godly men preach the Word from all over the world. So this week we'd like to highlight a few men that we listen to on a regular basis for spiritual nourishment through preaching.

The first preacher we'd like to highlight is Dr. Sinclair Ferguson. As his bio says:
Sinclair Ferguson is senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C., and Distinguished Visiting Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Seminary. One of the most renowned Reformed theologians in our day, Dr. Ferguson is also a member of the Council of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. He is a prolific author whose many books include The Holy Spirit, Taking the Christian Life Seriously, and Kingdom Life in a Fallen World.
You can listen to Dr. Ferguson here.

The second preacher we'd like to highlight is Rev. Charles R. Biggs. Rev. Biggs is the Pastor of Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church in Purcellville Virginia and is a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

You can listen to Rev. Biggs here.

The third (and final) preacher we'd recommend is Dr. George Grant. As Dr. Grant's bio says:
The author of more than five dozen books, George Grant is pastor of Parish Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee, founder of Franklin Classical School, chancellor of New College Franklin, and president of King's Meadow Study Center.

You can listen to Dr. Grant preach here.

The Godly Home: A Review

2010-06-16T00:12:00.001-05:00

J.I. Packer has been a cheerleader for reading the Puritans for quite a few decades now. In his introduction to Leland Ryken's book “Worldly Saints: The Puritans as they Really Were” he had this to say about them:

“In [their] thoroughness they were extreme, that is to say, far more thorough than we are, but in their blending of the whole wide range of Christian duties set forth in Scripture they were extremely balanced. They lived by “method” (we would say, by a rule of life), planning and proportioning their time with care, not so much to keep bad things out as to make sure that they got all good and important things in – necessary wisdom, then as now, for busy people!”

Few quotes better sum up Richard Baxter's recently re-published work “The Godly Home.” However, before I discuss the book, I should mention a few things about this edition. The Godly Home is a 2010 reprint of several chapters from Baxter's 992 page work A Christian Directory. This classic work was Baxter's magnum opus, and serves as a stunning collection of practical theology. Baxter designed this work to be, well, a directory for the Christian. It contains discussions on virtually every aspect of the Christian life and seeks to provide biblical and pastoral advice for all of these topics. The Godly Home is a reprint of Baxter's chapters discussing marriage, parenting, and the family.

This new edition is very well put together. The editor (Randall J. Pederson) sprinkles the book with many helpful footnotes and explanatory features. His restructuring of the work makes for a clean and easy read. However, this book is not necessarily designed for someone to sit down and read straight through (although it can be done). It is laid out in a topical format, (for example Baxter will devote one chapter to marriage, one to family worship, one on the responsibility of parents to children, one on the responsibility of children to parents, etc...) and it can be a bit tedious to read all at once. For someone who is already on board with what Baxter is saying it can feel a bit repetitive. However, the exhaustive nature of this work is also its biggest strength. As Packer said above, the Puritans lived by method, and Baxter here gives us a step by step, point by point, look at the method of godly life. Baxter's writing style is clean and easy to read, and he clearly writes with a pastor's heart. All in all, I would really recommend this volume. For seasoned Christians, it will prove to be a helpful exposition on the structure and functions of the family. And for new believers (many of whom have no idea what a Christian home should look like) this book could well be the resource that keeps them from floundering.

Reading Right

2010-06-14T21:17:00.004-05:00

"Remember, it is not hasty reading, but serious meditating upon holy and heavenly truths, that make them prove sweet and profitable to the soul...It is not he that reads most , but he that meditates most, that will prove the choicest, sweetest, wisest and strongest Christian." - Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)

Link of the Week #8

2010-06-11T03:00:00.003-05:00

Hello readers! I recently posted a passage from C.S. Lewis's classic book "The Screwtape Letters" on how Christians ought to view time. Shortly after that I listened to a wonderful sermon by the Rev. Charles R. Biggs on precisely the same subject. I hope you enjoy this week's link.

To listen to this week's link go here

Treasuring God’s Word

2010-06-07T08:00:00.015-05:00

Recently I preached a sermon on Psalm 119:9-16 on the value of God’s Word in helping a young person keep his way pure. In that sermon I mentioned the advantage that a young person has who has been trained to hide or treasure God’s Word in his heart (Psalm 119:11). But so many families & churches have gotten away from memorizing & meditating on Scripture, thus leaving their young people susceptible to the Devil’s ploys, not unlike the times of the Reformation. During the time of the Reformation there was a terrible ignorance of the Scriptures and doctrines of the church. To help remedy this dilemma, the leaders of the Reformation used the catechisms to catechize people and strengthen their understanding of the Word of God. It can be argued that today, much like in the time of the Reformation, the church is terribly ignorant of the Scriptures. Tolerance, relativism, & postmodernism have seeped into the church and influenced the thinking of many Christians, tempting them to think & live unBiblically. How can such a pagan tide be turned and the church returned to a Christian world & life view? The Bible tells us that it is the Word of God along with the Holy Spirit that changes the heart of man (Rom. 10:17; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Heb. 4:12, 13; John 16:7, 8).

Catechizing may be a strange word to many today, but actually it has been a time-honored and effective practice throughout the history of the church. Catechism comes from a Greek word used in the Bible, katacheo, which simply means instructed or taught (Luke 1:4). Catechism is a method of instruction that uses a series of questions and answers to teach its participants the basic Christian doctrines; thus developing in the minds & lives of the participants a fundamental understanding of what the Bible teaches. Of course the questions & answers were not randomly selected by the authors of the catechism, but were taken from the Bible.

In returning to the practice of catechizing, Christians are filling their minds not only with the teaching of the Bible (through the catechism questions & answers), but also with the Word of God itself (by memorizing the proof text for each catechism question & answer). As Christians memorize the catechism & the corresponding Scriptures they fill their minds with the framework by which to think and approach life (a Christian worldview). When Christians begin to think Christianly, they begin to live Christianly. Like Psalm 119:105 says, Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (NASB). But God's Word does not only guide a person in how to live, but also guards them from the false teaching and sin of the world. Psalm 119:11 says, Your Word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin again You (NASB). The catechism is not "the answer" or "the hope" for the church in her apathy today. However, it is a tool that God has used throughout church history to strengthen His church and cause her to stand firm!

If you are not familiar with the concept of catechizing or are not convinced of its validity for today then let me recommend J.I. Packer & Gary A. Parrett’s book, Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way. In this book they make the case for a recovery of significant catechesis as a nonnegotiable practice, urging evangelical churches to undertake this Biblical ministry for the sake of their spiritual health and vitality.

Once you decide to catechize your kids, let me suggest that you may want to get a copy of the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechism (with Proof Texts). This compact, yet readable version of the Confession & Catechism is not only useful for family worship time, but is also a good size to carry with you so that you can read & memorize it on your lunch break.

It is good to memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism along with the Scripture verses, but memorization is not enough! It is important to understand and to meditate on what the answers to the Westminster Shorter Catechism mean. To aid you in this, our family has benefited from G.I. Williamson’s The Westminster Shorter Catechism: For Study Classes. This illustrated manual offers clear exposition of each of the 107 questions in the Shorter Catechism. Each lesson includes Scripture proofs, as well as questions for review or discussion. A valuable aid for group instruction or private study, this volume has been used successfully by homeschoolers, pastors, Sunday school teachers, and parents.

