Sabbath a'Brakel: Delighting in the Church

In this church there is both glory and elegance. For a moment give attentive consideration to the glorious state of that kingdom and its true subjects. The earth and the nations are enveloped in darkness; however, wondrous light is to be found in the church. The glory of the Lord illuminates this city of God and the Sun of Righteousness enlightens it with His light. Outside of her is nothing but pollution, abominations, and ungodliness; however, within there is her holiness, purity, and glory…. Ought not everyone therefore to delight himself in Zion, and be desirous to be a member of this church, a fellow citizen of the saints, and a member of the household of God? Should not everyone be desirous to submit himself to the protection and government of this King? For not only are all the these things said concerning this kingdom and this King, but all are most certainly true. (II: 58).

Jesus the Great Teacher of Morality

Luke 9:18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"

We often hear the claim that Jesus Christ was a good teacher and that he taught people to be kind, loving, responsible, and tax paying citizens. We often hear that he was a great fighter for injustices and poverty in the world through his goodness and caring persona. Of course, it is true that Jesus was a good teacher, a fighter for injustices, and a loving leader- but what about those who say that is ALL that Jesus Christ was? How should we respond to one that claims Jesus was only a good teacher? Of course, we begin, as good Presbyterians with our presuppositions, the Bible says that Jesus is more than a good teacher. Then what?

Well, today I was reading __________ and he had a great quote by CS Lewis that answers this acusation in a wonderful way. Lewis writes:

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

Sabbath a'Brakel: A Life Time of Receiving Christ

A believing soul is not satisfied with having received Jesus by faith only once, but she does this time and again, both when she has fallen into sin and endeavors to restore the disturbed peace, as well as outside of such a situation. She is desirous to live continually in union with Christ and to be continually in amazement about, and to rejoice in, the great work of redemption (II: 615).

God's Word Will Take Tens of Thousands of Years to Mine

God wrote 66 short books and it will take the Church tens of thousands of years to speak to the glory of what was written. Think of John's words on how writing down the works of Christ would fill the earth with books. We serve a great God who has given us just what we need in His Word. Abraham Piper reminds us that:
If you compare the length of his complete works to the breadth of his subject matter, God’s the most concise author ever. (link)

The Scottish Invasion of West Michigan

This past Lord's Day I had the privilege of preaching at Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church. While I was away from my home congregation, some good things occurred: a couple from our congregation got married (congratulations to Aaron and Meg), Dr. David Murray of the Free Church of Scotland (continuing) filled our pulpit, and we had Rev. Bert Pohl, also from the FCS(c) visiting our congregation (might I add that Bert was the loudest typer while we were in seminary together- he could POUND those keys!). Why do all the good things happen while I am away?

Here are some links that address the above paragraph:

• Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church
• Dr. David Murray sermon at First Reformed Presbyterian Church
• Free Church (continuing)
• Rev. Pohl's blog
  

Also, the newest congregation of the Free Church is right here in Canton, Michigan! Check out their site here.

Sabbath a'Brakel: A Self-Examined Ministry

Let every minister consider and reflect before the Lord, examining himself and answering upon the following questions: Have I been sent of God, or did I run myself? Do I know what pertains to this office? Was I convinced that I had some aptitude for this as far as external knowledge is concerned, and am I likewise spiritually acquainted with the experience of regeneration, faith, hope, love, holiness, God's dealings with the soul, spiritual warfare, and the various conditions of the soul, in order to bring forth old and new things out of the treasure of my heart, to address everyone according to his condition, and particularly to give everyone publicly and privately his portion by way of personal experience, and to speak from heart to heart? Did I have a special love to preach Christ, to be instrumental to the conversion of souls, and to promote the welfare of the church? Was I continually stirred up in my soul to accept this work? Has it been my concern whether or not the Lord has sent me, and have I prayed much in order to know this? Have I at times been desirous not to be engaged in this work, considering the magnitude of this task and my inability? Were those desires to draw back repeatedly conquered by love for this work, or was I frequently put at ease and confirmed in my intention? Have I been troubled by ulterior motives which time and again disappeared by perceiving my sincere motive in the presence of the Lord? Did I perceive a frame of heart by which I was willing to deny myself by parting with material goods, honor, and my life for the Lord Jesus and His church? Or did I only pursue honor and prestige, the acquisition of material goods by which to improve my temporal circumstances, and which, outside of this office, would have been poor and insignificant? Or had I advanced in my studies to such a degree that I of necessity had to proceed? Did I ever really examine myself concerning these matters, or did I merely run without such self-examination?

Those Liberal Churches and Their Programs!

Think that programs to care for the poor and hurting are for today's liberal churches? Maybe that is because the so-called conservative churches are not doing their biblical responsibilities to the poor, orphan, and widow in her midst. Here is an interesting article on the 16th c. Puritan, William Perkins on 'mercy ministry'.

The Expressions of the Heart

Psalm singing is designed by God to provide for every expression in humanity's experience of God. Calvin said that God gave us an anatomy of the soul in the Psalter. This means that every expression of religious thought and feeling is found within the Psalter. There is truly a psalm for every human experience, thus showing the divinity in this inspired hymnal.

