This is a wonderful (and amusing) truth

QUESTION: Aren't there some great men who use other versions [versions other than the Traditional Text such as, in English, the King James Version]?

ANSWER: Yes, but they are all in subjection to the perfect Bible.

EXPLANATION: There are preachers who are considered "great" by many who either openly or covertly disdain the concept of the Bible being perfect. They correct it with regularity and openly attack those who claim to accept it as infallible.

There are also many Christian colleges and universities where a student is shown "mistakes" in the King James Bible. The obvious question is: "How can these great men and institutions be wrong and still have God bless them?" The answer is found in the Bible, our final authority in all matters of faith and practice.

As we turn to II Kings 17 we find Israel in a sad state. They have been conquered by Assyria, and the Israelites were carried away captive (II Kings 17:23). The king of Assyria then planted heathen foreigners in the land of Israel (II Kings 17:24). These people did not fear God so He sent lions among them to kill them (verse 25), causing them to cry out for Jewish priests to be sent to teach them how to worship "the God of the land" (II Kings 17:26-28). The result is found in verses 32 and 41. The Bible says that, "They feared the LORD, and served their own gods."

This same thing is true among our fundamental preachers and colleges. Many fundamental preachers really do not believe that the Bible is infallible, but they dare not admit it. So they "fear the LORD," i.e., they stand in the pulpit, hold the Bible in the air, and declare, "This Book is the absolute word of God without a mixture of error." Then, out of the pulpit they "serve their own gods" in that they privately point to what they consider mistakes in the Bible and ridicule anyone who really believes what they had just said in the pulpit. This may seem hypocritical. It is. It may seem two-faced. It is. But rest assured, they would never say that they believe the Bible is perfect while standing in the pulpit if they didn't "Fear the LORD" enough to know that they would be ruined if anyone knew what they really believed. In other words, you'll never hear one of them stand in the pulpit, hold up the Bible and say, "I believe that this Book is poorly translated and full of errors and that there isn't a perfect version on the face of this earth that you can hold in your hand." If they ever made such an honest confession they know that they would be "through." Thus God's "lions" MAKE them bow their knees to the perfect Bible even if they do it only as lip service.

Likewise, our Christian colleges and universities dare not say, "Come to our school and we will destroy your faith in the perfect Bible and show you that it is filled with errors." No, to only "serve their own gods" in such a way would bring the "lions" to the campus doors. They "Fear the LORD" enough to advertise themselves as schools who "Stand without apology for the absolute authority of Scripture" or some even go so far as to boast "We use only the King James Bible." Then, after the student has been accepted, after the student has committed himself to the school, then and only then, do they begin ever so subtly to destroy their faith in the perfect Bible and show that the "good old King James" is full of errors. But they know, and God knows that they were too scared not to bend their knees to "the God of the land" and His Book, the King James Bible.

http://av1611.com/kjbp/faq/greatmen.html

I agree

I agree with this, from the Richmond Declaration:

BAPTISM
We would express our continued conviction that our Lord appointed no outward rite or ceremony for observance in His church. We accept every command of our Lord in what we believe to be its genuine import, as absolutely conclusive. The question of the use of outward ordinances is with us a question, not as to the authority of Christ, but as to his real meaning. We reverently believe that, as there is one Lord and one faith, so there is, under the Christian dispensation, but one baptism, (Eph 4:4,5) even that whereby all believers are baptized in the one Spirit into the one body. (1 Cor 12:13 RV) This is not an outward baptism with water, but a spiritual experience; not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, (1 Pet 3:21) but that inward work which, by transforming the heart and settling the soul upon Christ, brings forth the answer of a good conscience towards God, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ, in the experience of His love and power, as the risen and ascended Savior. No baptism in outward water can satisfy the description of the apostle, of being buried with Christ by baptism unto death. (Rom 6:4) It is with the Spirit alone that any can thus be baptized. In this experience the announcement of the Forerunner of our Lord is fulfilled, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." (Matt 3:11) In this view we accept the commission of our blessed Lord as given in Matthew 28:18, 19 and 20th verses: "And Jesus came to them and spake unto them saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you, and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (RV) This commission, as we believe, was not designed to set up a new ritual under the new covenant, or to connect the initiation into a membership, in its nature essentially spiritual, with a mere ceremony of a typical character. Otherwise it was not possible for the Apostle Paul, who was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostle, (2 Cor 11:5) to have disclaimed that which would, in that case, have been of the essence of his commission when he wrote, "Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel." (1 Cor 1:17) Whenever an external ceremony is commanded, the particulars, the mode and incidents of that ceremony, become of its essence. There is an utter absence of these particulars in the text before us. Which confirms our persuasion that the commission must be construed in connection with the spiritual power which the risen Lord promised should attend the witness of his apostles and of the church to Him, and which, after Pentecost, so mightily accompanied their ministry of the word and prayer, that those to whom they were sent were introduced into an experience wherein they had a saving knowledge of, and living fellowship with, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

