AVOIDING PROTESTANT POPERY...becoming ministers of love

by Richard Baxter

"The dominion of love in the hearts of Christians, appearing in all the course of their lives, doth much glorify God and their religion.-I mean a common hearty love to all men, and a special love to holy men, according to their various degrees of loveliness. Love is a thing so agreeable to right reason, and to sociable nature, and to the common interest of all mankind, that all men commend it; and they that have it not for others, would have it from others. Who is it that loveth not to be loved? And who is it that loveth not the man that he is convinced loveth him, better than him that hateth him, or regardeth him not? And do you think that the same course, which maketh men hate yourselves, is like to make them love your religion?

Love is the Powerful Conqueror of the World
By it God conquereth the enmity of man, and reconcileth to himself even malignant sinners; and by it he hath taught us to conquer all the tribulations and persecutions by which the world would separate us from his love; yea, and to be "more than conquerors through Him that loved us," and thereby did kindle in us our reflecting love; (Rom. 8:34-38;) and by it he hath instructed us to go on to conquer both his enemies and our own; yea, to conquer the enmity rather than the enemy, in imitation of himself, who saveth the sinner, and kills the sin; and this is the most noble kind of victory. Every soldier can end a fever or other disease by cutting a man's throat, and ending his life; but it is the work of the physician to kill the disease, and save the man. The scandalous pastor is for curing heresy in the Roman way, by silencing sound preachers, and tormenting and burning the supposed heretics; or at least to trust for the acceptance and success of his labours to the sword. And if that which will restrain men from crossing the pastor, would restrain them from resisting the Spirit of God, and constrain them to the love of holiness, it were well; then the glory of conversion should be more ascribed to the magistrate and soldier than to the preacher.

Fit for the Master's Use
But the true pastor is armed with a special measure of life, light, and love, that he may be a meet instrument for the regenerating of souls, who by holy life, and light, and love, must be renewed to their Father's image. Every thing naturally generateth its like, which hath a generative power. And it is the love of God which the preacher is to bring all men to that must be saved; this is his office, this is his work, and this must be his study; he doeth little or nothing if he doeth not this.

Souls are not sanctified till they are wrought up to the love of God and holiness; and, therefore, the furniture and arms which Christ hath left us in his word, are all suited to this work of love. We have the love of God himself to preach to them, and the love of a humbled, dying and glorified Redeemer; and all the amiable blessings of heaven and earth to open to them, and all the loving promises and invitations of the gospel: and must not our hearts, our ministry, and our lives, be answerable to all this? Believe it, it must be a preacher whose matter and manner of preaching and living doth show forth a hearty love to God, and love to godliness, and love to all his people's souls, that is the fit instrument to glorify God by convincing and converting sinners.

Love, The Sum and Fulfilling of the Ministry
God can work by what means he will; by a scandalous, domineering, self-seeking preacher; but it is not his ordinary way. Foxes and wolves are not nature's instruments to generate sheep. I never knew much good done to souls by any pastors, but such as preached and lived in the power of love, working by clear convincing light, and both managed by a holy, lively seriousness. You must bring fire, if you would kindle fire. Trust not here to the Cartesian philosophy, that mere motion will turn another element into fire. Speak as loud as you will, and make as great a stir as you will, it will be all in vain to win men's love to God and goodness, till their hearts be touched with his love and amiableness, which usually must be done by the instrumentality of the preacher's love. "Let them hate me, so they do but fear me and obey me," is the saying of such as set up for themselves, (and but foolishly for themselves,) and, like Satan, would rule men to damnation. If love be the sum and fulfilling of the law, love must be the sum and fulfilling of our ministry. But yet by "love" I mean not flattery: parents do love as necessarily as any, and yet must correct; and God himself can love, and yet correct; yea, "he chasteneth every son that he receiveth." (Heb. 12:6, 7.) And his love consisteth with paternal justice, and with hatred of sin, and plain and sharp reproof of sinners: and so must ours; but all, as the various operations of love, as the objects vary.

And what I say of ministers, I say of every Christian in his place. Love is the great and the "new" commandment; that is, the last which Christ would leave, at his departure, to his disciples. O, could we learn of the Lord of love, and Him who calleth himself Love itself, to love our enemies, to bless them that curse us, and to do good to the evil, and pray for them that hurt and persecute us, we should not only prove that we are genuine Christians, the children of our heavenly Father, (Matt. 5:44, 45,) but should heap coals of fire on our enemies' heads, and melt them into compassion and some remorse, if not into a holy love. I tell you, it is the Christian who doth truly love his neighbour as himself; who loveth the godly as his co-heirs of heaven, and loveth the ungodly with a desire to make them truly godly; who loveth a friend as a friend, and an enemy as a man that is capable of holiness and salvation. It is he that liveth, walketh, speaketh, converseth (yea, suffereth, which is the great difficulty) in love, and is, as it were, turned, by the love of God shed abroad upon his heart, into love itself; who doth glorify God in the world, and glorify his religion, and really rebuke the blasphemer that derideth the Spirit in believers, as if it were but a fanatic dream.

The Scandalous Christian
And it is he that by tyranny, cruelty, contempt of others, and needless proud singularities and separations, magisterially condemning and vilifying all that walk not in his fashion, and pray not in his fashion, and are not of his opinion, where it is like enough he is himself mistaken, that is the scandalous Christian; who doeth as much against God, and religion, and the church, and men's souls, as he doeth against love. And though it be Satan's way, as an angel of light, and his ministers' way, as ministers of righteousness, to destroy Christ's interest by dividing it, and separate things which God will have conjoined, and so to pretend the love of truth, the love of order, or the love of godliness or discipline, against the love of souls, and to use even the name of love itself against love, to justify all their cruelties, or censures, and alienations; yet God will keep up that sacred fire in the hearts of the sound Christians which shall live and conquer these temptations, and they will understand and regard the warning of the Holy Ghost: "I beseech you, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them," in their sinful, dividing, offensive ways. "For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ," though they may confidently think they do, "but their own belly," or carnal interests, though perhaps they will not see it in themselves; "and by good words and fair," or by "flattering speeches, deceive the hearts of the simple." (Rom. 16:17, 18.)

