Stupid Meme

This meme was posted on the facebook page called: "Probably goin to hell for this page"
The following comment was included:
"Crusades were at the direction of 7 Popes. The head of the church that started, and rewrote all of the bibles... the "guide" of all Christianity."

This shows either remarkable ignorance or deception to
a) suggest that popes and crusades resembled anything in scripture.
b) popes head the Church (christ is the only head of the Church)
c) the church re-wrote the Bible.

The creator of this meme is making an incredible straw man here.

I could try to explain my comments about the Quran and the Hadith but that would require a book - I have a few of those - instead you would be better served to watch some of the videos posted by David Woods of Acts17 apologetics (on Youtube) where he quotes the books of Islam rather than merely give his opinions. Too many people are sharing their opinions of Christianity and Islam without taking time to study the facts of each.

Truth That Matters

Just the facts meme

Comprehending Pink’s Commandments Part 27

Foreword:

The following exerpt is taken from The Ten Commandments  by Arthur W. Pink

(BAKER BOOK HOUSE, 1994 GRAND RAPIDS, MI)

In this blog series I will work through this very important article a paragraph at a time – asking my reader comprehension style questions at the end. I have been much convicted by the writings of Pink and I pray your walk will also be strengthened meditating on his teaching of scripture …

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT PART III

… this statute was given a place not in the ceremonial law of Israel, which was to be done away when Christ fulfilled its types, but in the Moral Law, which was written by the finger of God Himself upon tables of stone, to signify to us its permanent nature. Finally, it should be pointed out that the very terms of this Commandment make it unmistakably plain that it was not designed only for the Jews, for it was equally binding upon any Gentiles who dwelt among them. Even though they were not in covenant with God, nor under the ceremonial law, yet they were required to keep the Sabbath holy--"thou shalt not do any work ... nor thy stranger that is within thy gates" (v. IO)! "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God". Note well it is not said (here, or anywhere in Scripture) "the seventh day of the week," but simply "the seventh day," that is, the day following the six of work. With the Jews it was the seventh day of the week, namely, Saturday, but for us it is--as the "another day" of Heb. 4:8 plainly intimates--the first day of the week, because the Sabbath not only commemorates the work of creation, but it now also celebrates the yet greater work of redemption. Thus, the Lord so worded the fourth Commandment as to suit both the Jewish and the Christian dispensations, and thereby intimated its perpetuity. The Christian Sabbath is from midnight Saturday to midnight Sunday: it is clear from John 20:1 that it began before sunrise, and therefore we may conclude it starts at Saturday midnight; while from John 20:19 we learn (from the fact it is not there called "the evening of the second day") that it continues throughout the evening, and that our worship is also to continue therein.

But though the Christian Sabbath does not commence till midnight on Saturday, yet our preparation for it must begin sooner, or how else can we obey its express requirement, "in it thou shalt not do any work"? On the Sabbath there is to be a complete resting the whole day, not only from natural recreations and doing our own pleasure (Isa. 58: 13), but from all worldly employment. The wife needs a day of rest just as much as her husband, yea, being the "weaker vessel," more so. Such things as porridge and soup can be prepared on the Saturday and heated on the Sabbath, so that we may be entirely free to delight ourselves in the Lord and give ourselves completely to His worship and service. Let us also see to it that we do not work or sit up so late on the Saturday night that we encroach on the Lord's day by staying late in bed or making ourselves drowsy for its holy duties.

1) Can you explain the essential differences between the ceremonial law of Israel and the Moral Law. Why is knowing the difference important to how we understand and apply scripture?

2) In your own words explain why it is not vital to worship and have a day of rest on Saturday as some religious groups insist as opposed to Sunday. If you encounter an insistent Sabbatarian how will you develop a scriptural argument to defend worship and rest on Sunday.

3) Do you agree with Pink’s assessment that Christian Sabbath is from midnight Saturday to midnight Sunday? If not what is your view of its duration?

4) How do you view the ban of work on Sunday (from natural recreations, doing our own pleasure and all worldly employment)? Is Pink being too strong here? What is more important – worship or rest? Or consider this – sometimes it is hard work to not work – some people find rest in certain works. How can we be consistent and honour the Lord best?

5) Finally consider: “Let us also see to it that we do not work or sit up so late on the Saturday night that we encroach on the Lord's day by staying late in bed or making ourselves drowsy for its holy duties.” Can we now rededicate ourselves to not doing the kinds of things on Saturday that make us virtual mindless sleepwalkers on Sunday. Do you ever purposefully go to bed early on Saturday so that you will be on top form for Sunday worship (as you might do before an important meeting or participating in a sporting event)?

