tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47621231051713569582024-02-20T08:13:11.232-06:00Our Dangerous IdeasTo a kingdom built upon lies, nothing is more dangerous than the Truth.Kyle LaPortehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656577304297733500noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-71772430577063241832011-08-21T20:54:00.000-05:002011-08-21T20:54:18.761-05:00A word to the preacher<blockquote>If you would direct men to do good works and for thier comfort add a remark like this: "You should, indeed, be perfect; however, God does not demand the impossible from us. Do what you can in your weakness; only be sencere in your intention!" -if you would speak thus, you would be preaching a damnable doctrine; for that is a shameful corruption of the Law. God never spoke like that from Sinai.</blockquote>-C.F.W. Walther in God's No And God's YesKyle LaPortehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656577304297733500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-5903234326844671512011-08-20T17:26:00.000-05:002011-08-20T17:26:51.104-05:00The Great RiddleC.F.W. Walther <blockquote>"Comparing Holy Scripture with other writings, we observe that no book is apparently so full of contradictions as the Bible, and that, not only in minor points, but in the principal matter, in the doctrine how we may come to God and be saved. In one place the Bible offers forgiveness to all sinners; in another place forgiveness of sins is withheld from all sinners. In one passage a free offer of life everlasting is made to all men; in another, men are directed to do something themselves towards being saved. This riddle is solved when we reflect that there are in the Scriptures two entirely different doctrines, the doctrine of the Law and the doctrine of the Gospel."</blockquote>Kyle LaPortehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656577304297733500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-242349286691664852011-03-10T19:06:00.000-06:002011-03-10T19:06:05.674-06:00War.I recently read a neat little book on evangelism. When I say 'little', I really mean it. Its very short. Its called "Principles of War: thoughts on strategic evangelism" by Jim Wilson (father to Douglas Wilson, grandfather ND Wilson). Here are a few good one-liners:<br />
<blockquote>Physical warfare is a result of being defeated in the spiritual war.</blockquote><blockquote>The Christian life is not likened to war: it is war.</blockquote><blockquote>Jesus Christ delivered the decisive blow at the decisive point at the decisive time. The blow was death for sin and sinners. The point was a cross outside the city of Jerusalem and the time was the feast of the Passover about A.D. 30.</blockquote>I found it rich with practical help in the reasons and preparations of evangelism. Like I said, its short. And cheap. One cent? Come on!<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=ourda09-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=091273700X&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align:left;padding-top:5px;width:131px;height:245px;padding-right:10px;"align="left" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Kyle LaPortehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656577304297733500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-53411491392366028762011-02-27T21:29:00.000-06:002011-02-27T21:30:30.879-06:00Does this thing still work?Kyle LaPortehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656577304297733500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-34201687554290590172010-07-30T21:45:00.003-05:002010-07-30T21:51:58.894-05:00Existential View of the World<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDusZ6xnfJEW93gpSlxYaxk1NRSFSPxZkAYtijxo_g2g9-qfRv-MT2edfplAFptshxk_IgdBgXVOYupH-xCjZhT7X3GfxYVN3asax3C9YHjrhiJZLaQ5ixUR_lFuFyuHRROab9bW2QDOmq/s1600/train-derail.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499897320712356354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDusZ6xnfJEW93gpSlxYaxk1NRSFSPxZkAYtijxo_g2g9-qfRv-MT2edfplAFptshxk_IgdBgXVOYupH-xCjZhT7X3GfxYVN3asax3C9YHjrhiJZLaQ5ixUR_lFuFyuHRROab9bW2QDOmq/s320/train-derail.jpg" /></a><br />A world without God is a painfully dismal place.<br /><br />1) There is no purpose for good things or bad things. They just happen. Every event is random; there are no patterns, design, or intention. Just chaos and accident with no possibility of meaning or significance. Roll the Bones.<br /><br />2) There is no one to thank for good things and no one to complain to about misfortune. There is no emotion only cold, hard, chaotic forces. No comfort, only luck of the draw.<br /><br />3) There is no expectation for future justice, resolution, or positive outcome.<br /><br />4) There is no hope of rest or peace, only pain suffering and death.<br /><br />5) There is no deep connection possible between personalities; only temporary and pragmatic liaisons. Stark and empty aloneness awaits us all.<br /><br />6) There is no truth or authority only numerous tribal traditions. Ultimately might makes right. No standard. No basis or bounds for human relationships.<br /><br />7) The only virtues are self-preservation, self-empowerment, self actualization, and self-pleasure. To each his own. Even our procreation is a self serving attempt to perpetuate ourselves beyond death.<br /><br />A world without God is a painfully dismal place. Our life is a narrative best categorized as a tragedy. Or more accurately a tragic comedy. For all human effort and dreams are mere vanity. A foolish attempt to capture the wind in a jar. Such is a world without God.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258187762565270965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-80641874220325173022010-07-24T09:22:00.004-05:002010-07-24T09:45:54.584-05:00Love and Marriage go together like...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOb2cdkNeKUh9TRdMdxsaDqDUjNYuoBLFuFadwVrrAaFI1BQhkI66YlPplxey-mFC1bKE5DcZG5ZtWDzQdpOxutihpjUPFZPY7bSUjNssmiKqgX0TMN2YOY7x7hQUdv3Jze0i30g1f3y7/s1600/images.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 279px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOb2cdkNeKUh9TRdMdxsaDqDUjNYuoBLFuFadwVrrAaFI1BQhkI66YlPplxey-mFC1bKE5DcZG5ZtWDzQdpOxutihpjUPFZPY7bSUjNssmiKqgX0TMN2YOY7x7hQUdv3Jze0i30g1f3y7/s320/images.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497482682329211762" /></a><br />A couple of weeks ago while eating breakfast with my wife and grandson, I noticed a man wearing a t-shirt with a special message. That message was "I heart my wife" in large letters across the chest. In smaller letters underneath it continued, "because God loved me." While I am not necessarily fond of Christian slogans and Christian bookstore novelty items/trinkets, this shirt caught my attention. I immediately admired the man and his message. I didn't stop and talk with him and so I don't know him and I probably never will. But I think I know a few things about him:<br /><br />1)This guy loves his wife, and he wants his wife to know it and feel loved.<br />2)This guy loves his wife and he wants his children to know it and feel secure.<br />3)This guy believes in marriage commitment and is inviting all readers to hold him accountable.<br />4)This guy believes in marriage commitment (and vows!) in a culture that has devalued marriage in many ways (e.g. ignoring, redefining, and easily dissolving).<br />5)This guy has his priorities straight (wife before sports teams, vacation spots, hobbies, political causes, or sarcastic messages which are the usual t-shirt slogans).