Head-dibs

John Colquhoun (1748-1827) wrote about the relationship between Law and Gospel. Read Part 1: " The Establishment of the Law by the Gospel " Read Part 2: " The Uses of the Gospel and the Law " (these open in pdf)

“I know this, that when God the Holy Spirit gives a man a view of himself, he is utterly loathsome in his own esteem. One of the cardinals of the olden times—when cardinals were sometimes saints—happened to pass by a meadow where he saw a shepherd leaning on his crook, weeping. He stopped to ask the lad what made him weep. The lad replied by pointing to the ground, for just at his feet there was a toad. ‘I was weeping,’ said he, ‘to think that God should have made me, a creature so infinitely superior to this loathsome reptile at my feet, and that I should have made myself such a creature that this loathsome thing is superior to me, because it has never sinned.’ As the cardinal went his way, he said, ‘Verily, has it happened, that the foolish and unlearned enter into the kingdom of Heaven before us, for this peasant has found out the Truth of God.’ Vipers nor toads are more venomous or more loathsome to men than man must be to God, or would be to himself if he could see himself with th...

(adapted from McQuilkin, Robertson. An Introduction to Biblical Ethics, 2nd ed . Wheaton: Tyndale, 1995.) I. Recieving Directions: Understanding the Will of God A. Consult Scripture, the first and most important part of Divine guidance; B. Pray for faith to trust God, for strength to obey, and for wisdom to understand; C. Chruch. Seek Godly counsel from impartial, mature, wise Christians; D. Reason is a gift of God but not infallible. Use it in combination with the above. E. Have inner conviction that God is pleased in our choice that follows a decision. II. Principles for Pleasing God in the Choices of Life A. The Directed Life: Proverbs 3:5-6 1. Trust God. a. " Trust in the LORD with all your heart ," The supreme qualification for experiencing God's direction in life is faith. Faith is not merely passive; it is active obedience, actively seeking His will. b. " and do not lean on your own understanding ." This does not say that we should not use our own underst...

[I received this question via e-mail the other day.] This is a great question that can be answered on many levels. The most simplistic is to consider the thread of continuity, or major theme that runs through the Bible. Do you know what it is? Death. The Old Testament shows not only where it came from, but from the very beginning records how God promises to destroy it. The New Testament tells how He did it. “ Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned . . . For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. ” (Romans 5:12, 15) Consider how science is either corrected by scripture or confirms what the Bible has always contained (the earth is flat vs. the earth is a sphere (Isaiah 40:22); the earth sits on a large animal vs. the earth free-floats in space (Job 26:7); sick people must be ...

[This was another fun question from my Kenyan experience]: Genesis 1:26 reads, " Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth .'" If "us" does not imply the Trinity, then who is "us?" Our options are simply: 1) The Trinity; 2) God, speaking to Himself in "plural of majesty;" that is, in the vernacular of the majestic. 3) God + whoever else may be present. 4) I can't think of another option. Since option 4 speaks for itself, let's consider option 3. Why would God add or be added to whoever or whatever may be present? Regardless of the reason, why would He want to make something or someone else based on that conglomeration? There is no reason for any such action, as He is all goodness and everything excellent. If by "us" God i...

"I believe, also, that one of the best ways of convincing men of error is not so much to denounce the error as to proclaim the Truth more clearly. If a stick is very crooked and you wish to prove that it is so, get a straight one and quietly lay it down by its side. When men look, they will surely see the difference. The Word of God has a very keen edge about it and all the cutting words you need you had better borrow from there." --Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"Little sins, like little thieves, may open the door to greater ones outside. Christians, recollect that little sins will spoil your communion with Christ. Little sins, like little stains in silk, may damage the fine texture of fellowship. Little sins, like little irregularities in the machinery, may spoil the whole fabric of your religion. The one dead fly spoils the whole pot of ointment. That one thistle may seed a continent with noxious weeds. Let us, Brethren, kill our sins as often as we can find them. Someone said—'The heart is full of unclean birds. It is a cage of them.' 'Ah, but,' said another Divine, 'you must not make that an apology— for a Christian’s business is to wring their necks.' And so it is. If there are evil things, it is our business to kill them. Christians must not tolerate secret sins. We must not harbor traitors. It is high treason against the King of Heaven. Let us drag them out into the light and offer them upon the altar, givin...

