Warfield #4

I believe that God authenticated His prophets and apostles as agents of revelation by mighty acts of His power employed by Him as signs whereby all men should confess, concerning those who are gifted with such power, “We know you are a teacher sent from God, for no one could do the things you do lest God were with Him”; and I believe that the great outpouring of such miracles displayed in the ministry of Christ and His Apostles signified the breaking into history of God’s promised kingdom, which kingdom, when established in its fullness, will issue in the miraculous renewal of all creation; and that until such time, God is at work bringing men and women into that kingdom through the supernatural work of regeneration.

Reflection and Prayer

As I look back on 2009, I see one of the most difficult years in my memory. In particular, the events on the national political scene and in the economic world have been discouraging. Socialism, idolatry, immorality, fear, anger, war, and other symptoms of our rejection of God all seem to dominate our world and our thoughts.

Nevertheless, we are not “godless.” God reigns supremely over all and it is only through His providence that we have arrived at this point in history. Where do we go from here? What do we as Christians do?

Simply put, the only thing to do is to turn to the Lord in prayer, hope and trust; and remember joyfully that He is King and is sovereign:

Dear Father,

We praise and worship you for you are the one true living God. All wise, all knowing, all powerful. Infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. Always good and trustworthy.

We confess our sins. We have been neglegent in our responsibilities to our families, to the Church, and to our communities.

We are thankful for your ever-present grace and providence. We are thankful for all things-even our sufferings and struggles, for we know that you are at work and your purposes will not be thwarted. We are thankful for your unwarranted provision of redemption for your elect.

We ask that you restore an active love for you and your Word in our hearts, our families, our places of worship, our courts, our legislatures, our military and in every other human institution. Remove the blight of every thought and institution that opposes you.

This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ who is our Savior AND our Lord.

Thanksgiving, 2009

As we did last year for Thanksgiving, our family has been collecting a list of things for which we are thankful. I set a quart jar, a pad of paper, pens and pencils on the corner of the kitchen cabinet with instructions to write down things as we thought of them and put them in the jar. At the end of the day on Thanksgiving, we pulled the slips out of the jar and read them aloud. The jar was full, but we when were finished reading, we still thought of things that we had forgotten to write down. We know that our ungrateful heart takes many things for granted, or we believe we are entitled or that earned others things of our own strength. Consequently, our list is woefully incomplete and we remain in prayer to our Lord to give us a more grateful heart. The following is our list.  Many of the items were were the same as last year, so I have listed the new ones below followed by the entire list from last year.  (in the order they were pulled from the jar):

New Items:

The Scottish Covenanters
Hot Tea
Fallen Pines (our new home-based business)
Hannah (our new grand-daughter)
Air (how did we forget that one last year!?)
Comedy
The Reformers
The Haley Family
Dogs (we got cats last year, but forgot dogs!)
Cinnamon Rolls
Tater-Tot Casserole
Being a Senior (one of Sean’s contributions)
Family Haircuts
Flashlights
Old Buicks (even ones with horse hair imbedded in the windshield!)
Chemical Reactions
Poached Eggs
Classic TV Series
Our Piano
Colorado White Chili
Douglas Bond
Safe Travel
The Holy Spirit
The Cross (ouch..how did we miss those last two?!?)
The Brooks Family
God’s promises
The Earth

Last Year’s Items:

