Double Post! And "Goodbye"!

1st of of all, I'm "semi-back" from my excursion to blogatory (twas nice meetin' all dem fine "catlicks) and am posting to announce 2 things:

1. I 've thought long and hard for a while about whether or not I should continue my tenure with Blogger or go to the dreaded contemporary (and quite relavent) fad of blogging using WordPress...long story short; WP won soooo... here's my new web address http://scribe7580.wordpress.com/. Sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused any of you, k?

2. The following video is one I viewed on Rhett's blog, and after I viewed it , I golly well decided to share this intellectually sharp woman's insight with y'all (ya know, passin' on da blessin'?) I was at a loss for words as I was very ignorant of her magnanamous wordplay. Enjoy!

Taking a Break

After an exorbitant amount of thought, I've decided to take a break from blogging. I've elected to remain off until September. I am currently resting under the impression that such a intermittent pause would be fruitful for me. See ya then...

Where are all the True Preachers of the Word of God?!

Brother David Wilkerson rails against "sinner-sensitive" preachers in this Laodicean age. Well worth the hear...we need more Holy Ghost filled preachers that will declare what they see!

Danez Prigent & Lisa Gerrard-- Gortoz A Ran-J'Attends

This may be news to some but I enjoy multicultural music. I have been fond of Lisa Gerrard since I first heard of her on the Gladiator Soundtrack. The following music clip is from the Black Hawk Down soundtrack...hope you enjoy!

Isolated Texts

"There is an article in a popular evangelical magazine that tells of a well-known personality who built his entire ministry on one, isolated passage in the Old Testament about Jabez. This poor man’s life and ministry, we are told, has now crumbled, along with many of his followers. He reportedly has said that the Jabez-type prayer didn’t work.

In almost fifty years of ministering, I have seen many fall into this tempting trap. Some have built an entire method of interpreting the Bible on 2 Timothy 2:15. Others teach the main goal of a Christian is “soul-winning,” based on Proverbs 11:30. The deeper life advocates use Galatians 2:20; and a popular prophetic group uses a small, isolated portion of First Thessalonians four to convince their followers of the rightness of their position.

At the time when Jesus walked this earth, there was no New Testament, only the Old. But He built His entire life and ministry on the whole of it, not on an isolated text or small portion. We’d do well to follow His example, including, of course, the New Testament. Beware of anyone who uses an only text or an isolated portion to prove his or her point. If there is a thread of truth it will always be connected to the whole 'spool.'"

From R.D. Sandlin's " Today's Journal"

Meowzers!!

Pictured above: One suggested method for converting postmodernists.



Fellow Reformed Mafioso Seth Fuller seems to have a solution when debating epistemological heretics who disavow the perspicuity of scripture--just threaten to do them violence, I'm sure they'll understand that. Anyway you can find his intriguing post on postmodernism here...

"It Is I"

" Be of good cheer : It is I; be not afraid." Mark 6:50

Listen, then, to the voice of Jesus in the storm. It is I who raised the tempest in your soul, and will control it. It is I who sent your affliction , and will be with you in it. It is I who kindled the furnace, and will watch the flames, and bring you through it. It is I who formed your burden, who carved your cross, and who will strengthen you to bear it. It is I who mixed your cup of grief , and will enable you to drink it with submission to your Father's will. It is I who took from you worldly substance , who bereft you of your child, of the wife of your bosom , of the husband your youth, and will be infinitely better to you than husband, wife, or child! It is I who have done it ALL!

I make the clouds my chariot and clothe myself with the tempest as a garment. The night hour is my time of coming, and the dark surging waves are the pavement upon which I walk. Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid. It is I--your Friend , your Brother., your Savior! I am causing all the circumstances of your life to work together for your good. It is I who permitted the enemy to assail you, the slander to blast you, the unkindness to wound you, the need to press you!! Your affliction did not spring out of the ground, but came down from above --a heaven sent blessing disguised as a an angel of light clad in a robe of ebony.

I have sent you love! This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God. This bereavement shall not always bow you to the earth, nor drape in changeless gloom your life. It is I. who ordered , arranged, and controlled it all!! In every stormy wind, in every dark some night, in every lonesome hour, in every rising fear, the voice shall be heard saying, , "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid."

~Octavius Winslow (Christ's Sympathy to Weary Pilgrims)

Doug Mabry (Gojira) Bids His Farewells.

