Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him.

Slipping from the odd into the surreal

Miller had just finished a long day of ministry that ended with him having to referee between a couple of the Church 8 year olds acting like 8 year olds towards one another. He left his study and told the Church secretary that he was going to the area Starbucks to get a cup of his favorite stress breaker — steamed milk with a hazelnut mist.

While Miller was standing in line he recognized a couple of the other area Pastor’s chatting it up. He was about to join in the bonhomie when he was stopped short by over-hearing Pastor Justin say,

“A couple of lesbian couples might be coming to our church. I think they will find overall acceptance with my people although their might be some family’s who feel it necessary to ‘take a stand for righteousness.'”

Miller didn’t know whether to swoon or to suppress a laugh. It wasn’t just the bald statement from pastor Justin but it was the surreal irony that Rev. Koinema spoke in such a way as to suggest that he was practicing great tolerance with those families who “felt it necessary to take a stand for righteousness.”

Miller, at that point, reckoned that his participation and influence in the area Pastor’s fellowship was not as fruitful as he had hoped. Still, Miller wondered about the children of the Lesbian couple that would be attending River Sonshine Community Church. Shouldn’t Miller be glad that the children of the Lesbian couple might be exposed to the Gospel even if their two Mommies knew that they were rebelling against God’s standard? And Miller mused, perhaps the all the Mommies of all the children might possibly be reintroduced to Jesus again via all that “overall acceptance” that Rev. Koinema mentioned.

“Hmmm,” Miller thought, “and yet what Jesus will all these Lesbian people be introduced to at River Sonshine Community Church? Will they be introduced to the Jesus who sets the captive free or will they be introduced to the Jesus who makes the captive comfortable with their bondage?”

Miller ordered his steamed milk with a hazelnut mist and sat down to find that he had more stress to deal with than when he first entered the Starbucks.

———–

The essence of the story is true. Details have been changed to make sure nobody can figure out who or where I’m talking about.

I Peter 5:5f — The Rest of Faith … The War of Faith

Scripture — I Peter 5:5f
Subject — Our Christian walk
Theme — The nature of our Christian walk

Proposition — The nature of our Christian walk reveals the rest of faith and the war of faith.

Purpose — Having looked at the nature of our Christian walk let us rejoice that God is faithful that He will complete in us the good work He has begun.

Introduction,

Unity of Scripture

I Peter has a characteristic impress of Old Testament modes of thought and expression.

Not only does I Peter, comparatively speaking, contain more quotations from and references to the Old Testament than any other New Testament writing, cf. 1: 16, 24, 25; 2: 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 22-24; 3:10-12, 13, 14; 4:8, 17, 18; 5:5, 7; but the entire complexion of the letter shows that the author lived and moved in Old Testament conceptions to such an extent, that he preferably expresses his thoughts in Old Testament language.

Therefore Humble yourselves, (3rd time called for in the space of a few words)

Being humble stands in opposition to being prideful. This call to be humble is

1.) In the context of the call to be submissive to those whom we have been placed under
2.) consistent with what we find elsewhere in Scripture.

Consistent with,

7Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed(G) how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8″When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place,(H) so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11For(I) everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Lk. 14)

1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; (Eph. 4)

Augustine quickly gained a great reputation, but feeling called to the monastic life, he carefully avoided being pressured into becoming a bishop by avoiding all churches lacking such a leader. In 391, he visited Hippo Regius in hopes of assisting a friend to conversion, and attended church services there. The church did have a bishop by the name of Valerius, but unbeknownst to Augustine, the bishop was looking for a presbyter. Coerced by the congregation, Augustine reluctantly but obediently became priest of Hippo, beginning his duties in 391

Gregory was born to a wealthy patrician family and at the age of 30 he was made prefect of Rome, Rome’s highest civil office. He felt the call to monasticism, however, and converted (c.575) his home and others of his houses into Benedictine convents. Later (c.586), he reluctantly became abbot. In 578 he was made a deacon of Rome. From 579 to c.586 he was ambassador at Constantinople, then he served as chief adviser of Pelagius II. When commencing a missionary voyage to England, he was recalled to Rome and despite desiring only to be a Monk, Gregory was elected pope by acclamation, accepting against his will and despite chronic illness.