THE SUPPER OF THE LORD
Intimately connected with the conviction already expressed is the view that we have ever maintained as to the true supper of the Lord. We are well aware that our Lord was pleased to make use of a variety of symbolical utterances, but he often gently upbraided His disciples for accepting literally what He had intended only in its spiritual meaning. His teaching, as in His parables or in the command to wash one another's feet, was often in symbols, and ought ever to be received in the light of His own emphatic declaration, "The words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life." (John 6:63) The old covenant was full of ceremonial symbols; the new covenant, to which our Savior alluded at the last supper, is expressly declared by the prophet to be "not according to the old." (Jer 31:32, Heb 8:9) We cannot believe that in setting up this new covenant the Lord Jesus intended an institution out of harmony with the spirit of this prophecy. The eating of His body and the drinking of His blood cannot be an outward act. They truly partake of them who habitually rest upon the sufferings and death of their Lord as their only hope, and to whom the indwelling Spirit gives to drink of the fullness that is in Christ. It is this inward and spiritual partaking that is the true supper of the Lord.

The presence of Christ with His church is not designed to be by symbol or representation, but in the real communication of His own Spirit. "I will pray the Father and He shall give you another Comforter, who shall abide with you forever," (John 14:16) convincing of sin, testifying of Jesus, taking of the things of Christ, this blessed Comforter communicates to the believer and to the church, in a gracious, abiding manifestation, the REAL PRESENCE of the Lord. As the great remembrancer, through whom the promise is fulfilled, He needs no ritual or priestly intervention in bringing to the experience of the true commemoration and communion. "Behold," saith the risen Redeemer, "I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with me." (Rev 3:20) In an especial manner, when assembled for congregational worship, are believers invited to the festival of the Savior's peace, and in a united act of faith and love, unfettered by any outward rite or ceremonial, to partake together of the body that was broken and of the blood that was shed for them, without the gates of Jerusalem. In such a worship they are enabled to understand the words of the apostle as expressive of a sweet and most real experience: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread." (1 Cor 10:16,17)

And this, from Essential Truths:

Christ Himself baptizes the surrendered soul with the Holy Spirit, enduing it with power, bestowing gifts for service. This is an efficient baptism, a direct incoming of divine power for the transformation and control of the whole man. Christ Himself is the Spiritual bread which nourishes the soul, and He thus enters into and becomes a part of the being of those who partake of Him. This participation with Christ and apprehension of Him become the goal of life for the Christian. Those who thus enter into oneness with Him become also joined in living union with each other as members of one body.

The key is regeneration. Self-identified Christians who are currently unregenerate are simply too vain and prideful and man-fearing to accept that the faith is not a matter of paint-by-numbers ritual. Regeneration is effected, when it is, by the Word and the Spirit. It's out of your hands (and your clerics' hands). Then you do the faith - practice the faith - in real time in your everyday life, not in rituals.

Of kings and king nothin'

"Even the quiet (clearing) inner light (by whatever name) practices. I may know more about that than they do though."

~:| Because I'm so quiet.

