What Seek Ye?

"Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, 'What seek ye?'" -John 1:38 (kjv)

I find this saying by Jesus very fascinating and comforting at the same time. Why for?

The Gospel of John starts this way:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." -John 1:1-4

So we see that Jesus was with God and is God, He was in the beginning, and everything was made through Him. He is God. He is Almighty God (Gen. 17:1), the Everlasting God (21:33), the King (Psalm 98:6), Creator of heaven and earth (Col. 1:16), the great I Am (John 8:58).

With all that in mind, we come to the verse at hand, in which Jesus says, "What seek ye?"

Andrew and another disciple were the ones which followed Jesus in this passage (v. 40), right after hearing John the Baptist declare, "Behold the Lamb of God!" (v. 36), and earlier "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (v. 29). And immediately these two began to follow Jesus. The Jesus turns and says to them, "What seek ye?"

And that's where I, for the first time, saw something I hadn't seen. I could make an extensive list like the one above, with scripture, proving how high and holy and pure and lovely Jesus is. How much honor, glory and praise He had left in the Celestial City, with the company of angels and moreover the Father and Spirit, and yet here he was asking these two and us, "What seek ye?"

Not in a way, as though they were bothersome to Him, and He said in such a way to get them to leave Him alone. But as a loving friend asks what their desire was, "What seek ye?" I think this passage I found in Matthew Henry's commentary, say well what I cannot obviously express very well...

"The question Christ put to them is what we should all put to ourselves when we begin to follow Christ, and take upon us the profession of his holy religion: "What seek ye? What do we design and desire?" Those that follow Christ, and yet seek the world, or themselves, or the praise of men, deceive themselves. "What seek we in seeking Christ? Do we seek a teacher, ruler, and reconciler? In following Christ, do we seek the favor of God and eternal life?" If our eye be single in this, we are full of light" (Henry Commentary).

What do we seek in Christ? And in Him alone. I think most would agree with forgiveness of our transgression against a thrice holy God, and the joy, peace and love all found in Him.

(This speaking to my own soul firstly) Think for a minute what is being said, we the creatures, an utterly depraved creature at that, are being invited by Jesus Christ Himself, God of very God, to seek forgiveness, holiness, love, reconciliation, and fellowship with and in Him alone. So then, "What see ye?" The world, its lies, its vanity, its corruption and death? Or Jesus Christ, His truth, His love, His forgiveness, His fellowship, and the everlasting life which comes through Him?

"What do you seek? This kind and gracious invitation, which was once made to two persons, now belongs to all. We ought not therefore to fear that Christ will withdraw from us or refuse to us easy access, provided that he sees us desirous to come to him; but, on the contrary, he will stretch out his hand to assist our endeavors. And how will not he meet those who come to him, who seeks at a distance those who are wandering and astray, that he may bring them back to the right road?" (John Calvin, Commentaries on John)

Selah.

A Passage On My Mind

A passage I came upon, and wished to share some thoughts...for anyone who might care (I couldn't imagine why).

Proverbs 24:30-34 (nasb):

"I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,
And behold, it was completely overgrown
with thistles;
Its surface was covered in nettles,
And its stone wall was broken down.
When I saw, I reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
'A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,'
Then your poverty will come as a robber
And your want like an armed man."

I pictured a house. With a vineyard. And a stone wall. With a man inside the house.
Yet, I pictured the house as worn down, the vineyard dead, the stone wall broken down, and the man inside, sitting in his chair, doing nothing about it.

So there is two ways I think I could go about taking application from this.

Application 1

Make constant use of roundup (I kid).
But more seriously, to be diligent in all your work, as though doing it for the Lord (cf. Colossians 3:22). I am more than guilty of this sin, of negligence, of not only not praying, reading scripture, and meditating as I should, but also, in worldly matters, such as work, school, chores around the house, etc. Our purpose (chief end) in this life, as the Westminster Confession so eloquently puts it, is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. One of the ways in which we do this is by glorifying Him in all aspects of life. Not just church. Not just bible reading. But in all things from recreation to vocation to duty.
When we neglect our duty and our diligence in all matters, we end up like this man, then when our poverty and want comes we wonder why, often people are quick to blame God instead of looking to themselves. God forbid that we ever should.

Application 2

Spiritual application is how I see it.
The house = Our heart/ soul/ mind (compare Matt 7:24,26, 1 Cor 6:19, Matt 22:37).
The vineyard = Fruit of the Spirit/ the Word of God (compare Gal 5:22, Luke 8:11).
The thistles and nettles = Bad fruit/ cares of this world/ evil (compare Matt 7:16, Luke 8:7,14)
The stone wall = Faith (Psalm 18:2, Eph 6:16).

First, I pictured as this house should be. Or rather, as the heart and soul should be, but I'll explain it with the house, so just bear with me on the symbolism.
The house and the vineyard should be kept safe, because of the stone wall that is set up surrounding it all. The vineyard should be well kept, by the diligent man who tends to it and prunes away the thorns and thistles, and makes sure that the wall stays strong and is not eaten away by the weeds.

But in this case, as Solomon does, so we must: "When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction." We see the sluggard, the man lacking sense, understanding and wisdom, who is inattentive, lacking diligence and care, and is completely allowing the weeds to destroy everything.

So then, we must take this man as an example, of what we must not do. We cannot sit back, we must daily be in our Bibles, daily in prayer, daily making supplication to the Lord for diligence, strength and the faith to continue on. Remembering that we do our work for the Lord, not for men. God has given us a new and beating heart, let us hedge away the temptations and the sins that so easily entangle us (Hebrews 12:1), and press on to holiness, in all diligence. Truly.

Evangelism Training

These two videos I found on the Pyromaniacs website, and they are very good videos. They concisely portray how the Gospel should be presented today, and how it has sadly not been presented like this on a regular basis, even in the church. Enjoy

PART 1


PART 2

Judge Not? The Truth of Christian Judgment

"Judge not, that you be not judged." -Matthew 7:1 (ESV)

The all-encompassing, all-inclusive, favorite line of many professing Christians and even unbelievers, in an attempt to dodge the sin they are being confronted with. Good passage no doubt, yet just like all verses in the Bible it is followed by other passages, and in this particular case it says do not judge in a hypocritical manner, such as the Pharisees did (Romans 2:1).