"As there is only one God so there can be only one Gospel. If God has really done something in Christ on which the salvation of the world depends, and if He has made it known, then it is a Christian's duty to be intolerant of everything which ignores, denies, or explains it away. The man who perverts it is the worst enemy of God and men; and it is not bad empter or narrow-mindedness in St. Paul which explains this vehement language (Gal. 1:8), it is the jealousy of God which has kindled in a soul redeemed by the death of Christ a corresponding jealousy for the Saviour. Intolerance like this is an essential element in the true religion. Intolerance in this sense has its counterpart in comprehension; it is when we have the only gospel, and not till then, that we have the gospel for all." "The Cross of Christ is man's only glory or it is his final stumbling block." --James Denney, (1856-1917) in "The Death of Christ."

How can those who reject a loving God enjoy heaven?

This last Saturday, we were able to explore a different avenue of ministry--the Calvary Chapel Lexington team went to Five Points! There was scheduled a "festival" in Five Points, but it was not well attended, as other events in Five Points usually are. The truth of the matter was that it was an event to bring people down to the local shops, a "savings event." Shops along the 600 block had "games" along the sidewalk, to draw people in from the malls and back into the downtown area. I expected at least a small crowd, but hardly anyone came downtown. The guy in the dunking booty really got off fairly easy. Many of the shops are not your standard fare--probably because the Five Points area is the University of South Carolina's "party central." Beside an overabundance of sleazy bars, there are a few specialty shops. Among the few traditional clothing stores one can find a bakery that specializes in making dog treats, a cigar and wine store, and a...

Dr. Larry Dixon , Professor of Systematic Theology in the Seminary and School of Missions of Columbia International University is quoted as saying, "A Bible shut tight is but a block of paper." Consider a few wonderful facts concerning God's Word: 1. Keeps man alive ( Deut 8:3 ) 2. Is close enough to obey ( Deut 30:14 ) 3. Is always right ( Ps 33:4 ) 4. The heavens were made by it ( Ps 33:6 ) 5. Obeyed by angels ( Ps 103:20 ) 6. Sent by God, through which He heals and delivers ( Ps 107:20 ) 7. Provides purity ( Ps 119:9 ) 8. Settled in heaven ( Ps 119:89 ) 9. A lamp and a light ( Ps 119:105 ) 10. Is true ( Ps 119:160 ) 11. Magnifies God ( Ps 138:2 ) 12. Moves quickly ( Ps 147:15 ) 13. Tested, proved ( Prov 30:5 ) 14. Does not return "empty-handed", but accomplishes what it was sent out to do ( Isa 55:11 ) 15. Like dynamite! ( Jer 23:29 ) 16. It happens [update your bumper sticker with this one!] ( Ezek 12:25 ) 17. Was made flesh and dwelt among us ( John 1:14 ...

“There was a poor man about sixty years old; he had been a rough sailor, one of the worst men in the village; it was his custom to drink, and he seemed to be delighted when he was cursing and swearing. He came into the chapel, however, one Sabbath day, when one nearly related to me was preaching from the text concerning Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. And the poor man thought, ‘What! did Jesus Christ ever weep over such a wretch as I am?’ He thought he was too bad for Christ to care for him. At last he came to the minister, and said, ‘Sir, sixty years have I been sailing under the standard of the devil; it is time I should have a new owner; I want to scuttle the old ship and sink her altogether! then I shall have a new one, and I shall sail under the colors of Prince Immanuel.’ Ever since that moment that man has been a praying character, walking before God in all sincerity. Yet, he was the very last man you would have thought of. Somehow God does choose the last men; he does not care fo...

Columbia International University , Seminary and School of Missions has three courses being offered online this Fall. These are three of many courses available through Distance Education . The registration deadline for the following courses is July 29, 2008. Coursework begins August 19 and ends December 5, 2008. Special Note: Enrollment in any one of these courses requires approximately 10 hours of work per week during the course dates indicated, including participation in web-facilitated discussion topics and adherence to syllabus due dates . BIB 5112 - "Genesis - Song of Solomon: God's Plan of Creation and Redemption" ( Online ) with Dr. Bryan Beyer GRE 6210 - "Greek 3: From Exegesis to Exposition" ( Online ) with Dr. William Larkin HEB 5110 - "Hebrew 1: Beginning Grammar" ( Online ) with Dr. Alex Luc For more information, click here .

