JET's Jots

Canada Signs Copenhagen Pact

Jan 9th, 2010 by JET

The article below should be of concern for every Canadian. According to its author, Canada was one of the first countries to sign on to the Copenhagen pact. But what should be of even more concern are these two sentences:

(Quote) Blaney said Canada is working with the United States at establishing a continental cap-and-trade plan, which will set maximum limits on greenhouse emissions by industries, allowing them to sell credits if they are under the limit or buy credits if they are over.

Blaney also said Canada now is focused on the next global climate-change summit in Mexico City in December, when Canada hopes a binding agreement can be achieved.

This is selling out our nation’s sovereignty. No government possesses the right to do so. Especially a government that has been duly-elected by its citizens. And even more especially, a Conservative government made up of many MP’s who first were elected to power as Reform Party candidates and who ran on a very different platform than what they are now proposing for us all.

Perhaps a prayerful reading of Isaiah 59, with particular consideration of verse 16, would be in order.

* * * * * * *

CANADA SIGNS COPENHAGEN PACT – Cuba to opt out

By KEVIN DOUGHERTY, The GazetteJanuary 8, 2010

While Canada and Prime Minister Stephen Harper were criticized for taking a weak position on greenhouse-gas reductions at the recent Copenhagen meeting on climate change, Canada is among the first countries to sign the Copenhagen agreement.

The Bloomberg news agency reported that Australia, Canada, Papua New Guinea and the Maldives were the first to notify the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change of their wish to be associated with the Copenhagen accord.

Under a last-minute deal, ironed out by President Barack Obama along with Brazil, South Africa, India and China, countries wishing to adhere must do so by Jan. 31.

Bloomberg also said Cuba was the only nation so far to say it doesn’t want to be associated with the plan, which calls for keeping the increase in global temperatures below two degrees Celsius.

The plan commits developed economies to provide the developing world $100 billion U.S. by 2020 to help them deal with their greenhouse- gas emissions.

But unlike the previous Kyoto agreement, the Copenhagen accord does not set overall targets for reducing greenhouse gases.

Countries adhering will list their targets in an annex to the December agreement.

Yesterday, Steven Blaney, Conservative MP for Lévis-Bellechasse, confirmed Canada has told the UNFCCC, it is sticking to its target of a 20-per-cent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020, using a 2006 starting date.

The international benchmark of greenhouse-gas reductions is 1990, and relative to that date, Canada’s target in fact is a three-per-cent reduction.

Blaney said Canada is working with the United States at establishing a continental cap-and-trade plan, which will set maximum limits on greenhouse emissions by industries, allowing them to sell credits if they are under the limit or buy credits if they are over.

Blaney also said Canada now is focused on the next global climate-change summit in Mexico City in December, when Canada hopes a binding agreement can be achieved.

Blaney met reporters to promote the Nemo, an electric delivery vehicle developed and built in his riding, which he says as part of the solution.

The Quebec National Assembly has acquired a Nemo, and Blaney pledged, without making a firm commitment, to encourage the federal government to acquire Nemo delivery vehicles as well.

Posted in Climate Change, Political | 6 Comments »

Wanted: Christians Resolved to Pray

Jan 7th, 2010 by JET

The following is a modified version taken from short devotional messages recently given to our congregation at our weekly prayer meetings. The Lord has seen fit to bless these thoughts and the regular prayer meetings have been enhanced by members asking, and meeting for additional times of prayer over and above our regular meetings. My prayer is that the Lord will use these thoughts to stir every believer who reads these words to increase in faith and prayer. (J.E.T.)

We are now a full week into our ‘new year’ of 2010.

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions for this year? If so, how are you doing in keeping them? I read somewhere that most resolutions made on Dec 31 are broken by the end of the first week. That is not a promising statistic!

While the world’s concept of “making resolutions” is not a Christian doctrine, there can be no denying that one aspect of being a Christian is to be a man or woman of resolve.

We are commanded to “examine ourselves” as to whether we are “in the faith” or not.

