Oh, it feels so good to be here. Thanks Russ for the encouragement. It may take me a little while to clean all the dust off before I can post much more.
In the meantime, check out this article and let us know what you think.
http://www.libertymagazine.org/article/articleview/610/1/94/
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Monday, August 14, 2006
Thank You Ephesus
I want to thank my brothers at Ephesus Church for their generosity in placing our sermons on their website. Also, thanks to brother Rich Golden for his work on that site. Thank you brothers for you kindness to me and the ministry here at BRBC!
Our sermons are available at www.ephesuschurch.com. Follow the link on the left to BRBC.
Our sermons are available at www.ephesuschurch.com. Follow the link on the left to BRBC.
Monday, August 07, 2006
BRBC Update
The Lord is continuing to bless Berean Reformed Baptist Church. Last Thursday Charly and I drove to Fresno, CA where Charly was examined for the office of elder. The Lord blessed Charly during this time with excellent recall and rhetoric. He received an overwhelming recommendation to the office of elder. We have had three Lord's Day Worship services now and words cannot express my excitement and delight! Yesterday we had 29 people worship with us. If I had to choose two words to describe the worship at BRBC they would be "pure" and "simple."
We have made it through the first 8 verses of John chapter 1. Our messages will soon be available at www.ephesuschurch.com. The elders there have graciously allowed us to post our sermons there until we can have our own place for them.
My family is settling in here in CA. I am working for the Stanislaus County Library. Right now I am delivering books between libraries but am interviewing for another position next week. Please pray for this job opportunity as it would help the living situation. We all miss our family in Georgia extremely. I often have to hold back the tears as our boys ask why they can't see the people they love in GA. The folks there are very dear to my family and greatly missed.
Thank you for your prayers and your support.
We have made it through the first 8 verses of John chapter 1. Our messages will soon be available at www.ephesuschurch.com. The elders there have graciously allowed us to post our sermons there until we can have our own place for them.
My family is settling in here in CA. I am working for the Stanislaus County Library. Right now I am delivering books between libraries but am interviewing for another position next week. Please pray for this job opportunity as it would help the living situation. We all miss our family in Georgia extremely. I often have to hold back the tears as our boys ask why they can't see the people they love in GA. The folks there are very dear to my family and greatly missed.
Thank you for your prayers and your support.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Our First Lord's Day
July 23rd was the first Lord's Day gathering for Berean Reformed Baptist Fellowship. The Lord blessed us with a great service. We had 27 people in attendance. 12 of them were children under 7. We already have two more families who are supposed to come this week.
Both the worship service and the discipleship hour which followed were a great encouragement. I started preaching this week in the gospel of John. We got through the first two verses and saw already the deity of Jesus based on His eternal essence. Until we have a pianist, we are singing with an accompaniment cd. The Lord blessed us with a more than phenomenal deal on a portable PA system. This is actually working out great. A friend has let us borrow a data projector. We use this to place the words on the screen for worship and to teach during our discipleship hour.
Charly started off our discipleship hour with a lesson on the first question from the children's catechism, "Who made you?" Then he started taking us through our church constitution. We will do this long enough to teach the constitution and the articles of faith. At that point the people will know the church and whether they desire to join the fellowship. Then we will sign a covenant and become a church! The first order of business will be to recognize Charly and I as the pastors.
We are very encouraged as God continues to show His faithfulness.
One of the brothers in the fellowship has offered to make a pulpit from solid oak. I can't wait! This coming Lord's Day worship will be followed by a fellowship at our home. This is sure to be a great time.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement. I hope to continue updates here as we go along.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Both the worship service and the discipleship hour which followed were a great encouragement. I started preaching this week in the gospel of John. We got through the first two verses and saw already the deity of Jesus based on His eternal essence. Until we have a pianist, we are singing with an accompaniment cd. The Lord blessed us with a more than phenomenal deal on a portable PA system. This is actually working out great. A friend has let us borrow a data projector. We use this to place the words on the screen for worship and to teach during our discipleship hour.
Charly started off our discipleship hour with a lesson on the first question from the children's catechism, "Who made you?" Then he started taking us through our church constitution. We will do this long enough to teach the constitution and the articles of faith. At that point the people will know the church and whether they desire to join the fellowship. Then we will sign a covenant and become a church! The first order of business will be to recognize Charly and I as the pastors.