ht: Truth Matters

The team had gone ahead into the park while I stayed in the parking lot talking with the couple. I finally made my way over there and stood for while looking to see where the teams were. I saw one talking to a couple sitting on a bench. I made my way over to him. By the time I arrived, another team member joined us. We stood by the fence for a moment and talked, passing out tracts to people as they came by. I saw a couple of Junior High schoolers coming down the side walk, so I got ready for some fun. Stopping them I said, "I have in my pocket your answer to the question I am about to ask you. Ready? Out of the three most common shapes (circle, square or triangle) which do you think is the most 'popular' shape?" Now, I have to give away a secret here to explain what this all about. This is based on a so-called "mind reading" trick used by slight-of-hand magicians. No matter what a person says, I can produce a card with that object, having "r...

"One unmistakable indication that a preacher has placed the cross at the center of his life and preaching is when the cross is central to all other discussions of the Christian life. A cross-centered preacher extends the gospel’s centrality beyond the conveyance of salvation to all the sin struggles of the Christian life. He injects the gospel into parenting, marriage, and counseling—and brings the hope of the cross to all of life’s experiences." ( Read the rest here )

We were still in the parking lot when I saw a young man and a young lady getting out of a car. He seemed like he was trying to be cute for his date, and she was irritated because he just could not seem to do anything right--poor guy. I approached them with a couple of Pocket Testaments and said, "Can you believe a whole week has gone by since July 4? Did you guys get one of these?" They took the Testaments--yes, she was obviously mad at him for something and he thought it was funny. "You guys heading down to the concert?" I asked. "Yes," she pouted, crossing her arms. "Did you have a good 4th of July?" I wanted to know. "She did with her family. I had to work," he volunteered. I asked where he worked and he told me. She is about to enter her last year of high school. He graduated in May. She also told me she was considering law school in the future. "When it come to the 4th of July, what things come to mind?" I pr...

Openly gay US bishop Gene Robinson was forced to halt a sermon at a west London church after being heckled. As Bishop Robinson began his sermon a member of the congregation repeatedly called him a "heretic" and said "repent, repent, repent". He began his sermon by saying how sad it was that the Anglican Communion was tearing itself apart. But he was stopped when the man in the congregation shouted that the schism was the bishop's fault. The man's protest was followed by slow hand-clapping by members of the congregation, and Bishop Robinson halted his sermon while a hymn was sung and the protester was escorted from the church in Putney, south west London . . . . Watch the video here . The original article is here . ************ Other comments by the bishop: "When someone stands up and says homosexuality is an abomination, does that make you want to get to know God?" My response: If God says homosexuality is an abomination, why would you continu...

Saturday night, July 12 became (in a sense) a historical night for our evangelism team (more on that later). Before every evangelism outing, we meet about 1 ½ hours beforehand for prayer and Bible study in the Gospel of Mark. We are looking to our Master for further examples in evangelism by studying His interactions. Mark 2 gives us four controversies for our example, where objectors questioned Jesus’ ability (2:1-12), His motives (2:13-17), His actions (2:18-22), and His beliefs in contrast to tradition (2:23-28). We came up with four contemporary questions that are answered by timeless principles found in Jesus’ reply: Questioning Jesus’ ability, the Pharisees asked, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Even today people feel paralyzed in their sin, perhaps reasoning in their own hearts that they’ve sinned too much to be forgiven. Jesus not only forgives, but brings healing that one can be released from the paralyzing bondage of sin. Questioning Jesus’ motives, the Pharisees sa...

A note from France reads: "How to know that idea is from God or by myself?" or "when something comes up or happens, how [is one] to know that 'this something' is God's will or from my thinking?" This is a very deep question and may not be easily resolved in one reply, but here is an attempt: ************ I think we have a clue in Isaiah 55:8, " For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD ." Think of a prisoner who has the freedom to pace up and down in his cell, but he must stay within the walls of that cell and can go no further, no matter how much his will might desire it. So it is with man. Because of sin, man is imprisoned within a cell of corruption and wickedness which permeates to the very core of our being. Every part of man is in bondage to sin – our bodies, our minds, and our wills. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us the state of man’s heart: it is “ deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it? ...

