Benjamin's Tribe

Blog switch!*

2011-04-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

hey folks,

I have a nice blog makeover courtesy of Ben and Emeth Casbon.. The new one is here: benjaminstribe.com

Thanks for visiting!

Category: Liturgy~ for imprecatory prayer/song service at Planned Parenthood

2011-04-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

Christ Church Spokane did this liturgy a week and a half ago albeit scaled back. We didn't have the time to teach through the practice of literally calling down curses upon murderers like the Psalmists did, so we scaled it back a bit. I wanted to be a part of this before I moved and also wanted to get it started in Spokane before I left so, hence the reason for doing it so quickly.

This one though, is the gloves off version that I think is fully appropriate.

May God bless our efforts and vindicate His lordship. To pray anything less than this friends, is to ignore the reality of what actually takes place there:

Worship is Warfare

Prayer and Song Service at Planned Parenthood Abortion center

Call to Worship

Celebrant (C) : The Lord be with you!

All (A): And also with you!

C: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

A: Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 2

A Collect for Peace

C: Let us pray.

A: O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto your servants that peace which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments, and also that we, being defended by you from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, age after age. Amen!

A Prayer for the President of the United States, and all in Civil Authority

C: O Lord, our Governor, whose glory is in all the world; We commend this nation to your merciful care, that being guided by your Providence, we may dwell secure in your peace. Grant to President Obama and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and do your will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness; and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in your fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, world without end.

A: Amen!

A Prayer of Petition

A: Almighty God, who has given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto You; and You promise that when two or three are gathered together in your name You will grant their requests; Fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of your servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the world to come life everlasting.

Amen!

Let’s sing The Lord’s Prayer

Let’s pray Psalm 94

C: O LORD, God of vengeance,

God of vengeance, shine forth!

2Rise up, O Judge of the earth,

Render recompense to the proud.

3How long shall the wicked, O LORD,

How long shall the wicked exult?

4They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly;

All who do wickedness vaunt themselves.

5They crush Your people, O LORD,

And afflict Your heritage.

6They slay the widow and the stranger

And murder the orphans.

7They have said, "The LORD does not see,

Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed."

8Pay heed, you senseless among the people;

And when will you understand, stupid ones?

9He who planted the ear, does He not hear?

He who formed the eye, does He not see?

10He who chastens the nations, will He not rebuke,

Even He who teaches man knowledge?

11The LORD knows the thoughts of man,

That they are a mere breath.

12Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O LORD,

And whom You teach out of Your law;

13That You may grant him relief from the days of adversity,

Until a pit is dug for the wicked.

14For the LORD will not abandon His people,

Nor will He forsake His inheritance.

15For judgment will again be righteous,

And all the upright in heart will follow it.

16Who will stand up for me against evildoers?

Who will take his stand for me against those who do wickedness?

17If the LORD had not been my help,

My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.

18If I should say, "My foot has slipped,"

Your lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up.

19When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,

Your consolations delight my soul.

20Can a throne of destruction be allied with You,

One which devises mischief by decree?

21They band themselves together against the life of the righteous

And condemn the innocent to death.

22But the LORD has been my stronghold,

And my God the rock of my refuge.

23He has brought back their wickedness upon them

And will destroy them in their evil;

The LORD our God will destroy them.

A Prayer for God’s justice and salvation to reign

C: Oh God, your Word calls us to love our enemies. And your Word calls for the teeth of the oppressors to be broken. You took your servant Saul, a murderer, and made him an apostle. You’ve taken Norma McCorvey, the woman “Roe,” behind Roe v. Wade and converted her. You’ve taken Abby Johnson, employee of the year of Planned Parenthood, and have wonderfully broken her will and showed her mercy. Lord, we ask that you would make brothers and sisters out of enemies. Show mercy O Lord on all those You have predestined to life.

A: Amen!

A Prayer for Swift Justice in the land

C: Lord, you are angry with the wicked every day.

A: And because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.

C: But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God. O merciful God, You do not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that he should be converted and live. And yet, You will execute vengeance on those that will not repent and continue to murder the fatherless.

A: Father, we know that You are a jealous God. You visit the iniquity of the fathers on the children on the third and fourth generations of those that hate You. Abortion is your judgment upon our land. Forgive your church’s failure to be a light to the wicked in America. Forgive the fathers in your church who have paved the way for abortion by failing to shepherd their sons and daughters. Abortion is your judgment upon us. You have allowed sinful men to murder their own children. But You hate hands that shed innocent blood. End the murder O God. In wrath, remember mercy.

C: Hosanna Lord, Hosanna! Save now! But for all those destined to not know salvation we therefore pray that You would unleash your terrible judgment upon the murderers connected with Planned Parenthood. We pray that You would act swiftly!

A: Amen!

Psalm 5

Psalm 76

A Prayer for God’s Wrath upon Those Openly, Publicly and Brazenly Violating God’s Word

A: Almighty and most terrible God, judge of all men living and dead, we bring before You this Planned Parenthood who have openly and brazenly defied You and your holy Word. They have wantonly and stubbornly practiced torture, murder and sale of body parts and they refuse to repent of their public and sinful actions. We now ask that You place your especial curse upon these people, and upon all in alliance with them. We ask You to pour out the fire of your wrath upon them, and convert or destroy them, cause their rebellion to cease, and your kingdom to be exalted. We ask You to visibly and swiftly vindicate the reign of your only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen!

Psalm 45 Vv. 1-3

A Prayer for the Tempted, Distressed and Erring

C: Keep in remembrance, O Lord, the tempted, the distressed, and the erring; particularly those mothers who would sin against You by murdering their children through abortion. And those fathers, parents, friends, politicians, doctors, social workers and any others who would either encourage the mothers to commit murder or would acquiesce to their wishes to do so. Keep them from following through with their wicked designs which lead to judgment, guilt and death. Guide them by your great goodness and bring them instead into the way of peace, truth and life. Let the light of your truth shine on them that they may be turned toward You and come to know You and so find peace. Deliver them from the bondage of their sin into the glorious liberty of the children of God; for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

A: Amen!

Psalm 75

The Son of God Goes Forth to War

Revelation 18:1-5

C: “After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.’ I heard another voice from heaven, saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;

for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.’”

C: Oh God, distinguish in your judgment your elect from those outside. Spare your people, we pray!

Benediction:

Revelation 19:5,6 “And a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.’ Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,

A: ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.’

Amen!

Category: What should a pastor wear?

2011-04-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

So, I'm now the pastor of Trinity Church of the Tri-Cities trinitytricities.com Whoohoo! I'm a happy camper.

I just wanted to share with everyone how potent wearing a liturgical collar is.. My "office" right now is either Starbucks or the Columbia Basin Racquet Club. The church is graciously getting me some office space, but don't have it yet. Our place is just a little bit full with my fam so I need a place to study.

I've made a rule for myself to never wear a black liturgical shirt.. It's just too close to the wrong uniform for the wrong team--R.C.'s.

But, I've got a dark blue on and have white. Some other colors are coming in the mail.

Wearing the collar has already been amazing.. This is the second day I've worn it. When I was in Spokane I was all over the city and you just don't get people approaching you very much.. Wearing a collar here doesn't create invisible walls like it would more in the south. I guarantee you that I wouldn't have had a recent evangelistic conversation without it. People feel more comfortable to approach you because you represent Someone else, not so much yourself. It's a conversation starter, if nothing else. Some people hate it probably, some think it's weird, but it's done so rarely in society that I think it's an easy way to get an edge in the "world." If you try to carry yourself with a little humility and be a blessing with it (in terms of tips, friendly business exchange etc.) it's really powerful. You can constantly (if you're not being an idiot) put a good testimony on Christianity because the uniform is so distinct.

