• Something like this could only happen in a litigation crazed society: Did Jesus Exist?

• As always, men continue to invent something that is “novel” and “new” – but it’s the same old thing: the Devil’s in the denim?

• This is a Picture from a 1954 Popular Mechanics Magazine which forcasted what a home computer would look like in the year 2004. Be sure to read the text below the picture (complete with a steering wheel). Finally, a computer that is inferior to the iMac ;-). (If you are a Mac owner – please be sure to note the smiley face…I don’t like doing smiley faces, but for you I made one!).

• This is a good link to consult whenever you receive an e-mail or read news that may seem to be out of line:www.truthorfiction.com.

• Yet another contest over intelligent design, now this one is in California.

John Bunyan faced a great deal of opposition as a non-conformist preacher in 17th century England. His forthright opposition to the dead, organized church of his day afforded him no favor with the church of England; and his refusal to cease from preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ earned him 12 years of imprisonment in the Bedford County jail. It was during his imprisonment that he wrote the Pilgrim’s Progress (Complete Title: The Pilgrim’s Progress – From This World to That Which is to Come; Delivered under the Similitude of a Dream). Bunyan clearly understood the religious snares of the world, as he himself had suffered greatly under the hands of men who feigned servitude to Christ. For Bunyan, this was one of the greatest dangers that existed for the true church in his day: the unbelieving tares that were planted by the enemy in the Master’s own fields of wheat. In many ways, Bunyan’s world was much like our own – it was essentially a post-Christian culture that was buried in man-centered religion, offering very little light from God’s Word. Bunyan frequently addressed such problems in his works, and this is especially evident in Pilgrim’s Progress. Throughout this rich allegory, Bunyan unveiled the dangers of hidden apostasy. In fact, it is the main character in the story (Christian) who continually meets men who appear to be committed to the narrow way, but eventually drift away through their own lusts and lack of love for the Lord Himself. Every such encounter of Christian’s is a profitable learning experience and reminder to us all: we all will meet many people who claim to be followers of the Good Shepherd, but who refuse to heed His gracious call. In one such case, Pilgrim was approaching the Valley of the Shadow of Death when he met two men along the pathway:

I saw then in my dream, that when Christian was approaching the borders of the Shadow of Death, there he met two men who were the children of those who brought up an evil report of the good land Num.13:32 – these men beckoned Christian to go back…

Chr. Where are you going?

Men. They said, Back, back; and we would have you do so too, if either life or peace is prized by you.

Chr. Why, what’s the matter? said Christian.

Men. Matter! said they; we were going that way as you are going, and went as far as we dared: and indeed we were almost past coming back; for had we gone a little further, we would not have been here to bring the news to thee.

Chr. But what have you met with? said Christian.

Men. Why, we were almost in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, but by good fortune we happened to look before us, and saw the danger before we came to it.

These men “beckoned Christian to go back” – back to where? All that was behind them was the City of Destruction, from which they all came. Bunyan described these two defectors of the Way as being the children of those who brought up an evil report of the good land. By this reference, we are instantly immersed into that dark picture of those corrupt witnesses who lied to the people about the inhabitants of Canaan in order to instill fear in them and thus encourage a retreat. Those men received their just due (Numbers 14:36-38), as did all of the people who grumbled against the Lord that day:

Numbers 14:1-4: That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

God’s judgment against that generation became an example and a warning for anyone who would ever lay claim to being a disciple and follower of the Lord (Hebrews 3:12-4:3a, 1 Corinthians 10:1-14). What was most grievous about the defection of these complainers in Numbers 14 is that they had forsaken the clear promise of God, which was the sure anchor for their souls (Hebrews 6:13-19):

Numbers 13:2: “Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel.”

Instead of trusting the Lord and His promises, many of the nation of Israel complained and were judged; and like the these faithless Jews who were planted alongside the pure wheat of God’s remnant, the two defectors in the Pilgrim’s highway had only the appearance of being in the narrow way; however, their fear of affliction, and love for their former habitation, outweighed any desire for the Precious Cornerstone who was to be found in the Celestial City. It is no wonder that Bunyan arranges his story so that the path to the Celestial City went directly through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, for this is the manner in which God purifies His church and strengthens His people:

Acts 14:22 “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us.

Bunyan’s warning about the reality of hidden apostasy is the same warning given to us by the Apostle John. As well, it also echoes the truth of Acts 14:22, that the children of God must go through; not around, but through many tribulations to the kingdom of God. This is the Lord’s loving pedagogy that He supplies for His children, for He disciplines us for our good (Hebrews 12:4-6). This is also the way in which the Lord makes evident those who are His versus those who only appear to be in the Pilgrim’s highway. By these truths, we are reminded that the trials of life serve the precious and loving purposes of our sovereign Lord. Like Christian, we must have our sword drawn at all times, being armed with His wisdom, and ready in the strength of His might, for whatever lies ahead. This we must do as we trust His promise, that by His sovereign grace alone He will bring His Pilgrims home.

In this last post for The Quest for Biblical Blogging I wish to address the very touchy subjects of humor, sarcasm and strong language; at least to the extent that I might be able to in a short weblog post! Let me say that with every post on The Armoury I continue to think about how deep these biblical subjects are and how they could all warrant a complete book, rather than a short post; thus, I fear that I will only graze the surface of what is a very deep subject, but something is better than nothing. I do think that this is another important spoke in the wheel of biblical communication, and it is especially needful in a culture that nearly worships comedy and entertainment. To get to this subject, I believe that I need to say a few preliminary things:

• Prelim #1 – This is a Very Touchy Subject: For myself, I love a good laugh and can say that throughout my youth I have struggled greatly in the area of coarse jesting; and while the Lord has brought about much change in my life (in this area), I still must recognize and confess that this is a natural weakness of mine that must be guarded carefully. Ultimately, the counsel that I offer here is that which I myself continue to meditate on, and seek to glean for myself.
• Prelim #2 – No Rules, Just a Few Principles: Whenever I find myself dealing with a subject matter that might be especially sensitive, I find it all the more necessary to emphasize principles rather than doling out what might be perceived as a set of arbitrary rules. I often think of the 39 Pharisaical rules that were enforced on the Sabbath day in the first century A.D. – I don’t want to be the one who creates the 40th rule. Besides, when it comes to the subject of humor it would seem that not everyone will agree entirely over what is legitimate and acceptable humor, therefore a good deal of charity is needful in a discussion like this. Having said this, let me address the subjects of humor, sarcasm and strong language with a very broad approach, focusing on our need for self control in view of the numerous texts which urge us to do so; after all, for every biblical justification that can be found for jesting and laughter, there are scores of other passages which warn us about the fleshly dangers that these activities can bring.

