Calvin: Why He Still Matters

W. Robert Godfrey, author of the new biography of John Calvin entitled John Calvin: Pilgrim and Pastor, wrote an inspiring article on Calvin’s significance to ministers today.  Here is an excerpt:

Calvin exemplified in his life and work a determination to seek to bring every thought captive to Christ. That was his passion, such was his confidence in the Word of God. That is also what he wanted to teach others. To quote Calvin, “Whoever, therefore, would desire to persevere in uprightness and in integrity of life, let them learn to exercise themselves daily in the study of the word of God; for, whenever a man despises or neglects instruction, he easily falls into carelessness and stupidity, and all fear of God vanishes from his mind” (Commentary on the Psalms, on Ps. 18:22). Calvin was certain that many people tended very naturally to carelessness and stupidity. That is surely a lesson that does not need to be taught from Scripture; it is a lesson that pastors learn by experience! Calvin recognized, and we should recognize because it is even truer today, that we are surrounded by voices that are blaring lies. The only way to sort that out is to be sure that the Bible is constantly speaking to us, that the Bible is in our hearts and in our ears and in our mind so that that authority of the Word of God is a living and vital authority for us. The Bible must constantly challenge the way we look at the world, the way we look at our fellow men and women, the way we think about God and his world.

How to Love One Another when there are Differences Among You

John Piper’s recent “Taste & See” article truly captures the kind of humility it takes to be around those who differ from you.  I am greatly thankful for this helpful articulation; and I am very humbled by God’ s grace, even as he continues to rescue my sinful heart by teaching me these principles in application.  This side of glory, I will never be finished learning them, and neither will you.

Working with you for Love,

Vince R.

New Attitude 2008: What I learned

I have finally heard (live and in person) many of the Bible teachers whom I frequently read and to whom I frequently listen via the internet.  These mighty men of God taught me much this past May 24-May 27 at New Attitude 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky.  New Attitude is an annually held conference organized by Joshua Harris, C.J. Mahaney, Eric Simmons and many others of Sovereign Grace Ministries which is stationed in Gaithersburg, MD.  This year’s conference emphasized the sufficiency and necessity of God’s own Word.  This verse was the theme of the conference:

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD of hosts.”  Jeremiah 15:16

Session 1: Pastor Joshua Harris-Ripping, Burning Eating: A Right Response to God’s Word

 

 

Session 2: Pastor Mark Dever-The Authority of Scripture

 

 

Session 3: Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. (President of SBTS)- Bible Q & A

 

 

Session 4: Pastor C.J. Mahaney-The Troubled Soul: God’s Word and Our Feelings

 

 

Session 5: Pastor Eric Simmons-What is the Point?: Growing in Vision for Diligent Study

 

 

Session 6: Pastor John Piper-William Tyndale: A Life Transformed by God’s Word

Session 7: Pastor John Piper-Fighting for Faith with God’s Word

Session 8: Pastor C.J. Mahaney-God as Father: Understanding the Doctrine of Adoption in God’s Word

 

 

Interspersed was amazingly orthodox worship through music led by Bob and Devon Kauflin and the Sovereign Grace Band. (No light show, no entertainment, just corporate worship through doctrinally sound and Christ-centered songs…)

 

 

Each morning, we met in community groups led by Sovereign Grace pastors, and family groups led by young men of Sovereign grace churches.

To top it all off, I experienced all of this in the fellowship of two dearly beloved brothers in Christ, one of many years of friendship and the other of many years of wisdom (and I hope many coming years of friendship).

Of the experience, I will say one thing I think that summarizes it:

The LORD blesses a commitment to his Word and an exaltation of his Son.

Oh, the riches of his grace…

I have ten points summarizing what the LORD taught me at Na:

1.) God is there, totally infinite, supremely valuable, immutable and holy, satisfied in his own fellowship, lacking nothing and needing nothing.

2.) God, in his own good pleasure, creates (by his word) a creation called earth and allows a created (by his word) man, aided by his helper called woman, to govern it and live in perfect fellowship with him.

3.) God, in his own good pleasure, banishes a rebellious man and woman from his paradise promising to redeem a radically depraved people out of a fallen mankind in the ages to come.

4.) God, in his own good pleasure, sovereignly chooses to make himself known by speaking.  (We serve a speaking God.)

5.) God, in his own good pleasure, sovereignly chooses men to write down his word, uniting their sinful wills to his own so that, as they write, they are kept by his power from error or imperfection.

6.)  God, in his own good pleasure, preserves his written word for centuries, until its fulfillment comes in the person of his son Jesus Christ, fully God and fully Man.

7.) God, in his own good pleasure, fulfills his written word by crushing his Christ, making him the propitiation for the sins of those found in him.

8.) God, in his own good pleasure, fulfills his written word by resurrecting his son from the dead and setting him at his own side to reign until the second advent.

9.) God, in his own good pleasure, fulfills his written word by sending his Holy Spirit into the hearts of his people, writing his law on their hearts and guarding them until the day he glorifies them for himself.

10.) God, in his own good pleasure, fulfills his written word by preserving his word in two separate testimonies, working through them by his Holy Spirit to redeem and sanctify his people until the fullness of them comes into his kingdom.

Application:  Delight, cherish and obey the words of the God who makes himself known to you through them.

How convicting, how cleansing, and how glorious!

All of the Bible is about God and what he did!  I am to come to it, expecting to delight in God, himself, through the glorious gospel of the blessed God.

I close with this quotation from Charles Spurgeon:

“Observe, concerning the first advent, that the Lord was moving in it towards man. ‘When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son.’ We moved not towards the Lord, but the Lord towards us. I do not find that the world in repentance sought after its Maker. No, but the offended God himself in infinite compassion broke the silence, and came forth to bless his enemies. All good things begin with him.”

Working with you to cherish God’s word and to love God through it,

Vince R.

Visit the new attitude website if you wish to download and listen to the sermons.  I HIGHLY suggest that you do!

http://www.newattitude.org/liveblog/

P.S.

I also want to thank Brother Hank (go read his blog at lawngospel.wordpress.com) for much insight from his own experience in his personal walk and from his first year at seminary, most especially through what he has heard from his professor, the Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Russell Moore.  Look him up!

Oh yeah,

New Attitude 2009 (Baltimore, MD).  I will pray about attending this.  The Lord just might let me go (and maybe with more people).

 

Worshipping In Tune with the Standard

Like I recently said, I want to pick up the guitar.  I tried the other night, yuck! It’s so out of tune after all these years.  My piano is out of tune somewhat too so that doesn’t really work.  I’ll wait, then, until I find someone else who is closer to that “standard” of proper tuning to which we can both conform.  Hmm, sort of made me think of Tozer… 

“Has it ever occured to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other?  They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow.  So one hundred worshippers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes from God to strive for closer fellowship.” -A.W. Tozer, Pursuit of God

You want to get closer to your brother or sister in Christ? Why don’t you both ponder the Lord?  That’ll help.

Working with you to tune together to that great Standard,

Vince R.