The primary burden of this article is to remove a major impediment to children coming to Christ. Nothing is a greater hindrance to genuine repentance than narcissism. But there is another, a secondary concern. Narcissistic children grow to be unhappy teens and even more unhappy adults…

THE CONFESSING BAPTIST Reformed Resources from a 1689 Perspective About Contact Guidelines | T&C | FAQ Podcast Interview Headlines Book Review Categories News Theology Culture Audio Video Events Bapti-Bot Roundup CATEGORY: THEOLOGY POSTED ONAPRIL 22, 2015 5 ways Christian parents may be raising narcissistic children [Gary Hendrix] Pastor Gary Hendrix Pastor Gary Hendrix Pastor Gary Hendrix: Narcissism is defined in this way: “inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity. Synonyms: self-centeredness, smugness, egocentrism.” Narcissistic tendencies are inbred in each descendant of Adam. All of us are lovers of self and want to have attention focused upon ourselves. That drives so much of social media. Selfies and ruminations on Facebook and elsewhere are efforts to draw attention to ourselves and to solicit responses from others. We derive pleasure from knowing that others are looking at us, admiring us, thinking about us and what we say. Narcissism is a widespread disease. This in turn defines one major objective of Christian parenting, namely to do everything we can do to wean our children away from confusing mirrors with windows. That means looking at others and their good instead of themselves. Ephesians 6:4 4 “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Nurturing children to live unto Christ is the direct opposite of allowing them to live unto themselves. The problem is that instead of countering narcissism in our children, Christian parents may actually encourage it and worsen it while supposing that they are in fact helping their children… NarcissismHere are some of the ways that well-intentioned parents may be reenforcing, solidifying the self-centeredness and “me-ism” of their children: By permitting their homes to become child-centered. By making social events to become showcases for the children and their accomplishments. Homeschooling can become a classroom for narcissism. [T]he failure to teach social skills. [I]nstilling the idea that a child is “exceptional” and not subject to the ordinary expectations common to others… The primary burden of this article is to remove a major impediment to children coming to Christ. Nothing is a greater hindrance to genuine repentance than narcissism. But there is another, a secondary concern. Narcissistic children grow to be unhappy teens and even more unhappy adults… For an explanation of each point, caveats, and more read Are Christians raising narcissistic children? POSTED ONAPRIL 21, 2015 ARBCA’s “A Position Paper Concerning Divine Impassibility” now online [ PDF | HTML ] positionpapeARBCAr2The position paper that was voted in during last week’s ARBCA General Assembly is now online. Position Paper Intro: A Position Paper Concerning the Doctrine of Divine Impassibility Presented by the Theology Committee of the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America Our Confession unequivocally affirms that God is “without . . . passions”(2LCF 2.1). This is an affirmation of the classical doctrine of divine impassibility (DDI) consonant with the unified voice of historic confessional Reformed theology, particularly as articulated in the Westminster Confession of Faith (2.1), the Savoy Declaration (2.1), and the 42/39 Articles of the Church of England (Art. 1). The DDI asserts that God does not experience emotional changes either from within or effected by his relationship to creation. He is not changed from within or without; he remains unchanged and unchanging both prior and subsequent to creation. In light of present-day attempts to modify the DDI, it is incumbent upon ARBCA to publish its position on this vital issue. This will ensure greater understanding and unity among its member churches. The position adopted by ARBCA will be used to inform and examine those churches seeking membership, to establish a standard in controversy (should it arise in member churches), to serve as a standard for materials published by ARBCA, and to examine home and foreign missionaries supported by ARBCA churches. The DDI has come under attack within the last century in various theological traditions. Many who would be classified as mainstream evangelicals have jettisoned this doctrine. There are a number of evangelicals who wish to retain some form of divine impassibility while at the same time attempting to affirm that God is also passible. Instead of affirming divine impassibility as an attribute of God that is a necessary consequent of divine immutability, they postulate a God who displays a full array of emotions which are subject to change according to his sovereign will. Rather than saying God does not suffer or undergo any emotional change whatsoever, some wish to affirm that God undergoes