Sunday, March 31, 2013

A-Z Challenge


Remember!

Tomorrow

Begins

The

 

I am interrupting our regularly scheduled postings for the month of April in order to  participate in the A-Z Challenge!

I will be breaking from our normal format of theological and biblical posts. For this year's challenge I have decided to indulge in a little bit of silliness. Please join me each day!

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Saturdays with the Doctor #12



Are your more worried about your claim or about Christ?



The Gospel is open to all; the most respectable sinner has no more claim on it than the worst.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Friday, March 29, 2013

It's Back!


We interrupt your regularly scheduled blogging programming to bring you this very important 
public service announcement! 


is back!

For the month of April, I will be taking a break from our normal blogging format and will be joining in with over 1,500 other bloggers in the fourth annual A-Z challenge.

This is your invitation to follow along as I blog each letter of our Alphabet!

I am going to interrupt our normal theological and biblical format for some light, fun, and silliness for this challenge. Come May, I will return to the normal format for this blog! 

Please hang in there while we take this break!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

T. E. A. R. S.


An acronym is an abbreviation formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. These components may be individual letters (as in CEO) or parts of words. The term acronym is the name for a word from the first letters of each word in a series of words (such as sonar, created from SOund Navigation And Ranging)
 A common acronym helping or aiding prayer is the acronym ACTS. It is common knowledge that ACTS stands for Adoration – Confession- Thanksgiving- Supplication.

 Many believers use this acronym in their daily prayer time as a guide which keeps prayer on track and “orderly.” This aid is a tremendous help to many people and as it has been said, “If it ain’t broke yet-don’t fix it.” What I mean by that is if it works well for you then by all means continue to use it.

However, as I was reading Jerry Bridges (The Transforming Power of the Gospel) and reading an interview he had given in a blog, I noticed something that stood out in his words. 

When Bridges prayed he began with Thanksgiving. As I pondered this I realized that although either beginning with Adoration for God or Confession of our sin is a good way to begin prayer, it dawned on me that thanking God for what He has already provided or done for me was also a good way to begin my prayer time.

As I thought further on this, I began to realize that as I was thanking God it brought awareness to me of how good God really has been to me. Realizing this truth made me want to acknowledge my love and appreciation for God. In other words, thanking Him led me to the adoration of God.

But, as I was driven to the adoration of God it caused me to become aware of my sin of ungratefulness, selfishness, self-centeredness, and other sins. This led me to desire to confess those sins as well as other sins. Of course as I confess my sin I realized I needed to forsake or repent of my sin.

As I began with Thanksgiving, moved to Adoration, transitioning into Confession and Repentance, it increased my desire to pray for others. Supplication is an important part of our prayer life. We are to make intercessory prayer for others.

So, to make a long post short, I have developed a new acronym to aid and assist in praying: TEARS:

T – Thanksgiving to God for all that He is and for what He has done for me

E – Esteem (deep adoration) for the character and nature of God

A – Admission or confession to God for my sin and sins.

R – Repentance for my sin and sins; a turning away from them and a turning to God

S – Supplication for others and their spiritual needs.

Next time you are praying maybe you might remember this and pray using TEARS. Of course, those tears that run down our cheeks and on to our prayer list or Bible are often a part of our prayer life also.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

By the Numbers - Part V


One Way * One Truth * One Life

Jesus said to him (Thomas), “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”


Not many ways, not many truths, not many lives. Therefore – we cannot:


Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Pedophilia an Illness?


Cardinal Pedophilia Crime IllnessPastor (Not A Cardinal) Gregory Dean Metcalf Suggests Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier Is Not Ill but A Criminal







Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier Suggests Pedophilia Not A Crime, But An Illness

Last week Cardinal Napier stated in an interview with Steve Nolan of the BBC Radio that pedophilia is "a psychological condition, a disorder." He also stated he felt the Catholic Church took the proper actions when offending priests were given therapy. Napier went on to comment, "Now don't tell me that those people are criminally responsible like somebody who chooses to do something like that."

