"You Are a Chosen Race" -- 1 Peter 2:1-12

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon, the fourth in a series on 1 Peter:  Click Here

This Week's White Horse Inn

Avoiding the Feast

Rather than trusting in God’s provision, the people of Israel “demanded the food they craved” as they wandered in the wilderness, This unbelieving generation cried out saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?” (Ps. 78:19). On this program, Michael Horton, Kim Riddlebarger, Justin Holcomb, and Steve Parks will discuss the sinful human tendency to question God’s promises rather than to rely on his fatherly kindness.

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Rather than trusting in God’s provision, the people of Israel “demanded the food they craved” as they wandered in the wilderness, This unbelieving generation cried out saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?” (Ps. 78:19). On this program, Michael Horton, Kim Riddlebarger, Justin Holcomb, and Steve Parks will discuss the sinful human tendency to question God’s promises rather than to rely on his fatherly kindness. - See more at: http://www.whitehorseinn.org/blog/2014/09/14/whi-1223-avoiding-the-feast/#sthash.xle0tMXW.dpuf

Friday Feature -- Ringo's an Educated Man

Some you have asked, why nothing from Tombstone?  Here you go!

"Be Still, and Know That I Am God" -- A Sermon on Psalm 46

A Sermon on Psalm 46

Most people cannot recite Psalm 46 from memory.  But many are so familiar with the words to Martin Luther’s famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” that they can sing it without looking at the bulletin.  “Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott” is actually Luther’s paraphrase of Psalm 46.  This Psalm has several very familiar lines, has been cited by American presidents (most recently by Barak Obama), and portions of it appear in well-known Jewish prayers.  Found in Book Two of the Psalter and attributed to the Sons of Korah, it is classified as a “Psalm of Zion” and contains loud echoes from Psalm 2, where that divine protection promised to the king, is extended to include his capital city (Jerusalem).  Charles Spurgeon aptly speaks of the 46th Psalm as “the song of faith in troubled times.”  Martin Luther thought this Psalm of such comfort, he put it to verse.  

As we continue with our series on select Psalms, I thought it appropriate to turn our attention to Psalm 46, because we sing this particular Psalm as often as any other–often in the form of Luther’s famous paraphrase.  Before we turn to the text of the Psalm itself–where we will find much deep and rich biblical theology–I think it appropriate to consider Luther’s use of this Psalm, then debunk one of the persistent myths surrounding the version of the Psalm which appears in the KJV, and then look at the context in which the Psalm was originally composed.  Then, we will look at the text of the Psalm while making various points of application as we go.

As for Luther and “A Mighty Fortress,” although there are many theories about when it was written and for what occasion, Luther’s hymn first appears in a 1531 hymnal which would indicate that Luther wrote it several years earlier, likely in 1527-29.  This was ten years or so after his 95 theses were circulated throughout Europe, igniting the theological fire which became the Protestant Reformation.  The black plague was especially virulent throughout much of Europe in the winter of 1527, nearly killing Luther’s son.  Luther was also a physical wreck during this time (from exhaustion).  He began spending much time reading and reflecting upon Psalm 46, especially its promise that God is the bulwark (fortress) who never fails.  From Luther’s reflection on that word of comfort, the famous hymn was born.

According to one church historian, “many times during this dark and tumultuous period, when terribly discouraged, [Luther] would turn to his co-worker, Philipp Melanchthon, and say, ‘Come, Philipp, let us sing the forty-sixth Psalm.’”  Luther said of this particular Psalm, “we sing this psalm to the praise of God, because He is with us and powerfully and miraculously preserves and defends His church and His word against all fanatical spirits, against the gates of hell, against the implacable hatred of the devil, and against all the assaults of the world, the flesh, and sin.”  Because our fathers in the faith were sustained throughout their trials by their knowledge and love of the psalter, we would be foolish to ignore their wise counsel, and the faithful example they have set before us.

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (September 8-14) -- Back to Our Regular Schedule and a Special Guest

Sunday Morning (September 14):  As we continue our series on 1 Peter, we are now in chapter 2 and considering the church as the new Israel (vv. 1-12).  Our Lord's Day worship service begins at 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Afternoon:  We are continuing with our study of the Canons of Dort.  We are currently in the 3rd/4th head of Doctrine, and will be considering the implications of regeneration as an act of God (articles 12-13).  The catechism service begins @ 1:15 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study (September 10): Bible study resumes this week with the closing chapter of Revelation, before we take up a study of the Book of Romans.

