Five Pillars of Calvinism

I have been writing an essay entitled “The Five Pillars of Calvinism” based on John Calvin’s Truth for All Time. I have now completed a rough draft. I am posting the first section of it at the following link and would welcome any observations or corrections. If any of you would like to read more than this first section, just let me know.

Back from vacation and thinking about Jehoshaphat!

After two weeks away, I felt like I was starting a new job when I began to prepare myself last night for this morning's activities. It is great to be back in action.

This morning in our AM devotional service, we read 2 Chronicles 17. It is the beginning of the story of Jehoshaphat which will be our topic for the next few days. The story of Jehoshaphat is a great one. I was struck by the fact that this story is part of our spiritual heritage, yet we know so little of this history. Here was a great man of courage, who prepares us for the coming of Christ. In chapter 17 we are told that Jehoshaphat sent out levites, priests, and other officials to teach all the people from the Book of the Law. I was struck by the fact that the King of the church is now doing the same thing. He sends Ministers of the Word throughout His kingdom to teach His marvelous word. Yet our King also gave His blood for our peace, a central fact that we are sent out to communicate.

This coming Sunday I begin a new series in Matthew. As you may have noticed yesterday, on the back of the prayer list there are daily tools that will help you to be prepared for Sunday. Matt Parks has put these together, and they are worth taking a look at.

I have 58 messages planned for Matthew's gospel, but I may take a break here and there to do some other things. One possibility I am considering is a brief summer series on the prayers in Chronicles. One of these is the recent commercial sensation (prayer of Jabez), but there are others that are also worth looking at, including a prayer by Jehoshaphat that I will touch upon this Thursday morning (2 Chronicles 20). They are very rich and would help us all to grow in our understanding of the history that is our "family" heritage. What a blessing to be related to God through Jesus Christ, who is both the Son of David and the Son of God. More on that this Sunday.

Many thanks to Tim Andrews for his ministry among us yesterday. It was well received. Looking forward to seeing you all next Sunday or before.

Someone has a great house but you don't?

Let no fear disturb your peace
Though one's wealth and house increase,
Death shall all his glory end;
Naught shall after him descend.

Though the world his praise will tell,
When to self he doeth well,
And though while of life possessed,
He his soul has always blessed,

With his fathers he shall lie,
Where no light shall meet his eye.
Man in honor when not wise,
Like the beasts that perish, dies.
Psalm 49:16-20

Note also Luke 12:16-21
16 And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' 18 And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' 20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

Winter Classes

The Exeter Presbyterian Church 10-week tutorial courses for the winter term begin the week of January 8th.

Theology 101 - "Understanding Scripture-Based Religion in a World of Diversity" - Mondays at 8:30 am

Bible 101 - "Introduction to the Old and New Testaments" - Mondays at 5:00 pm

Church History 101 - "Lessons Learned from the History of the Church" - Wednesdays at 5:00 pm

Practical Religion 101 - "Faith Working Itself Out through Love" - Thursdays at 5:00 pm

All classes last 45 minutes. The winter term ends by March 22nd.

Call 772-7475 to register or simply come to the first class.

Thankful for the gift of family

We have been very blessed during this vacation. I am thankful for the gift of my wife and our family. I was reading this morning about the gift to Adam of Eve - the crowning achievement of creation.

I was also reading in Joshua about Rahab the prostitute. This hero of the faith (Hebrews 11) was brought into the household of the God of Israel.

The other night we watched the movie "Nicholas Nickelby" based on the Dickens novel. The movie contains this memorable quote based on what the characters have learned over the course of their trials: "They came to see that family need not be defined merely as those with whom they share blood but... those for whom they would give their blood."

Sacrificial commitment defines family. Christ gave his blood for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob... but also for Rahab, and for the church that includes my household today, loved ones we continue to communicate with in Romania, Hong Key, Roman and Sasha... We are family. For this I am also very grateful.

Happy New Year!

We are having a very relaxing vacation. Candy and I went to Trinity Presbyterian Church in Providence, RI yesterday. Pastor David Sherwood gave an excellent message on counting our days (recognizing the brevity and difficulty of this life) as a gateway to learning wisdom. I have been thinking about how Christ had this prefect heavenly perspective - knowing what will last (the Kingdom of God), and being willing to give himself entirely for it in a world where everything is passing away.

Doug Camp read a sermon from John Piper in Exeter encouraging meditation upon the Word of God in the year ahead. If you are looking for a more rigorous Bible reading plan for 2007, Matt Parks has developed one where you read through the Bible twice in one year. It is split into morning and evening readings that take you through six categories of Bible readings. In the morning: Law, History, and Wisdom. In the evening: Prophets, Gospel/Acts, and Epistles. If you don't already have a copy of this, start reading Genesis, Joshua, and Job in the morning, and Isaiah, Matthew, and Romans in the evening. You can pick up the handout at church next Sunday.

Pastor Doug Domin in Concord is encouraging the congregation there to read the Bible and to keep a journal. He is supplying the journals free for anyone in the congregation who will use them. He also promises to make a spaghetti dinner for everyone who will read through the Bible in the next year. A little fact from our Exeter heritage: The first collection we ever took for anything at all was an offering for First Presbyterian Church in Concord about eleven years ago ($350 or so - when we were a group of about twenty meeting in our old family room). Pray that God will bring great glory to His name through the Concord church in the year ahead. God bless you all!