The scope of biblical commands

Excerpts below originally posted by Scott Ransom on the Baptist Board. I found them interesting.

"...a few guiding hermeneutical principles for determining the scope of biblical commands.

"Interpret imperatives in light of their literary genre. A specific context may contain both timeless and temporary forms... The principle of

"Use of imperatives of the Bible is enduring for us if:
*it is addressed to an enduring audience
*it is based on a permanent relationship
*it is repeated, especially transculturally
*it is supported by prescriptive, and not merely descriptive, passages
*it is supported without abusing its literary genre
*it is taught as principle, not merely a manifestation of a principle"

Thoughts?

Cowper & Newton hymns

JERICHO; Or, The waters healed.
2Ki 2:19-22

Though Jericho pleasantly stood,
And looked like a promising soil;
The harvest produced little food,
To answer the husbandman's toil.
The water some property had,
Which poisonous proved to the ground;
The springs were corrupted and bad,
The streams spread a barrenness round.

But soon by the cruse and the salt,
Prepared by Elisha's command,
The water was cured of its fault,
And plenty enriched the land:
An emblem sure this of the grace
On fruitless dead sinners bestowed;
For man is in Jericho's case,
Till cured by the mercy of God.

How noble a creature he seems!
What knowledge, invention and skill!
How large and extensive his schemes!
How much can he do if he will!
His zeal to be learned and wise,
Will yield to no limits or bars;
He measures the earth and the skies,
And numbers and marshals the stars.

Yet still he is barren of good;
In vain are his talents and art;
For sin has infected his blood,
And poisoned the streams of his heart:
Though cockatrice eggs he can hatch,
Is 54:5
Or, spider-like, cobwebs can weave;
'Tis madness to labor and watch
For what will destroy or deceive.

But grace, like the salt in the cruse,
When cast in the spring of the soul;
A wonderful change will produce,
Diffusing new life through the whole:
The wilderness blooms like a rose,
The heart which was vile and abhorred;
Now fruitful and beautiful grows,
The garden and joy of the Lord.

John Newton (1725-1807) Olney Hymns, 1779

The covenant.
Ezek 36:25-28

The Lord proclaims His grace abroad!
"Behold, I change your hearts of stone;
Each shall renounce his idol god,
And serve, henceforth, the Lord alone.

"My grace, a flowing stream, proceeds
To wash your filthiness away;
Ye shall abhor your former deeds,
And learn My statutes to obey.

"My truth the great design ensures,
I give Myself away to you;
You shall be Mine, I will be yours,
Your God unalterably true.

"Yet not unsought or unimplored,
The plenteous grace I shall confer;
No-your whole hearts shall seek the Lord,
I'll put a praying spirit there.

"From the first breath of life divine
Down to the last expiring hour,
The gracious work shall all be Mine,
Begun and ended in My pow'r."

William Cowper (1731-1800) Olney Hymns, 1779

The Contemplation of God

Excerpt from the Shreveport Grace Church bulletin:

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1)

God’s love is –

Eternal – it is without beginning and end. (Jer 31:3)

Sovereign – it is without external influence. (Eph 1:4)

Immutable –it is without change. (Rom 8:35)

Gracious – it is without condition. (Jn 3:16)

By T. David Simpson

Manna

MANNA. Ex 16:18

Manna to Israel well supplied
The want of other bread;
While God is able to provide,
His people shall be fed.

(Thus though the corn and wine should fail,
And creature-streams be dry;
The prayer of faith will still prevail,
For blessings from on high.)

Of his kind care how sweet a proof!
It suited every taste;
Who gathered most, had just enough,
Enough, who gathered least.

'Tis thus our gracious Lord provides
Our comforts and our cares;
His own unerring hand provides,
And gives us each our shares.

He knows how much the weak can bear,
And helps them when they cry;
The strongest have no strength to spare,
For such he'll strongly try.

Daily they saw the Manna come,
And cover all the ground;
But what they tried to keep at home,
Corrupted soon was found.

Vain their attempt to store it up,
This was to tempt the Lord;
Israel must live by faith and hope,
And not upon a hoard.

