Flynn’s “MASSIVE Calvin bomb”

March 2nd, 2008

After years of reading and research, Flynn has posted a MASSIVE amount of Calvin quotations on the Calvin and Calvinism blog that should transform opinion about the great Reformer!

This is a MUST read for anyone who has ever wrestled with getting a solid handle on disputed areas of Calvin’s theology – especially as regards the atonement. The data simply must be reckoned with regardless of where you stand on the issue, or where you end up on it.

DON’T FORGET THE ROCHESTER THEOLOGY CONFERENCE – INFORMATION HERE!!!!

Created to be his Help Meet – A Review (sort of).

March 1st, 2008

DON’T FORGET THE ROCHESTER THEOLOGY CONFERENCE – INFORMATION HERE!!!!

I will begin by saying that I have no doubt that Debi Pearl’s heart is in the right place. The desire to help women assume their Biblical roles and love their husbands and families well is laudable and good.

And, there are some real nuggets of excellent counsel to be found in places within the pages of this book.

That being said, the nuggets are often (most often in my view) so buried beneath layer upon layer of Biblical misunderstanding and wrong reasoning as to make the book one I could not recommend to anyone. In many places it is truly a shame to read what has been written. And I feel most grievously for many of the women who have been guilted into a nonsensical and Biblically contrary approach to the marriage relationship by it, and worse, those who at present are living in the false manipulation I believe it teaches women to indulge in.

Rather than a summary critique, I have chosen here to simply make various citings, and then respond to those citings.

The ones I have chosen are only representative, and not exhaustive. One could find something on the vast majority of pages to object to Biblically.

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Men as leaders: In the Home, In the Workplace & In the Church

February 18th, 2008

I had the distinct honor of speaking for the Sovereign Grace Baptist Association Men’s Retreat this past weekend in Lapeer Michigan. It was hosted by my dear friend Pastor Fred Leuck at his church, Thornville Baptist.

If you would like to hear the audio from those sessions, you can do so free of charge HERE

9th Annual ROCHESTER Theology Conference – Almost here!!!!!

February 17th, 2008

Questions? Email us at:conference@ecfnet.org

“God is seeking just one kind of person …
One who will worship Him in spirit and truth.”

The 9th Annual Rochester Theology Conference, featuring speakers Jerry Bridges and Phil Johnson, will be held April 18 and 19, 2008, at Perinton Community Church, 636 High Street Extension in Fairport, N.Y., and is hosted by: Evangelical Church of Fairport, Pastor Reid Ferguson; and Clarkson Community Church, Pastor Tony Bartolucci.

Admission to the entire conference is $15 Individual / $20 Couple and $25 Family (no matter how large!) DVDs of all six conference sessions are available for $15, including postage.

We Welcome You!

There is always a tension between orthodoxy and a passion. To the mechanical purist God whispers, “I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” To the careless enthusiast, God whispers the words of David, “surely you desire truth in the inner parts.” God is seeking just one kind of person, one who will worship Him in spirit and truth, passion and purity. (John 4)

I can think of no two people better qualified to guide us into the heart of God than Jerry Bridges and Phil Johnson. The true worship of God must have both head and heart. Both of these men have distinguished themselves as passionate servants of Jesus Christ, and precise expositors of his glorious gospel. Of all the seminars we have ever hosted before, I believe this will touch our hearts and our minds as few others have before. I hope to see you there!

In Christ,
Reid Ferguson

Pursuing God: Rochester Theology Conference 2008 – Fanning The Flame Of Truth
Hosted by Evangelical Church of Fairport and Clarkson Community Church • conference@ecfnet.org

For the real spiffy actual brochure – click HERE

On the complexities of being Reformed

February 1st, 2008

“The Synod of Dordt and The Complexities of being Reformed” is an excellent article written by Steven Wedgeworth at the Biblical Horizons Blog.

It is well worth your time both in terms of why a good grasp of Church history is so impactful to how we understand ourselves and, as to how we understand our own doctrinal positions.

I’ve provided a starter taste below.

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The single scariest “sign of the times”

January 29th, 2008

That’s right – Cheeseburger in a can. And at 3.95 euros (about $5.84 US) – I am now convinced the end of the world is near.

Where’s Chuck Missler and Hal Lindsey when you really need them?

“The Gospel and Personal Evangelism” – A Short Review

January 29th, 2008

The Christian life has three ugly step children. They get lots of lip service, and often little action: Consistent Bible Reading, Prayer – and (the BIG one) Evangelism. We all know we ought to to do them. We all WANT to do them – at least on some level. But if one gets shoved aside more than any other – its the last one – evangelism.

Mark Dever has written an invaluable resource to help us out.

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All this to say one thing: Life doesn’t just happen, it has to be MADE. DUH!

January 26th, 2008

Scientists Build First Man-Made Genome; Synthetic Life Comes Next

By Alexis Madrigal

01.24.08 | 11:00 AM

Biologist J. Craig Venter poses at his home in Alexandria, Virginia.
Matt Houston/AP

Scientists have built the first synthetic genome by stringing together 147 pages of letters representing the building blocks of DNA.

