Get Serious about Pornography

The following article is by Denny Burk, Associate Professor of New Testament and Dean of Boyce College, the undergraduate arm of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

April 6, 2010

Last week, National Review Online published an anonymous article titled “Getting Serious about Pornography.” The testimonial of the author is heart-rending. She writes:

“By his own account, my husband of 13 years and high-school sweetheart, was first exposed to pornography around age ten. He viewed it regularly during high school and college — and, although he tried hard to stop, continued to do so throughout the course of our marriage…

“Then one morning around 2am he called, intoxicated, from his office to announce that he had ‘developed feelings’ for someone new. The woman he became involved with was an unemployed alcoholic with all the physical qualities of a porn star — bleached blond hair, heavy makeup, provocative clothing… Within a few months he had moved permanently out of the home he shared with me and our five young children. In retrospect, I believe he succumbed to the allure of the secret fantasy life he had been indulging since his adolescence…

“I will never know with full certainty that pornography caused my husband to abandon me and our children. Although I loved him deeply, I was far from a perfect wife. In retrospect, I wish I had understood what he was experiencing and had acted to help him.”

This article is a secular one and only offers a description of the problem, not a solution. But there is hope for those who are falling to this sin—the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). That includes not only forgiveness through his sacrificial death on the cross (Romans 5:8-10; 1 Peter 3:18), but also power to live a holy life free from pornography (Romans 6:4).

If you are stuck in the rut of pornography, don’t delay repenting another moment. Tell someone, get accountable, and flee (2 Timothy 2:22). You have everything to gain if you turn to Him today. You have everything to lose if you don’t. It is as John Owen said, “Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.”

[John Piper has numerous resources addressing this topic. I would recommend in particular his ANTHEM strategy for fighting lust.]

Helpful Resources Compiled by Andy Naselli

Books
Joshua Harris, Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is): Sexual Purity in a Lust-Saturated World (Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah, 2003). Amazon WTSBooks
Randy Alcorn, The Purity Principle: God’s Safeguards for Life’s Dangerous Trails (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2003). Amazon WTS Books
John Piper, The Dangerous Duty of Delight: The GlorifiedGod and the Satisfied Soul (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2001). Amazon WTS Books (audiobook)
William Struthers, Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain (Downers Grove: IVP, 2010). Amazon WTS Books

Articles on the Web
Thomas Chalmers, “The Expulsive Power of a New Affection“
David Powlison, “Breaking Pornography Addiction” (Part 1; Part 2)
Tim Challies, “Sexual Detox: A Guide for the Married Guy” and “Sexual Detox: A Guide for the Single Guy

Accountability Software
Covenant Eyes

He Arose!

But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. {16} "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?" (Mat 21:15-16 NIV)

Loving God & Others Governed By "No Other Equals"

How has the Gospel of grace made a difference in your life today or right now? (Yesterday's insight)

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." (Deut. 6:4).

The Gospel of Mark is written to Gentiles. The above verse is included in Mark because most Gentiles would not be as familiar with the two Great Commandments and its' context. Matthew (Matt. 22:34-40) does not include Deuteronomy 6:4 in quoting the two Great Commandments because Matthew is written primarily to Jews who would be familiar with it (Deut. 6:4).

Mark 12:29-31 (ESV) Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

These verses, originally found in Deuteronomy, call me to make God my single focus above all. Verse 29, "the LORD is one" is a reminder of the first of the Ten Commandments, "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exo 20:3 NIV) The people surrounding Israel, other nations or tribes worshipped many gods. God's people are called to worship Him alone.

Without the supremacy of God and/or Christ at the center of the two Great Commandments, "loving God with all of my heart and loving my neighbors as myself", I become supreme in determining my allegiances at any particular moment - man or God (?). "The LORD is one" reminds me that to love God is supreme over loving others (I believe that we will never properly love others unless we are supremely loving God - Gen 22:1-19). Jesus emphasized total allegiance unto Himself and in light of the first of the Ten Commandments, to have no equals to God, Jesus declares His supreme deity with the following statement.

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; {38} and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Mat 10:37-38 NIV)

The Gospel News is that God calls me to love Him supremely above all persons and things and He alone stands ready to supremely satisfy me. The Good News is that God - Jesus Christ is Himself the Good News and He gives himself to me to be supremely satisfied forever (John 4:10-14).

Lord, I pray that you would help me to find supreme satisfaction in You above all things and persons. Help me to believe You for what You are - supremely satisfying. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Psalms 16:11 (ESV) You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Glenn Beck And Social Justice

Excellent post and critique by Dr. Al Mohler concerning Glenn Beck's comments about "social justice".

Click on microphone on the left to go to article.








Here is a small excerpt of what Beck said that has stirred the pot among many.

During his March 2, 2010 radio broadcast, Beck said this:

I beg you, look for the words "social justice" or "economic justice" on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes! If I'm going to Jeremiah's Wright's church? Yes! Leave your church. Social justice and economic justice. They are code words. If you have a priest that is pushing social justice, go find another parish. Go alert your bishop and tell them, "Excuse me are you down with this whole social justice thing?" I don't care what the church is. If it's my church, I'm alerting the church authorities: "Excuse me, what's this social justice thing?" And if they say, "Yeah, we're all in that social justice thing," I'm in the wrong place.

