New Covenant Presbyterian Church

4 great reasons to study the Prophets

2010-08-02T20:46:00.000-05:00

Our men's group will start in the Minor Prophets tomorrow - beginning with Obadiah.

"Why bother?" You ask. "I'm a New Testament Christian," You say. Well...

All [Old Testament] Scripture is inspired and useful... (2Tim 3:16)
You should pay attention to [the prophets], as to a light shining in a dark place (2nd Peter 1:16-21)
If you won't listen to the Prophets, not even someone rising from the dead can teach you. (Luke 16:19f)
The only sign you'll get will be the Sign of Jonah the Prophet. (Mat 12:38-39)

So... I'll look forward to seeing you at the Men's class on Tuesday mornings at 7:15!

Our men are in the Minor Prophets

2010-07-13T09:41:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that it's about time to crank up the Men's Tuesday Morning Bible study again! Starting Tuesday August 3rd, we'll be meeting in the Downtown building at 7:15-8:00. We are pretty prompt about getting started, getting done, and getting out of there by 8:00 because some of us have to go to work. We don't have kitchen, etc... at that building so this is a good ole' Bible study (not an eating meeting) - you can bring your own coffee if you want ;-)

MINOR PROPHETS

This year we'll be doing the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament (That is, the twelve shorter prophets at the end of the OT). To get through this section in about 9 months, we'll have to do 1-2 chapters per week. See the schedule below.

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

I've chosen to do these prophets in approximate chronological order instead of canonical order because I learn better when I can keep events in order. There is, of course some debate about which book came when, but the following seems like a pretty good order to do things in.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS

You don't have to feel like you're a bad boy when you can't make it - but we'll love to have you whenever you can. I'd also love to have you invite any of your buddies that can join us for this study. Please forward this link to anyone you think would be interested or whose email I forgot.

August

3 obadiah
10 joel 1
17 joel 2-3
24 jonah 1-2
31 jonah 3-4

sept

7 amos 1
14 amos 2-3
21 amos 4-5
28 amos 6-7

oct

5 amos 8-9
12 micah 1
19 micah 2-3
26 micah 4-5

nov

2 micah 6-7
9 hosea 1-2
16 hosea 3-4
23 hosea 5-6
30 hosea 7-8

dec

7 hosea 9-10
14 hosea 11-12
21 hosea 13-14
28 nahum 1

jan

4 nahum 2-3
11 zeph 1
18 zeph 2-3
25 habakkuk 1

feb

1 habakkuk 2-3
8 haggai 1-2
15 zech 1-2
22 zech 3-4

mar

1 zech 5-6
8 zech 7-8
15 zech 9-10
22 zech 11-12
29 zech 13-14

apr

5 Mal 1-2
12 Mal 3-4

Heidelberg Q18 - Who is this God-man?

2010-06-16T01:11:00.000-05:00

Q18 reveals the answer we've been craving as we read through the Catechism for the past several weeks...

Q18. Who then is that Mediator, who is in one person both very God, and a real righteous man? A: Our Lord Jesus Christ: "who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." Scripture Proofs: 1John 5:20, Rom.9:5, Rom.8:3, Gal.4:4, Isa.9:6, Jer.23:6, Mal.3:1, Luke 1:42, Luke 2:6-7, Rom.1:3, Rom.9:5, Philip.2:7, Heb.2:14, Heb.2:16-17, Heb.4:15, Isa.53:9, Isa.53:11, Jer.23:5, Luke 1:35, John 8:46, Heb.4:15, Heb.7:26, 1 Pet.1:19, 1 Pet.2:22, 1 Pet.3:18, 1 Tim.2:5, Heb.2:9, Matt.1:23, 1 Tim.3:16, Luke 2:11, 1 Cor.1:30

This reminds me of the lyrics to the song King of Glory, by Third Day...

Who is this King of Glory that pursues me with his love
And haunts me with each hearing of His softly spoken words
My conscience, a reminder of forgiveness that I need
Who is this King of Glory who offers it to me
Who is this King of angels, O blessed Prince of Peace
Revealing things of Heaven and all its mysteries
My spirit's ever longing for His grace in which to stand
Who's this King of glory, Son of God and son of man
His name is Jesus, precious Jesus
The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart
The King of Glory
Who is this King of Glory with strength and majesty
And wisdom beyond measure, the gracious King of kings
the Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things
Who is this King of Glory, He's everything to me
The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things
He is the King of glory, He's everything to me.

Heidelberg Q17 - Man cannot bear God's wrath

2010-06-09T01:04:00.000-05:00

So, the redeemer must be both man and God. Q16 talked about why he must be man. Q17 digs deeper into why he must also be God...

Q17. Why must he in one person be also very God? A: That he might, by the power of his Godhead sustain in his human nature, the burden of God's wrath; and might obtain for, and restore to us, righteousness and life. Scripture Proofs: Isa.9:6, Isa.63:3-4, Isa.53:11, Deut.4:24, Nah.1:6, Ps.130:3, Isa.53:5, Isa.53:11, Acts 2:24, 1 Pet.3:18, John 3:16, Acts 20:28, John 1:4

...because a mere man couldn't bear God's full wrath

Heidelberg Q16 - The soul that sinneth, it shall die.

2010-06-02T01:01:00.001-05:00

Q15 tells us that our savior is going to have to be both Man and God...

Q16. Why must he be very man, and also perfectly righteous? A.Because the justice of God requires that the same human nature which has sinned, should likewise make satisfaction for sin; and one, who is himself a sinner, cannot satisfy for others. Scripture Proofs: Ezek.18:4; Ezek.18:20, Rom.5:12, Rom.5:15 Rom.5:18, 1 Cor.15:21, Heb.2:14, Heb.2:15-16, 1 Pet.3:18, Isa.53:3-5, Isa.53:10-11, Heb.7:26-27, Ps.49:7-8, 1 Pet.3:18

"Forty Hungry Men" OR "God's Providence"

2010-05-27T16:36:00.001-05:00

I love the way that the Bible explains itself, or to perhaps say in another way, I love the way that the Bible is always consistent with itself.

In the latter part of Acts, Paul is on his way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Holy Spirit. Just as the Holy Spirit had warned him, Paul soon encountered prison and hardships. Due to rumors and false accusations, he is arrested by the Roman commander - or should I say, "protected" by the Roman commander - who cannot uncover the reason for the Jews' anger against him. In his effort to settle the matter, the commander orders Paul to be taken before the Sanhedrin. Following the Sanhedrin's failure to act, a conspiracy is formed the next day by more than forty men who bound themselves with an oath to not eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

Guess what? Those men either broke their oath or died of starvation! I would love to have seen those men when they took their first bite of food, realizing they were not going to be successful and probably feeling very guilty about giving up their self-imposed diet.

As it turned out - or I should say, "In God's providence" - the nephew of Paul overheard the plot and told Paul, who then sent his nephew to the commander with word of the plot. Hearing of this conspiracy, the Roman commander sent Paul to Cesarea under the protection of four hundred soldiers and seventy horsemen.

Now to the point I introduced at the beginning of this post.

Just what does this illustrate? Well, a number of things are very apparent.

One, you may say, "O, how lucky Paul was to have his nephew over hear the plot." No, it wasn't luck, it was God's providence. God's providence is always better.

Second, you might say, "The Lord had already promised Paul that he would bear witness to Him in Jerusalem, so what took place through the nephew really didn't matter."

No, Paul acted on the report of his nephew. He took it seriously. He did something about it.

Some will say, “If God has ordained all things from the beginning, even concerning the salvation of sinners, why do anything about it, why pray, why preach?”

Answer: Because God has ordained both the end (His purpose) and the means to the end. He determined that Paul would bear witness to Him in Jerusalem. He put Paul's nephew exactly where he had to be in order to learn of the plot (and we are not told how the nephew learned of the plot). And Paul acted on his nephew's report.

God has ordained that His elect will be saved through the preaching of the gospel to every nation. The Bible says so. We must pray, we must preach, we must go to all the nations because God has commanded that we do so. Anything other than that is disobedience. God has ordained the end and the means to the end.

So if Paul's nephew thought it necessary to let his uncle know of the conspiracy to kill him, how much more must we be willing to make known the words of life!

Practical, isn’t it? Very theological also.

Don’t you love Scripture, how it explains itself and is consistent with itself? Now go tell someone....

Heidelberg Q15 - Seek what sort of savior?

2010-05-26T01:50:00.003-05:00

So we know from the first part of the Heidelberg Catechism that we are as wholly messed up as God is holy. We also know that we can't repair that relationship ourselves - that we need some sort of redeemer. So...

Q15. What sort of a mediator and deliverer then must we seek for? A: For one who is very man, and perfectly righteous; and yet more powerful than all creatures; that is, one who is also very God. Scripture Proofs: 1Cor.15:21, Jer.33:16, Isa.53:9, 2Cor.5:21, Heb.7:26, Heb.7:16, Isa.7:14, Isa.9:6, Rom.9:5, Jer.23:5, Jer.23:6, Luke 11:22

It's got to be a man, because man is who messed up in the first place. But he also has to be God because only God can fix a problem this big. Hmmm... Sounds like the pool of applicants for this job is going to be pretty small.

Keeping On

2010-05-14T11:08:00.001-05:00

I have been preaching through the book of Acts for some time now. The last section of the book of Acts relates Paul's visit to Jerusalem, a visit he had undertaken due to a Spirit-given compulsion and in spite of repeated urgings by other believers not to go because of the dangers he would face.

Now, there are those that thing Paul was mistaken to go. That seems difficult to prove in light of all that is said in Acts.

There are those who think Paul goofed big time once he got there, agreeing to a purification rite in order to appease those who wrongly said that Paul taught all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses.

There are those who point out that his efforts were totally unsuccessfully, thereby proving that he never should have been there in the first place and that he only compromised the gospel by what he did.

I don't agree with those who think Paul should not have gone to Jerusalem or that he compromised the gospel. But regardless of how one vies his actions, no one can miss the tremendous love and courage Paul demonstrated by being where he was and by doing what he did. It was, in fact, a courage fueled by love.

Paul loved the Church. He was in Jerusalem to present money given by the Gentile churches to help the Jerusalem church because of the recent famine the area had suffered. While they needed the help, Paul had an even greater motive, encouraging the unity of believers at a time when many Gentile and Jews were coming to know Christ.

Even as he is seeking to build bridges and to demonstrate His regard for certain Jewish practices, Paul was attacked by an angry mob who acted solely on the basis of misunderstandings, misinformation, and mischaracterizations (o.k., maybe we can say "lies"?). He was rescued by the Roman commander who had wrongly assumed Paul to be the leader of a terrorist group that had appeared in Jerusalem several years earlier. And though the Roman commander rescued him, the same man later ordered Paul to be flogged.

A rough day, wasn't it? And it would get worse.

But Paul continued because he so loved the Lord, so loved the Church, and so loved the gospel that he could not do otherwise.

Think about that the next time you want to quit the church, or give up doing something in the church, because someone hurt your feelings, or has a personality conflict, or because the room is too cold or too hot, or because you don't like the music, or because someone didn't speak to you, or you are tired, or morale is low.....(insert your own excuse).

Better yet, think of Christ who "for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame,and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).

The Gospel In Micah

2010-05-14T10:23:00.001-05:00

As I studied Micah 6:1-8 in preparation for the Sunday evening service, I have been struck by how the gospel is presented in the Old Testament prophecy of Micah.

God comes as if in a court of law to present His charge against His people. He calls on all of creation to serve as His witnesses.Creation can serve as His witness because it has indeed witnessed what God has done for His people.