change in relation to the created order, just not involuntarily. From this perspective, while God expresses an array of divine emotions, he is affirmed to be in some sense impassible. This Position Paper contends that only the classical DDI is compatible with the doctrine of God revealed in Scripture and articulated in the 2LCF. It is presented as follows: 1. the importance of the DDI; 2. biblical and exegetical foundations of the DDI; 3. an overview of a systematic theology of the DDI; 4. an overview of the 2LCF on the DDI; and 5. affirmations and denials pertaining to the DDI. Position Paper [HTML or 29-page PDF]: Download (PDF, 553KB) HTML version: Introduction and Importance Biblical and Exegetical Foundations Systematic Theology Confessional Theology Affirmations and Denials POSTED ONAPRIL 21, 2015 Are Christians morally obligated to participate in the political process? The Decablog’s “Rhino Room” panel answers This week’s question for The Rhino Room was: Are Christians morally obligated to participate in the political process of their local community or nation? Pastor Wayne Brandow Pastor Wayne Brandow Pastor Wayne Brandow’s answer: This is a question concerning the will of God for one’s life. Though Christians are citizens of another world, they live in the present one. They are called by God to love their neighbor and do him good. This entails civic responsibilities that would promote the public welfare, like voting or making their voice known. Being community minded and working with others in a worthy cause conveys that you genuinely care. A word of caution is needful however. A person can be so caught up in a worthy cause that one’s primary calling is neglected. Jesus focused on a kingdom that was not of this world. On the other hand, Joseph, Daniel, Mordecai, and Esther were providentially called by God to be political. Though, it is not the will of God for all to be politicians, it is the will of God to love your neighbor. Read the other seven answers. POSTED ONAPRIL 14, 2015 What is common grace & how is it manifest? The Decablog’s “Rhino Room” panel answers The Decablog has setup a new feature on their blog called The Rhino Room. They describe it as follows: rhino roomEach week, we will ask a question of a panel of ministry leaders from different parts of the world, and they will have 150 words or less to answer. We hope the varied perspectives will provide a comprehensive overview of each question, and offer ample material for discussion in the comment section of the blog. The questions will cover a wide spectrum to include systematic and biblical theology, culture, history, pastoral theology, etc. Each week’s question and answers will be posted on Tuesdays and, we hope, the remainder of the week will be filled with discussion… Since they announced that last week, this Tuesday brought on their first question which was, “What is common grace and how is it manifest?” Common-Grace Here is just one of the eleven answers they got from Reformed Baptist ministry leaders: matt-foreman1-198x300Matt Foreman (Pastor, Faith Reformed Baptist Church of Media, Pennsylvania) Common Grace is God’s general goodness, loving care, and providential influence for all of His creation, especially in humanity. By common grace, God retains his image in humanity, influences their consciences, restrains their sin, and manifests his goodness and gifts in their lives, irrespective of their faith or its lack. God can be at work, manifesting goodness, in and through even unbelievers and unbelieving cultures. However, God only shows special, saving grace to his elect. Check out the rest of the answers. Feel free to send your burning questions to the blog admins. I may even send the backlog of “Ask a Reformed Baptist” to them! :D POSTED ONAPRIL 8, 2015 Non-Biblical Literature & the Bible [12-Part Blog Series by Doug Van Dorn] decablog Douglas Van Dorn Douglas Van Dorn Over at The Decablog, Pastor Doug Van Dorn finished up his series Non-Biblical Literature and the Bible. Here is the series overview: When I was first asked to do this series, it’s focus was to be only on Ancient Near Eastern [ANE] Literature and the Bible. But then I started thinking. Because there is an aversion that many have not only to ANE stuff, but even to ancient books closer to the Christian home, perhaps something more basic and broad would be more helpful. So this is going to be a series of posts on non-biblical literature and how to think, well, “biblically” about it. It will focus on ancient literature, with individual posts given to the The_Good_The_Bad_and_The_UglyApocrypha, the Pseudepigrapha, other Second Temple Literature (Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus and Philo, Mishna, Targums), the Apostolic Fathers, some of the Church Fathers, Gnostic Texts, Ancient Near Eastern Literature, and relevant Ancient World Literature (Part I and Part II). Don’t know what a lot of this even is? Have no idea why you should care? Never fear. These posts will help give you