Note the character of the humbleness that Peter calls for

1.) It is confident in God’s ability

We have a tendency to think we must be the ones who advance ourselves, through plotting and planning and ingratiating actions. All of this is done with the end in view of exalting ourselves. Our actions and behaviors thus become calculated to see ourselves lifted up. Peter communicates though the way to position is by humbling ourselves.

The text here communicates that our confidence unto being “exalted” must rest in God’s timing. If we are genuinely confident in God advancing us then our actions will have a view towards doing what is right before God, thus showing the humbleness called for, and letting God be concerned about our position.

“All who seek to elevate themselves, shall have God as their enemy, who will lay them low. But, on the contrary, Peter says of the humble, that God will be propitious and favorable to them. We are to imagine that; God has two hands; the one, which like a hammer beats down and breaks in pieces those who raise up themselves; and the other, which raises up the humble who willingly let down themselves, and is like a firm prop to sustain them.” John Calvin

Casting All Your Care Upon Him, For He Careth For you, (Rest of Faith)

A lack of confidence in God’s providence towards us and faithful covenant keeping towards us makes the call to humility far more difficult. If we do not believe that God cares for us, we will believe we must care for ourselves and the humility characterized by submitting is hardly the characteristic of one who cares for themselves. In order then to have confidence and reason unto humility Peter reminds his readers of God’s providence and covenant keeping nature so that they may roll over their cares upon Him.

Keep in mind also though that these were a people who were familiar with suffering. The reminder that God cared for them would be incentive for them to cast all their care upon their covenant keeping God.

This call to remember God’s care for His people is always a good word. We live in times that hold out many threats to us. There are many matters that were we to contemplate to long we could easily become terrorized by the enormity of it all. Yet, above it all, Sits the sovereign God who cares for us. In these matters the tangibility of our faith shows through. How do we keep our equilibrium when all around us are frightened … part of the answer to that is that we are a people who are confident that the sovereign of all the universe cares for us.

This call is to provide a rest of faith and not to be used as a license unto sloth.

Gospel Interlude,

Now, here, in the midst of these imperatives, we must briefly have the Gospel. Peter can tell his readers that God cares for them for only one reason. God does not care for them because of their suffering. If they were outside Christ Peter could not tell them that God cares for them. They would be in no known relationship with God except that as criminals before a judge. Peter can only tell them that God cares for them because of the finished work of Jesus Christ for the Church. It is only because Jesus turned away the just wrath of the Father upon the Church that Peter can now reference God’s providential and covenantal care for the Church. It is only because of Christ’s work on the Cross that reconciled these believers that Peter can tell them that “God cares for them.” God cares for them because, by being related to and united with Christ, they have a legal claim to God’s relational care.

If you are outside of Christ you can have no confidence that God careth for you. All of the language here bespeaks a unique relationship existing between Peter’s readers and God that does not exist universally.

Be Sober, Be vigilant (War of Faith)

The words can also be translated “self-controlled,” and “watchful.”

We’ve seen them before from Peter

13″Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

4:7 — “The end of all things is at hand; therefore(P) be self-controlled and sober-minded(Q) for the sake of your prayers.”

Peter follows an injunction to encourage the rest of faith (God cares for you) with an injunction unto the war of faith (Be sober, be vigilant).

With these words Peter reminds us of the antithesis. If we belong to Christ we will have war with the devil. This is a prevailing problem of Christians in the West right now. We have forgotten that we are at war or that such a thing as the antithesis exists. We have forgotten that we have an adversary who is committed to crushing us. We have forgotten that we are part of the Church militant.

Note here several realities

1.) There is a Devil
2.) We are at war

People who are at war are people who are self controlled and watchful. They look for the enemies designs at every turn.

Our opponent is our adversary which was a terms used for an opponent in a lawsuit. Devil is translated from Satan and means slanderer or accuser. The metaphor used (Roaring Lion) reminds us of why we need to be self-controlled and watchful.

All of this is interesting because it reminds us again of the “now, not yet” nature of the Christian faith. It is true that Christ has already delivered us from Satan’s grasp and defeated the enemy of our souls, and yet it remains for us to resist the devil. The Christian life is battle.

the means of our resistance is by remaining steadfast in the faith. It is our faith that the Devil would overturn and the means of resisting him is that same faith. This imperative reminds us at the same time of the need to grow in our faith.