Doug Mabry a.k.a Gojira has e-mailed me and his informed me ( in not so many words) that he will no longer be blogging. Here's a portion of the e-mail he sent to me:

"Let everyone know (Mark, Rhett, Susan, Wayne, J.D., Bobby, Angela, etc) know that I have loved them in Christ -- but that it is time for me to go."

Folks I did not see this coming, but wish all the best in Christ to my brother in Christ, Doug Mabry. I will miss him dearly as a friend and as a blog companion....I truly loved him (and will miss him) as a friend and a brother in the Lord.

Regretfully,
Sam

PS The site is already down...


UPDATE: There are rumors circulating about Doug's return to blogdom...I've yet to have this substantiated...

OK ...the rumors concerning Doug's return have been substantiated as true...

Meme'd Yet Again...

OK...so I was tagged by my good buddy Gayla, over at Journey of the Heart about 6 days ago(oops my bad). I was tagged to answer 5 arbitrarily elected questions that would ultimately spell out my demise...tah well...gotta go sometime...


1. What do you consider your best quality?

My entertainment center!! (smiles in a smug fashion)...what do you mean "that doesn't count"?


2. If you could open up your own restaurant, what kind would it be?

Well I wouldn't open up a restaurant...I'd open up a bakery instead! I love pastries, mmmm, mmm!


3. What's your most prized or sentimental possession?

My lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for reasons beyond the ability of words to convey...

4. What was the worst job you ever held?

I was once a drip-drop specialist at the local 7/11 Slurpee machine. Ah yes! I also was a recirculation tray technician in a high school cafeteria


5. If you could bring a fictional character to life, who would it be?

Me!


Well, I see no reason to perpetuate this cycle of "violence" so the meme will end with me.

Prayer Request and Update

Please pray for my younger brother, Tony, as he has just suffered from an epileptic seizure...he has just returned from the hospital. The details are a bit hazy but from what I understand he inadvertently injured himself during the episode...

Your prayers are coveted--Thank you.

In Christ,
Sam

Update: I visited my brother yesterday (along with my wife) to see how his health and state of mind were progressing after his violent episode of epilepsy; He is doing much better but not without physical consequence. He broke two teeth, had multiple bruises on his head and face, a swollen lip, and could barely walk without help (I would suppose from the effect of the meds.). It was an emotionally trying time for me, and especially my wife. My brother is a born-again Christian, and inspite of his condition he just kept thanking the Lord for guarding him from something worse. I thought it was interesting that this episode showed him how frail he is as a human (isn't that the truth?) I thank all who prayed, please continue to pray for his recovery as he is not 100%...thank you.

Pics From "Vegas" Trip--Part 1

Malachi just being silly...what a "show boat", LOL!


The "Gabrielites" in progressive "chill mode


Malachi and I at Red Rock Bowling lanes in Vegas

Malachi prepares to show us "neophytes" his aptitude for bowling


Annmarie and Malachi taking a quick "breather" for my pic

My Hiatus to "Lost Wages"

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR...

Alrighty then...after days of jet lag recovery (and a propensity towards sheer laziness plus a busted sound card) I've finally mustered up the will to report my impressions of "Sin City". I am aware I have some photos of our trip that I must post, plus a meme that I must also post, seeing as how Gayla honors me yet again by tagging me yet again. ;D So, many a post projects are currently in queue, and I shall get to them as my laziness, er, um, time permits... So without further ado "THE VEGAS REPORT"!!

Useless Factoids and Filler Commentary:

The Meza clan made haste to be at the O'Hare airport by 4:30 am. Mind you that this would be my first time flying post 9/11, I'd like to thank Richard Reed for forcing airport security to make us take off our shoes as a mandatory security measure. Oh, and thanks to the crack-pipe incident that occurred in Britain that now forces us to discard any form of liquids at the airport security check point ( the stinkin' inflationary prices of airport vendors was killing my pocket book...) Anywho, we board our flight and make it out to Vegas in a little under 4 hrs.

The Bad:

Vegas Blvd (a.k.a. "The Strip".) ? Picking up our car rental (more like a van rental, Never having been to Las Vegas I expected the absolute worse in moral debauchery, and with good reason. Almost immediately ,after retrieving our luggage, I was treated to a litany of slot machines, IN THE AIRPORT!! I mean, how detrimental is it to your being that one must needs straightway hit the slot machines upon arrival...the airport is conveniently located near Las Vegas Blvd. We traversed The dreaded "Strip" and was treated to a portion of the city that I could sum up in one word--hedonistic. Every sinful pleasure seems to be at one's disposal, be it gambling, moral lewdness, etc... The scorching temperature of Vegas during the summer months is brutal, especially the 2 weeks we were out there. This being confirmed by indigenous personal as being an especially hot summer (temperatures peaking in upwards of 115 to 118 degrees), so I can't imagine someone living in Vegas without the comforts of Air conditioning...

