1991 Issue 1
As we have seen in our study of "Calvin the Man," after his conversion the Reformer devoted his life to the study and exposition of Scripture. He was an advocate of sola Scriptura; that is, "The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from it" (WCF 1,6). Calvin's numerous writings - commentaries, sermons, catechisms, etc., fully attest to this fact. Scripture, to John Calvin, is "the Word of God," which comes to us from "the mouth of God" (Institutes 1:7:1,5). And being God's Word, it is all sufficient for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16,17).
The moment I knew you were coming to be a part of our family, I knew what your name must be if you were a girl - Mercy. You are a gift of God's great mercy to me and to our family. God has shown great mercy to us throughout my pregnancy and delivery. You were breech until just a few days before you were born, and then God saw fit in His kindness and mercy to cause you to turn. Although labor was much longer than usual for me, the delivery was quick, uncomplicated and thrilling. Daddy and big sister, Anne, were nearby and Anne will always say with a note of awe in her voice, "I was the first person to see my little sister take her first breath." It was an exciting mornent for all of us - Joey and John came in just minutes later to hold and kiss you and welcome our newest angel to this covenant family.
We come today to the sixth beatitude. Each of the beatitudes follows a definite sequence of thought our Lord begins by speaking of the blessedness of having a Personal knowledge of one's own moral nakedness and poverty. The first beatitude is a foundational blessing which then leads on to all the others. Having understood clearly my own moral and spiritual bankruptcy, I go on to mourn about my condition. I truly deplore my wretched sinfulness and earnestly long to let God know how very sorry I am for my shameful condition and conduct.·But God comforts me with the stupendous good news that he has done something about my sin which makes it possible to be forgiven and be accepted as a righteous person in his holy eyes. This produces in me a very humble and meek attitude. I no longer strut and boast about any supposed or pretended righteousness. I don't have to defend my ego from anything any more. I see myself as I really am and I am abased by what I know about myself.
"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" - Matthew 19:26.
Amen. With God all things are, indeed, possible. And this is when the horrible sin of abortion will cease: When a nation and its people are "with God" which, alas, neither Canada nor the United States are today.
The consequences of a true Biblical revival, or, to put it more accurately, a true Biblical reformation, which is what occurs when such a revival moves out of the church and governs all areas in society - are impossible to overestimate.
This commandment protects marriage. In an age of godliness and righteousness the sanctity of the marriage partnership is preserved to the glory of Almighty God who instituted it. It is a day of rebellion and departure from God's revealed will which treats marriage lightly. The initial romantic feelings give way to a relationship in which, very often, each spouse exploits the other for selfish gain until nothing is left but self-pity and the ready arms of the other person.
Spurgeon's Sovereign Grace Sermons by Charles H. Spurgeon, Still Waters Revival Books 12810-126 St. Edmonton, AB Canada T5L 041; $8.95 U.S. $10.95 Can. 188pp.
The book is a real feast, offering 10 courses (sermons) from Spurgeon. Each bite is a delight and a humbling experience for God's people. Hopefully, it will be a menu that God's Spirit will use to draw the lost unto Himself.
The publishers wisely saw the need to publish this volume, the third in the Calvin Classics series. No doubt it will be an eye opener to many Christians. I say this for two reasons.
Morning Glory, Snow White, Candy Land, Happy Trails, they sound wonderful, don't they? When you think of Morning Glory, don't you think of a beautiful flower? And with Snow White; don't you think of a wonderful fairy tale that was read to you when you were a child? Candy Land might have been one of the first games you learned to play, and Happy Trails may recall for you the song that Dale Evans and Roy Rogers sang as they rode into the sunset.
Well, actually these are only a few nicknames for such illegal drugs as heroin and cocaine; mind-altering drugs that leave users in such a state of confusion, that they can't even remember their own names or where they are.
What follows in summary form is the story of "The Time of My Life", a musical written by Becky Morecraft and Judy Rogers four years ago. The play was beautifully performed by 75 students of Chalcedon Christian School with songs taken from Why Can't I See God and Walkin' Wise.
Andy Anderson was a boy who desperately needed a major change, but had grown quite indifferent to all the good Christian teaching of his childhood. His parents thought everything was fine until a typical Wednesday night rolled around and Andy, insensitive to the usual prayer meeting schedule, casually asked his dad to borrow the car. "Don't you know what night this is?" his dad asked. "Yeah, whined Andy, it's church night, but me and the guys have other plans." "Son, I know what it is to be young and-" "Forget it, Dad! I'm not into this church thing like you and Mom! I'm young - I wanna have fun!", and he sulked out of the room slamming the door emphatically behind him.