How Much Do I Need to Know About My Potential Spouse’s Sexual Past? My Response - Dr. Russell D. Moore

This blog article is an excellent example of the Gospel orientation and wisdom of many of our Seminary professors - "How Much Do I Need to Know About My Potential Spouse’s Sexual Past? My Response". Notice how Dr. Moore takes the general discussion of a person's in-purity and brings it home to all of us in the last sentence below.

You are not “owed” a virgin because you are. Your sexual purity wasn’t part of a quid pro quo in which God would guarantee you a sexually unbroken man. Your sexual purity is your obligation as a creature of God. And you have rebelled at other points, and been forgiven. If you believe the gospel, you believe the gospel for everyone, and not just for yourself.

If your future husband is repentant, and forgiven, and yet you are “tortured” by the thoughts of his past, then the issue for you is one of personal pride and a refusal to see oneself as a gospel-forgiven sinner.

The issue for you with your future husband is discerning whether there are ongoing patterns, whether he agrees with God about the severity of this sin, and whether he has been cleansed from it by Golgotha Hill blood and Garden Tomb power.

Jesus was a virgin. His Bride wasn’t. He loved us anyway.

This is wisdom born of the Gospel - Good News! (see link below)

http://ow.ly/1iePq

Arminians and Prevenient Grace - Sam Storms

Nov 8, 2006

It is important to point out that Calvinists and Arminians share a considerable amount of common theological ground, even when it comes to the issue of salvation. Perhaps the most important issue on which they agree is anthropology, or the doctrine of man or human nature. Both camps acknowledge that fallen human beings are born with a corrupt and depraved nature, in bondage to sin, utterly unable to do anything pleasing to God. Both camps agree that unregenerate human beings are willingly enslaved to their fallen natures.

John Wesley affirmed this truth:

"I believe that Adam, before his fall, had such freedom of will, that he might choose either good or evil; but that, since the fall, no child of man has a natural power to choose anything that is truly good. Yet I know (and who does not?) that man has still freedom of will in things of indifferent nature" (Works of Wesley, 10:350).

Wesleyan Arminianism differs significantly on this point with the version of Arminianism espoused by Charles Finney. Finney believed that all people possess the ability, apart from divine grace, to choose what is good no less than they possess the ability to choose what is evil. Contrary to Wesley, Finney rejected the idea that people are born morally depraved because of Adam's sin. In fact, when it came to the doctrine of sin, Finney was more semi-Pelagian than Arminian.

In sum, the Wesleyan Arminian analysis of fallen human nature does not differ fundamentally from the Calvinistic one. So wherein do they differ? Why do Wesleyan Arminians affirm conditional election and Calvinists affirm that election is unconditional? The answer is what is called prevenient (or preventing) grace. According to this doctrine, God graciously and mercifully restores to all human beings the freedom of will lost in the fall of Adam (appeal is often made to John 1:9). Prevenient grace provides people with the ability to choose or reject God. According to Wesley, "there is a measure of free-will supernaturally restored to every man" (10:229-30). This grace, however, is not irresistible. Whereas all are recipients of prevenient grace, many resist it to their eternal demise. Those who utilize this grace to respond in faith to the gospel are saved. In summary, "Arminians maintain that 'prevenient grace,' a benefit that flows from Christ's death on the cross, neutralizes human depravity and restores to pre-Christians everywhere the ability to heed God's general call to salvation" (Demarest, 208).

The best treatment of the notion of prevenient or enabling grace from an Arminian perspective is provided by H. Orton Wiley in his Christian Theology, 3 vols. (Kansas City: Beacon Hill, 1952), 2:344-57.

Henry Thiessen explains it this way:

"Since mankind is hopelessly dead in trespasses and sins and can do nothing to obtain salvation, God graciously restores all men sufficient ability to make a choice in the matter of submission to Him. . . . In His foreknowledge He perceives what each one will do with this restored ability, and elects men to salvation in harmony with His knowledge of their choice of Him" (Lectures in Systematic Theology [Eerdmans, 1949], pp. 344-45).

Thomas Oden, a contemporary theologian, contributes greatly to our understanding of the Wesleyan-Arminian view on prevenient grace. Grace, says Oden, arrested man in his fall and placed him in a salvable state and endowed him with the gracious ability to meet all the conditions of personal salvation. The redemption that God intends for all must be cooperatively chosen by freedom cooperating with the conditions of grace enabled by the history of grace in Christ. Oden writes:

"Insofar as grace precedes and prepares free will it is called prevenient. Insofar as grace accompanies and enables human willing to work with divine willing, it is called cooperating grace" (Transforming Grace, 47).

"To no one, not even the recalcitrant unfaithful, does God deny grace sufficient for
salvation" (48).

