A Boomer in the Pew

Boomer in the Pew's Weekend Exposition

Today I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite, recently found, websites:  Faith By Hearing (Seize Your Commute)

This site is created by Todd Shaffer, who is the webmaster for The Renaissance Church in Kirkland, Quebec.

I have recently acquired a love of expository style teaching and this website is full of incredibly gifted expositors ready for easy downloading to your iPod or MP3 player.

Here is a quote from Todd's "about" page:

“Soft words produce hard hearts,” says John MacArthur.  How true this is.  And the preaching that comes from many modern, man-centered churches is soft and unable to tenderize the stony hearts of men.  How urgent it is that we find godly preachers who have a high view of God and a high view of Scripture.

Faith by Hearing is designed to collect and categorize the ever-growing availability of great Reformed and conservative evangelical audio preaching & teaching that has a high view of God and Scripture.  This is not merely a machine gun listing of sermons and lectures (though it may seem like that at times.)  This is a personal project to encourage others to be blessed by the preaching and teaching of godly men who are faithful to the all-powerful Word of God."

I just finished listening to Dr. Steve Lawson's teaching on Martin Luther's "The Bondage of the Will"  This was my first real, in depth, exposure to Martin Luther.  Dr. Lawson teaches us that "The Bondage of the Will" was, according to  Martin Luther, one of two of his written documents, out of 77 volumes of work, that was worth keeping.   This was a very enlightening teaching and held me in rapt attention throughout.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

A Message of Love and Forgiveness

There is a man and there is a woman who are a part of my world.  The man and woman have been married for a great number of years and have the most beautiful children a man and wife could ever dream for.

This man and wife were moving along in the world and happily tasting of the success that comes with hard work.  He was very successful in his career and she would likely win a national contest for mom of the year.

Their children, when you met them, would melt your heart with their various talents, contagious smiles and their clear and present content to live in such a wonderful family and home.

Little did this family realize that stirring in the heart of the man was a tempest of temptation and a world system calling him to its delights.  Slowly over the years, the man began to listen to this siren's song.  Slowly over the years these sirens seduced the man until one day it happened...he fully succumbed to the siren's song, the devil's evil ways, and the man wound up in jail with his whole world collapsed around him.   

The man spent many months in jail and the woman, hanging on to the slightest thread, stayed married to the man.  During this horrific time the family was engulfed in a hurricane of assaults on their beautiful family.

Today, this man has paid his debt to society but now one tremendous wall stands in his way.  Forgiveness.  How can he forgive himself?  How could his wife possibly forgive him?  And perhaps most painful of all, how could the children forgive? 

Is Jesus the Only God? - Mark Driscoll

Jesus Christ is the only true God!  Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven!

Our post-modern culture hates these words.  A truck load of arguments and even anger surface at anyone who dares speak them.

My wife was having a conversation with a person who is very close to us on this very subject.

The problem with the post-modern argument is that Jesus Christ himself left no option for confusion.  He was the world's greatest con man, a lunatic, or indeed the second person of the Trinity - Holy God.

I have posted for you, on the following page, an excellent video from Mark Driscoll, Senior Pastor of Mars Hill Church, in Seattle, Washington in this very subject.  This video is very entertaining, informative and speaks directly to this very subject.

Regeneration - What does it mean to be born again?

I was scratching my head wondering what image I could use to communicate the topic of regeneration (being "born again").  I settled on this photograph that I took about a year ago, here in Scottsdale, Arizona.

So far in our series on the Doctrine of the Application of Redemption (from Dr. Wayne Grudem's textbook on Systematic Theology), we learned that mankind, from the fall, was sentenced to death.  But God postponed that death sentence with His Common Grace to all so that some might be saved.  We further learned that God, from eternity past, has already chosen those who would be called His elect, yet in contrast and mystery also gives us the responsibility to respond to His gospel call.  The elect of God, upon hearing the gospel proclaimed receive God's "effective call" which is actually a personal invitation from God the Father into an eternal relationship with Him.

Our response to that call produces repentance of sin and asking God to come into our lives and gives us eternal life.  That moment in time is what theologians call regeneration.  Properly defined, regeneration is:  a secret act of God in which he imparts new spiritual life to us.

This photograph visually demonstrates that through the thorns placed upon the head of Christ, and through his death on the cross and placing our belief and faith in Him, is indeed found regeneration.  Just beyond those thorns.  He invites us to come into the light out of the darkness. 

Who among us wouldn't desire that God the Father, in the most personal way, regenerate our lives in such a way that we can experience love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Who can deny the tremendous desire to have all pain and tears removed and to spend eternity in heaven?

The bible calls it being "born again".  Theologians call it regeneration.  Lets explore this secret act of God in our lives...

Boomer in the Pew's Weekend Reading

This week brought lots of amazement in my Christian journey.  I suppose the most cherished thought in my studies was a realization I made in my reading of A.W. Pink's book this week:

Quote from my Thursday post - I remember seeing Mel Gibson's portrayal of the death of Christ a number of years ago.  It was graphic and very brutal.  I openly weeped in the theater.  But the truth of the matter is that Mel only touched on a fraction of the story.  The most touching part, the most loving part, the saving part of the whole story is the incredible love displayed.  In eternity past God decided to show His love for the Son.  He decided to do this by creating millions of people, people created in His image, who would worship the Son for all eternity.  Wanting this to be a sincere and real love, God ordained evil and the fall of man.  This fall forever separated us from God and the only solution was that the Son would give up His "God-ness" and become sin and withstand the holy fury of Holy God even unto death! And this...this...and inconceivably this he did for me.  Individually, personally and even chosen, elected, predestined from eternity past He did this for me.  My mind and my heart are melted before the Lord my God!

