Author Archives: Dan C.

About Dan C.

Retired U.S. Army Special Forces SGM (28 years). Also retired from a 2d career as a government contractor. Member of Christian Military Fellowship (www.cmfhq.org) for 30 years. Married for 43 years to the lovely Dee; three children and 6 grandchildren.

What is Needed Today. . . .

Posted on by
Reply

image

“What is most needed today is a wide proclamation of those truths which are the least acceptable to the flesh.

What is needed today is a scriptural setting forth of the character of God—His absolute sovereignty, His ineffable holiness, His inflexible justice, His unchanging veracity.

What is needed today is a scriptural setting forth of the condition of the natural man—his total depravity, his spiritual insensibility, his inveterate hostility to God, the fact that he is “condemned already” and that the wrath of a sin-hating God is even now abiding upon him.

What is needed today is a scriptural setting forth of the alarming danger in which sinners are—the indescribably awful doom which awaits them, the fact that if they follow only a little further their present course they shall most certainly suffer the due reward of their iniquities.

What is needed today is a scriptural setting forth of the nature of that punishment which awaits the lost—the awfulness of it, the hopelessness of it, the unendurableness of it, the endlessness of it. It is because of these convictions that by pen as well as by voice we are seeking to raise the alarm.

A clearer vision of the awe-inspiring attributes of God would banish much of our levity and irreverence. A better understanding of our depravity by nature would humble us, and make us see our deep need of using the appointed means of grace. A facing of the alarming danger of the sinner would cause us to “consider our ways” and make us more diligent to make our “calling and election sure.” A realization of the unspeakable misery which awaits the lost (and which each, of us fully merited) would immeasurably deepen our gratitude, and bring us to thank God more fervently that we have been snatched as brands from the burning and delivered from the wrath to come; and too, it will make us far more earnest in our prayers as we supplicate God on behalf of the unsaved.

Remember that the ground must be plowed before it is ready to be sowed: and the truths mentioned above are needed to prepare the way for the Gospel.”

__________________________________________________

The above quotes were excerpted from the book Eternal Punishment by A.W. Pink, first published in 1940 and in the Public Domain.

Arthur Walkington Pink (1 April 1886 – 15 July 1952) was an English Bible teacher who sparked a renewed interest in the exposition of Calvinism or Reformed Theology. Little known in his own lifetime, Pink became “one of the most influential evangelical authors in the second half of the twentieth century.”

Field Hands Needed!

Posted on by
Reply

image

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” – Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus’ statement to his disciples in the above passage that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few brings to mind at least three questions:

1. Where is the harvest?

2. What is the harvest?

3. Who are the laborers?

Question 1: Where is the harvest?

If we are to use Jesus’ example in this passage to define the location of the harvest, we must include first of all, towns and villages, along with their synagogues in which Jesus taught both religious leaders and the ordinary people in attendance (v 35). Second, we should conclude that there is a harvest wherever Jesus saw crowds of needy people (v 36). Third, the harvest field might be described as being ‘out there’, since Jesus spoke of ‘sending’ laborers into the harvest field. In other words the ‘harvest’ is wherever there are people.

Question 2: What is the harvest?

On a macro level, the harvest is defined as a ‘field’. It’s interesting to note that in the passage, the terms harvest and field are singular. Perhaps Jesus was referring to God’s called out remnant people as a single entity, what we might call the universal invisible church. If so, it’s a really BIG field!

On the micro level, we can say that it’s a ‘people’ field, in the same way we might be driving through Illinois and see miles and miles of corn fields. The harvest Jesus spoke of is made up of people – people who are ‘harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.’ Where there is no shepherd to protect and care for the sheep, they are harassed by the wolves and are often become lunchmeat, as it were. In spiritual terms, everyone living apart from Christ (the good Shepherd) is being constantly ‘harassed’ by sin and ‘helpless’ to do anything about it. The difference between sheep and wolves on one hand, and people and sin on the other is that sheep are afraid of angry wolves and people apart from Christ love their sin.

Question 3: Who are the laborers?

Our passage from Matthew ends with Jesus telling his disciples to ‘ask the Lord of the harvest (God) to send laborers (field hands) into his (God’s) harvest field. Jesus didn’t tell his disciples that he would be sending them (which he did), he told them to pray that more laborers be sent! It seems to be a given that field hands be sent by God. Jesus didn’t say ‘pray for more workers’, he said ask the Lord to send more.

