Confirming these news stories, I have it on good authority that an Iman in Coventry in sending young men out to Lebanon for training in Jihad. But apparently the same Iman is making sure his own sons go to university.
Month: June 2014
Mudeford – Order is everywhere!
Took this photo at Mudeford beach on the South Coast a few days ago. I really like it. Everyone likes it that I’ve shown it to. Why? I think it’s because we are naturally attracted to order. There is order everywhere you look. There is order everywhere because God has made it to be so. This is an example of how presuppositionalists view evidence. Everything points to God!
We have been visiting the Lymington & Milford-on-Sea area for years but for some reason have never been to Mudeford Quay. We have been many times to the beach – a short walk along from the Quay. Just missed it I guess.
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Let both grow together until the harvest.
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
Review: Christianity and the Role of Philosophy by K. Scott Oliphint | The Domain for Truth
Review: Christianity and the Role of Philosophy by K. Scott Oliphint | The Domain for Truth.
Another fine review from Jim over at The Domain for Truth.
This looks like a good little introduction to Covenantal Apologetics. (Also known as Van Tillian or Presuppositional Apologetics) We need to get away from elevating worldly philosophy over the Word of God and this book will, I think from the review, help with that task.
It’s available in the UK HERE for £3.97.
‘The New Calvinism Considered’ by Jeremy Walker – A Review
I started this post months ago after reading ‘The New Calvinism Considered: A Personal and Pastoral Assessment’ by Jeremy Walker. The other week I finished re-reading it, this time marking and underlining the text. It didn’t take long to read but I wanted to leave it a little while before writing a review to give some time for reflection. It has proved to be a good decision to wait. This is not the latest book from Pastor Walker but is very current and dare I say relevant. It’s an easy read and a necessary read. There are not too many notes but I would have still preferred them to be footnotes and not the awkward end notes – though admittedly not so difficult for a book of 126 pages in total. The cover is fairly plain (my son is an Illustrator) but don’t be misled into thinking this is a bland book – it isn’t.
Once you launch into the book, if you are expecting a very precise categorising of ‘The New Calvinism’ in a 1. 2. 3. style you will be disappointed. Jeremy goes out of his way to show how this movement is not so easy to label. It’s a broad spectrum, like the meaningless term ‘evangelicalism’. Though you would think the word Calvin does narrow it down a bit – but not too much.
The first chapter goes through the movement seeking to be as generous as possible. And I can see how Jeremy could come in for some criticism here. Rather than go for the theological jugular, he finds points of agreement or aspects of the movement that are to be commended. Not everyone appreciates this approach. Don’t be mislead though, In terms of sheer page numbers the difficulties with the movement take up more than any other section.
I’m glad of reading it through twice because my thinking has crystallised somewhat. I couldn’t have made some observations by simply reading and then commenting straight away. I have no idea generally how the book has been received. I believe it has had some good reviews. But here’s some questions I was asking and I’m not at all sure what the answers might be!
I heard that one Church examining The New Calvinism decided to use a different book on the subject because Jeremy doesn’t draw the line clear enough. Make no mistake, this book covers a lot of ground mentioning several names. It’s good to be loving, it’s good to be charitable, it’s good to look over one another’s faults and we must do all of those. But what’s the point of holding any truth at all in that case. There is an attitude out there for example about Mark Driscoll: because some of his sermons are powerful exhortations to Godly living and the clear call of the Gospel is sounded he should be given a free pass. My question again about this particular position is why believe anything? Don’t get me wrong we need loving charitable Godly people and they are without doubt a blessing to the Church but someone has to stick their head above the parapet and be ready to get shot – and in the case of Jeremy, shot by both sides!
The Sovereign Grace scandal has continued to rumble on sucking others into the vortex. I wouldn’t like to make a correlation between that and the New Calvinism though. This is affecting The Gospel Coalition.
