The Secrets that we keep in

(A friend of mine made this sign, I just wanted to past it on.)

Around Boyce & Southern

The convocation service for The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Boyce College was held Tuesday, ushering in the Spring Semester. Tradition was displayed as all the faculty of Southern and Boyce came in the chapel robed. Three professor publicly signed the Abstract of Principles, publicly declaring their agreement with the confession of the Seminary. (It was not that they were just hired. Three professors sign Principles at each convocation to publicly show their agreement with the confession.) Every convocation serves as a reminder that this institution is a confessional institution. Southern and Boyce faculty is unified by a common confession of beliefs.

Albert Mohler continue his walk through of the Apostle's Creed. Mohler turned to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Reminding us the necessity of the resurrection for the Christian faith.

I should have done this earlier. But here is the list of the chapel sermons of last semester that I profited the most from:

1. "Jesus, Take the Meal: Why We're Afraid of the Lord's Table" Luke 22:7-30. Russell Moore

2. Message by Rev. Junior Hill

3. "Answering the Call to the Undesirable Setting". Rev. Eric Redmond


And more news about Albert Mohler. Albert Mohler appeared on the TV program One to One on Kentucky Educational Television. Albert Mohler was able to talk about his new book Culture Shift and answer some questions about it. This time Dr. Mohler was given plenty of time to explain Himself! Anyway, I really enjoyed watching the interview. (HT Steve Weaver)

The Supremacy of Jesus Christ

Do we miss our Sanctification?

Stay around those of us that cross centered and you will quickly hear about our utter sinfulness. We continually decry our sinful state and proclaim our complete unrighteousness before a holy God. We singing songs and right on our blogs of the wickedness in our heart. We say right along with Paul, "We are the chief of sinners!"

But of course, we do not stop there. We proclaim our insufficiency for the purpose of filling ourselves with the treasures of Christ. We, rightly, turn our eyes off ourselves to turn our eyes on Christ. His righteousness completely covers our unrighteousness. We declares our need for a Savior and find the perfect Savior in Christ.

This is all wonderful and essential for the Christian. Our hearts magnify the grace of God that would look upon such sinners and flood them with blessing upon blessing! Our mouths should declare the God who calls the wicked to Himself and clothes them with a righteousness bought by his own blood. If one does not have any comprehension of all this, it is safe to say he is still separated from the Lord.

But, God justifying the ungodly is not the final aspect of salvation we live through as Christians. As Christians we must not just stop at Justification, Imputation, Adoption, and such in our praise to God. We must remember that God is transforming us into the image of Christ. He is working through His ordained means to make us see His glory and thus take his likeness. In Christ we are new creations The old is gone and all things are new(2 Cor 5:17). Our inner nature is being renewed day by day ( 2 Cor 4:16). We with unveiled faces are beholding the glory of the Lord and thus being transformed into the sane image (2 Cor 3: 18). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, righteousness in being formed in us. Having been set free from the slavery of sin we have become obedient from the heart (Rom 6:17). God has began a work in us, this is what we call sanctification.

But I have a tendency to miss this. I get so caught up in fighting to understand justification and the other aspects that surround it that I miss seeing God's glory in my sanctification. This issue was brought to my attention by one of my pastors, Ryan Fullerton at Immanuel Baptist Church. For those of us that really see the truth of God reconciling sinners to Himself and all that goes into it, we can miss God's work inside of us.

This is clearly seen in the fact that we will decry our sinful state and give little to no praise for the righteousness being formed in us. We continually put or wickedness and weakness before our eyes saying to ourselves what sinners we are.

Let me clarify, like I stated at first, the truth of repentance and seeing the grace and might of our Savior is essential for the Christian. Do not take me as saying we should never look at the sin we were in and the sin we are in right now. We cannot adequately praise God for our deliverance if we do not see the truth of our wickedness.

Yet, the truth of our wickedness should never eclipse the truth of God conquest over the sin in us. We should see God's work in us today and praise Him for it. If we do not behold the righteousness that is coming from us because of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, we do not praise God adequately either! We miss the wonderful work He is doing in our sanctification. We should purpose to see the obedience coming from our heart to bring praise to our Lord for His work in us.