Prior to participating at the Lord’s table (Communion), it is incumbent for all to go through this self-examining process. (By the way, it is not to examine yourself to see if you are “good enough” – none of us ever are! It is primarily to see if you bear the evidence of being a child of God).

This examining of ourselves will inevitably reveal sins that need to be confessed, weaknesses that need to be strengthened, and failures that need to be dealt with. But it must not stop there. There must be a resolve by God’s grace to confess those sins, seek His strength to overcome our weaknesses, and faithfully deal with our failures so that we might be good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3).

One of the major failures for most Christians is in the realm of prayer. It would be almost shocking to hear a truly regenerated child of God say they were satisfied with their prayer life; that they were convinced it was as good as it could be, that there wasn’t much room for improvement, etc. In fact, just hearing those words would convince us we were listening to someone with a heart of pride.

Do you know that the great saints of Scripture were – without exception – men and women of prayer? Did you know that the great saints of church history – as far as we know from their diaries, autobiographies and biographies – were men and women of prayer? Their theologies might have differed, but I do not know of one person who accomplished any lasting work for God who was not given to prayer.

Something else, to read about them is to be impressed that they were resolved to pray. They knew the difficulty of prayer, and they knew that if they did not make it a matter of fervent resolve and determination, that they would fall into the same miserable condition that so much of the Christian church finds itself in today – a lack of prayer, which inevitably means a lack of power.

King David was a man of prayer. He was a great sinner, but he was also a great saint. And, I believe he was a great saint because he was a great ‘Supplicator’. He knew how to pray. But that doesn’t mean it came naturally to him. Prayer is a spiritual work, and “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit for they are foolishness unto him “(2 Cor. 2:14). David was a great pray-er, because he determined he would be a man of prayer. Consider these statements:

Psalm 55:16,17 As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear me.

Psalm 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee; for thou wilt answer me.

Psalm 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

These are but a sampling of texts that show us David’s resolve to pray by the language he uses.

The question now is this: Are you willing to make this an area you will resolve to improve? A more fulfilling prayer life doesn’t “just happen”. It is difficult work and the opposition to it will come in many forms. And that is where the matter of resolve comes in. Are we going to pray through the obstacles and opposition? Then we must grasp this truth with both hands and not let it go. But even more than that, this truth must get hold of us.

In my next posting on this topic, I hope to deal with truths that will assist you in your resolve to pray. Questions or comments are always welcome.

Posted in Prayer | No Comments »

Quote: Why Socialism Won’t Work

Dec 26th, 2009 by JET

Here is some financial wisdom put very succinctly.

You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the industrious out of it. You don’t multiply wealth by dividing it. Government cannot give anything to anybody that it doesn’t first take from somebody else. Whenever somebody receives something without working for it, somebody else has to work for it without receiving. The worst thing that can happen to a nation is for half of the people to get the idea they don’t have to work because somebody else will work for them, and the other half to get the idea that it does no good to work because they don’t get to enjoy the fruit of their labor.

Dr. Adrian Rogers

Posted in Political, Quotable Quotes | No Comments »

Paul Washer says, “Get Off Facebook – Be a Man”

Dec 23rd, 2009 by JET

In this short video clip, well-known evangelist / missionary Paul Washer says it like it is. He is speaking to professing Christians who spend their time on the internet, playing to their vanity on Facebook, and generally wasting their lives.

There can be little doubt that the internet has replaced the TV as the great time-waster for the younger generation. Between video games, net surfing, and the Facebook craze, the computer has rivaled, if not replaced, the television for sheer wastefulness, worldliness and wickedness.

From my own experience with dealing with this issue, I have (generally) found that those who spend inordinate amounts of time ’surfing the net’, and posting their self-idolizing “look at me!” snippets on Facebook often combine the worst of characteristics. They become busybodies in the scriptural sense of the word, gossips, and are influenced by worldly fashion, standards and behaviour, while on the other hand become negligent about their Christian responsibilities as wives, husbands, parents, employees, etc. (See 1 Timothy 5:13)

What Paul Washer states here is worth hearing. Take the 4 minutes and listen. And then may God speak to your heart and apply this to you. Maybe it is something else in your life, (a recreation obsession?) that you are wasting your time and energies on. Whatever it is, remember that as Christians we are to “redeem the time”. Why? Because “the days are evil”.

