Thank God for David Feddes' excellent commentary on Rev.Ken Baker's feeble attempt to appear neutral. He isn't. The Banner's board of trustees must be replaced by members committed to defend the Reformed doctrine and the CRC's Calvinist heritage. For starters, Rev. Bob DeMoor must go..
Yes. To read the Qur'an will leave no doubt that regardless of what may sound good on the surface, Christ's divinity is bluntly rejected as blasphemy and Christians are branded infidels. Anyone reading the Qur'an should do so with one's eyes wide open, in the same way we look over Jehovah Witnesses' religious literature and as we should, Roman Catholic publications that take the focus off Christ's finished work through Calvary's cross, including publications such as The Glories of Mary.
If we truly believe that Jesus lives in us by his Holy Spirit, we don't need such annual, ritual reminders of Calvary's cross derived from Roman Catholicism. If we need such a reminder, no amount of organized Lenten activities will make a difference.
We are to love Muslims yes - by earnestly praying for the Holy Spirit to enable them to come to saving faith in Christ. The Qur'an or holy book of Islam emphatically rejects the divinity of Jesus and his death and resurrection - the very heart of the gospel. The Qur'an brands the Christian worship of Jesus as the Son of God blasphemous. As to the Muslim who had to stop the car for prayer time, one may wonder whether it was devotion or legalism that is, a strict obedience to Islam. The Pharisees strictly sought to observe the Law of Moses and as for me, when a Roman Catholic I never missed Sunday Mass. And it wasn't always genuine devotion. It was primarily because I believed it was a mortal sin deserving of hell punishment unless forgiveness is obtained, normally through the confessional booth at church.
There is another side to this. To organize the worship service in a way that helps a few people unfamiliar with traditional praise songs feel more at home, we risk turning the worship hour into an unfamiliar experience for the greater part of the congregation. I wasn't born here and I've learned to worship my God in the spirtually-uplifting songs and music of my congregation. As a former Roman Catholic I'd find it disenchanting to have the liturgy in an RC format, reminding me of the errors of the Church of Rome I left behind when I joined the CRC.
The joy of the Gospel is expressed by the believer not so much by the choice of praise songs,music and liturgy but rather in gratitude for Christ's saving work through Calvary's cross. Pope Francis doesn't get it. The Church of Rome teaches a different gospel. I know. I am a former Catholic. So please, let's not set our gaze on Rome for spiritual guidance but our Reformed doctrine.
No matter how charitable and godly priests may seem to those unfamiliar with Catholic beliefs, the fact remains that priests embrace and teaching a different gospel. This includes the forgiveness of sins through the confessional booth, praying for the dead; prayers to various long-dead saints and especially to Mary, the mother of Jesus, Catholics revere as Mother of God. Priests teach that that no one may assume to be saved and that to carelessly skip Sunday mass is a mortal sin that, unless pardon is obtained, paves the way to hell. Such are the faith errors of the Church of Rome that by God’s awesome grace I was enabled to walk away from and join the CRC.
You're right. Too often Consistory empowers the worship committee to organize the service and there's little if any, diligent monitoring of praise song content. It is not unusual for praise songs to reflect Arminian beliefs..
As I look at the accompanying illustration saying "Jesus died for you" J.I. Packer's commentary in his book Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God immediately comes to mind: He writes: "The fact is that the New Testament never calls on any man to repent on the ground that Christ died specifically and particularly for him. The basis on which the New Testament invites sinners to faith in Christ is simply that they need him, and that he offers himself to them and that those who receive him are promised all the benefits that his death secured for his people. What is universal and all-inclusive in the New Testament is the invitation to faith and the promise of salvation to all who believe."
Some Christians sincerely believe baptized infants automatically become members of the family of God and are saved. They believe God’s covenant promise to Abraham “to be your God and the God of your descendants…”clearly says so. However, Scripture says although Jews are direct, physical descendants of Abraham, only those who accept Christ as Lord and Savior belong to God’s spiritual Israel and as such are children of the promise. Our children do not gain an automatic claim to salvation through family blood ties, as in the case of claiming a parent’s nationality.
The Roman centurion Cornelius and his household were all saved and when the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved, they replied, “believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved, you and your household.” Salvation is gained according to individual faith not as a family, hence in both cases the apostles were saying all in those families who accept Christ are saved.
God’s covenant promise to Abraham is, “for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:39) Note that the promise is for all “the Lord will call.” And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.(Romans 8:30).
In I Cor. 7:14 Paul says where only one parent is a believer, the children are holy; “for the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.” Being holy means “set apart” in a Christian environment where they hear about Jesus and the gospel message of salvation.
Since we believe our heavenly Father wants to spiritually nourish His children why then, many in the CRC are satisfied to partake of the Lord's Supper no more than six times a year? And by the way, it's one thing to say baptism brings infants of believers into the covenant family but quite another to suggest the baptismal ritual makestem members of the family of God. They're not. They must be born again.
Posted in: What Do We Want from The Banner?
Thank God for David Feddes' excellent commentary on Rev.Ken Baker's feeble attempt to appear neutral. He isn't. The Banner's board of trustees must be replaced by members committed to defend the Reformed doctrine and the CRC's Calvinist heritage. For starters, Rev. Bob DeMoor must go..
