Knowing and Experiencing

While I was a student at Liberty University I was told by a professor that if I taught limited or definite atonement* from the pulpit I would ruin a church. This sentence by my professor has haunted me over the years. I couldn't imagine how I could see and savor a doctrine in Scripture but if I taught it from the pulpit I would ruin a church. The above sentence has haunted me for years until I read "From Heaven He Came and Sought Her". The book attempts to provide an argument for definite atonement from history, the Bible, theology and the pastorate. Dr. John Piper; Former Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church wrote the essay on definite atonement in the pastorate. At the close of his essay he explains how definite atonement when taught correctly can strengthen and empower a church. Here is his argument.

Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with deeper gratitude. We feel more thankfulness for a gift given to us in particular, rather than feeling like it was given to no specific people and we happened to pick it up. The world should be thankful that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. But those who belong to Christ should be far more thankful because the very faith that unites us to Christ for all his promises was purchased and secured by the blood of the new covenant.

Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with greater assurance. We feel more secure in God's hands when we know that before we believed or even existed, God has us in view when he planned to pay with his blood, not only for a free offer of salvation but also for our actual regeneration and calling and faith and justification and sanctification and glorification-that it was secured for us in particular. The rock solid assurance of Romans 8:32-39 is rooted in the unbreakable link between the definite atonement that Christ made and the promises purchased for those for whom he died.

Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with sweeter fellowship with God. A pastor may love all the women in his church. But his wife feels a sweeter affection for him because he chose her particularly out of all the other women, and made great sacrifices to make sure he would have her-not because he offered himself to all women and she accepted, but because he sought her in particular and sacrificed for her. If we do not know that God chose us as his Son's "wife" and made great sacrifices for us in particular and wooed us and wanted us in a special way, our experience of the personal sweetness of his love will not be the same.

Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with stronger affections in worship. To be loved with everlasting love, before the creation and into future ages, is to have our affections awakened for God, which will intensify worship and make it more personal than if we thought we were loved only with the same love as God has for those who will never come. To look at the cross and know that this love was not only for the sake of an offer of salvation to all (which it is), but more, was the length to which God would go so that I, in particular, would be drawn into the new covenant-that is the bedrock of joy in worship. When a church is faithfully and regularly taught that they are the definite and particular objects of God's "great love", owing to nothing in them, the intensity of their worship will grow even deeper.

Knowing and experiencing the reality of definite atonement affects us with more love for people and greater courage and sacrifice in witness and service. When a profound sense of undeserved, particular, atoning love from God combines with the unshakable security of being purchased-from eternity, for eternity-then we are more deeply freed from the selfish greed and fear that hinder love. Love is laying down one's conveniences, and even one's life, for the good of others, especially their eternal good. The more undeservingly secure we are, the more we will be humbled to count others more significant than ourselves, and the more fearless we will be to risk our lives for their greatest good. Definite atonement is a massively strengthening truth for the humble security and bold fearlessness of the believer. In that way, it releases and empowers love.

In conclusion, if I preach definite atonement from the pulpit I will not ruin a church in fact just the opposite will happen. Preaching, which aims at world evangelization and serves to strengthen the people of God, should speak of the acheivement of the cross in its fullness. The aim of preaching is to join God in his ultimate purpose in all things-to display the fullness of his glory. The apex of God's glory is the splendor of his grace as it reaches its climax in the glory of the cross. And the glory of the cross is the fullness of its definite achievement. Therefore, we diminish the glory of the cross and the glory of grace and the glory of God when we diminish definite atonement. But when it is preached and embraced in its biblical fullness, the glory of the work of Christ, the glory of the freedom and power of grace, and the glory of the being of God himself are wonderfully magnified.

*Definite or limited atonement is the belief that Christ death on the cross was to fully pay the penalty for those who were chosen by God from the foundation of the world. A popular way to summarize definite atonement is to say that Christ's death was sufficient for the world but efficient for the elect.

*From Heaven He Came and Sought Her. Essay by John Piper.

What If I Fail?

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.- 1 John 1:9

Never a day goes by when we do not fail to do what Christ has enabled us to do. Despite all of the gifts flowing from our union with Christ, sin still remains in us. That's the reason you need to know that Jesus has broken the power of sin-because it's presence still remains! We should not be shocked that the war still rages inside us. We have been changed, we have been empowered, but we have not yet been perfected.

What do you do when you sin and fail? Do you excuse and rationalize? Do you wallow in self-defeating guilt and regret? The Cross calls you away from both responses. It gives you the freedom to admit your sin and repent. It is impossible for your sin to shock the One who died because of it. The Cross also gives you the freedom to seek and receive forgiveness each time you fall. We do not have to carry the sins Christ took on himself. He paid the price the we could not pay so that we would never have to pay it again.

When you fail, keep Jesus and his work in view. Run to your Lord, not away from him. Receive his forgiveness, get back up, and follow him once more, knowing that each time you fail, you can experience your identity as one for whom Christ died. Each failure reminds us of why he had to die; each confession reminds us of the forgiveness that only the Cross could provide.

In conclusion, when you fail look to the Cross. Look on Christ. Confess your sins and remain He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

June Newsletter

Nothing of eternal significance is ever accomplished apart from prayer.-Jerry Falwell

STORY:

Before we traveled overseas our biggest prayer request was for God to provide National friends and partners whom we could learn from and pour into. God answered our prayer in a big way. This month we want to highlight our National friends and partners...