To paraphrase Washer’s words, “Go out and live for something worth living for, and die for something worth dying for”.

Posted in Evangelism, Revival, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Copenhagen Agreement: $3,000 Per Family

Dec 16th, 2009 by JET

Seeing as the “eyes of the media” are mostly on the nations gathered in Copenhagen this week, I was very interested in receiving this article from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation on the costs to the citizens of Canada. Truly staggering. And more reason than ever for Christians to heed the apostle’s exhortation in 1 Timothy 2:1-3 to pray for “kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may continue to lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty.”

CTF – Would you be upset if you knew your government was about to get duped in a con that would cost your family at least $3,000 a year in new taxes? That is exactly what is happening in Copenhagen right now.

The developing world has teamed up with global warming activists in Copenhagen at the world climate conference. Together they are planning the big con. Key to the con is to play on the eco-guilt of the developed world; using it to scam cash from ‘rich countries,’ and transferring it to the developing world; all in the name of ‘ending climate change.’ The Copenhagen grifters are hoping to cash the cheques before the developing world wakes up to the con.

A leaked draft version of the agreement on the table at the Copenhagen climate conference reveals plans for a massive transfer of wealth out of Canada. This transfer will come in the form of new taxes and the establishment of a new world government body for climate change housed in the World Bank.

Lord Christopher Monckton is reported to have obtained a working copy of the draft agreement. He warns that the secretive draft version of the Copenhagen climate change treaty represents a global government power grab on an “unimaginable scale,” and mandates the creation of 700 new bureaucracies as well as a colossal raft of new taxes including 2 per cent levies on GDP and a 2 per cent tax on every international financial transaction.

The draft agreement also reportedly contains a provision for a “uniform global levy of $2 dollars per ton of CO2 for all fossil fuel emissions,” as well as an additional tax on every commercial plane journey, except ones that go in or out of poorer countries.

Of course, in addition to these various taxes, the draft agreement, reportedly pushed by President Obama, the UK and Denmark, would require auctioning of allowances to emit carbon dioxide – a cap and tax scheme. Failing to purchase permits would be met with financial penalties or outright prohibitions against such emissions.

The 2 per cent tax on GDP alone would cost Canada some $26 billion. The $2 a tonne tax would add up to $500 million per year. And the tax on international financial transactions would soak untold billions. This total tax grab is at least $26.5 billion, or over $3,000 a year for every Canadian family – not including the tax on financial transactions or plane trips.

This idea would be bad enough even if the cash was meant to stay in Canada. But it is not. The scheme is designed to send this cash to 49 developing nations for them to reduce their CO2 emissions and to create ‘so-called’ green projects. These 49 countries include the likes of Uganda, Burundi and the Sudan.

There is a perception that taxing CO2 will only hurt Canada’s west. However, CO2 emission data from Environment Canada for 2008 reveals that Alberta won’t be alone to feel the pain. While Alberta would bear 42 per cent of this burden, Ontario would have to pay for 26 per cent, due mainly to its substantial reliance on coal for electricity. Moreover, while the energy may be produced in Alberta a large percentage of Alberta’s oil and gas is consume in eastern Canada and many of those taxes will be passed along.

Further, imposing a tax on international financial transactions will place new pressures on Canada’s banks, which, so far, have survived sub-prime mortgage challenges and have weathered the global economic storm

Canadian families work too hard to see thousands of their tax dollars go from their pocket to some ‘green’ project in Sudan. The Harper government should save Canadians from this international massive tax grab.

Written by: Kevin Gaudet, Director CTF

Posted in Climate Change, Political, Science | No Comments »

Climate Change: Facts and Myths

Dec 15th, 2009 by JET

Please note that the following article, while written by a scientist, is not from biblical creationist viewpoint. In some ways that even makes the argument stronger from a purely secular scientific standpoint, in that the Global Warming proponents who like to ridicule all deniers and opposers of their ideology as religious fanatics must deal with those who have no Christian worldview whatsoever.

