Learning more about the Reformation: today or any day

Justin Taylor has three great resources here!

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If I were the devil

(HT: Truth Matters)

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Remembering the Reformation

Sandy Grant has the story of the life and death of Rowland Taylor, one man put to death by Bloody Mary during the Reformation in England.  Here’s an excerpt:

Days before his execution in his home town of Hadleigh, he spent a short time with his wife, Margaret. In the tears before parting, he gave her his precious copy of the Book of Common Prayer. Taylor loved the book, which he had used every day in prison, because it constantly pointed to the saving grace of Jesus. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs records his words to his family:

“I say to my wife, and to my children, The Lord gave you unto me, and the Lord hath taken me from you, and you from me: blessed be the name of the Lord! I believe that they are blessed which die in the Lord. God careth for sparrows, and for the hairs of our heads. I have ever found Him more faithful and favourable, than is any father or husband. Trust ye therefore in Him by the means of our dear Saviour Christ’s merits: believe, love, fear, and obey Him: pray to Him, for He hath promised to help. Count me not dead, for I shall certainly live, and never die. I go before, and you shall follow after, to our long home.”

On 9th February 1555, Taylor became the third of about 250 Protestants martyred by Queen Mary. Just before he was burned at the stake he said, with a loud voice, “Good people! I have taught you nothing but God’s holy Word, and those lessons that I have taken out of God’s blessed book, the holy Bible: and I am come hither this day to seal it with my blood”.

Spend a few minutes reading the whole post.

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Answers in Genesis on Creationism and Assemblies of God

Ken Ham, founder and president of Answers in Genesis recently pointed out how the Assemblies of God official denominational position on creationism has changed recently.  AG (Assemblies of God) responded.  But Ham thinks their clarification doesn’t clear up much:

After reading AG’s clarification statement (reproduced below), I am even more adamant about standing by the comments I made in my previous blog post. AG is admitting that it has, indeed, changed its position on Genesis. In fact, the new statement (which is entitled “THE DOCTRINE OF CREATION — Development and Significance of the Revised Position Paper”) actually more clearly reveals a major problem we see in the church today, and it is a serious issue that God’s people need to be aware of when trying to discern what a denomination, Bible college or seminary, etc. actually believes and teaches about Genesis.

We are living in a post-modern age when even Christians can’t automatically believe that the words we use in talking to each other have the same meaning or definition any more. This especially applies to Christian leaders.

As you read this new statement (below) from the Assemblies of God denomination, it will become clear to you that AG has changed its position and is not advocating the six-literal-days/young-earth position. Also as you read, please be asking yourself the following about definition of terms:

Read the blog post here.

 

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A reformation pumpkin

Download a template here.

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How do I minister to someone who has lost a loved one?

“How would you respond and minister to unsaved friends or family (or even strangers) who have lost a loved one and assume their lost loved one is in Heaven, even though that person clearly did not have a relationship with Jesus Christ?”

Randy Alcorn answers below.  If you want the transcript of his answer click here:

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Counsel for worriers!

Here’s a good gospel-centered post on how to overcome worry!  Trevin writes,

“Worry shows up whenever my view of God is diminished and my view of myself gets too big. I worry because my vision of God is skewed. I rest when my vision is fixed.”

Read this brief but helpful piece that reminds us that worry is really a failure to grasp the gospel.

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4 free mp3s

By R. C. Sproul on “The Making of the Reformation” and “Martin Luther”

Plus some other Reformation Day Resources.

Available at the Ligonier website.

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Make a difference Sunday: serve!

Here’s a few ideas on how you can serve this Sunday in your local church:

Before the Service

• Read the passage in advance
• Pray for the gathering
• Greet newcomers (act like you are the host)
• Think strategically about who you should sit with
• Arrive Early

During the Service

• Sing with gusto (even if you can’t sing)
• Help with logistics (if there’s a problem, help fix it)
• Don’t be distracted
• Listen carefully
• Be aware of your facial expressions (you may affect others and discourage preachers)

After the Service

• Connect newcomers with others
• Get newcomers information
• Start a conversation about the sermon
• Ask someone how they became a Christian
• Stay late

So which ones will you do this Sunday?

–Colin Marshall via 9Marks

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Good hymns–they make a difference!

Good hymns are an immense blessing to the Church of Christ. I believe the last day alone will show the world the real amount of good they have done. They suit all, both rich and poor. There is an elevating, stirring, soothing, spiritualizing, effect about a thoroughly good hymn, which nothing else can produce. It sticks in men’s memories when texts are forgotten. It trains men for heaven, where praise is one of the principal occupations. Preaching and praying shall one day cease for ever; but praise shall never die. The makers of good ballads are said to sway national opinion. The writers of good hymns, in like manner, are those who leave the deepest marks on the face of the Church.

But really good hymns are exceedingly rare. There are only a few men in any age who can write them. You may name hundreds of first-rate preachers for one first-rate writer of hymns. Hundreds of so-called hymns fill up our collections of congregational psalmody, which are really not hymns at all. They are very sound, very scriptural, very proper, very correct, very tolerably rhymed; but they are not real, live, genuine hymns. There is no life about them. At best they are tame, pointless, weak, and milk-and-watery.

~ J.C. Ryle

Christian Leaders of the 18th Century, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1970], 382.

HT: Worship Matters (Bob Kauflin)

 

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