Amazing Love of God

Yesterday at our church we sang one of my favorite songs, Charles Wesley’s And Can It Be?  I never heard this song until we began going to Bible churches instead of Lutheran churches.  I think it has some powerful words to meditate on.

And can it be that I should gain

An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?

Died He for me, who caused His pain?

For Me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing Love! How can it be

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Refrain:

Amazing Love! How can it be

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left His Father’s throne above;

So free, so infinite His grace.

Emptied Himself of all but love,

And bled for Adam’s helpless race.

‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,

For, O my God, it found out me.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay

Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;

Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray,

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.

My chains fell off; my heart was free.

I rose, went forth and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;

Jesus, and all in Him is mine!

Alive in Him, my living Head,

And clothed in righteousness divine;

Behold I approach th’ eternal throne

And claim the crown, thro’ Christ, my own.

I have found texts with more stanzas, but these four are what I usually find in hymnals.

"Doctrine" in the Pastoral Epistles

by Ron Merryman, and published in The Berean Call, July 2011
"Till I come, give attention to the reading, to the exhortation, to the doctrine.... Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you"--1 Timothy 4:13, 15-16. (I have highlighted the definite articles each from the Greek text, because they affirm the focus of public ministry, the Word of God.) [Paul to Timothy, ca. A.D. 65]

Paul's admonition here is directed to three emphases in Timothy's public ministry. When believers met in assembly, Timothy was to: 1) attend to the reading aloud of the Scriptures; 2) attend to exhortation-encouragement flowing from the Scriptures; and 3) attend to the doctrine, the organized or systematized teaching of God's Word.

Timothy was to meditate on these [literally, keep giving meticulous care to these(meletao in the present tense, active voice, imperative mood)], to give himself entirely to them ("be in these things,"... "be absorbed in them"), and to continue orpersevere in them...for in so doing, he and his listeners would be delivered from the evils of the age. Strong imperatives for young pastors from the aged Apostle! It is evident that Paul's confidence in accomplishing God's purposes was solely in the Word of God.

What was to be normative to Timothy has become dreaded in evangelical churches today! Doctrine has become the dreaded "D" word! Some see it as divisive; as though truth and error admit to little difference (need I say that doctrinal truth by nature is quite intolerant of error!). Others see it as dry and boring, as though God's truth is unrelated to human experience. Still others avoid doctrine like the plague, fearful that it minimizes love, as though love can be sentimentally divorced from truth.

Not so with the Apostle Paul! And in his Pastoral Epistles, 1Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus, he communicates the importance of sound doctrine. Did you notice--PastoralEpistles--letters to those who would be responsible for emphases in assembly gatherings! Pastors, elders, seminarians: Take note! As kindly as possible [and] with empathy, having pastored for 14 years, I ask, "Are the believers in your assembly well grounded doctrinally or not? If not, why not?" Believers: Are you well oriented to biblical truth so that you can propagate and defend doctrinal truth? Or are you leaving such to the "pros"?  

Going Against the Flow

Is it ever wrong to just “go with the flow” and fail to act?  Do we sometimes have a moral obligation to take action, even if it means swimming against the prevailing current?

Yes. Otherwise, we may be guilty of what is known as “culpable passivity,” because in certain circumstances the failure to act is inexcusably wrong, both legally and morally.  In legal matters, culpable passivity mostly involves wronging the rights of others.  But for Christians, in matters involving the character and revelation of God, culpable passivity can involve directly wronging the rights of God Himself.

Biblical apologetics is all about swimming upstream, challenging the status quo that routinely denigrates God and His Word.  Unbiblical teachings about God’s relationship to His creation are both aggressive and ubiquitous.  Christians around the world who resolutely honor the Word of God are frequently put on trial for their unwavering faith.  How their courage shames those who would prefer to simply “go with the flow” and listen to the voices of “experts” who boisterously brag of their “science” (falsely so-called) as they refuse to honor God as Creator.

James J.S. Johnson, J.D., Th.D., Culpable Passivity: The Failure of Going with the Flow.  Acts & Facts 40/7, p.8

A Catholic Wedding

Today I played for a wedding, which makes it the 33rd for which I have played my pipes.   (I have also played for eight receptions where the couple did not have me at the ceremony).   And this was the 14th wedding I’ve done in a Roman Catholic church.

Catholic weddings always make me sad because of the idolatry and other legalistic practices.  There is always the prayers to Mary, and there is always the Mass.  I have been canceled from a couple because the priest said the bagpipes were a secular instrument and not allowed in God’s house, while others have had the music desires of the bride and groom over-turned because it was considered “secular” by the priest.  However, today had just a wee bit of a difference, which led me to write about it.

After the Mass was celebrated, and after the final blessings were given, before the couple could rise from their kneeling position the priest made the following announcement:

“For those here who are Catholic, this Mass does not replace the weekly Mass - you still must be at mass tomorrow.”  

And then he spoke directly to the groom and then to the bride in turn:  “This includes you, so get up tomorrow morning.” (This was said loud so the whole congregation could hear, which probably mortified the couple.)