Katherine Daniels might be my first visitor this Sunday.

Here's hoping..

Moving

2011-04-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

So we're moving to the Tri-Cities to take the pastorate at Trinity Church. We're excited, and crazy busy right now. I'll post when we get to our new place!

Category: Wisdom

2011-03-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

"One becomes a theologian not by understanding, reading, and speculating, but by living, dying, and being damned."

Luther, Commentary on the Psalms

Category: Theology

2011-03-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

Baptism for the dead?

What does Paul mean in I Cor. 15:29

Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?

This is the best two page article I've seen on the matter. Very helpful, worth your time:

http://www.biblicalhorizons.com/biblical-horizons/no-76-baptism-for-the-dead/

Category: End-times~ Amill and Postmill had a fight at the Pub.. Part II

2011-03-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

Continued..

Pabst Blue Ribbon (Amillennial) beer said to Black Butte Porter (Postmillennial):

"But Hoekma said that Post-mill theology.."

"Ah.." Porter said, "have you ever read any postmill theologians? Or do you get your understanding of postmill from amill guys?"

Pabst: Uh... well no. but I'm going to.
Porter: Good.

Porter:
Amill folks, I believe, will never have a satisfactory answer to texts like this:
Is. 65:20 ..."For the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred will be thought accursed." This is in a passage describing the new heavens and the new earth! Death is still happening in an age when Isaiah describes it as after the creation of the new heavens and earth. Notice those words, "new earth." There is not going to be merely a perfect heaven but destroyed earth in the end, but new heavens and new earth joined in perfect new creation. Death will obviously be completely abolished and destroyed in the end, at the final second coming.

You are familiar with the important categories of creation, fall, redemption, but that's not complete without the Bible's end goal-- new creation. Creation to new creation.. That is as clear as it gets when you compare the garden imagery with Gen 1-3 and Rev 21,22. A part of what that means is just as people lived very long in the early parts of history so people will reverse back to that by living longer in an advanced age of blessing on earth--ref above verse Is. 65:20.

Notice in Ezekiel 47:1-12 that the period of prosperity for the gospel is gradual.. Ezek. is a classic high symbolism Jewish theologian but don't get lost with it. The water from the Temple is the blessing, the life bringing "irrigation" to the desert of the world. First, the water reaches the ankles v.3. Then, the knees v.4. In v. 8 this water actually flows into the "sea," (a classic and broadly held metaphor for the gentiles) making them, "fresh." There's even a verse on fishing v. 10--not a frequently used ref. for heaven, typically defined. But this is a ref. to Jesus' making miracles with his large catches of fish in the gospels--John 21:6. The inauguration of the kingdom came with this great Fisher of men. Now, if you're skeptical--shame on you.. :)
Pabst: But surely Ezekiel was talking about some blessing to come in the near Israelite future at that time..
Porter: But it was said of Jesus when speaking to his disciples that, "beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures." The OT texts find ultimate fulfillment in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus.
Porter: Look at v. 12 in Ezek. 47 which is a crystal clear referent for Rev. 22:2. New life, new creation for the world, that came gradually through the Holy Spirit's work in and through the Temple--the Church.

Category: Literature

2011-03-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

Did Virgil read Isaiah?

Or is it pagan prophecy?

Pieces from Virgil's famous poem, Eclogues IV are below.

Constantine, Augustine and Dante all believed that this was Virgil's messianic prophecy, written in 37 B.C.

Pollio

..."Justice returns, returns old Saturn's reign,
With a new breed of men sent down from heaven.
Only do thou, at the boy's birth in whom
The iron shall cease, the golden race arise,

Apollo reigns. And in thy consulate,
This glorious age, O Pollio, shall begin,

Of our old wickedness, once done away,
Shall free the earth from never-ceasing fear.
He shall receive the life of gods, and see
Heroes with gods commingling, and himself
Be seen of them, and with his father's worth
Reign o'er a world at peace. For thee, O boy,
First shall the earth, untilled, pour freely forth
Her childish gifts, the gadding ivy-spray
With foxglove and Egyptian bean-flower mixed,
And laughing-eyed acanthus. Of themselves,
Untended, will the she-goats then bring home
Their udders swollen with milk, while flocks afield
Shall of the monstrous lion have no fear.
Thy very cradle shall pour forth for thee
Caressing flowers. The serpent too shall die,
Die shall the treacherous poison-plant, and far
And wide Assyrian spices spring.

But soon
As thou hast skill to read of heroes' fame,
And of thy father's deeds, and inly learn
What virtue is, the plain by slow degrees
With waving corn-crops shall to golden grow,
From the wild briar shall hang the blushing grape,
And stubborn oaks sweat honey-dew. Nathless
Yet shall there lurk within of ancient wrong
Some traces, bidding tempt the deep with ships,
Gird towns with walls, with furrows cleave the earth.
Therewith a second Tiphys shall there be,
Her hero-freight a second Argo bear;
New wars too shall arise, and once again
Some great Achilles to some Troy be sent.
Then, when the mellowing years have made thee man,
No more shall mariner sail, nor pine-tree bark
Ply traffic on the sea, but every land
Shall all things bear alike: the glebe no more
Shall feel the harrow's grip, nor vine the hook;
The sturdy ploughman shall loose yoke from steer,

O baby-boy! ten months of weariness
For thee she bore: O baby-boy, begin!
For him, on whom his parents have not smiled,
Gods deem not worthy of their board or bed."

What do you think? Did Virgil read Isaiah? Did he borrow from the Hebrews to envision a Roman golden age? Or did he actually end up writing a prophecy about the Boy to be born? I will comment on your comments if you're interested.

Consider these passages from the prophets: Is. 65: 24,25 Is. 2:2-6 Micah 4:1-3 and any other prophecies you remember of Jesus' birth like being born in a lowly place like Bethlehem etc.

Category: Lovemaking

2011-03-23T14:53:00.001-07:00

Fornication, adultery, and all porneia are a slander against God, because we're made in His image. The problem with people who fall to un-covenanted sex is not that they emphasize sex too much but too little. They think too little of the glory of sex because they depersonalize it and reduce it to mere impulses of selfish lust. But glorious sex is intensely personal and the personhood of the gift is what makes it so great to those seeking righteousness. We exult in this great gift of God. But to those craving lust it is that personal nature of sex that comes back to bite them.

Category: Family

2011-03-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

After taking communion a couple Sunday's ago Julia says happily and quite audibly- "Jesus loves me." The children of believers belong to Jesus, belong to baptism, and therefore belong to the meal of the baptized-the bread broken for you..

I love the CREC and covenant renewal worship..

Category: International Culture

2011-03-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

Hoorahh for girls!

It is staggering and wicked how many cultures out there hate girls..

In India they abort them like mad and likewise China.. They can't produce in the culture like men and they are expensive on the family. Fathers have to give dowries when they get married and likewise pay for the wedding.

Countries are so stupid. What's the cumulative problem with all this murdering of girls? You have a bunch of males with no woman to abuse ooops, I mean marry. I forget the ratio of men to women but it's widening dramatically.

