It might be a bit like a local "Mom & Pop" ice cream shop encouraging you to visit Dairy Queen or a "Jim Bob's Used Car's" telling to go see the big new Ford dealership downthe street, but I am going to encourage you to visit a few of my favorite sites. Of course, they are far better in terms of style and substance than what I am posting. I trust you will find them helpful.
Here is a list of my favorite sites:
http://www.9marks.org/ - The ministry of Mark Dever and 9 Marks of a healthy church
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/weblogs/mohler/ - Dr. Al Mohler's Blog
http://www.alliancenet.org/ - The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
http://aomin.org/ - The apologetic ministry of Dr. James White
http://a1m.org/index.php - The thoughtful ministry of Steve Camp
http://www.mlj.org.uk/ - Martin Llyod Jones Recording Trust - hear recorded sermons of the great expositor himself
http://www.monergism.com/ - Good website on church ministry and conservative theology
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/ - My other hobby, when I am not teaching or reading
http://www.johnnybronco.blogspot.com - the thoughts of a friend of mine who is just starting his seminary training at Southern.
These are some of my most frequently visited sites. So be encouraged! Read! Study to show yourself approved!
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Waking Up In Perdition
I wish I could be done writing about the passing of John Paul II, but the news will not let it go. There is coming soon the announcement of yet another man to assume the blasphemous titles of "Holy Father," "Vicar or Christ," and "Pontificate." In a soon coming post we will look at how the Bishop of Rome, in assuming these three names, presumptively takes upon himself the very names of the three persons of the Holy Trinity.
In th meantime, let me comment about a another evangelical leader that I greatly respect. In my role as Director of Operations at a Christian Camp and Retreat Center, I had the privilege of partnering in minstry with Steve Camp. Steve in a legend in Christian Music. I greatly appreciate thetheological depth and biblical commitment presented in his music. In the past few years I have come to appreciate Steve even more so as a bold, clear communicator of Truth. When many evangelical leaders are caving to ecumenism and blurring the truth of the gospel, Steve has been faithful in standing for the heart of the Gospel. He is truly a "no holds barred" proclaimer of Truth. See here his most recent posts of the final "resting place" of John Paul II. Warning! Reading this post will be dangerous to any inkling of ecumensim you might posses! Be challenged!
http://a1m.org/index.php
Grace to you!
In th meantime, let me comment about a another evangelical leader that I greatly respect. In my role as Director of Operations at a Christian Camp and Retreat Center, I had the privilege of partnering in minstry with Steve Camp. Steve in a legend in Christian Music. I greatly appreciate thetheological depth and biblical commitment presented in his music. In the past few years I have come to appreciate Steve even more so as a bold, clear communicator of Truth. When many evangelical leaders are caving to ecumenism and blurring the truth of the gospel, Steve has been faithful in standing for the heart of the Gospel. He is truly a "no holds barred" proclaimer of Truth. See here his most recent posts of the final "resting place" of John Paul II. Warning! Reading this post will be dangerous to any inkling of ecumensim you might posses! Be challenged!
http://a1m.org/index.php
Grace to you!
Friday, April 08, 2005
Standing in the Tradition of Luther
The attempt to undo the Reformation continues full speed ahead. This time however, one evangelical leader that I greatly respect threw the gospel under the runaway bus of ecumenism and political clout. Dr. Al Mohler appeared on Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson and two prominent Catholics yesterday (4/6) and failed to defend the gospel. To be fair, Dr. Mohler did not acquiesce to the ecumenical heritage of Dobson, but he didn’t stand firm to call the pope the heretic that he was either. John Paul II blatantly denied the sufficiency of the gospel of Jesus Christ time and again in his encyclical writings, as I have presented the last couple of days. But Mohler passed on the opportunity to stand in the tradition of Luther and defend the heart of the gospel. Very disappointing indeed! Hear the discussion here: http://www.family.org/fmedia/broadcast/a0036100.cfm
My Senior Pastor Philip DeCourcy took full advantage of the necessary opportunity to point out the wolf in sheep’s clothing that was Pope John II. He went through some key theological heresies that appear in the Pope’s encyclical writings. He also dealt with the various blasphemous titles that the Pope took unto himself. Our folks responded very well to the gracious, yet firm, manner in which the material was presented.