Then there is a matter of the qualification(s) required for working in God’s harvest field. Well, since the job defines the qualifications, and in our passage we have Jesus proclaiming the good news of the kingdom (the gospel), might we say that God’s laborers are those who know his gospel? And since Jesus looked upon the crowds with deep compassion should compassion for the lost be the mark of the most effective worker?

Now that we have described the laborer in the harvest as a compassionate proclaimer of the gospel, we need to ask if qualified ‘field hands’ are limited to those who are specially gifted preachers, teachers, evangelists, etc.? We say no, and here’s why. There are at least two groups of people in the New Testament who provide us examples. The first group is includes those who personally encountered Jesus and then told others. The woman at the well, the man born blind, and the women who went to Jesus’ tomb come immediately to mind. There are many more.

The second group would be those who, after Jesus’ resurrection, and beginning at Pentecost, heard the gospel and believed – several thousand in Jerusalem during the Feast of Pentecost followed by many, many more, in Judea, Samaria, and parts beyond. Read the book of Acts for an account of how and where the gospel was proclaimed, carried by gifted and empowered preachers, teachers and evangelists, but also shared by ordinary folks; Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free, soldiers and civilians, male and female, who had heard and believed the gospel.

My Christian brothers and sisters, the ordinary folks are US!

One last question: Are you a field hand, or just a consumer?

Be Blessed!

Dire Straits – The Natural State of the Unbeliever

Posted on by
Reply

The Apostle Paul, speaking to new Gentile believers in the city of Ephesus, called them to “remember” something:

“11Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—12remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God n the world.” (Eph 2:11-12, ESV) (Emphasis mine)

Likewise, we who today profess the Name of Christ would also do well to remember from whence we came, “having no hope and without God in the world”, which is the state of anyone who lives without Christ. To be without Christ is to be without God because the only path to God is through Christ (John 14:6).

Additionally, as we go through life sharing the precious gospel with friends, relatives, associates and neighbors (sometimes called FRANgelism), we must keep in our hearts and minds the true state of those to whom we give witness to the saving grace of Christ. I fear that at times we can lose sight of the terrible reality of the natural state of the unbeliever, whether it was once us, or the current state of that one we would lead to Jesus. – the ‘dire straights’, if you will.

So what does the Bible have to tells us about each and every unbeliever, past, present, or future? I’ll let Scripture speak for itself:

1. They are dead in trespasses and sins and children if wrath.

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins . . . and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Ephesians 2:1-3)

2. They are living under the dark shadow of God’s just condemnation for their unbelief.

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:18)

3. Their unbelieving, natural minds are blinded by Satan.

“In their case the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”(2 Cor. 4:4)

4. They are hostile to God (God’s enemies) and they can do nothing to please Him.

“For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Rom 8:7-8)

5. They are lost, destined for total destruction at the final judgment.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

6. They slaves are of sin.

“Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34)

7. In all this, they KNOW God exists, and have no excuse for denying Him.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Rom 1:18-20)

8. Although the unbeliever knows God exists, he still doesn’t seek Him:

“ as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 1no one understands; no one seeks for God.”” (Rom 3:10-11)

9. Contrary to a popular belief, they are not God’s children.

Joh 1:12  But to all who did receive him (Jesus Christ), who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

The passages of Scripture quoted above are not intended to criticize, demean, or otherwise disparage those who deny God or do not believe in Christ. They are just clear descriptions of the dire straits of all unbelievers that are sometimes pushed to back burners of our minds, even as we share Jesus with our unsaved loved ones.

Given the really dire state of the unbeliever, what are we to do? For starters, we don’t need to blurt out any of the accusations that could be levied against a prospective convert. On the other hand, we need to remember a couple of things about how God saves sinners:

We need to remember that it is God who saves and who has given us the great privilege of sharing Christ with those who, by nature, hate Him and don’t want him.

We should remember Lydia in the book of Acts, Chapter 16. She was with a gathering of women near a river one day when the Apostle Paul showed up. We are told that God opened Lydia’s heart to pay attention to what Paul had to say (Acts 16:11-15) and that she was saved that day. You could say that God has a part in we have a part in the salvation of sinners. Simply stated, we share the message of the gospel (Christ died for our sins), and God saves.