As Peter closes out His letter he returns to what might be termed the main theme of the letter. The theme of suffering.

Peter reminds his readers once again that their suffering is not unique to them. That their suffering is being shared universally by the brotherhood. It is a comfort when one is in battle to know that one does not battle alone.

The passage also reminds us of the unity of the saints. It is true that there are different Churches with different tribes belonging to those different Churches but because of Christ there is a spiritual brotherhood that obtains between us so that even though we may belong to different families of men, we still retain the spiritual bond of Christ in all our afflictions and in all our triumphs.

Peter closes with a beautiful benediction that reminds us that while the battle rages we are secure because of what Jesus Christ has accomplished. Satan may attack us, seek to devour us, and accuse and slander us but in the end our faithful covenant keeping God will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us.

I Peter 5:1-11

Text — I Peter 5:1-11
Subject — Congregational Care
Theme — The characteristics of congregational care
Proposition — The characteristics of congregational care should create within us certain expectations for Elders and Churches

Introduction

General requirement for Christians to shepherd one another

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal. 6)

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Rom. 12)

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (I John 3)

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (I Pt.)

6 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Of course all of this implies a certain involvement in one another’s lives that extends beyond a couple hours on Sunday. This would have been perhaps more common in First century churches since those Churches were completely local and people schedules during the week weren’t enhanced by automobiles. These passages came home to these people because these people were neighbors.

However, beyond the general care that was to be the privilege and responsibility of every Christian there was laid upon certain men the charge of a particular care for the household of God. (Titus 1:5, Acts 14:23)

These men were called Elders, Pastors, Presbyters or Bishops. Some of them were given the general charge of care while to others of them were added the responsibility of teaching. The unique responsibility of these men was to be to the small congregations what a Shepherd was to a flock of sheep. As a shepherd was to look over the well being of his sheep — protecting them, leading them to feed and water, tending to their cares and hurts, — so the Shepherds of the congregation were to protect God’s people, be instrumental in their spiritual feeding and watering, and be among them to tend to their cares and hurts. As a Shepherd loved his flock, so the Elders were to love the congregation.

Here Peter deals with the issue of Elders and as he deals with the issue of Elders we would do well to understand that when we consider Congregational life, both now and in our future — Peter teaches us what we should expect from the Elders of a congregation.

As Peter inks this exhortation he reminds them of his position.

a.) Fellow Elder — Interesting that Peter merely names himself as one such as they
b.) Witness of Sufferings of Christ — Mark of Apostleship
c.) Partaker of glory — Note Present tense

Peter clearly teaches here that the Elders have a leadership position. As Shepherds, they are to be overseers.

This metaphor of Shepard is not unique to Peter though Jesus did say to Peter directly that Peter was to … “Feed Christ’s Sheep.” Throughout Scripture we find this metaphor of Shepherd used to describe God’s leaders.

God Himself is addressed as a Shepherd in Psalm 80

1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
shine forth
———

In Ezekial the leaders are upbraided for being lousy Shepherds

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?

Similar language is used in Jeremiah 23

And the theme of Shepherd is picked up in the Psalms, Ezra, Zechariah and other books.

When you turn to the NT Jesus is the good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep and Peter notes here is the Great Shepherd.

So, when Peter turns to this metaphor he is turning to one that has a long and storied history in the Hebrew mind. Shepherds are to be God’s overseer’s who are answerable to God.

We should say at the outset that this call to Shepherding implies immediately the tenderest of relationships between the shepherd and his flock. It is true that the Shepherds are the overseers but they are overseeing they whom they love as their own and when you get right down to it they are but Sheep themselves who have need of being shepherded.

Peter gets to the nitty gritty of this Shepherding matter when he turns to give some qualifiers of what he is expecting in Shepherds. What I find so fascinating about this list is how resilient it remains some 2000 years later.

I.)Shepherd Characteristic #1 — Shepherding is done willingly (not by compulsion)

This is a implicit warning against laziness in the ministry

The ministry requires great effort on those who take it up effectively. You must become an expert in theology, people skills, you must become proficient in the languages, you must know your Bible, history, economics, sociology, law, etc.

Then on top of this you must be involved in the lives of your people as much as possible.

It is not the physical labor of the factory worker, or the meticulous skills of the airline agent, but it is work none the less… and hard work at that.