The lessons and encouragements which we obtain from other parts of the Old Testament are frequently drawn indirectly by a process of inference, for which we are not always in the right frame of mind and the proper spiritual mood. But the in Psalms, whatever our mood, whether we are exultant or downcast, vigorous or weary, penitent or believing, we can always find our hearts mirrored there. It needs no process of reasoning to make their sentiments our own. Here the language of the Bible comes to meet the very thoughts of our hearts before these can even clothe themselves in language and we recognize that we could not have expressed them better than the Spirit has here expressed them for us. At first sight, this may easily seem strange to us when we remember that the the psalmists lived under the conditions of a typical and preparatory dispensation; that on many points they saw through a glass darkly, whereas we, who live in the full light of the complete gospel, see face to face. But for the very reason that the Psalms reflect that experimental religion of the heart, which is unvarying at all times and under all circumstances, we need not greatly wonder at this. The influx of the divine light, whether more or less strong, must always produce the identical effect of joy, hope and peace in every soul to which it comes. The well at which we drink may flow more abundantly than that at which the psalmists drank, but the experience of thirst, of drinking and of satisfaction must still be the same as it was in the time of David. -Geerhardus Vos

Sabbath a'Brakel: The Church

This one church is made up of all the elect who have been called from the beginning of the world and are yet to be called until the end of the world. They are Christ's peculiar people (Titus 2:14). "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven" (Heb. 12:23); "...Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it" (Eph. 5:25). This one congregation is partially in heaven, and is called the church triumphant, to which reference is made in Revelation 7:9-16. This, however, is not the subject of discussion here. This congregation exists also partially upon earth and is called the church militant. It is the church militant which is the subject of this chapter. One can view this church either in its entirety, dispersed throughout the entire world, or as individual congregations in a nation, city, or village. As such one can refer to the church of England, of the Netherlands, or of Rotterdam (II: 5).

Who Is To Blame: Preacher or Pew Warmer?

Many people ask what is wrong with Reformed churches? Why are so many not growing? Why do we receive the slander of 'the frozen chosen' or 'the dead orthodox'? Truthfully, if one is chosen- he will not be frozen. There are imperatives in the Scripture that move us to be anything but frozen. And if one is orthodox, then he will not be dead, because orthodoxy requires us to have orthopraxy (right practice). Sadly, preachers want to accuse many in the pews of being the problem. We hear, 'People want to be entertained, they do not want sound preaching and demands on their lives.' Martyn Lloyd-Jones saw the problem from the other end- he blamed the preacher first; and saw the preacher's problem finding its way into the pew:

The time has come when we must assess the whole situation . It is entirely wrong to take our problems to the people; we have got to preach what is most profitable for them, what is really going to help them. The main problem of evangelicalism today (apart from slipping away from truth) is the lack of power- what do our people know of 'joy in the Holy Ghost'? You will not win people to teaching if you are a dull teacher! The wife of a deacon said to me about someone she had heard, 'He is unlike so many of our Reformed preachers who are so dull.' If you preach without moving people, you have failed as much as others. If we do not know the joy of the Lord what is the value of what we say? We must start with ourselves. To hear of 'excellent lectures on doctrine' being given on a Sunday is truly appalling. Are you right in assuming those in front of you are enjoying the Christian life, and they are able to convict others? These two things go together. Arguing about niceties will not help us. What is the value of anything if we are not living epistles?

Shawn Anderson Enters the 2008 Election... Well, His Thoughts, at Least.

As a follow up to the 'Reformed Covenanter' discussion on politics- here is Shawn Anderson's post that gives his 2 pennies on the McBama campaign.

Sabbath a'Brakel: Discerning the Inward Call to the Ministry

First of all, a knowledge of the office. One must know what it means to be a servant of Christ, to be the mouth of the Lord, to proclaim that great gospel, to teach ignorant men the way of salvation, to be instrumental in delivering men from the devil, and to lead them to Christ. One must know that it consists in comforting those who mourn, stirring up the indolent, bringing back those who have strayed, exposing hypocrites and temporal believers to themselves, defending the truth against error, rebuking the ungodly, helping to keep out or expelling from the church those who lead offensive lives, and adorning the church, so that by the holiness of those who profess the truth she would bring glory to Christ. One must know that it consists in being an example and in being able to give an account of the souls entrusted to him. How can he who is neither thoroughly acquainted with these matters, nor perceives the weightiness of it all, nor takes this to heart, have intentions to be faithful? All of this must be known, considered, and experienced in order to be conscious of one's calling.

Secondly, there must be some knowledge of one's aptitude for this work. A fundamental knowledge of divine truths and thus being satisfied with a speculative knowledge of these is not sufficient. Rather, one must experience the power of these truths in his own heart, having been converted thereby. He will thus be able to speak from his own experience. He must also have the aptitude to clearly express his thoughts, and must have a voice which is capable of being heard by others. Even though the most qualified person must say, "Who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Cor. 2:16), one must nevertheless be conscious of some aptitude. Shortly we shall consider this aptitude more comprehensively.

Thirdly, there must be an extraordinary love a) for Christ and a desire to make Him known; b) for the church to present her as a chaste virgin to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2), and to cause her to shine forth with light and holiness to the honor of God; c) for the souls of the unconverted to snatch them from the fire, as well as of the converted to strengthen, comfort, and continually provide them with spiritual food.

Fourthly, one must be willing to deny all that is of the world, such as honor, material goods, yes and even life itself. If someone is of low social status and wishes to become someone of renown or to acquire material goods by way of the ministry, his objective is entirely wrong. He would be much happier as a shoemaker, for in my opinion there is no man more abominable than an unregenerate minister who uses the holy things of God to his own advantage.

