You all will need to give me a few days to digest and reflect on both the content and the culture of what I am experiencing in Moscow, Idaho. 

• It is the first time that I have sat in on a reformed ministerial conference.  I appreciate Doug Wilson’s candor and humor.
• I enjoyed the men’s robust psalm singing unaccompanied by instruments. And I was humored to see Mark Driscoll in the same context.
• New Saint Andrews gave me a free copy of Blessed Are the Hungry:  Meditations on the Lord’s Supper (2000) by Peter J. Leithart.
• Beau and I chatted with Reformed Baptists while eating Mexican burritos at lunch.
• Mark Driscoll addressed the student body this afternoon, selecting Luke 15 as the text.  Which are you?  the rebellious brother?  or the religious brother?  and how we all need the third brother – Jesus.  The whole message reminded me of The Prodigal God by Tim Keller
• Tonight, Driscoll preached on “masculinity and the gospel”.  The toughness and tenderness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Q & A afterword covered on odd assortment, but the end discussion touched on the recent internet stir over Driscoll’s use of the gift of prophecy.  I figured this would come up.
• At 9:30 pm over at the Nuart, the gang couldn’t get the audio to match up with the video for N.D. Wilson’s Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl.  I left around ten and simply bought the book.
• Main Street in Moscow is a very interesting phenomenon in Idaho.  All of you need to visit.  For all Idahoans, I think it is a must.

1.  In requirements for one of Beau’s Moody online classes, we listened to two of John Piper’s sermons on TULIP and then a question and answer session on the way up from Idaho Falls.  Beau and I pulled in to Moscow about 4:30 this afternoon.     Lots of golden farm fields all over the place.

2.  We enjoyed some super thick pizza at Gambino’s.  Even an 8″ pizza heartily fills the belly.

3.  I jogged from our Super 8 in front of the University of Idaho campus down to Main street.  Points of interest: (1)  Paradise Creek Bicycles – the place provides some sweet means of transportation in this town, (2) Bookpeople of Moscow – nice collection of books except the religious section, (3) the Nuart Theater, and (4) New Saint Andrews.  For a minute, I thought I saw Mark Driscoll and N.D. Wilson walkin’ down one of the streets, but I think my eyes were playing tricks on me as I was sweating in the cool, evening air.

4.  Tomorrow morning, we are going to hear and muse in the pre-conference Puritan 5 at All Souls Church for a warmup.

The Yellow Dart argues for one tradition.

John Woodbridge argues for another tradition.

What is your belief on the Bible?

You all know where I stand on this issue.  I hold to biblical inerrancy.  Do you think it is because of the community that surrounded me where I grew up?  Or do you think that it is because I received my M.Div. from Bob Jones University?

Or do you think it is an altogether different reason?

P.S. – let me give a plug for Bob Gonzales’ new blog, “It Is Written” – check it out.

I caught “All Creatures of our God and King” on the radio this morning – 94.3 FM

At Berean Baptist Church this morning . . .

Morning Church Bible Reading:  Joshua 2:15-24

Morning Music:

• Near the Cross: “Jesus, keep me near the cross–there a precious fountain, free to all, a healing stream flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.  In the cross, in the cross be my glory ever, till my raptured soul shall find rest, beyond the river.”
• Be Still, My Soul: “Be still, my soul! the Lord is on thy side; bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; leave to thy God to order and provide; in ev’ry change He faithful will remain.  Be still, my soul! thy best, thy heav’nly Fried thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.” (Good hymn for 9/11)
• Standing on the Promises:  “Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, standing on the promises of God . . . By the living Word of God I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God.”
• I Love You Lord – “I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You.  O my soul, rejoice! Take joy, my King, in what You hear: may it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.”

Morning message: Church Family Talk

Exhortations to the church family

1. Thank God and others – “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” – Colossians 3:15
2. Vocalize your joy in God – “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises” – Psalm 98:4
3. Witness by your life and words – “For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.  And now why are you waiting?  Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” – Acts 22:15-16

Encouragement to the church family

1. You are a people who possess the Love of God.
2. You are a people of the Word.
3. You are a people who are Family.

1.  Fellow Southern Idaho Baptist pastor runs a marathon.  Good job, Paul.  And for a good cause!

2.  John MacArthur predicts reversal of reformed revival

3.  I don’t understand Cal’s ecumenism at all.

4.  And I don’t quite understand Lou Martuneac’s interjection on Roger Olson’s blog.  HT: Dave Doran

5.  Over in Jackson Hole, from the LDS perspective, Dave gets into Bible & Authority.  But notice the S.E. Idaho nuance from Jettboy on the same topic.

But let me counter with an illustration.  My little boy, Micaiah, is enrolled in Calvary Chapel Christian School in Idaho Falls.  His Day 1, Bible Lesson 1, homework paper includes the following:

The Bible is the greatest book that has ever been written.  In it God Himself speaks to mankind.  It is a book of divine instruction.  The Bible is not simply one book.  It is an entire library of books that contain a wide variety of information, but it is tied together by one central purpose.  The Bible was written by dozens of authors over a period of 1,600 years.  It was written in three languages on three continents.  The authors were poets, educators, singers, princes, kings, fishermen, and statesmen.  Some of these authors were great scholars, while others were unlearned and ignorant.