That sounds rather simple, does it not? God opens a heart to hear, we present the gospel message, and God saves!

Lest I forget, remember something a famous evangelist had to say:

clip_image002

A Wonderful Christian Ministry Focused on the Military Needs Your Help

Posted on by
Reply

Many of you know that I have been connected to a Christian ministry, Christian Military Fellowship (CMF) for over 40 years now that supports men and women in our Armed Forces, linking them up with each other, providing excellent Christian growth resources, and equipping them to be ambassadors for Christ in the military. Since I first published this blog post, CMF has redesigned its worldwide web presence at the above link, making it more user friendly. In addition to updating the Web site, CMF has joined the Faithlife community and made available to CMF members, an extensive suite of Bible study resources from Logos.

In the years I have been connected to CMF, I’ve had the opportunity to be an integral part of the ministry as a Local Contact, Local Representative, Area Coordinator and have also served in a leadership role. Of all the parachurch ministries focused on our men and women in uniform, CMF is among the smallest, and at the same time unique in that the ministry vision is to equip men and women in uniform to be ‘indigenous’ missionaries in uniform.

Hers’s a true story. Years ago, a Chaplain at Ft. Devens invited me and another Christian brother to a men’s breakfast sponsored by a local church of his denomination. He told the men in attendance that active duty soldiers like the two of us were able to take the message of the Gospel to places where he could/would never be able to set foot. That made a huge impression on me and confirmed to me that rather than attend Bible College and Seminary with an eye to the Chaplaincy (once a personal goal) was not where God wanted me to be, but as a soldier for Christ I was to remain in the enlisted ranks of US Army Special Forces, from which I retired in 1996 as a Sergeant Major.

Please take a few minutes to check out Christian Military Fellowship, as well as  Faithlife and Logos. maybe become a part of the CMF family, or even just support the work that they do. Without the support of regular folks like you all, either directly to CMF, or via charitable organization campaigns like the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), we wouldn’t be able to do what we do for our men and women in uniform.

Feel free to share this with your friends and families and thanks for a few moments of your time!

Be blessed!

Does the Bible Teach Prevenient Grace?

Posted on by
Reply

Something that popped up again. I already have various articles and commentaries  that speak to the question, some more easily understood than others. I still favor R.C. Sproul’s response to the question. He merely asks a series of questions followed by his conclusion in the matter. Enjoy!

Does the Bible Teach Prevenient Grace?

by R. C. Sproul

As the name suggests, prevenient grace is grace that “comes before” something. It is normally defined as a work that God does for everybody. He gives all people enough grace to respond to Jesus. That is, it is enough grace to make it possible for people to choose Christ. Those who cooperate with and assent to this grace are “elect.” Those who refuse to cooperate with this grace are lost. The strength of this view is that it recognizes that fallen man’s spiritual condition is severe enough that it requires God’s grace to save him. The weakness of the position may be seen in two ways. If this prevenient grace is merely external to man, then it fails in the same manner that the medicine and the life preserver analogies fail. What good is prevenient grace if offered outwardly to spiritually dead creatures?

On the other hand, if prevenient grace refers to something that God does within the heart of fallen man, then we must ask why it is not always effectual. Why is it that some fallen creatures choose to cooperate with prevenient grace and others choose not to? Doesn’t everyone get the same amount?

Think of it this way, in personal terms. If you are a Christian you are surely aware of other people who are not Christians. Why is it that you have chosen Christ and they have not? Why did you say yes to prevenient grace while they said no? Was it because you were more righteous than they were? If so, then indeed you have something in which to boast. Was that greater righteousness something you achieved on your own or was it the gift of God? If it was something you achieved, then at the bottom line your salvation depends on your own righteousness. If the righteousness was a gift, then why didn’t God give the same gift to everybody?

Perhaps it wasn’t because you were more righteous. Perhaps it was because you are more intelligent. Why are you more intelligent? Because you study more (which really means you are more righteous)? Or are you more intelligent because God gave you a gift of intelligence he withheld from others?

To be sure, most Christians who hold to the prevenient grace view would shrink from such answers. They see the implied arrogance in them. Rather they are more likely to say, “No, I chose Christ because I recognized my desperate need for him.” That certainly sounds more humble. But I must press the question. Why did you recognize your desperate need for Christ while your neighbor didn’t? Was it because you were more righteous than your neighbor, or more intelligent?