But what is it to Judge? As one who is accused of passing judgment often, I always wish to have this question answered...It never is. Tell someone they are in sin, you are passing judgment. Say that God will send unbelievers to hell, you pass judgment. And if you argue that a belief of another is wrong, you pass judgment, and are causing strife in the church of Christ.

Lets go back to the question though, what is it to judge?

Greek:
κρίνω (krinō)
Properly to distinguish, that is, decide (mentally or judicially); by implication to try, condemn, punish: - avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.

Well there is the definition, but what are the implications?
I'll start by asking 3 questions, you determine whether it is right or wrong in that situation to judge:

1. I believe the Word of God is the true, living, breathing and inerrant Word of God. The person I am speaking with does not. Do I tell him he is wrong, or am I being judgmental?

2. I believe Christ is the Son of God, perfect, sinless, and savior of the world. The person I am speaking with does not. Do I tell him what he believes in wrong, or am I being judgmental?

3. I believe murdering a man is wrong. The person I am speaking to does not, would I be judging him to say otherwise?

Answer to all three: Yes it is judging. Furthermore it is correct to judge them in that situation. Obviously Jesus judged when someone was in error (Point and Case Matthew 23:13-29, in His "woe to you, scribes and pharisees" discourse), He did not walk the world teaching people "You have your belief, and I have mine" or "we'll agree to disagree." No, it was an on the spot correction, what most today would deem an un-Christian practice.

Let me set before you a few considerations, and think of the benefits and command to judge with righteous judgment, as a Christian judges:

I. To not present the truth to a person is to have no love for them. Think about it, and bear with me as I use an old example. If a house were full of invisible poisonous gas, and your friend were about to walk into that house, would you tell them? Or would you fear that they would think you judgmental. Say you did tell them and they still walked in there, pronouncing you judgmental, and they see no harm in walking in because they see no gas. The consequence is now on them, you warned and you cared enough to tell them. But say you didn't tell them, you just talked about meaningless things, such as the football game, or the new celebrity news as they walk in, all the time knowing whats inside that house. Is this not unloving? Think on these words here below, and meditate upon their meaning:

"Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." -Proverbs 27:5,6

II. Christian judgment, judges nothing that hasn't already been judged by the Great Judge. Do you believe the Bible to be the Word of God? Then if someone judges you, and they have reason to do so by the word of God, then you are wrong to despise that correction. What is the word good for? "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim 3:16). Listen, if you go up to a man and say "murder is wrong!" and he says to you "no it isn't," but you persist in saying otherwise, why do you do so (or what is the Christian reason for doing so)? Because God has judged it wrong already. Same goes for premarital sex, homosexuality, thievery, blasphemy, heresy, drunkenness, etc. (1 Cor 6:9,10). If a Christian goes up to another Christian and confronts him on his drunkenness and sexual immorality, he is not "judging" him in the negative connotation, but in love for that person's soul! Think on these words:

"Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." -Proverbs 12:1

"Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty." -Job 5:17

III. An example, of a man of God correcting one who professes to be a child of God:
(After David kills Uriah and he takes Uriah's wife to be his own, Nathan comes to David and tells a parable in 2 Samuel 12. He tells of a poor man's sheep being taken by a rich man, and in anger David says, "as the LORD lives, the man who has done this shall surely die!" This is what Nathan says):

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite...you have taken his wife to be your wife...Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife...Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’” So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” -2 Samuel 12:7-13

Notice here two things. 1) Nathan rebuked the King of Israel, he judged him...why? Because God did. 2) David immediately saw his sin for what it was, he did not say "you're judging me Nathan, and you're wrong" because David knew the commandments of the LORD.

IV. One more example of the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 5. He writes to them about an immoral person in their congregation having relations with his mother and says, "For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed"(v.3). He goes on to tell them that when they are gathered together they must "deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus"(v.5). To let the person continue in the congregation would give him the false impression that he does nothing wrong, and would lead him to hell. He tells them that this will ruin their church if he is not cast out. I recommend the whole chapter, because it deals with righteous judgment, and proper church discipline that has seemingly been forgotten.

Caveat: As I say all this, we should all know, there is a right judgment and there is most certainly a wrong judgment. As Jesus commanded the crowds, so we must know the meaning of this: "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24).

There is the judgment of a hypocrite, one who judges and yet practices the very same. There is the judgment of the prideful, one who judges to exalt himself. There are those who judge out of hate, and to humiliate and shame others for their satisfaction. All three are the same. But then there are those who judge with Godly judgment, between what is right and wrong in the eyes of God. May we seek to understand that judgment, to love our neighbor as ourselves, and to show them their fault so that they may trust in Christ and if they are believers that they would repent and return to the ways of Christ Jesus.

Encouragement from the Dead

From the book, "Fair Sunshine: Character Studies of the Scottish Covenanters'"

Martyr: John Nisbet
Death: Hung for his faith
Age: 58/ 4 December 1685
Picking up after he loses his wife, daughter, and two young sons and is then captured by dragoons and taken to prison for his faith:

"He was in prison very cruelly treated, having a load of irons on him of seven stone weight, and not able to move much because of his terrible wounds. But all the time he was filled with inexpressible joy and continually witnessed to strong inward assurance and assistance from the Holy Spirit. He testified, 'It has pleased Him to give me such real impression of unspeakable glory as without constant and immediate supports from the Giver will certainly overwhelm me. This frail tabernacle is not able to hold up under what I now feel.'

A few days before he was hanged, he was so transported while at worship with other prisoners that he called aloud in prayer, 'O for Friday! O for Friday! O Lord, give patience to wait Thy appointed time! O give strength to bear up under Thy sweet, sweet Presence! If thou, O glorious , Thou the Chief of ten thousands, the eternal wonder, and admiration of angels and redeemed saints put not to me more strength, this weak clay vessel will rend in pieces under the unspeakably glorious manifestations of Thy rich grace and matchless, matchless Presence!'

