Baseball Is Back!

Later today the Yankees play their first spring game against South Florida (a college team).  Tomorrow, they play the Phillies.

This morning, on my favorite Yankee blog, appeared the following post:

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Raul Ibanez DH
Nick Swisher RF
Brett Gardner LF
Eduardo Nunez 2B
Gustavo Molina C

RHP Adam Warren

If you love baseball, you know exactly what this is and what it means!

Baseball is back!

"Do All to the Glory of God" -- 1 Corinthians 10:14-33

The Seventeenth in a Series of Sermons on 1 Corinthians

Despite popular opinion to the contrary, Christianity is not a religion centered in prohibitions–“thou shalt not do this,” “thou shalt not do that.”  Rather, Christianity is a religion centered in God’s gracious plan to rescue the sinful human race from the guilt and consequences of our sin.  Because God has saved us from our sins, he will not allow us to worship him while at the same time keeping our allegiances to any non-Christian religions or practices in which we may have been involved before we came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  In the Corinth of Paul’s day, the people to whom Paul is writing were all new Christians.  They are struggling mightily to leave their pagan past behind.  They have written to Paul asking him a series of questions about how their new faith in Christ impacts them as they continue to live in a city dominated by pagan temples and practices.  Earlier, Paul exhorted them to put the needs of their neighbors above their own–to give up their liberty for the sake of others.  Now he gives the Corinthians a very simple standard by which to live as Christians in the midst of a pagan world–do all to the glory of God.

We have made our way as far as the second half of 1 Corinthians 10, where Paul brings to a conclusion the discussion begun back in 1 Corinthians 8:1 when he first raised the question of a Christian’s participation in pagan feasting.  The reason it has taken Paul so long to lay out his response is probably due to the fact that Paul is answering each of the points the Corinthians raised in their letter to the apostle in which they asked the question of whether or not it was acceptable for Christians to eat meat which had been sacrificed to idols.  

Paul has already explained that idols are nothing since there is one true and living God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ.  Paul has spelled out that eating such meat, or not eating such meat does not commend us nor condemn us before God.  But Paul is emphatic that the strong–those who see nothing wrong with eating meat sacrificed to idols–should be willing to bear with the weak (who think this meat should not be eaten) until the weak become strong.  The strong should be willing to give up their freedom until such time as the weak out-grow their spiritual immaturity.

As we have seen throughout this part of 1 Corinthians, food was often tied to pagan forms of worship.  It was commonplace for an animal to be sacrificed in one of the city’s pagan temples.  Part of the butchered animal was used as a burnt offering, some of it went to the priests and participants in these pagan rituals, but the remaining meat was often sold to local butchers or in city’s marketplace.  It is one thing to go into a pagan temple and participate in the pagan ceremony which includes an animal sacrifice and the ritualistic consumption of its flesh.  It is another thing to buy the leftover meat from these ceremonies from a third party when that meat had no religious significance other than it was to be eaten for dinner.  Should Christians buy and eat this meat, or should they abstain?  And what are you to do when someone offers you a meal and you don’t know where the meat came from.  What then?

To read the rest of this sermon, Click Here

Basics of the Reformed Faith -- Justification

Here is the next installment of my series on basic Reformed doctrine on the Westminster Seminary California blog.

Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (February 27-March 4)

Sunday Morning (3/4):  We are wrapping up our series on Hebrews as we take up Hebrews 13:17-25.  We will be focusing upon the author's closing benediction.

Sunday Afternoon:  We are covering Lord's Day 33 of our catechism (Q & A 88-91) which deals with the meaning of repentance.  Our afternoon service begins @ 1:15 p.m.

For previous sermons in this series, go here:  Sermons on Hebrews

Wednesday Night Bible Study (2/29):  I am continuing my series on the sacraments, and this week we'll continue our discussion of baptism and 1 Peter 3:20-22.  Bible study begins at 7:00 p.m.

The Academy (3/2):  Ken Samples continues his series on Friday, "Are You A Renaissance Christian?"  Ken's lecture begins at 7:30 p.m.

Note:  I will be away this Friday conducting a wedding

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

"The Church of the Living God" -- 1 Timothy 3:1-16

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon on the occasion of the ordination and installation of elders and deacons

Click Here

Audio from Ken Samples' Academy Lecture (2/24/12)

Here's the audio from Friday’s Academy lecture by Ken Samples entitled “Are you a Renaissance Christian? – Intelligent Reading Continued.”

Click Here

This Week's White Horse Inn

The Commands of the New Society

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins a discussion of the Law of Moses, saying, “You have heard it said, but I say…” How are we to interpret these words? Is Jesus saying that the Mosaic law was too legalistic and needed improvement? Does he end up getting rid of all the strict rules and regulations in favor of a new ethic along the lines of “All you need is love?” On this program the hosts will discuss Christ’s interpretation of the law of Moses, and what this means for us today as Christians.

Click Here

Basics of the Reformed Faith -- Election

My introductory essay on the doctrine of election has been posted on the Westminster Seminary California blog.  You can find it here:  Click Here

How Not to Interpret Biblical Prophecy!

Our old friend William Tapley (the "Third Eagle") is back!  Remember his earlier video (Antichrist -- He's Not Nice)?  I'll bet you can't take all ten minutes of this! 

The Third Eagle (who now calls himself the "co-prophet" of the end times) makes Harold Camping's methold look sane!

h.t. Lane Chaplin

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (February 20-26)

Sunday Morning (2/26):  We are ordaining and installing new officers (deacons and elders).  We will be considering Paul's instructions to church officers in 1 Timothy 3:1-16

Sunday Afternoon:  We are covering Lord's Day 33 of our catechism (Q & A 88-91) which deals with the meaning of repentance.  Our afternoon service begins @ 1:15 p.m.

For previous sermons in this series, go here:  Sermons on Hebrews

Wednesday Night Bible Study (2/22):  I am continuing my series on the sacraments, and this week we'll wrap up our discussion of John the Baptist and begin to discuss Christian baptism.  Bible study begins at 7:00 p.m.

The Academy (2/24):  The lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. We are resuming our series on Michael Horton's theology text, The Christian Faith.  We'll be picking up where we left off last time, Chapter Two--The Character of Theology.

Ken Samples continues his new series this Friday, "Are You A Renaissance Christian?"  Ken's lecture begins at 7:30 p.m.

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