A Sheaf of Psalms

...and Hymns and Spiritual Songs.

Off-and-on over the course of about 6 or 7 years, I have quietly worked on a hymn book. I have mentioned this before to some, but most are not aware of it. I have been compiling hymns for a new words-only hymn book, and setting it up in hymn book format. It seems that I am possibly near being able to go through with printing it. These types of hymn books are not used so much today, but that would not matter if it were something churches might be interested in and could get a blessing from.

On the basis of the apostle Paul’s writing in Ephesians and Colossians, the book would be divided under three heads: I. Psalms; II. Hymns; and III. Spiritual Songs. Under the first head would be poems/hymns based on the 150 Psalms of the Old Testament, varying from metrical rearrangements of the words to paraphrases of a Psalm into New Testament language. Hopefully this might encourage a renewed commitment to singing of the Psalms. I don't hold the position of "exclusive psalmody" -- that all singing must be from the Psalms. But the arrangement will perhaps impress upon our minds that we are singing the Psalms. Other hymn books do indeed contain hymns based on the Psalms, but we are often not made aware that we are singing such. Under the second head would be hymns based on great themes of scripture (atonement, church, faith, grace, judgment, predestination, prayer, repentance, etc.), or upon particular texts of scripture. The third head would be comprised of hymns more of an experiential nature. These are intended to be in accordance with God’s word, but in them the authors relate some experience or experiences through which they have been led by God’s grace and providence. Under these three heads there are a great variety and consistency of poems touching the revelation of God, both Old and New Testament, as well as themes describing how God has continued to work among His people through this age in accord with the divine revelation.

The idea is to fill the book with hymns that are not in Benjamin Lloyd's Primitive Hymns, thereby hoping to make it profitable for use as a supplement to those who already use Lloyd's hymn book. It could supplement other hymn books as well, though it may contain some hymns in common with them. If planned correctly, there is no duplication of this new book and Lloyd's book.

Despite its design to supplement Lloyd's and mainly for use with that words-only hymn book, it could also be used as:
A primary hymn book. It certainly will serve for this, though the absence of such traditional hymns as Amazing Grace, Alas and Did My Savior Bleed, How Firm a Foundation would be quite noticeable.
A source for devotional hymn readings. It contains many old and some new hymns, from various sources.
A gift to give friends. Hopefully the type printing will make it functional and have an appealing appearance.

I am looking at printing it in soft-cover plastic-lamination double wire wrap-around, which would be durable, while allowing the pages to lay flat. The wrap-around would allow for spine printing for edge/bookshelf visibility of the title. The book would be 186 pages, 300 hymns, with first line, meter, and subject indexes, 4¼" x 7" on 60# smooth white paper. Based on the quantity I have printed, shipping, etc., it would cost anywhere from $6 to $10.

I would welcome any thoughts that any of you have.

Should Christians 'respect' other religions?

An interesting discussion of Should Christians 'respect' other religions?, by R. Albert Mohler, Jr., 5/19/2009.

California court rules on Proposition 8

"The California Supreme Court upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage Tuesday, but it also decided that the estimated 18,000 gay couples who tied the knot before the law took effect will stay wed." Read the rest of the story HERE.

What we removed

...from our wall this past weekend:

Freedom is not free.

Wishing all a happy Memorial Day. This blogger respects those Christians whose consciences allowed them to serve their country in the military when called upon, and those whose consciences would not let them serve. I don't have much respect for some who seem to have no conscience and seek to destroy the freedoms we enjoy.

Poetic blessing

May your troubles be less, your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door.

A boy, religion, parental rights and government intervention

"I feel [the judge's decision] is a blow to families," lawyer Philip Elbert said. "It marginalizes the decisions that parents face every day in regard to their children's medical care. It really affirms the role that big government is better at making our decisions for us."

Last week a Brown County (MN) District Judge ruled that 13 yr. old Daniel Hauser has been "medically neglected" by his parents. Now, this "medical neglect" is not that the parents will not give the child any treatment -- they are trying natural remedies -- but that they are not willing to submit to the specific medical treatment deemed necessary by doctors, and evidently this judge.

Daniel Hauser has Hodgkin’s disease. He and his parents are refusing treatment based on religious reasons. The boy and his mother have fled or gone into hiding. The boy because the judge has awarded his custody to Brown County. The mother because the judge has issued a warrant for her arrest for contempt of court. Police are looking for them.

Doctors claim Daniel will die if he does not receive more chemotherapy. I don't want to sound too cliché or callous, but we are all going to die -- the point being the doctors may have a good guess of what might happen, but they don't know.

All that aside, these kinds of cases are certainly emotional when we're talking about the life or death of a 13 year boy who is very sick. But should the government run roughshod over parental and religious rights? You may think this government action is OK, but what about when they come for you?

A few links to stories about this:
Daniel Hauser is Missing: Defies Court, Runs with Mother to Avoid Chemotherapy
Judge rules family can't refuse chemo for boy
Medicine, religion collide in chemo refusal

Congregational history

According to the Roman Catholic Church, "The idea that each distinct congregation fully constitutes the visible Body can, however, be traced to John Wyclif and the Lollard movement" and "The earliest literary exponent of Independence was Robert Brown, from whom the dissenters were nicknamed Brownists." [Catholic Ency.] An interesting history of Congregationalism can be found online: History of Congregationalism from about A.D. 250 to the Present Time by George Punchard (2nd edition New York, NY: Hurd and Houghton, 1865). Punchard’s history appears to disagree with the Catholic view, and I hope to get some time to look at it later.

Words have changed

Not here talking about meaning, but usage. Just reminiscing of some words we used to use around here, or used differently. I will give the word following by a dictionary definition.

Dinner - the main meal of the day, eaten in the evening or at midday. Around here older folks call the noon meal dinner and the night meal supper, while younger folks tend to call the noon meal lunch and the night meal supper. I guess the meaning hasn't changed, but which meal is the main meal of the day for most people?

Divan - a sofa or couch, often without arms or back. We always called the "couch" a "divan", but I seldom hear that anymore.

Gallery - a long porch or portico; veranda. This one was goning by the wayside by the time I came along, but the older folks still used it. I've always called a "porch" porch.

Galluses – a pair of suspenders for trousers. Another in process by the time I saw the light of day, probably because weren't many people wearing galluses anymore. When the made their comeback, slight as it was, they were suspenders.

Stoop - a small porch. Often not even much of a porch, but at least steps and a cover on them.

What words have you noticed change or gone out of common usage?

The rapid flight of Time

From The Baptist Harmony
480 P.M. Dossey's Choice.

The rapid flight of Time, and the Solemnities of Eternity.

My days, my weeks, my months, my years,
Fly rapid as the whirling spheres,
Around the steady pole;
Time, like the tide, its motion keeps,
And I must launch through boundless deeps,
Where endless ages roll.

The grave is near, the cradle seen,
How swift the moments pass between,
And whisper as they fly;
Unthinking man, remember this,
Though fond of sublunary bliss,
That you must groan and die.

My soul, attend the solemn call,
Thine earthly tent must shortly fall
And thou must take thy flight
Beyond the vast expansive blue,
To sing above as angels do.
Or sink in endless night.

Amish and Open Theism contrasted

A quote from a Yahoo News article not long after the shooting of the Amish school children near Nickel Mines: "Sam Stoltzfus, 63, an Amish woodworker who lives a few miles away from the shooting scene, said the victims' families will be sustained by their faith. 'We think it was God's plan and we're going to have to pick up the pieces and keep going, he said. 'A funeral to us is a much more important thing than the day of birth because we believe in the hereafter. The children are better off than their survivors.'"

Greg Boyd says: "When an individual inflicts pain on another individual, I do not think we can go looking for 'the purpose of God' in the event...I know Christians frequently speak about 'the purpose of God' in the midst of a tragedy caused by someone else...But this I regard to simply be a piously confused way of thinking." (Letters from a Skeptic, Colorado Springs: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1994, p. 47).