The question for advocates of prevenient grace is why some people cooperate with it and others don’t. How we answer that will reveal how gracious we believe our salvation really is. The $64,000 question is, “Does the Bible teach such a doctrine of prevenient grace? If so, where?”

We conclude that our salvation is of the Lord. He is the One who regenerates us. Those whom he regenerates come to Christ. Without regeneration no one will ever come to Christ. With regeneration no one will ever reject him. God’s saving grace effects what he intends to effect by it.

—–
Excerpt: R. C. Sproul, Chosen by God

The REST of the Verse – Revelation 3:20

Posted on by
Reply

It’s been said by some biblical scholars that the three most important rules for a proper and thorough understanding of the text of Scripture are Context, Context, & Context. By that we mean:

· The immediate context in a section or chapter of Scripture

· The larger context of a particular book in the Bible

· The broad context of the entire Bible and God’s plan for his children

I freely admit that some passages of Scripture can be valuable in and of themselves as precious promises, words of comfort, or even admonition or warning. They can also be used to ‘prove’ one’s personal opinion or preferred interpretation. Examining context can therefore be not only profitable, but extremely edifying.

With that said, let’s examine Revelation 3:20.

clip_image002

Is there is anyone among those who profess to be believers in Christ who doesn’t know that passage? For decades it’s been a favorite passage to use when leading someone to Christ. The explanation goes something like this:

Jesus is standing forlornly at the door of your heart, wanting to come in and dine with you, but you must open the door! There is but one door latch and it’s on the inside, where you live, and Jesus can’t enter no matter how desperately He wants to!

I even heard a local pastor one Sunday, whose sermon was about Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall and city gates, tell the congregation of several hundred that there was one gate that God could not open, the door to the human heart. I also cannot dispute that there have been many genuine decisions for Christ after hearing about the ‘one-way door’.

We are not concerned so much with what we think it means or what we might want it to say, but only what it is actually telling us in the three contexts mentioned above (chapter, book, the entire Bible). We can ask a few simple questions to accomplish our goal.

1. What is the passage about?

Revelation, Chapter 3 is a continuation of Chapters 1 & 2, in which the Apostle John, in a vision on the Lord’s day, was commanded to record what he saw and write letters to seven churches about what he saw. Our passage is from one of those letters to one of those churches:

Revelation 3:14-20

14“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. 15“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.’” (ESV)

Does the actual context in which we find Revelation 3:20 paint a picture of Jesus knocking on the door of an unbeliever’s heart, or is Jesus knocking on the door of a lukewarm church that seems to have evicted Him from the premises? Is it a passage inviting unbelievers to Christ or is it about waking up a lukewarm church?

Should we invite our unsaved loved ones and friends to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ? By all means! Our chief calling as believers is to share Christ with the lost world around us!

2. Who can open the heart of an unbeliever?

The story of a woman named Lydia in Acts 16 gives us a clue:

“And on the Sabbath day we (Paul and his co-workers) went out of the city (Philippi) to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” 15And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.” (Acts 16:13-15)

One thing is certain. No one is saved whose heart remains closed to the message of the gospel. Perhaps rather than asking someone to “open their heart”, we should pray as we seek to evangelize the lost around us, that God opens hearts to hear what we have to say. Our duty is to be faithful to the message of the gospel and trust God to save those whose hearts he has prepared to hear it.

3. Is there a wider application with lessons for us today?

Well, the book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John to seven churches in Asia to prepare them for the second coming of Christ to Earth. God sent an angel to tell John what to write. Part of that consisted of seven specific letters to seven specific churches that can be said to exemplify churches in our day.

The church in Laodicea seems to have been ‘resting on its laurels’:

“17Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—18I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” (Revelation 3:17-18)

Are there churches today that are ‘resting on their laurels’, thinking that they are well off because they have all sorts of programs, professional sounding worship bands, light shows, the best that technology has to offer to appeal to folks in the theater seats? Facebook is filled with advertisements telling us how to ‘grow’ our churches using the best that our high tech world has to offer. Do we need let Jesus back in? Just questions and food for thought.

So regardless of what you have believed about Revelation 3:20, now you have. . .

. . .the REST of the verse!

Be Blessed!

What Does it mean to Come to Christ?