Another helpful resource is Starr Meade’s book Training Hearts, Teaching Minds. This is a book of daily devotional readings which…

Aids memorization by devoting six days per question.
Explains the catechism in simple language.
Provides six different meditations on the main points of each question.
Includes key Scripture readings.
Takes just a few minutes each day, allowing time for discussion and review.
Is useful in the home, church, or classroom.

To make things even easier, Starr Meade’s devotional is based on the Modern English translation of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. These resources are available at http://www.wtsbooks.com

So while it is true that in memorizing Scripture you could start almost anywhere (i.e. your kids Sunday School memory verses, the Roman’s Road, the Navigator’s Memory System, etc) I would recommend using the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The advantage, like I said before is that as Christians memorize the catechism & the corresponding Scriptures they fill their minds with the framework by which to think and approach life (a Christian worldview). I have to say that my family has greatly benefited from this discipline.

Our goal has been to memorize one question & answer of the Westminster Shorter CatechismWestminster Shorter Catechism memorized. If your children are younger you may choose to move at a slower pace. It may take you four, six or even eight years to memorize these great truths. Nonetheless you are still hiding God’s Word in your child’s heart. What a blessing! along with at least one verse each week. What a blessing to know that you are helping your child treasure up 52 verses a year. In just a little over two years you could have the entire

One last word; let me encourage you grandparents to memorize the Shorter Catechism with your grandchildren. Often parents get so caught up in the mundane tasks of raising their children that they are tempted to forget the important things such as hiding God’s Word in their children’s hearts. As grandparents, you have a special opportunity to help your kids hide God’s Word in the hearts of your grandkids.

One special way to do this is through music. Holly Dutton has taken the time to put all the questions & answers to the Westminster Shorter Catechism to music and put them on four CD’s (http://www.reformedmusic.com) . What a great gift to give to your grandchildren and to sing along with them!

In Christ,

Rick

The Curious Assumption...

2010-06-05T10:28:00.006-05:00

The Screwtape Letters is a Christian apologetics novel written in epistolary style by C.S. Lewis, first published in book form in 1942. The story takes the form of a series of letters from a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew, a junior tempter named Wormwood, so as to advise him on methods of securing the damnation of a British man, known only as "the Patient". Here is a helpful quotation from "Screwtape" to his bungling nephew:

"Now you will have noticed that nothing throws him into a passion so easily as to find a tract of time which he reckoned on having at his own disposal unexpectedly taken from him. It is the unexpected visitor (when he looked forward to a quiet evening), or the friend's talkative wife (turning up when he looked forward to a tête-à-tête with the friend), which throw him out of gear. Now he is not yet so uncharitable or slothful that these small demands on his courtesy are in themselves too much for it. They anger him because he regards his time as his own and feels that it is being stolen. You must therefore zealously guard in his own mind the curious assumption "My time is my own." Let him have the feeling that he starts each day as the lawful possessor of twenty-four hours. Let him feel as a grievous tax that portion of his property which he has to make over to his employers, and as a generous donation that further portion which he allows to religious duties. But what he must never be permitted to doubt is that the total from which these deductions have been made was, in some mysterious sense, his own personal birthright.

You have here a delicate task. The assumption which you want him to go on making is so absurd that, if once it is questioned, even we cannot find a shred of argument in its defense. The man can neither make, nor retain, one moment of time; it all comes to him by pure gift; he might as well regard the sun and moon as his chattels. He is also, in theory, committed to a total service of the Enemy [God]; and if the Enemy appeared to him in bodily form and demanded that total service for even one day, he would not refuse. He would be greatly relieved if that one day involved nothing harder than listening to the conversation of a foolish woman; and he would be relieved almost to the pitch of disappointment if for one half-hour in that day the Enemy said, "Now you may go and amuse yourself." Now, if he thinks about his assumption for a moment, even he is bound to realize that he is actually in this situation every day. When I speak of preserving this assumption in his mind, therefore, the last thing I mean you to do is to furnish him with arguments in its defense. There aren't any. Your task is purely negative. Don't let his thoughts come anywhere near it. Wrap a darkness about it, and in the centre of that darkenss let his sense of ownership-in-Time lie silent, uninspected, and operative."
- C.S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters: Letter XXI pg. 96-97

Link of the Week #7

2010-06-04T23:20:00.002-05:00

Hello readers! As those of you who interact with contemporary Presbyterian and Reformed thought will know, the topic of paedo-communion is gaining increasing attention as new converts to the Reformed faith wrestle with understanding the sacraments. There are many good resources out there that can help us understand this discussion and come to a biblical understanding, but one very helpful resource that we have found is the following lecture by Dr. Joey Pipa. Dr. Pipa is the president of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Greenville, South Carolina. We hope you enjoy (and are edified by) this week's link!

You can find this week's link here

Devotion or Doctrine?

2010-06-02T17:50:00.001-05:00

"For my own part I tend to find the doctrinal books often more helpful in devotion than the devotional books, and I rather suspect that the same experience may await many others. I believe that many who find that "nothing happens" when they sit down, or kneel down, to a book of devotion, would find that the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand."

- C.S. Lewis Introduction to "On the Incarnation" pg. 8

Link of the Week #6

2010-05-28T17:46:00.003-05:00

Few things seem more outdated today than holding to confessional standards. When the mainline Reformed churches went liberal in the early 20th century they soon revised their traditional confessional standards to mesh with their new methods of theology and hermeneutics. This resulted in a plethora of watered down versions of the historically robust documents throughout the mid-20th century. By the late 20th century the mainline churches (along with most evangelicals) rejected confessions altogether. Indeed, most people today have never heard of (much less read) the Westminster, Scots, or Belgic confessions.

Yet an increasing number of Pastors and theologians are arguing that confessions are exactly what the church needs today. From R. Scott Clark's book "Recovering the Reformed Confessions" to Kevin DeYoung's recent book "The Gospel We Almost Forgot: Rediscovering the Gospel in a 16th Century Catechism" modern Reformed thinkers are wrestling with how to recover the confessional heritage of protestantism. In this vein of thought, J. Ligon Duncan edited a three-volume set called "The Westminster Confession Into the 21st Century" which seeks to show the importance and relevance of the Westminster Standards in today's Church. After the final volume came out, our friends over at Reformed Forum had Dr. Duncan on their show to talk about his book and the importance of confessionalism. We hope you enjoy this week's link!

To listen to this week's link go here

Knowledge, therefore, is essential to Religion.

2010-05-27T22:40:00.003-05:00

"The knowledge requisite to a proper understanding of the sacraments includes a knowledge of all the essential doctrines of the gospel. When a man is baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, unless these sacred names represent to his mind some definite idea, unless he know them to be the names of the persons of the Godhead, he cannot know what he does in submitting to be baptized. He does not acknowledge Jehovah; nor does he receive him as his covenant God, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. As baptism is designed to signify and seal our union with Christ, and our deliverance through him from the guilt and dominion of sin, unless we know ourselves to be sinners, and know that it is necessary for us to be united to Christ, and by his blood and Spirit to be pardoned and renewed, the ordinance for us loses all its significance.