<br />6)This guy has a high view/standard of love (Divine, inner-Trinitarian, active commitment love not the fluffy and feathery emotional bed that you might fall into).<br />7)This guy has an appropriate view of himself and his ability to love.<br />8)This guy has a gospel which both energizes and directs his personal affections.<br /><br />I probably won't be wearing this t-shirt in the future. But, I will be striving to follow his example and to live his values.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258187762565270965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-36636840653714301502010-07-10T22:23:00.004-05:002010-07-10T22:41:40.398-05:00Self Reminders<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfUJQ6ECzCOPLwTl4cN3zHOrm2H0dJoPdsD00raNYB5xIcq7Qu9RqjMpPDi5F12dUx8dKX2Jr2vk7Yh37smXrY_TtzXYKsY7ChCZTfdLC3yOTVwd2wRbh2XxD8Uq6yTemy6eWZiKR3nI6/s1600/AlanBooksSSm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfUJQ6ECzCOPLwTl4cN3zHOrm2H0dJoPdsD00raNYB5xIcq7Qu9RqjMpPDi5F12dUx8dKX2Jr2vk7Yh37smXrY_TtzXYKsY7ChCZTfdLC3yOTVwd2wRbh2XxD8Uq6yTemy6eWZiKR3nI6/s320/AlanBooksSSm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492487803179187186" /></a><br />I have spent most of my life reading, talking, debating, and theorizing on theological topics. The focus has often been on controversial subjects: eschatology (Pre-trib vs. Post Trib), sovereignty in salvation (Calvinism vs. Arminianism), covenant framework of redemptive history (dispensationalism vs. covenant theology), apologetic framework (evidentialism vs. pre-suppositionalism), eschatology (a-mil vs. post Mil), biblical ethics (dispensational vs. reformed vs. prog dispensationalism), baptism (believers exclusively vs. believers and their children), church government (independent vs. presbyterian), miraculous spiritual gifts (cessationist vs. continuationist), and the age of the earth (old earth vs. new earth). It has been easy to get caught up in these topics. Search for meaning in order to choose a position. Read and discuss at length and miss the true value of theological inquiry. The focus can become on adopting and defending a position at any cost. It can become about being right…not righteous. <br /><br />Below I have listed a few self-reminders about theological study that have been helpful to me:<br /><br />1)The goal of all theological study is knowing God through his son Jesus Christ. The goal is not personal prestige, academic notoriety, ministerial effectiveness, or renowned debating prowess. If I study the scripture and miss Jesus, I miss the eternal life that I desperately need (e.g. NT Pharisees; Duke Professor Bart Ehrman). I am just another practical atheist with an interesting hobby.<br /><br />2)The essential result of all theological study is personal change. I am fooling myself if I think that my understanding without my repentance is God pleasing. Again I have missed the point.<br /><br />3)The true agent of my understanding is the Holy Spirit. I will not come to know God or master his revelation with a spirit of autonomy, independence, and self confidence. True understanding will only come to one with a humble, dependant, and teachable spirit. <br /><br />4)The means of theological study are persistent, prayerful, and systematic hard work in the scriptures. It is not the studies that I begin and that quickly stall, but the studies that I begin and persist through to completion that are beneficial. In my reading of other writers I must not get too far from the scriptures.<br /><br />5)The necessary context for theological study is within the community of faith: The Church. Theological study is best carried out within the guardrails of the church’s documents and fellowship. Mutual accountability helps us avoid self-deception, extremism, and theological novelties. It keeps us in the real world.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258187762565270965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-36340739048004514962010-03-08T15:08:00.000-06:002010-03-08T15:08:42.655-06:00Atheism - The Unlivable Worldview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOpRqlqy4FcD42sFxh1xY5CMFqAzqIBzP7iv0pTxVUhCD4XaeSHreY8zz3aBLjsCuu_Hb_XUDa54LkL7oktMz-DrwHtf2XKfZes3Tn2_ZX-8Gy5UfrO6Mtm-8NT4rDOKWC_QkQkK71EA/s1600-h/universe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOpRqlqy4FcD42sFxh1xY5CMFqAzqIBzP7iv0pTxVUhCD4XaeSHreY8zz3aBLjsCuu_Hb_XUDa54LkL7oktMz-DrwHtf2XKfZes3Tn2_ZX-8Gy5UfrO6Mtm-8NT4rDOKWC_QkQkK71EA/s320/universe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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Atheists are unable to live as if their worldview were true. According to dictionary.com, worldview isdefined as, “The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world.” The atheistic worldview provides no basis for objective human value, objective morality, objective purpose, objective meaning, or rationality. Therefore, rather than living as if what they profess to believe were in fact true; atheists are forced to borrow from worldviews other than their own to live their daily lives.<br />
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There is no basis for human value within the atheistic worldview. The clear implications of the atheistic worldview are that humanity is a mere accident with no special significance over any other organism. We were not intended by any supernatural force, but are simply the result of time and chance working within the laws of nature. This means we are a collection of atoms, of no more ultimate significance than those that make up other organisms or even inorganic objects. Within the philosophy of science, this is known as the Mediocrity Principle. It states, “There is nothing special about humans or the earth.” Given this, why would the collection of atoms that make up the bodies of humans have any value greater than that of other organisms? It is necessary at this point to make clear the difference between objective value and subjective value. Objective value is value that exists as part of reality and is true regardless of the opinions of any individual or group. Subjective value is value that originates from within. Subjective value varies from person to person and from culture to culture. Attempting to derive objective value from subjective value is a very common mistake. It is essentially stating that humans have value because we value ourselves. This is circular reasoning. It must first be demonstrated that humans have real objective value before their judgments could be considered sufficient to impart value on themselves. If we occupy no special place in the cosmos and are merely a result of time and chance, then our opinions of ourselves have no effect on objective reality. Add to this the fact that the vast impersonal universe is absolutely indifferent to our existence and we are left with the inescapable fact that the atheistic worldview provides no basis for human value. Now, do most atheists live as if humans had no objective value? Of course they don’t. They condemn the atrocities of the Nazi’s. When the Germans were put on trial in Nuremburg, they defended themselves by saying that, within Germany, what they did was legal. The prosecutors responded by appealing to a law that was above their law. An objectively true law that was independent of individual or cultural opinion. Nearly all atheists would agree with the prosecutors, but why? As we just saw, their worldview undermines the case made by the prosecution. The reason they agree with the prosecution is that, as was stated earlier the atheist borrows from other worldviews to provide the framework to live their daily lives. This inconsistency is just as clear in the realm of morality.<br />