II.)Shepherd Characteristic # 2 — Shepherding is done eagerly (not for dishonest gain)

This is a implicit warning against greed in the ministry

I probably don’t need to go into all the stories about greed in the ministry.

Greed is a great hindrance to the ministry, not only for what it will cause men to do in order to get gain, but also for what it will cause men not to do or say in order to get gain.

Often, men who are in the ministry for gain will not say those things that need to be said for fear of losing profits by speaking against the wickedness of our times, or by speaking against some sin in a congregation.

III.) Shepherd Characteristic # 2 — Shepherding is done by example

This is a implicit warning against power tripping in the ministry

Calvin offers that one way power tripping is seen is by Pastors exempting themselves from the expectations that are laid upon the flock.

There is a danger among Christian Churches today to do a kind of Hollywood model of ministry where some Rock Star becomes the Pastor and the congregation becomes a bunch of groupies and woe be unto anybody who questions the Rock Star to closely. Often in these kinds of Churches there is a kind of ecclesiastical tyranny that goes on in the leadership as the great leader’s whims becomes diktat.

Instead what Peter offers in place of that is rule by example. The Shepherds do not pronounce edicts that everyone must follow upon pain of ex-communication or shunning but rather they set the example to be followed or not followed.

Shepherding, by its very definition is not done by driving people. Besides, quality people can’t be driven and when you try to drive them you’ll just get (and deservedly so) revolt.

The model here is example …

Jesus washing the feet of the Disciples (Jn. 13).
Jesus casting aside his privilege in order to serve (Phil. 2:5-11)
Jesus warning against the Political model of Leadership (Mark 10:42-45)

As an Elder you have to be willing, in most cases, to state your concerns to people without demanding of people that it is your way or else.

The phrase … “Those entrusted to you” is interesting because it reminds Shepherds that they are responsible for a particular flock.

Of course we know that the end of all this Shepherding was Jesus Christ. The Shepherd’s chief responsibility was feeding and watering their people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ which proclaims forgiveness of sins, and standing with God, and the rest and peace that comes from that. The Chief role of the Shepherd was to herald the good news of Jesus Christ for sinners. The chief role of the Shepherd was to speak up both the objectivity of the Gospel which is Christ for us and the subjective consequence of the Gospel which is Christ renewing us by His Spirit and His Law-Word.

The under-shepherd is to remind people who God declares us to be and what we can’t help but become in light of God’s Declaration.

The fullness of the Reward is delayed — vs. 4

It is no longer “Soft” Tyranny

There are those among us who insist that currently we are suffering under “soft tyranny.” I take those who speak this way to mean that the tyranny that we are currently experiencing is not of the overt kind that one reads about when one reads of the Soviet Show trials, or when one reads about the German Einsatzgruppen, or when one reads about the Killing fields of Cambodia. Instead, what the phrase “soft tyranny” is supposed to communicate is the incremental tyranny that can be likened to being suffocated by a pillow as opposed to being suffocated by the butt end of a M-16.

I understand the metaphor of “soft tyranny” but I think it is time that we give it up for something harsher to describe what we are currently being subjected to in this country. We are long past the gentle coastal regions of “soft tyranny” that was in place when Woodrow Wilson and FDR were the Tyrants in Chief. Today we are well into the rugged highlands of tyranny and we really must altar our language to reflect that. Fortunately, for us, our history provides us with nomenclature that can be dusted off and used again to describe what we are currently living under and to which we are now subjected.

In our Declaration of Independence our forefathers complained of “absolute Despotism,” and “Absolute tyranny.” So, in the Spirit of 1776 I submit that we lose the “soft tyranny” language and begin to speak again like our Fathers and speak of absolute Despotism and Absolute tyranny. After all, there really is nothing “soft” about this totalitarian regime with which we are contending.

Can the tyranny we are currently living under, really only be referred to as “soft” when there is obviously a concerted attempt to destroy the dollar with all our bailouts and now with the news of “QE2.” Should the tyrannical attempt to hyper-inflate the dollar, be visited only with the sobriquet “soft?” I assure you, Dear reader, should the Feds be successful in hyper-inflating the Dollar you will not call the results, “soft.” No, only the descriptor of “absolute Despotism” will do.

