NCFIC Blog

IndoctriNation Road Trip Is Under Way

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:45:07 +0100

Our friends from the IndoctriNation Movie Bus Tour are blogging daily. Click here to read the latest news.

Worship is Like Going to a Mall?

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:23:43 +0100

The United Methodist Church, the third largest denomination in the US is undergoing a remake as leaders try to find out what makes churches grow -in the midst of their dying denomination. They have gone to their own people to determine what works and does not. So... they are doing what many churches have done in order to fully secure their apostasy. Instead of going to scripture, they went to the people... assuming, surely they have the answers. The message is, don't bother with the Bible, statistics are enough! Here is a summary statement from one of the "successful" pastors with a church of "nearly 6200." He said,

"it has offered both traditional and contemporary worship services for years. At a contemporary service, congregants kick back with doughnuts and coffee, a live band plays music and clips from Hollywood movies are shown to illustrate Gospel messages. "Worship is like going to a mall," Millard said. "There are all kinds of stores. Some people like specialty shops. Some like department stores. When you have variety, people can go where they like.""

Albert Mohler on Why Aren’t ‘Emerging Adults’ Emerging as Adults?

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:09:07 +0100

This is a very helpful analysis of an essay that appeared in the New York Times.

He makes this very insightful comment.

"The church would demonstrate the power of the gospel in a whole new way by assisting young people into the successful and faithful transition to adulthood, celebrating this transition as a matter of spiritual maturity to the glory of Christ. These young adults are desperately needed for the cause of Christ, and many are indeed making their way into authentic adulthood with faithfulness, energy, conviction, and excitement. Let’s pray that their example is infectious."

One way the church continues to dumb down and delay maturity is by continuing it's unbiblical practice of age segregation.

"Mutant form of Christianity" - Teens Becoming Fake Christians

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:06:59 +0100

Here is another article , this time from CNN, on the demise of youth in the church today. The author begins, “If you're the parent of a Christian teenager, Kenda Creasy Dean has this warning: Your child is following a "mutant" form of Christianity, and you may be responsible.... She says this "impostor'' faith is one reason teenagers abandon churches."'

Marriage Retreat Photos

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:01:16 +0100

For more photos Click Here

Big news from the IndoctriNation film project: $10,000 Matching Funds Opportunity!

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:17:18 +0100

One of the men in our church is producing a documentary film entitled "IndoctriNation: Public Schools and the Decline of Christianity in America" and will be hitting the road next week in a big yellow school bus with the homeschool family of filmmaker Colin Gunn and a small film crew. They will be traveling from Texas to Massachusetts and documenting the American tragedy of compulsory, statist education and its devastating effects on our faith, our families and our freedom.

A very generous donor has offered to match the next round of donations up to $10,000, which means that every dollar donated toward the production of the film will effectively be doubled. If you feel moved to donate to this important worldview and culture war project, this is the time to do it!

To make a donation and to watch a trailer for the film, visit www.indoctrinationmovie.com.

Florida Megachurch Ends Age-Segregated Worship

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:59:45 +0100

We have observed that there is broad discussion in the mainstream church regarding age segregation. Pastors who now embrace at least some of the principles of the sufficiency of scripture are questioning the practice like never before. I believe that in the next decade, we will see thousands of established churches abandon age segregation. I don't believe that this Florida church has abandoned age segregation in it's normal programming or youth ministry, but have at least on one level, have addressed it in the main worship gathering of the church.

The church, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, "recognized that many churches in the U.S. are following the lead of the advertising world by targeting specific age groups and employing the separate contemporary and traditional worship services model."

"'That may be good business but it's bad worship; it's bad church,' he stated plainly."

Outlining what we believe is the most important problem of age segregation in the church, he spoke of the unity of the body of Christ,

"He listed some of the drawbacks of segregated worship. In a traditional worship service, the church inadvertently communicates that God was more active in the past that He is in the present, he said. In a contemporary service, the church communicates that God is more active in the present than He was in the past. But a church must communicate God's 'timeless activity,' he indicated."

It was interesting that he made an unusual connection with racial segregation,

"The megachurch pastor also said he doesn't view separate worship services by style or age as any different from racial segregation, except that it's more subtle."

Hymn Writer Cowper - A Poem Against Age Segregated Public Education - 1784

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:19:05 +0100

William Cowper, friend of John Newton, the great hymn writer and poet was against age segregation and the rise of public schools. He wrote a VERY long poem in 1784 called, Tirocinium: A Review of Schools. Here he declares himself against public age segregated education. In the poem he identifies the foolishness of the kind of education that contradicts the Bible.

Here are some excerpts to give you a general feel for his message,

And, common sense diffusing real day,
The meteor of the gospel dies away. Such rhapsodies our shrewd discerning youth
Learn from expert inquirers after truth;
Whose only care, might truth presume to speak,
Is not to find what they profess to seek.
And thus, well tutored only while we share
A mother’s lectures and a nurse’s care;
And taught at schools much mythologic stuff
But sound religion sparingly enough
Our early notices of truth, disgraced,
Soon lose their credit, and are all effaced.
Would you your son should be a sot or dunce,
Lascivious, headstrong, or all these at once;
That in good time the stripling’s finished taste
For loose expense, and fashionable waste,
Should prove your ruin, and his own at last;
Train him in public with a mob of boys,
Childish in mischief only and in noise,
Else of a manish growth, and five in ten
In infidelity and lewdness men.
There shall he learn, ere sixteen winters old,
Tha authors are most usful pawned or sold;
That pedantry is all that schools impart,
But taverns teach the knowledge of the hart,
There waiter Dick, with Bacchanalian lays,
Shall win his heart, and have his drunken praise,
His counsellor and bosom friend shall prove,
And some street-pacing harlot his first love.
Schools, unless discipline were doubly strong,
Detain their adolescent charge too long;
The management of tyros of eighteen
Is difficult; their punishment obscene….

For public schools tis public folly feeds.
The slaves of custom and established mode,
With packhorse constancy we keep the road,
Cooked or straigh, through quags or thorny dells,
True to the jingling of our leader’s bells.
To follow foolish precedent, and wind
With both our eyes, is easier than to think;…

That youth takes pleasure in, to please his boy;
Then why why resign into a stranger’s hand
A task as much withing your own command,
That God and nature, and your interest too,
Seem with one voice to delegate to you?
We hire a lodging in a house unknown
For one whose tenderest thoughts all hover round your own?

Alas poor boy! – the natural effect
Of love by absence chilled into respect,
Say, what accomplishments, at school acquired,
Brings he, to sweeten fruits so undesired?
Thou well deserv’st an alienated son,
Unless thy conscious heart acknowledge – none;
None that, in thy domestic snug recess,
He has not made his own with more address,
Though some, perhaps, that shock thy feeling mind,
And better never learned, or left behind….”

And seems it nothing in a father’s eye,
That unimproved those many moments fly?
And is he will content his son should find
No nourishment to feed his growing mind
But conjugated verbs, and nouns declined?
For such is all the mental food purveyed
By public hackneys in the schooling trade;
Who feed a pupil’s intellect with store
Of Syntax. Truly, but with little more;
Dismiss themselves when they dismiss their flock,
Machines themselves, and governed by a clock.

To form thy son, to strike his genius forth;
Beneath thy roof, beneath thine eye, to prove
The force of discipline, when backed by love;
To double all thy pleasure in thy child,
His mind informed, his morals undefiled.
Safe under such a wing, the boy shall show
No spots contracted among grooms blow,
Nor taint his speech with meannesses, designed
By footman Tom for witty and refined.
There, in his commerce with the liv’ried herd,
Lurks the contagion chiefly to be feared”

Pull down the schools – what! – all the schools in the land;
Or throw them up to livery-nags and grooms,
Or turn them into shops and auction rooms.

Voddie Baucham Weighs in on Andreas Kostenbergers Chapter on FIC

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:29:32 +0100

Voddie ends his piece with these words, "One day someone is going to write an accurate assessment of the FIC. They are going to visit actual churches, talk to actual members and leaders, listen to actual sermons, and interact with actual statements. Unfortunately, today is not that day."

Absolute Dependence

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:09:46 +0100

Jonathan Edwards points out one of the wonderful effects of true awakening on people in the church - a sense of absolute dependence.

"The drift of the Spirit of God in his legal strivings with persons, has seemed most evidently to be, to make way for, and to bring to, a conviction of their absolute dependence on his sovereign power and grace, and universal necessity of a Mediator, by leading them more and more to a sense of their exceeding wickedness and guiltiness in his sight; the pollution and insufficiency of their own righteousness, that they can in no wise help themselves, and that God would be wholly just and righteous in rejecting them, and all that they do, and in casting them off forever: though there be a vast variety as to the manner and distinctness of persons convictions of these things." (Pg. 70, 71, The Jonathan Edwards Reader, Yale Nota Bene)

Two Effects of Awakening

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:02:55 +0100

Jonathan Edwards who personally experienced unusual seasons of awakening shows two effects as a pattern for awakenings,

“These awakenings when they have first seized on persons have had two effects: one was, that they have brought them immediately to quit their sinful practices, and the looser sort have been brought to forsake and dreaded heir former vices and extravagancies. When once the Spirit of God began to be so wonderfully poured out in a general way through the town, people had soon done with their old quarrels,backbitings, and intermeddling with other men's matters; the tavern was soon left empty, and persons kept very much at home; none went abroad unless on necessary business, or on some religious account, and every day seemed in many respects like a Sabbath day. And the other effect was that it put them on earnest application to the means of salvation - reading, prayer meditation, the ordinances of God's house, and private conference, their cry was "What shall we do to be saved?" The place of resort was now altered it was no longer the tavern, but the minister's house, that was thronged far more than ever the tavern had been wont to be.” (Pg. 68, The Jonathan Edwards Reader, Yale Nota Bene)

Marriage Weekend Starts Tomorrow

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:41:15 +0100

Tomorrow we start our marriage gathering and I am getting more excited by the hour. At this gathering we promote an intentional lifestyle that, prepares children for Gospel centered marriages. We begin the conference at the beginning - with the biblical doctrine of marriage, and how knowing and living it is the best marriage preparation you can give to your children. Once this is established, we answer dozens of practical questions regarding the marriages of our sons and daughters.

For example,

How do you make a marriage for the glory of God?

How do you equip children to be ready for marriage?

How do you help children identify potential spouses?

How do you connect with others who may be potential marriage partners?

How should young people should treat one another in the church?

How do you encourage young men to ready themselves during their single years?

How do you deploy and encourage your daughters during their single years?

How to prepare sons for headship in marriage?

What principles should be followed before the wedding day or before what people refer to as “courtship,” “engagement,” and “betrothal?” What do these terms mean and how should we think about them?

How do you conduct yourself while planning the wedding?

How do you become a godly in-law?

We pray that the legacy of our time together would result in the strengthening of our marriages and the forming of marriages among our children for the glory of God for many generations.

Nations are Nothing but a Collection of Families

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:53:26 +0100

In a day of extreme individualism and neglect of family life principles, it often helps to hear voices from the past. J.C. Ryle, in his commentary on the gospel of Matthew, writes about the extreme importance of families.

"It is difficult to overrate the importance of these two subjects. The well-being of nations, and the happiness of society, are closely connected with right views upon them. Nations are nothing but a collection of families. The good order of families depends entirely on keeping up the highest standard of respect for the marriage tie, and on the right training of children. We ought to be thankful, that on both these points, the great Head of the Church has pronounced judgment so clearly." J.C. Ryle

Check Justin Taylors Blog - Kostenberger on the Family-Integrated Church Movement

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:42:36 +0100

Justin Taylor recently posted an excerpt from the new chapter on the family integrated church movement in Andraeus Kostenbergers latest revision of God, Marriage and Family.

"While we share a deep conviction as to the importance of the family, we are committed to the biblical foundation for marriage and the family, and this includes a sound grasp of the New Testament teaching regarding the church. It is our tentative assessment that the family-integrated approach as defined below has elevated the family to an unduly high status that is unwarranted in light of the biblical teaching on the subject and that its view of the church as a “family of families” is not sufficiently supported by Scripture."

Statements like this come from people who have not done their homework and who disregard the true positions of the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches. Read the Comments thread in Justin Taylors blog for illumination.

The truth is, the family-integrated church movement is being led primarily by confessional baptists and Presbyterians who understand and preach the centrality of the gospel, the importance of the local church and who also who are attempting to honor the only explicitly biblical pattern of discipleship which is age-integrated.

Not so Pure Yet...

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:46:01 +0100

Jonathan Edwards notes that no matter how wonderful and transforming awakenings are, there is still resident sins and the common human weaknesses that follow us, which may cause stimulate scorn among onlookers,

“We are not so pure, but that we have great cause to be humbled and ashamed that we are so impure; not so religious, but that those that watch out for halting may see things in us whence they may take occasion to reproach us and religion: but in the main, there has been a great and marvelous work of conversion and sanctification among the people here; and they have paid all due respects to those who have been blessed of God to be in instruments of it. Both old and young have shown a forwardness to hearken not only to my counsels, but even to my reproofs from the pulpit.” (Pg. 86, The Jonathan Edwards Reader, Yale Nota Bene)

Man Abased and God Exalted

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:40:21 +0100

We want nothing but to behold the glory of God and to see him exalted by all, and everywhere, to be happy. When I read the descriptions of the heavenly world, I see nothing so prominent as these two great truths: Man abased and God exalted….Behold! ‘what hath God wrought?’ – Gardiner Spring, quoted in Iain Murray, Revival and Revivalism: The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism 1750-1858, p. 345

Life of Washington Tour, Sept. 6 - 11

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 17:27:28 +0100

In September, Hope Baptist Church is traveling to study the history of this country around the time of the founding fathers by considering the life of George Washington. By putting people on a bus together, we have an opportunity to encourage and fellowship together as we examine God's providential hand in history. Because we still have some open seats, we are opening it up to other people who would like to join us. It is an opportunity to see places like Philadelphia, Trenton, Mount Vernon and much more. The trip is from September 6th to 11th. We leave early Monday morning from Wake Forest and return Saturday afternoon. The cost is $200 per adult and $175 per child. Lap children are free. This does not include the hotel which is approximately $65 per room per night, but it does include all transportation, entrance fees and all the meals except for three dinners. If it would be beneficial to you and your family, please come join us. You can view the schedule or a brochure and sign up here. The deadline for registering is August 30.

The Unbiblical Morass of Modern Youth Ministry

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:25:48 +0100

Tracking the downfall of modern youth ministry is regularly in the news today, and even mainstream news outlets seem to think that it is big enough news to report on it. Today, the Wall Street Journal helps to chronicle the unbiblical morass that characterizes much of modern youth ministry. Of course there is a reform movement in youth ministry that seeks to be God centered and so you can't lump all into one. But the WSJ piece entitled, "The Perils of 'Wannabe Cool' Christianity," reveals the philosophical center of much of youth ministry that is disconnected from biblical government. The author declares, "'How can we stop the oil gusher?' may have been the question of the summer for most Americans. Yet for many evangelical pastors and leaders, the leaking well is nothing compared to the threat posed by an ongoing gusher of a different sort: Young people pouring out of their churches, never to return.

Statistics like these have created something of a mania in recent years, as baby-boomer evangelical leaders frantically assess what they have done wrong (why didn't megachurches work to attract youth in the long term?) and scramble to figure out a plan to keep young members engaged in the life of the church.

Increasingly, the "plan" has taken the form of a total image overhaul, where efforts are made to rebrand Christianity as hip, countercultural, relevant. As a result, in the early 2000s, we got something called "the emerging church"—a sort of postmodern stab at an evangelical reform movement. Perhaps because it was too "let's rethink everything" radical, it fizzled quickly. But the impulse behind it—to rehabilitate Christianity's image and make it "cool"—remains."

Teens Tell Churches - Bye Bye - Forget your Pizza Parties

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:22:30 +0100

The collapse of modern youth ministry is reaching legendary proportions and people want to talk about how to fix it. Nearly everyone agrees it is severely broken, but not everyone has the same answer. USA Today reporters Cathy Lynn Grossman and Stephanie Steinberg have an article documenting one of the current challenges - shrinking youth groups and a shrinking youth summer camp industry.

They report, "Only about one in four teens now participate in church youth groups, considered the hallmark of involvement; numbers have been flat since 1999. Other measures of religiosity — prayer, Bible reading and going to church — lag as well, according to Barna Group, a Ventura, Calif., evangelical research company. This all has churches canceling their summer teen camps and youth pastors looking worriedly toward the fall, when school-year youth groups kick in."

Seemingly, even the high octane entertainment is not enough, "'Talking to God may be losing out to Facebook,' says Barna president David Kinnaman."

The problem for churches, who have built their ministries on youth groups is significant. "Sweet 16 is not a sweet spot for churches. It's the age teens typically drop out," says Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, which found the turning point in a study of church dropouts. "A decade ago teens were coming to church youth group to play, coming for the entertainment, coming for the pizza. They're not even coming for the pizza anymore. They say, 'We don't see the church as relevant, as meeting our needs or where we need to be today.' "

A Nation In the Jaws of the Culture of Death - 2% of all Dutch Deaths Caused by Euthanasia

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:48:56 +0100

In a startling report, the Globe and Mail says that death by euthanasia has risen 13% during the last year and now makes up fully 2% of all deaths in the country. They are now considering "End of Life Clinics" or dedicated euthanasia hospitals.

How Sovereign Is God?

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:32:33 +0100

Here Spurgeon speaks on how sovereign God actually is,

"I believe that every particle of dust that dances in the sunbeam does not move an atom more or less than God wishes—

that every particle of spray that dashes against the steamboat has its orbit, as well as the sun in the heavens—

that the chaff from the hand of the winnower is steered as the stars in their courses.

The creeping of an aphid over the rosebud is as much fixed as the march of the devastating pestilence—

the fall of sere leaves from a poplar is as fully ordained as the tumbling of an avalanche."

Resources Available for Love the Church

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:51:00 +0100

Love the Church Conference Registration is now open. If you would like to help us promote the LTC Conference, the following are some resources that you may give to your friends or use in your local church.

(Right Click and Select "Save Link As" to Download)

Flyer (8.5x11)

Poster (24x36

Congregations Gone Wild - Bending the Church to the Cravings of Man

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:27:30 +0100

The New York Times recently reported on a phenomena - Congregations Gone Wild - in church life that is causing turmoil in churches and hardship among ministers. The author, Jeffrey MacDonald says that the heart of the matter is, "congregational pressure to forsake one's highest calling." It stems from churches which have become so user and consumer friendly that they bow to pressure to provide what the consumers want - entertainment. It is marked by "theater-style seating and giant projection screens in churches and in mission trips that involve more sightseeing than listening to the people."

The result is pastors often have to choose between the calling of God and the preferences of people who have corrupt affections. It is problematic because you have churches that are not governed by the affections of God, but by the affections of men who cry out for specific cravings, "give us the comforting, amusing fare we want or we’ll get our spiritual leadership from someone else."

The Duty of the Sabbath

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:32:00 +0100

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Steve Breagy delivers a message on the duty of keeping the Lord's Day.

A School Principal's Letter of Resignation

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:05:00 +0100

My friend Mike Metarko recently resigned his post as principal of Hanover Elementary School in Bethlehem, PA.

His resignation letter tells the story of why he would do such a radical thing and abandon what has been his livelihood for many years.

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with strong conviction that I write this letter as my formal resignation effective Thursday, July 1, 2010 from my position as Principal of Hanover Elementary School, where I have devoted the last five of my 14 years in the Bethlehem Area School District. Though there is no job at present to which I will be going, God has clearly persuaded me through His Word and through my research into the foundations of our educational system that I must end my career in public education.

For the last fourteen years, I have worked diligently to be the “salt and light” spoken of in Matthew 5:13, but I have realized that while I am plugging up pinholes in the dike that holds back the tumultuous waters of public education, the improperly laid foundation has been eroding beneath our feet. God states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7a). This means that neither God nor moral character can be separated from true education; in fact, the glorification of God and the building of Biblical moral character must be the basis of true education. In the words of Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, “We profess to be republicans [in form of government], and yet we neglect the only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican forms of government, that is, the universal education of our youth in the principles of Christianity by the means of the Bible. For this Divine Book, above all others, favors that equality among mankind, that respect for just laws, and those sober and frugal virtues, which constitute the soul of republicanism.”

But what have we done? We have thrown God, Bibles and prayer out of our schools based upon an inaccurate interpretation of the “Separation clause”, while openly proselytizing the religion of Secular Humanism (Smith v. Board of School Commissioners of Mobile County, Ala). We have divorced morality from education and focused only on what special interest groups perceive as the “right” content knowledge. We manage the masses at the expense of the individual. As with most educators in the system, I have been sincere in my efforts to apply the doctrines of those we call the founding fathers of education, but I have realized that I have been sincerely wrong. My research into the real philosophies and beliefs behind men such as Rousseau, Dewey, Hall, etc. has opened my eyes. I am now aware that not only have I not been working for God, I have been working in complete opposition to Him. I mistakenly thought I was on neutral ground: there is no neutral territory.

That said; let me assure you that my argument is not against those I have worked with for the past 14 years. I have a love for my colleagues and friends; most are wonderful teachers of a curriculum they have been given, most truly love the children and will do anything for them, most sincerely try to improve our children, our city, our nation. But we have all taken our eye off the mark of what the chief end of man is. The nation’s statist system of public education is the real issue.

The Bible is overwhelmingly clear in that the primary responsibility in educating a child rests with the parents (Deuteronomy 6, Ephesians 6:4, etc.). We need parents to be parents once again, families to be families once again, fathers to be the father and leader, mothers to be the mother and nurturer. It does not “take a village to raise a child”; it takes a family entrusted with the Word of God. Our children are not to be wards of the State; on the contrary, they are creations of a God of love, justice, and redemption who loves us so much He sent Christ to die for us so that if we believe in Him and profess Him as Lord and Savior, He will grant us eternal life. He does not need us, but we need Him. He has given us the roadmap to life and to education: the Bible. I pray that He may manifest Himself in your life as he has clearly done so in mine.

Respectfully,

Michael J. Metarko

Our Marriages and the Marriages of Our Sons and Daughters

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 18:21:54 +0100

We are fast approaching this retreat on August 20-21 and registration is almost full. Click here for more information on this wonderful conference.

For a wonderful place to stay right here in Wake Forest, check out the Lions Gate Inn.

A Controversial Film on the Way: IndoctriNation

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:54:34 +0100

IndoctriNation from IndoctriNation on Vimeo.

Check out the website of an upcoming film, IndoctriNation: Public Schools and the Decline of Christianity in America, which exposes the true nature of our public education system.

