Theology of Sleep (Justin Taylor)

Between Two Worlds: Theology of Sleep (Justin Taylor)

John Calvin Rebukes Those Who Belittle the Priority of the Blessed Calling of the Homemaker (Doug Phillips)

John Calvin Rebukes Those Who Belittle the Priority of the Blessed Calling of the Homemaker "All the chastity they [Nuns] pretend is nothing before God, in comparison of that that he hath appointed, that is to say, that albeit it seem but a vile thing, and a matter of none account, for a woman to take pains about housewifery, to make clean her children when they be arrayed, to kill fleas, and other such like, although this be a thing despised, yea and such, that many will not vouchsafe to look upon it, yet are they sacrifices which GOD accepteth & receiveth, as if they were things of great price and honourable. Therefore let women study this lesson day and night that first of all they may play the housewives: and if women were the most negligent in the world, yet is there here matter enough to awaken them, and to correct this idleness. And how? If we take pains, we serve GOD, and not men. Again, when a man seeth his wife employ herself all the day long to do her duty, let him also consider whereunto God hath called him, that he also for his part may do his duty. For a man is not born to idleness, nor a woman. Therefore...let women cast their eyes hither, for there is occasion enough to correct their slothfulness, when they shall see that the question is of serving God. And how? When they fall to kneading (as the proverb is) and apply themselves to good use, & flee not the subjection which God hath set them in: for this is to strive against GOD, when a man doth not follow his vocation, which is our true rule, that is to say, that that we have to do, & what God appointeth every one of us, according to the state, whereunto he is called. Therefore let women have this mark to shoot at, & say, well, although the world have no regard of me, yet must I find myself occupied here, for so God commandeth me. And thus much touching the first, how women have to take occasion to be diligent: and moreover also they have to consider, that when they do their duty and execute their office, God accepteth well of it, although men despise it." Posted by Doug Phillips on September 8, 2007 | Read more here. Joshua Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Holiness; Chapter 2 "Sanctification"

In the second chapter, bishop Ryle brings us to Sanctification. He works through three sub-topics and several sub-topics within these three sub-topics. The three are: I. The True Nature of Sanctification; II. The Visible Marks of Sanctification; III. Wherein justification and sanctification agree and are like one another, and wherein they differ and are unlike. In just the first section the Bishop brings us 12 connected propositions or statements, drawn from Scripture, to help define the exact nature of sanctification. They are: (1) Sanctification is the invariable result of that vital union with Christ which true faith gives to a Christian (John 15:5). (2) Sanctification is the outcome and inseperable consequence of regeneration (I John 2:29; 3:9-14; 5:4-18). (3) Sanctification is the only certain evidence of that indwelling of the Holy Spirit which is essential to salvation (Romans 8:9). (4) Sanctification is the only sure mark of God's election (I Peter 1:2; II Thess. 2:13; Romans 8:29; Eph. 1:4; I Thess. 1:3, 4). (5) Sanctification is a thing that will always be seen (Luke 6:44). (6) Sanctification is a thing for which every believer is responsible (Matthew 16:26). (7) Sanctification is a thing which admits of growth and degrees (John 17:17; I Thess. 5:23). (8) Sanctification is a thing which depends greatly on a diligent use of Scriptural means. "Means" meaning: Bible-reading, private prayer, regular attendance on public worship, regular hearing of God's Word, regular reception of the Lord's Supper. (9) Sanctification is a thing which does not prevent a man having a great deal of inward spiritual conflict (Gal. 5:17). (10) Sanctification is a thing which cannot justify a man, and yet it pleases God (Romans 3:20-28). (11) Sanctification is a thing which will be found absolutely necessary as a witness to our character in the great day of judgment (John 5:29; II Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:13). (12) Sanctification is absolutely necessary in order to train and prepare us for heaven. Heaven is essentially a holy place; its inhabitants holy; its occupations are all holy. We must be somewhat trained and made ready for heaven while we are on earth. We must be saints before we die, if we are to be saints afterwards in glory. I am not even on to the next section and already feel as if I need to stop right now and do some regurgitating (sp?). Is any of this tempting you to go out and get the book and tolle lege?