"Actual grace both removes the obstacles to salvation and enables the will to act in a salutary way. Grace works negatively to remedy the infirmity resulting from sin, and positively to elevate the soul to salutary acts, so that the soul may be enabled to receive God's own justifying action manifested on the cross and persevere in this reception" (57-8).

Prevenient grace, says Oden, is responsible for "healing the nature vitiated by original sin and restoring the liberty of the children of God" (58). Again,

"God antecedently wills that all should be saved, but not without their own free acceptance of salvation. Consequent to that exercise of freedom, God promises unmerited saving mercies to the faithful and fairness to the unfaithful" (77).

"God provides sufficient grace to every soul for salvation . . . . Those who cooperate with sufficient grace are further provided with the means for grace to become effective" (77).

There are several problems with the Arminian view:

First, the doctrine of prevenient grace, on which the Arminian view of conditional election is based, is not found in Scripture. See "Does Scripture Teach Prevenient Grace in the Wesleyan Sense?" by Tom Schreiner in The Grace of God, The Bondage of the Will (Baker, 1995), 2:365-82.

Appeal is often made to John 1:9 "'There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.' This could as easily refer to (1) the influence of common grace, or (2) the operation of general revelation. Schreiner contends that 'enlighten' does not refer to inward illumination of the heart/mind/will, but rather means to expose the moral state of the heart, i.e., to shed light upon someone so as to reveal and uncover (see 3:19-21).

Second, consider Romans 8:29, a text on which many Wesleyan-Arminians base their view of divine election because of the reference to God's 'foreknowledge'. But note well that there is no reference in the text to faith or free will as that which God allegedly foresees in men. It is not what he foreknows but whom.

Third, this view assumes that fallen men are able and willing to believe in Christ apart from the regenerating grace of God, a notion that Paul has denied in Rom. 3:10-18.

Fourth, would not this view give man something of which he may boast? Those who embrace the gospel would be deserving of some credit for finding within themselves what others do not.

Fifth, this view suspends the work of God on the will of man. It undermines the emphasis in Romans 8:28-38 on the sovereign and free work of God who foreknows, predestines, calls, justifies, and glorifies. It is God who is responsible for salvation, from beginning to end.

Sixth, even if one grants that God elects based on his foreknowledge of man's faith, nothing is proven. For God foreknows everything. One must determine from Scripture how man came by the faith that God foreknows. And the witness of Scripture is that saving faith is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8-10; Phil. 1:29; 2 Pet. 1:1; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Acts 5:31; 11:18).

Someone once said to Charles Spurgeon, "God foresaw that you would have faith, and therefore He loved you." To which Spurgeon replied:

"What did He foresee about my faith? Did He foresee that I should get that faith myself, and that I should believe on Him of myself? No; Christ could not foresee that, because no Christian man will ever say that faith came of itself without the gift and without the working of the Holy Spirit. I have met with a great many believers, and talked with them about this matter; but I never knew one who could put his hand on his heart, and say, 'I believed in Jesus without the assistance of the Holy Spirit'.

A concluding question for the Arminian:

The Arminian contends that God foreknows both that some are and others are not going to believe in Christ in response to the gospel. He also affirms that God knows why they respond either in belief or unbelief, for God is omniscient and knows the secrets and inner motives of the heart. God also knows what it is in the presentation of the gospel that proves successful in persuading some to say "Yes" and what it is that proves unsuccessful in persuading those who say "No." The question, then, is this: If God truly desires for all to be saved in the way the Arminian contends, and if he knows what it is in the means of persuasion contained in the gospel that brings people to say yes, why doesn't he orchestrate the presentation of the gospel in such a way that it will succeed in persuading all people to believe? The point is this: Surely the God who perfectly knows every human heart is capable of creating a world in which the gospel would prove successful in every case. And if God desires for all to be saved in the way the Arminian contends, why didn't He?

Found at: http://ow.ly/1gKzv

Does the Bible teach Prevenient Grace? - R. C. Sproul

As the name suggests, prevenient grace is grace that “comes before” something. It is normally defined as a work that God does for everybody. He gives all people enough grace to respond to Jesus. That is, it is enough grace to make it possible for people to choose Christ. Those who cooperate with and assent to this grace are “elect.” Those who refuse to cooperate with this grace are lost. The strength of this view is that it recognizes that fallen man’s spiritual condition is severe enough that it requires God’s grace to save him. The weakness of the position may be seen in two ways. If this prevenient grace is merely external to man, then it fails in the same manner that the medicine and the life preserver analogies fail. What good is prevenient grace if offered outwardly to spiritually dead creatures?

On the other hand, if prevenient grace refers to something that God does within the heart of fallen man, then we must ask why it is not always effectual. Why is it that some fallen creatures choose to cooperate with prevenient grace and others choose not to? Doesn’t everyone get the same amount?

Think of it this way, in personal terms. If you are a Christian you are surely aware of other people who are not Christians. Why is it that you have chosen Christ and they have not? Why did you say yes to prevenient grace while they said no? Was it because you were more righteous than they were? If so, then indeed you have something in which to boast. Was that greater righteousness something you achieved on your own or was it the gift of God? If it was something you achieved, then at the bottom line your salvation depends on your own righteousness. If the righteousness was a gift, then why didn’t God give the same gift to everybody?

