A History of Ireland - Ireland Before the Plantation (Part 2) is now available. To get your copy, click here.
This book Deals with the Waves of Invasion, Castle
Place Names, Patrick of Ireland, the Normans, Ireland's Importance in
1492, the Reformation.
When you read the section on Patrick of Ireland, commonly known as Saint Patrick, you are in for a surprise. You never thought that these things were true of Patrick, especially when you listen to all the Irish hype about him at this time of year. He is celebrated on 17th March each year, "St Patrick's day."
You must read about this, so get your copy NOW.
Thursday, 8 March 2012
A History of Ireland - A New Perspective
My new book entitled, A History of Ireland - A New Perspective (Part 1), is proving very popular this week. It looks at the history of Ireland from the perspective of it being "His story," the story of God's doings with men in this part of the world. This is indeed a 'new perspective' on this issue, and one that I am not sure has ever been attempted before.
The good news is that this little book is selling for $0.99 normally, but until Sat 10th March 2012, it is going for FREE. So visit here to download your own copy. This is part 1, and part 2 is now available on the internet today. To get you copy, please click here.
Make sure you get your copy and find out what this new approach to Ireland's history really is.
The good news is that this little book is selling for $0.99 normally, but until Sat 10th March 2012, it is going for FREE. So visit here to download your own copy. This is part 1, and part 2 is now available on the internet today. To get you copy, please click here.
Make sure you get your copy and find out what this new approach to Ireland's history really is.
Patrick of Ireland
Many people are aware that Patrick is known as the ‘patron saint
of Ireland.’ However, that may be the
limited of their knowledge of him. What
little historical fact we do know about Patrick challenges how he is depicted
by Irish mythology. The first thing to
be remembered is that Patrick was British, not Irish – his father was a church
elder and his grandfather a church deacon, either in Scotland, Wales or the
west of England. Patrick was born and
bred in Britain. He was brought up in a
Christian family where he would have been taught the truth of the Gospel, a
fact backed up by his later evangelisation of Ireland in adulthood, and as recorded
in his “Confessions.” Having been captured
by Irish raiders, Patrick was brought to Slemish in County Antrim, where he
tended sheep. It was here on this lonely
hill that he began to reconsider God, and His call on his life, and eventually
escaped.
Yet when he was home again in Britain, and having recognised
God’s call to him, he trained for ordination to the Christian ministry. While undergoing the discipline of
theological training, he heard ‘the voice of the Irish,’ almost like the
apostle Paul’s vision of the man from Macedonia (Acts 16:11), calling him to
return to Ireland. When ordained, he
obeyed God’s call, and arrived at Saul in County Down, he planted his first
church there. His missionary and
evangelistic efforts took him right across Ulster and into the rest of Ireland,
making Armagh his base. He is reported to
be buried in Downpatrick.
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Lonely Leaders.
A minister who is providing leadership for the church will by definition be a very lonely man. He is out in front and away from the crowd. He is the shepherd and not a sheep. He faces dangers at the front line. He can be most vulnerable out there, with few friends. While others are content to remain in the safety of the fold, and take no risks for the sake of the Gospel, the shepherd wants to go out in front leading the way to heaven and to home.
If a minister has many followers and supporters, many speaking well of him and saying how great he is, he is probably not a leader, but a follower. The church today needs leaders, but she does not want leaders. Leaders, if they are Christian leaders in any real sense, will draw the flock further and further away from ther world, but that is not always what the church really wants. She wants to be able to live in peaceful co-existence with the world. And within dead churches, a leader is as unwelcome as anything could be.
Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones was "a very lonely man." Whilst he had many admirers and followers, not many went the length that he went as a preacher of the Gospel. He was innovative in the right sense and longed to see true truth re-established in the churches. But he not only longed for this - he actually did something about it. He put his faith into action. Had it not been for him, there would probably not be the InterVarsity Press (IVP), the Williams Library (The Evangelical Library) in London, The Evangelical Press, or the Inter Collegiate Christian Union (now UCCF), the Banner of Trust Trust, the British Evangelical Council, or many other fine Christian organisations that uphold biblical orthodoxy.
He was ahead of the crowd, hence his loneliness. He was misunderstood and unjustly criticised. He had a few very close friends, but many acquaintances.
This is always true of true leaders.