"No bad men," or "harmless, well-meaning men;" who, in case it be not to mortal errors, perhaps may be in the main sincere, and may be saved when their stubble is burnt; but whether sincere or not, they are scandals in the world, and great dishonourers of God, and serve Satan, when they little think so, in all that they do contrary to that universal love by which God must be glorified, and sinners overcome."

DRISCOLL ON NIGHTLINE...jumps the shark

Here is my extensive review: ignominious.
Here is da link.

PIPER RESPONDS TO OBAMA'S STATEMENT OF SUPPORT OF ABORTION ON THE 36TH ANNIVERSARY OF ROE V. WADE...very, very powerful

This is how a genuine minister of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ speaks to its nations leaders. With biblical truth, authority, grace, respect, charity, and conviction. Are you listening Pastor Warren?

AN ENCOURAGING WORD TO RED LETTER CHRISTIANS...any social cause must first be addressed and understood from the world of Scripture

The excerpt below was taken from a six part series that Dr. Mohler is doing on the issue of abortion. But as only he can so powerfully state, the burden that we as Christians might rightly have for any social issue facing us in our culture coupled with the sincere desire to see society reform and change on those same issues, must begin from the context of God's Word and not the context of the passion for the social issue itself in fighting the cultural wars.

This is where the Red-Letter Christian liberals of our day have erred. Truth must always remain central and the nexus of all causes that pull at our hearts and souls. I invite you to drink deeply from the well that Dr. Mohler has offered for us this day. Given President Obama's liberal views on abortion and his desire for FOCA to become the governing norm on this issue, this series is a must read. 

Please visit Dr. Mohler's website to read the entire article and to follow this important six part series on the crucial issue of abortion vs. life for all unborn children.

Choose Life,
Steve
Matt. 5-7

The excerpt featured below is taken from the introduction to the article: What Makes Abortion Plausible? What Makes Abortion Unthinkable?, Part One

By Dr. R. Al Mohler

I invite you to turn to the first chapter of the book of Jeremiah, and to look with me at these introductory words to Jeremiah’s prophecy.

We need to turn to Scripture even before we turn to the issue of abortion. We must not attempt to think about urgent moral issues of our day without first turning to Scripture. We want to think clearly so that we are prepared to convince, to speak, to intervene, and to articulate - for we are responsible to have an answer. But there is a grave danger if we begin without first going into the world of the Bible to get our bearings. When we turn to the Scripture we come to understand that every single issue we confront is connected to every other issue and every truth is connected to every other truth. Therefore, we actually do injury and harm to our argument if we just take one thread of the garment and try to talk about it without understanding the whole.

When we reenter the world of the Bible and gain our bearings, we find both the explicit statements of Scripture and also the grand narrative of the Bible. This narrative begins with creation and ends with consummation. All of human experience, all of human history, and everything we know now makes sense. We understand that after creation came the fall, and so we come to understand that we live in a sinful world. We understand that creation represents God’s perfect purpose, but that human beings brought sin into the world. Thus, everything we experience about the world now is what we know about a fallen world. And in a fallen world, it is not just that people do bad things. In a fallen world, every single atom and molecule of the entire cosmos is crying out for redemption. Things are not now as they are to be, as God would have them to be, and as He will make them to be.

In entering the world of the Bible, we come to know God’s plan in a way that makes all of human history understandable, putting everything in a larger frame of reference. The story is not just about the creation of a universe that was declared good by its creator, nor is it just about the fall and the catastrophe that took place so that nothing is right or exactly as it should be. We ourselves understand falleness to be our own experience. We look in the mirror and see the evidence of the fall.

We come to understand that the purpose of God was to bring glory to His name through the redemption of a people who would be known by His own name, saved by the blood of His own Son. We come to understand that redemption is the great theme of the Bible. From beginning to end, all things point toward a Cross and resurrection, and the Gospel becomes the magnificent display of God’s glory. In the Gospel, God shows Himself to be even more glorious than had he merely been Creator, because He is now Creator and Redeemer.

We also understand that history has purpose – history is headed toward something. God was its beginning as the Creator, and God will bring all things to His perfect end. And because Jesus Christ Himself is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, history is headed towards someone.

Therefore, as we reenter the world of the Bible, we find not only that the Bible reveals to us very clear precepts and teachings, but it also reveals a set of theological assumptions that are a part of God’s merciful revelation to us.

A TRUE AMERICAN HERO ...Captain "Sully" Sullenberger - the pedestals are not empty

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

THE ABIDING LIFE...by Jim Elliff

The abiding life is the true Christian life. Jesus said, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." (John 15:6)

John 15 gives us the pattern for spiritual growth and effectiveness as believers. In the passage, we are called branches, Christ is the vine, and the Father is the vinedresser.

What are the characteristics of authentic branches?

They bear the fruit of Christ's character and power.
Fruit is the life of Christ through the believer. It is excess life. The life of the Christian is to be one of daily dependence on Christ, rather than himself.

Do people see Christ in you?

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away...
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. (vv.2a,4-5)

They are pruned by God.
God cuts off the diseased and the nonessential aspects of the believer's life. It is up to the vinedresser to determine what is and is not useful. Pruning is painful but necessary. Is this your experience?