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The atheistic worldview provides no basis for objective morality. If the atheistic worldview were true, all notions of good and bad or right and wrong would be illusory. These are value judgments. Value judgments, in order to be objectively true, require an objective standard against which to measure. Atheism provides no such standard. Take, for instance, a galaxy from the hundreds of billions that make up the universe. It is a collection of stars and, more fundamentally, a collection of atoms. It was not intended by any supernatural force, but instead, is the result of time and chance working within the laws of nature. Does it make sense to invoke value judgments with regard to this galaxy? Do we have any basis from which to make the value judgment that this galaxy is good or bad? Of course we don’t. Like us, it is only a momentary arrangement of matter that is destined for destruction. Left without an objective standard with which to judge one galaxy to be better than another, all value judgments regarding galaxies become arbitrary and meaningless. Again, the atheist is left with only one possible source for objective morality, and that is humanity itself. This fails for the same reason deriving objective human value from humans did. Again, the vast majority of atheists are unable to live as if this were true. They live their lives making moral pronouncements that they are certain are more than mere opinion. Most would agree with the verdict handed down at Nuremburg and the reason the prosecutors gave for the conviction. But given the athiestic worldview, on what basis do they think they can make moral claims that are objectively true? By what standard? Wouldn't it be the height of arrogance to believe that our personal judgment is the source of the objective morality that is binding on all people? Of course it would. But beyond being arrogant, it is a downright nonsensical notion. It is nonsensical because, just like the galaxies, there is no certain way that we were intended to be. The universe doesn’t value us and it makes no difference if we value ourselves. So how from this non-value, can objective moral value be derived? It can't. Our moral pronouncements are meaningless syllables coming from insignificant specks in a meaningless universe. And no matter how many of these specks you add together in a collective (0xN=0), you cannot create a source from which objective morality could be based. It is impossible to be immoral in an indifferent universe. Having eliminated any illusion of human value or objective morality within the atheistic worldview, let’s now consider if there is any real purpose that can be found in the lives we live on this tiny blue speck in the cosmic abyss.<br />
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To answer this question we have to keep it in the context of the entire human race. Many will be tempted to appeal to some purpose their life is serving in relation to the activities of others. However, if humanity as a whole is serving no ultimate purpose, than any relative purpose within the activities of humans would, just like the activities of the whole, be an exercise in futility. If our existence was not intended and there is no purpose we were created to fulfill, then any purpose we attribute to our lives is an illusion. It is only relative purpose; purpose in relation to the rest of humanity, which collectively remains cosmically insignificant and serves absolutely no ultimate purpose. Again, atheists do not live as if their worldview was true and all the activities that fill their life were absolutely futile. They are passionate about work. They have a real feeling of accomplishment when some goal is reached. They have a real sense of purpose, but it is only because they do not face the implications of the worldview they profess to believe. Having fulfilled no ultimate purpose with the lives we live individually or collectively as humans, is there any objective meaning to our lives? In the next section, it will be shown that the atheist is left with only one answer. No.<br />
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Science has now conclusively proven that the fate of the universe is sealed. The universe is expanding at such a rate that gravity will not be able to overcome it. The expansion will in fact, continue to accelerate. As this happens, the universe will burn through all the available fuel and go completely dark. It is now wildly believed that due to dark energy, the universe will go through a process called the "big rip". When this happens, even the cold dark chunks of matter that remain will be pulled apart at the sub atomic level. Nothing will survive this. All memory and record of every event that ever happened in this cosmos will be permanently erased, as if it had never happened. What would be the difference if it never really had? This is the fate, not just of mankind, but of the entire universe. Nothing survives and there is no one around to care. It’s as if the universe is a hard drive that, in the end, gets formatted and forgotten. What would it matter if there had never been any information on the hard drive to begin with? The histories of all the galaxies will be erased and ultimately meaningless and, even more so, the purposeless lives of the valueless specks residing on a tiny dot in a miniscule solar system located within an average galaxy among billions. Again, most atheists believe and live as if the lives they were living were meaningful. It definitely isn’t because their worldview provides them with any basis for such a notion. Throughout this paper we have merely been considering the clear and inescapable logical conclusions that follow from the premises put forward by atheism. It is impossible to escape these conclusions without abandoning rationality; which brings us to our finale point.<br />
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Why, within atheism, would we have faith that the information conveyed to us by our senses was consistent with the way the universe really is? We would only know that the information conveyed was beneficial for survival. But an even deeper question that atheism fails to answer is, where do the immaterial laws of logic, such as the law of non contradiction, originate and how can we be sure of their validity? With absolutely no reason provided by their own worldview, nearly every atheist, by faith, accepts the information their senses are feeding them and processes that data using the immaterial laws of logic. They correctly hold irrationality in contempt, but they do so in complete opposition to their own worldview. Only a worldview in which humans were intended to have the capacity to discern truth and process that truth using immaterial laws of logic that exist independent of the natural world, would rationality be possible. It has been clearly shown in this paper that the worldview of atheism does not provide the people who profess to believe it a framework by which they can live their lives. It denies them the things that are most necessary to human life. It denies the children they love so deeply are of any real value. It denies the difference they perceive between Hitler and their grandmother is of any objective significance. It tells them each and every accomplishment they may achieve, no matter how significant it may seem, is utterly futile and will have no effect whatsoever on the ultimate fate of the universe. When they stare into the night sky and consider the cosmos as a whole, it tells them that all of it, every galaxy, every atom, and all the actions taken by all the atoms, are completely meaningless. And as if to add insult to injury, they are denied even the hope of rationality. When all this is considered, it shouldn’t be surprising that very few atheists face the logical conclusions of their worldview and live by them. What is surprising is that they would stubbornly cling to such a bankrupt worldview; one that is completely incapable of accounting for the way they know in their hearts the world to be.