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

The Soverigny of God's Grace

There is a long-standing controversy in the Church as to whether God is really Lord in relation to human conduct and saving faith or not. The situation is not what it seems to be. For it is not true that some Christians believe in divine sovereignty while others hold an opposite view. What is true is that all Christians believe in divine sovereignty, but some are not aware that they do, and mistakenly imagine and insist that they reject it. What causes this odd state of affairs? The root cause is the same as in most cases of error in the Church the intruding of rationalistic speculations, the passion for systematic consistency, a reluctance to recognize the existence of mystery and to let God be wiser than men, and a consequent subjection of Scripture to the supposed demands of human logic.

J.I Packer

Jonathan Edwards

Luke 16:16 "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and every one is forcing his way into it."

This is from Luke where Jesus is challenging the Pharisees, "who were lovers of money." Also, close by in vs 13 is the familiar verse- "No servant can serve two masters...You cannot serve God and mammon.


This is from DR. Edwards sermon on Luke 16:16, preached during the Awakening of 1734-1735 at Northhamption.

II. To show why the kingdom of heaven should be sought in this manner [forcefully]. It should be sought thus.


1. On account of the extreme necessity we are in of getting into the kingdom of heaven. We are in a perishing necessity of it; without it we are utterly and eternally lost. Out of the kingdom of God is no safety; there is no other hiding-place; this is the only city of refuge, in which we can be secure from the avenger that pursues all the ungodly. the vengeance of God will pursue, overtake, and eternally destroy,them that are not in this kingdom. All that are without this enclosure will be swallowed up in an overflowing fiery deluge of wrath. They may stand at the door and knock, and cry, Lord, Lord, open to us , in vain; they will be thrust back; and God will have no mercy on them; they shall be eternally left of him. His fearful vengeance will seize them; the devils will lay hold of them; and all evil come upon them; and there will be none to pity or help; their case will be utterly desperate, and infinitely doleful. It will be a gone case with them; all offers of mercy and expressions of divine goodness will be finally withdrawn, and all hope will be lost. God will have no kind of regard to their well-being; will take no care of them to save them from any enemy, or any evil; but himself will be their dreadful enemy, and will execute wrath with fury, and will take vengeance in an inexpressibly dreadful manner. Such as shall be in this case will be lost and undone indeed! They will be sunk down into perdition, infinitely below all that we can think. For who knows the power of God's anger? And who knows the misery of that poor worm, on whom that anger is executed without mercy?

Classic Edwards

People came in droves to hear Edwards preach this sort of thing.

God's free grace and love

ESV Ephesians 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

I like the way the ASV phrases it- "to the praise of the glory of his grace"

ESV 2 Timothy 1:9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

Because of His own purpose and grace

I particularly am comforted by the scripture, "which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began."

Makes you have to ask- who is the "us"? It's not all humanity. Paul is writing to Timothy and using language defined by his context. In essence he is writing to Timothy and saying, "Now as a pastor Timothy, remember these things and teach them to your people (the church)." Hence the name given for these letters to Timothy and Titus- pastoral epistles.

ESV Romans 9:11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad- in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call- 12 she was told, "The older will serve the younger." 13 As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." 14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

Last and least we have the Westmister Confession of Faith expressing these biblical truths. Remember that the Westminster Standards are not Scripture and are subservient to Scripture in every regard. That being said the following is an excellent summation of what the Bible says.

WCF 3:5 WCF 3.5 Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory,(1) out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works, or perserverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto;(2) and all to the praise of His glorious grace.(3)

this is talking about being predestined unto salvation by God's free grace and love.

I've been thinking again about God's grace and His purpose in our lives. I don't know of anyone (any Christian that is) who doesn't like the concept of grace- free grace and God's love. It's when you start putting it in it biblical context that the internecine argument begins. So much of christian discussion and conflict center around salvation. If you are teaching the bible its unavoidable to teach on salvation. Because of this emphasis on salvation (and I'm not saying this is completely bad) so much of the church never really moves beyond getting saved. We must live by God's grace in light of our salvation. I've heard it said that in some baptist circles every sermon and service is about getting saved and coming to Jesus. I've heard it said that in some Reformed Presbyterian circles that every sermon and service is about Justification and coming to Jesus. This is a great starting point and should never be left behind (no pun intended- well sort of) but there is more.
Paul's words to the Ephesians are weighty words- "you have been saved by grace." We need to remember too that there is life to be lived now that we have been saved by grace. And we go about this living by God's free grace and love.

Grace in the Church

The teachings of Scripture respecting the grace of God stress the fact that God distributes His blessings to men in a free and sovereign manner, and not in consideration of any inherent merit of men; that men owe all the blessings of life to a beneficent, forbearing, and long suffering God; and especially that all the blessings of the work of salvation are freely given of God, and are in no way determined by supposed merits of men. This is clearly expressed by Paul... Eph2:8,9... He strongly emphasizes the fact that salvation is not by works, Rom. 3:20-28; 4:16; Gal2:16


Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, pg. 428

The edition of this text that we all had when I was in seminary had a nice blue dust jacket. This quote on grace is surprisingly engaging for Berkhof. The text is 782 pages. We called it the big blue sleeping pill. Theology can be very lively and is very important to search out and find clarity, but systematic theology can be a bit dry. So, if you ever have a bout of insomnia, I've got an extra copy. What more could you ask for in a book- rest for you soul (via theological, Christ centered growth) and rest for you body (via systematic theology induced sleep). It's a winner!

Thomas Watson

Question: In what sense must a Christian not deny himself?

