EvpChurch

December 2011

2011-11-29T18:54:00.000-05:00

From the Pastor“…until Christ is formed in you…” Galatians 4:19

It is Christmas time again. For me it is my fifty-ninth Christmas. I hope that it is for you, as it is for me, that the Christmas story and the singing of Christmas carols never grows old. Now as one who has seen many changes in our culture over the years it has become sad for me to see the increasing encroachment of secularism and materialism on our holidays. Times and events traditionally reserved for the religious and spiritual are giving way more and more to the making of money and competing activities. More and more only the secular holiday songs are played in the stores and are only a part of the school “winter” concerts. This is done with the excuse that someone might be offended. Why should Christmas offend? Why can’t those offended show some respect for the traditions of the majority? Stores are staying open longer and longer with the result that it is harder for workers to attend family and church activities. Like old Scrooge the bosses make the workers work more hours into the holidays to bring in a few more dollars. With the late hours shoppers are tempted to put off shopping at normal hours and to shop at hours they should be sleeping or spending time with family or at church. Sunday has become for many just another day with non-religious activities taking priority every time over the spiritual. What do we teach our children and grandchildren when we chose the secular over the religious? We teach them, of course, that the secular has a priority in our lives. The same is happening more and more on Thanksgiving with stores opening now on Thanksgiving night requiring workers to leave family so another dollar can be made. Aren’t there enough hours to shop? Do stores need now to open also on Thanksgiving? Stores are also staying open later on Christmas Eve so workers can’t join family and church services that have traditionally been held at the same time. It is sad to me that the encroachments grow worse every year and that so many of us go along with it and don’t say no. We need to begin to choose for family and church time and against the encroachment of the secular and material. We are being forced more and more to make a choice as to whether we are going to serve God or mammon. In fact, that choice has been presented to us for some time now and as mammon becomes the winner the next line is drawn in the sand until the religious and spiritually are marginalized. We need to do more to say no to the taking away of our family time and religious practice. It is our fault that it is happening. We are unwilling to pay the cost to hold firm.Now the story of Christmas is simple and wonderful. It is the story of God’s Son being born into the world. It is the story of angels bringing to a virgin and shepherds the announcement of the birth of God’s Son. It is the familiar stories of the virgin birth, God’s incarnate, Magi bringing gifts, and God’s pronouncement that the birth is meant to bring peace on earth and to show good will towards mankind. While we can rejoice in that story as a part of our tradition and something that makes us feel good it can also be something that does not transform us. The whole purpose of Christmas was to have Christ born or, as the passage above says, formed in us. Yes, Jesus was born into this world, but such a birth is meaningless if He is not born in us! Yes, the eternal Son of God took on the form of human flesh, but he has to be formed in our flesh and inner being by faith also.It is when Jesus is formed in us that the Christmas season and its Biblical themes enthrall our souls. It is my prayer that the miracle of God with us will be the miracle of God in us in Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is my prayer that each of our hearts will be filled with peace and joy as the Spirit applies the carols and scriptures of Christmas in such a way that Christ is formed in us.

October 2011

2011-09-25T16:32:00.003-04:00

Contending earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. - Jude 3

From the Pastor

"You shall no bear false witness against your neighbor" Exodus 20:16, Commandment 9

If my grandfather was questioned as to the truth about something he said he would reply, "It must be true I read it in the paper". I think these days we can almost say the opposite, if we read it in the paper it is probably false. This distrust of our media has to some extent developed because news sources are in a rush to beat the other news to the market with the latest and can't wait days or weeks to see what the real story is. We ought to be a little more skeptical lest we be manipulated with the rest of our society.

Many years ago a member of a previous church I was pastoring brought me some information about a Chicago film company that was going to produce an appalling movie defaming (or slandering) Our Lord. This member, as you might expect, was completely scandalized. They wanted me wot post the information so people could write outraged letters to the address listed. I had posted such information previous without checking only to find out later that the information was false. So I called the Chicago phone listings for the number of the film company and there was no such company listed. Having doubt now thrown on the truth of the matter I did not post the information and told the person that I did not think it was true for there was no such company in Chicago and the no report had been made about such a thing in any media source I checked out. Surely something so bad as that would be all over the news. the member was outraged that I would not defend Jesus by letting people know what was going on. She trusted the information rather than her own pastor's judgement and checking on the issue.