We are very encouraged as God continues to show His faithfulness.
One of the brothers in the fellowship has offered to make a pulpit from solid oak. I can't wait! This coming Lord's Day worship will be followed by a fellowship at our home. This is sure to be a great time.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement. I hope to continue updates here as we go along.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Monday, July 10, 2006
Ok, ok, ok
Alright already!
I'll admit, I have been slack on the blog. Though I have kind of been waiting til there was something significant to report. I will give a bullet list of updates.
I'll admit, I have been slack on the blog. Though I have kind of been waiting til there was something significant to report. I will give a bullet list of updates.
- Still job searching
- Nikki got a job at Sonic
- I might get a job at Sonic (just kidding)
- The house is unpacked
- My study has been unpacked but as of today, organized!
- Charly (the other pastor) and I have written the constitution for Berean Reformed Baptist Church (BRBC).
- BRBC is now listed with the IRS.
- BRBC is now on the web at www.BRBChurch.com. (Under construction, but on the web)
- BRBC will begin meeting on Sunday mornings on July 23rd!
- I will begin preaching expositorily through John's gospel.
Thank you to all of you that have been faithful to pray for me, my family and BRBC.
I will do my best to keep the blog up to date.
Until next time,
RC
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Settling In
Well, we have been in California for a week now and are beginning to experience some level of normality. The Lord has been completely faithful to us throughout the whole process. A heartfelt thank you to all of you who helped us load the moving truck. It is somewhat concerning when 18 of your church folks come over with such excitement to help you get out of the state.
Meetings are being had and plans are being made for Berean Reformed Baptist Church. It looks as if we will start towards the end of July. I am still looking for work and trying to help Dawn make our house a home. I covet your prayers.
Lord willing, I will return to blogging before too long. Until then,
RC
Meetings are being had and plans are being made for Berean Reformed Baptist Church. It looks as if we will start towards the end of July. I am still looking for work and trying to help Dawn make our house a home. I covet your prayers.
Lord willing, I will return to blogging before too long. Until then,
RC
Thursday, April 06, 2006
ARBCA 3
Well, the first portion of day 3 is over. I will be leaving first thing in the morning in order to make it back for the ECS golf tournament.
This mornings speaker was Dr. Fred Malone. He concluded his message on Justification. In one word, wow. Dr. Malone, as many of you know, is a man gifted by God for His church. I was a recipient of that gift this morning.
Dr. Malone asserted that justification by faith alone and the imputation of Christ's righteousness are being denied. They are being denied publicly at least by two men involved in the new perspective, Daniel Fuller and Norman Shepherd.
He reminded us that Justification is not the whole of the gospel but a part. It is vitally important but just a part of the salvation process. Everything we have is in Christ Jesus. Justification is the moment the sinner is admitted into a life with Christ.
Dr. Malone then began to lay out some biblical evidence for the imputed righteousness of Christ in justification.
First he looked at Peter's sermon at Pentecost. He preached justification by faith alone through Christ alone although he didn't use those words. The Jews understood the works of Abraham but that his FAITH was accredited to him as righteousness.
Next we went to Romans 5:12-19.
In verses 12-14 Paul focuses on the fact that death came to all men through Adam. The guilt of his sin was imputed to all man that would come after him.
Before Sinai, sin was in the world because the law was in the world. Adam's breaking of the law he was given was imputed, passed on. Even though those before Sinai did not sin in like manner of Adam, Adam's sin of law breaking and its guilt was imputed to them.
Verse 15-17. The gift of righteousness is the gift given in justification by faith alone through Christ alone.
Those who oppose this doctrine separate Christ's obedient act on the cross from his obedience in life. They separate His justification from his righteousness and by doing this they deny Him.
The essential righteousness of Christ because He is God is incommunicable to us. The righteousness of Christ given in justification is not the righteousness of His essence, but the righteousness of His sinless, obedient, human life.
"Oh how beautiful is the righteousness of Christ."
Why would anyone deny the imputation of the righteousness of Christ in justification?
Here Dr. Malone responds to the denial of Norman Shepherd. He says he (Shepherd) must deny these truths because they negate a works based justification and would open the Christian to antinomian living. So, in order to play God and prevent this, because God needs Shepherds help, he denies this foundational doctrine. Shepherd mixes justification and sanctification which musty remain separate. The result is a rejection of the preaching of the law of God to sinners in order to see their need of a redeemer. Italics mine.
