Thanks for the Greek but Where is God's Presence?

Not every Theological or Biblical Studies student will admit that! But the truth remains that Christians have much for which to be thankful in the Greek people and their language. The NT was written in Greek, and the OT was translated into Greek by the 72 scholars who did this work. It became known as the Septuagint, or LXX for short.

The NT Greek language is well worth labouring at in order to get at the original meaning of the NT text. Linguistics is an important discipline, because we can only get at the text of the Bible when this work has been done. Thankfully, the hard graft has been removed for us, and the plethora of English Bibles is testimony to this.

Let us study the Greek language and glean from it what God is saying to us. If we believe the Bible to be the Word of God, then we must labour at understanding it in its original languages, so that the Gospel we preach is rooted and grounded in accurate scholarship.

But with all that said, even this labour will profit nothing if we do not know the power of God's Spirit on our preaching. If in our preaching we cannot bring God into the meeting, then it is all a waste of time and energy. Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones once famously said that he can forgive a preacher, and even a poor preacher, anything, so long as he can give him "a sense of God." Even all our linguistic competencies cannot compensate for the lack of God being present with His people. How many times do we go to church and we might as well be in the local opera house - there is no difference, so divine presence, so sense of God. But the church service should be categorical different. Sadly, how often it isn't!

Let us labour at the Greek, but do not depend on even that. Let our dependence be in the living God Who "has visited and redeemed His people," as Luke puts it in Lk.1. Let us seek Him as never before. We can do no less; we are under divine obligation to seek Him "while He may be found." Will you join me in doing that?

Self-styled Free Thinkers are not FREE!

The really great thing about the Christian faith is that it not only seeks to convict sinners of their need of Christ, but it also promises the power to overcome whatever it is that is holding them as saves. Are you enslaved by drink, drugs, sex, pornography, mental lust, jealousy, vindictiveness, whatever it is. The Gospel is "the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes," Rom.1:16. The power of the Gospel can break the powerful hold of anything on your life. Do you want to be free, really free? Then, believe the Gospel of Christ.

The really strange thing is that those who are not Christians actually believe that they are free! they imagine that they are free thinkers! But what they do not realise is that their thinking is largely determined by what other people think and say - by prejudice, vindictiveness, jealousy, by the advertisers, etc. But what they are not is FREE. They are as enslaved as anyone else, but they don't see it. How sad! How pathetic that such clever and smart people cannot see the truth about themselves. they are in bondage, but they don't see it.

That explains why they do not believe the Gospel; they reject the only message that can really free them. They see no beauty or attractiveness in the message or in Christ (Isa.53). They reject the only message that can set the free forever.

Mark Driscoll - Be Warned!

I have just been alerted to the 'ministry' of Mark Driscoll, and I wish to pass on an urgent warning to avoid this man like the plague. There is something that just does not ring true about these 'visions' he see, this television screen that he claims is in front of him. That makes me very concerned.

On top of all that, his use of highly sexualised language and illustrations are deeply concerning. While this issue must be addressed sensitively and biblically by Christians pastors and preachers, his is more an exercise in voyeurism - and that's not nice. His addresses seem to be conditioning particularly young Christians for sexual exploitation, exploration and experimentation that may not be good.

What is most concerning of all is that the Christian churches, particularly in Northern Ireland, encourage their male members to attend Mandate when this man was speaking recently, and if that is the best these evangelical churches can do for their men-folk, then dear help us all, and may God have mercy on us.

One is left wondering what the outcome of listening to this man has been for the thousands of Christian men who attended his speaking! What has now been going on 'in the secret places' as a direct result?

It is easy to see how this kind of thing, this highly sexualised approach, is attractive to men, and how they would have been fantasising as they listened and absorbed his teaching. Is this truly edifying? Hardly. And is this not yet another evidence of the encroachment of the world into evangelicalism! The kind of 'hard rock' music that is widely accepted in many evangelical churches is linked with all kinds of sexual promiscuity, and now that Mark Driscoll has been so widely accepted by the evangelical churches and community, one is not surprised.