While ultimately, a biblical heritage is fundamental, we must also remember the men on whose shoulders we evangelicals stand. These men, in the tradition of Luther, stood often to their death, for the grace of God in Christ alone. The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 in Section 26: Of the Church, line 4 states "The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner; neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God; whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." Read for yourself here:
http://www.vor.org/truth/1689/1689bc00.html
Now it seems apparent that John Paul II is not The Antichrist - otherwise, he will be rising from the dead soon and my pre-tribulational rapture position is wrong! But it is quite clear that John Paul II and the Roman Catholic Church are anti-christ in the sense that they completely deny, from the Council of Trent all the way through Vatican II, the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
Will evangelicals stand up for the gospel or melt into the mucky pool of theological compromise while grasping for political power? I will continue to stand with Luther to call the wolves within the fold of the church to repent. I will not stand with them to gain any political clout. Nor do I believe that we can best glorify God by joining hands for the purpose of promoting a "form of godliness while denying the power therof" with those who deny the sufficiency of the cross of Christ.
In Acts 20.29 Paul reminds the Ephesian elders that “fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” May we be ever vigilant to guard our flocks from the wolves that infiltrate the ranks of true believers.
Grace to you!
My Senior Pastor Philip DeCourcy took full advantage of the necessary opportunity to point out the wolf in sheep’s clothing that was Pope John II. He went through some key theological heresies that appear in the Pope’s encyclical writings. He also dealt with the various blasphemous titles that the Pope took unto himself. Our folks responded very well to the gracious, yet firm, manner in which the material was presented.
While ultimately, a biblical heritage is fundamental, we must also remember the men on whose shoulders we evangelicals stand. These men, in the tradition of Luther, stood often to their death, for the grace of God in Christ alone. The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 in Section 26: Of the Church, line 4 states "The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order or government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner; neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof, but is that antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself in the church against Christ, and all that is called God; whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." Read for yourself here:
http://www.vor.org/truth/1689/1689bc00.html
Now it seems apparent that John Paul II is not The Antichrist - otherwise, he will be rising from the dead soon and my pre-tribulational rapture position is wrong! But it is quite clear that John Paul II and the Roman Catholic Church are anti-christ in the sense that they completely deny, from the Council of Trent all the way through Vatican II, the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
Will evangelicals stand up for the gospel or melt into the mucky pool of theological compromise while grasping for political power? I will continue to stand with Luther to call the wolves within the fold of the church to repent. I will not stand with them to gain any political clout. Nor do I believe that we can best glorify God by joining hands for the purpose of promoting a "form of godliness while denying the power therof" with those who deny the sufficiency of the cross of Christ.
In Acts 20.29 Paul reminds the Ephesian elders that “fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” May we be ever vigilant to guard our flocks from the wolves that infiltrate the ranks of true believers.
Grace to you!
Evangelical Youth Ministry Leader Calls for “Protestants” to Be “Embracients”
More from the mushy, watered down, theologically-empty evangelical front! I just read this article with absolute disgust. It proves once again that most Protestants have no idea why they are Protestants. Maybe we don’t want to wear the tight collars or habits on our heads. Maybe we like a guitar at our worship services instead of candles (though that distinction in rapidly disappearing thanks to Brian MacClaren and the Emergent Church movement and the Charismatic inroads into the Catholic Church).
Did we forget the reason Martin Luther posted 95 disagreements with the Rome on the church door in Wittenberg in 1517? Is 500 years too long to remember? Apparently Mark Oestreigher of Youth Specialties either forgot, or found the Reformation unnecessary. Here are his comments on the division between Catholics and Protestants. “We protestants got our name because we're "protesters"—we were against some things in the Catholic church of that time. Unfortunately, that nexus has become part-and-parcel with who we have continued to be. If there's one thing that Protestants are really good at, it's not agreeing, it's reacting against (in protest) and starting something new.”