Every branch that bears fruit, He primes it, that it may bear more fruit. (v. 2b)

They know the joy of living by God's Word and prayer.
God will entrust much in prayer to those whose minds are being renewed through His Word, for they pray according to His will. Have you learned to live by God's Word and prayer?

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. (v. 7)

They keep God's commandments.
Do you obey Him?

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love. (v. 10)

They love those who are in Christ.
Christ taught us love by sacrifice. While loving all men, abiding Christians have a special affection for believers and eagerly express this love in the local church. Is love the prominent feature of your life?

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. (vv. 12-13)

They are often misunderstood.
Does the world love you or hate you?

If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. (vv. 18-20)

They speak openly of Christ and what He has done.
That which is in the heart comes out of the mouth. Do you speak of Christ?

When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me, and you will bear witness also, because you have been with me from the beginning. (vv. 26-27)

The abiding life is the ONLY true Christian life. Is it the life you lead?

By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit,
and so prove to be My disciples. (v. 8)

Copyright © 1993 Jim Elliff.

Permission granted to photocopy for not-for-sale reproduction in exact form, including copyright. 

All other uses require written permission.

Write Christian Communicators Worldwide, 201 Main, Parkville, MO 64152.
This publication may be downloaded from our web site at WWW.CCWonline.org .

STAND UP TODAY FOR THE LIVES OF UNBORN CHILDREN...the most powerful personal story against abortion I have ever heard

Psalm 139:13-16

13 For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

Abortion is murder. Abortion is infanticide. Abortion is the silent holocaust.

It is the purposed extinction of millions of children. It is sin. It is money driven; and through Planned Parenthood, abortion racially profiles the African-American community. Planned Parenthood is the leader in the abortion mill industry and they are supported by hundreds of millions of taxpayer's dollars every year.

Our newly elected President, Barack Obama, supports the murder of unborn children in all its barbaric forms. He praises Planned Parenthood for their work in this field; he doesn't want his daughters burdened with a baby if they were to make a mistake; he wants to put into law FOCA; and he thinks choosing life and determining human rights for a baby is above his pay grade. But choosing death for the unborn citizens of our nation... this he feels qualified to do. Pray for him beloved; pray for his salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; pray the Lord changes his heart on this issue; pray that God will prohibit him from making FOCA law. Pray for revival and reformation for our nation and that our land will repent of this atrocity; for "the blood of the innocents" cry out judgment against us.

There are 49,000,000 reasons to stir your hearts, quicken your minds, and arrest your souls on this issue. Stand up for the unborn children today in your town. Choose life. Listen below to abortion survivor, Gianna Jessen's, personal story. It is one of the most moving and powerful I have ever heard. She is truly a miracle from God to us all and is unashamed of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ..

Celebrate March for Life 2009!

THIS IS THE KIND OF BIBLICAL PRAYER THAT GOD HONORS...a prayer for President Obama by Dr. Al Mohler

updated

The Problem with Pastor Rick's Warren Prayer

There has been much posted around the blogosphere about Pastor Rick Warren's ecumenical prayer yesterday. Did he invoke the name of Jesus as he promised? Barely; and with all the conviction that playing politics with God could muster, Mr. Purpose Driven watered-down his prayer, tickling the ears of Washington's most illustrious dignitaries, dolling out the spiritual pablum suited to satisfy religious leaders of postmodernty, and craving the approval of the massive hoi polloi. Pastor Warren simply forgot that prayer is not about us, it is all about Him; it not first and foremost about our needs, but about His glory. IOW, Pastor Warren forgot to be a pastor (2 Tim. 4:1-5).

For example: Pastor Warren states that only the Father has created all things and all things exist only because of Him. It is true that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth..." But the Holy Spirit through the superintending instrument of the Apostle Paul and the writer of Hebrews has also clearly stated in Col. 1:15-18 AND Heb. 1:1-3 that

"by Him [Jesus] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." 

"but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power."

OR when Pastor Warren calls Jesus by the Muslim name 'Isa that refers not to the perfect, sinless, resurrected God-Man of the Bible, but to the impotent, deficient Jesus of the Quran? OR when Pastor Warren tries to apply the Shema to all peoples of all nations of the earth?; OR when Pastor Warren uses the repetitive phrase of "compassionate and merciful one" from the Quran as the opening to his prayer confusing that with the reality of James 5:11? OR that God loves everybody equally, just as they are, absent of the regenerative power of the gospel? OR, the most risible of statements, that "Martin Luther King is shouting from heaven with a great cloud of witnesses" because of Obama being elected as President? Does Pastor Warren actually believe that the saints who are in heaven cease from shouting "worthy is the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the earth..." - the eternal praise due to Christ Jesus the Lord alone to actually shout with all the redeemed from all the ages past shouts of joy and praise because of Barack Obama was being sworn in to the office of the Presidency of the United States of America? And that somehow a righting of racial equality to the highest political office in the land now trumps divine glory of the One-Triune God?

Blasphemous and balderdash!

The Blessing of Dr. Al Mohler's Prayer

But thank the Lord for a man of God like Dr. Al Mohler who is not afraid to speak the truth unashamedly and will not play politics with prayer or God's Word. I would greatly encourage you to read the following prayer below that he has written. It is masterful; biblical; compassionate; truthful; uncompromised; practical; and worshipful. May it encourage you each day to pray for our new President with humility, charity, truthfulness, and grace - and to do so knowing you are praying by the authority of heaven.

Thank you Al for being one evangelical leader and Christian public figure who fears the approval of God more than seeks the applause of men.