God's first question is one that should search their hearts: "My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you?" The people obviously feel that God has wronged them, rather than thinking of their obligation to God. Sound familiar, doesn't it? I suspect that many today think in terms of what God owes to them, or how God has supposedly wronged them. After all, if we do good, say our prayers, and go to church once in a while, then God owes us, does he not? Keep reading, particularly if you think in such a way.

As He drives this question into their hearts, God reminds them of things He has done for them: redeeming them from slavery, giving them godly leadership, and demonstrating that He longs to bless them, rather than curse them.

Having nothing to say in response, the people ask, "With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?" They offer some possibilities: the choicest of offerings and of their possessions. If quality will not suffice, then may quantity: ten thousand rivers of oil. And if none of these will suffice, perhaps their own firstborn.

"What shall we bring before the Lord?" That is the question that must be answered. And the answer can still be given in the familiar words, "Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling."

Micah responds by saying, "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Again, the most important question to be asked: "What does the Lord require of us?"

Does Micah's answer say that we are accepted by God through our behavior? Far from it, as the context reveals. Rather, the three matters of justice, mercy, and obedience to God demonstrate that we have embraced the gospel of God's grace and have entered into a covenant relationship with Him.

And that is the gospel as presented in Micah!

Heidelberg Q14 - Can anyone satisfy for us?

2010-05-12T01:06:00.003-05:00

So, God will have his justice satisfied (Q12) and we can't buy our own souls out of debt with God (Q13)...

Q14. Can there be found anywhere, one, who is a mere creature, able to satisfy for us? A: None; for, first, God will not punish any other creature for the sin which man has committed; and further, no mere creature can sustain the burden of God's eternal wrath against sin, so as to deliver others from it. Scripture Proofs: Ezek.18:4, Gen.3:17, Heb.2:14, Heb.2:15-17, Nah.1:6, Ps.130:3

Neither (literal) scapegoats nor Priests can help us here.

Heidelberg Q13 - Daily increase of debt

2010-05-05T01:05:00.005-05:00

We saw in Q12 that god WILL have his justice satisfied, so we have to either make satisfaction ourselves or find someone who can. This leads us directly to Q13:

Q13. Can we ourselves then make this satisfaction? A: By no means; but on the contrary we daily increase our debt. Scripture Proofs: Job 9:2-3, Job 15:15-19, Ps.130:3, Matt.6:12, Matt.18:25, Matt16:26

So, it's NOT going to be us that makes satisfaction for our own sins. We can't. What could a man trade to God in order to buy his soul out of hock? (Matt 16:26b)

Heidelberg Q12 - God will have his justice satisfied

2010-04-28T01:04:00.003-05:00

The Heidelberg Catechism is logically divided into three sections as outlined in Question #2.

Questions 1-11 involve our need for redemption from our sin.
Questions 12-85 involve redemption through Christ.
Questions 86-129 involve how we ought to show our gratitude for redemption.

As such, Q12 is the beginning of the second section regarding redemption through Christ.

Q12. Since then, by the righteous judgment of God, we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, is there no way by which we may escape that punishment, and be again received into favour? A: God will have his justice satisfied: and therefore we must make this full satisfaction, either by ourselves, or by another. Scripture Proofs: Gen.2:17 , Exod.20:5, Exod.23:7, Ezek.18:4, Matt.5:26, 2 Thess.1:6, Luke 16:2, Rom.8:3-4.

God WILL have his justice satisfied!

Heidelberg Q11 - But isn't God merciful?

2010-04-21T00:01:00.003-05:00

Q11. Is not God then also merciful? A: God is indeed merciful, but also just; therefore his justice requires, that sin which is committed against the most high majesty of God, be also punished with extreme, that is, with everlasting punishment of body and soul. Scripture Proofs: Exod.34:6-7, Exod.20:6, Ps.7:9, Exod.20:5, Exod.23:7, Exod.34:7, Ps.5:5, Ps.5:6, Nah.1:2, Nah.1:3.

If God were to simply decide not to punish you for your actual and original sins, God would be sinning against himself - against his own nature. It was a big shock to me when I realized that there were things that the omnipotent God couldn't do - and they involved sinning against his own nature. For instance, God can't lie and God can't just overlook our unholy, anti-God nature, because that would make Him unjust.

Sure, God is merciful - that's part of His nature that he can't go against. But He is as just as he is merciful and that is another aspect of Himself that He can't violate. Seems like quite a bind - being perfectly just but also perfectly merciful.

Understanding the Times

2010-04-16T10:13:00.000-05:00

The prophet Micah is such an encouragement in understanding the will and purpose of God and to having a biblical outlook on life.

In chapter four, Micah twice begins a section of his prophecy by a somewhat broad reference to the future ("In the last days" / "In that day").

In speaking of events that would occur at some point forward from the time of his prophecy, Micah spoke of some pretty bleak days for God's people. They would be overcome by Babylon and taken into captivity. "Writhe in agony," said the Lord, "for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field" (verse 10).

At the same time, God assured them that He would deliver them in His time and He gave them a second command, one that said, "Rise and thresh...for I will give you horns of iron" (verse 13).

God's people, not the Babylonians, would be ultimately victorious, even though God's people were going to experience some rough times. They would be ultimately victorious because of God's faithfulness to His covenant promises and to His covenant people.

At the time Micah prophesied, his nation was threatened not by Babylon, but by another nation, that of Assyria. God promised that they would not be overcome by Assyria, would later be overcome by Babylon, but would ultimately be victorious.

God gave a great indictment against the nations gathered against His people when He said of them,

"But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan" (Micah 4:12).

From Micah's prophecy we we learn that God is faithful to His purpose and plan, that God's purpose and plan may not be evident to us nor clearly understood by us, and that God's purpose and plan will always ultimately succeed.

In light of such promises, we as Christians should be confident in the face of opposition, not living as though all is hopeless, not developing a merely defensive and separatist mind-set, and not retreating from the world or isolating ourselves from the world as though we will ultimately be overcome by the world. Through Micah, God called His people to live confidently in the hope and assurance of God's faithfulness and of the ultimate victory of His kingdom.

Micah is a reminder that prophecies are not meant to provide a timetable of events so much as they are intended to give God's people a biblical world view and outlook on life.

And these are reasons that we need these prophets! Their words give us the foundation needed to live faithfully and confidently in our own day.

Those who live without Christ and who do not know His purposes revealed in Scripture "do not know the thoughts of the Lord, they do not understand his plan." We who know Christ and who have God's Word are meant to live differently.

Heidelberg Q10 - God wouldn't really punish ME, would he?

2010-04-14T01:59:00.004-05:00

Q10. Will God suffer such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished? A: By no means; but is terribly displeased with our original as well as actual sins; and will punish them in his just judgment temporally and eternally, as he has declared, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them." Scripture Proofs: Gen.2:17, Rom.5:12, Ps.5:5, Ps.50:21, Nah.1:2, Exod.20:5, Exod.34:7, Rom.1:18, Eph.5:6, Heb.9:27, Deut.27:26, Gal.3:10.

God hates our sins - both original sins (inherited from the Fall of Adam) and actual sins (the ones we come up with for ourselves). Because of those sins, we are cursed and have earned punishment both temporal (here while we're alive) and eternal.
.

"...continueth not in all things written in the law..." Have you ever lied? Stolen? Have you loved God wholly? Do you love your neighbor as much as you love yourself? So, what do you think? Would a righteous, holy God withhold punishment from you just because you think you're not that bad a person?

John on Pulpit Supply

2010-04-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

In the operation of a church, from time to time the elders have to decide who they will throw their support behind and who they will oppose. Should we do a Sunday school class on that new bestseller book? Should we invite the evangelist that is visiting the neighboring church to talk to us on Sunday night? Who should our main speaker for our next Missions Conference be? Should we let the Mayor deliver a speech to the congregation next Sunday morning?

John, the Elder, provides us some guidance, both positive and negative in his extremely short and to-the-point 2nd and 3rd epistles...

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth. (3John5-8; NIV)

...and...

Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work. (2John7-11)

You want to be involved in the ministries of people who are teaching an orthodox (i.e. apostolic, canonical, biblical) understanding of Christ (3John8). But if they are teaching some other theology or some other soteriology, you absolutely must not have anything to do with them, not only because you don't want to be lied to, but also because you don't want to lend them support or credence (2John11).

Heidelberg Q9 - It's all God's fault - NOT!

2010-04-07T01:58:00.002-05:00

Photo courtesy of Carinemily

Part of the job of the elders (preachers and teachers) of the church is to equip the church members with the tools and knowledge that they need to do God's work.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2Tim3:16-17; emphasis mine)

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Heb 13:20-21; emphasis mine)

That is also part of the purpose of a catechism in general - and of Heidelberg Q9 in particular - to equip you with an answer to common objections to scriptural doctrines.

In discussing God and Christ with other sinners, we will occasionally hear someone whining an excuse to the effect of, "Well, God made me this way - that's why I can't follow this part of the law," The implication being that anything that is morally wrong with people is God's fault for making them that way. Here's Heidelberg's answer to that...

Q9. Does not God then do injustice to man, by requiring from him in His law, that which he cannot perform? A: Not at all; for God made man capable of performing it; but man, by the instigation of the devil, and his own wilful disobedience, deprived himself and all his posterity of those divine gifts. Scripture Proofs: Eph 4:24, Eccl 7:29, John 8:44, 2Cor 11:3, Gen 3:4, Gen.3:6, Rom.5:12, Gen.3:13, 1 Tim.2:13-14.

God made man good but man corrupted himself and all of his posterity.

8. Simple, Spiritual, and Substantial

2010-04-01T16:06:00.000-05:00

Simple, Spiritual, and Substantial

I like the threefold characterization of Scriptural worship given in the Introduction to the book, "Leading in Worship," edited by Terry L. Johnson.

After carefully defining the truth that all worship must be "according to Scripture," the Introduction goes on to say, "Worship that is so defined will of necessity be simple, spiritual, and substantial."

These three terms are further defined and explained by saying:

"Simple, because the New Testament does not prescribe a complex ritual of service as is found in the Old Testament;

Spiritual, because when Jesus removed the special status of Jerusalem as the place where God was to be worshiped (John 4:7-24), He signaled the abolition of all the material forms that constituted the typological Old Testament system including not only the city, but all that gave the city significance - the temple, the altars, the priests, the sacrificial animals, the incense;

Substantial, because the God of the Bible is a great God and cannot be worshiped appropriately with forms that are light, flippant, or superficial; He must always be worshiped with 'reverence and awe' (Hebrews 12:28)." ("Leading in Worship," edited by Terry L. Johnson)

This is a great way to characterize Scriptural worship.

This is why worship that is Reformed in the classical sense of the word seeks to be known by being simple, spiritual, and substantial.

This is why we plan our worship services at New Covenant Presbyterian Church to be known by simplicity, spiritual depth, and substantiality. Such are the marks of worship that is Scriptural.

"We are convinced that the true need of the hour is precisely what Presbyterians have always had - simple, spiritual, substantial, reverent worship featuring expository preaching, free prayers, great hymns and metrical Psalms, and anchored in fixed forms of time-proven quality and worth."(from "Leading in Worship," edited by Terry L. Johnson)

"Today as much as ever we must stand for simplicity, purity, fidelity to Scripture, and Christ-centeredness in our worship because we want to worship God in the way He has prescribed, so as to have Christ and His Gospel flourishing at the center of our church's life. And thus we must clearly reject the proposed reintroduction of the medieval, Roman Catholic Church Year with its attendant ceremonies"

(from an article that originally appeared in the "Presbyterian Journal in November 1979, and written by Douglas F. Kelly)

See the full article here.

7. What's to be Included in Worship?

2010-04-01T16:05:00.006-05:00

What's to be Included in Worship?