PICTURES:

Meet Avom, he is the pastor for Faith Baptist Church. Faith Baptist is the church Julia and I have been working with during our time in Nalerigu. The church ministers to patients with tuberculosis. He has become a close friend and fellow partner in the faith. His vision for the church and love for the Lord is contagious. 

Meet Cheny our worship leader at Faith Baptist. He lives out the verse which says to make a joyful noise to the Lord. He has even written a song which goes, "1,2,3,4,5 Hallelujah" which you sing over and over and over again. I can't wait till we arrive in Heaven and he will teach all of us how to sing to the glory of God.

Julia and I posing with Shadu or "S". I have been discipling Shadu for a little over a year. He is maturing and growing in the faith. We have gone through material on Starting and Strengthening New Churches as well as how to share Jesus with Muslims. He loves the Lord and is anxious to learn as much as he can about His Savior. His hunger for the word is contagious and causes me to hunger for the word more.

Julia posing with all of the children of Faith Baptist. Julia has started a vibrant children's ministry with the church. She ministers to the women and children on Tuesday afternoons. The children love her and call her Momma.

We have been involved in numerous ministries during our time in Ghana. One of our most enjoyable times of ministry was during this month when we had the privilege of observing children receive an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox. The excitement and joy on everyone's face as they received their box was priceless. 

We have been involved in serving the hospital through our work with the chaplains. They have taught me how to minister to the sick and hurting. I have learned how to serve the least of these. They have taught me about culture and ministry. This is a picture of a typical chapel service which takes place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Lives are transformed everyday at the hospital. Women are responding to an invitation for more prayer and to learn more about Christ.

Reverend Adam (Chaplain) is meeting with the patients who wanted to learn more about Christianity. We take their information and will follow up with them after they leave the hospital and return to their village. 

This is the motorcycle which we use to travel into the villages on Thursday mornings. I have spent many Thursdays bouncing along on the back of the moto. Rev. Adams has taught me threw his actions how to love the members of your church and serve them.

This is our "Potatoe lady". She is the most helpful person in Tamale. We travel three hours to get our supplies and the day before we travel into the city I call her and she is able to get all of the fruits and vegetables which we will need. In October I asked her for a pumpkin and she travelled around the city for an hour until she returned with a "pumpkin." She has been a huge blessing to us.

Meet Lariba. She is the Presbyterian minister over the Witches Camp of Gambaga. She has become a member of our family. She is our person of peace which allows us to minister to the women and she also translates for us. She pays a price for working with the women but she understands that God sees her sacrifice and will reward her.

Meet Rebecca; our cook. She is a member of our family. She comes Monday-Friday and makes us lunch/dinner. Her help in the house frees us to be able to minister in the community. She is always willing to help with language and cultural questions. God has gifted her with the ability to cook and she uses her gift to minister to us and others in the community.

It wouldn't be a blog if there weren't pictures of Piper. She is becoming more active and aware of her surroundings. She is very curious and wants to touch, look at, and place everything in her mouth. She is going to make our plane ride back to America very interesting.

Tummy-time.

Julia and I will celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary on June 5th. She is my best friend and partner in ministry. We have had an amazing four years and excited for another forty.

Meet "B" one of the men which I have tea with on a weekly basis. The group of men I have tea with call themselves the "Base Members." The base members have been a giant answer to prayer. I met them while prayer walking through Nalerigu on our second day in town. They invited me to have tea with them and I have been going every week since we arrived. They have taught me about language and culture. They are not only my teachers but have become my best friends. When they found out I was leaving they wanted to know who would come and share the Jesus stories with them after I left. Would you be that person?
  

DEVOTION:
Have we Suffered?
Do you KNOW God?

PRAYER REQUESTS:
June is our last month in Nalerigu. Pray for a sweet month of fellowship, ministry and good-byes. We leave Nalerigu early on June 30th and will arrive in Raleigh, NC on July 2nd. Pray for traveling mercies. Pray Piper travels well. We will be spending the month of July traveling between Raleigh NC, Williamsburg Va., and Charlotte, NC. We would love to meet with each of you. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to see when we will be in your city.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone again next month.

Serving Him,

The 3 Welchs

Have we suffered?

Yesterday, I read an article entitled “Suffering for Christ” written by Dr. Scott Hildreth. In the article he makes the argument that all of the easy places which need the Gospel have been taken and the places left are the hard ones. He writes, “obeying the missionary call requires choosing the unknown and suffering over a life of familiarity and ease.” I have been meditating on this quote all day.

As many of you know Julia and I live in rural Africa working among the Maumprusi people. There is a proverb among the Maumprusi which states, “life is suffering.” Julia and I have endured a lot in our two years. We have lived out Dr. Hildreth’s quote.