Fifthly, there must be a great desire for this work (1 Tim. 3:1). There must be continual stirrings to give oneself to the Lord by way of this work, and there must be a concern about whether or not one is called. There must be anxiety when ulterior motives are perceived in the heart which in turn causes one to entertain the thought to refrain from this work; or when the heaviness of the task, and a sense of inability causes one to look up against this work, engendering a desire to be relieved from this work, as with Moses and Jeremiah. The stirrings will nevertheless persist and overcome the objections. This in turn will give him more liberty before the Lord and he will find himself more willing than beforehand because by the objections he will have a clearer view of the motives of his heart. Then his heart does not condemn him, but rather convinces him of his sincerity in this matter.

Everything Must Change?

A few weeks ago I was given a personal invitation to meet Brian McLaren at Baker Book House. He will be in the Grand Rapids' store on Saturday, August 16. I have read some of Brian's works and enjoy some of it and am really bothered by much of it. What bothers me the most is that a Christian leader that many-many-many generation Xers look up to has no real answers- only questions. I guess that is part of the joys of postmodernity. Quite sad really. Jesus Christ had answers, gave answers, and charged the Apostles (the ministers of the Word of the day) to have answers.

We (read: this present generation) need some answers.

Today I was in Baker Book House picking up some books. There was a giant poster of Brian meeting me at the door. The profound 'catch em' quote was this:

I've always had a propensity to think a few degrees askew from most people, especially about religion. And not only am I often unsatisfied with conventional answers, but even worse, I've consistently been unsatisfied with conventional questions.

The quote is taken from his latest-and-greatest-rock'em-sock'em-best-seller called, Everything Must Change.

Sad really. We serve a consistent God that changes not. We have a timeless and biblical religion that transcends ages. Does everything have to change?

_________________________________________________________________

Here is Tim Challies review.

A little taste:
It seems increasingly clear that the new kind of Christian McLaren seeks is no kind of Christian at all. The church on the other side of his reinvention is a church devoid of the glorious gospel of Christ’s atoning death. It is a church utterly stripped of its power because it is a church stripped of the gospel message. McLaren’s new gospel is a social gospel, a liberal gospel and, in fact, no gospel at all.

Wow!

Reformed Covenanter on the US Presidential Election

Daniel Ritchie gives his input into the forth-coming US presidential election. What do you think?

13th Century Worship Wars

Why must we be different? It is rare today to go into a Protestant Church of any kind and find that people praise God with only their voices. The worship wars (which are officially over, according to evangelical scholars) between the organs and the praise band never took us into account. Those who praise God acapella are in the very small minority today, and were never consulted as to our thoughts on the worship wars.

So why be different? If less than 5% of the Western Church chooses to sing acapella- then what is the argument? It does not seem as though we have a leg to stand on in our argument. The Church of Jesus Christ DOES USE instruments in worship. That is just the fact.

But it was not always that way: Hear this selection from Nick Needham's (who, as far as I know, uses instruments in worship) book on Church history, 2000 Years of Christ's Power:

In the period 900-1100...organs began to become common features of the great western abbys and cathedral churches... At first the organ was used simply to give the right note for the monks and choir (like a tuning fork)... This period (900-1100) did not actually lead to a widespread use of instruments in ordinary parish churches and thus in normal Western Catholic worship. Even in the great abbeys and cathedrals the organ's use was limited... Some historical sources speak of an organ controversy in the 13th century, which resulted in the Catholic Church's declaring against the use of organs. Thomas Aquinas... confirms this, for Aquinas simply repeated the way that the early Church fathers had condemned all musical instruments in Christian worship: "The Church does not use musical instruments such as the harp and lyre when praising God, in case she should seem to fall back into Judaism..." In fact, it was not until after Aquinas in the 14th and 15th centuries, that the playing of musical instruments became a widespread, regular and accepted feature of ordinary Western worship.

So, the first 14-15 centuries of Christian worship were without instruments in worship. Then the Reformed churches abandoned them in the 16th century. That means that 3/4 of Christian history is acapella worship.

If I were in a church that used instruments, that figure alone would compel me to investigate the reason why.

Sabbath a'Brakel: Exclusive Psalmody

The decision of the Dutch Synods has been very correct indeed, namely, that none other but the Psalms of David are to be used in the churches (IV: 35).

Parson Brown On Weekly Communion: TAKE TWO!

Here is a follow-up post from Pastor Brown on weekly communion.

Weekly Communion?

Parson Brown throws his hat into the weekly communion discussion.

Tim Keller on the Problem of Fanatics

We all know them. Many of us, in our immaturity, have been them. But, why, when Christians are being fanatical, do they choose judgment over charity? It is rare to hear that someone is too gracious or too loving or too Christlike. Often we are too sinful to see it.

Lord, let the world see a Church that reflects you instead of the flesh.

Think of the people you consider fanatical. They're overbearing, self-righteous, opinionated, insensitive, and harsh. Why? It's not because they are too Christian but because they are not Christian enough. They are fanatically zealous and courageous, but they are not fanatically humble, sensitive, loving, empathetic, forgiving, or understanding- as Christ was... They emulate the Jesus of the whips in the temple, but not the Jesus who said, 'Let him who is without sin cast the first stone'. What strikes us as overly fanatical is actually a failure to be fully committed to Christ and the Gospel. -Tim Keller

Sabbath a'Brakel: Christian Humility

Your name as well as your relationship to the Lord Jesus obligates you to humility. You are named "Christian" after the name of Christ. Your relationship to Him is that you are His bride upon whom He has set His love. The Lord Jesus was humble; the perfect example of humility. Love ought to motivate us to be conformed to Him--more so because He establishes Himself as an example and commands us to follow Him in this: "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Mat. 11:29).