George Whitefield on Education

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:53:26 +0100

When I was about twelve, I was placed at a school called St. Mary de Crypt, in Gloucester – the last grammar school I ever went to… And I cannot but here observe, with much concern of mind, how this way of training up youth has a natural tendency to debauch the mind, to raise ill passions and to stuff the memory with things as contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ, as light to darkness, heaven to Hell. However, though the first thing I had to repent of was my education in general…’

The life and Times of George Whitefield, by Arnold Dallimore, p48

In Times of Awakening, Some are Slower

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:05:18 +0100

“Others have awakenings that come upon them more gradually; they begin at first to be something more thoughtful and considerate, so as to come to a conclusion in their minds that 'tis their best and wisest way to delay no longer, but to improve the present opportunity; and have accordingly set themselves seriously to meditate on those things that have the most awakening tendency, on purpose to obtain convictions; and so their awakenings have increased, till a sense of their misery, by God's Spirit setting in therewith, has had fast hold of them.” (Pg. 68, The Jonathan Edwards Reader, Yale Nota Bene)

Taylor Tsantles and Blair Brown - Betrothed to be Married

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:18:06 +0100

Last Friday, our daughter Blair was betrothed to Taylor Tsantles. The wedding has been scheduled for November 6, 2010.

Many of you have met Taylor because he has traveled extensively with me over the past four years and was the best man in my son David's wedding. He and I have been very close partners in ministry ever since he arrived in Wake Forest. God has given us a very special unity of heart in matters of church and family life and he is always a joy to be around - he is a cheerful and gregarious young man.

He was only thirteen years old when he came to Hope Baptist and from the moment he arrived he and I worked closely together. He is in the web and graphic design business, Steadfast Designs. He has been an intern at Hope Baptist Church and has always proven himself to be consistent with what Paul said young men should be, "in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you." Titus 2:6-8

This is a very special time of joy for the Brown and Tsantles families. Our church family is especially giddy as they have been watching these two seek to glorify the Lord in the days of their youth.

For Temporal and Eternal Security

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:54:21 +0100

This past week our family read Psalm 47:4 which tells us of our temporal and eternal security,

"He will choose our inheritance for us."

Persecution - NOT for Righteousness Sake

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:20:30 +0100

Mike McKinley of 9 Marks has an important post on persecution that comes for the wrong reason,

He responds to Acts 5:41, saying,

"We read that after the apostles had the tar beaten out of them: Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

As believers, we are necessarilly going to have a lot of distance between us and those who don't follow Christ. We live differently, love differntly, hope differntely. We're citizens of a different country.

But it might be helpful if we limit the distance between us and the world in a lot of other ways. We don't have to flaunt our lack of a TV and be weird and preachy about grinding your own grain. That only serves to put unnecessary distance between us and the people we're trying to reach. Instead, we should try to engage the world around us, know what our neighbors care about, and try to inhabit the same universe they do.

If they are going to persecute us, let us at least be for things that really have something to do with being a Christian."

Breaking the Sabbath

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 06:00:00 +0100

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Dan Horn delivers a message on the Sabbath Day from Nehemiah 13:15-22.

Safety throughout 36,000 miles of travel

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:22:25 +0100

The Road Trip for Reforming Church and Family took us over 12,000 miles – half the distance of the circumference of the earth. My uncle who has always owned motorhomes says that they break down every 300 miles… We had 3 motorhomes. Do the math. Even though we had no “major” problems, we replaced lots of parts at almost every stop to keep us running down the road. But, we were grateful that the Lord always had a mechanic nearby or a church or an individual who fixed them for us. In this sense, the Road Trip was the NCFIC’s stimulus package for the small mechanics of America. We had something to fix at every stop along the way.

We were astonished to look back and see that we had no accidents, no dents, no flat tires, no major repairs (like blown motors and transmissions), and were never stuck in a bad place on the road. We made it to all of our appointments.

I marvel at the safety God has afforded us. These lumbering, swaying old motorhomes are much safer than the Mayflower and the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. But, they still scared me when we were passed by eighteen wheelers with what seemed to be only inches of margin. We have traveled all these miles without any mishaps and I am praising God for this. Safety was my only real concern about the trip.

Rising Trend – Home Church: Skip the sermon, worship at home

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:01:52 +0100

AP Writer, Linda Stewart Ball recently reported on a rising phenomena – leaderless unstructured, do as you please home churches. The NCFIC has consistently spoken against these kinds of churches – click here to listen to this audio message, “What about Home Churching.” While scripture makes it clear that the location of the meeting may be in a home, it is the structure and practice that defines a true church.

She writes of this increasingly common situation,

“To get to church on a recent Sunday morning, the Yeldell family walked no farther than their own living room to greet fellow worshipers.

“The members of this "house church" are part of what experts say is a fundamental shift in the way U.S. Christians think about church. Skip the sermons, costly church buildings and large, faceless crowds, they say. House church is about relationships forged in small faith communities.

In general, house churches consist of 12 to 15 people who share what's going on in their lives, often turning to Scriptures for guidance. They rely on the Holy Spirit or spontaneity to lead the direction of their weekly gatherings.”

The author quotes church leader Ed Stetzer who speaks of why this might be happening. He says, "I think part of the appeal for some in the house church movement is the desire to return to a simpler expression of church," said Ed Stetzer, a seminary professor and president of Lifeway Research, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. "For many, church has become too much (like a) business while they just want to live like the Bible."

Perhaps this is true for some, but my view is that in many cases, the real reason is that they have one - or more - of several critical problems. First, it may be that they possess a very unbiblical understanding of the local church as Scripture defines it. In this case their real problem is ignorance. The biblical ignorance in the American church is legendary. It is filled with people who have never sought out important matters that are explicitly described in Scripture. Second, it may simply be rebellion - a rejection of the jurisdiction and authority of the local church which God has established. Or, perhaps they are really unbelievers who really care nothing for the pattern God has instituted in the Bible because they ultimately care nothing of God Himself, but instead seek what makes them feel happy and at ease.

Whether it is ignorance or rebellion, our counsel is that people involved in these kinds of gatherings should flee to the institutional churches which maintain biblical practices, appoint biblically qualified leaders and who practice biblical discipline.

Remarkable Forces Operating in Church and Family Life

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:21:04 +0100

We have been asked many times to sum up what we saw and learned on the NCFIC Road Trip. Here are nine unusual realities we faced that reflect some of the forces at work around the nation.

I. Massive changes are taking place in many lives

There are seismic lifestyle shifts that are taking place in people’s lives all around the nation. They are megashift level transformations. People are changing the most significant areas of their lives – education, family life and church life. When you change the way you educate the younger generation, rejecting the government school method, everything about your life changes. If a father begins to conduct family worship, his whole schedule and value system for time allocation changes. When a family begins to be part of a church more than just on Sunday, but begins to show hospitality and mercy in the community, the whole priority system of the family schedule changes. We saw these massive lifestyle changes everywhere we went.

These changes are so profoundly transforming that those who are experiencing them are living lifestyles totally unrecognizable in the mainstream population.

These changes are so jarring, and so socially unusual to those who exhibit them, that they are almost always met with disdain and slander, even though they are explicitly Christian patterns.

One clear sign of a revival is that people’s lives change. A mark of true conversion is that people repent of pagan ways and turn to the living God by changing the way they live.

II. “Power families”

Everywhere we went we saw a particular kind of family in action. I am calling them “power families.” These families dedicated significant resources to serving the church in their communities. They cared about their communities, friends, pastors, and former pastors. They invited their whole community to come and then worked like beavers to make it a pleasant experience.

They advertised, organized, set up, and cleaned up. They fed hordes of people delicious food. We saw whole families working together to furnish these meetings. Instead of outsourcing these things to catering companies and other professionals, they did it themselves with every family member shouldering responsibility.

When we arrived we saw these hospitality machines cranking up. It was inspiring to see what an influence a family can have on a whole community. They organized events where people drove as far as eight hours to participate.

It was faithful, diligent families in local churches that made our regional meetings work.

These families are like beacons of light in their regions. They worked hard. They had a vision for reaching the people in their communities.

III. Progressive sanctification

It became clear to us that many of the churches that affiliate with us are getting stronger. This was one of the great joys of the trip. We saw that churches are adopting the principle of the sufficiency of Scripture and applying it to their church and family lives. As a result, they are working to progressively establish churches on the Word of God alone. They are adopting historic confessions of faith, engaging in expository preaching, implementing biblical church discipline and are growing in their understanding of how to apply the regulative principle of worship in their churches.

Some churches in these regions used to be what we have called “unbiblical, leaderless house churches.” Others were practicing what some call, “home churching” where a family or a loose collection of people meet yet without the marks of a biblical church. For many years, we have attempted to speak to these unbiblical expressions in Christian culture.

What encouraged us was that some of the churches we were at were in this condition even three years ago. But since they have adopted the principle of the sufficiency of Scripture, they have become biblical churches by patterning themselves to biblical practices.

IV. Leaders Heeding Biblical instruction regarding ecclesiology

We met many men along the way who are involved in our online webinar elder discipleship program. It was a joy to meet these men face to face. But our joy was supercharged by the fact that these men are attempting to put the things we are teaching into practice.

Our elder discipleship program attempts to cast a vision for biblical church life by reading books and discussing critical issues of church and family life.

V. Relationships bound together across America

We saw how God has knit a people together across the whole nation around biblical principles of church and family life. We saw how people were being connected via our web site and yearly conferences. While one of the motorhomes had to stay behind for repairs, our young men were able to stay with two families listed on the NCFIC web site – one in Wyoming and the other in Arkansas. One of those young men, Ryan Glick says, “one of the best parts of the Road trip was getting left behind… there was always a family within fifteen minutes or less. Most of them had never been to an NCFIC conference and had only seen our info online.” They ministered to Ryan by showing him hospitality giving him a place to stay, and feeding him until the vehicle was repaired. These families, though they had never met any of us personally, were kind enough to shower us with blessings.

VI. Hunger for answers

Extended times of personal interaction were the norm. We had many hours of Q&A time that revealed the longings, trials, and challenges that people are facing in matters of church and family life. Unfortunately, we never had enough time as the nights did not contain enough minutes for all of the questions people had.

Everywhere we went, the people were extremely attentive and interested in the message. I was surprised over and over again at the passion which was expressed.

There was significant diversity among the attendees. Some were thoroughly familiar with our message. Others were just realizing these things. Some had concerns and others were upset by the message and were not afraid to say so.

My prayer for these times was that Proverbs 15:28 would be fulfilled, “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer,” and that the experience would reflect Proverbs 15:23, “A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is.”

VII. Bonds of love with young men across America

We were privileged with wonderful reunions with our former NCFIC interns from around the nation. This was such a happiness for us. We saw all except one of our former interns on the Road Trip. Our hearts burned within us that we could be together again. Our love for these young men was born out of service together in Wake Forest and at Hope Baptist Church. The memories flooded our minds and we were so thankful to be with these faithful and dear young men.

VIII. Eye opening personal testimonies with a common thread

We conducted many interviews with people in the cities we visited. These were stories of individual, family and church reformation. We interviewed pastors, youth pastors and individuals. The most consistent story we heard in the interviews went like this. A father is saying, “5 years ago we started reading the Word of God to my family and now our family is completely changed.” The testimonies bore witness to the power of the Word of God to change lives.

IX. The exegetical arguments against age segregation are gaining traction nationally

We spoke to many pastors and youth pastors who have come to the conclusion that age segregated youth ministry is unbiblical and should be abandoned. The discussion on this issue has been broadened significantly in the past three years. Two things have happened. There has been broad recognition that youth ministry is severely broken. Nearly everyone agrees with this proposition. This was not the case several years ago. Second, the exegetical arguments against age-segregation are being recognized. Now, for the first time in my lifetime, there are many within mainstream evangelicalism who are recognizing the difficulty of skirting the exegetical argument. The argument is this: there is not a shred of evidence for age-segregated ministry anywhere in the Bible. We were thankful to announce and show the trailer of our upcoming youth ministry film – Segregation! – A Critical Analysis of the Modern Youth Ministry Movement during the road trip. We hope to release the film this fall.

The Seven Signs of True Revival

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:07:37 +0100

Iain Murray in his very helpful book, "Revival and Revivalism" shows what genuine awakenings look like. We read this book for our "elder discipleship" webinar program during the month of July. He offers these seven signs.

1. The revival has made its appearance in various places, without any extraordinary means to produce it.

2. As far as I can see, there appears to be in the subjects of this work a deep, heart humbling sense of the great unreasonableness, abominable nature, pernicious effects and deadly consequences of sin…

3. They appear to have a lively and very affecting view of the infinite condescension and love of God the father…

4. They seem to me to have a very deep and affecting sense of the worth of immortal souls, ardent love for them, and an agonizing concern for their conviction, conversion, and complete salvation….This love, this compassion, this ardent desire for the salvation of sinful men and for Zion’s prosperity, far exceed any thing I have ever seen.

5. A considerable number of individuals appear to me to be greatly reformed in their morals.

6. A number of families, who lived apparently without the fear of God, in folly and in vice, without any religious instruction or any proper government, are now reduced to order, and are daily joining in worship of God, reading his word, singing his praises, and offering up supplications to a throne of grace…

7. The subjects of this work appear to be very sensible of the necessity of Sanctification as well as Justification, and that ‘without holiness no man can see the Lord.’

Iain Murray, Revival and Revivalism: The making and Marring of American Evangelicalism 1750-1858, (Banner of Truth Trust, reprinted 2004), p. 157-158

We Gave Many Messages Related to the Reformation of Church and Family Life

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:04:10 +0100

Here were the messages we brought:

Common Infections in Family-Integrated Churches, Scott Brown
We Are in a Time of Reformation, Scott Brown
How to Build a God-Centered Family, Scott Brown
What Happens to Those Who Tear Down Their Father’s Idols, Scott Brown
Preparing Sons and Daughters for Marriage and Dominion, Scott Brown
God Forbid that I Should Boast Except in the Cross of Christ, Scott Brown
Family Worship, Scott Brown
The Glory of God is the Center of the Church, Scott Brown
Biblical Youth Ministry – What It Is and What It Is Not, Peter Bradrick
A Charge to Young Men, Peter Bradrick
Be Fruitful and Multiply, Craig Houston
Fitly Formed Together, Craig Houston
Members of One Another, Dan Horn
Why Doctrine Matters in Church Life, Dan Horn
The Indispensable Center of Church and Family Reformation, Dan Horn
Reforming Worship, Exodus 32 Jason Young
Do the Word, James 1:21-25, Jason Young
Always Reforming, Steve Gruitzius
Living Stones Built Together, Gary Powers
A Discussion for Applying Proverbs 31, Deborah, Monica, Blair and Claudia Brown and Kelly Bradrick

Affirm one another, share with one another and serve one another in a local church

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:04:50 +0100

How do you affirm one another, share with one another and serve one another in a local church? Justin Taylor passes on a helpful way of understanding the various categories of the "one another's" in the New Testament, by citing Timothy Keller's categorization, Gospel in Life Study Guide.

Affirm

1. Affirm one another’s strengths, abilities, and gifts.

Romans 12:10: “Honor one another”
James 5:9: “Don’t grumble against each other”
Romans 12:3-8: Confirm the gifts of one another

2. Affirm one another’s equal importance in Christ.

Romans 15:7: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you”
1 Corinthians 12:25: “Have equal concern for each other”
1 Peter 5:5: “Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another”
James 2:1: “Don’t show favoritism”

3. Affirm one another through visible affection.

Romans 16:16: “Greet one another with a holy kiss”
James 1:19: “Be quick to listen, slow to speak”
Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another”
1 Thessalonians 3:12: “[May] your love increase and overflow for each other”

Share

4. Share one another’s space, goods, and time.

Romans 12:10: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love”
1 Peter 4:9: “Offer hospitality to one another”
Galatians 6:10: “As we have opportunity, let us do good”

5. Share one another’s needs and problems.

Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other’s burdens”
1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Encourage one another”
Hebrews 3:13: “Encourage one another daily”

6. Share one another’s beliefs, thinking, and spirituality.

Colossians 3:16: “Teach and admonish one another”
Ephesians 5:19: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs”
Romans 12:16: “Live in harmony with one another”
1 Corinthians 1:10: “Agree with one another”

Serve 7. Serve one another through accountability.

James 5:16: “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other”
Romans 15:14: “Instruct one another”
Ephesians 4:25: “Speak truthfully”

8. Serve one another through forgiveness and reconciliation.

Ephesians 4:2: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love”
Colossians 3:13: “Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another”
Galatians 5:25: Don’t provoke or envy one another
James 4:11: “Do not slander one another”
Matthew 5:23-24; 18:15: Reestablish broken relationships with one another

9. Serve one another’s interests rather than our own.

Hebrews 10:24: “spur one another on toward love and good deeds”
Romans 15:1-2: Don’t please yourself but please others
Galatians 5:13: “Serve one another”

The Road Trip Team and What They Did

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:37:24 +0100

The Road Trip Team was a wonderful picture of the body of Christ functioning together. The division of labor worked very well as we had what seemed the perfect team with all the right skills mixing together.

Here is how the team members functioned.

	Deborah Brown spoke at the ladies teas and coordinated the messages that her daughters delivered. She bounced her grandsons on her knees while preparing food for all the motorhomes on the road so we could keep moving. She kept everyones spirits alive with her natural cheerfulness, mercy and love. And… hardly breaking a sweat, did laundry for seventeen travelers on the weekends.
	Claudia Brown spoke at ladies teas, helped Debobrah with everything, and ran the book table. She was our supreme booktable sales person because she had edited most of the books and could tell customers what the books were all about.
	Blair Brown ran registration, took lots of pictures, spoke at ladies teas and helped Deborah with her duties.
	David Brown was the administrative mastermind. Every day, we reaped rewards for David’s forethought many months before departure. He set forth a fantastic logistical program. The equipment, the schedule, the team was very well conceived.
	Monica Brown, David’s wife of three months Spoke at ladies teas, had her hands full with her husband… gets the flexibility award for having to share her new husband with a bunch of grungy guys in her motorhome, and carried her new baby with joy.
	Peter Bradrick was the jack of all trades as a speaker, Master of Ceremonies, interviewer, singer, and front man for coordination with contacts up ahead.
	Kelly Bradrick: was busy speaking at the ladies teas, and keeping her little boys functioning.
	Triumph Perseverance Bradrick, age 3 was the Memory Verse Guy, who also gets the award for being the happiest when the sickest.
	Knox Defender Bradrick, age 2 popularized his trademark by greeting and hand shaking everyone within five feet, in a way only Knox can do.
	Loyal Cromwell Bradrick, age 6 mos: was the sweetest, blue eyed, happy, loyal baby there ever was.
	Nic Ruiz was our tireless videographer, shooting interviews, main sessions at the meetings and editing during the drive times in between. He also had opportunity to share the testimony of his conversion.
	Juan Ruiz was busy with setting up, videotaping, and transcribing messages and Q&A Sessions at the speed of 90 wpm.
	Tyler Dorin our Fall intern, joined us early to help us with logistical needs including driving almost 12,000 miles, setting up, maintaining motorhomes, taking pictures and just being Tyler, a delightful conversationalist.
	Ryan Glick was another of the three tireless drivers. He was our nature photographer, roadie and blogger.
	Matthew Jackson flew into Chicago to be our mechanical genius. He kept every vehicle checked at each stop. Not only did he keep the vehicles hydrated and oiled, but he also pulled some of the better practical jokes along the way.
	Taylor Tsantles was my personal assistant blogging and making and changing my powerpoints. He was another of our tireless drivers who drove approximately 95% of the miles. He was a faithful servant, conversationalist and photographer. He spoke at the meetings, wrote blogs for me, led singing and all manner of platform responsibilities.
	Stephen Bradrick was a constant help, by fixing and servicing and hauling and doing whatever was needed until he swapped places with Matthew Jackson in Chicago.
	Stephen Sides held down the fort for us in Wake Forest, greasing the skids, shipping packages, handling online orders, and keeping the book and CD sales going.

Our Road Trip Theme Song

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:38:00 +0100

We had the joy of singing a song that Peter Bradrick’s family used to sing when they were traveling to home school conferences around the nation.

Cheer up ye saints of God, there’s nothing to worry about
Nothing to make you feel afraid, nothing to make you doubt (some sing “pout”)
Remember Jesus never fails so why not trust Him and shout
You’ll be sorry you worried at all tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow mornin’
Tomorrow mornin’
You’ll be sorry you worried at all tomorrow morning.

Five Road Trip Objectives

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:04:03 +0100

First, to rejoice in a reformation that is taking place before our eyes.

Second, to document what we believe is a modern reformation by recording first hand accounts of what God has done. We wanted to verify what we believed to be a modern reformation of the way Christians lived out their faith. We were able to see clearly that there are changes taking place in peoples’ lives that have not happened in at least fifty years.

Third, to visit churches on their home turf. Our conferences are often far away and we have said many times, “come to Wake Forest or St. Louis…” This year we said, “we are coming to your church.”

Since we have spent the past nine years of ministry to churches and families, we wanted to encourage those with whom we have had relationships and dialog over the years.

Fourth, to cast a vision for biblical church and family life by issuing a call for humility before the Word of God and for courage to obey Scripture alone. We hoped we would have the opportunity to speak personally with those who might be operating unbiblical churches or who are unclear about ecclesiology and appeal to them to consider their practices.

Fifth, to preach the gospel, appealing to the Lord to save the younger generation by giving them strength to repent and to be converted. There are many who have grown up in godly homes who have not yet been converted and we prayed that God would use us to proclaim the gospel.

Why Observe the Sabbath? - Jonathan Edwards Speaks

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 11:50:38 +0100

Jonathan Edwards in his sermon, "The Perpetuity of the Sabbath" makes his case for God's requirement of sabbath keeping and in the statement below, gives one of the reasons we ought to observe the sabbath,

"By a strict observance of the sabbath, the face of religion is kept up in the world. If it were not for the sabbath, there would be but little public and visible appearance of serving, worshipping, and reverencing the supreme and invisible Being. The sabbath seems to have been appointed very much for this end, viz. to uphold the visibility of religion in public, or among professing societies of men; and by how much greater the strictness is with which the sabbath is observed, and with how much more solemnity the duties of it are observed among a people; by so much the greater is the manifestation among them of respect to the Divine Being.

This should be a powerful motive with us to the observation of the sabbath. It should be our study above all things to honour and glorify God. It should be the great thing with all that bear the name of Christians, to honour their great God and King, and I hope is a great thing with many that hear me at this time. If it be your inquiry, if it be your desire, to honour God; by this subject you are directed to one way whereby you may do much in that way, viz. by honouring the sabbath, and by showing a careful and strict observance of it."

The Road Trip Was Organized Around Five Regional Conferences with Stops in Between

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:48:10 +0100

We organized the Reforming Church and Family Road Trip around five weekend regional conferences (Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Phoneix and Atlanta) and made as many stops in between them as we could.

There are approximately 700 churches currently affiliated with the NCFIC and we were able to get within driving distance of most of them. Most of these churches have emerged within the last decade and are part of what we believe is one of the many reformational influences in American Christian landscape.

Road Trip Stats

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:11:31 +0100

We just recently returned from our Road Trip Across America for Reforming Church and Family. Our hearts are full of precious memories of this unusual trip. Here are the stats:

* We started on May 30 and ended on July 13.

* We traveled in three “vintage” RV’s and pulled a 1970s pop up camper.