The Westminster Confession of Faith addressed the topic of the elements to be included in worship by saying,
"The various elements of the ordinary religious worship of God are the reading of Scriptures with reverence; the sound preaching and conscientious hearing of the Word in obedience to God, with understanding, faith, and reverence; the singing of psalms with grace in the heart; and the proper administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ" (chapter 21, paragraph 5).

Prayer as an essential element of worship is covered in an earlier paragraph of the same chapter of the Westminster Confession, saying, "Prayer with thanksgiving is a special part of religious worship and is required by God of all men" (chapter 21, paragraph 3).

The Book of Church Order of the Presbyterian Church in America also lists the presentation of offerings, confessing the faith, and on special occasions, the taking of legitimate oaths as proper elements of a worship service. (47-9). All such things are clearly biblical.

In other words, it's pretty simple isn't it? The public worship of God's people is to include prayer, the reading of Scripture, preaching and hearing of the Word, singing, and the Sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. These are the elements commanded in Scripture.

In fact, the elements of worship are restricted to those things which God has revealed in His Word, not

As others have well said, we are to proclaim God's Word, pray God's Word, sing God's Word, and see God's Word in the sacraments.

So where do all the other rites, customs, and traditions come in that become an accepted part of many worship services today? The acceptance of so many other traditions and customs is reason to be "simple" in our worship, that is, to adhere to the things God has commanded to be a part of worship, to trust Him to do what He will do through the means He has given to us, and to not presume that we know better than God what we should bring to Him in our worship services.

Other things related to worship - such as the number of hymns, the verses we sing, the exact time and length of worship, etc. - are addressed by a well-written statement in the Directory of Worship that is a part of the Book of Church Order of the Presbyterian Church in America. This statement says:

"The Lord Jesus Christ has prescribed no fixed forms for public worship, but in the interest of life and power in worship, has given His Church a large measure of liberty in this manner. It may not be forgotten, however, that there is true liberty only where the rules of God's Word are observed and the Spirit of the Lord is, that all things must be done decently and in the beauty of holiness. From it beginning to its end a service of public worship should be characterized by that simplicity which is an evidence of sincerity and by that beauty and dignity which are a manifestation of holiness" (Book of Church Order, Directory for the Worship of God, 47-6).

In keeping with this same principle, chapter one of the Westminster Confession of Faith states:

"We also acknowledge that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God and the government of the church - circumstances common to human activities and societies - which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed" (chapter one, paragraph 6).

I am struck more and more by the practical and godly wisdom of such counsel.

6. All Those Other Days

2010-04-01T16:05:00.005-05:00

All Those Other Days

While I'm talking about the days of the liturgical calendar and the days of the Hallmark calendar (see previous posts), what about all those other days?

One denomination's listing of special days and seasons approved by the denominational board includes over sixty days for commemoration of some sort. Some of these days are Sundays and others are - obviously - days other than Sunday. These special days not only include events of the liturgical calendar such as Christmas, Lent, Easter, and other days, but such days and events as the "Superbowl of Caring," "Earth Day," "May Friendship Day," "World Community Day," and many others.

What's a preacher to do?

Obviously there are a lot of good causes and events that need time and attention and that are worthy of such.

And obviously, there are a lot of people competing for the time, attention, and resources of the church on Sundays!

Again, many of them need support.

And again, we have to be careful lest the church and our worship services become simply a means and opportunity to promoting various causes and events.

So, as with the Hallmark Calendar, there may be times when various needs and events can be referred to without letting them control our worship! But while we are doing that, we should make certain that such events and seasons are biblical and legitimate missions of the church. Otherwise, leave them to other groups and organizations. The Church's calling and mission is to worship God and to make disciples of all nations, not to serve as a bulletin board for the world's causes!

5. The Hallmark Calendar

2010-04-01T16:05:00.004-05:00

The Hallmark Calendar

If worship services do not adhere to a liturgical calender, what about the Hallmark Calendar?

You know, the one where worship services are regularly patterned after Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparent's Day, July 4, Labor Day, and whatever event and holidays the Hallmark Gift Company, history, and others can make a part of our calendar?*

Perhaps you have been in churches whose worship is focused not on events in the life of Jesus but on events that are part of the "Hallmark Calendar." Congregations that may never think of adhering to a liturgical calender often do follow the Hallmark Calendar!

My answer and practice is short and simple: those events may be referred to without making them the overriding theme of worship. Again, it's best to keep the focus where it needs to be: simple, spiritual, Scripture, Christ-centered worship that exalts God and which transcends customs that are merely local and nationalistic.

We can give thanks on Mother's Day for the godly ladies of our congregation. We can give thanks for Fathers on Father's Day and pray that God will make them into the leaders of their homes that He calls them to be. We can thank God for our country on July 4, sing a patriotic song, and pray for His mercy to our land. But we should not let those things determine the focus and pattern of our worship services.

* To be fair to Hallmark Cards, an article on Wikipedia under the topic "Hallmark Holiday" states that the company itself refutes having any role in the creation of the holidays that bear the name "Hallmark Holiday."

4. The Church Calendar

2010-04-01T16:05:00.003-05:00

The Church Calendar

There seems to be a growing practice among many Protestant Churches of observing the "Church Calendar."

A church calender - or "liturgical calendar," as it is often called - consists of a cycle of liturgical seasons in which emphasis is placed on certain events in the life and ministry of Christ. This cycle often prescribes the observance of certain "holy days" and the portions of Scripture are to be read in worship services, often using prescribed liturgies.

One reason given for following a church calendar is that it offers a central pattern for ordering worship in relationship to important occasions and events in the life of Jesus. Days and seasons observed in such a calender include Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost. Other days may also be observed, such as the Baptism of the Lord, the Transfiguration of the Lord, Trinity Sunday, All Saints Day, and Christ the King.

Now, there is certainly nothing wrong with worship or Bible study and preaching that follows the events of the life of Jesus. Many a Sunday School lesson has been taught and many sermons have been preached using such an outline.

However, you may notice that I do not place emphasis on adherence to a liturgical calender and that worship services at NCPC generally do not focus on such.

There are reasons for this! Among those reasons are:

1) Scripture does not call for such. In fact, Scripture warns against such by saying, "You are observing special days and months and seasons and year! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you" (Galatians 4:10-11). Paul obviously had reason to caution the Galatians about their practice. As a general observation, we have reason to be cautious of ceremonies, days, and rituals not commanded in Scripture.

2) Scripture contains no reference to the actual dates of the events celebrated in the liturgical calendar. Obvious, God chose to not make these dates know to us in His Word for His own wise reasons, one of those reasons perhaps being that we would attach more importance to a particular date than to the reality of the truth proclaimed.

3) Scripture is better taught by weekly expository preaching than by the use of calender themes and lectionary readings. Topical preaching on chosen themes or events in the life of Jesus can be a helpful and good thing to do without making having adherence to a liturgical calendar as the framework of worship.

A liturgical calendar was not introduced until after 350 A. D. It is historically tied to beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church that were rejected during the Reformation. In fact, Presbyterianism has historically rejected a liturgical calendar with its focus on certain “holy days.” Many of those who practice such observances today may not even ask the reason for doing so.

A liturgical calendar seems more likely to be followed by congregations of mainline Protestant denominations (such as the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church USA, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Episcopal Church, and others) than by those of more theologically conservative, evangelical denominations. Congregations of theologically conservative denominations may differ to some extent on the degree and the manner on which emphasis is placed on seasons such as Christmas and Easter. In fact, differences over this have varied throughout history, with some Christians of Puritan New England intentionally working on Christmas Day in order to demonstrate their rejection of the day as a “holy day” whose observance is commanded by God.

For these reasons, I believe there is wisdom in Terry Johnson's statement that "While the revival of the liturgical calendar has become popular in some circles, we recommend moderation or abstinence...." (Leading in Worship, edited by Terry Johnson).

As an observation, it seems that many congregations that adhere to a liturgical calendar have departed from a high view of the authority of Scripture. Denominations and congregations holding to a high view of Scripture, as historically understood, emphasize the expository preaching of God’s Word in the weekly pattern of corporate worship as commanded by the Lord. Our pattern in worship, as stated by others, is to preach God’s Word, to sing God’s Word, to pray God’s Word, and to see God’s Word portrayed through the two sacraments of the Lord’s Supper and baptism.

Does this mean no services that celebrate the birth of Christ or His resurrection? Not at all. Emphasis and focus can still be placed on the biblical account of events in the life of Jesus and in the history of redemption without being overshadowed by adherence to a liturgical calendar.

In an article written in 1979, Douglas F. Kelly wrote:

“Our Presbyterian forefathers did not do this [make reforms in worship] because they wanted to be negative but because they wanted to leave the way open for the great positive to be expressed: the pure, powerful worship of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the life-changing proclamation of His Gospel every Lords Day” (from “No Church Year for Presbyterians”).

3. Holy Days ?

2010-04-01T16:05:00.002-05:00

Holy Days ?

Not long ago a well-meaning person asked if I was busy with plans and services for "Holy Week." It wasn't the time or the place to get into an extended discussion on matters of worship. But since that brief conversation, I have often thought on the reality that every week is a holy week!

Obviously, the person who inquired about my schedule had in mind the week of Easter, a week that is referred to by many as "holy week." But I still stand on the truth that every week is holy unto the Lord!

Now, granted, some days are set aside by the Lord to be holy unto Him in a special manner. Sunday - the Lord's Day - is the day set aside by the Lord in such a way. But the fact that Sunday is the "Holy Sabbath" is a reminder that all seven days are to be lived unto the Lord and that a life consecrated to the Lord cannot be done by neglecting the priority of the Lord's Day.

In 1835, Dr. Samuel Miller, at that time the Professor of Ecclesiastical History and Church Government at Princeton Seminary, wrote an essay entitled, "Presbyterians Do Not Observe Holy Days." I'm not sure he could say that now, as some in the Presbyterian tradition have become more focused on the observance of such times and seasons.

("Holy Days," as I use the term, refers to days designated by the Church to commemorate and remember events in the life of Christ or special seasons of "the Christian Year." Among those days listed by the Roman Catholic Church as "Holy Days of Obligation" are Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, Dormition and Apostles Peter and Paul, in addition to Sunday. The Protestant "church calendar" includes Easter and Christmas at the very minimum, though such times are usually recognized by special services but not by setting apart the entire day for worship. The sports calendar, of course, includes "Super Bowl Sunday" as a day to be commemorated - perhaps more as an "Unholy Day" - but I digress......)

Can special attention be drawn to events in the history of redemption during the calendar year without violating the principle of worshiping God only as He has commanded? I think so. A Christmas Eve service of worship with Scripture and biblical Christmas carols can direct our hearts toward the Lord and be a way of focusing our heart on Christ at a time when we struggle against the secularism of the day. But it does serve us well - and it may even come as a surprise to some - to remember that the Lord did not command a Christmas Day, or an Easter Sunday, etc. And, Scripture itself contains no references to the actual dates of events such as the birth of Christ, His death, etc. One rule of interpreting and of following Scripture is to speak where Scripture speaks and to be silent where Scripture is silent.

Included in The Directory for the Public Worship of God, a part of the orginal Westminster Standards adopted by the English Parliament, was this declaration:

"There is no day commanded in scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord's day, which is the Christian Sabbath.
Festival days, vulgarly [commonly] called Holy-days, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued."

A liturgical calendar of "holy days" diminishes the importance of the day that the Lord has commanded us to keep holy, the Sabbath. God has ordained that our worship should be centered around the Sabbath and that our godliness should be nurtured through regular worship with a local congregation of believers on the Lord's Day.

