James White (reformed Baptist) vs. Daniel O. McClellan (LDS)

I think they are at the tail end of their discussion.

Here are two of the latest that I have read.

1.  The one declared, “Jesus loves Bikers”.  Is that so?  Maybe that is why I have had the hankering to get a motorcycle.

2.  The other said, “In case of rapture, the car is yours.”  Which makes me think . . . will there be cars in heaven or the new earth?

For ten years, I emailed “Issues of the Heart” to a gracious mailing list.  I began the writing in 2001 and ended the email circulation just recently.

Brother Mike Powell, lead pastor of University Bible Church in Pocatello, Idaho, shares with you a plethora of Scripture on “Issues of the Heart“.

Lifted from Hope Lutheran‘s online April 2011 Newsletter . . . 

 From Martin Luther

Truly, our knowing is more passive than active; that is, it is more a matter of being known by God than of knowing God. Our ‘activity’ is to allow God to do His work among us. He gives the Word, and by apprehending a divinely given faith, we are born as sons of God. Therefore the statement, ‘You are known by God’ (Gal 4:9), means ‘You have been visited by the Word; you have been granted faith and the Holy Spirit, by whom you have been renewed.’ Therefore even with the words ‘You have come to be known by God’ he is disparaging the righteousness of the law and denying it is possible to attain the knowledge of God on account of the worth of our own works. ‘No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him’ (Mt 11:27). And again: ‘By his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities’ (Is 53:11). Therefore our knowledge about God is purely passive.” Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians

Thoughtful exegesis.  Our men’s Bible study looked at Galatians 4:9 last Monday morning during Passion Week.  This week, we covered Galatians 4:12-20, line by line.  It is detailed gospel discussion every week.  Hope Lutheran’s newsletter has inspired me to dig out my Galatians commentary by Martin Luther.

Also, the Lutheran minister, Scott Murray shares:

Theologians of all generations have struggled to distinguish between law and gospel. One of the aspects of that struggle is simply the brute fact that the way of the law and the way of the gospel are contradictory. Luther says they are “non plus contraria,” that there is nothing more contrary or opposed to each than the law and the gospel. Certainly, that contradiction must be left to stand. The law must remain the law. The gospel must remain the gospel. There is no need to straighten out or rationalize what God can certainly take care of on His own. We should be found preaching the law and the gospel. He uses the law to destroy our impious self confidence that presumes we can avoid the punishments of the law by obeying it and keeping it. We cannot obey it or avoid its punishments. Because of its implacability, the law burdens us so that there must be a new way of righteousness that comes apart from the law. The law kills. Somehow there must be life. The law condemns. Someone must pardon. The law accuses. There must be a stilling of that accusation. The tribunal of the law finds us guilty. Someone must defend us against it. Only Christ and a different message from God will do. Only the gospel will suffice. The gospel proclaims us righteous. It cries that our warfare is accomplished. It speaks the law silent. It sings the verdict “not guilty.” This is the meaning of the Bible’s doctrine of justification. For Christ’s sake, our heavenly Father has proclaimed us righteous in His sight and He has done this without reference to the law. The law only shows our need, it does not bespeak us righteous. Only another word of God, the gospel, can do this. These are the two “high points” of what Paul writes to the Romans, not only that we are acquitted by the gospel, but also that such acquittal comes apart from the law. The righteousness we have is not our own, which would make it subject to the law. It is the righteousness of God; making it certain, because it depends on the divine promise. How can there be a righteousness apart from the law? With God there is nothing that is impossible. Paul is not making this up. He wants his readers to understand that this was the eternal faith of the church as testified to by the Old Testament. He is not just pulling this out thin air, but is claiming it was always the way of salvation. The God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever is standing behind this promise. The righteousness is none other than His own. This is why it is so dependable. It’s not ours, but His.

Not Ours, but His.  May the Gospel of Jesus Christ flourish in Idaho Falls.

I took my family to the celebration on Saturday at Tautphaus Park.  We went to the zoo.  We looked at the exhibits.  We watched the skaters and bikers in competition.  In the afternoon, I even took my youngest boy to the latest DisneyNature movie, “African Cats.”  (I had a free theatre ticket.)

In retrospect, I think this would be a good theme for Earth Day:

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross (Col. 1:19).

Don’t you?

1.  Yesterday morning, our church family ate a delicious breakfast together and worshipped the Lord.  We listened to “The Prodigal” and celebrated the power of the risen Christ.  A sister in our church family compiled Isaiah 53 readings, journal entries of a 1st century Jew (which she wrote), and musical selections that centered on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Thank you to all who sang and served yesterday out of love for our risen Lord.  In the afternoon, a group of us climbed the North Menan Butte  outside of Idaho Falls; and I read the Gospel of John account where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

2.  My wife and some of my kids enjoyed the Arise Easter musical at Calvary Chapel on Saturday evening. 

3.  Yesterday, Pastor Tim Rupp at Alliance preached on “Connecting the Dots” from John 20:1-16.  There is a dividing line in what people believe.  Do you look for the supernatural or natural explanation for the empty tomb?

4.  Last week, Pastor Kirk Bailey, over at Calvary Baptist spoke on the suffering servant from Isaiah 5o.  One of the first aspects he touched on is “the tongue of the teacher” . . . “the instructed tongue.”  Our Lord does give a “a word in season to him who is weary.”  This reminds me of Sharon Lindbloom’s ministry, “Word for the Weary.”

5. For the month of April,  Pastor Dan Smouse has been preaching a series on “The Bible:  What We Study“.  The Bible is a ballad about God.  (p.s. – And like Dan, I like chanting monks.  I really do like Gregorian chant.)  What is the theme of God’s song?  God’s glory.  What do you consider to be main theme of the Bible?

______

Today, it is cold and windy in Idaho Falls.  But our hearts are warm through the vibrant presence of the Son.  Jesus Christ is everything.

I hope you all had a good day, yesterday.

The Christ is alive in the Corridor.

Hallelujah!

K. Bruce Ford, director of the Eagle Rock Junior High Choir, inserted this song into the program for the Spring Concert on Wednesday night.

I really appreciated listening to my daughter sing this song with others:

God Is Our Refuge (Allen Pote/lyrics Jay Johnson)

Magnificent.

Ken Ham is the speaker, Sunday morning, 10:15 am, at Community Bible Church in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  The title of his message is Already Compromised: Contamination in the Christian Church.

Ken has been making news recently by being kicked out of homeschool conferences.

“Without a single fault”

Does that describe you?  This phrase is in the Bible.

For adults in Idaho Falls, we are studying I Corinthians on Sunday mornings, 10:45 am.  We are examining Galatians on Monday mornings, 7:00 am.  And we are discussing Colossians on Wednesday nights, 6:30 pm.

For teens in Idaho Falls, Beau Floyd, our pastoral intern, is leading a study in Exodus on Thursday nights, 6:30 pm.  He is teaching Revelation on Sunday mornings, 9:30 am.

Now in providing that commercial blurb, let me get back to the Bible phrase, “without a single fault.”  We are going to talk about that phrase tonight in Colossians 1.

As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault (Colossians 1:22, NLT)

Do you believe that this kind of amazing reconciliation is available for you?  And as a saint living within the I-15 Corridor, am I able to say because of the work of Jesus Christ in my life that I am without a single fault?

Apart from Christ, I was once a hostile enemy of God.

Union with Christ, I am now without a single fault.

Good news?  How can it get any better than that?  This is the faith that I will continue in, grounded and steadfast.  What needs restored?  Why let anyone move you away from the hope of this gospel?