~:/

~:| Watch.

~:/ ............zzzzzzzzzz......

>:o "Snake! I am the snake! FEVER!!! duh duh duh duh uh uh Where's your crown king nothin'!!"

~:|

~:/

~:/

~:| I think that was two songs mixed together.

~:/

~:| I'm not really a Quaker.

~:/

~:| Quakers would kick me out of their communion just as quickly as Presbyterians would.

~:/

~:| I'm really just a stranger. I need to go to the stranger church, which is the invisible Church of which Christ is King. It's accessed by reading the Word, prayer and fasting, or, put another way, Jesus' two great commandments done at the practical level in real time. It's how you fulfill your part in the Covenant of Redemption.

~:/

~:/

~:| When you're there you'll know it. Exploit everything, join nothing. Except the invisible Church of which Christ is King. And you're drawn into that by the grace of God effected by the Word and the Spirit.

>:o "Where's your crown king nothin'!!!"

~:/

~:| I'm talking to you, establishment Christianity. See yon stranger trundling off into the setting sun for another cold night in the strange land. He belongs to God. He is in God's Kingdom now.

~:/

~:| Which reminds me. Notice when church Christians talk of 'great' Christians they talk of clerics and theologians of the past? Everyday Christians are just 'sheep' who are continually in need of 'instruction' and never get to the 'great' status that the clerics attain to. These are the people who once they sense they are throwing in with the Christian thing they then start talking about "going to seminary." Hey, aren't there other options? Like, maybe ... being a Christian? Developing as a lowly, stranger Christian? No, they must 'lead' sheep and write books! "I just preached a three hour sermon on Joshua 4:10." "You're a great Christian, Pastor! The forty-minute intro to it about your time at a conference with other pastors where you didn't give the sheep too much inside info wherein you'd have been talking out of school, you know, like all the conversation about good places to get ice cream in that city, was brilliant!! Turn it into a book, Pastor!"

~:/

>:o "Where's your crown, king nothin'!!!"

~:|

~:/

Unity...

All these Christians argue their case to get a unity of the 'Church.' Argue to eternity. And it's so shallow. They can't see that what they argue for is a worldly unity, which is what the faith once delivered is exactly NOT about.

The unity of the Kingdom of God exists in the new heart of one believer, pilgrims.

And even John Calvin, when directly up against a Roman Catholic satanist cleric, stated that the church is the one Church of which Christ is King (see his reply to Sadoleto).

That's an example to show that the reformers only talked of visible 'church' authority and so on, and ritual 'sacraments', because the devil on the other side, the Roman Beast clerics, could have used it against them if they didn't give that little bit of ground to the devil. Politically and in the context of the war at hand they had to tactically concede that ground. Practical decisions of war, when the devil has a totalitarian tyranny over the land...but the later Calvinists and Reformed protestants had no excuse. They defaulted to Romanist notions of 'church authority' and ritual 'sacraments' because they simply feared and revered man more than they feared and revered God.

And it is the same today.

Five solas child of the light

I may be a Calvinist Quaker, or just a Quaker with understanding of sound doctrine. A Puritan who doesn't engage in Jewish ritual or man-fearing clericalism/churchism. Maybe just a bold Zwinglian. It doesn't matter. I'm a child of the light. Regeneration separates the wheat from the chaff. That is accomplished by the Word and the Spirit.

If I anchored myself within an Evangelical Quaker thing, or even just any Quaker communion, maintaining, in good Quaker style, my understanding of the faith despite what others around me may me thinking the faith is all about, I'd be less likely to write posts like the one immediately below (not that that post isn't on-the-mark in substance).

The fact is: I see formalism, ritualism, clericalism, and moralism in all Protestant domains, and obviously in the other branches. And I have an understanding things Quakers have a history of and even a language of. Five solas child of the light may be it. (The word 'quaker' is a pejorative like Puritan which means people who 'trembled' at the Word of God. Not physically. Atheists call themselves Quakers today, but a real Christian holds the Bible to be authority, which the Quakers historically have.)