I will not take the time to dignify Napier's logic or position with a response. This post is not intended to so. An overwhelming majority if not the entirety of my reading audience already knows the absolute evilness of this statement.

Pedophilia is not an illness, it is a perverted sexual deviancy. There maybe contributing factors which makes pedophilia a prediliction for some people. It is a crime and needs to be treated as a very serious and heinous crime.

The underlying factor that contributes to this crime is the unBiblical and ungodly rule or regulation that forbids priests to marry. It was God Himself who proclaimed that, 

"It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." (Genesis 2:18, NKJV) 

The Apostle Paul who knew human nature wrote, 

"...because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband." "But I say to the unmarried and to the widow: It is good to remain even as I am, but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion." (I Corinthians 7:2,8,9, NKJV)

Paul also wrote to Timothy warning him about those who would force false doctrine or teaching on unsuspecting people,

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth." (1 Timothy 4:1, NKJV)

To refuse to permit marriage to anyone (other than the incompetent or perverted) is to be deceived by deceiving spirits and demons. God intended every man to have a wife and wife to have a husband unless God specifically gave the give of celibacy. It appears from the bible that very few have been given this gift. However, to across the board refuse to permit men to marry leads to sexual perversion, including providing an arena for pedophilia. 

Treating pedophiles as if they had an illness which requires therapy removes personal responsibility and culpability. It puts children at tremendous risk and treats a heinous criminal as if he had a common cold. Napier's position attempts to remove the vile perversion of such proclivities while deeming pedophilia to be a disorder.

At least one other religious official disagreed with Napier's stance on the matter.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Ireland, said that pedophilia is "very clearly a crime." Speaking with the Irish Independent, Martin said, "No one has the right to harm a child. And no one can excuse themselves from that."





Monday, March 25, 2013

By the Numbers - Part IV


 Two Questions to Ask Myself 






 1.  What are my motives/intentions – what is my ultimate aim/objective in the particular study in which I am engaged.

2.  What do I intend on doing with my knowledge about God?

Ø I Corinthians 8:1 is a sober warning to keep in mind

§  Respond to the truth of God
§  Conform my life to the truth of God
§  Teach others about the truth of God

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Saturday with the Doctor #11


How Is Your Approach?





"We should go into His presence as a child goes to his father. We do it with reverence and godly fear, of course, but we should go with a childlike confidence and simplicity." 

Martyn Lloyd-Jones 

Friday, March 22, 2013

By the Numbers - Part III



Three Dangers To Avoid





1.  …being conformed to the spirit of this age

2.  …being confused by modern skepticism

3.  …being controlled by the desires of the flesh

Thursday, March 21, 2013

By The Numbers - Part II


Four Goals of Studying the Word

Object:  turn each truth learned into prayer, praise, and pondering

1.  To know God and to enjoy Him.

2.  To know His will in order to be obedient to it.

3.  Walk worthy of God, pleasing Him by being fruitful in every good work

4.  Strengthen the inner man with all might from God.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

By The Numbers - Part I

 Five Key Presuppositions

Presupposition – “…to suppose beforehand

1.  God has spoken to manthe Bible is given to make man wise unto salvation.

2.  God is LORD over the worldHe rules all things for His glory, displaying perfection in all He does, in order than men may worship Him.

3.  God is Triuneall parts of the Trinity are involved in the redemptive process.

4.  God is SaviorHe is active in sovereign love, thru Christ to rescue believers from guilt, the power of sin, to adopt and bless them accordingly.

5.  Godliness means responding to God’s revelationin trust, obedience, faith, worship, prayer, praise, submission, and service

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Don't Tell Me to "Take Care"




Over the last forty (40) years I have written a number of quotes, comments, pithy sayings, and poems in the fly-leafs of my bibles. Each Tuesday I am going to share those various entries from my bibles with you. I hope they will be as much of blessing to you as they have been to me. Sometimes I will be able to give credit where credit is due and sometimes I won’t be able to credit the source. I apologize for this to each one who contributed these gems over the last forty (40) years.