In prison, he wrote his Last and Dying Testimony. It is one of the most remarkable of Covenanter Testimonies. It is written truly by one who knew that he 'had been lying dying and rotting in his blood-red sins, and One had passed by and in His love and life said, Live, Live.' It is a paean of praise and closes in this moving harmony, 'Be not afraid at His sweet, lovely and desirable cross, for although I have not been able because of my wounds to lift up or lay down my head, but as I was helped, yet I was never in better case all my life. He has not given me one challenge since I came to prison, for anything less or more; but on the contrary He has so wonderfully shined on me with the sense of His redeeming, strengthening, assisting, supporting, through-bearing, pardoning and reconciling love, grace and mercy, that my soul doth long to be freed of bodily infirmities and earthly organs, that so I may flee to His Royal Palace even the Heavenly Habitation of my God, where I am sure of a crown put on my head, and a palm put in my hand, and a new song in my mouth, even the song of Moses and of the Lamb, that so I may bless, praise, magnify and extol Him for what He hath done to me and for me. Wherefore I bid farewell to all my dear fellow-sufferers for the testimony of Jesus, who are wandering in dens and caves. Farewell, my children, study holiness in all your ways, and praise the Lord for what He hath done for me, and tell all my Christian friends to praise Him on my account. Farewell, sweet Bible, and wanderings and contendings for truth. Welcome death. Welcome, the City of my God where I shall see Him and be enabled to serve Him eternally with full freedom. Welcome, blessed company, the angels and spirits of just men made perfect. But above all, welcome, welcome, welcome, our glorious and alone God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; into Thy hands I commit my spirit for Thou art worthy. Amen.'

As he proceeded to his gallows it is said he had a bright happiness about him from communion with God. And jumping up to the gallows his last words were:

"My soul doth magnify the Lord! My soul doth magnify the Lord! I have longed these sixteen years to seal the precious cause and interest of precious Christ with my blood. And now, now He hath answered and granted my request, and has left me no more ado but to come here and pour forth my last prayers, sing forth my last praise to Him in time on this sweet and desirable scaffold, mount the ladder, and then I shall quickly get home to my Father's House, see, enjoy, serve and sing forth the praises of my glorious Redeemer, for evermore world without end.' ...He prayed with deep spiritual understanding in a loud clear voice, and sang the first six verses of the 34th Psalm:

God will I bless all times: His praise
My mouth shall still express.
My soul shall boast in God: the meek
Shall hear with joyfulness.

Extol the Lord with me; let us
Exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord; He heard, and did
Me from all fears deliver.

Notice, from this testimony, John kept praying for strength to uphold under God's sweet presence, never mentioning the weights he was chained to or the wounds that had been afflicted upon him.

Also notice, that unlike many Christians today, he did not have spite for God, he did not shove blame upon God and curse His name when all went bad, but He was faithful and thankful unto death.

May we ever be thankful for men and women like this, that God has used in such powerful ways to extend His gospel to all men and to encourage the faithful. May God give us boldness and ability to pray as John Nisbet.

May we rest in this promise, as Nisbet did:
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28-

J.C Ryle on the Penitent Thief

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, "If thou be Christ, save Thyself and us." But the other answering rebuked him, saying, "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? and we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this Man hath done nothing amiss." And he said unto Jesus, "Lord, remember me when Thou comes into Thy Kingdom." And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise." -Luke 23:39-43

J.C Ryle on the verse above shows us many things we can learn from this passage, but this one in particular grabbed me. I would have never thought of this verse like this had I not read "Holiness" by Ryle, which I must recommend to everyone as an absolute must-read.

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See then, for one thing, how strong was the faith of this man. He called Jesus, “Lord.” He declared his belief that He would have a kingdom. He believed that He was able to give him eternal life and glory, and in this belief prayed to Him. He maintained His innocence of all the charges brought against Him. “This man,” said he, “hath done nothing amiss.” Others perhaps may have thought the Lord innocent,—none said so openly but this poor dying man. And when did all this happen? It happened when the whole nation had denied Christ,—shouting, “Crucify Him: crucify Him. We have no king but Cæsar!”—when the chief priests and Pharisees had condemned and found Him guilty of death,—when even His own disciples had forsaken Him and fled,—when He was hanging, faint, bleeding and dying on the cross, numbered with transgressors, and accounted accursed. This was the hour when the thief believed in Christ, and prayed to Him. Surely such faith was never seen since the world began. The disciples had seen mighty signs and miracles. They had seen the dead raised with a word,—and lepers healed with a touch,—the blind receiving sight,—the dumb made to speak,—the lame made to walk. They had seen thousands fed with a few loaves and fishes. They had seen their Master walking on the water as on dry land. They had all of them heard Him speak as no man ever spake, and hold out promises of good things yet to come. They had some of them had a foretaste of His glory in the mount of transfiguration. Doubtless their faith was the gift of God, but still they had much to help it. The dying thief saw none of the things I have mentioned. He only saw our Lord in agony, and in weakness, in suffering, and in pain. He saw Him undergoing. a dishonourable punishment; deserted, mocked, despised, blasphemed. He saw Him rejected by all the great, and wise, and noble of His own people,—His strength dried up like a potsherd, His life drawing nigh to the grave. (Psa. xxii. 15; lxxxviii. 3.) He saw no sceptre, no royal crown, no outward dominion, no glory, no majesty, no power, no signs of might. And yet the dying thief believed, and looked forward to Christ’s kingdom. Reader, would you know if you have the Spirit? Then mark the question I put to you this day.—Where is your faith in Christ?
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“I know not that since the creation of the world there ever was a more remarkable and striking example of faith.”—Calvin's Commentary on the Gospels

“A great faith that can see the sun under so thick a cloud; that can discover a Christ, a Saviour, under such a poor, scorned, despised, crucified Jesus, and call Him Lord.

“A great faith that could see Christ’s kingdom through His cross, and grave, and death, and when there was so little sign of a kingdom, and pray to be remembered in that kingdom.” -Lightfoot Sermon. 1684.

“The penitent thief was the first confessor of Christ’s heavenly kingdom,—the first martyr who bore testimony to the holiness of His sufferings,—and the first apologist for His oppressed innocence.”—Quesnel on the Gospels “Probably there are few saints in glory who ever honoured Christ more illustriously than this dying sinner.”—Doddridge “Is this the voice of a thief or a disciple? Give me leave, O Saviour, to borrow Thine own words, ‘Verily I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel.’ He saw Thee hanging miserably by him, and yet styles Thee Lord. He saw Thee dying, and yet talks of Thy kingdom. He felt himself dying, yet talks of a future remembrance. O faith, stronger than death, which can look beyond the cross at a crown;—beyond dissolution at a remembrance of life and glory! Which of Thine eleven were heard to speak so gracious a word to Thee in these Thy last pangs? “—Bishop Hall

Burning the Strawman

A straw man argument is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position. To "set up a straw man" or "set up a straw man argument" is to create a position that is easy to refute, then attribute that position to the opponent. A straw man argument can be a successful rhetorical technique (that is, it may succeed in persuading people) but it is in fact a misleading fallacy, because the opponent's actual argument has not been refuted.i

The "the straw man" is an all too common thing these days, generally it is associated with any type of debate, but I am focusing upon "straw men" in the sense that it applies to Christianity.
This post is more of a warning to all discerning and caring Christians, who wish to understand the doctrine presented in the Word of God clearly and not be led into false beliefs that would affect their spiritual walk negatively.

