HBC Owensboro Missions Conference 2008

I am seriously considering attending this conference. It looks incredibly edifying and convicting!!!

Christian Imperialism
Extending the Kingdom of Christ through the Foolishness of the Cross
July 13-16, 2008

Dear Friends in Christ,

Only one nation has the right to enlarge its borders through imperialism. That nation is not a democracy, a republic or even an oligarchy. It's a monarchy, sovereignly ruled by His Majesty, King Jesus.

Many of the citizens of this “holy nation” (1 Pet. 2:9) are avid patriots who love their king's glory and long to see His domain extended. These followers of Jesus, whether goers or senders, are compassionate, courageous, zealous laborers who sacrifice to see “the kingdom of this world become the kingdom of their Lord” (Rev. 11:15). But they don't kill to advance His kingdom. They die. They don't cause suffering. They bring suffering upon themselves for spreading their faith. Furthermore, “The weapons of [their] warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:4). As joyful subjects of their Sovereign, they refuse to rest until “the whole earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord” (Isa. 11: 9). They have embraced this cause as their mission. Occasionally, they meet together at conferences to strategize, encourage each other and pray for greater effectiveness.

This year's missions conference, for serious–minded Christians high school age and above, is designed to ignite a greater passion for God's world–wide glory. Our theme is Christian Imperialism: Extending the Kingdom of Christ Through the Foolishness of the Cross. This subject will be developed through the preaching and teaching of four choice servants of the Lord from the Dominican Republic, England, Zambia and the Far East. For bios on these dear men, you may visit our speakers page.

In addition to twelve messages, there will be three interactive breakout sessions and four designated times of prayer. For pastors, there will also be a special lunch with the Islamic missiologist, Dr. Greg Livingstone.

The four pastors of Heritage Baptist Church extend to you a heartfelt and earnest invitation to join us for these days of teaching, preaching, prayer, worship and fellowship. Our deep longing is for the Lord to meet with us in an unusual, life–altering, church–transforming way. We hope that because of our coming together for this cause (the greatest of all causes) strongholds of the kingdom of darkness will literally be shaken. We are pleading with our sovereign Savior to call many of us to an all–out abandonment of worldliness as well as an all–out commitment to spreading the worldwide fame of His name. Please join us in that prayer! We would be deeply honored for the privilege of serving you during the four brief days of our conference.

For His Imperial Majesty,
Ted Keith Sam Joe

The Free Offer- Still More From Spurgeon

(HT: Phil Johnson)

God might have commissioned his servants to go into the world and preach the gospel to the chosen: he might have told us to present Christ only to certain persons upon whom there should be a peculiar mark; it has not so pleased him; he bids us go "into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," his high decree and divine intent being that those whom he hath ordained unto eternal life shall, through believing, enter into the life which he hath ordained for them.

I do not know whether I have brought before you what I am certain is the full idea of the text—a general power given to the Mediator over all flesh, as the result of which a proclamation of mercy is universally published to men, and a general declaration of salvation through faith presented to all creatures, but this always with a special, limited, definite design, that a chosen people, separated from before all worlds from the rest of mankind should obtain eternal life.

I have aimed in my ministry constantly to preach, as far as I can, the whole of the gospel rather than a fragment of it. Hence those brethren who are sounder than the Bible abhor me as much as if I were an Arminian; and on the other side, the enemies of the doctrines of grace often represent me as an Ultra-Calvinist. I am rejoiced to receive the censure of both sides; I am not ambitious to be numbered in the muster-roll of either party.

I have never cultivated the acquaintance nor desired the approbation of those men who shut their eyes to truths which they do not wish to see. I never desired to be reputed so excessively Calvinistic as to neglect one part of Scripture in order to maintain another. If I am thought to be inconsistent with myself, I am very glad to be so, so long as I am not inconsistent with holy Scripture. Sure I am that all truth is really consistent, but equally certain am I that it is not apparently so to our poor, finite minds. In nine cases out of ten, he who is nervously anxious to be manifestly consistent with himself in his theological system, if he gains his end, is merely consistent with a fool; he who is consistent with Scripture is consistent with perfect wisdom; he who is consistent with himself is at best consistent with imperfection, folly, and insignificance.