We have suffered through constant power cuts and water troubles. This weekend we lost water to the entire hospital compound (hospital and 13 houses) and were without water for the night. When the water came back, the pressure from the water in the pipes pushed all of the dirt and mud in the pipes into all of the houses. We turned on our bathtub and were greeted with a mud bath. We have suffered through lack of entertainment and food. There are no fast food restaurants or any restaurants for that matter in our village. We have to drive three hours away to buy basic groceries once a month and there have been numerous months where we have driven into the city only to find that the delivery trucks have not come and the two stores have barely any supplies. We have suffered through post offices and other government buildings as we have attempted to conduct important business. Imagine going to the post office and having to elbow your way through the crowd just to get to the desk. Every time we visit a Government building it's one big scavenger hunt as we find the people we need to see and get their signature. We have suffered through 15 flat tires, numerous truck issues and being harassed by police, soldiers, and children on a daily basis. We have suffered through the loss of our identity as our language ability quickly became that of a 2 year old. We have suffered through 125 degree weather with no relief; taking a “cold” shower with all of your clothes on and sitting under a fan to “cool” off. We have endured carpet vipers, spitting cobras, scorpions, mosquitoes, tarantulas, rats, camel spiders and other critters. Julia endured being pregnant in 125 degree weather unable to satisfy her food cravings and gave birth in Senegal surrounded by women screaming at her in French; a language she doesn’t know. We have suffered through an Ebola scare, waking up to a gang of boys in our front yard, tribal warfare, exposure to tuberculosis, as well as watching numerous volunteers leave the hospital compound because life and ministry was “too hard.” We have suffered through a septic tank which was full and having to shovel all of the crap out of the tank. We have suffered through raising a new born in rural Africa; waking up and finding dead lizards on her, numerous bouts with heat rash, not having a regular family pediatrician  and vaccines (Is this vaccine safe? Where did it come from? Was it kept cool during transport?).  This is just a small picture of what we have suffered.

We have suffered in a temporal sense; but we have been blessed abundantly more than we have suffered. This is what Dr. Hildreth misses in his post. He fails to emphasize that when we choose a life of unknown and suffering God meets us and empowers/equips us to accomplish the mission. We would not trade our two years for a life of familiarity and ease.

God has been molding and shaping us during our time overseas. We have grown in our intimacy with God. We are learning what it means to depend on God for everything. We are learning to take all our worry, discontent, discouragement, despair, questioning, pain and suffering and toss it all onto God and trade it in for trust and peace in God which surpasses all understanding. We are learning that God is a friend who sticks closer than a brother during the good times and bad.

We are having our world view broadened as we encounter new people on a daily basis. We are learning how to minister to people living in poverty without creating dependency. We are learning how to minister to people who have lost a child or loved one. We are learning how every culture attempts to make sense of life. We are learning how to share the Gospel in culturally appropriate ways to best minister to the world view of a particular people.

We are learning that Christ blesses those who choose a life of suffering. Jesus, Himself, said, “there is no one who has given up father, mother, sister, brother who will not receive 100 times more in the next life.” Life is not easy but God fills us with His grace and we are able to push on. We are learning to take life one day at a time. God’s power is enough for today. We must not worry about tomorrow but focus on today.

We are learning that God answers prayers and provides for us. He has provided threw the sacrificial giving of so many. We have been blessed by Southern Baptists who give to the co-operative program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We have been blessed by the training we have received, the emphasis on language learning, our vehicle, and family support. We have seen God answer prayer as everyday a prayer request goes out via Facebook and Twitter; people see it and pray, God hears and God answers.

Finally, we are learning that the Gospel has implications for all of life. The Gospel influences every aspect of my life. The Gospel impacts how I interact with my Muslim friends and how I clean out my septic tank. The Gospel impacts when sharing Operation Christmas Child boxes and when I’m diagnosed with exposure to tuberculosis. The Gospel has importance when feeding orphans and when suffering through the heat. The Gospel impacts and has implications for all of life.

In conclusion, obeying the missionary call does require choosing a life of suffering over a life of ease; however, the reward/blessing of choosing suffering outweighs the cost. When you choose to walk away from ease and familiarity and walk towards the unknown and suffering you will find God walking with you empowering and equipping you to accomplish the mission. When you initially choose a life of suffering it will be hard and costly but you will eventually look back and find that in actuality you have chosen an abundant life filled with God’s provision and God’s power. God will sustain you and in the end you will say, “I never made a sacrifice.”  

Just War Ethic: Are Christians to engage in warfare?

The just war ethic argues that warfare is sometimes necessary in order to resist or reverse specific unjust actions taken by one government or nation against another, but is also insists that war is always regrettable, is always something to avoid if possible, and is never to be used to establish new vision of a social order.

The just war ethic tradition arises from both biblical and classical sources. In the Bible, the just war principles can be found in rules revealed for engaging enemies outside the territory of the Promised Land (Deut. 20:1-20), in God's judgment of war actions taken by the Gentile nations around Israel( Amos 1), and in the regard Jesus had for moral wisdom relating to the way kings go to war (Luke 14:31).

The NT church included many soldiers serving on active duty and saw nothing morally inconsistent with Christians serving as military professionals. The conversion of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, was confirmed by the Holy Spirit with no question of his profession compromising his faith (Acts 10). John the Baptist responded to soldiers in a way that implied they were serving in a morally legitimate profession (Luke 3:14). And when Paul was imprisoned in Rome, many in the Praetorian guard became Christians (Phil. 1:13). As a result Christians soon became to fill the Roman fortresses, military camps, and army companies, and the first persecutions of the church arose because of the high number of Christians serving in the Roman army. While some early Christians opposed military service (Tertullian and Origen), the majority tradition of the church has never considered military service to be inconsistent with biblical standards.

