Why "Just Me and My Bible" Is Insufficient

"The best way to guard a true interpretation of Scripture, the Reformers insisted, was neither to naively embrace the infallibility of tradition, or the infallibility of the individual, but to recognize the communal interpretation of Scripture. The best way to ensure faithfulness to the text is to read it together, not only with the churches of our own time and place, but with the wider 'communion of saints' down through the age." Michael Horton.

from a recent post by JT at theologica.blogspot.com

Keeping It In Perspective

The following is an excerpt from an interesting post dated Wednesday, October 8, 2008, by Pastor Zack of Lansing, Michigan. You can (and should) view the complete article here.


Eschatological On-Ramp


So a bunch of global banking bigwigs got together today and agreed to cut interest rates. Our own fed chair ironed this out with his counterparts in England, China, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, and some Czar from the European Central Bank. (It hasn't worked yet; the decision to cut the federal funds rate to 1.5% rallied the market for a short time, but the DJI still closed out considerably down. )

That was this morning. Tonight, I taught my Wednesday night Bible class. We've been going through Revelation for a little less than a year. I've been doing my best to slowly, brick by brick, knock down any vestige of Left Behind Rapture cult nonsense that my people may have absorbed and, in its place, teach them the Historic Protestant understanding of the end times.

There are some major differences. Case in point: your average Left Behinder would have jumped into the study of Revelation, using the day's headlines as an interpretive grid. Van Impe makes a living doing this (see yesterday's post). Whether it's 1985 or 2008, we can find prophecy in the headlines. Mikhail Gorbachev is clearly the Antichrist. No, wait! It's Saddam Hussein!... Y2K will mark the beginning of the Great Tribulation! Er...The European Union is clearly the Beast; it has SEVEN STATES after all. Crud, now it has twenty-seven...

The frustrating thing is that these guys never go back and retract what they said about last year's headlines. They plow ahead without a care in the world, effecting as confident a tone and demeanor as they can muster.

Were I a Left Behinder, I'd have spent a good deal of time tonight outlining what had taken place when those seven (oooohhh) nations got together and started acting all one-world-governmenty. One step closer to a world currency. One step closer to the microchip that the Bible predicts! (Greek: pentiumos intelos).

But I didn't do that. I caution students of the Bible against using the Old Testament to interpret the new (it should be vice versa), let alone using the Associated Press to interpret Holy Scripture.

However, there will ultimately be a great crash to the whole thing. And I mean the whole thing. I'm preaching on the Rich Fool in Luke 12 this week. For him, the great market crash was his death, when he found out that he'd been putting all his eggs in the wrong basket and all of his investments in the wrong fund. And that fund didn't pay dividends in the afterlife.

When all is said and done, whether the market is up or down, there's only one place to put your trust that won't crash and burn in the end: in Jesus Christ. If your trust is in Him and you're living for Him, your investments are secure for all of eternity.

That's not quite as sexy as smoke-filled back rooms where one-world currencies are born or tanks rolling into Jerusalem or microchips being injected into people's foreheads. But it's a heck of lot more comforting. And it's actually based in reality and the truths of Scripture.

Why you need to be in a church tomorrow

The following post is intended to be a challenge to our "no organized church for me" friends.

No, you're not the church. You're part of the church. The word ekkle-sia means "assembly," and no, you're not an assembly. Doesn't matter how overweight you are, you still aren't an assembly.

If you're a Christian, you claim Jesus as your Lord.

Where's your Lord today? He depicts Himself as walking among local assemblies (Revelation 1:12-13, 20). Do you know better than He? Which one of you is "Lord," again?

That's the church, that local assembly of believers where pastors lead, the Word is preached, the ordinances are observed, and discipline is carried out. Christ loved it and gave Himself for it (Ephesians 5:25). He died for it. But you won't walk into one? Which one of you is "Lord," again?

Before He died, He prayed for the church (John 17). But you won't attach yourself to one, to work in it and pray for it? Which one of you is "Lord," again?

Who is your pastor? Are you fool enough to say "Jesus"? Nonsense. When He ascended, He gave pastors to the church (Ephesians 4:11). Which one is your pastor, your toe-to-toe, eyeball-to-eyeball pastor?

Your "Lord" charged pastors with the care of souls. That means Jesus — your Lord, so you say — thinks your soul needs watching over (Hebrews 13:7, 17). Which individual flesh and bones living pastor is watching over your soul, in person, individually?

If "none," how is it that you decided you are smarter than Jesus? You know, Jesus. Your "Lord." Which one of you is "Lord," again?

And if you fall into unrepentant sin, which body will discipline you? Jesus says you need that, too (Matthew 18:13-20). I don't care what complex, high-sounding list of excuses you can slap together. If you say you don't need to be in a local assembly, you say you're smarter than Jesus, and are sufficient.

Fool.

And remember, that Jesus you say is your "Lord" said that the second most important thing in the world is to love your neighbor (Matthew 22:39). He moved Paul to tell you your fellow-church-member is your premier neighbor (Galatians 6:10). That's where you take all that rich doctrine (Ephesians 1—3), and live it out in community (Ephesians 4—6). That's where you do all those "one another's."

And if you tell yourself that your spouse or children are all the "one another's" you need, you put your judgment over God's.

Meaning you're a fool and a blasphemer, whether you intend to be or not.

And bringing harm on your spouse and children, by preaching a lie to them.

That's for starters.

So, Jesus — your "Lord" — says you need to be in a local church. You say you don't?

Hm. Which one to believe? You? Or Jesus? You? Or Jesus? Hmm.

See you in church.

Posted on 10/4/08 by Dan Phillips. www.bibchr.blogspot.com

To The Unknowns

Recently I read an article in an American Legion newsletter regarding what is commonly referred to as the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" (the official title is "Tomb of the Unknowns"), which is located in Arlington Cemetery. Having my curiosity piqued I did some research and came across the "Sentinels Creed". (The Sentinels are the military "guards" at the tomb that have stood watch over the tomb continuously since 1937 - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, no matter the weather or circumstance!) As I read the creed I thought about my own dedication to Christ and my responsibility in living the Christian life. If we attempt to honor men in this way may it encourage us to live more dedicated and honoring to our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Sentinels Creed

My dedication to this sacred duty is total and wholehearted.
In the responsibility bestowed on me never will I falter.
And with dignity and perseverance my standard will remain perfection.
Through the years of diligence and praise and the discomfort of the elements,
I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my ability.
It is he who commands the respect I protect.
His bravery that made us so proud.
Surrounded by well meaning crowds by day, alone in the thoughtful peace of night,
this soldier will, in honored glory, rest under my eternal vigilance.

The inscription on the outside of the granite tomb reads:

"Here Rests
In Honored Glory
An American Soldier
Known But To God"

2 Timothy 2:1-3 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

It's Not About Me

"For many years I took an individualistic approach to the Christian life. I was concerned about my growth as a Christian, my progress in holiness, my acquisition of ministry skills. I prayed that God would enable me to be more holy in my personal life and more effective in my evangelism. I asked God's blessing on my church and the Christian organization I worked for. But as I learned more about true fellowship, I began to pray that we as the Body of Christ would grow in holiness, that we would be more effective witnesses to the saving grace of Christ. It is the entire Body - not just me - that needs to grow."

Jerry Bridges, The Crisis of Caring: Recovering the Meaning of True Fellowship (P & R, 1985), pgs. 71-71.