I have also dealt with the letter that has gone around for decades now stating that the atheist Madalyn Murray O'hair was behind a move by the FCC to take religious broadcasting off the airwaves. This false information continued years after she died. People would bring me the information from time to time and I would tell them that it was false. It is my understanding that Christians wasted much time and money sending tens of millions of protests to the FCC over the years. It also wasted tax payers money for the FCC to respond to them all.

Recently a doctor has started a new TV talk show. in an early episode he scared the audience waring of arsenic in apple juice. He got a lot of attention. All the empty headed women in the audience believed him and acted appalled at the danger to their children and asked why no one had ever sounded the alarm before. The answer is because it was bogus. Other doctors, the juice industry, and the food and drug division of our federal government all denounced the falsehood. One doctor said the man was irresponsible and likened his program to shouting fire in a crowded theater. Now why would people listen to some media doctor rather than their own pediatrician or an authority with some credibility? Don't people yet realize that the name of the game in media is getting audience share and one way to do that is to be more sensational than the next media personality. The end of such sensationalism is that truth is lost. For all the moral high ground the media claims and all its defense of the First Amendment, they often have as their bottom line the gaining of power and money for their corporation. Who watches the watch dogs? Who is going to do gotcha reporting against them when they are caught doing evil?

Now each of these falsehoods mentioned previously are violation of the ninth commandment. Christians can be guilty of violating this command. Is it not interesting that the atheist has been sinned against by many Christians as they believed the rumor about her? None would think to apologize to her. Now you might say she would be for such a thing and so ti was within the evil she would try to do. But still it was a lie and her being an atheist does not justify falsehoods against her. We have to be consistent in applying God's law not just use it against our enemies.

Now the same problem can arise with media preachers and is does with media doctors. Some Christian media personalities may also seek, despite their profession to be serving Christ, to boost their ratings with falsehoods. I wonder if some come up with sensational new teachings that you can't find anywhere else just to get an audience. More than a few times I have known members in churches to listen to the people they don't know much about on the radio, TV, Internet, and books. Given them credibility because they are a media personality they end up going astray in some doctrinal point. The sad thing is all too often the pastor who is their shepherd is never asked about it. So the same question may be asked, as it is incredible that people would listen to some media type religious person rather than the judgment of the pastor who is their personal shepherd. Charm and charisma all too often trump common sense and truth. Let us be careful not to be deceived by the manipulators of emotion, God's word, and our hearts.

July 2011

2011-07-17T21:06:00.003-04:00

Contending earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. Jude 3

"Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God; for we cannont help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Acts 4:19

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and teh pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men..." The Declaration of Independence

The context of the Acts verse above is that there was a conflict between the political leaders of Judah and the believers in Christ Jesus. The leaders tried to command the conscience of those witnessing about the person and resurrection of Jesus Christ by telling them that they were to no longer speak or teach anything about Jesus. The apostles refuse to have their conceinces bound and reply to the command that they will continue to speak about what they had seen and heard while they were with Jesus. It is a matter, as they put so clearly, of whether we are to obey men over against whether we should b obey God. while obedience to men is commanded for believers (Romans 13), when what men commands contradicts what God has commanded, our consciences are to be obedient to God and not men. God alone is Lord over our religious beliefs.

Moving from the time of Acts to the time of colonization of the new world, believers in Jesus Christ came to the shores of North America in search of freedom of conscience and religion. Believers had been arrestedin the old contry for preaching the gospel and put to death for translating the Scriptures in English. Restrictions were put on those who were not a part of the state church. As the colonies developed over the centuries independence was sought. There came to be enshrined in our national belief system and founding documents this same right of conscience as seen in the passage from Acts; speciffically that athere should be separation of schurch and state and that there were areas of conscience that were to be commanded by God and not men. So in the quote from teh Declaration of Inependence above, which publication we celebrate this month, our founding fathers declared a basic American principle that we are created by God, that is, we are created equal as humans having equal worth as His images and therefore we have certain rights that government outght to secure. So the founding fathers appealed to the unchangeable and enternal God who made an orderly world as teh foundation for unchangeable and eternal rights that are to be protected by hman government.