China, I think, is worse.

And if you're a girl in a Muslim country.. I am really sorry, seriously I am.

In our reformed circles in the U-S-of A we have a different problem..

The topic actually comes up in our presbytery meetings, of all topics!

What's our problem? Too many males? Nope. Too many girls? Nope. Too many under-acheiving and lazy guys? Yep.

I do think God has given a lot of Christian fathers little ladies by design. And these little ladies are growing up smart, godly and ... yep, downright gorgeous.

But the guys rate of maturation is behind. Hopefully the guys will start comin' 'round but in the meantime,

Hooraahh for my girls!

Dude, unplug sometimes..

2011-03-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

Amillennialism and Postmillennialism had a fight at the Pub Part I

2011-03-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

Premill just sat there drinking a coke and wishing he could argue..

Our two fighters: Black Butte Porter the Postmillennialist vs. Pabst Blue Ribbon the Amillennialist.

Porter: “I don’t think all Amill folk are preterist but being preterist= (the pos. that says most of the prophetic “end-times” material is fulfilled in and around 70 AD with destruction of apostate Jerusalem) is really important.”

Pabst: “Yes, I’m a preterist.”

Porter: So, on that, amills and postmills can agree, that’s step 1.

Step 2 is where amill has error. Step 2 is believing the gospel will be victorious on earth in the future.

Pabst: (Lets out an obnoxious grunt, rolls his eyes and says,) “Oh, everyone knows that the world is not getting better..Of course the gospel is going to be victorious in the end, when Christ returns.”

Porter: Here is one of the best short definitions of Amillennialism I’ve ever seen:
“We are in the millennium now, but the blessings of the millennium are not outward but rather the inward blessings of the church and in the heart.”
This, from my ordination examination test actually.
This is why the amill pos. is criticized for being semi-gnostic.. That the blessings of the New Covenant age are inward and in the heart, not outward-flowing and recreating the world. The place to hammer out the eschatalogical positions is not Rev 20 (millennium proper) but the greater telos “end/goal” eschatology of the Bible. What is the end goal of the Bible, its eschatology? It is new creation, first in the changed hearts of its subjects but then outwardly towards all creation–Rom 8 and all over Isaiah’s latter chapters and other prophets.
Pabst: Spits out his blue ribbon beer and has a black-eye.

Porter: As I’ve studied the Bible the burden of Scripture does not move towards the advancing church’s blessings in the world to be “in the heart,” “up there” with Gary Larson’s far side heaven cartoons..no, but, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In the end, in Revelation 21:2 heaven comes down to earth in final consummation. The two will become one.

Pabst: “uh-uh..”
To risk being reductionistic for the sake of clarity, amill pos. sees the church as always beaten down and never really victorious…Christ never really subdues all His enemies beneath His feet….until one great climactic moment in the end similar actually to premill but without the rapture.

Pabst: I guess I have been kind-of a depressed Christian.

Add caption

Porter: Amillennialism is depressing, and it’s defeatist. The Bible is not defeatist. This misses the entire melody of Scripture which is that “the knowledge of the glory of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.” He will reign until all His enemies are subdued.”

Pabst: But the NT is alarmist and “pessimistic!”

Porter: Some folk say that you can’t get to this optimism when reading NT. But they miss the fact that the NT, not the age to come, is “pessimistic” because God was bringing that old age, the old covenant order to an end with judgment upon the arch-enemies of God—as it turns out, the unbelieving Jews themselves!
The world was feeling like it was going to end when you lived in 55 AD and were reading the Apostle Paul’s letters. But the power of the raised Messiah is more than sufficient to topple all the citadels of unbelief both now and in the future. The problem comes when we read into the NT’s doom-is-coming language into the present. The Church, now in that symbolic thousand years, and living in the kingdom will be victorious, albeit in a death and resurrection pattern, like her King–Notice the terrible predicted anguish of Christ in Ps 22 but then notice the telos, the fruit of that cross in vv.27-29. That theme, “the government will rest upon His shoulders-” (Is.9:6) as I’ve now discovered, drips from the Bible. My previous presuppositions that the Bible was essentially pessimistic with victory and that the Church could not be predominant blinded me from what texts actually say.

Pabst: I need another beer..

Porter: Notice Is. 9:7 “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace…” That doesn’t mean the church brings in the kingdom without suffering and that there are long periods of terrible persecution.. It is that our graph of world history is much longer than the short ones predicted by both premills and amills. A long graph has severe depressions, yes, but you have to see how the gospel has enveloped the globe already very significantly since the first century.

Pabst at this point, started slinging wild punches from non-sensical theological expostulations from Rev 20…

Porter: You really need to read David Chilton’s, Days of Vengeance. And your argument from Rev 20 has nothing to do with the burden of argument I’m bringing from the eschatology of the Bible as a whole.

The apostle said not to box as though beating the air…

Bruno on the sabbath

2011-03-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

Been reading a really interesting and unique book.. The Good Wine by Bruno Barnhart. Subtitle is, "Reading John from the Center." It's pretty deep. I thought he had some excellent comments on all the sabbath wars that were going on between Jesus and the Pharisees:

"The divine word embodied in the law had been virtually paralyzed, (much like the paralytic himself) and this was exemplified by the legalisitic interpretation of the sabbath in terms of complete inactivity. Jesus brings the word of the sabbath back to its original meaning in the sense of re-creation, return to the font of life. (..."The Father is working..") Once again, the movement from exodus to creation is a movement from human religious structures, imperfect, impotent and sometimes perverse and inimical to life, to a faith which relates the person immediately to God's creative power."

The Pharisees mistakenly held to a sabbath of impotent, lifeless, and inactive death.. Jesus brought re-creation and life-giving rest.

Andreas--first steps on video

2011-03-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

Some good movies you should see and one you can spare..

2011-03-04T16:39:00.000-08:00

Get Low
and
Like Dandelion Dust

Two excellent Christian movies.. Christian films are getting better and better.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader was lame. Very disappointed, but then, should I be?

Fiest, Julia, 'Dray and Mum

2011-02-25T18:22:00.001-08:00

More Portland weirdness

2011-02-24T15:23:00.001-08:00

Parody of living for the "cool."

2011-02-23T13:01:00.000-08:00

The Year of Living Biblically-A.J. Jacobs Part 1

2011-02-22T09:44:00.000-08:00

"In the third century, the scholar Origen is said to have interpreted literally Matt. 19:12 'There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven'-and castrated himself. Origen later became a preeminent theologian of his age-and an advocate of figurative interpretation."

Hilarious.

Best satire on organic frenzy ever

2011-02-21T21:05:00.000-08:00

2011-02-21T20:46:00.001-08:00

Sometimes you have to work with the technology you have-the kids don't mind

2011-02-21T20:18:00.000-08:00

Andreas, a one-woman man

2011-02-21T19:54:00.000-08:00

Hannah's cooking experiments

2011-02-21T19:47:00.000-08:00

Andreas~a little perturbed at Mom for taking a pic when he wasn't ready

2011-02-21T19:44:00.000-08:00

Gospels

2011-02-21T17:47:00.001-08:00

On John and the gospels..."We related the first chapter the last chapter and marvelled that the same Eternal Word which was with the Father in the Beginning had become the man Jesus whose name would fill the libraries of the universe... The genealogies prove Jesus to hail from the tribe of Judah; yet he is without father or genealogy. The sayings prove him to be a genius; yet he gives back his genius for the comprehensive Spirit of the Church. The miracles prove him to be a cosmic force; yet, this cosmic force does not dominate but serves. And the prophecies prove him to be the Fruit of the Lips of all the peoples of the world; yet he is a person, a man in space and time, the personal friend of John."

Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy

Are you going to get the mother of all inheritance?

2011-02-18T17:34:00.000-08:00

"The wise will inherit honor." Prov. 3:35a Honor is the most treasured inheritance in the last day.

Doug Wilson, in his introduction to Galatians from Omnibus Textbook

2011-02-17T10:28:00.000-08:00

"Our society fruitlessly craves another gospel; any other gospel will do, except the real one. We will drink ten glasses of water an hour, meditate while water cascades down the plastic waterfall beside our pet rock. We will hum a mantra. We will invest money in businesses in parallel universes. We will make pilgrimages to Tibetan villages. Anything, except submit."

From the Bayly pastors: Facebook, pastoral care, and intimacy... - BaylyBlog: Out of our minds, too...

2011-02-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

Facebook, pastoral care, and intimacy... - BaylyBlog: Out of our minds, too...

Okay-previous post-formatting is messed up...Sorry, I'm lame, or maybe its blogger..

2011-02-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

Here's to all who feel that in order to be "current" they have to read all the blogs, news, and be "up" on everything...

2011-02-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

Comments on John

2011-02-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

The prayer for all of us should be that Christ would disclose himself to us. This should be our greatest desire throughout our lives:

John 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."

How does He? When we love to keep His commands. It reminds me of Ps. 25:14, "The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant."

If we want to know the secret of God's covenant and to really know the Lord Jesus, we must abide in Him through keeping His commands. Jesus said, .."So that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me."

As the Son delighted to obey His Father and was vindicated so must we.

"You are My friends if you do what I command you." This is our food.

Invincible Christian

2011-01-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

Been thinking about what makes a Christian strong.

I think in large part it entails these things:

1) Freedom from the fear of man.
2) Living life with an, "open hand." Meaning--Not going around demanding things from God. Putting away a "rights" mentality. If I get this job, great. If I don't, who cares? If this or that does or doesn't change, then what does it really matter? Honestly, what does it really matter? Everything is a gift, what do we have that we have not received?
What matters is that the living God shed blood for my redemption, what can man and mere circumstances do to me then? What matters is that we are here to be thankful and joyful slaves of God.. Our food is to do His will, (Jn. 4:34) that's it. We are here to give our lives up to Him and He, by our doing so, will give us the most enviable life that we could imagine. This would be a life of truly fruitful death and resurrection. All of this is a part of what I mean by living life with an open hand. We have to stop striving with God for the right circumstances and for this and that to happen etc., This is not living life with an open heart and hand, it is clenching onto something more than Christ. We make idols for ourselves out of all this worry. When our treasure is with Christ "in the heavenly places," then we can lose everything and still be as rich as a king.

Jana and I just watched a streaming netflix movie called, Molokai: The Story of Father Damien. It was a beautiful movie about a Roman Catholic priest who decided to live -permanently- among the outcast lepers exiled to the island of Molokai, just off of Maui. He fell ill with leprosy himself and died among them. It was a very inspiring movie along the theme of the previous paragraph.

3) Living to please God supremely. Jesus lived to please the Father. Because of this, it made Him invincible to the pressure and rejection of men. Jesus was free from pride and the weakness that comes through selfish attempts to establish ourselves. He was free from trying to make a name for himself. He was above that. What man is there who is above that?

John 5:30 "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." Problems begin when we too eagerly seek our own will in judgment.

5:41 "I do not receive glory from men;" (If Jesus did not receive glory from men, what makes us think we will?)

5:43,44 "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?"

Jesus was invincible because He was not weakened through pride and selfish aggrandizement. When we are strengthened by the Spirit to be free from trying to control our lives, from prideful attempts to defend ourselves, and to establish our will and our name, we are strong.

This is what the world needs to see. This is the kind of leader that churches need.

Oh God, help..

taking the low seat

2011-01-20T11:07:00.000-08:00

Important lesson from John the Baptist today:

Church leaders face a particular kind of temptation. They exert themselves stridently towards an ideal. Problem-It is one thing to represent the ideal (Christ) but another thing to identify ourselves with that ideal. What do I mean?
John passionately prepared the people for the Messiah. He represented the Messiah. However, he could not identify himself as the Messiah. He (Jn) made clear that he wasn't the One to come.

We can too easily confuse what we're about. Christ is the One that people need. We cannot let our ego and personalities get in the way. We're just representatives. "A man can receive nothing unless it has been give to him from heaven", Jn said to his disciples after they said that Jesus was baptizing and everybody was going to him. "He must increase, but I must decrease." Jn 3:30

There is a tension isn't there? Leaders do need to graciously enter into the place of influence without having to grovel in a false humility. In other words, there is a gracious way to accept the seat of honor that others may bestow upon us.

But let's be clear about this-What do we have that we have not been given? Let's not war on behalf of ourselves when others disrespect. Let's strive for the honor of His name, not ours. When we do this in sincerity, He lifts us up. He gives the Spirit without measure, (Jn 3:34) and that's what people need-not us, not me.

St. Anne's is back!

2011-01-17T16:48:00.000-08:00

I've posted there some same stuff as here, but there's a new issue and lots of cool stuff..

Go here: stannespub.com

if you missed it (below)

2011-01-13T17:29:00.000-08:00

the bridesmaid has an earring that links up with my ear exactly

Me and wedding pics do not get along

2011-01-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

Parenting

2011-01-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

"Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Prov. 22:6

Too often this verse is taken to mean something like:

Spank my child like a perfectionist machine.. Make him eat all his vegetables and organics.. Make him comb his hair and sit in church quietly.. Discipline him in reformed manners and ways and when he's old he won't depart. Put him through a really hard classical Christian education. That'll do it.

Instead, I think we must read the verse like this:

Give 'em the good life. Show 'em heaven. Show them tenderness. Yes, bring the sting of spanking regularly and consistently. Hold them to a higher standard. Expect strict manners but in a spirit of humility from the heart. Shepherd them through a robust Christian education. Teach them to embrace hard things. How? By example.

But, train them up in the way they should go... Laughter. Family fun. Prayer with them. Stories. Feasting. Play. Time with dad. Time with mom. Dates. Discussing movies watched together. Vacations. Teaching them diligently from the Word to understand Him and the world.

They will not depart from a home like this.

And if God requires that church officers have these kind of children-faithful and believing (from the heart, we can deduce) then it is possible. Not just possible but commanded and blessed by His grace.

We need help.. And God will give it. Ask. believe. Obey.

You need a laugh

2011-01-12T09:24:00.001-08:00

Encouragement for ya

2011-01-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

The Word never fails to deliver to those who hunger and thirst:

"It is a trustworthy statement:
For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself."
II Tim. 2:11-13

In these three verses we see the balanced perspective of the fear of sin and of the Lord, the promise of vindication, and rounded off with a great promise.

Alexander Piano recital with James playing a fun Chopin piece

2011-01-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Service Homily

2011-01-06T10:34:00.000-08:00

Homily

Pastor Alexander

“No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow- Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as-the curse is found.”