To keep to Scripture, even though it should involve a charge of personal inconsistency, is to be faithful to God and men's souls. My text seems to me to present that double aspect which so many people either cannot or will not see. Here is the great atonement by which the Mediator has the whole world put under his dominion; but still here is a special object for this atonement, the ingathering, or rather outgathering of a chosen and peculiar people unto eternal life.

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Let us observe one self-evident truth. It is a remarkable fact, that where the gospel is not preached in its general aspect, God does not seem to work out his special object to any large extent. I mean to say that if you will go into any chapel in London, and you find a minister there who preaches nothing whatever of the Word of God, except that one part of it which is most blessedly and sweetly true—God's electing love: if you will listen to that man, and hear him preach from the first of January to the end of December, upon that one topic—the speciality and peculiarity of divine grace—you need not go into the vestry to ask the deacons if they have many conversions. I am certain you will find there are few indeed, and those mostly among persons who were convinced of sin and aroused elsewhere, and who obtain liberty under the gracious doctrine; but the absolute conversion of many is not a thing to be expected, and certainly not a thing found where the preacher is so restrained by his sense of electing love as to be unable boldly to preach the rest of the gospel, and say, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

You have only to try it, dear friends—put your feet into binding shoes, and prevent their growing to the proper size, in order to keep them in ecclesiastical comeliness, and you will soon find your walk of usefulness very much restricted. Hold on to the point of being consistent; make that the main thing; banish those texts which speak about anything general; never open your mouth with a universal invitation; make it out that the Bible has not a word in it directed to men as men, but only to the chosen, and I will undertake that unless there be an unprecedented act of God's sovereignty, you shall preach from one end of the year to the other and you shall not be troubled at the number of the elect people. There will be very few who will ever come forward.

But I know also (and he who will look candidly will see it), that the most effective ministry is this—which is not ashamed of the doctrine of grace, the ministry which does not stutter or stammer in talking about election; does not trim or cut the divine sovereignty of God, but which is equally clear upon the other point that God hath declared his own solemn oath, "I will not the death of a sinner, but had rather that he should turn unto me and live;" a ministry which holds sovereignty but holds responsibility too, which dares to talk about God's special object with bold voice and yet insists upon it that he has proclaimed to every creature under heaven this gracious proclamation, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

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We too often measure God after a human standard, and hence make mistakes. Remember that God has such an abundance of mercy, and grace and power, that he never has to calculate how much will be necessary for the accomplishment of his purpose, but he doeth largely and literally like one who cannot but act in an infinitely gracious manner. If you have some chickens, and you wish to feed them, you will only throw down as much barley as the fowls will want, but you do not think of feeding all the sparrows of the neighborhood; it would be a very good thing if you could for they all need food; but you throw down as much as will accomplish your purpose.

Now our God never has to stint himself in this way, but with large handsful he feedeth the special objects of his care, and the ravens and kites besides. God, again, exhibits a kingly character in his great methods of general love.

At the coronation of the old kings, the fountains in Cheapside ran with red wine. Now you will say, "What a waste." The gutters ran down on both sides with wine. It was not necessary, was it? The king's object was that his subjects might have wine. Well if that were his only object that might have been accomplished by opening the bottles one by one, and stopping when there was just enough to satisfy their thirst. Why did it run down the streets? Was it a waste? Not at all, it exhibited the royal glory. The king was glad to give the people wine to drink, but he wanted also to show himself a king, and as nobody but a king could make gutters run with wine, therefore he did it to illustrate his own magnificence; and our God, when he is about to exhibit mercy, does not say, "So much will just accomplish my purpose and save mine elect"—that is his main object—but behold he makes the rivers run with wine and the floods with milk, so there is enough and to spare and yet no waste, because his grander object is his own glory, and he is glorified even by that love which does not effectually save.

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I am not to make God's decrees the rule of my walk. I am to make God's revealed will my rule of action. Christ tells me to "Preach the gospel to every creature;" and if I were absolutely certain there was not one elect man upon earth, I would obey and preach the gospel for all that; because if there were not a single soul saved by it, we are unto God a sweet-smelling savor.

So then, I say to you individually, talk about Christ everywhere: preach Jesus Christ to every creature. Say to every man and woman you meet, "There is life in a look at the crucified One." Tell men that "Whosoever cometh unto him, he will in no wise cast out;" and let this be always your comfort, that all that the Father giveth to him shall come to him, that Jesus shall see his seed; that of all that the Father hath given him he will lose none, but will present them all at his right hand at last.