This is not a call to see good things coming from us for the purpose of building ourselves up. The reason we should see the righteousness coming from us is to praise the God that gives the righteousness. We do this so that we praise God for all aspects of salvation. From election to glorification and every thing in between. Let us not miss the greatness, mercy, and glory of God is our sanctification.

Jonathan Edwards on Grace

These are short sections taken from Jonathan Edwards' sermon, The Grace of God.

When we were alien, it came to this: either we must die eternally or the Son of God must spill His blood: either we or God's own Son must suffer God's wrath, one of the two; either miserable worms of the dust that had deserved it or the glorious, amiable, beautiful, and innocent Son of God. The fall of man brought it to this; it must be determined one way or the other and it was determined by the strangely free and boundless grace of God that His own Son should die so that the offending worms might be freed and set at liberty from their punishment, and that justice might make them happy. Here is the grace indeed; well may we shout. "Grace, grace!" at this.

And besides, God did not do this for friends, but for enemies and haters of Him. He did not do it for loyal subjects, but for rebels. He did not do it for those who were His children, but for the children of the devil. He did not do it for those who were excellent, but for those who were more hateful than toads or vipers. He did not it for those who could in any way be profitable or advantageous to Him, but for those who were so weak that, instead of profiting God, they were not able in the least to help themselves.

What a vast difference is there between a poor, miserable sinner, full of sin and condemned to hellfire, and a saint shining forth in robes of glory and crown of victory and triumph; but no less difference than this made in the same man by the grace of God in Christ.

Alas, miserable creatures that we are, instead of the gift of God offered in the gospel's not being great enough for us, we are not worthy of anything at all. We are less than the least of all God's mercies. Instead of deserving the dying Son of God, we are not worthy of the least crumb of bread, the least drop of water, or the least ray of light. Instead of Christ's not having done enough for us by dying in such pain and ignominy, we are not worthy that He should so much as look on us instead of shedding His blood. We are not worthy that Christ should once make an offer of the least benefit instead of His so long urging us to be eternally happy.

Let those who have been made partakers of this free and glorious grace of God spend their lives much in praise and hallelujahs to God for the wonders of His mercy in their redemption.

Consider that great part of your happiness in heaven, to all eternity, will consist in praising God for His free and glorious grace in redeeming you. And if you would spend more time about it on earth, you would find this world would be much more of a heaven to you than it is. Therefore, do nothing while you live but speak and think and live God's praises.

The Minister and Fame

I thought I would post his section of a sermon by the Prince of Preachers regarding ministers and fame. It is focused on minsters but all of us should search our own hearts and see if any wicked way is in our heart.



Let a man, for instance, be called to the great work of preaching the gospel. He is successful; God helped him; thousands wait at his feet, and multitudes hang upon his lips; as truly as that man is a man, he will have a tendency to be exalted above measure, and too much will he begin to look to himself, and too little to his God. Let men speak who know, and what they know let them speak; and they will say, "It is true, it is most true." If God gives us a special mission, we generally begin to take some honor and glory to ourselves. But in review of the eminent saints of God, have you never observed how God has made them feel that he was God, and beside him there was none else? Poor Paul might have thought himself a god, and been puffed up above measure, by reason of the greatness of his revelation, had not there been a thorn in the flesh. But Paul could feel that he was not a god, for he had a thorn in the flesh, and gods could not have thorns in the flesh. Sometimes God teaches the minister, by denying him help on special occasions. We come up into our pulpits and say, "oh! I wish I could have a good day to-day!" We begin to labor; we have been just as earnest in prayer, and just as indefatigable; but it is like a blind horse turning round a mill, or like Samson with Delilah: we shake our vain limbs with vast surprise, "make feeble fight," and win no victories. We are made to see that the Lord is God, and that beside him there is none else. Very frequently God teaches this to the minister, leading him to see his own sinful nature. He will have such an insight into his own wicked and abominable heart, that he will feel as he comes up the pulpit stairs that he does not deserve so much as to sit in his pew, much less to preach to his fellows. Although we feel always joy in the declaration of God's Word, yet we have known what it is to totter on the pulpit steps, under a sense that the chief of sinners should scarcely be allowed to preach to others. Ah! beloved, I do not think he will be very successful as a minister who is not taken into the depths and blackness of his own soul, and made to exclaim, "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." There is another antidote which God applies in the case of ministers. If he does not deal with them personally, he raises up a host of enemies, that it may be seen that he is God, and God alone. An esteemed friend sent me, yesterday, a valuable old Ms. of one of George Whitefield's hymns which was sung on Kennington Common. It is a splendid hymn, thoroughly Whitefieldian all through. It showed that his reliance was wholly on the Lord, and that God was within him. What! will a man subject himself to the calumnies of the multitude, will he toil and work day after day unnecessarily, will he stand up Sabbath after Sabbath and preach the gospel and have his name maligned and slandered, if he has not the grace of God in him? For myself, I can say, that were it not that the love of Christ constrained me, this hour might be the last that I should preach, so far as the ease of the thing is concerned. "Necessity is laid upon us; yea, woe is unto us if we preach not the gospel." But that opposition through which God carries his servants, leads them to see at once that he is God, and that there is none else. If every one applauded, if all were gratified, we should think ourselves God; but, when they hiss and hoot, we turn to our God, and cry,