The Good? Yes, The Good!!

The Meza family didn't do much in terms of extraordinary activities that would typify a family vacation, in other words, we did stuff in Vegas we could have done at home, but we had fun doing it!! My wife's family members out there were abundantly hospitable to us as they provided room and board for us, and inundated us with frequent excursions to some awesome restaurants/ buffets. The buffets in Vegas are significantly better than anything I've had in Chicago...it was like falling in love all over again, LOL! We were treated to other family oriented excursions such as some local water parks which was way fun... I saw the Transformers movie twice because I am still a kid at heart ;D I would really like to thank my wife's family members for making our visit to Vegas a memorable one, they really went out of their way to accommodate us, thank you for your loving sacrifice of time and effort and funds.

Conclusion:

As I think about Vegas in retrospect I'd have to conclude it is like any other city in the U.S., sure sin abounds in Vegas but it does so here as well. There are plenty of people there that need Christ, and believe it or not, there is a healthy population of true Christians who are diligently working to present the love of Christ to them. With all that being said, my overall experience in Vegas was amazingly memorable. I'm just glad to be back home... :D

I'd like to thank all of you(my brothers and sister in Christ) who prayed for our traveling safety...may the Lord bless thee and keep thee in perfect peace.

Scribe

Back From "Lost Wages"

Well Parched Soul and I survived a 2 week tenure in "Sin City". After a 3 hour delay at McCarran airport, we finally arrived at O'Hare airport around 11 pm and got home almost at 1 am (grr). I was fortunate enough to have taken today off but have been entrusted with the sacred parental duties of being a "dada". I've waged endless the diaper war with Gabriel and have dealt rather painfully with Malachi's incessant monotonous questionaire...ah the responsibilties of being a father...I don't know how you mothers do it!

With that being said, the subsequent posts will focus around my vacation...I will have various pics of our trip. I will also have an entire "report" based on my 1st visit to Vegas. Truthfully, this post serves as nothing more than a filler and an F.Y.I. i'd like to thank all of you who prayed for our traveling mercies, we are deeply appreciative for it. More to come, stay tuned!! Again thank you all for your prayers.

/Scribe

See Ya!!

Alas, the time has come for our annual family vacation, and this on the heels of the Grow's hiatus to Washington. :D We are flying out to none other than Las Vegas (all blog buddies jaws drop simultaneously...) My wife has a gross gambling addiction that she can't shake, Malachi's an accomplished loan-shark going with the expressed purpose of resolving some unpaid debt with Gabriel working under his apprenticeship. Me, I'm just the sucker that foots the bill on their traveling excursions. So If you hear about some man that was arrested for proclaiming the Gospel on the "strip"...you can rest assured that it wasn't me!

Seriously though...we are going to Las Vegas for a duration of 2 weeks to visit my wife's relatives. We are leaving tomorrow morning (at 4 am, yikes!), expecting to return(Lord willing) on the 10Th of July, so I will not be active in the blogosphere... Doug, you're gonna have to hold down the fort at "The Stomping Ground." We covet and solicit your prayers for safe passage to and from Vegas, thanks!

Addenda: I'll post pics of our trip when we return. Especially ones depicting the intense symbiotic relationship between my arm and Vegas slot machines...I'm just kidding!! ;D

The Things Kids Say...(Scribal twist)

Malachi and I this past Father's Day

Today the Meza family ventured to the mall to get some new "digs" for our upcoming vacation trip. It was quite tedious as my son, Malachi, kept darting off, eluding us like some fugitive off of America's Most Wanted. Verbal warnings were going unheeded as he was effectively vexing my soul. As our excursion went from bad, to worse (at least to my estimation), varying forms of capital punishment for the "antagonist" began reverberating through my mind, always contingent upon the severity and recurrence of the infraction..."Hmm, a Cat-o'-nine-tails flogging and an alcohol bath shall break the will of this stubborn rebel".

