A New URC in Tacoma/Gig Harbor???

Do you live in the Tacoma/Gig Harbor area?  Know anyone who does?  Want to see a confessional Reformed church planted in the area?  The URC is considering a church plant on the Kitsap peninsula and is currently gauging interest.

Here's the scoop:

"For those that live in the Tacoma/ Gig Harbor, WA area: Are you interested in seeing a solid, Confessional Reformed church in your area? There is currently in the early planning stages a Bible study/church plant in Gig Harbor with the goal of establishing a URC church. Since this is still in its infancy we are just trying to gather some rough idea as to how many people would be interested in this work. This is a unique opportunity that the Lord has placed before us and we hope and pray that the field is ready for the harvest on the Kitsap Peninsula.

So if you live near Gig Harbor and this interests you then please send an e-mail to Mark Vander Pol at gigharborreformed@gmail.com or check our blog at gigharborreformed.wordpress.com. If you know somebody that lives close to that location then please forward this information on to them! This group needs to know that you are out there so please contact them!"

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Yes, this is the same Mark Vander Pol who prepared the eschatology charts posted on this blog.  He's about to graduate from Westminster Seminary California and is a great guy.

Please help spread the word!

"Jephthah Made A Vow to the Lord" -- Judges 11:12-12:7

The Fourteenth in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Judges

We can all think of cases where people do the wrong thing for all the right reasons. The story of Jephthah is just such a case. After the death of Gideon, and the reign of terror brought upon Israel by Gideon’s son, Abimelech, the people of Israel enjoyed a relative period of peace. But during this time of peace, the people of Israel once again turned their backs upon YHWH, and were worshiping and serving the gods of the same seven nations that Israel was to defeat, and then cast from the land of Canaan. Exasperated by Israel’s continuing unbelief, God stirred up two of Israel’s fiercest opponents–the Ammonites and the Philistines–who are described as crushing and oppressing the Israelites. And so the cycle we see throughout the Book of Judges appears yet again in chapters 10-12. The people of Israel have turned their backs upon YHWH. YHWH sent several oppressors, so the people of Israel cry out for deliverance. YHWH then sends Israel another “judge” (a deliverer) who will rescue Israel from its current predicament. This time, the judge is a man named Jephthah, who is one of the most puzzling and perplexing men in all the Bible.

We are continuing our series on the Book of Judges, as we make our way through the balance of Judges 11-12. The context for this particular episode (the account of Jephthah) is given in Judges 11:7, when the author of Judges informs us that two of Israel’s long-standing enemies–the Philistines and the Ammonites–were bringing great distress to Israel. This declaration sets the stage for the final two major judges in this period of redemptive history, Jephthah and Samson. Jephthah will deliver Israel from the Ammonites (the ancestors of the modern day Jordanians), while Samson will deliver Israel from the Philistines (the sea peoples). We will finish up the account of Jephthah. And then we’ll turn to the story of Samson.

As we saw last time, Jephthah was the son of Gilead, and a prostitute. His family (half-brothers and Gilead’s other wives) completely disowned him, cutting him off from the rest of the family, as well as from his inheritance. We were also told that Jephthah left the area and had surrounded himself with a band of thugs. This sort of a personal history makes Jephthah a wild-card. But when a large Ammonite army gathers across the Jordan River from Israel–obviously preparing to cross the river and invade the land of Canaan–the Israelites respond by assembling an army of their own at Mizpah (in the land of Gilead). The problem they faced was that there was no one with the skills to lead the assembled army.

To read the rest of this sermon, click here

Ken Samples on "Issues, Etc."

Ken Samples was on "Issues, Etc." on Monday discussing the Christian doctrine of the resurrection in light of notions of reincarnation.

You can listen to it here: http://www.issuesetc.org/podcast/216042709H2S2.mp3

The Mark of the Beast????

As I argue in my book, The Man of Sin (Click here: Amazon.com: Man of Sin, The: Uncovering the Truth about the Antichrist: Kim Riddlebarger: Books), the theological significance of the mark of the beast is every bit as important (perhaps more so) than trying to identify candidates to serve as the final Antichrist.  Here's a concrete case of the kind of thing I am getting at--the state permitting people to erase any record of their baptism from official church records.  Openly renouncing Christ and seeking to erase any trace of ties to him, his church, and his promises, is the very thing John is warning us about in Revelation 13:11-18 and 16:13.