Over time, the just war ethic has developed a common set of criteria that can be used to decide if going to war in a specific situation if right. The include the following: 1)just cause (is the reason for going to war a morally right cause, such as a defense of a nation?) 2) competent authority (has the war been declared not simply by a renegade band within a nation but by a recognized competent authority within the nation? Rom. 13:1) 3) comparative justice (it should be clear that the actions of the enemy are morally wrong, and the motives and actions of one's own nation in going to war are, in comparison, morally right Rom. 13:3) 4) right intention (is the purpose of going to war to protect justice and righteousness rather than simply to rob and pillage and destroy another nation? Prov. 21:2) 5) last resort (have all other reasonable means of resolving conflict been exhausted? Matt. 5:9, Rom. 12:18) 6) probability of success (is there a reasonable expectation that the war can be won? Luke 14:31) 7) proportionality of projected results (will the good results that come from a victory in a war be significantly greater than the harm and loss that will inevitably come with pursuing the war? Rom. 12:21, 13:4) 8) right spirit (is the war undertaken with great reluctance and sorrow at the harm that will come rather than simply with a "delight in war" Ps. 68:30).

In addition to these criteria for deciding whether a specific war is "just", advocates of just war theory have also developed some moral restrictions on how a just war should be fought. These include: 1) proportionality in the use of force (no greater destruction should be caused than is needed to win the war) 2) discrimination between combatants and noncombatants (insofar as it is feasible in the successful pursuit of a war, is adequate care taken to prevent harm to noncombatants? 3) avoidance of evil means (will captured or defeated enemies be treated with justice and compassion, and are one's own soldiers being treated justly in captivity? 4) good faith (is there a genuine desire for restoration of peace and eventually living in harmony with the attacking nation?)

In conclusion, if a war is just, it should not be viewed as morally wrong but still necessary, nor as morally neutral, but as something that is morally right, carried out (with sorrow and regret) in obedience to responsibilities given by God (Rom. 13:4). Those who sever in a just war should understand that such service is not sinful in God's sight but that they do this as "God's servant for your good" (Rom. 13:4, Luke 3:14, John 15:13, Num. 32:6, 20-23; Ps. 144:1).

*Notes taken from the Christian Ethic section of the ESV Study Bible
* Class Notes, Dr. Daniel Heimbach, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

One of the Greatest Motivation for Mission

I am often asked what is my motivation for missions. What keeps me encouraged on the mission field and in ministry? One of the greatest motivations for missions is my belief in definite atonement. Definite atonement is the theological truth which teaches that when God sent his Son to die, he had in view the definite acquisition of a group of undeserving sinners, whose faith and repentance he obtained by the blood of his Son.

In definite atonement we have the grounds for both missionary motivation and confidence. Historically, for missionary pioneers like William Carey, such a doctrine served as a spur and not a brake in his motivation and vision. The book of Revelation presents a wonderfully certain picture of people objectively ransomed by the blood of Christ "from every tribe and language and people and nation" (5:9), "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages" (7:9), and who all give glory to God in their rich diversity.

Far from dampening the motivation to mission, definite atonement provides great confidence for Christian mission. The message we proclaim is not that of a gospel offer which construes the atonement as providing merely the possibility of salvation or the opportunity of salvation, for it is not the opportunity of salvation that is offered; it is salvation. And it is salvation because Christ is offered and Christ does not invite us to mere opportunity but to himself. Moreover, in the spirit of the Lord's words to Paul-"I have many in this city who are my people"- we have confidence in the unity of the triune God's sovereign economy of salvation, for we know that wherever we proclaim the gospel, the God's Spirit has gone before, relating to all personally through the ever-present revelation of himself both externally in creation and history and internally in the imago Dei. While this revelation is both sinfully suppressed and substituted, it is never totally erased, so that all know God and are without excuse. But more, in God's amazing graciousness and mercy, and in a myriad of ways, we are confident that he has been preparing his own people, those for whom Christ died, to receive the Gospel message we proclaim, in saving repentance and faith.

This vision of the atonement and the free offer of the Gospel propels us into the global work of missions with compassion and confidence: compassion, because we have been so loved ourselves and because God has put within us a longing for others to join us in this great salvation; confidence, because contained in the atonement itself is the power of the gospel to raise the spiritually dead and bring people to faith.

In conclusion, we are carried in our passion for the nations by the spectacular person of Christ and the stupendous achievement of his cross. We do not hesitate to say to every person in every people group that God loves you, and he offers you in Christ the fullest possible redemption in everlasting, all-satisfying fellowship with himself. This message is valid, and this offer is sincere, to every person on the planet. And it is breathtakingly glorious. How could we not want to bring this news to every person and every people group in the world!

Welcome Home!

Our citizenship is in Heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body; by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.-Philippians 3:20-21

Recently I have been thinking a lot about Heaven. What will Heaven be like? Who will be there? Is it as glorious as it sounds? Is Heaven for real? I have been diving into the Bible to learn more. Below are a few of my findings about Heaven.

Individuals have various beliefs about Heaven which have been shaped by songs, television, and Hallmark cards. A lot of these beliefs are not supported by Scripture; therefore, before I share about Heaven, I must address what Heaven is not.

Heaven is not a place filled with individuals who arrived because of their good deeds. Your good deeds do not get you into Heaven. Everyone who dies does not go to Heaven. You will not meet Saint Peter at the gate asking for your name and being allowed to enter based on whether or not your name is on his list. Heaven is not a place where individuals sit on clouds, play harps, and eat Philadelphia cheese cake. Your household pet will not be in Heaven. Heaven will not be filled with individuals who have been promoted to “guardian angel” to watch over people on Earth. There are no holes in the floor of Heaven and every time a bell rings an angel does not get its wings. Finally, in Heaven there will be no marriage or giving in marriage.