The "Straw Man" In Practice
Generally the idea is to make your opponent look bad, to make their argument seem completely contradictory to the facts, as is seen in the description above. The practice is more commonly used on a website, or in an arena where the opposer cannot give a defense or rebuttal.

This is a dangerous practice amongst professing Christians, because they may take something that is true and completely biblical, and pervert it to suit their cause and opinion. Many are led into a false assumption of some belief, that may be entirely false, and without hearing the other sides defense they neglect the argument. It is ignorance on behalf of many Christians to never hear out the other side of the argument, and turn a cold shoulder to a belief they honestly know nothing about.

Examples
Take for instance the atheist. All Christians can relate to the issues they bring up I assume (unless you have never talked to one of course). If not, I'll show a couple of examples of what I am talking about.

Atheist: "How can an all-loving God send people to hell for eternity?"
"There is no proof of God and I can't see Him, so He doesn't exist."
"God is just a cosmic policeman, giving 10 strict rules that we must obey or go to hell."
Or here's a good example of a perfect "straw man" set up by one:
"The bible tells us that Satan only killed Job's sons and daughters, and God killed millions in the flood: Satan= 10 God= Millions; Who's really the evil one?"

I am sure you can think of many others. So for any Christian its easy to see, that on a facebook board or a site that is run by an atheist, the Christian is not given the opportunity to respond. So it appears the atheist just shot down every Christian argument, when in reality they just make themselves look even more foolish and ignorant.

But the atheist is not the only one who is guilty (I'm guilty, you're guilty, we all are, this is what sin does, it corrupts truth). But other examples can be found in discussion on eschatology (end-times), worship, salvation, covenant/dispensational theology, baptism, and just about every other doctrine. And of course the one I must mention, you guessed it, Calvinistic/Reformed theology.

If I can pick one thing I believe to be the most misrepresented topic in all of Christianity it is that of Calvinism. With a weak "straw man" it is entirely to easy to burn down the supposed "arguments". If the arguments presented are not correct its simple to make it look like the elect are the "elite", that God is a tyrannical and hateful God, that there is no room for missions and evangelism.

Warning!
Please, I implore you, do not listen to every word you are told by anyone you think you look up to. Hear out both sides, test the doctrines by scripture (1 John 4:1), and pray earnestly that God would reveal His truths to your heart.

And speaking of Calvinism, please hear out the arguments to the fullest, from someone who might actually be one, instead of a website written by an anti-Calvinist preacher. If you do not believe it to be scriptural in the end, then Godspeed.

Do this for all arguments, even the atheistic, heretical and false ones, do it for all of them, I promise the truths of scripture stand up to all of them. Give the opposition their opportunity to speak, and leave the straw for the cows (har har...).

Is It Sin Against God To Not Be A Calvinist

Short answer. Yes. Long answer, I'll give it. But first, I'd like to share a quote from Charles Spurgeon:

"The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach today, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again."

Take notice of the title of this note, it does not say, "Are You Really A Christian If You're Not a Calvinist?" But rather the question is whether or not it is sin to disregard it, and is it the true Gospel that you preach or present if it is not a Calvinistic/Reformed Gospel. (Please do not get caught up in the name Calvinism, it is the same thing the early church taught including Augustine and Paul himself. I am sure I could certainly find a name associated with any other theology you put forth i.e. Pelagius, Arius, Arminius, Finney, and so on.)

So then what better an outline for the bulk of Calvinistic theology other than the TULIP, or the five points of Calvinism. I plan to go through each point, and distinguish whether or not it would be a sin against Almighty God to believe otherwise. So with no further ado:

Tulip = Total Depravity/Inability

Calvinist: "The belief that man is completely and utterly unable to turn to God and receive Christ without the Spirit first melting his heart of stone, raising him from a spiritual deadness, causing him to be born again and turning him to God. Not that man is as bad as he possibly could be, but is not able to do any good, or the ultimate good of believing upon Christ. He is totally depraved in extent (his whole being) not in degree (level of "badness")."

In other words when Ephesians 2:1 says, "Your were dead in trespasses and sin." It means just that, not that you were "sick" but that you were dead. Or in Romans 3:10-18 when it says that "No one is good...no not one!" That is exactly what it means, "no one", for all our righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God (Isa. 64:6).

Do not get me wrong, we all certainly have the freedom to come to Christ, because Christ has given the open invitation, for the scripture says "whosoever will" (Rev 22:17). It is not the freedom that is questioned but the ability. I have the freedom to run 30 miles/hr, only I lack the ability, and unless given a supernatural ability to do so I will not ever be able to. In the same way no many can come unto Christ unless the Father draw him (John 6:44), because his will is bound to its sinful nature (Eph. 2:3).

Why is it a sin to teach otherwise?
Inevitably what occurs if this doctrine is ignored is a misunderstanding of conversion. There is then a misunderstanding of the role of the Holy Spirit in conversion, God is not praised as He should be, as the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb.12:2), and man gets the idea that he can cause His new birth by going up during an altar call, or praying the "sinner's prayer", when in fact it takes a supernatural regeneration of the heart. It is sin to misunderstand the glory that belongs to God the Spirit.

tUlip = Unconditional Election

Calvinist: "The belief that God chose those whom he was pleased to bring to a knowledge of himself, not based upon any merit shown by the object of his grace and not based upon his looking forward to discover who would "accept" the offer of the gospel. God has elected, based solely upon the counsel of his own will, some for glory and others for damnation (Romans 9:15,21). He has done this act before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:4-8)."