Judge not?

click to enlarge

Comprehending Pink’s Commandments Part 26

Foreword:

The following excerpt is taken from The Ten Commandments  by Arthur W. Pink

(BAKER BOOK HOUSE, 1994 GRAND RAPIDS, MI)

In this blog series I will work through this very important article a paragraph at a time – asking my reader comprehension style questions at the end. I have been much convicted by the writings of Pink and I pray your walk will also be strengthened meditating on his teaching of scripture …

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT PART II

It should thus be quite evident that this law for the regulation of man's time was not a temporary one, designed for any particular dispensation, but is continuous and perpetual in the purpose of God: the Sabbath was "made for man" (Mark 2:27) and not simply for the Jew; it was made for man's good. What has been pointed out above upon the twofoldness of this Divine statute receives clear and irrefragable confirmation in the reason given for its enforcement: "for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day" (v. 11). Observe well the twofoldedness of this: the august Creator deigned to set an example before His creatures in each respect: HE worked for "six days," He "rested the seventh day!" It should also be pointed out that the appointing of work for man is not the consequence of sin: before the Fall, God put him "into the garden of Eden to dress and to keep it" (Gen. 2:15).

1) It is so common to say “rest in peace” when someone dies but this turns out to be untrue in almost every interpretation of the phrase. The damned will never know rest though the devil placates the world with the false treaching of annihilationism (i.e. when a person dies they totally cease to exist). The Saint (saved elect person) will also not rest either – but this is a pure blessing. Imagine eternity with nothing to do? That would be a curse. According to Scripture, what work has God set for us to do (in the millenial kingdom and then in the eternal state to come)? But there is a rest that is given to the dead who die in Christ – it is the rest from temptation and the struggle against sin, a true peace – a bliss. What sin or temptation do you struggle with that you long to be free from - to rest from?

2) Did God totally rest in the seventh day? Or was his rest from a particular activity? What was Jesus’ teaching about the sabbath and how did it differ from the legalism of the scibes and pharisees? How should this contrast affect our use of the Lord’s day (Sunday)?

Reconcile

Athlete Meme

Comprehending Pink’s Commandments Part 25

Foreword:

The following exerpt is taken from The Ten Commandments  by Arthur W. Pink

(BAKER BOOK HOUSE, 1994 GRAND RAPIDS, MI)

In this blog series I will work through this very important article a paragraph at a time – asking my reader comprehension style questions at the end. I have been much convicted by the writings of Pink and I pray your walk will also be strengthened meditating on his teaching of scripture …

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT PART I

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work" (Ex. 20:8-10). This commandment denotes that God is the sovereign Lord of our time, which is to be used and improved by us just as He has here specified. It is to be carefully noted that it consists of two parts, each of which bears directly upon the other. "Six days shalt thou (not "mayest thou") labour" is as Divinely binding upon us as "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." It is a precept requiring us diligently to attend unto that vocation and state of life in which the Divine providence has placed us, to perform its offices with care and conscience. The revealed will of God is that man should work, not idle away his time; that he should work not five days a week (for which organized labor once agitated), but six.

He who never works is unfitted for worship. Work is to pave the way for worship, as worship is to fit us for work. The fact that any man can escape the observance of this first half of the Commandment is a sad reflection upon our modern social order, and shows how far we have departed from the Divine plan and ideal. The more diligent and faithful we are in performing the duties of the six days, the more shall we value the rest of the seventh. It will thus be seen that the appointing of the Sabbath was not any arbitrary restriction upon man's freedom, but a merciful provision for his good: that it is designed as a day of gladness and not of gloom. It is the Creator's gracious exempting us from our life of mundane toil one day in seven, granting us a foretaste of that future and better life for which the present is but a probation, when we may turn wholly from that which is material to that which is spiritual, and thereby be equipped for taking hold with new consecration and renewed energies upon the work of the coming days.

1) God is sovereign over your time. How much of your time do you think you owe him? How much of it is he sovereign over? How much does he actually demand you give him?

2) "Six days shalt thou (not "mayest thou") labour". How does this statement rail against benefit fraud and sloth? The purposefully unemployed not only drain the country’s resources but add nothing to industry and growth. Is there any doubt that the state of the economy is a judgement against a country that allows people to avoid “diligently attending that vocation and state of life in which the Divine providence has placed them, to perform its offices with care and conscience?”

3) I confess that I am most tempted and fail miserably more often when I am on holiday with a lot of free time than when I am working. Idle hands are the devils playthings. Has this also been your experience? What practical steps can we take to keep busy even when we are relaxing and on vacation?

4) “The more diligent and faithful we are in performing the duties of the six days, the more shall we value the rest of the seventh.” How will this truth be even more fully realised in the Kingdom to come? What are you most looking forward to in Heaven?