In his (Shepherd's) mind, requiring obedience for salvation eliminates easy-believism in evangelism.
Next, Malone speaks on the covenant of works given to Adam.
The words covenant and works are not used in Genesis nor is the word covenant used in Hebrews in relation to Abraham. But there is no doubt that God covenanted with Adam through an oath and promise. Genesis 2:16-17 is clearly a covenant.
The covenant of obedience to God's given law was broken by Adam and thereafter guilt imputed to every person.
Adam had the right to eat of any other tree, including the tree of life, but he chose to eat of the tree of death.
There is a covenant of works and law in place today and we will receive wrath if we have no righteous Redeemer to fulfill that covenant.
The perfect obedience of Jesus who was born under the law of Adam and Moses made possible the appeasement of God's wrath towards those who are guilty of breaking these covenants.
Thank you Dr. Malone.
These notes do not come close to giving justice to the messages given. But I have ordered the cds from the assembly.
Praise God for our precious Savior whose righteousness is imputed in justification to us who believe by His grace!
This mornings speaker was Dr. Fred Malone. He concluded his message on Justification. In one word, wow. Dr. Malone, as many of you know, is a man gifted by God for His church. I was a recipient of that gift this morning.
Dr. Malone asserted that justification by faith alone and the imputation of Christ's righteousness are being denied. They are being denied publicly at least by two men involved in the new perspective, Daniel Fuller and Norman Shepherd.
He reminded us that Justification is not the whole of the gospel but a part. It is vitally important but just a part of the salvation process. Everything we have is in Christ Jesus. Justification is the moment the sinner is admitted into a life with Christ.
Dr. Malone then began to lay out some biblical evidence for the imputed righteousness of Christ in justification.
First he looked at Peter's sermon at Pentecost. He preached justification by faith alone through Christ alone although he didn't use those words. The Jews understood the works of Abraham but that his FAITH was accredited to him as righteousness.
Next we went to Romans 5:12-19.
In verses 12-14 Paul focuses on the fact that death came to all men through Adam. The guilt of his sin was imputed to all man that would come after him.
Before Sinai, sin was in the world because the law was in the world. Adam's breaking of the law he was given was imputed, passed on. Even though those before Sinai did not sin in like manner of Adam, Adam's sin of law breaking and its guilt was imputed to them.
Verse 15-17. The gift of righteousness is the gift given in justification by faith alone through Christ alone.
Those who oppose this doctrine separate Christ's obedient act on the cross from his obedience in life. They separate His justification from his righteousness and by doing this they deny Him.
The essential righteousness of Christ because He is God is incommunicable to us. The righteousness of Christ given in justification is not the righteousness of His essence, but the righteousness of His sinless, obedient, human life.
"Oh how beautiful is the righteousness of Christ."
Why would anyone deny the imputation of the righteousness of Christ in justification?
Here Dr. Malone responds to the denial of Norman Shepherd. He says he (Shepherd) must deny these truths because they negate a works based justification and would open the Christian to antinomian living. So, in order to play God and prevent this, because God needs Shepherds help, he denies this foundational doctrine. Shepherd mixes justification and sanctification which musty remain separate. The result is a rejection of the preaching of the law of God to sinners in order to see their need of a redeemer. Italics mine.
In his (Shepherd's) mind, requiring obedience for salvation eliminates easy-believism in evangelism.
Next, Malone speaks on the covenant of works given to Adam.
The words covenant and works are not used in Genesis nor is the word covenant used in Hebrews in relation to Abraham. But there is no doubt that God covenanted with Adam through an oath and promise. Genesis 2:16-17 is clearly a covenant.
The covenant of obedience to God's given law was broken by Adam and thereafter guilt imputed to every person.
Adam had the right to eat of any other tree, including the tree of life, but he chose to eat of the tree of death.
There is a covenant of works and law in place today and we will receive wrath if we have no righteous Redeemer to fulfill that covenant.
The perfect obedience of Jesus who was born under the law of Adam and Moses made possible the appeasement of God's wrath towards those who are guilty of breaking these covenants.
Thank you Dr. Malone.
These notes do not come close to giving justice to the messages given. But I have ordered the cds from the assembly.
Praise God for our precious Savior whose righteousness is imputed in justification to us who believe by His grace!
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