some answers. The final post (an annotated bibliography) to lead you to some good sources to help you begin your adventure. As this is a blog, we can only do the most basic of overviews. This is my attempt to whet your appetite to a whole world you never knew existed. And what an amazing world it is: The good, the bad, and the ugly! Here is the series: Introduction Part I (The Bible) Introduction Part II (Objections and Suggestions) The Apocrypha The Pseudepigrapha Other Second Temple Literature (Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus and Philo, Mishna, Targums) Apostolic Fathers Church Fathers Gnostic Texts Ancient Near Eastern Literature World Literature Part I, Part II Appendix: Annotated Bibliography POSTED ONAPRIL 2, 2015 Blessed Weekly Remembrances [Jim Savastio] Pastor Jim Savastio Pastor Jim Savastio Pastor Jim Savastio: I am writing this during what the church calendar calls Holy Week. That means that this Sunday is Easter. It is the day that the Church, by and large, remembers the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. If you were to visit our church this Lord’s Day you would find us singing some songs celebrating the triumph of Jesus from the dead and, no doubt, one of our pastors (I’ll be on vacation) preaching a message related to this triumph. In most regards, however, our service this Lord’s Day will be no different from any of the other 51 Lord’s Days of the year. In fact, we will make very little of this particular Easter Sunday because we see every Lord’s Day in this way. That is, every single Lord’s Day is equally a reminder of the risen Jesus. Our church believes that the Lord’s Day is not only a weekly celebration of the resurrection (and the descent of the Spirit), but that it is rooted in the fourth commandment as well (that command calls us to ‘remember’ the day and why we are to remember it). Therefore the weekly coming of the first day of the week is a blessed remembrance to us of several things. sunday Every week I am reminded that I have a Creator. The Sabbath is rooted in the facts of Creation. Every week I am reminded that I have a Lawgiver. The Sabbath, though a great gift to man, is a moral obligation of the King of Creation. Every week I am reminded of the weakness of my flesh. The coming of the New Covenant did not rewrite the DNA of our humanity. We are weak creatures who need (and apparently who need to be told) to take a weekly rest. Just as I am reminded of my rest in Jesus so I am reminded of the need for my body to rest from my labors. Every week I am reminded that I am redeemed man. Why do I delight to take a day to be in God’s house and among God’s people and to refresh myself in rest, worship, service, reflection, and fellowship? One reason: Jesus laid hold of me and changed my heart. Every week I am reminded that I am part of a community. I love the gathering of God’s people. I am glad when it is said, Let US go into the house of the Lord. Every week I am reminded of the fading nature of this world and the incomparable glory of the world to come. I need time away from the world and the things of the world (even those innocent, acceptable and necessary things) so that they do not constantly grip my heart and my attention. Not only can I do without them, one day I will forever do without them. I am reminded every week of the promise of a better, eternal Sabbath rest for the people of God. Every week I am reminded of the reality of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church and the beauty of what the church is. It was on the first day of the week that the Spirit came with power on the day of Pentecost. I am reminded every single week that Jesus rose from the dead. This is why the church has gathered every single Sunday for two thousand years. No event in human history is so celebrated. In a focused way when I make the decisions I do of what I will and won’t do, where I will and won’t go, what I will and won’t say, I am doing so not only under the shadow of the cross, but from the glorious light of the empty tomb. POSTED ONAPRIL 2, 2015 Counseling & the 1689 Confession [8-Part Blog Series by J. Ryan Davidson] Pastor J. Ryan Davidson: My goal… [is] simply to make the case for counselors to give appropriate consideration to the informative use of Confessions (and I think the 1689 is a great one!) in their counseling work… counseling 1689Here is his 7-part blog series: Counseling & The Means of Grace Counseling & Scripture Interprets Scripture Counseling & How We Speak About God Counseling & God’s Decree Counseling & Justification vs. Sanctification Counseling & Chapters 14-20 Confessional Counseling The series concludes: The closing statement of the Baptist Confession (1689) reads: “We the MINISTERS, and MESSENGERS of, and concerned for upwards of, one hundred BAPTIZED CHURCHES, in England and Wales (denying Arminianism), being met together in London, from the third of the seventh month to the eleventh of the same, 1689, to consider of some things that