The issue of Antinomianism is also rumbling on. Tullian Tjvidian is mentioned by name. Since first picking up the book I heard him interviewed by Janet Mefford and Chris Rosebrough because of his move away from The Gospel Coalition. Chris aired one of Tullian’s sermons asking, is Tullian an Anti-Nomian? On that sermon – definitely not.
Here’s the areas covered:
Jeremy calls for a fully worked out Doctrine of the Church, Belief and application of the Confessions, Evangelism, Sanctification and Worship. Unless a person is already on that wave-length and willing to start thinking confessionally it will mostly wash over them. For this reason I jotted some questions down that would be worth asking any Evangelical Church. How seriously should we take this book and what it is saying? How should / does this affect our / your Church? My suspicion is that in the age /aim of ‘niceness’ the book will be largely passed over and the huge points Jeremy makes will be ignored. A bit harsh you say – time will tell.
I don’t mean to use ‘Sacred Enclave’ pejoratively but that is probably the group that will benefit most from the ‘Trumpet Sound’ from this book. I’m probably in that group myself. Recent experience has demonstrated the truth ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink’ quite powerfully. I don’t mean we should be looking in a hyper-critical manner at everyone to see if they pass the test of Orthodoxy. But I repeat, if there’s no intention of doing anything at all what’s the point in believing anything.
All in all I found it to be a helpful and informative book. But unless the thinking behind the book is your thinking it will sadly have little impact. What the answer is I have no idea. Jeremy wrote the book partly because he was asked to and out of Pastoral concerns (clue is in the title) not because he wanted make a name for himself.
I absolutely recommend this book. However, unless you are already Reformed (I include Reformed Baptist) or heading towards being Reformed the book will be lost on you. May the Head of the Church use this book for His Glory.
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Sudan Christian Meriam Ibrahim ‘detained’ again: Call to Prayer and Action | The Domain for Truth
Sudan Christian Meriam Ibrahim ‘detained’ again: Call to Prayer and Action | The Domain for Truth.
Lots of contact info from The Domain for Truth.
Death of Peter C. Glover – ‘Wires from the Bunker’
Had some very sad news the other evening. My friend Peter C. Glover died on Saturday 7th June 2014. I was humbled by the invite to the funeral. I would have liked to, but I was unable to attend yesterday (23/06/2014). As yet I have heard nothing about the funeral and there seems to no mention anywhere of Peter’s passing into the presence of his Saviour.
So I’ll mention it. I trust nothing here will be upsetting to the family – I would simply like to post a brief eulogy.
Peter was a great encouragement to me and it was him that initially got me into Blogging. Without him I probably wouldn’t have bothered. And it was his encouragement that has kept me Blogging.
Sadly he never got to completely launch his new Website ‘Peter C. Glover’s British Intelligence’. Originally his site was ‘Peter C. Glover’s Wires from the Bunker’ changing simply to ‘Peter C. Glover Wires’. (See link to the right under News Related)
He lamented the lack of a Fox News type broadcast here in the UK and the left-wing bias that is so prevalent. Just recently Brietbart launched in the UK. On his website back in March Peter wrote:
…the UK finally has an online conservative news site where it is possible to “tell it like it is” with unadorned conservative ‘knobs on’
Peter certainly ‘told it like it is’ and ‘with knobs on’. Peter was a Christian & Churchman. He was Reformed and Confessional in his theology and attempted briefly with Nick Needham (not sure if there were others involved) to launch a UK equivalent version of ‘The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals‘. Sadly it was not to be. They also started a UK magazine that lasted for I think 16 issues – The Christian Research Journal (I think – I have them filed away). It was a good magazine I thought and a shame it ended. The magazine also collaborated with Alan Howe & Chris Hand. He was involved with the Evangelical Library in London as it was. I suspect the following days will show just how many pies Peter had his hand in. Some only know him for his (opposing) views on Wind Farms and other daft ideas but there was so much more to him than that. He was an author and well into politics informed by his Reformed theology. He will be missed. I will miss him.
So I say ‘thank you Lord for Peter C. Glover’. We continue to pray for his wife in these days. May she know the peace and comfort of her God at this difficult time.
