A Tale of 2 Stories

You have heard you can't have your cake and eat it too. As a Bible believing Christian ( is there any other kind) sometimes I don't agree with some of the endorsements that our Government  promote be it local, provincial or federal. However sense we live in a free world and I totally hold to having a free exchange of ideas and open debates , I say bring it . The truth has no fear of debate. 

So when our local governments decide to have a Gay pride event or endorse a march by having the mayor or local politician visibly be there or fly a flag , I may not agree but it is their right. 

So when a mayor decided to declare a right to life day , the daggers that came out from the left and womens groups were nasty. The cries and howls stated he was abusing his power by endorsing the pro life position and therefore misusing his office as a elected official.But here is the deal , if a town or mayor can fly a flag that symbolizes Gay pride and the lifestyle it represents, then  a Mayor who is pro life has the right to publicly throw his support for a cause he believes in.

Granted Christians have spoke out against the endorsement  of gay marriage or the GLADD days and that is fine , for it is a free country. That is the point. If you are going to force a view point by flying a flag or declaring its gay pride week and have elected officials speak for it etc.. then a Christian most have the right to do the very same thing . 

But this world hates God's  truth so it was not a surprise to see the double standard . I'm glad this man had the courage to stand firm. May we have the courage as well to stand against this evil of abortion , no matter the threats that may be hurled at us. 

Things I loved as a Kid

Comics are making a bit of a comeback as of late. Propelled by the success of numerous big screen  movies over the last decade , interest is rising. 

I grew up loving comics.Something I have commented on before. There was a whole Friday night ritual . It was so cool getting home and sitting down with my pepsi or coke and a bag of chips and enter Gotham or Asgard etc.. and just enjoy the adventures of some of my favorite heroes. The funny thing is , my collection probably had over 10000 thousand dollars in value today. But one cannot cry over comics.

The value to me really is irrelevant. They were fun to read . Now I have started to collect some of my favorite titles again and the cool thing is , they are being reproduced so they are affordable for those like me , who jut want to enjoy reading them again. My favorite era is from about mid 60's to the late 80's . I don't really care too much for the "new" ones. They are too grown up if you get my drift.

I find it really cool as well that my son Jordan is getting into it as well . What I find funny , when I first started school and kids were being taught see Spot run , I was hiding my Spidey in my scribbler (getting caught sometimes) . Go find one of those comics of that era (late 60"s) and tell me they were not a great way to get boys reading. Yes they had great art work but the dialog used words far cooler and superior than the junk we had to read. The heroes were honest,brave,loyal,sacrificing and just , well , awesome. Whats wrong with that ? So if you have young boys , find some old comics and I bet he will love reading them. Better still , read them with him.

A Scary Prayer

[23] Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
[24] And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
(Psalm 139:23-24 ESV)


Last week I went into to get blood work . This week I will go to the doctor and get the results . The reason one gets regular blood work and checkups , often something that is physically off cannot be felt or detected without someone examining the inner workings . You leave this in the hands of professionals . You hope your doctor can listen to your heart,lungs and know if something is off. The same for the lab techs who have been trained to use their training to see what your blood reveals.

With ones spiritual life , the same can be said. Often we go through the motions. Reading our Bible , doing basic prayer , attend Church , listen to the sermon , go to small group and think , things are all good. But sometimes we are so close we cannot see if there is something off with our lives.

The Psalmist ask God to search him,to check out his heart .To check his spiritual blood pressure if you will and see if something is off. This type of prayer is both healthy to seek and dangerous. Healthy because we need times of reflection and by asking God to reveal our sins that we are either hiding or in denial , will lead us to repentance . Plus its dangerous because we may have things revealed to us that may be hard to see and we may not like what is revealed.

So if sins are opened before your eyes , deal with honestly and confess them to the Lord . Trust in the finished work of Christ and believe the promise that God will lead you in the everlasting way.