Having made up my mind that Malachi's aggregated miscreant behavior warranted "corrective action". I warned Malachi that he was in trouble as we made our way to our SUV... As we made our way across the parking lot, Malachi's attention was diverted to some "punk-rock" couple smoking outside of the mall. He took notice of their ostentatious red hair coloring, and began emphatically asserting, "Dad, he's got hair like Elmo!". I took notice as my wife slowly became embarrassed.

Malachi then said it again, but this time louder (and pointing), "But dad, he has hair like Elmo!" By this time my wife and I wanted to disappear as the couple, by now, could obviously hear our son's progressively loud remarks about their hair-do's. This continued until we reached our vehicle, "coincidentally", their car was parked right next ours. Kids can be brutally honest, and Malachi's unintended perjorative remarks are proof of this. In retrospect, I got a good laugh out of it which ultimately saved Malachi's hide...(sigh) I know, bad parenting...

Note: My son was dead serious about the Elmo thing--he wasn't trying to be funny--the things kids say...

You Know You Are Getting Pimped ...

1. If your pastor organizes a banquet in his own honor, charges $100 per plate, AND takes up a love offering, you might be getting pimped.

2. If your pastor’s idea of a theological education is watching TBN, you might be getting pimped.

3. If your pastor has a nationwide 800 number with HIS name in it, you might be getting pimped.

4. If your pastor has a walk-in closet bigger than your studio apartment, you might be getting pimped.

5. If your pastor’s house was featured on MTV’s “Cribs”, you might be getting pimped.

6. If the female co-pastor needs someone to hold her hands up during service because the diamonds on the rings are so big, you might be getting pimped.

7. If your bishop is found guilty of sex charges and is in jail, and he is STILL called bishop, you might be getting pimped.

8. If the ushers seat you according to your W-2, you might be getting pimped

9. If you invite your pastor to a birthday party and he asks for a love offering, you might be getting pimped

10. If your pastor still wears a Jeri curl, you might be getting pimped.

Source: Pulpit Pimps

A.W. Tozer on the Sad State of Modern Pragmatism

"Christianity today is man-centered, not God-centered. God is made to wait patiently, even respectfully, on the whims of men. The image of God currently popular is that of a distracted Father, struggling in heartbroken desperation to get people to accept a Saviour of whom they feel no need and in whom they have very little interest. To persuade these self-sufficent souls to respond to His generous offers God will do almost anything, even using salesmanship methods and talking down to them in the chummiest way imaginable. This view of things is, of course, a kind of religious romanticism which, while it often uses flattering and sometimes embarrasing terms in praise of God, manages nevertheless to make man the star of the show. Man: The Dwelling Place of God, 27.

While You Were Sleeping--Casting Crowns

L. Berkhof on the Law and the Gospel (concluded)

c. There is another sense, however, in which the Christian is not free from the law. The situation is quite different when we think of the law as the expression of man’s natural obligations to his God, the law as it is applied to man even apart from the covenant of works. It is impossible to imagine any condition in which man might be able to claim freedom from the law in that sense. It is pure Antinomianism to maintain that Christ kept the law as a rule of life for His people, so that they need not worry about this any more. The law lays claim, and justly so, on the entire life of man in all its aspects, including his relation to the gospel of Jesus' Christ. When God offers man the gospel, the law demands that the latter shall accept this. Some would speak of this as the law in the gospel, but this is hardly correct. The gospel itself consists of promises and is no law; yet there is a demand of the law in connection with the gospel. The law not only demands that we accept the gospel and believe in Jesus Christ, but also that we lead a life of gratitude in harmony with its requirements.

The Threefold Use of the Law

1. is customary in theology to distinguish a three-fold use of the law:

a. A usus politicus or civilis. The law serves the purpose of restraining sin and promoting righteousness. Considered from this point of view, the law presupposes sin and is necessary on account of sin. It serves the purpose of God’s common grace in the world at large. This means that from this point of view it cannot be regarded a means of grace in the technical sense of the word.

b. A usus elenchticus or pedagogicus. In this capacity the law serves the purpose of bringing man under conviction of sin, and of making him conscious of his inability to meet the demands of the law. In that way the law becomes his tutor to lead him unto Christ, and thus becomes subservient to God’s gracious purpose of redemption.

c. A usus didacticus or normativus. This is the so-called tertius usus legis, the third use of the law. The law is a rule of life for believers, reminding them of their duties and leading them in the way of life and salvation. This third use of the law is denied by the Antinomians.