It would seem that with this many authors and it being written over 1,600 years, the individual pieces of the Bible would not fit together well.  Yet there is great unity throughout the book because really there was only one Author.  To understand how so many authors could be unified in their writing of one book, we need to understand that there really was only one main Author.

Can we hear a shout of amen?  The Bob Jones University and Pensacola curriculum do a fine job.

Some of the worksheet questions:

1. What is the central message of the Bible (v. 12)?  Micaiah wrote, “Get Jesus and be saved.”
2. How then can we “see” God?  Micaiah penciled, “We can pray and read the Bible.”

Day 3 worksheet records

2 Timothy 3:16 gives four reasons for us to study God’s Word.  List the four reasons below as given in the verse.  Beside each reason, look up the word in the dictionary and write the definition.  We need to make sure we understand the purposes for studying God’s Word.

Micaiah wrote,

1. teaching – it can teach you patshens
2. rebuking – to corect
3. correcting – to chang ha we were acting
4. traning in rigesness – showing me how to live

I think that is pretty good Bibliology for a little Webelo in S.E. Idaho.

1.  Connected with our church family, Buddy Greene and Jeff Taylor will be at Bob and Barbara Powell’s Barn on Friday night, September 9, 6:00 pm.  Pack the Barn!

2.  Grace Baptist Church in Rexburg, Idaho is celebrating their 35th anniversary on September 10 at noon.  They are having a chuck wagon feed led by Dick MacGill (Red Cliff Bible Camp staff).  Ron Ehmann, director of Northwest Baptist Missions, is sharing the Word.

3. Buddy Greene and Jeff Taylor will be at Christ Community Church on Saturday night.

4. In a recent newsletter, Assistant Pastor Kent of Calvary Baptist Church writes:

Over the past several months, the Museum of Idaho in IF has given visitors the unique opportunity to view up-close the amazing wonders of human body. One is able to see the interconnection of the skeletal, muscular, reproductive, respiratory, circulatory and other systems of the human body. One is also able to see the creativity and genius of God, our Creator. It is no surprise that the Apostle Paul uses the human body as a metaphor for how the church should function (see Romans 12).

Just as the human body depends on each individual part performing its own unique role in order for the entire body to function properly, so also the church depends on each individual member using his or her God-given gifts and abilities to serve the entire body so that it operates at full capacity. Paul says that it is an act of worship to present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. A living sacrifice. In other words, we give up our own wants and desires (our will) in how we spend our time and money and energy, and align ourselves with what God wants (His will). And God’s will, as we clearly see in Scripture, is for us to use the gifts He has given us to serve the local church, the body of Christ.

Calvary Baptist Church is going to two worship services.

5.  Pastor Rick Brown of Calvary Chapel is preaching through Matthew and Leviticus.

6.  Seeing the twitter section at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian: We need to do more than sing “Amazing Grace”—we need to be repeatedly amazed by grace. -R.C. Sproul

September 4, 2011 – Beautiful day here in Southeastern Idaho!  Happy Labor Day Weekend to you all.

On the LDS Radio (94.3 FM) this morning: “It Passes All My Understanding”, “I Need Thee Every Hour”, “Be Still My Soul”.  I listened to the first song listed for the first time.  The song described the encounter of one who believed in a Creator with a scholarly, scientific atheist. By the way, I passed on my bicycle two young LDS missionaries today near my house.  How do you think you could tell me apart from my LDS friends?

At Berean Baptist Church this morning . . .

Morning Church Bible Reading:  Joshua 2:1-14

Morning Music:

• Leaning on the Everlasting Arms: “”What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms?  I have blessed peace with my Lord so near . . .”
• Blessed Assurance: “Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood . . . I in my Savior am happy and blest; watching and waiting, looking above, filled with His goodness, lost in His love.”
• I Just Keep Trusting My Lord:  “Tho’ storm-clouds darken the sky o’er the heav’nly trial, I just keep trusting my Lord–He will never fail!  He’s a faithful Friend, such a faithful Friend, I can count on Him to the very end.”
• I Love You Lord
• I Shall Know Him
• Leave Your Heavy Burden at the Cross

Morning message:  “Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse.  For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it.  For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.  Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.  For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.  What!  Do you not have houses to eat and drink in?  or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing?  What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this?  I do not praise you” (I Corinthians 11:17-22).

1. What are your motives for “coming together”?  Business status?  Self-interests?   socioeconomic positioning?  Then shame on you.  What are the main purposes for you to come together with others?
2. How do you reach out to others through a common meal?  Who is it that you have neglected?  Do you maintain Agape Feasts in conjunction with Eucharist?
3. The “Lord’s Supper” is the visual capstone whereby a local church family shows the gospel work of our loving Lord.  As the organic, living body of Christ on this earth, what organization out there in America compares and regularly celebrates shed blood and a broken, torn body vicariously put to death on your behalf?  What can you add to this?

Let the living Lord of the supper speak to us all today.

thinking of heart issues in the I-15 Corridor,

Todd

1.  My son, Joshua, and his Skyline junior varsity football team lost this week.  But one of his teammates made a 100 yard touchdown.  Go blue.

2.  The Skyline varsity football team was behind.  But with just over a minute to play, Braeden Mitchell made a game-winning 60-yard touchdown.  Go blue.

3.  And now, tonight, we have Boise State University pounding hard against the Georgia in the Georgia Dome.  I appreciated Herschel Walker give testimony to Jesus Christ.  And I also appreciated Chik-fil-A donating $50,000 to BSU.