Grace Gem, A.W. Pink; You are a filthy pauper!

Here is an excellent Grace Gem for April 8th by A.W. Pink:

You are a filthy pauper!

Arthur Pink, "Identification of the Godly"

"For this is what the high and lofty One says--He who lives forever, whose name is holy: I live in a high and holy place--but also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit." Isaiah 57:15

A humble spirit or heart, is an infallible sign of regeneration; for the unregenerate are proud, self-satisfied, self-righteous.

Yet the very mention of the word "humility" seems to cut off many Christians. As they examine themselves, they discover so much pride at work within, that they are quite unable to persuade themselves that they have a humble heart. It seems to them--that humility is one thing they most evidently lack. Now it will no doubt be a startling statement--but we unhesitatingly affirm that the great majority of God's people are far more humble than they suppose!

FIRST, that the Christian reader possesses a humble heart, is plain from the fact that he confesses himself to be a Hell-deserving sinner. We do not have in mind what you say of yourself when in the company of your fellows--but rather what you feel and say of yourself when alone with God. Whatever pretenses you are guilty of before men--when in the presence of the Omniscient One--you are real, sincere, and genuine.

Now, dear reader, be honest with yourself: When on your knees before the Throne of Grace, do you freely and frankly acknowledge that if you received your lawful due, you would--even now--be suffering the dreadful fires of Hell? If so, a miracle of grace must have been wrought within you. No unregenerate person will or can honestly make such a confession to God--for he does not feel he has done anything deserving of eternal punishment.

SECOND, if you own that "all your righteous acts are like filthy rags," that is proof you possess a humble heart. Of course, we mean much more than your merely uttering those words as a parrot might, or even singing then during some religious service. We mean that when you are in the presence of the Lord--which is always the surest test--you personally realize that you have not a single meritorious deed of your own to commend you to His favorable regard.

We mean that, when bowed in His presence, in the calmness and quietness of your prayer-closet, you own without any qualification, that your best performances are defiled by sin--and that in yourself, you are a filthy pauper!

If that is indeed your language before God--it most certainly issues from a humble heart. The heart of the natural man thinks and feels the very opposite, and can no more loathe himself--than transform himself into a holy angel.

THIRD, if you receive everything in the Scriptures as a little child--that is another proof that a miracle of grace has been wrought within you and that you now possess a humble heart. By nature, all are "wise and prudent" in their own esteem.

The enmity of the proud carnal mind rises up against the sovereignty of God--making one vessel to honor and another to dishonor; against the spirituality and strictness of the Divine Law--which curses all who deviate the slightest from its holy demands; and against the endless punishment of all dying out of Christ. But the regenerate, though there is much they do not understand, accept without murmur or question--all that is revealed in the Word. If you do, that is proof that your pride has been abased before God.

How thankful we should be that Scripture does not say that God dwells only in those who have complete victory over sin, or those who enjoy unbroken and unclouded communion with Him. Had those been the distinguishing features named--then every one of us might well despair!

But every regenerate person has a humble heart. And if you, my reader, measuring yourself by what has been pointed out above, can discern such fruits and evidences of humility--then so far from its being presumptuous for you to look upon yourself as one saved and indwelt by God--it would be most wicked presumption for you to do otherwise.

The Preaching of John MacArthur

Here is a post by Phil Johnson on the Pyromaniacs blog which has an excerpt about the preaching of John MacArthur which appears in a new book by Hughes Oliphant Old, The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Volume 7: Our Own Time.

What one hears from [John MacArthur's] pulpit is a very straight Christian message—conservative, to be sure, but free from the wrangling, the defensiveness, and the bitterness of the fundamentalism of a generation or two ago. If one were to call MacArthur a fundamentalist, a label that, I gather, he would not reject, one would have to admit that his is a very impressive sort of fundamentalism. His expository sermons are instructive and edifying. Twice a Sunday he draws a very large congregation that sits attentively for an hour-long sermon . . . .

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Which Resurrection did you observe on Easter? and "Which 'Jesus' do you worship?"

Here is an excellent post from Defending, Contending Blog asking “Which ‘Resurrection’ did you observe today?”

Previous to this one the question was asked "Which 'Jesus' do you worship?"

Both of these posts are absolutely priceless.

New Testament Reliabilty "Downright Miraculous" by Dr. James White

Here is a great quote from Dr. James White on the reliability of the New Testament (specific to the manuscript evidence) given at Rockdale Community Church back in February. These presentations are very good but somewhat difficult to follow on audio. I would pay good money to get the video version.

"1,500-2,000 meaningful and viable textual variants, over 1.3 million pages of handwritten copies, spanning approximately 1,500 years prior to the invention of printing is an amazingly small percentage of the text, reflecting an amazingly accurate history of transmission. One might say it is downright miraculous"

Here are the links to download the two files:
New Testament Reliability, Part 1
New Testament Reliability, Part 2

John MacArthur on the Purpose Driven Life

It is quite troubling that Rick Warren has been invited by John Piper to be a speaker at the 2010 Desiring God Conference. I really like John Piper's preaching and ministry but why he continues to invite the likes of Warren and Douglas Wilson (proponent of Federal Vision) to speak at conferences baffles my mind.
This is an excellent video where John MacArthur shows the flaw in the false gospel taught in Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life".