This doctrine does not rule out man's responsibility to believe in the redeeming work of God the Son (John 3:16-18). Scripture presents a tension between God's sovereignty in salvation, and man's responsibility to believe which it does not try to resolve, and so we must not try, as John Piper says, "better your mind be broken, than the scriptures be broken." Both are true -- to deny man's responsibility is to affirm an unbiblical hyper-calvinism; to deny God's sovereignty is to affirm an unbiblical Arminianism.

Why is it sin to teach otherwise?
Well firstly, if you reject this one then it means you rejected the doctrine of total depravity, so then you have rejected two fundamental doctrines of the Bible. Here is a simple fill in the blank. If salvation is not by works of the law, nor by anything you offer, and you are completely lost in sin and blind to the light of the Gospel, then God must have ____ you (Hint: Chosen). Logic 101. If this doctrine is rejected, then one is inclined to believe it was by his doing that he was saved, just like I stated in the last doctrine, you take from God all the glory due to his name, and give it to the free-will choice of man. "Salvation belongs to the LORD." -Psalm 3:8

tuLip = Limited Atonement/ Particular Redemption

Calvinist: "The belief that Christ's penalty and death purchased the full redemption of His chosen people, His elect. Not that Christ's death only made it possible to be saved, but that He actually saved His people upon the cross."

Talk about a controversial topic. But once again it is a logical continuation of the truths already presented. Election does not automatically save the person, for there is no remission of sins apart from the shedding of blood (Heb. 9:22), only Christ's blood has the power to actually save His elect. Jesus lays His life down for His sheep (John 10:15), but not all are His sheep (John 10:26).

Why is it sin to teach otherwise?
Here is the choice you must make. Either Christ only made it possible, so then what is being said is that Christ only did 75% if the job or even 99%, but you have to throw in the last bit in order to be saved. So then you do not limit the extent, but you certainly limit the power. Or you can say, as the Calvinist does, that the extent is limited but the power is not. His death had the power to save the souls of the lost sheep. If you teach the other way you are destined to admit that it was possible that none would be saved, Christ made the sacrifice and then sat and hoped that people would come to Him. Or you can believe that the Lord made the ultimate sacrifice and sovereignly draws His sheep to Himself.

tulIp = Irresistible Grace

Calvinist: "The belief that God sovereignly draws His elect to Himself. The result of God's Irresistible Grace is the certain response by the elect to the inward call of the Holy Spirit, when the outward call is given by the evangelist or minister of the Word of God."

So then Christ's elect will certainly and assuredly be saved. Once the light of the Gospel is opened to their hearts they can not resist, but will be drawn with bands of love (refer back to John 6:44).

Why is it sin to teach otherwise?
In order to shorten this a bit, I will refer you back to the other doctrines which I have mentioned, especially Total Depravity, because it deals with the same subject. If God's grace is resistible then man will always reject it and choose sin over it, because that is what his nature is bound to (Eph 1:3), his mind is at enmity with God and cannot turn to God nor can it (Rom. 8:7).

tuliP = Perseverance/Preservation of the Saints

Calvinist: "The belief that the redeemed can never be lost or plucked from the hand of God. The by the grace of God they will persevere, strive and battle to be holy and sanctified."

This is not by man's strength, but by God's grace that they are kept in the faith. Not too many I know will deny this truth, but there are many out there who will. Just read over the words of Paul in Romans 8:35, and know that this list includes yourself, not even you can pluck yourself out of the hand of God by some grave sin. Please don't take that as license to sin, because that is not what I mean, God's grace will sanctify you and cause you to walk in His commandments.

Why is it sin to teach otherwise?
Because what is taught is that you can lose your salvation by some grave or mortal sin you commit and then you must work your way back into the good graces of God. Thus, you preach a works based salvation, and you do not acknowledge the power of God to keep you in the faith. "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ..." -Phil 1:6 Remember that verse.

Conclusion
So we see here that if these truths are neglected or cast aside, then so is the glory of God in salvation, so is His sovereignty, power and grace. Instead it is replaced with a man-made salvation plan, suited to fit the likes of human nature, and watered-down to a half-truth which amounts to an untruth.

Many will find a problem with the theology and instead of asking about it or looking into what is being said in light of scripture, they just ignore it, or mock it. Still most of those people must face the reality that words like election, predestination, sin, dead in trespasses, lost, blind, sovereignty, drawing, etc. are used commonly in the Bible and must be dealt with. To not deal with them is a sin within itself and an ignorance toward the Word of God Almighty.

The Blessing of A Beautiful Day

I was reflecting as I took a little walk this evening, and I thought to myself: "It is a magnificent day today." Truly it was a wonderful blessing of God. It could not have gotten over 85 today, not a cloud for miles, and a gentle breeze. I couldn't help but think to myself: "I deserve none of this. I am a sinful creature, infinitely blessed by a sinless and holy creator. If God can create a day such as this, surely heaven will be infinitely more glorious."

From the rising of the sun to its going down, the LORD’s name is to be praised. -Psalm 113:3

But one thing bothered me as I thought about it. There would be many who would not even think to acknowledge God on such a day as they have been blessed with. "For God so loved the world..." Well God most certainly has a general love for all of man, just look at what He blesses us with: rain, snow, sun, food, clothes, family...Christ Jesus, etc. But man has been so blinded by his own sin, he has neglected to praise God the Author and Giver of all these things, and they entertain the vain idea that God is not angered by this. Even those claiming to be redeemed show more interest in their relationships, clothes shopping, and schoolwork than in the great and glorious works of God.

He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. -Matthew 5:45

That is a great love He has shown to all men. I stepped out of my house today to go for a walk, and left my cares of this world behind, focusing upon God and giving Him thanks for what He has given me. None of which I deserve, paralleling the gift of salvation, wrought by Christ and freely bestowed upon my soul because of nothing in me, but because of the great mercy of God. It is a grave sin we commit when we do not acknowledge God for His mercies, for His love and for His grace, I am guilty for it constantly, and repent I must.

Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
-Psalm 29:1,2

Just take a moment to praise God for His many blessings, and remember how little of it you deserve. This is enough to humble any man or woman.

If You, LORD, should mark iniquities,O Lord, who could stand? -Psalm 130:3

The Dangers of Lifechurch.Tv

Lifechurch.Tv is one of the fastest growing churches in America. And if there is one church that attracts the most college students in Stillwater, OK it is certainly this church. And why not? It appeals to many college students: Rock music, Flashy advertising, Messages they can "relate" to and a young hip pastor, above all its just "fun."