I believe that what is central to this discussion is the question regarding the source of our joy and laughter; that is to say, what is it that makes you laugh? Clearly, our joy and laughter can potentially be righteous, or unrighteous, depending on what it is that we are rejoicing in (1 Corinthians 13:6). It can be the result of that which bewilders us, or is perceptibly contradictory (Genesis 17:17, 18:12); or it can even be the corrupt product of a deceiver (Luke 6:25). Because of these realities, we must always measure our laughter objectively and subjectively. Objectively, we must consider what it is that we are laughing at, and subjectively, we must consider the intentions of our own heart whenever we find ourselves rejoicing or enjoying a chuckle. If we confess the truth of soli Deo gloria, then we should recognize that even our laughter ought to be something that glorifies God rather than that which satisfies our flesh. Laughter, as an ordained part of our lives (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4), must be considered with great care, for it can become an occasion for sinful hypocrisy with very little effort:

• It might feed sinful appetites: Ephesians 5:3-4: 3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
• It can be the product of a casual attitude towards sin: Proverbs 14:9: 9 Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is good will.
• It can become a mask which hides our pain: Proverbs 14:13 Even in laughter the heart may be in pain, And the end of joy may be grief (for the full context of this verse, read Proverbs 14).
• It can be a way of avoiding a serious discussion: Proverbs 29:9 When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest.
• It can be a covering for a double minded man: Proverbs 26:18-19: 18 Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows and death, 19 So is the man who deceives his neighbor, And says, “Was I not joking?”

By these verses we are reminded of the great need that we have to continually review the subjective and objective content of our humor. What we deem as humorous and what brings us joy are crucial considerations which deserve our constant attention. As already affirmed, our laughter can serve the purposes of God, or our flesh, depending on the circumstances –

Where we often go astray is in the areas of pointless sarcasm, coarse jesting and critical humor.

Thus, this observation then begs the question, “what exactly is appropriate?” To explore this question, let’s first look at the example of Elijah when he faced down the prophets of Baal on mount Carmel:

1 Kings 18:27 At noon Elijah began to make fun of them. “Pray louder!” he said. “If Baal really is a god, maybe he is thinking, or busy, or traveling! Maybe he is sleeping so you will have to wake him!” [NCV]

I enjoy a good belly laugh whenever I read this. Not only that, I rejoice in my heart that the Lord God in no way compares to the idols that Elijah mocks. Much more could be said about this verse, but it is sufficient to point out here that this is a rather pronounced moment of prophetic irony. Elijah taunted those godless prophets through ironic language, but for a very important purpose: he was making the clear point that their “god” was clearly no god at all. We see a similar form of this sardonic irony when Christ exposed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:23-24: 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” [NASB, bold mine].

The Lord’s sardonic statement at the end (strain out a gant and swallow a camel) is yet another example of ironic speech that is used in order to point out a contradiction – the extreme contradiction of the Pharisees. Even Paul lauded the Corinthians as if they were “distinguished,” whereas he and his co-laborers were “without honor”; and with the Galatians (as we mentioned in the last post), Paul employed the strong and ironic language suggesting that the Judaizers in their midst should “go the whole way and emasculate themselves.” These examples of strong and ironic speech are very important anchors for our thinking, for in a culture which exalts humor and knows very little of serious mindedness, these texts help us to moderate our thinking. Therefore, a few observations are in order here:

• Their Purpose: In the above cases, the ironic language that was used was not an end in and of itself, but served a pedagogical purpose in every case. By their irony, Christ, Elijah, and Paul sought to teach their audiences an important lesson. If we miss the pedagogical purposes in their irony, then have we missed everything.
• Their Godliness: By the life examples of Elijah, Paul and above all Christ, let no one say that these humble servants were professional court jesters. In an age which exalts entertainment and humor, their examples are sometimes used by some in order to justify a boundless degree of laughter and joking; but Christ spoke “as one having authority” (Matthew 7:29) – not as a standup comedian; and to the extent that Elijah and Paul reflected the godliness of Christ, they did so as the sober servants of God, whose moments of sardonic irony did not dismantle the seriousness of their overall ministry to others.
• Their Object of Irony: Those who were chastened by these statements were remarkably worthy of the rebuke that they received. As a principle, we can see that these godly examples before us demonstrate that such rebukes were selectively used in the most needy moments; they had a clear pedagogical purpose, and they were presented in the context of a ministry of the Word that was of a serious mind. On the other hand, a person who continually dables in humor and irony will make it difficult for others to know if or when he is being serious: If people can no longer determine if you are being serious or not, then you ought to consider making some changes!

Elijah’s, Paul’s and especially Christ’s legacy of communication is not that of a standup comedian, but of great sobriety and serious mindedness. The reality of such godliness is reflected in that scene given to us by John Bunyan, in Pilgrim’s Progress, when Christian saw in Interpreter’s house the portrait of a godly pastor – seven key descriptions are supplied:

“Christian saw the picture a very grave person hang up against the wall; and this was the fashion of it: he had eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in his hand, the law of truth was written upon his lips, the world was behind his back; he stood as if he pleaded with men, and a crown of gold did hang over its head.” [John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress, bold formatting mine].

Let’s just hope that no modern translations of Pilgrim’s Progress will ever include the words: “…and he was a great stand-up comic.” Bunyan’s description of God’s messenger is very clear, the first description of which is most telling: this person was a very grave person. A person such as this would be one who speaks with great authority – like Christ Himself. Whatever we might want to remember about the most godly servants of the past, their seriousness and sobriety for God and His Word should be recognized as the most dominant feature of their Christ-like lives.

By pointing out these things, I have absolutely no intention of suggesting here that we ought to hang up our sense of humor in the closet – not at all. As already stated, laughter is very much a part of our lives – we’d be fools to deny it. But what I am doing here is advancing what I believe is a very clear truth: we need to measure our our laughter to the standards of Christ above all.

As I said earlier – no rules here, and no 40th rule to add to the Mishnah.

Finally, when I first posted “The Quest for Biblical Blogging” a number of other blogs linked to my article. In some cases, my article has been used to advance arguments that are not the focus of what I have written. In one case, my article was embeded in an article that is in the center of a discussion concerning cessationism at Pyromaniac. I sought to distance myself from some of these things by mentioning the following in the previous post – it is worth repeating:

On the subject of spiritual gifts, let me mention that Phil Johnson and Jonathan Moorehead will be submitting posts on the subject of cessationism & continuationism. Let me kindly say that these are important discussions, as noted by Paul’s example above. I can’t vouch for all the details of their views at this point, but I believe that the subject matter is a worthy one. Both series should be helpful, and it will be important for all contributors to make it a good, grace-filled, and Christ honoring discussion – rather than turning it into a war.

I only mentioned these discussions, because others were drawing my own posts into the debate. I’m not debating anyone here – I can assure you of that. In writing this series, it is crucial that people understand that I am addressing a very general discussion for the sake of a very broad audience of Christian internet users – even in their use of e-mail. Thus, let no one think that I am targeting a particular blog, because I am not. Ultimately, as a result of writing these posts, I feel that I have had the greatest profit of anyone. It has increased my own sense of caution concerning what I type and how I might write a critique of another man’s theology.