Perhaps it wasn’t because you were more righteous. Perhaps it was because you are more intelligent. Why are you more intelligent? Because you study more (which really means you are more righteous)? Or are you more intelligent because God gave you a gift of intelligence he withheld from others?

To be sure, most Christians who hold to the prevenient grace view would shrink from such answers. They see the implied arrogance in them. Rather they are more likely to say, “No, I chose Christ because I recognized my desperate need for him.” That certainly sounds more humble. But I must press the question. Why did you recognize your desperate need for Christ while your neighbor didn’t? Was it because you were more righteous than your neighbor, or more intelligent?

The question for advocates of prevenient grace is why some people cooperate with it and others don’t. How we answer that will reveal how gracious we believe our salvation really is. The $64,000 question is, “Does the Bible teach such a doctrine of prevenient grace? If so, where?”

We conclude that our salvation is of the Lord. He is the One who regenerates us. Those whom he regenerates come to Christ. Without regeneration no one will ever come to Christ. With regeneration no one will ever reject him. God’s saving grace effects what he intends to effect by it.

[R. C. Sproul, Chosen by God. Tyndale House Publishers: Wheaton, Ill.]

The Cross: The Motivation For A Holy Life

From Horatius Bonar, a nineteenth-century Scottish pastor and author wrote (in The Gospel For Real Life - Jerry Bridges, pp.163-4):

The secret of a believer's holy walk is his continual recurrence to the blood of the Surety, and his daily (communion) with a crucified and risen Lord. All divine life, and all precious fruits of it, pardon, peace, and holiness, spring from the cross. All fancied sanctification which does not arise wholly from the blood of the cross is nothing better than Pharisaism. If we would be holy, we must get to the cross, and dwell there; else, notwithstanding all our labour, diligence, fasting, praying and good works, we shall be yet void of real sanctification, destitute of those humble, gracious tempers which accompany a clear view of the cross.

False ideas of holiness are common, not only among those who profess false religions, but among those who profess the true. The love of God to us, and our love to Him, work together for producing holiness. Terror accomplishes no real obedience. Suspense brings forth no fruit unto holiness. No gloomy uncertainty as to God's favour can subdue one lust, or correct our crookedness of will. But the free pardon of the cross uproots sin, and withers all its branches. Only the certainty of love, forgiving love, can do this...

Free and warm reception into the divine favour is the strongest of all motives in leading a man to seek conformity to Him who has thus freely forgiven him all trespasses.

Jerry Bridges in The Gospel For Real Life:

Paul said the same thing succinctly when he wrote, "For Christ's love compels us" (2 Cor 5:14). To be compelled is to be highly motivated. That is, we are to be motivated by Christ's love for us. And where do we learn of His love? Where do we hear Him say, "I love you"? It is in the gospel (!)

What does "common grace" mean, and is it something I should believe?

I have read about common grace, and heard that it is a term invented by John Calvin, and not found in Scripture, and that he used it to slice up the concept of grace, and who God offers grace and who he doesn't. What does "common grace" mean, and is it something I should believe?

Answered by Randy Alcorn

I do not see common grace as an invention of John Calvin or any other man. Rather, I see it as a magnificent and beautiful doctrine that flows right off the pages of Scripture and is repeatedly confirmed by daily observation.

In his excellent book Bible Doctrine, Wayne Grudem says, "Common grace is the grace of God by which he gives people innumerable blessings that are not part of salvation. The word common here means something that is common to all people and is not restricted to believers or to the elect only."

Any Bible-believing Christian should agree that some people are saved and others aren't. No matter how you understand the "elect" (whether God elects them, as I believe, or that they somehow "elect" themselves) it is a biblical term, used of people about ten times in the New Testament, and of angels at least once. All "common grace" does is point out that God loves the whole world, and exercises patience and kindness even to those who ultimately reject him. In my opinion, an Arminian (non-Calvinist) could agree with that also, and probably would if he didn't know John Calvin had used the term. (I'm wide open to another term, by the way; it's the doctrine that I wouldn't want to part with.)

Regardless of the reasons for it, if someone doesn't become saved he doesn't experience saving grace, correct? But he does experience other aspects of God's grace, what is here called "common grace." To me this just shows the depth and breadth of Christ's love. Common grace is demonstrated in Christ's words, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matt. 5:44-45). If not for this, we would have "all grace to believers, no grace to unbelievers," and this would be impossible, since if no grace was shown to someone in rebellion against Christ, he couldn't draw his next breath, let alone commit his next sin.

Common grace emphasizes the goodness of God. It exactly reverses the standard logic, e.g. Rabbi Kushner who asked "Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?" and concluded in his bestselling book that God is either not all-good or not all-powerful. He bailed God out (so he thought), rescuing Him from not being good by concluding God is not all-powerful. This has become the predominant logic. Understanding neither God's holiness nor the reality and extent of our sin, we fail to realize that the question of why bad things happen to good people is exactly backwards. It's the wrong question. The real question, which angels likely ask (having seen their angelic brethren permanently evicted from Heaven for their rebellion) is "Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People?" If we understood how God is and how we are, that is exactly the question we would ask.

