Yearly Archives: 2011

God, the Holy Spirit

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“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” – Acts 2:1-4

Who exactly is the Holy Spirit? To many in the cults He is merely an impersonal force; while others see Him as a dove like creature, fragile and super sensitive.

The Bible speaks of Him in very different terms, ascribing to Him attributes that could only be true of God Himself.

The Holy Spirit is:

a. Omnipresent – The Holy Spirit is everywhere at all times (Psalms 139:7-10).

b. Omnipotent – The Holy Spirit is all-powerful (Luke 1:35).

c. Omniscient – The Holy Spirit has all knowledge (1 Corinthian 2:10-11).

d. Eternal – The Holy Spirit has no beginning and no end (Hebrews 9:14).

e. Holy – The Holy Spirit is wholly pure, perfect, and sacred.

Lets look at the simple words “The Holy Spirit.” Continue reading →

Describing the Blessed man

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Psalm 1:1-6

1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, sick and in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

We have all heard a preacher use Psalm 1 to say “Be like the blessed man who delights in the law of the LORD and not like the wicked who will perish.” Yet, when we actually examine the text, it is interesting to note that there is no prescriptive language whatsoever. Read the Psalm through again and you will discover that the text does not actually tell us to DO anything. There are no imperatives, no commands. Psalm 1 is entirely descriptive language.

Eric Costa is quite right when he asks, “What is being described here in Psalm 1? The life of those called “righteous” in contrast with those called “wicked.” What is the main difference between the righteous and the wicked? Is it the object of their delight? Is it the fruit of their labors? Is it the eternal destiny of their souls? No, the first thing that makes the righteous differ from the wicked is that the righteous are “blessed.” The starting point of the “way of the righteous” is the blessing of God.”

As in the opening of the Sermon on the Mount, the book of Psalms opens with a blessing.

Blessed means supremely happy or fulfilled – Dr. James Montgomery Boice states that the Hebrew word for blessed here is actually plural, which “denotes either a multiplicity of blessings or an intensification of them. The verse might be correctly translated, “O the blessednesses of the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.”

The blessed man does not do certain things (negative) (v. 1) but takes his delight in God’s word (positive) (v. 2).

1) He does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly – he receives wiser counsel.
2) He does not stand in the path of sinners. His company is more select – he does not fellowship with evil (2 Cor. 6:14).
3) He does not sit in the seat of the scornful – he does not listen to the scoffing and mockery of others

Positively, his delight is in the law of the Lord. This is what he thinks about. His mind is focused on scripture, day and night.

John Stott – this delight “is an indication of the new birth for ‘… the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so’ (Rom. 8:7). As a result of the inward, regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, however, the godly find that they love the law of God simply because it conveys to them the will of their God. They do not rebel against its exacting demands; their whole being approves and endorses it… Delighting in it, the godly will meditate in it, or pore over it, constantly, day and night.”

This Psalm contrasts those who are in love with sin and those who love God.

The law of the Lord, in David’s time, only referred to a few books, but now encompasses the entirety of the 66 book canon of the Bible. (2 Tim 3:16, 17)

v. 3 – This blessed man is likened to a tree planted – A tree does not plant itself. Someone else does the planting. It is the Father who plants….

Matthew 15:12 Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” 13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.” Continue reading →

“He descended into hell…”

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Sandy Grant is the senior minister at St Michael’s Anglican Cathedral in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. I do not know him at all, other than the fact that he serves on the writer panel at solapanel.org. However, I did find myself in full agreement with him on this article. Pastor Grant writes:

Recently on a feedback card at church, someone commented: “I thought Jesus didn’t descend into hell! Just that he suffered the death we deserved.”

The answer is: yes and no! The question raises complex issues that cannot be easily answered in a short space. So let me take a long space. (And if you are interested, read on, read slowly, and re-read if you need!)

There are a couple of complicating factors. The first is how we use the English word, ‘hell’ to translate various Hebrew and Greek words. The second is the history and meaning of the phrase in the Apostles’ Creed, “he descended into hell”. Let me now try and unpack these issues in turn.

The various uses of ‘hell’ in translating the Bible into English

The English word ‘hell’ often does double duty in translating words from the original biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek.

The Hebrew word ‘Sheol’ is pretty much a close equivalent of the Greek word, ‘Hades’. These words (especially ‘Sheol’) can refer simply to the grave, where bodies decay. But more particularly they can also refer to what I define as “the shadowy place dead souls go to await their punishment” (i.e. before the final day of judgment).

To give you an idea of the range of meaning, in the New Testament, for example, Hades is translated by the NIV variously as: Continue reading →

What’s the Point? Why Bother?

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Dr. John Piper:

I am often asked, present, and future is infallible, then what is the point of praying that anything happen?” Usually this question is asked in relation to human decision: “If God has predestined some to be his sons and chosen them before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4,5), then what’s the point in praying for anyone’s conversion?”

The implicit argument here is that if prayer is to be possible at all man must have the power of self-determination. That is, all man’s decisions must ultimately belong to himself, not God. For otherwise he is determined by God and all his decisions are really fixed in God’s eternal counsel. Let’s examine the reasonableness of this argument by reflecting on the example cited above.

1. “Why pray for anyone’s conversion if God has chosen before the foundation of the world who will be his sons?” A person in need of conversion is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1); he is “enslaved to sin” (Romans 6:17; John 8:34); “the god of this world has blinded his mind that he might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (II Corinthians. 4:4); his heart is hardened against God (Ephesians 4:18) so that he is hostile to God and in rebellion against God’s will (Romans 8:7).