2. The difference between the Lutheran and the Reformed on this point.

There is some difference between the Lutherans and the Reformed with respect to this threefold use of the law. Both accept this threefold distinction, but the Lutherans stress the second use of the law. In their estimation the law is primarily the appointed means for bringing men under conviction of sin and thus indirectly pointing the way to Jesus Christ as the Savior of sinners. While they also admit the third use of the law, they do it with a certain reserve, since they hold that believers are no more under the law. According to them the third use of the law is necessary only because, and in so far as, believers are still sinners; they must be held in check by the law, and should become ever-increasingly conscious of their sins. It is not surprising therefore that this third use of the law occupies no important place in their system. As a rule they treat of the law only in connection with the doctrine of human misery. The Reformed do full justice to the second use of the law, teaching that “through the law cometh the knowledge of sin,” and that the law awakens the consciousness of the need of redemption; but they devote even more attention to the law in connection with the doctrine of sanctification. They stand strong in the conviction that believers are still under the law as a rule of life and of gratitude. Hence the Heidelberg Catechism devotes not less than eleven Lord’s Days to the discussion of the law, and that in its third part, which deals with gratitude.

1. Edited from Berkhof's Systematic Theology, pp. 612-615

L. Berkhof on the Law and the Gospel (part 1)

1. The Law and The Gospel in the Word of God

The Churches of the Reformation from the very beginning distinguished between the law and the gospel as the two parts of the Word of God as a means of grace. This distinction was not understood to be identical with that between the Old and the New Testament, but was regarded as a distinction that applies to both Testaments. There is law and gospel in the Old Testament, and there is law and gospel in the New. The law comprises everything in Scripture which is a revelation of God’s will in the form of command or prohibition, while the gospel embraces everything, whether it be in the Old Testament or in the New, that pertains to the work of reconciliation and that proclaims the seeking and redeeming love of God in Christ Jesus. And each one of these two parts has its own proper function in the economy of grace. The law seeks to awaken in the heart of man contrition on account of sin, while the gospel aims at the awakening of saving faith in Jesus Christ. The work of the law is in a sense preparatory to that of the gospel. It deepens the consciousness of sin and thus makes the sinner aware of the need of redemption. Both are subservient to the same end, and both are indispensable parts of the means of grace. This truth has not always been sufficiently recognized. The condemning aspect of the law has sometimes been stressed at the expense of its character as a part of the means of grace. Ever since the days of Marcion there have always been some who saw only contrast between the law and the gospel and proceeded on the assumption that the one excluded the other. They based their opinion in part on the rebuke which Paul administered to Peter (Gal. 2:11-14), and partly on the fact that Paul occasionally draws a sharp distinction between the law and the gospel and evidently regards them as contrasts, II Cor. 3:6-11; Gal. 3:2,3.10-14; cf. also John 1:17. They lost sight of the fact that Paul also says that the law served as a tutor to lead men to Christ, Gal. 3:24, and that the Epistle to the Hebrews represents the law, not as standing in antithetical relation to the gospel, but rather as the gospel in its preliminary and imperfect state...

2. Necessary Distinctions Respecting the Law and the Gospel

a. As was already said in the preceding, the distinction between the law and the gospel is not the same as that between the Old and the New Testament. Neither is it the same as that which present day Dispensationalists make between the dispensation of the law and the dispensation of the gospel. It is contrary to the plain facts of Scripture to say that there is no gospel in the Old Testament, or at least not in that part of the Old Testament that covers the dispensation of the law. There is gospel in the maternal promise, gospel in the ceremonial law, and gospel in many of the Prophets, as Isa. 53 and 54; 55:1-3, 6.7; Jer. 31:33, 34; Ezek. 36:25-28. In fact, there is a gospel current running through the whole of the Old Testament, which reaches its highest point in the Messianic prophecies. And it is equally contrary to Scripture to say that there is no law in the New Testament, or that the law does not apply in the New Testament dispensation. Jesus taught the permanent validity of the law, Matt. 5:17-19. Paul says that God provided for it that the requirements of the law should be fulfilled in our lives, Rom. 8:4, and holds his readers responsible for keeping the law, Rom. 13:9. James assures his readers that he who transgresses a single commandment of the law (and he mentions some of these), is a transgressor of the law, Jas. 2:8-11. And John defines sin as “lawlessness,” and says that this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, I John 3:4; 5:3.

b. It is possible to say that in some respects the Christian is free from the law of God. The Bible does not always speak of the law in the same sense.