Lectures From the International Conference

Here are the lectures from the RP Conference held last month in Grand Rapids. For the record, there were 1617 in attendance and 95 who registered but did not show up.

If you can only listen to four of them, listen to: Denny Prutow, CJ William, Anthony Selvaggio, and Rick Gamble. (I was not there to hear Dr. O'Neill, so I cannot speak to his lecture... I will listen to it later.)

They say that recordings of the psalm singing will be up soon. Check back frequently.

Pre-Election Presbyterian Thoughts

“Every nation ought to recognize the Divine institution of civil government, the sovereignty of God exercised by Jesus Christ, and its duty to rule the civil affairs of men in accordance with the will of God. It should enter into covenant with Christ and serve to advance His Kingdom on earth. The negligence of civil government in any of these particulars is sinful, makes the nation liable to the wrath of God, and threatens the continued existence of the government and nation.”

Testimony, 23.4

A Free Offer Poem By Ralph Erskine

One of the greatest parts of our Associate Presbyterian history is the emphasis on the free offer of the Gospel.

Grace is offered freely to all men and the doors of salvation are proclaimed to all who will hear. Ralph Erskine was one of the greatest Gospel preachers of his time, maybe of all time.

Here is a poem based on Isaiah 55.1-3 which shows the biblical nature of the free offer of the Gospel. God offers grace in Christ sincerely to all who will come:

"Ho, every thirsty soul, and all
That poor and needy are,
Here's water of salvation's well
For you to come and share.

Here's freedom from sin and woe,
And blessings all divine,
Here streams of love and mercy flow,
Like floods of milk and wine.

Approach the fountain head of bliss,
That's open like the sea,
The buyers that are moneyless,
To poorest beggars free.

Why spend you all your wealth and pains,
For that which is not bread,
And for unsatisfying gains,
On which no soul can feed ?

While vain ye seek with earthly toys,
To fill an empty mind,
You lose immortal solid joys,
And feed upon the wind.

Incline your ear, and come to me;
Hear and your soul shall live:
For mercies sure as well as free,
I bind myself to give."

Sabbath a'Brakel: Two Kingdoms

Calmly consider first of all that there are but two kings in this world, each having a kingdom: the kingdoms of Christ and of the devil, which are mortal enemies to each other. A third kingdom does not exist. Every person upon earth or is either a subject of King Jesus or of the devil, the prince of darkness. No matter who you are individually, you are truly a subject of one of these two kingdoms. You are neither neutral nor a subject of both kingdoms simultaneously. Therefore, to which kingdom do you presently belong? What do you have to say for yourself? If you neither know nor have ever given this any thought, come and sit next to me for a moment; let us consider this matter, and then make a heartfelt and eternal choice. Whose subject do you wish to be? Whom do you choose to be your king? (II: 56).

Reformed Presbyterians Sing!

Anyone who has spent time around the RP Church knows that singing of Psalms is something that is loved. I wanted to capture one of the songs from the International Conference to show how the singing is really a 'foretaste of heaven', as so many say. Enjoy 1600 RPs praising God!

Reformed Presbyterian International Conference

This week my family and I are at the RP International along with 1600 other Reformed Presbyterians from around the globe. There are people there from the US, Canada, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, England, Cyprus, Japan, the Sudan, and others.


The singing is phenomenal and should be experienced if you are in the Grand Rapids area. It is actually overwhelmingly beautiful. I hope to get a video of it up tomorrow.

Today Dr. Dennis Prutow preached from Colossians 3.16 on how to meet Christ by 'letting His Words dwell in you richly'. The two main points (or moves as he would say) were by heeding the preaching (teaching and admonishing) and the singing of Psalms. Heeding includes hearing and making it change your life. It was a great sermon!


The children also have classes to attend which focus on the same topic. (There are over 150 preschoolers present!)

There are also 'break away sessions' which are attended later in the morning. I went to one on preaching (by Dr. Prutow as well) and Lydia, my wife, went to one on 'keeping our youth', which was led by Pastor Andy McCracken. Some of the others from our congregation attended sessions on 'dealing with conflict in the church' and 'the mercy ministries of Jesus'. Everyone had good feedback on what has been taught thus far.

What an opportunity to meet with like-minded Christians for fellowship, encouragement, and Christ honoring teaching!

Sabbath a'Brakel: The Temperment of the Truly Converted

God is the moving cause of meekness. Man is naturally inclined to lose his temper, be angry, be rancorous, and to be as prickly as a sticker bush which cannot be touched without being injured by it. However, when God regenerates a man according to the image of the meek Jesus, He grants him a meek heart. The apostle therefore also lists meekness among the fruits of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is...gentleness" (Gal. 5:22) [IV: 82].

Is Your LIFE hid with Christ?

Colossians 3:1-3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

It is worthy of observation, that our life is said to be hid, that we may not murmur or complain if our life, being buried under the shame of the cross, and under various distresses, differs nothing from death, but may patiently wait for the day of revelation. And in order that our waiting may not be painful, let us observe those expressions, in God, and with Christ, which intimate that our life is out of danger, although it does not appear.

1. For, in the first place, God is faithful, and therefore will not deny what has been committed to him, (2 Timothy 1:12,) nor deceive in the guardianship which he has undertaken; and,
2. secondly, the fellowship of Christ brings still greater security. For what is to be more desired by us than this — that our life remains with the very fountain of life. Hence there is no reason why we should be alarmed if, on looking around on every side, we nowhere see life. For we are saved by hope. But those things which are already seen with our eyes are not hoped for. (Romans 8:24.)