Actually, if the truth were to be told, “that nexus” of protesting “some things in the Catholic church of that time” has indeed not become “part and parcel with who we have continued to be.” That is the fundamental reason evangelicalism fails to have an eternal impact on our society. Evangelicalism as a whole has no theological distinction to speak of.
Anyway… read the whole mushy article from Mark Oestreicher, President of Youth Specialties here:
http://youthspecialties.com/about/news/2005/pope_john_paul_II.php
Did you catch his description of the false teachers of the Catholic parish in your neighborhood? “For all of us protestants (embracients!), this is a key point in history where we have the opportunity to embrace our Catholic brothers and sisters—our co-heirs in the church of Jesus Christ, fellow children of God.”
Let’s consider this thought being a “co-heir” and “fellow children of God.”
Romans 8.17 is where we discover the aspect of the grace of God that allows those who have be transformed by the sufficient, one-for-all sacrifice of Christ as “heirs of God and Joint heirs with Jesus Christ.” It is truly a profound thing that we sinners, both by nature and practice, will reign with Christ and be called “joint heirs” with Him. As those who have been regenerated by the faith alone in Christ alone we will be the heirs of the riches of the glory of God. This thought is closely connected to John 1.12-13, where we find that all those who receive the Him (that is Jesus), those who believe in His name (alone) have the right to called children of God. That means those who not trust in the name of Christ alone do not have the right to be called children of God.
These are very precious thought worthy of our mediation at some point. God allows us to be called his children, and as such, we are guaranteed the rights do children. We will be heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ! Amazing thought for a sinner such as I!
However, when we begin to ascribe those salvific blessings to those who deny the sufficiency of the cross of Christ, we deny the very impact of the grace of God. Mr. Oestriecher apparently believes that even those who teach that grace comes through Mary, the Church, the Papacy and the Sacraments should be embraced and called “fellow children of God.” Is Mr. Oestreicher deliberately denying the cross himself? Or is he simply acquiescing to the ecumenical spirit that now defines the so called Evangelical movement?
Either way, my the grace of God be boldly proclaimed today in the face of such rampant ecumenism that by its very nature denies the fundamental gospel of the grace of God in Christ!
Grace to you!
Did we forget the reason Martin Luther posted 95 disagreements with the Rome on the church door in Wittenberg in 1517? Is 500 years too long to remember? Apparently Mark Oestreigher of Youth Specialties either forgot, or found the Reformation unnecessary. Here are his comments on the division between Catholics and Protestants. “We protestants got our name because we're "protesters"—we were against some things in the Catholic church of that time. Unfortunately, that nexus has become part-and-parcel with who we have continued to be. If there's one thing that Protestants are really good at, it's not agreeing, it's reacting against (in protest) and starting something new.”
Actually, if the truth were to be told, “that nexus” of protesting “some things in the Catholic church of that time” has indeed not become “part and parcel with who we have continued to be.” That is the fundamental reason evangelicalism fails to have an eternal impact on our society. Evangelicalism as a whole has no theological distinction to speak of.
Anyway… read the whole mushy article from Mark Oestreicher, President of Youth Specialties here:
http://youthspecialties.com/about/news/2005/pope_john_paul_II.php
Did you catch his description of the false teachers of the Catholic parish in your neighborhood? “For all of us protestants (embracients!), this is a key point in history where we have the opportunity to embrace our Catholic brothers and sisters—our co-heirs in the church of Jesus Christ, fellow children of God.”
Let’s consider this thought being a “co-heir” and “fellow children of God.”
Romans 8.17 is where we discover the aspect of the grace of God that allows those who have be transformed by the sufficient, one-for-all sacrifice of Christ as “heirs of God and Joint heirs with Jesus Christ.” It is truly a profound thing that we sinners, both by nature and practice, will reign with Christ and be called “joint heirs” with Him. As those who have been regenerated by the faith alone in Christ alone we will be the heirs of the riches of the glory of God. This thought is closely connected to John 1.12-13, where we find that all those who receive the Him (that is Jesus), those who believe in His name (alone) have the right to called children of God. That means those who not trust in the name of Christ alone do not have the right to be called children of God.
These are very precious thought worthy of our mediation at some point. God allows us to be called his children, and as such, we are guaranteed the rights do children. We will be heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ! Amazing thought for a sinner such as I!