These are just a few common beliefs which are not supported by Scripture. If these beliefs are not supported by Scripture than what does Scripture teach?

Scripture teaches that Heaven is a place of unending, never-ceasing, indescribable joy. Heaven will be filled with individuals who trusted in Christ for their salvation. Individuals who admitted they were sinners, believed in Jesus, and confessed their sins. Jesus, Himself, said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life no one gets to Heaven but through me.”

There will be no sadness, no sickness, no sorrow and no death in Heaven. Sin, death, Alzheimer, cancer, aids, abuse, pornography, pride, covetousness, blasphemy, gluttony, idolatry and every other evil will be cast into the lake of fire and will not be in Heaven. The paralyzed will walk, the blind see, and the deaf will hear. The lion will lie down with the lamb and the child will put his hand over the viper’s hole.

In Heaven the streets will be paved with gold. Imagine the immaculate beauty of Heaven if they use gold to pave the streets. We will sit down and enjoy a meal with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Imagine enjoying a slice of pizza, hamburger, cob salad or any of your other favorite foods with the King of Kings. Imagine enjoying a nice glass of wine or Dr. Pepper (for the tee totaling Baptists) with the Lord of Lords. We don’t know what we will be eating but it will be a meal filled with laughter, great conversation, and joy.

We will be rewarded for our work on Earth in Heaven. Your labor on Earth is not in vain and will be rewarded. God sees the sacrifice you are making and will reward you. God loves all of his children and will disown none of them, but He doesn’t equally reward the obedient, generous, and hardworking children the same as He does the disobedient, stingy and lazy ones.

Everything will be restored to the way it was supposed to be. Everyone will have a new body and the effects of sin will be removed. Our minds will be renewed and perfectly united to Christ. Our bodies will be renewed to work for Christ and our soul will be renewed to worship Christ. The Bible is not clear on the nature of our new bodies; but the Bible is clear on the fact that we will all have new bodies and we will all recognize each other. We will once again be reunited with our loved ones, friends and family. We will sit and listen to stories of God’s grace in our lives and we will join with the myriads of angels crying, “Worthy is the Lamb!”

In Heaven we will work with God and rule with Him during the millennial reign. There will be no sun because God’s light will shine forever. Finally, the greatest blessing of Heaven is not the streets of gold, new bodies or being reunited with loved ones rather the greatest blessing of Heaven will be unhindered fellowship with God, Himself. We will spend eternity singing praises to God and worshiping the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world. As “Amazing Grace” so beautifully states, “when we’ve been there 10,000 years bright shining as the sun  with no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun…”

In conclusion, Heaven is a place filled with unending, never ceasing, indescribable joy. A place where everything will be restored to the way it was supposed to be and will be filled with those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as there Lord and Savior. May we press on and work hard until the day Christ calls us home to be with Him in paradise.

An Open Letter to Alzheimers:

Dear Alzheimers,

I hate you! I hate that you have destroyed families for years. I hate how you have taken millions of individuals from this Earth. I hate how you have widowed husbands and wives; how you have taken parents from their children. I hate how you have affected millions upon millions of individuals. I hate how you have been able to evade our best scientists. I hate that a cure for you has yet to be found. I hate you!

However, I know that your reign will NOT last. You will be destroyed. You may be destroyed when God in His common grace opens the eyes of scientists to discover a cure, however, you will definitively be destroyed when Christ returns. One day Christ will return and establish His Kingdom on this Earth and you, alzheimers, will be no-more.

 I long for that day. I long for the day when I will join in with the millions of individuals who have been affected by alzheimers and we will celebrate your demise. Alzheimers, you, are not eternal, or all powerful though you appear to be. No, Christ is the only eternal, all powerful one and HE WILL DESTROY YOU.

One day, alzheimers, you will be no more!

Longing for that day,

T Elliott Welch

Do you know the Holy Spirit?

My goal is to know Him...-Philippians 3:10

Two weeks ago we began a series asking "Do you know Him?" When I use the word "know" or "knew" I don't mean he knew God like some of us "know" our Facebook friends or Twitter followers. No, I meant like Paul had an intimate knowledge of the Trinity we too should have an intimate knowledge of the Trinity. My aim is to paint with a broad brush a beautiful picture of each of the members of the Trinity. I hope through these posts you would give your life to knowing the Trinity and making Him known.

We will continue with the Holy Spirit.

Do you know the Holy Spirit?

He is eternal

He is everywhere; there is no place you can go to escape Him

He is all knowing; He knows our thoughts before we think them and our words before we say them

He is all powerful; nothing can stop His will

Do you know the Holy Spirit?

He comforts

He teaches He speaks

He makes decisions

Do you know the Holy Spirit?

He grieves over sin

He overrules human actions

he searches the deep things of God

He knows the thoughts of God

He determines the distribution of spiritual gifts

He interprets and brings human prayers before the throne of God

He assures believers of their adoption

He bears witness to Christ

He glorifies Christ

Do you know the Holy Spirit?

He illuminates the Bible

He empowers Gospel preaching

He regenerates God's elect

He sanctifies the believer

He keeps all of God's elect and helps us persevere to the end

Do you know the Holy Spirit?

My prayer is that you would spend your life knowing the Holy Spirit and making Him known.

DO YOU KNOW HIM SERIES:
Do you know God?
Do you know Christ?

Do you know Christ?