The mall is postmillennial. Secular businesses are postmillennial, caught up in the triumph of God’s incarnation in Christ without even realizing it. How? Because they play “Joy to the World! the Lord Is Come.” The hymn says; “let earth receive her king, the Savior reigns, He rules the world with truth and grace,” and (above). One day, the courthouse will ring with this truth in the middle of summer.

Sins and sorrows do grow. Thorns continue to infest the ground. They draw blood and we curse them spitting and grumbling. We kick those people or objects that happened to be in our way because we’re angry at the fall.

We forget, we deserve them. The rocks, hills and plains want to repeat the sounding joy but they are angry with us, because we have cursed them in our sin. And so waters sometimes flood us and the lions roar at us, because we cursed them.

But… we are not to live in defeatism. Christ has come! Therefore, you are free from passivity and retreat. Hope is alive. No more let laziness sleep. “Wake, Awake, for night is flying!”

In the name of Jesus the Christ people of God, our mission is clear: Beat back the sins and sorrows of your life because of the triumph of Grace. Subdue the thorns. Dominate over the dysfunction around you and in the name of Christ fashion truth, goodness and beauty instead.

Away with pettiness! Away with bitterness! Away with the accusatory finger! Give the Scrooge in your heart a kick down the stairs. Away with all victim mentalities.

He comes to make His blessings flow! Let them flow through you first. Then, beat back the sins, sorrows, and thorns like warriors. Make blessings flow to others far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found.

Amen.

Elegant words

2011-01-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

"By What Means God is Made Known Unto Us:

We know Him by two means: first, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe; which is before our eyes as a most elegant book, wherein all creatures great and small, are as so many characters leading us to contemplate the invisible things of God.."

Article 2 Belgic Confession (1561)

2010-12-30T18:32:00.000-08:00

New Snow

2010-12-30T18:29:00.000-08:00

2010-12-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

Professional Family Pics

2010-12-30T12:08:00.001-08:00

Jana's blog

2010-12-29T16:56:00.000-08:00

Me wife is bloggin' again. check it out at flowerofgrass.blogspot.com

stiff shot of Bible whiskey

2010-12-28T10:47:00.000-08:00

"A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy." Prov. 29:1

May God give us broken and contrite hearts.

Rene Girard

2010-12-27T11:51:00.000-08:00

"Why does Jesus regard the Father and himself as the best model for all humans? Because neither the Father nor the Son desires greedily, egotistically. God 'makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and he sends his rain on the just and on the unjust.' God gives to us without counting, without marking the least difference between us. He lets the weeds grow with the wheat until the time of harvest. If we imitate the detached generosity of God, then the trap of mimetic rivalries will never close over us."

Girard defines this "mimetic rivalry" to be the awakening of desire within us when our neighbor simply has something we don't. This is like a toddler who wants the toy that the other toddler has in his hand, even though there are hundreds of toys just like it on the floor.

Elijah is six.

2010-12-20T12:48:00.000-08:00

"Dad." What. "When I get married I am going to get a hotel room." Me- .................. O-k-a-y.

Kids these days.

All I got to say is BAM

2010-12-07T10:40:00.000-08:00

The Mind of A Servant...

"Are you in your right mind? Aren't there unattractive, thankless people in your life whom you should be loving and serving, but whom you are about to give up on? Maybe it is a spouse? Your parents? Others in the church? Pastors often hear: "I work my fingers to the bone in this church and what thanks do I get?" Is that the way it is? Your service was for thanks? Are you in your right mind? Servanthood begins where gratitude and applause ends. Do you only serve people whom you like or whom you find attractive or who are like you? Even sinners do that (Luke 6:32-34). Christians, like Peter's mother-in-law, give diakonia because they have been healed and given diakonia by Christ (Matt 8:15)."

Tim Keller~pastor in Manhattan

Accepting painful correction

2010-11-29T09:26:00.000-08:00

Never ceases to humble me:

"Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, But he who regards reproof will be honored."

Elijah the Pilgrim at school

2010-11-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

The reason why Thanksgiving is such a great holy-day is because we concentrate on thankfulness and feasting, two things we need to do throughout the year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Idealism or faithfulness?

2010-11-24T12:24:00.000-08:00

Do we seek for the ideal place that will fix our discontents or do we invest ourselves in diligence wherever we are? It's the faithfulness that matters not your circumstantial location.

Proverbs 12:14,15 "A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words, and the deeds of a man's hand will return to him." What really matters is the performance of your character and life, not so much the particular external circumstances of your life.

Prov. 12:24 "The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slack hand will be put to forced labor."

10:4 "Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich."

Hard work and Thanksgiving--Amen.

Timothy Keller~"Ministries of Mercy"

2010-11-18T11:15:00.000-08:00

"The ideology of the Left believes big government and social reform will solve social ills, while the Right believes big business and economic growth will do it. The Left expects a citizen to be held legally accountable for the use of his wealth, but totally autonomous in other areas, such as sexual morality. The Right expects a citizen to be held legally accountable in areas of personal morality, but totally autonomous in the use of wealth. The North American "idol"- radical individualism - lies beneath both ideologies. A Christian sees either "solution" as fundamentally humanistic and simplistic."

So, as Francis Schaeffer once said, "...Do not align yourself as though you are in either of these camps: You are an ally of neither."

Pilgrim William Bradford~2nd Governor of New Plymouth

2010-11-16T20:57:00.000-08:00

"Thus out of small beginnings greater things have grown by His hand who made all things out of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light enkindled here has shone to many, yea, in a sense, to our whole nation; let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise."

I have been studying the Pilgrims coming to America. I am giving a lecture on them at our school, Coram Deo this Fri. I will try and post the lecture in series here.

Hard Words

2010-11-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

More often than not, even for the sweetest of people, "hard words" are what we need for our victory over sin.
"Hard words make soft hearts, and soft words make hard hearts." Jim Wilson

Alexanders in Oct complete with homeschool co-op and reformation party--me as a cardinal and Elijah as a "papal bull"

2010-11-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

True to history, many Roman Catholics were drunks. Popes/Cardinals were infamous for corruption. Abigail is the Latin Vulgate. Hannah is the famous Anne Boleyn. Somebody had to play the part of the enemy in the reformation party. The Jews have long had certain individuals dress up as Haman when they reenact the festival of Purim.

Our tradition of slicing through orange

2010-11-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

Greenbluff-Apple cider, pumpkin picking trip

2010-11-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

Best short piece-incredibly beautiful/practical on God the One in Three

2010-11-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

Best poem I've read outside of Scripture is Doug Jone's "Catapoem," which is a catechism on the Holy Trinity done in a poetic form. You must read it-http://credenda.org/ Volume 17 number 4. Part of it is upside down to mess with your head, you'll have to print it.

Kids in Manito Park 2010

2010-11-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

Our friend BJ, "..like a bride radiant in her glory.."

2010-11-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

God made us for hard work

2010-10-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

There is a lazy strain in all of us. I think we shy away from encouraging others to work hard because we're always afraid that it will sound like we're exhorting to "works-based-righteousness." Some Christians are so concerned that we will obey in this mindset that they see "works" under every rock and leaf. I think it's more so that we wait until we feel a certain way before we think it's right to obey. I'm afraid we're too sensitive to buffer our laziness with the excuse that "just working harder" will encourage someone to obey out of "duty" and not "grace".. As though duty and grace are really separate, 'cause they're not. Too much theology-speak these days tries to divide those.