* The oldest RV (1984) had the fewest repairs.

* There were seventeen of us, including three whole families and six single young men.

* We visited seventeen churches and families who are affiliated with the NCFIC.

* We traveled 12,000 miles, equivalent to half the circumference of the earth, or totaling the mileage from all three RV’s, 1.5 times the circumference of the earth.

* We spoke to approximately 5000 people in gatherings that ranged in size from 25-375.

* We had no flat tires.

* We were never stuck in a bad part of the road.

* We needed no major repairs (engines or transmissions), just smaller ticket items like alternators and brakes.

* We replaced many parts on the RV’s putting them in better shape than ever.

A New Film in Progress

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:05:57 +0100

Segregation from NCFIC on Vimeo.

I am writing today to ask for your prayers and assistance as we now turn our attention to making Segregation, a documentary film investigating the problems with modern youth ministry and the solution of biblical youth ministry found in the Word of God.

The Storyline

The storyline of the documentary follows young Christian film maker, Philip Leclerc, around the nation as he seeks answers to what has happened to the Christian youth in his generation.

Philip’s journey takes him from talking to kids in local youth groups, to documenting popular youth events, interviewing national youth ministry leaders, listening to youth pastors, and finally to meeting with a growing number of pastors and elders who are entirely abandoning the modern method of age-segregated Sunday school and youth ministry.

Along the way, Philip also interviews youth pastors who have come to see the futility of using the world's methods of teaching children in the church. These youth pastors have fled age-segregated youth ministry after realizing that no leader in scripture ever practiced age-segregated ministry and that the practice is foreign to Scripture.

The truth is shocking. Statistics suggest that between 65% and 85% of "Christian" youth leave the church when they enter college. Our interviews confirm this over and over again. And yet, while the gurus of modern youth ministry agree that there is disaster in the church, Philip finds that their response is only to prescribe various modifications to the current model. Realizing the utter brokenness of the entire establishment, he goes in search of the origins of modern youth ministry, how we got to where we are today, and, most significantly, what the Bible says about ministry to youth. The exciting reality is that God has prescribed a perfect model of youth ministry, all we have to do is put it into practice.

Our Message

Our message is clear. Like Nehemiah, we must fall on our faces before the Lord, repent for our sins and the sins of our nation, and turn to the Word of God in humble obedience. Then we must fearlessly proclaim the sufficiency of God's Word for youth ministry and our responsibility to obey. This is the essence of Segregation! This film explains the problem in the modern American church – a rejection of the sufficiency of Scripture – and shows how we got here through compromise. We then present the solution in the Word of God and issue a passionate plea to fathers and pastors to return to God's model of training children in the church.

Why Now?

We believe that the time is ripe to make this film for many reasons.

The failure of modern youth ministry is a discussion that has become front and center in the evangelical community. However, while the problem has been identified, few are answering with clear exegetical arguments. My proposal is that there is not a shred of evidence for age-segregated ministry anywhere in the Bible and not a single godly leader in biblical history ever practiced it. So far, I have not received one credible exegetical argument against this proposition.

Now is not a time for introspection or compromise. It is not even time for more research and statistical analysis. That has already been done by many. It is time to call the church to back to the clear commands of Scripture, to repent and reject the methodology of the world, and to obey by implementing biblical, age-integrated worship and discipleship in the church.

Will You Help Us?

Would you consider helping us? We need $85,000 in order to complete this film making project. Praise the Lord: He has brought in $29,000 already which has brought us this far in the project. We are earnestly praying that the Lord would provide the remaining $55,000 in order to finish the film and have it in your hands by this fall.

Donate Now

Please join us in praying for the reformation of Christ's Church and for His blessing on our efforts to confront the disastrous "love of the world" in the modern American church and to proclaim the truth of Christ's all sufficient Word.

If you would like to donate to this film project, but would like to discuss it first, feel free to email me with your contact information and we can arrange a time for a personal phone conversation.

America the Beautiful - Sights We Saw on the Road Trip

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:31:24 +0100

Road Trip Pictures

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:36:55 +0100

Our Family Scripture Memory Plan

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:12:41 +0100

Scripture memory is an important element of child discipleship. Here were the guidelines that I tried to operate by. I did not execute them perfectly by any means, but they were helpful and I still strive for them.

I have six elements to my plan:

1. Identification:
I have identified passages that I want us to have in our hearts. I keep them in a file.

2. Daily Group Recitation:
We have it as a goal to recite the passages out loud whenever we eat together, and the last thing in the day before bed. We don't always succeed, but this is the goal.

3. Daily Personal Meditation:
Each day Deb tries to have the kids do 10 minutes of silent review during the school day.

4. Daily Time Redemption:
We try to redeem the time when driving or doing some "mindless" thing, by reciting together.

5. Bedtime Recitation:
When I tuck each child into bed, I will recite one of the verses we have worked on as part of my prayer for them. If you pick a passage and recite it for two or three months, they will have it memorized without working on it. So a great opportunity to put them ahead of the game and to provide a very tender and personal ministry to your children is to recite a passage to them each night.

6. Formal Guidelines:
We use some of the techniques and guidelines in Andrew Davis' article on scripture memory on the Hope Baptist web site.

Two Effects of Awakening

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:10:13 +0100

“These awakenings when they have first seized on persons have had two effects: one was, that they have brought them immediately to quit their sinful practices, and the looser sort have been brought to forsake and dreaded heir former vices and extravagancies. When once the Spirit of God began to be so wonderfully poured out in a general way through the town, people had soon done with their old quarrels, backbitings, and intermeddling with other men's matters; the tavern was soon left empty, and persons kept very much at home; none went abroad unless on necessary business, or on some religious account, and every day seemed in many respects like a Sabbath day. And the other effect was that it put them on earnest application to the means of salvation - reading, prayer meditation, the ordinances of God's house, and private conference, their cry was "What shall we do to be saved?" The place of resort was now altered it was no longer the tavern, but the minister's house, that was thronged far more than ever the tavern had been wont to be.” (Pg. 68, The Jonathan Edwards Reader, Yale Nota Bene)

Defending Life at the Baby Conference

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 13:01:02 +0100

There is a time for every season under heaven. At the Baby Conference, it was a time to defend life.

Early Bird Special Registration for Love the Church Conference Is Now Open

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:45:14 +0100

Click for Registration or Conference Information

Seized with Strong Convictions and Greatly Changed

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:09:31 +0100

Awakenings are times of mighty urgings, tumultuous changes as Jonathan Edwards explains,

'Tis wonderful that persons should be so suddenly, and yet so greatly, changed: many have been taken from a loose and careless way of living, and seized with strong convictions of their guilt and misery, and in a very little time "old things have passed away, and all things have become new" with them” [2 Cor. 5 :17] (Pg. 66, The Jonathan Edwards Reader, Yale Nota Bene)

The Handshake of My Grandson Knox Defender Bradrick

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:00:00 +0100

Here is my grandson, Knox Defender Bradrick, shaking hands with Honor Phillips just before we floated down the Guadalupe River. His trademark at this time in his life is his firm handshake offered freely to anyone within five feet.

In Times of Awakening, There is Concern With the Eternal World

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:09:00 +0100

During one of the outpourings of grace before the Great Awakening of 1740, there were periods of spiritual blessing in Northampton, Massachusetts where Jonathan Edwards was pastor. Here is how he describes it,

“There was scarcely a single person in the town, either old or young, that was left unconcerned about the great things of the eternal world. Those that were want to be the vainest and loosest, and those that had been most disposed to think and speak slightly of vital and experimental religion, were now generally subject to great awakenings. And the work of conversion was carried on in a most astonishing manner, and increased more; souls did as it were come by flocks to Jesus Christ, from day to day for many months together, might be seen evident instances of sinners brought out in darkness into marvelous light, and delivered out of an horrible pit, and from the miry clay, and set upon a rock with a new song of praise to God in their mouths.” (1 Peter 2: 9, Psalms 40: 2-3.) (Pg. 62- 63, The Jonathan Edwards Reader, Yale Nota Bene)

For The Glory of God Alone - Sermon Highlighs

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:32:00 +0100

Sermon Highlights from NCFIC on Vimeo.

At The End of The Road

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 18:24:00 +0100

The End of the Road from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Praises Greatly Enlivened

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:41:33 +0100

During times of awakening, singing takes on an passion that is unknown in times of spiritual deadness. Jonathan Edwards reports,

“Our public praises were then greatly enlivened; God was then served in our psalmody, in some measure, in the beauty of holiness [Ps. 96: 9]. It has been observable that there has been scarce any part of divine worship, wherein good men amongst us have had grace so drawn forth and their hearts so lifted up in the ways of God, as in singing his praises. Our congregation excelled all that ever I knew in the external part of the duty before, generally carrying regularly and well three parts of music, and the women a part by themselves. But now they were evidently wont to sing with unusual elevation of heart and voice, which made the duty pleasant indeed... a loose careless person could scarcely find a companion in the whole neighborhood; and if there was anyone that seemed to remain senseless or unconcerned, it would be spoken of as a strange thing.” (Pg. 64, 65, The Jonathan Edwards Reader, Yale Nota Bene)

The NCFIC Visits the Grand Canyon

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:19:47 +0100

A Tiny Little Compromise

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:08:38 +0100

A Tiny Little Compromise from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Difference in Worship

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:07:14 +0100

Difference in Worship from NCFIC on Vimeo.

The Difference Is in the Fruit

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:05:17 +0100

The Difference is in the Fruit from NCFIC on Vimeo.

We've Given Up Children for New Boats

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:03:41 +0100

Road Trip Video Clips from Phoenix from NCFIC on Vimeo.

It's a Bad Thing to Exempt Your Family from the Local Church

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:01:28 +0100

Road Trip Video Clips from Oakhurst from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Don't Retire, Retread

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 01:59:17 +0100

Road Trip Video Clips from Bremerton from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Samuel Vision Is Here

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:01:49 +0100

Our friends from New York, Peter and Salina Salyer have named their new baby boy, "Samuel Vision Salyer." He arrived on June 22.

Visiting the Fitzgeralds in Cambria California

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 17:02:00 +0100

Following our stop in Oakhurst, CA, we had a wonderful time of rest and respite after a few long stretches. We dropped in to see the Elizabeth Fitzgerald and her four girls in Cambria. Here we are on their front porch.

The Fitzgerald Girls, from left to right, Claire, Emily, Hillary and Dorothy

Claudia Bids Goodbye to Her Dear Fitzgerald Friends... on to Phoenix

A Battle I Decided I Needed to Fight

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 19:27:24 +0100

A Battle I Decided I needed to Fight from NCFIC on Vimeo.

The Indispensable Center of Church and Family Life

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 19:21:03 +0100

Here is a summary of my opening message this morning at the Phoenix Reforming Church and Family Road Trip Stop.

The Indispensable Center of Church and Family Life

We are here to say that there are exciting aspects of reformation that are taking place around us. There are things happening in people and in churches that have not happened in the last 50 years.

True reformation is a fruit of something else – something more important and fundamental. True reformation comes out of one source: A heartfelt desire for the glory of God.

In 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul teaches us this principle, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

The Lord Jesus demonstrates this in his conversation with His Father when he cried out, “Not my will, but Thine be done.”

Habakkuk 2:14 communicates God’s supreme desire for His glory in all things when he declared, “For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.”

All true reformation starts with the right answer to the first question of the Westminster catechism: “What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and enjoy Him for ever.”

When the focus of our churches or our families is anything other than the glory of God we should expect them to be cursed rather than blessed.

If we change the focus of our families for our own sakes and because we want a better family, we have missed the mark.

If we change our churches to the pattern of age integration for our own sakes and to satisfy our own pleasures, we have missed the mark.

You can establish the “nine marks of a healthy church,” be “together for the gospel,” be “family integrated,” do family worship, but if it is not for the glory of God, it is rubbish.

This is the indispensable center for church and family life. Has God changed your heart so that it desires to glorify God? Do you believe He is your only hope? Is it He the one you truly admire? This is the heart of all true reformation.

Reforming Worship – We Must Go All the Way

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 17:38:58 +0100

Friday night, Jason Young started his message with the 1828 Websters Dictionary definition of reform, “to abandon that which is evil or corrupt and return to a good state.” He then went on to explain that all reformations in scripture have this same quality. First is negative – errant form needs to be removed. Second is a positive – the authentic (right) needs to be put in place.

Drawing from his background as a brick layer, Jason pointed out that when you have a wall built wrong you have to go back to the place the first mistake was made. He said, “To reform the wall, you must tear it down all the way to the point it departed from the standard.”

After telling stories of reformation in the Old Testament and the New, he exhorted the audience “to remove unbiblical worship practices and replace them with ones God commands.” He said, “We must go all the way.”

The Brown Girls at the Ladies' Tea in Oakhurst, CA

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 04:50:26 +0100

Ladies' Tea in Oakhurst, CA from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Would I Want My Own Children in My Youth Group?

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 04:49:10 +0100

Would I Want My Own Children in My Youth Group? from NCFIC on Vimeo.

A Congregation Transformed

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 04:47:54 +0100

A Congregation Transformed from NCFIC on Vimeo.

The Light Switch Came On

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:21:48 +0100

The Light Switch Came On from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Reformation in Childbearing

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:19:50 +0100

Reformation in Childbearing from NCFIC on Vimeo.

A Glimpse at Some Family-Integrated Churches

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:15:14 +0100

A Glimpse at Some Family-Integrated Churches from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Pictures from Oakhurst, CA

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:48:52 +0100

Here are our families pictured with the Mike Cox and Kevin Shaw families that worked so hard to organize the Oakhurst conference.

From Darkness to Light - Finding the Lost Book of the Law

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:30:21 +0100

From Darkness to Light - Finding the Lost Book of the Law from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Special Young Men

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:16:21 +0100

Craig Houston's sons were an enormous help to us at the conference. Throughout the weekend, while we were at the Bremerton conference, he delegated his sons to us. He gave Samuel to me (not pictured) Daniel to Peter and Nathaniel to David. They were sharp, efficient, and able in all the tasks we gave them to do. I was so excited to see such young boys whole heartedly dedicated to the mission of their father.

The good news is that these young men are not alone. Around the country, fathers are communicating vision and purpose to their sons. When fathers turn their hearts toward home and walk with their sons, pulling them away from frivolous activities and giving them men's work instead, productive things happen. You find boys, 8, 10, 12 years old who are often as capable and prepared for life as many college graduates. I praise God for such dedicated young men.

A Glorious Alteration in the Town

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:42:56 +0100

How a church affects the lives of the people in the communities they occupy is one of the critical marks of true awakening. This was demonstrated in 1735 during the pastoral tenure of Jonathan Edwards in Northampton,

“This work of God, as it was carried on, and the number of true saints multiplied, soon made a glorious alteration in the town; so that in the spring and summer following, anno 1735, the town seemed to be full of the presence of God: it never was so full of love, nor so full of joy; and yet so full of distress as it was then. There were remarkable tokens of God's presence in almost every house. it was a time of joy in families on the account of salvations being brought unto them; parents rejoicing over their children as newborn, and husbands over their wives, and wives over their husbands. The goings of God were then seen in his sanctuary [Ps. 68:24], God's day was a delight, and his tabernacles were amiable [Ps. 83:1]. Or public assemblies were then beautiful; the congregation was alive in God's service, everyone earnestly intent on the public worship, every hearer eager to drink in the words of the minister as they came from his mouth; the assembly in general were, from time to time, in tears while the Word was preached; some weeping with sorrow and distress, others with joy and love, others with pity and concern for the souls of their neighbors.” (Pg. 63, The Jonathan Edwards Reader, Yale Nota Bene)

Bremerton Regional Conference

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:18:39 +0100

Recently, our travels brought us to Bremerton, WA where we held our third regional conference. Craig Houston, pastor of Westside Baptist, prepared a wonderful place for our event at their church home in Bremerton. After a busy time of setup upon our arrival Friday afternoon, we enjoyed pizza and fellowship with all of the men and women who came to willingly serve alongside us for the two-day conference.

The Lord greatly blessed our time with all of the families that gathered together. There was such a sweet atmosphere as the Word of God was faithfully preached, songs were sung, and timeless truths of Scripture were brought to bear. This stop was truly refreshing and a joy as we all rejoiced in the truths of Biblical reformation together.

One of the most blessed parts of this stop was spending time with the Craig Houston family. Craig Houston has faithfully ministered in his church body for many years and continues to faithfully deliver the Word of God with clarity and boldness. Though the counter-cultural truths of Biblical reformation are often met with opposition in the church, the fruit of Craig’s faithful labors are evident in the joy and love witnessed in his church body. Craig and his wife have 10 beautiful children and kindly hosted a number of people from the road trip team. It was a joy to be in their home and share with each other the amazing providences of God in setting us apart and calling us to be a peculiar and set apart people… broken RVs and all.

We also want to thank all of the other hosts that freely offered their homes to host members of our team and provide a wonderful place of food and rest. These homes have been little havens to us as we’ve faced a rigorous travel schedule over the past week. It’s also been a great honor to sit with these families personally and hear the testimony of the work of God in their lives. This was one of our greatest goals as we set out upon this trip; to sit and spend time personally with people so that we could hear first-hand of the work of reformation that’s taking place across America.

Please pray that the Lord would continue to give us blessed times like these as we journey across the country in an effort to proclaim the glories of Christ, the sufficiency of His Word, and the greatness of His name.

The Emotional Center of the Church

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 05:12:39 +0100

Here were my final words at Westside Baptist Church in Bremerton Washington this morning as we concluded our time there.

Please turn to Galatians 6:14 where we will learn about the emotional center of a true church. We have been talking this weekend about what God has designed churches to do - the focus has been on the activity of the church. We have said that all that churches do should be done around the indispensible center of the church - the glory of God. So, if the volitional center of the church is the glory of God, and if the relational center of the church is the love of God and if the functional center of the church is the Word of God, then the emotional center of the church is boasting in the cross of Christ.

How do we know that? Paul, after explaining his authority as an apostle in chapters one and two, and the true nature of the gospel and the purpose of the law in chapters 3-4and what it means to walk in the Spirit in chapters 5-6, Paul now brings his letter to a conclusion. The apostle uses two words in Gal 6:14 that seem to be a summary of the letter. Imagine summing up a letter of this length with only two simple words. These words capture the passionate plea Paul has been issuing. These two words are, “God forbid,” and they announce the gateway for joy and blessing in every person and church that experiences them. These words describe what ought to be the emotional center of the church. The center of what the church feels is boasting in the cross of Christ.

The cross is meant to be one of those things that drives our emotions. What we love is what we “boast” about the most. You can get all emotional and teary eyed about lots of things in this life but there is one thing that is supreme among them all,“God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our lord Jesus Christ.” John Stott explains the meaning of the word boast: “It means… to boast in, glory in, trust in, rejoice in, revel in, live for.”

What you boast about is what you like; what you have affection for; what you think about; your hobby horse; what gives you a sense of satisfaction; what makes you swell with pride; what makes you happy; what you rejoice in.
Paul is saying, this is what the cross should be for you. It should be the primary object of your affections. Paul is wrestling with the saints in Galatia that it not happen that their lives would be centered around anything else but the cross.

To say, “God forbid” is like saying, “May it never happen to me.” This is a good prayer for ourselves and our churches.
May it never happen to me that I cease boasting in the cross. May it never be that I cease to be moved by the thought of the cross of Christ. "God forbid!"

“He Who Waters” – for the churches and families who have sponsored Road Trip conferences

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 04:13:53 +0100

We have been so blessed by your planning, promotions, support and hospitality. These churches and families are verittable hospitality machines. A few days ago we read this in our vehicle and our first thought was of those who have sponsored these Road Trip stops.

"The generous soul will be made rich and he who waters will also be watered himself,” and “he who earnestly seeks good finds favor.” Prov 11:25,27

Pictured are The Raimundos, McLean Va, The Noah's, Greenlawn, NY, The Eckersons and Thomas's in Boston, Mass. The Millers in Farmington, Maine. The Maretzki's in Toronto, Ca. The Dorin's in Des Moines., Iowa The Lyerla's in Spokane, Wa, The Houstons in Brmerton, Wa, and tomorrow (Monday) the Cox family in Oakhurst, Ca... and more to come...

My Son David’s First Father’s Day - Today

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:30:00 +0100

David’s new wife Monica is with child and we have been giggling and rejoicing and marveling at the kindness of the Lord all day long, this Father’s Day, 2010. This is especially exciting as David has always had an unusual love for and giftedness with children.

Road Trip Video Clips from Spokane

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:32:14 +0100

Road Trip Video Clips from Spokane from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Road Trip Video Clips from Toronto

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:18:47 +0100

Road Trip Video Clips from Toronto from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Looking Back - An Interview with Ash and Sona Noah

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:14:29 +0100

An Interview with the Noahs, Hosts of the Long Island, NY Road Trip Stop from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Three Dramatic Changes in Mid-Life

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:11:09 +0100

Three Dramatic Changes in Mid-Life from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Rick Muse, a deacon from Hope Baptist Church who joined the NCFIC Road Trip Team for our Toronto Conference, speaks about the reformation that God brought in his family.

How Modern Youth Ministry Can Promote Frivolity

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:59:10 +0100

How Modern Youth Ministry Can Promote Frivolity from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Road Trip Clips from Fergus Falls

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:15:01 +0100

Road Trip Clips from Fergus Falls from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Reformation in an Unconverted Youth Pastor

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:54:51 +0100

Reformation in an Unconverted Youth Pastor from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Ladies Tea in Chicago

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:35:10 +0100

Ladies Tea in Chicago from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Not Under the Law? John MacArthur Weighs In

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:27:03 +0100

Our church recently studied Galatians via our expositional preaching ministry on Sunday mornings. We engaged this study while in the middle of doing exposition on Deuteronomy which helped to clarify the nature and purposes of the law.

John MacArthur explains the often misunderstood idea that we are, “not under the law”

There is a popular notion afoot that assumes that the moral law is not binding on us. MacArthur writes,

“The phrase "under the law" occurs at least ten times in Paul's epistles, so we know it is a crucial concept in his theology. In Galatians 3:23, for example, He writes, "Before faith came, we were kept under the law" (Gal. 3:23). Now, however, he says as Christians we are "not under the law" (Gal. 5:18).

I often hear Christians recite the phrase "not under the law, but under grace" as if it meant no standard of law whatsoever is ever binding on believers. Grace is seen as a grand permissiveness, contrasting with the uncompromising moral standard of the law.”

John MacArthur further explains this in, “How Does Grace Free Us From the Law”

Stories of Awakening - Solomon Stoddard’s "Five Harvests" in 60 years of Ministry

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:47:40 +0100

While on the Road Trip, I am reading stories of awakenings in history. Here is a report by Solomon Stoddard who preceded Jonathan Edwards in Northampton, Mass. It demonstrates the Sovereign Hand of God in providing times of awakening and the seasons of dryness that often preced them.