If a minister has many followers and supporters, many speaking well of him and saying how great he is, he is probably not a leader, but a follower. The church today needs leaders, but she does not want leaders. Leaders, if they are Christian leaders in any real sense, will draw the flock further and further away from ther world, but that is not always what the church really wants. She wants to be able to live in peaceful co-existence with the world. And within dead churches, a leader is as unwelcome as anything could be.
Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones was "a very lonely man." Whilst he had many admirers and followers, not many went the length that he went as a preacher of the Gospel. He was innovative in the right sense and longed to see true truth re-established in the churches. But he not only longed for this - he actually did something about it. He put his faith into action. Had it not been for him, there would probably not be the InterVarsity Press (IVP), the Williams Library (The Evangelical Library) in London, The Evangelical Press, or the Inter Collegiate Christian Union (now UCCF), the Banner of Trust Trust, the British Evangelical Council, or many other fine Christian organisations that uphold biblical orthodoxy.
He was ahead of the crowd, hence his loneliness. He was misunderstood and unjustly criticised. He had a few very close friends, but many acquaintances.
This is always true of true leaders.
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Lloyd-Jones Vindicated
My reading today in DMLJ's sermons on 2 Peter was most enlightening. After Rev. J. J.Murray's statement that DMLJ believed in limited atonement, I read the following words from the Doctor:
"Salvation clearly is in Christ and in Him alone. He has fulfilled all the promises. It is in Him that God is saving mankind. God promised to save mankind - here He does save mankind - Christ is the fulfiller of all promises," (2 Peter, BTT, Edinburgh,1983, p.110).
Is this what an Owenite would preach? Is this the statement of someone who believed that Christ only for the elect? Does this statement indicate that DMLJ believed that God's design in the atonement was to save only the elect?
Can someone out there please explain to me how a preacher who makes a statement like this be described as a believer in limited atonement?
If DMLJ believed in limited atonement as Rev. Murray alleges, what is the Doctor's understanding of the statement he made in this sermon?
Does DMLJ exegete "mankind" as Jews and Gentiles? No evidence exists to substantiate such a view.
Any comments?
"Salvation clearly is in Christ and in Him alone. He has fulfilled all the promises. It is in Him that God is saving mankind. God promised to save mankind - here He does save mankind - Christ is the fulfiller of all promises," (2 Peter, BTT, Edinburgh,1983, p.110).
Is this what an Owenite would preach? Is this the statement of someone who believed that Christ only for the elect? Does this statement indicate that DMLJ believed that God's design in the atonement was to save only the elect?
Can someone out there please explain to me how a preacher who makes a statement like this be described as a believer in limited atonement?
If DMLJ believed in limited atonement as Rev. Murray alleges, what is the Doctor's understanding of the statement he made in this sermon?
Does DMLJ exegete "mankind" as Jews and Gentiles? No evidence exists to substantiate such a view.
Any comments?
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Lloyd-Jones' Theology Misrepresented
It was stated today that DMLJ believed in 'limited atonement.' This is very strange indeed and downright untruthful. Just read the following paragraph from my book on DMLJ, please:
Now, on the basis of these statements, most of which were taken from his evangelistic sermons where he was speaking to unsaved sinners, did he believe in limited atonement as understood by Owenites? Assuredly not. He believed that Christ died effectually for the elect but sufficiently for the whole world.
One of the things that struck me having some 40 years of
reading the Doctor’s wonderful sermons, was the fact that I never found him
anywhere preaching the high Calvinist doctrine of limited atonement. If there are people reading this book who can
show me where Dr Lloyd-Jones taught this idea, I’d be very interested. But I have not found it in any of his
published sermons. I was a bit worried
about this because the assumption was that he actually held this doctrine and
believed it. But nowhere have I read
this in any of his published sermons.
The facts are otherwise. For
example, when Dr R. T. Kendal, one of Lloyd-Jones' successors, was minister in
Westminster Chapel in London, he had contact with Dr Lloyd-Jones while the
former was working on his doctorate, and sought his views on John Calvin’s theology
of the atonement. Dr Alan C Clifford, in
his book on Philip Doddridge, The Good Doctor, (Charenton Reformed Publishing,
Norwich, 2003:273, 274), states that when Dr Lloyd-Jones conducted his own
examination of Calvin’s commentaries, he expressed surprise in finding “how
frequently universalistic Calvin’s statements were.” During a two-week period, Dr Lloyd-Jones
phoned Dr Kendal repeatedly, and in excited tones, exclaimed, “I’ve found
another one!” During one such discussion
with Kendal, referring to the doctrine of limited atonement, he confessed, “I
never preached it, you know … only once on Rom.5:15 and I was in great
difficulty when I did so.” Mrs Bethan
Lloyd-Jones was present when he said this to Kendal, and interjected, “I have
never believed it and I never will.” Dr
Lloyd-Jones was quite clear on this particular theological point.