My goal is to know Him...-Philippians 3:10

Last week we began a series asking "Do you know Him?" When I use the word "know" or "knew" I don't mean he knew God like some of us "know" our Facebook friends or Twitter followers. No, I meant like Paul had an intimate knowledge of the Trinity we too should have an intimate knowledge of the Trinity. My aim is to paint with a broad brush a beautiful picture of each of the members of the Trinity. I hope through these posts you would give your life to knowing the Trinity and making Him known.

We will continue with Christ.

Do you know Christ?

He is the image of the invisible God.

He is the firstborn over all creation.

He created all things

He sustains all things

He came and dwelt among us

He is fully God and fully man

Do you know Christ?

He has power over weather

He has power over sickness

He has power over disease

He has power over death

He gives sight to the blind, makes the lame walk and the deaf hear

He has power over sin

Do you know Christ?

He eats with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners

He angers the religious establishment

He turns water into wine; not the cheap grape juice variety of wine but the good stuff

Do you know Christ?

He is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep

He is the Living Water those who drink of Him will never thirst

He is the Bread of Life those who eat of Him will live forever

He is the Light of the World those who walk in Him will never walk in darkness

He is the Resurrection and the Life those who believe in Him will live even though they die

He is the Vine and we are the branches those who abide in Him will produce much fruit

He is the way, the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father but through the Son.

Do you know Christ?

He claimed equality with God.

Do you know Christ?

He died in your place to satisfy the wrath of God

He rose three days later

Do you know Christ?

He ascended to the Father's right hand

He gave us a commission to go into the whole world telling others about Him

He rules in Heaven

He is coming back.

He will return to gather His bride; the church, to Himself

He will receive the worship due His name.

Do you know Christ?

My prayer is that you would spend your life knowing Christ and making Him known.

DO YOU KNOW HIM SERIES:
Do you know God?
Do you know the Holy Spirit?

Do you know God?

My goal is to know Him...-Philippians 3:10

Paul's life was dramatically transformed by Jesus Christ. Before Paul became a Christian he was a committed follower of Judaism. Philippians 3:4-6 gives us a glimpse into Paul's life before Christ. He writes,"although I once also had confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesth, I have more: circumcised the eight day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law a Pharisee; regrading zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless." Paul had it all, but he gave it all up to know the Trinity and make Him known. Paul knew the Trinity. 

When I use the word "know" or "knew" I don't mean he knew God like some of us "know" our Facebook friends or Twitter followers. No, Paul had an intimate knowledge of the Trinity. This knowledge came about because of deep reflection on the God-head. I will begin a three part series asking the questions; do you know God, do you know Jesus, and do you know the Holy Spirit? My aim will be to paint with a broad brush a beautiful picture of each of the members of the Trinity. I hope through these posts you would give your life to knowing the Trinity and making Him known.

We will begin with God.

Do you know God?

He is a consuming fire

The mountains melt like wax before the coming day of the Lord

The Heavens are His throne and the Earth is His footstool

Do you know God?

He spoke the world into existence

He created you with your talents, gifts and abilities.

He placed you in your home, in your neighborhood, in your job, in your community for such a time as this

He sustains the world

He is actively involved in the world

Do you know God?

He does not need us for anything

He is unchanging: the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow

He has no beginning and no end.

He is not bound by time.

He was not created

He was on His throne when dinosaurs ruled the Earth and He will be on His throne ten million years from now when every house you see has crumbled to the ground.

He is everywhere; you can't escape Him

Do you know God?

He is absolutely and uniquely excellent above all creation

He is all powerful. Nothing stops His holy will

He has absolute rule over creation

He has total control

He determines all that has happened, is happening, and will happen

He is all knowing; He knows our thoughts before we think them and our words before we say them

He is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in faithful love.

Do you know God?

He freely and eternally gives of Himself

He intensely hates and responds with anger to all sin and rebellion.

The cross is where his mercy and wrath meet and kiss

Do you know God?

At his right hand is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore

He takes slaves to sin, and makes them sons and daughters of the king, He makes sons and daughters into co-heirs of the Kingdom.

Do you know God?

My prayer is that you would spend your life knowing God and making Him known.

DO YOU KNOW HIM SERIES:
Do you know Christ?
Do you know the Holy Spirit?

John Calvin on Universal Preaching

I believe the Bible teaches limited or definite atonement; which is the belief that when God sent his Son to die, he had in view the definite acquisition of a group of undeserving sinners, whose faith and repentance he obtained by the blood of his Son. This is a divine purpose in the cross-to purchase and create the saving faith of a definite, freely chosen, unworthy, rebellious group of sinners. I have often struggled over how to present the Gospel with an individual since I do not know whether or not Christ died for the person I am talking with. I have struggled with this but I have arrived at the Biblical conclusion that I can give the Gospel call freely to all; trusting God and the Holy Spirit to effect the Gospel in the lives of the elect. John Calvin has been helpful on this point.

Here are some representative quotations from Calvin about preaching:

Some object that God would be inconsistent with himself, in inviting all without distinction while he elects only a few. Thus, according to them, the universality of the promise destroys the distinction of special grace... The mode in which Scripture reconciles the two things, that by external preaching all are called to faith and repentance, and that yet the Spirit of faith and repentance is not given to all, I have already explained, and will again shortly repeat... But it is by Isaiah he more clearly demonstrates how he destines the promises of salvation specially to the elect (Isa. 8:16); for he declares that his disciples would consist of them only, and not indiscriminately of the whole human race. Whence it is evident that the doctrine of salvation, which is said to be set apart for the sons of the Church only, is abused when it is represented as effectually available to all. For the present let it suffice to observe that though the word of the gospel is addressed generally to all, yet the gift of faith is rare. Isaiah assigns the cause when he says that the arm of the Lord is not revealed to all (Isa. 53:1).