There are two relevant news stories in this regard. Click here: Following atheist trend, Britons seek 'de-baptism', and Click here: Atheist wins right to have baptism removed as he did not consent as a baby - Telegraph

The Protestant Church In the Netherlands refuses to discipline a pastor who no longer believes in God!  Like I say, you can't make this stuff up.  Click here: Church authorities not to discipline Dutch 'atheist' pastor

Osteen Packs Out Yankee Stadium

If you follow baseball, you probably know that one of this season's continuing plot lines is all the empty seats in the high-priced sections of Yankee Stadium.  These seats are bought and paid for by the so-called "Grey Poupon" crowd, people who don't come to games anymore because they don't want to be seen on camera "flaunting" their wealth and influence in an economic downturn.  So, instead of going to the games, these folks are selling their tickets on Stubhub.  But nobody's buying, and many of the high-priced seats are empty and highly visible on camera.  The Yanks are embarrassed and will attempt to do something about putting fannies in those seats once again.

Joel Osteen sure didn't have that problem.  Last Saturday, Joel and Victoria (along with their children) put over 50,000 into the stadium @ $15.00 a pop.  Osteen joins two popes and Billy Graham as those who have led religious services in Yankee Stadium.

The news coverage of Joel's visit is fascinating.  The reporters don't know what to do with this guy.  He shoots baskets in his driveway, and then packs out the stadium when the Yankees can't.  Aw shucks.  http://www.khou.com/video/index.html?nvid=355857

While Osteen preached in the New Yankee Stadium on Saturday, the Yanks were getting walloped up in Fenway.  I think there's a connection--although I can't prove it.  If the Yankees go into a prolonged funk, its the curse of Joel and Victoria!

Jon Meacham and Tim Keller Discuss the End of "Christian America"

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Here's an interesting discussion (taped on Good Friday) about the state of Christianity in America (h.t. Shane Rosenthal).

New Horton Interview

There's a new interview with Mike Horton posted over at the Reformed Forum (h.t. Scott Clark).  The subject is Michael's recent book Christless Christianity.

You can find it here: Click here: Reformed Forum » Christless Christianity

Who Said That?

"The righteousness of Jesus Christ ever remains the exclusive ground of the believer’s justification, but the personal godliness of the believer is also necessary for his justification in the judgment of the last day."

Leave your guess in the comments section below.  Please, no google searches or cheating.  Answer to follow in one week.

Update on Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 03:42PM by Kim Riddlebarger

This comes from "Thirty-four Theses on Justification in Relation to Faith, Repentance, and Good Works" presented by Norman Shepherd to the Presbytery of Philadelphia of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, November 18, 1978.

"To the Saints Who Are In Ephesus" -- Ephesians 1:1-14

Here's the audio from the first sermon in a new series on Paul's letter to the Ephesians.

http://links.christreformed.org/realaudio/KR20090419-Ephesians.mp3

New Book from Danny Hyde

Danny Hyde (the pastor of the Oceanside URC and the alter ego to Mr. Jekyll) has released his new book on the Second Commandment, the use of images, and the means of grace.  Far from the usual cranky iconoclastic diatribe against the use of images in worship, Rev. Hyde gives us a compelling theological reason why this ought not be done.

Here are the endorsements:

Danny Hyde has written an excellent piece on a very misunderstood subject. Through effective combination of biblical, theological, and confessional discussions, he has presented the Reformed view of the second commandment winsomely and attractively. He helpfully emphasizes not the negative prohibition of making images of God but the positive facts that God has revealed himself now so generously in Word and Sacrament and will one day reveal himself visibly in the most perfect and authentic way—David VanDrunen, Robert B. Strimple Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics, Westminster Seminary California

In these pages, Danny Hyde argues with great clarity against all images of Jesus as man-made media. He shows that all such images are abominated in Scripture and roundly rejected by the Reformed confessional heritage without exception. Hyde goes on to argue, however, that God does provide us with His “media”—the preaching of His Word and the administration of His sacraments—Joel R. Beeke, President, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

You can purchase Danny's new book here: Click here: http://www.amazon.com/Living-Color-Images-Christ-Means/dp/0979367735/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240578164&sr=