I think Amish woodworker Sam Stoltzfus understands more of God's truth than open theist theologian Greg Boyd. What do you think?

Never forget

A threat to the freedom of Americans is the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. In the Senate, its chief sponsor Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), said, "No members of society – none – deserve to be victims of a violent crime because of their race, their religion, their ethnic background, their disability, their gender, their gender identity, or their sexual orientation." (Boston Globe) Mr. Senator, who does deserve to be a victim of a violent crime? And what state does not already have laws that make violent crimes illegal and appropriately punish the acts?

Hate crimes legislation is a bogus subterfuge of pompous politicans who want to control the thoughts of their citizens and punish them for thinking a certain way. That should be obvious since the crimes that they intend to punish are already illegal and already have harsh penalties associated with them. The "hate crimes" concept is really about "thought crimes". (Perhaps we just thought the "thoughtcrime" and "thought police" in George Orwell's 1984 was futuristic fiction.)

Mr. Chappaquennedy, what were you thinking when you drove off with Mary Jo Kopechne? What were you thinking when you left her to drown? Were you ever prosecuted for what you did, much less for what you were thinking? Seems to me that Ms. Kopechne was the victim of your crime because of her sexual orientation! Physician, heal thyself.

Missing person from Austin, TX

From Texas EquuSearch:
"Kellie Hall, aka “Wednesday”, age 29, was last seen on April 25 2009 at around 12 midnight in the 7800 block of Ben White and Highway 71 in Austin, Texas.

"Kellie was last seen wearing a black tshirt, black cotton pants and tennis shoes. Please call if you have any information."

For more information:
Kellie Hall at Texas EquuSearch

Not to Sinai

Not to Sinai's dreadful blaze,
(Heb 12:18,22)
But to Zion's throne of grace,
By a way marked out with blood,
Sinners now approach to God.

Not to hear the fiery Law,
But with humble joy to draw
Water, by that well supplied,
(Isa 12:3)
JESUS opened when he died.

LORD, there are no streams but thine,
Can assuage a thirst like mine!
'Tis a thirst thyself didst give,
Let me therefore drink and live.

John Newton, Olney Hymns, 1779.

Copied

"There is something else in the record of the foot-washing which is significant and should not be overlooked. The way in which our Lord went about washing His disciples' feet dramatizes in capsule form His whole ministry of redemption. The sequence of steps taken in the foot-washing emphasizes what was involved in God's work of cleansing us from sin. Read Philippians 2:5-11 in connection with the following steps from John 13:

-He rose from supper (v.4) -- He rose from His heavenly throne and communion with the Father.
-He laid aside His garments (v.4) He laid aside His glory.
-He girded Himself with a towel (v.4) -- He took the form of a servant and became Man.
-He began to wash the disciples' feet (v.5) -- He began His present ministry of cleansing us from sin. (1 John 1:9)
-He took His garments again (v.12) -- He is now glorified.
-He sat down (v.12) -- He is now seated at the right hand of the Father. (Hebrews 1:3)"

Kelly Smith on the pool of Bethesda

John 5:7 - "The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me."

Q. Why do you suppose the pool is available to the less firm rather than the more weak?

Answer by Kelly Smith. There were five porches to this pool, and on each of them waited all those watching for the first sign of trouble in the waters, so they could rush in and hopefully be the one to be healed.

I make several observations in this. Their faith was in the pool. Their faith was in the water. Their hope was in their ability to get into the pool first. They were selfish, and caring not for each other. I believe if they had been more caring of those less able to reach the pool, perhaps the water might have been troubled more often (but that's beside this point).

This impotent man, his faith was in the water and pool as well, yet he had no hope in his own ability to get him there. He had no hope in anyone else helping his ability to receive this healing either. Christ gave him that was without hope, hope -- and made him whole. He showed him that his faith was misplaced. Showed him that Salvation... is of the Lord. Showed them all that the healing contained within the water, was not water at all, but the Grace and Power of Almighty God, in whom our faith and hope should be.

I wonder that of all that were healed in the pool, how many gave proper tribute to the true source of it? This man went on to proclaim this miracle, and Glory was given to God because of it.

[By permission. Kelly Smith, elder, Harmony Primitive Baptist Church, Calhoun, GA]

Empathy, law & the Supreme Court

"That we are discussing the next Supreme Court justice in terms of group 'representation' is a sign of how far we have already strayed from the purpose of law and the weighty responsibility of appointing someone to sit for life on the highest court in the land." -- 'Empathy' vs. law by Thomas Sowell

How can we keep from singing?

"We love music – can’t seem to get enough of it. It’s with us everywhere we go – in the car, on hold on the phone, in the restaurant, underlying every TV script, in our CD players, and on our radios. We love listening to music. At least, we have given up trying to escape it. What we don’t do much is sing. In fact, singing with any degree of enjoyment, satisfaction, or overt delight is becoming more and more the practice of a select few. Oh, we may belt out a few bars in the shower, or sing along with a favorite oldie; and we participate (more or less) in the obligatory singing that comes with worship on Sundays. But singing as an activity we enjoy, one that exercises our faith, draws us nearer to God, and puts the world on notice regarding our most basic life convictions – well, it simply isn’t much done." -- Whatever Happened to Singing? Music: Not a Spectator Sport by T. M. Moore December 6, 2003

Amen, oh me, and oh my. It does seem that in many churches singing has become a "spectator sport". Why is this? Well, I suppose to some extent we could say it is part of the times in which we live. But should it be? At least for the Christian? Singing is a command to the church and Christian. Singing is an expression of the heart.

Ephesians 5:19 -- Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

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.

HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING?

My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul—
How can I keep from singing?

What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Savior liveth;
What though the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love it:
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am His—
How can I keep from singing?

--Robert Wadsworth Lowry (1826-1899), Meter: 8.7.8.7.

Miscellaneous

"I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all." -- Unknown
"It's better to have loved and lost than never loved at all" -- Common quote, unknown source

Wisdom divine! Who tells the price
Of wisdom's costly merchandise;
Wisdom to silver we prefer,
And gold is dross compared to her.
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Hymns for Those That Seek and Those That Have Redemption, 1747.

How Does the Lord Direct Today?

The following began in answer to several questions by Jeff Haney in another venue. How do you know the Will of the Lord in unsaid things? How do you hear His voice in day to day life? How can a person KNOW that what they have "heard, been impressed, guided, directed or instructed" has been from the Lord, and know it without any shadow of doubt?

This is an interesting and important question, but also a difficult and complex one. I have always found knowing God's will in this regard very difficult for me.

I believe that there is a will of God (e.g. Eph. 1:11 - Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will). Further, I believe that includes His will for us. And that within that will for us there are things not expressly or specifically revealed in the Bible -- whom one should marry, whether to accept a certain job, go to a certain church, move to a certain town, etc.

How do we know the Will of God in these kinds of "unsaid" things? The writer of Proverbs says "He shall direct thy paths." But how does He do that? I will offer the following timorous thoughts for the perusal and criticism of the brethren.

Bible study/principles
Though we are talking about things left "unsaid", we must begin with Bible study. It is there that we find what is said, and therefore also learn what is unsaid. From study of the word of God we learn principles that guide us in our decision-making. For example, one cannot turn to the Bible and find the name of the wife he should marry. But he can find principles that approve or rule out certain ones. That is at least a start toward the direction of knowing the will of God in the matter.

Providence of God
This is one I have relied heavily upon, whether rightly or wrongly, perhaps thinking it was more obvious to me than others.

