The Gospel Coalition

The Gospel Coalition now has a website. Check it out now! The Gospel Coalition is a fellowship of Evangelical churches that are deeply concerned and troubled over some movements away from historic beliefs and practices. I cannot say enough about this website. It has a plethora of video, audio and articles. You should definitely put this website in your favorites folder now! Here is a link to their preamble.

Prayer to Saints and Angels and Deuteronomy 18:10-11

Head on over to www.aomin.org and read this worthy article by James R. White concerning the Roman Catholic justification for prayer to dead saints and angels even in light of Scripture's direct prohibition against it! He even refers to a Roman Catholic apologist who says we have no problem with idolatry in today's world! Maybe Roman Catholics have no problem with it, but God certainly does!

Deuteronomy 18:10-11
10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

School Prayer and the Constitution

Did you know that 45 years ago today, the US Supreme court ruled that the reciting of a state-sponsored prayer in government schools was unconstitutional? What do you think about that? Is it unconstitutional? Head on over to Townhall and read La Shawn Barber's article on it. I found it to be an excellent read.

Oops! Looking for Bible Study Notes?

The study notes for our Matthew Bible Study will now ALWAYS be posted on my church website www.waysidegospelchapel.blogspot.com The reason for this is twofold. First, this clears up my blog for more of what I really want to accomplish with it. Second, this helps keep my church blog fresh and moving (since Jack has not posted anything on there since March!!!!). So click on over to www.waysidegospelchapel.blogspot.com now to read the study notes for our next bible study.

Are you really going to eat that?

Have you ever eaten anything after it has fallen on the floor? Come on, admit it. You know you have! Well now you have nothing to be ashamed about after scooping up some fallen food on the ground and popping it back in your mouth. Science has spoken! The verdict is in. It is safe to eat food that has been on the ground for as long as sixty seconds! Although it is a little unsettling that the scientists who discovered this fact still won't eat any food that has fallen on the ground. Click here to watch the video now!

Matthew 5:17-20

Tomorrow night, Wednesday May 13th, we will be having our Matthew Bible study. Please come ready to talk about Matthew 5:17-20. Take the time to think about "how" Christ came to fulfill the law and the prophets. Also, take the time to think about "righteousness." Do you think that "righteousness" here refers to forensic righteousness or does it refer to righteous acts? That should be enough to chew on for tomorrow night.

Smell like sheep!

The shepherd should smell of sheep should he not? This is a good point made by Michael Haykin over at www.historiaecclesiastica.com. He says, "In other words, the shepherd must smell of sheep! I am sure shepherds when they come home from their labours smell “sheepy.” So must true pastors. Here, Richard Baxter is the guide, is he not? For all of his oddities regarding certain soteriological issues, he laid out a true guidebook to pastoral work in his The Reformed Pastor. It is a very convicting book—but so necessary in our day for Reformed brothers whom God has called to pastoral ministry....The task of the true pastor is a multi-faceted work: prayer and preaching, mentoring and discipleship, caring and loving. Please brothers who are called to this ministry, give your selves to this task: 1 Peter 5:2, shepherd the flock of God in all of its dimensions." Read the entire article here.

We have no need of nor desire for "armchair shepherds." In other words, we need more Shepherds who are in the fold caring for and nurturing unto those sheep who are sick and needy. We need more shepherds who will feedus, lead us, and love us wholeheartedly and compassionately.

Teaching your children to listen

Over at the Reformation21 blog Phil Ryken has posted an interesting idea in regards to how he encourages his children to listen and understand what the Pastor is preaching. He says, "Whenever I get the chance, I try to do what my mother did for me when I was roughly age 5 to 8: draw little pictures with short captions to illustrate the sermon." My wife and I will have to give this a try! Read the whole thing here, it is very short.

Pros Apologian

Over at Pros Apologian James R. White has started a series on "Romans 3:2 and the Apocrypha." Here are a couple snippets to encourage you to read it:

"Catholic apologists argue first century Judaism was uncertain as to the exact contents of the Hebrew Bible. In other words, the Jews were unsure as to the exact extent of the oracles of God."

"In actuality, Protestant apologists argue something quite different.The recognition of the Hebrew Bible by the Jews points out an infallible church is not needed for canon certainty. The Jews were entrusted with the Scriptures, despite the fact they did not have an infallible magisterium."

Read it now!