This is the wonder and awesomeness of the doctrine of common grace. God graciously and kindly brings good to people who deserve the fires of Hell not simply eventually, but right now. (This goes back to the doctrine of human depravity.)

It is characteristic of bad people to not THINK of themselves (i.e. ourselves) as being bad. We imagine we are good (not perfect, but good enough). So we fail to marvel at God's common grace. When a tsunami happens we ask "Where is a good God?" But when a tsunami doesn't happen we usually fail to thank Him for restraining from us the devastations of a world in rebellion against God. And certainly we never say "Where is a just God? Why hasn't He struck me down for my sin today?" Instead, we moan that we can't find a close parking space on a rainy day.)

Jesus appeals to God's common grace as a basis for our extending grace to others, even those who hate us (cf. Luke 6:35-36). If not for God's common grace, i.e. if God brought immediate terrible judgment on unbelievers, the world as we know it wouldn't exist. Among other things, no one would have an opportunity to come to Christ, since we would be immediately cast into Hell.

Paul said to unbelievers, "In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways; yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness" (Acts 14:16-17). I find this a very touching statement of God's grace toward all, and an appeal for all people to realize his love, even in a world under the curse. Satan is taking his toll on this world in bondage to sin, but even though none of us deserve his grace, God extends it to us. This world gives foretastes of both Heaven and Hell. Tragically, it is the closest to Heaven the unbeliever will ever know, and wonderfully, it is the closest to Hell the child of God will ever know.

David says, "The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. . . . The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, you satisfy the desire of every living thing" (Ps. 145:9, 15-16). God cares for his creation and extends his grace to all, not only people but animals, though they suffer under the curse and will until Christ's return.

Another thing I appreciate about common grace is its irony. God gives atheists not only food to eat and air to breathe, but the very minds and wills and logic that they use to argue against him. The man who says God cannot be good since he allows suffering doesn't grasp that God is withholding from him the full extent of suffering he deserves for his evil, and that is the very thing that gives the man the luxury of formulating and leveling his accusations against God.

Common grace, along with the fact that we are created in God's image, also explains how sinners can still do good. Jesus says, "If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same" (Luke 6:33). This explains how human culture has developed much that is good alongside the evil. I love John 1:9, that Jesus came as the light that "enlightens every man." I think this reflects that fact that all people in history have benefited from the coming of Christ, even those who reject him. The model of Christ, his grace and truth, his elevation of women and conciliatory words created a reference point for bringing freedom and civil rights to many societies. As far as we still have to go, the progress in affirming the rights of women and racial minorities in our own culture is due not to the current beliefs of moral relativism, but to the teaching and model of Christ which sowed the seeds for later reversal of the injustice (including slavery, women unable to vote, etc.) that still hung over this country when it was founded.

As for distinguishing between common grace and saving grace, don't we agree that not all people will be saved and go to Heaven (even if we disagree on the meaning of election), yet all people are nonetheless recipients of many of God's kindnesses and provisions and acts of grace? Personally, I think John Wesley could have coined the phrase "common grace" as easily as John Calvin (though of course he would have attached different nuances to it). To me it is a wonderful doctrine, true to Scripture and true to the world we see around us.

If someone prefers to call it something besides "common grace," that's fine (though I like the term), but whatever we call it I think it's biblical and significant, and it causes me to praise God for the breadth of His grace.

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Peggy Gill Bracken – 1931-2010

I want to express gratitude to our church family, First Baptist Lakeland. You have been so faithful to pray for my Mother, Peggy Bracken, over the past years. My mother was so blessed to receive cards from our Sunday School classes and from many in our Church. I have been so humbled by your calls, and notes and your stopping me to ask how my Mother was doing and offering your support, prayers and concern. I passed on your prayers, love and concern to her and she was so blessed to know of your support and prayers. It has been a difficult path but there has been such amazing grace manifested to me and my family, and much of that grace has been through you, our Church family.

I have no anger or animosity against our Maker, but genuine devotion and love born out of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For the same God who sovereignly ordains disease and catastrophes is the same God who by His determined purpose ordained that sinful men with their sinful intent would nail His Son to a cross. Two verses come to mind:

(Job 1:21 NASB) And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD."

(Rom 8:28 NASB) And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Cancer and illness are such a reminder that we are made for something so much better than this broken world. Pain causes us to look for relief. In Christ, that relief has now been personally ministered to my Mother by Jesus Christ Himself (Rev 21:1-7). I believe that following death we will enter into that relief just as Jesus promised the thief who placed his faith in the Lord Jesus, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

For those in Christ, we have a great future hope!

At this point we are planning to have the funeral this Wednesday morning and the visitation on Tuesday evening. The specifics will be worked out Monday morning as we meet together with the funeral directors.