"If on my face, for thy dear name,

Shame and reproach should be,

I'll hail reproach and welcome shame,

If thou'lt remember me."

From the sermon, Sovereignty and Salvation.

Books for School

(Note: This post has been updated!)

Well, here is the reading list for this semester. It is much lighter then last semester. Hopefully I can get in some of my own reading. Without further ado, here they are...

For Worldviews II:

The God Who is There, by Francis Schaeffer.

I actually did not have to by this book, I got it as a Christmas present. I do have to confess...I have never read anything by Schaeffer before. (but the blood of Christ covers all sins!) I am looking forward to digging into one of Schaeffer's works.

The Universe Next Door, by James Sire

From the looks of this book it is a overview of the dominate worldviews of today. Should be a good read.

(*updated)

A World of Difference, by Kenneth Richard Samples

Well, the MacArthur book did not exist! The people at the book store got things mixed up. On the self where the books for classes are little cards hang above them listing what books go to which classes. The card above this worldviews book got the book and the author switched around. The book used last semester was by MacArthur but the book used now is call A World of Difference. They just mixed up title and author. Any way, it still looks like a great read.

English II:

A Manual for Writers of research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 7th edition.

A book to turn to if I don't know how to write.

Style Towards Clarity and Grace, by Joseph M. Williams.

Looks pretty good. I am (as all my readers can attest to) need to be a better writer. So I am looking forward to going through such books.

(*updated)

Math:

Topics in Contemporary Mathematics. 9th edition.

Well the free book did not work out, they have switched to a new edition than used the past years. Thus my friends gift, sadly, proved useless. But I was still able to get the book of Amazon for around $40. which is fantastic compared to $133!

Ancient Near Eastern History:

Holman Bible Atlas.

And I picked up some books that had nothing to do with classes but got anyway,

Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof

Institiutes of the Christian Religion, by John Calvin.

Back to Bocye

Well I am off to school again. I head back Friday, returning to my studies and friends.

God has blessed me over the break with a car. it is hard living away from home in total dependence on someone else to drive you around. More than once I was left with out a ride to some where I needed to be. Out of no where my cousin wants to sell here old car. She needs to get rid of it more than make money. So whatever was left on the car payment was the selling price, $2000. This was a very good deal for what the car was. So, God provide for me in my time of need.

It has been neat to see how the Lord has provided for me. The money I have made from work over the break is just enough to license my car and supply me books for class. The Lord is truly good.

I am going to try my best to keep up with posting. But there is a war of priorities. Do I post something or get further along in a reading assignment. The school assignment usually wins. But I am going to try my best to get some stuff up now and then.

Some Guidance on Guidance

Lydia Brownback shares some very wise words from Ray Pritchard on guidance over at The Purple Cellar.