That is how many who go to this church would describe why it is so appealing to them. Though I would argue differently, so I'll go through reasons I believe it appeals to a mainly high school to college crowd (Do Note: Lifechurch is not the only church I am talking about here, it and many other churches have the same agendas and practices. Plus Lifechurch is right around the corner, and I know many people who go there):

1) Christianity-Lite

Lifechurch.tv has a way of talking about the subjects that really appeal to college students. Ones that are easy to swallow, not too dogmatic, and certainly not judgmental or harsh. Take a look at the topics the church preaches on (Categories) and go to the right hand side and look at the drop box of categories, its apparent that no where in the box are subjects such as sin, judgment, repentance, Christ, God, justification, holiness, sanctification, etc., etc. Not to say they don't speak of these things ever but instead the emphasis is on things that college kids seem to think are the "real issues" (i.e. Sex, Relationships, Finances and who knows what else...UFOs, Near death experiences, ghosts, and so on).

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths" -2 Tim. 4:3,4

2) Justification by Senses

Lifechurch.tv and many many like it are largely based on the senses, such as sight (strobe lights and disco lighting and neat computer graphics), hearing (loud, energizing, motivational music), or emotions (softly played music to get the person worked up, and feel sorrow, godly or not (2 Cor. 7:10)), and feelings (if you 'feel' like God is doing such and such, He is!). As I have said numerous times, emotions are not the justification or the proof that the Holy Spirit is working within us. This inevitably leads to those who have a false assurance of salvation, most of the time people are led up to the altar and told to commit or receive Christ, check the box and never doubt it. So thats what people do, they check the box, say the prayer and never give it a second thought. Most if asked "How do you know you're saved?" Would answer, "because I went up to the altar, because I prayed the sinner's prayer, or because I believed." The questions that should be asked is, "Do you still believe!?" Can you say right now, "because I believe Jesus Christ is the atonement for my sins and took upon the wrath of God that was due to me. He is my Lord and my Savior, I wish to follow His every command, to be holy and to strive to enter the narrow gate."

"The heart is deceitful above all things,And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" -Jeremiah 17:9

3) A Tv Pastor and Internet Church

Here is a major problem I have with Lifechurch. Accountability and church discipline are nowhere to be found. I can assure you both principles are thoroughly biblical (see passages such as Matt. 18:15-17, 1 Cor. 5, 2 Cor. 13:1-5 to start). I find it hard to believe that a church with a pastor who should be looking over the flock (tending the lambs John 21), is able to do so from a campus 40-100 miles away. Apparently they have campus pastors as well, but if any Lifechurch goer is honest I am sure they don't speak a whole lot to them. The internet church, is very bothersome, in that it maintains no accountability as well.

"[An Overseer/Preacher] must hold fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict." -Titus 1:4

4) Shaky Beliefs

This is one that is common in churches such as Lifechurch, a misunderstanding of the condition of man. In their What We Believe section on their site under the title "Human Beings" there is one sentence which stands out in my mind: "Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called 'sin.'" You will notice in the verses below it that they have a decent verse for every other sentence used in the rest of the statement, but one will be hard pressed to find a verse in the bible that has any resemblance to the sentence used here. The bible in an over-all sense doesn't even give the slightest hint of such a belief.

Where do we have a potential for good? In Romans 3? "There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one." Or Jeremiah 64? "But we are all like an unclean thing,And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away."

And where is sin labeled as just an attitude? Its no attitude it is our entire being: "We all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others"(Eph. 2:3). It was our slave master, "God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered"(Rom. 6:17).

We do not need an attitude change. We need a heart change! We need a nature change! We are vile wretches in the eyes of God, not with bad attitudes but depraved souls! Until this is realized the sermon topics will remain as sex, relationships, finances, missions and never Christ, repentance, holiness and mortification of sin.

5) Last (not really last there is plenty more to be said), but not Least

This one particularly gets me. Though I think you must read for yourself: The 3-month Tithing Challenge, as they define it, "it is a money-back guarantee." Essentially you tithe 10%, and if after 3 months you are not blessed (Which I suppose they define what a blessing is: perhaps more money, a car, a new phone, or a boyfriend/girlfriend), then you get back all of your money. Basically taking all faith out of tithing and using a Malachi verse which has little to do with what they believe it to mean. To me this is appalling...but I shouldn't have to go into great detail of why...

"Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness." -Psalm 37:3

Lifechurch.tv has fallen into a dangerous pragmatic, seeker-sensitivism that is slowly suppressing all sound doctrine out of the church and tickling the ears of those who do not wish to give up their sin and fully commit to being holy before the Lord. Too often are churches like this looking for ways to drawing the lost in and forgetting to present the Gospel to those who are already there.

Yet, people will continue to find reasons why this type of evangelism is good and honoring to God. They will insist on how many baptisms or people they had that "received" Christ, therefore justifying the means by the ends. How culturally relevant this is to today, and how judgment and repentance is so last century. Though, not often can one give a reasonable argument from scripture to defend the practices used in many of these churches.

Alibi: Not every single thing about the church is evil. I am sure the pastor preaches on good things from time to time and uses the bible to preach. I am sure he has a zealous heart, but not always is sincerity and zealousness proof that what they say is true (ex. The Pharisees were pretty zealous). We must test a church upon scripture, and pray that they would be led to honor Christ in disciplining, discipling, teaching (the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), loving, correcting, rebuking and sacrificing for the church.

God Is In Hell

“The biggest problem the sinner has in hell is not the Devil, its God. God is in hell, actively punishing the wicked. The sinner in hell would do anything and everything he could to get God out of hell. Because the terror that men face in the judgment is God himself.” -R.C. Sproul-

Who Rules Hell?
The common idea about hell today, is that it is ruled by Satan. But what is the purpose of hell? Answer, it was originally created for the punishment of Satan and his fallen angels. Now after the fall of man, it is reserved for those who follow in the rebellion of Satan and who die in their sins. It was created by God for the punishment of the wicked. And God is actively punishing the wicked in hell for eternity.

Question
Here's a good question that R.C. Sproul asks:
"What are you saved from?"
His answer might shock some:
"You are saved from God. From being exposed to His fierce wrath and punishment."

What does the Apostle say in Hebrews? "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:31).