Acts 16:6-9 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. This may be a strange verse regarding providence, since there are some other things operating in it. I have felt providence was involved here as well as revelation. Notice that in whatever way God chose to let Paul know he was not to go into Asia, it was not specific in where he should go. So Paul & company attempted to go into another place -- Bithynia -- where the Lord ultimately did not allow them to go. You may not get a vision of someone calling you over to help, you might get a call on the phone -- "We have no preacher; you are not preaching anywhere. Can you come help us?" This might be a simple thing in God's providence to get one's attention. He opens doors and shuts them. Col. 4:3 - Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: Rev. 3:8 - I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

Inner witness/feeling/conscience
I didn't put this first because I didn't want to scare any Baptists!!
John 16:13 - Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

1 Cor. 2:12-16 - Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Jesus has promised that His Spirit will guide us into truth, though that guidance might fit into several different categories. One is a sort of inner witness or feeling, an answer from God's Spirit to our spirit. Romans 8:14-16 - For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: When we are converted, we cannot find our names in the Bible, and we cannot look into the Book of Life. But there is a witness of the Spirit to us whereby we know we are the children of God. Do we suppose the inner witness ceases shortly thereafter? I think not.

The conscience is not the same as the inner witness. It is something all men have. But having one, in a child of God the conscience can bear witness in accord with the Holy Spirit. If so, shouldn't we listen? John 8:9 - And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience... Acts 24:16 - And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. Rom. 9:1 - I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

Feeling can be very subjective (and some of the other is as well). But sometimes we have a feeling that something is wrong -- a fear, an unsettled heart -- that causes a timidity to move forward (in natural things as well as spiritual). Perhaps that fear may cause us to look around the corner to see if there really is something there to fear before going on. Besides fear, there is a feeling of peace, which we are called to and which can rule in our hearts. Col. 3:15 - And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. A sanctified common sense may tie in here as well. 1 Cor. 11:14 - Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? Whatever Paul meant, something he and others could see in the natural order of things agreed with the principle he was teaching.

The counsel of friends/others
Before his conversion, the eunuch of Ethiopia needed some man to guide him (Acts 8:31). This is somewhat different from the initial question. But some of us, after we become Christians, think we don't need any advice anymore -- don't need anyone to guide us. Untrue. In his book Commenting and Commentaries, Charles Spurgeon wrote, "It seems odd, that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to others." Proverbs 11:14 - Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Experience
Some things we don't know at first, but learn by experience. As we acknowledge God in what we know, through our experiences we learn to follow Him more confidently. Prov. 3:6 - In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. As we renew our mind in living and doing the things of God, the will of God generally becomes clearer to us. Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Perhaps once we learn His will in one instance, we know more of it in another?

Faith/Not knowing
There is a simple fact that we may operate on what we do know, and trust God for what we do not. We do not at this time know all the will of God, and probably His will cannot be completely known in this life by finite, fallible humans. But we move forward knowing He IS at work. He is working in us His good pleasure. Phil. 2:13 - For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. At one point, Abraham had a general knowledge of where he was going, but not a specific one. Hebrews 11:8 - By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. Obey what we do know. Take the rest on faith, not knowing the details, but knowing the God of the details.

I don't think a person can KNOW that what he has "heard, been impressed, guided, directed or instructed" is from the Lord beyond any shadow of doubt if it is a thing not mentioned in the Bible. I am willing to believe that some do know with certainty sometimes, but that is not something they/we can consistently have all the time.

I want to close with two warnings: (1) the above things should work together, though all might not be present on all occasions; and (2) some of what I wrote above can be quite dangerous if divorced from the Word of God.

Church growth

Conversion is God's success and not our own.

On the blog In Defense of Landmarkism, the author wrote the following:

Church growth is building up the church in spirituality and then (as a result) in numbers. Church growth depends on these factors: (Based on 33 years experience preaching and pastoring churches)
1) Christ centered, Bible preaching 1 Tim. 4:2
2) Lifestyles that reflect Christ Matt. 5:16
3) Good fellowship Acts 2:42
4) Faithfulness Heb. 10:24, 25
5) Prayer John 14:14
6) Witnessing Ps 126:5, 6
7) Sacrificial giving (tithes and offerings) Mal. 3:10
8) Worshipful music Col 3:16
9) Strong teaching ministry 2 Tim 2:2
10) Right literature Matt 28:20; Luke 1:1; Jude 3
11) First love is Christ Eph. 2:5
12) Right love John 13:34, 35; 15:12
When a church struggles with a lack of growth, one or more (usually several) of these factors are lacking. God's power still blesses His Word. His churches that work by His plan do not need music that is not worshipful, literature from outside the associated work, gimmicks, compromise, fund raisers or self help seminars. What we need is to work God's plan! His plan still works when we work the plan!

What do you readers think? Is a strict following of this plan like a "step-plan" that will always lead to the expected results? Do any of the proof texts actually say that doing those things will lead to church growth?

A Name in the Sand

Alone I walked the ocean strand;
A pearly shell was in my hand:
I stooped and wrote upon the sand
My name—the year—the day.
As onward from the spot I passed,
One lingering look behind I cast;
A wave came rolling high and fast,
And washed my lines away.

And so, methought, 'twill shortly be
With every mark on earth from me:
A wave of dark oblivion's sea
Will sweep across the place
Where I have trod the sandy shore
Of time, and been, to be no more,
Of me—my day—the name I bore,
To leave no track no trace.

And yet, with Him who counts the sands
And holds the waters in His hands,
I know a lasting record stands.
My hope is in His name.
In all the wonders He has wrought.
Whose power fills my deepest thought
And in those fleeting moments sought,
The glory due His name.

A combination of "A Name in the Sand" by Hannah Flagg Gould (from An American Anthology, 1787–1900: Selections Illustrating the Editor’s Critical Review of American Poetry in the Nineteenth Century), and the poem as published in The Sectarian, November 1903, William M. Smoot.

"Repairing" a broken link

AOL® Hometown has been shut down permanently. I noticed on a former post about Landmarkism Under Fire, there was a link to there (now broken).

To read Landmarkism Under Fire: a Study of Landmark Baptist Polity on Church Constitution by J. C. Settlemoir click on this new link.

Help with info on J.R. Graves

What was J. R. Graves doing during the War Between the United States and Confederate States? I am trying to help find information on Graves' activities between 1861-1865. I have not found anything specific -- just that he was a supporter of the Confederacy. Do any of you have information about this or know where such can be obtained? If so, let me know. Thanks.

Face to face

HYMN 145, C. M.
Sight through a glass, and face to face.

I love the windows of thy grace,
Through which my Lord is seen,
And long to meet my Savior's face
Without a glass between.

Oh that the happy hour were come
To change my faith to sight!
I shall behold my Lord at home
In a diviner light.

Haste, my Beloved, and remove
These interposing days;
Then shall my passions all be love,
And all my powers be praise.

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

Odds and ends

"Bro. J.B. Gambrell is a staunch defender of old time Baptist strictness and protests against entangling alliances with those not Baptists. Once in a while however he seems to favor entangling alliances with loose Baptists. In this way he may be right but as for us, we are no more inclined to yoke up with those who wear the Baptist name but refuse to stand for Baptist principles and practice than we are with Pedo-Baptists. Lloyd George is a great statesman, but as a Baptist he is not our kind." - Illinois Baptist

(The above quote was in the Illinois Baptist, the weekly paper of Southern Baptists in Illinois in July, 1920. J.B. Gambrell was a Baptist leader in Texas and Lloyd George was Prime Minister in England.) Sent by Ben Stratton

God sends Joseph to Egypt

Talking of all God's wondrous works...remembering the "marvellous works that he hath done," the Psalmist writes--

Psalm 105:17 - He [God] sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

In selling Joseph, the sons of Jacob acted of their own sinful nature. When Joseph says of his brothers "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive," he is clearly talking about the same thing, not two different events. What is the antecedent of "it"? God either meant it or He didn't. Joseph says He did. If any of us say otherwise, we say differently than God's word. God neither forced their actions nor simply knew in advance what they would do. It is that their evil, meant by them as evil, He chose to bring about good. Joseph would not have been in Egypt to deliver the sons of Jacob if they had not sold him in slavery (as well the rest of the chain of events where God's Providence put him in the exact places at the exact times). God chose that it be so. It would not be some other way. But his choice was not causative. He did not make the evil enter into their heart.