Are You In Training? From the ladies at GirlTalk: "Like an astute coach or a gifted teacher, God prepares his saints for the tasks to which he has appointed them before he uses them. Moses, for example, spent forty years in the desert, herding sheep, before God called him to lead his people out of Egypt. What better preparation in patience could there have been for his assignment of leading an equally stubborn flock of people through wilderness for forty years? Similarly, David learned courage from his own experience as a shepherd. Later the one who had learned how to take on wild animals in the defense of his flock would be called upon to take on the biggest wild animal of all, mighty Goliath, in the defense of God's flock. God knows how to prepare his people for the tasks to which they are assigned" (from Living in the Gap Between Promise and Reality by Iain M. Duiguid). Kristin wanted to encourage me that my present difficulty is “preparation for a task.” It isn’t simply something to get through. It is a training tool—to conform me to the image of Christ and make me more useful for him." Read the entire article here. Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

Ten Great Christian Biographies (ht: Al Mohler)

Worthy reads of those who are a part of the "ancient ways" ( Jeremiah 6:16). Ten Great Christian Biographies Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

Erin McKean: Redefining the Dictionary (TedGlobal Talk)

Erin McKean: Redefining the Dictionary I found this to be an interesting video. This is how our generation has been taught to think, rather than Jeremiah 6:16 "ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is". Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

John Calvin on The Heaven-Blessed Priority of Homemaking (ht: Doug Phillips)

John Calvin on The Heaven-Blessed Priority of Homemaking “And if men say, ‘what is this? A woman playeth the housewife, she spinneth on her distaff, and this is all that women can do.’ As in deed there are a number of fools that when they speak of women’s distaffs, of seeing to their children, will make a scorn of it, and despise it. But what then? What saith the heavenly Judge? That he is well pleased with it, and accepteth of it, and putteth it in his reckoning. So then let women learn to rejoice when they do their duty, and though the world despise it, let this comfort sweeten all respect they might have that way, and say, ‘God seeth me here, and his Angels, who are sufficient witnesses of my doings, although the world do not allow of them.’”[i] [i] John Calvin, in A Sermon of Master John Caluine, vpon the first Epistle of Paul, toTimothie, published for the benefite and edifying of the Churche of God, “The 19. A Sermon on 1 Timothy 2:13-15” (London: G. Bishop and T. Woodcoke, 1579). Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

Clarke Bynum

From the heart of the pastor: "Dear Saints, A prince of the Church has experienced the translation of his membership from the Church militant to the Church triumphant. This oak of righteousness was at war with his age because he dwelt at the mercy seat of God's Savior as though it was his home – and it was and is. Heaven is more like heaven today than it has ever been. The Vine had not another seed for Clarke to sow, not another plant for him to nurture, not another vine for him to train, so it was his season to receive the blessing that the sacrifice of Jesus merited to him. I know of no man who more perfectly taught us all to press further and further into the presence of our Kinsman. I know of no 40ish saint who was/is more embroidered with the likeness of His Redeemer. I know of no other giant among men who thought what he taught, preached what he taught and lived what he taught. He spoke with seraphic authority and unchallenged boldness about the God who is, the Christ who saves and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies the saved. Oh, that we all might be as bespangled with holy glory as our brother Clarke. Though his mortality has ceased, his life, influence and affect shall speak to generations upon generations even as the blood of Abel. He has now completed his journey to the City of God – the city of gold, frankincense and myrrh until our precious Lord returns with His redeemed to gather His beloved from all the nations to Himself. In Clarke Bynum's life, suffering and death, he modeled constancy, diligence, sobriety, strength of mind and unswerving Christian character. May we all become imitators of Christ even as our saintly brother modeled. Numbers 6:24-26" Soli Deo Gloria! Joshua Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Around the Web