The researchers used yeast to stitch together four long strands of DNA into the genome of a bacterium called Mycoplasma genitalium. They said it’s more than an order of magnitude longer than any previous synthetic DNA creation. Leading synthetic biologists said with the new work, published Thursday in the journal Science, the first synthetic life could be just months away — if it hasn’t been created already.

“We consider this the second in our three-step process to create the first synthetic organism,” said J. Craig Venter, president of the J. Craig Venter Institute where scientists performed the study, on Thursday during a teleconference. “What remains now that we have this complete synthetic chromosome … is to boot this up in a cell.”

With the new ability to sequence a genome, scientists can begin to custom-design organisms, essentially creating biological robots that can produce from scratch chemicals humans can use. Biofuels like ethanol, for example.

“The J. Craig Venter Institute will be able to take a file stored on a computer and using synthetic chemistry, turn that information into life,” said Chris Voigt, a University of California at San Francisco synthetic biologist. “I would be shocked if it doesn’t come out in six months. I think they’ve done it.”

The technique is basically a reverse of the Human Genome Project, which translated DNA into the letters A, C, T and G, which represent the body’s building blocks: the nucleotides adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine. Synthetic biologists’ ambitious goal is to arrange those letters to create never-before-seen organisms that will do their bidding.

The first phase of Venter’s three-step process, which he published last year, involved transplanting and “booting up” the genome of one species of bacterium into another. The remaining step is to combine the first two steps, then insert the new synthetic genome into a standard bacterium. Scientists said they expect the announcement of man-made life this year.

Copied and pasted in toto without edit from Wired.com

Two new “must have” titles from Northampton Press.

January 25th, 2008

Don Kistler is a friend of mine. That’s not why I recommend these two titles however. Nor is it because of the wretched and egregious way he was treated by Ligonier Ministries (a tale for another day) – AND, which is NOT to be taken as a broad brush against all Ligonier, what it has done and IS doing for the Kingdom – but is related only to MY personal view on a particular issue. That being said…

I DO recommend these two titles for two very specific reasons. And one of those reasons does spring from his tragic and shameful expulsion (in my estimation – certainly there are two sides to every story) from Ligonier.

No, if you write to me, I will not say more.

Now my first reason for recommending these two books to you, is because these are excellent, impactful, soul edifying and Christ exalting volumes.

John Colquhoun (1748-1827) was a powerful Scottish preacher and writer. His nearly 50 years of ministry left behind a rich legacy. Not the least of which is this fine collection of “Sermons on Important Doctrines”. He was a doctrinal preacher. He believed sound doctrine, clearly explained and applied to the soul was the best means to aid men in loving and following Christ. He embodied Peter’s dictum that “I think it right, as long as I am in this body,to stir you up by way of reminder, ¹⁴ since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. ¹⁵ And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.”

You will not be disappointed by his clear, practical and powerful exposition.

Thomas Watson’s “Heaven Taken by Storm” is so near and dear to me personally. This little volume first came to me as a Soli Deo Gloria publication at a season of great despondency and trial. Its healing benefits are very real to me. And his vision of the Christian life that “Though heaven be given us freely, yet we must contend for it” – is so full of rich and important balance that it sets so many other things right at first glance. This new edition – with more modernized English ought to prove to be a truly valuable exhortation to actually pursue Heaven, and not imagine we stumble inside its glorious gates by accident.

I move to my second reason for recommending these books.

It is because these two titles (as well as several other resources available at Northampton – available HERE: Northampton Press )- are a response. However he has felt or expressed his pain privately, this is how one man – Don Kistler – has publicly responded to what he experienced as ill treatment, rejection and abandonment. He has sought to continue to build up the Body of Christ in the way he believes he is best able, through editing and reproducing the golden ministries of others from the best of our Christian heritage.

If this were the only reason, it would make it worth your purchasing these books, and introducing others to them as well.

I ordered mine today. I hope you will do the same.

Overpopulation? Do the math.

January 22nd, 2008

Global Population in January of 2008 estimated to be approximately – 6,650,000,000 (6,641,114,623 to be closer).

The State of Texas has a land mass of 268,601 square miles.

Minus 6,687 square miles of water area, we are left with a total land area of 261,914 square miles.

There are 640 acres in a square mile.

An acre = 43,560 square feet.

640 (acres) x 261,914 (sq. miles) = 167,624,960 (acres) = 7,301,743,257,600 sq. ft.

7,301,743,257,600 sq. ft. divided by 6,650,000,000 people = 1098 square feet per person on the planet – in Texas ALONE.

My wife and I live in home slightly under 1000 square feet. We also raised a daughter there.

A 3 People per 1000 sq. feet – There’s room.

And then some.

“God is seeking just one kind of person … One who will worship Him in spirit and truth.”

We Welcome You!

Scientists Build First Man-Made Genome; Synthetic Life Comes Next

“God is seeking just one kind of person …
One who will worship Him in spirit and truth.”