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12525436370227946757noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-87565213834634850622010-03-02T21:37:00.004-06:002010-03-02T21:43:16.357-06:00James White in Kansas!I don't recommend going to the Sunday morning service because your presence at your local church is far more important than any speaker who's in the area, but I <span style="font-weight:bold;">WILL</span> be going Monday and Tuesday. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wncWxy2N6g0/S43Zy46C81I/AAAAAAAAAH8/QcY3Rrz1TIc/s1600-h/Kansas.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wncWxy2N6g0/S43Zy46C81I/AAAAAAAAAH8/QcY3Rrz1TIc/s400/Kansas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444246992853332818" /></a>Kyle LaPortehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656577304297733500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-27515630800682327402010-02-02T20:55:00.003-06:002010-02-02T20:58:39.758-06:00No, Mr. President!<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kdnQAB3cJec&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kdnQAB3cJec&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Kyle LaPortehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656577304297733500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-22691282787430111262010-01-31T19:17:00.006-06:002010-02-13T14:32:09.568-06:00Current Reading<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQcC9EeaiWw1OAaxTsRL9Lzl0dCfQf5zFdk_eY8Jfj3K28Yic5ltz4VqQ3Ddr8bQ-gwnHvXiAncP34jFXgqNrX-u1-OrgqTkmalv_j8_4lYuYXKLDVjn8Fe7lQq-J2agx1DijQcp3G4fR/s1600-h/51juiWjFjoL._SL500_AA240_%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQcC9EeaiWw1OAaxTsRL9Lzl0dCfQf5zFdk_eY8Jfj3K28Yic5ltz4VqQ3Ddr8bQ-gwnHvXiAncP34jFXgqNrX-u1-OrgqTkmalv_j8_4lYuYXKLDVjn8Fe7lQq-J2agx1DijQcp3G4fR/s320/51juiWjFjoL._SL500_AA240_%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433078490628564258" /></a><br /><br />I am about half way through Josh Harris' new book. It is a an excellent and accessible introduction to theology and the christian life told within the context of his life and experience. Josh is an accomplished writer and a pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD.<br /><br />One notable quote: <em>" ...if you want to feel deeply, you have to think deeply. Too often we seperate the two...But emotion built on emotion is empty. True emotion--emotion that is reliable and doesn't lead us astray-- is always a response to reality, to truth. It's only as we study and consider truth about Jesus with our minds that our hearts will be moved by the depth of his greatness and love or us."</em><br /><br />This is a good book filled with links between right thinking and both right feeling and right doing. I highly recommend this book as I do all Josh's books.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258187762565270965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-26760642665822465212010-01-21T17:00:00.004-06:002010-01-21T22:51:55.058-06:00A Good Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wncWxy2N6g0/S1kuaTAb5LI/AAAAAAAAAG4/4oer2ER9BRw/s1600-h/NeffNeta012010_t280.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wncWxy2N6g0/S1kuaTAb5LI/AAAAAAAAAG4/4oer2ER9BRw/s320/NeffNeta012010_t280.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429421855085421746" /></a><br />I went to a funeral today. And it was a good day. At the funeral, we celebrated a saint who has entered into glory and a life simply lived for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a somewhat unusual detail to this woman's death. She committed suicide. The rich grace of God was preached by the pastor who spoke. He used a great example of why we should expect to see this saint again. His reasoning was that if he were to drive out of the funeral home and get hit by a car and die while having a sinful thought, he would not lose his salvation because his salvation was not based on his actions in the first place. The gift of God is eternal life. Eternal life based on Christ's performance in a sinless life and His sacrificial substitutionary atonement. It was so good to hear this truth preached in front of an open casket. We will see her again. Praise be to God for his grace given to sinful men and woman.<blockquote>For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10</blockquote>Kyle LaPortehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656577304297733500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-30071510358413832762010-01-17T11:19:00.011-06:002010-01-17T12:40:36.068-06:00An Active Rebellion<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wncWxy2N6g0/S1NZnsYZ8mI/AAAAAAAAAGw/BZZ0SfosZF4/s1600-h/gpw-200702-49-NASA-ISS007-E-10807-space-sunset-20030721-Pacific-Ocean-medium.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wncWxy2N6g0/S1NZnsYZ8mI/AAAAAAAAAGw/BZZ0SfosZF4/s320/gpw-200702-49-NASA-ISS007-E-10807-space-sunset-20030721-Pacific-Ocean-medium.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427780514374873698" /></a><br />I've recently been musing (that's an old word for 'thinking', the opposite of amusement) on the size of our solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, and the whole universe in general. All the time, I cannot get the words of David out of my head: <blockquote>When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? (Palsm 8:3,4)</blockquote>I heard an astronomer say something very insightful. What he said was an example of a creature passionately hating the Creator. A pot shaking his fist at the Potter. Astronomer Robert Jastrow sais this:<blockquote>Just as I can't believe that there was a creator, I can't believe this all happened by chance, which implies there was a creator. So, you see, I'm in a completely hopeless bind, and I stay there. It makes me uneasy. I feel I'm missing something but I will not find out what I'm missing within my lifetime.