By the way… something personal about my mother that many of you will appreciate. She always said, “Flowers are for the living”. I always thought that was a private family comment but apparently it got out. Ever since December, there has rarely been a weekday that flowers have not been delivered to my Mom.

My mother requested that any memorial gifts be given to First Baptist Church, Brewton, AL or First Baptist Church, Lakeland, GA.

By God’s grace and for His glory,
Brother John

Peggy Gill Bracken – 1932-2010
Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 2353 South Blvd, Brewton, AL 36426-7152; (251) 867-4304

Peggy Bracken “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” – Philippians 1:21 (ESV)

Some may not have known that my Mother has been suffering from two forms of Lung Cancer for well over 2 years. This morning at 8:58 am (Central Time) an awesome and wonderful thing happened, my Mother found herself directly in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

My Mother was a wonderful Christian lady. I could spend hours talking about all the good things that she has done. One of the greatest things she has done is to find grace and strength to graciously love me, for I am not always easy to love. I am so thankful that God chose me to have such a wonderful Mother in Peggy Bracken.

One thing I want to clearly state: My Mother being able to stand in the presence of the Lord has nothing to do with her being a good lady or a "saint". Her hope, as is my hope and hopefully yours, is in "Jesus' blood and righteousness" (On Christ The Solid Rock, Edward Mote, 1797-1874).

I love what John Newton, at age 82, said, "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour."

Many things will be remembered over the coming days concerning my Mother. We will relive the memories, laugh and cry, honor her and remember that she, by God's grace, stands in the presence of God because Jesus died in her place granting to her salvation by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9).

Funerals that are done for people who have lived for Christ, trusting in His substitutionary death for their salvation, often unwittingly communicate a works false gospel (salvation merited or earned). We end up bragging on this person saying things like “If they can’t make it to heaven, then none of us have a chance”. The Gospel truth is that none of us have a chance. When the disciples were astonished that the rich young ruler was not good enough to enter into heaven they asked Jesus about it and this is what was said:

“When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” (Mat 19:25-26 NIV)

It is impossible for us to save ourselves, only God can save us. Our sin and offense was so great, that no man could atone for it. Only God could reconcile us to Himself. He alone is the hope of our salvation.

As we eulogize my Mother, may we celebrate the life she has lived as a gift from God. May we remember her and honor her. More than anything, may we celebrate the God who saved her from eternal condemnation and saved her to be with himself for eternity (And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. [John 14:3 KJV]).

Before Holy God, we are all great sinners in desperate need of the GREAT SAVIOUR – JESUS CHRIST.

With gratitude to God for His great merciful saving work for sinners,
Proudly Peggy Bracken's son, John

A Wretch Like Who?

Before I spoke at a conference, a soloist sang one of my favorite songs, "Amazing Grace."

It was beautiful. Until she got to the tenth word.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a soul like me."

My heart sank. The word "wretch" had been edited out! I thought about John Newton, the song-writer. This former slave-trader, guilty of the vilest sins, knew he was a wretch. And that's what made God's grace so "amazing." Mind-boggling. Knock-down awesome.

If we're nothing more than morally neutral "souls," do you see what that does? It guts grace. The better we are, the less we need grace. The less amazing it becomes. (Change the Baby Jessica story to rescuing Osama bin Laden and you have a better picture of redemption.)

The Bible makes an astounding proclamation: "God showed us his love in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
When you cut "wretch" out of the song, you shrink grace. You reduce it to something more sensible, less surprising.

If we weren't so bad without Christ, why did He have to endure the cross? Paul said if men were good enough, then "Christ died for nothing" (Galatians 2:21).

Grace never ignores the awful truth of our depravity. In fact, it emphasizes it. The worse we realize we are, the greater we realize God's grace is.



Grace isn't about God lowering His standards. It's about God fulfilling those standards through the substitutionary suffering of the Standard-setter. Christ went to the cross because He would not ignore the truths of His holiness and our sin. Grace never ignores or violates truth. Grace gave what truth demanded: the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

Human depravity may be an insulting doctrine, but grasping it is liberating. Why? Because when I realize the best I can do without Him is like "filthy rags" in His sight (Isaiah 64:6), it finally sinks in that I have nothing to offer. Salvation therefore hinges on His work, not mine.

You and I, after all, weren't (or aren't, if you don't yet know Him) merely sick in our sins, we were dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1-3). That means I'm not just unworthy of salvation, I'm utterly incapable of earning it. Corpses can't raise themselves from the grave.

What relief to realize my salvation cannot be earned by good works—and therefore can't be lost by bad ones.

If we see God as He really is, and ourselves as we really are, there's only one appropriate response: to worship Him. Humility isn't pretending we're unworthy because it's spiritual—it's recognizing we're unworthy because it's true.

A. W. Tozer said, "Only the humble are sane."

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Tim Hawkins - The Government Can

Why I Hate Religion - Mark Driscoll

This provides an excellent contrast between religion and/or "do goodism" & the Gospel...

“Preach to yourself” by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they start talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc.

Somebody is talking. Who is talking? Your self is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment was this; instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul?’ he asks. His soul had been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says: ‘Self, listen for a moment, I will speak to you.’…

The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: ‘Why art thou cast down’– what business have you to be disquieted?