God is good in His means as well as in His ends. Is not Joseph's brothers selling him into slavery part of God's means? He might have theoretically gotten there any number of ways. But he did not. Neither does the Bible indicate that God meant that Joseph get there some other way. Did God have to wait to see what choice the brothers would make and then figure out something from there, in time? Or did He purpose from eternity what He would do?

Benefits of the study of Church History

Some good points, in my opinion:

Benefits to be gained from the study of Church History

A. A perspective informed by a sense of continuity
1. The whole family in heaven and earth (Eph.3:14)
2. Connecting the canonical history with our own time (Acts 28ff)
3. Escape from the theological and ecclesiastical provincialism (1 Cor.14:36).
B. The encouragement of a Godly Heritage
1. The great cloud of witnesses (Heb.11; 12:1)
2. Perspective on persecution (James 5:10-11)
C. Learning from the mistakes of others (1 Cor.10:6-10)
1. A wise man learns from others’ mistakes, a fool must make his own.
2. Those who will not study history are doomed to repeat it.

From "Church History" by Steve Gregg

Texas Baptist history

The Baptist History Homepage has created a page for Texas Baptist history. Click HERE.

It doesn't contain a lot of information right now, but hopefully it will grow.

Redland and Pine Grove

Two singing in Rusk County this weekend -- see the following links for more information.

Redland
Pine Grove

Jonah, a great fish and a whale

A common modern complaint about the book of Jonah is “a whale is not a fish”. Jonah 1:17 speaks of “a great fish” and “whale” is used in Matthew 12:40. This can become a complicated debate for some, but let us reserve the debate over technicalities to within “the family”. There is no reason to run from this issue like a frightened schoolchild. Let us stand firm, look the scientist and skeptic in the eye and say, “God is sovereign.” God is the Sovereign of the universe and the Creator of all things. He is under no obligation to categorize fish and mammals by the classifications some modern scientist has chosen. He is the creator of the whale. He can call it what He wants. When you or I can place a man inside a big fish or whale and keep him alive for three days and three nights, maybe we will have earned some right to call him what we wish.

Why Jonah?

Any thoughts on why God chose Jonah to preach to the Ninevites? Some people seem to be of the impression that he was all God had or the best God could locate at the time. I don't believe that. Jonah was not the only prophet of God in this period (he prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II; II Kings 14:25). Other prophets of the roughly the same period include Isaiah, in Judah the latter part of Jeroboam’s reign (Isaiah 1:1; 6:8; II Kings 15:1); Hosea, mostly to Israel, about the same time as Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 1:1 with Hosea 1:1); and Amos, from Judah, who prophesied in Israel (Amos 1:1; 7:14-15). Seeing we find some prophets and might find more on closer inspection, might we assume God wasn't hard put to find a prophet and just "settled" on Jonah? If so, why Jonah?

Submission and deliverance

HYMN 129, L. M.

Submission and deliverance; or, Abraham offering up his son. Gen. 22:6, etc.

Saints, at your heav'nly Father's word
Give up your comforts to the Lord;
He shall restore what you resign,
Or grant you blessings more divine.

So Abram with obedient hand
Led forth his son at God's command;
The wood, the fire, the knife, he took,
His arm prepared the dreadful stroke.

"Abram, forbear!" the angel cried,
Thy faith is known, thy love is tried
Thy son shall live, and in thy seed
Shall the whole earth be blest indeed."

Just in the last distressing hour
The Lord displays deliv'ring power;
The mount of danger is the place
Where we shall see surprising grace.

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

We're travelling to the grave

HYMN 55, C. M.

Frail life, and succeeding eternity.

Thee we adore, Eternal Name,
And humbly own to thee
How feeble is our mortal frame!
What dying worms are we!

Our wasting lives grow shorter still
As months and days increase;
And every beating pulse we tell
Leaves but the number less.

The year rolls round, and steals away
The breath that first it gave;
Whate'er we do, where'er we be,
We're trav'lling to the grave.

Dangers stand thick through all the ground
To push us to the tomb,
And fierce diseases wait around,
To hurry mortals home.

Great God! on what a slender thread
Hang everlasting things!
Th' eternal states of all the dead
Upon life's feeble strings.

Infinite joy or endless woe
Attends on every breath,
And yet how unconcerned we go
Upon the brink of death!

Waken, O Lord! our drowsy sense,
To walk this dangerous road;
And if our souls be hurried hence,
May they be found with God.

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

History review

"Baptists need desperately to review their own Baptist history, re-think the Baptist old position and rediscover the Baptist conscience." -- evidently by John Reaves Sr. in the unattributed article The Universal Church Heresy

Baptist Pillar

It is my observation that most Baptists don't "know their history", even some of those who think they do.

French word of the day

dernier resort -- last, or final resort; a means of last resort after all other avenues have been exhausted

In a sentence:
"This instrument, which from time immemorial has been associated with cathedral pomp and prelatical power, and has always been the peculiar favorite of great national churches, at length found its way into Baptist sanctuaries, and the first one ever employed by the denomination in this country, and probably in any other, might have been seen standing in the singing gallery of the old Baptist meeting house in Pawtucket, about forty years ago, where I then officiated as pastor; and in process of time, this dernier resort in church music was adopted by many of our societies which had formerly been distinguished for their primitive and conventicle plainness." -- From Fifty Years among the Baptists, by David Benedict, pp. 282-83

Happy tax day

Happy taxing be taxed day. On top of that tax, school districts are engulfed in TAKS.

This day should be a holiday!

Real and ideal

"Real things cannot usually stand up to our vision of ideal things." -- Gary Ledbetter in Is There a Church within Your Church? (Center for Theological Research, March 2009)

Do we forget the ideal and settle down with the real?
Do we live with the real and strive for the ideal?
Do we ignore the real and pretend to be ideal?
Do we just throw up our hands?

Thoughts?

True Servant

Heard this on the radio from Charles Stanley:
"Based on those words, many churches have made foot washing an obligation. They believe this act shows Christlikeness and demonstrates willingness to 'serve'. Perhaps that’s true for some believers. But, many perform the ceremony solely out of obedience. Jesus’ message to the disciples and to modern believers is not literally to wash dirty feet. He wants us to serve one another with humility and love."

John 13 -- The true servant
The true servant does not wait to be asked to serve (sensitive to needs; volunteers)
The true servant does not criticize others who don't serve (doesn't compare with others; not looking for recognition).
The true servant serves without expecting reciprocation (not giving to receive)
The true servant learns to receive as well as give (pride not only keeps us from giving, but from receiving as well).
The true servant serves those who reject him (Judas, e.g.)

On the first quote, I don't completely agree because I don't think it has to be either/or. The five points on the true servant seem valid and true to the text/context.

Easter Sunday

"The average Baptist takes no stock of Easter, and the like, not that he does not believe in the resurrection; not that people may not observe days; but, like Paul, he is skittish of these extras and prefers the plain, old, level Jordan road, with a steady incline up, all the way till it reaches the city of God." -- J. B. Gambrell, from The Baptist Standard, May 1907

I wonder if Gambrell would recognize "the average Baptist" today?

Coming soon

...to a Redland Church (possibly) near you!!

The FIRST EVER HOPEFULLY ANNUAL TEXAS CHRISTIAN HARMONY SINGING CONVENTION*

Saturday, April 25, 2009
Location: Old Redland Methodist Church/Community Center
Corner of FM 1798 and FM2 496
Laneville, Texas
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Deason-Parris Christian Harmony Revision

*"First ever" as far as records and memories go; we have neither records nor memories of Christian Harmony singings in Texas. It is possible there could have been.