James calls the law the perfect law of liberty. Obedience makes for freedom.

And so, instead of the simple message that we need to exert ourselves in greater diligence we get lost trying to step-toe around what we really need to hear.

Teaching children for instance.. As a man with five children I know how hard it is to teach them something sometimes. Instead of doing the harder thing, the more loving thing of giving each child the attention they need I am tempted to a herd mentality. I am tempted to a zone-defense reactionism instead of being a more pro-active father. For example, I might think that my son will learn how to memorize Scripture or learn to sing if he just comes along for the ride as I teach all my children as a group. But no, nothing can replace the individual attention that each child needs. Group devotions are wonderful but not as a replacement for personal interaction with a child.

I need to work harder. I think we all need to work harder. Sometimes the answer is more simple than we want it to be.

And as we do this from being clothed in God's grace ourselves, we will discover that our exertion is duty, love, and yes, grace to us and to the child.

Texas Rangers

2010-10-23T15:45:00.000-07:00

Why is it so cool that the Rangers are going to the World Series? "What's the big deal you might say?"

Well, this team more than any other so far, has take the longest to get to the World Series. The team has basically been around for fifty years though 39 in Texas. The Rangers have never even won an American League Division Series, let alone an American League Championship Series.

And... they beat Goliath. The Yankees were the perfect match for this epic victory.

Here's hoping for the world championship!

R.E.M.."Losing My Religion" lyrics and my note

2010-10-21T17:58:00.000-07:00

"Life is bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no I've said too much
I set it up

That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

Every whisper
Of every waking hour I'm
Choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool
Oh no I've said too much
I set it up

Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream
That was just a dream"

I have always found this song chilling. It is well-written, poetic and very sad. Regardless of his particular aim the song seems plain that it is a memoir of failed parenting in my mind. It stands as a great warning to those parents that lose their children's religion. "I thought that I heard you laughing I thought that I heard you sing I think I thought I saw you try But that was just a dream...

GOD'S HOSPITALITY

2010-10-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

The hospitality of the Lord Jesus for us is a home filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread and a feast for all senses. He makes a fuss over us. Consider this for a moment: God’s hospitality in all of life to us. He gives us everything to enjoy in what we see. What we behold. Color. Pristine definition of contrast and shape. The arrangement of a well-dressed meal on a white plate. The comeliness of a person’s happy face…Consider how God puts attention in pleasing us through the sensation of touch. That strange feeling in your palms when you just hit a line drive past the shortstop from the sweet part of the bat…just the feeling itsef makes you want to run to first base like a dog with your tongue hanging out. He loves to delight us in the trifles... The feeling of a cup of hot chocolate around the crest of your hand, or even better the waterfall of chocolatey goodness coating your insides like a happy engine. What about that feeling of a fleece blanket on a sleepy Sun afternoon?
Hearing…Why do certain people’s laughs just make you smile? Could sound waves not be so enjoyable? Yes, but that’s not God’s original intention with them. I like the sound of a not—too-close F-15 with full afterburners ignited. (It’s when you see that orange glow appearing from the backside of the turbines.) It just makes you want to shout—YEAH!! Just the sound makes you feel like a man.

It’s a guy thing.

What about music that stops you cold in your tracks, seizes your entire being and takes you to another dimension. The sound of a campfire crackling. Coffee brewing…a toddler’s attempt to communicate……. Glory.
Could you ever have imagined how much good sensation comes from little things called taste buds? Why do we get enjoyment from chewing food? The ungrateful and inhospitable just think of the science of the glory of food something called, "Mastication." "Mastication is the process by which food is crushed and ground by teeth. It is the first step of digestion and it increases the surface area of foods to allow more efficient break down by enzymes. During the mastication process, the food is positioned between the teeth for grinding by the cheek and tongue. As chewing continues, the food is made softer and warmer, and the enzymes in saliva begin to break down carbohydrates in the food. After chewing, the food (now called a bolus) is swallowed. (Just reading this descrip is laborious!) It enters the esophagus and via peristalsis continues on to the stomach, where the next step of digestion occurs.” Eeeehh. Have we forgotten the irony and fun of life? What happens when we lose the wonder and delight of life? We’re like the trolls in heaven in Lewis’ Last Battle who can’t believe and so they spit out the five star meal in front of them because it has become manure for them. They’ve lost thankfulness.
We can take all this for granted. But all of it is a gift, God’s hospitality to us.

Supremely, we know the Lord’s hospitality by the forgiveness we have received from him. God’s hospitality is realized in the incarnation and eventual death of the Lord Jesus. He came with us in our five senses, the sensation of pain in particular. He invited us in. He took our sins upon Himself and bore them on the cross. Ultimate hospitality. And now, through his death and life, He welcomes you in His presence by the Holy Spirit. He is truly present with us and He is our host. He eats a meal with you in peace, and invites us all to that Meal of all Meals—the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Chicago Marathon

2010-10-19T14:49:00.001-07:00

I ran it thirteen years ago today. HHmmm. Should I run another one? Anybody want to do that with me? Chicago? New York? If I run in NY I will wear a rangers shirt.

What kind of "Calvinists" are we? How are we different from various stripes of American calvinism? We are sacramental calvinists. We are high church puritans...

2010-10-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

Communion Meditation for
Oct 10, 2010 Christ Church Spokane

I desire for a man-centered, feelings based Christianity to be eradicated from our midst. A feelings based Christian life is riddled with doubt and instability. We are sacramental Calvinists… It means our foundation is covenant renewal worship. Christ Himself is the foundation for our life of course. But the way we appropriate this is evident with His Word. And His Word is most concrete when given to us by His ministers in the Lord’s Day Service. The foundation for our Christian walk is not our regular quiet time. It is not our ability to walk victoriously by the Spirit more than another does. No, it is what the Lord does for us every Sunday. He forgives our sins, speaks to us with His Word in Scripture, creeds, prayers, and songs. That is our ballast. These are sure words that allow us to live in confidence throughout the week. The grounding of our Christian life is centered in the objective signs and seals of His favor towards us, namely the Lord’s Supper and baptism. Our feelings and emotions follow the truth of covenant union with Christ, not the other way around. Feelings and emotions are inescapable and important in our obedience, but not as the engine.

This is a sacrament. Meaning that this is a glorious mystery, the union of Christ and His Church through the action of a meal together. The Lord’s Supper is precisely not subjective, that is, something that I muster up from my own head. This is why traditions that reject the sacrament of God make for themselves rival sacraments to feel close to God….. i.e.- The invitation system, speaking in tongues, singing songs that massage your emotions, or sermons that make you feel just right.. The apex is in your feelings about God, helped by whatever external manipulation does the trick. This is why not a few evangelical churches are constantly spinning out some new paradigm or program because the ballast of the Bible is missing---the objectivity of the covenant. The foundation for the maintenance of our joy, for our assurance, for everything, is Christ in worship and in The Lord’s Supper. Why? Because it is God’s Word to us, applied effectually. We look away from our deceptive and flaky hearts to Christ and His work. It is not healthy to muster up emotions within us for the preservation of our faith, we look away from our squirrely hearts to objective words… “This is My body for You,” believe it, eat it, drink it, and have joy in My authoritative Words, not your words, not your thoughts, and not your feelings, says the LORD. We just believe..Joy of joys. Believe by eating and drinking.