Thus a knowledge of the truth concerning God, concerning sin, atonement, and regeneration, is essential to a proper participation to be a memorial of the death. And as the Lord's supper is intended to be a memorial of the death of Christ, unless we know who he was, why he died, and what benefits his death secures, we are incapable of profitably joining in this service. All the affections must have an appropriate object. If we love, we love something; if we fear, we fear something; if we desire, we desire something. There can be neither faith, nor love, nor penitence, nor hope, nor gratitude, but as objects suited to these exercises depends upon the nature of the objects which call them forth. If they are excited by the truth, they are right and good; and just in proportion to the clearness with which the truth is spiritually discerned, will be the purity and strength of the religious emotions. Knowledge, therefore, is essential to religion."

- Charles Hodge, 1841 The Way of Life pg. 198-199

Link of the Week #5

2010-05-22T15:05:00.003-05:00

Hello readers! I (Ben) just finished listening to a wonderful class put out by Westminster Theological Seminary on the Medieval Church. The course was taught by the wise, and witty, Dr. Carl Trueman. Dr. Trueman walks us through almost one thousand years of Christian thought and practice in a lucid, and engaging style. Even among students of Church history there is often an appalling ignorance of the Middle Ages. Hopefully, this course will do much to fill in the gap of knowledge that most Protestant's have of this time period.

Westminster has this course (and many others) available on their iTunes page. Simply go to Westminster's website and click on the "iTunes U" button on the right side of your screen (about half-way down). That will take you to all their online audio resources where you will find Dr. Trueman's course at the bottom of the page. Let me stress again the value of this class. It covers critical information in a delightful manner, a rare but wonderful combination.

Jesus Made In America: A Review

2010-05-12T23:33:00.001-05:00

There are many good books in the world. However, I feel that I can say with confidence that Stephen J. Nichols new book “Jesus Made in America: A Cultural History from the Puritans to the Passion of the Christ” stands above the rest. Nichols is the Research Professor of Christianity and Culture at Lancaster Bible College and is the author of several other very helpful books. This latest book however tackles an enormous amount of material and sets out on an ambitious goal. Nichols book walks us through four-hundred years of American religious, cultural, theological, and political history; and all in under 240 pages. Each chapter walks us through a different historical perspective that Americans have held about the person of Jesus Christ. As the subtitle says, he begins this journey by describing the lofty and rigorous view of Jesus held by the early Puritans and ends by examining the pop-culture fad-Jesus of our own day. This is where Nichols approach begins to be unique.

There are, after all, a plethora of books on American religious thought and on American church history. One could easily wonder what makes this little book different. Perhaps the first, and most obvious difference, is Nichols approach. By discussing the American view of Jesus (and not discussing the historical development of Christianity per-se) he tackles a much discussed question from a little used perspective. The second difference between Nichols work and many other books on this topic is the clarity and breadth of knowledge that he brings to the table. He manages to avoid the weakness of some church historians (i.e. they haven't read anything outside of their field) and shows a real familiarity with both classic and contemporary, secular and Christian, research and discussion.

In addition to this scholarly touch, Nichols writes in a winsome and humble tone and sifts through the mounds of information to vividly paint a picture of the American mind in process. He does well what so many have found difficult to do. He allows us to see into the minds of our forefathers and understand how they viewed the world (or in this case, how they viewed Christ.) Each chapter concludes by reviewing the information and ideas presented in the previous pages which really helps to keep a sense of perspective. He allows his argument to emerge naturally and persuasively from within the text so nothing feels forced or contrived. But by consciously building on his premises he is able to help us not lose the forest for the trees.

As I said before, this book really is head and shoulders above the rest. I couldn't recommend a better introduction to the study of American intellectual thought, religious development, or American church history than this wonderful little book. I would highly recommend it!

Link of the Week #4

2010-05-01T09:37:00.004-05:00

Hello readers! For this "Link of the Week" we've come across a wonderful sermon by the Irish preacher Rev. Stafford Carson. According to his bio page, "Mr Carson served as minister of Kells and Eskylane Presbyterian Churches, Carnmoney Presbyterian Church, and from 2000-05 was Executive Vice President of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia." He also served as the moderator of the General Assembly in 2009. This week's link highlights a wonderful sermon that Rev. Stafford gave on the story of the death of Absalom. If you've ever heard someone talk about "redemptive-historical preaching" but aren't sure what that means, then listen to this sermon for a perfect example of what Christo-centric preaching looks like.

To listen to this week's link go to: here

On a slightly different note, you may have noticed that we haven't had any "normal" articles in a while. But please don't think that we've stopped writing and are only going to post links! We have a couple of (what we hope will be helpful) articles in the works right now. So be keeping an eye out over the month of May as we continue to generate content for the blog. Thanks for reading!

Link of the Week #3

2010-04-23T17:47:00.003-05:00

Hello readers! We've got another link of the week ready for you, but it's going to be a bit different this time. Rather than highlighting one specific lecture we'd like to make you aware of a wonderful six-part series that Dr. George Grant put together on the intersection of Scottish and American history. If you've never heard Dr. Grant speak before then I would highly encourage you to take the time to listen to some of his other lectures as well. (If you only have time to listen to one, allow me to recommend lecture five on Thomas Chalmers)

To listen to this weeks link go to: http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?seriesOnly=true&currSection=sermonstopic&sourceid=gpts&keyword=Scottish+and+American+History&keyworddesc=Scottish+and+American+History

Link of the Week #2

2010-04-18T16:11:00.002-05:00

Hello readers! We hope you enjoyed last week's "Link of the Week" and we hope you enjoy our featured link this week as well. This week's link is a sermon entitled "Sex and True Intimacy" from Rev. Charles R. Biggs sermon series on the book of Ephesians. Rev. Biggs is the pastor of Ketoctin Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Purcellville Va.

To listen to this weeks link go here: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=32310917202

Link of the Week #1

2010-04-09T21:04:00.004-05:00

Hello readers! We hope you've enjoyed the articles and reviews that have been posted so far. We're continuing to work on more content for Frankly Speaking, and we're proud to introduce a new feature to our blog. Every Friday we'll be posting a recommended "Link of the Week" for your edification. These links will contain the best sermon, lecture, or podcast that we have listened to in the past week.

For our first "Link of the Week" we're profiling a recent podcast from our friends over at the Reformed Forum discussing the epistemology of N.T. Wright. I found this podcast very helpful in outlining the good and the bad of Bishop Wright's thought. We hope that you will enjoy this podcast, and all the future "Links of the Week."

To listen to the podcast go here: http://reformedforum.org/rmr26/

MERCY IN ABUNDANCE

2010-03-30T22:17:00.000-05:00

Recently God has caused me to go through a “growth spurt” where I have begun to realize that we as His people are so much more blessed & the riches that have been given to us are so much greater than we realize. It reminds me of the story of a slave during the Civil War era that had a master that loved him like a son; of which the master had none. When it came time for the master to die he left all his earthly riches to his slave. In one day the slave went from being a pauper to a very wealthy man. In one day, the slave went from being penniless to a net worth of over $50,000 (which was a lot in those days). While the slave was very rich he could not fathom the extent of his newly acquired wealth. This was demonstrated one day when he went into the bank and asked the teller if he had enough in his account so that he could withdraw a nickel to purchase a bag of flour.

