Come Down, Lord!

  With covid mandates largely behind us the older in-house debates have resurfaced.  A persecuted Church doesn’t tend to have time for these lesser matters.  There is a focus about her that brings brothers and sisters together in a unity that is very precious and surely also very pleasing to God.  P eacetime affords luxuries that aren’t always good for us .  The fascination with the finer points of doctrine and the things that divide is not usually healthy or productive.   They detract from the greater things we have in common and tend to rob believers of time spent in prayer, fellowship, worship and evangelism.  Worse, they often sow seeds of dissension in the Church of Jesus Christ and rupture that which was once very good and precious in the sight of God.   At the moment a debate is 'raging' (in some parts) over Christmas, and it is threatening to divide those who have most everything else in common.  By that I mean those who were not...

  The Frankfurt declaration is an outstanding statement regarding Christian and civil liberties.  A number of statements have been put together in the last decade but possibly none are as important as this one . I was glad to be among the initial signers, and I would encourage you to sign it too. You may read it here . The declaration begins, "In the course of human events, it sometimes becomes necessary for people of good faith to speak out against the abuse of power. This should be done only after serious and prayerful deliberation, and even then, in an attitude of humility and with respect for the authorities that have been established by God. Such protest should be expressed in the hope that civil authorities who are found to be eroding rights and liberties may yet fulfill their responsibility as their rightful guardians. A few concerned pastors from different continents, moved by an emergent totalitarianism of the State over all realms of society, and particularly the C...

  When I began this series I wrote: "God has not only furnished us with a world that speaks of His power and majesty, but a world also which is full of what Jonathan Edwards called “divine images”.   Because of the Bible, these things which God has created bear witness of Him.  With a Bible in our hands the world is - in a sense - transformed, so that everywhere we go we cannot help but think of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us."    When you look at the mountains, what are you meant to think of?  They are beautiful of course, and they are a testament to the creative might of God.  But they are more than evidence of a great Creator.  We know that because God has said more than that.   When you see the mountains or perhaps large hills remember the following:   First, remember that God's righteousness is like great mountains .  In other words, as Spurgeon explains, His righteousness is "firm and unmoved, lofty and sublime."...

 Pastor Jacob Reaume writes, "The only One who has a mastery on goodness is God.  In  Mark 10:18 , Jesus said, “No one is good except God alone,” and He then listed commandments 6, 7,8, 9, and 5 of the Ten Commandments.  In doing so, Jesus was explaining that God’s Law, which comes from the only good God, is the final standard of good.  Because Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords, His Law is the Law of laws or the Norm of norms.  My point in noting this is that while the government claims to operate for the general good, the state also claims that God’s definition of good is not the  goodest  good.  The state has claimed that its good is better than God’s good.  God calls His people to gather because He loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives, but the state has an even more wonderful plan for our lives.  Its good is better than God’s good." For more follow the link .

   * The following was originally written in May of 2021 when I was still the pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church of the ARP.  Now that the trial is past I am free to share it publicly.  I have since removed some irrelevant sections and added italics and bold emphases in places. It was prepared originally because it was important for the court to understand why we were continuing to gather for worship even when forbidden to do so. I share it here because it is important for believers to understand why believers should continue to gather for worship even when forbidden to do so. The Redacted Affidavit I am the pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church in Tillsonburg (“FPC”) and as such I have personal knowledge of the facts and matters herein set forth, except where stated to be based on information and belief and where so stated I believe them to be true.                Personal background I completed my Masters of Divin...

  I want to offer here a brief update regarding my court case.  I do so with a measure of trepidation.  I have heard some say that if I believe my cause is just I should just quietly accept the penalty.  Some might think my updates have been motivated by pride.  They may feel that what I have done - in keeping my church open - was wrong and that spreading the word about my charges is self-serving and arrogant.  I can say this with a fair degree of certainty. Such men do not know my heart.  If they did I expect they would find it worse even then they believe.  I am nowhere near the man I would like to be, and if there is anything praiseworthy in me it is by the grace of God.  The truth is I am probably far more proud than I know.  Though I want to eschew pride, and while I desire humility, pride seems strangely natural to sinful men.  But I also know what motivated me through 2020 and 2021; and I can say that at every step I ac...