A Puzzeling Dilemma

More on the robotics topic. Dr. Russel Moore gave this ethical dilemma question to his Introduction to Christian Ethics class. I found it quiet interesting and thought provoking. Read it and see if you can come up with an answer.

Hero of the Month

My good friend Steve Weaver has written an article on Albert Mohler. I found this to be a good overview of Mohler's life, his stand at Southern, and his continued labors for the faith.

Devoted to the service of His Temple

I have just finished the book, Devoted to the service of the Temple: Piety, Persecution, and the Ministry in the Writings of Hercules Collins. Edited by Michael A. G. Haykins and Steve Weaver. I found great encouragement in this little book. Most of it is the writings of the Baptist Minister Hercules Collins with a brief overview of his life at the beginning of the book.

Hercules Collins was a Calvinistic Baptist Minister in England, from 1675 to His death in 1702. This was a very turbulent time in the country. Protestants were put in jail or put to death for their beliefs.

In the mist of this, Hercules Collins was one of those who were thrown in jail. What a testimony is given by the man who stilled poured his heart out to his flock while being in bondage. Many of the writings in this book are from things he wrote while in prison. His faith was steadfast at this time saying with out doubt, "God is as good in prison as out." (page. 52) We can all learn from a man who willing suffers for the cause of Christ and who's trust is firm in God's sovereignty.

And [I] doubt not but God and his interest are served by my confinement as by my liberty, and am not without hopes that I shall preach as loudly and as effectually by imprisonment for Christ as ever I did at liberty, [and] that all those who observe God's providential dealings, will be able to say with me hereafter, as holy Paul once said in his bonds at Rome, what hath befallen me, hath tended to "the furtherance of the gospel." (page 35-36)

This book was a great encouragement to my faith. To read the writings of a faithful, Bible saturated, preacher who stood firm in the misted of trial and persecution is a blessing amongst the greatest.

More on Kenya

Tim Challies linked to this post by Mike Delorenzo, a Missionary in Eastern Africa. He gives an insider and personal account of all the pain he is going through by the riots in Kenya and the troubles in his own family.

Mike also links to the best report, written by our news, on what is going on over in Kenya.

No babies, No problem! (So they say...)

Well, I guest this is one answer to a falling population of children as reported by the Washington Post. Just build robots to complete tasks that would be done by the young.


Japan, like many other countries, is paying the cost for rejecting the Biblical view of sex, children, and motherhood. Because Japanese women are dodging motherhood, there is no up coming generation to take the place of the departing generation. Numerous jobs will not be filled and the general population is going to decline. From the report by the Washington Post,

Within 50 years, the population, now 127 million, will fall by a third, the government projects. Within a century, two-thirds of the population will be gone. That would leave Japan, now the world's second-largest economy, with about 42 million people.

With these figures Japan is in for a ruff future.

The reasons for the decreasing population is two fold according to the report, Negative look on immigration and decrease in motherhood.

But what testimony is given by a nation unable to grow by itself. Immigration helps, but when the citizens of a nation cannot reproduce, it is a very clear message that something is wrong.

If Japanese women do marry and have children, they drop out of the workforce at far higher rates than women in other wealthy countries. The primary reason is because they cannot find affordable day care, according to Matsui and many others.

So according to the experts in Japan, If quality childcare was offered more women would become mothers. Or maybe the reason is a diminished view of motherhood?

Now I don't know this issue in-depth, But I believe that the Bible does provide an answer to this. A reclaimed vision of the beauty and glory of parenthood and children.

Today's world tells women that their value is found in what they accomplish in a career outside the home. With a broad side attack from feminism. Women are pressured to forget about the home and find a job else where. It is also apparent form the article that materialism is affecting the picture as well. Women want money over children.

Unlike the world, the Bible paints a different picture of what women (and men as well) should strive for to get satisfaction: To know and follow the living God. The main problem in Japan, as well as the world, comes from a misplaced focus on true happiness. Money, prestige, material gain, and many more things are raised up as fulfillments of the longings in people's heart.