Of cars and garages

Someone said, "being in church no more makes you a Christian than being in your garage makes you a car."

Someone said

Someone said the family is the basic building block of society. Would you agree?

"Problems" of successionism

I use the word "problems" in quotes, because the first two of these are usually only problems to those who do not believe in Baptist succession, and the third is a self-created problem by those who do.

Definition. The idea of church perpetuity or successionism may vary a bit among Baptists, but in this post I am using it to mean: "there has never been a day since the organization of the first New Testament church in which there was no genuine church of the New Testament faith existing on earth, and that this will continue to the end of the age."

Historical problem. The historical problem is a problem of the preservation of valid records and the interpretation of those records. No local church can demonstrate a valid succession all the way through history back to Christ. Neither is it historically demonstrable that every day and every year has had a New Testament church existing. This seems to be a problem for some who reject perpetuity, but those whose accept it usually do so on the basis of the words of Jesus "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it", et al. Church perpetuity is based on the promise of Jesus Christ, and historical research is just a sideline. Historical research is much more likely to run across some heresy that puts one "out of the line" of the true church than to discover the links in a chain all the way back to the time of Jesus.

Theological problem. The theological problem exists for those who believe the promise of continuance is only for some kind of universal mystical invisible thing they call a church. This creates a debate over the meaning of scripture between those who believe that and those who believe in the promise for a visible church.

Historical/theological problem. This last one is my main point. There is a historical/theological problem for those Landmarkers who build up complicated theories on what makes a church lose its candlestick, when in fact they have churches of that very sort in their theological lineage. Can a church that teaches the universal church teaching be a New Testament church? Can a church that practices close communion be a New Testament church? Can a church that practices open communion be a New Testament church? Etc. This is where some create a theological/historical problem. Their theology does not match their history. If a gathering of believers holding universal church and/or close communion is not a Scriptural church, how does one deal with such in their church ancestry? Let me say plainly that I have seen time and again folks boldly proclaim this type church or that type church is not scriptural, to only stick their collective heads in the sand when challenged with such a church in their own ancestry.

Most successionists probably cannot trace their Baptist heritage back more than one hundred years without finding close communion, and not more than 300 without finding some kind of church of the redeemed idea. If so, one might need to check out his or her own baptism rather than just pointing fingers at others.

Something new

"It is not our job to brainstorm and come up with something new, and then seek to add God to it. It is not our job to create an approach to ministry, and then beg God to bless it. Our job is to read the Word of God, understand and know the Will of God, and then get on board with the Lord. We do not ask the Lord to go the direction we are going, we ask the Lord to show us clearly the direction He is going and then we go in that direction." -- Joe White

Love to enemies

Psalm 35 Part 2 v.12-14, C. M.

Love to enemies; or, The love of Christ to sinners typify'd in David.

Behold the love, the generous love,
That holy David shows;
Behold his kind compassion move
To his afflicted foes!

When they are sick his soul complains,
And seems to feel the smart;
The spirit of the gospel reigns,
And melts his pious heart.

How did his flowing tears condole
As for a brother dead!
And fasting mortified his soul,
While for their life he prayed.

They groaned, and cursed him on their bed,
Yet still he pleads and mourns;
And double blessings on his head
The righteous God returns.

O glorious type of heavenly grace!
Thus Christ the Lord appears;
While sinners curse, the Savior prays,
And pities them with tears.

He, the true David, Israel's King,
Blest and beloved of God,
To save us rebels, dead in sin,
Paid his own dearest blood.

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

Latin word for today

mirabile dictu (Latin): wonderfully, amazingly; wonderful to relate; It's a miracle!

Used in a sentence:
"Repeatedly, Dodd insisted that he had had nothing to do with the bonus-protection language in the, ahem, Dodd Amendment until, mirabile dictu, he remembered that he had." -- "Forget Bonus Outrage, What About 'ShariAIG?'" by Diana West, Henderson Daily News, March 26, 2009, p. 2

April Fools

Happy April Fool's Day. I'm not going to post anything today.




....Oh, I just did.

Quartodeciman Controversy

Random quotes on the Quartodeciman Controversy, the first-recorded Easter controversy

Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna in Asia Minor and a disciple of the Apostle John, observed Easter or Communion on Nisan 14. After Anicetus became bishop of Rome, Polycarp visited Rome and discussed their differences on this custom (the Sunday following for Anicetus), among other things. According to Irenaeus:

"Anicetus could not persuade Polycarp to forgo the observance [of his Nisan 14 practice] inasmuch as these things had been always observed by John the disciple of the Lord, and by other apostles with whom he had been conversant; nor did Polycarp persuade Anicetus to keep it: Anicetus said that he must hold to the way of the elders before him."

Neither persuaded the other, but it did not cause a schism.

Polycrates (around AD 190) says he followed the tradition as passed down:
"As for us, then, we scrupulously observe the exact day, neither adding nor taking away. For in Asia great luminaries have gone to their rest who will rise again on the day of the coming of the Lord...These all kept the 14th day of the month as the beginning of the Paschal feast, in accordance with the Gospel, in no way deviating therefrom, but following the rule of faith." [Polycrates bishop of Ephesus, to Victor bishop of Rome, as quoted in Eusebius, Church History, 5.24.]

Victor, a later bishop of Rome wanted to impose the "Sunday view" on all the churches, including those in Asia who ended their fast on the 14th.
See, e.g., The Early Christians in Ephesus from Paul to Ignatius, by Paul Trebilco, Eerdmans, 2007

Note: Quartodeciman refers to the 14th (day of the month).

On degrees

"To-day, one cannot pastor a church of 25 members without at least a ThD. You will also notice that these degrees are broadly advertised as well.

"Perhaps if we went back to the simple men of old along with the book of old and the gospel of old we might again experience the Holy Spirit of old enacting in all our hearts and lives anew and burst out in triumph in our society." -- Jim on The Baptist Board 12/29/2008

O LORD, I will praise thee!

Isaiah 12:1-6 You will say in that day: "I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. "Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."

1 I will praise thee every day
Now thine anger's turned away!
Comfortable thoughts arise
From the bleeding sacrifice.

2 Here in the fair gospel field,
Wells of free salvation yield
Streams of life, a plenteous store,
And my soul shall thirst no more.

3 Jesus is become at length
My salvation and my strength;
And his praises shall prolong,
While I live, my pleasant song.

4 Praise ye, then, his glorious name,
Publish his exalted fame!
Still his worth your praise exceeds,
Excellent are all his deeds.

5 Raise again the joyful sound,
Let the nations roll it round!
Zion shout, for this is he,
God the Savior dwells in thee.

By William Cowper (7s.)
Olney Hymns, Book 1. Hymn 58

In memory

John Audrey Simmons August 13, 1931---March 25, 2009

Southwest Texas Convention

With lots of things going on, I forgot to mention our singing this weekend (d.v.).

Saturday & Sunday, March 28-29, 2009
Bethel Primitive Baptist Church
FM 713
McMahan, Texas
Saturday, 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
2006 Cooper Revision

“We” and “Us”

I Thessalonians 4:15 - For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 

I Thessalossians 4:17 - Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

I Corinthians 15:51 - Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed 

Some infer from Paul’s use of “we” that he believed Christ would come in his own lifetime. But he says he does not know when he will come (I Thess. 5:1-2). Some would not go so far to say that it meant Paul thought Christ would come in his own lifetime, but that it is proof His return is imminent – could happen at any time. 

In two “us” usages Paul numbered himself among those who could be raised from the dead (I Cor. 6:14; II Cor. 4:14). Cf. I Cor. 15:51; Phil. 3:10-11; II Tim 4:6. So isn’t it likely that we should be careful not to assume too much when Paul uses “we” and “us” in this way? Is he possibly identifying with his readers? Using “editorial we”? Something else? 