Finally, tiffany had asked this question: “In the case of reading a blog which professes the name of Christ but whose words aren’t matching that profession, what is our responsibility?” Based upon Matthew 18, I would recommend that you write the person who is erring. If the response is not satisfactory, then you may want to move along or continue to pursue it further, depending on the gravity of the problem. The problem with the internet is that it is swelling with autonomy and it is therefore very difficult to foster the kind of accountability relationships that are needed among brethren – in other words, the internet isn’t the church. In the very worst of all cases, where there is a very clear offense, then you may want to contact the leadership of the church that this person attends – however, I would urge caution concerning this. All such decisions must be bathed in prayer and pursued with caution.

Soli Deo Gloria – in everything…

The original post entitled “The Quest for Biblical Blogging” was one which embraced a very convergent and simple thought, and it is this: whatever we say or do, let all be done to the glory of God.

Well that’s easy enough isn’t it? That’s a wrap…

Or is it? We would all affirm that serving God’s glory and His pleasure is the supreme privilege that we have as His children, however I can assure you that how we apply that principle is where the rubber actually meets the road. It is important to remember that we are all creatures of weakness and thus we require the constant flow of God’s grace and truth in our lives for daily living; otherwise we will be left with our own “strength” and “wisdom” which is nothing short of a dead end and steep precipice. Part of our weakness is that we all have the tendency to embrace more biblical knowledge in our heads than than we apply; in other words, we academically “know” more than we do. To some extent, such disparity between mental learning and practice is part the natural learning process indeed (what we learn from the Word, we then seek to apply), however, we must be careful to be diligent to keep both disciplines in close proximity, in order to avoid a vast separation of knowledge and practice:

James 1:22-26: 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

With this said, it especially becomes a deluding moment when those who wax eloquence on the doctrines of grace subsequently do very little to evidence such grace in their relations to others – yes even on the internet. It is with this thought in mind that I offer yet another post on the subject of weblog discussions. In fact, as a follow up to the original article, I will offer this 2nd post and even a 3rd next week in order to bring some sense of completion to this important discussion. In this 2nd post, we will briefly address the importance of avoiding extremes in communication, and then in the final post, we will look at those touchy subjects of humor, sarcasm and strong language (I say final post – Lord willing).

Avoiding Extremes: I find that believers can enter into one of two extremes when considering such principles of biblical communication. We’ll either tend to guard our tongues so much that we refuse to critique anyone or anything…at any time. The credo of such thinking is: “just live, and let live.” On the other hand, we may be so loose with our principles of communication that we might want to pretend that we are Samuel and treat everyone who disagrees with us as King Agag (1 Samuel 15:20-33) – and so our opponents are quickly hacked to pieces simply because they don’t see things our way. These extremes are not of the Spirit, but are of the flesh. On the one hand, it is fleshly to try to avoid any conflict with anyone, because the truth of God’s Word is itself is a great conflict in this world, and the Scriptures are worth fighting for. On the other hand, if we are not careful to select our battles with the Spirit’s leading, then we may become recreational combatants who gladly slaughter anything that moves – period! Tim Challies has had a recent taste of this kind of contention. These pendulum swings take brethren away from the Biblical center in which we find the mature soldiers of Christ who battle for the glory of God rather than for the pleasure of their own flesh. The following thoughts are offered as extremes to avoid:

1. Beware of the Blog Battle Buccaneers: I don’t like the expression “blog war,” but most people certainly know what I am talking about when I ask, “what is really worth a blog war anyway?” This is a question that ought to enter our mind, since as noted in the previous post, some debates are not worth engaging in at all (2 Timothy 2:23, Titus 3:9). Using a recent example: if you wanted to have a heated contest over whether to use the expression “merry Christmas” or not, then that’s one debate that I simply won’t enter into. Whatever I will be doing instead will be more important, I can assure you. But there are other controversies which enter into the domain of the Scriptures themselves, but should not be made into a contentious war – for example, eschatology. It is not that eschatology is unimportant; no, however it isn’t a doctrine that is essential for salvation. In fact, most eschatological systems of thought have nothing in them that would inherently call into question a person’s salvation or discipleship. But when we speak of the doctrines of theology proper, anthropology, harmartiology, ecclesiology or bibliology, then you have entered into an arena that is worth battling in, because these latter doctrines do affect the question of a person’s salvation and discipleship. Thus there should be a difference in our approach when battling on behalf of core doctrines of Christianity, versus entering into debates which do not affect the Gospel directly. An example of this can be seen in the example of the Apostle Paul whose multifaceted rebukes to the Corinthians changed according to the doctrine that he addressed. His confrontation of their gross butchery of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14) was more tempered than when he confronted the false teachers and false apostles in their midst:

2 Corinthians 11:13-15: 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds.

As evidenced by this text, Paul clearly turned up the heat of his rebukes over the central message of Christ and Him crucified. Likening these false teachers to Satan, who disguises himself as an angel of light, is no small rebuke. His change in tone, relative to his rebuke over their abuse of the spiritual gifts, is dramatic. It is not that the spiritual gifts were not important – may it never be; however, Paul’s intensity of reproof increased exponentially whenever the central message of the Gospel was under attack. This is particularly evident when Paul’s ministerial hand went from a gentle touch to a clenched fist in the face of the Galatian errorists:

Galatians 1:6-9: 6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed…Galatians 5:12: As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

The ferocity of the Apostle’s language is compelling – even alarming to some extent. But we must understand that this was not a wreckless statement given by an uncontrolled neophyte. These God-breathed warnings from the Spirit were given through a godly, sober and and serious minded saint who understood that when Christ’s sheep are in danger of “deserting” Gospel truth – then there is no time for genteel chit chats. The differences between Paul’s rebukes when dealing with the Gospel, or other doctrines, is very informative. By such distinctions, we can consider this important pattern of conduct: Over the central doctrines of the Gospel, and the revelation of that Gospel, believers must be ready to engage in the fiercest battles necessary; but over issues that are not central to the Gospel itself, then greater temperance is called for. Or we could put it in more familiar language by saying, “we must distinguish between those doctrines which are essential for salvation versus those that are non-essential” for salvation.

It is this very distinction that seems to escape the notice of the Blog Battle Buccaneers. This is one area where the pendulum tends to swing too far in the direction which produces a lot of hot sparks but little useful energy. When Christians speak of other evangelical brethren as if they were wolves who deny the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then we have an extreme which yields no gain. In our weakness, it is too easy to engage in an escalation of name calling (whether implicitly or explicitly) and thereby treat a non-essential debate as if it were the end of the world. While naive zeal may even fuel such contentions, it is not any more excusable. As Christians, we must remember that we are at war – but before we throw our javelines, we need to make sure that we are aiming at the true enemy (Ephesians 6:12, 2 Corinthians 10:3-6). That which attacks the Word of God and the Gospel should be in our “war” sights. However, brethren who have erred in their doctrine ought to be handled with different care, after all, the Lord loves His children and reproves them for their good (Hebrews 12:5-6). Additionally, since we don’t possess God’s omniscient knowledge regarding the elect and the reprobate (Matthew 13:24-30), we should be very careful about how we approach those who seem to be marginal in their faith and doctrine – taking heed to ourselves as we do so (Galatians 6:1). We are not to avoid doctrinal contests, however, when we do enter into them, we ought to measure our words carefully – according to the need of the moment.