We as Christians often live like this slave. John Owen, in his book entitled Communion with God points out that…

Christ shows and proves His love to His saints in richly providing for all their needs (John 1:16). All that Christ does for us He does abundantly. There is no niggardliness (stinginess) on Christ’s part to His saints (Rom. 5:20). Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. If grace abounds more than sin, it is abundant grace indeed. He answers our prayers ‘exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think’ (Eph. 3:20). He abundantly pardons (Isa. 55:7). He sheds the Spirit on us abundantly (Titus 3:6). We receive ‘abundant grace’ (Rom. 5:17). He ‘abounds to us in all wisdom and prudence’ (Eph 1:8) (p. 116).

We have riches beyond our comprehension poured upon us through Jesus Christ, yet we often live; hoping that we have a nickels worth of God’s blessings so that we might meet some earthly need. Owens puts it this way,

The great sin of believers is that they do not make as much use of Christ’s bounty as they might. Every day we ought to take from Him mercy in abundance. Supplies from Christ do not fail. But our faith fails in receiving them.
In view then, of all Christ’s goodness to us, what is our duty to Him?
Our first duty to Christ is to practice holiness in the power of the Spirit. The most holy person is the one most obedient to Christ.
Believers obey Christ as the author of their faith and obedience (Heb. 12:1, 2; Phil. 1:29). Christ by His Spirit works obedience in them.
Believers obey Christ as the One by whom our obedience is accepted by God. Believers know all their duties are weak, imperfect and unable to abide in God’s presence. Therefore they look to Christ as the One who bears the iniquity of their holy things, who adds incense to their prayers, gathers out all the weeds from their duties and makes them acceptable to God.
Believers obey Christ as the One who has renewed the commands of God to them, placing them under a mighty obligation to obedience (2 Cor. 5:14, 15).
Believers obey Christ as the One who is God, equal with the Father, to whom all honor and obedience are due (Rev. 5:13).
In all their obedience, saints have a special regard to their dear Lord Jesus. He is continually in their thoughts. His love to them, His life for them, His death for them, all His mercy and all His kindness constrains them to live for Him.
Our second duty to Christ is to abound in fruits of holiness. As He abounds richly towards us, so He requires us to abound richly to Him in all grateful obedience (1 Cor. 15:58).
This is but a little glimpse of that communion which we enjoy with Christ (p. 117).

Brothers and sisters, let us seek daily to be much in God’s Word; praying that our spiritual eyes might be opened to see who we truly are in Christ. Let us pray that our faith might be strengthened so that it does not fail in receiving the abundant blessings given to us in Christ!!!

HOW BELIEVERS LIVE IN COMMUNION WITH CHRIST

2010-03-13T22:49:00.000-06:00

Having walked with the Lord for 40+ years, I have used many different methods of study for my personal time of worship each day; everything from reading through particular books of the Bible to devotional books (i.e. Tabletalk) to reading through the Bible in a year. However, this year I decided to do something different and use the writings of the Puritans as a guide for my devotional reading. I am currently reading through John Owen’s book Communion with God. One of the things I appreciate about the Puritans is they are steeped in Scripture. So by the time I read a short section of Communion with God and look up the Scriptures I have had a fairly hearty spiritual meal. Another benefit of the Puritans is that as they speak of the doctrines of Scripture, they do not merely state the doctrines (i.e. “God loves you”), but they unpack these wonderful doctrines; examining the nuances of that particular doctrine; painting word pictures that fix these truths vividly in the mind of the reader. A steady diet of the Puritans can be helpful in seeing familiar doctrines with new eyes. Let me give you an example from Owen’s book on the doctrine of our communion with Christ.

Scripture shows us that we hold communion with the Lord Jesus in grace by a marriage relationship. Christ is married to us and we to Him. This spiritual relation is accompanied with mutual love, and so in this fellowship with Christ we experience and enjoy all the excellent things which are in Him (p. 54).
But how do we as believers live in communion with Christ? What does this communion look like? Let me share just one aspect of this union in the words of Owen.

There is a mutual committing of each to the other in this marriage union. This is the first act of communion arising from the personal union with the grace of Christ. Christ commits Himself to the soul, to love, care for and show kindness to it as a husband does to his wife. The soul, in response, gives itself up wholly to the Lord Christ to be to Him a loving, tender, obedient wife. The prophet Hosea describes this in the relationship between himself and his unfaithful wife, Gomer. "You shall stay with me for many days. You shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so I will also be toward you." (Hos 3:3).

This relationship begins with Christ giving Himself to the soul to be its Saviour, head and husband to dwell with that soul forever. Christ looks with joy upon the souls of His saints. Christ loves their souls, see them as fair and beautiful, because He has made them so (Song of Solomon 1:5; Ezek. 16:14). Therefore He desires to enjoy fellowship with His spouse. "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret place of the steep pathway, Let me see your form, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your form is lovely." (Song of Solomon 2:14). As if to say, “Do not hide yourself as one that flees to the clefts of the rocks. Do not be timid and fearful like one that hides in the secret places and is afraid to come out. Do not be cast down at the weakness of your prayers. Let Me hear you sighing and groaning for Me. They are sweet and delightful to My ears. Let Me see your spiritual face seeking for and desiring heavenly things. A look from you brings great joy and delight to Me.

Nor does He leave her only with these words, but urges her to a closer union with Himself. "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, May you come with me from Lebanon. Journey down from the summit of Amana, From the summit of Senir and Hermon, From the dens of lions, From the mountains of leopards. (Song of Solomon 4:8). As if to say, “You are in a wandering condition, like the Israelites of old, among sins and troubles which are lions and leopards to you. Come to Me and I will give you peace and comfort” (Matt. 11:28). So the spouse boldly concludes that the desire of Christ is for her fellowship, that He does indeed love her and is determined to have her for Himself (Song 7:10). So in carrying on this union, Christ freely gives Himself to the soul. Precious and excellent as Christ is, He becomes ours. He makes Himself available to us with all His graces. So the spouse says, “My beloved is mine. In all that He is, Christ is mine. Because He is righteousness, He is the Lord my righteousness. Because He is the wisdom and power of God, He is made to me wisdom” (Jer. 23:6; 1 Cor. 1:30). So the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel. (Isa 4:2). This is the first act of fellowship on Christ’s part in this spiritual union between Him and the believer. Christ gives Himself freely to us to be our Christ, our beloved, to fulfill all the purposes of His love, mercy, grace and glory. Christ was set up to be the Mediator between God and His elect, and to enter into a marriage covenant with His people, a covenant that will never be broken.

The Lord Jesus Christ, then, was set up and prepared to be a husband to His saints, His church. He undertook the work of Mediator for which He was especially filled with the Spirit. As Mediator He purchased for His people grace and glory. Now He offers Himself to them in the promises of the gospel, making Himself desirable to them. He convinces them of His good will, and that He is sufficient for all their needs. And when they agree to receive Him, which is all He requires or expects from them, He enters into a marriage contract to be theirs for ever.

On the saints’ part, all that is required is their free, willing agreement to receive, embrace and submit to the Lord Jesus as Husband, Lord and Saviour, to abide with Him, subject their souls to Him to be ruled by Him for ever.