Why is this important? It is important because without a God centered society in which God is a part of the public discourse these rights crumble. Rights can't be based on any changeable and temproal foundation, for then the rights will no longer be rights,but changeable and temporal. rights based on a foundation less than God will be taken away by dictators or the majority who will think that they have good and sufficient reason to do so. No matter what the specific religious views of our founding faher, they were in agreement on this point.

The queen of science, it has been said, is theology. Theology was a part of any well rounded educaiton in past years. Theology is now not seen by many as queen of the sciences. However, even worse than removing theology as queen, is the rejection entirely by modern higher education of any religious viewpoints. What this neglect of theology will mean, sadly is the crumbling of the foundation our entire nation has held dear since its founding. When the foundation is gone, so will be our rights. In our day when sales, picnics and fire works are the meaning of Independence Day, let us make sure we get back to the meat of this day; that is, God given rights. Our religious freedoms are not th be subjec to the restrictions of policticians or the whims of the majority, but ar an unalienable freedom to worship and practice our faith as our conscience dictates before God.

Contending earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. Jude 3

2011-05-17T23:00:00.006-04:00

May 2011

"The kingdoms of this world have become those of our Lord and His Anointed, and He shall reign forever and ever!" The Apocalypse11:15

From the Pastor

"Then if someone says to you, 'Look, there is the Messiah!' or 'There'! do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See I have told you before hand. Therefore if I say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' or 'Look, he is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. For as the lighting comes from the west, so also shall the comingof the son of Man be...But of that day and hour no one knows, not even theangels of heaven, but My Father only." (Matthew 24:23-27, 36)

As I headed to church on a sunday morning a few weeks ago I saw some panel trucks, six in a row, with the sides decorated with teh supposed true Biblical day of Jesus' return. According to the prediction it will happen the month of May. They turned off route 38 and headed into the cherry Hill mall for a a day of trying to convince shoppers that the day can be predicted and that it is near.

but wait, we have been all through this before many times. This same one predicint Jesus' return this month falsely predicted Jesus' return some years ago. I worte an article thenfor the church newsletter that the prediction would be wrong. It was. I therfore called the predictor a false prophet who obviously had misinterpreted Scripture. Here he is at it again and people are still listening to him; being deceived again, zealous for God without knowledge. Will they finally turn away from this false teacher when he is proved wrong again?

The passage above tells us that we are not to believe those who point to the coming of Christ at a certian time and place. Even if they produce great signs or wonders with the prediction we are not to believe it. It is a work of the evil on to try and deceive, if possible the elect. Jesus says that when He comes two things will be true: 1. The return of Jesus will be an event everone will see like a lightening flahs in the sky (27). 2. It will be an event that no on will know about before hand. Not even the angels who surround God's throneknow, only the Father himself knows that time. (36).

Now Jesus is returning. It might be today, it might be tomorrow, it might be next year, it might be a hundrred years from now. We don't know, God is not telling, and we are not to be deceived by those who claim to know. The Scripture is clear on this point and we can use all kinds of calculations base on teh bible to try to fid it out, however, the secret is not hidden there and it can't be descerned byt the Bible. Becasue this is so, Jesus says, "Therefore you also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." jesus might not come dotay, but might die today, and so we must be ready to stand before God in the righteousness of Jesus christ. Jesus might come before the predicted date, but we must be ready as one washed in the blood of Jesus. He might come in June, are we serving so that when he does come he will say to us, "Well done good and faithful servant."?

Will I be writing the newsletter next month? Not if Jesus comes or if I die. But Lord willing I will be if He tarries. Until then I am going to be about Jesus' business seeking to please Him whether I live or die or He returns. Don't think that you are safe until the predicted date. Don't think Jesus' return is not to be if he doesn't return on that date. It is a time set by the Father and we must always be ready so that we will not end up in the lake of fire, but in paradise restored.