might be for the glory of God, and the good of these congregations, have thought meet (for the satisfaction of all other Christians that differ from us in the point of Baptism) to recommend to their perusal the confession of our faith, which confession we own, as containing the doctrine of our faith and practice, and do desire that the members of our churches respectively do furnish themselves therewith.” Living in a day where theology was all over the air that was breathed, confessing truths about God, His Word, His Work and World was so important. And so they wrote. Is it any less important to us some 300+ years later? Hurting people need to be heard, cared for genuinely, and assisted as they seek to understand suffering, ailments, traumas and dysfunctions in this broken world which through Christ is being redeemed. I don’t suggest reading them a Confession, but I do wholeheartedly recommend knowing theology well, and wielding it well in the loving care of people. God’s revelation of Himself in His Scriptures is not just for Christians who are on mountaintops, but for Christians who are in valleys are well…confessional care and counsel is a helpful enterprise as it provides curbs for us on the road. Update Apr. 23, 2015: 8. Counseling and “Who”… Pastor J. Ryan Davidson & Family Pastor J. Ryan Davidson & Family J. Ryan Davidson has been serving at Grace Baptist Chapel since August of 2008. Ryan is married to his beautiful wife Christie, and they have four wonderful children: Micah, Lydia, Shaphan and Magdalene. Ryan holds degrees from Samford University (B.A.), The College of William & Mary (M.Ed.) in Counseling, and Southern Seminary (Th.M.) in Louisville, KY and he is completing a (Ph.D.) from The Free University of Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is a full member of the Evangelical Theological Society and a member of the American Society of Church History. POSTED ONMARCH 27, 2015 The Sabbath & the Conscience [5-Part Blog Series by Tom Chantry] Pastor Tom Chantry Pastor Tom Chantry Pastor Tom Chantry: I wrote a post about the Sabbath and the conscience. It was long, so – being “that kind of Puritan” – I made it longer. Then I broke it up into a series. Now we have five small installments, none of which should be too much for a day’s musing on the subject… My intent this week is not to thoroughly examine the doctrine and practice of Sabbath, nor to defend the same. I have no intention of answering every random question anyone ever wanted to pose to a Sabbatarian. Instead we will be very tightly focused on the questions of conscience: is the Sabbath command “written on the heart” as Paul describes the conscience, and to the degree that it is not, what does that tell us? Part 1: The Reformed view of the moral law The confessional position, then, may be summarized in a few points: There is a universal and moral law, rooted in the character of God Himself, and applicable to all men at all times. That law was first given to Adam, instilled in him through conscience, and remains on the conscience of every one of his descendants, even if the conscience is muted by sin and may be repressed through consistent transgression. The same moral principles have been applicable at every point in history, and have been written in the Scriptures at various places. The moral law is summarized briefly in the two “Great Commandments” cited by Christ, and is summarized at greater length in the Ten Commandments. One evidence of this universal morality is that all men everywhere know the same basic moral code, regardless of whether or not they have even encountered the Bible. 4thcommand sabbathPart 2: The challenge to this theology in the current context One critique of the Sabbath plays a large role in the thinking of many. It is the argument that Sabbath constitutes an exception to Paul’s conscience proof. “All right,” says the antinomian, “You want to say that the law written on men’s hearts is moral. That is true of the other Commandments, but the Fourth? We have a whole society which does not practice Sabbath, and no one feels pangs of conscience about it! How do you explain this if the moral law is written on everyone’s heart? Part 3: The initial three steps, having to do with the problem of identifying moral law from general revelation Understand that the argument is formulated backwards The question fails to account for the power of depravity One wonders exactly how many commandments the antinomian is willing to abandon Part 4: The last three steps, in which we ask whether or not it is even true that the Sabbath is entirely absent from our conscience If your awareness of Christian practice goes back more than one generation, you’ll have to admit that the Sabbath once pricked the conscience of men Don’t be so certain that the Sabbath isn’t written on every Christian’s heart – even today In fact, ours has increasingly become a culture of morally-enforced Sabbaths rest-work-after-millet-1890.jpg!BlogPart 5: Conclusion God’s law – properly