And as I love to remind people on Easter Sunday that we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus EVERY Sunday. So join us every Sunday to remember that our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead. It's what He commanded us to do. We can't honor Him and our spiritual life cannot be healthy by neglecting the day that the Lord has commanded us to keep holy!

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Dr. Samuel Miller's essay can be found here.

2. The Sabbath

2010-04-01T16:05:00.001-05:00

The Sabbath

We might as well admit it....Sunday has pretty much become another day......another day for hobbies, for work, for play, for recreation, for shopping, for sports, for pretty much anything and everything but recognizing and honoring it as the Lord's Day.

You have probably heard the observation made that our grandfather's generation referred to Sunday as the "holy Sabbath," our father's generation referred to it as the "Sabbath," our generation refers to it as "Sunday," and now the day is simply part of the "weekend." We can't argue with that observation; in fact, we have given up far more of the Sabbath than we probably realize.

So what happened to the Fourth Commandment? You know, that list of commandments that we defend placing in our courtrooms and in our school buildings?

The fourth command is still there, right where God put it, written on stone, and one of the commandments that God will write on our hearts under the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:33-34).

Sunday is still the Lord's Day. As the Lord's Day, gathering for worship with God's people is the priority of the day. Works of mercy are permitted (but don't wait until Sunday to become merciful!). Works of necessity are permitted (but is it really necessary if you put off doing it on Saturday because you spent all Saturday playing at something else?). Works of piety, that is, work related to the worship of God, is permitted (Have you ever preached or taught a lesson in Sunday School...led the music...kept the nursery, etc? It's work, isn't it? But what a great work!).

As the Lord's Day, gathering for worship with God people is the priority of the day. Everything else is to be planned around that priority.

It's amazing how our calender, our lives, and our hearts will be better ordered once we establish the priority of the Lord's Day and of the corporate worship to be given to God on that day.

I like what is written about the Lord's Day in "The Family Worship Book," edited by Terry L. Johnson, Senior Pastor of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Savannah, Georgia:

"The key to your own and your family's spiritual health is remarkably simple. Though there is considerable hype to the contrary, it involves no pilgrimages to sacred places. It requires no week-long or weekend retreats, seminary, or special programs. It depends on no special techniques or novel methodologies. You won't have to spend another night out. You won't need to add more meetings to an already frantic schedule. The key is to be found in the regular, ordinary, weekly worship services of the church. It is not a glamorous key, but it is the key nonetheless."

By the way....go back for the evening worship service (yes, you can do it!). After all, it is the Lord's Day, not the Lord's morning (or the Lord's hour).

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A great article on the Sabbath by Terry Johnson can be found on the website of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Savannah.

See more about "The Family Worship Book" edited by Terry Johnson, by clicking here.

1. Who and How

2010-04-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

The Who and How of Worship

Worship is supremely important!

Obviously, the first question is to determine who or what we worship. Get it wrong here and everything else is wrong. It's idol worship, in other words.

Even when we profess to be worshiping God, we must make sure that we are worshiping the true and living God, and not a god of our imagination. That's the reason we must devote ourselves to Scripture. Without a Scriptural knowledge of God - a knowledge of the God who has revealed Himself to us in Scripture - we are likely to be worshiping a god of our imagination or of our desires, rather than worshiping the God of Scripture.

Having determined that we must worship the one, living and true God, we must realize that we are obligated to worship that God in the way of His own choosing. Since He is the living and true God, He has the right to command HOW we are to worship Him.

Did you ever have a child cross a dangerous road that was "off limits" in order to bring back a flower that was growing on the opposite side of the road? If you've had that experience, you probably emphasized to the child that obeying your rule is more important than picking the flower. How much more so must we worship the living and true God in the way that He commands, and not according to our desires!

The Westminster Confession of Faith underscores the necessity of worshiping God only as He commands by saying:

"But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God has been instituted by himself, and so limited by His revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imagination or devising of men, or the suggestions of Satan, or under visible representation, or any other way not commanded in Scripture" (Chapter 21, "Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day").

God must not be worshiped in "any other way not commanded in Scripture." That's a huge principle. Does this truth control and direct the corporate worship of your church? Is the underlying principle to worship God only in the way that He has commanded us to do?

Heidelberg Q8 - Wholly incapable - but not hopeless!

2010-03-31T01:57:00.002-05:00

The turning point:

Q8: Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness A: Indeed we are; except we are regenerated by the Spirit of God. Scripture Proofs: Gen.8:21, John 3:6, Gen 6:5, Job 14:4, Job 15:14, Job 15:16, 15:35, Isa 53:6, John 3:3, John 3:5, 1Cor 12:3, 2Cor 3:5

Heidelberg really beats this idea of total depravity to death in the first few questions. We certainly have a pretty good understanding of this idea by now. But Q8 also represents the turning point in Heidelberg's exposition of the Gospel. The turning point from hopeless depravity to hopeful expectation. It lies in the second part of the answer, "...except we are regenerated by the Spirit of God."

We are totally depraved, incapable of being in a relationship with God, and incapable of helping ourselves - except the Spirit of God has regenerated us!

I'm not an expert in English grammar by any stretch, but this does not appear to be subjunctive mood here. Heidelberg does not say, "...except we be regenerated...," meaning that it's merely possible that the Spirit could regenerate us. We are confidently confessing our belief and understanding that we are already regenerated by the Spirit of God despite our depravity!

Week Twelve: God's Heart Toward the Lost

2010-03-26T11:14:00.002-05:00

Does Christ Grieve for the Lost?

"As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it...." Luke 19:41

At our morning Bible study this week, a question was asked about God's heart toward those that will be judged. The question had to do with how God can show compassion toward those who will come under His righteous judgment. After, all, the Bible gives graphic pictures of the Lord's judgment upon sin. And to judge sin is to judge people.

The picture of the Lord's judgment in the last days is given in this way in Matthew 25:41, "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." There is no more fearful word to be heard than this. The Lord Himself says that it is the judgment to be pronounced upon those who are without Christ. In other places, the Bible pictures hell as a place of everlasting darkness, a place weeping and gnashing of teeth, and as a place where the worm never dies. In at time of graphic portrayal of evil and of violence on T.V. and movies, there is no more searching, horrifying picture than what the Bible gives of the eternal punishment of those without Christ.

Yet when Christ approached Jerusalem on the day that we call "Palm Sunday,"- knowing that He would be crucified, knowing that the city had rejected the prophets sent to it and now rejected Him - he wept over the city, saying, "If you, even you had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes."

Christ went on to speak of the terrible judgment that was to come to that city, a picture of the greater judgment to come to all who are outside of Christ.

He knew the judgment would come, He rode into the city knowing that the hour of his own crucifixion had arrived, and He wept over the city.

Who can know the mind and the heart of our Lord who weeps over those who will know His judgment, and who went into Jerusalem to die in the place of those given to Him by the Father from before the beginning of creation?

May God give us something of His own mind and heart! May we not shirk from the reality of His amazing love or from His fearful judgment.

"Christ loves and pities all, even those who are His open enemies.
None are hated, though none but believers are finally saved."

J. C. Ryle

Heidelberg Q7: So how did we get ruined?

2010-03-24T02:45:00.003-05:00

Reformed Christians believe that we are all seriously flawed people living in a seriously flawed world. This idea is really one of the most foundational ideas in the Reformed worldview. To most of us that grew up Presbyterian, this seems so readily apparent in our every transaction in the world that it surprises us when we find someone who either doesn't think about it that way or doesn't think about it much at all.

We've seen in the previous Heidelberg Catechism questions, that God created men good - wholly capable of pleasing God and living in harmony with Him (Q6), but somehow we all got to be as ruined as we are now. This brings us to Heidelberg Question #7:

Q7: Whence then proceeds this depravity of human nature? A: From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise; hence our nature is become so corrupt, that we are all conceived and born in sin. Scripture Proofs: Gen3, Rom5:12, Rom5:18-19, Psa51:5, Gen5:3

That scripture proof from Psalm 51 preceeds one of my favorite Bible verses, which, in turn, hearkens back to Ezekiel, who knew long before the Reformers that men were wholly ruined, but not without hope...

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psa 51:10;NKJV)

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezek36:26;NKJV)

There's a New World coming!

2010-03-23T09:51:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wished for a new planet that you could go live on just to be rid of the troubles of this world - a world where people did right instead of wrong? Well, in the end of 2nd Peter, we find:

Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2Peter3:13; NKJV)

Hey! It's not just me! This is encouraging in these present times. Not only do we wish it, but He has promised it! There's a new world coming - a better one. This reminds me of the Nina Simone song, New World Coming:

There's a new world commin'
And it's just around the bend
There's a brand new mornin'
That belongs to you and me
A new world commin'
The one we had vision of
And its commin' in peace
Is commin in joy
and commin in love...yea...yea...yea
There's a new world commin'
And its just around the bend
There's a new day dawning
the one that's for you and me
A new world commin'
The one we've had vision of
and its commin in peace
commin' in love
Commin' in peace
Commin' in joy
and commin in peace
commin' in joy
And commin in love
And I saw another sign in Heaven
Great and marvelous
Seven angels having the seven last plagues
for in them is filled up the Wrath of God
And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire
And them that had gotten the victory over the beast
And over his image
and over his mark
and over his name,
stand on the sea of glass
with the harps of God all around them.
There's a new world commin'
and its just around the bend
There's a new day dawning

That middle section comes from Revelation 15, if you were wondering.

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With that New World in mind, turn back to 2nd Peter:
Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? (2Pet3:11-12;NKJV; emphasis mine)
...and from there to the end of John's Revelation:

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Rev 22:20;NKJV)

Having a bad day?

2010-03-22T11:17:00.001-05:00

For those of you who are having a bad day because you think the world is not working the way you'd like it to - someone directed me to Psalm 22. There's a lot there to take my mind off my trivial troubles and redirect my attention in a better direction.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn— for he has done it.

Week Eleven: Is Christ the Only Savior?

2010-03-19T08:00:00.003-05:00

Is Christ the Only Savior?

There are a number of ways to answer this question. Obviously the first and most concise answer is simply to say "yes."

After all, that is what the Bible teaches. Acts 4:12 is one of the clearest statements given. Having been imprisoned overnight for "proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead," Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, jumped right back into action the next day by boldly saying to the rulers and elders of the people:

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which they must be saved."

The problem comes in when some say, "Yes, I agree that salvation is only through Christ and I also believe that Christ will save everyone, at least in the end."

But universal salvation can't be read into this passage and is also denied elsewhere. In fact, this statement of Peter given in Acts 4:12 calls attention to the necessity of saving faith by adding that that there is "no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." John 3:18 says,"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

I have been studying the second half of Acts 19 in preparation for a Sunday sermon. This text relates "a great disturbance" that arose in Ephesus "about the Way." This is the third time in Acts that the Christian faith and life has been spoken of as "the Way" (9:2; 19;9; 19:23). Again, not "a way," but "the way" (the article "the" is used in the Greek).

That very description sounds rather uncompromising, doesn't it? It's a reminder that Christianity is a way of life, not just an empty profession of Christ. The name reflects the fact that others regarded the Christian life as "the Way."

Not only is Christ the only way of salvation, but to trust in Christ is to follow "the Way."

Heidelberg Q6: Did God create men out of true?

2010-03-17T01:42:00.003-05:00

Photo courtesy of Justanamethingie

Well, in Q5 of Heidelberg we saw that men are completely incapable of obeying God's law - even when it is stated as simply as, "Love God and love your neighbor." We are as out of true as the barn in this picture. Does this mean that God created us unable to satisfy him? That would be strange, wouldn't it? That would be like a man deciding to build a barn - but deliberately making it too small and leaky and falling down. Did God build us that way?