Be appalled, O heavens, at this;be shocked, be utterly desolate,declares the Lord, for my people have committed two evils:they have forsaken me,the fountain of living waters,and hewed out cisterns for themselves,broken cisternsthat can hold no water. (Jer 2:12-13)

There is no fountain that can satisfy but the living God! There is nothing that can fill the empty heart accept God. We are made to know and worship God. Not any God that we construct. We must look to His revelation of Himself, The Bible. for in the Bible God has revealed is eternal character. And from that character he as revealed to us the standard by which we are to live and conduct ourselves.

Because we know Him as good, we can see that His ways are wonderful and good. For His laws reflect His character. Therefore, His commandments are not burdensome but are the means to true, lasting joy. our joy is found is being well pleasing to Him because we love Him.So what does God say about women's main task? What should women be striving for?

and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. (Titus 2: 4-5)

God's plan for women is to show his glory by putting their husband and children before themselves. Their goal is not to achieve a high paying career, but serve the Lord by nurturing and building the home. having and raising kids is not to be looked at as a burden to endure but a gift to rejoice in!

Do note, I am not saying that women should not get a job outside the home. I don't believe that is the meaning of this passage. But, the meaning is about the priorities. Which is first, the career or the kids? Is a woman's goal to make herself known in the business world? Or is her a means to complete her main mission which is to love her husband and children?

That is where things have gone wrong in this world. Women have put their careers above their families. If they have children it is suppose to aid their careers. But in fact children to do not do such a thing. So, as the happenings in Japan prove, when women put their jobs over the prospect of having kids, more than likely they will not have kids. (But of course, if they had a place to dump their kids off so they could have a career then they might start having kids.That is why some experts are blaming the problem on the lack of childcare).

I do find it interesting and frightening where feminism is taking mankind. Feminism is a world view that is causing robots to be implemented because there is no children to fulfill the fictions of a working economic society.

Because God has shown light in our darkened soul, revealing the glorious nature of his work on the cross and of his person. We gladly follow Him where every He leads. May the happenings in Japan warn us of the cost of forsaking God's laws.

The Terror in Kenya

What horrific actions are happening in Kenya. What once was a stable democracy is now the scene of violence and blood shed. Protesters welding machetes have set fire to whatever they can reach. What is happening over there should put pain in all our hearts.

From what I have read, it all happened over the election of Mwai Kibaki as president. Charges of a rigged election sprang up against his win. What followed is the horrific scene we see today. Rioters filled the streets waving machetes and seting buildings and homes on fire. Over 300 people have been killed in the midst of the riots.

But all of this shows us some truths about this world.

This, of course, shows the depravity of mankind. What once was peaceful is now in violent chaos. Kenya was one of the most stable democracoes in Africa. But stablity is far from what we see now. Why, because of people. The wickedness that dwells in each of our hearts is enough to remove any peace and stability in this world. Evil is not an outside problem. It is in the very core of ourselves. There is no such thing as a stable country where there is no fear of anarchy. Kenya shows that clearly. man is always just a few steps way from destruction. We need to be reminded that no peace will before in man. The only peace that can bring hope to man is the reign of Christ brought to us by His shed blood. Man will never find peace by any means that he can devise. Only when we rest in the peace that Christ gives us with God can we have true peace. For that is the only answer to the evil inside each of us.

Italso struck me in how democracy is not the salvation of man either. Lest we forget, no government of man can bring true peace either. Democracy is not the answer to the evil of man. Kenya proves this clearly. Democracy, run by frail sinful men is just as prone to fall as a monarchy ruled by a sinner. Governments by men will never give us true peace. There is only one government, one King that can squelch any diversion from His kingdom and rule in absolute righteousness, justice, and love. When Christ returns to remove evil forever, then we will have true peace on earth.

What a testimony to the fact that salvation will not be found in man or the government systems that he implores. Real salvation from sin and destruction is only found in the name of Jesus Christ.

Our hearts should be filled with sorrow over the what is happening in Kenya. We should be willing to extend or prayers and any aid that we can. But this should make us remember that we seek a differed home then this world. We look to a city whose builder and founder is God (Heb 11:10). And our only answer to the sin that is at our very core is an act 2000 years ago on a cross.

Mohler for President!

Pastor Robert Jeffress has declared that he will nominate Albert Mohler for the next President of the SBC.