observed – is always going to be better than the pale imitations our hearts devise when we suppress the conscience and ignore His commandments. POSTED ONMARCH 27, 2015 Tattoos for the Soul: Why We Need Confessions of Faith [Joe Thorn | DesiringGod.org] You don’t see this on the front of DesiringGod.org everyday. In fact, pretty sure this is a first… Hand of Pastor Joe Thorn Hand of Pastor Joe Thorn Pastor Joe Thorn Pastor Joe Thorn Pastor Joe Thorn on the value of confessions of faith: …Because I love God, I love his word. And because I love God and his word, I love theology. And because I love theology, I love confessions of faith. To know God is to believe who he has revealed himself to be in Christ, to rest in his grace, and to obey him in faith. In all of this, we are dependent on the Holy Scripture, and are compelled to affirm and articulate the truths revealed therein. This is where confessions of faith play a vital role in the spiritual health of the Christian and the local church… Even with the growing interest in Calvinism among evangelicals in recent years, too often the resurging interest in doctrine has not led to a robust understanding of Reformed theology or an embrace of Reformed confessions. In my own context, I occasionally hear some Baptists say things like, “We need no creed but the Bible.” While I affirm their belief in the supremacy and sufficiency of the Scripture, such a sentiment ignores the purpose and use of confessions. And by the way, such a statement is itself a confession. Proper confessions of faith, like Westminster, or the 1689 Baptist Confession, serve four purposes: clarity, unity, charity, and safety… Read the explanation of those four purposes in “Tattoos for the Soul: Why We Need Confessions of Faith” POSTED ONMARCH 23, 2015 The Doctrine of Christ: A 1689 Infographic [The Decablog] Decablogger Nicolas Alford: We at The Decablog love infographics, the Doctrine of Christ, and the beautiful way that the 1689 Baptist Confession expresses that doctrine in chapter 8, paragraph 2. The result? Our first ever Decablog produced infographic! Enjoy. the-person-of-christ decablog infographic POSTED ONMARCH 23, 2015 “Baptists & War” AUDIO from the 2011 Andrew Fuller Center Conf. [18 MP3s] + more The new book Baptists & War: Essays on Baptists & Military Conflict, 1640s-1990s, that we let you know about last week, is a collection of essays which were originally delivered at the 2011 annual conference of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies. You can find that audio to that conference below: baptist and war2 THE ANDREW FULLER CENTER FOR BAPTIST STUDIES 5th ANNUAL CONFERENCE September 26–27, 2011 PLENARY SESSIONS: Anthony Cross, “Baptists and Peace: An Overview” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Larry Kreitzer, “The ‘Valiant Old Lady’: The Story of the Eighth Whelp (1628-46) and Her Baptist Chaplain John Pendarves”(MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Keith Harper, “Baptists During the Period of the American Revolution” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Paul Brewster, “Andrew Fuller and the War against Napolean”(MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – George Rable, “Was the American Civil War a Holy War?” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Panel Discussion with George Rable, James Fuller, Tom Nettles, and Greg Wills, “Interpreting the American Civil War” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – James Robertson, “American and Canadian Baptists and the War of 1812″ (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Robert Linder, “Australian Baptists and World War II” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Maurice Dowling, “Russian Baptists and the Cold War” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Nathan Finn, “The Vietnam War and Baptist Witness” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – PARALLEL SESSIONS: Phillip Bethancourt, “Christ the Warrior King and the Conquest: Understanding the Canaanite Genocide in Light of a Biblical Theology of Warfare” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Josh Carmichael, “National Judgements and Mercies, A Call to Repentance, Prayer and Fasting: The War Hymns of Anne Steele”(MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Roger Duke, “The Baptist Chaplain in Times of War” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Joe Harrod, “The French and Indian War: A Presbyterian Perspective” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Gord Heath, “Canadian Baptists and the 19th Century Wars of the British Empire” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Tony Mattia, “Being A Chaplain in the American Civil War” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Chad Mauldin, “Violence and the Cross: Fullerism’s Answer to Contemporary Attacks on Substitutionary Atonement” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – Cody McNutt, “Robert Hall, Jr.: Political Preaching and the Making of a