This is another unusual “Proverb for Today” post. If you dare to read past the ***, you will encounter the following:
If you skip to the video without reading what I’ve said about you publicly (!!!), then I can’t be held responsible for your behaviour.
***
He may face the death penalty in Iran.
If you wish to contact the Iranian embassy in London, follow this link.
Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them;
and them which suffer adversity,
as being yourselves also in the body.
Hebrews 13:3
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3).
Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind (Romans 14:5).
And he that doubteth is damned (condemned) if he eat (or sings), because he eateth (or sings) not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23).
Two Baptist seminary professors had a sort-of disagreement on music last week. It certainly wasn’t a fight, but they weren’t, shall we say, singing from the same hymn sheet (I not only rely on bad jokes, I rely on OLD bad jokes — pity my poor wife). I don’t know that I’ll be “sorting the two of them out”, but I wanted to comment on their posts because both provided valuable perspective, and it should help clarify music standards for those in our church. Perhaps it will also help others.
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Brethren, God the Son, God incarnate in human flesh, Jesus the Christ, our Lord and our Saviour is coming again. All throughout God’s Word, the promise is given, “Our Lord shall come again.” Certainly this is a glorious truth as we are “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13)
Yet the truth of our Lord’s Second Coming is not just a glorious truth. It is also a motivational truth. It is a truth that should motivate us to live aright even now. In fact, this promise of our Lord’s Second Coming is employed as a principle of motivation at least once in every book of the New Testament except Galatians, Philemon, 2 John, and 3 John. Already in the first four parts of the message, we have considered such passages from Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and 1 Thessalonians. Now in this fifth part of the message, let us consider such passages from 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus.
A few links I noticed this week.
Does anyone anywhere actually think this kind of rubbish is what Almighty God had in mind when He sent His Holy Son to earth in humble surroundings? So a Damien Hirst replica skull is supposed to remind us of the gifts of the wise men? Our consumer culture, with all its trends and fashions, is extremely destructive, and contrary to the command to “Love not the world….” (I John 2:15-17). We should not try to appeal to these values as a way to present Christ. David Hosaflook probably wasn’t responding to this, but his hilarious post might as well have been :).
The Church of Scotland is opposed to the lottery and gambling. Really. “We’re opposed, but give us the money.” And they wonder why people don’t listen to them very much anymore….
Some clear thinking from an Anglican minister on what the Bible says about the death penalty. I would have many differences (some of them important) with anyone who stays in the Church of England, but I appreciate anyone who preaches the Gospel and holds to the authority of Scripture. I have no confidence, if the UK government did reinstate the death penalty, that it would be used in a manner consistent with Biblical teaching, but the principle of the death penalty is clearly taught in Scripture.
Lie Like a Christian? Doug Wilson (insert disclaimer here) thinks so. Perhaps I’ll write on this at some point — when, if ever, should Christians lie? Where exactly does the Bible tell us this is good and right?
Pastor Dan Miller has an entertaining but good challenge to watch the way we use our mobile phones.
Tim Challies says you married the wrong person.
Search the Scriptures;
for in them ye think ye have eternal life:
and they are they which testify of Me.
John 5:39And beginning at Moses and all the prophets,
He expounded unto them in all the scriptures
the things concerning Himself.
Luke 24:27
In yesterday’s post, I talked about two ways of seeing Christ in Proverbs that are pretty dubious, and one that is “unproven”. There is some interesting further discussion in the comments on that post. Without shutting that discussion down at all, today I’d like to discuss some of the ways we can most certainly see Christ in Proverbs.
Mind Renewers 