Nor does he teach that our life is hid merely in the opinion of the world, but even as to our own view, because this is the true and necessary trial of our hope, that being encompassed, as it were, with death, we may seek life somewhere else than in the world. -Calvin

Sabbath a'Brakel: The Lord's Supper

1) A true believer will perceive within himself that with all his heart--albeit the one time more perceptibly than at other times--he yearns for the Lord Jesus in order to be justified by His blood, to be clothed with His holiness as merited by His fulfillment of the law, and to be renewed and sanctified by His Spirit. He will perceive that he yearns for, longs for, cries after, flees to, waits upon, and surrenders himself to Him. He wrestles against unbelief in order that he may bring Jesus into his heart, and to be assured that he believes in Him and is a partaker of Him and His benefits.

(2) He will perceive that he cannot be satisfied with believing that he has received grace. He desires with all his heart the possession, the enjoyment, and the relish of the benefits of the covenant. He will perceive that he is enamored with being truly united to God, with a life in which there is an impression of the Lord's presence, with peace of conscience, and with the love and fear of the Lord. When he misses this, he is troubled, and if he has lost this, he cannot rest until he receives it by renewal; for this is his life, delight, and felicity.

(3) He will perceive within himself a hatred and distaste for sin, a grief when he sins, a repeated rising again and a fleeing to the blood of Jesus unto reconciliation, and a delight and love to live a life which is pleasing to the Lord. He perceives within himself a warfare between the flesh and the spirit. The lusts of the world continually draw him to the world and away from God, whereas the spirit--that which has been regenerated, his spiritual life within him--continually draws him away from sin unto God. He also perceives, to his grief, that the flesh at times has the upper hand in this battle, whereas at other times, to his joy, the spirit prevails.

The City of Angels

My family and I will be leaving for Los Angeles, California, at 6 AM Wednesday. We have been asked to come and visit the LA Reformed Presbyterian Church's members as a part of the candidating process. We will gone for two weeks. I will be preaching on the Lord's Days as well as having various teaching responsibilities. Pray for God's will to be made clear as to where He would have us to minister.

To God Alone Be Glory

How many seminaries that were around 200 years ago are still faithful to the Scriptures? How many are still Reformational, Bible teaching seminaries? How many believe that the Scriptures are the inspired, inerrant Word of God?

I can only think of one. (Correct me if I am wrong.)

This past week, To God Alone Be Glory was released in honor of 200 years of God's faithfulness to the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. I got my copy at Synod and it is a wonderful book. It is filled with stories of those who have attended the seminary, as well as many pictures and facts from the seminary's past.

Here are the chapter titles and contributors:
1. "Two Centuries of Sola Scriptura," Robert M. Copeland

2. "The Blessing of Balance," Paul E. Faris

3. "From Syria to Pittsburgh," Bassam M. Madany

4. "From the Old Building to the New: An Analogy," Kenneth G. Smith

5. "The Turtle on the Fencepost," Robert H. McFarland

6. "Friendships," Donald W. Piper

7. "A Caring Family," Walter W. Swartz

8. "The Blessing of Intimacy," Brian E. Coombs

9. "Three Hananiahs," Richard B. Holdeman

10. "A Faithful Family," Andrew R. Cooper

11. "An Unanticipated Blessing," Sung Kug (Ulysses) Jung

12. "Continuity in a Period of Transition," Rutledge E. Etheridge, III

13. "The Women Who Stood," Maryln C. Black

14. "Stories from a Seminary Wife," JoAnn Smith

15. "A Faculty Member's Testimony," Wayne R. Spear

16. "The Seminary's Best Kept Secret," Thomas G. Reid, Jr.

17. "Looking to the Future," Jerry F. O'Neill

It really is amazing that the Lord has been faithful to the RPCNA and her institutions for over 200 years. To God alone be glory!

Sabbath a'Brakel: Tale of Two Kingdoms

Civil government does not have the authority to use the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Those keys have not been given to it, but rather to the church. The civil government punishes those who disturb the peaceful coexistence of its subjects, doing so by way of corporal punishment. The church, however, punishes those who act contrary to truth and godliness, doing so with spiritual discipline. They both have different objectives and there is thus a different manner of punishment. He who is disciplined by the church may nevertheless be a good subject of the government (II: 168).

177th RPCNA Synod Blog

Here is the blog for Synod. I know that it is late in the week, but I do not want to give over $20 to Geneva College for wi-fi.

I am on break and it is going well. Many have asked about my exams, so: In the Lord's goodness and providence, I was unanimously sustained for both exams.

Praise be to His Holy name!

When a man possesses spiritual life, however, this life cannot be idle; it will be active by way of meditation. Since this life originates in heaven, it will also gravitate toward heaven. If it were not repressed by natural corruption, would always, without impediment, be exercised with holy meditation. Since it is repressed, however, it wrestles with corruption and breaks through all this in holy meditation. "My heart is inditing a good matter" (Psa. 45:1). To that end it is time and again needful that there be the influence of the Holy Spirit whereby He lifts us up and maintains our life. Such is the manner in which the regenerate man meditates; however, he is moved to that end by the Spirit of God (IV: 28).