We often see seasons of blessing in the church. Jonathan Edwards grandfather, Solomon Stoddard saw them come and go over the sixty years of ministry in New England,

“He had five harvests, as he called them: the first was about 57 years ago, the second about 53 years; the third about 40; the fourth about 24; the fifth and last about 18 years ago. Some of these times were much more remarkable than others, and the ingathering of souls more plentiful. Those that were about 53, and 40, and 24 years ago were much greater than either the first or last: but in each of them, I have heard my grandfather say, the bigger part of the young people in the town seemed to be mainly concerned for their eternal salvation.” (Pg. 58, The Jonathan Edwards Reader, Yale Nota Bene)

Fergus Falls Road Trip Stop

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:34:00 +0100

Andy Bradrick, Peter Bradrick’s brother and pastor of Living Waters Fellowship hosted well over 100 people in Fergus Falls Minnesota. This is a beautiful part of the US as it lies in the midst of a vast green landscape of hundreds of miles of rolling fields. Before the meeting, Andy’s wife, Emily, (mother of seven children) fed us a sumptuous meal the moment we arrived.

There were a few extra refreshing twists to the Fergus Falls stop. First, it was a happy reunion with Peters brother who is also participating in our elder discipleship program. Second, we had an unusual number of young families – second generation homeschool families with little children. Third, there were many people who were uninitiated in the message of the NCFIC. Fourth, during the Q&A time it was a blessing to hear from some who disagreed with our message as it gave us a chance to explain some things not dealt with during the main sessions. Fifth, one of our beloved 2009 interns Joseph Froemming and his entire family came. The reunion was very sweet to our souls.

I gave a message that was different from the other Road trip stops, focusing rather on the basic elements of what we believe to be healthy churches. Peter Bradrick explained the foundations of modern youth ministry, and appealed to the young people to rest in the righteousness of Christ alone.

We are exited to see what God does with Andy’s ministry in Fergus Falls as we see obvious fruit in his family and in his relationships in the community. It is his desire to be a faithful shepherd there.

Des Moines Road Trip Stop

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:20:00 +0100

We stopped in Des Moines, Iowa to get a taste of the works of the Lord sprouting in the corn belt. Our friends, Ron and Mary Dorin and their family, along with the Bill and Kim Hobart family, coordinated everything for our visit there. Ron has been an encouragement to me over the last year in particular. We actually went to the same theological seminary and loved the same professors at Talbot School of Theology many, many, many years ago. While we have both shed the dispensational persuasion of Talbot, we still look fondly on our experience and appreciate how men of God there were a blessing to us. Now Ron Dorin’s son, Tyler, has joined us on our Road Trip and will also be serving with us as an intern when we get back to North Carolina. Tyler is a very special and mighty young man. When you are on a trip like this, with such close quarters and always facing various challenges, you really get to know the strengths and weaknesses of the travelers – especially their capacity for happiness and fortitude. Let me tell you, this young man is tried and true.

Ron Dorin

The wonderful gathering

Breakdown

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 15:13:00 +0100

Praise the Lord for backup gas cans.

Sandi Grutzius feeds a multitude

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 15:29:00 +0100

Chicago Road Trip Stop

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 15:14:00 +0100

Two of my favorite men are Gary Powers, (Elder at Geneva Lakes Christian Church) and Steve Gruitzus, (Elder at Christian Heritage Church) – the sponsors of our Chicago Road Trip Stop. These courageous brothers, who have walked with the Lord for many many years, and who have always loved the Church of Jesus Christ, are always seeking how they might please the Lord and are constantly moving forward in the faith. Progressive sanctification is something they desire and the Lord has been leading them progressively to establish church and family life according to scripture. This is not a new thing for them, for it has always been their desire and they have not stood still.

Both are leaders of churches who desire to govern all family, church, and business life according to the Scripture. Both are bi-vocational elders who have very successful businesses and who are leading age integrated churches.

Gary and Patty, and Steve and Sandi hold very dear and precious places in my wife's and my hearts. It is always such a joy for us to sit in their presence and labor in ministry together for the glory of God in church and family life. We long to be with them again.

Camping out at Gary Powers house.

Looking Back - Farmington, ME

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:26:07 +0100

Looking back on our Farmington, ME conference, it seems something is shaking in Maine as the signups for this meeting were strong and there was some controversy brewing about our coming.

Many Hands

We have special gratitude for Gilbert and Kimberly Miller and his family who have been working tirelessly for months organizing the event and inviting people in the area. But they have not been alone in the effort as the Scott Harding, Dave Adams and Kevin Dostie families have also been making preparations with the Millers.

Six Generations and a mighty awakening

Gilbert’s family has been in Farmington area for six generations. His wife Kimberly is a descendant of Thomas Mayhew who was a missionary and elder to the Indians on Martha’s Vineyard. There was a mighty work of converting salvation among the Indians and Kimberlys descendants were used of the Lord to preach the gospel there.

Gilbert has also been in the cabinet making business, “Maine Custom Kitchens,” involving his family in the everyday life of the company, and has used the business to apprentice young men.

A new church plant

This family has been a constant encouragement to the Brown family in many ways. Gilbert has been a faithful church member in Farmington for the past 22 years and is now part of a group involved in early stages of planting a new church in the area.

Toronto

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:16:37 +0100

The NCFIC Road Trip Team goes to Canada...

The Toronto Road Trip conference was hosted at the beautiful Crossroads Centre, a wonderful facility in Burlington, Ontario.

The conference was well attended with Canadians from many different backgrounds, from those that were completely new to the doctrines we teach to those who fully and endorse and support our vision.

Here are Deborah and I, Jason Dohm, and Rick Muse with the hosts of the Toronto Road Trip: Gordon and Paula Maretzki and their children, Jesse Davy, Jude, Sydney, Sawyer, and Jinger as well as Sephanie and Cairn.

Here is Jake Zwart, Executive Director of OCHEC, (Ontario Christian Home Educators Connection) who offered their skills for recording and duplicating the messages of the Toronto conference. He is pictured with his wife, Heather and his sons.

My wife and I listening to a message at the Toronto Road Trip Conference.

Thomas Mayhew and the Indians

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:16:00 +0100

While we were spending time with the Gilbert Miller family in Farmington Maine, we learned that Gilbert’s wife Kimberly is a direct descendant of Thomas Mayhew, a minister who had a colorful testimony in the 17th century for his work with the Indians in the colonies. He started preaching to the Indians at Martha’s Vineyard at age 70, and preached for 23 years to age 93. He witnessed the awakening in Martha’s Vineyard and other places that included the building of “praying towns”. These praying towns were places of unusual spiritual activity and were established by the Indians. At one point, he became the governor of Martha’s Vineyard. After Thomas Mayhew died, there were eight generations of Mayhew’s who were pastors in succession at Martha’s Vineyard.

At one point he left the island for a trip to England, but the Indians loved him so much that they wept as he left.

The revival among the Indians was characterized by their adopting biblical practices for every area of life. One such area of life was the way they wanted to be buried.

His last and dying words were, ‘I have lived by faith, and have found God in His Son, and there I find Him now, therefore, if you would find God, look for Him in His Son, there He is to be found and nowhere else.”

Gilbert and Kim showed us a family tree revealing how the family grew from the earliest days. In this genealogical family tree, there are fascinating childrens names like Experience, Reliance, Prudence, Fear, Thankful, as well as Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Jerusha, and Bathsheba.

Startling Statistics About Internet Pornography

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 01:34:27 +0100

Here are some startling statistics about internet pornography.

25% of all search engine search requests are pornography related
35% of all internet downloads are pornographic
The average age of boys seeing internet pornography is age 11
12% of the web sites on the internet are pornographic - 24,644,172
The most popular day of the week for viewing porn is Sunday

A Testimony of Reformation

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:17:48 +0100

The Toronto Road Trip Conference is in full swing. This morning, Rick Muse, a deacon at Hope Baptist Church in North Carolina, gave his personal testimony of family reformation.

He spoke of the key elements of orthodoxy that the Lord used to bring about reformation as well as specific areas in which God brought about reformation in his family.

You can read his talk here.

Farmington, Maine - Road Trip Stop Number 5

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:02:01 +0100

Upon arrival in Farmington, Maine, we were greeted with much joy and enthusiasm by many families from the local church community. We enjoyed a wonderful barbecue dinner on the back lawn of the Gilbert Miller home, overlooking the beautiful mountains of Maine. It was a sweet time to share in fellowship with these brothers and sisters in Christ.

The meeting was hosted at Merrill Hall in historic Farmington and quickly filled with many attendees who gathered to hear the messages on reformation of the family and church. We were expecting a smaller gathering, but to our surprise we were blessed with more than 150.

It has been a delight to minister to families whose eyes are just being opened to these life-changing truths of Scripture. God is so merciful in continuing to refine and transform our thinking to align with His ways. This is the exciting awaking that is taking place in the families who gathered for this meeting.

For our early departure the following morning, the Miller family prepared a wonderful breakfast feast for us before we hit the road again. The Lord has kindly blessed us with many wonderful hosts that have willingly offered their time, resources and homes to serve our team.

We're eager to see how the Lord will continue to use these times to help bring the message of biblical reformation across our land.

Listen on Sermonaudio.com

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:07:00 +0100

Sermon Audio from NCFIC on Vimeo.

We love sermonaudio.com - a wonderful resource for FREE sermons. The quantity of sermons and the breadth of subject matter available is simply MONSTROUS (in a good sense). Many of my favorite preachers and some of my best friends feature their messages there. Now check this: there are currently 333,570 sermons online and growing every day.

We will be posting various reports and video clips on SermonAudio during the Road Trip.

Steven Lee, the President of sermonaudio.com is a dear brother who has been a blessing to me in many ways. I believe the Lord is using Steven Lee to play an important role in fueling a global reformation. The downloads in countries “closed” to the gospel are significant and are being used of the Lord to evangelize and equip the saints. Steven is using his energies to “Preach the Word” and it is emboldening and sweetening the Church of Jesus Christ all over the world. I use SermonAudio as a research tool to help me think through thorny issues I am dealing with in our local church, in our family, and in the NCFIC.

Announcing Blog Comments

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:07:23 +0100

We've just opened the comment function here on the NCFIC Blog. We would love to hear your comments and feedback.

A Defining Mark of True Reformation

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:06:15 +0100

It's been a joy to witness the amazing hand of God in bringing families together across America to expound upon the true meaning of Biblical reformation. Having already travelled from Wake Forest to Taunton, MA, it's been very encouraging to witness the hunger that many have for the reformation of the church and family. In speaking about the many evidences of true Biblical reformation, I addressed one element that I believe we're already witnessing across America: a hunger for God. A true awakening is propelled, or at least manifested by an unusual hunger for God.

Within the last week, we've been in the midst of people that have come with desire to hear the truths of God's Word. We pray that their hunger will serve as a great beacon of light to encourage and strengthen the rising number of people devoted to restoring the ways of God to all areas of life.

"Wash yourselves: make yourselves clean: remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good..." - Isaiah 1:16, 17a

Share a Testimony of the Work of Reformation Within Your Family and Church

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:03:45 +0100

What is Biblical reformation? This is one of the most critical questions that stands before us in the twenty-first century. As we continue to speak to this matter during the Road Trip, it's our desire to hear how the Lord is at work within individual families and churches. At each stop, we've been interviewing various people asking these two questions: First, how is the Lord reforming your family? Secondly, in what way is the Lord awakening your church? Join us by sharing a personal testimony of the visible fruits of reformation within your family and church. Please post all testimonies in the new comment section of the website.

Interview with Mark Thomas - Host of the Taunton Road Trip Stop

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:26:05 +0100

Interview with Mark Thomas from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Spurgeon on the many ministries in the world - Making Much of Christ

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:17:00 +0100

Spurgeon says, "There are many ministries in the world, and they are very different from one another, but this truth this truth will enable you to judge which are right out of them all. The ministries that discredit Him, ignore Him, or put Him in the background in any degree are not of the Spirit of God.

Any doctrine that magnifies man, but not man's Redeemer, any doctrine that denies the depth of the Fall, and consequently detracts from the greatness of salvation, any doctrine that makes man sinless, and therefore makes Christ's work less - away with it, away with it! This will be the infallible test as to whether it is of the Holy Spirit or not, for Jesus says, "He shall glorify me."

C. H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon on the Holy Spirit, p. 55-56

"Christ Needs No New Inventions" - Spurgeon

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 02:19:36 +0100

First of all, Christ needs no new inventions to glorify Him. "We have invented a new line of things," says one. Have you? "We have discovered something very wonderful." I daresay you have, but Christ, "the same yesterday, today and forever" (Heb. 13:8 NKJV), needs none of your inventions, discoveries, or additions to His truth. A plain Christ is forever the loveliest Christ. Dress Him up, and you have defamed Him. Bring Him out just as He is, the Christ of God, nothing else but Christ, unless you bring in His Cross, for "we preach Christ crucified" (1 Cor. 1:23); indeed, you cannot have Christ without the Cross; but preach Christ crucified, and you have given him all the glory that He desires. The Holy Spirit does not reveal in these last times any fresh laws or any novel doctrines or any new evolutions. He simply brings to mind the things that Christ Himself spoke. He brings Christ's own things to us, and in that way glorifies Him.

C. H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon on the Holy Spirit, p. 60-61

Taunton Massachusetts

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 02:03:40 +0100

A Large Crowd

We were surprised at the large size of the crowd in Taunton, MA that consisted of elders, youth pastors, and worship leaders in local churches as well as many families. Following the conference, we held a worship service at the hotel where there was standing room only.

Heritage Christian Church

Heritage Christian Church sponsored our visit to Taunton by providing advertising, the venue, and by shouldering the financial burden for the meetings. Dave Eckerson, Mark Thomas, Brian Fournier, as well as the Flynn family and many others from Heritage provided an outpouring of preparations and hospitality for the attendees – and especially for the Road Trip Team.

Significant Capacity for Hospitality

We were so blessed by this church and by these families. What amazed us was the sheer capacity they had for blessing those who came and for the meals they prepared for us. Both the Thomas family and the Eckerson family were obviously very experienced in hospitality with instant readiness for large numbers of people staying in their homes. They had long tables, lots of places to sleep and the ability to host a horde at the drop of the hat.

A Historical Marker

Here is a historical factoid. Both Mark Thomas and Dave Eckerson were at our first Uniting Church and Family conference in St. Louis, Mo. This was a historic conference where the atmosphere was absolutely electric. I will never forget that conference for its momentous impact. Many, many of the 700 men in attendance had a passionate desire to be faithful to God in church and family life. The crowd was composed of almost exclusively men (now our conferences are composed not of men only but whole families). These same men were used of the Lord as catalysts to plant hundreds of churches across the United States.

Tony Hernandez

In addition to all this, one of the added blessings of this whole event was Tony Hernandez from Hope Baptist Church in NC. He and his family came up beforehand to coordinate some of the “get the word out” efforts and to work with the folks at Heritage. He helped to contact pastors, invite people and explain what we were doing.

Sweet fellowship

It seemed to be a great victory to us. One thing that really stuck out to us was that the fellowship was very warm and full of lovingkindness. We were met with such mercies from these people.

On making corrections in the church without losing love for her

Here is a significant quotation from Dan Horn’s message “Members of One Another” on how the family needs the church, which was based on an exposition of 1 Cor. 12. He said,

“We must make corrections in church life without losing our love for Her. When Christ left heaven was the church perfect? No, she was in rebellion. When Christ saw the problems in the church He left heaven to live and die for her. We need to do what Christ did. He loved the church in spite of her problems. But he also worked to remove her spots and wrinkles. He knew her problems but he loved her nonetheless.”

An Update on the Road

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 01:43:57 +0100

An Update on the Road from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Breakdown in Greenlawn, NY

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 01:08:49 +0100

Breakdown in Greenlawn, NY from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Road Trip Stop at Iglesia Biblica de La Gracia

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 01:03:52 +0100

Josue and Jennifer Reymundo on Reformation from NCFIC on Vimeo.

Our second Road Trip Stop took us to McLean, Virginia where “Iglesia Biblica de La Gracia” hosted us. Josue Raimundo is a missionary to the Spanish speaking community and the pastor of this Spanish speaking church. Here he and his daughter, Jennifer discuss the centrality of scripture in family and educational life.Josue is in the process of translating our book, “Building God Centered Families” which is an edited version of Matthew Henry’s sermon, “A Church in the House.” This book contains some of the very best advice for families for how to build a God centered family.”

Dan Horn on Reformation

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:20:03 +0100

Dan Horn on Reformation from NCFIC on Vimeo.

How God is Reforming my Family

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:52:51 +0100

Here are 12 ways God is reforming me and my family - Tommy Vestal

1) We are helpless to move forward in life as a family by our own understanding and that we must flee from the things of this world when they conflict with scripture regardless of their perceived insignificance.

2) We must use God's word to guide our actions, form our priorities, direct our paths. Especially but not limited to entertainment, education and child training, discipline (for ourselves and the children), work life, finances and spending and the use of our time.

3) We do that by reading His word daily as a family and studying what the Word means and how to apply it to our family and our lives as individuals.

4) As parents He has broadened our understanding of the scope of our jurisdiction.

5) He has revealed to us as parents, and convicted us of our responsibility and authority through the light of His word that we would not waste the time that is given and entrusted to us. And that we would invest heavily in the lives of our children by making a daily deposit of God's Word and Truth.

6) He has given me a greater awareness of my sin and a hatred of it.

7) The works of my hands and feet are rubbish before the Lord and that salvation is supremely and wholly by faith in Him, freely given to us by His mercy and wholly by His choice. This affects me everyday and cuts at my very core.

8) Grace and mercy are meant to be and must be applied in life just as God freely showed and shows grace and mercy to me.

9) We are convinced that God's moral law reveals His character to us and that He desires that we keep it in order to glorify Him and not to save ourselves.

10) He has shown us the joy of serving our family, neighbors, and church through hospitality which ultimately displays that grace and mercy of Jesus Christ,

11) that the joy of the Lord is our strength and all hope is in salvation through Christ Jesus,

12) and a continued understanding that God is sovereign in all of heaven and earth and that all things do work together for good for those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.

Wake Forest Road Trip Stop

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:45:10 +0100

Approximately 350 people came to participate in kicking off the Road Trip in Wake Forest. We heard seven messages from seven pastors who told their stories of church and family reform. Boyd Dellinger, Steve Breagy, Jimmy Ferebee, Ken Auer, Dan Horn, Jason Dohm and myself all gave messages.

Dan Horn, “It gives us great concern that people withdraw from the church.”

Jimmy Ferebee, “I was going the wrong way – in earnest”

Boyd Dellinger, “The NCFIC is like a house of many rooms, and many activities going on in those rooms. If you go into the living room, you will find a father conducting family worship, and if you go into the kitchen you will find,… but the roof of that house is the sufficiency of scripture.”

Jason Dohm, elder at Hope Baptist, “I want to show how the first command and Deuteronomy 6 relate and how they are inseparable. There is no such thing as a faithful obedience to the first commandment which leads the life of a home untouched. The first commandment always works itself out in what you do when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.”

Ken Auer, of Southwest Wake Assembly, said, “I grew up in the mainstream as a fish swimming down stream with all the other fish. I was a fish and did not know I was wet.”

Steve Breagy, “I was a pastor and thought I was wise, but realized that God said, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise.' I realized that my wisdom was worldly wisdom."

Harry Upchurch, of Anchor Baptist Church in Bunn, NC, “The greatest reformation happens when we reject extrabiblical practices. Jesus did not break people up by age, and I want to do what Jesus did. The more we get away from that pattern the more damage we do. If we take the whole bible and apply it to our church, God will bless us."

Dan Horn, “The indispensable center of church and family life is the glory of God. If we change focus in our families and begin to do the right things and are doing it for self-improvement rather than the glory of God we are robbing God. We have forgotten God.”

Doug Phillips invites you to the Road Trip

Mon, 31 May 2010 20:32:29 +0100

Doug Phillips invites you to the NCFIC Road Trip from NCFIC on Vimeo.

The Sabbath was Made for Man

Sat, 29 May 2010 14:00:49 +0100

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Why Would Our Church Hold a Memorial Day Celebration?

Fri, 28 May 2010 18:04:47 +0100

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A Day for Honor - Bring Your Whole Family

Thu, 27 May 2010 12:16:47 +0100

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Nations are Nothing but a Collection of Families

Thu, 27 May 2010 11:48:19 +0100

Road Trip: Fellowship Over Tea with Deborah Brown - Preparing our daughters to be Proverbs 31 Women

Mon, 24 May 2010 16:28:40 +0100

At various stops along the Reforming Church and Family Road Trip, we will be hosting ladies teas. Join Deborah Brown and her daughters Kelly, Blair, Claudia and her new daughter, Monica as they share their insights into the God-given role of a woman.

The culture would have a woman pour her heart and energy into a career outside the home to find blessing there. But the Bible paints a very different picture of a woman’s life. It is the occupation of the home, the care of a husband and children for the glory of God for many generations. It is a role she is uniquely gifted to fulfill. Because we as women are affected by the messages surrounding us, we find ourselves, at times, discouraged and confused. Could it be that we have listened to the wrong voices? Deborah and her daughters would like to bring the voice of Scripture as a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our paths. This lamp is “the same yesterday, today and forever.” It will never go out and will always be true. Herein lies the blessing for mothers and their daughters.

Issues and Answers on Leaving Churches

Mon, 24 May 2010 12:48:33 +0100

People often accuse the NCFIC of encouraging people to cause division, make ultimatums to church leaders and leave their churches. These things are completely contrary to what we actually teach. At many of our conferences we have addressed these issues, warning people about the sinfulness of these behaviors. Here is one such message on this matter, "Issues and Answers on Leaving Churches" by Dan Horn.

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Psalm for the Sabbath Day

Sat, 22 May 2010 10:56:36 +0100

Psalm 92

A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.
For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.
When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:
But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore.
For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Meet Us on the Road - An Invitation from Scott Brown and Peter Bradrick

Fri, 21 May 2010 13:40:00 +0100

Meet Us On The Road from NCFIC on Vimeo.

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"Little Timothy Learned His ABC's From the Bible"

Thu, 20 May 2010 12:55:47 +0100

The Bible commentator, Lenski explains in his own words how Timothy learned the sacred writings,

Little Timothy learned his ABC’s from the Bible, learned to read from the Bible, and thus from earliest childhood spelled out “sacred letters.” As he spelled out this and that word, mother and grandmother told the story. Soon he could read a little, ask questions, hear more. A lovely picture indeed! I like it better than our method of today which supplies secular matter for the primers and holds back the sacred letters until later years.

(R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistles to the Colossians, to the Thessalonians, to Timothy, to Titus and to Philemon, 839 [Columbus, O.: Lutheran Book Concern, 1937]) accessed from Pyromaniacs Blog on May 15, 2010.

Visit Us On The Road

Wed, 19 May 2010 13:08:55 +0100

Road Trip: We Are Collecting Stories of Biblical Reformation - What's Yours?

There is a reformation of practices that is sweeping our land. We want to document them on our Road Trip Across America. Would you be willing to come to the meeting nearest you, ready to share your own story of reformation? If so, I would like to either put you in front of a video camera to get a 1-3 minute testimony or to get it in writing. If you would like to submit it in writing, please email to me, Scott Brown at admin@ncfic.org.