Coram Deo Meme

Comprehending Pink’s Commandments Part 24

Comprehending Pink’s Commandments Part 24

Foreword:

The following exerpt is taken from The Ten Commandments  by Arthur W. Pink

(BAKER BOOK HOUSE, 1994 GRAND RAPIDS, MI)

In this blog series I will work through this very important article a paragraph at a time – asking my reader comprehension style questions at the end. I have been much convicted by the writings of Pink and I pray your walk will also be strengthened meditating on his teaching of scripture …

THE THIRD COMMANDMENT PART IV

It has become almost impossible to walk the streets or to enter mixed company without hearing the sacred Name of God treated with blasphemous contempt. The novels of the day, the stage, and even radio (and more lately television, the cinema, and the press) are terrible offenders, and without doubt this is one of the fearful sins against Himself for which God is now pouring out His judgments upon us. Of old He said unto Israel, "Because of swearing (cursing) the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil" (Jer. 23:10). And He is still the same: "The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His Name in vain." Sore punishment shall be his portion, if not in this life, then most assuredly so, eternally so, in the life to come.

1) In fact it is now unavoidable that we should hear the names of God being used in vain. We cannot cloister ourselves as Christians in holy huddles or monastries to avoid the world’s dishonouring of God's name.

a)      What practical steps can we take however in terms of “the novels of the day, the stage, and even radio (and more lately television, the cinema, and the press)”?

b)      How do we handle the blasphemy when it is performed in front of our children?  It takes discernment and prayer to know when to boldly confront the blasphemer and when to quietly take your child aside and point out the error. Consider how any sin can be turned into a teaching opportunity for children. How can we do this without turning our children into judgemental legalists?

c)      How can a blasphemous utterance be turned into an evangelistic opportunity?

2) Finally let us consider not just the names and titles of God, but other important concepts and how the frequent unthinking use of words can lessen and even distort their meaning and impact. Consider how, through common useage and misdirection, the devil has distorted the meanings of words like:

-         love

-         hate

-         hell

-         heaven

-         faith

-         truth

-         grace

-         saint

-         joy

-         peace

-         tolerance

-         works

-         etc

Comprehending Pink’s Commandments Part 23

Foreword:

The following exerpt is taken from The Ten Commandments  by Arthur W. Pink

(BAKER BOOK HOUSE, 1994 GRAND RAPIDS, MI)

In this blog series I will work through this very important article a paragraph at a time – asking my reader comprehension style questions at the end. I have been much convicted by the writings of Pink and I pray your walk will also be strengthened meditating on his teaching of scripture …

THE THIRD COMMANDMENT PART III

God's Name is taken in vain when we swear lightly and irreverently, using the Name of God with as little respect as we would show to that of a man, or when we swear falsely and are guilty of perjury. When we are placed on oath and we attest that to be true which we do not know to be true, or which we know to be false, we are guilty of one of the gravest sins which man can possibly commit, for he has solemnly called upon the great God to witness that which the father of lies has prompted him to speak. "He that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of Truth" (Isa. 65:16) , and therefore it behooves him to consider well whether what he testifies is true or not. Alas, oaths have become so excessively multiplied among us-- being interwoven, as it were, into the body politic--and so generally disregarded, that the enormity of this offense is scarcely considered. "Let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oaths, for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord" (Zech. 8:17). And what shall be said of that vast throng of profane sweaters who pollute our language and wound our ears, by a vile mixture of execrations and blasphemies in their common conversation! "Their throat is an open sepulchre ... the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness" (Rom. 3:13, 14). Utterly vain is their thoughtless plea that they mean no harm, vain their excuse that all their companions do the same, vain their plea that it is merely to relieve their feelings! What a madness it is when men anger you, to strike against God and provoke Him far more than others can provoke you! But though their fellows do not censure, nor the police arrest, nor the magistrate punish them, yet "The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain." "As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him ... as he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water" (Psa. 109:17, 18). God is dreadfully incensed by this sin, and in the common commission of this Heaven-insulting crime our country has incurred terrible guilt.

1) “Alas, oaths have become so excessively multiplied among us-- being interwoven, as it were, into the body politic--and so generally disregarded, that the enormity of this offense is scarcely considered” – If Pink wrote this in the last century consider how much more we have lost honour in our time. There was a time when a person’s word was their bond, a time when a promise unkept would result in a destroyed reputation, a time when a person’s trustworthiness was one of their greatest possessions. In our time there is a sad loss of trust and trustworthiness. What practical steps can a Chritian person take to swim against the tide of erroded honour. Consider things like punctuality, communication, oaths and steadfastness in spite of the odds.

2) What three vain excuses or pleas does the sinner give for oath breaking according to Pink? Can you think of more?

3) Can one claim to bear the image of Christ who is the ultimate oath keeper and yet make vain cheap oaths and break them? What is Christ's teaching on this matter in Matthew 5:37cf?

4) Howdo you think God feels about people typing or even (strangly) saying “OMG” ? What about other “near” blasphemies like:

-         “for goodness sake” 
-         “for crying out loud” 
-         “Jeeze” or “gee whiz”

Shoe meme

Grace Meme