He came and did a lecture for us in 2006: ‘Francis Schaeffer Revisited’. Available: http://www.
There’s a brief bio on his pre-launch ‘British Intelligence’ website: http://www.
I would like to think there will be an obituary for him in Evangelical Times.
**If there are any inaccuracies or important facts left out please leave a comment and I’ll try to update the post.**
Manipulation & Performance in Worship
In the Old Testament worship was complex, precise and highly regulated by the Word of God. Not only so it was also to be strictly implemented in every detail. One of these aspects was the Holy Anointing Oil. Here’s the relevant passage from Exodus 30: 22-33
The Holy Anointing Oil
22 Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 23 “Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, 24 five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil. 26 With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony; 27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense; 28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them must be holy.[a] 30 And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests.
31 “And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on man’s flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, shall be cut off from his people.’”
And also of the Incense in in Exodus 30:34-38
The Incense
34 And the Lord said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each. 35 You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36 And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. 37 But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord. 38 Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”
Note in verses 32, 33 & 38 the clear prohibition on copying the oil or ‘making anything like it’. Why do you suppose that was? You argue under that particular administration Israel and its worship was to be completely separate from the surrounding Nations. That would be true. But surely there’s a wider application to The Church and this wouldn’t be difficult to show. The Holy Anointing Oil represents the person of the Holy Spirit. Most Christians I think would accept that interpretation. The strictness placed on the presentation makes perfect sense. We find the same kind of strictness when dealing with any aspect foreshadowing the saving work of Christ. Gathering sticks on the Sabbath would be a good example. The overall lesson is that God will be worshipped in the way He prescribes – not how we prescribe it. He will be approached in the way He prescribes. Yes, we only approach a Holy God by way of sacrifice in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. We ‘enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh…’ (Hebrews 10: 19 – 20) So does anything go now – as long as it’s done in Jesus’s name. Not at all. I get no sense whatsoever that the Apostle Paul or the other NT writers even suggest we should worship any old way we like.
For example in Hebrews 12:18 – 24
18 For you have not come to the mountain that[c] may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness[d] and tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heardit begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. 20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned[e] or shot with an arrow.”[f]21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”[g])
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
I fail to see how any sane person could imply from the contrasting covenants above that our worship should be any less solemn given we approach ‘the judge of all’. I see no reason or justification for flippancy, performance or manipulation in our services.
My concern here is to show how any form of manipulation of the senses in particular and therefore of the will is according to my understanding completely wrong. I abhor any appearance of trying to move the emotions for example by performance style reading of the Bible, and especially so if accompanied by music.
We are NOT to manipulate by any means. When we engage in such activity we are seeking to copy the work of the Holy Spirit. Under the Old Covenant copying the Holy Anointing Oil would result in being cut off from the people. I’m not saying people who use manipulation will be cut-off from the Church or lose their salvation but we should note the seriousness of engaging in manipulation. As the Apostle Paul in
2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.
And in 2 Corinthians 4:2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
Manipulation or performance in evangelism or worship is deceit. We deceive ourselves, the worshippers, the evangelised and are offering to God ‘Strange Fire’. We should be plain in our speech. Paul again in
2 Corinthians 5:11 ‘Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;’
No amount of performance or manipulation will raise the spiritually dead and neither will it cause the Spirit of God to move in our Worship services or Revive the Church. These activities solely belong to The Holy Spirit and to Him alone. If the Spirit of God is not manifesting himself in our services we must resist the temptation to ‘make up’ the difference as it were by doing what was forbidden in the Old Testament and seek to copy His peculiar presence.
It saddens and concerns me that Christians are now almost defaulting to the position where we are adding to the Gospel. The Gospel IS the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. We can’t add anything and we don’t need to either. Praise God He does the saving!
I will come back with more posts on worship.