</blockquote>This man is not dumb, he is in rebellion. He is not ignorant of God, he hates God. When he looks through the telescopes to see the heavens, he suppresses the truth in unrighteousness. What can be known about God is plain to him. In the very objects Mr. Jastrow sees through the lenses, God has made his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, clear to this mans perception. He is without excuse. He neither honors God as just that, God, nor does he give God thanks. Claiming to be wise, Robert Jastrow has become a fool and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the glory of magnified balls of gas. He worships and and serves the creature rather than the Creator. And through all of this, the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against his ungodliness and unrighteousness. <br /><br />So, I give thanks to God, through Christ, for making the riches of his glory known to me, a speck in space. There is only one difference between me and Robert Jastrow and it's not a moral decision to follow Jesus, it is a five letter word called GRACE. And it's by grace alone, through faith alone, by Christ alone, in Scripture alone, for the glory of God alone, that the Gospel of God's free grace has saved me, a wretched sinner on a very small planet in a extremely small galaxy in an exceedingly tiny universe, all created by a triune God, who is blessed forever! Amen.Kyle LaPortehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656577304297733500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-18007557366876234732010-01-09T17:43:00.006-06:002010-01-09T21:49:35.800-06:00Old, Stable, and Reformed #3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oW85bMbFKgEFncn45R0q9l5BaMvBlcivXKKCCrUYp-FRrfGxxQOXrsld3xFwkMSIC26qOD9JFyd50OL1SC06A25ugtx15xAiO20riJHuXTqIN9aBigILqsbNpRcvSYZhvkK_NgHo0hra/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 129px; height: 83px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oW85bMbFKgEFncn45R0q9l5BaMvBlcivXKKCCrUYp-FRrfGxxQOXrsld3xFwkMSIC26qOD9JFyd50OL1SC06A25ugtx15xAiO20riJHuXTqIN9aBigILqsbNpRcvSYZhvkK_NgHo0hra/s320/images.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424891806372544674" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVYdiWb4ZNfkdJ_5JV4TTKB35HWQaCnn8E1cVemS_vEhc7J8dcCxZvqRx80KzWJw6EKI2-4KTfAfh1woeb6YmuPsyu49NRbSXLfavynDA7SengpiJfnL8NZIXF_I_1KnHcqMeAPlkQ0hI/s1600-h/images3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 83px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVYdiWb4ZNfkdJ_5JV4TTKB35HWQaCnn8E1cVemS_vEhc7J8dcCxZvqRx80KzWJw6EKI2-4KTfAfh1woeb6YmuPsyu49NRbSXLfavynDA7SengpiJfnL8NZIXF_I_1KnHcqMeAPlkQ0hI/s320/images3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424890293726133986" /></a><br />In the last article I said that the most fundamental issue in our discussion about the gospel is the issue of authority. The complete and exhaustive authority of the Bible in our study is of critical importance. That is, we must be completely submissive to the Word in all things. If, in the study of any issue, we leave the umbrella of submission to God’s Word (whether intellectual or otherwise), we revert to our natural and comfortable rebelliousness. Intellectual rebellion is sin, too! <br /><br />Foundational accuracy is especially important because we are prone to rebellious, self deceived error. We cannot trust our own judgment on any issue. We certainly cannot trust our judgment on such a serious issue as the gospel. In our natural state we are dead in our sin, insensitive to Spiritual realities, deaf to God’s Word, convinced that we know truth apart from God, and actively opposed to God’s Kingdom and authority. We were lost, sick, and dead while thinking we were healthy, morally good, and justified in our rejection of God’s revelation. <br /><br />Our salvation comes to us through the Word of God. The Spirit uses the Word to convince us of our sin, its heinousness to God, and its consequences. The Spirit then uses the Word to display Jesus Christ to us as the answer to our sin problem. We are convinced of his loveliness, the sufficiency of His work, and the availability of His grace and mercy. The Spirit changes our heart and mind by the Word. The Word is the instrument by which a heart of stone is transformed into a heart of flesh. We throw off our rebellious God-less-ness and submissively embrace His offers of grace and mercy. We repent and believe the Word. The Word is now our guide and authority. Any rejection or diversion from this foundational principle is a return to our own autonomy and a rejection of the authority of Christ. We grow in holiness as our minds are transformed and renewed by the Spirit’s application of the Word of God.<br /><br />Our gospel (definition and dispersion) must be God’s gospel. God’s gospel is the gospel that is given in God’s Word. If the message given is not God’s gospel, it is a lie. And those who tell lies are called….Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258187762565270965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-56848494718170582072010-01-09T14:22:00.002-06:002010-01-09T14:26:40.692-06:00The Prince on Infallibility<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wncWxy2N6g0/S0jmceBGlgI/AAAAAAAAAGg/kpCDK_1f0h4/s1600-h/charles_spurgeon.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 290px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wncWxy2N6g0/S0jmceBGlgI/AAAAAAAAAGg/kpCDK_1f0h4/s320/charles_spurgeon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424839127936177666" /></a><br />"Everybody believes in infallibility somewhere. A Romanist believes in an infallible<br />Pope, and a great philosopher believes in his infallible self; he knows that he is right. I believe in this infallible Book, and in the infallible God; and I ask any of you, who are troubled, and worried, and tossed to and fro because of what some heretic or skeptic has said, to “walk in the light of the Lord,” and to be perfectly satisfied as to the revelation he has given us in his Word."- C.H. SpurgeonKyle LaPortehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656577304297733500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-87786068026000384412010-01-07T09:48:00.000-06:002010-01-07T09:48:10.516-06:00Crazy Busy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-5mXwwLWzvaYcyzqdKHSzMhYad3c0upiSJr7uKf3-KCkBtDa7zCJUVaeEAmODhcv7mwYfVhgDCRjWnn9IYDRgz1kdRs60iRnJYjWQKJuiptAi7qXFm9z3Jd22yj9hudioRuToM6OhOE/s1600-h/quad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-5mXwwLWzvaYcyzqdKHSzMhYad3c0upiSJr7uKf3-KCkBtDa7zCJUVaeEAmODhcv7mwYfVhgDCRjWnn9IYDRgz1kdRs60iRnJYjWQKJuiptAi7qXFm9z3Jd22yj9hudioRuToM6OhOE/s320/quad.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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I have been spending all my free time studying algebra. Memorizing things like the quadratic formula (pictured above) in an effort to test out of a college math class. I am starting out as a freshman in a couple weeks. A freshman at the age of 33... better late than never I suppose.<br />
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On top of all this I have a hot project (see pics below) berating down my neck (as always). So I have been contending with those deadlines also. Hopefully I will be back in my normal state of controllable chaos after this week and I will be able to post some of the ideas that have been bouncing abound in my brain.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugskS3kVWzcf7utqBRRXCv5285vB5AGAVOr_ozRCYw0epP5rpWgBaDG19N3owLqIWWRYd9F6Es7Y9w8ex-Gj7TLWU1SQ1-4TTmyWfErjeeXKBQNSvcOQy_hMaPaiLVcPeNW7y6NeM7C0/s1600-h/0913-484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugskS3kVWzcf7utqBRRXCv5285vB5AGAVOr_ozRCYw0epP5rpWgBaDG19N3owLqIWWRYd9F6Es7Y9w8ex-Gj7TLWU1SQ1-4TTmyWfErjeeXKBQNSvcOQy_hMaPaiLVcPeNW7y6NeM7C0/s640/0913-484.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWt_cWOHeuKfqyeivqdB3ZSffUfY9n8fbO6gsNmFl_xjUI-u9FfkWNrQDekl_LqV3zdoeuY4PGV6mYWZAZSjFYt4FqSldXPqqQBI5heqPmXo_0ISg-ktIawdfJoOU_WQghV06NfZ8ACeM/s1600-h/0913-485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWt_cWOHeuKfqyeivqdB3ZSffUfY9n8fbO6gsNmFl_xjUI-u9FfkWNrQDekl_LqV3zdoeuY4PGV6mYWZAZSjFYt4FqSldXPqqQBI5heqPmXo_0ISg-ktIawdfJoOU_WQghV06NfZ8ACeM/s640/0913-485.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12525436370227946757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-25017042134700239032009-12-31T16:50:00.000-06:002009-12-31T16:50:12.875-06:00Something Beautiful - 7<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YgHzEqGEywA&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YgHzEqGEywA&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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Death Cab for Cutie - Title and Registration<br />