However, when we begin to ascribe those salvific blessings to those who deny the sufficiency of the cross of Christ, we deny the very impact of the grace of God. Mr. Oestriecher apparently believes that even those who teach that grace comes through Mary, the Church, the Papacy and the Sacraments should be embraced and called “fellow children of God.” Is Mr. Oestreicher deliberately denying the cross himself? Or is he simply acquiescing to the ecumenical spirit that now defines the so called Evangelical movement?
Either way, my the grace of God be boldly proclaimed today in the face of such rampant ecumenism that by its very nature denies the fundamental gospel of the grace of God in Christ!
Grace to you!
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
A link to a favorite Blog
Here is a link that I would encourage you to check out. Dr. James White is an apologist and Executive Director of Alpha and Omega Ministries. You will find his entire site very valuable, particulary his recent posts on Roman Catholocism. Enjoy your reading!
http://aomin.org/index.php?itemid=333
2 Tim 2.14-16 "14Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness" (ESV)
Our quarrel is not over words or irreverent babbling, but an effort to "rightly handle the word of Truth" which is being thrown out at the expense of ecumenism, false piety and a general lack of "good courage" to "contend for the faith the was once delivered to the saints" Jude 3.
Grace to you!
http://aomin.org/index.php?itemid=333
2 Tim 2.14-16 "14Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness" (ESV)
Our quarrel is not over words or irreverent babbling, but an effort to "rightly handle the word of Truth" which is being thrown out at the expense of ecumenism, false piety and a general lack of "good courage" to "contend for the faith the was once delivered to the saints" Jude 3.
Grace to you!
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
There is One Mediator between God and Man
As I continue to watch (and mostly read) the coverage of the death of John Paul II, I am amazed (though I shouldn’t be) at the extent of the Marian Theology. It is cult-like and very scary. Let me remind you of the comments I made yesterday regarding the Pope’s high view of Mary as the Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix.
From the “Redeemer of Man” – an encyclical letter of His Holiness John Paul II: “if we feel a special need, in this difficult and responsible phase of the history of the Church and of mankind, to turn to Christ, who is Lord of the Church and Lord of man's history on account of the mystery of the Redemption, we believe that nobody else can bring us as Mary can into the divine and human dimension of this mystery. Nobody has been brought into it by God Himself as Mary has. It is in this that the exceptional character of the grace of the divine Motherhood consists. Not only is the dignity of this Motherhood unique and unrepeatable in the history of the human race, but Mary's participation, due to this maternity, is God's plan for man's salvation through the mystery.”
You can read the whole of his encyclical letter on redemption here: http://www.cin.org/jp2ency/redeem.html
Did you catch that last comment? God’s plan for man’s salvation is Mary’s participation in bringing Christ to the world and participating in His suffering. She therefore becomes the Mother Grace. I actually heard another Vatican official comment the John Paul II was going to lay down his rewards at the feet of Mary! Presumably he believes that Mary will in turn lay his worship at the feet of God on his behalf. Hence the bad theology that Mary is the Mediatrix, or the mediator between God and Man. Read 1 Timothy 2.5,6: “5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (ESV) Who has the Scripture declared to be the one mediator between God and man? There is only one! The “Man Jesus Christ.” The word here translated mediator is from Greek mesites. The idea is we have one who acts as the link between two parties for the purpose of peace. Jesus is the link between sinful man and Holy God. Jesus is the one who brings the peace. Romans 5.1,2 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” How do we have peace with God? “Through Jesus Christ,” and by means of justification. It is this justification that allows us (verse 2) to “obtain access by faith into this grace.”
Without justification, there is no redemption. Justification comes at a cost. 2 Cor 5.21 is the most succinct and profound verse on the heart of the gospel. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Justification comes at the cost of imputation. Christ Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin on our behalf. He actually became the embodiment of sin itself, without ever sinning or diminishing His divine character. He did this to bear the totality of the God’s wrath against sin. Jesus paid the debt that appeased the wrath of God. Our sin was imputed to Christ Himself. But that is not all. There is another side to the coin of imputation. As our sin was imputed to Christ, His righteousness was imputed to us. Just as Christ never sinned, never became a sinner, never diminished His divine character, rather; He undeservedly bore the wrath of God in our substitution, we too undeservedly receive the righteousness of God. You cannot earn it, just as Christ could not earn the wrath of God. This imputation is initiated at the moment of faith.