Friday Night Academy (September 12):  The Academy resumes with a four-week reading/discussion format centering on Dr. Robert Godfrey's book, John Calvin:  Pilgrim and Pastor (Crossway, 2009) and Mike Horton's book, Calvin on the Christian Life, (Crossway, 2014). 

Note:  on Friday evening September 19, Dr. W Robert Godfrey, Professor of Church History and President of Westminster Seminary California, will be our special guest, discussing his book John Calvin:  Pilgrim and Pastor .

For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website:  Christ Reformed Church

"This Word Is the Good News" -- 1 Peter 1:13-25

Here's the audio from this morning's service--the third in a series:

Click Here

This Week's White Horse Inn

God's Hospitality

The hosts begin a new series exploring the feasting themes from Genesis to Revelation. After eating the forbidden fruit, humanity was cast into sin and death. As Scripture unfolds, we discover God’s gracious plan of redemption which culminates in the great feast at the end of the ages. We who were strangers and enemies of God are welcomed to the wedding feast of the Lamb. Join the hosts as they begin this new series on Divine Hospitality. Michael Horton and Kim Riddlebarger will be joined in discussion with special guests Justin Holcomb and Steve Parks.

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Friday Feature -- The Antichrist Drives a Cadillac!

He's back!  And he's watching TV commercials for Antichrist numerology. 

I always thought the Antichrist would drive a Fiat--the symbol of a revived Roman Empire.

Mike Horton Discusses Charles Finney on "Issues, Etc."

Mike was on "Issues, Etc.," today discussing Charles Finney.  Here's the audio:  Click Here

The Great War

Americans often overlook World War One and its significance in forming the modern world.  The reason why is obvious.  World War Two is much more recent, many of our fathers participated in it, and the militaristic fascism of Germany, Italy, and Japan was a serious threat to the very survival of the western democracies.

As the one hundredth anniversary of World War One is upon us (July, 1914), there is much discussion among historians that World War Two was, in many ways, World War One part two.  I wholeheartedly agree with this assessment.  It is hard to understand why the nations of Europe, so torn apart by the Great War, would do it all over again just twenty-one years later, unless you understand why World War One was fought, and that the way in which the war came to an end (sheer exhaustion) left the key causes of the war unresolved.

The impact of World War One is huge.  A few examples suffice to prove the point:

1).  The map of much of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East was redrawn after the war, setting the stage for World War Two, the Cold War, and the current ethnic hostilities throughout the Balkans and Middle East

2).  Submarines, machine guns, tanks, and airplanes were used for the first time

3).  Both sides used WMDs--poison gas

4).  Civilian populations were indiscriminately bombed (i.e., the Zeppelin and Gotha bomber raids on the UK), and neutral shipping (including passenger ships) were attacked by German submarines

5).  Many of the historic royal families of Europe were removed from power:  the Hapsburgs, the Romanovs, the Hohenzollerns, among others

6).  The number of dead is absolutely staggering--37 million killed, wounded, or missing.  Battles such as the Marne, the Somme, Verdun, and others, extended for weeks and months with causalities numbering into the hundreds of thousands (on both sides)

7).  Many of the key figures in World War Two, fought in World War One--Hitler, De Gaulle, Churchill, Patton, MacArthur, Truman, Khruschev, Zuchov, Mussolini, Rommel

8).  Ethnic minorities were "cleansed" from many nations in which they resided for millennia (i.e., the Armenians) 

9).  The Treaty of Versailles (which ended the war) was so harsh and unfair that it sowed the seeds for National Socialism in Germany, as well as varieties of fascism in both Italy and Japan

I could go on, and on . . .

If you wish to learn more about the Great War, there are a number of helpful resources (some of which are listed below)

There are a number of photo essays on-line such as this one:  Photos from the Western Front

There is the excellent DVD series, The First World War

The recent French-produced series, Apocalypse World War One, which ran on the American Heroes Channel (formerly the Military Channel) is outstanding.  Highly recommended.

I also recommend both Martin Gilbert's The First World War and John Keegan's First World War as good introductory texts.

Two other volumes of interest to readers of the Riddleblog are:  Richard Gamble's The War for Righteousness, which documents how progressives in America came to see the war as a messianic cause, in which America fulfilled its role in God's providence by making the world "safe for democracy"; and Philip Jenkins' The Great and Holy War which wrestles with the irony of self-professed Christian nations waging such savage war upon one another.

That should get you started!