2. Conflict Cannot Be Avoided: If we were to resolve to hold hands with everyone who named the name of Christ, just for the sake of ”unity,” then we would prove ourselves to be the worst of heretics, for Christ will have no partnership with doctrine and teachers who mock His precious Word. Just because someone names the name of Christ does not mean that they are in Christ at all. Hence, our pleas for Christian charity and grace do not nullify the fact that we are in a battle over the truth, and that as the truth is proclaimed, the division that follows is often what the Lord uses to purify His church (1 Corinthians 11:19). The Corinthians had many more problems than the core message of the Gospel – they had numerous problems; more than you have fingers and toes with which to count. However, Paul did not throw up the white flag on other important doctrines concerning spiritual gifts, the fellowship of the church, his apostolic ministry or church discipline (to name a few). Paul’s steadfast determination to pursue the Corinthians with the whole counsel of God was without compromise, and we thank the Lord for it. But can you imagine if Paul had said, “on spiritual gifts, we can just agree to disagree.” To some, that might sound more gracious, but such a conclusion would have been cold and uncaring. Paul loved them too much to simply avoid conflict. This is the manner in which he ministered at Ephesus (Acts 20:17-38) and at Corinth – ultimately, everywhere he ministered the Word. Avoiding conflict, just to avoid the discomfort that it brings, is not what we are called to do. But if you are avoiding a debate on a weblog because you are concerned about the nature of the forum itself, or because a particular site is weak in upholding a clear Christian testimony – then praise the Lord. Caution such as this is in keeping with good wisdom.

On the subject of spiritual gifts, let me mention that Phil Johnson and Jonathan Moorehead will be submitting posts on the subject of cessationism & continuationism. Let me kindly say that these are important discussions, as noted by Paul’s example above. I can’t vouch for all the details of their views at this point, but I believe that the subject matter is a worthy one. Both series should be helpful, and it will be important for all contributors to make it a good, grace-filled, and Christ honoring discussion – rather than turning it into a war.

Finally…

3. Christ is More Important than your Blog Buddies: If I may be so bold to say it: at their worst, blogs are sometimes like irritating internet gangs. It makes me think of West Side Story, where we see that the Sharks and the Jets justified their existence by engaging in an occasional rumble here or there. Well, that’s par for the course for the world, but it doesn’t bode well for the warriors of Christ. Serious minded debate is crucial – in fact, I believe that we need more of it out there. But what I am expressing concern over has to do with those who seem to be looking for recreational scuffles rather than a sober and serious minded discussion about the Scriptures. I believe that such a combative culture is one of the reasons why brethren often avoid theological discussions on the internet altogether. With that in mind, I have far more respect for those who avoid internet contests which degrade into something less than a godly conversation. When blog owners and moderators tolerate verbal dirty-bombs and molitov cocktails in their discussions, then they become an accomplice to those acts. By analogy, if someone entered your home and interrupted your Bible study with coarse jesting, blue humor and coarse words, then you would most likely call on them to stand down. But on the internet, such things seem to be more tolerable, and no one has convinced me that this should be so – especially when your blog clearly names the name of Christ. Therefore, let me offer the following suggestion: if those who frequent your blog have a pattern of behaving badly, then I would recommend that you love them a bit more by directing them towards better conduct and better speech. After all, friends don’t let friends blog badly.

Conclusion: In the conclusion to the original post I said that “biblical errorists should be rebuked, but when such a need arises, we ought to be humble and very grave about the matter.” At the time, I did not defend this statement from Scripture since this was part of the conclusion, and the post needed to wrap up. But this statement, like any other, must either be supported from Scripture, or deleted as soon as possible. This will be the subject of the next (and hopefully last) post. In addition to this subject, I will address a very good question from tiffany, who said: “In the case of reading a blog which professes the name of Christ but whose words aren’t matching that profession, what is our responsibility?”

In other words – “now what?”

That is a crucial question I believe. We have ourselves to worry about (in terms of a proper use of the internet) – but what about those situations where we see offenses taking place at other Christian blogs & discussion forums? I will address that matter next time.

On a final note, discussions like these have been spreading a great deal and I thank the Lord for it. With that in mind, many thanks to John Hendryx at monergism.com for his help by posting the original article on his site – it is good to see brethren taking this discussion very seriously. Additionally, John at Light Along the Way made an important point in his article “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” – reminding us why it is so important to measure our words:

James 3:1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.

The point which he made from James is very clear: Just because someone has a blog, this does not mean that they have the personal maturity, or the Biblical wisdom to instruct others. In brief, the conclusion is very similar – we ought to be very measured in our communications, knowing that we shall be held accountable for what we say.

May the Lord continue to sustain us such that we would not only proclaim His grace, but evidence it to others with whom we make contact.

In addition to the Post 1920 weekly entries, there will be periodic posts dealing with the important subject of family worship. These will be called “Armour for Family Worship.” Let me explain the nature and purpose of this series to you. To be very frank, we live in an age of surrogate parenting, that is, many parents today are too content to have someone else raise their children for them to the exclusion of their own responsibilities as parents. What I have said here is not some implicit statement addressing homeschooling versus public education. No, not at all. In fact, while we are a homeschooling family ourselves, I must admit that it is just as possible for homeschool parents to give their children over to some curriculum without ever exercising the oversight that is required to affirm that their pedagogy is soundly Christ centered. The point is simply this – parents of all backgrounds must guard themselves from the dangers of becoming indifferent to their privileged duties as parents. Even the local church must be careful to nurture the family through its ministries in order to strengthen familial bonds, rather than divide them (more will be said on that later). The Scriptures clearly define for us what is a right and wholesome ministry to youth, and it is clearly laid out for us in Ephesians 6:1-4; particularly when the Apostle declares to fathers: “…bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” If the Bible offers us a “formula” for ministry to youth, it is this: Parents, principally through the clear leadership of the father, are to nurture their own children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Because of the imortance of this subject, this series, “Armour for Family Worship” will become a regular feature on The Armoury. I will begin this first post with a very brief entry, offering you the wisdom of Mr. Thomas Manton, who wrote the following in his Epistle to the Reader contained in the Confession of Faith of the church of Scotland:

“CHRISTIAN READER, I CANNOT suppose thee to be such a stranger in England as to be ignorant of the general complaint concerning the decay of the power of godliness, and more especially of the great corruption of youth. Wherever thou goest, thou wilt hear men crying out of bad children and bad servants; whereas, indeed, the source of the mischief must be sought a little higher: it is bad parents and bad masters that make bad children and bad servants; and we cannot blame so much their untowardness, as our own negligence in their education. The devil hath a great spite at the kingdom of Christ, and he knoweth no such compendious way to crush it in the egg, as by the perversion of youth, and supplanting family duties. He striketh at all those duties which are public in the assemblies of the saints; but these are too well guarded by the solemn injunctions and dying charge of Jesus Christ, as that he should ever hope totally to subvert and undermine them; but at family duties he striketh with the more success, because the institution is not so solemn, and the practice not so seriously and conscientiously regarded as it should be, and the omission is not so liable to notice and public censure. Now the devil knoweth that this is a blow at the root, and a ready way to prevent the succession of churches: if he can subvert families, other societies and communities will not long flourish and subsist with any power and vigour; for there is the stock from whence they are supplied both for the present and for the future. For the present: A family is the seminary of church and state; and if children be not well principled there, all miscarrieth: a fault in the first concoction is not mended in the second; if youth be bred ill in the family, they prove ill in church and commonwealth. By family discipline, officers are trained up for the Church, (1 Timothy 3:4). Upon all these considerations how careful should ministers and parents be to train up young ones whilst they are yet pliable, and, like wax, capable of any form and impression in the knowledge and fear of God.” [The Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms (William S. Young, 173 Race Street, Philadelphia, 1851), pgs. 5-6.]

As parents, we ought to be warned concerning the dangers of parental lethargy. The doctrines of sovereign grace remind us that it is not our work that we depend upon, for the sake of our children, rather we look to the work of God in their lives. However, this truth does not grant us permission to become unprincipled in the nurture of those gifts that God has given to us (Psalm 127). Fathers are commanded in Scripture to equip their families with the whole counsel of God’s Word. Thus, it is a loving father who girds his children with truth before sending them out into this spiritually violent world. You see, there are really only two options in parenting: there is a right and a wrong path when it comes to raising our children. The right path is one that nurtures children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord – all for the glory of God alone.

For a family devotion, I would recommend reading Ephesians 6:1-4 and then either portions or all of Manton’s preface above; then I would offer the following little hymn as a reminder of what our goal must be in training children at all:

1. Now let the children of the saints Be dedicate to God; Pour out Thy Spirit on them, Lord, And wash them in Thy blood.

2. Thus to their parents and their seed Shall Thy salvation come; And numerous households meet at last In one eternal home.

One feature that I will include in The Armoury will be a series of weekly posts called “Post 1920,” that is, posts which offer advice and instruction (Proverbs 19:20), from several godly men of the past. These will run in a sort of buttet style – sometimes in the form of a long series, dedicated to just one theologian at a time; while at other times I will hop around a bit, drawing from several men according to the theological need of the moment. In other words, I will be exercising a great deal of freedom in these “Post 1920” entries.

I will begin with Mr. John Bunyan – we’ll be harvesting from him for a long time. In particular, his timeless classic “The Pilgrim’s Progress” will dominate our examination of his teaching. Most of you reading this have probably worked through Pilgrim’s Progress many, many times; however, if you are new to it then I would encourage you to invest some time reading it for yourself, or even using it for the sake of family devotions with your children. It is no wonder to me that Spurgeon loved it so much that he made it a point to read through it every year – much of his preaching is heavily seasoned with illustrations from this timeless classic of Bunyan’s.

Pilgrim’s Progress is heavily laden with rich doctrinal themes – it is, in some sense, a mini theology presented in allegorical form. One theme that is consistently presented in his work is the necessity of forgetting none of the Lord’s benefits (Psalm 103:2). For myself, I call this cultivating a godly memory – that is, being diligent to reflect on God’s shepherding care in our own lives as well as in the lives of all of His saints throughout history. This very theme is richly rehearsed in Pilgrim’s Progress. On many occasions, Christian (the main character of the allegory) is forced to reflect on God’s faithfulness and goodness to his people – an exercise which always bears the fruit of greater courage, joy and hope within the heart of Christian himself. I love these moments in Pilgrim’s Progress, for they challenge us all according to our weakness and need – we all have a great weakness and tendency to forget the Lord’s nature as evidenced in His righteous deeds, and this is spiritually dangerous. When Hopeful and Christian reached the very end of their journey, they came to the river Jordan which symbolizes the passage of death. Hopeful and Christian were told that there was no other way to the Celestial City than to go through this deep river; Elijah and Enoch excepted. Upon entering the river, Christian struggled greatly, but Hopeful (as he was in the wonderful habit of doing) encouraged his dear friend in the following manner:

Hopeful therefore here had much ado to keep his brother’s head above water; yea, sometimes he would be quite gone down, and then, ere a while, he would rise up again half dead. Hopeful did also endeavor to comfort him, saying, Brother, I see the gate, and men standing by to receive us; but Christian would answer, It is you, it is you they wait for; for you have been hopeful ever since I knew you. And so have you, said he to Christian. Ah, brother, (said he,) surely if I was right he would now arise to help me; but for my sins he hath brought me into the snare, and hath left me. Then said Hopeful, My brother, you have quite forgot the text where it is said of the wicked, “There are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm; they are not troubled as other men, neither are they plagued like other men.” Psa. 73:4,5. These troubles and distresses that you go through in these waters, are no sign that God hath forsaken you; but are sent to try you, whether you will call to mind that which heretofore you have received of his goodness, and live upon him in your distresses.

This is the final moment in Christian’s journey where he seeks to remember the Lord’s faithful works in His life. By God’s grace, Hopeful was there to exhort him to forsake his fears and look to the One who had carried Christian throughout his life’s journey, and will continue to do so until the very end. Christian did stop to reflect on the goodness of the Lord, and his soul was refreshed by it:

…Christian was in a muse a while. To whom also Hopeful added these words, Be of good cheer, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole. And with that Christian brake out with a loud voice, Oh, I see him again; and he tells me, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.” Isa. 43:2. Then they both took courage, and the enemy was after that as still as a stone, until they were gone over. Christian, therefore, presently found ground to stand upon, and so it followed that the rest of the river was but shallow. Thus they got over.

When believers forget the Lord’s great works and blessings, then doubt, fear, misery, grumbling and complaining will arise in their hearts. But when we look to Christ; His power; His victory, rather than our weakness, then we too will have the boldness of the Spirit that God calls us to have – as in the case of Joshua when the Lord spoke to Him:

Joshua 1:5, 9: 5 “…just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you…9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

When the Lord said to Joshua, “…just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you,” that statement must have stirred Joshua to a wonderful reflection on the past, since all of the wonderful provisions and protections that the Lord provided for His servant Moses would be there for Joshua as well: those words just as offered a great deal of hope to the new leader of the nation. Those tender mercies that were there for Moses would be there for Joshua as well, for the Lord God would be with Joshua wherever he would go – therefore, Joshua was to be strong and courageous rather than tremble in fear or be dismayed.

Whenever our lives decay into fear, misery, grumbling or complaining, it is a plain indication that we have failed to cultivate a godly memory; that is, a memory which calls to mind the kindness, goodness and faithfulness of the Lord in our lives. We are commanded in Scripture not to forget any of His blessings – for they are our instructors which continually teach us about the very nature of the God whom we serve:

Psalm 103:1-5: 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

As we spend time looking forward to the new year, considering how we might order our lives, let us not forsake this important duty of looking back at the faithful works of our God, in our own lives as well as in the lives of many saints in history. You see, just as the Lord’s tender mercies were with Moses and Joshua, so too will the Good Shepherd guard, protect, and sustain all of His sheep – now and forevermore:

“…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Let us therefore be strong and courageous in the Lord – in the strength of His might (Ephesians 6:10).

