Some Bizarre Stuff from Around the Web

Now this is just plain creepy . . .    But that won't prevent me from posting it!  You might think that in light of all the negative publicity surrounding the Roman priesthood and sex-scandals, someone would think better of this.   Click here: Priest organizes beauty contest for nuns - Faith- msnbc.com

Here's another reason to embrace Reformed theology.  This church is so noisy that the neighbors keep calling the police because of all the "cheering."  If it became Reformed, immediately the people would be so dour and quiet that the neighbors would be able sleep right through the services.  Oh, for the good ole days of Geneva Jigs!  Click here: Crown Point tells church to quiet down / nwi.com

 

This story reminds of the famous televangelist who actually gained a few pounds during his "40-day fast."  Muslims have figured out how to endure the Ramadan fast even if you lack the requisite self-control.   Click here: Turks turn to diet patches to ease Ramadan fasting - Yahoo! News

I knew it . . .  Cats are environmentally unfriendly and they are endangering one of the world's great eco-systems.  Like the comedian says, why give expensive "Gourmet" cat food to a creature who spends much of its time licking its own rear-end?  I wonder if Al Gore has a cat?  If he does, he's endangering the global fish supply.  Click here: LIVENEWS.com.au > Environment > Spoilt Western cats endangering global fish supply

One More Time . . . A Programming Note

Lord willing, I will be appearing on Issues, Etc., with host Todd Wilken today (Monday) @ 1:00 PM (pacific time).

We'll be talking about eschatology (what else?).  The program will also be archived, so if you have a life and are not free on Friday afternoon to listen live, you can listen 24/7.

I'll post the link when it is available.

Who Said That?

"I like Christian rock . . .  It's very positive.  It's not like those real musicians who think they are so cool and hip."

You know the drill!  Leave your guess in the comments section below.  Please, no google searches or cheating.

Update on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at 10:48AM by Kim Riddlebarger

When Seinfeld's Elaine discovers that her current boyfriend "Puddy" has the presets on his car radio set to Christian rock stations (and is completed dismayed by this discovery), George makes the completely random and off the wall quote cited here. 

"Doers of the Word, and Not Hearers Only" -- James 1:19-27

Here's the link to the audio of today' s sermon (the first in a series) on the Book of James

http://links.christreformed.org/realaudio/KR20080824-James.mp3

More End-Times Stuff from the Blogosphere

If you are not hearing about the rapture in your church, then you can blame the "secular humanists," says Tim LaHaye.   According to LaHaye, too many ministers don't talk about biblical prophecy anymore because they received a "secular" education.  I knew I shouldn't have gone to a state university--they must have been the ones who taught me to "spiritualize" the Bible.  Good ole Tim, he means well, but he's clueless.  Click here: U.S. churches shun end-times preaching (OneNewsNow.com) 

I can't wait to read this one . . .   Here's a new book which argues that Ezekiel 38 is not about Russia invading Israel, but instead refers to Hamas and Syria invading Israel.  Click here: Surprise! Russia not about to invade Mideast, says new prophecy theory.  I guess I missed that when I wrote Man of Sin Click here: Riddleblog - Man of Sin - Uncovering the Truth About Antichrist. 

If this woman ever moves to California, she could well be our next governor or US Senator.  She's certainly as qualified as the current lot.  Click here: South Ossetia conflict: Concerned US citizen gets her Georgias confused - Telegraph

That's right, blame it on the accountants . . .  Why did ELCA lose 64,000 members in 2007?  It is not because people are leaving, it is because ELCA churches are actually keeping more accurate records.  Right!  Of course, the sixteen consecutive year decline in membership has nothing to do with ELCA's embrace of homosexuality, higher criticism, and a failure to preach the gospel.  If you don't give people a reason to stay (i.e. preach the gospel, and argue for the exclusivity of the Christian truth claim), why should they stay?  Much better to sleep in on Sunday than attend the local community center masquerading as a church.  Click here: Lutheran denomination continues to lose members - USATODAY.com

An Interesting Resource and Some Other Stuff from Around the Web

I'm not sure how "Reformed" this resource will be, but the more you know about commentaries (as expensive as they are) before you buy them, the better.  Here's a new website which reviews and recommends commentaries.  Some of the recommendations I'd agree with, others I wouldn't, but it is worth checking out, nonetheless.  Click here: BestCommentaries.com / Old and New Testament Bible Commentary reviews, ratings, and prices

I'm glad to see that other people hate iTunes as much as I do.  I don't want Safari on my desktop!  Click here: PC World - 11 Things We Hate About iTune