Courage In Christian Ministry

The English word ‘courage’ and the derivative ‘courageous’ are used 25 times in the Bible. There are four different Hebrew words and one Greek word that translated as such in the English Bible. Each give insight into what God requires of those who have positions of leadership in the Church. The words are:

• Chazaq: This word means to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, be firm, or be resolute. This is the most common in our courageous lexicon. It is mostly used to describe Joshua and his boldness in conquering God’s enemies.
• Lebab: This is inner-mind or will. It shows us that courage is something that that is internal and something that is to be ‘willed’. Courage does not come naturally, but is a discipline that the minister must practice in the midst of conflict.
• Ruwach: Interestingly, this word is most often translated as spirit, will, or wind. It is a widely used Hebrew word in the Old Testament. This derivative teaches us that courage is not just a ‘willful’ attitude, but one that is spiritual. True courage will never be without the held and aide of the Ruwach of God.
• Amats: This word is closely related with chazaq. It means be strong, alert, courageous, brave, bold, solid, or hard. It teaches those who lead that there is a discipline which is not only reactive, but proactive. The minister is to be alert for practicing this discipline, not only performing courageously after conflict has arisen.
• Tharasos is the only Greek word that we have translated as courage. It means courageous or confidence. It is important to note, that this confidence is not within ourselves, but confident that God is using conflict to further his glory and conform us to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Reformed Can Jump Too!

In 2005 when Rob Bell wrote Velvet Elvis he talked about how he just wants to 'jump' and how so much of Christianity (read: Grand Rapids Reformed Christians) are not able to 'jump' but instead live in what he called 'Brick-ianity'.

When I read that 3 years ago, I thought to myself, many Reformed Christians I know enjoy a good jump. We enjoy fellowship of the saints and enjoy God and enjoy life in the Spirit. We are not all controlled by the bricks.

Today (3 years too late) I caught the perfect image of the Reformed 'loving the joys of the jump'. My children were playing on a trampoline in the front yard of Dr. Joel Beeke. They were jumping and enjoying life. They were enjoying the jump while people around enjoyed the joys of Christian community. I cannot think of anything that would better symbolize Grand Rapids Reformation Christianity than Dr. Beeke's home (and the seminary next door)! And in his front yard the future men and women of the Reformed faith are enjoying the jump!

Enjoy the jumping brothers!

The Pastor As Shepherd

One of the reasons that congregations fail is lack of biblical leadership. Seminary will often produce good preachers, good teachers, good theologians, but few seminaries focus on the aspect of leadership that the Bible calls 'shepherding'. Biblical leadership, or shepherding includes:

• The shepherd as a congregational participant, and not just the teacher or preacher.
  
• The shepherd as the chief organizer of the people that God has entrusted to him.
  
• The shepherd as a planner of the changes and reformations that he desires in his congregation. Disorganization can be the death of a ministry.
  
• The shepherd as the proistemi, (I Tim. 3.4-5) which can be translated as 'the one who presides over, the ruler, or the manager'. In the business world, this would be the CEO, the one who has the grand vision, the one who directs and manages.
  

Leadership, in a biblically faithful church, will then include, planning, organization, and authoritative instruction.

Jay Adams comments on the failure to be a biblical leader:

Without leadership, the sheep become confused, each turns to his own way and wanders off. That is why Zechariah was able to portray the disorder among the disciples that accompanied the death of Christ so vividly by use of this shepherdly figure when he prophesied: ‘Smite the shepherd and the sheep will scatter (13:7)’. Indeed, the biblical phrase, ‘like sheep without a shepherd’ has become proverbial. Yet like most familiar sayings, we take it for granted and we seldom think of what it means. Consider for a moment, something of its import. Sheep are helpless and are prone to scatter; ie., to break up into separate single units, to become disorganized and to disintegrate as a flock. Unlike ‘birds of a feather’ that ‘flock together’, sheep do not of themselves tend to do so. It is a principal activity of a shepherd. By faithful, personal leadership that involves responsible participation on his part such congregational organization is accomplished. Shepherdly leadership, then, has as one of its chief ends to bring about cohesion and order.

Adapted from Adam's book, Shepherding God's Flock, pp.324-329

The Evangelical Church is 'Rediscovering the Psalms'

As a Psalm singing Christian, it is hard to understand why anyone would want to sing anything other than the Psalms of the Bible(in the context of public worship). It is a beautiful and edifying event that promotes knowledge of Scripture, meditation on the Word, and having the very words of Christ dwell in us richly!

As someone who, in my early Christian life, did not sing Psalms exclusively, or at all, it is understandably a 'hard pill to swallow' that God wants us to sing the Psalms of the Bible as our praise and worship. It is difficult to begin as an individual, and it is difficult to begin as a congregation.

The Evangelical and Reformed Churches are rediscovering Psalmody though. Many are being converted to the practice of Psalm singing. Reformation 21 chronicled it this week, here is the sum of the whole matter:

There was a point in the history of the church when a government official--on another errand--stumbled across a long neglected book hidden in the rubble of a temple. Sure of its importance he brought it to king Josiah. The king in terror and joy read the book realizing that it was the very word of God. His response to this rediscovery was a plan of radical obedience designed to plead God's covenant mercy and praise his long forgotten redemptive works. This is what it looks like to rediscover the Bible and on a smaller scale to rediscover the psalms. It is this radically renewed worship that is spreading throughout the church today. It has deeply encouraged my soul as so many others have joined me in rediscovering the psalms.

Read the article here.