Posted in: Reading the Quran: A Good Idea or a Bad Idea?
Yes. To read the Qur'an will leave no doubt that regardless of what may sound good on the surface, Christ's divinity is bluntly rejected as blasphemy and Christians are branded infidels. Anyone reading the Qur'an should do so with one's eyes wide open, in the same way we look over Jehovah Witnesses' religious literature and as we should, Roman Catholic publications that take the focus off Christ's finished work through Calvary's cross, including publications such as The Glories of Mary.
Posted in: Lent and Easter Observances — Holy or Habit?
If we truly believe that Jesus lives in us by his Holy Spirit, we don't need such annual, ritual reminders of Calvary's cross derived from Roman Catholicism. If we need such a reminder, no amount of organized Lenten activities will make a difference.
Posted in: 12 Reasons to Love (and not Fear) Muslims
We are to love Muslims yes - by earnestly praying for the Holy Spirit to enable them to come to saving faith in Christ. The Qur'an or holy book of Islam emphatically rejects the divinity of Jesus and his death and resurrection - the very heart of the gospel. The Qur'an brands the Christian worship of Jesus as the Son of God blasphemous. As to the Muslim who had to stop the car for prayer time, one may wonder whether it was devotion or legalism that is, a strict obedience to Islam. The Pharisees strictly sought to observe the Law of Moses and as for me, when a Roman Catholic I never missed Sunday Mass. And it wasn't always genuine devotion. It was primarily because I believed it was a mortal sin deserving of hell punishment unless forgiveness is obtained, normally through the confessional booth at church.
Posted in: Multicultural Worship: It’s Not Just About Style
There is another side to this. To organize the worship service in a way that helps a few people unfamiliar with traditional praise songs feel more at home, we risk turning the worship hour into an unfamiliar experience for the greater part of the congregation. I wasn't born here and I've learned to worship my God in the spirtually-uplifting songs and music of my congregation. As a former Roman Catholic I'd find it disenchanting to have the liturgy in an RC format, reminding me of the errors of the Church of Rome I left behind when I joined the CRC.
Posted in: An Evangelizing Joy
The joy of the Gospel is expressed by the believer not so much by the choice of praise songs,music and liturgy but rather in gratitude for Christ's saving work through Calvary's cross. Pope Francis doesn't get it. The Church of Rome teaches a different gospel. I know. I am a former Catholic. So please, let's not set our gaze on Rome for spiritual guidance but our Reformed doctrine.
Posted in: An Evangelizing Joy
No matter how charitable and godly priests may seem to those unfamiliar with Catholic beliefs, the fact remains that priests embrace and teaching a different gospel. This includes the forgiveness of sins through the confessional booth, praying for the dead; prayers to various long-dead saints and especially to Mary, the mother of Jesus, Catholics revere as Mother of God. Priests teach that that no one may assume to be saved and that to carelessly skip Sunday mass is a mortal sin that, unless pardon is obtained, paves the way to hell. Such are the faith errors of the Church of Rome that by God’s awesome grace I was enabled to walk away from and join the CRC.
Posted in: Check Out the Music
You're right. Too often Consistory empowers the worship committee to organize the service and there's little if any, diligent monitoring of praise song content. It is not unusual for praise songs to reflect Arminian beliefs..
Posted in: It's For Me Too!
As I look at the accompanying illustration saying "Jesus died for you" J.I. Packer's commentary in his book Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God immediately comes to mind: He writes: "The fact is that the New Testament never calls on any man to repent on the ground that Christ died specifically and particularly for him. The basis on which the New Testament invites sinners to faith in Christ is simply that they need him, and that he offers himself to them and that those who receive him are promised all the benefits that his death secured for his people. What is universal and all-inclusive in the New Testament is the invitation to faith and the promise of salvation to all who believe."
Posted in: Invited
Some Christians sincerely believe baptized infants automatically become members of the family of God and are saved. They believe God’s covenant promise to Abraham “to be your God and the God of your descendants…”clearly says so. However, Scripture says although Jews are direct, physical descendants of Abraham, only those who accept Christ as Lord and Savior belong to God’s spiritual Israel and as such are children of the promise. Our children do not gain an automatic claim to salvation through family blood ties, as in the case of claiming a parent’s nationality.
The Roman centurion Cornelius and his household were all saved and when the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved, they replied, “believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved, you and your household.” Salvation is gained according to individual faith not as a family, hence in both cases the apostles were saying all in those families who accept Christ are saved.
God’s covenant promise to Abraham is, “for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:39) Note that the promise is for all “the Lord will call.” And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.(Romans 8:30).
In I Cor. 7:14 Paul says where only one parent is a believer, the children are holy; “for the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.” Being holy means “set apart” in a Christian environment where they hear about Jesus and the gospel message of salvation.
Posted in: Invited
Since we believe our heavenly Father wants to spiritually nourish His children why then, many in the CRC are satisfied to partake of the Lord's Supper no more than six times a year? And by the way, it's one thing to say baptism brings infants of believers into the covenant family but quite another to suggest the baptismal ritual makestem members of the family of God. They're not. They must be born again.