I Corinthians 6:14 - And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. 

II Corinthians 4:14 - Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 

Gordon “Fee explains that Paul’s use of ‘we’ simply means that Paul was currently a part of the group he was speaking of and if the parousia happened in his life, he would experience this transformation. The use of ‘we’ really only means that Paul was among the living when he wrote this letter. If Paul expected the parousia in his life time, we cannot determine that from this passage.” 

Thoughts?

Word today

Nosism (NO-siz-em) noun: The use of 'we' when referring to oneself.

Nosism is also called the "editorial we" (because used by editors) or the "royal we" (because used by royalty). One web owner explains his use of 'editorial we' thusly, "The editorial 'we' is used to express the belief that others guided by the Spirit of God may share" in his view and purpose.

Though he was wrong, Mark Twain once said, "Only kings, presidents, editors, and people with tapeworms have the right to use the editorial 'we'." Good humor, but he left out the fact that God can use 'editorial we' and can inspire anyone He wants to use it as well.

Savannah State and feet washing

Nearly two years ago, I mentioned an incident concerning Savannah State University kicking a group off campus for hazing, etc. The group members were washing the feet of new members! Well I had not heard of the resolution of the matter, so I went searching. What I found can be read HERE and HERE. The university settled and allowed Commissioned II Love back on campus. Though they were careful in not awkwardly admitting wrongdoing too loudly in the public arena, "Savannah State spokeswoman Loretta Heyward said the university has not changed any of its policies related to student organizations as a result of the lawsuit." If they have not changed any policies AND let the group come back, obviously they were wrong.

Black pastor goes to jail

City allows passing out flyers for abortion, but not against

Mitchell and McBeth

In 1987 Leon McBeth wrote "that Baptist commitment to religious liberty might be weakening. Baptists who bore the scars of religious persecution struggled to attain religious liberty; it remains to be seen whether Baptists who live in comfort can preserve it." -- H. Leon McBeth, The Baptist Heritage, Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1987, p. 282

“I can do all thing through Christ, which strengtheneth me.” “without Me ye can do nothing.”
"Ye can neither pray nor sing in the spirit of true worship, preach or do any other Christian duty, only as Christ strengthens you for the work. Salvation is by grace, and grace carries its own conditions and qualifications in itself; it demands nothing of its subjects but what it furnishes. It writes the law of the new covenant in the new heart, and puts it in the mind and gives the poor soul a will and desire to do the very things commanded to be done. And when he has done all that is commanded, he is taught by the Spirit and grace of God, as well as by written word, to feel and say, 'we are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do'." -- W. M. Mitchell, The Gospel Messenger, Vol. 19, No. 5, for May, 1897

My Rock

Do rocks defend me from blasts, from whatever quarter they blow? So does my Rock! Is the blast from hell? Well, He has the keys of hell and of death! Is it from sin? He is my righteousness! Is it from Satan? He has conquered principalities and powers! Is it from afflictions? He is my sympathizing and loving High Priest! Is it from losses? He is my exceeding great reward! Is it from crosses? He makes all things work together for good to His people! Is it from anguish? He is my joy! Is it from darkness? He is my Sun! Is it from doubts? He is my Counselor! Is it from deadness? He is my life! Is it from enemies? He is my shield! Is it from temptation? He is my deliverer! Is it from false friends? He will never leave me, nor forsake me! Is it from solitude or banishment? He is everywhere present! Is it from disease? He is my healer! Is it from death? He is the resurrection and the life! O glorious refuge! O sure defense! O everlasting fortress! Here do I defy the worst that earth and hell can do! -- Selected (Copied from Shreveport Grace Church Bulletin - March 28,2009)

If this doesn't scare you...

...nothing will.

It is "time for us to assert our ownership rights," said Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., chairman of the full Financial Services committee. Frank said Congress will be asking for the names of the bonus recipients — and if AIG declines to provide it, he will convene the committee to subpoena for the names. "We do intend to use our power to get the names," he said. [copied from the internet; emphasis mine] See also The Kabuki theater of AIG outrage

While Frank and his cohorts assert their "ownership rights", it will be interesting to see whether they use their power to "get the names" of congressmen and presidential candidates who accepted campaign contributions from AIG. Will they assert their ownership rights and ask that they also give back the money? If Barney Frank and his assertion of ownership rights scares you, remember...

"My kingdom is not of this world" has never looked sweeter, and is among the very few thoughts in my mind that affords me comfort in my latter days. For those that think the current outrage over $165 million payouts will rectify the trillions (TRILLIONS) of outflow this pure socialist government is wasting will help, forget it. We are doomed as a human government!!!

Dear friends, take refuge in our eternal Rest, Jesus, for His kingdom is free to all those who are led to follow him. All the rest can go follow Dodd, Frank, Acorn, the labor unions, and Democrats in particular and Republicans in general. Their whole kingdom is weaved by curious fabric, for they have practiced to deceive. Sadly, many are deceived. [Elder James Poole on the Predestinarian forum, 18 March 2009]

What's that smell?

The bad odor most people associate with natural gas is not the gas at all; it is Mercaptan, an odorant added to odorless gas.

Once it was not so...until after a tragic East Texas disaster considered the worst known school disaster in history. On March 18, 1937, a natural gas leak built up under the New London school. When ignited by a spark, it blew the school off its foundations. It came back down in a mass of rubble that killed about 300 people -- more than half of the schools' teachers and students.

Not long afterward, the 45th Texas State Legislature enacted House Bill 1017. This bill gave the Railroad Commission "the authority to adopt rules and regulations pertaining to the odorization of natural gas or liquefied petroleum gases," the commission archives states. "On July 27, 1937, Gas Utilities Docket 122 was adopted and the commission began enforcement of odorization requirements for natural gas." An East Texas disaster started a trend in odorizing natural gas that has probably been adopted around the world.

One can stroll many a rural East Texas cemetery and feel the sorrow of a community that lost a number of children in a short span due to some outbreak of disease. A tour of the Pleasant Hill Cemetery -- with tombs of over 100 people who died on the same day -- is a quite eerie experience. A short version of the New London story is HERE. Those who perished are memorialized HERE.

Luck of the Irish

It's funny how Washington politicians are painting on their faux righteous indignation against AIG executives who received bonuses at the US taxpayers' expense. Yet they don't mind taking money from us! (both for their own overmuch salaries and for their pet projects)

Barber on theological triage

In the past I have blogged on Theological triage -- good or bad idea? and Categories of truth (see links below). The entire post below the links are comments by Bart Barber, which gives some of his interesting thoughts on the subject.

Theological triage -- good or bad idea?
Categories of truth

You cannot perform theological triage on the lordship of Jesus Christ without severing His will into pieces and picking and choosing what you want to do. You will find out what he says and you will do it all because you know your life is totally dependent on Him.

New Testament Christianity has no secondary doctrines when it comes to the lordship of Jesus Christ. That's why I say Baptism is not secondary nor is it tertiary. It is essential. Founder's Blog

I acknowledge the value of "theological triage" in (a) as an imperfect metaphor, (b) to be used in an external sense, (c) regarding the relative severity of the effects of disobedience in any particular area of what Christ has commanded.

The metaphor is humanly devised and therefore imperfect. The strength of the metaphor, I think, is that "triage" as a medical procedure is employed only in a crisis situation when one cannot possibly treat everything. The desire of the medical staff, however, is to treat every injury and remedy every illness.

Should one, however, take triage to mean some strange state of denial in which one dismisses certain legitimate injuries as non-injurious and unworthy of available treatment, then we've moved from triage to something far less reasonable.