Our house
Our family
God’s beautiful creation
Books
Abigail
Wonderful friends
Clothing
Shoes
Emma
Moon
Thunderstorms
Heidi
The McCoys
Sean
Rain
Weddings
Peyton
Water
Freezer meals
Mama
Grandparents
Nick
Daddy
The Blakes
Our nation’s heritage
Our fireplace
Animals
Lori’s trust
Knitting
Arms, legs, fingers and toes
Nurses
The Bible
The Bennett family
The Ragan family
Sewing machines
Home-made peanut butter
Food
Cats
Cookouts
Vision Forum
Being greeted enthusiastically when I get home
Home-made bread
Being homeschooled
Discipline
Christian brothers at work
Scrapbooking
Sense of feel
God’s provision
4th of July fireworks
Salvation
Christmas
The Eastons
Our home and land
Computers
Grandpa Cody
Digital and video cameras
Grandma Cody
Honey bees
Martin Luther
The four seasons
God’s design for mother and baby
Morgan
Living in a free country
Fall colors
Snow
Our creek
John Calvin
Family traditions
Freedom to homeschool
Tools
Music
The peace that passeth understanding
Work and chores that help the family
Fresh milk
The Schenk family
The book mobile
Cars
Home business
Movies
Sisters
Our garden
Money
Wal-Mart
Popcorn
Hugs
Doctors
My children’s confidence
Jonathan Park CDs
Our glorious hope
Our chickens
The Mollohans
Contact lenses
Dishwashers
Grape jam
The Duggar family
Marshmallows
China One buffet
My husband, David
My job
Our homeschool group
Games, toys and playthings
Soap
My beautiful wife, Lori
Brothers
The Schrock family
The US Navy
Life
Washers and dryers
Pizza
Mountains
Stars
Medicine
Insurance
The Fry family
Parents
Meghan
Electricity
Nick
Our cuckoo clock
Sewing
David’s wisdom
Toyota
Hot fudge
Sense of smell
Flowers
Lori’s submissive and helpmeet attitude
The Sheets family
Forgiveness and grace
That food tastes good
Climbing hay bales
Trees
Mud boots
Thanksgiving
Baskin Robbins
The Myers family
4 wheel drive
DVDs
All the neat stuff in Grandpa’s basement
The US Marine Corps
Sense of sight
Hibachi restaurant
Lawnmowers
Lemonade
Lori’s gentle and quiet spirit
Freezers
Hospitals
Our memories
Sense of taste
Easter
The internet
My wife’s support
Neighbors
Clouds
Sense of hearing
Shower
My wife’s counsel
Coldstone creamery
Police officers
Refrigerators
Father/Son time together
David’s leadership
Hand-me-downs
Sunshine
David’s passion for spiritual knowledge
The Park family
Our warm and cozy bed
Grandpa Alderson
Telephones
Reading time with my family
Colors
Vacation
Bathtub
Sunny days
CHEO
Grandma Alderson
Father/Daughter retreat
The people in the NICU that helped Abigail
Daddy’s Boy Scout knowledge
Pancakes
Crafts
Science book and math book
Health
Vacuum cleaner
Musical instruments
Pain (a warning sign)
My bike and scooter
Christ
My mama’s pharmacist’s knowledge
The Tipple family
Eyeglasses
iPod
God
Pictures
Tractors and brush hog
Sacrifice of our veterans
Seatbelts
Hairbrushes
The Nolt family
The library
The US Air Force
Cupcakes
The zoo
The Amish bakery
TCBY
Giovanni’s
The Rhodes family
Climbing trees
Adventuring
Willow Tree angels
Soda
Chocolate milk
Lemon pie
Hand lotion
Flannel
Playing outside
Fresh eggs
Butterflies
Snacks
Sitting on the front porch
Firemen
Blankets and pillows
Naps
Mommy and Daddy’s love for each other
Visiting friends and family
Mouthwash
Clothesline
Grass
Cool breezes on hot summer days
The sky
Daddy’s blog
The US Army
Aldi

Horsemeat

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of Dad’s passing into eternity.  A few weeks ago, I posted regarding a piano that we purchased with some of the proceeds from his estate.  Several months prior to his death, he also gave us his 1989 Buick LeSabre.  That car is now my wife’s primary means of transportation.  Dad drove very little over the past few years and was diligent about car care prior to that.  Consequently, the Buick was in beautiful condition with very few scratches, dings or other blemishes.  That all changed last night.

As many of you know, we live in an area of Ohio that is heavily populated with Amish.  In fact, approximately half of the homes on our country road are Amish.  Last night, while driving on our road in Dad’s Buick, Lori had a close encounter with Eli Yoder’s primary means of transportation, his horse, Topsy.  Lori was uninjured, and remarkably, so was Topsy (though I imagine Topsy’s “bottomsy” was a bit sore today!)  The car, however, is no longer blemish-free.

It appears that Topsy (whose mottled black and gray coloring serves her well as camouflage against the backdrop of a chip and seal country road at night) had escaped from her fenced-in pasture.  She was running slightly ahead and to the right of Lori when she tried to “merge” onto the road in front of the Buick.  By the time Lori saw her, the front passenger side of the car was scooping Topsy up onto the hood and back into the windshield.  Clyde (the name our daughter gave to the Buick) now has a hood that has the same shape as the things UNDER the hood and a hole in the windshield the size and shape of Topsy’s fanny!  Basically, Topsy sat down on the dashboard on the passenger side!

The car is now at the local body shop awaiting an estimate, and Lori and Topsy are at their respective homes recuperating from their ordeal.  I am thankful to our Lord for preserving my wife in what could have been a devastating accident, and I am thankful that our Amish neighbors (and they are outstanding neighbors) have not been deprived of the services of their beast of burden.