Revival

2006-07-21T17:00:00.001-04:00

The article this month is a little long, but I think it will be of benefit to any who read it. It was written by a pastor that God used to bring about at least three revivals in New England a few centuries ago. Though it is not scripture it shows the spiritual heart of a man wanting to please God. Some would say that this list is legalistic. But we must be careful about saying such a thing. If he tried to be saved by them or did them by his own effort or required others to abide by them then they might be legalistic. But it is clear the man knew about being saved by grace and made these his own personal resolutions to live up to the grace God had given to him in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Any man used by God to bring three revivals ought to be listened to and ought to be an example for us. This list is similar to another list made up by some young men in their college years. As serious young men George Whitefield and the Wesley’s made up lists also to guide their lives by. They were derisively called the "Methodists" for their methodical approach to the Christian life. The label stuck and the rest is history, though probably few Methodists follow such a disciplined Christian life today. Though they were laughed at, these young men had the last laugh: George, John and Charles were used mightily by God to bring revival in England and America. Such lists and revival seem to go together. A serious and disciplined spiritual life is used by God. Maybe it is from such hearts that God is pleased to do his will. Were they perfect men? No, it is clear from their histories that they were not. Were they serious about living for Christ? Yes and that spirit is what we need today. May God use this history lesson and this list to have a positive impact on our spiritual lives.
Rev. Gary Englestad

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards (1722-1723)

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake. Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.
1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.
11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don't hinder.
12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.
13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.
14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.
15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.
19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.
20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.
21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.
(Resolutions 1 through 21 written in on setting in New Haven in 1722)

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.
23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God's glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.
24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.
25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.
26. Resolved, to east away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.
27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.
28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.
29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.
30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.
31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it isperfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.
32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that in Prov. 20:6, "A faithful man who can find?" may not be partly fulfilled in me.
33. Resolved, always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects. Dec.26, 1722.
34. Resolved, in narration's never to speak anything but the pure and simple verity.
35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.
36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.
37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec.22 and 26, 1722.
38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord's day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.
39. Resolved, never to do anything that I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or no; except I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.
40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.
41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.
42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.
43. Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's, agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12. Jan.12, 1723.
44. Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. Jan.12, 1723.
45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan.12 and 13.1723.
46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eve: and to be especially careful of it, with respect to any of our family.
47. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peace able, contented, easy, compassionate, generous, humble, meek, modest, submissive, obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable, even, patient, moderate, forgiving, sincere temper; and to do at all times what such a temper would lead me to. Examine strictly every week, whether I have done so. Sabbath morning. May 5,1723.
48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or no; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.
49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.
50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.
51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.
52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.
53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.
54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. July 8, 1723.
55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. July 8, 1723.
56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.
57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether ~ have done my duty, and resolve to do it; and let it be just as providence orders it, I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty and my sin. June 9, and July 13 1723.
58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. May27, and July 13, 1723.
59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July ii, and July 13.
60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4, and 13, 1723.
61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.
62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty; and then according to Eph. 6:6-8, do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man; "knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord." June 25 and July 13, 1723.
63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. Jan.14' and July '3' 1723.
64. Resolved, when I find those "groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those "breakings of soul for the longing it hath," of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be wear', of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and August 10, 1723.
65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton's 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and Aug.10 1723.
66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.
67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.
68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.
69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Aug. 11, 1723.
70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak. Aug. 17, 1723

The Da Vinci Code

2006-07-21T16:45:00.000-04:00

Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,
For the marriage of the lamb has come,
And his bride has made herself ready;
It was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure
For the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. -- Revelation 19:7, 8

The Da Vinci Code is now showing at the movies and, as seems to be calculated by the writer of the book, causing quite and stir and controversy. The story is fiction, telling a story of how Jesus married Mary of Magdala and had a daughter through here who became the royal family of France. This truth was supposedly covered up by the church who replaced it with a fantastic story of Jesus being our savior in order to hold on to power. Such a tale is contrary to Biblical teaching, history, art, and DNA evidence as shown in a recent special on cable TV.
A popular talk show host, who is Mormon, saw no problem with Jesus and Mary of Magdala being married. That makes sense from his point of view because Mormons teach that Jesus was married to Mary and Martha and Mary of Magdala in a celestial marriage. Through them he is having spirit children with which to populate a new heavens and new earth. According to Mormonism, you too can be God of your own world by bearing your own spirit children. This was the reason for polygamous marriages in the early years of the Mormon teaching.
Now, as those who come from the point of view of Biblical Christianity we also believe that Jesus was married. The Bible states clearly that Jesus is indeed married. However, his marriage is much different than that which Mormons and The Da Vinci Code relate. Jesus is married to his church. He died for his church. We, the church, are engaged to Jesus now and look forward to his return when the marriage will be consummated and the wedding supper will take place.
To hold Jesus was married to a human woman, or in the case of Mormonism multiple women, is to reduce Jesus to a mere man and his relationship to a mere woman or women. It makes Jesus just a man who married like the rest of us rather than a man who came to redeem for himself a people. Jesus’ dedication was not to a mere woman, but to his church. His life’s purpose was to give his life faithfully for his church. We as Jesus’ bride are to be faithful to our husband, Jesus Christ. To pose that he married women in his first coming reduces his mission to that of a mere man and ruins the theology and teaching of the Bible.
I hope we can now present to people who Jesus is married to and invite them to trust in Jesus as their savior so they can become a part of the church, the bride of Christ. As those who are Christ’s we look forward to the end of this world and the creation of a new world where righteousness will reign.