TODAY'S TREASURE:

"As believers we should
cast care rather than take care"

--Gregg Metcalf

Monday, March 18, 2013

Happy Birthday SAM3!




Happy 32nd Birthday to our third daughter, Sharon Amber (Metcalf) Jones of Joliet, Illinois

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Happy Birthday SAM4

Happy 31st Birthday to our fourth daughter - Stacy Alaine (Metcalf) Gallegos of Supply, North Carolina.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Saturdays with the Doctor #10


Endeavoring to be Holy or Enjoying Holiness?


"Holiness is not something we are called upon to do in order that we may become something; it is something we are to do because of what we already are."

-- Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Friday, March 15, 2013

Apology to my Readers


Well, I should have known better. John Piper backpedaled so fast on his statement concerning the Roman Catholic Church that he could be a new source of energy.  He backpedaled so fast that he could have won the Tour de France on a unicycle.

Apparently he is trying to preempt a possible or expected incoming attack on his use of the word “heresy.” Blaming the fluidity of the definition of heresy and the possibility of God being able to save individuals with a skewed or errant view of salvation, he is making room for the salvation of Roman Catholics within their own doctrinal scheme.

I probably should not have quoted Piper in yesterday’s post. Over the last two or three years I have become increasingly skeptical of Piper as a valid scriptural precisionist. I have come to remove any reference of him and his works from my blog and no longer recommend him as a source of valid theology.

So, dear readers, please accept my apology for including Piper as a source for yesterday’s post. I shall not make that mistake again, Lord willing. I should have quoted Al Mohler.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Six Inches or Sixty Feet? Both can be Fatal!



Does it really matter if you drown in six inches of water or in sixty feet of water? Or, does it really matter the degree of darkness that causes one to stumble into an unseen whole in the ground? I dare say that it does not matter. Having drowned is fatal in any measurement of water.

As you can imagine the web, Facebook, Twitter, printed media is a blaze with varying reaction to the recent election of a new “pope.” The reaction is ranging from the extreme negative coloring of the pope as the anti-Christ to neo-evangelicalism ever-so-growing love affair with the Roman Catholic organization to papal worship by the Catholic faithful.

One blog being copied, shared, and re-posted on Facebook is entitled, Why an Evangelical Protestant Pastor Cares about the New Pope. Of course the perfunctory differences between Roman Catholicism and evangelicalism are noted by the author. The author then makes the following statements:

I have always said that when we die and stand before God, he will not ask for our church membership card. We will not care about denominations or affiliations in that moment. He will care about one thing: who is Jesus Christ to you? What have you done with Christ? Is he alone your Savior? Or are you clinging to a thousand other so-called-saviors too? Have you been saved by the blood of Christ shed on Calvary’s hill or not?

So, if you’re going to be a Baptist, be a saved Baptist. If you’re going to be a Lutheran, be a saved Lutheran. And if you’re going to be a Catholic, be a saved Catholic. My old Italian dad never left the Catholic church. But he was saved, and wanted us all to know it. I baptized him at age 82, in the evangelical, non-denominational church I founded in Chicago, not for salvation, but from salvation… as a public symbol of a prior inner reality.”

This author missed the real point! The question is not whether Roman Catholics or evangelicals for that matter care of about who Jesus Christ is, or what has been done with Jesus Christ, or what one believes about the blood of Jesus Christ. Yes, those things are important. However, they are not rallying points for unity.

The real point which seems to be consistently missed by those who desire to call Roman Catholics “brothers” and “sisters,” is what do you believe about justification? This is the dividing issue between Roman Catholicism and Biblical Christianity. Is one declared to be just by God through faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ? Or does one become just through a cooperative process with God as God infuses justification into the faithful who work for it by observing sacraments and by works of righteousness.