Ten facts about climate change

1. Climate has always changed, and it always will. The assumption that prior to the industrial revolution the Earth had a “stable” climate is simply wrong. The only sensible thing to do about climate change is to prepare for it.

2. Accurate temperature measurements made from weather balloons and satellites since the late 1950s show no atmospheric warming since 1958. In contrast, averaged ground-based thermometers record a warming of about 0.4⁰ C over the same time period. Many scientists believe that the thermometer record is biased by the Urban Heat Island effect and other artefacts.

3. Despite the expenditure of more than US$50 billion dollars looking for it since 1990, no unambiguous anthropogenic (human) signal has been identified in the global temperature pattern.

4. Without the greenhouse effect, the average surface temperature on Earth would be -18⁰ C rather than the equable +15⁰ C that has nurtured the development of life.

Carbon dioxide is a minor greenhouse gas, responsible for ~26% (8⁰C) of the total greenhouse effect (33⁰C), of which in turn at most 25% (~2⁰C) can be attributed to carbon dioxide contributed by human activity. Water vapour, contributing at least 70% of the effect, is by far the most important atmospheric greenhouse gas.

5. On both annual (1 year) and geological (up to 100,000 year) time scales, changes in atmospheric temperature PRECEDE changes in CO₂. Carbon dioxide therefore cannot be the primary forcing agent for temperature increase (though increasing CO₂ does cause a diminishingly mild positive temperature feedback).

6. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has acted as the main scaremonger for the global warming lobby that led to the Kyoto Protocol. Fatally, the IPCC is a political, not scientific, body.

Hendrik Tennekes, a retired Director of Research at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, says that “the IPCC review process is fatally flawed” and that “the IPCC wilfully ignores the paradigm shift created by the foremost meteorologist of the twentieth century, Edward Lorenz“.

7. The Kyoto Protocol will cost many trillions of dollars and exercises a significant impost those countries that signed it, but will deliver no significant cooling (less than .02⁰ C by 2050, assuming that all commitments are met).

The Russian Academy of Sciences says that Kyoto has no scientific basis; Andre Illarianov, senior advisor to Russian president Putin, calls Kyoto-ism “one of the most agressive, intrusive, destructive ideologies since the collapse of communism and fascism“. If Kyoto was a “first step” then it was in the same wrong direction as the later “Bali roadmap”.

8. Climate change is a non-linear (chaotic) process, some parts of which are only dimly or not at all understood. No deterministic computer model will ever be able to make an accurate prediction of climate 100 years into the future.

9. Not surprisingly, therefore, experts in computer modelling agree also that no current (or likely near-future) climate model is able to make accurate predictions of regional climate change.

10. The biggest untruth about human global warming is the assertion that nearly all scientists agree that it is occurring, and at a dangerous rate.

The reality is that almost every aspect of climate science is the subject of vigorous debate. Further, thousands of qualified scientists worldwide have signed declarations which (i) query the evidence for hypothetical human-caused warming and (ii) support a rational scientific (not emotional) approach to its study within the context of known natural climate change.

LAYING TEN GLOBAL WARMING MYTHS

Myth 1 Average global temperature (AGT) has increased over the last few years.

Fact 1 Within error bounds, AGT has not increased since 1995 and has declined since 2002, despite an increase in atmospheric CO₂ of 8% since 1995.

Myth 2 During the late 20^th Century, AGT increased at a dangerously fast rate and reached an unprecedented magnitude.

Facts 2 The late 20^th Century AGT rise was at a rate of 1-2⁰ C/century, which lies well within natural rates of climate change for the last 10,000 yr. AGT has been several degrees warmer than today many times in the recent geological past.

Myth 3 AGT was relatively unchanging in pre-industrial times, has sky-rocketed since 1900, and will increase by several degrees more over the next 100 years (the Mann, Bradley & Hughes “hockey stick” curve and its computer extrapolation).