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I love this video. In a world so saturated with cutting edge technological innovation it is always refreshing to see people use simple materials and techniques to make something visually engaging.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12525436370227946757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-74326661094023050662009-12-30T16:38:00.000-06:002009-12-30T16:38:40.911-06:00Heretical Crazy Talk Videos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEaVD9gazmfUGXpOglIdGrLDynw51XqpfBmm3K6g2plZJroIFPjU4LbekmVJZk2t1C6y-wCoIp1QOrOi57iwHb2r_HDmMTntlBhnSy9q-Pv6N_6_uYodj90E8kXaEtBIRzna7ctIkJgE/s1600-h/mock9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEaVD9gazmfUGXpOglIdGrLDynw51XqpfBmm3K6g2plZJroIFPjU4LbekmVJZk2t1C6y-wCoIp1QOrOi57iwHb2r_HDmMTntlBhnSy9q-Pv6N_6_uYodj90E8kXaEtBIRzna7ctIkJgE/s320/mock9.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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The mockingbird blog posted their seven favorite heretical crazy talk videos of 2009. You should watch them. Some are so crazy they are funny, like Benny Hinn revealing that there are actually nine persons in the trinity, but mostly they are just sad.<br />
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Here is the <a href="http://mockingbirdnyc.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-seven-favorite-hertical-crazy-talk.html">link</a>.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12525436370227946757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-48423410556938130712009-12-28T22:15:00.006-06:002010-01-07T23:16:22.506-06:00Old, Stable, and Reformed---#2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQPj50cNJ-l6SgZMcEs_p3v40Wk56-BNwwrtij1es1I_vmSt17p7421GHEAjVeEBR8c-7a9qeWZpCUz-k7OwOha92gHaZ5TM-zoJkQlD4Um2icIA09x5w60FkrhkLI5QAOcXfiDINinLd/s1600-h/solas.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 149px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQPj50cNJ-l6SgZMcEs_p3v40Wk56-BNwwrtij1es1I_vmSt17p7421GHEAjVeEBR8c-7a9qeWZpCUz-k7OwOha92gHaZ5TM-zoJkQlD4Um2icIA09x5w60FkrhkLI5QAOcXfiDINinLd/s320/solas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420508764290837794" /></a><br /><em>“Unless I am convinced by Scripture and by plain reason and not by Popes and councils who have so often contradicted themselves, my conscience is captive to the word of God. To go against conscience is neither right nor safe. I cannot and I will not recant. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.”</em><br /><br />When considering the issues of salvation and the gospel, the most crucial concern is the question of authority. What is the final authority for establishing and defining the message of salvation? Who owns the gospel? Who has the right to define the gospel? How can I know and trust the gospel message that I hear? That was the concern of the young monk Martin Luther as he faced the might of the political and religious rulers of his day. Luther saw the issue as a gospel issue. The Roman church asserted their ownership of the gospel and opposed any questioning of their authority. Luther struggled with the authority question as he exegeted scripture and assessed the practices and preaching of the Roman church around him. After several years of development, Luther stood before the Diet of Worms and rejected the Roman church’s claim to absolute authority over the gospel. Luther asserted that the church’s authority over the gospel was secondary and derived. The church’s authority was limited to the scripture and scripture alone. <br /><br />Luther’s dilemma must be lived out in the thought of each would-be theologian. What/who is our ultimate authority? Is it the scripture or one of the scripture’s rivals: human reason, human tradition, or human psychology? Is it God or one of God’s rivals? It is important for us to establish the correct epistemological foundation early in the process because of the difficulty of the questions that eventually develop in our study of the gospel. <br /><br />The central issue in all of human knowledge always boils down to revelation vs. autonomous reason/experience. It is no less so in this crucial are of the gospelScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258187762565270965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-69644526519829306992009-12-23T17:02:00.000-06:002009-12-23T17:02:28.879-06:00Pastor Tony - Serving By Saving<embed allowscriptaccess="never" bgcolor="#ffffff" flashvars="playerMode=embedded" height="27" quality="best" src="http://www.google.com/reader/ui/3247397568-audio-player.swf?audioUrl=http://sites.google.com/site/stonemadeflesh/home/mp3/ServingBySaving.mp3?attredirects=0&d=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" wmode="window"></embed><br />
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This is my pastor, Tony Buford. This is an excerpt from the sermon "Born to Serve", preached on 12-22-09.<br />
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All of pastor Tony's sermons can be found on <a href="http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?SourceOnly=true&currSection=sermonssource&keyword=stjoegrace&keywordDesc=CrossPointe+Community+Church">Sermon Audio</a>.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12525436370227946757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-55478852069493075372009-12-23T13:16:00.000-06:002009-12-23T13:16:06.640-06:00The Gift of Life<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QgCWh9-nQHo&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QgCWh9-nQHo&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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What could be a more Christlike act than being a bone marrow donor? Undergoing some physical discomfort (very modest pain) in order to save the life of someone by giving them your blood (stem cells to be exact). I don't want to push the analogy too far but you can see what I am saying. You really can save someones life who otherwise would not have gotten a second chance.<br />
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</div><div>If after watching the video above you feel like this is something you would like to do, please join our donors circle.<br />
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</div><div><span style="font-family: 'courier new'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><a href="https://www.giftoflife.org/dc/Saint-Joseph-Area-Life-Savers/blog.aspx">Saint Joseph Area Life Savers - Donors Circle</a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'courier new';"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=232530988712&ref=mf">Facebook Group</a></span><br />