Sometimes it contemplates this as the immutable expression of the nature and will of God, which applies at all times and under all conditions. But it also refers to it as it functions in the covenant of works, in which the gift of eternal life was conditioned on its fulfillment. Man failed to meet the condition, thereby also losing the ability to meet it, and is now by nature under a sentence of condemnation. When Paul draws a contrast between the law and the gospel, he is thinking of this aspect of the law, the broken law of the covenant of works, which can no more justify, but can only condemn the sinner. From the law in this particular sense, both as a means for obtaining eternal life and as a condemning power, believers are set free in Christ, since He became a curse for them and also met the demands of the covenant of works in their behalf. The law in that particular sense and the gospel of free grace are mutually exclusive.

(To be continued...)

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all you fathers(and grandfathers) out there. Doug, Joel, Bobby, John, Wayne, (lol John Wayne), Mark, Dave, Gordan, and for anyone else I may have I missed, I apologize.

But most of all, I would like to honor God the Father for the infinite love he has bestowed upon wicked men in the form of a bloody cross...the ultimate love offering of Life to a dying world in the person of Jesus Christ.

"For the life was manifested, and we have seen [it], and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us"(1 John 1:2)

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God...(1 John 3:1)

Thank you Abba...words fail...

May the triune God help us fathers be a better examples of that which he has entrusted to us--our families

David Wilkerson Against Neo-Evangelicalism

Brother Wilkerson calls "contemporary Christianity" on the carpet and exposes its propensity toward trends...

Interview w/ Exist

Did Abraham have Faith in Christ?

I am normally not into giving Exist-Dissolve undue "air-time" but in light of our debate concerning the nature of saving faith and its pertinency to the person of Christ, I felt I should briefly address a statement made by Exist regarding the faith of Abraham. Again if you'd like to see the entire debate in context click on the link, as I will only give the Abrahamic highlights.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apparently we haven't, for the example of Abraham is my answer to you. Even as Abraham--who had no knowledge of Christ's existence or saving grace--was justified with God, so too is God's grace extended even today to Abraham's. Unless God has changed the rules halfway through human history, which would be more disturbing than about anything I could think of...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So according to Exist's deductions about Abraham faith., Abraham had no knowledge of Christ to which Gojira eventually responds with a "Is you sho 'bout dat?" LOL (Doug gotta be from da hood...). Exist responds with a:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If he did, he did a poor job of communicating it to the thousands of years of Hebrew history that followed him. Or maybe he kept it to himself..?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Strange positional change for Exist, seeing as how he emphatically affirmed that Abraham had no knowledge of the existence of Christ...hm... I must add that I do not disagree with all of Exists assessments of "saving faith" I just don't like where he is trying to take it--that being, a gospel void of the exclusivity incurred by God Himself--Through Christ alone by faith alone. Now back to the question at hand--did Abraham have any conception of the existence of Christ?

Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw [it], and was glad(John 8:56)

If you follow the antecedent "my" back to verse 54 you'd see that the one speaking in the 1st person is none other than Christ Himself. Abraham had no knowledge of the person hood of Christ...I think Abraham and Christ would beg to differ...

Sorry Joel, can't win 'em all bud...

Exist in "Debate mode" (which is always)

Exist hates embarrassment

A Fresh Wave of Reinforcements

As the battle wages, and sporadic skirmishes with Satan's minions continue...I've decided to radio command for a fresh wave of reinforcements. First on the roster is a Christian soldier from Multnomah Bible College, she is a biblical specialist, adept in Special Ops Recon.... her kids affectionately know her by her codename: Mommy. She is none other than Angela Grow, wife of Bobby Grow (Theological Green Beret)

Next up is a highly respected bastion of wisdom who has seen many a battles in the war for souls...This combat veteran has been soldiering for the Lord a mighty long time. He has just recently commissioned a younger brother in Christ with a field commission as a Lieutenant...Hoo-aah! This battle-proven theological warhorse is none other than Dr. Richard D. Sandlin . h

He's a solid tactician and I am honored to have him serving with us.

Last but never least is his dynamic wife, Salle Sandlin...she operates against the enemy in our logistics dept. down at command and is mighty proficient at it. For a good devotional fix on living for the Lord, I'd suggest an occasional meandering. If I say anymore about them...I'd have to kill ya! ALRIGHT SOLDIERS, DISMISSED!

John MacArthur on Billy Graham's "Inclusivism" (follow up to preceding post)

This video goes into greater depth concerning Billy Graham's statements made on Robert Schuller's Hour of Power telecast...

Billy Graham--the universalist?