Response 2: A Christian must not deny his grace. He must not disown any good work wrought in him. He ought not to say that he is a dry tree when the dew of heaven lies upon his branches. As it is a sin for a man to make himself better than he is, so it is to make himself worse. To say he has grace when he has none is presumption. To say he has no grace when he has is ingratitude. It is bearing false witness against the Spirit of God.

I found this fascinating. I think most people can grasp the idea of a person making themselves out to be better and more than they are. But, it is a little harder to see how we make ourselves out to be less than we are. I think that Watson's point is that we are not to wallow in or long for our misery. But more than that we are not to diminish who we are in Christ. That's quite a tension. Watson's warning is against this tendency: We say we are not struggling when we are struggling greatly and we say we are struggling when we are not struggling greatly.

What is Rev. Watson's answer for this fight? First, trust in Christ. Rest in His grace. Also believe in the doctrine of the Trinity, the doctrine of the incarnation and the doctrine of the resurrection. That's good advice, no?

I've been reading more of these puritans lately and man can they be pretty dark. Rev. Watson's sermon The Duty of Self-Denial was published in 1675. They lived in dark times and evidently social convention didn't mandate them to just grin and bear it in their writings. You definitely don't hear "peace, peace when there is no peace." from these men. I thank God for their writing because their answers to life's questions are weighty and point to joy in Christ.

Chase CA update

Brett, Elizabeth and the boys moved to California a few months ago. We miss them a lot. They have joined Covenant OPC. I'm a big fan of their new church and especially Pastor Landis. But this is somewhat of a cautionary tale (just kidding really)...





apparently this is what happens to men who move to California

Family night supper

We had fun Wednesday night.

From the Sketch of Rutherford's life written by Andrew A. Bonar:

These letters will ever be precious to all who are sensible of their own, and the Church's decay and corruptions. The wound and the cure are therein so fully opened out: self is exposed, specially spiritual self. He [Rutherford] will tell you, "There is as much need to watch over grace, as to watch over sin."

That is so quotable and what a reminder: Watch over grace. Are you struggling? There is as much need to watch over grace in your life as there is need to watch over sin. This is more than just positive thinking. Anyone can do that for a time. We must be mindful of God's grace in our lives especially when we see our own and the Church's corruptions. For by His grace we are saved and by God's grace He will see us through.

He will show you God in Christ, to fill up the place usurped by self. The subtleties of sin, idols, snares, temptations, self-deceptions, are dragged into view from time to time. And what is better still, the cords of Christ are twined round the roots of these bitter plants, that they may be plucked up.

Great image there- I can't help but think of a huge tree stump being ripped with amazing force from the ground, uprooted from the soil. I guess that would be after sin has grown past the woody plant stage to be a full grown tree! All the more need to keep an eye on grace.


I also really like this Rutherford quip:

We live far from the well, and complain but dryly of our dryness

Samuel Rutherford's solution would be to stir up that thirst- beg God for spiritual refreshment- seek Christ who is the giver of living water.
I have a feeling this guy could really preach.

ok two more:

this said to turn a friend away from looking inward, to look upon the heart of Jesus

Your heart is not the compas that Christ saileth by

And this said to remind that Jesus has got to be our focus!

As holy walking is a duty coming from us, it is no ground of true peace. Believers often seek in themselves what they should seek in Christ

youth workers

There has been no photoshoping of this picture.... Notice the party hat.
Mary Lambert has somehow managed to avoid having pictures like this taken of her,at least to my knowledge. If someone might happen to have a picture of Mary similar to this, please let me know.

Wednseday Eve

Linda Herbert wrote "A great big thanks to everyone for last night! What a hoot we all had!! The food was fantastic, the music was just right and the games made everyone laugh and sorry they ate so much!! So, thanks to you all for your commitment and willingness to serve."

More games and fun are being planned for next week.

I'm just glad the session didn't have to participate in the clothes race. We had a "meeting". Although if we had participated we would have dominated... maybe.

Wednseday Night Fellowship

It's here. Wed night fellowship! Tonight we get to build our own baked Potato with all sorts of toppings. What Presbyterian in their right mind could resist that?! Seriously! Dinner starts at 6pm. Come and get your Carb fix. After dinner we've got a program for kids and families- singing games and fun.

Neil Postman

It is uncanny how this adresses our culture.

Forward to Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death:

“We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn’t, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. The roots of liberal democracy had held. Wherever else the terror had happened, we, at least, had not been visited by Orwellian nightmares.
But we had forgotten that alongside Orwell’s dark vision, there was another—slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxleys and Orwell did not prophesy the same thing. Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley’s vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.
What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny “failed to take into account man’s almost infinite appétite for distractions” In 1984, Huxley added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave new World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us, Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.
This book is about the possibility that Huxley, not Orwell, was right”

Another Ordination Picture

Praise God for providing another elder for the church! It is exciting to see what God is doing at DPC.

Another

Ruling Elder Mike Herbert

ordination

This coming Sunday we will be ordaining and installing Mike Herbert to the office of Ruling Elder at DPC. We'll have a lunch afterwards! Ordination and food- what more could a church want? I hope to have some picture of the service and lunch to post later.

return to blogging

It's been to long- blogging should be some sort of disciplined activity. But when the time crunch is on somethings got to go. We've had a lot going on at DPC since I last wrote (November, Yikes!). We've had joys and struggles- real life. We've elected a new elder, we've had sickness, surgeries, birth, death and baptisms (adult and infant). We rejoice and mourn and live life before our God and maker. We rejoice. It is good to belong to Christ our savior who stays with us, who is loving and faithful- in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health all our days.

Praise God for His faithfulness over the past six months.

Blessed be the Name of the LORD!