This is the first act of union the soul makes with Christ (pp. 57-59).

Owens words are more than simply a flowery way of expressing that God loves you! Owens describes a relationship that is so intimate between Christ and His church that it may even sound inappropriate to our religious ears. But it is such intimacy that the soul of believers has with Christ.

Christian, as one who has been made part of Christ’s church, do you realize how deeply you are loved? Not because you are worthy, but simply because your husband has so intently fixed His love upon you! Do you rest in the security and comfort of His love? Is service & obedience to Him the delight of your soul in response to His glorious love?

Christian, please stop struggling. Stop seeking to be self-reliant. Instead, rest in the warmth of His embrace. Know that you are loved beyond your comprehension!

Thoughts on Manhood

2010-02-27T14:54:00.000-06:00

Westerners today value many things, but manhood isn't one of them. Our culture tells us that men are arrogant, stupid, shortsighted, and selfish. Our society dismisses courage as bravado, and denounces chivalry as chauvinism. Yet history & Scripture paint a rich picture of what men are to be and how they are to conduct themselves. Much profit can be gained by examining the attributes of godly men as evidenced by our forefathers.

Courage (The Battle of Maldon)

In 991 A.D. The British Earl Birhtnoth led his thanes against the Viking raiders that threatened the security of Essex. As the sea-wolves cut down the English defenders and finally killed Birhtnoth many warriors began to flee in terror. As the tide of battle turned fear began to grip the defenders. Until, at the last moment, a young thane by the name of Ælfwine spoke these words: “Remember the speeches we have spoken so often over our mead, when we raised boast on the bench, heroes in the hall, about hard fighting. Now may the man who is bold prove that he is.” With these words he “went forward, bent on revenge, and with the point of his spear pierced one of the pirate band, so that he lay on the earth, destroyed by the weapon.” Ælfwine's example of manly bravery illustrates one of the characteristics of a godly man: courage. The Bible is replete with examples of courageous men who faced danger and difficulty with firm resolve. As Paul reminds us in Philippians 1:20 “[I]t 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.”

Wisdom (Erasmus of Rotterdam)

But courage is not enough. In 1516 the renaissance scholar Erasmus wrote an admonition to the young Prince Charles, grandson of the Emperor Maximilian. Erasmus opens his letter by reminding the Prince that “Wisdom in itself is a wonderful thing...” Wisdom is another attribute of a godly man, and a subject about which the Scriptures often speak. King Solomon, the wisest man in history, reminds us in Ecclesiastes 9:17 that “The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.” As Proverbs 1:7 says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Humility (Marcus Aurelius)

The ancient Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius was a man renowned for his wisdom. While on campaign against the barbarian hordes in 170-180 A.D. He wrote his famous Meditations. In this great work he gives a warning particularly well suited to young men when he says: “Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good.” Marcus Aurelius's reminder of both our mortality and our duty illustrates another characteristic of a godly man: humility. Without an awareness of our own frailty, and of God's infinite power, courage and wisdom are useless. It is through humility that we submit ourselves to God. As Proverbs 15:33 reminds us: “The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”

The 6^th century Roman philosopher Boethius closes his great work The Consolation of Philosophy with these words: “Avoid vice, therefore, and cultivate virtue; lift up your mind to the right kind of hope, and put forth humble prayers on high. A great necessity is laid upon you, if you will be honest with yourself, a great necessity to be good, since you live in the sight of a judge who sees all things.”

“I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!”

2010-01-29T10:39:00.000-06:00

Valentine’s Day is soon approaching and many men will purchase for their wives or girlfriends tokens of their love such as cards, boxes of heart shaped candy or even flowers! Such a tradition is good in that it allows men to back up their statements of “I love you!” with tangible expressions of love to the one they care for deeply. While a woman likes to be told by her man that he loves her (and she likes to be told a lot by the way), she also likes to be shown that love as well. A wise man is one who backs up his words with his actions! Valentine’s Day is just one of many opportunities to demonstrate such love.

While Valentine’s Day seems to primarily bring to mind thoughts of romantic love, it does not have to be limited to that. This holiday season I would like us to also think about our love for God. Do you love God? You may quickly say, “Yes I love God! He sent His only begotten Son to die for my sins, of course I love Him!” Such expressions of love to God are all well and good, but how do we express that love? What are tangible ways that we show God that we love Him?

As we grow in our faith our love for God grows as well. It is a great gift of God when as the years go by, we grow to love Him more. But such love flows from a heart that is changing; that is being made more like the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me ask you, what is the condition of your heart? Don Cousins gives Ten Signs of a Healthy Heart; a heart or life that demonstrates its love to God:

1. A tongue that blesses. An unhealthy heart is a tongue that is vile, negative, and cursing. The words we speak say a lot about the condition of our heart. Matthew 12:34—“For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”

2. Thoughts that are pure. When your mind is free to wander, what are you thinking about? Matthew 15:19—“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”

3. Thankfulness…in all things. I Thessalonians 5:16-18—Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

4. A peace-filled spirit. Ephesians 4:31-32—Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Colossians 3:15—Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” How is your anger level these days? How are your irritations these days?

5. A desire to worship God. Psalm 96:9—“Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.” Is worship filling your heart? The more you pray, the more you pray. The more you worship, the more you worship.

6. Contentment in all circumstances. Philippians 4:11—“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in all circumstances.” Are you satisfied with what God has given you?

7. A hunger for God’s Word. Psalm 119:9—“How can a young person live a pure life? By obeying your Word.”

8. Demonstrated humility. James 4:6—But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” How much of your life starts with self?

9. A commitment to personal holiness. II Timothy 2:22—Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” True holiness is to walk in faith.

10. Whole-hearted devotedness to the Lord. I John 5:21—Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” Anything you have to add to Jesus is an idol. What threatens your devotion to the Lord?

Of course all these 10 signs could easily be summarized by Jesus’ statement in John 14:15 which says, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments”. This Valentine’s Day season let us respond to God’s great love for us by loving Him back with all our heart and soul and mind and strength (Mark 12:30)!

ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER LIST

2010-01-11T22:22:00.012-06:00

With the coming of the New Year I have become increasing aware of how our culture does everything it can to persuade us not to think, but simply to be satisfied to be entertained. It is so easy to spend hours surfing the web, watching TV or even listening to music on one's mp3 player. Let me challenge you though, to take more time feeding your mind by increasing the amount of time you spend reading and pondering. I encouraged you to set some goals for your reading; not only in the amount of books you read, but in the types as well. As Ligon Duncan points out,

…you want to be reading what the Puritans would have called "soul-fatting" books: works that will increase your knowledge, your love for the Lord and your confidence in Scripture. You will, of course, from time to time read things that are not soul-fatting, but you must never allow this best kind of book to be entirely absent from your normal plan of reading (http://blog.t4g.org/2006/02/pastors_studyin_1.html).