John MacArthur on The Sufficiency of Scripture

Tue, 18 May 2010 13:15:42 +0100

In the book, The Coming Evangelical Crisis, by John H. Armstrong, John MacArthur has a chapter on the Regulative Principle of Worship, entitled, "How Shall We Then Worship?"

He writes,
"How does the sufficiency of Scripture apply to worship? The Reformers answered that question by applying sola Scriptura to worship in a tenet historically called the regulative principle. John Calvin was one of the first to articulate it succinctly:

We may not adopt any device [in our worship] which seems fit to ourselves, but look to the injunctions of him who alone is entitled to prescribe. Therefore, if we would have him approve our worship, this rule, which he everywhere enforces with the utmost strictness, must be carefully observed. . . . God disapproves of all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by his word.

"Calvin supported this principle with a number of relevant biblical texts, including 1 Samuel 15:22: 'To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.' He also appealed to Matthew 15:9, which says, 'In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'

"An English Reformer and a contemporary of Calvin, John Hooper, stated the same principle in this way: “Nothing should be used in the Church which has not either the express Word of God to support it, or otherwise is a thing indifferent in itself, which brings no profit when done or used, but no harm when not done or omitted.” And nineteenth-century Scottish church historian William Cunningham defined the regulative principle in these terms: “It is unwarrantable and unlawful to introduce into the government and worship of the church anything which has not the positive sanction of Scripture.”

"The Reformers and Puritans applied the regulative principle against formal ritual, priestly vestments, church hierarchy, and other remnants of medieval Roman Catholic worship. The regulative principle was often cited, for example, by English Reformers who opposed elements of high-church Anglicanism that had been borrowed from Catholic tradition. It was the Puritans’ commitment to the regulative principle that caused hundreds of Puritan pastors to be ejected by decree from Church of England pulpits in 1662.

"Furthermore, the simplicity of worship forms in Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, and other evangelical traditions is the result of applying the regulative principle. Evangelicals today would do well to recover their spiritual ancestors’ confidence in sola Scriptura as it applies to worship and church leadership. A number of harmful trends that are gaining momentum these days reveal a diminishing evangelical confidence in the sufficiency of Scripture. On the one hand, there is, as we have noted, almost a circus atmosphere in some churches, where pragmatic methods that trivialize what is holy are being employed to boost attendance. On the other hand, growing numbers of former evangelicals are abandoning simple worship forms in favor of high-church formalism. Some are even leaving evangelicalism altogether and aligning with Eastern Orthodoxy or Roman Catholicism."

What is the NCFIC?

Mon, 17 May 2010 13:30:10 +0100

The NCFIC’s purpose is to correctly understand God’s unified vision for church and family, rightly diagnose the problems that impede this vision, and effectively communicate biblical solutions that rebuild family-affirming churches. We do not believe that family-integration is the only—or even the primary—issue in selecting or establishing a local church. But it is unquestionably a defining issue of our day as the modern church has lost the essential familistic culture that we see modeled in the New Testament.

The NCFIC is not a new denomination or confederation of churches but rather a network and resource for family-integrated churches and families seeking them. It is a ministry to America’s churches by Christian leaders who see faithful fathers and mothers struggling to find a meaningful, family-affirming relationship with their local church. All the men who work with the NCFIC believe in biblical church authority and are all under the oversight of their own local churches with regard to their moral life.

The NCFIC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration of the church and family for the glory of God. To this end, NCFIC provides a host of supportive resources including challenging articles, inspiring testimonies, national and regional conferences, instructive audiotapes, recommended books, pastoral training and a growing database of family-integrated churches near you.

Please meet us on the Road Trip Across America, and at our Love the Church conference this year. And don’t forget to look up our web site www.ncfic.com which is a treasure trove of resources for the reformation of church and family according to scripture.

We can be grateful that we are living in a time of reformation where God is bringing His church back to her roots in scripture. One of the marks of the current reformation is that church and family life are being re ordered according to scripture.

He Who Follows Frivolity

Fri, 14 May 2010 14:14:05 +0100

One of the messages we like to pound home is that young men should not spend their years of youth playing games. Here Solomon touches on one of the reasons why - it reflects a gigantic absence of "understanding,' and the stupidity of following what is empty,

"He who tills the land will be satisfied with bread, But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding." Proverbs 12:11

View Church Ministry Through ‘Family Lens,’ conference speakers urge

Thu, 13 May 2010 17:32:27 +0100

A recent conference featuring Southern Baptist leaders reflects some of the important thinking that is being generated regarding age segregation, family ministry and the popular patterns of ministry that have prevailed in the last fifty years, "More and more vocational staffers and ministry specialists have in many churches led to one type of disconnect—extensive segregation, according to Waylan Owens, dean of the Terry School of Church and Family Ministries at Southwestern Seminary. While Owens agrees that some segregation is useful, he also cautions that dividing all ministries according to age or life situation or preference serves to dishonor parents, dishonor the senior citizens, and dishonor the children and what they can add to the faith experience of adults.

Speaking to the conference, Owens said, “Many times I go to churches and it seems there is always someone who wants to take my children from me. They take them to Sunday School, then to children’s church. The youth have their own Sunday School, their own worship, and their own Sunday night thing. I have gotten in trouble for wanting to keep my children with me.”

"Drawing on an agricultural picture from his West Texas background, Richard Ross described the landscape of church life as a cluster of silos—one for preschoolers, one for school-age children, one for students, one for adult ministries, and so on. “What we don’t need is one more silo that is the “family-ministry silo,” he said in sharing his vision for family-focused church ministry.

Speaking to hundreds of ministers and future church leaders at a conference co-hosted by the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ross emphasized that ministry to families is not another program or age-group "silo" to manage. Rather, it is a way to view existing ministries while always keeping in mind the Deuteronomy 6:4-9 mandate for parents to be the primary spiritual instructors of their children.

“Figure out laterally how to put a family focus on it. Use a ‘home lens’ for everything versus creating a new silo,” he said."

Church Killers

Wed, 12 May 2010 14:57:00 +0100

A couple of years ago, I delivered a message entitled, "Church Killers," that brings scripture to bear on the use of the tongue in church and family life.

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"Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." James 3:5-6

When Someone Leaves a Church or is Disciplined – A Time of Vulnerability

Wed, 12 May 2010 14:10:37 +0100

Churches are incredibly vulnerable at particular historical moments. Because of this, church leaders need to carefully shepherd their flocks to prepare them for that flash point when temptations are many. After all, "the tongue is a fire" and "a world of iniquity" and is often "set on fire by hell" (James 3:1-12). This is why there are many opportunities for unrighteous fire in a church. How many? As many as there are tongues, but multiplied by all the conversations that are generated.

There are two very sensitive “moments” that need careful attention – when someone leaves or is disciplined. During these influential opportunities, church leaders, church members and onlookers have particular responsibilities before God to “preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.” They need to be extremely sensitive to how the devil will attempt to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10).

When someone leaves your church

When a person leaves, when a key family leaves or when an elder, deacon or a gifted leader leaves the church has entered a season of hyper vulnerability. Each of these situations have their own particular challenges. Let me suggest that the damage done can escalate according to the degree of prominence of the person leaving or is disciplined.

It is always difficult on people when beloved families leave a church. Through it all, we ought to strive for gracious and humble goodbyes, instead of tearing into one another. “For the law is fulfilled in one word, even this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another” (Galatians 5:14-15).

The vulnerability it creates for those who leave

Not only is a church like a "sitting duck" when someone leaves, the person or family who leaves faces a number of important decisions. He needs to grasp the fact that he has responsibilities before God to refrain from putting out a bad report. He needs to understand that, “whoever slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy” (Psalm 101:5).

The people leaving are also exposed in the sense that they may say things they should not - things that tear down and not build up - things that divide and defeat a spirit of love in the church.

The loaded messages you leave them with will stick in their minds for a long time. Even if you say nothing, just disappearing is also leaving a powerful message. The nature of goodbyes is important.

The challenges for the people who stay

The people who stay are probably the most vulnerable because they may feel hurt. They will inevitably grapple with feelings of confusion or anger or uncertainty. This can change people to vipers. Or it may make them feel insecure or that they have somehow missed something and they should leave too. These are the common responses that some people will have and they need to know their responsibility not to seek to use that as an excuse to find that tasty morsel that goes into the innermost parts of the belly (Proverbs 18:8).

When an elder leaves the church

When a key leader leaves, the people in the congregation are incredibly susceptible to a host of negative forces. Everyone in the church needs to be informed up front that if an elder (or even a family in the church leaves) they will be subject to temptations to anger, taking sides, gossip, speculation, rebellion, self righteousness, presumption, wrong conclusions and broken relationships. This situation is a perfect entry point for a host of misunderstandings. It is also a time where people are tempted to take a count of all the wrongs done to them by the people involved, instead of continuing to let them be covered over by love. When someone leaves it is almost inevitable that there will be a wake of hurt feelings. Most of the people will be asking: “Why are you leaving us? Why are you rejecting us? What is wrong with us? Who made you leave? Ok, what is the real story? Whose fault is this?"

Magnifying problems

In this environment it is common that people will magnify whatever real or perceived problems were there. They will be tempted to make too much of the problems that made the elder leave through speculation. Unfortunately, the sinful human mind often speculates in the wrong direction – toward disunity and anger and separating brothers.

A lust for information

There will be a few who will want to know more than they should know. People in our society believe that they are obligated to know everything about the situation. After all, we live in “gossip nation” where people feel they should know all the dirt. You will find that some people will be relentless in trying to get the “real” story. This lust for information often results in further fracturing of relationships.

But like many things where biblical communications should be followed, everyone is not entitled to know everything and there will always be some who will use this as a point of contention. It is here that a spirit of trust and honor toward those God has placed in authority be upheld.

In times like these, conversation should be tempered by the reality of the timing of the judgment of God. Paul said to the Corinthians, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God” (1 Cor 4:4).

Temptations for onlookers in the community

Fellow believers in the community also have responsibilities to the Church of Jesus Christ, wherever it is organized as a local church. One of the heartbreaking aspects of people leaving is that you can often expect that some people looking in from the outside, will speak confidently and condemningly about things they know very little about. Often they will judge your leaving either as further reason for condemnation of the ministry and will naturally be found saying hurtful things. People who have harbored hurts or who have an axe to grind are commonly among these onlookers.

When a church member is disciplined

This causes hundreds of dangerous conversations and opportunities to sin. There are two particular vulnerabilities that the devil will attempt to capitalize on. The person being disciplined can be sinned against through the unrighteous conversation of other church members.

Likewise the disciplined church member is extremely susceptible to unrighteous anger and lashing back and making a mockery of the action taken.

Further, people in the congregation will be tempted to dishonor and disobey the authorities God has established in the church. The reality is that church leaders do not see everything perfectly and may make mistakes or even sin. However this is not a valid excuse to escape their authority that God has established in a local church.

What should church leaders do in times like these?

Don't leave them unprotected - take action. People in the church often need to be reminded of the power of the tongue for evil, for “the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell” (James 3:5-6).

If a church is unclear or untaught regarding the both the authority of the government of the church and the responsibility to govern the tongue, that church is extremely unsafe - poised for a terrible fire. It is a building ready to burn at the slightest spark.

Churches often never recover from the “tasty morsels” that went down to the “innermost being” (Proverbs 26:22). Reputations are destroyed, friendships are ruined. No one wins because love was not “covering” the “multitude of sins” and human failings that surfaced during these opportune moments.

Perhaps this is why Jesus issued very harsh warnings about the use of the tongue,

“Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:34-37).

How do you have loving goodbyes when it seems so hard and confusing? How do you react to someone leaving? In times like these, it is wise to heed the admonition,

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:29).

The Trap of Family Idolatry

Tue, 11 May 2010 14:13:42 +0100

Jeff Pollards message here is full of wisdom for families regarding the place of the local church in their lives.

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Training and Admonition of the Lord Conference

Mon, 10 May 2010 12:52:24 +0100

On Friday, we kicked off our, 'Training and Admonition of the Lord" conference here in Wake Forest. Participants came from all over the nation, as far as California, Massachusetts, and Florida.

Beforehand, we gathered some of the men of Hope Baptist to talk about it (Scott Brown, Jason Dohm, Dan Horn and Jim Tsantles). Here is an audio snapshot of what the conference addressed.

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Church and Family Issues – Is the church harmful to pastor's families?

Thu, 06 May 2010 13:56:21 +0100

We have taken the position that churches are often harmful to the families of the church because of things like worldliness, over programming that makes family discipleship impossible from a schedule standpoint, and age segregation. But here is another way that churches are sometimes heartbreakingly harmful. They harm the family of the pastor. Here are some startling statistics on the matter:

• 90% of the pastors report working between 55 to 75 hours per week

• 80% believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families. Many pastor's children do not attend church now because of what the church has done to their parents.

• 95% of pastors do not regularly pray with their spouses.

• 33% state that being in the ministry is an outright hazard to their family.

• 75% report significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.

• 90% feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the ministry demands.

• 80% of pastors and 84% of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged as
role of pastors.

• 90% of pastors said the ministry was completely different than what they
thought it would be like before they entered the ministry.

• 50% feel unable to meet the demands of the job.

• 70% of pastors constantly fight depression.

• 70% say they have a lower self-image now than when they first started.

• 70% do not have someone they consider a close friend.

• 40% report serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month.

• 33% confess having been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the church.

• 50% of pastors feel so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if
they could, but have no other way of making a living.

• 70% of pastors feel grossly underpaid.

• 50% of the ministers starting out will not last 5 years.

• 1 out of every 10 ministers will actually retire as a minister in some form.

• 94% of clergy families feel the pressures of the pastor's ministry.

• 80% of spouses feel the pastor is overworked.

• 80% spouses feel left out and underappreciated by church members.

• 80% of pastors' spouses wish their spouse would choose a different
profession.

• 66% of church members expect a minister and family to live at a higher moral standard than themselves.

• Moral values of a Christian is no different than those who consider themselves as non-Christians.

• The average American will tell 23 lies a day.

• The profession of “Pastor” is near the bottom of a survey of the most-respected professions, just above “car salesman”.

• 4,000 new churches begin each year and 7,000 churches close.

• Over 1,700 pastors left the ministry every month last year.

• Over 1,300 pastors were terminated by the local church each month, many without cause.

• Over 3,500 people a day left the church last year.

• Many denominations report an “empty pulpit crisis”. They cannot find ministers willing to fill positions.

#1 reason pastors leave the ministry — Church people are not willing to go the same direction and goal of the pastor. Pastor's believe God wants them to go in one direction but the people are not willing to follow or change.

Statistics provided by The Fuller Institute, George Barna, and Pastoral Care Inc.

J.C. Ryle on How to Read the Word of God

Wed, 05 May 2010 19:12:01 +0100

Ryle gives Seven Practical Points that are very helpful,

William Gouge, on The Reason for Happy Churches and Families

Tue, 04 May 2010 12:51:08 +0100

"Happy is that kingdom where Magistrates and subjects fear the Lord. Happy is that Church where Ministers and people fear the Lord. Happy is that family where husband and wife, parents and children, master and servants fear the Lord. In such a Kingdom, Church, and family, will everyone, to the mutual good one of another, submit themselves one to another."

William Gouge, Domestical Duties, The Husband's Part

The Family as a Bee Hive Sending Out Swarms of Bees

Mon, 03 May 2010 13:16:59 +0100

"The family is a seminary of the Church and Commonwealth. It is as a bee-hive, in which is the stock, and out of which are sent many swarms of bees: for in families are all sorts of people bred and brought up: and out of families are they lent into the Church and Commonwealth."

William Gouge, Domestical Duties, in the section, "The Husband's Part"

The History of Christianity and Western Civilization - An Amazing Opportunity for only $59.00

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 21:18:42 +0100

Virtual Tour and Online Study Course from Vision Forum on Vimeo.

Here is a very unusual opportunity to Join my friend Doug Phillips on the European Faith and Freedom Tour.

I have been on many of these tours and let me tell you - they are fantastic. Not everyone has the resources to spend on a tour like this, but for only $59.00 you can gather your family together and learn, learn, learn. If you have always wanted to go on one of these tours, now is your chance. When I saw the announcement, I immediately signed up.

The first post will happen Tuesday May 4.

A Church Covenant and Church Discipline

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:14:15 +0100

One of the important clauses in our church covenant, is the one that spells out how church discipline works:

We will, if necessary, submit to biblically defined and regulated church discipline for the purpose of reconciliation with God and man and we accept that refusing to communicate or to flee is to usurp the power of the church and break this covenant. Matt. 18:15:20, Heb 12:11, 1 Cor 5:1-13, 1 John 2:19, 1 Timothy 1:20, 2 Cor 2:1-11, Luke 17:4

The Regulative Principle in Practice - A Concise Statement from "The Deliberate ...

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:42:08 +0100

"Working contrary to God's processes often means working contrary to His purposes."
- Mark Dever, The Deliberate Church, pg 28

Our Church Covenant

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:42:02 +0100

Considering Church Covenants - Here is ours

A church covenant is only good so long as it binds members to one another for established commands and patterns of scripture. Church covenants should not bring anything new or innovative into the lives of church members. Rather, is should highlight explicit commands and principles that God has already spoken.

Hope Baptist Church Membership Covenant

Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to repent, believe and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and profess our allegiance to Him, having been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God, angels and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ. Acts 2:38, Mark 9:23, John 11:26 Heb.11:6,John 1:12-13, I Pet. 2:6, Matt. 28:19-20 Romans 8:1

We will work and pray for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love. 1 Cor 13:1-13, Eph. 4:1-6, John 13:34

We will seek the salvation of our kindred, acquaintances and strangers who have not repented for saving faith in Christ; to be in prayer for the spiritual awakening of the lost in our community, and to be a faithful witness of the gospel both here and to the remotest part of the earth. Matt. 28:19, Luke 24:44-48, Acts 1:3-8. Gen 12:3

We will strive for the advancement of this Church in knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; and to submit to its leaders as they are faithful to Christ. Hebrews 10:24-25, Hebrews 13:17, I Thess.4:12-15

We will contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the Church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations. I Cor. 9:1-27, Prov. 15:15, Job 34:19, Matt. 5:3, Mark 10:21, Luke 4:18

We will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, nor neglect to pray for ourselves and others; nor avoid the meetings of the church. Hebrews 10:25, Hebrews 5:5, Acts 2:42-47

We will also maintain family and private devotions; to educate our children in the Christian faith and demonstrate the love of Christ in all of our household relationships. Eph. 6:1-4 Psalm 78 Deut. 6:1-9

We will watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment. Matt 19:15-20 Col. 2:9-10, Eph.5:1-2, Eph. 6:18

We will abstain from gluttony, drunkenness, illicit drugs, materials, entertainments or practicing things which jeopardize our own or another's faith. Psalm 1:1-6, Eph. 5:3-12, Col: 3:1-17, II Cor. 12:20, Romans 1:30, Lev. 19:16, Eccl. 10:11, Galatians 5:21, Deuteronomy 21:20, 1 Corinthians 6:10, Proverbs 23:21, Psalm 101:1-2

We will cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; strive to avoid all scriptural prohibitions, such as tattling, backbiting and unrighteous anger; to refrain from speaking evil of one another; to be slow to take offense; to think the best of one another; and always ready for biblical reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay so far as it depends upon us. Psalm 19:14 Psalm 34:13-14, Eph. 4:29, I Peter 3:8-12, Matt 5:21-26, Titus 3:10, Prov 26:20-26

We will, if necessary, submit to biblically defined and regulated church discipline for the purpose of reconciliation with God and man and we accept that refusing to communicate or to flee is to usurp the power of the church and break this covenant. Matt. 18:15:20, Heb 12:11, 1 Cor 5:1-13, 1 John 2:19, 1 Timothy 1:20, 2 Cor 2:1-11, Luke 17:4

We will, when we move from this place, if possible, unite with a church which upholds the “Essential Doctrines” defined in the church constitution and where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant.

The NCFIC at Mass Hope

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:08:26 +0100

We give thanks to God for the folks at Heritage Christian Church for representing the NCFIC at the Massachusetts homeschool conference last week.

The Seven Characteristics of Highly Evangelistic Christians

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:06:50 +0100

Here is a wonderful summary of the kind of people we ought to be - The Seven Characteristics of Highly Evangelistic Christians.

"For over twenty years I have been researching and studying churches, primarily those in North America. I had the joy of serving as senior pastor in four churches where God blessed with evangelistic growth. I have written over twenty books about the church in America.

I am not giving you my credentials to impress you, but simply to share that my life’s passion has been leading and learning about evangelistic churches. At this point in my life and ministry, however, I realize that I have not given sufficient attention to one of the primary characteristics of evangelistic churches.

The Great Omission

It is so obvious. Indeed it is so clear that I am surprised at my neglect of this factor. Stated simply, the evangelistic churches that I have researched for the past twenty years have one or more highly evangelistic Christians.

I know. The previous statement is no great revelation. It is almost stating the obvious. But, if it is reality, why are we not hearing more about these Christians who seem to have a passion for evangelism? Why are we not doing a better job of telling their stories?

In this short article I hope to address this great omission.

Seven Characteristics

It is inevitable that, when we do research on evangelistic churches, we learn about one or more members in the church who, to use the book title by Charles H. Spurgeon, embody the traits of "The Soul Winner." Oftentimes one of those members is the pastor. But we have also seen many laypersons who are themselves soul winners.

In our interviews with these people, or with those who tell us about the soul winners, we began to discern some clear patterns. We called those patterns “the seven characteristics of highly evangelistic Christians.”

1. They are people of prayer. They realize that only God can convict and convert, and they are totally dependent upon Him in prayer. Most of the highly evangelistic Christians spend at least an hour in prayer each day.

2. They have a theology that compels them to evangelize. They believe in the urgency of the gospel message. They believe that Christ is the only way of salvation. They believe that anyone without Christ is doomed for a literal hell.

3. They are people who spend time in the Word. The more time they spend in the Bible, the more likely they are to see the lostness of humanity and the love of God in Christ to save those who are lost.

4. They are compassionate people. Their hearts break for those who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They have learned to love the world by becoming more like Christ who has the greatest love for the world.

5. They love the communities where God has placed them. They are immersed in the culture because they desire for the light of Christ to shine through them in their communities.

6. They are intentional about evangelism. They pray for opportunities to share the gospel. They look for those opportunities. And they see many so-called casual encounters as appointments set by God.

7. They are accountable to someone for their evangelistic activities. They know that many good activities can replace Great Commission activities if they are not careful. Good can replace the best. So they make certain that someone holds them accountable each week, either formally or informally, for their evangelistic efforts.

The “Secret” of Evangelistic Churches

The secret is really no secret at all. Ultimately, evangelistic churches see more persons become Christians through the passionate efforts of highly evangelistic Christians. More than any programs. More than any church events. More than anything else, we are the instruments God has chosen to use.