Q6: Did God then create man so wicked and perverse? A: By no means; but God created man good, and after his own image, in true righteousness and holiness, that he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love him and live with him in eternal happiness to glorify and praise him. Scripture Proofs: Gen1:31, Gen1:26-27, Col3:9-10, Eph4:23-24, 2 Cor3:18

How to spot a false teacher

2010-03-16T08:47:00.000-05:00

Today the Men's Tuesday morning group spent some time on 2nd Peter chapter 2.
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Peter warns us that just like there were some false prophets in the old days (like Balam) there will be false teachers with us till the end. Peter not only tells us that false teachers are bad and dangerous, but he gives us a list of things to watch out for. A checklist of characteristics of false teachers. For instance, per 2Peter...

False Teachers...

can work in secret from within the church (v1)
deny the gospel (v1)
are sensually attractive (v2, v18)
cause others to blaspheme (v2, v14)
are greedy and exploitative liars (v3, v14, v15)
are irrational, follow their base instincts, and speak of things they don't know (v12)
are bold, willful, open, public, and proud of sins of which they should be ashamed (v10, v13)
they are adulterous, insatiable for sin (v14)
they entice others to sin (v14)
they falsely promise freedom (v19)

Peter gives us these characteristics so that we can be on the lookout for false teachers and he underscores this passage with an incredibly vivid proverb.

Week Ten: Do Beliefs Matter?

2010-03-12T09:32:00.002-06:00

Do Beliefs Really Matter?

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but it the end it leads to death.”
Proverbs 14:12

The first observation to be made from this truth is that the ideas, judgments, and wisdom of men are not to be trusted. The infallible guide to truth is not the collective wisdom of people, nor the standard of one human, nor even the decisions and choices of my own heart, for the Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all else; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

This being the case, I must have some other objective standard, one that does not come from me or from other men (humans).

The second observation to be made is the finality and fatality of a wrong choice. The way that is thought to be right leads to death. The Bible doesn’t say that the results consist of one or two bad consequences. Nor is it a matter of simply choosing the lesser over the greater, of a desirable consequence over a less desirable one. The end is death. In the biblical sense of the word, this points to spiritual death. We are reminded of the finality and fatality of a way that seems right to us.

Putting these two thoughts together, we are taught that ways of men that “seem right” lead to death. We can make a wrong choice and that choice is fatal.

Does it matter what you believe?

What do you think?

Or, I should say, “What does the Bible say?”

P. S. Do you know that this same statement is given twice in the book of Proverbs? It’s found in Proverbs14:12 AND 16:25. It seems like the Lord really wants us to hear - and to heed - this warning, doesn’t it?

False Prophets

2010-03-12T09:29:00.000-06:00

Chapter three of Micah has a consistent pattern. The theme of the chapter is corrupt leadership and the judgment to come to those who have failed in their leadership. It seems that God expects leaders to do what they have been given to do and to do it faithfully!

The pattern is:
      An Address (vs. 1, 5, 9)
     An Accusation (vs. 2, 5,9)
     A Resulting Judgment (vs. 4,6,12)

God spoke to the leaders in verses 1-4, these most likely being civil leaders who had the responsibility to practice biblical judgment and who had failed to do so, treating God's people like animals to be butchered and used for the gain of the unfaithful leaders.

He addresses the false prophets in verses 5-7, having already referred to them in 2:11 as "prophets of beer and wine" who were just what the people wanted.

Here he speaks of them as "prophets for profit," saying that these false leaders would proclaim peace to anyone who would "feed" them but prepared "to wage war" against anyone who did not cater to their self-serving whims.

God holds his servants accountable for what they teach. We have been given Scripture as a sacred deposit. It is a holy, fearful, blessed privilege to have Scripture and to be held accountable for both teaching and living it!

Micah's word is certainly a word in season.

More notes from 2Peter1

2010-03-11T01:47:00.002-06:00

Peter is writing this letter to Christians who, though younger and less mature than himself, were not considered as inferior or as having a lesser faith than Peter and the other Apostles. He is writing to remind these Christians of things they have already been taught, and says he will continue reminding them of these super-important things as long as he lives.

The letter is a reassurance that the things that the Apostles have taught them (i.e. the gospel) is true and that their faith in it is not in vain. So, how can you be assured of your salvation? According to 2Peter1:5f...

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

So, since we know that our natural state is spiritual death (Eph 2:5, Col 2:14, Rom 3:23, Rom 6:23) and we know that dead things do not spontaneously get better - rather they decay into greater corruption...
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Then we know that if we see this process of spiritual improvement working within us - if we are moving from simple faith toward love through improvement in these virtues - then we are no longer dead - something is effecting this change in us - we have been saved and are being sanctified (Rom 8:29-30).

Heidelberg Q5: ...to hate God and my neighbor

2010-03-10T01:38:00.002-06:00

Photo courtesy of Chop1n

It amuses me (I admit it's kind of a perverse, macabre amusement) how utterly incapable men are of doing good. We can't follow the rules that God set forth in any way. God gave Adam a couple of rules - Live with me in harmony here and don't partake of this particular fruit - and he didn't obey. God gave Moses ten rules - and we couldn't keep them. God Gave the Levites hundreds of rules - and they bungled that. Jesus boiled all that down to just a couple of laws again - Love God and love thy neighbor - and we can by no means do those two. He even spelled it out simply, concisely, and directly how we are supposed to go about being Christians - evangelize, baptize, and teach (Mat 28:19) - and we're pretty lame at even that.
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This brings us to Heidelberg Q5:

Q5: Canst thou keep all these things perfectly? A: In no wise; for I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbour. Scripture Proofs: Rom.3:10, Rom.3:20, Rom.3:23, 1 John 1:8, 1 John 1:10, Rom.8:7, Eph.2:3, Tit.3:3, Gen.6:5, Gen.8:21, Jer.17:9, Rom.7:23

This is reminiscent of Martin Luther, upon studying and pondering on the righteousness of God, exclaiming, "Love God!!!? I hate Him!"

Wow! Those reformers were bold. How many people these days would be so bold as to say, "I HATE GOD!" Sure, there are folks who deny God's existence, but to believe and to understand God's nature and then plainly state that you are completely anti-God - that's bold!

But we are. Heidelberg Q5 expresses it as good as it can be expressed. "I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbour."

Introducing 2nd Peter

2010-03-09T11:45:00.000-06:00

Today we began 2nd Peter in our Tuesday Morning Men's Group. I have led 2nd Peter before in Sunday School, and here are some of my introductory notes for the book...

WHAT:

The 2nd epistle of Peter is a letter…

WHO:

From Simon Bar Jonah, nicknamed Peter or Cephus (2Pet 1:1, John 1:35-42, Mat 4:18-19, Mat 16:16-18, Mat 17:1-6, Mat 26:69-75, Mark 16:5-7, Acts 2:14, Acts 2:22-26, Acts 2:42)
to Christians in general (2Pet 1:1)

WHEN:

Towards the end of Peter’s life (2Pet 1:14-15)
Peter was crucified upside down by Nero probably sometime between the great fire of Rome (AD 64) and Nero’s own death in AD 68

WHERE:

Peter may have written this from jail in Rome just before his execution
Perhaps it was written specifically to Christians in Asia Minor (2Pet 3:1, 1Pet 1:1-2)

WHY:

2Pet 1:12-15, 2Pet 3:1

HOW:

John Mark (author of the Gospel of Mark) was Peter’s secretary/translator/scribe, and may have written 2Peter for him.
Dead Sea scroll fragments found in Qumran suggest that The Gospel of Mark may have been packaged with 2Peter as a cover letter when it was sent to the community at Qumran.

Prophets of Wine and Beer

2010-03-03T09:45:00.000-06:00

Prophets of Wine and Beer

I have to admit that the description given by the prophet Micah of false teachers had never caught my attention until I recently studied this text for a Sunday evening lesson.

Having spoken of false prophets who assure the people that God's judgment will surely not happen and who say that such things should not be spoken, Micah said:

If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' he would be just the prophet for this people! (Micah 2:11)

Prophets of Wine and Beer, in other words!

Such prophets are so called because they tell the people what they want to hear. Their message is one that is less demanding, less offensive, less difficult to practice, and more easily believed because it is what the people want to hear. Such teaching often takes the form of "God is a God of love, He will not judge anyone, be more tolerant, more accepting, don't tell people that God will deal with sin, don't talk about judgment."

Not only are the people given what they want to hear, but what they are given further confuses their minds, just as wine and beer can do.

It's a simple phrase used by Micah to describe the spiritual confusion of the people and those who help to foster such confusion by failing to speak the truth.

As for Micah, he could say of himself:

But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin. (Micah 3:8)

May God save us from the Prophets of Wine and Beer and from a mindset that is satisfied with anything other than God's truth as given in Scripture!

Week Nine: Creation

2010-03-03T08:35:00.005-06:00

What does the Bible teach about creation?

When you and I undertake a project - whether that project involves construction skills, cooking skills, or whatever the case may be - we look for materials to work with. If it's cooking, we need the ingredients to mix together. If it's construction, we need the building materials. Whatever the project, we need something to begin with! The wonder of what God did in creation is that He began with absolutely nothing. He created everything out of nothing! No one else but God can do that.

A second wonder of creation is that God created everything simply by the power of His spoken word. All through the account of creation we read the words, "And God said." After each of His commands, we read "And it was so." Something new was created each time God spoke. Again, no one but God can do this!

God made all that He made in the space of six days. The natural sense of the word "day" found in Genesis 1 and 2 is a twenty-four hour day. We believe this on the authority of the Bible. After all, we must remember that time itself is something that God created. It did not exist until God created it!

Finally, everything that God made was "very good." God Himself says that it all He created is good. "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good...." (Genesis 1:31). Sin has marred creation, bringing much sadness and pain. Yet even in a sin-cursed world, the goodness of God displayed in creation is clearly evident. All of creation will one day be restored when God returns in Christ Jesus to bring about the new heavens and the new earth.

Four wonderful, basic, amazing truths about God's work of creation!

God made all things of nothing
God made all things by the power of His spoken word
God made all things in the space of six days
God made all things "very good"

Items for debate and disbelief? Not at all! Rather, these great truths are great reasons to worship our great God!

You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.

Revelation 4:11

"It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the manifestation of the glory of his eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create - or make out of nothing - the world and everything in it, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good."

- From the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 4.

Heidelberg Q4 - Summary of the Law

2010-03-03T01:21:00.002-06:00

Photo courtesy of Belkus

So far in the Heidelburg Catechism, we have found that Jesus Christ is our only comfort in life and death (Q1), that in order to know that comfort, we must first understand our miserable state in sin (Q2), and that God gives us the Law so that we can understand our need for salvation (Q3). Now, the Heidelberg Catechism summarizes the Law by quoting Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew.

Heidelberg Q4: What does the law of God require of us? A: Christ teaches us that briefly, Mat 22:37-40, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and the great commandment; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Scripture Proofs: Deut.6:5, Lev.19:18, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27

Stick with us, because Heidelberg is taking us systematically through this material - one step at a time!

Week Eight: God's Eternal Purpose

2010-02-26T10:24:00.001-06:00

How does God carry out His eternal purposes?

I absolutely love knowing that there is a purpose to something and finding out what that purpose is.

It just makes life simpler, doesn’t it, when we discover the purpose for something, whether it be an item that is manufactured or some event in our life?

How many of us have pondered events and circumstances in our lives and have often said, “I wish I knew the reason for that?”

Obviously, in God’s great big plan and all-wise purpose, we can’t and don’t know the purpose and plan of everything, not here on earth anyway. But it is always fun – “wonderful,” maybe I should say – when we can look back and begin to see God’s hand through the events and details of our lives, even when we many of those purposes are hidden from our view.