Cultural Celebrity” (MP3): Audio Player 00:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. – [source: AFCBS] untitledSBTS: The September [2011] issue of “Towers” [SBTS’s monthly publication] is now online and in stands. SBTS professors Mark Coppenger and Michael A.G. Haykin help readers toward a clearer understanding of the often convoluted and always complex issue of Christians engaging in warfare (page 12). Coppenger also offers a brief summary of just-war theory (page 13)… Read: Powered by Publish for Free POSTED ONMARCH 19, 2015 To Assume the Gospel is to Lose it [Tom Ascol] Pastor Tom Ascol Pastor Tom Ascol Tom Ascol: For well over a decade I have expressed concerns that many conservative, Bible believing churches have in important ways lost the gospel. This concern has been met with varying degrees of incredulity by certain sectors of the evangelical world, most notably, some of the very ones that provoked my evaluation. Though things have improved from fifteen years ago to today, there is still ample evidence that my concerns remain well-founded. For the sake of clarity let me reiterate the essence of my concern. The gospel is all about Jesus Christ—who He is, what He has done and why that matters. As Jesus Himself said, the Scriptures bear witness to Him (John 5:39) and that the Prophets and Moses wrote about Him (Luke 24:44; cf. v. 27). The whole Bible—not just the New Testament—is a Christian book and unless every part of it is read as revealing Jesus Christ then it has been misread. haretortoise_1_lgToo often, Scripture is treated more along the lines of an inspired version of Aesop’s Fables than the revelation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When this happens the Bible becomes little more than a source for tips on success and happiness. Rather than recognizing it as the revelation of Christ it is treated as the basis of moralistic principles. When that happens, the gospel is lost… Read “To Assume the Gospel is to Lose it”. POSTED ONMARCH 17, 2015 No Shamrocks. No Pot of Gold. Michael A.G. Haykin Introduces the Real St. Patrick [Dustin Bruce] patrickAndrew Fuller Center contributor Dustin Bruce’s review of Michael Haykin’s book Patrick of Ireland: His Life and Impact (Christian Focus, 2014) is now online (featured in the most recent Credo Mag): The names of few, if any, “saints” are as widely recognized as the name of Saint Patrick. Yet, while many know of the legendary propagator of Celtic Christianity, few know the facts surrounding Patrick or the legacy he left behind. In Patrick of Ireland: His Life and Impact (Christian Focus, 2014), Michael A. G. Haykin has cut through much of the mist surrounding the great missionary of the early church. Haykin, who serves as Professor of Church History at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, provides an account of the life, theology, and legacy of Patrick that is both responsible in its use of sources and readable for all who may find themselves interested. Read “No Shamrocks. No Pot of Gold. Michael A.G. Haykin Introduces the Real St. Patrick” Also, be sure to check out all our previous post on “Saint” Patrick of Ireland. POSTED ONMARCH 16, 2015 The Regulative, Vertical, & Internal Principle of the Worship of God [5-Part Blog Series by Nicolas Alford] Nicolas Alford Nicolas Alford In a series posted at The Decablog, Nicolas Alford (now one of the pastors at Grace Baptist Church of Taylors, SC.) explains not only the Regulative Principle of Worship, but also the Vertical and Internal Principle of Worship as well. He explains in the series introduction: If the church at worship is the epicenter of our spiritual lives then it follows that our God would take a unique interest in what goes one there. He does. In fact, he has given us nonnegotiable Biblical principles to guide us as we think though what we do in worship and why we do it. The three principles he talks about weave together to form and inform our worship of God. He explain in the series conclusion: Imagine that in preparation for coming together as the church in worship, we are members of a symphony, getting ready for a concert. The Vertical Principal of Worship has explained to us who we will be playing for. It is a concert for a King, and so while there are many others who can and should benefit from it, it is for the King. His desires and requirements must always rule. The Regulative Principle of Worship has shown us how to build our instruments. It has shown us how to identify the parts; to indentify what is in and what is out. Using it we can build an instrument that meets the King’s design. The Internal Principle of Worship has shown us that from within us must flow the breath that will take that beautiful instrument and make it perform the function it was designed for. The King doesn’t want us to just show him the instruments; he wants them played. “Worship is a vertical act with horizontal impact. We must worship God in all the ways and only the ways he has commanded in His