It is was quite saddening to hear Dr. Graham make such an inclusive statement of wider-mercy...pray that the Lord will open this man's heart to denounce this fallacy with post haste.

Hail Mary, Mother of God?

Earlier this morning, I was engaging in my usual blog-hopping when I came across this post by Doug. Someone by the moniker "Tom" responds to the post by saying:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This only goes to show the prejudicial nature of the Protestant religion. It has maligned, misinterpreted, and debased the most holy gospel entrusted to the One Catholic and Apostolic Church. You have no share in the blessed Body and Blood of our most Holy and Precious Savior."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the preceding post he responded in like manner by claiming:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Why are you filled with lies about the Mother of God? Is it your intention to disgrace all mothers or just the one of our Blessed Savior?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyone that knows Doug (or the position of most protestants for that matter) knows that he does not intend to dishonor Mary in any way, shape, form, or fashion. It is the undue, extra-biblical elevation of Mary that we are dead-set against, as it robs Christ of the glory that He alone is due. As I was reading Lorraine Boettner's Roman Catholicism, I ran across some his citations from Bishop Alphonse de Liguori's, "The Glories of Mary". The Roman Catholic Church fully endorses all that is written in Ligouri's book as "a summary of Catholic tradition on the subject that it treats". Anyone with just a surface understanding of holy scripture will see the deadly usurping of Christ's authority and role the papacy posits with it's view of Mary. Herein will I quote from Liguori's book:

Mary Is given the Place Belonging to Christ

Roman Catholic Church:

"And she is truly a mediatress of peace between sinners and God. Sinners receive pardon by... Mary alone"(pp 82, 83). "Mary is our life...Mary in obtaining this grace for sinners by her intercession , thus restores them to life" (p. 80). "He fails and is LOST who has not recourse to Mary (p. 94) .

The Word of God:

For there is one God, and ONE Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Tim. 2:5)

Jesus saith unto him: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. (John 14:6)

Christ...is our life (Col.3:4)

Mary Is Glorified More Than Christ

The Roman Catholic Church:

" The Holy Church commands a WORSHIP peculiar to Mary" (p. 130) "many things...are asked from God are not granted : they are asked from MARY, and are obtained," for "She...is even Queen of Hell, and Sovereign Mistress of the Devils" (pp127, 141, 143).

The Word of God:

In the name of Jesus... For there is no other name under Heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 3:6, 4:12). His Name is "above every other name...not only in this world but in the world to come (Eph. 1:21)

Mary is The Gate to Heaven Instead of Christ

The Roman Catholic Church:

"Mary is called...the gate of heaven because no one can enter that blessed kingdom without passing through HER" (p. 160) "The Way of Salvation is open to none otherwise than through Mary," and since "Our salvation is in the hands of Mary...He who is protected by Mary will be saved, he who is not will be lost" (pp. 169, 170)

The Word of God:

"I am the Door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved" says Christ (John 10:1, 7, 9)

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way...no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6). "Neither is there Salvation in any other" (Acts 4:12)

Mary is Given the Power of Christ

Roman catholic Church:

"All power is given to thee in Heaven and on earth," so that "at the command of MARY all obey, even God...and thus...God has placed the whole Church...under the domination of MARY" (pp. 180, 181). Mary "is also the Advocate of the whole human race...for she can do what she wills with God" (p. 193).

The Word of God:

"All power is given to me in Heaven and in earth," so that "in the Name of JESUS every knee should bow," "that in all things He may hold the primacy" (Matt. 28:18, Phil. 2:9-11; Col. 1:18).

"But if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, JESUS CHRIST the Just; and he is the propitiation for our sins" (I John 2:1,2).

Mary is the Peace-Maker Instead of Jesus Christ Our Peace

Roman Catholic Church:

"Mary is the Peace-maker between sinners and God" (p.193).

"We often more quickly obtain what we ask by calling on the name of MARY, than by invoking that of Jesus." "She...is our Salvation, our Life, our Hope, our Councel, our Refuge, our Help" (pp. 254, 257).

The Word of God:

"But now in CHRIST JESUS, you, who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Chrsit. For He is our peace" (Eph. 2:13, 14).

"Hitherto you have not asked anything in my name. AsK, and you shall receive," for "Whatsoever we shall ask according to His will, He hearth us" (John 16:23, 24).

Mary is Given the Glory that Belongs to Christ Alone

Roman Catholic Church:

"The whole Trinty, O MARY, gave thee a name...above every other name, that Thy name, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (p. 260).