Do you see how the false teaching that Mary might in anyway play a role as a Mediator nullifies the finished and sufficient work of Christ on the cross? Faith plus anything is indeed insufficient to save us from the wrath of God. By attempting to add to the already sufficient death of Christ as our propitiation, we in essence are denying the very power of that death. Faith plus baptism is not saving faith. Faith plus the sacraments is not saving faith. Faith plus church membership is not saving faith. Faith plus the work of Mary is not saving faith.
The cry of the Reformers is biblical and relevant in today’s world of mushy, “let’s just all get along” Christianity. “By Grade alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone!”
Grace to you!
From the “Redeemer of Man” – an encyclical letter of His Holiness John Paul II: “if we feel a special need, in this difficult and responsible phase of the history of the Church and of mankind, to turn to Christ, who is Lord of the Church and Lord of man's history on account of the mystery of the Redemption, we believe that nobody else can bring us as Mary can into the divine and human dimension of this mystery. Nobody has been brought into it by God Himself as Mary has. It is in this that the exceptional character of the grace of the divine Motherhood consists. Not only is the dignity of this Motherhood unique and unrepeatable in the history of the human race, but Mary's participation, due to this maternity, is God's plan for man's salvation through the mystery.”
You can read the whole of his encyclical letter on redemption here: http://www.cin.org/jp2ency/redeem.html
Did you catch that last comment? God’s plan for man’s salvation is Mary’s participation in bringing Christ to the world and participating in His suffering. She therefore becomes the Mother Grace. I actually heard another Vatican official comment the John Paul II was going to lay down his rewards at the feet of Mary! Presumably he believes that Mary will in turn lay his worship at the feet of God on his behalf. Hence the bad theology that Mary is the Mediatrix, or the mediator between God and Man. Read 1 Timothy 2.5,6: “5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (ESV) Who has the Scripture declared to be the one mediator between God and man? There is only one! The “Man Jesus Christ.” The word here translated mediator is from Greek mesites. The idea is we have one who acts as the link between two parties for the purpose of peace. Jesus is the link between sinful man and Holy God. Jesus is the one who brings the peace. Romans 5.1,2 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” How do we have peace with God? “Through Jesus Christ,” and by means of justification. It is this justification that allows us (verse 2) to “obtain access by faith into this grace.”
Without justification, there is no redemption. Justification comes at a cost. 2 Cor 5.21 is the most succinct and profound verse on the heart of the gospel. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Justification comes at the cost of imputation. Christ Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin on our behalf. He actually became the embodiment of sin itself, without ever sinning or diminishing His divine character. He did this to bear the totality of the God’s wrath against sin. Jesus paid the debt that appeased the wrath of God. Our sin was imputed to Christ Himself. But that is not all. There is another side to the coin of imputation. As our sin was imputed to Christ, His righteousness was imputed to us. Just as Christ never sinned, never became a sinner, never diminished His divine character, rather; He undeservedly bore the wrath of God in our substitution, we too undeservedly receive the righteousness of God. You cannot earn it, just as Christ could not earn the wrath of God. This imputation is initiated at the moment of faith.
Do you see how the false teaching that Mary might in anyway play a role as a Mediator nullifies the finished and sufficient work of Christ on the cross? Faith plus anything is indeed insufficient to save us from the wrath of God. By attempting to add to the already sufficient death of Christ as our propitiation, we in essence are denying the very power of that death. Faith plus baptism is not saving faith. Faith plus the sacraments is not saving faith. Faith plus church membership is not saving faith. Faith plus the work of Mary is not saving faith.
The cry of the Reformers is biblical and relevant in today’s world of mushy, “let’s just all get along” Christianity. “By Grade alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone!”
Grace to you!
Monday, April 04, 2005
Did Mary Open the Door of Heaven for John Paul?
