Update 1 — I’ll be traveling a lot the next few weeks and so posting will be infrequent, however I’m taking my laptop with me.

Update 2 — I am not forsaking the blog. I transitioned to another job within my company that has a different schedule, which makes blogging a little harder for me. But I believe I can keep at it, even if my time for reading other blogs goes down, hopefully I’ll be able to focus on some of my own blog projects which need completing.

More Updating — With the new schedule, I am updating some other blogs of mine.

I’m changing Kingdom Surge to focus more on linking to good articles on missions, and in the process I’m converting the blog over to tumblr.com, which should make updating that blog a whole lot simpler. The conversion process will take a while (since I have to manually import each old post), but I’m adding new posts to the blog in the meantime. This deletes my old Huckabee blog, by the way.

And I plan to not forget totally about my KJV Research blog. I recently posted to it for the first time in a while. Speaking of “a while”, it’s been an eternity since I updated my family photo blog. We’ll see about that one…

Well now that you’re up to speed, you can eagerly await my next post. Maybe you can guess when it will appear? I don’t know. Thanks for reading, in any case!

Most of you who read my blog, are bloggers yourselves. So we’re all interested in improving our blogs — doing more with them and making sure they are worth maintaining.

I thought the tips given by Abraham Piper in a guest post at Between Two Worlds, would be helpful to share. He approaches blogging as a service for our readers, and I thought that approach was helpful.

Here’s his post title and link. Let me know what you think.

12 Ways to Improve Your Blog by Serving Your Readers: What I Didn’t Say at Band of Bloggers (HT: Shane Vander Hart)

My gifted friend, Nathan Pitchford, just posted a personal manifesto. If you’ve ever read some of Jonathan Edwards’ life resolutions, Nathan’s list of goals will seem quite similar.

And while he does craft his resolutions to his specific life-calling, Nathan’s principles and goals will serve to encourage, inform and edify you. They challenged me, even as they excited me.

If you have a few minutes, you really should check out his post, and prayerfully contemplate just what God would have you do with your life.

I recently added a few blogs to my reciprocal links section, and in doing so I came across this great picture (click the image to enlarge it).

For more on regeneration, and specifically the Calvinist teaching about it, click here.

It’s hard to believe that it has been 2 years since the first Together For the Gospel conference. I remember the excitement I had as I blogged about the event (which I couldn’t attend). Then and now, I consider the conference a wonderful display of, and needed encouragement towards, Christian unity. And not just unity, but unity coupled with doctrinal commitment to the true Gospel. We don’t have to sacrifice doctrine to gain unity. Both are important, and T4G demonstrates this well.

This year, I also could not attend, but I suspected the messages would be available online for free, as they were in 2006. I’m not sure if the speaker panel sessions will be available, like last year, but the seven messages are available for free online.

And while you are there, you should check out Together For the Gospel’s updated website. The messages from last year are available as well as their doctrinal statement.

To encourage you to listen to the messages (I plan on eating them up on an upcoming road trip), let me direct you to Tim Challies’ liveblogging of the entire conference. Thanks to Tim, you can get a taste of the event and each message.

Let me conclude by quoting from T4G’s “about us” page.

Together for the Gospel (T4G) began as a friendship between four pastors. These friends differed on a number of theological issues, like baptism and the charismatic gifts. But they were committed to standing together for the main thing—the gospel of Jesus Christ..

So they began a conference which occurs every two years and aims principally at encouraging other pastors to do the same—to stand together for the gospel. And now this conference is evolving, as God pleases, into an informal network of church leaders who all share this ambition and who intend to encourage one another to do the same…..

Update: Josh Gelatt has collected some quotes and personal reflections on the conference which you may enjoy: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3.

Despite what many have said or heard, Calvinism does not negate or downplay evangelism. Charles Spurgeon, George Whitefield, William Carey, and Adoniram Judson were not exceptions to the rule. Rather, they are simply some noteworthy examples of evangelists and preachers who were both Calvinistic in theology and evangelistic in practice.

Of course, Spurgeon said it best. When asked why his doctrine of election did not move him to preach only to the elect, Spurgeon replied: “If you’ll go around and pull up their shirttails so I can see if they have an E stamped on their back, I will.” ¹

That God elected people to salvation from before the creation of the world, does not mean He does not choose to use means — human means — to bring that salvation about. God has ordained that no one be saved apart from hearing the word (i.e. the gospel) — Rom. 10:17, 1 Pet. 1:22-25, James 1:18.

I’ve explored how Calvinism and Evangelism are not at odds, in an earlier post here. Today, I want to encourage you to listen to my pastor, John Piper’s most recent message which illustrates how Calvinism informs evangelism.

We don’t have to assume it’s all or nothing — that we must win the person to Christ in this one encounter, or else. We don’t have to be overly concerned with how well we do in presenting the gospel. Ultimately, God is the one who saves, and he uses every meager human attempt for His purposes. No labor for the Lord is in vain — Is. 55:11, 1 Cor. 15:58. Instead, we should be joyful partners with God in His task. We should open our mouths obediently, and fit in to God’s plan in the unique ways He’s gifted us.