--Rev. Gary C. Englestad

Love

2006-01-31T17:04:00.000-05:00

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Romans 12:9

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
I Corinthians 13:4

In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you. Isaiah 54:8

February is the month that we celebrate Valentine’s Day and love. So, I thought it appropriate to again speak on love in this newsletter. In God’s providence, the theme of love came up a few days before I wrote this and so got my thoughts going about what to write in this edition of the Evangelical Contender.
Recently, a radio talk show host considered the issue of unconditional love. He had heard Christians talk about unconditional love and was inviting people to call in and tell him about what they mean when they use the phrase. He understood it to mean that we ought to love all without exception and no matter what they had done. He believes that adult society can’t function with that kind of love. It may be OK for us to treat infants that way, but those who come to moral understanding ought to be treated in appropriate response to how they act. We need to punish wrong doers and, using my own example; a police man should not forgo arresting a drunk driver out of some misguided concept of unconditional love. Society would turn into a chaotic mess if we only loved people and never expected from them good behavior. Adult society requires we show disapproval and take action against the evil of others.
As he understands unconditional love he is right, of course. But a Christian understanding of unconditional love is not one of loving Hitler while he takes over Europe, seeks to wipe out the Jews and slaughters those opposed to him. The same Jesus who tells us to love our enemies threw the money changers out of the temple. The same Jesus who did not resist going to the cross and asked forgiveness for those who ignorantly killed the King of Glory; looked at the Pharisees in anger, called them snakes, and told them they were of Satan. We have to make a distinction between Jesus loving us while we are sinners, saving us when we don’t deserve it, and the justice that requires Jesus to send unrepentant sinners into the Lake of Fire.
Unconditional love is love not based on conditions. We may love someone because they are young and pretty, but that does not mean when they are old and their youth and prettiness have left them that we stop loving them. That would be conditional love. When we marry someone we marry them for richer or poorer, better or worse, in sickness or in health. It does not mean that if the person goes out every night with someone else or beats us to a pulp that we have to have good feelings towards them or stay with them.
Conditional love is too much a part of our society today. We stay in a marriage, a church, a work place all too often today only if my needs are being met. As soon as we feel a little miffed or put upon all too often we leave to find another spouse, church or place of employment. A family, an organization, or society can’t function well if we have no commitments to each other and if we have too many conditions. The social cohesion is ripped when we make our relationships based on conditions rather that commitment to one another. That is why many marriages do not last today and why so many don’t even enter marriage. They have too many conditions and don’t want to commit. I heard of a man who married a woman and shortly after they were married the wife came down with a disease that made her bed ridden for forty years or so. That man stayed with his wife all those years. He met her needs but she could not meet his. She could not fulfill her vows in marriage in many ways. But he made his vows to her unconditionally. How many would do that? Many would argue that this is not what they anticipated their life would be like and so therefore they had no obligation, after all God would want them to be happy and not in this type of situation. Few marriages can last when a person comes with a list that says, “I will love you if you are kind, funny, and sensitive all the time. I will love you only as long as you remain beautiful, but if you get badly scarred, don’t expect me to stay around. I don’t want to ever wake up to morning breath and always want breakfast at a certain time and made to my exacting standards. If not, I’ll find someone else who will.”
It is said that some schools of religious teaching in Jesus’ day allowed a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason, even if she happened to burn the breakfast that day. It takes patience to live with another and such conditions are destructive. Others may at times disappoint us, hurt us, or not understand us, but love must look beyond these things.
The example of love without conditions is the love of God. God is a covenant keeping God who is faithful to his promises. He has been faithful to Israel unconditionally, though he might have punished them many times and rejected some who claimed to know him. God showed us his love in Jesus and the new covenant made in his blood. While we were sinners Christ died for us. God does not choose us because we are wise, moral, or prosperous. He chose us while we were sinners and loved us in Christ. He bears with our follies every day. So he gives us an example to bear with the defects in others as we bear with our own defects and as God also bears with them. This does not mean God does not discipline us. He disciplines those he loves. It does not mean Jesus might reject us, he says not every one who calls him Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven. Some who claim to know him are really evil doers that he will not forgive because they have not lived repentant lives. (Matthew 7:21-23). Those who live unrepentant and evil lives he eliminates because he is also a just God who hates evil.
Love is thus paradoxical. It bears with the failures of others with patience and yet also must punish the unrepentant evil. Let us love each other without all the conditions. We will find that we probably can’t meet the conditions we set for others anyway. Forgiveness can go a long way. As Proverbs says, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” But let us not think that love without conditions is some how contrary to justice, especially in regard to those who have no remorse, repentance, or desire to make restitution. That is not unconditional love; that is folly.
--Rev. Gary C. Englestad