Steve 

Roms. 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:1-2

"Our Father, Lord of all creation, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: We pray today with a sense of special urgency and responsibility. We come before you to pray for our new President, Barack Obama, and for all those in this new administration who now assume roles of such high responsibility.

We know that you and you alone are sovereign; that you rule over all, and that you alone are able to keep and defend us. We know that our times are in your hands, and that "the king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord" [Proverbs 21:1]. Our confidence is in you and in you alone. We come before you as a people who acknowledge our constant need for your provision, wisdom, and protection.

Father, we pray today for Barack Obama as he takes office as President of the United States. We pray that you will show the glory of your name in our times and in these days, confounding the wisdom of the wise, thwarting the plans of the arrogant, and vindicating those who do justice and practice righteousness.

Father, we pray with thanksgiving for the gift of government and the grace of civic order. Thank you for giving us rulers and for knowing our need for laws and ordered life together. Thank you for this nation and the blessings we know as its citizens. Thank you for freedoms unprecedented in human history. We understand that these freedoms come with unprecedented opportunities.

Lord, we pray with thanksgiving for the joy and celebration reflected on millions of faces who never expected to look to the President of the United States and see a person who looks like themselves. Father, thank you for preserving this nation to the moment when an African-American citizen will take the oath of office and become our President. Thank you for the hope this has given to so many, the pride emerging in hearts that had known no such hope, and the pride that comes to a people who have experienced such pain at the hands of fellow citizens, simply because of the color of their skin. Father, we rejoice in every elderly face that reflects such long-sought satisfaction and in every young face that expresses such unrestrained joy. May this become an open door for a vision of race and human dignity that reflects your glory in our differences, and not our corruption of your gift.

Father, protect this president, we pray. We pray that you will surround this president and his family, along with all our leaders, with your protection and sustenance. May he be protected from evil acts and evil intentions, and may his family be protected from all evil and harm.

We pray that the Obama family will be drawn together as they move into the White House, and that they will know great joy in their family life. We are thankful for the example Barack and Michelle Obama have set as parents. Father, protect those precious girls in every way -- including the protection of their hearts as they see their father often criticized and as he is away from them on business of state. May their years in the White House bring them all even closer together.

Father, we pray for the safety and security of this nation, even as our new president settles into his role as Commander in Chief. We know that you and you alone can be our defense. We do not place our trust in horses or chariots, and we pray that you will give this president wisdom as he fulfills this vital responsibility.

Father, grant him wisdom in every dimension of his vast responsibility. Grant him wisdom to deal with a global financial crisis and with the swirling complex of vexing problems and challenges at home and abroad. May he inspire this nation to a higher vision for our common life together, to a higher standard of justice, righteousness, unity, and the tasks of citizenship.

Father, we pray that you will change this president's heart and mind on issues of urgent concern. We are so thankful for his gifts and talents, for his intellect and power of influence. Father, bend his heart to see the dignity and sanctity of every single human life, from the moment of conception until natural death. Father, lead him to see abortion, not as a matter of misconstrued rights, but as a murderous violation of the right to life. May he come to see every aborted life as a violation of human dignity and every abortion as an abhorrent blight upon this nation's moral witness. May he pledge himself to protect every human life at every stage of development. He has declared himself as an energetic defender of abortion rights, and we fear that his election will lead directly to the deaths of countless unborn human beings. Protect us from this unspeakable evil, we pray. Most urgently, we pray that you will bring the reign of abortion to an end, even as you are the defender of the defenseless.

Father, may this new president see that human dignity is undermined when human embryos are destroyed in the name of medical progress, and may he see marriage as an institution that is vital to the very survival of civilization. May he protect all that is right and good. Father, change his heart where it must be changed, and give him resolve where his heart is right before you.

Father, when we face hard days ahead -- when we find ourselves required by conscience to oppose this president within the bounds of our roles as citizens -- may we be granted your guidance to do so with a proper spirit, with a proper demeanor, and with persuasive arguments. May we learn anew how to confront without demonizing, and to oppose without abandoning hope.

Father, we are aware that our future is in your hands, and we are fully aware that you and you alone will judge the nations. Much responsibility is now invested in President Barack Obama, and much will be required. May we, as Christian citizens, also fulfill what you would require of us. Even as we pray for you to protect this president and change his heart, we also pray that your church will be protected and that you will conform our hearts to your perfect will.

Father, we pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, the ever-reigning once and future King, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He and he alone can save, and his kingdom is forever. Above all, may your great name be praised. Amen."

Christians are, first of all, citizens of a heavenly kingdom. The followers of Christ know no allegiance of ultimate rank to any government or earthly authority. Yet, the Bible clearly teaches that God has given us the gifts of law, government, and ruling authorities for our good. We are instructed to pray for "rulers and all who have authority" and to be faithful in praying "so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God" [1 Timothy 2:2].

As Barack Obama prepares to take the oath of office and become the 44th President of the United States, Christians should be thinking about how to pray for the new President. I offer this prayer as a place to start, as we observe the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States together. -Dr. Al Mohler

TO THE GOD OF OUR MANY UNDERSTANDINGS...Gay Bishop offers prayer to a god of his own creation

Psalm 50:21-22 

21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;

you thought that I was just like you.

But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God,

lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!

Isaiah 5:20-21 

20 Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil,

who put darkness for light

and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,

and shrewd in their own sight!

A Prayer for the Nation and Our Next President, Barack Obama

By The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire

Opening Inaugural Event
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC
January 18, 2009

"Welcome to Washington! The fun is about to begin, but first, please join me in pausing for a moment, to ask God’s blessing upon our nation and our next president.

O God of our many understandings, we pray that you will…

Bless us with tears – for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women from many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS.

Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Bless us with discomfort – at the easy, simplistic “answers” we’ve preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth, about ourselves and the world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.

Bless us with patience – and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be “fixed” anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.

Bless us with humility – open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.

Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.

Bless us with compassion and generosity – remembering that every religion’s God judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable in the human community, whether across town or across the world.

And God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States.

Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr. King’s dream of a nation for ALL the people.

Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain in these times.

Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.

Make him color-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.

Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination, that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.

Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters’ childhoods.

And please, God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we’re asking FAR too much of this one. We know the risk he and his wife are taking for all of us, and we implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand – that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace.

AMEN.

(May I encourage you, please pray earnestly for Bishop Robinson that the true God of the Bible would grant him godly sorrow leading to repentance from sin, genuine saving faith to believe, and the grace to confess and know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.)

HISTORY OF INAUGURATION PRAYERS...a necessity or pomp and circumstance?

Here is a list of past Inauguration Prayers dated from present back to FDR. It is an interesting read to view the content of each of the prayers.

In like manner, Dan Phillips at Pyromaniacs had an excellent idea by inviting some Christian leaders to post what they would pray if asked to do so; or if they would even agree to do so given the current controversy surrounding President-elect Obama's inauguration. Only two have responded so far: Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile and Dr. John Frame with hopefully more to come.

Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile gives some very helpful and practical content and conviction counsel if he were asked to pray. He would "pray through the gospel." I really appreciate that. Dr. Frame responded with more the generic typical content that has marked most of the past inauguration prayers. Needless to say, the call to repentance for our nation and its leaders should mark an inauguration prayer this week. However, as Dr. Frame's prayer typifies, most evangelical leaders today lack the courage and spiritual conviction to risk name, station in life, and platform for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel.

One thing that is vitally important, our nation needs much prayer; our leaders need much prayer; and the church in America needs prayer for revival and Reformation. Amen?

The Cross Waves Higher Than the Flag,
Steve
1 Tim. 2:1-4

NOTHING REALLY CHANGES EVERYTHING REMAINS THE SAME...despite all the technological advances

Technology is a wonderful tool given to us today. So may we use it, beloved, to proclaim "Jesus Christ and Him crucified..." and to "preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord..." Amen?

HT: Tom Ascol

THE TRUE BASIS FOR CHRISTIAN ETHICS...sola scriptura - the Word of God

My friend and co-laborer in Christ, Dr. S. Lance Quinn who is the Pastor-Teacher of The Bible Church of LIttle Rock, forwarded me this quote below per my request. Lance and I have dialogued greatly over the years about the sea-change that has taken place in evangelicalism toward and in the political realm. I have labeled this movement Evangelical Co-Belligerence (ECB). 

We share a mutual concern for the many evangelical leaders, seminary presidents, authors, and pastors who have adopted a political "strategery" to try and turn-back the moral slippage and family demise taking place in our nation today. At the nexus of those concerns is that this is being attempted absent of the preaching and teaching of Scripture and the proclamation of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (sola fide, sola gratia, solus Christus). Unfortunately, some ECBers have chosen to wage battle in the culture wars through establishing key political alliances and championing "red letter Christian" principles to win the fight against essential cultural issues of the day. IOW, a social gospel.  And at the same time trying to appeal to the masses, whether Christian or not, to join them in their efforts through boycotting, petition drives, and picketing (their championed tactic) in reclaiming a societal morality to secure and uphold family values. Civility, not truth, is the new gospel for today's evangelical leaders.

All the while, encouraging partnerships with anyone without unity on the truth of Scripture or the gospel of Christ; and using the church-at-large as their own PAC or lobbyist group. While we agree with them on the condition of our cultural, we would disagree with our counterpart on the cure for our culture. We believe, as Calvin asserted, that the clear teaching and preaching of God's Word is the cure! It stands alone in being a "living and active two-edged sword..." bringing conviction upon the hearts and minds of people leading to salvation in Christ. I commend to you Lance's powerful words to keep to "the once for all delievered to the saints faith" in all we do for the Lord Jesus Christ and His glory in the field of Christian Ethics. May our brothers in evangelicalism be swift to return to the standard of Sola Scriptura in all their pursuits; and may we each keep our lives and ministries focused on the faith each day.  

Grace and peace to you, 

Steve

2 Peter 1:16-21

"Any attempt at defining or even understanding the basis for Christian ethics will by necessity be rooted and grounded in the Word of God, as contained in the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. Far too often, those who purport to engage in Christian ethics, do so without a clear and proper understanding of the exegesis of the biblical languages themselves, a sturdy grasp of the Bible’s own history and timeline, and a keen observation of the various cultural motifs as shown in the Bible itself. It then becomes impossible to see how all of these crucially important tasks should apply to today’s ethical challenges. 

Since these present day challenges are legion, it is incumbent upon everyone who claims to be about the business of doing Christian ethics that they should seriously and diligently understand how Christian ethics must be properly constructed and then applied. Christian ethics then, by the very term must derive its unique and ultimate authority from the only truth-source available to the Christian—Holy Scripture. Christian ethical ideas, decisions, norms, and mores therefore simply cannot be validly understood or practiced without being constructed from the Word of the living God. 

Thus, Christian ethics itself must always and forever be informed, defined, understood, and practiced only by a correct knowledge and use of God’s Word. There simply is no true “Christian ethic” without the Christian’s own reliance upon the truths contained in the Sacred Writings which stretch from Genesis to Revelation."

Dr. S. Lance Quinn
Pastor-Teacher
The Bible Church of LIttle Rock

in light of the upcoming Inauguration of President-elect Obama, 

I thought this would be a timely and encouraging encore presentation

STUPID PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH...and how not to be one

Will The Real Church... Please Stand Up?

