Purveyor of deep theological thought

Poppy of course!

Being doers of the Word

If the word do not dwell in us, it will not pass with power from us. [John Owen]

Extracts from the testimony of James Mitchell

As he was about to be martyred, losing his life for the cost of the Covenanted Reformation of Scotland:

I believe magistracy to be an ordnance and an appointment of God as well under the new Testament as it was under the old, and that who are so ever resisteth the lawful magistrate in the exercise of his lawful power resisteth the ordinance and appointment of God. The lawful magistrate must be a man qualified according to God’s appointment and not according to the peoples lust and pleasure, lest in the end he should prove to them to a prince of Sodom and the Governor of Gomorrah whom God in his righteousness should appoint for their judgement and establish for their correction and so on.

Now if the Lord in his wise and overruling providence bring me to the close of my pilgrimage to the full enjoyment of my long looked for and desired happiness.. Let him take his own way and time in bringing me to it, and in the meantime, O thou, my soul, sing thou this song Spring thou up oh well of thy happiness and salvation of thy eternal hope and consolation, and whilst thou are burdened with this clog of clay and tabernacle, dig thou deep in it by faith, hope and charity, and with all the instruments that God hath given me. Dig in it by precepts and promises, dig carefully and dig continually, until thou come to the source and Head of the Fountain Himself, from whence the water of life floweth. Dig untill thou come unto the assembly of the firstborn where this song is most suitably sung, to the praise and glory of rich grace and mercy to the Fountain of life, &c.

And although O Lord, Thou should send me in the back track and tenure of my life to seek my soul’s comfort and encouragement from them, yet I have no cause to complain of hard dealing from Thy hand seeing it is Thy ordinary way with some of the Thy people. (Psalm 42:6) O God my soul is cast down in me, from the Land of Jordan and the hill herman, and so forth, Yea, though last, He brought me to the banqueting house and made love his banner over me, among the cold highland hills beside Kippin Nov 1673. He remembered his former loving kindness towards me, but with all he spoke in mine ear that there was a tempestuous storm to meet me in the face which I behoved to go through in the strength of that provision.

And seeing I have not preferred nor fouugh after my own things but Thy honour and glory the good liberty and safety of Thy Church and people although it be now being mis-constructed by many yet I hope that they Lord will make Thy light to break for as the morning and my righteousness as the noon day and that shame and darkness shall cover all who are enemies to my righteous cause. For thou O Lord art the shield of my head, and sword of my excellency and my enemies shall be found liars and shall be subdued, Ahmed, the airy and amen.

James Mitchell–sixth Subscriptor

Arminianism–The root of many problems in the church today

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0uACs89vhE[/video]

The age of entertainment

First of all, I am not saying in this blog-post that I don’t think Christian’s should watch TV or take part in other entertainment that is a product of our age. However:

As believers I think we should have certain guidelines and discipline ourselves into carrying those out:

1) Regulate it. In both time spent and content watched. Don’t watch something just because it is there.

2) Resist advertisements

3)Have a media fast. A week or month where you do not watch TV or movies etc.

4) Do not blame boredom or loneliness as being the reason one NEEDS to watch TV.

Over the last few decades, media, and entertainment, has changed till it is no longer recognizable to as I remember it as a child. We have blood spilling at every turn, violence is the norm. We have become numb to it to a certain degree, because we have been so over-exposed to it in our media. It has desensitized us. In England after eight pm, you can often find the F word being used, and yet I hardly call eight pm a twilight hour or a time that only adults are watching. Our young people are fed with this violence and other defilements, until they seem to believe it is the norm. Many teenagers seem incapable of holding conversations. They give a grunt or something they saw on the TV, as they live out a Walter Mitty type of existence, in trying to make the things they see on TV, real, and part of their lives. This DOES often spill over into gratuitous acts of violence, and obscene language in every sentence they speak. It no longer seems to concern us overly, as we are so accustomed to this being the way of the world today.

The violence we see on TV or at the movies, that shocked us twenty years ago, now seems tame in comparison to today’s standards. As the producers of such viewing, saw how people had been as shocked as they possibly could be, by the same levels of violence and blood and gore, they realized they had to find a way to shock anew. The way to do that, was to go further and be even more shocking. Go into unchartered territories where violence, or sex, or a dozen other things were concerned. And so they did, and this caught people’s attention anew, and the attending or watching figures that had been trailing off as people had become accustomed to the old level of violence rocked again at this new shock wave. If TV, or movies, or music, do not have an overwhelming audience, they would die here and now. We all help this industry grow and to become what it has become in various ways. No audience, no industry.

The Bible tells us that the Christian life is a continuing renewing of our mind. Watch the majority of any TV programme, and you are not renewing it in a positive way, but are positively hampering it. What we watch at the movies or on TV, or via other media mediums of our age, does and will impact us eternally. It can’t not do. What goes into our mind, affects our souls, and our hearts, even if we are not consciously aware of it.