I heard on Fox News an official Vatican representative say that The Virgin Mary was holding open wide the doors of heaven for the Pope. At least we now know it isn’t St. Peter as all the jokes indicate! Shame on me, this is no laughing matter! Karol Wojtyla, from Wadowice, Poland died on Saturday afternoon EST. Mr. Woljtyla was popularly known as Pope John Paul II and was revered by the blasphemous name, “The Holy Father – vicar of Christ.” Don’t misunderstand me, please. There is good reason for us to respect and appreciate this good man. John Paul II was a key instrument, along with President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minsiter Margaret Thatcher, in bringing an end to Communism is the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He was probably the bravest, boldest proponent of human dignity as any person in the 20th Century. He continued to voraciously argue against the ordination of women or homosexuals. He was a man who heralded peace. He sought to compensate for the failure of the Roman Catholic Church to fight against the slaughter of the Holocaust. By all accounts, John Paul II was a very good and influential man. If anyone could earn heaven, it was Karol Wojtyla.
However, we need to revisit the biblical doctrines of Justification, Imputation of Righteousness, Faith in Christ alone. Many evangelicals, such as Pat Robertson and Billy Graham, have continues to declare John Paul II a m"man of God" and assure us he is a "Christian." Even President Bush, who claims to be evangelical, said Saturday that the Pope had been ushered into his "well deserved eternal reward". Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said generally kind things regarding John Paul II, but they could not bring themselves to even hint that he might be in heaven. But we have the ever compassionate President Bush, who claims to be born again, sending John Paul straight to heaven, even though the Pope insisted that Mary was the “Mother of Grace” and the “Co Mediatrix” with Christ. Take a look at some of the beliefs of John Paul in his own words (emphasis mine):
1. September 8, 1982, Feast of the Birth of Mary, during a papal address to the sick: “Mary, though conceived and born without the taint of sin, participated in a marvelous way in the sufferings of her divine Son, in order to be Coredemptrix of humanity.”
2. From the “Redeemer of Man” – an encyclical letter of His Holiness John Paul II: “if we feel the feel a special need, in this difficult and responsible phase of the history of the Church and of mankind, to turn to Christ, who is Lord of the Church and Lord of man's history on account of the mystery of the Redemption, we believe that nobody else can bring us as Mary can into the divine and human dimension of this mystery. Nobody has been brought into it by God Himself as Mary has. It is in this that the exceptional character of the grace of the divine Motherhood consists. Not only is the dignity of this Motherhood unique and unrepeatable in the history of the human race, but Mary's participation, due to this maternity, in God's plan for man's salvation through the mystery.”
John Paul II had clearly declared his devotion to Mary “The Mother of God” and “Mother of the Church.” His own motto he chose for himself was "Totus tuus", "totally yours," addressed not to Jesus, but to Mary! For more from the very writing of John Paul II himself regarding his doctrine of redemption and the role of Mary see the following links:
http://www.cin.org/jp951213.html - Pope John Paul on Mary the Mediatrix
http://www.cin.org/JPIICoRedm.html - Pope on Mary Co Redemptrix
These thoughts ought to put great passion in your souls to share with your Catholic friends, neighbors and family members the true peace available from God in Christ alone. I will try to find time tomorrow to write regarding the doctrine of redemption and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, but for now, please think for yourselves. On what grounds does one enter heaven? Will Mary be holding the door for anyone? Who is the “One Mediator between God and man?” Plenty to ponder.
Do not be “ashamed of the gospel of God, for it is the power of God for salvation to those who believe.” Now is the time to boldly proclaim the grace of God made available by Christ alone appropriated by Faith alone!
Grace to you!
However, we need to revisit the biblical doctrines of Justification, Imputation of Righteousness, Faith in Christ alone. Many evangelicals, such as Pat Robertson and Billy Graham, have continues to declare John Paul II a m"man of God" and assure us he is a "Christian." Even President Bush, who claims to be evangelical, said Saturday that the Pope had been ushered into his "well deserved eternal reward". Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said generally kind things regarding John Paul II, but they could not bring themselves to even hint that he might be in heaven. But we have the ever compassionate President Bush, who claims to be born again, sending John Paul straight to heaven, even though the Pope insisted that Mary was the “Mother of Grace” and the “Co Mediatrix” with Christ. Take a look at some of the beliefs of John Paul in his own words (emphasis mine):
1. September 8, 1982, Feast of the Birth of Mary, during a papal address to the sick: “Mary, though conceived and born without the taint of sin, participated in a marvelous way in the sufferings of her divine Son, in order to be Coredemptrix of humanity.”