Too much self examination is not healthy but as this portion of Psalm 139 reveals , a proper Biblical taking stock is not a bad thing. Trust God to do His work , you will not be left wanting.

Clinging to the Cross

Is this not our only hope , the cross of Christ. At the cross my sin was paid . Through the resurrection I'm raised with Christ , justified .  

Verse Of The Day  :   [18] For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
(1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV)

Catechism Friday

Heidelberg Catechism (1576 A.D.)

One day late , but as they have batter late than never.

79. Q. Why then does Christ call the bread His body and the cup His blood, or the new covenant in His blood, and why does Paul speak of a participation in the body and blood of Christ?

A. Christ speaks in this way for a good reason: He wants to teach us by His supper that as bread and wine sustain us in this temporal life, so His crucified body and shed blood are true food and drink for our souls to eternal life.[1] But, even more important, He wants to assure us by this visible sign and pledge, first, that through the working of the Holy Spirit we share in His true body and blood as surely as we receive with our mouth these holy signs in remembrance of Him,[2] and, second, that all His suffering and obedience are as certainly ours as if we personally had suffered and paid for our sins.[3]

[1] John 6:51, 55. [2] I Cor. 10:16, 17; 11:26. [3] Rom. 6:5-11.

80. Q. What difference is there between the Lord's supper and the papal mass?

A. The Lord's supper testifies to us, first, that we have complete forgiveness of all our sins through the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which He Himself accomplished on the cross once for all;[1] and, second, that through the Holy Spirit we are grafted into Christ,[2] who with His true body is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father,[3] and this is where He wants to be worshipped.[4] But the mass teaches, first, that the living and the dead do not have forgiveness of sins through the suffering of Christ unless He is still offered for them daily by the priests; and, second, that Christ is bodily present in the form of bread and wine, and there is to be worshipped.  Therefore the mass is basically nothing but a denial of the one sacrifice and suffering of Jesus Christ, and an accursed idolatry.

[1] Matt. 26:28; John 19:30; Heb. 7:27; 9:12, 25, 26; 10:10-18. [2] I Cor. 6:17; 10:16, 17. [3] Joh. 20:17; Acts 7:55, 56; Heb. 1:3; 8:1. [4] John 4:21-24; Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:1; I Thess. 1:10.

81. Q. Who are to come to the table of the Lord?

A. Those who are truly displeased with themselves because of their sins and yet trust that these are forgiven them and that their remaining weakness is covered by the suffering and death of Christ, and who also desire more and more to strengthen their faith and amend their life. But hypocrites and those who do not repent eat and drink judgment upon themselves.[1]

[1] I Cor. 10:19-22; 11:26-32.

82. Q. Are those also to be admitted to the Lord's supper who by their confession and life show that they are unbelieving and ungodly?

A. No, for then the covenant of God would be profaned and His wrath kindled against the whole congregation.[1] Therefore, according to the command of Christ and His apostles, the Christian church is duty-bound to exclude such persons by the keys of the kingdom of heaven, until they amend their lives.

[1] Ps. 50:16; Is. 1:11-17; I Cor. 11:17-34.

83. Q. What are the keys of the kingdom of heaven?

A. The preaching of the holy gospel and church discipline. By these two the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers and closed to unbelievers.[1]

[1] Matt. 16:19; John 20:21-23.

84. Q. How is the kingdom of heaven opened and closed by the preaching of the gospel?

A. According to the command of Christ, the kingdom of heaven is opened when it is proclaimed and publicly testified to each and every believer that God has really forgiven all their sins for the sake of Christ's merits, as often as they by true faith accept the promise of the gospel.  The kingdom of heaven is closed when it is proclaimed and testified to all unbelievers and hypocrites that the wrath of God and eternal condemnation rest on them as long as they do not repent.  According to this testimony of the gospel, God will judge both in this life and in the life to come.[1]

[1] Matt. 16:19; John 3:31-36; 20:21-23.