This is a good reminder as Christians are prone to simply read what is on the latest Christian best seller reading list; whether it is "soul-fatting" reading or not. To get into the habit of reading only that which is in the Christian top 50 is a poor habit; much like that of living on junk food. C.S. Lewis points out that it is not good to read only modern books, but one should also read old books:

Naturally, since I myself am a writer, I do not wish the ordinary reader to read no modern books. But if he must read only the new or only the old, I would advise him to read the old. And I would give him this advice precisely because he is an amateur and therefore much less protected than the expert against the dangers of an exclusive contemporary diet. A new book is still on its trial and the amateur is not in a position to judge it. It has to be tested against the great body of Christian thought down the ages, and all its hidden implications (often unsuspected by the author himself) have to be brought to light. Often it cannot be fully understood without the knowledge of a good many other modern books….

… The only safety is to have a standard of plain, central Christianity ("mere Christianity" as Baxter called it) which puts the controversies of the moment in their proper perspective. Such a standard can be acquired only from the old books. It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones
(http://blog.t4g.org/2006/02/pastors_studyin_1.html).

So, let me encourage you to read a variety of "soul-fatting" books, both modern & old.

In order to help you get started on your endeavor let me suggest a list of books that you might consider. If you are not an avid reader then do not worry, but take heart. Rather than trying to read all these books, pick out 6 or even 3 that you will read in 2010.

The Quest for More by Paul David Tripp (both book and discussion guide) - Tripp demonstrates though sound biblical principles how humanity is made by God to transcend far beyond the mere physical realm and is likewise created to be "glory junkies;" those whose visionary lives are governed by God's grand purposes rather than existing only within their narrow self-interested confines. Paul Tripp expertly traverses the deepest recesses of the human heart and compassionately invites fellow Christian travelers to journey with him into God's bigger kingdom. The author promises readers that they will be encouraged, excited, and motivated by hope as they learn how to set aside their "little kingdom" attachments which can expertly masquerade within the church as Christian activism, legalism, emotionalism, formalism, creedalism, and externalism; in favor of God's expansive and soul-freeing eternal quest.

Making Kingdom Disciples: A New Framework by Charles H.
Dunahoo -- In much of the church one-sided discipleship has produced one-sided disciples. Such believers often divorce Sunday from the work week, religious feeling from intellectual rigor, or personal practice from the public square. To redress these imbalances, Making Kingdom Disciples proposes a holistic, kingdom-oriented approach to discipleship. Drawing on years of experience in Christian education at the pastoral and denominational level, Dunahoo calls churches to train disciples to "think God's thoughts after him" in all of life: business, education, politics, recreation. Drawing deeply from the Reformed tradition, he orients readers to overarching concepts such as kingdom, epistemology, covenant, and worldview together with their eminently practical implications. The work as a whole serves to root anew our discipleship efforts upon a biblical foundation with a sensitivity to today's modern and post-modern generations. This is a must read for anyone who makes disciples!

Why We Love The Church by Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck – Community is hip, but the church is lame. Both inside the church and out, organized religion is seen as oppressive, irrelevant, and a waste of time. Outsiders like Jesus, but not the church. Insiders have been told they can do just fine with God apart from the church. Yet Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck paint a picture of the local church in all its biblical and real life guts, gaffes, and glory in an effort to edify local congregations and counteract the "leave church" books that trumpet rebellion and individual felt needs. They remind us that being part of a church---and learning to live it—is good for your soul, biblically responsible, and pleasing to God.

Worldly Saints by Leland Ryken – This is a very persuasive & interesting book; offering a good introduction to seventeenth-century Puritanism. The typical Puritans were not wild men, fierce and freaky, religious fanatics and social extremists, but sober, conscientious, and cultured citizens, persons of principle, determined and disciplined. Dr. Ryken's presentation of the Puritan view and style of life is perceptive and accurate. He allows the Puritans to speak for themselves on topics ranging from "Church and Worship" to "Money" and "Marriage and Sex.

The Marrow of Modern Divinity by Edward Fisher -- An intriguing book, quite unlike any other The Marrow of Modern Divinity defies pigeonholing. It was written in the 1600s by an author of whom we know little, yet it proved to be a critically important and controversial theological text.

Penned as dialogue between a minister(Evangelista), a young Christian(Neophytus), a legalist(Nomista) who believes Christianity is a set of rules to be obeyed and Antinomista who thinks it's okay to sin because God will forgive him anyway, it makes for a wonderfully insightful book that remains tremendously relevant for our world today.

God At Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life by Gene Edward Veith, Jr. -- Culture expert Gene Veith unpacks the biblical, Reformation teaching about the doctrine of vocation, emphasizing not what we should specifically do with our time or what careers we are called to, but what God does in and through our callings--even within the home. In each task He has given us--in our workplaces and families, our churches and society--God Himself is at work. Veith guides you to discover God's purpose and calling in those seemingly ordinary areas by providing you with a spiritual framework for thinking about such issues and for acting upon them with a changed perspective.

Also, consider the following:

Lost in the Middle: Midlife and the Grace of God by Paul David Tripp
Blame It On The Brain? By Edward T. Welch
Cross Talk: Where Life & Scripture Meet by Michael R. Emlet
The Walk by Stephen Smallman
Robert E. Lee on Leadership by H.W. Crocker III
Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices by Thomas Brooks
Broken Down House by Paul David Tripp

Happy reading in 2010!!!!

‘Tis the Season...for Suffering?

2009-11-29T20:01:00.027-06:00

Thanksgiving is over. The relatives have all gone home. The turkey and dressing is but a memory but the holidays are far from over. There is much to do in anticipation of Christmas, so 'tis the season...for suffering?

What do Christmas and suffering have to do with each other? Isn’t Christmas to be a time of joy and celebration, gifts and family? One might possibly entertain the idea of “suffering” in relation to the holidays if you count fighting the crowds at the after Thanksgiving Day sales or attending the endless holiday activities that plague one’s calendar. But other than that, why would Christmas be considered the Season for Suffering?

James Montgomery Boice, former Pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Philadelphia and now a saint worshipping God face to face in glory, once made the following comment on suffering:

When Life is smooth it is easy to say, as we often do, “all things work together for good to them that love God.” It is easy when you have everything you want, when God blesses you and your family. But it is not so easy at the grave. It is not so easy in the face of bitter disappointment and pain. If you are to have confidence in God in such moments, you must learn to trust Him in the small disappointments of life. (Commentary on Philippians by James Boice, p. 66).

What is ironic about this statement is that James Boice made it in connection with Philippians 1:19-20 where Paul says,

¹⁹ for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, ²⁰ according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. – Phil 1:19, 20 (NASB)

Boice points out that, “Paul recognized that Christ would be magnified in him whether he lived or died. This means Paul was so confident that God’s will for him was perfect—that it was the best possible thing for him—that he was able to accept it willingly even if it meant death at the hands of a Roman executioner” (Philippians, p. 66). Paul trusted God in the disappointments of life; both small & large!

Not only did Paul face suffering confidently because of his trust in God, but just one chapter later in Philippians we read,

⁵ Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. – Phil 2:5-8 (NASB)

Jesus emptied Himself, being made in the likeness of men; being born as a baby in the cattle pen and lying in a manger. Jesus grew to manhood; obeying God in everything even to the point of death; death on a cross.