2. From the “Redeemer of Man” – an encyclical letter of His Holiness John Paul II: “if we feel the feel a special need, in this difficult and responsible phase of the history of the Church and of mankind, to turn to Christ, who is Lord of the Church and Lord of man's history on account of the mystery of the Redemption, we believe that nobody else can bring us as Mary can into the divine and human dimension of this mystery. Nobody has been brought into it by God Himself as Mary has. It is in this that the exceptional character of the grace of the divine Motherhood consists. Not only is the dignity of this Motherhood unique and unrepeatable in the history of the human race, but Mary's participation, due to this maternity, in God's plan for man's salvation through the mystery.”
John Paul II had clearly declared his devotion to Mary “The Mother of God” and “Mother of the Church.” His own motto he chose for himself was "Totus tuus", "totally yours," addressed not to Jesus, but to Mary! For more from the very writing of John Paul II himself regarding his doctrine of redemption and the role of Mary see the following links:
http://www.cin.org/jp951213.html - Pope John Paul on Mary the Mediatrix
http://www.cin.org/JPIICoRedm.html - Pope on Mary Co Redemptrix
These thoughts ought to put great passion in your souls to share with your Catholic friends, neighbors and family members the true peace available from God in Christ alone. I will try to find time tomorrow to write regarding the doctrine of redemption and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, but for now, please think for yourselves. On what grounds does one enter heaven? Will Mary be holding the door for anyone? Who is the “One Mediator between God and man?” Plenty to ponder.
Do not be “ashamed of the gospel of God, for it is the power of God for salvation to those who believe.” Now is the time to boldly proclaim the grace of God made available by Christ alone appropriated by Faith alone!
Grace to you!
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Worship in the Laundry Room
Last week was a great time of vacationing with my family. It was not rushed, packed or harried with a whole list of this to do, see, and experience. It was the kind of vacation where one gets to simply stay home and not go to work. Now for those of you who love your job as much as I do, you realize that being only 15 minutes from your office and yet not checking in is virtually impossible. I managed to only go in twice, just once to teach a class though.
The majority of my vacation time was spent playing with my kids, cleaning my garage and caring for my pregnant wife. That sounds good, doesn’t it? Believe me, she does a good job of taking care of herself and the rest of our family, she hardly needs my help. But, I was home for the week and wanted to give her some time to prop up her feet or lay down her head. I cleaned the kitchen. I picked up after the kids. I gathered the laundry. I swept the living room and dining room. Then… I cleaned the kitchen again. I picked up after the kids again. I gathered the laundry again. I swept the floor again. Every time I turned around there was something to pick up again, something to sweep again. It was getting depressingly repetitive. At one point, I walked to my wife and said to her, “There is no way I could do your job. It is depressing!”
Later that night as I sat on the couch, I thought about how my wife Crystal consistently, patiently serves her role as a wife, mother and homemaker. My wife clearly understands that what she is doing is not simply an act of service to me or to the children, though it is certainly that. It is much more. It is, for her, an act of worship to a beautiful God. Yes, she worships even in the laundry room.
Worship is not limited to what you experience in a large room with a group of people on Sunday morning. Worship is a lifestyle. See Hebrews 13.15,16 “5Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. 16And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Worship then involves a life that is lived in constant thanksgiving, recognizing that we can do nothing and have nothing of merit apart from God Himself. Even our worship itself is done “through Him” according to verse 15. We have nothing and can do nothing for God apart from God Himself. However, everything we do, must fit this pattern of thankful lips. A life of goodness and sharing is also an act of worship. As we go throughout our days, often routine, sometimes even a mundane, we must recognize we are worshipping something. The question is, what are we praising, who are we thanking, what drives us to do what we do? Are you driven by a desire to glorify yourself… to raise yourself up the corporate ladder? Perhaps you are worshipping your family and would give yourself wholly for the what you deem to be the good of your family. Or perhaps it is your boss. You want to impress and seek a smile from your boss.
