Pastor's Page

We've got a Pastor's page at DPC's website that makes this a bit redundant- other than maybe the occasional embedded video.
Go here to read!

upload a video on biblical theology

wikipedia PCA

Went on a pastoral visit not long ago and heard a reference to this Wikipedia article. It never even crossed my mind that we would be on this site. Who knew? And the list of names too... not that the PCA culture is given to name dropping- but name posting? That's a new one.

Here's the denominations official web page.

It funny how much a part of our lives technology has become- blogs- wikis and all.


Maybe we need a DPC vidblog...

Miroslav Volf- Exclusion and Embrace

My thesis is that the practice of non-violence requires a belief in divine vengeance...My thesis will be unpopular with many in the West... But imagine speaking to people (as I have) whose cities and villages have been first plundered, then burned, and leveled to the ground, whose daughter and sisters have been raped, whose fathers and brothers have had their throats slit... Your point to them--- we should not retaliate? Why not? I say-- the only means of prohibiting violence by us is to insist that violence is only legitimate when it comes from god... Violence thrives today, secretly nourished by the belief that god refuses to take the sword... It takes the quiet of a suburb for the birth of the thesis that human nonviolence is a result of a God who refuses to judge. In a scorched land-- soaked in the blood of the innocent, the idea will invariably die, like other pleasant captivities of the liberal mind... if God were NOT angry at injustice and deception and did NOT make a final end of violence, that God would not be worthy of our worship.

Yes, it does take the quiet of a suburb for the birth of the thesis that human nonviolence is a result of a God who refuses to judge.

missionary preaching

Mike Pettengill will be preaching this coming Sunday, January 4th. I can't wait to hear an update and also to hear how God's kingdom is growing in Honduras. I get really jazzed about the growth of the church worldwide. I love to hear the continued story of redemption in peoples lives and how God changes the ones he sends and the ones that are served. I also like to hear about the work of missions and evangelism from full time missions workers like Mike and his family because it reminds me (and us) of that same call to love and serve wherever God places us.

The Covenant, grace and mercy

In Genesis, God looks at mankind and he is wrathful, his heart is grieved. He destroys all of mankind but for Noah and then promises Noah he wont do it again. He makes the Noahic Covenant and establishes the sign of the rainbow to forestall his wrath.
In Mark 3 Jesus enters the synagogue and sees the inclinations of mans heart. He is wrathful, he is grieved over their hardness of heart, yet instead of destroying them he heals a man and by indication of his teaching heals to the innermost being (psueche in Greek). I'm glad for the covenant, glad for the rainbow, glad for the intensity of Jesus' emotion (world destroying anger?!), glad for his mercy.

Ignatious

Ignatius of Antioch

Ignatius was an apostolic father. He was bishop of Antioch in the
first decades of the second century. He was arrested and sent to Rome
for martyrdom. Ignatius' main fear was that doctrinal divergence
would destroy the churches unity.
He wrote about the incarnation. He used the strickimg term "the Christ
God". Christ on every sense was an authentic man and he was the "new
man". There was a lot of controversy and heresy floating about
centered om Christ's humanity, so Ignatious' writing on the subject
was important for the church at that time.

An Atheist on Evangelism

I found this very interesting- thoughts?

On Preaching

Dave Eby in an article (and book) on preaching puts forward eleven principles that he identified when studying the book of Acts:

1. Preach the Person and Work of Christ.
2. Proclaim salvation by Grace.
3. Appeal to the conscience about sin and guilt.
4. Focus on eternity and accountability to God.
5. Declare an exclusive Salvation in Christ Alone.
6. Call for the the specific response of repentance and faith.
7. Employ gracious invitations.
8. Admonish with sober warnings.
9. Announce basic truths about God to people with no biblical background.
10. Preach perseverance to believers.
11. Instruct believers in the whole counsel of God.

Pastor Eby writes,

But what's a preacher to do? You are being bombarded with,"People don't want doctrine."...First, you realize it's nothing new. Paul spoke to Timothy about the same problem in the first century church....Secondlyyou resist and fight. Your call is to please the Creator of heaven and earth, the Lord of lords. Your summons is to faithful stewardship. Your vacation is to declare and teach the powerful content of the whole counsel of God... But don't ever buy the lie that your resistance will be an easy one-time purchase with a lifetime guarantee against breakdown or defect.