Calvin's concern is to establish that the external call to believe and repent, and the restriction of the true faith and repentance only to the elect, are not conflicting courses of action. A universal call does not imply a call that is effectually available to all.

The expression of our Saviour, "Many are called, but few are chosen" (Matt. 22:14), is also very improperly interpreted. There will be no ambiguity in it, if we attend to what our former remarks ought to have made clear, that there are two species of calling: for there is an universal call, by which God, through the external preaching of the word, invites all men alike, even those for whom he designs the call to be a savor of death, and the ground of a severer condemnation. Besides this there is a special call which, for the most part, God bestows on believers only, when by the internal illumination of the Spirit he causes the word preached to take deep root in their hearts.

There are two gospel calls, each with a distinct purpose and effect:

But if it is so, (you will say), little faith can be put in the Gospel promises, which, in testifying concerning the will of God, declare that he wills what is contrary to his inviolable decree. Not at all; for however universal the promises of salvation may be, there is no discrepancy between them and the predestination of the reprobate, provided we attend to their effect. We know that the promises are effectual only when we receive them in faith, but, on the contrary, when faith is made void, the promise is of no effect. If this is the nature of the promises, let us now see whether there will be any inconsistency between the two things, that God, by an eternal decree, fixed the number of those whom he is pleased to embrace in love, and on whom he is pleased to display his wrath, and that he offers salvation indiscriminately to all. I hot that they are perfectly consistent, for all that is meant by the promise is, just that his mercy is offered to all who desire and implore it, and this none do, save those whom he has enlightened. Moreover, he enlightens those whom he has predestinated to salvation. Thus the truth of the promises remains firm and unshaken, so that it cannot be said their is any disagreement between the eternal election of God and the testimony of his grace which he offers to believers. But why does he mention all men? Namely that the consciences of the righteous may rest the more secure when they understand that there is no difference between sinners, provided they have faith, and that the ungodly may not be able to allege that they have not an asylum to which they may retake themselves from the bondage of sin, while they ungratefully reject the offer which is made to them. Therefore, since by the Gospel the mercy of God is offered to both, it is faith, in other words, the illumination of God, which distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked, the former feeling the efficacy of the Gospel, the later obtaining no benefit from it. Illumination itself has eternal election for its rule.

The scope of the call, to "all men" or "the world", does not determine the extent of God's salvific intentions. As we are seeing, Calvin takes some trouble to argue that the universality of the invitation is consistent with the particularity of exclusivity of the salvific intentions.

In conclusion, definite/limited atonement says that Christ really is the all-powerful, all-wise, all-satisfying divine Son of God offered in the Gospel; that by his death and resurrection he has acted out God's discriminating, definite, electing, regenerating, faith-creating, every promise-guaranteeing, new-covenant love, and thus has purchased and secured irreversibly for the elect everything needed to bring them from deadness in sin to everlasting, glorified life and joy in the presence of God; that everyone, without any exception, who receives Christ as supreme treasure will be united to Christ in the embrace of this electing love and enjoy him and all his gifts forever.

Therefore, on the basis of this definite atonement we preach Christ to the world. We offer Christ freely to all. We say, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Christ and drink." "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son and whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."

In other words, we offer Christ to everyone who will believe. We make no distinctions. We do not try to discern who the elect are. We do not look for evidences of God's calling. We indiscriminately preach to everyone.

*"From Heaven He Came and Sought Her". Essay on John Calvin.

Is there legal-historical proof Jesus claimed to be God?

Is there legal-historical proof Jesus claimed to be God? Who did Jesus say he was? Jesus isn't even called God in the Bible, so why do we say he is God?

What many people don't realize is that the words Jesus Christ are not a first and last name. They are a name and a title. The name "Jesus" is derived from the greek form of the name Jeshua, or Joshua, meaning "Jehovah-Savior" or "the Lord saves." The title 'Christ' is derived from the Greek word for Messiah and means 'anointed one.' Two offices, king and priest, are indicated in the use of the title 'Christ'. The title affirms Jesus as the promised priest and king of Old Testament prophecies. The New Testament clearly presents Christ as God. 

In the gospel of John we have a confrontation between Jesus and a group of Jewish leaders. It's triggered by Jesus curing a lame man on the Sabbath. Jews were forbidden to do any work on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders harassed Him for breaking the Sabbath rules. 'My Father is always working, and so am I,' Jesus replied, so 'the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.'

The Jews of Jesus time heard in His words a meaning that is easily lost to us now. Whenever we study a document we must take into account the language, the culture and especially the person or persons the document addresses. In this case, the culture is Jewish, and the persons being addressed are Jewish leaders. And something about what Jesus said got under their skin. The text says, 'So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.'

Their problem was Jesus said, my Father, not our Father. By the rules of their language, Jesus use of this phrase was a claim to be equal with God. The Jews rarely referred to God as 'my Father.' Or if they did, they would always qualify the statement by adding the phrase 'in heaven'. However, Jesus did not add the phrase. He made a claim the Jews could not misinterpret when He called God 'my Father'. 

