Here is a verse my church family looked at last night:

I am He that knoweth, and am Witness, saith Jehovah (Jeremiah 29:23)

Another pastor once wrote on this verse:

Fundamentally and simply, in all true policy, whether it be for the ordering of my family, or whether it be for the ordering of my city, or whether it be for the conduct of the national life, if this thing be true, that God knows, and witnesses, or makes known, then the first thing of importance is the acceptance of the fact.  That is fundamental, and apart from it there can be no application of this text whatever.

It may be that at this point some one will fall out, intellectually, and perhaps honestly.  I am not going to stay to argue, save to say one thing.  It may be some one will say, We cannot accept this position, we do not believe God knows; or if we believe God knows, we do not believe that He makes known, that He is in any sense revealing either Himself or other things to men.  Then I can only say to the man who takes up this position, anything else I may have to say will not affect him at all; he must drop out of my argument, and appeal; only I would remind him that the claim is so tremendous, that his solemn business is to settle once and for ever, as to whether it be true.  I can understand the man who cannot accept it immediately; I can understand the man who says, I am not sure of a God Who knows.  I can understand the man who says, Oh, I know there is a God Who knows in this way, but I am not sure that He reveals Himself.  I can understand the man who is facing that difficulty, and can sympathize with him, and believe in him.  But the one man that I cannot understand is the man who drifts for years, contented with that ignorance, and with no serious attempt to settle the question.  It is fundamental.  Either God is, or He is not.  Either God knows, or there is no infinite or final knowledge.  Either there is a God Who knows, or there is no final knowledge; for knowledge is partial in you and in me; and in this school and in that school; and in this philosophy and in that philosophy.  There is no final knowledge unless it is in God.  We must settle this, because if we are living in a world where there is no final and complete knowledge, things are different; we shall live differently, entirely.  That is the first thing to be settled.

A God Who knows is fundamental to Christianity.

1.  Yesterday afternoon, I listened to the audio of James White’s presentation on the Trinity shared on May 30, 2009 in Draper, Utah.  (May 30, 2009 is a significant day.  It marked the 17th anniversary of my marriage to my precious wife.)

In his lecture, James White brought up Jeremiah 10:11.  This is an incredibly courageous declaration in Aramaic!  God brought this verse to my attention back in February of this year.

So I looked in the scriptural concordance of Blake Ostler’s third volume, Of God and Gods (2008), since I am only in chapter 3 of the book.  In my curiosity, I could not find Jeremiah 10:11 in the discussion of the book.  So now, I need to ask Blake Ostler for his take on this verse.

2.  I think it would be good if I could get both James White and Blake Ostler up here to the Idaho Falls area for a debate/conversation hosted by me and my church family on the topic of the Trinity.  I would seek to invite every Southeastern Idaho LDS religious authority to this talk.  In the event, we would reserve the last rejoinder for LDS.

In the public sharing of my thoughts, I have not talked to either man.  But I do think that it is vital for Southeastern Idaho to have a serious talk here in the future about the Trinity.  All of what we are and do flows from our thoughts about God.  Let the talk of God consume our thoughts.

So who would be game for considering such an event or something similar to it?

When you think of the LDS Church, what are the pictures that come to your mind? 

Gleaming white temples that stand starkly on the high ridges . . . church steeples throughout the neighborhoods . . .  Sunday dress . . . Nice families . . . Conservative morality . . . KJV Bibles . . . Sabbath hymns . . . a nonpaid, temporary bishop . . . and a central pulpit.

When you think of Berean Baptist Church in Ammon, Idaho, what pictures come to your mind?

A gleaming white steeple . . . Sunday dress . . . Nice families . . . Conservative morality . . . Some carrying KJV Bibles . . . Sabbath hymns . . . a paid, permanent bishop . . . and a central pulpit.

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In my mail, yesterday, I received the Ohio Bible Fellowship newsletter, entitled the “Visitor”.  My friend, Chris Anderson, wrote a short article in the newsletter, “The Church’s Self-Identity”.  He asks some provocative questions:

How do you, your church leaders, and your fellow members view your local church?  Is it the good church in town?  The conservative music church?  The uncompromising church?  The serious church?  The dressy church?  The friendly church?  The everything-runs-like-clockwork church?  The our-children-are perfect church?

Chiefly, what is it that your Church ought to be known for?

Here it is.  Chris slams the coffin lid shut on self-righteous moralism!

We’re a congregation of sinners in need of God’s grace.  We’re the we’re-a-mess-and-we-need-Jesus church.

This is the message, my friends, that will turn churches in the I-15 Corridor upside down.  In his article, Chris goes on to give eight explosive reasons why.

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And let me join Chris and share this.  I am just a struggling sinner growing in grace.  A  gleaming white steeple with a cross on top reminds me of my deplorable sin nature, my gracious redemption, and how it is about me humbly exalting God and not God exalting me.  The Sunday dress reminds me every week of my previous filthy rags and the new spotless dress given to me unmerited.  No way did I deserve it.  My marriage to my wife reminds me of God’s love for me.  When I am so unlovable – stubbornly selfish or lustfully idolatrous or broken down in prideful despair – the unconditional loving God loves me through my wife.  My KJV Bible reminds me every day of mankind’s desperate wickedness (we are all together in the mess) and God being the only Hero and Savior.  My Sabbath hymns remind me of my helplessness and sovereign gospel grace and the omnipotent, omniscient, all-loving God.  As a bishop who leads the family of God in worship every week, I am reminded of the fact that I stand before them all as the chief of sinners.  And the central pulpit reminds me that my opinions and testimonies derived from my own heart carry no authority, no power, and no eternal impact for true life and godliness.