Advice for a Young Preacher (ht: The J.E. Center) In 1973 D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote to a 'young preacher': 'With regard to books that have meant a great deal to me, I think I would have to put at the very top of my list the works of Jonathan Edwards.' Iain Murray, D. Martyn Lloyd Jones: The Fight of Faith 1939-1981 (Edinburgh, 1990), 420. A Labor Day Thought - Be the Human Being at the Office (ht: Jollyblogger) 24 Tips To Becoming An Early Riser (ht: Evangelical Outpost) With the SC State Fair coming up, I thought that this would be something good to know. How to Beat Carnival Games (ht: Evangelical Outpost) Jesus: More Full of Grace Than I of Sin (ht: JT) From Charles Wesley's hymn, Weary of Wandering from My God: O Jesus, full of truth and grace More full of grace than I of sin Yet once again I seek Thy face: Open Thine arms and take me in And freely my backslidings heal And love the faithless sinner still. Cited by Sinclair Ferguson in an excellent three-part sermon series on the Prodigal Son. Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

Why Do We Resist God's Sovereignty (Desiring God)

Why Do We Resist God's Sovereignty (Desiring God) There are two ways that the soul can resist the truth of God's sovereign governance over all evil that is implied in Genesis 50:20—"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." 1. The soul can resist with an unbelieving and rebellious spirit that willfully resists God's right and power and wisdom in "meaning evil for good." 2. The soul can resist with a humble mixture of love for God's holiness, justice, and love, on the one hand, and mental perplexity as to how these could be consistent with God's "meaning evil for good," on the other hand. #2 brings God's patient, merciful displeasure, leading eventually to greater light. #1 brings God's punitive displeasure, leading eventually to death, if there is no repentance. Joshua Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Holiness; Sin

I am currently reading "Faithfulness and Holiness" by J. I. Packer which offers the first edition of Bishop J. C. Ryle's "Holiness". I am reading it as a book study as a part of an online group, check it out and join in or follow along here. We are currently reading chapter one, "Sin". I thought I would throw this teaser your way and see if it intices you to "tolle lege" as I am finding this to be an excellent read and easy to follow and provides incite which can affect change. --------- In Ryle's first edition of Holiness, he writes in the first chapter on the topic of 'Sin'. And fitting it is as if those who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit are to be holy as He is holy then we are in need of ridding ourselves of sin. Ryle writes, "the first thing, therefore, that God does when He makes anyone a new creature in Christ, is to send light into his heart, and show him that he is a guilty sinner. He provides 5 sub-topics or thoughts about sin: 1) The Definition of Sin - sin, in short, is that vast moral disease which affects the whole himan race, of every rank, and class, and name, and nation, and people, and tongue; a disease from which there never was but one born of woman that was free. More particularly, "a sin" consists in doing, saying, thinking, or imagining, anything that is not in perfect conformity with the mind and law of God. 2) Origin and Source of Sin - the sinfulness of man begins from within; it is a family disease, which we all inherit from our first parents, Adam and Eve, and with which we are born. (He then closes this sub-topic speaking of babies and provides some great insight and admonishment.) 3) The Extent of Sin - "Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart" is by nature "evil, and that continually." -- "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Gen. 6:5; Jer. 17:9); sin is a disease which pervades and runs through every part of our moral constitution and every faculty of our minds. (He spends a good portion of writing here.) 4) The Guilt, Vileness, and Offensiveness of Sin - heavy must that weight if human sin be which made Jesus groan and sweat drops of blood in agony at Gethsemane, and cry at Golgatha, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Mt. 27:46). 5) Sin's Deceitfulness - you may see this deceitfulness in the wonderful proneness of men to regard sin as less sinful and dangerous than it is in the sight of God; I fear we do not sufficiently realize the extreme subtlety if our soul's disease. ------------------- Here are some sermons by John Piper on God's Sovereignty over Sin; Desiring God Joshua Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Does God Permit Sin

Does God Permit Sin? (ht: Desiring God) Part 1 http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/786_does_god_emauthorem_sin/ Part 2 http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/787_does_god_emauthorem_sin/ Part 3 http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/788/ Joshua Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Banner of Truth "Hidden Treasures SALE"

The "Hidden Treasures" sale mailer was emailed out today. Printed copies to be mailed next week. Come get a jump on the great prices. Must order by email or telephone, do not order these on the website at this time. Mr. Burlew will announce when that is able to be done. Link to Mailer Link to Trophies of Grace Blog Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

