Friday, October 29, 2010

Sola Scriptura

SCRIPTURE ALONE

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
Psalm 19:7

You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of,
knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:14-17


The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, Having Been Given By Inspiration of God, Are the All-Sufficient and Only Rule of Faith and Practice, and Judge of Controversies.

Whatever God teaches or commands is of sovereign authority. Whatever conveys to us an infallible knowledge of his teachings and commands is an infallible rule. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the only organs through which, during the present dispensation, God conveys to us a knowledge of his will about what we are to believe concerning himself, and what duties he requires of us.





Hat Tip: On Doctrine

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Solo Christo

CHRIST ALONE

And there is salvation in no one else;For there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,who gave Himself as a ransom for all,the testimony given at the proper time.

1 Timothy 2:5-6

That there is no remedy but in Jesus Christ; there is nothing else will give you true quietness. If you could fly into heaven, you would not find it there; if you should take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth, in some solitary place in the wilderness, you could not fly from your burden. So that if you do not come to Christ, you must either continue still weary and burdened, or, which is worse, you must return to your old dead sleep, to a state of stupidity; and not only so, but you must be everlastingly wearied with God's wrath.

Consider that Christ is a remedy at hand. You need not wish for the wings of a dove that you may fly afar off, and be at rest, but Christ is nigh at hand, if you were but sensible of it. Romans 10:6, 7, 8. "But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith which we preach." There is no need of doing any great work to come at this rest; the way is plain to it; it is but going to it, it is but sitting down under Christ's shadow.

Christ requires no money to purchase rest of him, he calls to us to come freely, and for nothing. If we are poor and have no money, we may come. Christ sent out his servants to invite the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind. Christ does not want to be hired to accept of you, and to give you rest.

It is his work as Mediator to give rest to the weary, it is the work that he was anointed for, and in which he delights. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound."

- Jonathan Edwards, Safety, Fulness and Sweet Refreshment in Christ

Friday, October 22, 2010

Soli Deo Gloria

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY

Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and joy are in His place.
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him; worship the Lord in holy array.
Tremble before Him, all the earth; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
And let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns."

1 Chronicles 16:23-31

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?
Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever.
Amen.

Romans 11:33-36


Let us, therefore, labour to submit to the sovereignty of God. God insists, that his sovereignty be acknowledged by us, and that even in this great matter, a matter which so nearly and infinitely concerns us, as our own eternal salvation. This is the stumbling-block on which thousands fall and perish; and if we go on contending with God about his sovereignty, it will be our eternal ruin. It is absolutely necessary that we should submit to God, as our absolute sovereign, and the sovereign over our souls; as one who may have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and harden whom he will.
- Jonathan Edwards, God's Sovereignty In The Salvation Of Men

Thursday, October 21, 2010

"I don't know how God creates. I don't know how we got here."

Those words come from Glenn Beck yesterday on his radio show. Even though Beck says he would be shocked if he found out from God that he indeed came from monkeys, he would be "cool" with it.

From WND -

Glenn Beck addressed the question on his radio show today as he came to the defense of Christine O'Donnell, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Delaware under fire for challenging evolution.

"Did evolution just stop?" Beck asked rhetorically. "I haven't seen the half-monkey/half-person yet. ... There's no other species that's developing into half-people."

"I don't know how God creates. I don't know how we got here," he continued, wondering what God might tell him after he dies. "If God's like, 'Yup, you were a monkey once,' I'll be shocked, but I'll be cool with it."

Beck explained, "If God didn't create, if things evolve, then your rights evolve. You're not endowed by your Creator.

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No evolution Mr. Beck. Go back and read the Bible.

God created man.

Oh, and by the way, Jesus is God too.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Just for fun -

How many ____________ does it take to change a lightbulb?


How many Charismatics?
One - since his or her hands are in the air anyway.

How many Calvinists?
None. God has predestined when the lights will be on..

How many Baptists?
CHANGE?? But we have NEVER done it that way before!

How many Neo-evangelicals?
No one knows. They cannot tell the difference between light and darkness.