In an ironic twist to this story, the event resulted in a business arrangement between me and Mr. Ivan Yoder, another Amish neighbor.   You see, Ivan is the local dog food salesman in the Amish community and I happened to need a 50 lbs bag for our Daisy-dog.  As we were all standing around afterward, I decided to by some dog food with “high protein meat by-products.”  I’m not sure where Ivan Yoder gets his dog food for resale, but I have to wonder if this Mr. Yoder had any mixed feeling regarding the health of Ol Topsy?

It’s Our Beeswax!

During the past year, we have rented a booth at the local flea market.  Through this means, I have started to “uncollect” the hundreds (thousands?) of toys that I have acquired over the past 40+ years.  Additionally, we have cleared out box after box of odds & ends, knicks & knacks and cats & dogs!  “Litterally” speaking!  We found new homes for several kittens that were discovered under our front porch!  The kittens were free, but we have been getting a little money for nearly everything else.

Most promising have been the crafts that Lori and the children make.  Morgan has produced some beautiful pieces of beaded jewelry, Peyton has made goblet charms, and Lori has sewn several “baby wraps” that are great for carrying the wee ones around.  These items were the beginning of what we have started calling our Fallen Pines “product line.”

In our continuing attempts to improve our economic independence, free ourselves from the slavery of debt, and most importantly, to increase our opportunities to glorify God;  we have expanded our entrepreneurial endeavors to include making candles and soap!  Every member of the family has contributed to this effort, and regardless of the financial success of our small business, I am convinced that we are teaching our children Christ-centered values that will serve the multi-generational vision that God has given us.

I am continually amazed at what He is doing in our lives and in His provision.  We are all gaining further appreciation for His creation as we transform raw material such as olive oil, beeswax, and flowers into beautiful and useful objects for the home.  These raw materials are more than mere ingredients for soap and candles however…they are the ingredients for a rich and wonderful life!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Happy Birthday, Dad.

Today is my father’s birthday.  He would have been 93 years old.  As many of you know my father passed away last October just 3 weeks prior to the arrival of our daughter, Abigail.  Abigail is his 11^th grandchild.

While delivering his eulogy, I recommitted myself to building a family rooted in Christ and propelled by a multi-generational vision.  I promised to remember Father by talking about him with my children and my children’s children until the day I go to be with him.  May God give me the grace to continue to honor my father according to my promise.

Over the weekend, we took an additional step in perpetuating Father’s legacy.  With some of the proceeds of his estate, we purchased a piano to replace our current piano which had proven to be inadequate.

This piano will be dedicated in prayer to James Cody’s memory and to the purpose of glorifying God through music and fellowship in our home.  May the hands that play it be faithful, may the ears that hear it be blessed, and may God’s purposes be furthered by it in this and future generations of the Cody family.

Soli Deo Gloria

A Great Day!

How gracious God was today!  We had a very productive day taking dominion and teaching our children to do the same.  I’m pretty sure it was dominion-taking.  Much of it could have been merely performing maintenance – sometimes it is hard to tell the difference!  Here’s a list of what we accomplished:

Grass mowed (mostly)

Trash and brush pile burned

Porch power-washed (halfway)

Trees trimmed (never ending task)

Some tractor repairs done (more still needed)

Hole in chicken yard fence patched (pesky raccoons)

Not bad considering neither the lawn tractor nor the chain saw would run.  A phone call to the local John Deere dealership has convinced me that the mower most likely has a bent pushrod.  The engine has a history of this; and I need to fix what’s causing it, not just the pushrod this time.  I’m not sure what’s wrong with the chain saw.

It obvious that the day was not only productive, but also quite parenthetical (excessive use of parenthesis to add detail)!

We’re feeling good about the victories today.  Now to prepare for the counterattack by the enemy.

Warfield #3

3. I believe that the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture; unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by alleged new revelations of the Spirit or by traditions of men.

Clarification?

Based on some of the feedback I have received, I have concluded that it is necessary to provide some details of my position and clarify statements I made in my last post.  No doubt additional questions and concerns will arise based on the following:

Regarding salvation

1)  Salvation is an act of God and is made effectual in individuals through the Holy Spirit convicting and regenerating the heart of sinners.  The preaching of the gospel is the means through which this is accomplished.

2)  Salvation is not the result of responding to an altar call or saying a sinner’s prayer.

3)  Salvation is not the result of church discipline, however biblically it may be practiced.

Regarding Eternal Security

1)  I believe the doctrine of “once saved, always saved” is one of the most grievously misunderstood teachings of the modern American church.