It is plainly obvious that everyone on the Baptist Identity side is not only willing to do something akin to "theological triage" but is constantly engaged in the actual practice. Here's the proof: They all regard Mormons as heretics and Presbyterians as genuine Christians in unrepentant sin and error. You may disagree with the classifications, but you cannot say that they are the same thing, nor can you deny that we make the distinction.

Your statement, then, that BI people have rejected theological triage is therefore an empty one.

You can easily demonstrate that some folks in the Baptist movement have objected to the way that some people have tried to APPLY a concept of theological triage. For example, Wade Burleson's and Morris Chapman's (see his speech in San Antonio) application of the concept has been to deny the appropriateness of separating over "secondary" or tier-two doctrines. This is not Mohler's schema, and he explicitly said so in San Antonio. So, for those who use "theological triage" to eliminate tier two and have only the first and third tiers, yes, the Baptist movement rejects that approach.

Also, because the concept of "theological triage" is human and not divine in origin, somebody needs to counter-balance the idea of triage by reminding us that Jesus expects us to obey all of His commandments.

To employ another imperfect analogy, consider the task of parenting. I expect my children to obey everything that I command them to do. If, by practicing "triage," they should be referring to a process by which they will determine when to obey me and when not to bother, then it is disobedience even to embark upon such an enterprise.

However, this does not mean that I regard all of my commands as equally important. "Clean up your room" and "Don't play in the street" are two commands with vastly different levels of importance to me. Part of their maturing as human beings, and therefore part of my goal as their parent, is for them to learn that the consequences of playing in the street can be far more severe than the consequences of failing to keep their room clean.

And in this second sense, we can see that there is no "internal" validity to playing "triage" but there is some "external" validity to it. Internally, my children are to do no triage at all; they are to do what I tell them to do -- everything that I tell them to do. Externally, if my son sees his sister playing in the street and I'm not around, he has permission to grab her, push her, pull her by her hair, hit her, kick her, punch her, do almost anything to get her out of the street when a car is coming. If, on the other hand, he punches her in the face for her failure to pick up her toys, then he's going to be in trouble. On the other hand, he has my blessing to tell Sarah that she's sinning by refusing to clean up her room and to do whatever he might to persuade her (rather than force her) to be obedient.

I think that this analogy applies quite well to explain my attitude toward "theological triage." -- By Bart Barber, First Baptist Church, Farmersville, TX

Ministers and marriage

Getting out of the Marriage Business by Keith Edwards is an interesting post on whether or not "it’s time Christian clergy got out of the marriage business."

New-time quotes, and one old

"Sorry, we don't hold hands with the devil to reach people with the gospel." ~ Jim1999 on the Baptist Board

"The ability of a church to grow is directly related to two things--the work of the Holy Spirit and the fidelity to the scriptures." ~ Tom Butler on the Baptist Board

The German poet/philosopher Goethe said, "Theories are gray while real life is green."

"Too often the small church is seen as a problem to be 'fixed'." ~ bapticus hereticus, February 16, 2009 on Bart Barber's An Exemplary Pastor

Tools

Someone said that you only need two tools in life - WD-40 and duct tape! If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

The Syrophenician Woman

A recent opinion post on Associated Baptist Press made quite a splash. The author of the opinion clearly ditched the view of Jesus as sinless Son of God for Jesus the racist who was gradually learning better. That is part of the background of this post. [ABP is now Baptist News, and the story has moved HERE.]

A collated reading of Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30
Then Jesus arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid; For a certain woman of Canaan [the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation], whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came out of the same coasts and came and fell at his feet: and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But Jesus answered and said unto her: Let the children first be filled. It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. And she said, Yes. Truth, Lord: yet the dogs under their masters' table eat of the children's crumbs which fall from the table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

The above is a collated or combined reading of Matthew and Mark from the King James Bible. I hope no one is troubled by it. The intent is to not to create a new version, but just to get the full description of the historical accounts while saving a little space.

Many people find this story problematic when they first encounter it. To call this woman a dog and refuse to help her? Where else is one so rebuked by Christ for coming to Him? For some it is only problematic to their understanding, for they believe God is sovereign and what He does is right regardless of whether they understand it. For some it is problematic to their faith, for they presuppose certain things are right and God's actions must fit into this concept.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Notes on the text
a certain woman of Canaan, the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation. Some critics have complained about the tri-fold description, while themselves using such descriptions for others. The three descriptors may be nationality (Syro-Phenician, as opposed to Lybo-Phenician perhaps), religion (Greek, heathen, of a different religion) and "race" (Canaan; or just that she resided in the regions called Canaan).
would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. Here speaks the language of accommodation; the language of God as man; anthropomorphism, the perception of human qualities in divine beings. This is how it appeared from all human recognition and understanding.
a woman of Canaan...came out of the same coasts. If Jesus went into the land of Tyre and Sidon, this appears to be the only time He went into Gentile territory. In my opinion, it is more consistent with the text and the "limit" of His mission that He only went very near to the border of that land, but was still in the land of Israel. The woman came out of the coasts/borders of Tyre and Sidon and came to Jesus. As Jesus needed to go through Samaria, so He deliberately placed Himself in this woman's vicinity.
his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away. At first Jesus answered not a word (cf. John 8:6). Her continual crying brought the disciples distress. Whether they wished her sent away full or empty it is not clear, but sent away nevertheless! She crieth after us. She bothers us. She annoys us. She brings us too much attention.
I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This first address is to the disciples rather than the woman. They were involved in this limited sending (cf. Matt. 10:5) so should be aware of it. Hidden from them was what Simeon saw in the babe in the Temple (cf. Luke 2:3). Jesus' answer silenced the disciples, but not the woman. We ought always to pray, and not to faint.
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. Strong in faith, nothing doubting. Instead of being perplexed with doubts, by faith throw yourself at Jesus feet for mercy, "Lord, help me." So will I go in unto the king, and if I perish, I perish (but I will perish there; cf. Esther 4:16).
It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. To be more offended than the woman is to not have a proper view of the helper, to not have an importunate need, and to be more set on fault-finding than truth-finding. If a 21st century reader is more offended than the "offended party", then he lacks the great faith that resided in that party. He was "Lord" when she asked for help and still "Lord" after He seemingly refused it. Jesus' answer was devastating, but not derogatory; trying but yet the truth. Those who deserve nothing will appreciate anything. "Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face."
And she said, Yes. Truth, Lord. The humble acknowledgement of the importunate. Complain on, O complainer. Deny on, O disbeliever; but this woman says "TRUTH!"
the dogs under their masters' table eat of the children's crumbs. (These dogs were household pets, not wild scavengers; pets that were near the children under the master's table.) Something in what Jesus said and how He said it dropped a crumb of hope for the helpless woman. Under the Master's table a glimmering faith picked up the crumb and cherished it. I shall not be sent away empty for there is enough in the Father's house and to spare (cf. Luke 15:17).
O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour. Does the text not reveal why He came to the borders of Tyre and Sidon. The disciples understood a get-away. But the woman who heard He was there got what she wanted.
And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower. The healing was immediate.
And when she was come to her house, she found. The immediate healing of the daughter was first viewed by the mother on her arrival, though she doubted it not.

Instead of complaining & condemning, hawing & hemming, explaining away the Lordship of Christ, realize God moves in mysterious ways; His ways are not our ways. The Syrophenician woman caught a crumb many theologians have missed.

Jesus commended the woman's faith. Jesus cured the woman's daughter. Surely she could not have hoped for more.

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Smith Memorial Singing

The 30th Annual Smith Memorial Singing will be held tomorrow (d.v.), March 7th at the New Harmony Community Center, northwest of Tyler, Texas. The Community Center is located on FM 724 in the New Harmony Community, between State Hwys 64 & 110. More info: Myrl Jones, (903) 593-0955. (1991 Revision/Cooper Revision)

Scriptural preaching, without notes

Most preaching seems to be done from a full outline of what is to be preached, or a printed manuscript of the entire sermon. Preaching without notes is to enter the pulpit with only a Bible – no notes, manuscript, or predetermination of what will be said. In his book A Treatise on the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, John Broadus asks, “How can a man pray that God will guide him through a forest, when he has already blazed the entire path, and committed himself to follow it?”