L'Abri Ideas Library -- Free Resources

The L'Abri Ideas Library has made available the mp3 files of the lectures and teaching of Dr. Francis Schaeffer.

Dr. Schaeffer was a Christian theologian and philosopher who, together with his wife Edith, founded the first L'Abri community in Switzerland in 1955. From the 1960’s, until his death in 1984, Dr Schaeffer’s lectures and discussions were recorded as a resource for future students.

Dr. Schaeffer Collection

3 Questions to Ask Before Committing Idolatry

Here is a very good article by Dustin Neely, 3 Questions to Ask Before Committing Idolatry as it relates to gadget purchases, specifically the new iPad.

"Do I get an iPad or not?" That is the question many are asking these days.

With the pending release of Apple's newest "magical and revolutionary device," April 3 has become the new December 25 for many. Adults everywhere, techies or not, are salivating for this new gadget like Ralphie for his Red Ryder BB gun.

In the process of determining whether or not I should take the plunge myself, I have begun asking some questions that might also help you in your process of prayerful evaluation. In fact, my hope is that they serve you well beyond this particular purchase but for others as well.

1. Is this a tool or a toy?

Is this an acute want or an actual need?

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The Sinkhole Syndrome by Donald Whitney, Tabletalk -- March 2010

Here is an excellent article which appeared in the March Tabletalk.

The Sinkhole Syndrome

by Donald Whitney

You know the story. A man has been a believer in Christ for decades. To all outward appearances he’s a man of Christian faithfulness and integrity. He has maintained a reputation as a fine example of public and private faithfulness to the things of God for decades. Then, without warning, it all collapses into a sinkhole of sin. Everyone wonders how it could have happened so quickly. In most cases, it soon becomes known that — like most sinkholes — the problem didn’t develop overnight.

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Five Consequences for a Nation that Rejects God

Here is an excellent post outlining from Romans chapter one the five consequences of a society (nation) that reject the God of the Bible.

The Roman Road to Wrath

Five Consequences for a Nation that Rejects God

By Brannon Howse

Ideas-and the actions they produce-have consequences, and the Bible is very specific about what a nation will reap when it rejects God. America is already experiencing the results of the ideological path it has been wandering. Lawlessness and disorder have their roots in our continually snubbing the God of the Bible.

Chapter 1 of Romans delineates five specific national consequences for denying God. To be sure, there are others outlined in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and elsewhere in the Old Testament, but in this article I will focus just on Paul's warnings because they are so explicit and frighteningly relevant to what is happening in America today.

1. The nation that continually rejects God becomes a nation of fools.

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CSM Article: Calvinism Is Back

Here is an interesting article appearing in the Christian Science Monitor, (Christian faith: Calvinism is back) about the growth of Calvinistic churches in the U.S. and a profile of the church Mark Dever leads in Washington D.C., Capitol Hill Baptist Church. One quote I find encouraging is, "In the Southern Baptist Convention, America's largest Protestant body, at least 10 percent of its pastors identify as Calvinist, while more than one-third of recent seminary graduates do".

What Is Salvation? by Paul Washer

Here's a short yet awesome presentation of "what is salvation" preached by Paul Washer.

What is Salvation? (In 2 Minutes) - Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

We Begin At the Lowest Grade, excellent Grace Gem for 3/9/2010

We begin at the lowest grade

by J.R. Miller, "Devotional Hours with the Bible"

"Learn from Me--for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29

All of Christian life is a school. "Learn from Me," said the Master. We are only beginners when we first become Christians, and enter Christ's school. We begin at the lowest grade. We do not have to wait until we know a great deal before we begin to attend school. School is not for finished scholars--but for the most ignorant. We may come to Christ when we know almost nothing. He is the teacher--and all believers are learners.

"Learn from Me--for I am gentle." Gentleness is a lesson which we are to learn. It will probably take us a good long while to learn this lesson--but we must learn it because it is in Christ's curriculum for all His students.

Contentment is another lesson which we must learn. When he was well along in life, Paul said, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation." It was a long and difficult lesson for him to learn.

Patience is a lesson that has to be learned. An impatient person is not a complete Christian.

Thoughtfulness is a necessary lesson. There are a great many thoughtless Christians. They are always blundering in their interactions with others. They say the wrong word, they do the wrong thing. They are always hurting other people's feelings, giving pain to gentle hearts. Yet it is all from thoughtlessness. "I didn't mean to offend him. I didn't mean to be unkind. I just never thought!" There are few lessons in Christian life that more people need to learn, than this of thoughtfulness.

We have to learn to trust. Worry is a sin. It is probably as great a sin as dishonesty or profanity or bad temper. Yet a good many Christian people worry--and one of the most important lessons in Christ's school, is to learn not to worry.

Kindness is a lesson we must learn. It takes many years to learn the one little lesson of kindness.

Joy is a lesson to be learned.

Peace is another.

Humility is another necessary lesson.

Praise is a great lesson.

All of life is a school, and it is in learning these lessons--that Jesus says we shall find rest for your souls. Christ Himself is our teacher, and with Him we should never fail to learn, though it be only slowly. Then as we learn our lessons, our lives will grow continually more and more into quietness, peace and Christlikeness.