How many TV evangelists?
One. But for the message of light to continue, send in your donation...

How many Dispensationalists?
Two - one to change the bulb and one to keep the promises to the old bulb.

How many Promise Keepers?
None - unless Coach McCartney says it's manly to do so.

How many Calvinists?
Every Calvinist knows only God can change a lightbulb.

How many Episcopalians?
None, they assume darkness is the nature of the bulb and it would be harmful and disrespecful to violate personality of the bulb.

How many Quakers?
Someone will, but there is no one officially called to be a bulb changer.

How many Arminians?
Only one, but first the bulb must want to be changed.

How many Baptists?
Two, one to change the bulb, the other to preach on tithing in order to pay for the new bulb.

How many Premillennialists?
While knowing where the lightbulbs are, they are persuaded to wait for the official lightbulb changer but no one knows when he will arrive.

How many Arminians?
Since the bulb has free will - it must make the decision.

How many Amillennialists?
Two, one to change the bulb, the other to remind others not to fear the
old darkness or trust the new light--both are only symbolic.

How many Postmillennialists?
One, but now he has to rethink his eschatology....

How Many Liberal Christians?
None - they don't think it needs to be changed.

How many Evolutionists?
None - it will change itself - it will just take billions and billions of years.

How many Lutherans?
17 - 5 to form a commitee to find and nominate 9 people to a committee which shall then discuss the issues of light bulb changing, from which that commitee shall appoint three other people to carry out the final resolution of the second committee - which is that one person shall supervise while one changes the bulb and one will follow up in one month's time to investigate the performance of the bulb.

How many Modern Evangelicals?
It doesn't matter as long as we love each other.

How many Seventh Day Adventists?
Just one - as long as it isn't Saturday.

How many Charismatics?
30 - 1 to change the bulb and 29 to laugh about it!

How many Mormons?
None - it's beneath the character of a god to stoop and change a light bulb.

How many Atheists?
1 - but they are still in darkness.

How many Independent Baptists?
Only one, anymore than that would be considered ecumenical.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

O the preciousness of this truth!

God is infinite in power, and therefore it is impossible for any to withstand His will, or resist the outworking of His decrees!!

Such a statement as that is well calculated to fill the lost sinner with alarm--but from the believer, it evokes nothing but praise.

Let us add a word, and see what a difference it makes--"My God is infinite in power, and therefore it is impossible for any to withstand His will, or resist the outworking of His decrees!!"

My God is infinite in power! Then "I will not fear what man can do unto me!"

My God is infinite in power! Then "whenever I am afraid--I will trust in Him!"

My God is infinite in power! Then "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep--for You alone Lord, make me dwell in safety!"

Psalm 4:8"There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. The eternal God is your refuge, and His everlasting arms are under you!" Deuteronomy 33:26, 27

O the preciousness of this truth! Here I am--a poor, helpless, senseless 'sheep,' yet I am secure in the hand of Christ! And why am I secure there? None can pluck me thence--because the hand that holds me is that of the Son of God, and all power in heaven and earth is His!

I have no strength of my own--the world, the flesh, and the Devil, are arrayed against me--so I commit myself into the care and keeping of my Lord Jesus. And what is the ground of my confidence? How do I know that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him? I know it because He is God Almighty--the King of kings and Lord of lords!

A.W.Pink

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Jesus Plus Nothing

"There is no better test as to whether a man is really preaching the New Testament
gospel of salvation than this: that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret to mean that… because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at
all what you do; you can go on sinning as much as you like because it will
redound all the more to the glory of grace… If my preaching and presentation of
the gospel of salvation does not expose it to that misunderstanding then it is not
the gospel."

Martin Lloyd Jones

Monday, October 04, 2010

Quote of the Day -

"We profess to be strangers and pilgrims, seeking after a country of our own, yet we settle down in the most un-stranger-like fashion, exactly as if we were quite at home and meant to stay as long as we could. I don't wonder apostolic miracles have died. Apostolic living certainly has."

Amy Carmichael - Missionary