John Newton (1725-1807)
Olney Hymns, 1779

Pulpit Freedom Sunday

I heard on the radio that today is "Pulpit Freedom Sunday". I looked it up, and this is part of the Alliance Defense Fund's Pulpit Initiative started in 2008. Its stated goal is the repeal of the 1954 "Johnson amendment" to the tax code. Johnson was a crafty fellow who snuck this in to keep certain charitable organizations from supporting his opponent. The idea behind the amendment is that organizations granted tax exemption should not intervene in political campaigns: "all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office." This applies to all 501(c)(3) organizations, whether or not they are churches.

The "Johnson amendment" is supported by organizations such as the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, who in turn oppose "Pulpit Freedom Sunday".

The ADF hopes that by pastors violating the tax code, it will lead to a lawsuit/lawsuits which we eventually overturn the "Johnson amendment" as unconstitutional. Interestingly, the group supporting preachers not being told by the government what to preach tells preachers what to preach on "Pulpit Freedom Sunday"! This is, of course, necessary for them to get in a proper violation in order to get sued. On the other hand, Americans United for the Separation of Church & State are trolling for violations so they can report to the IRS and get those perpetrators' tax exemptions revoked. Yes, they apparently "think a lot" of each church's religious freedoms!?

The way I see it, there is a lot of misinformation all around. First, some churches and preachers have misunderstood that the discussion of moral issues such as abortion and homosexuality are prohibited. Thus far, the violation of this tax code has only been applied to indorsing candidates and parties, and not to taking sides on moral issues. Herein is the rub. Some churches believe that taking a stand against a certain candidate IS a moral issue.

Two things I see:

1. The legal side. Freedom of speech is clearly constitutional. But is it a constitutional freedom to be exempt from taxes? I'm no constitutional scholar and can't answer that question. Apparently for the first 175 years or so, our country thought it was or had not thought about it at all. In 1954 that changed, largely due to a clever politician. My take is that any preacher and church who feels strongly enough about this should do what they feel is right, and if they lose the tax exemption do what they believe is right regardless.

2. The biblical side. What are we called to do? Are we called to preach the gospel or get into politics? Will politics and government change our world for the better, or will Jesus Christ, the gospel and the Word of God? We are called to preach -- which includes moral issues -- but often we exchange our birthright of preaching for a mess of political porridge.

From the legal/constitutional angle, I favor preachers and churches being free from the tax code and free to preach what they believe, even where it intersects politics and even where I disagree with them.

From the biblical angle, we have plenty to preach and teach from the Word of God to keep us busy for the rest of lives without entering the political arena of parties and candidates. If we faithfully preach this we will have touched on every angle of every issue, for the Word of God throughly furnishes us unto all good works.

A people named "Sue"

Kidnap victim Jaycee Dugard has filed suit against the federal government for failing to properly monitor her captor, Phillip Garrido, who was on parole.

A West Palm Beach, Florida couple was awarded $4.5 million in a “wrongful birth” law suit. They claimed certina medical professionals were negligent, not finding or telling them that their child had no arms and only one leg. They say if they would have known they would have aborted the baby. They found a 6-person jury who agreed with them.

And the latest, three people in Bastrop County, TX are suing (s l o w d o w n and read c a r e f u l l y) Bluebonnet Electric because dead tree limbs fell on their power lines and started the raging wildfire in the area.

Our world has gone lawsuit crazy. In the first case, of Jaycee Dugard, I can feel sympathy. If only... But still the suit shifts the blame from where it really lies -- Phillip Garrido and his wife -- to someone who probably has deeper pockets. In the second case, the newly wealthy couple accepts no responsibility for the baby THEY created and shifts the blame to the medical profession. Perhaps folks who gave birth 50 or 60 years can find someone to sue because there weren't any sonograms/ultrasounds/whatever available to them at the time. (And we should not fail to notice that the couple intended to use the information to commit murder). And Bastrop County, in Texas no less, the power company is now responsible for what used to be called "acts of God". I suppose the lawyer couldn't figure out how to sue God!! Why not try -- all the gold and silver is His and the cattle on a thousand hills.

3 hymns

Months, days and hours shall pass away
Blending in one eternal day.
The Christian's hope shall be his store
When time shall be no more.
R. L. Vaughn, 2011
____________________

Psalm 102:3. 25-28. Third Part
Man's mortality and Christ's eternity; or,
Saints die, but Christ and the church live.

It is the Lord our Saviour's hand
Weakens our strength amidst the race;
Disease and death at his command
Arrest us, and cut short our days.