I'm just saying that since I've been accused of being a church unto myself (or denomination or whatever) the fact is, ironically, the people called Quakers of the 1600s held to views of sacraments and church and so on that I hold to. I say ironically because I understand the doctrines of grace (Calvinism) and the five solas and Federal Theology and so on, and Quakers have a historical reputation of not even valuing the Word of God, which is not accurate, at least not accurate for the ones who were able, by the Spirit, to value the Word of God. Most Reformed/Calvinists don't value the Word of God in the sense that they deny the Holy Spirit as teacher and illuminator, despite Calvin historically being called the theologian of the Holy Spirit (John Owen as well). They default back to Romanist notions of 'church authority.' I really just differ on the ritual 'sacraments' thing and the man-fearing church nonsense (Village of Morality). Otherwise I'm a plain path Puritan. The Quakers were Puritans who just didn't hold to Jewish ritual and man-fearing church nonsense. Maybe not all of them, but not everybody is at the same level or stage of understanding of the faith, if they're even yet capable of understanding the faith (i.e. if they yet have the Spirit).

The local Quaker (Society of Friends) church seems like a regular Protestant evangelical church. The other one probably is the unitarian, atheist, "Hands off Saddam!" peace wankers Quaker church. It doesn't matter, I'm just pointing out that historically, going back to the Reformation, there are Christians that have held to the view I hold to. Nothing new under the sun. I always had to admit I'm not a Reformed or Presbyterian or even Calvinist in the full meaning of that. If pinned down to something actually historical though there does exist something I seem to be in sync with. Even the quiet (clearing) inner light (by whatever name) practices. I may know more about that than they do though.

Oh, no, they've got your world

The elect of God aren't in the churches. The devil today has full - FULL - control of the churches. Not just the Roman Beast church or the Mormon satanism and other obvious synagogues of satan, but ALL the churches. The slimy **** that Federal Visionists are are proof of this. The devil's **** is now fully in control in the last bastions of defense of the pure, apostolic doctrine: Reformed, Calvinist churches. They can't get rid of the slimy FV ****. They can't pick it up and toss it out. They can't tar and feather it. If they touch it it gets on them. And since it's the devil's **** it can't be dealt with with soap. And it is a judgment on you. If you are in the midst of attempting to deal with it it is God's judgment on you. Your formalism and ritualism and clericalism and moralism is being judged by God. When such rank dullards as the Federal Vision crowd can enter your domain and slime their slimy **** all over you and your churches and your beliefs and practices it is God judging you.

God's elect aren't in the churches. God's elect are in the Church of which Christ is King, but we're not in those little visible whorehouses that the devil now fully calls his own.

And you can't argue otherwise. Not while you have all that slimy **** all over you that you can't get rid of.

First post [from August 16, 2005]

This blog will never be one you will link to on your own blog. That's because I don't fear man. I fear only God. And I speak with the discernment of the Spirit of Truth, and speak not in a lukewarm manner.

Use this blog to get a dose of the elect of God. To get oriented, or reoriented, on the King's Highway...and the practical level.

And read your Bible complete, Genesis through Revelation. It is an act that makes you a serious Christian. You can't know how it effects you and develops you and awakens you, until you just do it. Even then the development - vertical development - is subtle, and you get acclimated to your new level as well, yet just know the effort has effect. Unique, dedicated, complete readings that require effort and time. A long arc of time riding over each of your average days. Complete the arc. It's a bridge that takes you to a destination you can't know about until you arrive there.

The Bible is Living Language. Among the other things it does is once you read it, just simply read it complete, download it complete into you, humbly, not demanding it conform to your level but meeting it at its level, it puts inside you what you need to have to be able to see new things in yourself and in the world around you and in the world above you. It is higher visual language and also communicates via the very underlying structure of the books - and overall Book - itself.

Regeneration is everything because it's the foundation of eternal life. No conversion, no faith, no nothing without regeneration, and regeneration is effected, when it is effected, by the Word and the Spirit. Put yourself in the environment where the Spirit works. Move close to God and God will move close to you (James chapter 4).