What it is not (or ought not be).
Preaching without notes is not preaching without preparation. Some who preach without notes advocate preaching without any preparation whatsoever. If they mean by this not preparing an outline or manuscript, I agree. If they mean by this not studying the Bible, I emphatically disagree! No man should enter the pulpit without prayer (Acts 6:4) and Bible study (II Tim. 2:15). Both of these are commanded by God. God by His Holy Spirit will direct a man of God in what to say, but failure to pray and study the Bible is disobedience and presumption – not faith.

Preaching without notes is not inspired preaching. In the early days of the church, God inspired men to preach, prophesy and write correctly without any mixture of error. No preacher today has that kind of inspiration. But we do have the Bible and the divine guidance by the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. Though a preacher cannot speak with inspired apostolic authority, he can speak for God from the Bible as he is guided by the Holy Spirit.

Preaching without notes is not memorizing a manuscript and reciting it. It is extemporaneous preaching – preaching with a head full of study, a heart full of prayer, a spirit full of confidence in God seeking the divine guidance of the moment to bring the message of God rather than the message the preacher wants.

What it is (or ought to be).
Preaching without notes is preaching following the New Testament example. No example can be found of Jesus Christ, His apostles or preachers speaking while reading notes, outlines or manuscripts. Shouldn’t biblical Christians prefer to develop the style of preaching found in the Bible?

Preaching without notes is liberating to the preacher. It frees his mind from following his own predetermined course. It allows for the principle that the Spirit helps us with our preaching. It even frees the preacher’s eyes from a written page and allows him to look up at his hearers rather than down at a page.

Preaching without notes is consistent with the call to preach. Preaching is of divine appointment (I Tim. 1:12; II Tim. 1:11; et al.). Most anyone can read a manuscript, and with training most people can arrange an orderly discourse. If preaching is no more than that, why is there a divine call and gift to preach?

Preaching without notes is practical. Preaching without notes is adaptable to all times and situations. Preaching with notes or manuscript may be done only when one has previously prepared. If called on unexpectedly, the noted preacher must frequently decline. But we are to be instant out of season as well as in season, always ready to give an answer to any man at any time.

Some objections.
“I might forget what I want to say.” Certainly you might. If I forget something I want to say and say something God wants said instead, we will be none the worse.

“By using notes I can organize my thoughts, as well as control the length of the sermon.” Yes, but it was not organization of thought, but the power of the Holy Spirit that blessed Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost. God never emphasized organization and education – but yield to Me and preach My Word.

“I know godly men who preach with notes and have been blessed of God in their work.” Yes, I agree. In July of 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut, Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon titled Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. He reputedly stood motionless in the pulpit, holding a candle in his right hand and his sermon manuscript in his left hand. As he read, he was interrupted by outcries – some sinners fell to the floor, some clung to the church pillars fearing they might slip into Hell. Yet if we reason that we should use a manuscript because Edwards did, we could also reason that we should become Protestants because Edwards was. God will do as He pleases. But we should seek the best light we have and obey it.

Scriptures that might apply.
One cluster of scriptures often submitted to the discussion are: Matthew 10:19-20; Mark 13:10-11; Luke 12:11-12; & Luke 21:12-15. “It is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.” A careful examination shows that these have a more specific application than a pastor preaching to his flock. Those who were delivered up to the authorities would have words given to speak by the Holy Ghost without having taken any forethought as to how they would respond to the charges. Yet these passages can yield to us a principle of God speaking through His people in this age. Matthew 10:19-20 applies this principle to the limited commission to the church during Christ’s earthly ministry; Luke 21:12-15 applies it to the destruction of Jerusalem and possibly the time before Christ’s return; Mark 13:10-11 applies it to the time preceding the coming of Christ; Luke 12:11-12 speaks in broader and more general terms. Therefore a principle of God giving words to speak to His people runs the gamut of the church age.

A few have suggested Luke 24:29 (Tarry ye...until ye be endued with power from on high) in connection with preaching without notes. Though power from on high is needed in our preaching, this verse refers to what would transpire on the day of Pentecost.

Some of Paul’s passing remarks concerning his preaching have some import on the matter. “...the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” I Cor. 1:21. “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” I Cor. 2:4. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God...” II Cor. 10:4. It is inevitable that it must be admitted that arranging notes, outlines and preparing manuscripts (as well as the theories of proper speech, pulpit manner, etc.) arise from the wisdom of men rather than biblical precept and example. Preaching is not considered foolishness when it meets the required forms and procedures of modern speech. Practically the same materials are found in secular colleges and universities as in seminaries concerning how to prepare and deliver speeches/sermons. Let it be admitted that these materials and methods are drawn from secular sources, and it is therein admitted that carnal rather than spiritual weapons have been chosen. “Which things we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth...” I Cor. 2:13.

Another implication for preaching without notes is the evidence of the sermons of the New Testament, especially the book of Acts. The sermons are lacking the telltale signs of the modern sermon. None have a title, and can hardly be understood to have developed from an outline format reminiscent of modern scholarship.

I Peter 4:10-11 clearly identifies speaking as a gift from God entrusted to stewards to use to minister to others. It is this God-given gift that separates preaching from other forms of oratory. “Without the power of the Spirit, human rhetoric accomplishes nothing of eternal value” (Jarred Edgecombe). If scriptural spiritual preaching can be arrived at by exclusively human means (such as homiletics, speech classes, practice, imitation, etc.) do we not nullify the need of a God-given gift?

Conclusion.
Many honest and godly men put in much time studying and preparing sermons. By doing so, they learn much and have something to say to their congregations. On the other hand, sermon preparation can degenerate into studying sermons in order to speak to others, rather than studying the Bible for God to speak to us. In the hands of some, sermons sink into the mire of catchy titles, strange stories, amazing outlines, unbelievable alliteration, and a host of other attention-getting gimmicks.

Preaching without notes is not without its abusers. Some lazy preachers use it as an “easy-out”. They excuse their slothfulness, refusal to study the Bible, and neglect of improvement and hard work with an insincere “God will give me something to say.” But God abhors laziness, and the Bible commends labour, diligence, and perseverance.

Profitable preaching without notes is possible through frequent study of God’s Word, much time spent in prayer, and openness to the leadership of God’s Spirit. It is thoroughly biblical, as well as quite practical. May we search and see whether this be so.

(Originally printed in The Baptist Waymark)

The Christian apologist and obscurantist methodology

There is "often a problem with Christian apologists (or any type of apologist). Many apologists intent on defending the Christian faith (or their particular version of it) follow an 'obscurantist' methodology where all the evidence that supports their conclusions is brought to light while all that which may cast doubt on their conclusions is never revealed or is presented in a manipulated light. When their goal becomes to win an argument, truth will more than likely get lost through a polished rhetoric. In other words, truth becomes the servant of their argument rather than their argument the servant of truth. They may persuade those who are not really searching for truth (including themselves), but, in the end, they hurt their cause and dishonor Christ." -- Doing Theology is About Pursuing Truth, Not Prejudice by C. Michael Patton

Some say one needs “epistemic humility”—a real understanding that you could be wrong. But taken to an extreme, it posits Christians cannot have absolute certainty about anything the Bible says. We should study the Bible and theology in order to learn what God reveals and not simply to prop up our system.

When music takes shape

"The whole point of shape-note is not about being a wonderful, trained singer, or about demonstrating years spent learning the material you’re singing. It’s about making a joyful noise." -- When music takes shape, by Emily Burnham in Bangor Daily News 2/16/09