You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself: ‘Hope thou in God’– instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do.

Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people, and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: ‘I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my God.’”

–D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cure(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965/2002), 20-1.

The Cost of Grace

Hounded by the Pharisees, betrayed by a friend, forsaken by His disciples, brutalized by police, beaten by His inquisitors, led in disgrace to a rigged trial.

Arrogant men sitting in judgment over Him, crowning Him with thorns, mocking and disdaining. Beating Him without mercy, nailing Him to the cross, the worst of tortures, stretched out between thieves.

Miserably thirsty, utterly forsaken by His Father for the first time, the picture of utter aloneness.

Hell on earth! Not just one man's hell, but the hell of billions. At any moment-in a millisecond—He could have called legions of angels to deliver Him and destroy His enemies. Instead, He bears forever the scars of sin, rebellion, mockery, and hatred…the scars of God's grace.

The cost of redemption cannot be overstated. The wonders of grace cannot be overemphasized. Christ took the hell He didn't deserve so we could have the heaven we don't deserve.

If you're not stunned by the thought of grace…then you aren't grasping what grace offers you, or what it cost Jesus.

In 1987 eighteen month old "Baby Jessica" fell twenty-two feet into a Texas well. Rescuers labored nonstop to save her. After 55 grueling hours, her life hanging in the balance, finally they reached her, and extracted her from the well. The nation breathed a sigh of relief and cheered the heroes.

This was not the story: "Baby Jessica clawed her eighteen month old body up the side of that twenty-two foot well, inch by inch, digging in her little toes and working her way up. She's a hero, that Jessica!"

Baby Jessica was utterly helpless. She could do nothing to deliver herself. Her fate was in the hands of her rescuers. Left to herself Jessica had no chance. Likewise, when it comes to our salvation, we're utterly powerless. That's grace: "at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).

We get no more applause for our redemption than Baby Jessica got for being rescued. God alone deserves the ovation. In the story of redemption, He's the only hero. And it didn't just cost him 55 hours of hard work—it cost him everything.

Do you want to say "thank you" right now?

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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: by Randy Alcorn, Eternal Perspective Ministries, 39085 Pioneer Blvd., Suite 206, Sandy, OR 97055, 503-668-5200, www.epm.org, www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/randyalcorn, www.twitter.com/randyalcorn

Advance 09: Matt Chandler - Preaching the Gospel to the De-Churched

Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church, Dallas, TX Metro Area (multi-site) will be speaking at this year's Southern Baptist Convention's Pastors Conference. He recently was diagnosed with a form of aggressive brain cancer, underwent surgery and has been undergoing chemo and radiation treatments. Below is one of his many excellent messages that he has preached over the past years. To see other video messages from the Advance 09 Conference click this link.

Why I hate religion - Mark Driscoll

What is Grace?

We spent an unforgettable day in England with Phil and Margaret Holder. Margaret had been born in China to missionary parents with China Inland Mission. In 1939, when Japan took control of Eastern China, thirteen-year-old Margaret was imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp. There she remained, separated from her parents, for six years.

Margaret told us stories about a godly man called "Uncle Eric." He tutored her and was deeply loved by all the children in the camp. We were amazed to discover that "Uncle Eric" was Eric Liddell, "The Flying Scott," hero of the movie Chariots of Fire. Liddell shocked the world by refusing to run the 100 meters in the 1924 Paris Olympics, a race he was favored to win. He withdrew because the qualifying heat was on a Sunday.

Liddell won a gold medal—and broke a world record—in the 400 meters, not his strongest event. Later he went as a missionary to China. When war broke out, he sent his pregnant wife and daughters to safety. Imprisoned by the Japanese, he never saw his family in this world again. Suffering with a brain tumor, Eric Liddell died in 1945, shortly after his forty-third birthday.

Through fresh tears, Margaret told us, "It was a cold February day when Uncle Eric died."

At times it seemed unbearable to be cut off from their homes and families. But Margaret spoke with delight of "care packages falling from the sky"—barrels of food and supplies dropped from American planes.

One day, Margaret and the other children were lined up as usual to count off for roll call. Suddenly an American airplane flew low. They watched it circle and drop more of those wonderful food barrels. But as the barrels came near the ground, the captives realized something was different. Her eyes bright, Margaret told us, "This time the barrels had legs!" The sky was full of American soldiers, parachuting down to rescue them.

Margaret and several hundred children rushed out of the camp, past Japanese guards who offered no resistance. Free for the first time in six years, they ran to the soldiers, raining down everywhere. They threw themselves on their rescuers, hugging and kissing them.

Imagine the children's joy. Imagine the soldiers' joy.

God rejoices in the grace He offers, as much as we rejoice in receiving it. Whether it's Him returning from the sky to liberate us, or drawing us to Himself through our deaths, we will be rescued and at last reunited with loved ones who've gone before us. We'll be taken home.