Facts 3 The Mann et al. curve has been exposed as a statistical contrivance. There is no convincing evidence that past climate was unchanging, nor that 20^th century changes in AGT were unusual, nor that dangerous human warming is underway.

Myth 4 Computer models predict that AGT will increase by up to 6⁰ C over the next 100 years.

Facts 4 Deterministic computer models do. Other equally valid (empirical) computer models predict cooling.

Myth 5 Warming of more than 2⁰ C will have catastrophic effects on ecosystems and mankind alike.

Facts 5 A 2⁰ C change would be well within previous natural bounds. Ecosystems have been adapting to such changes since time immemorial. The result is the process that we call evolution. Mankind can and does adapt to all climate extremes.

Myth 6 Further human addition of CO₂to the atmosphere will cause dangerous warming, and is generally harmful.

Facts 6 No human-caused warming can yet be detected that is distinct from natural system variation and noise. Any additional human-caused warming which occurs will probably amount to less than 1⁰ C. Atmospheric CO₂ is a beneficial fertilizer for plants, including especially cereal crops, and also aids efficient evapo-transpiration.

Myth 7 Changes in solar activity cannot explain recent changes in AGT.

Facts 7 The sun’s output varies in several ways on many time scales (including the 11-, 22 and 80-year solar cycles), with concomitant effects on Earth’s climate. While changes in visible radiation are small, changes in particle flux and magnetic field are known to exercise a strong climatic effect. More than 50% of the 0.8⁰ C rise in AGT observed during the 20^th century can be attributed to solar change.

Myth 8 Unprecedented melting of ice is taking place in both the north and south polar regions.

Facts 8 Both the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are growing in thickness and cooling at their summit. Sea ice around Antarctica attained a record area in 2007. Temperatures in the Arctic region are just now achieving the levels of natural warmth experienced during the early 1940s, and the region was warmer still (sea-ice free) during earlier times.

Myth 9 Human-caused global warming is causing dangerous global sea-level (SL) rise.

Facts 9 SL change differs from time to time and place to place; between 1955 and 1996, for example, SL at Tuvalu fell by 105 mm (2.5 mm/yr). Global average SL is a statistical measure of no value for environmental planning purposes. A global average SL rise of 1-2 mm/yr occurred naturally over the last 150 years, and shows no sign of human-influenced increase.

Myth 10 The late 20^th Century increase in AGT caused an increase in the number of severe storms (cyclones), or in storm intensity.

Facts 10 Meteorological experts are agreed that no increase in storms has occurred beyond that associated with natural variation of the climate system.

Robert M. Carter is a Research Professor at James Cook University (Queensland) and the University of Adelaide (South Australia). He is a palaeontologist, stratigrapher, marine geologist and environmental scientist with more than thirty years professional experience

Original article can be read here.

Posted in Climate Change, Political, Science | No Comments »

Tozer on Revival: Obedience the Missing Ingredient

Dec 14th, 2009 by JET

One thing about A.W. Tozer – he is one of those preachers who is very ‘quotable’. He could say a lot in a few words. The following is no exception.

Praying for revival is not enough. There is much praying for revival yet how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work. To pray for revival while ignoring the plain precept laid down in Scripture is to waste a lot of words and get nothing for our trouble. Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience.

Posted in Prayer, Quotable Quotes, Revival | No Comments »

A Wasted Opportunity

Dec 8th, 2009 by JET

Last week, my wife and I traveled to attend the funeral of a relative. The man who died was certainly a “success story” in the eyes of the world. Born into a poor family, the second-youngest of 13 children, leaving school with a grade six education, but then working very hard to make himself a success in life. He did just that. He married a young girl, raised a family, and became a successful businessman with all the goodies that one can possess when money is not an issue.

But he did not live to be very old at all, and being part of the family, we went to the funeral. It was well attended with over 400 people there to celebrate his life and remember him in parting.

We had hoped and prayed that this funeral would be a means by which God would shake up friends and relatives, many of whom also live for the god of pleasure. There are few times in my life that I have experienced disappointment like that. The minister prayed a rather innocuous prayer, and then after several people stood to tell some little incidents in the life of the departed soul, he finally got around to reading a few verses from the Bible.