Weekend Links:

• Incredibly sad death of Steven Curtis Chapman's five year old daughter.
• Josh McDowell has some great pontificating on his blog.
• Some good reading over at the 225th edition of the Christian Carnival
• Tim Challies has a wonderful review of the latest heretical book, "The Shack"
• Mike Metzger has a wonderful piece on the conscience called "The Front of the Rim"
• John MacArthur is starting a series on Pluralism entitled, "When world's collide"

That will make for some good reading.  Have a great weekend and see you next week!

The Fourth Word from "The Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross"

"Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane" c 1650 by Giacinto Brandi.

This is my sixth post, joining fellow Christian bloggers in reading Christian Classics.  In this series we are reading Dr. A.W. Pink's, "The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross".

Matthew 27:46, "At about three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

I decided to use a painting from the Garden of Gethsemane to highlight this post because it is here that we see Jesus in anguish, being strengthened by angels, sweating drops of blood and not wanting to partake of the cup. 

The cup is symbolic of communion with God and Jesus knew that in a very short time God would turn His holy face from Him, in judgment,  as He (Jesus) took upon Himself the sin of the world.

The cross is the hinge pin that opens a new door to all of creation.  The crucifixion of the "Son of Man" was the event of all events of earth.  The whole of creation took note that day. 

So why did Jesus cry, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"?  Lets explore together A. W. Pink's thoughts on this matter...

Does God Literally and Personally and Individually Call Us to Himself?

No man or woman can watch this video and not be deeply moved.  God has written His moral code on the hearts of everyone.  When we see true love in action (clearly displayed in this video), it cuts through the hardness of our hearts to that deep place where the image of God resides and creates in us a longing to respond to Him.  I don't know about you,  but the display of love in this video melts me.  Feel it inside?  What is that?  Why are we so deeply moved at the sight of mind bending, sacrificial love?

I Heard God's "Effective Call" on a Sunday School Bus

When I was a child I was raised in a little village called Middleville, Michigan.  Middleville was predominantly an agricultural town but also a bedroom community for neighboring Grand Rapids, Michigan, which lay eighteen miles down the road.

Each summer our local Baptist church would hold Vacation Bible School and mom saw this as an opportunity for some peace and quiet.  I am certain that she also wanted me to get to know the things of God but I am also sure she relished the peace and quiet while I was gone.

This little Baptist church holds a fond place in my heart.  First of all, I would guess that it was built in the late 1800's or perhaps very early 1900's.  It was a small white structure with a big white steeple in the front.  I don't recall exactly what it looked like, but this would be my best guess.  When you walked in the front door, there was a long rope hanging from the bell tower and we would get to ring the bell after Sunday services.  The other thing I remember were creaky wooden floors leading you to the rock hard oak pews.

It was in this little church, back in the early 60's that God placed His "effectual call" on my life.  The song leader, Hosea Humphrey, asked those of us in the sanctuary that morning if we would like to accept Jesus into our hearts.  Those who did walked out into the old church bus, for some privacy,  and our encounter with eternity began.   I can vividly remember sitting in that bus.  Mr. Humphrey stood at the front of the bus, there were about 10 other kids in the bus with me, and together we accepted Jesus Christ as our Saviour. 

This post concerns the doctrine of The Effective Call.  This post will ultimately be part of a larger collection of posts on "The Doctrine of the Application of Redemption" from Dr. Wayne Grudem's textbook on Systematic Theology.

Please join me as I explore "The Gospel Call and Effective Calling"...

The Mind Warping Doctrine of Predestination (Election and Reprobation)

"The Adoration of the Trinity" c 1511 by Albrecht Durer.

This post will serve as a landing page for my four articles on the subject of predestination (election and reprobation) taken from Dr. Wayne Grudem's textbook Systematic Theology.

The doctrine of election and reprobation was a difficult one to wrap my mind around.  This doctrine has been a particularly challenging for Christians to comprehend since the Holy Spirit penned them centuries ago.

I hope that you will take the time to read all that the scriptures teach on this subject.  Many dive in the waters of this doctrine and immediately run for the shores claiming that this teaching of the Bible isn't fair.

I came to this doctrine appalled and now stand in humble thankfulness that I am one God's chosen.

Dig in.  Run the race of this doctrine and share with me your thoughts at the end.

Here are the four posts on this subject:

• Does God Predestine Some People to Hell?
• Shedding Some Tears about the idea of Predestination (Election and Reprobation)
• God you like me, you really, really like me!
• Did God Predestine my Grandfather to Hell?
  

Did God Predestine my Grandfather to Hell?

"The Fall of the Rebel Angels" c 1516, by Pieter the Elder Bruegel.

This post is the forth in a series on the question of Predestination (Election and Reprobation).  This series will ultimately be part of a larger collection of posts on "The Doctrine of the Application of Redemption" from Dr. Wayne Grudem's textbook on Systematic Theology.

Many of the things of God are a challenge for us in our fallen state.  How can we, with our finite minds, understand the things of God and His infinite wisdom? 

The painting to the left is an excellent example of mind warping teachings.  I have never seen an angel.  I have never talked to an angel and as far as I know, an angel has never talked to me.

However, in spite of my experience, the Bible teaches that there are indeed angels.  It gives names to some of the angels, describes different types of angels,  and even describes fallen and elect angels. 

As I study this painting by Bruegel, I once again am reminded that there are simply things that I must take on faith.