Defense is proper and necessary because in every age historic Christianity will be under attack. Defense does not mean being on the defensive. One must not be embarrassed about the use of the word defense. The proponents of any position who are alive to their own generation must give a sufficient answer for it when questions are raised about it. Thus, the word defense is not used here in a negative sense, because in any conversation, in any communication which is really dialogue, answers must be given to objections raised. Such answers are necessary in the first place for myself as a Christian if I am going to maintain my intellectual integrity, and if I am to keep united my personal, devotional and intellectual life.
Francis Schaeffer
Author Archives: Dan C.
If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved and to be steady on all the battle front besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.
Martin Luther
The sovereignty of God in the salvation of men. . .
. . .according to scripture:
“No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day (John 6:44).
And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father” (John 6:65).
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48).
And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul (Acts 16:14).
For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35 Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:34-36).
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5).
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you” (John 15:16).
Ours is not to argue or fuss about the clear declarations in the above passages, but to study them, discover what they mean and humbly submit to the wondrous truths found therein.
Jesus: Sovereign or Failure?
Jesus: Sovereign or Failure?
Larry Brown
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (John 12:32 KJV)
Countless modern churchmen and theologians easily declare that Jesus failed in his mission because, they say, He did not do everything he set out to do. From the failed God of Sun Myung Moon to the dumbed down God of the Open Theists, many seem to be attempting to avoid dealing with a God who says what He will do and does what He says. To make matters even worse, church members have listened to an easy to believe, convenient, watered down gospel for so long that most are not now willing to hear the truth of what the Bible says about our Sovereign God.
When Jesus declared, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me,” He was stating a wonderful truth but he was not stating the obvious as far as the English translation of scripture is concerned.
What you believe this verse means will reveal to a great extent what you think of Jesus. There are a number of decisions that one must make when interpreting this passage that, when understood, will determine the depth of your appreciation for our Lord. It is not enough to take the easy and sentimental approach to exegeting this passage because your conclusions will reveal the kind of God you serve.
What are the questions we must raise in considering this verse?
1. What does “draw” mean? Most people seem to have a rather romantic notion about the meaning of this word. They want to use it as we use the term to say that two were “drawn” to each other, i.e., that there is a sort of magnetism there which attracts people to Him but the Bible knows nothing of that. To the contrary it teaches that the world hates and despises Him – holds him in low esteem. There is no beauty about him that we should behold Him. He is rejected of men (Isa. 53:2-4) . Many think of the term as if the Lord is wooing people to Himself as a suitor woos his intended. But that cannot be the way Jesus intended for this word to be interpreted. Did you ever go to a well and attempt to woo a bucket of water from the well? That would keep a person thirsty for a long time. The root of the word translated “draw,” both here and in John 6:44 is a word that means, “to drag.” The same word is used in John 21:6 where “he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.”
Dragging a bucket of water from a well makes sense to me, but I don’t think I could woo one up. It is certain that no one is ever drawn to the Lord “kicking and screaming”, but most assuredly meant here that those he drawswill come. Not some of them, not most of them but all of them.
2. What did Jesus mean by the term “all men”? It should at first be noted that the word men is not in the manuscripts from which the scripture was interpreted but was supplied by the KJV translators as it was in several other English versions of the New Testament. Others translated it all things. At least one translation has it all my friends. The meaning of the term “all men” is unclear if you consider only the words presented in the texts.
One would think that the term “all men” should mean that Jesus meant to draw one hundred percent of all people to Himself. Now one who has faith in the One who healed the sick, raised the dead, and resurrected Himself from the grave should be able to say without reservation that Jesus did not mean in any literal sense that He intended to bring one hundred percent of all people to himself. The simple fact is that had Jesus meant to bring one hundred percent of all people to Himself, He would certainly have done it. Isa 59:1
There are some conclusions that must be drawn from this discourse. When the Lord determines to draw us to Himself, He is not trying in some romantic sort of way to gain our permission to become part of our lives. The relationship between God and the Elect is not one of courtship. He is neither trying to win us over nor to wear us down in order to accomplish His purpose in our lives. God does not influence our lives after the manner of men. He does not need to do so. He is God. When God decides to draw a person to Himself, that person will come. Not kicking and screaming as I stated previously but he will come with a heart full of gratitude for the revelation of God Himself. The song of one so drawn shall ever be, “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.”
The second conclusion is this. If you believe that Jesus meant that after His crucifixion that He would draw one hundred percent of all men to Himself you have to accept one of two positions. You must either accept the position of the Universalist, that is, you believe that all people everywhere are or will be saved or else you have to say that Jesus has failed because He clearly had not done what He said He would do. All people have not come to Him and it is clear that all men will not come to Him. There is no middle ground. The instant you accept as fact the idea that Jesus meant that one hundred percent of all men would come to Him, you box yourself into the corner of having to accept one of these two positions.