Real Christianity Is Vibrant Christianity

What is the problem with the church today? This is a question that we see time and again. We need to get our ideas for what the Church should look like from the Scriptures. The Scriptures promote a Christianity that is much more vibrant than the once a week Christian. There is fellowship and love and a family atmosphere in New Testament Christianity. It is much more than what much of the Church of Christ offers today. We need to work at being the Church of Christ.

Foreign to many churches today is the vibrant fellowship with God that we observe in Acts: the joy, the confident expectation of prayer answered, the tangible expression of family care… If we do not see in our churches the fellowship of the Spirit, drawing diverse people together into the family of God, eager to share with one another- food, time, funds, encouragement- what has changed? It could be as simple as this: We have lost sight of the Church as God shows in Acts. It is easy to lapse into viewing the church in terms of its externals- organizational routine, structure- and to think of our fellow members only in terms of their aggravating habits and frustrating failures. When little seems to be happening in the church, when nothing seems to change, it becomes easy to expect little or nothing to change.
-Dennis Johnson, The Message of Acts.

Some Prayer Requests

There are a number of prayer requests concerning the Reformed Presbyterian Church that you can pray about:

• We have Synod approaching in two weeks. Please pray that the Lord would be glorified by the decisions of the Church Courts.
  
• The Great Lakes/Gulf Presbytery has a few men who will be examined at Synod. I will have a theological exam as well as a preaching exam.
  
• There are 13 pulpits open or coming open. Please pray that the Lord would raise up the men that He would have to fill these.
  
• The mission to Nantes, France is coming up soon. Ask the Lord to prepare the hearts of those who will be attending (First Church's own, Loretta Lanning, is among the laborers).
  
• Westminster RP in Chicago, IL had a congregational fast on June 7th. Please pray that God would give them clarity and insight into the issue(s) for which they fasted.
  
• Please pray for those men who are looking for a pastoral position. I think of A.K. and B.E. especially.
  
• Ask that the Lord would prosper the church planting activity in the nation. I think especially of the Berkshire RP mission in Massachusetts as well as North Atlanta RP in Alpharetta, Georgia. Both of these communities have great need for the Reformed religion and are ripe for the Lord's harvest.
  

Thanks for your prayers for denomination. If your denomination has special needs at this time, please post them in the comments section and we will pray that God's will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Sabbath a'Brakel: Christian Solitude

We must always strive for a disposition of heart that is inclined toward solitude, so that we can engage in secret prayer while surrounded by the turmoil of the world and as we interact with people. This means that we are to be loose and divorced from all that is of this world, such as the honor, love, riches, lusts, and pleasures of men. Furthermore, it means to be free from all creatures so that they will neither have dominion over us, conquer our hearts, confuse, nor trouble us (IV: 20).

New Blog: Huguenot in Cambridge

Rev. Dr. Christian Adjemian has started a new blog here. It looks as though he will do a number of book reviews and I am sure that he will have much to say about how to make a conservative Reformed church 'work' in Boston, Massachusetts!

I look forward to reading his reflections on Christianity and maybe a few thoughts on what it is like being a French pastor in a Scottish church in the United States.

Here is the congregation that Dr. Adjemian serves.

The Importance of Covenanting

Here is a quote from a nifty little volume called the The Covenant of 1954. It was when the RPCNA renewed their covenant vows as a denomination before God. The sermon from which this quote came was 'Retrospectives of Covenanting' and it went through the history of the Scottish Covenants as well as the American ones belonging to the RP Church.

Covenants were introduced by God to man in Bible times. They have been used by countless thousands. In Scotland:

• The writing times proved their immediate value.
  
• The proving times proved their ability to inspire endurance.
  
• The tempting times demonstrated their most vulnerable points.
  

To these Covenanters of history, their church, their elders and young people, and even their unborn members were sworn away to Christ as God's appointed King. Their hearts, minds, bodies, souls belonged to Him. They cared for naught else but His Glory! It was their purpose in life... their only desire in death!

That oath was to them no ordinary agreement; it was a bond of Scriptural and moral content not to be broken without incurring the sin of perjury. They could say, "With your Bibles in your hands, declare your ecclesiastical and political position, vindicate it from the misrepresentation and aspiration, assert the obligations and true interests and honor of Jesus Christ, testify against the ecclesiastical defection and national sin, and, from the long suffering of God... call to repentance." With your Covenants in mind, bend all your energies and talents from every corner of the Kingdom to work in one finely concentrated effort for 'The Crown Rights of and Royal Prerogatives of King Jesus!"

It was the martyr Guthrie who closed his life with the words which we would do well to heed: 'The Covenants, The Covenants, shall yet be (our) reviving!"

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; 'who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and it is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
-Dr. Roy Blackwood, Synod's Memorial Volume of the Covenant of 1954, p.72-73.

God's Name Made Holy

The Scriptures teach us that the we are to make God's name holy in all of our lives and actions. This is not just seeing God's name as holy on the Lord's Day (or for two hours on the morning of the Lord's Day), but is to be a lifestyle that we live out. We are to make people see the holiness of God through the way in which we live out our Christian faith in the daily grind of life.

Hallowed be Thy name; that is, grant us, first, rightly to know Thee, and to hallow, magnify and praise Thee, in all Thy works, in which Thy power, goodness, justice, mercy and truth shine forth; and further, that we so order our whole life, our thoughts, words and deeds, that Thy name may not be blasphemed, but honored and praised on our account. -Answer 122

Redeemer Presbyterian Sermons

I have really enjoyed listening to Rev. Tim Keller lately. I was lent, on DVD, The Desiring God Conference, 2006, and really profited from his lecture "The Supremacy of Christ and the Gospel in the Postmodern World".