People say often they watch TV to either alleviate boredom or because they are lonely. I’m sure we can all relate to that one. Yet God said he will never leave us or forsake us, so what right do we have to be lonely; and if we prefer the TV over communing with and the company of Christ, how can that be anything but idolatry?

Redeeming the time well, and profitably is another good Biblical reason, to not indulge in things of the flesh or worldly entertainments that have little to no profit to them. The Old Testament tells us to talk of God in the morning and even, when we raise up and when we lie down, not what happened last night on American Idol or something similar!

How many of us have never not offended a friend at some time or other? How many of us, have deeply regretted doing so? And when we did offend that friend, didn’t that friend turn away from us? Even if only for a time? Yet if we are taking in worldly entertainments that have no place in a Christian outlook, then aren’t we offending God? And we expect to pick up the remote control and hit the off button when the programme is finished and go before God? Yet if we have watched something outside of what a Christian should be feeding him or herself with, haven’t we likely offended God and He has now turned away, much like any friend would do if offended, and yet we don’t seem to notice. Our conscience is so dead to it, we assume and presume to have direct access to God, no matter what our daily lives may entail, and however much we offend and affront him.

TV is known to have negative effects on the working of our minds. It is known to give folks a short attention span for one thing. Strange how if you sit many children supposedly who have ADD/ADHD down in front of a TV though they will stick to it like glue, when they supposedly have very short attention spans, and yet they are taking part in something known to make it worse! (But that’s a different subject.)

Of course there are lawful and things that are out there in all media mediums that are legitimate to watch or take in; the key often seems to be moderation, such as how much time one spends doing something, and the content of what you are taking in, and absorbing into your mind, while if a Christian we are professing to be renewing our mind. You often can’t have it both ways. Some content, does not go any way towards renewing our mind, and in fact keeps the old man very much alive in us, because its feeding our lusts that we had and had as unbelievers, and they cling on harder tighter, because we feed them by giving them a little, telling ourselves its only on the TV so is harmless. We are all so often, too willing to excuse and justify ourselves to ourselves, and deceive ourselves, willingly, simply because it’s something we WANT to do.

If you go to Colossians Chapter three, and the first seventeen verses, you will see reason after reason, why 99% of what is out there in our medium is not suitable entertainment for a Christian’s life, as the content of that 99% goes directly against all those things we are exhorted to.

Yet, sadly, go in many Christian homes, and you would be hard pushed to discern that this is a Christian home, by the programme that is playing on the TV or the DVD player, or the music that is belting through the ceiling from upstairs, or the bookmarks or favourites on their web browsers if you open up their computers. We say one thing with our lips, and very often say something completely different by our actions. Actions can be passive, and yet still full of sin.

One thing about Christians, is that in this day and age, which is the information age, we have no excuse or justification to ignorance. The information is out there in many different formats for the asking. This was not true of centuries gone by. And yet by enlarge, we seem to have an all time high for the level of ignorance that is displayed by those professing faith in Christ, than in the days of the Protestant reformation, when sources and learning was much harder to attain too. Maybe it’s because we spend our time in leisure, where they did not, in the way of TV, movies, music, web surfing, video games, play stations and the like. Rather than redeeming the time wisely, like Calvin, Luther and Knox did, and that as we continue on in these pleasure in excess, as far as the time involved, and often take in and absorb inappropriate content, maybe we don’t stand a chance of every being the least bit learned in the way of God, like Calvin, Knox and Luther were. As we much prefer to feed our flesh than our souls. And we don’t take the care of our souls as we should do, for the sake of feeding on the world, often at the cost of and definitely to the detriment of our eternal well-being, and a high spiritual cost day to day, in how we remain immature, and contrary lives to the faith we profess. Of course I am not talking about learning for learning’s sake, I don’t think anyone could say that About the Calvin’s or Knox’s of the Reformation. I’m talking about a setting God before their eyes, as the only true Good in this world, and no man or thing of the flesh, would let them relinquish or remove their eyes from the God of Heaven, that they lived totally spiritual lives, and it showed in their pious day to day existent. Yet we are often living impious lives, because we don’t set God before our eyes in the same way. We want to stop here and there and indulge in the flesh and the world, often much too much, and it has a high cost to us, our souls and our own spiritual lives. As much as it does to the faith we profess to people who look at us as unbelievers, and see things contrary to what even they know the Bible says about certain things.

Colossians 3:1-17

Can mere religion save anyone?

Question: May a man be saved by any religion?

Answer: No; but only by the true, as appeareth by John 17:3 This is life eternal to know me, and, whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ: and, he that knoweth not the Son, knoweth not the Father. [James Ussher]

Actions vs Words

I commented on Kingpin’s blog last night, “Are you enlightened” the bit of his blog post I picked up on, was the difference between knowing “About” God, to Knowing God Himself. And I read this today, by Stephen Charnock, from the Title in my previous blog post here, which speaks to this very subject, of where we say one thing with our mouths, yet our works or actions say something far different, so in light of my comment last night, it seemed apt to post it today.