Remember the account of Job? He was described at the beginning of the book of Job as a man who was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). He not only had a righteous character; he was also faithful to intercede on behalf of his children (1:5). This guy had family, reputation, and a blameless and upright character to go along with it!

Yet at the end of the book, after his great struggles and trial, he is a man who confesses to God,

“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. (42:6)

Here is a blameless and upright man repenting of the fact that he had spoken of things “that he did not understand, things too wonderful for [him] to know,” (42:3). He repented for asking questions of God (or perhaps making accusations) when he should have been listening to God!

Job is:

A man who feared God and yet who came to a deeper fear and trust than he had ever known!

A man who said to the Lord, “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” (42:2).

Wow! Those are some deep, wonderful lessons, aren’t they?

Job grew in his knowledge of God through the things he suffered.

He came to a greater knowledge of God than he had ever known.

He worshipped God as he had never done before.

He came to know that God “can do all things” and that no plan or purpose of His can be thwarted.

God is so much greater than I can imagine….greater than any of us can imagine.

As someone has said, one of our biggest lessons is learning that God is God and that we are not God.
That’s a huge and humbling lesson to learn.

God carries out His purposes in two ways: in His act of creation this world and as He cares for this world through His hand of providence, that is, through the events and details of each and every day.

God is working to carry out His good and holy purposes through every event and detail of life.

I am so glad that God is who He is, that He has a purpose, and that nothing can thwart His good and wise purposes. I can and must trust that God completely. May God grant me grace to do so.

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God,
but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever,
that we may follow all the words of this law.”
Deuteronomy 29:29

Week Seven: God's Encompassing Purpose

2010-02-26T10:17:00.003-06:00

WEEK SEVEN

DOES GOD HAVE A PURPOSE FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS?

This is a huge question, isn’t it? It’s one for which our hearts and minds seek an answer, particularly during the difficult times of our lives. We seek some assurance that the most difficult things of our lives – or the most mundane things – have a meaning and purpose that goes beyond of ability to lay hold of.

The question may also be stated this way: “Does God ordain all things that come to pass?”

While this is a huge question, the Bible gives a very succinct, certain, and clear answer. One place the answer is found in Ephesians 1:11 where it is said that God “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”

God works out ……what? “Some things?” “Most things?” The “easy” things?

God works out “all things” according to His purpose, the Bible says.

“BUT……”

“BUT……”

“BUT…..”

Wait a minute before you begin with the long list of questions, objections, and comments that almost immediately come to mind (many of those questions come from unbelief anyway, and you don’t want to pay attention to questions that come from unbelief).

The Bible says that God’s works out all things in conformity with His own purpose. ALL things.
The mundane things. The most tragic things. The most minute things.

Think of the possibilities:

A God who knows all things but who does not have power over all things and who can do nothing about the events that unfold.

A God who controls most things but either forgets about some details or who cannot control all things.

A God who has the power to create the universe but no power to bring all things to His appointed purpose and goal.

None of those choices are the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is one who controls all things in such a way that those who know and love Him can say,

    He has full paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
    and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
    He also watches over me in such a way
    that not a hair can fall from my head
    without the will of my Father in heaven:
    in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
        (From Question 1 of the Heidelberg Catechism)

Ephesians 1:11 is not the only verse in the Bible that affirms this truth. The entirety of the Bible bears witness to this truth, of course. Its words teach the truth of God’s sovereignty and control:

    "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives". Genesis 50:20.
        --Spoken by Joseph to his brothers who sold him into slavery, giving him up as dead.

    "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted." Job. 42:2
        -- Spoken by Job, a righteous man, as one of the great truths learned through his trials.

    "He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?'”     Daniel 4:35.
        -- Spoken by Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan king whose honor and splendor was taken from him by God until he learned that God is indeed sovereign over all things, even kings!

    "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." Romans 8:28-29.
        -- Spoken by the Apostle Paul, a man who was determined that he would never become a disciple of Christ.


I decided a long time ago that I would rather have a God who controls all things even though I cannot understand the purpose of all events in my life or even understand the doctrine itself.

After all, the consequences are scary. If God does not control all things, then who does? In that case, there is something or someone who is greater and more powerful than God.

God is either who He says He is or He is a liar (another scary and untrue thought!). Either God is God, and all that it means for Him to be God, or He is not God at all.

I would far rather worship a God who has all things in His control than to worship a God with whom some things are beyond His control.

It has been said, “When we cannot trace God’s hand, we can trust His heart.” There are times when we cannot trace His purpose. There are times when He seems far away. But we do know something of the heart of the One who would not withhold His only begotten Son but who instead gave Him up for sinners. Our days are always to be seen in the light of the cross.

In a well-known hymn, William Cowper wrote of "a frowning providence” - times when circumstances seem to hide the face of God and when His good, wise, sovereign, and holy purposes are not revealed to us.

It was out of heart-felt experiences that he wrote:

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs,
and works His sovereign grace.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy,
And shall break in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
but trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding ev’ry hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.

(From the hymn, God Moves in a Mysterious Way)

Extra Credit:

Q. What are the decrees of God?
A. The decrees of God are his eternal purpose by which, for his own glory, he has ordained whatever comes to pass. (The Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 7)

"God, from all eternity, did – by the most wise and holy counsel of his own free will – freely and unchangeable ordain whatever comes to pass. Yet he ordered all things in such a way that he is not the author of sin, not does he force his creatures to act against their wills; neither is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established." (The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 3)

Heidelberg Q3: The law IS the knowledge of sin

2010-02-21T00:25:00.001-06:00

Photo courtesy of WallyG

So, previously in the Heidelberg Catechism, we have determined that Christ is our only comfort in life and death, and that in order to take advantage of that comfort, we must know three things, including 1) how miserable we are in sin, 2) how to be saved, and 3) how to show gratitude for our salvation.

Q3 of the Heidelberg Catechism begins to delve more deeply into the first criterion of Q2 - we must know that we are miserable in our sinfulness.

Heidelberg Q3: Whence knowest thou thy misery? A: Out of the law of God. Scripture Proof: Rom3:20.

The previous questions of Heidelberg were lengthy and detailed, but this one is short, sweet, and direct.

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20; ESV)

Similarly, in Hebrews, the author discusses how sacrifices (and in general, works and the law) can never remove sins because they serve as a constant reminder that we remain in a state of sin.

For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year... And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. (Heb 10:1-11; ESV)

Our ONLY comfort?

2010-02-18T11:21:00.001-06:00

Another idea I have for this blog is a short Q & A; a dialogue between myself (Pat) and our resident theologian (Lane). I figure to start each post with a thought or question or confusion about the Heidelberg Catechism question of the week, and let Lane provide his ideas in response.

So, to begin with, why would the authors of the Heidelberg Catechism write in their first Q&A that our only comfort in life... is Jesus Christ?

That sounds pretty harsh. It reminds me of a college professor (I don't remember if it was Early American Lit or Early American History) that told us that "Calvinism was responsible for driving the first two or three generations of Americans crazy with fear and misery." It's also reminiscent of that old saw that Calvinism is based on the fear that someone, somewhere, might be happy.

It seems like it would take a pretty staunch puritan to write that the only thing that gives us comfort in life is Christ. Certainly it makes sense that our only comfort in death must be Christ, but surely there are beautiful, wonderful things in this world that bring us comfort. Marriage, children, and vocation come to mind as blessings that comfort us.

So, what's going on there?

Heidelberg Q2: You may live happily

2010-02-17T00:23:00.016-06:00

Photo courtesy of HeliosJinn

Heidelberg Catechism Q2: How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest live and die happily? A: Three; the first, how great my sins and miseries are; the second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries; the third, how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance. Scripture Proofs: Matt.11:28-30, Luke 24:46-48, 1Cor.6:11, Tit.3:3-7, John 9:41, John 15:22, John 17:3, Acts 4:12, Acts 10:43, Eph.5:8-11, 1 Pet.2:9-10, Rom.6:1-2,Rom.6:12-13

Enjoying the comfort of our salvation, we may live happy! Unlike the previous question and answer, this one does not sound at all Puritanical, at least not in the negative sense that the word has come to have. It is a pure expression of the gospel, but it is not austere, as we have come to think of the Puritans.

Three things are necessary for us to live and die happily and comfortably...

to understand the misery of our sin-nature
to know how to be reconciled to God through Christ
to know how to express our gratitude for our salvation

This past Sunday, Lane preached one of the most remarkable sermons I've heard him preach. His topic was, "Our God is a Consuming Fire." I really think that sermon should be written out and made available on our website (right alongside Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands..."). The gist of Lane's sermon was that one of the historical, orthodox understandings of God's nature is that He is a consuming, devouring, raging fire (see Heb 12:29, Deut 4, and Deut 9).

One reason this was such a potent sermon was that it fulfilled all three of Heidelberg Q2's criteria - it presented our miserable status as like that of people facing an uncontrollable oncoming wildfire, it laid out the gospel message of our salvation through Christ, and it gave an image of how to express gratitude by lying down at Christ's feet and remaining there.

The other remarkable part of the sermon was the excellent example of the Mann Gulch Fire of 1949. Check out the Forest Service report for an impressive example of surviving a consuming fire by lying down and staying put where the fire's wrath has already burned out!

Week Six: The Trinity

2010-02-11T17:24:00.003-06:00

WEEK SIX

WHAT IS MEANT BY “THE TRINITY?”

Remember week 4 when I considered a simple question that we may struggle to answer? That question was simply, “What is God?” I wrote that giving an answer to that question may be more difficult than thought – answering it biblically, that is - and I noted that the godly men who wrote the Westminster Confession of Faith also struggled over answering the question.

Now we come to a question that is perhaps more difficult to answer, certainly difficult to explain, and impossible to comprehend.

That question is, “What is the Trinity?”

If you have been in church or Sunday School, you are likely to have heard this term. Even if you have not heard the term, you surely have heard of God spoken of as the Father, as the Son, and as the Holy Spirit. Maybe you have heard the benediction often used following a worship service: “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Three Gods? No! Rather, the Bible teaches that the true God is One God who exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And, as the Westminster Confession of Faith goes on to teach, all three persons of the Trinity are distinct from one another, yet all three persons are the same in substance and are equal in power and glory.

The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God. But the Son is not the Father. The Holy Spirit is not the Son. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct from one another. They are equal in power and in glory.

One God, existing in three persons, with each of those three persons existing at the same time. Possible to understand? Not by our human minds. Possible to explain? Not with our human words.

The truth taught in Scripture? Yes!

One of the ways that this incomprehensible truth becomes real and precious to me is in my salvation. The Father planned my salvation – and the salvation of all who will be redeemed – in eternity past. The Son purchased my salvation. The Holy Spirit applies the purpose of the Father and the work of the Son to my heart, uniting me to Christ as my Redeemer.

Only through the work of the God who is one God existing in three persons could my salvation be accomplished and applied. Salvation itself is the work of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

I am grateful for the God whose very being I cannot comprehend but who in His wonderful grace chose to save me from my sin.

Holy, holy holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

(from the hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy”)

Heidelberg Q1: Thy only comfort

2010-02-10T12:23:00.000-06:00

This post is the beginning of a weekly series on my thoughts on the Heidelberg Catechism, a historical confession of faith with a distinct Calvinist flavor and remarkably beautiful language.