Is there an antidote to this kind of thing? yes. But the evangelical churches do not want it. They prefer to engage in the maximum of worldliness and try to pass it over as 'contemporary worship,' when it is nothing but unadulterated worldliness.

But what of the antidote? It is to get back to a traditional and reformed understanding of the Chroisyianlife and Christian worship. This was best exponded by the reformers, and by that I mean the true disciples of Joh Calvin, not the later generation of 'Calvinists' who distorted his teaching; we need urgently to return to biblical basics. The ecclesiastical juggernaut is travelling downhill as fast as its wheels can take it, and no one can see the crash that is coming. Someone must pull on the brakes NOW! How can God bless such wilful rebellion? How can He be pleased with what is going on and being done 'in His Name'?

Get back to the Bible before it is too late. Return to the living and true God, and leave aside your invented idols that masquerade as the gods of contemporary evangelicalism. Please do not give your allegiance to those evangelicals that are leading this departure from God. The Driscoll syndrome is just another manifestation of the departure from the living God by the churches, and further evidence that she has now started following, and continues to follow, foreign gods. They offer 'strange fire' to God as worship, but we all know what happened in the OT when this was done! Oh, the urgency of it! How fearful it is to fall into the hands of the living God, for He is "a consuming fire." TURN. TURN. TURN. TURN before it is too late. REPENT of your sins. REPENT. REPENT. REPENT.

Lloyd-Jones' Last Westminster Chapel Sermon

I have been ravishing the Dr D Martyn Lloyd-Jones books these past four months, and, my, what a profound spiritual blessing these have been to me. I am coming to a renewed appreciation of the Doctor; he was a man way ahead of his time so far as preaching is concerned. His understanding of the human predicament and what the only remedy is, are unsurpassed. What a treasure we have and what a legacy he has left us.

I am currently reading the very last sermon preached by the greatest preacher of the 20th century, DMLJ. This has been a bit emotional for me, but what has impressed me was his consistent testimony to the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the Saviour of the world. These were among his final words in that memorable sermon - Christ is the world's Saviour. Hallelujah! This evangelist knew the Gospel message accurately, and he applied it to all men, because it had something real on offer for all who would believe it - everlasting salvation. His heart was thrilled as he proclaimed such a mighty and majestic message.

If you haven't read any or much of the beloved Doctor, then may I encourage you to get hold of some of his volumes of evangelistic sermons, preached at every Sunday evening service in Westminster Chapel, and in Sandfields before that. My, what an evangelist he really was! What a 'messenger sent from heaven.' Thank God for every remembrance of him.

Walk the walk for a change!

It is very strange that in today's confused world and church, a man's credibility is assessed on the basis of his political views, what he may or may not have done or voted in the past! Or, it is based upon which church denomination he belongs to! Or, which papers he reads, or even if he is a member of the Orange Order! This is but a measure of how far the church, including evangelicals, have departed from the Scriptures. They still claim to be 'reformers' within their churches, but where is the evidence? Why are they silent about issues that matter? Why are they not witnessing to the truth of the Gospel within their churches and denominations in a way that brings down the wrath of the liberals and ecumenicals in those churches? These same dumb witnesses - what a contradiction - tolerate theological liberalism, and support those who are taking them down the ecumenical road. They know this is happening, but do they care? Not a bit!

Yet, these same people have the audacity to criticise those who are of a reforming spirit, who know the difference between right and wrong, who can tell good from evil. They sit in their comfy chairs but will not raise a hand to promote fundamental change within the churches - all of them! For these people, it is much more important to keep in with their friends and neighbours and especially the religious authorities, than it is for them to show some genuine concern for the perishing souls that live 'cheek by jowl' with them. They will defend the indefensible, and protect their various establishments at all costs. But they will not become actively involved in the reform of the church to which they belong. Why is this? Why are you so uncaring about the spiritual life of your own church? Why do you not care about the eternal salvation of the lost in your church? Why do you tolerate the bankrupt theological system called liberalism? Why is this poison acceptable to evangelicals today? Why do they not care if there is "death in the pot" that their fellow denominationalists are drinking from? Have they become so hyper-calvinist in their theology that they just do not care about those souls for whom Christ shed His blood and died? Have they no compassion whatsoever for the lost? May God have mercy on their souls, for that is what they need.