85. Q. How is the kingdom of heaven closed and opened by church discipline?

A. According to the command of Christ, people who call themselves Christians but show themselves to be unchristian in doctrine or life are first repeatedly admonished in a brotherly manner.  If they do not give up their errors or wickedness, they are reported to the church, that is, to the elders.  If they do not heed also their admonitions, they are forbidden the use of the sacraments, and they are excluded by the elders from the Christian congregation, and by God Himself from the kingdom of Christ.[1] They are again received as members of Christ and of the church when they promise and show real amendment.[2]

[1] Matt. 18:15-20; I Cor. 5:3-5; 11-13; II Thess. 3:14, 15. [2] Luke 15:20-24; II Cor. 2:6-11.

Sometimes You Need To Hear This Word ,Forgiven

[Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God]
[TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN NATHAN THE PROPHET WENT TO HIM, AFTER HE HAD GONE IN TO BATHSHEBA.]
[51:1] Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
[2] Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
[3] For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
[4] Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
[5] Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
[6] Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
[7] Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
[8] Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
[9] Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
[10] Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
[11] Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
[12] Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
[13] Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
[14] Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
[15] O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
[16] For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
[17] The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
[18] Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
[19] then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

This Psalm has been rattling around in my head today . So the song truly fits. Sometimes I long to hear the word forgiven. RC Sproul has said that even though the practice of confessing to a Priest and having him absolve your sins , saying your forgiven is not biblical at all , to hear someone say after confessing your sins , your forgiven , are sweet words to hear.  But as he also pointed out , we can hear those words when  we confess our sins to our Lord and recall these words ,  [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:9 ESV)  May we not confess when we sin , and trust  in His grace to renew us ,change us and purify us. He is a all sufficient  Saviour .

That Dirty Word

If you want to say a dirty word in Church to get a rise our of many people or to get a small group to look at you in shock and horror that your mouth could utter such a word , I have one for you. Are you ready for it , hope your sitting down , doctrine. OK I said it ,are you turning red yet?

In all seriousness if you mention the importance of and need of sound doctrine , some people look at you as if you have two heads. I have heard it divides , not unites , it leads to arrogance and  is cold . That its not practical. Plus the these two classics ,  all we need is just Jesus and the Bible.The first Christians didn't line up to study or know doctrine.

 The basic definition  of doctrine - a : something that is taught b : a principle or position or the body of principles in a branch of knowledge or system of belief. Merriam-Webster 

In reality doctrine is a basic core of beliefs that is taught. Once one assents to be a Christian ,  in the normal pattern of growth will enter into reading and studying the Bible,attending Church to hear preaching , join a small group and whether they realize it or not , begin to learn doctrine. Doctrine is the anchor that gives a believer strength to walk in this world and defend the gospel .

Those who say all they need is Jesus , ignore the very aspect of what Jesus calls us to be and do. We are to embrace His truth , that truth is the word of God. In the word it reveals who God is , what He has done and is doing . To open the word is to engage in doctrine, To say that teaching doctrine is not present in the Bible is to ignore what God has said . In fact Paul even makes the ability of teaching sound doctrine as a absolute task of the pastor(read through the Pastoral Epistles).

It is true that doctrine became clear and systematized once the canon of scripture was closed and established.
Once the Holy Spirit finished His task of inspiring the men called to be used to give us God's word , then once  the canon was established , it would naturally lead to doctrines to be established and taught. Doctrine is the life blood of a healthy church and a healthy Christian .

Doctrine at its very core is knowing God . In knowing Him should not leave one cold or create division (false teaching does that) but anchor your soul when deception comes your way and give you peace when storms assail you. So don't be afraid of that dirty word but find some good books that will help you grow in God's word and your faith.

Recommended Books : Knowing God -J.I Packer , The Christian Life -Sinclair Ferguson , Essentials of the Christian Faith - RC Sproul

Verse Of The Day  :   [2:1] But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.
                               (Titus 2:1 ESV)