This is a post that I feel very compelled to write. Its importance is of such a level that I will probably include it in my “Rules for this Weblog” page. But before I get into the main substance of this post, let me first say that this weblog (The Armoury) has been a helpful tool for a number of reasons. First, it is a helpful resource for me as a pastor because it enables me (with ease) to provide Scriptural lessons for our flock on a regular basis – the lessons of greatest importance I post on our calendar and e-mail to our members – this has been very helpful. Second, in all my time spent reading and researching, I find that this weblog has become a personal resource that I use to store important current events (secular and religious) to use at the appropriate time, whether on this blog or in my preaching – or most likely in both. By itself, this has become one of the greatest advantages. Third, it has opened a door to meeting other like minded brethren who I would love to meet in person someday – I am refreshed to hear about others who love the Lord and His people, and have a great desire to see the lost come to Christ. Fourth, it has provided an opportunity to spread the seed of God’s Word to those who do not know Christ. There have been only a few such opportunities thus far, but if only one were converted through this weblog ministry then I can assure you, that it would be important enough; even all of Heaven would rejoice over such a work of God (Luke 15:3-7)!

So while I can say that this “weblog” forum is a helpful one, I must also say that there are a lot of potholes out there on the internet. On the one hand, there are a number of weblogs that are honoring Christ and bearing a Christian testimony – for this I am thankful to the Lord; but on the other hand, there are some weblogs that frankly taint the testimony of Christ through bitter argumentation, unwholesome words and even a callous approach to the lost. The kind of autonomy that the internet gives us as individuals has produced a kind of virtual fellowship that is devoid of any oversight. In a very distant sense, it is even like a church that is without godly elders. To some extent, it smacks of the Corinthian problem, because many in that church there were doing what they believed was right in their own eyes, and the lack of godly leadership there only nurtured further chaos and recklessness. What I see as a modern trend is the perpetuation of ungodly blogging, that is to say, e-conversations which seem to lack the charity, grace, maturity, humility and sobriety that is consistent with Christian discipleship – and it is not excusable simply because “it is the way of most blogs.” The electronic venue itself offers no excuse for believers whatsoever. I can’t blame my keyboard, nor my computer, for making posts which spew pugnacity, arrogance and pride: computers are mindless machines – they only produce what we humans give them. This post is an open letter that is designed to give a word of encouragement and a word of rebuke wherever it is needed. Concurrently, it is offered up as a warning to myself, lest I might degrade into the kinds of conversations which bring shame to the fair name of Christ.

After monitoring the activities of several popular blogs, I have become concerned that a casual attitude is being fostered in the manner in which believers speak with one another, and with the lost. I have even seen instances in which non-Christians have been treated with very little grace and compassion. In one particular case, a non-Christian entered into a rather unfortunate rant on a Christian blog and in frustration queried if this is what it means to be a Christian. When I read this, it grieved my spirit – Is this how brethren want to manifest the glory of Christ in this world? But in addition to my own sense of grief, I couldn’t help but to consider the wonderful value of this man’s question. His question was worthy of a very serious answer – but instead, he was only mocked for what he had to say.

I mention this man’s circumstance (his is one of several examples that I could have mentioned) because his question is really the reason for this post. It is sad when the non-Christian community can see our weaknesses better than we do ourselves. In the following paragraphs I will offer a series of thoughts that have to do with godly discourse – among brethren and within this world. The Scriptures have a great deal to say about our words – so much so, that we must remember that these principles don’t cease to exist once our fingertips make contact with our keyboards, and therefore, they should impact every aspect of our interactions with brethren and unbelievers – no matter what venue we converse in:

1. In America we have many freedoms, but as Christians our freedoms are established by a very different standard: Here is a first principle that is very broad and far reaching. It is one that I believe is crucial for “American Christianity” since it seems that in the United States, our sense of patriotism can become confused very quickly. We are very thankful for our many freedoms that we have in this nation, however, we must measure our use of those freedoms very carefully. In the matter of the internet and weblogs, it is important for us all to be careful about the liberties that we take in our posts. Here in America, we are free to do and say just about anything – however, as Christians, we need to be careful to use our freedom responsibly:

1 Peter 2:16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

From the standpoint of American law we all have a great deal of freedom to say just about anything that we would like to – however, this is not the ultimate standard for the believer. Our freedoms need to be measured by the greatest of all standards – the standard of Christ; therefore we must carefully measure our words in view of our privileged position as the bondslaves of God.

2. This is the WORLD WIDE WEB, not your private living room: Weblog dialogues are not private conversations – they are public conversations which are being conducted on the World Wide Web. Because of this, we should keep in mind that a very wide variety of people are constantly listening in on what we are saying (typing):

1 Peter 2:12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Peter is not calling us to some false form of showmanship, rather he is reminding us that unbelievers are constantly watching us because we are in the world. Therefore, our words and actions ought to be a continual form of evangelism such that they might see the fruit of the Spirit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; rather than the deeds of the flesh, which include outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions and factions.

3. Self control includes our tongues: One of the greatest diseases within the church is the uncontrolled tongue. Like a small rudder and flame, the words spoken by our tongue can foster great ungodliness and corruption (James 3:4-6) if it is not used for edification and encouragement (Ephesians 4:29). It is too easy to become reckless with our words and thereby wreak havoc by our speech, rather than offering godly encouragement or a discerning rebuke. Proverbs 10:19 reminds us of our frailty in this matter:

Proverbs 10:19 “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”

By these principles, let us be reminded that restraint, moderation and wisdom are always a good standard for any conversation, whether conducted in person or in cyberspace.

4. Some conversations must be held in private – period: Clearly, if a brother has sinned with his words, our response must be measured carefully in view of Matthew 18:15:

Matthew 18:15 “And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

Christ says, literally – metaxu sou kai autou monou (between you and him alone). If an offense has taken place between two brethren, then they ought to give careful consideration to settling the matter in private rather than in public. In this world of communications technology, it amazes me that the blog-world has nearly replaced the telephone, e-mail or personal discourse – important forms of private communication. While blogging might be easier, that doesn’t make it the better form of communication in all contexts. But not only is private discourse important in times of conflict, it is also a matter of wisdom and self control to privatize our conversations for the sake of accurately conveying our motives and intentions to those with whom we speak. John, the Apostle of love, applied this himself:

3 John 13 I had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink; 14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face (See also 2 John 12).

What John wanted to say, he desired to say to their faces. Both pen and ink are very important – this is the historic manner in which the Lord has revealed His precious Word to us – however, in dealing with personal relationships, we ought to be able to discern the relative value of public notices versus private counsel.