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</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12525436370227946757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-69948380850259743122009-12-22T15:17:00.017-06:002009-12-22T15:54:42.694-06:00Pastor Tony - Hypocrisy<embed allowscriptaccess="never" bgcolor="#ffffff" flashvars="playerMode=embedded" height="27" quality="best" src="http://www.google.com/reader/ui/3247397568-audio-player.swf?audioUrl=http://sites.google.com/site/stonemadeflesh/home/mp3/hipocracy.mp3?attredirects=0&d=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" wmode="window"></embed><br />
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This is my pastor, Tony Buford. This is an excerpt from the sermon "Purity and Profanity in the Temple", preached on 10-4-09.<br />
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All of pastor Tony's sermons can be found on <a href="http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?SourceOnly=true&currSection=sermonssource&keyword=stjoegrace&keywordDesc=CrossPointe+Community+Church">Sermon Audio</a>.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12525436370227946757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-71675958728586144672009-12-22T13:14:00.002-06:002009-12-22T13:37:54.063-06:00How Things Have Changed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Things have changed in many sectors of evangelicalism. There has been a shift. I'm not going to focus on what caused the shift. Although I think it can be summed up by saying that there was an overreaction to some books doing shoddy cultural analysis that amounted to nothing more than faux-intellectualism. You know, the books that essentially said that the sky was falling because humanity had fundamentally changed and backed up their claims by attaching the prefix "post" to everything. These books told us that Christianity must change or die. I say that the only kinds of "christianity" that ultimately end up dying are those that change in an attempt to ride the momentary waves of cultural preference and philosophical fad. Those waves always crash on the shore and you can only reinvent yourself so many times before you start to come off like Madonna. Alright, back on topic.<br />
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I want to compare the new and improved Christianity with the caricature of the old Christianity that was beaten up on in so many books and sermons. I think the two are very similar. They are similar because the underlying system of religion wasn't changed. Most of the old categories were kept in place and simply filled with different items. In fact the only substantive changes that have been made thus far are changes for the worse.<br />
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Both systems preach a legalistic gospel of sin management. Both systems have an us versus them attitude. Both systems have a certain class of sinner that they are ungracious toward. Both systems see their ultimate <br />
<a name='more'></a>goal as being cultural transformation. Both systems have Sunday sermons consisting of sniping rants about the decadence in the culture. Etc...<br />
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Alright, both systems preach a legalistic gospel. Put another way, both systems preach the fruit of the gospel as the gospel. This is no small error. The older system preached clean living, avoiding fornication and drunkenness, etc... The new system preaches clean living by avoiding anger, greed, etc... Let me be clear, these fruit obviously aren't bad. What is bad is when they are preached rather than the gospel of grace. When the gospel is preached these fruit will appear naturally as a response of gratitude and worship for what Christ has done. When the gospel is preached properly these fruit aren't tied to a person's salvation, they are a result of a person's salvation. When it is preached wrong, as both the systems I am comparing do, the fruit are preached as the gospel and tied to a persons salvation. This sends the people who listen to this false gospel down a very dark road. That is the road of self justification and it will lead to one of two places, either pride or despair. Some people will be impressed with their own rule keeping and become very proud, not realizing that since their behavior modification is motivated by an attempt to justify themselves, it will be nothing more than filthy rags before the Lord. They will essentially be like the pharisee in the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector or the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son. Others who are less impressed with their ability to modify their behavior (like me) will sink into despair. They will never have assurance of their salvation because they have listened to a false gospel that has preached law as gospel. The one thing that would give this person the ability to bear fruit, the gospel of grace and imputed righteousness, is denied them.<br />
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Both systems have an us vs them attitude. Since law is preached as gospel, the people will tend to divide people into two categories, those who keep the law and those who don't. This view is completely contrary to scripture which says that all humans are law breakers, even on their best day, and there is only one law keeper, Jesus. Jesus kept the law perfectly on our behalf and that frees us from the law. Now we are free to keep the law out of gratitude and worship rather than in an attempt to justify ourselves before God. If we avoid this error and see all of humanity as equally guilty under the law, even on their best days, it is pretty hard to develop an us vs them attitude.<br />
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Both systems have a certain type of sinner they are ungracious toward. Where as the old system was said to be ungracious to prostitutes, drug addicts, etc..., the new system is clearly just as ungracious to fat cat CEO's, or Rush Limbaugh types. Both systems view a certain segment of society as being less deserving of grace.<br />
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Both systems have cultural transformation as their primary goal. The old system was fixated on battling things like homosexuality, pornography, etc... Again, this shows their focus on law keeping. Since they have distorted salvation by equating it with law keeping it is only natural that the message of the church would be distorted in this way. This distortion carries over into the new system revising only the particular societal sins it is fixated on. The new system is railing against lust for power and money (what they call the American dream) with the same fervor and in the same way as the old system railed against homosexuality and pornography.<br />
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Listen to the sermons. Do you hear the law or the gospel of grace? And don't be confused on what the law really is. Many think that they are leaving legalism and turning to love instead. They don't realize that love is the law. Consider these passages Rom 13:9, Rom 3:19-20, Rom 3:21-25. Please heed this warning! Do not go down the dark road of self salvation by law keeping. It will take you further and further from real salvation which is by grace alone.<br />
