2009-05-07

Chris Brauns' book Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds was written to counter a lack of understanding of biblical forgiveness in the author’s church (he’s a pastor). It’s a serious matter to fail to forgive, and to work out forgiveness everyone must be connected to a Christ-centered, Bible preaching local church. He sees ‘therapeutic forgiveness’ substituted for real forgiveness, where individual feelings are exalted, actually working out the differences between parties is diminished, and heretical notions like forgiving God come into play. When God forgives, our relationship with Him is restored. While Christians are always to have an attitude of forgiveness, it is conditional, and doesn’t happen until the other party is repentant.

Christ felt both the hurt of man's injustice and the weight of God's justice as he went forth to bear the full curse of sin and so to be accursed of God. Christ was viewed as accursed by being hanged on a tree. And Calvin says, "It was not unknown to God what death his own Son would die, when he pronounced the law, "He that is hanged is accursed of God." The Cross He Bore - Outside the Gates

Challies reviews Kevin DeYoung’s book Just Do Something, which is largely written to help people with unbiblical notions of understanding God’s will that lead to deadlock and paralysis, meaning they are wasting their lives doing nothing when they should just be doing something. "I'd like us to consider that maybe we have difficulty discovering Gods wonderful plan for our lives because, if the truth be told, He doesn't really intend to tell us what it is. And maybe we're wrong to expect Him to." DeYoung distinguishes between God's secret will (or will of decree), God's revealed will (will of desire) and God's will for our lives (will of direction). God does not have a secret will of direction for our lives. Use sanctified reasoning. You don’t need to know the plan to act and to please God in acting. If there really is such a secret will that means freedom and fulfillment, why are all who pursue it so lost in confusion and bondage? Book Review - Just Do Something!

A book has been written to show that Darwin was a kindly humanitarian scientist seeking to release mankind from bondage and oppression, and that he opposed slavery. i) Late evolutionist Stephen J. Gould noted, “Biological arguments for racism may have been common before 1859, but they increased by orders of magnitude following acceptance of evolutionary theory.” ii) People took evolutionary ideas and concluded that different men evolved to different points, and therefore found support for things like slavery. iii) Darwin’s view was that men were advanced animals, and in that worldview, on what basis would anyone say that slavery is ‘wrong’? There is no right and wrong there, and slavery could just be selection – survival of the fittest. http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/04/07/darwins-sacred-cause

MacArthur: “As Christians we must understand that whatever opposes God’s Word or departs from it in any way is a danger to the very cause of truth. Passivity toward known error is not an option for the Christian. Staunch intolerance of error is built into the very fabric of Scripture. And tolerance of known error is anything but a virtue.” Truth and error are as incompatible as light and darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14-16). Even post-modernism, which prides itself on inclusivism and non-dogmatism, is hostile to biblical Christianity. Error Intolerant

This post at GenderBlog draws an illustration for what is needed for teaching children to love and follow Jesus from the passion many fathers and sons have for baseball, which extends throughout the day into different aspects of life. Every dad must remember that teaching our sons to trust in Jesus and to serve His Kingdom takes time, effort,  instruction, modeling, and countless conversations. Diamond Dads- Baseball, Fatherhood, and the Gospel, Part II

Carolyn Mahaney makes four suggestions to mothers. Pray for your daughters. There is nothing better you could do for them. Take an interest in their lives, even participating in those things they enjoy. Be active about it. Have a heart of enthusiasm for their interests. Listen closely – actually listen, don’t just keep your mouth shut. Finally, lavish affection on them. Tips for Loving Teens

This post at reclaimingthemind draws an analogy between the fact that unbelievers suppress the truth (it’s not that they don’t know it, Romans 1) from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Houdini, where the former pursued mediums and Spiritualism, while the latter opposed it, having been a former swindler. Conan Doyle actually devoted a chapter in a book arguing that Houdini’s feats were so fantastic that the best explanation is that Houdini was himself a medium who used his power for entertainment, dematerializing to escape things! The Strange Case of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Houdini, and Romans 1

Turretinfan shows that Origen interpreted Matthew 16:18 more like a modern Reformed believer would interpret the passage, and actually a lot like the way that Augustine interpreted the passage. Aquinas also takes Matthew 16:18 as referring to the confession, not Peter, when Jesus says, “upon this rock I will build my church.” Origen - Not a Papist

This post recommends The Pattern of Sound Doctrine, edited by VanDrunen, to Reformed Baptists. It is produced by Westminster west. Sound Doctrine for Reformed Baptists

Adams writes that the fight/struggle within the believer isn’t between two natures, but rather between the old ways that have been brought over into the new life, and man’s new orientation in Christ. Schiz-

From This Momentary Marriage: "If there is a sound downstairs during the night and it might be a burglar, you don't say to her, 'This is an egalitarian marriage, so it's your turn to go check it out. I went last time.' And I mean that-even if your wife has a black belt in karate. After you've tried to deter him, she may finish off the burglar with one good kick to the solar plexus. But you'd better be unconscious on the floor, or you're no man." Piper on Physical Protection

A 2000 year old Hebrew document has been found. Pressrelease from Israel Antiquities Authority- A Rare 2,000 Year Old Hebrew Document Written on

From Jerry Bridges: “Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.” All of Grace

Turretinfan has some thoughts on why he thinks James White dominated the debate with Barker. White presented a biblical case, and didn’t attempt to be clever. White actually prepared for the debate. White avoided ad hominem, etc. And White linked to other debates and discussions. Why Dr. White Dominated the Barker-White Debate

Bayly provides the full text of “one of the two complaints that have been filed against the recent action of Northern California Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America--the action by which Northern California Presbytery approved not ordaining male deacons and having female deacons serve alongside those unordained male deacons, without sexual distinction.” Woman deacons and Northern California Presbytery- Complaint filed

Phillips illustrates 1 John 2:4-6; 3:7; and James 2:14 (Both gutless-gracers and works-righteousness heretics twist these passages) by imagining a pill that always cures cancer, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, and always turns the skin green, sometimes a light shade, sometimes a dark shade. Here’s the analogy: “Everyone who has taken the Chlorozoetin has green skin, and overcomes cancer. If anyone says "I've taken Chlorozoetin," but does not have green skin, and still has growing cancer, he is a liar. By this you know that you have taken Chlorozoetin: your cancer is beaten back, and you have green skin. What use is it to say you've taken Chlorozoetin, but your skin isn't green? Will that cure your cancer?” When lips and life contradict, go with life. The "signs" of faith embodied in truth, love, and works are invariable indicators that one has been saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The results are in different degrees, but they are always there. Faith, grace and works in James and John- an illustration

Denny Burk points out that even though activists recognize Obama as the most pro-gay president in history, it’s not enough for them. They want more. That’s telling. Obama Engaged on Gay “Marriage”-