The reading was from James 4:13-15. Great verses. Most appropriate at a funeral. What an opportunity to press home the message of the gospel to so many hungry hearts. And what a wasted opportunity. We heard that these verses remind us of how important it is for us to “live life to the fullest”, “seize the moment and don’t get distracted” from “enjoying every day”. Why? Because you might not live long enough to do all the things you are planning. Just what a pleasure-crazed, fun-loving audience didn’t need to be further encouraged to do!

Then we were all assured that the man who had died had learned to do that and was now enjoying his reward in God’s “heavenly playground”! Heavenly playground? I have heard heaven called a lot of things, but I have to admit this was the first time I had heard a minister call it a playground? Is our society so recreation-centered that the only way people can relate to heaven is in the concept of a playground? Even if this is true, is it not the minister’s responsibility to counteract the false ideas that rest in men’s minds on such matters?

No wonder the spiritual life of so many Christians is lived out as such a low level. When their pastors think of heaven as some kind of an amusement or theme park, rather than the abode of Almighty God, who will be worshiped and served by His saints and angels for all eternity, it starts to make sense.

In Hosea 4:6, The Lord laments, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”. Lack of sound biblical teaching is destroying the spiritual life of Christians today, and is presenting a gospel that is really “another” gospel that is under the anathema of God (see Gal. 1:8).

How we need to cry and plead to God that He will fulfill in a very real sense the promise of Jer. 3:15. “… I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

Pastors that will not waste their God-given opportunities to preach the gospel.

Posted in Evangelism | No Comments »

Evangelism: Whose Responsibility Is It?

Dec 2nd, 2009 by JET

On December 12, 2008 representatives of ARBCA (Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America) met in La Mirada, CA to discuss a view of evangelism that was being taught at IRBS (Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies). Dr. Jim Renihan was teaching a view of Christian evangelism that had raised questions and concerns and the Administrative Council was asked to look into it. They in turn asked the Theology Committee to examine the 2 views presented and to compare them with the London Baptist Confession.

ARBCA then issued a paper with the rather lengthy title: Differing Views of Evangelism within ARBCA: The Recommendations of the Theology Committee to the Administrative Council.

At the outset this paper states: “The purpose of this paper, then, is to clarify the two main views of evangelism that have been espoused, to give a summary of the 1689’s teaching on the subject, to draw some conclusions, and to give some general exhortations as to how this issue may be made useful for ARBCA in the future.” (p.1)

While the ARBCA paper admits it is not attempting to cover “every view of evangelism” that their pastors might hold, it is dealing with two major views that are at the center of the controversy. Further, it is stated that “[t]he primary difference between these two views is in the area of the individual believer’s obligation to evangelize personally.”

So we are talking about whose responsibility is it to evangelize the lost.

Here are the two views presented:

View #1: “The first view holds that all Christians have an obligation pro actively to find ways of sharing the gospel with those around them.”

Further, “[t]his obligation is moral, stemming from the believer’s love for his neighbor and desire to be like God who seeks and saves the lost. In addition, the first view acknowledges there are differences of gifts or spiritual maturity among believers, so that how one believer evangelizes will differ from another. The way one verbalizes his faith could vary in degree of presentation, from the simple word of encouragement and testimony all the way to an in-depth explanation of the doctrines of the Gospel. Each Christian will have various levels of gifts and opportunities to verbalize encouragement for sinners to consider Christ. But, in the end, all believers have an obligation to plan ways for bringing the gospel to those whom God brings into their life. While the pulpit has the priority, this does not alleviate or remove the obligation of all believers to evangelize. Therefore, the pastor of a local church must preach this obligation, based on the examples and teaching of the Word of God.”