Word. The external act of worship must be an expression of true internal realities.” When all the principles come together, then you have a symphony of beautiful music worthy to be offered to the King. symphony worship Read his “A Principled Approach to the Worship of God” series: Series Introduction The Vertical Principle The Regulative Principle The Internal Principle Series Conclusion Related Three Thieves That Will Steal Your Worship Calvin and Hobbs on the Regulative Principle POSTED ONMARCH 13, 2015 Singing As A Means of Grace [6-Part Blog Series by Matt Foreman] Pastor Matt Foreman Pastor Matt Foreman The newest Decablogger, Matt Foreman, finished up his first blog series Singing As A Means of Grace: …When Reformed Christians talk about the ‘means of grace’, they usually are referring to the corporate practices of the church – like prayer, Bible reading, preaching, Lord’s Supper and Baptism – that God has revealed as means and practices that lead to spiritual growth. They are the channels that God promises to use through the Spirit to build up and nourish God’s people. I want to argue that Christians need to recognize the place of spiritual singing as an important and Biblical means of grace… In the next few posts, we are going to explore why and how to use singing as a means of grace. psalm singingHere is the series: Introduction Why Do We Sing? Singing As A Ministry of the Word Singing Corporately Singing Different Types of Songs Singing With Grace In Our Hearts Posts navigation Previous pagePage 6 Next page Search for: Search … Search FOLLOW: *: Enter your email address: Subscribe - Subscribe to just the podcast via RSS reader, iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn or by Email* (*email is only sent out once per day) BAPTI-BOT BLOG ROUNDUP Iron Sharpens Iron Podcast Logo September 21, 2017 Show with Jeremy Walker on “What is Repentance?” Theme: September 21, 2017: Jeremy Walker, Pastor of Maidenbower Baptist Church of Crawley in West Sussex, England, author & blogger @ Reformation 21 & The Wanderer, will address: “What […] Fri, Oct 06, 2017 Iron Sharpens Iron Podcast Logo September 6, 2017 Show with Marc Grimaldi on “The Importance of Calvinism for Biblically Faithful Evangelism: What it Prevents & What it Preserves” Theme: September 6, 2017: Marc Grimaldi, a pastor @ Grace Reformed Baptist Church of Long Island in Merrick, NY, will address the theme: “The IMPORTANCE of CALVINISM For BIBLICALLY […] Fri, Oct 06, 2017 Archbishop of Canterbury Can’t Answer Direct Questions, More on the I Am Sayings of Jesus Snuck a quick DL in today, covering Justin Welby’s inability to answer a direct question on the nature of sin, and then spending most of our time continuing the discussion […] Fri, Oct 06, 2017 Introduction to “Getting the Garden Right: Adam’s Work and God’s Rest in Light of Christ,” coming soon from Founders Press Introduction This book, in one sense, concentrates on hermeneutics and theological method. I contend that New Covenant Theology (NCT) gets the covenant of works and the […] Fri, Oct 06, 2017 Final page of last lecture for Southern California Reformed Baptist Pastors’ Conference ‘17 You can register for the conference here. Psalm 104:30 says, “You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth.” Here both […] Fri, Oct 06, 2017 Endorsements for “Getting the Garden Right,” coming soon from Founders Press Nothing shapes how we interpret and apply the Bible as much as our understanding of covenant. Richard Barcellos offers us a helpful blend of biblical exegesis and theological reflection […] Fri, Oct 06, 2017 RECENT COMMENTS Rich Barcellos on One Thing I Did Right in Ministry… [Blog Series | Founders] Jason on ‘Honey Out of the Rock’ by Thomas Wilcox [Free E-book] Jason on What is the Importance of Believer’s Baptism? Fred Malone Answers [5 min. VIDEO] Hesbon on July 7-9, 2015 “Pathway to Power” Metropolitan Tabernacle School of Theology feat. Peter Masters + more in London, UK Kevin Schwamb on Upcoming 7 Volume Series: “Lectures in Systematic Theology” by Greg Nichols. Book one months away… Sharon thombre on “The Seven Sayings of the Savior on the Cross” by A. W. Pink [Free eBook Friday] DANA CASTALDO on What is the Importance of Believer’s Baptism? Fred Malone Answers [5 min. VIDEO] TOP TAGS 17th Century Baptist History1689 Federalism1689 Second London Baptist Confession of FaithAndrew FullerApologeticsAsk a Reformed BaptistBaptismBaptist HistoryBooksCalvinismCharles SpurgeonChurchChurch HistoryConfessionalismCovenant TheologyEcclesiologyEvangelismFounders MinistriesFree e-book FridayGospelJames RenihanJames WhiteJeffrey T. RiddleJeremy WalkerMichael HaykinMissionsParticular Baptist HistoryParticular BaptistsParticular VoicesPastoral MinistryPastoral TheologyPreachingReformed Baptist 101Reformed Baptist SeminaryReformed Theology 101Regulative Principle of WorshipRichard BarcellosRoundupSacramentsSamuel RenihanSam WaldronThabiti AnyabwileTom AscolTom NettlesVoddie Baucham Proudly powered by WordPress