Steve Chalke: Heretic
A few weeks ago Premier Christian Radio made available a series of discussions between Steve Chalke (Oasis Trust) and Andrew Wilson (New Frontiers Church). Not sure if they happened in one session but they have been released as four 30 minute discussions on ‘Did Jesus make mistakes’ ‘Violence of the OT’ ‘The Atonement’ & ‘Homosexuality’. I do not recommend these to anyone that is already struggling with doubts about the Biblical text or to any young or newly converted Christian. They are confusing. Wilson is helpful but not always. There were places in the discussion that were confrontational and they needed to be, but it all just seemed so pally. Especially when Chalke claims to be Biblical. I don’t advocate confrontation for the sake of it but Steve Chalke is dangerous – even heretical. I’m staggered that he is allowed to preach. But then after listening to ‘Fighting for the Faith’ for a little while nothing surprises me any more what is preached in the name of Jesus.
What I found rather irritating was Chalke’s Mantra that he loves Jesus and has a very high view of the Bible. I wonder who he’s trying to convince. He prefaces most of what he says with something like ‘but I believe these things because I have a high or higher view of the Bible – those other people haven’t thought about it as much as I have’. Or he simply appeals to his experience as being authoritative or ‘I love Jesus’ as if that settles the issue. It doesn’t. The love of God is in the context of the Cross of Christ and our need of Salvation.
One of the most telling comments was his description of homosexuals that came to his church. When Chalke looked at the list in Romans 1: 16-28 he realised none of the homosexuals in his Church fell into that category. They were loving committed homosexuals that love Jesus and wanted to serve in the church. What that tells me about Steve Chalke is that he not only has a seriously defective (read Heretical) doctrine of sin but makes me wonder if he actually knows what sin is at all! The fact is the list in Romans 1 applies to us all. Chalke has no understanding of the law of God or its application. If none of these descriptions apply to his homosexual congregation because they are so loving (BTW. They may well be loving people) then to whom do they apply. Obviously to the really bad people out there. Probably those nasty ‘Traditionalist non-loving homophobes’. The sad thing is – he’s not helping the homosexuals in his church but confirming them in their sinful rebellion against God.
This isn’t a minor side issue, a debate within Evangelicalism. Steve Chalke has placed himself outside historic Evangelicalism. This gets to the heart of the matter – the Gospel itself. Those that follow Steve Chalke down this path will in the end find there is no Gospel to believe any more. With no Gospel the Church has Nothing to say to the world at all and this completely undermines the finished work of Christ. Without the Gospel there is no hope. Praise God there is a Gospel and the message must not and cannot change because some media savvy personalities put themselves in the place of God. God has said ‘I will not share my Glory with another’. Ultimately this will end in failure and destruction. God will be seen to be true and the Gospel of the Grace of God will conquer all.
Why did Jesus need to die? If we are not all sinners in need of the grace of God to rescue us from the wrath to come – Jesus died for nothing. Steve Chalke has no Gospel. He needs to repent of his heresy and cast himself upon the mercy of God.
BBC News – Bat faeces making churches unhygienic, warns bishop
BBC News – Bat faeces making churches unhygienic, warns bishop.
This was also featured on ‘Sunday’ a BBC Radio 4 religious affairs broadcast from 07.10 to 08.50.
Here’s the thing. The Bats are protected by law and have taken up residence in many Anglican Churches (maybe other churches too) and are making a mess even during Holy Communion. Children’s work is curtailed because Bat faeces are (obviously) unhygienic. Bats are protected by a European Directive and take precedence over the children and over the Worship of God.
Our little furry flying relatives clearly have as much right to the planet as we do. Bats are much more important than people. This is where we have come to! Utterly ridiculous. To my mind there is no decision to make. Solution: gas all the Bats and prevent further infestation.
But I have an alternative, a compromise is you like. Though I prefer the gassing option – quick, clean & cheap. My alternative / compromise would be to close the churches where there is no Gospel preached and hand the building over to the Bats as they will make much better use of the building. It’s a win win situation. The Bats get a home and the people are not subjected to a false Gospel.