In addition, please read these statements, in his own words, which make the opposite case, also taken from my book:
12. “Well, what was
that gospel? Just this, that Jesus Christ,
is the Son of God, that in dying He cancelled the power of sin and wiped out
the sinful debt of humanity and that by the power of the His Spirit a man can
be created anew and start upon a new life which is an eternal life.” (63).
13. “Some appear as
if they had never done any wrong, as if they had no need to repent and had no
need for Christ to die for them on Calvary.”
(85).
14. “But look at His
death for a moment and consider it as an expiation for the sin of the whole
world.” 87).
15. “Well, those
sufferings were enough, according to John, for all. Listen!
‘He is the propitiation for our sins; but not for ours only, but also
for the sins of the whole world,1 Jn.2:2.’
The whole world!” (88).
16. “But listen to
the words of our Lord Himself as He calls from the cross, ‘It is
finished’. The sins of the whole world
He had borne upon Himself …” (88).
17. “The sacrifice
was completed. It was indeed finished,
once for all, world without end!”
(88).
47. “Yes! God so loved the world that he gave his only
begotten Son, Jn.3:16.” (198).
48. “...this great
salvation that is offered to us by God is to the natural man something which is
inherently incredible.” (201.
49. “In view of the
fact that salvation is of God and therefore supernatural, although we cannot
understand it, it holds out a hope for all. … There is literally hope for
all. ...It is God’s work, and because it
is God’s work, it is possible for all and can be offered to all. ...There is literally hope for all.” (203).
51. “...there He was
in the house of Simon, full of power, yea more, full of love to mankind which
made Him long to exercise and use that power for their welfare.” (206).
53. “Listen to Him as
He tells you that He has died for you, that He has reconciled you to God, that
your past can be blotted out, and that your eternal future is safe.” (221).
54. “The great point,
surely, is that there is hope for all, that God’s love extends even to the
publicans and sinners.” (227).
55. “What new hope
for mankind appeared in Him!”
(228).
58. “The love of God
does not merely talk about a new beginning, it makes a new beginning. ‘God so loved the world that He gave.’” (237).
59. “…realise that
this is the very Son of God come to earth to deliver us.” (250).
60. “They follow
Christ solely to serve their own ends, and not because He is the Son of God,
and the Saviour of the world.”
(264).
62. “It is there [in
the Christ of the cross] that the whole of humanity is focused. He is the representative of the whole of
humankind. He died for all.” (278).
74. “He had met the
God who was offering him pardon for his failure, who assured him that he would
place his hand upon him, who gave him there a vision of his own future as the
father of the nation, the father ultimately of our Lord Jesus Christ who was to
be the Saviour of the world.” (31).
75. “…God in his
infinite love had actually sent his only begotten Son into the world to live
and die and rise again in order to make a way of salvation and in order that
God might reconcile the world to himself.”
(47).
76. “He came to die
for our sins and to open the door of heaven for us.” (83).
77. “We shall not die
because he has died for us and accomplished a perfect atonement in our
behalf.” (84).
78. “The Saviour of
the world was not born in Jerusalem, he was born in Bethlehem.” (124).
79. “They did not
know it but the Saviour of the world was about to come into their very
midst.” (124).
80. “…go to the Jesus
of Nazareth, the Son of God and you will be cured. He can remove your guilt because he has
already taken it away.” (127).
81. “Go to Him, that
is all you have to do, He is the all-sufficient Saviour, He is ‘the power of
God unto salvation unto everyone that believeth,’ Rom.1:16.” (127).
Now, on the basis of these statements, most of which were taken from his evangelistic sermons where he was speaking to unsaved sinners, did he believe in limited atonement as understood by Owenites? Assuredly not. He believed that Christ died effectually for the elect but sufficiently for the whole world.
In other words, no matter who or what the person is, if he believes in Christ, he will be saved.
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