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I said in the beginning of this post that the only substantive changes were for the worse. I really believe that. The real change that I have seen is that many have rejected outright or have rejected in practice the beautiful truth of imputed righteousness. Why they have done this I have no idea. I know that N T Wright preaches this distorted gospel, but do you really have that much faith in him? Enough faith to throw out the unimaginably beautiful truth of imputed righteousness? The very truth that empowers people to produce real fruit and not simply clean the outside of the cup? Unfortunately, rather than shedding the legalism and keeping the gospel they have done just the opposite and threw away the message of imputed righteousness which was the only thing that held their legalism and self justification in check.<br />
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P.S. - I am not writing this post AT anyone or any movement. I am writing it to them in love. I am begging, PLEASE TURN BACK! I also have no feeling of personal superiority over those who are blinded by false doctrine. I really believe that "there but for the grace of God go I". I am simply begging everyone to turn back to the gospel and the beautiful truth that Jesus fulfilled the law for us by living the life we are unable to live and that just as our sin is imputed to him, his righteousness is imputed to us.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12525436370227946757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-47926557505860780582009-12-21T10:34:00.001-06:002009-12-21T10:35:36.725-06:00Something Beautiful - 6Passion Pit - To Kingdom Come<br />
<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xh0ueJN5rvA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xh0ueJN5rvA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12525436370227946757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762123105171356958.post-39430309281474755702009-12-19T18:02:00.035-06:002009-12-19T23:19:52.924-06:00Calvary Chapel Distinctives #1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wncWxy2N6g0/Sy2z6EkG_wI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/Cl0ohtRypuI/s1600-h/ccd.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wncWxy2N6g0/Sy2z6EkG_wI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/Cl0ohtRypuI/s400/ccd.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417183737035554562" /></a>
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<br />This is the first of numerous posts blogging through Chuck Smith's book, "Calvary Chapel Distinctives: The Foundational Principles of the Calvary Chapel Movement". In this post I will be going through the first two sections of the book entitled 'Preface' and 'The Call To The Ministry'.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Preface:</span>
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<br />The first sentence in the book is as follows: <blockquote>What is it that makes Calvary Chapel different from other Bible-believing, evangelical Churches?</blockquote> Smith goes on to explain that there are indeed important enough differences to not merge with the church across the street. So, he sets the book up as a confession of faith, a "what we believe" of sorts, of which I am all for. I think it is a very good thing that this book was written for the purpose it was written for. A lot of churches, mostly congregations who are not affiliated with any particular denomination, do not have a standard, a starting point for pastors and members to adhere to. So again, I am glad Calvary Chapel has separated itself from other denominations.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Call To The Ministry:</span>
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<br />To start out the section, Chuck Smith makes it clear as to whom he is addressing this book to. He often uses pronouns like 'our', 'we', and 'us'. This whole section is dedicated to "the vital subject of our calling and commitment to the ministry". So this book is written to/for Calvary Chapel ministers.
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<br />Smith writes, <blockquote>If there is one characteristic that is absolutely essential for effective ministry, it's that we must first have a sense of calling- the conviction in our hearts that God has chosen and called us to serve Him. <span style="font-style:italic;">The Bible tells us to make our calling and election sure.</span> Are you convinced that God has called you into the ministry? (Italics mine)</blockquote> Here is the books first exegetical error. He references 2 Peter 1 when he speaks of us making our calling and election sure. There is just one problem, the 'calling' that Peter speaks of, has nothing to do with a "conviction in our hearts that God has chosen and called us to serve Him" in pastoral ministry. Smith takes this verse (2 Peter 1:10) out of context and uses it for his purpose in this chapter. This is not to be taken lightly. Peter had an intention for the words he used in his letter. We, 2000 years later, should not take the words he used and make them mean what we want then to mean.
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<br />Smith moves on to give some practical examples of how ministering/serving God's people works out. He tells of how he hates picking up peoples cigarette butts off the ground. Every time he would pick one up outside of the church building, he would grumble in his heart and think unloving thoughts about the person dropping them. Then Smith says something odd, <blockquote>Then the Lord spoke to my heart. He simply said, "Who are you serving?" I said, "I am serving You, Lord." And He replied, "Then quit your gripping." </blockquote> Now, I don't actually think he heard the very voice of God saying these things to him. At least I hope not. I get the point hes trying to make. But why not use God's actual voice, His word? Why not use scripture to make the point? What does "the Lord spoke to my heart" even mean? This lingo of conversations with God is popular in evangelicalism. People claim to have heard a still, small voice. They claim they have dreams and visions from God. My question is this: If Chuck actually hears God speak to him, shouldn't we be typing this stuff out and stapling it in our Bibles just after Revelation?
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<br />He goes on to explain the right attitude and commitment ministers should have in ministry work. He says, <blockquote>We must not only maintain a commitment to Jesus and to serving His people, but there must also be a commitment to the Word of God. <span style="font-style:italic;">I believe that anyone who doesn't believe that the Bible is the inspired, innerant Word of God has no business being in the ministry. And if you do believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and that it's your duty to preach it, then, by all means, know it. Be committed to it.</blockquote>Here is a clear affirmation to the innarency and total inspiration of the Bible. Smith takes a firm stance in his position against ministers who downgrade the Word of God. On this issue, he stands on the shoulders of giants of the Christian faith. I am extremely grateful for his insistence on this subject. I know, and am thankful to God, that Chuck Smith would wholeheartedly say with the prince of preachers, C.H. Spurgeon: <blockquote>We care little for any theory of inspiration: in fact, we have none. To us the plenary verbal inspiration of Holy Scripture is a fact, and not hypothesis. It is a pity to theorize upon a subject which is deeply mysterious, and makes a demand upon faith rather than fancy. The coin of inspiration comes from the mint of infallibility.</blockquote>
<br />Kyle LaPortehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17656577304297733500noreply@blogger.com0