The yes before the no transcends the no before the yes

The individual who wrote this post is considered one of the high intellectuals of the Federal Visionaries Movement. It is easily in the top five of the most moronic things I've ever read on a Christian or so-called Christian internet site. This is the cartoonish level of doctrinal sophistry these FVists are able to get away with among their followers.

What's most important?

What's most important?

Connection to Christ.

Word, Spirit, faith.

Practically speaking, engaging the Word, meditating on it, getting a parts in relation to the whole understanding of it. Becoming mighty in the Word. Using it deftly as the Sword of the Spirit.

Practically speaking, provoking limits and extending limits for being filled with and being able to contain the Holy Spirit without grieving the Holy Spirit with "old man" (Old Adam) human, all-to-human behaviour. Watchfulness and fearing God only in real time and a state of prayer and worship and meditation accumulates the Spirit and enables containing of the Spirit.

Practically speaking, standing on and proclaiming your faith when tempted or challenged by the World, the flesh, or the devil. Building faith via understanding, emotional refinement and control, and God-directed volition.

Doug Wilson being Doug Wilson

An example, a small example perhaps, but a relevant example of Doug Wilson's penchant for dishonesty.

He writes a blog post about the incident in Moscow, Idaho, where he lives, of a sniper killing two and taking his own life. The sniper had some beef with the courthouse. It was the courthouse that he was shooting at. Then he retreated into a church across from the courthouse when police were on him.

So Doug Wilson writes his entire post as if it was the church ("a Presbyterian church") that was the focal point of the whole incident. Wilson, of course, gets pleasure out of the fact that a gunmen would be shooting up a "Presbyterian" church, and he loves to leave the impression that this is so obviously some kind of judgment from God, so he harps on that part of the incident, never mentioning the courthouse and the fact that the "Presbyterian" church was most likely the closest building for the sniper to retreat to.

A small example of dishonesty, and mischief on the part of Doug Wilson, but small dishonest words are telling, especially with his overall reputation for dishonesty and mischief regarding truth.

ps- I don't link to Wilson's posts because he edits them with no mention he has edited them. Much like James White edits his books with no mention of it in the book, and then accuses critics of having misquoted him when they were merely quoting his text from before he edited it. These are church leaders.

Interesting exchange on a Roman Catholic blog

This comment exchange is between a "former Calvinist" and new convert to Roman Catholicism (going by the name InCatholicTruth) and a Roman Catholic apologist (named Art). The subject is the dumb, new, theologically liberal academic doctrine called the New Perspective on Paul (which the RC apologist shortens to NPSP for New Perspective on Saint Paul...all of us Bible-believing, born again Christians are saints, RC apologist!) and the fact that a traditionalist Roman Catholic (named Sungenis) doesn't agree with the 'NPSP' while the RC apologist who owns the blog does agree with the 'NPSP.'

Note the bolded, underlined text written by the Roman Catholic apologist...

InCatholicTruth said...

Art,

I don't follow Sungenis at all and only own one of his books Not By Faith Alone, which I understand was written before he went off into whatever he has become of late.

Up until 11 months ago I was a Calvinist and I often posted on a "Puritan Forum" (my posting privileges were terminated when I announced that I was becoming Catholic). The principal players on the "Puritan Forum" (not its real title) insisted that the NPP/FV is a heresy and were constantly asserting their Reformed views in a variety of ways to show the errors in the "New Perspective".

Well, this was enough to motivate me to read some N.T. Wright, because how else could I be objective about these matters?

I read several short selections of Wright's on the WEB as well as some of his work "The Climax of the Covenant".

This and many other readings, in conjunction with simply READING the Gospel of Matthew caused the blinders to fall from eyes. It became progressively clear to me that only ONE VISIBLE CHURCH on this Earth is totally faithful to Matthew and the other Gospels in both Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy.