Affirmations

I mean no disrespect or insult but do you know of those folks who when you pray offer a "mmm" throughout a prayer. I am one of them, so I can speak as one. Well one of our pastors, the Rookie one, and I were speaking about these folks and jokingly I said about another staff's prayer that he got a 12-person 'Mmmm' at one point in his prayer. The Rookie said yeah he did and I, meaning the Rookie, only got a 3 'mmm' during his prayer and that they were all from me and that the 'Mmmm' seemed to have come at odd times during the prayer. I told him that I was most likely distracted by an email I was reading or something from a blog and I needed to show some support of your prayer. He added that I was giving a "Fake-mmm" (fake-um). The antonym for a "Fake-Um" is a "Genu-Um". A "Mmmm" given at the appropriate time during a prayer which offers confirmation and agreement to the person praying. Be mindful of your "Mmmm's" and the placement of your "Mmmm's". Joshua Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

How to Listen to a Sermon

I find George Whitfield an extraordinary man and have enjoyed Dallimore's biography of this man. Whitefield was a great divine of our time. How To Listen to a Sermon Tim Challies of Challies.com(http://www.challies.com); writes, "I thought it would be nice to have a guest blogger for the first time in a long while. Today I'm going to post a wonderful little article excerpted from one of George Whitefield's sermons. In this sermon he exposited Luke 8:18 where Jesus said, "Therefore consider carefully how you listen." These pearls of wisdom will help you listen to sermons in a way that will bring great blessing to your soul. Or as Whitefield said, "Here are some cautions and directions, in order to help you hear sermons with profit and advantage." 1. Come to hear them, not out of curiosity, but from a sincere desire to know and do your duty. To enter His house merely to have our ears entertained, and not our hearts reformed, must certainly be highly displeasing to the Most High God, as well as unprofitable to ourselves. 2. Give diligent heed to the things that are spoken from the Word of God. If an earthly king were to issue a royal proclamation, and the life or death of his subjects entirely depended on performing or not performing its conditions, how eager would they be to hear what those conditions were! And shall we not pay the same respect to the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and lend an attentive ear to His ministers, when they are declaring, in His name, how our pardon, peace, and happiness may be secured? 3. Do not entertain even the least prejudice against the minister. That was the reason Jesus Christ Himself could not do many mighty works, nor preach to any great effect among those of His own country; for they were offended at Him. Take heed therefore, and beware of entertaining any dislike against those whom the Holy Ghost has made overseers over you. Consider that the clergy are men of like passions with yourselves. And though we should even hear a person teaching others to do what he has not learned himself, yet that is no reason for rejecting his doctrine. For ministers speak not in their own, but in Christ's name. And we know who commanded the people to do whatever the scribes and Pharisees should say unto them, even though they did not do themselves what they said (see Matt. 23:1-3). 4. Be careful not to depend too much on a preacher, or think more highly of him than you ought to think. Preferring one teacher over another has often been of ill consequence to the church of God. It was a fault which the great Apostle of the Gentiles condemned in the Corinthians: 'For whereas one said, I am of Paul; another, I am of Apollos: are you not carnal, says he? For who is Paul, and who is Apollos, but instruments in God's hands by whom you believed?' (1 Cor. 1:12; 2:3-5). Are not all ministers sent forth to be ministering ambassadors to those who shall be heirs of salvation? And are they not all therefore greatly to be esteemed for their work's sake? 5. Make particular application to your own hearts of everything that is delivered. When our Savior was discoursing at the last supper with His beloved disciples and foretold that one of them should betray Him, each of them immediately applied it to his own heart and said, 'Lord, is it I?' (Matt. 26:22). Oh, that persons, in like manner, when preachers are dissuading from any sin or persuading to any duty, instead of crying, 'This was intended for such and such a one!' instead would turn their thoughts inwardly, and say, 'Lord, is it I?' How far more beneficial should we find discourses to be than now they generally are! 6. Pray to the Lord, before, during, and after every sermon, to endue the minister with power to speak, and to grant you a will and ability to put into practice what he shall show from the Book of God to be your duty. No doubt it was this consideration that made St. Paul so earnestly entreat his beloved Ephesians to intercede with God for him: 'Praying always, with all manner of prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and for me also, that I may open my mouth with boldness, to make known the mysteries of the gospel' (Eph. 6:19-20). And if so great an apostle as St. Paul needed the prayers of his people, much more do those ministers who have only the ordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit. If only all who hear me this day would seriously apply their hearts to practice what has now been told them! How ministers would see Satan, like lightning, fall from heaven, and people find the Word preached sharper than a two-edged sword and mighty, through God, to the pulling down of the devil's strongholds!" Joshua Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Worship and D.A. Carson