An Application of Book of Job to Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-13T08:14:00.000-04:00

A homily by Pastor Gary Englestad, Sept. 4, 2005

Some Christians are saying that what happened in New Orleans is the judgment of God on a sinful city. No doubt in many ways New Orleans was a sinful city and was also largely destroyed. However, by saying such, they sound a little like Job’s friends in our study of the book of Job. They attributed to Job that he was a sinner because of the destruction that came upon him and not by any evidence that he was a bad person. Applying a phrase of Jesus to the situation—were these greater sinners than those in other cities in America? I do not think so. I could name many other places of great sin. Our own gambling Mecca, Atlantic City, had 204 prostitutes arrested a few weekends ago. Moreover, what about Nevada and legalized prostitution, gambling, organized crime and all the evil that goes along with it? What do we say about the areas outside of New Orleans, which were not a part of the sin of that place? What do we thus say about our own Presbyterian Church in America brothers? In one church 250 families are homeless. Are they a worse PCA church than we are?

We might say, in application from the book of Job that this storm is a deed of Satan as well as a testing from God. I believe that the lesson of Katrina is not that those people were worse sinners than any others in the world but that we always must be repentant and God fearing for we never know when we are going to perish.

Many did not take warning though it was predicted that a storm like Katrina would bring havoc to the New Orleans area. In that part of the country, storms like Katrina come through from time to time. Hurricanes are not anything other than a natural phenomenon that those who live in that area must contend. Evidently, they did not take warning. They did not take warning not to build below sea level; the high parts of New Orleans escaped flooding. They did not take warning that the levy system they had was not adequate for a major storm. They did not take warning to flee the city when warned that a destructive storm was on its way. They possibly did not take warning and demand of their leaders that they make them safe by making them accountable for the condition of the levees. The lesson here is not that they were greater sinners who were getting what they deserve, but they were not ready for the destruction when it came.

Spiritually speaking, we have the same attitude, prone not to take warning. Eventually life will end for each of us. Eventually we will have to face some major crises in life. We will have an appointment to meet our God. Have we prepared? Are we ready for that appointment?

Though Jesus’ return is much delayed from our point of view, and though the final judgment has not yet come, the Bible informs us that He is coming and that we will all face the judgment. Are you ready? Have you made proper preparation? Have you repented of your sinful life and trusted Jesus’ sacrifice on your behalf? Do you think that you have plenty of time and that you can worry about it tomorrow? Do you think that your death is far off? Do you think that your righteousness will hold against the crushing tide of God’s righteous wrath? Do you believe that you can cheat death and judgment and not take warning given by the messengers of God through the ages? Are you building your life on sand instead of building on the rock Jesus Christ, which will stand whatever storm comes from God’s hand? Take warning, know that your security is a delusion, and think about the meaning of Katrina for your life.

As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man…Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:37-39, 42

Test

2005-08-10T15:11:00.000-04:00

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