Can you imagine the legalistic burden this places on the individual?  And how about the bride and groom - they can’t even sleep in after their first night together for fear of missing Mass!!!  

While I have known couples who have attended church the morning after their wedding, most couples tend to start their honeymoon trip the evening of their wedding or the morning after.  Somehow I don’t see Christ punishing them in any manner for not attending church the next morning!

Listening to the priest’s invocations at Mass, watching his holding up the host for worship, and his statements about this Mass not counting for their weekly requirement, all made me pray that the deception of this false system would be apparent to those who were there.

Did They Really Say That?

?!?

“God cannot take to heaven the slave who has been kept in ignorance and degradation, knowing nothing of God or the Bible, fearing nothing but his master’s lash, and holding a lower position than the brutes.  But He does the best thing for him that a compassionate God can do.  He permits him to be as if he had not been.”

Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p. 276.

According to E.G. White, God couldn’t take the slaves to heaven, and so annihilated them.  And how did she know that slaves knew nothing of God and the Bible?

More United Methodists Settle Into Satan’s Web

An article in yesterday’s Cedar Rapids Gazette declared that “a growing number of pastors in the United Methodist Church say they're no longer willing to obey a church rule that prohibits them from officiating at same-sex marriages, despite the potential threat of being disciplined or dismissed from the church.”

Is that “potential threat” of discipline really an actual threat?  Well, as I’ve reported before about these goatherds, the Gazette tells us that, “In some parts of the United States, Methodist pastors have been marrying same-sex couples or conducting blessing ceremonies for same-sex unions for years with little fanfare and no backlash from the denomination.”

When denominational leaders fail to do their duty, all they will get from it is more apostasy.  The UMC denomination is pretty liberal as it is, focussing on the “social gospel” rather than on Biblical teachings, so they really don’t have much of a leg to stand on anyway when it comes to enforcing a ban on conducting same-sex unions.  Yet the Gazette also reports that “Rev.” [read “goatherd”] Amy DeLong of Osceola, WI is facing a 3-day trial beginning today; it seems she has ordained homophiles and has “married” a lesbian couple.  She is also in a homosexual relationship and claims to have told her superiors this fact long ago, yet the UMC has done nothing to discipline her before.  So now they a trying her for practicing her known worldview!

Goatherd DeLong officiated at this “wedding” of lesbians two years ago and yet the UMC is just NOW taking action - or at least giving the impression that they are doing so.  DeLong claims that the UMC official stance on homosexual are “unjust laws.”  Interesting that she would say God is unjust for saying homosexual behavior is a sin.  Who gave her this moral authority over God?

The Gazette article reports that there are “hundreds of pastors from areas including Illinois, Minnesota, New York and New England have signed statements recently asserting their willingness to defy the rule.”  The reason given is that, “A number of Methodist clergy say it violates the church's social-justice teachings, and they say they're stepping up their efforts in part because national attitudes toward discrimination against gays and lesbians are becoming more enlightened.”

There you have it: God’s law has not changed but the false social gospel taught by the UMC opens the door to these claims of “social justice.”  And, after all, secular attitudes about homosexuality are more important that God’s attitude towards it.  Then there is the bogus claim about “discrimination,” as if discrimination is somehow always wrong.  With their logic, we should quit discriminating against adulterers and fornicators and no longer call what they do “sin.”  And don’t you love how they frame the acceptance of homosexual behavior by society as being “enlightened”?  Yes, us Bible-believing Christians are in such darkness!

The Gazette’s article ended with this bit of information:

One retired pastor in Massachusetts has been defying the same-sex wedding ban for more than 10 years without drawing any complaints and has no plans to stop. 

The Rev. Richard Harding, 85, said the church is only hurting itself by driving away both talented clergy and younger members who think the policy is out of touch. 

'I'm getting on in years and I may not see the change but there's definitely an uprising taking place,' he said. 'There are signs that the pole of justice is beginning to lean the proper way. I think we'll see even more of this. We aren't going to go away.' 

Proof positive that the UMC’s threat of disciple is harmless.  And to Goatherd Harding, the Church isn’t here to cater to those who want to deny God’s laws so as to be “in touch,” rather it is here to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If that drives people away, so be it.  It has nothing to do with secular justice, but it has everything to do with God’s justice.  I’ll take God over society any day.

If you are a member of a UMC body, why is your assembly still part of that denomination?  Do you like being tangled in Satan’s web?


UPDATE, 6/23/11
Goat herd DeLong got a hand-slap.  Check out Neil's report at Eternity Matters.

Holy God, We Praise Thy Name

We sang one of my favorite hymns today.  I first heard it sung by Shirley Temple in the movie, Heidi, then it was a song we sang in the Lutheran churches we attended for eight years.  During that time, I transcribed the tune to play on my bagpipes.

It is an old hymn but not a dirge hymn; and it has some good theology as well.

Holy God, we praise Thy name;

Lord of all, we bow before Thee;

All on earth They scepter claim;

All in heav’n above adore Thee.

Infinite Thy vast domain;

Everlasting is Thy reign.

Hark, the glad celestial hymn

Angel choirs above are raising;

Cherubim and seraphim

In unceasing chorus praising;

Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord:

Holy, holy, holy Lord.