We must remember, worship in its purest form occurs in the laundry room of the homemaker, the copy room of the office manager, and on the factory of the blue collar worker. What we do on Sunday morning is simply an overflow of a life of worship. If you approach a worship service anticipating the worship leader to provoke your spirit through song or testimony or in any other way, you are not even ready to think about worshipping, let alone actually worship. Worship is not a song, a sermon or cute sketch in a worship center. To be sure, these can be means of corporate worship, but they are the result of a life of worship… a life of praise, thanksgiving and goodness in our daily routines of life.
How many of us emotionally engage in “worship” on Sunday morning, but never even mention the Lordship and Jesus Christ and the Holiness of God in the daily routines of life. We sing with all our hearts, we even lift our hands in physical expression of what we feel. But those feelings do not translate into worship if they do not affect the lives we live.
Let this be a challenge to you as my wife has been to me. Worship should be the defining characteristic of a Christian life. Does your life point to the God from whom we gain our very life?
Grace to you!
The majority of my vacation time was spent playing with my kids, cleaning my garage and caring for my pregnant wife. That sounds good, doesn’t it? Believe me, she does a good job of taking care of herself and the rest of our family, she hardly needs my help. But, I was home for the week and wanted to give her some time to prop up her feet or lay down her head. I cleaned the kitchen. I picked up after the kids. I gathered the laundry. I swept the living room and dining room. Then… I cleaned the kitchen again. I picked up after the kids again. I gathered the laundry again. I swept the floor again. Every time I turned around there was something to pick up again, something to sweep again. It was getting depressingly repetitive. At one point, I walked to my wife and said to her, “There is no way I could do your job. It is depressing!”
Later that night as I sat on the couch, I thought about how my wife Crystal consistently, patiently serves her role as a wife, mother and homemaker. My wife clearly understands that what she is doing is not simply an act of service to me or to the children, though it is certainly that. It is much more. It is, for her, an act of worship to a beautiful God. Yes, she worships even in the laundry room.
Worship is not limited to what you experience in a large room with a group of people on Sunday morning. Worship is a lifestyle. See Hebrews 13.15,16 “5Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. 16And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Worship then involves a life that is lived in constant thanksgiving, recognizing that we can do nothing and have nothing of merit apart from God Himself. Even our worship itself is done “through Him” according to verse 15. We have nothing and can do nothing for God apart from God Himself. However, everything we do, must fit this pattern of thankful lips. A life of goodness and sharing is also an act of worship. As we go throughout our days, often routine, sometimes even a mundane, we must recognize we are worshipping something. The question is, what are we praising, who are we thanking, what drives us to do what we do? Are you driven by a desire to glorify yourself… to raise yourself up the corporate ladder? Perhaps you are worshipping your family and would give yourself wholly for the what you deem to be the good of your family. Or perhaps it is your boss. You want to impress and seek a smile from your boss.
We must remember, worship in its purest form occurs in the laundry room of the homemaker, the copy room of the office manager, and on the factory of the blue collar worker. What we do on Sunday morning is simply an overflow of a life of worship. If you approach a worship service anticipating the worship leader to provoke your spirit through song or testimony or in any other way, you are not even ready to think about worshipping, let alone actually worship. Worship is not a song, a sermon or cute sketch in a worship center. To be sure, these can be means of corporate worship, but they are the result of a life of worship… a life of praise, thanksgiving and goodness in our daily routines of life.
How many of us emotionally engage in “worship” on Sunday morning, but never even mention the Lordship and Jesus Christ and the Holiness of God in the daily routines of life. We sing with all our hearts, we even lift our hands in physical expression of what we feel. But those feelings do not translate into worship if they do not affect the lives we live.
Let this be a challenge to you as my wife has been to me. Worship should be the defining characteristic of a Christian life. Does your life point to the God from whom we gain our very life?
Grace to you!
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