Spare us, O Lord, aloud we pray,
Nor let our sun go down at noon:
Thy years are one eternal day,
And must thy children die so soon?

Yet in the midst of death and grief
This thought our sorrow shall assuage,
"Our Father and our Saviour live;
"Christ is the same thro' every age."

'Twas he this earth's foundation laid;
Heaven is the building of his hand:
This earth grows old, these heavens shall fade,
And all be chang'd at his command.

The starry curtains of the sky
Like garments shall be laid aside;
But still thy throne stands firm and high;
Thy church for ever must abide.

Before thy face thy church shall live,
And on thy throne thy children reign;
This dying world shall they survive,
And the dead saints be rais'd again.
By Isaac Watts
____________________

How charming is the place
Where my Redeemer God
Unveils the beauties of His face,
And sheds His love abroad.

Not the fair palaces
To which the great resort,
Are once to be compared with this,
Where Jesus holds His court.

Here, on the mercy seat,
With radiant glory crowned,
Our joyful eyes behold Him sit,
And smile on all around.

To Him their prayers and cries
Each humble soul presents:
He listens to their broken sighs,
And grants them all their wants.

To them His sovereign will
He graciously imparts;
And in return accepts, with smiles,
The tribute of their hearts.

Give me, O Lord, a place
Within Thy blest abode,
Among the children of Thy grace,
The servants of my God.
1787 by Samuel Stennett

The narrow way, by Cowper

The narrow way.

What thousands never knew the road!
What thousands hate it when 'tis known!
None but the chosen tribes of God,
Will seek or choose it for their own.

A thousand ways in ruin end,
One, only, leads to joys on high;
By that my willing steps ascend,
Pleased with a journey to the sky.

No more I ask, or hope to find,
Delight or happiness below;
Sorrow may well possess the mind
That feeds where thorns and thistles grow.

The joy that fades is not for me,
I seek immortal joys above;
There, glory without end, shall be
The bright reward of faith and love.

Cleave to the world ye sordid worms,
Contented lick your native dust;
But God shall fight, with all his storms,
Against the idol of your trust.

William Cowper (1731-1800)
Olney Hymns, 1779

Huh?

We live in a world so intolerant that we can't even have the Ten Commandments on student book-covers, all the while wondering why they lie and cheat and steal and rape and kill.

Go figure.

Daniel Read complains, gets even

I enjoyed and was amused by these honest thoughts of Daniel Read.

“It is not only ungenerous but unjust to publish the works of any author without his consent.—Irritated beyond measure at the unprovoked robbery committed upon the American Singing Book by the Editor of the Worcester Collection and having no redress but by retaliation there being then no law in existance to prevent such abuses I availed myself of that opportunity to publish some peices [sic] from the Worcester Collection to which I had no right.” – Excerpt from a 1793 letter from Daniel Read to Jacob French, as printed in Music in the USA: a Documentary Companion, Judith Tick, editor, (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2008, p. 74)

The Wal-Mart of Lumber

It struck me while hunting for something in Lowe's that they are the "Wal-Mart" of lumber.

(This is not complimentary to Lowe's or Wal-Mart.)

Psalm 27, Watts

PSALM 27 PART 2 v.8,9,13,14
C. M.
Prayer and hope.

Soon as I heard my Father say,
"Ye children, seek my grace,"
My heart replied without delay,
"I'll seek my Father's face."

Let not thy face be hid from me,
Nor frown my soul away;
God of my life, I fly to thee
In a distressing day.

Should friends and kindred near and dear
Leave me to want or die,
My God would make my life his care,
And all my need supply.

My fainting flesh had died with grief
Had not my soul believed,
To see thy grace provide relief;
Nor was my hope deceived.

Wait on the Lord, ye trembling saints,
And keep your courage up;
He'll raise your spirit when it faints,
And far exceed your hope.

Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
The Psalms of David, 1719

Louisiana singing

North Central Louisiana Sacred Harp Singing meets at Ringgold, south of Minden on Saturday September 3rd, starting at 10 a.m. (d.v.). Singing is from both the “red book” and the “blue book”. The location is at New Providence Primitive Baptist Church. From Interstate 20 at Minden, take US 371 south and travel about 20 miles to Ringgold. Turn left/east on Highway 154 and go about one mile; the New Providence church and cemetery is on the left. More info: (318) 894-9549.

Y'all come.