Frankly, that sounds pretty good to me. But wait. Over against this view is another one (that which is being taught at IRBS). For purposes of identification, I’ll call it

View #2 (quoting from their paper) “The second view holds that such an obligation is unbiblical. In this view, to command every individual believer in this way is to go beyond the clear teaching of the Scriptures. Each member is to be actively involved with promoting the gospel, as a member of a corporate body of believers, each with gifts differing from another. Each member is bound to pray continually for the good and prosperity of all the churches of Christ (see 2LBCF, 26.14). The obligation for witness and evangelism, as contained in the Great Commission, is given to the apostles as the foundation of the church, and thus to the churches in this age. Every church member is obligated to seek the furtherance of the gospel as a member of the church, but not all are obligated in the same way - particularly not in the same way as the apostles or other gifted brethren in the church. The pastor should not preach a moral obligation for all members verbally to evangelize the lost.” [emphasis mine].

To cut the end of the story, ARBCA comes down on the side of … View #2! Yes, you read that correctly. ARBCA upholds the teaching in its seminary that a “pastor should not preach a moral obligation for all members verbally to evangelize the lost”!

Now I want you to let that sink in for a moment. There is no way this can be an exhaustive examination of this topic, but I have a couple of comments that I must say. (I also want to say something about the unbiblical rationale behind this position – it is one that is truly against the spirit of the reformation’s sola scriptura.)

So what does ARBCA believe is the evangelistic obligation of each member?

I might callously call this the “pay-and-pray” principle. In other words, evangelistically speaking, this view holds members of churches as existing for little more than the two-fold purpose of pay the pastor’s salary (and other costs!) and to pray for their minister and elders, but the real work is to be done by the preaching.

Now I hold as high a view of the importance of preaching in the local church as anyone. I believe it is the central act of all our worship. In other words, that there is no greater aspect of our corporate worship of God than when we come before the Word of God to hear it and submit ourselves to its teaching and authority.

I make no hesitation to say that if this mind-set truly prevailed in our churches, it would spell the end of soul-winning, and personal witness, both of which every Christian is called to do.

Can anything be more dangerous than to teach young men preparing for the ministry that it is unbiblical to teach their congregations that they are under obligation as Christians to “verbally evangelize”.

I can see nothing but negatives in this proposition. Here are just a few:

1. It is a misreading of the LBC to use it to prop up such a view. The LBC (1689) nowhere teaches positively that non-elders are not under any obligation to verbally evangelize the lost. This is like the inane argument of those paedo-baptists who defend their actions on the “argument of silence” of Scripture! They argue that because the Bible does not forbid infant baptism, therefore we may safely conclude that the church ought to perform it. So much for sola scriptura and the regulative principle.

2. This idea (of ARBCA) flows from a view of the church that is not in keeping with either the Confession or the Scriptures. The ‘clergy / laity’ dichotomy may find a lodging in some churches, but it is wrong to use that division as a determining factor of a believer’s personal obligation to be a witness.

3. ARBCA has fallen into an error that used to be the purview of Roman Catholicism, but has become increasingly the position of even Reformed churches. That error is to use their Confession of Faith as the arbiter to decide an issue, rather than the Word of God.

When the apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, chose to use Abraham as an illustration of justification by faith, he asked a question – an incredibly important doctrinal question, I might add! “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?” (Romans 4:1). In other words, in the matter of justification, what did Abraham find as pertaining to the flesh (man’s activity, works). Or, to put it still another way, “What place did works have in Abraham’s justification?” Good question. Where does Paul take us to settle it? Go to verse 3. “What saith the scripture?” What does the Bible have to say about this subject?

Why do I take time to discuss this? Because, in coming to the decision of which view of evangelism is right, the question, “What saith the scripture” is not asked. It is “What saith the confession?”

To quote their own words on the matter – “The Theology Committee strongly believes that the solution to this issue must be based on the Confession alone. At first glance, this View seems to undermine the final authority of the Scripture. However, we believe that this approach is the only one that will produce unity for our Association on this, or any other, difference.”

And a little further on, they state in unequivocal words, “The 1689, then, is our final arbiter in matters of doctrinal difference.” [emphasis theirs!]

We say the Confessions are good; they are useful, even necessary to the good and order of a church. But confessions of faith should never take the place of Holy Scripture in settling a matter of doctrinal difference! And Reformed churches should know that better than anyone. And more important than any contrived unity of denominations and associations is the truth of God. Doctrine divides. It always did, and always will. It divides truth from error, sin from holiness, and obedience from rebellion.