The incarnation of Christ that we celebrate at Christmas reminds us that we have a God who has suffered on our behalf! And the reality that Christ suffered as we suffer gives us great comfort. Paul could stand firm even in the face of death because he knew that he could trust His God. God is not a God who calls us to do something that He is unwilling to do. God is a God of comfort; especially in difficult times (Psa. 23:4; 119:50; Isa 12:1; 2 Cor 1:3-7; 2 Thess 2:16 & 17).

What is the suffering of Christmas that I mentioned earlier? It is the loneliness of a widow that misses the warm embrace of her husband as well as the lengthy conversations that she used to have with him; even if he has been gone for 20 years and people think that she “should be over it by now.” It is the heartache that wells within the soul of a family that is being torn apart by infidelity, constant bickering or the ripping apart of divorce. It is the bondage that comes as a result of financial irresponsibility or maybe even the loss of a job and the weight of more and more bills that will soon be due. It is the sense of hopelessness that occurs watching one’s adult child turn against God and indulge themself in a life of sin. It is the loss that is felt in the recent death of a loved one, or the anniversary of a death around the holidays. ‘Tis the season for suffering!

As Boice reminds us, Christians cannot erase the suffering or wish it away by telling people that “all things work together for good to them that love God.” (Rom. 8:28). No! We must resist the temptation to “fix” people and give them glib answers to difficult questions. Trusting God comes as one trusts in God in the small disappointments of life. Then, as greater suffering occurs, one will be more likely to stand fast in Him!

So what are we to do when we encounter those suffering souls this holiday season? We must remind them of the truths of Scripture. We must share with or remind them that there is a God who understands their suffering; a God who, Himself suffered on their behalf that they might be set free to trust Him even in the midst of the suffering that they currently encounter. That He is the God of all comfort. That He did not carry out His plan of salvation from afar, but He came to earth, suffered the injustices of a fallen people and fallen world, and rose victorious that we might be set free from sin and death and instead have new life!

This Christmas season, let us all remember that for many around us, ‘Tis the Season for Suffering. But also let us remember that Jesus came to earth, suffered on our behalf to set us free from the power of sin that we might trust Him; even in the midst of suffering!

Let me close with the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7,

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. ⁶ But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; ⁷ and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. – 2 Cor. 1:3-7 (NASB)

May God use us this holiday season as instruments in His hands to bring the hope of the gospel to those with whom we come in contact.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-26T01:23:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

-- Psalm 107:1

New Addition to Our Blog List

2009-11-18T18:41:00.001-06:00

Thank you so much for stopping by Frankly Speaking! We hope that while you are here that you will not only take time to read our posts, but also to check out some of the blogs on our blog list. These blogs have been an encouragement to us and we think that you may profit from them as well. We have a new blog on our list that we commend to you called Heidelblog (catchy name isn't it). Also, do not forget to check out their podcast entitled Heidelcast.

The Case for Covenantal Infant Baptism

2009-11-15T14:00:00.002-06:00

Among Christians, and especially Christians of the Reformed stripe, few issues are as hotly debated as baptism. Much ink (not to mention much blood) has been spilled over the proper understanding of this sacrament. With so much debate and so many resources it can be incredibly difficult to decide what to read about this important issue. In my own quest to understand baptism I picked up The Case for Covenantal Infant Baptism edited by Gregg Strawbridge.

In this work Strawbridge compiled essays from sixteen influential paedobaptist writers (many of whom are presidents at reformed seminaries) such as Bryan Chapell, Daniel Doriani, Richard Pratt, and Cornelius Venema. The book is divided into fifteen chapters with each writer covering a different aspect of the case for paedobaptism.

Herein lies this books strengths and weaknesses. The unique format of the book allows the reader to see the paedobaptist argument in different ways. For example: Bryan Chapell gives a pastoral introduction to infant baptism while Jeffrey D. Niell, Richard L. Pratt, Cornelius Venema, and Randy Booth argue from the basis of the covenant. Lyle Bierma and Peter Leithart argue from church history, and Mark Ross explains the idea of baptism as a sign and seal. As you've probably picked up, these authors are able to cover a lot of territory because of the format. However, this approach also has its weaknesses. Because of the layout there isn't as much time to develop any one argument or approach. It might also make things disorienting for someone new to the debate. Although all the authors bring tremendous gifts to this work the varied nature of the writing serves as both a strength and a weakness.

In the end, I think The Case for Covenantal Infant Baptism is a worthwhile investment. Strawbridge's brief introduction alone provides a clear presentation of the issues from a biblical perspective. The authors unite in making a passionate and scholarly (yet movingly pastoral) argument for paedobaptism. If you're looking for a good book to add to your library on the topic of baptism, this would be a good choice.

The Virtue of Being Precise

2009-11-04T22:09:00.000-06:00

I'm a musician. Well, sorta. Perhaps I should say that I am becoming a musician. Allow me to explain. I've studied piano off and on for the last few years and can play moderately well. I've also tinkered with both the violin and the Irish penny whistle. Yet at the end of the day I'm not sure that I'm willing to call myself a full-fledged musician just yet, and here's why: I cheat. That's right, I admit it, sometimes when I'm playing Mozart and I come to a difficult passage I fudge it a little. In fact, I've skipped entire lines of music to avoid difficult or demanding passages and I've often tweaked the music to make it easier. In a word I'm imprecise.

Now you may be wondering why this should be such a big deal. After all, who cares if we don't strive for perfection and precision? Aren't people who fuss over precision (whether grammatically or musically) missing the big picture? Besides, it's the heart that matters right?

In his book Worldly Saints: The Puritans as they Really Were, Leland Ryken tells an interesting story about precision: "When the English Puritan preacher Richard Rogers was lecturing at Wethersfield, Essex, someone told him, "Mr. Rogers, I like you and your company very well, but you are so precise." To which Rogers replied, "O Sir, I serve a precise God.""
I think the Puritans were on to something here. You see, they understood that getting things half-way right, or even mostly right, is no guarantee. Especially where the gospel is concerned. Details matter. The Puritans were famous for the precision of their theology. Many of them were willing to die over issues that many in today's church would consider trivial or secondary. Why was this? Were the Puritans just being too picky? Were they simply making a mountain out of a mole-hill?

I don't think so. The Puritans understood that we are called to be like God, and God is precise. When we say that the details of theology don't matter we aren't been magnanimous, we are denying a part of God's character. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we need to go around picking fights in the name of "precision" nor am I arguing that we break fellowship with believers that disagree. What I am saying is that those disagreements do matter. We can disagree about a detail of God's character without declaring a brother to be anathema, but we must never say that that detail of God's character is unimportant.

The christian, like the musician, knows that the details are important.
So I think I'll keep practicing my piano. After all, I serve a precise God.

Happy Reformation Day

2009-10-31T09:21:00.002-05:00

Happy Reformation day! On October 31st, 1517 a young German monk nailed his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenburg condemning many of the practices of the Roman Catholic church of his time. Those theses, and the debate they sparked, helped start the Protestant reformation.

In honor of Reformation day here's a video chronicling the events of the early Reformation period. (For those seeking a somewhat more scholarly approach be sure to read George Grant's excellent post here: http://grantian.blogspot.com/2009/10/luthers-ninety-five-theses.html

The Betrayal

2009-10-26T00:03:00.003-05:00

Reading is a large part of a pastor’s life, but all too often it can be done more in bits and pieces in preparation for sermons and lessons then in sitting down and reading through entire books. Don’t get me wrong, it is a privilege to have a calling that allows one to study and read, but to have a steady diet of reading portions of books rather than the whole can be much like trying to survive on finger sandwiches rather than feasting on well balanced meals. Such a practice will keep one alive, but not as healthy as one should be.