I could go on and on.

So here in the prosperous, conservative, moral I-15 Corridor, what is your Church known for?

Good, religious/spiritual, hard-working people?

I pray to God-Almighty that this would not be the chief, consuming smell of B.B.C.  Please God help us.  Turn our church worldviews upside down with Your sweeping truth and gracious work of deliverance.

We grow only in Your grace alone, Loving and Majestic Heavenly God.  Save us today.  For we are a mess in Ammon, Idaho.

Click here to see this picture!  You must.

Just over 20 years ago, the summer of 1988, I spent at Grandpa and Grandma’s house.  I painted that red barn back then (laughing).   Actually at one point while sitting on the roof, I held grandpa’s legs while he painted below an eave (We did it while grandma wasn’t looking).

But up on the rim rock behind the barn, I will never forget the experience of the Holy Spirit inflaming my heart passions for preaching the Word of God.  It was a spiritual, subjective experience that echoes now mightily in my heart.

One day, I crossed the bridge over the creek.  I walked through those fields behind the barn.  I hiked up to the top of the ridge.  I sat down with my Bible.  And God made it absolutely clear to me that He wanted me to preach the Word.

I was scared back then.

Still am. 

Glory to God! 

Looking at the picture puts goosebumps on my arms this evening.

thinking of heart issues,

Elon Todd Wood

I think I am going to take off early from Idaho Falls tomorrow morning to catch some of the day’s sessions at the Compassionate Boldness conference 2009.

I have not met any of the main speakers.

Very curious to hear what James White has to say about the Triune God of all.

Chapter 2 – “Monotheism and the Council of God(s)”

I have been sick but not very sleepy – perfect timing to finish reading last night chapter 2 of the third volume in Blake’s series.   But the chapter did not make me feel any better.  I read the chapter and all the end notes.

From the ill spud in Idaho, here are some quick, initial highlights and questions: (more…)

Am I practicing boundary maintainence?  Or is Blake Ostler?

“It may appear that open theism emerges as the only viable alternative for a theology that seek to maintain that: (1) we are free to choose whether to return God’s love with our own love; and (2) God is not directly culpable for evil events and choices.  Both of these features seem to me to be essential to any sound religious worldview.  Because open theists affirm that God has a general plan but not complete foreknowledge or sovereign control, they can apparently escape the implications of Calvinism and Thomism regarding divin causality and Molinism regarding middle knowledge.  It appears that open theism alone can affirm that God’s plan does not entail that persons are not free and that God is responsible for our evil acts” (emphasis mine, in Blake’s Vol. 2, pp. 409-410).

Clark Pinnock would maintain that Calvinists defy logic:  “It should be clear to the reader why the number of strict Calvinists is relatively small.  It involves one in agonizing difficulties of the first order.  It makes God some kind of terrorist who goes around handing out torture and disaster and even willing people to do things the Bible says that God hates.”

Blake Ostler would maintain that open theists defy logic if they believe in creatio ex nihilo.

Logic . . . it is a handy tool, isn’t it?

Any of these?

“Calvinism.  We can do absolutely nothing;  God does everything for some as a matter of grace to save them from their culpability for original and actual sins and either leaves others to damnation (single predestination) or specifically decrees the damnation of others (double predestination).

Arminianism.  On our own, we can make no move whatsoever toward God.  God must turn us and draw us; however, God gives us prevenient grace that regenerates the fallen will so that we can say “yes” or “no.”  We cannot reach for the gift of salvation or grasp it on our own after regeneration; but we can either accept it or reject it.”

Semi-Pelagianism.  We can take only the first step in God’s direction, but we must be aided by God in this step and then God carries us to salvation.

Pelagianism.  We have all of the resources necessary to have faith and earn salvation.  We can perfect ourselves and no special grace is needed to do so.”

– Blake T. Ostler, Exploring Mormon Thought (Vol. 2): The Problems of Theism and the Love of God, p. 367

It has been a pleasure this past two and half years in solo blogging with LDS.

As a simple spud in Ammon, Idaho, thanks for dropping by and reading my musings and ramblings.

Who knows what the future holds.

Except God.

Looking forward to worshipping this God, tomorrow, in His Goodness, Greatness, and Grandeur.

I like Anglicans.  Here are the rich words of one in “Holy Sonnet XIV: Batter My Heart”:

Batter my heart, three-person’d God; for you

As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;

That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow me and bend

Your force, to break, blow, burn and make me new.

I, like an usurpt town, to another due,

Labour to admit you, but Oh, to no end,

Reason your viceroy in me, me should defend,

But is captiv’d, and proves weak or untrue.

Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,

But am betroth’d unto your enemy:

Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,

Take me to you, imprison me, for I

Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,

Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.