Permissions: Feel free to reproduce and distribute any articles written by Randy Alcorn, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this information, not protect or restrict it.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: by Randy Alcorn, Eternal Perspective Ministries, 39085 Pioneer Blvd., Suite 206, Sandy, OR 97055, 503-668-5200, www.epm.org, www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/randyalcorn, www.twitter.com/randyalcorn

Achieving Balance

The apparent conflict between grace and truth isn't because they're incompatible, but because we lack perspective to resolve their paradox. The two are interdependent. We should never approach truth except in a spirit of grace, or grace except in a spirit of truth. Jesus wasn't 50% grace, 50% truth, but 100% grace, 100% truth.

Truth-oriented Christians love studying Scripture and theology. But sometimes they're quick to judge and slow to forgive. They're strong on truth, weak on grace.

Grace-oriented Christians love forgiveness and freedom. But sometimes they neglect biblical study and see moral standards as "legalism." They're strong on grace, weak on truth.

Countless mistakes in marriage, parenting, ministry and other relationships are failures to balance grace and truth. Sometimes we neglect both. Often we choose one over the other.

It reminds me of Moses, our Dalmatian.

When one tennis ball's in his mouth, the other's on the floor. When he goes for the second ball, he drops the first. Large dogs can get two balls in their mouth. Not Moses. He manages to get two in his mouth only momentarily. To his distress, one ball or the other spurts out onto the floor.

Similarly, our minds don't seem big enough to hold onto grace and truth at the same time. We go after the grace ball—only to drop the truth ball to make room for it. We need to stretch our undersized minds to hold them both at once.

A paradox is an apparent contradiction. Grace and truth aren't really contradictory. Jesus didn't switch on truth, then turn it off so He could switch on grace. Both are permanently switched on in Jesus. Both should be switched on in us.

Truth without grace breeds a self-righteousness legalism that poisons the church and pushes the world from Christ.

Grace without truth breeds moral indifference and keeps people from seeing their need for Christ.

Attempts to "soften" the gospel by minimizing truth keep people from Jesus. Attempts to "toughen" the gospel by minimizing grace keep people from Jesus.

It's not enough for us to offer grace or truth. We must offer both.

That's what this little book is all about.

Permissions: Feel free to reproduce and distribute any articles written by Randy Alcorn, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this information, not protect or restrict it.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: by Randy Alcorn, Eternal Perspective Ministries, 39085 Pioneer Blvd., Suite 206, Sandy, OR 97055, 503-668-5200, www.epm.org, www.randyalcorn.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/randyalcorn, www.twitter.com/randyalcorn

Thinking of my friend Matt Chandler and the difference between Hope and Desire

Pastor JR Vassar
I write this today because I need to. I need to tell myself these things. I just read the pathology report from the Village Church on Matt Chandler (http://ow.ly/MM81). I have known Matt for many years and love and respect him deeply. I am praying for him and for his sweet wife Lauren, and their kiddos, and the Village. And, I am praying with this in mind: there is a difference between desire and hope.

I am praying with great desire. My desire is that God would heal Matt, hand him to Lauren and the kids to be her husband and their daddy, restore him to the pulpit, empower him to preach his heart out for the magnification of Jesus, and one day let him play with his grandkids. I think God wants me to desire those things and ask Him for them, knocking until my knuckles bleed, making it clear to God how I desire Him to respond. And, those desires are good. But those desires are different than our hope.

Sometimes desires are not fulfilled. But, our hope is. Hope does not disappoint us (Romans 5:5). Our hope is certain and sure. Our hope is that none who trust in Him will ever ultimately be put to shame. Our hope is that in Jesus we are forgiven, given his Spirit, adopted as sons and daughters of God, and will one day be revealed as such (Romans 8:14-16; 1John 3:2-3). Our hope is that Jesus has defeated our greatest enemies of Satan, Sin, and Death and through Him we will triumph (Romans 8:37). Our hope is that God is sovereignly moving heaven and earth to secure the good of his elect and bring about their glory and joy (Romans 8:28). Our hope is that we who are in Christ are the eternal objects of God's love and that nothing, absolutely nothing, can change that status or rob us of its privileges (Romans 8:38-39). Our hope is that these momentary and light afflictions are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2Cor 4:16-17); that the things we suffer are not worth comparing to the glory that God will reveal to us (Romans 8:18). Our hope is that God will not leave us nor forsake us so that even as we experience ten thousand shadows of death come over us, we shall not fear because He is with us (Psalm 23). Our hope is that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us into his presence (2Cor 4:14). Our hope is that if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united to him in a resurrection like His (Romans 6:5). And, our hope is that Christ, who is our great treasure, will be exalted as such whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20). This is Matt's hope. He knows this hope; he lives this hope; he preaches this hope. Lauren knows and lives this hope as well, and Matt is blessed to have her at his side.

I just needed to tell myself that today. I need to remember that as I voice desires to be fulfilled and as I plead with the "God who is able," for Matt's strength and healing and restoration, I must not confuse my desire and my hope. I am holding tightly to hope and finding my comfort in the God of Hope. Praying we all will. Apostles Church will be praying for the Chandlers.