If Anaheim can have its Christian motorcycle gang (the Set Free Soldiers), then I guess Sweden can have its violent Cowboy-themed church, complete with line-dancing, and exorcisms.  I'm surprised TBN didn't get this idea first.   Click here: Swedish pastor accused of leading violent 'cowboy sect' - The Local

To the glee of many of you, this has been a tough year for my beloved Yankees.  The team has been hit hard by injuries, they've played with little passion, our young players have not performed up to expectations, and the team is clearly in full-rebuild mode.  But this news is tough to take.  Talk about adding insult to injury . . .  Click here: The LoHud Yankees Blog

While you sleep, your cat is plotting to kill you.  But your beloved Fido is doing his best to learn how to be a better pet.  One more reason why dogs are superior to cats!  Click here: Living with humans has taught dogs morals, say scientists | Mail Online

    

The Canons of Dort, Second Head of Doctrine, Article One

The Second Main Point of Doctrine

Christ's Death and Human Redemption Through It

Article 1: The Punishment Which God's Justice Requires

God is not only supremely merciful, but also supremely just. His justice requires (as he has revealed himself in the Word) that the sins we have committed against his infinite majesty be punished with both temporal and eternal punishments, of soul as well as body. We cannot escape these punishments unless satisfaction is given to God's justice.

______________________________________

Under the first head of doctrine, the authors of the Canons completed their treatment of human sinfulness (total depravity) and divine mercy (unconditional election), commonly known as the first two points of Calvinism.  

In the first head, it was clearly established that all men and women have fallen in Adam, and are not only guilty because Adam acted as their divinely chosen representative so that the guilt of Adam's sin was imputed (or reckoned, or accounted) to them, but they are also guilty for all of their own sinful actions which spring forth from sinful human nature.  

This is what we mean when we speak of  “total depravity.”  This does not mean that all of us are always as bad as we can possibly be, only that sin has infected us in our entire person, from head to toe, and that there is no part of human nature that is not tainted, stained, or corrupted by the consequences of the fall of our race into sin. 

To use a biblical analogy, we are by nature not only children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3), we are the kind of bad trees described by Jesus in Matthew’s gospel (7:15 ff.) who can only bear bad fruit.  This is, as our Lord tells us, the visible manifestation of our hidden wickedness and depravity.  

On a practical level this means that we are born in sin, and apart from God's grace, our wills are in bondage to our sinful nature, and we can only use the good gifts which God has given to us for sinful (self-centered) purposes.  Lacking faith, we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6).  We sin because we are sinners.  We sin because we like to sin.  And since the wages of sin is death, we are all subject to the curse.  Left on our own, and to our own devices, we do not want Jesus as our Lord.  Instead, we desire to be lord of our own lives, and so we go our own way.  We are not overly concerned about God showing his mercy to us, since we do not think that we really need it, and since we believe that somehow God is obliged to give it to us any way.

To read the rest of this article, Click here: Riddleblog - Notes on the Canons of Dort (Second Head)

"A Witness" -- Joshua 22:1-34

The Seventeenth in a Series of Sermons on Joshua

According to Joshua, the “LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. . . . Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.”  With these words that chapter in redemptive history known as the Conquest has come to a close.  The people of Israel now possess the land of Canaan which YHWH promised to give to his people.  God has kept his promise to his people and they now begin to enjoy fully all the blessings of life in that good land flowing with milk and honey.  Now that these promises are fulfilled, we move into a new period of biblical history–the time of the Judges.  But before we finish up our study of the Book of Joshua, there are a few loose ends to be wrapped up, including a narrowly averted civil war within Israel, Joshua’s farewell to his people and then a covenant renewal ceremony before Joshua’s death.

As we take up the final section of Joshua (chapters 22-24), we turn to Joshua 22 in which Joshua dismisses those two and a half tribes (Reuben, Gad and a portion of the tribe of Manasseh) so that they might return to their homes in that land to the north and east of the Jordan River in what is now the nation of Jordan.  In the coming sermons, we will turn to chapters 23-24, where Joshua will remind Israel of all that YHWH had done for them as well as give Israel instructions as to how to live in obedience to YHWH now that they are in Canaan.  And then in Joshua 24, Joshua will give final farewell to Israel before Israel’s covenant with YHWH is renewed yet one more time.  As we work our way through these final chapters of Joshua, there is a strong sense of reflection upon all those things YHWH has done to fulfill his promise (past and present), as well as instructions for Israel regarding that next chapter in redemptive history–Israel’s future in the land.  As such, these chapters take on a certain poignancy as Joshua prepares to die and as we prepare to take up a study of the Book of Judges.

