Metcalf's Mark Milestone!

Metcalf’s Celebrate 40th Wedding Anniversary 

Gregg and Irene Metcalf of Kelso, WA celebrated their 40^th wedding anniversary on June 18^th, 2013, on the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad Dinner Train, Engine #15.

Gregg and Irene met in Mexican-American history class at Andrew Hill High School, San Jose, CA. Irene was a junior and Gregg was a freshman. Irene is the former Irene Hernandez Torres.

Gregg observed Irene in class on day and turned to a friend and said, “I am going to marry that girl.” They went “steady” in high school.

The couple was married on June 18^th, 1973 at the Tar Landing Baptist Church, in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The bride is the daughter of the late Rudolph “Paul” and Lupe Torres of San Jose, CA. The groom is the son of Glenn and Evelyn Metcalf of Modesto, CA.

The couple made their home in San Jose, CA for two years following Gregg’s honorable discharge from the United States Marine Corps @ MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina.

In August 1978 the couple moved to Los Angeles (Pomona, then West Covina) California in order to attend Bible College. Gregg is a graduate of Shasta Bible College in Redding, CA. Gregg has served as an assistant pastor and senior pastor in churches in California and Washington. Gregg spent many years in the Car Business as both Salesman and Sales Manager and in the Mortgage Industry, eventually owning his own Mortgage brokerage. Irene worked briefly as an assembly worker in the Silicon Valley. She has been a homemaker throughout their marriage. The couple now resides in Kelso, WA.

The couple raised four daughters, Shannon (Vancouver, WA), Sonja (Portland, OR), Sharon (Joilet, IL), and Stacy (Vancouver, WA). They now have four grandchildren, Madilynn, Gregory, Brytanny, and Diontre.

"In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, and in water is bacteria."

Now you know why I love a good Merlot! 

--Ben Franklin

Good Days...Bad Days - God Is Always Gracious

"Our worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace."

--- Jerry Bridges

We Double-dare you? You have got to be kidding, right?

Here is one more "stupid pet-trick" to log in your journal of what's wrong with the church today. Apparently an Alliance Defending Freedom attorney, Erik Stanley challenged

pastors across the nation to "Preach Politics" on what he has dubbed "Freedom Sunday (June 9th, 2013.)

First, let me say I missed this little "tid-bit" somehow and was unaware of this latest challenge to the church. Second, I would have given almost anything to have been able to preach this past Sunday. Why, so that I could preach politics? Absolutely not! I would have taken a "double-dare" to preach the Word of God.

Stanley wanted pastors to "sign-up" and preach in order to encourage the IRS to lodge complaints against pastors so that the Alliance Defending Freedom could take their cases to Federal Courts. Why? Stanley and the ADF want to challenge and overturn the Johnson Amendment. The Johnson Amendment prohibits pastors from speaking on politics from the pulpit. 

I am not saying that as preachers that we should not preach what is contained in the Word of God. Issues such as marriage, purity, homosexuality, abortion, death-penalty, holiness, and such should be preached and taught. I am a great supporter and proponent of preaching all of God's Word. I am also not saying that we as American's cannot or should not utilize the rights and opportunities that we have as citizens.

The pulpit however is not the place for politics. The pulpit is to proclaim the word of God accurately and powerfully. If a theme or text is "dubbed" as political we are still called upon by God to preach it and let the "chips" fall where they may. 

I shudder to think that pastors may need to be "double-dared" to preach the word of God. I shudder to think that we may have a repeat or resurgence of the Fallwellian "Moral Majority." 

What is my suggestion for Mr. Erik Stanely and the Alliance Defending Freedom? Forget trying to sign up pastors for such a challenge (however according to OneNewsNow.com approximately 1,000 pastors did sign up) and demanding that they preach "politics." Challenge pastors to accurately, prayerfully, and powerfully exegete and exposit biblical texts. Then, when a pastor is charged with violating the Johnson Amendment defend him. I abhor any idea that would use the pulpit for political purposes, even the overturning of a bad amendment.

Stanley is quoted as saying, "Yet every day that pastors are intimidated into silence on issues like life, liberty, the family, marriage is another day the cultural erosion continues unchecked." No Mr. Stanley, a true pastor, a real shepherd would never be intimidated nor silenced when he came to a text that contained God's revelation. 

Christ Alone

Theological Thursdays

"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12, NKJV)

Extra ecclesiam nulla salus. This is a Latin phrase that literally means, "outside the church there is no salvation." This statement is commonly attributed to Cyprian in the third century. This statement is connected to another dogmatic position of Cyprian, "You cannot have God for your Father unless you have the church for your Mother. His position which overtook much of Christendom was that   the church was like an ark. Anyone outside of the ark could not be saved.

The theology of this phrase is directed towards those who do not accept the discipline, hierarchy, and sacraments of the Roman Catholic church. Therefore the phrase was applied to any who were considered to be "schismatics."

Among those who affirmed this position was Augustine. In 1442 Pope Boniface VIII upheld this position based on the Council of Florence. It was applied during the Reformation period to any and all who separated from the Church at Rome.

It is interesting that as Universalists are elected as Pope that some wiggle room has been introduced to extra ecclesiam nulla salus. After Vatican II some attempts have been made to suggest the possibility of salvation outside of the Roman Catholic church by Catholic theologians.

The sad truth is that there is no salvation in Roman Catholic doctrine. Sadly, the Roman position on justification and atonement places salvation out of reach.

The scripture is clear. Jesus Christ and Christ alone is the means by which atonement is made for men. God declares men to be just by faith in the atoning work of Christ. Extra ecclesiam nulla salus is to be soundly rejected.

"Art" Student

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 learn the holy art of abiding in thee; of being in the world and not of it, of making everything not only consistent with, but conducive to my "religion."

God is Good

"God is the highest good of the reasonable creature. The enjoyment of Him is our proper; and is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Better than fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of any, or all earthly friends. These are but shadows, but the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean."

-- Johnathan Edwards,

The Works of Jonathan Edwards,  Vol. 17;

Sermons and Discourses, 1730-1733