2012 Issue 1
“I wish every Christian, at least every Presbyterian, would read this message.” - Wayne Rogers
Near the conclusion of this sermon we find these words: “As for this building, my brethren, beautiful as it may be in our eyes, let it please us to call it only a plain Presbyterian meeting-house. The glory we see in it, let it not be the glory of its arches and timbers—not the glory of its lofty and graceful spire, pointing ever upwards to that home the pious shall find in the bosom of God—not the glory found in the eloquence or learning of those who, through generations, shall here proclaim the Gospel—nor yet the glory traced in the wealth and fashion, refinement and social position, of those who throng its courts. But let its glory be "the glory of the Lord risen upon it!" Let its glory be the promises of the covenant engraved upon its walls, which are yea and amen in Christ Jesus. Let its glory be found in the purity, soundness and unction of its pastors—in the fidelity and watchfulness of its elders—in the piety and godliness of its members. Let its glory be as a birth-place of souls, where shall always be heard the sobs of awakened penitence, and the songs of newborn love. Let its glory be the spirituality of its worship, its fervent prayers, its adoring praise, and the simplicity and truth of its ordinances and sacraments. Let its glory be the communion of saints, who here have fellowship one with another, and also with the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. Let its glory be as the resting place of weary pilgrims, toiling on towards the heavenly city—the emblem of that Church above” ‘ Where congregations ne'er break up, And Sabbaths never end.’”
The Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, written in the late 1640's, still have the spiritual power to transform individuals, families and entire cultures on the threshold of the Twenty-First Century. As no other book, outside the Bible, the Westminster Standards have been informing, inspiring and transforming people and nations for over 350 years. Why? Because they take seriously all the facts of the written Word of God and all the facts of reality and human life. They seek to understand everything we need to know about God and the universe in the light of that Word, Psa. 36:9. They look at all of life from the perspective of the God of the Bible, for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, Rom. 11:26. It is for this reason that the Westminster Shorter Catechism begins with the question: "What is man's chief end?", and answers: "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever."
We live in a pluralistic society – we live in a country made up of many different groups that often hold to wildly differing views on the most important matters in life. For example, in the religious realm, Canada and the other developed English-speaking countries contain Christians, Muslims, Hindus, secular humanists, Jewish people, as well as other groups.
In order for all these groups to peacefully coexist, it is commonly believed that the government must be “neutral” on religious and moral issues. If the government was to favor the perspective of one group, the other groups would suffer discrimination or even oppression. Thus the existence of a pluralistic society requires the neutrality of the government.
For generations, modern culture has chosen to believe the lie that women and men should be considered equal in every way. We can date this fabrication back at least to the Women’s Suffragette Movement of the early 1900’s, if not all the way back to Eve, who chose to believe Satan rather than God, thus establishing the foundation for modern-day feminism. The separate roles God created “in the beginning” for each sex have largely been spurned by our culture and substituted with a false idea of equality that in no way resembles God’s original plan, when He created woman from the rib of man and arranged for future humans to spring from the womb of woman, thus establishing a healthy co-dependency for the continuance of life.
THE BIBLICAL BASIS OF DISCIPLINE
When parents are frustrated about a specific problem they are having with a child, they will often discuss it with friends or question a respected person, seeking a solution for the difficulty they are experiencing. Particularly when parents believe the Bible is silent on a subject or does not give enough details, they rush after this book and that seminar searching for information that will tell them what to do in every possible case or situation. Many of these frustrating problems or difficult situations could be resolved with the Godly wisdom that comes from a basic understanding of what the Word teaches about child training.
Therefore, it is essential that, first, you know what the Bible authoritatively says about bringing up children. Make this the very foundation of your thinking and you will have God-given confidence in rearing your children.
God’s Pattern for Creation: A Covenantal Reading of Genesis 1
W. Robert Godfrey
This literary effort can be best described as a kinder, gentler, but still fallacious compromise departing from the grammatical historical sense of Genesis 1.
Dr. Godfrey is a talented speaker whose views on most theological topics are sound.1 In fact most of his “ten theses” on creation are perfectly consistent with six day creation about 6,000 years ago (pages 95-96). These ten theses include statements that the God of the Bible alone created the heavens and the earth out of nothing. Genesis 1 & 2 are true, historical, non-contradictory accounts. Scripture alone authoritatively interprets the biblical account of creation. The claims of modern science cannot determine the interpretation of the Bible. God created man immediately from the dust of the earth. Man did not evolve from lower animals. The Sabbath is a creation ordinance for man. Jesus did not abolish the Sabbath, but fulfilled and transformed it into the Lord’s day. Christians must believe what God has revealed about his work of creation.