Sometimes we ask the question "What is my church doing to become more evangelistic?" But the better question is "What am I doing to become more evangelistic?"

Charles H. Spurgeon was right. We need more soul winners.

We need more highly evangelistic Christians.

Memorial Day Picnic - Monday May 31

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:18:14 +0100

It's that time again... You are invited to an Old Fashioned Memorial Day Picnic at the Brown Farm where the food and the speeches and fellowship and the gospel are all free.

Click HERE to find out more.

The Differences Between the Westminster Confession and the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:22:03 +0100

The world has been blessed by the Westminster Confession of Faith. It has been a bulwark in the defense of biblical Christianity. Here is an amazing web site that shows the differences between it and the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith in a very helpful and illuminating format. It is called, A Tabular Comparison of the 1646 WCF and the 1689 LBCF.

The NCFIC is regularly exhorting church leaders to provide doctrinal clarity to the people in their churches by adopting a historical confession of the faith. Of course, we at the NCFIC heartily recommend the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689. We contend that a church without a detailed doctrinal confession is a vulnerable to ignorance, confusion, wolves and apostasy.

Our Team With The Elders and Deacons at Immanuel Free Reformed Church

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:13:14 +0100

The weekend was filled with meetings with the church family and the elders and deacons at Immanuel Free Reformed Church in Stevens, Pa. If you live in this area, I recommend this as a sound church to attend.

We had a team of ten with us from Hope Baptist and were blessed by their hospitality and kindness towards us and receptivity to our teaching. It was such a happy time together.

Fallout from the Sufficiency of Scripture Conference

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:12:32 +0100

Here is a note I received Thursday from a pastor who attended the SOS conference we had last December,

"The Sufficiency of Scripture conference in December is still affecting my wife and I in so many ways. Never before has a conference so effectively brought the truth of God's word into our daily living, into the very way we think and act. So many times a conference is very encouraging, but the euphoria dissipates quickly, and the net change in our lives is not that significant. Not this conference. The rubber really hit the road in the months that have followed, which I believe is a testimony to how much the Lord is using the NCFIC." G.B.

How to Handle the Weaker Sex - or, Why I need to be Nicer to Deborah

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:53:42 +0100

Here is something I read yesterday from William Gouge, in Domestical Duties, writing in 1627 on Ephesians 5 in the section on the role of a husband. I have never heard any one ever express this, yet it is so true and has been so helpful to me since I read it. The net of it: I need to be nicer to my wife when she gets upset with me. I also posted this on, Our Marriage Blog, www.themarriageblog.org.

"Because wives through the weakness of their sex (for they are the weaker vessels) are much prone to provoke their husbands. So as if there be not love predominant in the husband, there is like to be but little peace betwixt man and wife, for "Love covereth a multitude of imperfections." Because Christ by his love provokes the church to love him, so a husband by loving his wife should provoke her to love him again; showing himself like the sun which is the fountain of light, and from which the moon receives what light she has: so he should be the fountain of love to his wife."
- William Gouge, Domestical Duties, 1627

Here are the "Pillars" of Hope Baptist

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:37:36 +0100

The Centrality of the Gospel - All activities and messages of the church have their source in the gospel of Christ, that sinners are justified by faith alone, that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers by God's decree alone, and that this righteousness is the only righteousness that justifies and that faith that is true faith is evidenced by works. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Revelation 14:6-7)

Expository Preaching - We believe that a steady diet of expositional preaching is the most effective way to build up the body of Christ. Preaching and teaching through books of the Bible will be the primary emphasis of this ministry (Deut 6:4-9; Ezra 7:10; Neh 8:1-12; Matt 4:4; 1 Tim 4:13; 2 Tim 3:14-4:5; Titus 1:3, 9; Heb 4:12; 1 Peter 1:22-2:3).

Fervent Prayer - Every aspect of the church’s life and ministry ought to be under girded with regular, fervent prayer. Elements of a godly prayer life (individually and corporately) include: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and intercession (Neh 1; Psalm 51; Matt 6:5-15; Luke 19:46; Phil 1:3-11; Col 1:3-12; James 5:13-18).

Authentic Worship - Authentic worship of the living God is marked by biblical truth, personal and corporate genuineness and spiritual depth. Elements of worship include prayer, singing, Scripture reading and preaching and the Lord’s table (Psalm 24, 33, 42, 95; Isa 6:1-8; Matt 4:10; John 4:24; Rom 12:1-2; Heb 13:15; Rev 4-5; 1 Cor 11:23-34).

Loving Community - We will cultivate Christian love, rejoicing, unity and community in the family of God through mentoring relationships, benevolence and biblical instruction (Acts 2:44-47; 6:1-7; Eph 4:1-16; 1 Tim 5:3-8; 2 Tim 2:2; Titus 2:3-5; James 1:27).

Church Discipline - We will exercise biblical church discipline administered in a spirit of obedience and humility and believe that this practice protects the purity of the church and offers restoration to the wayward (Prov 28:13; Matt 5:23-24; 18:15-20; 1 Cor 5:6-8; 11:17-34; Gal 6:1-5; Eph 5:25-27).

Personal Evangelism - We will equip and send the church into the community to bring the message of the cross to our own households, neighborhoods, workplaces and the world (Matt 28:19-20; John 20:31; Acts 4:12; Rom 10:14-15; 1 Peter 3:15).

Church Planting - . We will make intentional efforts to reach the world for Christ by praying, giving, going and planting as we rejoice in God’s plan to be a blessing to the nations. (Matt 28:19-20; Acts 13-14, 16-21).

The Sufficiency of Scripture - We will regard scripture as sufficient for life and godliness, so it must be consulted for all things. We will use it for reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness to speak into the lives of those in the congregation.

The Regulative Principle - We will attempt to regulate church life by scripture alone recognizing that God has instituted in the Scriptures everything He requires for worship in the Church and that everything else is prohibited. Therefore, the only permissible elements of worship are those that are instituted by command, precept, or example or by good and necessary consequence and that whatever is not warranted by scripture is forbidden.

This is another way of saying that Christ has authority over His church through the Word of God (Matt 16:18; Romans 1:16; 10:17.)

Manhood on Display – A Tale of Two Ships

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:17:51 +0100

Albert Mohler reports on recent analysis of the displays of manhood and their relation to the treatment of women aboard two ships – The Titanic and the Lusitania. He writes, “Aboard the Lusitania, young males acted out of a selfish survival instinct, and women and children were cast aside, left to the waves. Aboard the Titanic, there was time for men to consider what was at stake and to call themselves to a higher morality. There was time for conscience to raise its voice and authority, and for men, young and old, to know and to do their duty.”

"Keeping" the Sabbath Day from the Barbarians Which Would Over Run It

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:04:54 +0100

Fear will overrun it
Greed will overturn it
Obsession will overwhelm it
Ungodliness will overthrow it
Antinomianism will nullify it

It has to be kept safe from the barbarians in the heart, the culture and even in the church which will trample on it until there is no one left on earth whose schedule is governed by God. What are we talking about? The Fourth Commandment requires that we, “keep” it, meaning that we guard and protect and build a fence around it so that it is not trampled on.

This is hard because there is a public war against the keeping the Sabbath day.

As with all the commandments the devil is always waging war with the fourth commandment. He places many stumbling stones in our way and attempts to disfigure it and eliminate it or keep us from it. This is why we must "observe" or guard the Sabbath day.

The French revolutionaires abolished the Sabbath.

In Egypt the children of Israel had lost their computation of it and Pharoah did not allow the children of Israel to observe it.

The pagan enlightenment philosopher of the eighteenth century, Voltaire, wrote, "if you wish to destroy the Christian religion you must first destroy the Christian Sabbath."

Deacons as Shock Absorbers

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:58:32 +0100

9 Marks has just released a journal containing a half dozen articles on the ministry of deacons. Jonathan Leeman writes, "The New Testament only mentions this unassuming office two, maybe three times (Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8-13; cf. Rom. 16:1). But pay attention. It seems to direct the deacon’s attention to the church’s physical good, which in turn will serve the church’s spiritual good. The deacon is a unity builder—and shock absorber! There should be nothing unspiritual about a deacon."

What About "Home Churching"

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:36:16 +0100

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

What about "Home Churching?" Here Scott Brown, Dan Horn, Jason Dohm and Steve Breagy define what this means to many and explain the dangerous and unbiblical nature of such a practice.

Sincere and Affectionate Catechizing - John G. Paton

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:34:39 +0100

Family worship can become a resented drudgery or a longed for joy. This is powerfully illustrated by John G. Paton, the faithful missionary to the cannibals of the New Hebrides islands, in his autobiography "Missionary Patriarch." Paton discusses radically different results from what was fundamentally the same activity:

“It has been an amazing thing to me, occasionally to meet with men who blamed this “catechizing” for giving them a distaste to religion; every one in all our circle thinks and feels exactly the opposite. It laid the solid rock-foundations of our religious life. After-years have given to these questions and their answers a deeper or a modified meaning, but none of us have ever once even dreamed of wishing that we had been otherwise trained. Of course, if the parents are not devout, sincere, and affectionate, - if the whole affair on both sides is taskwork, or worse, hypocritical and false, - results must be very different indeed!”

Consider coming to the Hope Baptist Child Training conference, "The Training and Admonition of the Lord."

Register today for "The Training and Admonition of the LORD" child training seminar

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:59:20 +0100

What we do in the training of our children matters. So does how we do it. Consider joining us for a conference dedicated to a careful study of Scripture to faithfully guide us to what we should do and how we should do it in all of our parenting endeavors.

Click here for more information.

Click here to register for the conference.

A Biblical Analysis of Age Segregated Youth Ministry

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 08:23:00 +0100

The following will appear in my upcoming book on youth ministry:

Do the methods for the evangelism and discipleship of youth matter? Does Scripture speak specifically to the issue of youth ministry? This book suggests that they matter greatly. Further, it shows that a tragic blindness exists in Christian culture regarding ministry to youth. While God has spoken clearly about how to minister to youth in His Word, that Word seems to be completely ignored in modern church life, and has been replaced with a cheap substitute. And, to make matters worse, youth are being destroyed through this modern method of discipleship. It is indisputably unbiblical in its method, inherently destructive in its effect, and undeniably unchristian in its origin. Even though this is true, most people will reject the message of this book. After all, age segregation is the biggest business in the church and its all we’ve ever done.

Believers are charged to take every thought and every practice captive by examining everything by the standard of scripture. Unfortunately, we live in an era where many churches have orthodox doctrinal statements, but not practices that are consistent with them. We have an intellectual orthodoxy without a biblical orthopraxy to match it. What is actually done week to week in our churches is very different from what is written in scripture.

How Do you Love the Church and Continue in Pornography?

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:07:49 +0100

I just posted a piece on "Our Marriage blog" an article on pornography that appeared in National Review Magazine. We know that pornography destroys marriages and families. But there is more. The use of pornography defiles the church in more ways than one. First it destroys the individual. Second it destroys a vision of the gospel that marriage is designed to explain, "Husbands, love your wives as also Christ loved the church." In December 9-11 we are holding our Love the Church conference in Asheville NC. No wonder there is so little love for the church in modern times. That love is being directed to other places.

Love the Church Conference, Ridgecrest – Asheville NC, Dec 9-11

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:20:12 +0100

At this conference we will cast a vision for church life that is presented in scripture. Speakers such as Paul Washer, Joel Beeke, Doug Phillips, Scott Brown and many others will join together to define biblical church and family life. Our prayer is for a rising number of churches dedicated to the glory of God alone. We will communicate the biblical doctrine of the church, explain her importance, her calling and her destiny. We will show how you and your family fit in to the church of Jesus Christ and how He has called you to love and serve her. We will bring messages on evangelism, missions, church planting, and discipleship through local churches. We will be explaining particularly important church practices such as singing, scripture reading, the Lord’s table, baptism, Sabbath keeping and church discipline. We will explain the importance of the sufficiency of scripture for the government of the church and how to apply the “regulative principle” in church life. We will even bring messages regarding the way that churches should treat their elders and whether or not they should pay them.

An excerpt from my upcoming book on youth ministry

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:14:07 +0100

Methodology, not Intentions

The good intentions of those involved present a difficult situation: How do you appeal to people who are honestly trying to do the right things in a wrong system? How do you appropriately point out to them that there is something they have adopted that is contrary to Scripture and that is destroying the body of Christ from within?

First, I hope to address our brothers with love, not condescension. Though God is direct with His expectations of us, He has also been gracious to lead us when we were in error. W should likewise be direct, yet gracious in our posture toward our brothers. My prayer is that the message of this book, though it is controversial, will be consistent with the words of the Apostle Paul:

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:15-16

Second, I want to focus on the methodology, not on the motivations of good men who have gone off course. It is important that we do not impugn the character of those who are well-intentioned, yet misguided in their approach to youth ministry. The goal of this book is to address the methodology of modern youth ministry and not the intentions of those who operate within it.

The truth is that most youth ministers have simply adopted what the previous generation established. They have not carefully considered whether or not the approach of their mentors actually follows God’s directives for the training of youth. Many, in fact, have considered methodology to be neutral, “So long as we get positive results, our methods must be acceptable.”

Yet methodology matters: God has not only ordained the ends, but He has also ordained the means to those ends, and He expects us to follow those means. God has specifically prescribed the way that we should disciple youth. It is not just what we say to youth that matters; how we structure our discipleship endeavors is also of vital importance. How we get from A to B is critical in God’s economy of things. The ends do not justify the means.

Thus, if we have abandoned, even unwittingly, biblical practices as we have sought to evangelize and disciple young men and women, then we must repent. That is what I needed to do. I am mortified when I think of what I promoted, and that it took hold. If we find that we have drifted away from biblical patterns, we are obligated to change directions and subordinate ourselves to the standards of the God we profess to represent and serve. If we love God, we will “keep [His] commandments” (John 14:15). We will not seek to please Him, and then try to advance His work in a way that is contrary to His word.

Esther Edwards - An Example of Exemplary Church and Family Devotion

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:37:19 +0100

A couple of years ago, I purchased copies of the diary of Esther Edwards for me and my daughters. We have learned many good things together about how a woman long ago tried to apply the biblical patterns for church and family life. Here Michael Haykin has written a short piece on Esther and her diary. He writes,

"Her diary is a fabulous window on the attempt of a young New England housewife to live wholeheartedly for God. Among the things that she prized was spiritual friendship with women like Sarah Prince. Writing in her diary on April 20, 1755, for instance, she told Sarah: ‘I should highly value (as you my dear do) such charming friends as you have about you—friends that one might unbosom their whole soul too. …I esteem religious conversation one of the best helps to keep up religion in the soul, excepting secret devotion, I don’t know but the very best.’

Esther seemed to have such a wonderful and godly focus in her relationships with other women... Go and do likewise.

NCFIC Book Blog -- Family Reformation

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0100

"While the doctrine of salvation was reformed during the sixteenth century, so were marriage, manhood, womanhood, courtship, child raising, fertility, and many other areas of family life. John Calvin never wrote a book on the family, but he touched off a family reformation resulting in a massive restructuring of the most fundamental institution of society. Like no other reformer, Calvin provided the exegetical precision that defined the terms for a biblical vision of family life. Calvin teaches us that “sola Scriptura” is the gold standard for family life. This principle, which ignited a family reformation in Geneva, can ignite a reformation in your family today. This book communicates the main themes of Calvin’s teaching on family life in his own words, using quotes from his books, sermons, letters, and other writings."

Text quoted from Family Reformation: The Legacy of Sola Scriptura in Calvin's Geneva by Scott T. Brown. For more details about this book or to purchase click HERE.

Doug Phillips on "Pure and Undefiled Religion" - From My Notes at the Father Daughter ...

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:17:30 +0100

“Pure and undefiled religion” is ministering to those who are deprived of fathers from broken families.

James says, “Pure and undefiled religion” is to help those without fathers. This highly esteemed work is connected with helping broken families. The loss of a father is thought by Christ to be a devastating loss.

To show special care for those without fathers give a child a father is the work of undefiled religion.
Show special care for those without fathers and validate the truth of 2 Cor 6:18 – "I will be a father to you"

The Botkin Sisters on, "Whose Daughter Are You?" - My Notes

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:08:41 +0100

Anna Sophia and Elizabeth Botkin spoke beautifully to the daughters on the subject of examining our affections to identity and learn from them whether you are a daughter of Zion of a daughter of the devil. Here are some brief notes from their message:

The devil wants you. However, the most devastating part is, “you want you.”

Who are you really?

Are you your own, or are you God’s daughter? Have you embraced Christ as your King? A Christian family can end up only as a course that allows you to pass yourself off as a Christian when really you have never become a daughter of Christ. I have seen many fall away. Many have been impostors. It happens because they were never converted to begin with. They were just pretending. They wanted a nice home and a nice husband, but they did not want the sacrifices necessary.
Matt 16:24-24. The difference between becoming a daughter of your own or Christs.”

Messages on Proverbs 31 at the Vision Forum Father Daughter Retreat

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:06:45 +0100

Today, I am off to Calloway Gardens in Georgia with my daughters, Blair and Claudia. I will be doing expositions of Proverbs 31. I want to dedicate these messages to my wife Deborah. We have been married for 28 years, and as I have saturated myself in these 22 verses in Proverbs 31, in preparation for this retreat, my heart is full of rejoicing as I see with new eyes what makes my wife tick. These verses describe her perfectly. If anyone thinks these things are out of reach or for another world, I am here to testify that I have seen every one of these things with my own eyes for many years in my own wife Deborah.

McLaren's "New Christianity" attacked at Southern Seminary on NPR's Morning Edition

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:08:16 +0100

National Public Radio reports, "Recently, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., convened a school-wide event to talk about a new book by a popular evangelical Christian. It wasn't pretty. 'It is a new kind of Christianity that is no Christianity at all,' says Southern Baptist theologian Jim Hamilton."

Listen here.

NCFIC Road Trip – visiting 16 cities in five weeks for church and family reformation

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:28:27 +0100

This year, the NCFIC is coming to a city near you through a 9,000 mile road trip. The NCFIC Road Trip Team brings a message of biblical reformation for Church and family life, declaring that hunger for the glory of God is the beginning of all reformation. We will explain how the Gospel fills the true Church and demonstrate practical ways to go about bringing biblical reformation to the leadership, discipleship, family life and preaching of the church.

We will address how obedience to God’s commands regarding family life blesses the church, how obedience in our marriages models the love of God for the church, how obedience in discipling our children preserves the rising generation of the church, and how obedience in brotherly love, hospitality, and evangelism creates a church body life that builds up, strengthens, and grows a true church. We will exposit the Biblical directives for leadership, discipleship and preaching in the church. We will show the difference between law and grace and how they work in harmony for the building up of the church. In summary, we will cast a vision for a unified life of reformation in the church and the family.

Our goal is to leave behind a rising sense of the glory and beauty of the church and her importance in God’s plan of redemption.

The Brown family, the Peter Bradrick family, the David Brown family, and a number of interns will be taking this five week tour.

Wedding in Review

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:07:37 +0100

Calvin in My Office Today

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:21:31 +0100

Here is Calvin Turley (firstborn son of Justin and Melissa) in my office today - an amazing young lad. He had just finished his nursing and promptly read this 1611 version of Calvin's Institutes before lunch.

The Wedding of David and Monica

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 05:01:00 +0100

RC.Sproul Jr on "Doctrine and Life"

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:45:47 +0100

RC Sproul, Jr. gives us a gem of an article on loving God and His Word,

"Even when we read the Bible, however, we often insulate ourselves from its message. Like dispensationalists on crack, any text that touches on our own sin gets relegated to some other dispensation. That was for then, we tell ourselves. We live in a different culture, we tell ourselves. When the Bible calls into question our own choices and lifestyles we simply wave this magic wand, 'The Bible couldn’t possibly mean that...' We come to His Word with an a priori commitment that it tells us nothing more challenging than 'Be nicer.'"

Read the full article here.

Eight Wedding Gifts from a Father to his Beloved Son

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:39:00 +0100

When the men of our church gathered together to give David their counsel on his upcoming marriage, I said this:

David we have been constant companions as we have walked together here at home, all over this country and the world. I want to bless you tonight before these men with two things, eight gifts from the Lord.

First, are these eight gifts from the Lord that God gives to all men who love Him and are called according to His purpose. The Lord has given these to me and now I give them to you. These things have been mine and now they are yours. I pass them to you.

1. A Scepter – It is an emblem of authority for dominion. It is held in the hand with the mantle of leadership upon your head. “The husband is the head of the wife” - This makes you a governor, a prophet, a priest and a king, (Ephesians 5:22-33).

2. A Shepherds Staff –It is the staff of a guide. “Husbands love your wives as Christ also loved the church.” The good shepherd hands to you His staff knowing that, “Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me,” (Psalm 23).

3. A Basket with Bread and Wine – It is the vehicle for nourishment as it contains the elements of nourishment. Like Christ, you are called to “feed the 5000,” while at the same time you will learn that "God [will] provide a table in the wilderness?” (Ps 78).

4. A Root –It is the emblem of fruitfulness and it brings with it a world of fruitfulness, which is partly captured in the statement,"Be fruitful and multiply." The parable of the talents with it's emphasis on work and multiplication, informs us of how we bear fruit.

5. A Sword – This “sword” is the emblem of truth but it is no ordinary sword for it is the “Sword of the Spirit.” It is perfect, “The law of the Lord is perfect,” (Psalm 19) and powerful (Hebrews 4:12) and sweet, “how sweet are your words to my taste,” (Ps 119:123).

6. A Heart – It is the emblem of love that fulfills the whole law. With this heart you will “Chrerish” your new wife with it’s real heat that is communicated in the Greek word for Cherish - “thalpe.”

7. A Cross – It is the emblem of sacrifice, atonement and the center of history. The cross shows us the greatness of our sins, how valuable it is to crucify the flesh and how blessed it is to find what is worthy of boasting about – “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of Christ," (Galatians 6:14).

8. A Baton – It is the emblem of the generations as you teach the commandments of the Lord to your children and your children’s children (Psalm 78:5-6).

David, you have been a good son and I am grateful for all of what the Lord gave us during your time under my roof. We now possess many precious and pleasant riches from these times. The lines have fallen in pleasant places. I love you my son.

The Training and Admonition of the LORD Child Training Seminar: May 7-8, 2010

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:24:53 +0100

Schedule:

Friday, May 7, 7-9:30pm for parents only, so that issues of discipline can be addressed candidly. This will be held at the Brown Family Farm, 3721 Quarry Road, Wake Forest, NC 27587.

Saturday, May 8, 9am-4pm for whole families. This will be held at Tuxedo Junction, 405 South Brooks Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587.

Sponsored by Hope Baptist Church, Wake Forest

Cost: $15 for single registrations, or $25 for families
Saturday lunch is included

REGISTER NOW

Smoke and Fire in the War Against the Sufficiency of Scripture

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:29:03 +0100

We had Ken Ham speak at our Sufficiency of Scripture conference because he believes that the rejection of the literal, historical interpretation of Genesis 1 is the source of a thousand other points of apostasy in the church and collapse of the culture. The question is, "Is scripture sufficient?" A writer for Calvin College Newspaper took Ken Ham's Answers in Genesis to task making a number of accusations. However, the center of the conflict can be traced to the war over the sufficiency of Scripture. We believe that the rejection of the sufficiency of Scripture in all matters in the church life today is the center of the battle and the fulcrum (leverage point) of necessary reformation for the church and the family.

