History of the PCA...in a rap song???

Enjoy this rap song from a kid at Covenant Seminary!

Read more about him here.

Generation Porn

Generation Porn - Click the link to view a very disturbing article. Its nothing we don't already know. We, the church, must do something. It DOES seem as if our hands are tied. What can we do? Pornography is legal, and to try and argue that unwanted views of it are actually a type of passive abuse will not get one very far in the legal process I am sure.

So, again, what do we do? We offer a superior pleasure. We offer the Gospel.

I wonder if we were dedicated to living and preaching the Gospel, if the church could surpass the internet wave of porn? I wonder if our "stats" could surpass the stats in this article?

Sure we can...but not passively. Lord have mercy on us all as we fulfill the Great Commission.

The Gospel.

Sin doesn’t allow life to be safe. This confronts our natural desire to be safe and satisfied. We desire to be comforted and accepted. Again, sin doesn’t allow for this to happen. We live in a world that is created and founded by a just God. Rebellion against Him places all men in an immediate situation where all safety, comfort and acceptance is threatened and out of reach. And that is why Adam hid in the garden; that, too, is why we hide (Gen 3:10).

What do we try to do in our hiding? We try to make our sin go away. This is called self-justification. We say over ourselves, “If I do this, then I will have paid for my sin and will be declared ‘not guilty.’” But our efforts are in vain. We don’t have the ability to repair what we have broken. And we don’t have the ability to refrain from breaking “it” again.

How do we attempt to justify ourselves? The Bible says we create our own idols. We form them and manage them. We use them to make us feel better about ourselves. We put words in their mouths. Sounds ridiculous huh? Well, that’s the point. Sin makes us stupid.

This hiding is tormented by tremendous guilt (for committing such grievous sins in the past); by fear and anxiety (b/c we know that sin will eventually happen again in our future); and by anger and despair (because we know, that we indeed are presently judged as “sinners” – guilty before God). In hiding, we are separated from God – we are “without God in the world and without hope” (Eph 2).

What must we do? First, we must realize that there is something more important than our own safety, comfort, and satisfaction. That is God Himself and His glory. Second, we must come out of hiding confessing and repenting to the One that we have offended. Sure this act will seemingly threaten all safety, comfort, and satisfaction. Our sins deserve death – where none of these things are to be enjoyed. But coming out of hiding leaves us completely vulnerable and out of control of our own destiny. This is a good thing.

Next, we must entrust ourselves to this just God, appealing to His free mercy alone to justify and cleanse us of our sins. The Triune God is the only God that can and will do such a thing. Indeed, He has already done it in His Son, Jesus Christ. We must entrust ourselves to the only One who can justify. Our justification must come from Another. In Christ, this is true safety. He took our sins and nailed them to the Cross in Christ. All of our guilt is wiped away in Him. We now have no need to justify ourselves, for it has already been done. The guilt fades; the despair and fear fades; and the anger dissipates.

Finally, by faith and in gratitude, we cling to Him for all good things in life – namely, Himself. He is safe. He is the Comforter. He is our Satisfaction. When we come out of hiding, this is called walking in the light (1John 1). This is not a life of perfection from sins, but a life of confession of sins. There is a day coming when our souls and bodies will be perfected in holiness; when we will be finally glorified. Until then, by grace, we can walk in the light, confessing our sins, knowing for certain that He is able, willing, ready and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Notice…He is the One who cleanses. He is the One who forgives. We cannot. Nor can some idol we make. Christ alone is our creed. In Him we are free.

The Commitment of "Band Societies."

During the 18th century, it is difficult to comprehend the impact of the Wesley brothers. I remember studying their lives in church history in seminary and being in awe of their discipline, dedication, wit, love for others and their love for God. I was also taken back by the "small group," which they led, called "Holy Club" on the campus of Oxford. Whitefield, too, was enamored by the rigor with which they conducted Christian discipline and accountability. But this is not a history lesson. For more on Wesley and Whitefield, I suggest going to the history books :)

My point here is to give you an excerpt from one of the "contracts" that one had to commit to in order to be in one of Wesley's (Samuel) "Holy Clubs" or "Band Societies." I am taking this from Mahaney's book on small groups. Here ya go:

"All who wished to join were required to answer the following questions as evidence of justification and an accompanying desire to grow in God:

1. Have you peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ?

2. Do you desire to be told of your faults?

3. Do you desire that every one of us should tell you, from time to time, whatsoever is in his heart concerning you?

4. Do you desire that we should tell you whatever we think, whatsoever we fear, whatsoever, we hear, concerning you?

5. Do you desire that, in doing this, we should come as close as possible, that we should cut to the quick, and search your heart to the bottom?

6. Is it your desire and design to be on this, and all other occasions, entirely open, so as to speak everything that is in your heart without exception, without disguise, and without reserve?

After joining, group members could be asked the preceding questions "as often as occasion offers," while the following questions were asked at every meeting:

a. What know sin have you committed since our last meeting?

b. What temptations have you met with?

c. How were you delivered?

d. What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be sin or not?

Well, here you have it.

7.