There is another choice. To be realistic and consistent with the scripture we must either limit the quality of what Jesus has done or we must limit the scope of what Jesus meant. I, for one, will hold to God’s promise of Isa. 55:11. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” What God says He will do, He will do. Since His word will accomplish that which He pleases, we must believe that He intended something other than one hundred percent of all men when He said, “I will draw all men.” The context is always a great aid in understanding the meaning of a passage. In John 12:20-21 we read “And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.” Considering this as the context then, we might well say that the “all” which Jesus would draw unto Himself would be “all people” or “all nations.” In that context no one would dare call Jesus a failure. But Jesus may be thinking in even a broader context here. Seven times in John 17, He speaks of “those whom thou hast given me.” These certainly will all come to Christ. There can be no doubt. He will draw them and they will come. Those of us who are numbered in that number should always rejoice that He chose us for salvation and we should always work toward getting all that the Lord will call into the Kingdom. To God be the glory forever. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Larry W. Brown is Pastor of New Liberty Baptist Church
Morgantown, KY 42261
Where’d All These Calvinists Come From? Part 1 of 10
Where’d All These Calvinists Come From? Part 1 of 10.
The above is the first of a series of posts by Mark Dever @9Marks concerning the reurgance of Calvinism in Evangelical churches. Definitely worth reading.
What Is This Power?
And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead.
The resurrection of Christ, and our salvation, was brought about by nothing less than divine power. What will we say of those who think that conversion is accomplished by the free will of man and is due to his own kindly disposition? When we begin to see the dead rise from the grave by their own power, then may we expect to see ungodly sinners turning to Christ by their own endeavors. It is not the word preached, nor the word read in itself; all quickening power proceeds from the Holy Spirit.
This power was irresistible. All the soldiers and the high priests could not keep the body of Christ in the tomb; death itself could not hold Jesus in its grip: Just as irresistible is the power displayed in the believer when he is raised to newness of life. No sin, no corruption, no devils in hell nor sinners on earth can resist the hand of God’s grace when it intends to convert a man. If God omnipotently says, “You shall,” man will not say, “I shall not.” Notice that the power that raised Christ from the dead was glorious. It reflected honor upon God and caused dismay in the hosts of evil. So there is great glory to God in the conversion of every sinner.
It was everlasting power. “Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.”1 So we, being raised from the dead, do not go back to our dead works or to our old corruptions, but we live to God. “Because I live, you also will live.”2 “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”3 “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”4 Finally, in the text note the union of the new life to Jesus. The same power that raised the Head works life in the members. What a blessing to be quickened together with Christ!
1Romans 6:9 2John 14:19 3Colossians 3:3 4Romans 6:4
Pakistani Christians Worry About ‘the Next Rimsha’
LAHORE, Pakistan, Sept. 3 (Open Doors News) — Nabil was out pretending to wash his father’s car, as an evening breeze cut through Pakistan’s monsoon humidity. Together with his father and a Christian neighbor, they had made their way out of the house late last week on this everyday pretext. In reality, they were trying to prevent their Muslim neighbors and the women in their families from overhearing or worrying over their conversation.
As he wiped the car, Nabil spoke in hushed tones to their friend from two blocks away and his father, a pastor in Lahore. Nabil had come home to spend the summer with his family. Naturally, the topic was Rimsha Masih, the young Islamabad Christian girl arrested Aug. 16 after Muslim neighbors told police she was carrying burned pages of Quranic texts.
Because of the vulnerability of Christians in Pakistan, especially when questioning the country’s blasphemy law, Open Doors News is not publishing his real name.
"I live and work in the Middle East, so I am able to send my children to school here in Pakistan," Nabil said. "But I am seriously thinking of coming back now. What happens if my little Zari becomes the next Rimsha, or my wife the next Aasiya [Bibi, the first woman sentenced under Pakistan’s blasphemy law]? What good is school, if she will only graduate into prison?”
Nabil’s conversation echoed questions being raised across Pakistan. He said there is little that will change in terms of Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law.
"God’s word has told us that there will be trials and tribulations, and that there will be persecution for Christians,” he told the neighbor, who questioned how Pakistani Christians could have any hope for a future.
"That is our future before we go to heaven. Either we accept that difficulty will come, or we pretend we have the right to something outside of the Word of God. Let us just seek His grace and hope.”
The conversation continued in low tones. All three were afraid their voices might carry to the neighbors. Nabil’s family lives on the second floor of a home that belongs to a Muslim landlord who lives directly below them. He is always concerned that his children will say something to cause them to be falsely accused of blaspheming against the prophet Mohammad, the Quran or Islam.
The story of Rimsha has shaken Christian families across Pakistan, and has re-ignited national debate on the blasphemy law. Immediately after Rimsha’s arrest, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari warned against misuse of the law. The Sept. 2 arrest of a Muslim cleric on suspicion of placing the religious texts into the girl’s possession has elevated tensions to a high pitch.
"President Zardari has finally spoken! Thank goodness someone came to the rescue, although it seems a meager and useless attempt,” the neighbor said with some skepticism, because Rimsha’s ordeal follows three particularly devastating cases.