I’d encourage you all to listen to this message. Especially those coming from a fundamentalist background. The message (which is actually a follow up to last week’s message), both liberates and challenges. May God help us all to implement some of the many practical tips, Pastor Piper shares. May we all strive to be better proclaimers of the glorious Gospel of God’s grace.

Here are the messages:

I’m Sending You to Open Their Eyes — April 13

You Are God’s Midwife in the New Birth of Others — April 6

¹ This quote is taken from John MacArthur’s account of this in his book Nothing but the Truth: Upholding the Gospel in a Doubting Age (Wheaton: Good News Publishers, 1999), pg. 151-152.

Happy Easter, everyone. This song is a wonderful Gospel-centered song from the authors of “In Christ Alone”. I hope its message blesses you as you contemplate Christ this Easter weekend.

The Power of the Cross

Words & Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

Chorus:
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev’ry bitter thought,
Ev’ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
“Finished!” the vict’ry cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

Final Chorus:
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

© 2005 Thankyou Music.

You can preview and order sheet music, as well as listen to a sample of the song at Keith Getty’s website, here. You can also listen to several different versions of the entire song for free on Rhapsody.com. I would recommend this one from Keith & Kristyn Getty’s CD In Christ Alone & this one by Stuart Townend on The Best Live Worship Album…Ever. Learn more about the music of Keith Getty and Stuart Townend here.

Hey everyone.  Just a note that I’ll be having a week or so of down time from my blog.  I just posted on some reading material for you, and there’s lots of other good stuff out in the blogworld to keep you occupied.  Check out my links and Recommended blogs and resources, while you’re at it.

I have a job transition that will require me to focus my energies in one direction for the next week or two.  So take care, until next post.

With title pictures like these, you can be sure Seth McBee’s series on becoming a legalist will entertain you. I hope he also educates and informs, even if he uses a bit of hyperbole and sarcasm to make his point.

Here are the links to his series so far:

• Step 1: A Lesson on How to Build up your Pride.
• Step 2: People Need to Dress the Way I Do.
• Step 3: People Need to Read the Same Bible as I Do.

In light of Nine Marks‘ recent e-journal on unity and separation, and in light of recent discussions on my blog over the legitimacy of unifying around fundamentals of the faith, I thought I would share some lengthy excerpts from a sermon by the Puritan Thomas Manton (1620-1677).

I was directed to this sermon in this Sharper Iron thread. I did a quick Google search, and came across links to all of his works available online. And so I found the sermon online in volume 2 of his 22-volume complete works.

Without further comment, let me present these extracts from the sermon (all bolded emphasis is mine).

“A Persuasive to Unity in Things Indifferent”

Phil. 3:15, “As many as be perfect, be thus minded; and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”

I now come to the other part of the text [this is his second sermon on this verse]: –

1. As many as be perfect be thus minded: touto froneite, think the same thing with me–that is, forsaking all other confidences, cleave to Christ alone, whatever it cost you. Mind this, take care of this, be thus affected; let us actually perform that to which circumcision was designed; let us worship God in a spiritual manner, trusting Christ as the substance of all these ceremonial shadows, depending upon him for his renewing and reconciling grace, and adhering to pure Christianity, without mingling with it the rudiments of Moses.

2. If in anything ye be otherwise minded, know not the abolition of the ceremonies through weakness of faith, or an affected ignorance; yet having knowledge of so many saving truths, we hope in time God will reclaim you from your error. Well then–

[1.] Here is a difference or dissent supposed: “thus minded,” and “otherwise minded.”

[2.] Lenity [that is, leniency] expressed toward the dissenters: “If in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this to you.”

Doct. That when God’s people are divided in opinion, all lenity and mutual forbearance should be used to prevent things from coming to an open rupture.

So sweet and mild was the discipline in the apostle’s days, that he would not compel men to do whatever he or others did conceive to be good, or to forbear what they did conceive to be evil, but, without force, leave them to God’s direction and illumination….

1. What lenity and forbearance should be used. Let us state it in these considerations: –

[1.] There may be, and often are, differences of opinion about lesser things in the church; partly because of different degrees of light. All barks that sail to heaven draw not a like depth of water. And partly because of the remainders of corruption in all. Inordinate self-love is not in all alike broken and mortified, and so their particular interests have an influence upon their opinions. And partly because of the accidental prejudices of education and converse, etc.

[2.] When these differences arise, we should take care they come not to a rupture and open breach. This is the course the apostle taketh here; he doth not by and by despair of the dissenters, and reject them as heretics, but beareth with them, hoping in charity God will at length reveal their error to them by the ministry of his servants, through the powerful operation of his Spirit, and not suffer them to run on in dividing courses from the rest of his people. So should we do in like cases. Partly because when these differences of opinion breed division and separations, the church is destroyed: Gal. 5:15, “For if ye bite and devour one another, take heed ye be not consumed one of another.”… Partly because the whole is scandalised: John 17:21, “That they may all be one, that the world may believe that thou has sent me.” Divisions in the church breed atheism in the world…. And partly because when men give themselves up to separating and narrow principles, the power of godliness is lost, and all their zeal is laid out upon their petty and private opinions, and so religion is turned into a disputacity. That is the reason why the apostle doth so often tell them, Gal. 6:15, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature;” and gal. 5:6, “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith that worketh by love;” and 1 Cor. 7:19, “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping the commandments of God.” Observe it where you will, and you shall find that separation and distance from the rest of believers, doth not befriend godliness, but undermine it. A regiment fighting apart from the rest of the army of Christ, is always lost through their own peevishness; at least, they lose great advantages of promoting the kingdom of Christ.