5. Some conversations (blogs) ought to be avoided altogether: We must all remember that when we participate in a blog discussion, we become the willing participants of that conversation. Whether a public or private conversation, we have to consider whether we want to be associated with such a discussion or not. Paul warned Timothy that there will be some conversations that should not be dignified through personal involvement, but must be shunned and sometimes rebuked:

2 Timothy 2:23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all…

Titus 3:9 But shun foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law; for they are unprofitable and worthless.

By participating in conversations that are “unprofitable and worthless” we, either knowingly or haplessly, fuel the very fires that should be otherwise snuffed out:

Proverbs 26:21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

Let us, therefore, pick our conversations carefully and with the Lord’s wisdom above all. If you find that you are in the midst of a discussion that is becoming unprofitable, then bow out. If everyone applied this principle, then many unfruitful conversations would simply die out through a lack of fuel.

6. The testimony of brotherly love: The love of the brethren is a great part of our testimony to the world that we are the disciples of Christ:

John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

When brethren manifest the sweet aroma of grace, patience and love for one another – they manifest the very image and likeness of Christ Himself; but when we engage in name calling with one another, then we evidence great foolishness – or in the worst of all cases, a disingenuous faith:

Matthew 5:21-22: 21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ 22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”

The word “Raca” comes from the Aramaic word reyka’ which can be translated as “idiot, blockhead, numskull, or even fool.” And the word “fool” comes from the word moros (from which we get the word moron) and is a strong synonym to raca. Both terms speak of a person who is disdainful, whether by ignorance or by volitional foolishness. In either case, the Savior called these hateful terms. By this text, we should understand that believers must be warned about calling other brethren such names. If you’re tempted to do so, it is time to take a blogger’s time out & pray for grace and humility to do much better than this.

7. The testimony of faithfulness and truthfulness: Paul, as we all know, was accused by the Corinthians of being a hypocrite. They charged that he was a kind of chameleon who was willing to write things that he couldn’t back up in person. But Paul rebuked this charge in the following manner:

2 Corinthians 10:11 “Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.”

Paul was a man of great consistency and faithfulness. What he was in letter, he was in person – in other words, he wasn’t a two-faced man. When believers place their fingers on the keyboard, they ought to consider what they are about to type and ask themselves this question: “would I be willing to say these same things in person?” If you wouldn’t be willing to make such remarks to someone’s face, then put a lid on it.

8. As the advocates of sovereign grace, we should be a most gracious people: Let me not say anything here – the text speaks for itself –

Ephesians 4:25-27, 29-32: 25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity…29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Conclusion: To the brethren reading this, let me encourage you to think very carefully about these principles from Scripture; as the little children’s song goes: “O be careful little hands what you do.” Perhaps we could revise the words in this way – “O be careful little hands what you type…” I can assure you that at the moment our fingers touch the keyboard, the principles of Scripture do not change – because they never change. There is indeed a time and a place for public rebukes – but we ought to be very sober and serious minded when doing so. Biblical errorists should be rebuked, but when such a need arises, we ought to be humble and very grave about the matter. Finally, to those who are reading this who are not Christians, let me say this: if you find yourself at a blog that names the name of Christ, but that seems to be many miles away from the above principles, then let me encourage you to move along to something else. The folks at such a blog may be having a bad day (yes, Christians sin – we’d be fools to deny it, 1 John 1:8), or you may have come to a place that only names the name of Christ, but has nothing to do with Christianity. In either case, let me encourage you to find a blog which is practicing the above principles – at a place like that, I would be more confident that you would get what you truly need.

The following article will appear (Lord willing) in the Winston-Salem Journal in their “Message of the Week,” Friday December 30th. It is both an exhortation to believers and it is a call to non-Christians to look to the Savior for the forgiveness of sin, true life and true joy. The article was corrected in two places before its Friday publication, however, prior to this I was given the following pdf version of what it will look like in the paper: If The Lord Wills, We Shall Live. It has been a great privilege to write these articles – may the Lord use them for His glory.

If The Lord Wills, We Shall Live

It was during this same week last year that the world beheld a great tragedy which claimed over 200,000 lives: On December 26, 2004, a massive earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, unleashing a tsunami disaster that the modern world had never before witnessed. For that entire week the death toll had to be revised daily as only estimates could be offered in the wake of this massive calamity; and through it all, the entire world was paralyzed with grief and shock as many considered their own frailty, the brevity of life, and even the uncertainty of the future.

Unfortunately, it sometimes takes a calamity like this for people to think this way at all!

Within the human heart there is this great tendency to deny the fact that none of us have the promise of life on this earth tomorrow, or even for the next hour. With that in mind, it is probably the case that those who perished in the 2004 tsunami were probably going about their lives as most people do in the world; there was no sense of imminent danger; in most areas affected the weather was quite beautiful and they were just a few days away from entering into the dawn of a new year. All was well, and life seemed to be quite normal, and yet in one brief moment their lives had ended without much of a warning at all. Now, one year later, life goes on, a new year approaches and within the calm of daily life many are making their plans and New Year’s resolutions for 2006 – just like those who perished just last year. I can assure you that when it comes to learning the lessons of life, if even through a calamity, we all tend to have a short memory and thus we too often live with the presumption of tomorrow; but such an attitude as this is very dangerous. The Bible warns us about such attitudes, as in the case of this exhortation from James chapter 4:

James 4:13-16: 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.

James reveals the true heart of mankind when he mimics those who say “today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there…” He refers to this presumptuous living (of which we are all prone to do) – “boasting in…arrogance” and then he calls it all “evil.” James wastes precious little time in getting to the very heart of our human weakness – we all tend to live presumptuously, assuming that tomorrow, next week, next month or next year will certainly come. However, James corrects such thinking by reminding us all of our frailty as humans, calling us a “vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” But James does more than just identify our tendency towards error; he offers us some very important medicine by pointing us to the necessity of having genuine faith and trust in God, for he says: “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.'” Yes: If the Lord wills, we shall live. Think about that for a moment. That is not the confession of an arrogant, presumptuous person, rather it is the humble cry of one who trusts the Lord and understands that all that we have in life, we have by the gift of God Himself (James 1:17). With this in mind, allow me to break from tradition for a moment and wish you, not a “Happy New Year,” but a “Happy New Day.” You see, while it isn’t sinful to make plans per se, it is sinful for us to presume upon the Lord that we will be able to fulfill those plans in the future (Proverbs 16:9). But instead of presuming in this manner, we ought to say “If the Lord wills, we shall live” and if He grants us another day of life, then we ought to give thanks and use every moment for His glory. So in view of this important truth from God’s Word, I do wish you a Happy New Day and offer you the following New Day Resolution: “behold, now is ‘THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,’ behold, now is ‘THE DAY OF SALVATION'” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Please remember, you don’t have the promise of tomorrow, and thus I ask you – what will you do with this day that has been granted to you as a gift from God? Call upon the Lord Jesus Christ today for the forgiveness of your sin and for eternal life and joy in Him. This I can assure you, that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:9-13)! Pilgrim Bible Church, Pastor M. J. Beasley, 336.945.4208

This Christmas hymn is simply one of my favorites. It asks the question that must be answered, but is often ignored. Clearly, there is a lot of mere religion involved with this holiday season, but as believers we need to ask people this important question – exactly what child is this? What I especially appreciate about this hymn by William Dix (1865) is that it answers the question wonderfully. In fact, it is frankly dripping with opportunities to communicate the Gospel message. Let me encourage you to consider how you might use this hymn, or any other Gospel rich hymn, to share Christ with others. We often find ourselves with unbelieving friends, relatives, neighbors or co-workers during the holidays – in contexts such as these, a hymnal can provide a firm platform for presenting Biblical truth. A few years ago I developed a Gospel tract based upon this hymn. The contents of the tract are in the post below, and you are welcome to download a trifold tract version here – just print it, fold it and give it to someone who doesn’t know the Savior.