Recall from the opening chapters of Joshua that these same two and a half tribes (Reuben, Gad and half of Manneseh) had contributed at least 40,000 soldiers (cf. Joshua 4:13) to help the other tribes conquer Canaan, land that they would not themselves possess.  This was commanded by Moses as a sign of the unity between all twelve tribes, as these tribes would help their brethren gain the promised land.  But the inheritance given to these two and a half tribes is in the region known as the Transjordan, which includes that land in Moab where Israel camped before they crossed the Jordan River into Canaan.

Now that Canaan has been occupied by Israel and all the Canaanites have been cast out, and these tribes are dismissed to leave to go back to their homes to the east of the Jordan, the nagging question of their continuing loyalty to other ten and a half tribes remaining in Canaan, as well as their devotion to YHWH becomes a pressing and potentially divisive matter.  So much so that a civil war nearly breaks out within Israel over the construction of an altar near the Jordan River.  This episode will serve as an important lesson to all of God’s people about the importance of unity as a witness of God’s covenantal faithfulness to those outside the church, as well as an illustration of the need to settle disputes between God’s people in a biblical and God-honoring manner. 

We now turn to our text, Joshua 22.  As we proceed to work our way through these closing chapters, we will see the focus shift from an emphasis upon God’s fulfillment of his promises to Israel’s need to remain obedient to the covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai.  This obedience will be the basis for Israel continuing to live in blessing and not come under curse.

To read the rest of the sermon, click here

Some Interesting End-Times Stuff from Around the Web

How about a new MasterCard which is "Shariah compliant"? -- Whatever that means . . .  The new MasterCard is basically a debit card.  I hope and pray that none of these new cards are issued with the numbers 6-6-6 anywhere on them.  That would push the prophecy pundits over the edge.  That might even push me over the edge!  Click here: MasterCard Creates an Islamic Debit Card

Speaking of 666 and the mark of the beast, the state of West Virginia is now offering "666 free" driver's licenses in which the driver's license photo is not digitized, so that the government cannot use it for nefarious purposes.   Having my mug digitized is the least of my worries when it comes to government intrusion.  Click here: Special licenses offered to those who fear ’beast’ - Huntington, WV -- The Herald-Dispatch

Can anything good come out of Fresno?  I'm not sure, but here's a group which claims to figured out the date of our Lord's Second Advent.  Don't make any plans for March 20th-21st, April 15th, or October 8th, 2014.  You might be left behind and therefore forced to run from any Ford van you may encounter which has "Unite" written on the side!  Click here: KMPH Fox 26 Central San Joaquin Valley News Source in Fresno, California Entertainment, News, Sports and Weather |
 
"Eco-maniac" Al Gore is at it again, this time with a giant houseboat on the lake in Smithville, TN.  Gore's new "eco-friendly" houseboat runs on bio-diesel.  The problem . . .  You can't buy bio-diesel anywhere on Center Hill Lake, where the massive houseboat is docked  Click here: Pajamas Media » Gore Hits the Waves with a Massive New Houseboat

About Your Questions . . .

I don't mind answering your questions . . .   I really don't!

But I am amazed at how many questions I am now getting from this weird, quite narrowly-focused blog.  I read (and enjoy) all your comments, constructive criticism, and words of encouragement.  Keep 'em coming.

I also appreciate those of you who send me various links to stories of interest, and quotes for "who said that?"  Keep those coming also!

As you can imagine, I'm pretty busy with my church duties (I am a full-time pastor), with denominational committee work, with the White Horse Inn, and all of the other stuff I have going on.

All of that is to say, go ahead and email me your questions, but please understand that it might take some time for me to get around to answering them.  Also, many times, people ask me questions which you should be asking your pastor--personal, pastoral, and counseling matters.  I'll direct you back to him.  And please understand that I can't answer the typical "Bible Answer Man" kind of question, "where in the Bible can I find a verse which says . . ."  Get a concordance and look it up!

Because I get so many questions, I do have to prioritize them.  Christ Reformed members get top priority, then come questions raised by recent White Horse Inn broadcasts.  Riddleblog readers come last.  So, I'll get to you when I can, but please be patient in the meantime.

One last thing . . . if you have a question on eschatology, consider asking it here:  Click here: Riddleblog - Ask A Question About Eschatology