2)  Just as salvation is granted by grace and not earned by any human means (including ancestry, behavior, or personal decision), eternal security is attributable only to the steadfast trustworthiness of God’s election and purpose.  We are eternally secure only if we are predestined unto salvation before the foundation of the world.

3)  Without an overall biblical perspective about salvation and the duty and role of the Church, this doctrine can lead to unspeakable evil acts conducted by dedicated church goers — those that believe themselves to be “born again” Christians with an assured place in heaven regardless of immoral, sinful behavior.

Regarding Church Discipline

1)  Since church discipline does not have the power of conversion, by itself it would not have been responsible for the rebirth of Dr. Tiller.

2)  The lack of church discipline can generate unwarranted satisfaction with one’s standing before the Lord.  In other words, without church discipline as a part of the overall practice of the Church, unrepentant sinners are led to believe (or are specifically taught) that their salvation is assured.

3)  In the book of Romans, Paul tells us “you are not under law but under grace.”   Nevertheless, in the next verse and throughout the New Testament, the Bible makes it clear that conversion results in fruit.  Christians are expected to demonstrate that they are a new creature by their words and actions.

In summary, I think Dr. Tiller was not aware of the basic principles of the faith.  He may have known that the wages of sin is death, but what did that matter to him?  He was not aware that he was a sinner and that his actions were contrary to the law of God.  The Church’s failure to discipline him sanctioned the choices he continued to make.  He did not think it necessary to repent because he had not been made aware of his error.

Dr. Tiller’s sin remains his responsibility, but his blood is on the hands of all of those that know Christ and had an opportunity hold Dr. Tiller accountable, but did not act.

Church Discipline and the “Good” Doctor

Why is church discipline so hard?  Is it because the Bible is unclear regarding the procedures?  Hardly.  Is it because we are unconvinced of its effectiveness?  Most likely, few of us have enough experience with it to draw any conclusions.

I would argue that, for the most part, we choose to not discipline to avoid confrontation and disagreements within our “happy” church homes.  It is like a home in which the parents avoid their responsibility and fail to teach their children the ways of the Lord and discipline accordingly.  Without such shepherding, the children become lawless, spoiled, selfish and rebellious.  What at first seems to be the easier path ends up being the way to certain destruction.

I think we justify our reluctance to exercise church discipline based on two interrelated aspects of our own spiritual lives.

1)       We are not convinced that the offense in question is sinful or in need of correction.

2)      As sinners, we believe ourselves to be inadequate to the task of pointing out the speck in a brother’s eye.

We refuse to be convinced that certain behavior and choices are sinful because we love our sin!  Holding others accountable opens us up to being confronted on our own transgressions.  We don’t practice church discipline because we don’t want to be disciplined!

We are quite fond of the opening verses in Matthew chapter 7 that warns against judging others inappropriately.  We use verses 1 through 5 to convince ourselves that we must never accuse others of wrongdoing because our own sins are so great.  However, in the very next verse, Jesus continues His teaching by warning against giving holy thing to dogs and casting pearls before swine!  Jesus does not prohibit our judging of others, He simply clarifies the standard by which we are to judge – God’s word!

Indeed, we must be prayerful and exercise wisdom as we consider each situation.  We cannot take the task lightly and our evidence against the brother or sister must be clear.  However, we must not allow our congregations to continue as they are – filled with lawless, spoiled, selfish and rebellious children.  Like the parents of the undisciplined children, the church leadership is responsible for correction of their flock.

These thoughts came to me as I read about the tragic slaying of the abortionist, Dr. George Tiller.  His crimes against innocent life are well-known, and I will not recount them here.  Suffice to say that to any honest student of the teachings of Christ, there is no doubt as to the sinful nature of his profession.  The commentators express shock regarding the fact that such a crime (his murder) was committed in church.  I, too, was amazed, but my shock focused on the crime that lead to his being, not only in church, but officiating at a service ostensibly devoted to worshipping the Holy Lord!

As a professing believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, Dr. Tiller subjected himself to Church guidance and discipline.  The Church failed him, and it is likely that he died an unrepentant murderer of thousands.  How many more Dr. Tillers are there in our congregations?  How many more professing Christians are deluded by the refusals of pastors, elders, and lay people to step up to the responsibility they have to each other?

Neither the illegal killing of abortionists nor legislation will rid this land of the abomination of abortion.  Only by the blessing of God through an obedient and faithful church will our nation turn from its evil ways.  May the Lord deliver His people from fear, weakness and irresponsibility.