In his blog today, Ken Ham responds to Calvin College underlining some of the real issues at stake and the irresponsible manner in which some engage in the debate. The interchange puts on display just how deeply mainstream evangelicalism has abandoned the faith. Ken Ham is right. When you do not take Genesis 1 seriously, you cannot take anything else seriously. Our work at the NCFIC finds itself on the battle lines of church and family. Ken Ham's battle is fought on the battle lines of the origins of the world. We are very thankful for his boldness and leadership and pray for victory there.

Brothers We Are Not Figure Skaters

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:10:37 +0100

Here is a short but "sweet" video clip of Phil Johnson on the feminization of church leaders.

Sabbath morning prayer

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:20:12 +0100

"Welcome delightful morn, Thou day of sacred rest!
I hail thy kind return, Lord, make these moments blest;
From the low train of mortal toys,
I soar to reach immortal joys,
I soar to reach immortal joys"

You can sing this as a hymn on Cyber hymnal
In “Hayward” in John Dobell’s, A New Selection, 1806

Check Out Our Marriage Blog

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:18:10 +0100

Deborah and I are starting a blog about marriage. For the first post, click here

The Worldwide War Against Baby Girls - The Economist Reports

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:47:00 +0100

The Economist Magazine has released a stunning article on the war against girls entitled, The worldwide war on baby girls. This reality stands in sharp contrast with God's disposition toward girls. God has built so many protections around them through representative heads (fathers and husbands and church elders and civil magistrates) and commanded men to nourish and cherish their wives and give their lives for them. Here God shows Himself to be the Supreme Benefactor of girls.

Albert Mohler gives a powerful analysis of the article. One of the startling elements of this article in the Economist is the story of a Chinese writer who witnessed the killing of a baby girl, “‘But that’s...murder...and you’re the police!’ The little foot was still now. The policemen held on to me for a few more minutes. ‘Doing a baby girl is not a big thing around here,’ [an] older woman said comfortingly. ‘That’s a living child,’ I said in a shaking voice, pointing at the slops pail. ‘It’s not a child,’ she corrected me. ‘It’s a girl baby, and we can’t keep it. Around these parts, you can’t get by without a son. Girl babies don’t count.’”

Economic Hotspots Church Leaders Need to Address

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:09:42 +0100

Here is a podcast with Scott Brown, Jason Dohm and Dan Horn on hot issues church shepherds often need to help church members grapple with.

In times of economic downturn, these issues are more often more sensitive.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

What Is the Liberty We Have in Christ?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:07:00 +0100

Last Lord's Day, I preached on Galatians 5:1-13 where Paul begins to apply the doctrine of justification by faith. He has been saying that not one ounce of works can save you. As a result of this, many believe that the law has lost all its application in our era. In contrast, the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 has clear answers for what Christian liberty means. We live in an era where people think Christian liberty means they can disregard what God has said in Scripture. Our Christian forefathers knew better.

CHAPTER 21: OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY AND LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE

Paragraph 1. The liberty which Christ has purchased for believers under the gospel, consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the severity and curse of the law,

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Galatians 3:13)

and in their being delivered from this present evil world,

Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, (Galatians 1:3)

bondage to Satan,

To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18)

and dominion of sin,

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (Romans 8:3)

from the evil of afflictions,

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

the fear and sting of death, the victory of the grave,

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

and everlasting damnation:

When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (2 Thessalonians 1:10)

as also in their free access to God, and their yielding obedience unto Him, not out of slavish fear,

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15)

but a child-like love and willing mind.

The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. (Luke 1:73-75)

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)

All which were common also to believers under the law for the substance of them;

So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham…That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:9,14)

but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further enlarged, in their freedom from the yoke of a ceremonial law, to which the Jewish church was subjected, and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace, and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily partake of.

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:38-39)

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; (Hebrews 10:19-21)

Paragraph 2. God alone is Lord of the conscience,

There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? (James 4:12)

Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)

and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his word, or not contained in it.

But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye... And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, (Acts 4:19, 29)

Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. (1 Corinthians 7:23)

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:9)

So that to believe such doctrines, or obey such commands out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience;

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, …Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. (Colossians 2:20, 22-23)

and the requiring of an implicit faith, an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also.

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? (1 Corinthians 3:5)

Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand. (2 Corinthians 1:24)

Paragraph 3. They who upon pretence of Christian liberty do practice any sin, or cherish any sinful lust, as they do thereby pervert the main design of the grace of the gospel to their own destruction,

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:1-2)

so they wholly destroy the end of Christian liberty, which is, that being delivered out of the hands of all our enemies, we might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righeousness before Him, all the days of our lives.

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13)

For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error…For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. (2 Peter 2:18, 21)

The Global Majority Vote is in - A Woman's Place is NOT in the Home

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:10:13 +0100

74% of the people in the world believe a woman's place is definitely NOT in the home.

"The survey of over 24,000 adults in 23 countries, conducted by Reuters/Ipsos and released on the eve of International Women's Day, showed that people from India (54 percent), Turkey (52 percent), Japan (48 percent), China, Russia, Hungary (34 percent each) and South Korea (33 percent) were most likely to agree that women should not work."

Over the last century and a half, we have undergone vast changes in the way we understand the purpose and activities of the family. This is seen most markedly in the nature of family education, economics and co-existence. Homes are startlingly mother and child free. The children have been sent to a government institution. Mothers have escaped to the cubicle. Fathers are catapulted to the corporation.

California Megachurch Makes a Startling Statement about Age Segregation

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:08:00 +0100

Cornerstone Church, a multi-site church in Simi Valley Califorina headed by Francis Chan has a statement on the church web site that questions age and life stage segregation in the church. They say they no longer believe that the church should be segregated in this manner. They say,

"In looking for Adult Ministry, most people are looking to get connected to a men's ministry, women's ministry, young marrieds' ministry, divorced ministry or other type of life-stage/age-stage ministry.

This makes sense, and for years Cornerstone has been structured around reaching out to people based on their age, life-stage, and interestes. While we are excited about all that God has accomplished at Cornerstone through various life-stage ministries over the years, after much assessment, prayer, and studying of the Scriptures, we have come to strongly believe that the body of Christ is NOT supposed to be divided unnecessarily along age, gender, or life-stage lines.

We desire to meet you where you are, whether you are in need of counseling or if you are simply looking for fellowship with other believers. While we are absolutely committed to ministering to you for the glory of God, we believe that ministry should not be designed according to what fits us best. God has designed the body of Christ to be organized in such a way that relationships are built so that God's mission is accomplished through His people. We have learned the hard way that the fact that a ministry fits you as an individual doesn't mean that Cornerstone is necessarily accomplishing what God has called us to be about.

In fact, the key to understanding our mission is realizing that it doesn't start with you. It starts with understanding God and His heart, plan, and purpose for this world. Only from there can we understand how you as an individual are called to be a part of God’s larger purposes.

We want to get you connected to what God is doing through believers here at Cornerstone by getting you in touch with people who live near you. Please visit your community page to find out how to connect with a community of believers in your neighborhood."

A Prayer for the Close of the Sabbath Day

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0100

"Most Merciful Father, we seek Thy presence at the close of the day. We might have that presence in fullness all day long; but we are so forgetful of Thee, and so carried away on the stream of passing things, or so drawn and hither and thither by the distractions of life, that we are glad when Thou dost spread the calm shadow of Thy presence, and invite us to come within its stillness and solemnity. Be a little sanctuary to us here to-night. May we hear the voice of the Lord God at the cool of the day. May our souls be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and our mouths shall praise Thee when we remember Thee upon our beds.

We thank Thee for the many and rich mercies of this day, for the goodness of Thy house, even of Thy holy place. How precious have been Thy thoughts to us-ward, and how great has been the sum of them! May the good seed of divine truth find in our hearts “good ground” in which to grow, and in our lives a field in which to ripen. Preserve in us every holy impression and helpful memory. Nourish us still by the bread of life; and take us from one Sabbath to another, “as from strength to strength,” until we appear in the heavenly Zion before Thee. Save us from hardness, and coldness, and spiritual indifference; and as Thou art ever about us in Thy tenderness, and Thy love in its many and merciful ministrations is preventing us on every side, O make us tender, and receptive, and contrite, and humble, that we may thus grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We praise Thee for Him: for all He has told us of Thy fatherhood, for all He has done for us in His atonement, and for all He continues to be and do for us still, in Heaven as our High Priest, and here on earth as an ever-present friend, we praise Thee. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. May we rejoice in the Lord alway. May His blood cleanse us everyday from all sin. May His love be a conscious and homefelt reality in our hearts. May His suffering explain and sanctify ours, so that all things shall work together for our good.

We especially beseech Thee to grant unto us a deeper and more abiding loyalty to Him as our only rightful Lord, and a more fervent and steady zeal for the service of His kingdom. Ah, how slack have we been, how careless, how unprofitable! How timid our confession! How scanty our toils! Oftentimes we have almost betrayed our Master, and we have never given Him a full and undivided consecration. Help us now to yield ourselves unto God through Christ our Saviour, without reserve. May we now present the living sacrifice, and, overcoming by our faith and resolution the fear of the world and the reluctance of the flesh, may we follow and serve the Lord wholly, and unto the end. O grant us thy Holy Spirit as a Spirit of power, to vitalize our convictions and strengthen our principles, and to set our will more fixedly to the duty of each day, until the day of life shall come to its close, and the duty of life shall be all done, By His indwelling may we know the things of Christ in all their clearness and beauty, and be led so to come to Him not only in faith, but in daily consecration and active service, that we may find His yoke to be easy and His burden to be light.

Help us to bear our troubles and perplexities as those who know that they are appointed, and that they are swiftly passing away. Stay us so with grace that we may not weary of the chastening that is for our profit, that we may not fail of the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory which all our suffering should work out. As our mortal days and nights come and go, may we look with a brightening hope to the everlasting and unclouded day of heaven; and when at length, in Thine own good time, we leave the earthly toil and sorrow behind, may we through grace enter into the city where already are gathered together the pilgrim people who have lived and died before us.

May all who are dear to us be of that pilgrim company. May none be left to set their affection on things on the earth. May none despise, or even neglect, the good part. May they hasten to be wise. May they seek the Lord while He is to be found, and call upon Him while He is near. May religion open to them its joys and adorn them with its beauty, and may they and we go, henceforth, in the ways which are pleasantness, and in the paths which are peace.

Bless our native land, and our most gracious sovereign, and all the royal family. Give peace in our times, and turn away Thy judgments. Make known thy truth, and let Thy glory shine over all the earth, and may Thy will, speedily, be done on earth, even as it is done in heaven.

We now humbly and trustfully commit ourselves to Thee for the night, and even for evermore, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen"

The Home Preacher or Church in the House edited by Rev Norman Macleod D.,D,.
William MacKenzie,Howard St.
22 Paternoster Row, London pages 240-241

NCFIC Internship Opportunity

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:04:49 +0100

One of the most exciting parts of our work at the NCFIC over the past year has been what God has done through our intern program. We have seen God work in a mighty way through daily discipleship, hard work, the camaraderie, opportunity, and sacrifice involved in being an NCFIC intern. We have seen men grow, stretched, convicted, and even transformed.

The NCFIC Internship is a men’s discipleship program consisting of personal study, local church involvement, and ministry to churches around the nation through conferences and internet communications. Interns will be involved in the daily work of the NCFIC offices, daily discipleship with Scott Brown and Peter Bradrick, weekly involvement in the activities and mentorship of Hope Baptist church as well as receive significant investment from the leaders of Hope Baptist Church.

We are excited to announce that there are still openings for the summer/fall 2010 internship which begins August 2nd and ends December 20th. The application deadline is March 31, 2010.

If you have any questions, contact Mr. Peter Bradrick | pbradrick@ncfic.org

To apply, click here.

Upcoming Child Training Conference - May 7-8.

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:55:00 +0100

Friday evening will be at the Brown's Barn for parents only (7-9:30pm); Saturday will be at the Tuxedo Junction (9am-4pm) for the whole family. This is sponsored by Hope Baptist church, but everyone is invited. Details coming soon.

Tuxedo Junction Inc.
405 South Brooks Street
Wake Forest, NC 27587

Elder Discipleship

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:40:00 +0100

This month we are reading what is in my mind a very special and practical book – John MacArthur’s "Preaching: How to Preach Biblically." The introduction is worth the price of the book... It is a must read for anyone who desires to preach the Word in a local church. And, it demonstrates how important expository preaching is for the flock.

NCFIC Book Blog -- Pastoral Care for Singles in Geneva

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:46:00 +0100

"As a shepherd of a local flock, it is evident that Calvin had observed many of the tumultuous results of mishandling the single years. He seemed to have great compassion for the single people in his church for he provided much counsel to assist them in governing the critical years preceding marriage. He preached directly to the issues which they faced and dealt forthrightly with the concerns they had regarding marriage and everything leading up to it. He did not provide them with shallow platitudes. Rather, he gave incisive direction for handling a diverse range of complex issues. Through his expositions, letters, commentaries, and the Institutes, he dissected the issues of the single life."

Text quoted from Preparing for Marriage: The Premarital Counsel of John Calvin edited by Scott T. Brown. For more details about this book or to purchase click HERE.

German Homeschoolers Seek Asylum in the United States

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:40:00 +0100

Pressures against homeshoolers around the world have been in the news over the last couple of years. Here Albert Mohler reports on the recent flight of a German family to the United States for asylum after being fined $11,000 for their refusal to send their children to the government schools, while their children were taken from them and transported to school by the government.

The Perpetuity of the Law of God

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:56:56 +0100

We have just loaded a powerful resource on the article section of our web site. Charles Spurgeon had some very crisp and powerful things to say about "The Perpetuity of the Law of God." Below is his introduction. I highly recomend reading his whole article here.

"Very great mistakes have been made about the law. Not long ago there were those about us who affirmed that the law is utterly abrogated and abolished, and they openly taught that believers were not bound to make the moral law the rule of their lives. What would have been sin in other men they counted to be no sin in themselves. From such Antinomianism as that may God deliver us. We are not under the law as the method of salvation, but we delight to see the law in the hand of Christ, and desire to obey the Lord in all things. Others have been met with who have taught that Jesus mitigated and softened down the law, and they have in effect said that the perfect law of God was too hard for imperfect beings, and therefore God has given us a milder and easier rule. These tread dangerously upon the verge of terrible error, although we believe that they are little aware of it.

"Alas, we have met with authors who have gone much further than this, and have railed at the law. Oh, the hard words that I have sometimes read against the holy law of God! How very unlike to those which the apostle used when he said, “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” How different from the reverent spirit which made him say, “I delight in the law of God after the inward man.” You know how David loved the law of God, and sang its praises all through the longest of the Psalms. The heart of every real Christian is most reverent towards the law of the Lord. It is perfect, nay, it is perfection itself. We believe that we shall never have reached perfection till we are perfectly conformed to it. A sanctification which stops short of perfect conformity to the law cannot truthfully be called perfect sanctification, for every want of exact conformity to the perfect law is sin. May the Spirit of God help us while, in imitation of our Lord Jesus, we endeavor to magnify the law."

"Ama La Iglesia" Conference Dec. 9-11

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:49:33 +0100

Later this year, Dec. 9-11 at our Love the Church conference, we will also be providing "Ama la Iglesia" a mini-conference concurrent with our Love the Church conference with messages preached in Spanish (Paul Washer, Josue Raimundo) as well as with word-for-word simultaneous translation.

Here's a Big Regulative Principle Violation

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:51:36 +0100

Kairos Journal has given us an article, "Christianity Gone to the Dogs" that explains how disconnected people can get from biblical patterns for church life. It reports that more that 500 churches in America have performed blessings for animals.

The article says, "Every Sunday at 5 p.m., Pilgrim Congregational Church in North Weymouth, Massachusetts, opens its doors for a special pet worship service called 'Woof ‘n Worship.' There, dog owners can attend church together with their four-legged companions and be led in prayers such as, 'Dear Lord, please make me the person my dog thinks I am.' In the event of any accidents during the service, the church equipped its sanctuary with 'doggy clean-up stations.' The initial Woof ‘n Worship included a special blessing of the animals. Pastor Rachel Bickford explained that she prayed about opening services to dogs before deciding that 'it would be just so much fun.'"

A Child of the Movement - An excerpt from my upcoming book on Youth Ministry

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:38:26 +0100

I am a child of the modern youth ministry movement. I grew up in its heyday. I read the books and studied the programs and did my best to ensure that the techniques they espoused were done in our church. I have made bold statements such as, after you hire a senior pastor, ”youth” and “music” ministers are next. I have argued that you have to meet youth on their ground.

This perspective was driven by my own experience as a young man. I was profoundly impacted by the campus workers of Campus Crusade for Christ while I was in High School. They brought the gospel, and God saw to it that they would find me. Their ministry played a role in my conversion, and when I heard the news that Bill Bright died, I sat in my office and wept like a baby out of thankfulness for those missionaries who came to my high school campus. They preached the gospel, and it fell on sinful but fruitful ground, and I was converted. They loved the youth they sought to reach, they loved me, and I have great love for the youth ministers who came.

When it comes to modern youth ministry, I’ve done it all. I have been a youth minister, singles minister, senior minister, and everything in between. I have worked in the nursery, played guitar for the toddlers, and taught High School Sunday School class. I have been involved in hiring and firing youth ministers. I have said, along with the best of them, “It is a sin to bore a kid with the gospel.” I know crowd breakers and “chubby bunnies,” (a game of stuffing marshmallows in your mouth) I bought the literature of “Youth Specialties” and even started a “Campus Life” chapter under the leadership of “Youth for Christ.” In my twenties and early thirties I could have been a poster child for modern youth ministry techniques.

A Return to Sola Scriptura

Over time, however, my thinking regarding youth ministry has undergone a radical transformation. This process was fueled by a return to a cardinal tenet of the Protestant faith, Sola Scriptura. This principle argues that God’s Word alone is sufficient for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:15-16; Deut 4:1-4). It makes the Bible the exclusive foundation for all that we do in the home, the church, the state, and every other realm of society. It is rooted in the belief that man’s notions for how to live must be set aside for God’s clear directives as found in His inspired, written revelation.

I have been humbled to learn that God’s vision for training young people is powerful, profound, and comprehensive, and that the man-centered model I once advocated is radically different.

What I have concluded is this: Modern Christian culture has set aside the Word of God on this matter. God has spoken clearly and beautifully about how to minister to youth. He has given us a detailed blueprint of how to train our children. Yet, largely speaking, we have failed to recognize and embrace it. Rather than follow His plan, we have invented our own devices of training instead. We’ve exalted the world’s methods over God’s Word, and the outcome has been disastrous.

As an active participant in this faulty approach to youth ministry, I believe it is imperative that we deconstruct it and then rebuild in light of the teaching of Scripture alone. In its stead there should be a biblical plan and a vision of victory for discipling the young people of the next generation. Such is the purpose of this book.

Families as Armies

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:23:53 +0100

Our family attempts to read the Bible through each year reading to one another out loud. Now, we are reading through Numbers. Here are a few of the things I have attempted to show our family about the book.

What is the theme of Numbers?
The 40 years of wilderness wanderings and the consequences of obedience and disobedience of the people

How many times is the word “wilderness’ mentioned?
39 times

Where did the forty year journey start and end?
Kadesh Barnea

Outline:
Two generations (1-14; 21-36)
Two numberings ch 1 ch 26
Two sets of instructions 5-9; 28-36

The book of Numbers begins with heads of households reciting their geneaologies and the number of fighting men twenty years old and above. These families were posted in various positions around the Tabernacle and performed particular services to the Lord. Each family had significant strength of numbers. For example the sons of Reuben were 46,500, while Simeon had 59,300. Judah had the most fighting men at 74,600 while Manasseh has the least, at 32,200 . Here are some observations:

1. They have an intimate understanding of the status of their families and were able to recite their genealogies in detail.

2. They have an awareness of the numerical strength of their families, because the numerical strength of their families mattered to them.

3. The strength of these families is staggering.

4. The families worked together in the service of the Lord.

5. There was a division of labor according to families as families specialized in particular tasks.

6. Several times, these families are called "armies"

Here are some implications of these numbers:

First, a statement: If you want to perform more service to the Lord, have lots of children.

Second, a question: is your whole family mobilized for the service of the Lord as they were here?

Third, a proposition: our modern day idea of birth control influences the numerical strength of the church.

Fourth, are the families in your church organized together into a division of labor which places particular families performing particular duties?

Joe Morecraft Joins the Elder Discipleship Team for Tonight's Webinar

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:24:07 +0100

The NCFIC is pleased to welcome Joe Morecraft for this evening's Elder Discipleship webinar. Dr. Morecraft will be on the air for the first hour of the webinar discussing his book How God Wants Us to Worship Him.

In the second hour, the discussion will cover the book A Church in the House by Matthew Henry.

The Second London Baptist Confession speaks eloquently about the importance of the Sabbath Day

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:03:13 +0100

As it is a law of nature, applicable to all, that a proportion of time, determined by God, should be allocated for the worship of God, so, by His Word, He has particularly appointed one day in seven to be kept as a holy Sabbath to Himself. The commandment to this effect is positive, moral, and of perpetual application. It is binding upon all men in all ages. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ the Sabbath was the last day of the week, but when Christ's resurrection took place it was changed to the first day of the week, which is called the Lord's day. It is to be continued to the world's end as the Christian Sabbath, the observance of the seventh day being abolished.

Read the rest here.

Don't Waste Your Youth - Unmatched Battle

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:39:05 +0100

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In this chapter, I discuss the unmatched battle that was fought by American Marines on Iwo Jima and the need to prepare our sons for the battles that they too will face. I encourage fathers to tell their sons,

"Son, don't waste your youth."

In Memory of Courageous Boyhood - D Day Iwo Jima

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:54:45 +0100

Today is the anniversary of D Day on Iwo Jima - Feb 19, 1945. It was the place where young men set aside personal safety to storm the beach against a furious storm of enemy fire. My father arrived there on D plus 8, flew P-51 Mustangs on bombing raids against mainland Japan, and was finally shot down in enemy waters on May 29,1945.

In my book, Preparing Boys for Battle you will find many applications of the stories coming out of that battle as well as how I used scripture to prepare my own son for battle. Listen to an audio clip introducing the book below.

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Other Men Weigh in on the Top Ten List for Men

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:42:46 +0100

When I posted on, "What an ungodly culture hates about what God says about women," I received some good responses. Here are two of them.