The following excerpt is taken from an excellent book by Glen Wagner entitled,The Church You’ve Always Wanted (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), p. 29-31.

Read it and enjoy and while you're at it, go out and buy this book for your pastor...he will rise up and call you blessed.


· The Church of Networking—Make contacts to expand your business.

· The Church of the Significant Other—Find that special someone. Hey, it’s better than a singles bar.

· The Church of Social Service and Need Fulfillment—No need is too great or too small.

· The Church of Heavenly Investment with Earthly Dividends—For the amount of money I contribute, I expect a significant return.

· The Country Club Church—Gather to celebrate that you can gather together and that others can’t…at least, not with you. Caters to the right kind of people. Long-term members get the best tables and the best parking spots.

· The Church of Heavenly Fun and Sanctified Pleasure—Keep me and my kids occupied so they don’t get into trouble. If you can’t fill my nights and weekends with fun and excitement, then I’ll have to take my business/membership elsewhere.

· The Church of the Grand Stadium-Watch the gladiators of God do battle with the team of evil.

· The Church of the Self-service, Spiritual Garage—Gives a periodic oil change (or anointing).

· The Church of the Fast-food Restaurant—Get what you need, quick, easy, cheap. Just enough to sustain you for another week.

· The Church of the Celestial Savings and Loan—Stop by and make a few deposits, because you never know when you’ll need to make a withdrawal.

· The Church of the Diving Resort- Come here and be catered to. Others will do you bidding and pamper you.

· The Church of Hellfire—Turn or burn, shake or bake, deny or fry. Others are going to hell…and aren’t you glad?

· The Church of the Citadel—It is a fortress on a hill. Builds buildings, starts programs, and concentrates its efforts within its walls. If it doesn’t happen on this property, it must not be of God.

· The Church of the Mega Mall—Has what the other churches don’t—and, quite frankly, does it a whole lot better. Whatever you need, it has it, tailored and fit to your specifications. Bring the whole family—it’s you one-stop shopping center. If you can’t find it, the church will create if for you, since its job is to keep you happy in Jesus’ name. It won’t threaten you, guilt you, worry you, or overburden you. It wants your time here to be enjoyable, so that you’ll come back and do business again.

· The Church of Evangelistic Fervor—All activities during the week and on Sunday mornings lead up to one exciting moment; the altar call. Get ‘em to the front and get ‘em saved.

· The Church of Sanctified Information—Pours out a stream of biblical material. The people eagerly fill their notebooks; the one will the fullest notebook and the fullest head gets the title “Most Spiritual.”

· The Church of the Latest (and Largest) Program—Presents one extravaganza after another: musicians, preachers, concerts, dramas. The one with the newest, most expensive, and largest attendance wins.

· The Church of Holy Tradition—A museum of and for the saints. The people gather to dust off old relics and be touched by the sacrifices of the past. Nostalgia is everything. Worship amounts to warm feeling about God.

· The Church, Inc.—An organization run like a small business or large corporation, depending on its size. The CEO sets the direction and has little contact with the rank and file. Buy into the vision, baby!”

LEARNING TO TRUST GOD EACH DAY...the gracious gift of humility in how the Lord meets our need

“Give us this day our daily bread.” –Matthew 6:11

When was the last time we really had to pray this humble prayer; asking the Lord to provide “daily bread” for our life? Seems almost insignificant in the times we live with a McDonald’s on almost every street corner and supermarkets overflowing. But the reality is that most of us are just one paycheck away before the well runs dry. The point of this prayer is simple and profound: we can never take God’s provision for granted; we are utterly dependent on Him for all things; and without Him, we can do nothing. Everything that we have is from His gracious hand.

Listen to what A.W. Pink says about this truth:

“By asking for our “daily bread” a tacit acknowledgment is made that “in Adam and by our own sins we have forfeited our right to all the outward blessings of this life, and deserve to be wholly deprived of them by God, and to have them cursed to us in the use of them; and that neither they of themselves are able to sustain us, nor we to merit, or by our own industry to procure them, but prone to desire, get and use them unlawfully; we pray for ourselves and others that they and we, waiting upon the providence of God from day to day, in the use of lawful means, may of His free gift, and as His Fatherly wisdom shall deem best, enjoy a competent portion of them, and have the same continued and blessed unto us in our holy and comfortable use of them and contentment in them” (Larger Cat.)

Beloved, is the cubbard bare today? Are funds scarce and the resources for daily living almost gone? Then take heart and may this day be filled with the wonderful opportunity to trust the Lord afresh for even the most basic necessities of life. Rejoice in His marvelous providential supply for you as He puts His sufficient grace on display; for our God shall"supply all our needs according to the riches in glory that are in Christ Jesus."

Feast on the Word of God: Jer. 15:16; Job 23:10-12; Isaiah 37; Psalm 103; Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:13ff; Col. 1:9-14.

DOCTRINE ISN'T A FOUR LETTER WORD...sound doctrine - the honey that should drip from every preacher's lips - and if it doesn't, I'm sleeping in!

J.I. Packer once said,

"Doctrinal preaching certainly bores the hypocrites; but it is only doctrinal preaching that will save Christ’s sheep."