The Word of God:

"God also hath hightly exalted HIM, and hath given HIM a Name which is above all names, that in the Name of JESUS every knee should bow, of those that are in Heaven, on earth and under the earth" (Phil. 2:9, 10).

I was once told that if you to let someone keep talking, you will find out what's in their heart; just let the RCC keep talking and you will find that Mariolotry is well estabalished in its core beliefs...

Right Gospel Mourning

What is the right gospel-mourning? That mourning which will entitle a man to blessedness has these qualifications:

It is spontaneous and free. It must come as water out of a spring, not as fire out of a flint. Tears for sin must be like the myrrh which drops from the tree freely without cutting or forcing. Mary Magdalene’s repentance was voluntary. 'She stood weeping' (Luke 7). She came to Christ with ointment in her hand, with love in her heart, with tears in her eyes. God is for a freewill offering. He does not love to be put to distrain.

Gospel-mourning is spiritual; that is, when we mourn for sin more than suffering. Pharaoh says, Take away the plague. He never thought of the plague of his heart. A sinner mourns because judgement follows at the heels of sin, but David cries out, 'My sin is ever before me' (Psalm 51: 3). God had threatened that the sword should ride in circuit in his family, but David does not say, 'The sword is ever before me', but 'My sin is ever before me'. The offence against God troubled him. He grieved more for the treason than the bloody axe. Thus the penitent prodigal, 'I have sinned against heaven, and before thee' (Luke 15: 18,21). He does not say, 'I am almost starved among the husks', but 'I have offended my father’. In particular, our mourning for sin, if it be spiritual, must be under this threefold notion:

1 We must mourn for sin as it is an act of hostility and enmity. Sin not only makes us unlike God, but contrary to God: 'They have walked contrary unto me' (Leviticus 26: 40). Sin affronts and resists the Holy Ghost (Acts 7: 51). Sin is contrary to God’s nature; God is holy; sin is an impure thing. Sin is contrary to his will. If God be of one mind, sin is of another. Sin does all it can to spite God. The Hebrew word for 'sin’ signifies 'rebellion'. A sinner fights against God (Acts 5:39). Now when we mourn for sin as it is a walking Antipodes' to heaven, this is a gospel-mourning. Nature will not bear contraries.


2 We must mourn for sin as it is a piece of the highest ingratitude. It is a kicking against the breasts of mercy. God sends his Son to redeem us, his Spirit to comfort us. We sin against the blood of Christ, the grace of the Spirit and shall we not mourn? We complain of the unkindness of others, and shall we not lay to heart our own unkindness against God? Caesar took it unkindly that his son, Brutus, should stab him – 'and thou, my son!' May not the Lord say to us, 'These wounds I have received in the house of my friend!’ (Zechariah 13:6). Israel took their jewels and earrings and made a golden calf of them. The sinner takes the jewels of God's mercies and makes use of them to sin. Ingratitude dyes a sin in grain, hence they are called 'crimson sins’ (Isaiah 1:18). Sins against gospel-love are worse in some sense than the sins of the devils, for they never had an offer of grace tendered to them. 'The devil sinned though constituted in innocence, I indeed when restored. He continued in wickedness by reprobation of God, I indeed when recalled by God. He was hardened by punishment, I indeed by (divine) gentleness. And thus both of us went against God, the one by not seeking to know himself, I indeed against the one who died for me. Behold his (the devil's) dreadful likeness, but in many things I see myself even more dreadful’ (Anselm: Concerning the fall of the Devil.) Now when we mourn for sin as it has its accent of ingratitude upon it, this is an evangelical mourning.

We must mourn for sin as it is a privation; it keeps good things from us; it hinders our communion with God. Mary wept for Christ’s absence. 'They have taken away my Lord’ (John 20:13). So our sins have taken away our Lord. They have deprived us of his sweet presence. Will not he grieve who has lost a rich jewel? When we mourn for sin under this notion, as it makes the Sun of Righteousness withdraw from our horizon; when we mourn not so much that peace is gone, and trading is gone, but God is gone, 'My beloved had withdrawn himself’ (Canticles 5: 6); this is an holy mourning. The mourning for the loss of God’s favour is the best way to regain his favour. If you have lost a friend, all your weeping will not fetch him again, but if you have lost God’s presence, your mourning will bring your God again.

(From Thomas Watson's,"The Beattitudes")

Jazzy's Daily Prayer