For too long Christians that treasure the doctrines of grace still have a feelings based Christianity. For years Christians have embraced as the center of their Christian life their experience or their knowledge. I would call this the predominant norm in American Calvinistc Christianity, a Pietism-laden Calvinism. This is not much more than a step away from modern evangelical Christianity, which is based on your decision, not on God’s promise to you and your children.
Even Jonathan Edwards brethren, for all his great work, had a very subjective focus in his writings. Presbyterianism in his time was far more rationalistic. Many in the 1700’s and esp. afterwards, overreacted against the rationalism and became what’s called pietistic. Pietism can be dangerous because it puts undue emphasis on the experience of the believer and not enough on Christ himself. It is His signs and seals, His and ours covenant renewal. This is why we have a covenant renewal worship service every Sunday. God calls us, forgives us, consecrates us, communes with us, and commissions us. God renews covenant with us not because we fall out of it every week, but because it is the practice of renewal and recreation.
Why does God give us a rainbow with water and refracted light frequently? He didn’t give one rainbow to Noah and then we are to meditate holy thoughts about that one rainbow long ago. No, He gives the covenant signs, and we remember, and He remembers, and our union with Him is strengthened. Like a family that sups together every night, their union with each other is strengthened bodily and spiritually each night. A covenant is renewed, as it were, between them. As a man and wife commune with each other, their union is strengthened. The world is filled with symbol and sacrament, mystery and ritual. And we practice renewal and tradition all the time. In our circles we are trying to recover the older Calvinistic Christianity, a more covenantal Christianity. The grounding of our religious experience in Christ is His objective words and signs—His claim over me in the binding ritual of baptism and the nourishment of covenantal words—“This is My body for you, do this in remembrance of Me.” I fear for many Christians in America that we are overly influenced by an individualistic emphasis of the faith, a vague existential pietism. This points people downward to their own hearts and feelings for assurance rather than away from me, to the One whose Word assures… That’s what I need. I need to look at Him and not myself. I desire for my sheep to be protected from the rampant doubt and depression that creeps into our lives. The antidote for it is not mustering up your feelings just right, it is submitting to and believing his Word. This is why some of the Puritans wrote such long tomes trying to encourage people with what true saving faith looks like…because so many were plagued with doubt that they didn’t have the right religious conversion experience. In other words, for all the great doctrine, there still was too much emphasis on people’s impression and experience, at the expense of the objectivity of God’s covenant, and covenant theology itself, expressed today in covenant renewal worship.

God is not capricious. Are you baptized? Do you believe? Then cast aside your sin and doubt, and receive objective love through his covenant seal now.

Ordination Service

2010-10-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hey! It looks like my ordination service will be on either Fri Dec 3rd or Sun Dec 5th. I'll post the precise date whenever we figure it out. It will be an evening service and it looks like I'm going to get exhorted from hopefully 5 pastors--Pastors Wilson, Lawyer, Nixon, Bryan, and Spratt. Would love to see you there.

A dose of reality

2010-10-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

Gal. 6:3,4 "For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another."

It reminds me of the preacher in Eccl. who says that at the end of the day we ought to just be thankful and content, and enjoy the work that God has wrought through us.

We must be careful how we view ourselves, for it will bleed through our actions.

Just be a servant, don't take yourself too seriously. Don't stand up for your own cause. Don't fight for respect and honor, show by action that you are more interested in God's honor and He will exalt you.

Then, you will be effective...

Entertaining Strangers

2010-09-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 13:1,2 says, “Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” “What in the world?” some might say. I think this is a reference to some of the historic moments of hospitality in Israel’s past, and for us to emulate that open-hearted and free generosity. Abraham enthusiastically showed hospitality to three strangers, realizing later that these men were supernatural, and one of them the Angel of the Lord, called a theophany or a Christophany. Israel was to treat strangers with a special diligence. “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:21). “You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Ex. 23:9). “The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord you God” (Lev 19:34). And that last phrase is important, it’s not a tag on, “I am the Lord your God.” The covenant keeping God has delivered you from slavery, therefore extend that covenant--lovingkindness to those in slavery and who are strangers to us. Entertaining strangers was a necessity in some aspects of near eastern culture, esp. for fellow believers. Many of these strangers in Scripture are actually believers unknown to us—Matt 25: 40 “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” It was an issue of safety and protection sometimes. Lot took care immediately of the strangers in Sodom, probably not knowing they were angels until later. The word angel means messenger, and it often describes those under that category. Rahab protected the “angels” of Israel, the spies, and the widow at Zarephath hosted Elijah.

Wisdom is needed here. Even strangers in Israel had to abide by the laws of the land. In our day and time many who are on the streets are actually criminals, so I don’t think we should feel that whoever shows up on our door step we should invite in. Jana and I have had to face this with folks who come around here. Sometimes guys come around and just want to work.. I think sometimes we can provide some, but it takes wisdom. Pray for us and the deacons as we strive to be Christ to these folks. Many, many times people don’t need cash (though they say they do) they need counsel and some direction. But, pray also and consider serving by starting a food closet here in the bldg.

Friendship and Hospitality 5

2010-09-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

"From whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love" (Eph 4:16). Paul does not give us a picture of each member having a personal pipeline of grace from Christ, each drawing his nourishment directly from Him. Rather, the picture is of Christ as the head; he energizes, strengthens, and blesses the whole body. His blessing is mediated through each of the members to each of the others. He does minister to individuals immediately by His Spirit, but He normally builds us in grace by our interaction with the other members of the body. No one can grow in grace without the body. It is impossible to grow up in fullness of maturity apart from its ministry. Fellowship and hospitality are expressions of our necessary and vital relationships with one another. Hospitality is founded upon the covenant union that exists between God's people. We are one body."

Broad-hearted catholicity

2010-09-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

“I am a Christian; I consider nothing that is Christian to be foreign to me.” (Christianus sum, nihil Christiani a me alienum puto.)
—Philip Schaff

Friendship and Hospitality 4

2010-09-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

"Paul, interestingly, does not place hospitality on the periphery of essential godliness, where the modern church tends to place it. We tend to imagine it as a luxurious virtue, practiced by those who are willing and able and not required for anyone else; it is a luxury that we can occasionally afford. We certainly do not think of it as a central expression of Christian holiness and the glory of God. Paul corrects this notion. If we are not practicing hospitality, we are not loving, and when we do not love, we cease to be a living church. It is bound up with our profession of faith and our sacrifice of self to God."
Wilkins

Friendship and Hospitality 3

2010-09-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

"We are not to give unnecessary publicity to our brother's sin. 'He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends' (Prov 17:9). The one who talks unnecessarily about another's sin seeks to estrange him from the rest of his friends, just as he and the gossiper have already been estranged from one another. More friendships are destroyed in this way than in any other. More churches are destroyed by this one error than by any other. Because this is a very serious and constant danger, I and many others have a great and continual fear that it might spring up in our own congregations, and thus we make it a point to warn against it regularly from the pulpit.

Instead, we should just have the courage to speak to one another plainly and in love for:

"Part of loving one's neighbor is telling them the truth. A.W. Pink once said, 'The man who loves me the most is the one who tells me the most truth about myself.'"

From Steve Wilkins book, Face to Face: Meditations on Friendship & Hospitality.