[3.] To prevent this open rupture, there must be all lenity used and mutual forbearance. We must not rigourously obtrude our conceits upon others, either by church-power, or private censure….

…for want of right stating of things, men fight with their friends in the dark; some think all things should be suffered; some nothing wherein to bear with our brethren. The one sort of Christians is for imposing on their brethren all things that have gotten the vogue and the favour of authority, and that not only on their practice, but their judgments too; and this in matters not fundamental or destructive to faith or worship, but in things controversial or doubtful among godly and peaceable men. But if it should not go so high, contending about every difference of opinion, and urging our brethren with everything we conceive to be right, is a breach of Christian love, and destroyeth the use of those differing gifts which Christ hath given to the church, and crosseth his mind in the frame of the scriptures, which are clear in soul-saving matters; in other things, especially matters of discipline and order, more dark and obscure. It is also contrary to the mild and gentle government of the apostles, who press in lesser matters a forbearance; as Paul, Rom. 14:1, “The weak in faith receive, but not to doubtful disputations;” receive him, own him, but do not cast him out of the church, nor trouble him for doubtful things, but let him come to himself, for men will sooner be led than drawn.

The other extreme is of them that will have all things to be tolerated, even blasphemy and fundamental errors, as if the scriptures were uncertain in all things. No; in things absolutely necessary to salvation, it is clear, open, and plain: “The law is a lamp, and a light,” Prov. 6:23 and Ps. 119:105. And in such a case we are not to “bid him God-speed,” 2 Jn. 10. In such cases of damnable heresy, the law of Christian lenity [the state or quality of being lenient] holdeth not; but if we agree in the principal articles of faith, let us embrace one another with mutual love, though we differ from one another in variety of rites and ceremonies and discipline ecclesiastical. If we agree in the substantials of worship, let us go by the same rule, do the same thing: though in circumstantials there be a difference, these are matters of less moment than separation, or the other division of the church….

…If you will not own yourselves weak, do the part of the strong meekly, hold forth your light, produce your reasons to convince others; but if you have nothing to produce but your obstinacy and ignorance, surely you are not only a weak, but a perverse brother. But what are the weak to do? Not to rend and cut off themselves from the rest of Christians, or be strange to them upon every lesser dissent, nor to raise troubles by your censures, but to be humble, teachable, diligent in the use of means, to lay aside obstinate prejudices, to examine how it cometh to pass that the rest of the godly and you differ; to leave room still for the discovery of God’s mind where your grounds are not clear and certain, and to count it no shame to retract that former practice which a future conviction disproveth.…

[After discussing the many ways the church is "one" listed in Eph. 4, he continues:] He is the common Father of all believers, through Jesus Christ. Some are weak, some strong, some rich, some poor, but they have all an equal interest in God. Now, for us, who are so many ways one, to be rent in pieces, how sad is that! All these places, and many more, show how every Christian should, as far as it is possible, be an esteemer and promoter of unity among brethren, and not only make conscience of purity, but of unity also, which, next to purity, is the great badge of Christianity….

…A grounded Christian beareth with the infirmities he seeth in others, and pitieth and helpeth them, and prayeth for them more than the weak, who are usually most censorious and addicted to the interest of their party and faction in the world, and make a bustle about opinions rather than solid godliness; but the grown Christian is most under the power of love and a heavenly mind, and so loveth God and his neighbour, is most sensible of his own frailty, hath a greater zeal for the welfare of his church and interest in the world, and seeth farther than others do….

…Consider how dangerous it is to reject any whom Christ will own for his. Will Christ admit him to heaven, and will you think him unfit for your communion here upon earth? Despise not the weak brother, for god hath received him, Rom. 14:3….

…Our endeavours after unity among the professors of Christianity ought to be earnest and constant: Eph 4:3, “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” I add this partly because many make fair pretences of peace and union, which their practice contradicteth; all cry out of the divisions, but every one keepeth them up; and partly, because when it is endeavoured we shall find difficulties and disappointments, but we must not rest in some careless endeavours, nor grow weary though we meet not with present success; and partly because the instruments of so great a good are usually sacrificed to the wrath of both parties. We must be content to digest affronts, reproaches, censures, and injuries, and love them that hate us: 2 Cor. 12:15, “Though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am beloved of you.”

These quote come from this online version of Volume 2 of Thomas Manton’s complete works, edited by Thomas Smith (London: James Nisbet & Co., 1871), pages 67 - 78. Picture borrowed from this Thomas Manton page.