" The Glory of the Cross " by Samuel Zwemer (1867-1952), Christian Missionary to Muslims. This is perhaps the most moving book I've read concerning the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. This undated work (I suspect it was written in the years shortly before his own death--his quotation of hymns throughout the work sets the "record"--if someone knows a certain date, than information would be wonderful) of 130 pages is a little more than a casual devotional read. The first two of the ten chapters explain the nature of the gospel, followed by deep, insightful glimpses into Christ's passion that pass nearly unnoticed: He was blindfolded, bound, spat upon, stripped naked. Consider how this cowardly world would rather not look at him, much less be looked upon by Him--man must either look Him in the face, or declare Him to be myth. The one who made the hand folded His own in prayer before they took Him in the garden and bound Him for fear before the court. The last...

"When man sinned, Christ came to save mankind. The Bible says Satan was cast down with his angels. Where does it say what happened to angels who believed? Are there angels who fell and then believed?" [This question is part of a series of questions I answered while speaking at Pastor’s Conferences in Kenya, Africa in July 2004. This question immediately followed the question (and answer) you will find in the preceding posts.] Here is what the Bible says about the belief of fallen angels, “You believe that God is one You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” (James 2:19) No, there are no angels who fell, then believed; that is, repented. Their rebellion is final. No angel could claim ignorance regarding the matter of his rebellion, nor will a fallen angel come to repentance. Scripture teaches plainly concerning “angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.” (...

I didn’t want to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to preach this morning. I was full of justifications for not going, but I went anyway and prayed that God would anoint the time. I walked with purpose over to the people waiting in line and asked them, “Are you here for your lotto tickets or for the DMV?” They laughed. I greeted each person waiting in line with a warm “Good morning” and handed everyone a Gospel tract. A woman at the end of the line handed the tract back to me. “I’m not interested,” she said. I took it back and thought, That’s okay; she’ll soon be hearing the message anyway. Taking my position adjacent to the line, I began to preach. ( read the rest here )

Here's the full title of a book that looks to be a thriller of a summer read: "The Journal of a Voyage in the Missionary Ship Duff, To The Pacific Ocean in the years 1796,7,8,9,1800,1,2 &c." Comprehending Authentic and Circumstantial Narratives of the Disasters Which Attended the First Effort of the London Missionary Society. Interspersed with a Variety of Singular Incidents and Adventures, with an Appendix Containing Interesting Circumstances in the Life of Captain James Wilson, The Commander of the Duff, when He was Engaged in the Wars in the East Indies, and Taken Prisoner by Hyder Ally's Troops--His Bold Attempt To Escape, and Subsequent Difficulties." By William Smith. Here's the link to download this page-turner. With a title like that, who needs Indiana Jones? That captain sure seems to be an intriguing chap . . .

On one hand, I was surprised to hear this question come from a Kenyan pastor at the Pastor's Conference; but, on the other hand, remembering the animistic background and influences of the culture, this was a very important question from the student. We can easily turn in our Bibles to John 4:24 and say, "See there, Jesus says, 'God is Spirit,'" and be satisfied (for the most part) with the answer. Realize that we Westerners do not view the spirits in the same way as most others in the world, so this question comes as a "loaded" one. Interestingly, even the Western (neo)pagan, witch or other interested party should be interested in this question. I owe my good friend, Dr. Phil Steyne of Columbia International University , credit for the following: First, those outside the biblical worldview believe that all objects contain an impersonal power, or life-force. This "charge" flows from one object to another and is meant to be used and manipulated b...

I think he's right. What do you think? Here's what Ray has to say .

(for: Ron S.) 1. Blesses the man who find it ( Prov 3:13 ) 2. Uncomparible ( Prov 3:15 ) 3. The foundation of understanding ( Prov 4:7 ) 4. Found when sought ( Prov 8:17 ) 5. Treasury ( Prov 8:21 ) 6. Rooted in the person of God ( Prov 9:10 ) 7. Pure ( James 3:17 ) 8. Given by God ( James 1:5 ) 9. Peaceable ( James 3:17 ) 10. Gentle ( James 3:17 ) 11. Reasonable ( James 3:17 ) 12. Merciful ( James 3:17 ) 13. Good ( James 3:17 ) 14. Unwavering ( James 3:17 ) 15. Without hypocrisy ( James 3:17 ) Suggested by Meredith's Book of Bible Lists

This question was one of many (so far) fielded at the end of the first day of lectures I gave in Kenya, Africa on the subject of "Man, Sin and Salvation." This specific question is best understood in context with other questions preceding this post. Is it possible for one to see God and not be changed? Perhaps that is a better question. So far we have noted the devastating effects of an encounter with God, taking special observation at the extension of grace from God, that one should be allowed to tolerate His presence. One simply cannot see God and not be changed. "But," one may ask, "what about Jesus? Since Jesus is God, how could people encounter Him and not react the same way as those in the Old Testament?" While deity of Christ is sure, we must also remember the manner in which God revealed Himself as the Son. Philippians 2:6-8 gives us an idea about how this happened: "although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a th...