Now I would like to turn the question back to my questioner: If you insist that this man must have the power of ultimate self-determination, what is the point of praying for him? What do you want God to do for Him? You can’t ask that God overcome the man’s rebellion, for rebellion is precisely what the man is now choosing, so that would mean God overcame his choice and took away his power of self-determination. But how can God save this man unless he act so as to change the man’s heart from hard hostility to tender trust?

Will you pray that God enlighten his mind so that he truly see the beauty of Christ and believe? If you pray this, you are in effect asking God no longer to leave the determination of the man’s will in his own power. You are asking God to do something within the man’s mind (or heart) so that he will surely see and believe. That is, you are conceding that the ultimate determination of the man’s decision to trust Christ is God’s, not merely his. Continue reading →

Deceived People Deceive People!

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Deut 18:21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

DECEIVED PEOPLE DECEIVE PEOPLE!

Tick, tock, tick, tock… 6 days and counting…

We are now in the final days of countdown to the big one – the May 21, 2011 date, set by Harold Camping when Jesus returns. I think it will be a day of judgment for sure – judgment upon the failed and false ministry of Harold Camping. Concerning this, my friend Dr. James White wrote the following on his blog at www.aomin.org yesterday:

Can you imagine what it will be like for Campingites around the world a week from today? Listening to the news, waiting to hear about earthquakes at 6pm all around the world? Maybe saying goodbye to loved ones? Giving away personal items, all the time, wondering….

I listened to two NPR reports on Camping’s prophecy today, and it was truly disheartening to listen to these folks. One lady had been about to enroll in medical college, but did not, so that she could warn people about “Judgment Day.” Another man had left wife and children behind, as they did not “believe.” A couple, the woman expecting their second child in June, were interviewed. They had given up everything, and had just enough money to make it till May 21. After that…well, they will be destitute. The New York Post just reported on a man who squandered his $140,000 life’s savings to buy advertisements in the New York area promoting the May 21 prophecy. Can you imagine the chuckles of all those going to work on Monday the 23rd as they pass those advertisements? Thanks, Mr. Camping.

Well, are you ready? Even those living in a pretty sheltered world are starting to hear about May 21 now. The date is met with chuckles and smiles by most. Another end times prophet, more reason to question those nutty Christians. Atheists are planning Rapture Parties. Documentaries will be made about what happens on May 22nd. Disappointed followers will be looked at closely. Concerns, quite valid concerns, exist about some choosing to depart this world forcibly should they live to see May 22nd. Some of Camping’s callers have been calling to ask about euthanizing their pets before May 21, and an atheist group has set up a pet rescue program where, for only $135, they will come get your dog or cat after you are raptured (the offer is good for ten years!). Continue reading →

Is God Your “Biggest Fan”?

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“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” – John 3:36

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” – Hebrews 10:31

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” – Revelation 20:11-15

I don’t always find myself in agreement with Roger Olson (he calls himself “a proud Arminian” and I am seeking to be neither of these), but regarding what he writes below, I could not agree with him more. It underlined to me just how far from the Bible the modern day visible Church has strayed. Millions of people are just lapping this stuff up as “gospel” truth, never thinking for even a moment about the danger this perversion is to their souls.

Many ask if this kind of preaching will lead to God’s judgment on America. My answer might surprise some. I say that this kind of preaching IS God’s judgment on America. God is giving the people what their itching ears long for.

Here are Olson’s insightful remarks: Continue reading →

Friday Round Up

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(1) Michael Brown joins James White to discuss his (Brown’s) new book, “A Queer Thing Happened to America.” This is one of the most important cultural issues of our day, and we dare not ignore it. Here’s the program.

(2) We often hear Christian leaders say things like, “I’m not inviting you to join a church, but to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus.” So in this approach, everything that is formal, official, planned, and public is seen as mere church-ianity, while genuine Christian experience is informal unofficial, spontaneous, and private. But is this biblical? Would the apostles agree with this kind of anti-institutional approach, or would they recognize it as part of the spirit of the age? Continue reading →

Solitary Confinement

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Richard Wurmbrand (1909–2001), whose many years of imprisonment for the gospel included three years in solitary confinement, went on to write Tortured for Christ and to found Voice of the Martyrs.

Below is a video where he talks about his suffering and God’s grace and presence:

HT: JT

Logic in the Pulpit

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Preaching to a congregation is obviously a very different scenario from teaching a class on logic in a University or Seminary setting. Yet I believe that we as ministers can teach the Scriptures using logical arguments without having to resort to using technical language which the vast majority of folk would not be able to understand.

I am sure that all of us as preachers have at times been guilty of speaking over the heads of our people. Yet one of the ways to remedy this is to simply be constantly aware of this tendency. Then we need to apply the discipline of working out how to say the exact same thing we would say to a group of intellectuals (using the same logic) to the people in the congregation, by using language and explanations which all can follow. This takes work – sometimes a great deal of work. Yet I do believe it is very much possible to bring logic into a sermon.

For instance, when I was preaching on the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16 to our congregation, I spoke of the need to think through what the verse actually said, rather than assume its meaning, which is something we all tend to do. The text reads:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 teaches that God’s love for the world is seen by the giving of His Son so that

all who A (believe in Him)

will not B (perish)

but will have C (eternal life).

There is no possibility of someone believing in Christ and then perishing, but all who believe will have eternal life. That’s what the text clearly teaches.

I then asked the congregation, what does this verse teach us concerning who it is who has the ability to believe? Continue reading →