That would be the Roman Catholic Church. I reasoned that if the Catholic Faith is faithful to what Jesus Christ teaches in the Gospels then IT MUST be the Visible Church that Christ founded, because there was far too much rationalization of the Gospels going on every place else I searched.

Well the look on my PCA Pastor's face was interesting to say the least when I informed him that I was becoming a Roman Catholic!

May 15, 2007 6:42 PM



Art Sippo said...

Incatholictruth:

I am so happy to have you with us, my brother. We need to pray for those whom you have left behind who could not follow you.

I think that your story is very similar to Dr. Beckwith''s and I anticipate there will be many more people like you who will follow the NPSP and even the FV (Federal Vision) to return to Catholic unity. [By "Catholic unity" this person means the Roman Catholic antichrist church. RCs don't like to admit that they are "Roman" Catholics. It takes away from their claim to universality, and exposes their pagan, satanic heresy, very much the equal of pagan, satanic Islam.]

BTW it is curious among Protestants that they refer to the "New Perspective on Paul" (NPP). As a Catholic, I like to refer to the "New Perspective on SAINT Paul" (NPSP).

Art

May 15, 2007 9:44 PM



InCatholicTruth said...

Art,

Thanks for your kindness and great wisdom both here and over at the Envoy Forum.

Well, can't claim a background that even approaches Dr. Beckwith's, but I appreciate your comments!

In fact, I design/write Computer Software for a living and kind of "fell into" going to an Evangelical Sect's "Bible College" part-time 11-12 years ago. Looking back, I now realize that much of this was motivated by the guilt I felt over having been divorced, yet with the knowledge that "something had never been right" in that failed marriage from the very beginning.

I won't elaborate further on the marriage issues as I have done over at "Speak your Mind", except to say God's moral law cannot be violated by anyone who truly desires to follow Christ! No amount of Soteriological gamesmanship (like the Calvinist and DEFINITELY the "free grace" Fundamentalists like to play) can change this fact.

Without a visible, authoritative Church to infallibly interpret Scripture and adjudicate complex Moral issues, what are we left with?

EXACTLY the subjective mess we see in Protestantism.

And yes, we can only pray that I our separated brethren will "come home" to the visible, organic unity found in the Eucharist, in submission to the Holy Father, and in the embrace of the Mother Church.

May 16, 2007 6:30 PM

An observation on the classic catechisms (Westminster, Heidelberg, etc.)

Notice when reading one of the classic catechisms such as the Westminster Shorter Catechism or the Heidelberg Catechism there is a disappointment (for some of us) when you get beyond the doctrinal parts and they close out with rundowns of the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. There is disappointment because more is expected. What is missing?

It's in these parts of the catechisms that is elucidated what one actually does as a Christian. Good works. Good works, as the Heidelberg Catechism (or, Ursinus in his Commentary on that catechism) states are works that are, among other things, commanded by God. So they then discuss the Ten Commanments. Which is proper, but they are leaving out something rather big.

They are leaving out the teaching on good works of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament. Things like turn the other cheek, and love thy enemy, and practicing watchfulness, and separating yourself unto the Gospel (and away from the world), and fearing God only (in the sense of not fearing/revering man or the world or any aspect of the creation rather than the Creator), and waiting on the Lord, &c. All of which can be seen, or culled by implication from the Ten Commandments, but they are not explicitly stated in them which is why Jesus spoke the words he spoke in the New Testament. And they aren't all summed up, either, in the Lord's Prayer, anymore than the Sermon on the Mount is summed up in the Lord's Prayer.

It's a strange missing element from these great, classic catechisms.

It's because the teaching of Jesus is of a different level and stage. To value the teaching of Jesus (to even see it) requires true regeneration effected by the Word and the Spirit. Narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Now it is high time to awake out of sleep...

I know

School

It's very quiet.

The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
Prov 15:24

OK!!!

I knew I was going tor regret complimenting an FVist

Yes, a few posts down I complimented Doug Wilson. But only in the context of his debate with an atheist. But you really can't compliment a Doug Wilson, or any FVist for any reason, regarding any subject. If you say he mows his lawn nicely he'll take that to mean you've "come some way at least" towards "seeing the truth" of his sacerdotal, man-revering, devil-inspired 'vision.'