(TJBC, vol 15.3)

The truth is that God preserves the church. And the job of the church is follow after Him. Pastors and leaders are to remain true to the gospel. It's by grace that we are saved. By God's grace and leading of his Spirit we live redeemed lives for Him.

more Dr. Packer

J.I Packer is winsome and compelling in his explanation of christian responsibility in this area.

J.I. Packer and love within the church

Near the end of the video Dr. Packer explain what real love often means with regard to communicating the love of the Gospel.

What a great resturant!

Saw this while in Sun City, Az



yeah I bet all those PCA churches named Grace or Covenant or Westminster wish they had a restaurant named after them...

Model Citizens

We went to the Pregnancy Care Center of Chandler's annual banquet last night. Had a good time. RiLee and Alex went and sat with some others from DPC. Not sure what they ate for dinner at their table but obviously is was good. Or maybe this picture was in response to Alex winning the "You Rock Basket" at the silent auction. Not sure I've ever put baskets and "rocking" together- but thanks to Alex, now I do.

Yes- I can be goofy with a camera. Evidently it's contagious.

More Bridges

Some see holiness and grace this way:

The grace of God and the vigorous pursuit of holiness cannot be brought together: they seem like direct and unequivocal opposites to me, sort of like *jumbo shrimp*.

That made me laugh- jumbo shrimp indeed. Bridges answer is, of course, that grace and personal discipline go hand in hand.

Jerry Bridges: The Discipline of Grace

This is the book that our thursday morning men's group will go through.



The Discipline of Grace: God’s role and our role in the pursuit of holiness

“Does the fact that God has forgiven us all our sins mean that He no longer cares whether we obey or disobey? Not at all. The Scripture speaks of our grieving the Holy Spirit through our sins (Ephesians 4:30). And Paul prayed that we “may please [God] in every way” (Colossians1:10). We grieve God and we please God. Clearly, He cares about our conduct and will discipline us when we refuse to repent of conscious sin. But God is no longer our Judge. Through Christ He is now our Heavenly Father who disciplines us only out of love and only for our good.” Pg18.

Whadaya think? Grace and judgment incompatible?

More Old Prayers

My God,

I bless thee that thou hast given me the eye of faith,

To see thee as Father,

To know thee as a covenant God,

To experience thy love planted in me:

For faith is the grace of union by which I spell out my entitlement to thee:

 

Lord, awake faith to put forth its strength

Until all heaven fills my soul

And all impurity is cast out.

 

 

Old Prayer

This is from a book of old prayers:

To thy grace and the care of thy covenant I commit myself, in sickness, and in health, for thou hast overcome the world, fulfilled the law, finished justifying righteousness, swallowed up death in victory, and taken all power everywhere. Mark this covenant with thine own blood in the court of forgiving mercy.

He has taken all power everywhere.
This reminds me of the end of Psalm 2.

Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Take refuge in the court of forgiving mercy.

Spread of the Faith

This is Bernard Lewis giving a history of the Middle East over the past two thousand years. Secular academics rarely understand the why but this one at least accurately relates part of the what of Christianity.

This accessibility of Hellenistic culture, Jewish religion and Roman polity all helped to prepare the way for the rise and spread of Christianity, a missionary religion whose followers believed that they were the possessors of God's final revelation, which it was their sacred duty to bring to all mankind.

Yep, that's pretty much us.

Full Lord's Day

This next Lord's Day is an exciting one. We're having a baptism and the Lord's Supper- we're starting Sunday school back up and we're also having a string quartet play in the worship service along with our piano accompanying hymns.

Encouragement

Some people ask how, as a pastor, I stay encouraged. I think that this is an insightful question. I know many men in ministry who struggle- and I mean continually. Some I know well. Some I know from a distance, but because of the outcome of their lives and sometimes the trials that others have thrown themselves into- there is really no other option but to believe that they have been struggling long. Ultimately and simply all believers (pastors too- maybe especially) must rest on the promises of Christ and trust in the grace of God. That's where true encouragement comes from- God and His grace in Christ. There are many things a believer can (and must)do to respond and trust in God- to seek Him for encouragement. Scripture, prayer, and fellowship are some of those resources that God uses to encourage. And God uses corporate worship- word and sacrament to encourage His people.

So, I'm encouraged. Encouraged by the love of Christ. It's always good to have someone tell you about hope and encouragement in Jesus. Here is a place I go as a pastor for encouragement:

CTS ministry resources