Or Paul: "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Rom. 5:9).

Changing Perspectives
Putting it in this way can change perspectives. No longer is hell the party of the devil some might think it is. Satan is not the ruler of hell, but is actively being punished by God as well.

Its possible that some may think: "If hell is a separation from God, what is so bad about that, the people who are being separated from Him never wanted to be near Him anyway."

It is true a person in hell is separated from God in one sense. They are no longer beneficiaries of God's common grace which is given to all men. "The person in the most abysmal state of suffering still enjoys some bit of the common grace of God at this moment, which would be removed entirely if they were to move to hell" (Sproul). So then they no longer experience the love, care, benevolence, grace and long suffering of God. But for all of eternity will experience His wrath, curse, anger and hate.

Hope
By the grace of God, He has given hope to all men in Christ Jesus. What Jesus underwent upon the cross, was what a sinner would experience in hell. He took upon himself the "sin of many" (Isa. 53:12), became a curse on our behalf (Gal 3:13), bore the wrath of Almighty God and was forsaken by Him(Isa. 53:4-7; Matt 27:46). Because of this, the verse I used before displays a wonderful truth: "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved through Him."

We Need More Drums, Guitars and Fireworks...

Perry Noble is one of the leading pastors in the Emerging Church Movement. Recently I was reading one of his blog posts entitled, “I Don’t See How Someone Can Worship God With A Booming Sound System” (read the article to better understand this post).

He talks about how he was listening to a man on the radio talk about how he doesn't like how worship in church has evolved. How we have gotten away from old-hymns, and organs and pianos. The man commented, "“I am not trying to be a cantankerous old man, and I have thought about it…and I just don’t see how someone can truly worship God with a booming sound system."

Apparently this drove Perry to almost killing himself. And then giving 5 questions to this man, and why he disagrees. I am going to post the questions, and then his response to the question, with my comments interjected in darker lettering. Keep in mind I probably would not have agreed with the man on the radio too much either, but I will make that more apparent later.

#1 - Is there one particular worship style that can be dictated to everyone?

"When he made his comment about the worship and sound system I said out loud, “Who in the heck are you to mandate how I worship?” (The man most likely did not claim to be the authority on how to worship, but the Bible surely is.) I have literally been moved to tears in our worship services before and have experienced the presence of God in ways that I can’t even describe (Probably chills or spine tingle, not a good way to determine God's presence)–and yes, the sound system was BOOMING! (I wonder if this would be a proper way to judge right worship of God. Are emotions the sign of the Holy Spirit? I know people who are moved to tears by sad movies, is it worship? In other words are emotions the determining factor on whether the Holy Spirit is at work? In 2 Cor. 7:9,10 Paul distinguishes between two types of sorrow over sin, one which leads to life and one to death. Could our own hearts and emotions deceive us? Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things,And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" The heart rules the emotions, tears are not always a sign that your worship or your salvation is true.)

Different worship styles work for different people–and all of them are necessary! (They are? Says who? Not the Bible ). And just because something doesn’t particularly fit with my methodology doesn’t mean that it is wrong!" (That comment may want to be looked over. Worship of God is not however you please, but what is pleasing to God.)

#2 - What did the early church do before hymns?

Seriously, if hymns are the only true way to worship ( Again...Says who? This is where I would disagree with the man on the radio, and any others who believe hymn singing is the only TRUE way.)–then how in the world did people worship for the first 1500 years of Christianity? I mean, heck, they didn’t have a book where they could sing hundreds of songs–1st, 2nd and last verse only! ( Actually there was this one book, that God actually gave to us, which happens to be a book of songs of praise, its called the Psalms. Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.")

#3 - Is it wrong for a song to repeat itself?

As I read the book of Revelation the angels seem to be pretty obsessed with singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Do they have it wrong? ( There is a bit of a difference between those saints and angels in heaven worshiping, and the corporate worship on earth here. Most people in many churches wouldn't even understand the meaning of Holy Holy Holy. Once again, in Colossians 3:16, Paul commands us to teach and admonish with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.) In Psalm 136 the writer seems to be overly obsessed with, “His love endures forever!” I guess this guy from the radio show can inform the Holy Spirit inspired author when he gets to heaven that something like this is just a little too emotional! ( Okay, well I have no problem with Psalm 136, of course he does give a full spectrum look at God's attributes, such as His goodness and mercy, His power (v.4-9), His judgment, wrath, forgiveness, and love (v.10-22). Unlike most repeating hymns of today which focus on one aspect of God, and repeat it a million times to different tunes.)

#4 - Is it wrong for music to be loud?

In reading Scripture I see many occasions in the OT where the Bible says that the sounds of the celebrations were heard far away! ( I am going to need a specific example in order to give a specific answer. If he is talking about in worship, then there were set apart groups such as the Sons of Korah who were set apart for playing music. More to say about that but just ask about it, I don't think anyone is reading anyways :P.) I also see David (a man after God’s own heart) saying in the psalms to worship the Lord with drums and cymbals (both of which are loud!) ( Instruments in worship for me, is a debatable subject really, I believe the church is better off not using them, because of the stimulation of false emotions, which I talked about above. Outside of church though, I say filly the airwaves with it.) In Revelation 7:9-10 we are told that the singing in heaven is going to be loud! (Uh, reading over the verse I hardly see this as justification for blasting music that drowns out any words in the song that may, by some randomness, have something meaningful in them.) I think its time the church STOPPED looking like a funeral parlor and started acting like the tomb is EMPTY! (Good point, lets preach the Gospel then!)

#5 - Is innovation right for one generation only?

(A better question might be, "Is innovation right for any generation?" To what extent and context do we mean this in. Issues and what the church focuses on can change over time (i.e. Abortion, Homosexuality, etc.). But the Bible is as relevant, perfect, and clear on every matter today as it was in any generation. Did Paul tell us, "Go out and innovate the world!" Definition of Innovate = "To introduce something new; make changes in anything established." Wow, that sounds a lot like what most heretics do.)
As I listened to this guy I could not help but think about recent church history. In the 1970’s and early 80’s one of the most innovative things a growing church could do was to have an orchestra. AND for some churches–THIS WAS A BATTLE! Seriously–churches split over this very issue–some people were so offended that ANY instrument other than a piano or organ (neither of which are in Scripture for the true literalist out there) would be on stage.