Finally, does the Bible teach, either by precept or example that those who understood the great commission understood it as being the obligation of all believers, and not just some? I would say it does, and that it is (1) the obligation of all Christians to pro actively to find ways of sharing the gospel with those around them and (2) the pastor of a local church must preach this obligation, based on the examples and teaching of the Word of God.

Here are some examples to make the point.

1. (Acts 8:3,4) As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

Who “went every where preaching the word”? Those who were “scattered abroad”. Who were they? Definitely not the apostles, for in 8:1 we read, “they were all scattered abroad … except the apostles”. For someone to say these were only men ordained to the ministry is to read into the text his presupposition.

2. Then there is Acts 11:19,20. Again, those who were persecuted and scattered abroad are found to be “preaching the word” (v.19), and “preaching the Lord Jesus” (v.20).

3. Back in the gospel of John we have a fascinating account of a blind man healed by Christ. Soon after he ends up being the target of the Pharisees who actually claimed that Jesus Christ was a sinner! (John 9:25). In what has to be one of my favorite scenes in the Bible we see this man, with obviously no theological training whatsoever bear witness to Christ’s power in his life. “He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” (John 9:26). His doctrine may have been a bit shaky, (Christ set him straight later on), but he was by no means chastised by the Lord for taking on the task of telling others what the Lord had done for him, and attempting to ‘evangelize’ the lost!

Are you a Christian? Praise God! You have been blessed with the greatest blessing a Sovereign Lord can give. But along with the blessing comes a great responsibility and obligation. You are a Christian. Then you have been called to be a witness for Christ and your very salvation obligates you, (see Romans 1:14), to do the work of an evangelist.

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Are You Thinking of Making any “New Year’s Resolutions” This Year?

Nov 27th, 2009 by JET

We’re only about a month away from turning the calendar on yet another year. It is a time when many people choose to make a variety of resolutions ranging from giving up some (bad) habit, to determining to take up some profitable activity. Over the years I have heard some pretty amazing ‘resolutions’ from people. Is there anything in this for the Christian? The great preacher, Jonathan Edwards thought so. He made quite a number of resolutions and then wrote them down. Here are some of the things this man of God resolved to be and to do.

Note the dates. He didn’t save his resolution-making for end-of-year efforts only. It was a way of life with Edwards. That, in itself ought to be something for us to consider!

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The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards (1722-1723)

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don’t hinder.

12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God’s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.

32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that in Prov. 20:6, “A faithful man who can find?” may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects. Dec.26, 1722.

34. Resolved, in narration’s never to speak anything but the pure and simple verity.

35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec.22 and 26, 1722.

38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord’s day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.

39. Resolved, never to do anything that I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or no; except I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.

42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.

43. Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s, agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12. Jan.12, 1723.

44- Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. Jan.12, 1723.

45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan.12 and 13.1723.

46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye: and to be especially careful of it, with respect to any of our family.

47. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented, easy, compassionate, generous, humble, meek, modest, submissive, obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable, even, patient, moderate, forgiving, sincere temper; and to do at all times what such a temper would lead me to. Examine strictly every week, whether I have done so. Sabbath morning. May 5,1723.

48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or no; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.

50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.

51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.

53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. July 8, 1723.

55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. July 8, 1723.

56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it; and let it be just as providence orders it, I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty and my sin. June 9, and July 13 1723.

58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. May27, and July 13, 1723.

59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July ii, and July 13.

60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4, and 13, 1723.

61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it – that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.

62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty; and then according to Eph. 6:6-8, do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man; “knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.” June 25 and July 13, 1723.

63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. Jan.14′ and July ‘3′ 1723.

64. Resolved, when I find those “groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those “breakings of soul for the longing it hath,” of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be weary of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton’s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and Aug.10 1723.

66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.

67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.

68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Aug. 11, 1723.

70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak. Aug. 17, 1723

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