When asked what he would say if he had two minutes to talk to “pope” Francis, John Piper replied,

O my, I have never asked myself that question at all.

 I would say, "Could you just, in one minute, explain your view of justification?" And then on the basis of his one minute, I would give my view of justification.

 I think Rome and Protestantism are not yet ready — I don't think the Reformation is over. I don't think that enough change has happened in Roman understanding of justification, and a bunch of other things.

 I'm just picking justification because it's so close to the center. You could pick papal authority or the nature of the mass or the role of sacraments or the place of Mary.

 But those seem to be maybe a little more marginal than going right to the heart of the issue of, "Do you teach that we should rely entirely on the righteousness of Christ imputed to us by faith alone as the ground of God being 100% for us, after which necessary sanctification comes? Do you teach that?"

 And if he said, "No, we don't," then I'd say, "I think that right at the core of Roman Catholic theology is a heresy," or something like that.

We cannot forget this truth. When one is wrong on justification one is just as lost as if one feverishly denies God and Jesus Christ all together. Darkness is darkness. Six inches of water or sixty feet of water can be just as fatal.

At the core of Catholicism is heresy. Roman Catholics need the gospel, not platitudes from ill-informed evangelicals.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Not Everyone


“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

How few there are, among the many professing Christ, who yet know anything by experience of the great and wondrous life of faith! Only those who are taught by the Spirit the plague of their own hearts can possibly know it. How few there are who appear to possess vital religion in their souls! How few choose Christ with His cross! The great mass of professors are aiming to separate them. They would sincerely bear the name of Christ, and be accounted as the followers of Christ, and do something for the cause of Christ; but they hide His cross, they are ashamed of His cross, they shrink from His cross. Christ and His outward lowliness, Christ and His poverty, Christ and His humiliation, Christ and the world’s despising, form no part of their creed nor their religion. But Christ and the world, Christ and the popular opinion, Christ and the slavery of sin, Christ and an unhumbled spirit, Christ and a love of money, and ease, and self-indulgence, make up the religion of vast numbers who yet profess and call themselves Christians. 

Awful fact! How forcibly does it remind us of the solemn words of Jesus, “Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Let us, in view of this solemn truth, search our hearts, and ask the searching of God’s Spirit; and in ascertaining the real state of our souls, let us take nothing for granted, rest not in past experience, nor in gifts, nor usefulness, but be satisfied only with the present, inward witness of the Holy Spirit.

Octavius Winslow  (1808-1878)

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Let's Take Inventory




Over the last forty (40) years I have written a number of quotes, comments, pithy sayings, and poems in the fly-leafs of my bibles. Each Tuesday I am going to share those various entries from my bibles with you. I hope they will be as much of blessing to you as they have been to me. Sometimes I will be able to give credit where credit is due and sometimes I won’t be able to credit the source. I apologize for this to each one who contributed these gems over the last forty (40) years.

TODAY'S TREASURE:

May I judge my sincerity in "religion"

  • by my fear to offend Thee
  • by my concern to know Thy will
  • by my willingness to deny myself

Monday, March 11, 2013

What's In Your Prayer Closet?



“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.” (Matthew 6:6-7, NKJV)

Periodically it behooves every believer to examine his or her prayer closet. What do you pray about when you are in secret? When you pray do you: 

  • Weep for the souls of others?

  • Confess my sin and sins?

  • Search my soul for areas of pride which need humbling?

  • Search for idols that need to be sacrificed?

  • Search for and long for a proper embracing of the cross?

  • Beg for a hunger and thirst for the presence of God?

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Saturday with the Doctor #9



Are you seeking or are you being sought?



"Religion is man searching for God; Christianity is God seeking man, manifesting Himself to him, drawing Himself unto him." - pg 380

From Life in the Spirit: An Exposition of Ephesians 5:18 - 6:9, published by Baker Books.