As the apostle, (Titus 1:6) “they profess that they know God, but in works they deny him.” Evil works are a dust stirred up by an atheistical breath. He that habituates himself in some sordid lust, can scarcely be said seriously and firmly to believe that there is a God in being; and the apostle doth not say that they know God, but they profess to know him: true knowledge and profession of knowledge are distinct. It intimates also to us, the unreasonableness of atheism in the consequence, when men shut their eyes against the beams of so clear a sun, God revengeth himself up on them for their impiety, by leaving them to their own wills, lets them fall into the deepest sink and dregs of iniquity; and since they  doubt of him in their hearts, suffers them above others to deny him in their works, this the apostle discourseth at a large. *The text then is a description of man’s corruption. [Stephen Charnock]

*Rom. 1.24

The collector

I have always loved books, always collected them, always, looked for that rare find or item that is no longer in wide circulation, many, many years before I was a Christian this was the case. However, I still get a buzz, or perhaps even more of a buzz when that happens these days. Especially when as is the case of this item, I wasn’t even looking for it, but stumbled across it unexpectedly.

This title itself may not be that hard to find, I’m not real sure, but the complete, unabridged work of it, is not that easy to find. I got it from ebay, and a full description of it can be read by clicking on the picture. It arrived today, and I look forward to getting to grips with it, feeling very blessed that God put in my lap when I was not looking for it in the least at the time!

The Strait Gate

You may burn a hundred houses easier than build one; and kill a thousand men,than make one alive. The descent is easy, the assent not so. To bring diseases is but to cherish sloth, please the appetite, and take what most delights us; but to cure them, will cost bitter pills, loathsome potions, tedious gripings, abstemious, accurate living; and perhaps all fall short too. He that made the way, and knows the way better than we, hath told us “it is narrow and strait,” and requires striving; and they that have placed it more truly and observantly than we do, tell us it lies through many tribulations, and  is with much ado passed through. [Richard Baxter]

The Time is NOW!

This applies to many within the visible church too, who presume themselves saved because of some outward reform, without inward reform. Only they can know who they are (besides God) and to those who despise the Gospel, and the ways of the Lord openly, and make no pretence of how much they despise it. Of how we can use our time affectively and well now, while we have the chance to, and how once death is upon us, if we don’t, we shall live to regret it, as it’s an immovable chasm at that point. Whereas now, while still on the earth, their is always hope:

The Judgment of the wicked.

• Death will cut them off from all goodness and pleasure
• Death cuts off all hope. Psalm 46:4
• Death will disappoint any diligence to seeking salvation. Time has ran out
• Job 36:13 Psalm 55:23 Death puts a sudden end to their pleasures and pleasing their flesh.
• Any outward good they must eternally forsake.
• Much tribulation and anguish of heart upon their death-beds
• Isa 38:12-13 Death appears terrible to them.
• We cannot avoid standing before God–We cannot avoid death.
• When death is near their souls are filled with torment that cannot be expressed.
• To be without an interest in Christ and having the guilt of his sins laying upon his soul as he lays dying is a terrible torment.
• Standing at the judgment seat without any thing to plead or excuse himself. And its now too late.
• To be brought to the edge of the abyss and see himself falling himself into it, and knowing he can do nothing to stop himself. Oh how he regrets the poor use of his time while alive, and how he pleased his flesh instead of obeying God.
• He regrets now his taking time for granted; he wishes he was like others who still have time and chance to put things right.
• When they looked at hell but from a distance, when enjoying their pleasures when in health, how different it appears to when death is imminent on their death bed. And how they mourn at the opportunities, the times they’ve been given the truth and rejected it. The times they have been instructed in the way of righteousness but rejected it.
• The thought of righteousness now terrifies them, because of the life they have led. How different does eternity now appear. They often at these times cry out for mercy, and cry in vain, because God does not hear, because they didn’t hear Him, when he called them to the truth. The vision of eternity gets stronger.
• Many men have the horror and despair of and fear of hell in their final hours.
• The soul when separated from the body shall be cast down into hell.
• Rev 10:14 They are terrified of the Lamb of God’s presence
• As long as their is life, their is hope and a possibility of salvation. As soon as the soul leaves the body, it is set and fixed for all eternity. The door of mercy shall be forever shut up. And all the fears he had in this life will become not now a fear but a reality.
• No help to relieve their torment.
• Psalm 90:11 God has prepared a place for the wicked –just as he has for the righteous. 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; James 2:19; No rest or comfort once eternal judgment in wrath has been passed. God’s wrath is executed. Luke 16:24; Conscience is a worm that never dies; their consciences are to torment them forever, for their neglect and foolishness when they had chance for repentance. Now it’s too late. They shall fear the full punishment that will be upon them at the Day of Judgment, when their torment will increase manifold, whereas now they are as like in prison awaiting execution. The execution will be many times worse, which will continue forever through all eternity. They have no hope of escape from this Day of Judgment and what will follow, when in a separated state before-hand. The thought of the Day of Judgment will make them tremble.