Looking at some Christian blogs

The Boar's Head Tavern. This blog/forum was a casual habit for most of its visitors, usually at the end of hitting every channel on the internet remote. Then they went and changed their look, so now the site crashes in I.E., and the text - dark grey on darker grey - is a bit annoying, which means traffic has fallen off a cliff. It's owner's favorite contributor, Pirate, is now writing at ReformedCatholicism.com (exposing why the iMonk liked him so much to begin with), a blog where they tell you to read Schaff's History of the Church if you want to understand the Faith.

Pyromaniacs. This blog has fallen on hard times as well. It got a bit devastated by the crash of dispensationalism occasioned by the blog owner's boss appearing at a well-attended conference, scratching his wrists and talking about Jewish "DNA."

Triablogue. This blog lost its readership about two years ago when it posted no less than 6 posts in succession each of 60 or more pages in length. One of the posts was 93 pages long. What has to be going on in a person's mind to spend the effort to write a blog post that is 93 pages long? It guarantees it will be read by exactly zero people for one thing, and on that blog it gets lost in the archives after about three hours. Well, all in a day's work.

ReformedCatholicism.com. This blog is evidence that people like to read blogs that have people who make you feel more intelligent. Like, "What are these numbskulls up to lately?"

Alpha and Omega Ministries. James White's blog. Currently Doug Wilson is making James White look like, well...James White. As Wilson deftly takes on atheists the world over (Harris, Dawkins, Hitchins) White can only stand to the side and wonder what it would be like to be able to make a Wodehouse reference in an opening remark. I mean, even just a Wodehouse reference. Or to have some understanding of human nature; some understanding of the world and himself. Rather than being stuck at the level of a giggling, apple-polishing, self-focused highschool debate club champion of all time.

Whilin' Away the Hours. Yes, heresy will always get you attention. But it's like porn, your audience will demand more and more corruption and decadence until...you have nothing left to offer, and you get boring.

Plain Path Puritan. Just read the Bible complete, pilgrims. That's what makes real Christians. Christians who are able to be on-the-mark with the faith. And read the pure and whole Traditional Text Word of God (in English, AV1611), not the devil and man-corrupted modern versions based on the devil's and the Vatican's corrupt manuscripts. The reformers knew of those manuscripts, pilgrims. They weren't called Westcott and Hort or Critical Text back then, they were simply known as Roman Catholic corruptions of God's Word.

There's a good point in this

What Ought to be Our Attitude Toward the Sovereignty of God?

Arthur W. Pink


It has been well said that "true worship is based upon recognized greatness, and greatness is superlatively seen in Sovereignty, and at no other footstool will men really worship." In the presence of the Divine King upon His throne even the seraphim 'veil their faces.' Divine sovereignty is not the sovereignty of a tyrannical Despot, but the exercised pleasure of One who is infinitely wise and good! Because God is infinitely wise He cannot err, and because He is infinitely righteous He will not do wrong. Here then is the preciousness of this truth. The mere fact itself that God's will is irresistible and irreversible fills me with fear, but once I realize that God wills only that which is good. My heart is made to rejoice. Here then is the final answer to the question (concerning our attitude toward God's sovereignty)—What ought to be our attitude toward the sovereignty of God? The becoming attitude for us to take is that of godly fear, implicit obedience, and unreserved resignation and submission. But not only so: the recognition of the sovereignty of God, and the realization that the Sovereign Himself is my Father, ought to overwhelm the heart and cause me to bow before Him in adoring worship. At all times I must say, "Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in Thy sight."

Props

This post is epic. (Because I learned new things, which means it's epic.) The connection between human sacrifice and war and crime and tyranny is epic. The post overall is epic. Human sacrifice, blood sacrifice ("Blood, blood blood" as Sinead sings in that song linked below) is so central to the Faith and to human history and experience and nature that it could use more popular elucidations like this. Doug Wilson deserves props for his post on the subject (OK, whatever 'props' are, but I think everyone thinks of them as something good).