Posted on by
Reply


clip_image002

Before we take a closer look at it really means to “come” to Christ, we need to realize that the term “come” must be understood spiritually and not carnally. We know this because the Bible tells us that our natural mind is actually hostile to God:

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. (Rom 8:7)

The Bible also tells us that the natural man is unable to understand spiritual matters:

“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor 2:14)

Our coming to Christ not merely a matter of obeying God’s commandments, attending a Church service, going to a Bible study, listening to Christian music, or even reading the Bible. Anyone can do all of those things. Genuine coming to Christ is a spiritual matter.

With that understanding, we, can now try and describe our “coming” to Christ. To paraphrase John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress author John Bunyan described it as a “moving of the mind towards him”, from “a sound sense of the absolute want that a man has of him (Christ) for his justification and salvation.”

In simpler terms, when a person realizes his/her spiritually lost condition in sin, and that justification and salvation are only to be found in Christ, that person willingly comes to Christ. Coming to Christ involves both the will and the heart. So how can we describe those who genuinely come to Christ? Consider these evidences:

· They come with prayers, supplications and tears, demonstrating their heartfelt need for mercy.

“With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.” (Jeremiah 31:9)

  • They ‘run’ to Christ, fleeing the wrath to come. Realizing their desperate condition in sin and that Christ is the only way of escape, they fly to safety as fast as they can. (Matt 3:7; Psa 143:9).
  • A genuine coming to Christ is marked by a clear sense of an absolute need of Jesus Christ to save and evident from the outcries of those even as they are coming to him. Consider the following examples:

PETER WALKING ON WATER

“But when he (Peter) saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” . (Matthew 14:30)

PETER PREACHING AT PENTECOST

“Now when they (the crowd) heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)

THE PHILIPPIAN JAILER

“Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30)

  • A genuine coming to Christ is accompanied by an honest and sincere forsaking everything to follow him.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27)

The above examples describe all those who have, or are coming to Christ.  Anyone genuinely coming to Christ for salvation casts leaves everything behind and forsaking all to follow Christ. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer so eloquently said in his book The Cost of Discipleship:

“When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die”

When we glance at today’s evangelical environment, we can see example after example of invitations to come to Christ for a multitude of reasons focused on what we mortals desire most in this life (our best lives now), rather than what God has done for us in sending his Son do die for our sins. Some have called them “adventures in missing the gospel.”

Anyone who truly comes to Christ comes because of being spiritually awakened to the reality of their sin, the dire consequences of it, and the reality that Jesus Christ is the only escape from the just wrath of God.

My desire is that everyone who reads this has truly come to Christ and is faithfully serving him in whatever vocation they find themselves. If not……..clip_image004

Fully Equipped!

Posted on by
1

image

If we were to break that down into outline form we could say that Scripture is:

1. Breathed out (inspired) by God and given to man

2. Profitable for:

  • Teaching
  • Reproof (proof or conviction)
  • Correction
  • Training in righteousness

3. So that:

  • The man of God may be complete
  • The man of God is fully equipped for every good work

Rather straightforward and easily understood, is it not? Scripture contains everything anyone might need to live a godly life and faithfully serve our God.

While I was serving in the Army, there were several stages to becoming ‘fully’ equipped. The first stage was at the reception station when I enlisted. Once assigned to a Special Forces unit after initial training (basic & advanced), stage 2 kicked in and there was another set of equipment given to all new members of the unit. Then, after being assigned to a specific operational detachment (‘A Team), another set of specialized equipment was issued, depending on the specific mission of the Team (mountain, scuba, HALO, Special Wpns, etc.), and the specific position to be manned on the Team (medical, demolitions, communications, weapons, etc.).

I’m sure you could discover the same ‘equipping for performance’ principal exists for most jobs, for every sort of occupation, in every labor sector. Do you see the glaring comparison between Scripture’s sufficiency for equipping the man of God for every good work in the Kingdom and what’s be needed for earthy vocations? What a blessing God has provided his children!

Another point to be made here is that our passages tells us that being fully equipped for Christian service is connected in some way to all of scripture. That statement brings to mind the Apostle Paul’s assurance the Ephesian Christians that he had preached to them the whole counsel of God.

“. . .for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” (Acts 20:2, ESV)

One Bible teacher suggests that what Paul meant was “ I told you all the important things that God has revealed that you must know for your salvation and service to Him.” We are not told everything there is about God or in the mind of God – we are finite and he is infinite. There is no way we could handle everything about God or all of his thoughts!