I WANT TO BE A RED LETTER CALVINIST...let's make 2009 the year of spiritual discernment in the body of Christ

updated

the church needs to be the church again; 

preaching faithfully God's Word; proclaiming unashamedly the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ; and then loving our neighbor and helping those in need to His glory alone

You heard me right: I want to be a Red Letter Calvinist. Evangelical liberals have taken hostage the phrase "red letter Christian" to define a political agenda, not a biblical one. Their emphasis is a social gospel. IOW, truth does not govern their movement, but the cause you are fighting for. This is nothing new really. I have written on this for years here labeling such activity as evangelical co-belligerence. This ecumenical umbrella they have fashioned is wide in whom it includes. And that should not come as a surprise to any of us. For if you take away the centrality of the cross - the centrality of the gospel according to Jesus, you can attract all kinds of supporters to your cause. But proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified as the only way, the only truth, and the only life - and you will whittle down your constituency immediately, severely, and abruptly. 

That is why I did not call this article "Red Letter Christian"; for in the liberal world of apocryphal doctrine, Peter Pan theology, and political cultural correctness - Mormons, JW's, those that deny the Trinity, Word Faith, the Papacy, etc. all have a seat at the table under the banner of Christian. Some even wonder if President-Elect Obama's brand of faith could be considered "Red Letter Christian"? However (and though I don't like labels as a rule) the biblical truth contained in Calvinism as a whole represents the great truths of Scripture, the nature and character of the One Triune God, and the preeminence of the gospel of sola fide into focus more profoundly in today's vacillating evangelical climate than any other body of doctrine I know. 

And lets' not forget folks, it was the reformed camp that has led the way throughout redemptive history, beginning with the Apostles and then right through Spurgeon and beyond, in caring for the poor and championing mercy ministry efforts that were a practical witness of the gospel and loving their neighbor in their respective communities (i.e. Mueller, Edwards, Spurgeon, Newton, Calvin, Rutherford, etc.).

I cannot take credit for inventing this phrase. My dear friend, Dr. Tom Ascol of the Founders Ministry, coined it last week in the meta at his blog. 

But I really like what the term inherently says and here are a few of my reasons why:

1. Red Letter - it exalts the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as being preeminent in the life of the believer and in ministry as well.

2. Calvinist - because it represents the doctrines of grace and the five solas of the Reformation over and against the heresy of the Remonstrants and affirms all that The Synod of Dort affirmed.

3. It stands in direction opposition to the red letter liberals who have hijacked the term trying to turn Jesus into nothing more than a social worker for the poor or a community organizer for cultural injustices (Ghandi with a grin); while diminishing Him as God incarnate and distorting the very nature of the atonement.

4. It also calls those of us in the Reformed Faith to not abandon our duty to our neighbor and those in need. While we are dedicated to upholding a high view of God; the authority of God's Word; salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone, to the glory and praise of God alone, through the regenerating ministry of the Holy Spirit alone - we should also not forget what it means to be salt and light in this world as a witness of God's grace to our neighbor. We should be leading the charge in caring for the poor, ministering to those infected with HIV/AIDS, giving shelter to the homeless, championing life for the unborn, helping single parent families, etc. - but without His truth and the gospel being compromised.

5. And lastly, it means that we represent the whole counsel of God; not just those portions of Scripture that are politically correct by today's cultural definitions. But to proclaim faithfully the whole counsel of God - especially in representing the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. BTW, implicit in this affirmation is also all of the "black letters" as well (notice the dual tone of the logo above). The nonnegotiable belief of the veracity, sufficiency, and authority of God's Word for all matters of life and godliness is a watershed issue that separates the genuine from the counterfeit in evangelicalism today.

Will you be a Red Letter Calvinist with me this year? In capsule form it means two things: 1. to live out The Two Great Commandments; and 2. to fulfill The Great Commission.

Grace and peace,
Steve

2 Cor. 4:1-7

"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ."
-1 Corinthians 2:14-16

by John Calvin

The following selection by John Calvin was taken from book 2, chapter 2 parts 18-21 of The Institutes of The Christian Religion, translated by by Henry Beveridge, Esq. A must read for all Christians who aspire to better understand the Bible's teaching on man's spiritual impotence prior to the regeneration of the Holy Spirit.

18. The limits of our understanding
We must now explain what the power of human reason is, in regard to the kingdom of God, and spiritual discernments which consists chiefly of three things - the knowledge of God, the knowledge of his paternal favour towards us, which constitutes our salvation, and the method of regulating of our conduct in accordance with the Divine Law. With regard to the former two, but more properly the second, men otherwise the most ingenious are blinder than moles. I deny not, indeed, that in the writings of philosophers we meet occasionally with shrewd and apposite remarks on the nature of God, though they invariably savour somewhat of giddy imagination. As observed above, the Lord has bestowed on them some slight perception of his Godhead that they might not plead ignorance as an excuse for their impiety, and has, at times, instigated them to deliver some truths, the confession of which should be their own condemnation. Still, though seeing, they saw not. Their discernment was not such as to direct them to the truth, far less to enable them to attain it, but resembled that of the bewildered traveller, who sees the flash of lightning glance far and wide for a moment, and then vanish into the darkness of the night, before he can advance a single step. So far is such assistance from enabling him to find the right path. Besides, how many monstrous falsehoods intermingle with those minute particles of truth scattered up and down in their writings as if by chance. In short, not one of them even made the least approach to that assurance of the divine favour, without which the mind of man must ever remain a mere chaos of confusion. To the great truths, What God is in himself, and what he is in relation to us, human reason makes not the least approach. (See Book 3 c. 2 sec. 14, 15, 16.)