Now, just stop attempting to redefine Reformed Theology. At least you've started your own denomination and church though, and aren't fifth columning at this point. Yet, you also need to stop pretending you speak for Federal Vision when you are so clearly, at least publically, at variance with the other prominent voices of Federal Vision. You also need to publically distance yourself from them. Strongly, and in plain language. But you won't, because you're playing games. Too bad.

Sinead O'Connor 'Jeremiah (Something Beautiful)'

Dynamic interrelating of divine and human realms

"Two-Register Cosmology: Central in biblical revelation is the relationship of God, whose dwelling place is heaven's glory (Ps 115:16), to man on earth. A two-register cosmos is thus the scene of the biblical drama, which features constant interaction between the upper and lower registers.[3]"

"[3]Theological differences aside, the cosmology of mythology is analogous. Indeed, mythology may be defined formally precisely as a portrayal of human affairs in terms of a dynamic interrelating of divine and human realms."

Excerpt and footnote from Kline's article 'Space and Time in the Genesis Cosmogony' included as Appendix A in his book God, Heaven and Har Magedon, pg. 224, Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2006.

A modest forum exchange translated

Dr. R. Scott Clark posted:

"There is an interview concerning Covenant, Justification, and Pastoral Ministry online at Creed or Chaos."

A person (could have been anyone) replied:

"Thank you Dr. Clark. I dl'd it to put on my iPod. I won't get an opportunity to listen to it until Monday. Blessings sir and have a great Lord's Day."

I translate:

"Thank you Dr. Clark." Thanks, Ph.D. orangutan.

"I dl'd it to put on my iPod." I stared at it. Another forum post. Another link. What is my life.

"I won't get an opportunity to listen to it until Monday." I won't get a chance to forget about it until Monday.

"Blessings sir and have a great Lord's Day." Blah-blah, Blah, and maybe we'll waste a portion of each other's life again sometime in the near future. I'm going to now go not read the Bible some more.

Mockers of the end times, item number 18763

Clerics disparage and mock 'Bible alone' or 'the Bible is my creed.' They are the world talking.

If you've got the Word, the Holy Spirit, and sanctified common-sense, you've got all you need for knowing sound doctrine and godliness.

For putting on the armour of light.

And the 'critical text' champions say, "Run away! Run away!"

Regarding this post here: R. Scott Clark ran away. As do all champions of the 'critical text' when confronted directly.

Note: James R. White is a member of that forum, and he's never once engaged Jerusalem Blade on the manuscripts issues. This is because James R. White is working for the devil on that battleline, and the devil tells his own who it's 'wise' to mess with and who it's wise not to mess with...

Devil: "Don't mess with that guy, my little chuckling bald-headed dupe. You'll make us all look bad, and we wouldn't want that, would we?"

James White: "No, Father. (Praise Be Upon You)"

"Sacraments"

The problem with 'sacraments' as church Christians understand them is they get *man* all involved between the believer and Jesus Christ. Which is why the devil (and clerics securing their livelihood) loves them, and how he's able to use them as such effective means to keep the fear of man preeminent over the fear of God in churches. Which keeps church Christians real "Village of Morality" dumb and real Spiritually dead.

Sacraments are mysteries, taught by the Holy Spirit, involving the Holy Spirit. They're about being filled with the Spirit, and remembering Jesus and all that He represents once the flesh - and the world and the devil - wars with the Spirit. They are about active, progressive sanctification. Provoking limits and extending limits. Limits involving the measure of the Holy Spirit you can handle and use. Jesus was given the Spirit *without measure*. Believers can hold only so much as they can contain without grieving the Spirit within them with human, all-to-human behaviour.

How is this done, practically speaking? Well, to get to the practical level of the faith you have to *value* the practical level of the faith. You also have to *fear only God*. Fear God, *it is the beginning of wisdom*. Language exists. Language of the Holy Spirit. Language the Holy Spirit teaches.