Can the tyranny we are currently living under, really only be referred to as “soft” when one listens to Economic Nobel Prize winning Democrats who have the President’s ear say we will only be serious about budgetary reform when we create death panels and submit to a Value added tax? Such, policy, if achieved, would take us even beyond absolute Despotism to Stalinesque Tyranny.

Can the tyranny we are currently living under, really only be referred to as “soft” when one reads of legislation that is being moved that will restrict our ability to grow our own garden produce and own our own garden seed? What else but “absolute Despotism” can this be called? There is nothing “soft” in the tyranny that would find the State preventing people from tilling their ground and raising their food.

Can the tyranny we are currently living under, really only be referred to as “soft” when the American version of Dr. Josef Mengele is appointed as the man who will head our brand spanking new Health Control centers? Dr. Donald Berwick is a man who doesn’t think that individuals are competent enough to determine what health care they should have and insists that the State must regulate your health care,

“Today, this isolated relationship (between doctor and patient) is no longer tenable or possible… Traditional medical ethics, based on the doctor- patient dyad must be reformulated to fit the new mold of the delivery of health care…Regulation must evolve. Regulating for improved medical care involves designing appropriate rules with authority… Health care is being rationalized through critical pathways and guidelines. The primary function of regulation in health care, especially as it affects the quality of medical care, is to constrain decentralized decision making.”

Now there is a good deal of mumbo jumbo in that quote, but the gist of it is, “The medical decisions process that used to be made by you and your Doctor is passe and as such a government official is going to be part of the decision making matrix in terms of your health care … for your own good of course. These government officials, who are involved for your own good in the decision making process of your health, will have rules that you and your doctor will be forced to abide by (for everyone’s good of course). These rules will make it so that decentralized decision making (code language for you, the patient) will be constrained (code language for “you will be forced to do what we say is good for you.”) This is absolute Despotism my friends and the word “soft” blushes to be used to describe the tyranny that is described above.

Can the tyranny we are currently living under, really only be referred to as “soft” when one is forced to surrender their fourth amendment safety when they go to an Airport in order to visit Gradpa and Grandma for holiday? Is it really only “soft” tyranny when you’re getting gang banged by the state as the “I’d feel up my Sister for a paycheck” TSA, in their muted gestapo uniforms, twist your breasts and power stroke your genitalia? I’m thinking only “absolute Despotism” fits when we are talking about State sanctioned sexual assault.

Can the tyranny we are currently living under, really only be referred to as “soft” when it is clear that what the man who is called the “President” intends to do is to achieve by bureaucratic slight of hand what he couldn’t attain via legislation in terms of cap and tax? Is it only “soft” when the intent of such tyranny is to drive the coal industry out of business? Is it only “soft” when the intent of such tyranny will drive food prices through the ceiling and impoverish Americans? Is it only “soft” when the intent of such legislation will result in brownouts across America? There is nothing “soft” about such designs. This is nothing but what our founders styled “absolute Despotism … absolute tyranny.”

We could go on and on but already we have demonstrated that “soft” tyranny is just to soft of a title for what we are living under. All of this is an attempt at the undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. This is absolute tyranny and those who will not resist absolute tyranny deserve to eventually fall into Stalinesque tyranny.

Surely, no one would argue that all these expressions of absolute tyranny are anything but the result of prearranged efforts. When we see a lot of framed timbers of usurpation, of different proportions, which we know have been laid at different times and by different tyrants, and when we see these framed timbers of usurpation joined together, and see they exactly make the frame of the house of absolute Despotism, — every previous usurpation fitting exactly with the usurpation that preceded it and not a necessary usurpation missing and not a extra usurpation to be had — then we know we are well past the exit called soft tyranny and are entering into the city called absolute tyranny and absolute Despotism.

My friends, war is being made upon the citizenry of this country. Now, it can be a war where the causalities are only on the side of the citizenry or it can be a war that finds the Despots making war visited with a resistance that they find disconcerting.

A Law Quote A Day Keeps The R2Kt Virus Away

“For it cannot be shown that any part of that power which magistrates had under the Old Testament is repealed under the new, neither can any convincing reason be brought, why should it be of narrower extent now or then. Are not blasphemies, heresies and errors dishonorable to God, and destructive unto souls as well now as of old?”

George Hutcheson — 17th Century Reformed Theologian
The Gospel of John — pp. 158