But rather than criticise those who do love the church of Jesus Christ on earth, however imperfect she might be, these 'ecclesiastical do-gooders' should get off their backsides and throw their lot in with those who are seeking the reform of the church, and with those who a real concern for the salvation of sinners, whoever they may be.

Will you walk the walk, and not just talk the talk? Such a change is most welcome.

NO PLACE LIKE ROME? PREPARING FOR THE QUINCENTENARY OF THE GLORIOUS PROTESTANT REFORMATION (1517-2017)

Avoiding Rome’s predictable lies and her inevitable ecumenical deception in the run-up to this event, we unashamedly issue the following statement:

1. The Pope’s religion is not the Christianity of Jesus Christ.

2. The Pope’s church is not the true Church of Jesus Christ.

So, since the Pope may be identified as ‘antichrist’ (as many British theologians have cogently argued in past centuries), conversion to the Roman Catholic Church is a retrograde and tragic step. While the apostate condition of many Protestant Churches (including the ‘feminized’ and ‘sodomized’ Church of England) gives sufficient cause for disillusionment, the Roman option cannot provide a safe or satisfying spiritual home.

As affirmed in the doctrinal declaration Dominus Iesus (2000), Rome claimed to be the only ‘correct’ church. In a more recent decree (2007), we are told that ‘Christian Communities born out of the Reformation of the sixteenth century’ cannot be ‘called Churches in the proper sense’. However, Rome’s claim could not be more invalid. The proof is as follows:

I The doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church are utterly inconsistent with the plain teaching of the New Testament.
The finality of Christ’s unique sacrifice and His priestly intercession (see Hebrews 9: 28; 10: 11-12) rule out the sacrifice of the mass and a human priesthood. The theory of transubstantiation is an absurd philosophical fiction and utterly detrimental to the simple symbolism of the Lord’s Supper - a memorial of our Saviour’s once-for-all sacrifice. Thus His blood shedding is remembered not repeated, on a table not an altar (hence ministers are pastors not priests); His real presence is spiritual, not physical, in the hearts of His people and not in the bread and wine.

II Justification by faith in Christ’s merit alone (see Romans 5: 1-9) and direct access to Him as sole Mediator (see Matthew 11: 28; 1 Timothy 2: 5) rule out the false, idolatrous and pretentious teaching that Mary is Mediatrix, a ‘female mediator’ through whom we approach our Saviour. Calling our Lord’s mother‘Queen of Heaven’ has turned her into a goddess! The idea that the merits of the faithful are a necessary contribution to their salvation undermines the all-sufficiency of Christ’s merit. Rome’s traditional mistake in making sanctification a part of justification arises from her reliance on the Latin justificare instead of the Greek dikaioo. While the former verb means ‘to make righteous’, the latter means ‘to declare righteous’ by the remission of sins through faith in the blood of Christ (see Romans 4: 5-8; 5: 1, 9). Our pardon is provided by Christ’s sacrificial righteousness alone, imputed to all who trust in Him.

While good works are a necessary and certain fruit of saving faith (see Galatians 5: 6; Ephesians 2: 8-10), their imperfection rules them out from justifying us. Our persons and our performances alike always require pardon. That said, Christian sainthood is the present status of true though imperfect believers (see Ephesians 1: 1-2) not that of dead believers canonised by the Church of Rome.

III Thus purgatory and prayers for the dead (including requiem masses) have no apostolic
warrant.
Those who die ‘in Christ’ have no need of our prayers. Those who die otherwise cannot be helped by them. Besides corrupting Baptism and the Holy Communion, Rome arrogantly added five more supposed sacraments to those commanded by Christ. Her realignment of the Ten Commandments - combining the first two and dividing the tenth - obscure in summary form God’s prohibition of the idolatry of such popular graven images as crucifixes and statues of Mary. Venerating the bones of the saints and other relics breeds superstition. Other distortions of divine truth are no less serious. The Pope’s title ‘Holy Father’ is a blasphemous insult to God the Father (see John 17: 11). His claim to be the ‘vicar of Christ’ is a further insult to the Holy Spirit, Christ’s true representative on earth (see John 14: 16-17). The political claims of a highly fallible Papacy conflict with Christ's words that His kingdom ‘is not of this world’ (John 18: 36). Rome’s entire governmental structure--pope, cardinals, archbishops, etc--has more in common with ancient imperial Rome than the apostolic Presbyterian order of the New Testament.