19. Man's spiritual blindness shown from John 1:4-5
But since we are intoxicated with a false opinion of our own discernment, and can scarcely be persuaded that in divine things it is altogether stupid and blind, I believe the best course will be to establish the fact, not by argument, but by Scripture. Most admirable to this effect is the passage which I lately quoted from John, when he says, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not," (John 1: 4, 5.) He intimates that the human soul is indeed irradiated with a beam of divine light, so that it is never left utterly devoid of some small flame, or rather spark, though not such as to enable it to comprehend God. And why so? Because its acuteness is, in reference to the knowledge of God, mere blindness. When the Spirit describes men under the term "darkness" he declares them void of all power of spiritual intelligence. For this reason, it is said that believers, in embracing Christ, are "born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God," (John 1: 13;) in other words, that the flesh has no capacity for such sublime wisdom as to apprehend God, and the things of God, unless illumined by His Spirit. In like manner our Saviour, when he was acknowledged by Peter, declared that it was by special revelation from the Father, (Matth. 16: 17.)

20. Man's knowledge of God is God's own work
If we were persuaded of a truth which ought to be beyond dispute, viz., that human nature possesses none of the gifts which the elect receive from their heavenly Father through the Spirit of regeneration, there would be no room here for hesitation. For thus speaks the congregation of the faithful, by the mouth of the prophet: "With thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light," (Ps. 36: 9.) To the same effect is the testimony of the Apostle Paul, when he declares, that "no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost," (1 Cor. 12: 3.) And John Baptist, on seeing the dullness of his disciples, exclaims, "A man can receive nothing, unless it be given him from heaven," (John 3: 27.) That the gift to which he here refers must be understood not of ordinary natural gifts, but of special illumination, appears from this - that he was complaining how little his disciples had profited by all that he had said to them in commendation of Christ. "I see," says he, "that my words are of no effect in imbuing the minds of men with divine things, unless the Lord enlighten their understandings by His Spirit." Nay, Moses also, while upbraiding the people for their forgetfulness, at the same time observes, that they could not become wise in the mysteries of God without his assistance. "Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; the great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and these great miracles: yet the Lord has not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this, day," (Deut. 29: 2, 3, 4.) Would the expression have been stronger had he called us mere blocks in regard to the contemplation of divine things? Hence the Lord, by the mouth of the Prophet, promises to the Israelites as a singular favour, "I will give them an heart to know me," (Jer. 24: 7;) intimating, that in spiritual things the human mind is wise only in so far as he enlightens it.

This was also clearly confirmed by our Saviour when he said, "No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him," (John 6: 44.) Nay, is not he himself the living image of his Father, in which the full brightness of his glory is manifested to us? Therefore, how far our faculty of knowing God extends could not be better shown than when it is declared, that though his image is so plainly exhibited, we have not eyes to perceive it. What? Did not Christ descend into the world that he might make the will of his Father manifest to men, and did he not faithfully perform the office? True! He did; but nothing is accomplished by his preaching unless the inner teacher, the Spirit, open the way into our minds. Only those, therefore, come to him who have heard and learned of the Father. And in what is the method of this hearing and learning? It is when the Spirit, with a wondrous and special energy, forms the ear to hear and the mind to understand. Lest this should seem new, our Saviour refers to the prophecy of Isaiah, which contains a promise of the renovation of the Church. "For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee," (Is. 54: 7.) If the Lord here predicts some special blessing to his elect, it is plain that the teaching to which he refers is not that which is common to them with the ungodly and profane.

It thus appears that none can enter the kingdom of God save those whose minds have been renewed by the enlightening of the Holy Spirit. On this subject the clearest exposition is given by Paul, who, when expressly handling it, after condemning the whole wisdom of the world as foolishness and vanity, and thereby declaring man's utter destitution, thus concludes, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned," (1 Cor. 2: 14.) Whom does he mean by the "natural man"? The man who trusts to the light of nature. Such a man has no understanding in the spiritual mysteries of God. Why so? Is it because through sloth he neglects them? Nay, though he exert himself, it is of no avail; they are "spiritually discerned." And what does this mean? That altogether hidden from human discernment, they are made known only by the revelation of the Spirit; so that they are accounted foolishness wherever the Spirit does not give light. The Apostle had previously declared, that "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him;" nay, that the wisdom of the world is a kind of veil by which the mind is prevented from beholding God, (1 Cor. 2: 9.) What would we more? The Apostle declares that God has "made foolish the wisdom of this world," (1 Cor. 1: 20;) and shall we attribute to it an acuteness capable of penetrating to God, and the hidden mysteries of his kingdom? Far from us be such presumption!

21. Without the light of the Spirit, all is darkness
What the Apostle here denies to man, he, in another place, ascribes to God alone, when he prays, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation," (Eph. 1: 17.) You now hear that all wisdom and revelation is the gift of God. What follows? "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened." Surely, if they require a new enlightening, they must in themselves be blind. The next words are, "that ye may know what is the hope of his calling," (Eph. 1: 18.) In other words, the minds of men have not capacity enough to know their calling.

Let no prating Pelagian here allege that God obviates this rudeness or stupidity, when, by the doctrine of his word, he directs us to a path which we could not have found without a guide. David had the law, comprehending in it all the wisdom that could be desired, and yet not contented with this, he prays, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law," (Ps. 119: 18.) By this expression, he certainly intimates, that it is like sunrise to the earth when the word of God shines forth; but that men do not derive much benefit from it until he himself, who is for this reason called the Father of lights (James 1: 17,) either gives eyes or opens them; because, whatever is not illuminated by his Spirit is wholly darkness. The Apostles had been duly and amply instructed by the best of teachers. Still, as they wanted the Spirit of truth to complete their education in the very doctrine which they had previously heard, they were ordered to wait for him, (John 14: 26.) If we confess that what we ask of God is lacking to us, and He by the very thing promised intimates our want, no man can hesitate to acknowledge that he is able to understand the mysteries of God, only in so far as illuminated by his grace. He who ascribes to himself more understanding than this, is the blinder for not acknowledging his blindness.