So one of my midyear commitments has been to always have at least one book that I am reading through that is not part of my studies. It may be a theological book, a historical book, or even a novel. But where does a person start with so many good books out there?

In light of this year being the 500^th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth I decided that my first book should probably be about Calvin. So I chose a historical novel written by a PCA ruling elder by the name of Douglas Bond entitled The Betrayal.

I chose to read this novel over the summer and after completing it I cannot recommend this book enough! Besides, what better way to celebrate Reformation Day then to read about the life of one of the men that God used mightily during this time in church history.

Not only is The Betrayal an exciting read, but it masterfully & accurately portrays Calvin in the context of the circumstances of his day. If one is to understand Calvin and his work, one must understand what it was like to be alive during the Reformation and what was going on in the church at that time.

Many in the church today have heard of Calvin and an even smaller number have read some of his works, but most are often ignorant of the circumstances surrounding his life. As a result, they see John Calvin as nothing more than a stuffy theologian who lived in an ivory tower and wrote theology that reflected how out of touch he was with reality. Douglas Bond does a wonderful job though of dispelling these preconceptions as he carefully portrays the historical circumstances of Calvin’s day. To show the carefulness of which Bond takes in being historically accurate, let me quote from the Note to the Reader in the opening pages of the novel:

“This is a work of historical fiction, set in the times and places when and where John Calvin lived and worked. Though it is fiction, the reader may accept Calvin’s words in dialogues, sermons, discussions, and debates with confidence. In nearly all places where Calvin speaks I have drawn and shaped his words from his letters, commentaries, Institutes, and other writings. For cohesion and grammatical accuracy, I have altered tenses and pronouns, and for brevity I have excerpted Calvin’s far lengthier theological investigations. Though shaped for fiction, Calvin’s voice in this novel is a faithful attempt to reflect accurately his own verbiage, piety, and theology. Frequently, I use Calvin’s written summations of his critics’ views as grist for their voice when debating or deliberating with him. Wherever possible, I have attempted to faithfully represent other historical characters, often shaping their voices from their letters, journals, and other writings.” (The Betrayal, p. 11)

As one reads the historical accuracy of Calvin’s life, it quickly becomes apparent that Calvin was not a man who formed his theology in an ivory tower, but from hours of studying God’s Word while in the midst of the difficulties of life. As a matter of fact, if one were to compare the times of Calvin with those of our day, we would be the ones that should be accused of living “out of touch with reality”. In fact, due to the nature of the circumstances that are covered in this book I would say that this novel is best suited for mature readers and not younger children.

Not only does Douglas Bond paint a historically accurate portrait of Calvin’s life, but he also describes Calvin as a real man. Some today think that Calvin and his theology are placed on a pedestal and exalted too highly in the church today. That what Calvin said is held on the same level as Scripture and this ought not to be. Such concern should be heeded and carefulness should be given in the church to never exalt the instrument to the level of the God who raises up and uses that instrument for His purposes.

Having said that, Douglas Bond depicts Calvin as a very real man; one who was physically weak and frail; a man who worked hard to escape the lime light of his day but was constantly pulled back into it by God and used as a significant instrument of the Reformation for the glory of God. Bond reminds us that while we need to be careful not to exalt Calvin too highly, we must also be careful to acknowledge how God used John Calvin to strengthen the church not only during the Reformation, but also today.

I think Burk Parsons, editor of Tabletalk magazine and Minister of Congregational Life at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida, summarized the book well when he said,

"With masterful insight, Douglas Bond offers us an illuminating portrait of the life, ministry, and theology of John Calvin. For readers of all ages, this well-researched, historical fiction takes us back to the sixteenth-century Reformation as if we were eye-witnesses of all that God accomplished in and through the life of His humble servant John Calvin. If you enjoy reading the fictional works of C. S. Lewis, you will love this book." (http://www.bondbooks.net/THE%20BETRAYAL.htm)

I could not concur more with Mr. Parsons’ summation and therefore I highly encourage you to consider reading The Betrayal this Reformation season! If you would like more information on The Betrayal please check out Douglas Bond’s web site at http://www.bondbooks.net/ (where you can even read chapter 4 of the book if you like).

And if you take me up on my challenge to read this novel, please do so not to exalt John Calvin, but to give thanks to God that He is faithful to give to the church the right men at the right time (Eph 4:10-12). No matter who we are, may we be people used of God to strengthen and build up the church for His glory! (1 Pet. 4:10, 11)

Our Vision for Frankly Speaking

2009-10-25T00:01:00.012-05:00

How are Christians to live in an ever changing world? Political unrest, financial uncertainty, religious plurality; we live in a world of conflicting ideas where there seems to be no shortage of opinions on how one is to think or to live! Much like the sirens in Homer's Odyssey, these voices vie for our attention; tempting us to do their bidding. With new forms of media emerging every day it's easy to feel overrun with others opinions.
Perhaps the most popular means of broadcasting viewpoints is the almost ubiquitous blog.

A 2007 study by Technorati showed that there are over 112 million blogs. With so many people already sharing their knowledge (or perhaps their lack thereof) one could easily wonder: why start another blog? It's a fair question, and hopefully as we share our vision in the next few paragraphs you'll begin to see why we feel this blog is worth reading.

Beyond Opinion:

The first (and arguably most important) reason we are starting this blog is to go beyond opinions. We aren't here to share our views on the issues of the day or add our voices to the already deafening choir of ignorance. If our only goal were to push our agenda then you might as well stop reading now. But that isn't our goal. Our goal is to bring the Word of God to bear on the situations, issues, and ideas that bombard us. Our hope is to faithfully, and humbly, share the Truth of Scripture with fallen people in a fallen world. Our vision is to push beyond opinions to the reality of God's revelation.

Developing Christian Thought:

Hebrew 4:12 tell us that “[T]he word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ” As we come into contact with the Word of God we cannot help but have our thinking transformed.
It is our firm belief that our thought life cannot be separated from our daily life. In other words, the way we think determines the way we live. It is our hope that “Frankly Speaking” will help both us and our readers develop a mature, Scripture-saturated thought life. We want to model what a truly biblical worldview looks like as we interact with the world.

Great Expectations:

So, what can you expect from “Frankly Speaking”?
First, expect variety. As we said above our goal is to model what a truly biblical worldview looks like through interacting with the world. Our posts may talk about theology, politics, literature, music, history, or in a word life. Our topics will vary, but hopefully we will always write through the lens of Scripture. Second, expect balance. We aren't setting out to write a particularly “heady” blog. Although we may discuss deep issues we want these discussions to inform our life. We want to be at home in the realm of ideas while recognizing that the Christian does not have the luxury of separating thought from action.

We could (and hopefully will) say much more about what we hope to accomplish with this blog. But for now it is enough to say: welcome! We hope you will profit from the articles and essays featured on this site. It is our sincere prayer that this blog will help you “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”