Friday, March 8, 2013

How Do You Spell Disciple? S U B M I S S I O N


Father,


I am willing to receive what you give, to lack what you withhold, to relinquish what you take, to suffer what you inflict, to be what you require for your glory.

Sincerely and by your grace,

Your Loving Child

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Know How to Use the Tools!




We are all theologians. 
The question: are we good ones or bad ones?

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

The Gospel of Grace


A primary purpose or design giving credence for the existence of my blog is to expose my readers to a variety of spiritually beneficial topics, books, articles, thoughts, and people.

Today, I felt compelled to expose my readers to a wonderful, yet important prayer from The Valley of Vision, from The Banner of Truth Trust, edited by Arthur Bennett, p. 76.

I trust that this prayer will be a great blessing to you today and that you will make it a regular prayer of yours.


O God of Grace,

Thou hast imputed my sin to my substitute,
and hast imputed his righteousness to my soul,
clothing me with a bridegroom’s robe,
decking me with jewels of holiness.

But in my Christian walk I am still in rags;
my best prayers are stained with sin;
my peniential tears are so much impurity;
my confessions of wrong are so many aggravations of sin;
my receiving the Spirit is tinctured with selfishness.

I need to repent of my repentance;
I need my tears to be washed;
I have no robe to bring to cover my sins,
no loom to weave my own righteousness;
I am always standing clothed in filthy garments,
and by grace am always receiving change of raiment,
for thou dost always justify the ungodly;
I am always going into the far country,
and always returning home as a prodigal,
always saying, Father, forgive me,
and thou art always bringing forth the best robe.

Every morning let me wear it,
every evening return in it,
go out to the day’s work in it,
be married in it,
be wound in death in it,
stand before the great white throne in it,
enter heaven in it shining as the sun.

Grant me never to lose sight of
the exceeding sinfulness of sins,
the exceeding righteousness of salvation,
the exceeding glory of Christ,
the exceeding beauty of holiness,
the exceeding wonder of grace.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The Answer to the Most Asked Question




Over the last forty (40) years I have written a number of quotes, comments, pithy sayings, and poems in the fly-leafs of my bibles. Each Tuesday I am going to share those various entries from my bibles with you. I hope they will be as much of blessing to you as they have been to me. Sometimes I will be able to give credit where credit is due and sometimes I won’t be able to credit the source. I apologize for this to each one who contributed these gems over the last forty (40) years.

TODAY'S TREASURE:

The chief end of man is to glorify 
God and to enjoy him forever.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Danger Will Robinson Danger!


Warning! Warning! Warning, Will Robinson!

Spoiler Alert:  The following post contains language that might be offensive to certain segments of our society that have been sanitized and excused of their culpability, including guilt, shame, and the ability to blush by special interest groups, societal watch-dogs, and/or self-appointed busybodies or do-gooders.

It is heavily suggested by the owner of this blog and author of this post for the following sinners to leave the room and do not read this post: 
  • The sexually immoral
  • All Idolaters
  • Those controlled by their sensuality
  • Those who use drugs in connection with magical arts and idolatry
  • Those who like to fight or create strife
  • The angry
  • The jealous
  • Those who cause dissensions
  • Those who are controlled by envy
  • Those who are drunks
  • Those who participate in orgies
  • Those who do things like those things previously listed 

Why?

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21, ESV) [Emphasis mine]

Awww, but if you chose to stick around here is the good news:

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, ESV) [Emphasis mine]

That is the good news of the gospel! I, the owner of this blog and the author of this post was born into the group that did such things and would not inherit the kingdom of God. I was once one of those who practiced such things that would prevent me from inheriting the kingdom of God.

BUT I was washed by the blood of the lamb! I was set apart for our Holy God and I was declared to be just in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

How about you? Have you been washed, sanctified, and justified? Will you inherit the kingdom of God? Or will you be refused entrance to the kingdom of God?

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Saturday's With the Doctor #8



What Is Your Church Attracting?



The glory of the gospel is that when the church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it.