Q1. What is thy only comfort in life and death? A: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him. Scripture proofs: Rom14:7-8, 1Cor6:19, 1Cor.3:23, Tit2:14, 1Pet1:18-19,1John1:7, 1John2:2, 1John2:12, Heb2:14, 1John3:8, John8:34-36, John6:39, John10:28, 2Thess3:3, 1Pet1:5, Matt10:29-31, Luke21:18, Rom8:28, 2Cor.1:20-22, 2Cor5:5, Eph1:13, Eph1:14, Rom8:16, Rom8:14, 1John3:3

This first question can be taken as a summary of the whole of the catechism (see Wikipedia) but personally, it reminds me of the passage we studied this week in the Mens' Bible Study regarding having confidence (taking comfort) in our salvation - Hebrews 10:19f:

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful ... Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised ... But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

Week Five: Many Ideas; One God

2010-02-04T17:03:00.001-06:00

IS THERE MORE THAN ONE TRUE GOD?

During his second missionary trip, the apostle Paul found himself in the city of Athens. Though its greatest glory was in the past, the city was proud of its standing and was considered to be the cultural and intellectual center of the world.

Lots of smart, intelligent people living there, right?

The people who lived there would have thought so.

Luke, who wrote the book of Acts, made a parenthetical note in his account of Paul’s time in Athens, saying, “All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listen to the latest ideas” (Acts 17:21).

Don’t you love the humor of the Bible?

So spiritually ignorant were the leading men of the city that they considered the gospel that Paul was preaching to be a new teaching, a novel idea. Out of curiosity – and probably with the intention of deciding if they would allow Paul to continue teaching in the city – they invited Paul to tell them more.

Since this group was made up of the leading men of the city -men who took pride in their academic and cultural standing, men who were thought to be a notch or two above anyone else – this could have been a very intimidating setting.

Paul, of course, was at home in an academic world. But he stood before them as one who had committed himself totally to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and to the service of the Lord Jesus, as one who wrote, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things" (Philippians 3:8). He knew that many of that crowd would sneer at him – and they did.

What Paul said to this group of men is a classic example of the way to present the gospel to folks like those living in Athens. Paul simply presented the true God to them, addressing not only their minds but particularly their hearts.

He spoke of God as:

•    Creator: “He made the world and everything in it” (Many sneer at this today!)

•    Sustainer: “He himself gives life and breath and everything else” (Every breath of every living person is given by Him.)

•    Ruler: “From one man he made every nation of men…and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” (Beginning with Adam – a real, historical person – God has determined the ultimate purpose of all men and nations.)

•    The Father of all by way of creation (not by redemption): “We are his offspring”   (Paul actually quoted from one of their own poets – showing that he knew their culture – but using their own poets to demonstrate that their spiritual ignorance was inexcusable.)

•    The Judge of all: “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.”   (Many deny this even today!)

In proclaiming the true God to the Athenians, Paul aimed at their hearts, desiring their repentance and saying, “Now He commands all people everywhere to repent.”

Many gods that we may serve? Absolutely not. There is but one true and living God, the God who has revealed Himself to us in all of creation so that all men are without excuse. He is the God who has revealed Himself in Scripture and who has come to us in the Lord Jesus Christ that we may know Him.

This living and true God commands our repentance.

Where do you stand with Him?

At New Covenant Presbyterian Church,
we do not proclaim that there are many gods that we may rightly serve.

We are not interested in simply listening to all the latest ideas
while being ignorant of the true God and of the eternal truths of Scripture.

We do not proclaim that there are many ways to God and that it does not matter which God you serve
or how you serve, as long as you seek to be kind and “tolerant” toward everyone and toward every idea.

With gratitude and humility, we proclaim, worship, and serve the God of Scripture.
Anything else is but an idol, a false god, that cannot save.

"Turn to me and be saved...all you ends of the earth
for I am God, and there is no other."
Isaiah 45:22

Week Four: What is God?

2010-01-27T08:15:00.003-06:00

WHAT IS GOD?

Surely it would not be too difficult to define God, would it?

The group of godly men who wrote the Westminster Confession of Faith in the 1600’s struggled over this question, spending much time and discussion seeking a biblical answer. One of the commissioners was called on the pray for God’s aid. In his prayer, he addressed God as a spirit who is infinite, eternal, and invisible. At the close of his prayer, the Assembly adopted the opening words of his prayer as the answer to their prayers and to their question.

God is a spirit and does not have a body. Now, that is hard for us to comprehend, for everyone we see and know on earth has a body. How can we know anyone apart from their being in a physical, visible, body? It is difficult for us to picture anyone – including God – as existing without a visible body. Yet, Scripture teaches that God is a spirit, without a body. Because He does not have a body, He cannot be seen. Remember what Jesus said to the woman of Samaria? “God is spirit…,” (John 4:24). God is also described by the apostle Paul as being “eternal, immortal, and invisible (1 Timothy 1:17).

Everything about God – his wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth – is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable.

That’s a brief statement, but one that is amazing, if we only stop to dwell on it a bit.

God is infinite, having no limits whatsoever. He can do all His holy will. (Now the Bible does say in Hebrews 6:18 that it is impossible for God to lie. But that truth does not deny His ability to do all things; it only underscores that it is infinitely impossible for Him to lie!)

He is eternal, having no beginning and no end (He was never created). Trying wrapping your mind around that truth! “The Lord is the everlasting God,” stated the prophet Isaiah, adding, “He will not grow tired or weary” (Isaiah 40:28).

God is unchangeable, never changing in the least. “I the Lord do not change,” God said (Malachi 3:6). Everything else we know changes. We change! The world around us changes!

Now, take those three attributes and apply them to everything that God is. His wisdom, His power, His holiness, His justice, His goodness, His truth – in short, every quality that He possesses – is infinite, is eternal, and is unchangeable.

It’s a brief statement about an infinitely glorious God!

What a glorious God He is!

Our only biblical response is to humble ourselves before His glory and to give ourselves to Him in worship, adoration, and obedience!

“Praise the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
(Psalm 106:1)

“As a definition of indefinable Deity, the Shorter Catechism is unexcelled,

unequaled by any other word of man.”

(J. B. Green, A Harmony of the Westminster Standards)

Elders and Deacons

2010-01-22T09:25:00.002-06:00

This Sunday, January 24, NCPC will be ordaining and installing deacons and elders for the class of 2012. Some of these men are being ordained for the first time; others have been previously ordained and are being installed once again to the office, work, and calling of an elder or deacon.

Each time that I participate in such a service, I am reminded of the the high privilege and calling of serving as an officer in Christ's church. It was the apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, who said, "Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer [elder], he desires a noble task" (1 Timothy 3:1).

In the Presbyterian Church of America, elders serve as "overseers" of Christ's flock, having oversight of the life of the church with a focus on worship and sacraments, teaching, discipline, evangelism and missions, and pastoral care. As shepherds of the flock, they carry out the ministry of Christ's in His church and are to care for the church just as Christ does.

Deacons are also servants of Christ's church, having responsibility under the Session (elders) for areas such as mercy ministry, building and grounds, stewardship, and worship assistance. As servants of Christ's church, they also carry out the ministry of Christ, demonstrating that the gospel is a ministry of both Word and deed.

It has been said that "church government is not essential for the being of the church, but is essential for the well-being of the church." Like a family or a household, a church - whether it be a local congregation or the larger church - must have sound leadership, oversight, nurture, and discipline. Both deacons and elders give that oversight and service to the church.

Now, I may be accused of being a bit biased - after all, I am a Presbyterian pastor - but I truly believe that the Presbyterian form of church government is the most biblical of all church governments. Not perfect in its practice, as the church on earth is made up of people who are fallible. But it is biblical, and I believe, the most biblical of church governments.

Elders of the Presbyterian Church in America - distinguished between "Teaching Elders" (pastors) and "Ruling Elders" (elected from and by the local congregation) - serve on an equal basis as they jointly have spiritual oversight and government of the church, both locally and denominationally. This, I believe, is one of the great strengths of Presbyterian church government and is something that honors the calling of the elder in the local church. It creates a unique relationship that requires constant care - a pastor, while serving in a very significant role, serves with other men who jointly have oversight of the life of the church. When carried out according to Christ's example and command, their ministry demonstrates and exercises Christ's own care and nurture of his church.

I am grateful for these men who serve our congregation and who do so out of love for Christ and His Church!

Week Three: What Does the Bible Primarily Teach?

2010-01-22T09:04:00.003-06:00

“JESUS LOVES ME, THIS I KNOW,
FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO”

Having learned that our “chief end in life” is to glorify God and that we must know the Scriptures in order to glorify Him, we do well to ask what the Bible primarily teaches.

What is the message of the Bible?

Does the Bible teach us everything? The obvious answer is "no." The Bible does not even provide us with all the information that that might want to know about Jesus Christ. For instance, the Bible tells us very little about the early years of Jesus.We don't even know the exact date of His birth (No, the Bible does NOT say that it was December 25!).

The Bible primarily teaches what we are to believe about God AND what God requires of us!

Is this to say that what we believe about God matters? That God actually requires something of us?

Yes, it is!

The Bible teaches that there is but one, true God. God has revealed Himself to us in such a way that all people are responsible to Him, even those who do not have the Bible. Both nature (creation) and human nature bear witness to the truth that there is a God and we ought to serve Him. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Yet, while God’s revelation of Himself in creation and providence is sufficient to leave all people without excuse, it is insufficient for anyone to be saved. We must have the Scriptures in order to know who Jesus is and what He did.

Before my wife and I were married, we came to know each other in manner that would probably be considered unusual today: we wrote letters to one another. Not emails, not text messages, as those things had not been invented yet, but handwritten, slow-arriving letters. Letters were never as good as being together in person, but they filled in the gap. Through those daily letters, we came to better know one another.

God has revealed Himself to us in His Word and He has done so that we may know Him.

So for those who say that we need to follow Jesus but not the Bible, I ask: “What Jesus are you following? How do you know who Jesus is and how to follow Him if the Scriptures are in error?”

When Paul wrote to Timothy, he warned Timothy of false teachers whose ministry and work promoted “controversies rather than God’s work – which is by faith.” He went on to say, “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these things and turned to meaningless talk” (1 Timothy 1:3-6).

Unsound teaching hinders both faith and love. Sound teaching – biblical teaching - promotes love for God.

The Bible teaches us that the fruit of sound doctrine is love that comes from three things: a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. “Some have wandered away from these,” Paul goes on to say.

False teaching cannot encourage or nurture a true love for God. Sound doctrine and a true love for God cannot be separated.

We must have the Bible if we are to know what God wants us to do and how to do it!

What a blessing and wonderful gift God has given us in the Scriptures!

“Liberal theology wants love without doctrine. It is willing to tolerate all kinds of doctrinal error as long as people don’t fight about it. On the other hand, some Reformation churches are willing to go without the love as long as they maintain sound doctrine. But that is neither true love nor true doctrine! Wherever doctrine is the purest, love must be the highest.” (Philip Graham Ryken, The Reformed Expository Commentary: 1 Timothy).

Do you seek to know God as He is, not as you may imagine Him to be?

Do you accept the Bible as your only infallible rule for all that you are to believe and to do?

Week Two: Where do we learn how to glorify God?

2010-01-14T16:26:00.001-06:00

AN UNCHANGING WORD FOR CHANGING TIMES

Where do we learn how to enjoy and glorify God?

The Word of God, given in the Old and New Testaments,
is the only authority by which we are taught how we may enjoy and glorify God.

Once we have understood that God has created each of us for the purpose of glorifying and enjoy Him, we must ask ourselves how we glorify Him. Right away, we are driven to the Scriptures. From the Scriptures, we learn that God’s Word, given to us in the Old and New Testaments, is the only authority – and note the word “only” – given to us by which we may learn to glorify and enjoy God.

What is your authority for what you believe? That is a vital question and it is one that many never adequately consider. Am I the final authority for what I believe? Do I trust some combination of the church and of my own beliefs? Some combination of science and religion? The “experts?”   Do I base my faith on what “seems” to be right? And if truth is constantly changing – which it is not – then how do I ever conclusively know what is right?