Rome’s growing ambition to dominate Europe as in the days of the Holy Roman Empire is a re-emerging tyranny to be resisted by individual Christians and national governments alike. Ever since the Reformation, the Papacy has always been opposed to the independence of the United Kingdom. Her arrogance is at odds with Christ’s liberating truth (see John 8: 32, 36; Galatians 5: 1).

IV In addition to theological objections, the track record of Roman Catholicism does not commend itself.
For violent and bloody persecution, no organization can compete with Rome. Since the true Church of Christ is ‘persecuted’ rather than ‘persecutor’, this one consideration alone makes Rome’s claim to ‘correctness’ null and void (see John 15: 20-1; 2 Timothy 3:12). Besides the burnings of the sixteenth-century British reformers, the dreadful cruelties inflicted on the ancient Waldensians, the French Huguenots, the Dutch Protestants and others (including Jews, Muslims and Eastern Orthodox) have never been truly repented of--since the doctrine directing these atrocities remains in tact. Indeed, under another name--The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Inquisition still exists. Current persecution of Protestants in Central and South
America shows no change in Rome’s methods where she has a free hand. The intrigue and corrupting influence of the Jesuits knows no parallel. Vatican complicity in the rise of Hitler and the Nazi holocaust is well attested. The evils of the confessional and the ‘unholy wedlock’ of supposedly celibate priests refute Rome’s sanctimonious image. While marital failure among protestant pastors is to be lamented, is it any wonder that paedophilia and HIV are rife among sexually-frustrated and homosexual Roman priests?

V Considering the post-reformation dogmas of Mary’s immaculate conception (1854), papal
infallibility (1870) and the Assumption of Mary (1950), the Church of Rome is even more apostate than she was in Luther and Calvin’s day. Thus any form of ecumenism on Rome’s terms is nothing but satanic delusion (see 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-12). Especially in the wake of Dominus Iesus, when naïve and gullible evangelicals, charismatics and others try to persuade us that ‘Rome is changing’, ask them which of her antibiblical dogmas has Rome renounced? Indeed, the late Dr D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was right to say that “The Roman Catholic Church is the devil’s greatest masterpiece.” May all God’s people understand the ‘signs of the times’ and cease not ‘contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints’ (Jude 3). Amen!

Dr Alan C. Clifford,
Pastor, Norwich Reformed Church
www.nrchurch.co.nr

No Rod, Parental Shame

The riots in GB cities recently have thrown up the usual responses from politicians and other do-gooders. A "Community pay-back" scheme with offenders wearing luminous vests has been suggested by Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Glegg. Other forms of community service have been proposed, but these will come to nothing.
The Bible says the following: "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself brings his mother shame." This ties in with what some angry citizens have been saying, that the problem is lack of parental control and responsibility. Parents must surely get back to basics if their children are to be a blessing to them. They must consider (1) that proper correction in the home is beneficial to the child, the parents, other siblings and to the whole community. Teaching them from a young age the different between right and wrong, good and evil, can only be proper because it educates the conscience of the child. When they transgress, they must be appropriately corrected. If the child heeds the parents' reproof without recourse to the rod, well and good; but if not, then the responsibility rests on the parent to secure and ensure proper behaviour from their child. This produces wisdom. The child that takes the warning will gain wisdom.

(2) Any child that is left to his own inclinations is a child that does not know the right way to live. Such a child will bring shame on his mother and father. He/she will disobey the parents and bring disgrace on their good name. They will cause them needless worry and anxiety, not to mention embarrassment. Left to himself, that child could well end up in prison because he has stolen, or worse, murdered someone. A child does not have the wisdom to stay away from bad company, but does possess the unwisdom that takes them into bad company.

Had the British parents administered the rod in due measure, perhaps their children and young people would not have been involved in those riots.