After being falsely accused and arrested in June 2009, Aasiya Bibi became the first woman in Pakistan sentenced to death under the blasphemy law. She has been languishing in a Pakistani prison and solitary confinement ever since. Her controversial case prompted criticism of the blasphemy law from Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Federal Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, who were subsequently assassinated. Threats also have been leveled at Sherry Rehman, the Pakistan Ambassador to the United States.
c. 2012 Open Doors News. Used with permission.
Publication date: September 4, 2012
What Church Looks Like–in 10 Years
The following is an article that popped up in an email alert I receive on a daily basis. It sounds nice, but is it really? I’m still mulling it over.
What Church Looks
Like–in 10 Years
by Thom Schultz
Where will you be in 10 years? in 20 years? If you’re involved in a church, it may look quite
different from what you’re accustomed to today.
The church in America is currently shuddering under unprecedented societal change. Some churches are shuttering—closing their doors, rather than adapting to the swirling changes around us. But some are breaking through and finding fresh ways to share the ageless message of Christ with a still-spiritually-open culture.
Some of the innovation we see today was actually predicted over 10 years ago. At that time a think tank of ministry leaders from across the country met to envision the future. They accurately foresaw some changes we now see emerging.
For example, whereas the modern church looks and feels much like a theatrical presentation, the think tankers saw a church that would begin to look and feel more like a neighborhood place to gather around food and drink.
That model is sprouting up in divergent locations across the country—and outside the country.
Morning Star Church in Middleville, Michigan, worships in a former auto parts store that now looks like a homey little restaurant. “We have a DNA of worshipping around tables,” says pastor Bill Wynsma. The church’s website describes the vibe: “Remember those signs in some churches that say, ‘No Food or Drink in the Sanctuary’? Well, we welcome you to enjoy coffee, tea and other morning beverages along with a selection of snacks.”
And, more than 200 churches across the country and Canada have joined the growing network of Lifetree Cafes’. I’m blessed to work with this new ministry that’s designed to reach into the community with a conversation-based experience. Members of the community gather around small tables and enjoy snacks and drinks while they delve into host-led explorations of life issues—with a spiritual twist. Some Lifetree locations are inside church facilities. Others are offered in local coffee shops and community centers. While Lifetree Café is often perceived as primarily being an outreach ministry, many of the churches who have launched Lifetrees are finding that it’s also building relationships within the church, which is essentially closing the problematic “revolving door” that many churches experience.
Whitsunday Baptist Church in Queensland, Australia, offers a beachfront café experience every Tuesday night. Soul Church Café provides “coffee, dessert, and a chat about some of the more important things in life.” The ministry offers “conversation, friendship, and a little bit of what you are looking for.”
In Communist China, where churches are highly restricted, Christian restaurateurs opened the Upper Room Rainbow Café in Beijing. Biblically themed décor surrounds the tables where patrons munch on cleverly named entrees. (On a recent visit, I tried the “Five Loaves and Two Fish.” Tasty!) Curious Chinese residents gather here for Bible studies, Christian music and even sermons. “We consider it a dinner show,” says the savvy owner, who stays legal and in good favor with the government.
So, why are these food-and-drink venues working? If we say faith is a relationship, it makes sense that our expressions of faith look relational. Sitting around a table, eating, and talking with friends about matters of faith is a relational model that Jesus used very fruitfully. And the conversational aspect allows people to interact with the message, something that resonates well with today’s interactive citizens.
As we watch this trend build throughout today’s church, where will it lead tomorrow? What will the church look like in 10 or 20 years? It’s an important question. The better we can anticipate the coming changes, the better prepared we’ll be to take the unchanging message to the changing world.
We’re organizing a new think tank to analyze developing trends and explore how they’ll drive change for the church in the future. This special gathering will include generations authority Neil Howe, and church researcher Scott Thumma. The Future of the Church Summit is October 22-24, 2012, in Loveland, Colorado. For more information or to register for this groundbreaking summit, visit group.com/summit2012.
It’s a healthy thing to read the signs and adjust: “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!” –Jesus
What do you see coming?
This article appeared on HolySoup.com July 25, 2012. Thom Schultz is an eclectic author and the founder of Group Publishing and Lifetree Café. Holy Soup offers innovative approaches to ministry, and challenges the status quo of today’s church
Lord, When Iniquities Abound
LORD, when iniquities abound,
And blasphemy grows bold,
When faith is hardly to be found
And love is waxing cold
When scorners stand on every side,
And sons of God seem few;
When men, in vanity and pride,
Have but themselves in view
Is not Thy coming hastening on?
Hast Thou not given this sign?
May we not trust and lean upon
A promise so divine?
When man is ‘god’, then Thou wilt rise
And make oppressors flee;
In power appear, to their surprise,
And set Thy servants free.
Thy Word like silver, fully-tried,
Through ages shall endure;
And all who in its truth confide,
Shall find Thy promise sure
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748
The Battle Cry 