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How One Man Formed the Minds of Millions of Elect Churchmen

  How One Man Formed the Minds of Millions of Elect Churchmen I remember being in a Humanities-type class in college in the 1970's, when the atheist Jewish philosophy professor made a statement like this: "Besides Jesus Christ Himself, no one has made a greater impact on the world than the Apostle Paul."  I myself was a newly regenerated Christian; and the instructor's words made quite an impression on me; and I still reflect on what he said (even today).   I think the professor was absolutely right on.  Think about this with me: is it not true, that the minds of  all  genuinely born again Christians have been formed by the doctrine, the words, the priorities, the passions, and the teachings of the Apostle Paul--as they are related to us in his 13 Epistles (or 14, if we include Hebrews); plus the Book of Acts; (and Peter's statement found in 2 Pet. 3:16)?  The entire regenerated world of the universal church of Jesus Christ has been...
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How To Handle Trouble

  How To Handle Trouble There is probably not a more basic, day-in-and-day-out question for all of us fallen sinners, than, "How do I handle trouble?"  This little paper will seek to address this very practical concern. . . . But first, a little history.  When God created the world, there was *no* trouble whatsoever.  Even after He created Adam and Eve, there was still no trouble.  It was only after their (our) Fall in the Garden of Eden, that trouble became an inevitable part of their (and our) existence on this side of eternity.   Let us first "categorize" these "troubles."  Here is a thumbnail list: tribulation, distress, affliction, persecution, trial, and testing.  How do you like that catalog?  If you say, "I am OK with it," you are probably prevaricating.  The fact is, we should be honest; and admit that we *hate* those things.  If we did not hate them, they would not be problems f...
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A Defense of The Christian Church

  A Defense of The Christian Church There is no institution more hated and despised in all the world, than that of the Christian Church.  Satan himself is the church's most passionate loather; and he (the devil) has done everything he can--or, is  allowed  to do, by God--to cast the church into the most hideous colors and shades. . . . And yet, the  true  church--even that of the "visible" "true" church--is perfectly and fully and beautifully  loved  by the One True and Only Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.   This little paper will be designed to defend not  only  the "invisible" church of all the elect/redeemed souls who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit; but also it will seek to be a "champion" of all those literal, physical, tangible congregations which self-consciously own Jesus Christ, His gospel of grace, the proper administration of the sacraments, and church discipline.  Along with this, these bodies...
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Living The High Life

  Living The High Life Some of the Puritans--I think, Thomas Watson, in particular--were fond of saying things like, "What can I do to 'entice' or 'tempt' you to be as happy as you could be?"  Their goal was to try to  get  people--regenerate Christians and total unbelievers alike--to understand that there is a life of happiness and fulfillment that is  available  to them (and any sinner), should they simply truly  desire  to have it. . . .   This subject is really big; and it encompasses everything of importance in the world of reality: be it of the Triune Godhead or the created realm.  I will not be able to cover it all here; but I want to do my best (with God's sweet assistance and by His sovereign grace) to try to convince anyone who would read these words that they  could  be blessed beyond anything they can imagine.  I do confess that I am speaking from experience; and I would not want to dishonor my G...
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"Strange Bedfellows"

  "Strange Bedfellows" My working definition of the term, "Strange Bedfellows," is the camaraderie of people in defense of a common cause--who would normally be very much at variance with one another.   . . . One of the instances of, "Strange Bedfellows," that I find very interesting, is that of politically left-wing people with the Muslim culture.  On the surface, this would seem a very unlikely alliance: people who despise all things "Christian," (the left-wingers), with rigid, women-degrading religionists (the Muslims).  Someone might ask, "Why would a 'left-winger' be united in heart with a Muslim, especially the more radical they are?"  And the answer is, "Because the Muslim culture on the whole is, without doubt, the international 'public face' of anti-Christianity; and anyone who hates Jesus is a friend of mine," (so they would say).  Bottom line: I really believe that this is what it is all about.  We m...
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An Elect Ministry

An Elect Ministry   In recent weeks I have been much-comforted by God with the glorious reality of what I am going to refer to as, "An Elect Ministry."  By this, I mean the authentic ministry of the pastors of the true and faithful church.  Bottom line: there has  always been  a truly-called college of ministers who have served Christ in this capacity. A verse that especially-reminds me of, "An Elect Ministry," is 2 Timothy 1:9, which says this:  "[God] saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began . . . , "  (ESV).  And though I agree, and grant that this wonderful truth applies to  all  the elect/redeemed members of the church, in  this  particular context of 2 Tim., ch. 1, the stress is on the  ministry --(especially the two gospel men, Paul and Timothy). How could any of the true and regenerate saints h...
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The Almighty Power of Regeneration

  The Almighty Power of Regeneration For God to save a dead, lost, rebellious sinner required Him to  "move heaven and earth,"  (as the old saying goes).  It is a far more spectacular wonder that the Triune God of glory would redeem (even)  one  fallen human being, than that He would create the  entire  cosmos. As the Puritans were fond of saying, "God used His fingers to create the world; but He employed His strong arm to bring about atonement for a sinner," [not an exact quote].   . . . And this mighty power is all  associated together  with The Holy Spirit Himself, the Gospel of Grace itself (which is the "power of God for salvation," [Rom. 1:16a]), the Resurrection of Jesus Christ's physical body from the dead, and the Regeneration (new birth/life) that is effected by God's Spirit when He brings to miraculous life the souls of spiritually dead elect people (at the very moment of their being born again).   The Almi...
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