Friendship and Hospitality 2

2010-09-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

"A true friend will be a ferocious enemy to yoursin as well as to his own. Instead of a flatterer, we need someone who encourages, someone who loves us and speaks the plain truth to us, willing to give earnest encouragement if we are downcast, and faithful rebuke if we are in sin. He stirs others up by the example of his own godliness and integrity. His desire after Christ provokes others to desire His glory more."

Friendship and Hospitality 1

2010-09-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

Whoa! It's been a while.. Ordination prep has had me by the throat. But I have subdued him until my fight with him in the ring on Oct 4. So for now, I have some time to start a little series on Wilkins book, "Face-to-face: Meditations of Friendship and Hospitality."

I will throw in some videos on our recent adventures too here and there.

Thanks for visiting my humble little sight.

Wilkins: "Humans are created as social beings, for they are created after the image of God...He is three as well as one, and the holy communion that is enjoyed by the three persons of the Trinity is the pattern for all earthly communion. We are so constituted by God as to live in the society of others. It is a non-negotiable and undeniable attribute of humanity."

Life is about relationships.. The deeper you go down that well, the more glory you will have in life.

Panhandle of FL

2010-07-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

James Jordan-2010 BH Conf on "Wine, Women, Song, and Death"

2010-07-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

For the bride to be glorified, the Bridegroom has to be sacrificed. This is Christ and His Church. From Adam’s death, comes Eve. From Christ’s death, comes the Church. Phil 2 Christ poured himself out. It is sacrificial language. Paul said that he is about to be poured out. Pouring out results in glorification.

Christ died for the Church. In Islam, men do not die sacrificially to beautify their brides. They debase women. They die so that they can rape 70 virgins in heaven!

Jordan believes that Islam is Satan's counterfeit New Covenant. We drink wine, they ban it. We honor women's sexuality, Muslims "circumcise" theirs. We glorify women in song. Women are the shape of biblical song. Men sing bass, the foundation of songs, women sing soprano and Alto, the "front" and most glorifying part of songs.

The first Starbuck's--Pike Place Market-Seattle

2010-07-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

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2010-06-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

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2010-06-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

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2010-06-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

Andreas Christopher

2010-06-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

Andreas says "Da-Da" for everything he experiences. When's he tired and cranky--DADA! When he's happy, Da-Da, when he's desperately trying to communicate-DAADAAAHHHH! It's nice to be appreciated ;)

On the road with Tolkien

2010-06-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

Wyoming

2010-06-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

Alexander fam first camping trip 2010

2010-06-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

This just hit me

2010-05-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith."

I Jn. 5:4

Faith will overcome the world.. That's powerful.

Faith in what?

I Jn 5:5:

"Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

A prayer of thanks

2010-05-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.” Ps. 100:4-5

Our heavenly Father, You are good. You have always been good, and You always will be good. No good gift will You withhold from those who walk uprightly. Yet we are truly perplexed at the circumstances of our lives sometimes..How can this be good? Yet in your infinite wisdom and perfect plans You allow for pain to enter in and sting us. We cannot understand as You do. We were not there when You laid the foundations of the earth…We see with our eyes 5 ½ ft. off the ground, but You cause atoms to play together on Pluto. You roll the thunderclouds like a 17 year old rolls cotton candy in the spinner. We just eat cotton candy…That’s all we do, as we stare up into Your grandeur, while drooling sugar with squinty eyes. We just sit around the living room staring at this new Jonathan Thomas Kuntz, wondering at the miracle of his black cow lick on the back of his head. Why does food have to taste so good? What is this feeling of forgiveness that we feel? How come people look so beautiful when they smile!? Black and white, brown and pale, fat and thin, young and old, beautiful people made in your image. It is because we are made in your image… You are the source of all beauty, we’re just fragments reflecting You. Your creation preaches your lovingkindness with each gracious flower springing to life from the dust. You will spring us to life after we all enter that veil in faith. We are all on an adventure, one with real stage props, sin and death. Real darkness. But we will rise again and everything will spring to life. We will all meet little Victory Athanasius Cummings.
We are all here to love and to know you and each other. We do not hold the universe in the span of Your control as You do. We do not understand Your vastness, Your glory, that You are awesome beyond imagining. You know the end from the beginning. You are good. No lie is in You. You are truth. We know that You will triumph over wickedness, over death. Everything heinous will be reckoned. Yes, you are sovereign. You are the King of all providence. You allow pain to come so that somehow, somehow in the deep of our dark—we may know You more.. You are worthy. Show us your glory! Everything’s going to be okay because You are God. So, for this reason, we give You thanks for dry and dusty old stodgy reformed systematic theologies and the like…because we have been reminded there that yes, You are the Calvinistic God…You know what is going to happen because You have orchestrated everything in Your most loving and wise providence. Nothing can happen to us that first does not come through your all-wise loving hands. We are thankful for good ole’ doctrine..Because in it we learn something of You…Esp. when things get rough. We can rest.

We give you thanks Abba, Father, that we are not in a evolutionary washing machine of time, chance and violence. We do not have to placate polytheistic gods so that we will not have drought. We don’t live in fear-filled superstition as though the world was controlled by a pantheon of warring and petty gods. We don’t serve Allah, the brutal demon tyrant. We don’t serve the Buddha who blurs right and wrong, justice and injustice. We condemn the gods of the Bhagavad Gita, that tyrannize the universe in perversion. There is a God who reigns, and You are this God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, David and Samson, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who with You and the Holy Spirit are one God, world without end.

Amen.

My defense for it

2010-05-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

"During breakfast, Tolkien glances at his newspaper, but only in the most cursory fashion. He, like his friend C.S. Lewis, regards 'news' as on the whole trivial and fit to be ignored, and they both argue (to the annoyance of many of their friends) that the only 'truth' is to be found in literature. However, both men enjoy the crossword."

One would expect the crossword reference from men like that. My only further input is that I justify theology like that too!

Yoga

2010-05-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

Yoga for Immunity and Vitality

"Sit cross-legged or in a chair with spine straight. Stick your tongue all the way out and keep it out as you rapidly breathe through your mouth. Continue this breathing for 1 to 3 minutes. Not only will your body strengthen its defenses, but your spirit will be lifted to the sky."

This is written on the side of an Echinacea tea box with a picture of a woman in a yoga position tongue all the way out and eyes closed... Then in small font.."Before doing this exercise or participating in any exercise program, consult your physician."

This is the most hilarious satire of yoga, and the best part is that I think it might be real.

Our beloved Hannah

2010-04-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

Hannah's been asking us some deep and crucial Q's about eternal security and assurance these days.

We praise God for the Spirit's continued working in her heart. Just yesterday, Hannah came out and confessed some lieing and deceit from almost a yr ago and confessed her sin.

One morning, after her own reading of the account where Samuel rebukes Saul's disobedience, we talked about obeying God supremely above our own desires, esp in light of Saul's departing the faith.

This, in conjunction with the 3 excommunications in our church the past year and a half, has really got her attention. And I'm so grateful for this.

Mommy, in one bedside heart-to-heart one night was encouraging Hannah in the assurance of Christ's salvation for her. This is one beautiful moment in the conversation:

"Hannah, do you see how your head is resting on your pillow right now? That is how you can rest in Jesus' grace in salvation for you."

Hannah, when hearing this, welled up with tears...

Way to go Mom!

And Praise be to God for his working in Hannah by His Spirit to ask these Q's.

We're about to start a little I JN. Bible study with Hannah and Abigail in conjunction with all this and Pastor Joost's preaching through the book.