Not only did Jesus claim equality with God as His Father, but He also asserted that He was one with the Father. During the Feast of Dedication of Jerusalem, some of the Jewish leaders approached Jesus and questioned Him about whether He was the Christ. Jesus concluded His comments by saying. "The Father and I are one." How did they respond to that? "Once again the people picked up stones to kill him."

You might wonder why the Jews reacted so strongly to what Jesus said about being one with the Father. The structure of the phrase in the Greek gives us an answer. A.T. Robertson, the foremost Greek scholar of his day wrote that in the Greek, the word one in this passage is neuter, not masculine and does not indicate one in person or purpose but rather one in essence of nature. This crisp statement is the climax of Christ's claims about the relationship between the Father and himself. Jesus saw himself as one in essence of nature with God.

Jesus Christ claimed to be God, and to Him it is of fundamental importance that men and women believe Him to be who He was. He didn't leave us any wiggle room for in-between, watered down alternatives. Jesus claimed to be God, if His claims were not true, you couldn't call Him either a good moral man or a great prophet. Jesus Christ is either who He said He was, God, or he is a liar or he is a lunatic. The choice is yours to make.

*Who is Jesus?...Really. By. Josh Mcdowell

Is there legal-historical proof Christ existed apart from the Bible?

Is there legal-historical proof for Christianity? Is there historical evidence that Christ existed, especially apart from the Bible?

Let us begin with the secular authorities on Jesus historicity. By secular, I mean non-Christian, non-Jewish, and generally hostile toward Christianity. 

First there was Cornelius Tacitus (AD 55-120). He was a Roman historian who lived through the reign of half a dozen emperors.

But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the bounties that the prince could bestow, nor all the atonements which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero from the infamy of being believed to have ordered the conflagration, the fire of Rome. Hence to suppress the rumor, he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished with the most exquisite tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were hailed for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time, broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also.

Second, Lucian, a Greek satirist of the second century, spoke scornfully toward Christ and the Christians, never assuming or arguing that they were unreal.

The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day-the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified.

You see, these misguided creatures start with the general convictions that they are immoral for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them; and then it was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take quite on faith, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them as common property.

Third, Suetonius, a Roman historian, court official under Hadrian, and annalist of the imperial House, stated...

As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus (another spelling of Christus) he (Claudius) expelled them from Rome. Punishment by Nero was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition. 

Fourth, Pliny the younger, the Governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor in AD 112.

They affirmed, however, that the whole of their guilt, or their error, was that they were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verse of a hymn to Christ as to a god, and bound themselves in a solemn oath, not to do any wicked deeds, but never commit any fraud, theft, adultery, never to falsify their word, not to deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up.

The legal-historical evidence proves that Jesus Christ existed in history, died on a cross, and had devout, though perhaps ignorant, followers. Since, Jesus Christ existed in history, who did he say that he was? That question will be addressed in the next blog.

*Who is Jesus?...Really By Josh Mcdowell

Can you prove Christianity scientifically?

Julia and I enjoy working in Nalerigu, Ghana. An aspect of our job which we love is leading a bible study every Thursday night with the volunteers and full-time doctors who come to the hospital. Volunteers come from all over the world to work at the Baptist Medical Center and we have had the opportunity to get to know and minister to a lot of different volunteers. About half of the volunteers who come to the hospital are not Christian and the Thursday night devotional is there first taste of Christianity in a long time. After listening to a few Thursday night devotional some will come to our house and ask questions. Below is a common question and answer:

All this stuff about God, Jesus, and the resurrection. Can you prove it to me scientifically?

The short answer to this question is, No, I can not. Allow me to explain. Scientific proof is based on showing that something is a fact by repeating the event in the presence of the person questioning the fact. It is done in a controlled environment where observations can be made, data collected and hypotheses empirically verified. Testing the truth of a hypothesis by the use of controlled experiments is one of the key techniques of the modern scientific method. For example, someone claims that ivory soap doesn't float. I claim it does float, so to prove my point, I take the doubter to the kitchen, put eight inches of water in the sink at 82.7 degrees, and drop in the soap. Plunk! We make observations, we draw data, and we verify my hypothesis empirically: ivory soap floats.

If the scientific method were the only method we had for proving facts, you couldn't prove that you had lunch today. There's no way you could repeat that event in a controlled situation. Thankfully, the other method of proof, the legal-historical method, is based on showing that something is a fact beyond reasonable doubt. In other words, we reach a verdict on the weight of the evidence and have no rational basis for doubting the decision. Legal-historical proof depends on three kinds of testimony: oral testimony, written testimony, and exhibits. Using the legal-historical method to determine the facts, you could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you went to lunch today. Your friend saw you there, the waiter remembers seeing you, you have the restaurant receipt, and there's a stain on your shirt.

The scientific method can be used to prove only repeatable things. It isn't adequate for proving or disproving questions about persons or events in history. The scientific method isn't appropriate for answering questions as, Did Abraham Lincoln live? Was Martin Luther King Jr. a civil rights leader? Who was Jesus of Nazareth? Was Christopher Columbus a real person? Was Jesus Christ raised from the dead? These questions are outside the realm of scientific proof, and we must place them in the realm of legal-historical proof.

What you should be asking is, is there legal-historical proof for Christianity? The answer to that questions is an emphatic yes and will be answered in subsequent posts.

Legal-historical proof:
Is there legal-historical proof Christ existed apart from the Bible?
Is there legal-historical proof Jesus claimed to be God?

*Who is Jesus?...Really By Josh McDowell