I have found that Redeemer Presbyterian Church has a number of his sermons here for free. (Boo to those for which they charge exorbitant amounts of money!)

I look forward to listening to some of these sermons. I would also like to read his latest book (which, of course, is whirling with controversy). But, I have little time for all of the reading that I would like to do.

The Christian's Identity Established Through Sonship

Tonight I heard a great sermon by Pastor Lanning on our adoption in Jesus Christ. It was called Establishing Your Identity. You can listen to it here. Some of the sermon incorporated the Reformed Confessions below:

Westminster Larger Catechism
Q74: What is adoption? A74: Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, in and for his only Son Jesus Christ, whereby all those that are justified are received into the number of his children, have his name put upon them, the Spirit of his Son given to them, are under his fatherly care and dispensations, admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, made heirs of all the promises, and fellow heirs with Christ in glory.

Heidelberg Catechism
Q33: Why is He called God's "only begotten Son," since we also are the children of God? A33: Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God, but we are the children of God by adoption, through grace, for His sake.

Q34: Why do you call Him "our Lord"? A34: Because not with silver or gold, but with His precious blood, He has redeemed and purchased us, body and soul, from sin and from all the power of the devil, to be His own.

On a side note, Pastor Lanning is my homiletics instructor as well as my pastor. As Professor Lanning, I do not think that he would allow me to get away with this quote, but he pulled it off quite well:

"Mr. Rogers taught us that all grows together because we are all one piece... that is good human biology as well as good Christian Theology".

It is worth spending the 40 minutes in meditation on our adoption as sons!

Sabbath a'Brakel: A Word For the Anxious

As far as you yourself are concerned--you bring yourself into continual unrest, apprehension, fear, and anxiety. You rob yourself of delighting and rejoicing in God. You impede your growth, since your disposition displeases God, and renders you unfit to appropriately use the means for spiritual growth. Your concerns will cause the Word and your good inner motions to be choked, thus rendering them unfruitful (Mat. 13:22). Unbelief has opportunity to surface and will toss the anxious soul to and fro. The desire for religious exercise decreases and free access to God is hindered. The thoughts that these adversities come upon you in God's wrath cause the soul to tremble. Thus, to a great extent quietness, dependence upon God, a childlike confidence in God, and walking with God disappear. Would you lose all this for a greater or lesser quantity of bread, for getting your way, for your own honor, and for the future, of which you do not know how it will be? Oh, these matters are too insignificant to permit the well-being of your soul to dissipate (III: 389).

Lectures on the Westminster Confession of Faith

Rev. Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn has a wonderful series on the Westminster Confession of Faith here.
He is associate pastor of Cambridge Presbyterian Church in Cambridge, UK. I have known of him for some time (thanks to Shawn Anderson) through his doctoral work on the Westminster Standards. I had the opportunity of listening to and meeting his co-pastor, Rev. Ian Hamilton this week at the Banner Conference.

Banner Annual Seceder Photo

Here is the annual Banner of Truth Seceder Photograph. It is all of the RPCNA and ARPC ministers, students, and interns.

Iain Murray Gives a Great Rebuke to Theological Students

I love this picture! Blogger, Michael Dewalt, took it for me. Thanks Mike! It is my best friend since high school, Shawn and I listening to Rev. Murray tonight.
Tonight Iain Murray preached a great sermon that was directed to the heart of ALL ministers and theological students. He was scheduled to preach from 7PM to 8PM. He apologized, and asked to stop because he was half way finished. The crowd began to yell out 'preach!' ''continue!'. We stopped and sang and he invited us to stay if we wanted to and finished the sermon. It was great.
His title was 'Our Present Needs'. Here are the needs, according to Murray, for current ministers:
1. For less self-confidence
2. Increased persevering faith in God
3. For guidance on how to use our time
4. To not stop praying and looking for spiritual awakening
He had some great quotes that were knives to the spiritual heart: The Reformed Faith does not do well with showing the love of God to sinners. We give the impression that the faith is about knowledge only: "Our message is God's amazing love to sinners AS sinners!"
He also gave 5 applications for young ministers:
1. Have a regular time in which we look at our lives and eternity.
2. Watch your own temperament. Some men who are extroverts need to stop socializing so much and get in the study. Some men who are introverts need to come out of the study and be with people.
3. Read the best books and only the best! Also, have a way of recording as you are reading. This will help you to recall in 30 years.
4. Do not let email and websites control your time. You can lose hours on this.
5. We need to avoid losing time on controversies. We spend too much time here instead on the essentials and the Gospel going out.
6. Do not see in your church what you cannot change. It is better not to stir trouble on something that can wait a few years to address.

Email Banner and order this mp3! Incredible!

Banner Singing and Preaching

Here is a video of the singing at the Banner Conference. It is wonderful to hear all these ministers, elders, and students praising God and crying out to him for help on their ministries and the Church universal. It is worth hearing!

Here are some pictures from the conference:
Iain Murray talking with a pastor from New York.
Jered Olivetti getting pastoral lessons from Dr. Adjemian.
Ian Hamilton preached this AM on the 'The Minister's Calling'. What a message! His text was Romans 11.34-36. "If we are not bringing people to a place where they are captivated by Jesus Christ we are not doing our job. This supreme calling of a minister of the new covenant is to make rebel sinners into adoring worshipers!"
This was right before prayer time. The men gather for 45 minutes to pray for the church and for each others ministries and burdens. What a blessed event!