What is the Gospel?

Christians are called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but in our day there is confusion about the content of the Gospel.  The biblical Gospel is challenged not only by Roman Catholics and liberals, but by those who claim to be evangelical.  In this lecture, Dr. R.C. Sproul will clarify exactly what the Gospel is and what it is not.

~~Ligonier Ministries~~

Here is the link.  It is well worth your time to listen and take to heart.  You might be surprised if your answer is different.  Set aside some time to listen to the full message.  It is good for iron to sharpen iron.

What is the Gospel?

Just Linking

I thought that today I would highlight some great things around the web. I hope you will take some time to explore them. Maybe you will find a new favorite place to stop in your daily internet life.

Ligonier Academy: Providing onsite and online learning opportunities.

We know that when the Bible is taught clearly, God will be seen in all of His majesty and holiness, hearts will be conquered, minds renewed, and communities transformed. Ligonier Ministries’ intention is to launch Ligonier Academy to initially serve post-graduate study for ministers and continuing education for laymen. The Academy will directly serve clergy that are interested in ongoing education beyond their seminary. As a destination committed to training Christ’s servants to live in the Word and live out the Gospel, we want to build a learning environment that prepares Christ-followers for real-world ministry. We know that reformation in the church is not only possible, but also promised by the Lord, and we believe that by providing a place for study, fellowship and collegial interaction, Ligonier Ministries will maintain its intellectual edge and theological prowess and we can more effectively teach biblical Christianity to a new generation of reformers.

ESV Study Bible goes digital:

After just four weeks on store shelves, the ESV Study Bible has sold more than 140,000 copies, immediately becoming the best-selling study Bible in the marketplace today.

This is the Bible I use and I love it! You can also visit http://www.esv.org/ to read and search online.

Here is the link to a short two minute video on Reformation Worship. Dr. Murray discusses how many who call themselves reformed often stop there and do not apply the reformed principles to their worship or even other aspects of their life. There is also a link to his sermon on the subject. Whether you agree or not it is a good resource for learning more.

Here are a few links about the same thing. They are great articles that really make you think. Even my hubby as a minister has recieved some of this backlash over the same issue, being a Calvinist in the SBC.

Here is a quote from Provocations and Pantings.

Ten years later, Voddie is all but hanging on as a Southern Baptist. No,
he did not commit any immoral acts or disqualify himself from ministry. What happened is that he chose not to play the game of political correctness or
prefer his career over biblical truth. Voddie is not one to have ever shied away from controversy, and it was evident that he was not going to allow political favors, denominational power, or the cult of personality to shape and direct his ministerial calling. Having said that, I would like to turn your attention to Voddie’s recent blog post entitled “SBC and Calvinism: A Personal Perspective.”

Here is a quote from Voddie Baucham’s article The SBC and Calvinism: A Personal Perspective.

No… I’m not gay. It’s far worse than that. I’m a Calvinist! That’s right, I’m a fire-breathing, TULIP believing, five-point Calvinist. That, my friends, is the unpardonable sin in contemporary Southern Baptist life (unless your name is Al Mohler and you’ve been President of the flagship Southern Baptist Theological Seminary since you were in your early thirties and happen to be the most intelligent, articulate, winsome public face the Convention has).

Over at Presbyterian Thoughts is posted a great list of how to get the most out of your home library. The 10 Directions posted appear in the December issue of The Banner of Truth.

Here is another link for your home library. 100 Tips and Tools for Managing Your Personal Library.

Please leave me a comment to let me know which link was your favorite or to discuss any of the links!

Genuine Love Must Hate

Only One Way!

There has been a lot of of talk lately about the “Church of Oprah.” Her statement about how there couldn’t possibly be only one way has received much attention. How arrogant a people who would say God has not done enough! Here is the Gospel message presented by one of my favorite teachers of the Word, R.C. Sproul. What a sweet message the Gospel is!

For Whom Did Christ Die?

John Owen (1616 – 1683) was an English theologian and “was without doubt not only the greatest theologian of the English Puritan movement but also one of the greatest European Reformed theologians of his day, and quite possibly possessed the finest theological mind that England ever produced” (“Owen, John”, in Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals, p. 494)

Dr. John Owen (Vice Chancellor – Oxford)

FOR WHOM DID CHRIST DIE?

The Father imposed His wrath due unto, and the Son underwent punishment for either:

1) All the sins of all men;

2) All the sins of some men; or

3) Some of the sins of all men.

In which case it may be said:

1) If the last be true all men have some sins to answer for, and so none are saved;

2) That if the second be true, then Christ, in their stead suffered for all the sins of the elect in the whole world, and this is the truth;

3) But if the first is the case, why are not all men free from the punishment due unto their sins? You answer, Because of unbelief. I ask, Is this unbelief a sin, or is it not? If it be, then Christ suffered the punishment due unto it, or He did not. If He did, why must that hinder them more than their other sins for which He died? If He did not, He did not die for all their sins!

FROM: T.U.L.I.P. The Canons of Dort

Holiness and Hypocrisy

There have been many times since my husband entered into the ministry field that we have endured our share of grief. There have been tremendous blessings also. Any pastor or pastor’s wife, if honest, will tell you that the ministry field even though it is filled with blessing also comes with an abundance of sorrow. There are many reasons for this but I only want to tackle one of them in this posting.
Ministers are held to a higher standard, which they absolutely should be, it is a biblical truth. However, ministers and their wives are still sinners saved by the grace of God Almighty alone.

I heard a sermon several years ago which dealt with the sin of idolatry. The idol spoken of was that of other people’s opinions. There is a John Calvin quote which has stuck with me to this day.

“Every one of us is, even from his mother’s womb, a master craftsman of idols”.
John Calvin

One area in which men tend to form idols is with their leaders. Leaders are to be looked up to; we all need good role models. The problem arises when we focus more on the messenger of God than on God himself. There, of course, needs to be balance. I have seen both extremes; some have no honor or respect for the ministerial position yet others expect their ministers to be perfect. We are to hold God’s ministers in high regard, only remember they are not God. When ministers are given the proper respect and honor due their position without being held to an unattainable standard they can flourish in the ministry placed upon them by the Lord without the added sorrow of unattainable perfection.

In my readings this week I came across an amazing quote. I want to share that here today.

Ministers are noteworthy of their calling. All preachers are vulnerable to the charge of hypocrisy. In fact, the more faithful preachers are to the Word of God in their preaching, the more liable they are to the charge of hypocrisy. Why? Because the more faithful people are to the Word of God, the higher the message is they will preach. The higher the message, the further they will be from obeying it themselves.
I cringe inside when I speak in churches about the holiness of God. I can anticipate the responses of the people. They leave the sanctuary convinced they have just been in the presence of a holy man. Because they hear me preach about holiness, they assume I must be as holy as the message I preach. That’s when I want to cry, “Woe is me.”
It’s dangerous to assume that because a person is drawn to holiness in his study that he is thereby a holy man. There is irony here. I am sure the reason I have a deep hunger to learn of the holiness of God is precisely because I am not holy. I am a profane man- a man who spends more time out of the temple than in it. But I have had just enough of a taste of the majesty of God to want more. I know what it means to be a forgiven man and what it means to be sent on a mission. My soul cries for more. My soul needs more.
R.C. Sproul Sr., The Holiness of God