So what? How can we best apply what that passage teaches us? There are two things that present themselves to this old soldiers ‘brain housing group’, especially as we look around and thoughtfully consider today’s evangelical landscape.

Concerning Scripture itself, while other sources can help us tremendously in our Christian walk in this life, if all we had was the Bible, it would be enough. I don’t know about you, but my Facebook page is literally filled with links to and offers for every kind of Christian source imaginable. We’re talking about churches (local and otherwise), Christian discipleship material, along with concerts and events, not to mention Christian apparel and all sorts of trinkets.

Concerning all of Scripture and the whole counsel of God, It grieves me to see so many memes and images of Bible passages ripped completely out of context that, while they might give us ‘warm fuzzies’, complete miss the fuller meaning that the author intended. Then there is contemporary Christian music (CCM). It tends to mostly be about the positive aspects of Christian life, either focused on blessings, what God purposes to give us as his main reason for being, omitting topics which might not be very popular, like sin, wrath, and judgment. If you doubt that, compare a few classic hymns of the church to CCM. Feel free to challenge me.

Lastly, there’s the content of much of what is presented from pulpits and stages from ‘sea to shining sea’ these days. While there some church leaders who preach and teach in an expository manner from the pages of Scripture, they are in the minority these days. Additionally, much of what we hear these days, whether topical or focused on teaching the text at hand (expository) seems to be man-focused than God centered.

Please note that I am not being intentionally critical, but personal observations. I don’t intend to be argumentative, but like I already mentioned, certain things grieve me, or should I say grieve the spirit living me.

If there are any lessons to be learned from what is written here, they are two-fold.

First, spend more time reading and studying your own Bible than every other source that comes your way promising to teach you the ‘real deal’ concerning Scripture.

Secondly, be selective concerning your preferred sources of preaching and teaching. That also includes Christian music. After all, music both preaches and teaches.

Not only do we want to receive all of what God has to say to us, we want what God offers to us to fill our hearts and minds.

Be Blessed!

Book Review: Studies on Saving Faith – A. W. Pink

Posted on by
Reply

The introduction to this book at Monergism.com, states the following:

clip_image002One of the most helpful books we have ever read on the gospel. Pink’s deep understanding of the nature of regeneration and how that relates to faith and works is top notch. Pink levels the serious and solemn charge that much “evangelistic” preaching falls short on delivering the true gospel message. He states, “The ‘evangelism’ of the day is not only superficial to the last degree, but it is radically defective. It is utterly lacking a foundation on which to base an appeal for sinners to come to Christ. There is not only a lamentable lack of proportion (the mercy of God being made far more prominent than His holiness, His love than His wrath), but there is a fatal omission of that which God has given for the purpose of imparting a knowledge of sin. There is not only a reprehensible introducing of ‘bright singing,’ humorous witticisms and entertaining anecdotes, but there is a studied omission of the dark background upon which alone the Gospel can effectually shine forth.” Whether you are a preacher or a layperson, this remarkably relevant study in Scripture will challenge you to hold firmly to the Gospel.

I’ve just finished my first reading and I have to say that I was blessed beyond measure in ways too numerous to mention in this article. The book proper is divided into four parts; Part I – Signs of the Times (Introduction), Part II – Saving Faith, Part III – Coming to Christ, and Part IV – Assurances. Parts I – IV are divided into logical and easily understandable subsections and thoroughly supported from Scripture.

Sometime after completing his most thorough treatment on saving faith, he decided to further amplify one or two of the leading points with the hope that some might be helped thereby, in the form of four dialogues. The simulated, but completely relevant and believable dialogues, between ‘The Writer’ and two gentlemen, ‘Mr. Carnal Confidence’ and ‘Mr. Humble Heart’, actually summarize the entire content of the earlier parts of the book, expressed in language quite familiar to early 20th century readers, yet at the same time easily understood today.

I found the dialogues to be not only an amplification of the book proper, but an excellent summary of its entire contents. I highly encourage you to read not only the book proper, but also the Dialogues. You will be blessed!

_____________

Studies on Saving Faith is available for download without cost at Monergism.com and the Members Only section of the Christian Military Fellowship Website here, and also available for purchase at Amazon.com, as well as from numerous Christ book distributors.