Remember, too, that we are not discussing trivial matters, matters on which a wrong decision has few consequences. We are dealing with matters of the soul, with eternal matters, and with knowing how to do what God has created us to do.

It makes sense that we should ask the Creator, doesn’t it?

When we do so, we find that the Creator has spoken His Word and has given that Word to us as the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

At New Covenant Presbyterian Church, we are bound to the Constitution of our wonderful denomination, a Constitution that states that it too is “subject to and subordinate to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the inerrant Word of God.”   The first vow required of every pastor (teaching elder), every ruling elder, and every deacon is this: “Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as originally given, to be the inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice?”

We gratefully affirm the truth of God’s Word as a congregation! As a pastor, I stand on the absolute and perfect truth of God's Word. I have believed Scripture to be this in spite of the changes of my former denomination (the Presbyterian Church in the United States) as it and many of its congregations moved further and further away from Scripture.

It is wonderful to discover the depth and power and riches of God’s Word. It is life-giving to know that we commit ourselves to its authority. Everything we need to know about God in order to glorify and enjoy Him is found in the Bible. We can trust the Bible fully because it is the Word of God, who is never wrong. The Bible always has the final word, for it is God’s Word.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-7

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin I the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching….”   Acts 2:42

“Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who way their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lives, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,’ declares the Lord. Jeremiah 23:31-32

Additional Insights....

Those who wrote the Westminster Confession of Faith – the doctrinal standards of the Presbyterian Church in America – made the topic of “The Holy Scripture” to be the first chapter of the Confession, as well as one of the longest chapters. This priority reflects the importance of Scripture as well as the fact that the Assembly made Scripture the final authority for all their deliberations.

A painting of the Westminster Assembly by John Rogers Herbert (1810 - 1890)
The Assembly affirmed Scripture to be the final authority for all their deliberations.

The rule to guide the members of the Assembly in all their discussions was this:

What any man undertakes to prove as necessary,

He shall make good out of Scripture.

Every member was to take the following vow,

a vow that was read to all the members every Monday morning:

I do seriously promise and vow, in the presence of Almighty God,

that in this Assembly whereof I am a member,

I will maintain nothing in point of doctrine

but what I believe to be most agreeable to the Word of God;

nor in point of discipline,

but what may make most for God’s glory and the peace and good of His Church.

What is your authority?

Are you willing to base your life now and the life to come on it?

Why the PCA?

2010-01-14T16:14:00.004-06:00

Dr. Jim Baird, one of twelve men chosen as a steering committee to form the first General Assembly of the PCA in 1973 - and one of only three members of that Committee who are still alive - spoke to a group of pastors and elders at the annual Presbytery Fellowship January 11. Dr. Baird was also sent by the PCA in 1974 to the Asia Rim (Japan through Pakistan) to explain why the PCA was formed. He is a former moderator of the General Assembly and also served as chairman of the Mission to the World and Mission to North America Committees.

His accounts reminded me of men who have been influential in my own life, one of those being Sam Patterson, the first president of Reformed Theological Seminary, and a man who labored within the "Southern" Presbyterian Church for its reformation.

Reminding the group of Israel's example of setting up a pile of stones from the Jordan river as a reminder to future generations of what God had done for them, Dr. Baird noted six historical reasons for the existence of the PCA:

1) The Purity of Scripture
The Confession of '67 - adopted by the PCUSA as part of its doctrinal standards - was intended to do away with Chapter One of the Westminster Confession of Faith with its foundational view of Scripture as inspired, infallible, and inerrant.

2) The Preservation of Historical Presbyterianism
The doctrinal standards of the PCA are clearly stated in the Westminster Confession of Faith, a summary of doctrine that Dr. Baird called "the best confession of faith" ever written.

3) The Proclamation of the gospel internationally and locally
The PCA has more international missionaries than many other denominations and is committed to planting new churches at a time when the "old" church has decreased its number of missionaries.

4) Church Property
Local congregations became embroiled in controversies over ownership of property (and many still are).

5) Pennies
Stewardship of finances is something about which the Bible has much to say.

6) Peace
"We came away with a lot of peace," commented Dr. Baird.

Week One: For what purpose are we created?

2010-01-06T13:40:00.001-06:00

AN UNCHANGING WORD FOR CHANGING TIMES

For what purpose are we created?
To enjoy and glorify God forever!

A group of over 150 godly and learned men met at Westminster Abbey in London between 1643 and 1649. They had been summoned by the English Parliament and given the assignment of writing a confession of faith and a plan of government for the Church of England that would restructure the church along Puritan lines. They met 1,163 times during this period.

The result was a work called The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechisms, documents that have shaped the Presbyterian Church and which serve today as the doctrinal standards for the Presbyterian Church in America.

Was this a group of stern, dismal, foreboding men (with long hair!) whose convictions and actions would cause people to run anywhere but to church?

While one might be given that impression from their portraits (see below!), such was hardly the case.

Samuel Rutherford
Scottish Presbyterian Theologian and Scottish Commissioner
to the Assembly

The first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism is one that reflects the depth of the joy of the Christian lives of these men when they addressed the most fundamental question of all – “What is man’s chief end?” and answered it by saying “Man’s chief end is to glorify and enjoy God forever.”

Isn’t it great when we finally begin to do the very thing for which our Creator has made us?

Psalm 16:11 describes the joy and the pleasure that people have when they learn to consciously live the totality of their lives in the presence of the Lord and to the glory of the Lord. When we live to enjoy God, we are doing what God has made us to do and what glorifies Him.

Life is not about us! It’s about glorifying God as we enjoy Him now and forever!

Jesus gloried in the fact that He glorified the Father. In his prayer recorded in John 17, Jesus said, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” It is through Jesus alone that we are enabled to do the same.

We at New Covenant Presbyterian Church are discovering the joy of glorifying God while on earth as we live in anticipation of the day when we will be in His presence in eternal glory. We love to share His good news with others!

Many believe this Assembly to have been the climax of the Reformation. Its membership included many of the most learned and truly Christian leaders of the day among English-speaking peoples. As an Assembly of Christian scholars it has never been surpassed; it is doubtful that it has ever been equaled. It gave to the work of Calvin, especially, but the other reformers as well, a rich, marvelous expression, permanence, and influence which are truly amazing. It was frankly Presbyterian in nature and in character. Presbyterianism thus became the completion of the reformation of the doctrine and government of the Church according to the teachings of the Bible, for English speaking peoples.

(C. Gregg Singer in The Presbyterian Church: A Manual for New Members)

Become a member of NCPC

2008-01-06T11:31:00.000-06:00

How do I become a member of NCPC?

Membership in a local church is a biblical expression of our commitment to Christ and to His Church.

Members are received into the Presbyterian Church by one of three means:

Upon profession of faith in Christ
Upon transfer of church membership from another congregation
Upon reaffirmation of faith for those who may have been inactive in the life of the church for some time or who may not otherwise be able to obtain a letter of transfer from another congregation.

Those who have not been previously baptized are baptized upon joining the church. "Rebaptism" is not required.

In keeping with the doctrinal standards of the Presbyterian Church in America, all who become members of NCPC, whether by profession of faith, transfer of membership, or reaffirmation of faith, give agreement to the following vows of church membership:

Do you acknowledge yourself to be a sinner in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope except in His sovereign mercy to you?
Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered to you in the Gospel?
Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance on the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?
Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?
Do you submit yourself to the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to seek it peace and purity?

Come and join us!

How do I get to NCPC?

2008-01-05T11:43:00.001-06:00

How do I get to New Covenant Presbyterian Church?

Here's a map to our location at 1141 Hwy 98 East, McComb MS

View Larger Map

...and here's our church office at 117 South Front Street, McComb, MS‎:

View Larger Map

And here is where we will be building our new church home on Enterprise Road at Apache drive.

View Larger Map

About Presbyterians

2008-01-02T11:27:00.000-06:00

While the following words, written in 1960, no longer represent the beliefs of all Presbyterian denominations or congregations, they do reflect the understanding and beliefs of the Presbyterian Church in America:
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It is frequently pointed out that the word "Presbyterian" refers to the Eldership and that Presbyterianism, as such, is a form of church government. Presbyterianism is not only a form of government in the Church, but is also a well-defined system of beliefs or of doctrine. In the exaltation and interpretation of the Bible the Reformation reached its zenith in the teachings and writings of John Calvin. Thus Presbyterianism, following his interpretation of the Bible, is known as Calvinism. More specifically, the Calvinism of Presbyterians is based on the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, documents which were written nearly a hundred years after Calvin died.
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Presbyterians share with other evangelical churches many basic beliefs. Presbyterians also recognize that earnest Christians may follow other interpretations of the Bible in non-essential matters. But Presbyterians believe that in the Reformed system (another word for Calvinism) the teachings of the Bible are most fully and most accurately set forth. Every Presbyterian officer and minister takes a vow that he believes the Reformed faith to be that system of doctrine which the Bible teaches. Every Presbyterian officer and minister in the Presbyterian Church, moreover, also vows that he will take steps to remove himself from his position should he ever find that his beliefs have taken another direction.
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Now the strength of Presbyterianism lies in its central loyalty to the Scriptures. This Church has always insisted that only in the Bible may we find what we must believe about God, His works and His ways. Only the Bible is a rule of faith and life free from error-"our infallible rule of faith and practice." We believe that Presbyterianism agrees with what the Scriptures teach and that it contains nothing contrary to what the Scriptures teach.
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Taylor, G. Aiken, "What Presbyterians Believe," The Presbyterian Journal, volume 18, number 39 (27 January 1960) pages 5 - 7.

NCPC History

2008-01-01T11:20:00.000-06:00

Much has been done since plans for a new Presbyterian congregation began to materialize in early July 2007. A meeting site was obtained, chairs were purchased, a sound system was obtained, office space was made available, and energetic believers volunteered to do the numerous tasks necessary for a new congregation to get underway.

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On July 29, 2007, a decision was made to seek affiliation with the Presbyterian Church in America. The congregation was received as a mission congregation of the PCA at the September 11, 2007 meeting of Grace Presbytery.
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A full schedule of services is held each week. The women in the church have organized for service and fellowship. An adult choir is meeting on Wednesday nights. Weekly programs and classes are held for children and youth.
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A membership roll of over one hundred members was established on Reformation Sunday, October 28. During the Fall, over twenty men met each week for eight weeks to study the doctrine and polity of the denomination of which NCPC is a member, the Presbyterian Church in America.
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Elders were elected by the congregation on December 16, 2007. Deacons were elected in January, 2008. The congregation also voted in January to extend a call to Rev. Lane Stephenson to serve as pastor. NCPC's request to be received as a "particularized" (or "fully organized") church was approved by Grace Presbytery at its January 7 meeting. A Service of Organization was held Sunday, February 17. The congregation voted on May 18 to purchase 20.45 acres of property on Enterprise Road. We closed on the purchase of the property on June 10.
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Much remains to be done! Ministry Teams (sometimes also known as "committees"!) have been organized to help further the work of the church. The building where NCPC meets is almost full. We are now developing plans for a phased, comprehensive building program.
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It is truly an exciting time and a wonderful work to be a part of! God is doing a new thing and we are excited to be a part of His work. A great spirit is evident among the church family as we gather for worship on Sunday and for instruction and fellowship at other times throughout the week. While we have big plans and goals, we believe that God has even bigger purposes and plans than our own.
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If you are interested in finding out more about NCPC, please give us a visit. Or, contact the church office at 601-249-0408. Leave your name and number and someone will contact you as soon as possible. You may email the church office by clicking here.
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We would love to share with you what God is doing in our midst.