These guys fought that fight–they stood for “innovation,” yet they are the ones who seem to be most resistant to it today! (This really challenges me to embrace the next generation!)

Go back a little further in church history–when churches first began introducing piano’s in the worship services it was considered “worldly” and “sinful,” today it is common. Once again people fought that fight–at one time it was new and innovative. (But who said it was right?)

Heck, many of the hymns were actually bar tunes rewritten with Christ centered lyrics to minister to those far away from God. (Example?) The “Christians” of the day were most likely turned off by the way people tried to reach out “to those pagans.” NOW it is common!

It seems to me that those who fought the fight in their lifetime would actually embrace those who are thinking of fresh ways to carry Christ to the world–not resist them. (Fresh ways? There is one way, and that is by the ministering of the Word of God, and by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. No other way was commanded, and no other way is glorifying to God.)

Just my two cents…

(Okay. This is not the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen by an emerging"pastor" in the least bit. But it gives a good idea of how they think about things. Most Biblical references are stretched or taken too far to justify a point, as one might find in reading "The Purpose Driven Life." At times things are said that have no scriptural support at all, but if it works it must be right. Remember one thing, the ends do not justify the means. Just because you have 300 baptisms or "converts", or just because you have tears welling in your eyes, does not mean that the means by which to attain it were correct. In fact I could probably make myself cry right now just by listening to the Forrest Gump soundtrack or something, doesn't mean the Holy Spirit is working within me, it just means it can stir emotion.)

Meditations on Psalm 4:1

This is a verse I have been pondering as of late. Just a few things I was thinking about, and maybe you might think about as well.

NASB/ ESV/ ASV
"Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!"

KJV/ NKJV
"Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer."

Psalter which I sing from:
"Answer when I call, O God who justifies..."

"Answer me when I call, O God..." For this verse I actually prefer the KJV rendering here (not because they translated it better, both translations are perfectly fine, in fact both mean the same thing). The way the KJV has it makes my point clearer though: "Hear me" is how the KJV has it, "Answer me" is how the NASB renders the first petition. For God to "Hear" us, is for God to "Answer," at least in the case of a believer. "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive..."(Matt. 21:22) "Whatever we ask we receive from Him..."(1 John 3:22) "If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him..."(1 John 5:14,15).
Thus, it follows that what we ask of God in faith we shall receive. And for the Lord to "Hear" us is to answer. "Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.."(end of v. 1), this having the same conotation. Its no wonder that in the verse after next, David says, "The Lord Hears when I call to Him." He knows the Lord hears his cries, and He is not afraid of the enemies pursuing him, for he knows that God will answer.

"O God of my righteousness..." C.H. Spurgeon, has a good thing to say of this particular part of the 1st verse, it goes along with how I viewed it. He states, "The name by which the Lord is here addressed...deserves notice, since it is not used in any other part of scripture. It means 'Thou art the author, the Witness, the Maintainer, the Judge, and the Rewarder of my righteousness; to thee I appear from the calumnies and harsh judgments of men'"(Treasury of David, Psalm IV, P.34). This, a righteousness not of our own but a gift of God through Christ. The imputation of which was divinely orchestrated by the work of the Holy Spirit. The psalter renders it, "O God who justifies." Rightly so, since the same Hebrew word can mean justify as well. To be justified is to be seen as righteous in the eyes of God. There is not way to this, but by faith in Christ, and the alien-righteousness (not belonging to us) imputed to our account.

2 Cor. 5:21
"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Worship Of A Holy God

Hello. Figured its been a while, perhaps I'd write something, and I figured might as well write about something I was thinking about recently.

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD has said, 'Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.'"
-Leviticus 10:1-3-

I like this verse whenever I think about the topic of worship. At one point in my life I would have read this verse and thought, "wow, thats pretty harsh for something that doesn't seem so serious."

Perhaps this type thinking is the cause of some atheistic arguments such as, why is the whole race damned because of such a small sin as eating of a fruit (Gen. 2:17) or perhaps the example of Uzzah with the ark, struck down by the Lord because he attempted to catch the ark so it wouldn't hit the ground (2 Samuel 6:6,7).

I joined the Reformed Presbyterian Church last October, since coming to that church there has certainly been a change in the way I have viewed worship.

Worship is not to be taken lightly. I fear the church of America today is more than guilty of this sin. Looking at the verse above brings a few things into mind:
1. Think of it for a minute. If one takes a look at the state of the church, and takes an honest look at it, it won't be long for you to come to the conclusion that its mostly man-centered worship, not God-centered. The mentality of most church-goers is "what do I want out of a church?" When really it would be in their best interest to say "what does God want out of a church, or out of my worship?" To be honest I don't know how many specific scriptures proof-texts I need for that statement, as this should be common knowledge amongst Christians.
2. Reverence. Thats a forgotten word no? Most Christians today wouldn't want you to "fear God" but to "revere Him," though even that reverence is non-existent in any form, in anything from worship to Christian living. Its assumed that God is just your buddy or pal, He isn't concerned at all about how you worship Him. Well looking at that verse above it just doesn't catch me that way, of course then again it is just the Old Testament [sarcasm intended].
3. God takes it very serious I promise. "Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns!'" (2 Chronicles 16:29-31). That passage has a few things to note:
a. He is holy. Many passages could suffice for this, its just one of those known facts, yet it seems to be not so known after all in today's Christianity. He is holy, and He will be worshiped as such.
b. Something is due to Him. Perhaps thanks, praise, worship...your life as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). Its a joke to most, like I stated before most want whats in it for them, proving the paper-thinness of their "Christianity."
4. The danger of "unauthorized fire" is very serious. Obviously this "unauthorized fire" had serious implications. Looking at that verse makes me think very carefully about what I bring to worship God with, how I go about preparing my mind and heart. Though once again, the church today wouldn't give a verse such as this very much thought. Not concerned at all what is pleasing to God much of the world has creeped into the church, Satan is having a field day with most churches who think they are doing the work of the Lord.
5. Sincerity is not an issue. Most would argue that churches are being sincere and really trying in what they do to bring more to Christ, and in trying to worship God. Sincerity has been placed in front of the word of God. As my pastor put it, "Muslims are sincere does that mean they're going to heaven?"

Give it serious thought, worship is meant for the Lord, reading through the Bible does not leave the impression that God is not serious about what He says.