[One thing I greatly admire about my Kenyan students is that they really know how to ask questions. If you've been following along since late last week, I've been sharing questions students asked me when I traveled to Kenya in 2004. It seems that once the questions began, the more difficult they became--stay tuned to see what I mean.] As I consider the question, two thoughts come to mind: first, the fear of the Lord is one theme that deserves serious study by every believer. We see in scripture that communication with God brings about such deep reverence, fear and respect on the part of the one with whom God is talking. The second matter that comes to mind is that there does seem to be a careless attitude, a lack of fear and respect on part of many who say they know the Lord; however, such flippancy does not go unnoticed in scripture. Recall with me the Sinai experience. Moses is on the mountain, and the people gathered around with the stern warning not to come near nor touch t...

Today we began our Independence Day celebration by meeting together at 8:00 a.m. for a brief Bible meditation (Hebrews 9) and prayer before going to the Gilbert Peach Festival. Our team consisted of 8 brothers and sisters from Calvary Chapel Lexington, fully armed with gospel tracts and the joy of the Lord. I was pleasantly surprised to find this display of the Ten Commandments near the middle of the park in Gilbert. The first stone is an engraving of Psalm 19:7-10, followed by columns, each with one commandment (the video is not stellar, but you get the idea): Chris, Barbie and Steve do a great job passing out tracts and talking to people. They had some good conversations and two teenage boys may have entered the Kingdom of God today after hearing the law and gospel: The Gilbert Peach festival (I am told) got its start when the farmers celebrating bringing in the last of the peach crops. Everything peace is found here: tea, pies, cobblers, ice cream . . . this was probably the ...

What do you think happens when a handful of evangelists set up a small box to preach the gospel to folks waiting in line for a Todd Bentley event? Read about it here.

" Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times . Then Jesus said, ' He who has ears to hear, let him hear .'" (Mark 4:8-9) Ron and I made our way up the Falls in the Park by means of the stairs in the terrace. Off to the side sat three youths, just looking for something to do. Ron gave them each a " Will Your Good Outweigh Your Bad? " tract. I was glad to see him actually walk them through the test on the front of the tract, reading it through with them line by line. This is a great way to use tracts in evangelism. The youngsters were so polite and engaged in conversation, asking very good questions. The girls seemed to be very receptive toward how God saw their heart, and knew they were in trouble and needed forgiveness and cleansing. The young man, on the other hand, was objectionable. To his credit, he is perhaps the most polite objector I've ever talked with. He was very ...

" Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain . " (Mark 4:7) While waiting for another team member to join us I made my way over to the fence toward the backside of the concert area, where many people would stand who did not bring chairs or blankets. I did not know it, but one team member had already been through this area and could not give away a single gospel tract or Million Dollar Bill. I found a guy standing with his back against the fence, looking toward the stage enjoying the Variety music of the evening. I handed him a gospel tract. "Didja get one of these?" I asked. He took it, looked at it. "Nah." Holding onto the tract he crossed his arms, and went back to listening to the music. "Mind if I ask you a question?" I asked. "No, go ahead," he replied. "Do you have a Christian background?" "Sure," he answered. "My grandfather is a pastor in a Mexican ...

" Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root ." (Mark 4:3-6) Our Saturday, June 28 evangelism outing almost got rained out. Don't get me wrong, we need the rain badly, and when it came I was so thankful for God's provision. Storms amaze me as they remind me of how awesome our God is: He makes lakes float above our heads and makes them leak to the earth--sometimes it seems like the water falls all at once, but it doesn't. The torrents still demonstrate His control. He sends out lightning to decorate the sky. Thunder rolls and echoes through the walls of those watery canyons and the earth. His voice is like thunder . . . During a storm I can only stand at the window and pra...