JT at Between Two Worlds, provides an interesting interview with D.A. Carson on t he topic of worship.. Interview with Carson on Worship Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

Hymnody, Songs and Spiritual Songs Today

Another by the Bayly brothers. This one dealing more with hymnody and songs being written today. Men suffer not Thy Word to stand... (ht: By David & Tim Bayly) (by Tim) Have you noticed how the hymns, songs, and spiritual songs being written for Christian worship today exclude words or concepts that are negative? And, performed on "Christian radio," how every piece of music ends in a triumphant crescendo? Listen to your local Christian radio station and count the number of times Satan, Hell, the narrow path, old age, death, or false doctrine appear in songs' lyrics. Really, we ought to be coming up with new settings for Psalm 137. But hey, it wouldn't get air time. Go over to The Psalms of David from Kings Choir of Kings College, Cambridge, Vol. 1 for an old setting I love. (In fact, I'm very fond of all three volumes in this series and highly recommend them.) Well here's a tonic for what ails us, from the same spiritual father who gave us, "And though this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us; The Prince of Darkness grim--we tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, For lo, his doom is sure, One little Word shall fell him." Whether or not your church would sing the following words with gusto might be some indication of whether you've found a good church home... O Lord, Look Down from Heaven, Behold O Lord, look down from heaven, behold And let Thy pity waken: How few are we within Thy Fold, Thy saints by men forsaken! True faith seems quenched on every hand, Men suffer not Thy Word to stand; Dark times have us o'ertaken. With fraud which they themselves invent Thy truth they have confounded; Their hearts are not with one consent On Thy pure doctrine grounded. While they parade with outward show, They lead the people to and fro, In error's maze astounded. May God root out all heresy And of false teachers rid us Who proudly say: Now, where is he That shall our speech forbid us? By right or might we shall prevail; What we determine cannot fail; We own no lord and master. Therefore saith God, I must arise, The poor My help are needing; To Me ascend My people's cries, And I have heard their pleading. For them My saving Word shall fight And fearlessly and sharply smite, The poor with might defending. As silver tried by fire is pure From all adulteration, So through God's Word shall men endure Each trial and temptation. Its light beams brighter through the cross, And, purified from human dross, It shines through every nation. Thy truth defend, O God, and stay This evil generation; And from the error of their way Keep Thine own congregation. The wicked everywhere abound And would Thy little flock confound; But Thou art our Salvation. Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

The Glory of Motherhood

The Bayly brothers post a wonderful link dedicated to the mothers of our children. Who do such a marvelous work. The glory of motherhood... (ht: By David & Tim Bayly) To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labours, and holidays; to be Whitely within a certain area, providing toys, boots, cakes and books; to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can imagine how this can exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it. How can it be a large career to tell other people about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone and narrow to be everything to someone? No, a woman’s function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. -G. K. Chesterton in What's Wrong with the World If you want to be delighted, again, at the divine beauty of a mother and her children fending their way through this thing called LIFE, read this Ebay Item Description of a set of Pokemon cards being sold by a mother of six. Then check out her blog. Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

The Light of Life

"Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life" (Job 33:29). "does all these things..." - what things you may ask? Read Job chapters 1-33:28 to find out. Joshua Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

More on Baptism

More on Baptism From Ligon Duncan and Sam Storms Grace, mercy and peace be with you!