Holy Father, Holy Son,

Holy Spirit: Three we name Thee

While in essence only one;

Undivided God we claim Thee,

And adoring, bend the knee

While we sing our praise to Thee.

How to Destroy the Church

Three years ago, and only three months after I started this blog, I posted this citation from Don Veinot of Midwest Christian Outreach apologetics ministry.  I decided this was a citation which needed reposting, with my short thought at the end:

“How to Destroy the Church: Turn Christianity into one of many equal religious options no more or less true than any other. We could incorporate the 'rich heritage' of these various religious traditions into a non-judgmental spiritually affirming setting of contemplative thought and conversation. We can be on a journey in the land of not knowingness and mutually embrace our ignorance while we sneer and jeer those lesser humans who think they can know things. We can de-emphasize sound doctrine and biblical teaching in order to not make those who don't know anything about the Bible feel bad about not knowing anything. Since nothing is really true anyway we can all feel really good that no one feels bad, except of course, those who believe the Bible."

This is exactly what we see happening in today's church, especially with the Emergent Church movement.  Again, I have to cite 2 Timothy 4:3-4: "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (NIV).

Did They Really Say That?

?!?

Audible prayer can never do the works of spiritual understanding, which regenerates; but silent prayer, watchfulness, and devout obedience enable us to follow Jesus’ example. ... Audible prayer is impressive; it gives momentary solemnity and elevation to thought.  But does it produce any lasting benefit?  Looking deeply into these things, we find that “a zeal...not according to knowledge” gives occasion for reaction unfavorable to spiritual grown, sober resolve, and wholesome perception of God’s requirements.  The motives for verbal prayer may embrace too much love of applause to induce or encourage Christian sentiment.

Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, pp.4, 7

Mary Baker Eddy obviously had a problem with audible prayer.  However, how does this teaching compare with the myriads of examples, even by Jesus, of audible prayer!?!  This teaching is unbiblical.

What About Gambling?

In my last post I had a commentary about a person who claimed God gave his mother a winning lottery ticket after he prayed. [This post had missing links by 8/9/15 and so was deleted]  One of the comments I received questioned what the problem was with gambling which would lead me to say I didn’t believe God would work that way.  

Well, over a decade ago I did a series on Biblical Ethics for my high school Sunday School class.  The text I used was Robertson McQuilken’s, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics.  I found my outline for this course and decided to cut and paste here the section on gambling.  While my outline had much quoting from McQuilkin, I used him as my jumping-off point for my own lesson.  So here you have mostly McQuilkin’s comments extracted from that section of his book.  I tend to agree with what he says.

Gambling:

McQuilkin tells us the reason he places gambling as a subset of "social responsibility" rather than under "personal integrity" is that it is virtually impossible "to make a convincing case from Scripture against gambling as inherently sinful, but it is no difficult task at all to marshal biblical evidence against gambling as a social evil."

Biblical basis for opposition.  For the serious gambler, it is a violation of the commandment against covetousness.  Selfishness is also present in most gambling.  Kenneth Kantzer, in Christianity Today, said gambling is "an artificially contrived risk, taken for selfish gain at another's expense, with no constructive product or social good as its goal." But is gambling a sin?  Maybe not, but sin often lies at the root of gambling and sin is often the result of gambling. McQuilkin says, "Human experience indicates that even recreational gambling promotes covetousness and leads away from giving as a way of life.  It often nurtures the fantasy that luck rather than hard work is a way to prosperity.  All too often it sucks the gambler into a life of dishonesty.  Even if one should escape the common evil results, is it right for the strong to validate gambling by personal example and help create an atmosphere in which others will fall?   Seeing the practice in real life outcomes leads to the conclusion that gambling is not a legitimate part of a God-pleasing way of life."

Social effects of gambling.  There are more compulsive gamblers in America than there are “alcoholics” (drunks).  This often leads to poverty-destroyed families.  McQuilkin says, "The gambling business is dominated by the major crime syndicates.  One organized crime boss said that the syndicates could get along very well on gambling alone even without their other mainstays: narcotics and prostitution."  These should be additional reasons for Christians to avoid gambling.

State lotteries:  McQuilkin tells us that what happens in state lotteries is "the enhancement of the professional gambler's take and the increased involvement of syndicated crime because the state develops a whole new crop of gamblers.  This occurs because the novelty of a state lottery normally wears off in about one year and the state must begin major marketing to enlist new gamblers. ... The state finds itself an ally of organized crime, an exploiter of the poor, a promoter of social blight, and a loser in the gamble to make a bundle with little effort and cost. No lottery has begun to measure up to optimistic projections, and many, within a decade, have failed financially.  And who can calculate the cost to the state in the fight against organized crime and the accompanying corruption in law enforcement, not to mention the increase in welfare costs for increasing numbers of gambling losers?”

Summation:  "In the light of the way gambling has worked out in the life of the nation, it seems the most responsible position for the Christian is total abstinence, opposition to any form of church sponsored gambling, and cooperation with all people of good sense in opposing state-operated lotteries and pari-mutuel betting."