What Child is This?

Have you ever seriously considered this question – Who is this child so commonly celebrated at this time of year? Consider for a moment that familiar hymn of the same title: “What Child is This”. This hymn answers this most important question in every verse:

This hymn refers to Christ (Jesus Christ) as the King of whom the angels sing. How important this opening verse is, for it affirms very clearly the truth of the Bible, that Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16, Philippians 2:5-11); it is this Christ Who is to be adored and worshipped (Hebrews 1:5-6). But how can it be that a child should be adored and worshipped? What is so special about this Christ Child? Consider the next verse of this Christmas hymn, for it further answers our questions:

This hymn calls Jesus Christ “the Word made flesh” just as declared in the word of God:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14)

When the Scriptures declare that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”, it is clearly saying that the Eternal One (called the Word) came down from heaven and became a man. This Eternal Word was God Himself, as prophesied in Isaiah:

Isaiah 9:6: 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus Christ is God the Son who dwelt in human flesh so that “nails, spear, shall pierce Him through: the cross be borne for me, for you.” Those who believe in Jesus Christ the Savior will never perish, but have forgiveness of their sin and receive eternal life. Those who deny or ignore Him are judged already (John 3:16-18):

John 3:35-36: 35 “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. 36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

The child who is called “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) came in order to die on a cross for the sins of men, in order that those who believe in Him may have eternal forgiveness, life and joy. Is it your desire to entrust your life to the Savior – to believe in Him and be forgiven of your sins? The Lord is gracious and full of mercy. He freely forgives and saves those who come to Him in faith. If you have a Bible, please look with us at the following passages in the New Testament:

• As Creator and Master of the universe, God deserves all of our love and obedience: “Worthy are You [God] to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things” (Revelation 4:11)
• Sadly, mankind has sinned and rebelled against this worthy God. – Romans 3:23 “..all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Because of man’s sin, he is eternally separated from God and -”..the wages of sin is death..” Rom 6:23.
• Man is eternally separated from God and faces the severe consequences of eternal death – though man deserves this death (because of sin) something must be understood – “ ..God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
• Christ paid the debt that men owe by living a perfect life and dying on a cross in the sinner’s place. Having been raised from the dead He now freely forgives all who place their faith and trust in Him. But how does one receive this wonderful pardon and life in Christ? – “..if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;” Romans 10:9. Jesus said “..God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). The Lord Jesus also said – “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

Seek the Lord in prayer today and give your life to Him in faith. If you have any questions about this most important commitment, please contact us at thearmoury@triad.rr.com. May God richly bless you and your family! May you have the true joy that is in Christ alone:

Verse 3. So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh, come, peasant, king, to own Him, The King of kings salvation brings, let loving hearts enthrone Him. Raise, raise the song on high, the virgin sings her lullaby; joy, joy for Christ is born, the babe, the son of Mary.

A few weeks ago Deacon Burnie Little shared some thoughts with me about the recent news concerning those churches that are closing on December 25th. I thought that his insights were very profitable and had asked him to consider writing them out in a post. Thanks Burnie for this. To all who read this, let it be a word of warning and encouragement to all of us, lest we too take lightly our privileges to assemble and worship the Lord:

Churches Closed for Christmas: This Christmas season has been filled with much controversy… from the politically correct manner of greeting one another, to store advertisements omitting the word Christmas (as if somehow it is bad to disassociate the name of Christ from the latest sale at the mall), to government schools that ban parties with red and green decorations… the list goes on.

However, there is one supposed controversy I initially found disturbing, but am now quite thankful for. It seems that some churches are closing their doors on Christmas day!

According to a recent news story carried by CBS/AP the reasons for closing vary and include “… that organizing services on a Christmas Sunday would not be the most effective use of staff and volunteer resources” (Willow Creek Community Church) as well as allowing volunteers “the chance to spend Christmas with their families instead of working” (Southland Christian Church).

The closing at Willow Creek is further justified by reasoning that if their mission is to reach the unchurched, how likely is it that they’ll be going to church on Christmas morning? This may certainly be true, although the principle reason for holding a worship service ought to be just that-worship. Perhaps the real reason is that these churches are not focused on glorifying God and preaching the word to equip the believer to go out into the world, but rather they are intent on tickling the ears of men… and if someone wants to spend Christmas day sleeping in with the family, so be it.

The seeker sensitive church, in its attempt to reach the world with all of its musical and dramatic production-the stages, the lights, the theatre-is ultimately no different from the world it purports to save.

While it should not be the primary purpose of the church service to evangelize the lost-this is a duty for the Christian so equipped-there may be many who are lost and who will attend a church service on Christmas Sunday (many for the first time this year, or second if they attended at Easter.) Perhaps they are wearied of the glitter and gold of the holiday season-the decorations, the gifts, the parties, the food, the “all-holiday-music-all-the-time” radio stations (which incidentally seem to play music with Christmas as a theme-I haven’t heard any holiday songs about Kwanzaa, Chanukah, the winter solstice or New Years… hmmm). The last thing these lost souls need is more of the same from a church service comprised of music and drama which ultimately entertains the masses rather than worships God. They are in need of Christ and Him crucified as revealed in His Word.

So thank you, all of you mega-seeker-entertainment-ear tickling churches who will be closed on Christmas Day. May the Lord direct those who truly are seeking, because they are called by Him, to a fellowship where the Word is preached and lived out in true Christian fellowship-on Christmas Day and everyday. If it is true that “what you win them with is what you win them to”, then may they be won by God’s Word to everlasting life found in Christ and Him alone.

As for those pastors who take the “day off” from work… remember “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8. Will you so readily lay aside your duties as an undershepherd for the sake of a holiday?

To those who “volunteer” at church and consider it “work” and would rather spend the day with your family… is your service to the Lord drudgery that you gladly take leave of for the sake of a holiday? And do you not consider time spent with the saints of God, whether blood relative or not, time spent with family?

And to those who feel it is not an effective use of staff and volunteer resources for just a few who would show up, might I suggest you read the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15. Thanks be to God that He did not consider it a poor use of resources to send His Son to die on a cross for sinners-for that ultimately is what Christmas is all about.

Burnie Little