Fly back to God's electing love, and the decrees of God as the pillow of your rest; but take the general command and the universal power of Christ over all flesh as the sword with which you fight and the staff upon which you lean.

T4G Held in Louisville, Aftershocks Ensue

For those of us who know the REAL reason for the earthquake, here are the Together for the Gospel mp3s!

HT: Mark Lamprecht

The Free Offer- "Seek the Lord" and "Call Upon His Name"

J. I. Packer writes:

To the question; 'What must I do to be saved?', the old gospel replies: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. To the further question; 'what does it mean to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?', its reply is: it means knowing oneself to be a sinner, and Christ to have died for sinners; abandoning all self-righteousness and self-confidence, and casting oneself wholly upon him for pardon and peace; and exchanging one's natural enmity and rebellion against God for a spirit of grateful submission to the will of Christ through the renewing of one's heart by the Holy Ghost. And to the further question still, 'How am I to go about believing on Christ and repenting, if I have no natural ability to do these things?', it answers: look to Christ, speak to Christ, cry to Christ, just as you are; confess your sin, your impenitence, your unbelief, and cast yourself on his mercy; ask him to give you a new heart, working in you true repentance and firm faith; ask him to take away your evil heart of unbelief and to write his law within you, that you may never henceforth stray from him. Turn to him and trust him as best you can, and pray for grace to turn and trust more thoroughly; use the means of grace expectantly, looking to Christ to draw near to you as you seek to draw near to him; watch, pray, and read and hear God's word, worship and commune with God's people, and so continue till you know in yourself beyond doubt that you are indeed a changed being, a penitent believer, and the new heart which you desired has been put within you. The emphasis in this advice is on the need to call upon Christ directly, as the very first step.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him —

So do not postpone action till you think you are better, but honestly confess your badness and give yourself up here and now to the Christ who alone can make you better; and wait on him till his light rises in your soul, as scripture promises that it shall do. Anything less than this direct dealing with Christ is disobeying the gospel. Such is the exercise of spirit to which the old evangel summons its hearers. 'I believe — help thou mine unbelief': this must become their cry.

Introduction to Owen's Death of The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (the Free Offer in a book about Particular Redemption!- see, they aren't contradictory!)

Free Offer of Mercy: Why Eat Sand and Sawdust?- Al Martin

Why Won't God Save Me?- Jim Savastio

Promise In Bible Brings Some To Tears, Prompts E-Mails

(HT: Fred Butler)

Here is my response to this article, which is short and should be read before reading my response.

Promise In Bible Brings Some To Tears, Prompts E-Mails

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A Bible found in a hospital prayer garden moved some people to tears and drew groups of people to read more, according to witnesses.



VIEWER IMAGES: Bible At Hospital- A crowd inside a hospital medical complex in Louisville snapped photos of the Bible apparently showing the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

"There was just a whole bunch of people putting their cell phones down and reading what the Bible had to say, so I went over there and I saw the Bible open," witness Joel Crozer said. "When you are standing there and there is a flurry of people talking about it, you are like, 'Wow, there must be something exciting in that Bible after all.'"

Crozer, who was one of several viewers to send an e-mail about the verses he read to the news website, said his ex-wife was recently diagnosed with stage-3 cancer.

"The Bible was open to John 14:1. This was a promise for me that, if I believe in God and His Son Jesus, I should not worry about what is going on in my life and that everything else is under control because Jesus is Lord," Crozer said. "It was an enlightening experience."

Another Local 7 viewer, Laura, said she saw the verse and noticed that a chaplain was expounding upon the words and applying it to his hearers.

"I brought some people from my (hospital) unit and they heard him preach," Laura said. "The chaplain explained that we can trust the promises of Scripture, for they are true and faithful words that will never pass away. We need the Bible in an age of subjective experience."

A viewer said the Bible caused "a commotion" in the hallway near the prayer garden.

The hospital is stating that they are not certain where this Bible came from, as they do not provide them.

An official said as long as the Bible makes people feel good, that is all that matters, Local 7's Charlie White said. However, the chaplain told Local 7 that "[his] goal was not to make people feel good" but to share with them "the good news about how sinners can have a right relationship with God."

Witnesses said after a few hours, the chaplain was still there explaining the Bible.

Watch Local 7 News for more on this developing story.