On what has been sown

On what has now been sown
Thy blessing, Lord, bestow;
The power is Thine alone
To make it spring and grow.
Do Thou in grace the harvest raise,
And Thou alone shalt have the praise.

To Thee our wants are known,
From Thee are all our powers;
Accept what is Thine own
And pardon what is ours.
Our praises, Lord, and prayers receive
And to Thy Word a blessing give.

Oh, grant that each of us
Now met before Thee here
May meet together thus
When Thou and Thine appear
And follow Thee to Heav'n, our home.
E'en so, Amen, Lord Jesus, come!

John Newton (1725-1807)
Olney Hymns, 1779

The joy of Sacred Harp

As for me.....when I can no longer sing Sacred Harp, I want to listen. When I can no longer hear, I want to see it. When I can no longer sing, hear, or see, please wheel me in and prop me up against some old singer so I can feel it!

And when all my senses are gone, plant me under a stone engraved with four shapes and the inscription "Here lies the dust of R.L.V., his spirit sings at home."

Ye immortal throng

O ye immortal throng of angels round the throne,
Join with our feeble song, to make the Savior known:
On earth ye knew His wondrous grace;
His glorious face in Heav'n ye view.

Ye saw the Heav'n-born Child in human flesh arrayed,
Benevolent and mild while in the manger laid:
And "Praise to God, and peace on earth,"
For such a birth, proclaimed aloud.

Around the bloody tree ye pressed with strong desire
That wondrous sight to see, the Lord of life expire:
And could your eyes have known a tear,
Had dropped it there in sad surprise.

Around His sacred tomb a willing watch ye keep
Till the blest moment come to rouse Him from His sleep:
Then rolled the stone, and all adored
Your rising Lord with joy unknown.

When, all arrayed in light, the shining Conqueror rode,
Ye hailed His rapturous flight up to the throne of God,
And waved around your golden wings,
And struck your strings of sweetest sound.

The warbling notes pursue, and louder anthems raise,
While mortals sing with you their own Redeemer's praise:
And thou, my heart, with equal flame,
And joy the same, perform thy part.

Philip Doddridge (1702-1751), 1737

Prophecy and inspiration

HYMN 151, L. M.

Prophecy and inspiration.

'Twas by an order from the Lord
The ancient prophets spoke his word;
His Spirit did their tongues inspire,
And warmed their hearts with heav'nly fire.

The works and wonders which they wrought
Confirmed the messages they brought;
The prophet's pen succeeds his breath,
To save the holy words from death.

Great God, mine eyes with pleasure look
On the dear volume of thy book;
There my Redeemer's face I see,
And read his name who died for me.

Let the false raptures of the mind
Be lost, and vanish in the wind;
Here I can fix my hope secure;
This is thy word, and must endure.

Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book II, 1707

The debt ceiling fraud

If you're listening to the news at all, you've read and heard ad nauseum the hand-wringing episodes over the national debt ceiling. Now I'm no economist, and I might be wrong, but it seems to me that the so-called debt ceiling is mostly a fraud perpetrated on the U.S. public.

Why do I say that? Let me put it in simple terms that I can understand. The debt ceiling is basically a credit limit. If I apply and obtain a credit card, the lending institution sets the credit limit. I can borrow up to that amount and no more. In the case of the Congress, they are the ones borrowing and setting the credit limit. A little conflict of interest? What is the purpose of having it if they just bump it up whenever they need to? Sounds like a lot of hocus pocus to me.

Sacred Harp Singing School

If you're in Southeast Texas, take advantage of the Sacred Harp Singing School sponsored by the Florida Avenue Baptist Church and Heritage Baptist Institute. It will be at the Florida Avenue Church's fellowship hall this Saturday, July 30.

When: Starts at 10 a.m.
Book: 2006 Sacred Harp, Cooper Edition
Location: 645 W. Florida Ave.
Beaumont, TX 77705

For more information please email: sheilatx-AT-hotmail.com

A sea of comfort

(Rom. 8:28) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

"A self acclaimed minister boldly informed me some years ago that only good things work together for good: bad, evil, and sinful things, said he, could never work together for the good of the redeemed. Does this not drain dry the sea of comfort found in this verse? Where does the child of grace go for comfort when plagued with inner sin and outward trials if God does not work evil for their good?" -- From 'A Blessed Promise', Wayne Gregory, July 9, 2011