Pester Brat's Saint and Sinner Hypocrisy Blog

Elders are the Spiritual Parents for Believers Doctrinal Thoughts As we close in our last study on the doctrine of the church let us focus a few minutes on a subject that is very plain from Scripture. The church, if it is a pure and true church according to the New Testament, must have a body of elders to rule, govern, and guide the church just like a parent guides his or her children. The elders are the spiritual parents for the church. For example, the elder John called the congregation his “children” (3 John 4). Furthermore, it is also plain that other elders appoint the elders. The elders are responsible to shepherd the sheep. And consequently the shepherds, the elders, are not hired and fired by the whims of the sheep. Any church that does not embrace the essential truths to the doctrine of eldership violates Scripture in a major way. The eldership, a plurality of elders, is the authoritative leaders of the body. Additionally the elders are not simply voted into office or voted ou...

I am confounded with wonder! ("Solitude Sweetened" by James Meikle, 1730-1799) "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound!" (Romans 5:20) Dear Savior, in Your sufferings I not only see the infiniteness of sin, but also the infiniteness of Your love; so that, though I have cause with myself to be angry on account of sin, I need not despair. If the desert of my sinful folly is death--the merit of Your sufferings is life! If my sins mount up to heaven--Your mercy is above the heavens! Though my sins reach to the very throne to accuse me --there is One upon the throne who will not condemn me! When I look to myself and see my vileness and necessity--I am confounded with shame! But when I look to You, and see Your fullness and all-sufficiency--I am confounded with wonder! Am I weak? Jesus is my strength. Am I foolish? Jesus is my wisdom! Am I wicked? Jesus is my righteousness! Am I impure? Jesus is my sanctification! Am I in bondage? Jesus is my complete redemption! ...

How Would You Know if You Were Without the Spirit? Doctrinal Thoughts I have a dear friend of mine that I am fearful may insult the Holy Spirit. If this person does have the Spirit then I am afraid of the disaster that looms ahead if repentance does not take place. My friend you see has professed faith in Christ, been baptized, and initially has shown signs of spiritual life and growth in grace. However, at this moment of writing my friend is drifting, sliding, and growing cold to any accountability, any call to repentance, and any challenge to the faith. The professed love for the local church is no longer visible, the dedication to the saints is no longer manifested, and the submission to spiritual authority lacks. In essence signs of holiness seem to be dwindling, dissipating as dew at dawn. What truly marks the life of a believer? It is the life of the Holy Spirit. Have you ever asked why the Spirit is named the “holy” Spirit? You hardly ever, if ever, hear someone say “Holy Christ...

February 15, 2006 I write this on the eve of prostate surgery. I believe in God’s power to heal—by miracle and by medicine. I believe it is right and good to pray for both kinds of healing. Cancer is not wasted when it is healed by God. He gets the glory and that is why cancer exists. So not to pray for healing may waste your cancer. But healing is not God’s plan for everyone. And there are many other ways to waste your cancer. I am praying for myself and for you that we will not waste this pain. 1. You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God. It will not do to say that God only uses our cancer but does not design it. What God permits, he permits for a reason. And that reason is his design. If God foresees molecular developments becoming cancer, he can stop it or not. If he does not, he has a purpose. Since he is infinitely wise, it is right to call this purpose a design. Satan is real and causes many pleasures and pains. But he is not ultimate. So wh...

Entertainment... An Evangelical Heresy? ...challenging words from Tozer's pen IN OUR DAY WE MUST BE DRAMATIC ABOUT EVERYTHING. We don’t want God to work unless He can make a theatrical production of it. We want Him to come dressed in costumes with a beard and with a staff. We want Him to play a part according to our ideas. Some of us even demand that He provide a colorful setting and fireworks as well! (The Tozer Pulpit, Book 8, pp. 48-49) Then there are some among us these days who have to depend upon truckloads of gadgets to get their religion going, and I am tempted to ask: What will they do when they don’t have the help of the trappings and gadgets? The truck can’t come along where they are going! (The Tozer Pulpit, Book 8, p. 50) Entertainment Is a Symptom This is the cause of a very serious breakdown in modern evangelicalism. The idea of cultivation and exercise, so dear to the saints of old, has now no place in our total religious picture. It is too slow, too common. We now ...

III Marriage and the Christian Family The Priority of Being a Member of a Good Biblical Church Well, going on the assumption that the husband and wife are not unequally yoked, and are of like faith, let us move on to the importance of being a member of a biblical local church. There is not much dispute, that the importance of being a member of a good biblical local church is downplayed by many professing Christians. Some think that church attendance is not important. Others think that church attendance is good but membership is not important. When we look at the purpose of the local church, we also see why Christians are to go. Of course church membership/attendance is not salvific in any way, but a Christian is sinning by not being in a biblical church. What is the criteria for deciding what church to go to? Who is to make the decision on what church to attend? Well, of course the husband and wife should discuss it together and try to come to an agreement on which church to attend. Bu...

Couldn't resist sharing this one from Steve Camp's Blog. "Stupid" People in the Church ...and how not to be one "Is God Short of Cash?" I was on a famous Christian TV show several years ago before their demise. During a 'commercial' break, the host of the program told me if I would give $100 to his ministry the Lord would give me back $1,000... I asked him politely, "Sir, where does it say stupid written on me?" He was a bit shocked and asked me, "don't you believe that the Lord will bless you by giving your money to our ministry?" I told him, "No way"; and that furthermore he didn't even believe such a thing. He was again a bit surprised by my response and said, "Yes I do." I answered, "No, you don't." He said, "YES, I do." I said, "NO, you don't." With a puzzled look on his face he frustratingily said, "Why do you keep telling me that I don't believe this...

Similar to Spurgeon's "Feeding Sheep Or Amusing Goats (FSOAG)." Some believe that FSOAG was not really written by Spurgeon, but was a shorten penned version of the following. Of course both could have been written by both men. The fact of the matter is that this and FSOAG are sad but true. This one by Brown is more indepth. Great article. Thanks for the link Pete. The Devil's Mission of Amusement The Church's Task - Entertainment or Evangelization? www.tbaptist.com/aab/devilsmissionamusement.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Archibald Brown (Archibald Brown was a student and a contemporary of C. H. Spurgeon. Under Brown's ministry, scores were saved and instructed.) Different days demand their own special testimony. The watchman who would be faithful to his Lord and the city of his God has need to carefully note the signs of the times and emphasize his witness accordingly. Concerning the testimony needed no...