My friend Penn Linder wrote this:

Do not overwork to be rich, those who don't work don't eat. Work not with eyeservice as men-pleasers but as bondservants of Christ. He who does not provide for his own is worse than an infidel.
Men should love their wives as their own bodies as Christ does the church and gave himself for her. Nourish and cherish your wives.
Men should not lust after women with their eyes and commit adultery with them in their hearts.
Men do not have authority over their own bodies, their wives do.
Men should be fruitful and multiply with their own wife. Do not cast all of the growth of your children unto your wives or unto other people, but train them yourselves in the admonition of the Lord.
Men should be submissive to one another.
Men should not commit fornication and adultery and then kill the baby made in the image of God to cover their sin and flee responsibility.
Men should dwell with their wives with understanding, giving honor as to the weaker vessel. Do not be bitter toward them.
Men should put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Men should be full of thanks, not filthiness, foolish talking, nor course jesting.
Do not speak evil of any ruler, submit to the government, pay your taxes, obey every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake.

Men, doing all of these will require you to put aside most hobbies and entertainment.

Here are ten more from former NCFIC Intern, Thomas Dellinger

Men should be leaders in their home (spiritual and physical)
Men must be as Christ and lead by example to their wives (tyranny is not Christ-like leadership)
Men must guard their eyes (no exceptions allowed)
Men don’t own their own bodies, their wives do (Men must exemplify humility toward their wives)
Men must be willing to sacrifice for their children (all hobbies)
Young Men should be taught by older men (not their peers)
Men must be willing to take responsibility for their mistakes (no matter how great)
Husband should love their wives (not their TV)
Men should be about their father’s business (not games)
Men must exercise their authority in LOVE (gentleness is manly)

Top Ten Things Ungodly Cultures Hate That the Bible Tells Men

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:13:57 +0100

Men protect women
Men are leaders
Men are responsible as heads of their families
Men are to teach their children 24/7
Men are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and be willing to die for them
Men are to be fruitful and multiply
Men do not own their bodies, their wives do
Men must bring up their children in the training and admonition of the Lord
Men must insure that their whole families and everyone else around them should celebrate the Sabbath
Mens hearts should be turned toward their children

Men as Buffoons was the Fare on Super Bowl Sunday

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:25:46 +0100

Those who know me understand I am no friend of the Super Bowl. But it appears the ads which ran during this years game got something right --21st century manhood is in trouble. This Bellingham Herald report on the the men of the Super Bowl ads explains the sad state of affairs. Men are portrayed as pathetic, stupid, emasculated morons. An example is the Dodge Charger ad:

"(It) featured a depressing view of a man's life as he talked to his invisible partner, listing all the sacrifices and concessions he'd made.

"I will get up and walk the dog at 6:30," the man said. "I will eat fruit with my breakfast. I will say yes when you want me to say yes. I will be quiet when you want me to say no. I will take your call. I will listen to your friends' opinions of my friends. I will be civil to your mother. I will put the seat down..."

"And because I do this," the man concluded, "I will drive the car I want to drive."

"Charger," the ad declared. "Man's last stand.""

Praise God that a Christian man must neither live in defeat nor drive a Dodge Charger in order to prove his masculinity.

Marriage Retreat Started This Snowy Night

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:03:56 +0100

Twentyfour couples arrived in our home for "Our Marriages and the Marriages of Our Sons and Daughters." It started snowing about 8:00.

My father and mother, Bill and Mary Brown shared maxims from 62 years of marriage.

I started the evening explaining where we were going for the rest of the weekend and identifed a number of dark clouds over us for the future marriages of our sons and daughters and the pressures that are upon us.

Dan Horn spoke on "The Purpose of Marriage" as the first message answering the question, "What you need to teach your children about marriage."

Phillip and Katie Bradrick, who will celebrate one year of marriage next week.

Top Ten Things Ungodly Cultures Hate That the Bible Tells Women

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:58:46 +0100

1. Women should be keepers at home

2. Women should submit and obey their husbands following the example of Sarah and call her husband Lord

3. Women should dress modestly

4. Wives don’t own their own bodies, their husbands do

5. Women should be fruitful and multiply

6. Younger women should be taught by older women

7. Women should not kill their babies made in the image of God

8. Wives should love their husbands

9. Women should not be busybodies – chat rooms and blogs and facebook

10. Women should not exercise authority over men.

Adoption as Sons

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:03:02 +0100

This coming Sunday, I am preaching on Galatians 4:1-11 that extols the beauty of our adoption as sons. Here is what Thomas Watson said about adoption,

"We have enough in us to move God to correct us, but nothing to move him to adopt us, therefore exalt free grace, begin ghe work of angels here; bless him with your praises who hath blessed you in making you his sons and daughters." Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity

How wonderful that "when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Gal 4:4-7

(Thomas Watson is quoted in "Heirs with Christ," The Puritans on Adoption, by Joel Beeke)

On the Eve of the Sabbath - a Meditation

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:57:06 +0100

O Lord My Lord,
This is the day, the heavenly ordinance of rest,
the open door of worship,
the record of Jesus’ resurrection,
the seal of the Sabbath to come,
the day when saints militant and triumphant
unite in endless song.

I bless thee for the throne of grace,
that here free favour reigns;
that open access to it is through the blood of Jesus;
that the veil is torn aside and I can enter the holiest
and find thee ready to hear,
waiting to be gracious,
inviting me to pour out my needs,
promising to give more than I ask or think.

But while I bless thee, shame and confusion are mine:
I remember my past misuse of sacred things,
my irreverent worship,
my base ingratitude,
my cold, dull praise.

Sprinkle all my past Sabbaths with the cleansing blood of Jesus,
And may this day witness deep improvement in me.

Give me in rich abundance the blessings the Lord’s Day was designed to impart;

May my heart be fast bound against worldly thoughts or cares;

Flood my mind with peace beyond understanding;
may my meditations be sweet,
my acts of worship life, liberty, joy,
my drink the streams that flow from thy throne,
my food the precious Word,
my defence the shield of faith
and may my heart be more knit to Jesus.

Valley of Vision, edited by Arthur Bennet (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1975), 354-355

A Beautiful Baptismal Covenant

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:47:50 +0100

Here is the baptismal covenant that Matthew Henry's children memorized,

I take God the Father to by my chiefest good and Highest end. I take God the Son to be my Prince and Savior. I take God the Holy Ghost to be my sanctifier, teacher, guide and comforter. I take the Word of God to be my rule in all my actions. And the people of God to be my people in all conditions. And this I do deliberately, sincerely, and freely and forever."

A Church in the House, by Matthew Henry, p21

The Surprising Offense of God's Love - A New and Important Book

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:06:05 +0100

Jonathan Leeman has written a ground breaking book, The Church and the Surprising Offense of God's Love that may serve to break up the fallow ground of churches that listen. This book shows how the very structure and nature of the church promotes love, but not in the way we normally think of it. Click here to listen to a roundtable discussion with Mark Dever and others. Leeman writes,

"The world thinks it understands love, just like it thinks it loves God. Yet it doesn’t. It only understands idolatrous phantoms or fabrications of them, shadows that bear some of the shape but little of the substance. The local church, therefore, is called to be a three-dimensional display of true love. And the practices of church membership and discipline are precisely what help to make the local church visible and clear. They demonstrate love’s demands. They help us to know, in the apostle John’s phrase, who are the children of God and who are the children of the Devil (see 1 John 3:10). "

Heartbreaking Story

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:50:05 +0100

There is a heartbreaking story coming out of the earthquake in Haiti. A couple from the Netherlands waited five years to adopt a young boy. They arrived on the day of the earthquake, were introduced to their new son, went to their hotel to await their departure. Only four hours after their meeting, all of them died together in the hotel. Their dead bodies were found clutching one another in the rubble.

Haiti Update - Sharing the Gospel

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:10:13 +0100

Peter Bradrick shares the gospel with men who thronged around him pleading for jobs in front of the ruined Haitian Capital.

Not only are we experiencing the sheer destruction and ruin surrounding us, but also the permeating disorder and instability that shackles the Haitian culture. These people need Christ, more than anything. Please join me in begging the Lord that He will use the heartbreaking situation here in Haiti to drive these people to their knees and show them their great need for a Savior. Revival and reformation would be the greatest rebuilding that could take place here in Haiti and would be the one thing that could turn the greatest devastation into the greatest opportunity for Haiti.

I am staggered as I see grief, despair, filth, and chaos everywhere here, and consider Christ's amazing patience and love toward me as I understand on a whole new level what it means to be a filthy, poor, and wretched sinner before an all holy God.

Adoption as Sons

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:43:17 +0100

The Bible makes it clear that God goes to great lengths to adopt children. In Galatians 3-4 Paul tells the Galatians that God gave the law to convict them of their sins and in so doing, lead them to trust in the sufficiency of Christ. He gave so many laws. Why? In order to show us our sins and how much we need His mercies and His parenting. Facing the realities of orphans in Haiti, now reminds us afresh of how little children without parents cry out for gospel love and they throw us back on the words of Paul to the Galatians 4:4-7,

"But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."

Snow Days in North Carolina

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:23:58 +0100

We have had lots of snow here and in NC, locals hole up both in and outside

Childless by Choice

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:17:52 +0100

More couples are going "Childless by Choice"

msnbc.com reports on a rising phenomena - people who are decidedly against having children for personal reasons. It shows an alarming departure from the biblical idea that "children are a blessing from the Lord." Whatever logical and personal perspectives it promotes, it is an idea that departs significantly from Christian thinking on the matter. Let me suggest that this is reflective of the church which has rejected the sufficiency of scripture for the building of christian culture. When the church rejects scripture, it loses its saltiness and thereby emboldens the wider culture to do what is right in its own eyes. The article reports that that here is a growing number of couples who do not want children. One woman explains an aspect of why she takes this position,

"Like many of the decisions we make in life, my decision to remain childless was motivated in part by fear—fear of regret. I was afraid to take the risk that I might be a bitter, unhappy, or regretful mom. Given my disinterest in the role of parent, this was a real possibility—particularly when I started hearing from parents who felt compelled to speak out, saying things like “You’re lucky not to have kids. They will break your heart.”

She declares how clearly she understood her desires for a "childfree" life.

"The assumptions people often make about the voluntarily childless troubled me because they didn’t come close to capturing my complex motives. I was not motivated to remain childless because I didn’t like kids or because I wanted to spend my money on cars and diamonds instead of cribs and diapers. I was motivated to be childfree because there was so much about my life that I enjoyed and so much that I still wanted to do, experiences that I felt I would have to delay or forgo if I had children. I remained childless because I valued my freedom to do the things I thought I could do well and happily, things I had dreamed of doing all my life."

This of course is a direct assault against the biblical idea that calls mankind to, "be fruitful and multiply."

Haiti Update - Saturday Night

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:25:05 +0100

I heard from Peter Bradrick tonight giving me an update. They visited three orphanages today. Here are few points from his on the ground commentary:

1. The damage in Haiti makes Katrina look like nothing.

2. Compared to what has been in the media, there is amazingly little crime and the people are behaving in an orderly manner in spite of the privations and absence of government intervention.

3. They are completely stunned by the situation: the comprehensively crushing devastation and the number of orphans

Peter Bradrick in Haiti for the NCFIC Contacting Churches and Pastors

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 05:20:10 +0100

The NCFIC has sent Peter Bradrick to report from Haiti on the situation as we seek work through churches in the country. We will be trying to follow his footsteps during this time. Please pray for him as he travels with Doug Phillips. They will be flying out early in the morning on Saturday and will return in six days. We will be providing updates from Peter on this blog as we get them. We plan to have a period of evaluation and then later in the year send teams there to work and preach the gospel, working through churches.

My New Grandson - Loyal Cromwell Bradrick

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:39:25 +0100

I am delighted to report that my grandson, Loyal is home from the hospital and making all kinds of waves in our world. Peter and Kelly, Loyal's parents, are like Moses and Zipporah who named their children, Gershom and Eliezer for specific godly purposes (Gen 18:3-4). What a blessing it is to have a "Loyal Cromwell" in the family.

Verses on the Sweet Sovereignty of God

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:31:39 +0100

This will do your heart good. Here are lots of verses on the Sovereignty of God

On Preaching to Children

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:17:24 +0100

Our church in Wake Forest consists of approximately 70% children. I like what Luther and D. Martin Lloyd-Jones says about this,

Martin Luther: “A preacher should have the skill to teach the unlearned simply, roundly, and plainly; for teaching is of more importance than exhorting…When I preach I regard neither doctors nor magistrates, of whom I have above forty in the congregation. I have all my eyes on the servant maids and the children. And if the learned men are not well pleased with what they hear, well, the door is one.”

D. Martin Lloyd-Jones: “the wise preacher keeps his eye on the simple and the children. If a great and learned man feels that he does not get anything out of the message he is condemning himself. He is condemning himself in the sense that he is not spiritually minded, that he is not able to receive spiritual truth. He is so ‘puffed up’ and blown up with his head knowledge that he has forgotten that he has a heart and a soul. He condemns himself, and if he walks out, well, he is the loser.”

Don't Get Caught Doing Well On What Should Not Be Done At All

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:57:19 +0100

It matters where you put your energy, and modern churches expend enormous energy trying to make Sunday schools and youth programs work. Here are two thoughts about this. First, a proposition to ponder: the practice of comprehensive age segregation is not found anywhere in scripture. Second, a principle to consider:

“Don’t get caught doing well that which should not be done at all.”

Expository Listening on the Lord's Day

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 21:40:21 +0100

Here is a helpful piece on Tim Challies Blog that may help you tomorrow on the Lord's Day in your local church

Richard Baxter:

Remember that all these…sermons must be reviewed, and you must answer for all that you have heard, whether you heard it…with diligent attention or with carelessness; and the word which you hear shall judge you at the last day. Hear therefore as those that are going to judgment to give account of their hearing and obeying.

Marriage Preparation for Two-Year-Olds?

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:11:06 +0100

At our "Our Marriages and the Marriages of Our Son's and Daughters" gathering February 12-13, Jonathan Sides will be bringing an unusual message, "Marriage Preparation for Two-Year-Olds."

"Christian families have been blessed by a recently renewed interest in Biblical practices for forming marriages. All too often, however, families wait to investigate such practices until their children are already near marriageable age. The methods taught by Scripture suggest that we need to begin preparing our children for marriage from a far earlier age than is commonly practiced. 'Marriage Preparation for Two-Year-Olds' will investigate the Biblical basis for why we need to be instructing our children in Godly marriage practices even when these children are many years from being married."

To sign up, click here.

Come to the Family Economics Conference - March 5-6

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:17:49 +0100

Use the discount code NCFIC and you will receive a $50.00 discount.

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:43:40 +0100

Please accept our invitation to a Free Online Elder Discipleship Webinar, January 19, 8:00-10:00 pm, on love in the church and Jonathan Edwards' Charity and Its Fruits . Scott Brown, Dan Horn, Jason Dohm and Abe Van Wingerden will be on the line. We are offering this to give men a chance to see what it is like to participate in our webinar. If you like to participate for the rest of the year, then you can register here.

What are the Elder Discipleship Sessions are like?

Here is what those who participated in our first Online Elder Discipleship Webinar said,

"I would highly recommend the program based on my experience. This is the kind of thing I was hoping for, since my situation makes it difficult to travel to the 'live' events around the country."

"This is a great way for busy men to spend time interacting with others that want to make Christ Lord of their lives and then to help reform the church to glorify God."

"The first session was a blessing in many ways: it was encouraging to see all the men signed up and listening, I enjoyed the input from all the leaders and felt that they all had a lot to add to the conversation, I liked the idea of an 'antagonistic' point of view from one of the leaders..."

"What an opportunity to collaborate with other men from across the country who are thirsting and hungering to know and love the Lord our God more."

"Knowing that there are other brothers who are willing to wrestle with the Word and interact with one another for the purpose of understanding and obeying it is tremendously encouraging!"

Love - The Mark of the Christian

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:53:00 +0100

In our elder discipleship program, we started with the subject of love by reading and discussing Charity and Its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards. God forbid that we would have loveless churches. If we do, they may not be true churches at all. We will be having a Free Online Webinar to discuss this book again on January 19 and invite any man that is interested to join us.

Here is another resource: In 1970, Francis Schaeffer wrote a book entitled The Mark of the Christian in which he rightly identifies love as the chief identifying mark of a true believer.

"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:33-35)

You can read it here and buy it here.

SOS Conference Albums Still Available Online

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:36:38 +0100

Sufficiency of Scripture Conference Audio Albums are available online. We have both the full 36 message conference collection in CD and MP3 albums.

Click HERE to purchase them.

SOS Conference Audio Album -- the full 36 message set includes the following messages:

• Scott Brown: Do not Learn the Way of the Gentiles – Defining the Sufficiency of Scripture

• Douglas Phillips: The Defining Battles in the War Against the Sufficiency of Scripture

• Ken Ham: Our Declining Church and Culture: The Genesis Connection and How to Continue a Godly Heritage

• Paul Washer: The Sufficiency of Scripture and the Gospel

• Dr. Voddie Baucham: The Sufficiency of Scripture for Manhood and Womanhood

• Douglas Phillips: The Sufficiency of Scripture and the Heart of the NCFIC

• Dr. Andrew Davis: Scripture is Sufficient for Personal Sanctification

• Dr. Joesph Morecraft: The Regulative Principle of Worship in the Old Testament
• R.C. Sproul, Jr.: Scripture is Sufficient for Suffering

• William Einwechter: English Bibles and the Sufficiency of Scripture

• Jeff Pollard: Scripture is Sufficient for Women’s Ministry Part 1: Teachers of Good Things

• Douglas Phillips: The Sufficiency of Scripture for the Laws of Nations

• Steven Breagy: Scripture is Sufficient for Child Discipline

• Dan Horn: But How Could a Loving God Say…?

• Dr. Andrew Davis: The Sufficiency of Scripture for Building Faith and Transforming Character

• Paul Washer: Scripture is Sufficient for Personal Evangelism

• Geoff Botkin: Applying the Sufficiency of Scripture in the Botkin Family

• Dr. Joe Morecraft: The Regulative Principle of Worship in the New Testament

• Kevin Swanson: The Sufficiency of Scripture for Family Life

• William Einwechter: God's Law or Chaos

• Jeff Pollard: Scripture is Sufficient for Women’s Ministry Part 2: Keepers at Home

• Dr. Joseph Morecraft: Is the Sufficiency of Scripture a Bible Doctrine?

• Scott Brown: Scripture is Sufficient for Ministry to Youth

• Kevin Swanson: The Sufficiency of Scripture and Family Integration

• Paul Washer: The Sufficiency of Scripture for Evangelizing the Nations

• Dr. Joseph Morecraft: The Sufficiency of Scripture for Church Discipline

• Dan Horn: The Sufficiency of Scripture for the Importance of the Sabbath

• Dr. Andrew Davis: The Sufficiency of Scripture for Habits of Obedience

• Dr. Voddie Baucham: Youth Ministry

• Kevin Swanson: Scripture is Sufficient for Your Educational Decisions

• Douglas Phillips: The Sufficiency of Scripture for Culture and Aesthetics

• Dan Horn: Scripture is Sufficient to Define and Govern the Church

• William Einwechter: Scripture is Sufficient for Times of Spiritual Decline

• Paul Washer: The Importance of Biblical Family Life for the Spread of the Gospel

• Dr. Voddie Baucham: The Sufficiency of Scripture in the Disciple-Making Ministry of the Church and the Home

• Scott Brown and Douglas Phillips: Closing Charge

Setting Aside Qualified Men to Labor in the Word

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:32:48 +0100

Here is an article by Hope Baptist deacon, Jason Dohm on paying elders for their labors.

The principle of paying church leaders is so widely accepted that in most circles an article on the topic would elicit a chorus of yawns. In family-integrated circles, however, there are many new churches being formed with an intense (and correct) conviction that ministry is not to be confined to a few professionals. While this focus on broad participation in ministry continues to produce many wonderful results, often an unintended outcome is a diminished emphasis on the importance of setting aside qualified men for the ministry of the word. In those instances, a clear Biblical teaching has been lost, and the church is the worse for it.

Consider Ephesians 4:11-13: “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”. One truth is evident – God never intended for the New Testament church to have a professional class to do the work of ministry. The saints do the work of the ministry, and that is how He builds up His body, through every member having honored roles and important, though diverse, functions (1 Corinthian 12:12-31). However, that truth should not cause us to neglect the companion truth that God gives the church qualified and gifted men to equip the saints for that work, with the results being unity of the faith, the knowledge of Christ, and maturity.

In 1 Timothy 5:17,18, Paul tells us something very important about those men that God has given to the church: “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’”

From this passage, we learn:

A subset of elders are worthy of double honor, which is subsequently explained as including financial support.
Elders who rule well, and “especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (NASB), constitute this subset who are to be paid.
The underpinnings for this come from both the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 25:4) and the teachings of Jesus Christ Himself (Luke 10:7).

Paul expands on this in 1 Corinthians 9:9-14: “For it is written in the law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.’ Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?
Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.”

Here Paul forcefully makes the case that those laboring in the word have a right to a living from those labors, even though he himself frequently forfeited that right to eliminate barriers to the gospel. We should recognize that the Scriptures make clear our obligation to pay elders who work hard at preaching and teaching, and that the forfeiting of that right ought to be at the discretion of the laborer. In other words, the primary teacher(s) in your church should make a case for not being paid, if that is their desire.

Why is this important? Well, we have seen that this principle applies to those who work hard at preaching and teaching, which implies the importance of having men who are both willing and able to consistently toil in the word. This is the point – the ministry of the word, done right, is an occupation in the truest sense. It occupies, and there are no shortcuts. This is why in Acts 6:2, the twelve, recognizing the absolute requirement for undistracted attention, say “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God”, and then in verse 4, “But we will devote ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word”. Here the specific distraction was ministry to widows, a worthy ministry indeed, but not their primary function in the body, and the solution was appointing deacons. In a similar way, providing for one’s family is a legitimate distraction (lest the man be worse than an unbeliever; 1 Timothy 5:8), and the remedy is making continual devotion to prayer and the ministry of the word financially possible.

Jesus both taught and practiced this principle. In Matthew 10:9,10, as Jesus was sending the disciples out two by two to preach, he says this, “Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.” These men were able to immediately and wholeheartedly engage in their God-given mission because they did not have to acquire the gold and other things needed – their labor simply merited their support. And again in Luke 10:7, when the Lord appointed seventy others, also sending them out two by two, He says, “And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.” Do you see the pattern? God has purposefully placed people with resources – money, homes, food, etc – so that the ministry of the word can flourish unabated and the glorious gospel of grace can go forth to the ends of the earth. To this end, Jesus Himself was a fulltime preacher who received his provision from others, as recorded in Luke 8:3, “…and many others who provided for Him from their substance”.

The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith summarizes it well: “Pastors are required to give constant attention to the service of Christ in His churches; they are to be engaged in the ministry of the Word and in prayer, and to seek the welfare of men's souls as those that must give account to the Lord. It is therefore imperative that the churches to which they minister should give them, according to the churches’ ability, not only all due honor, but such abundance of this world's material good as will enable them to live in comfort, without the need to entangle themselves in secular employment, and which will also suffice to enable them to exercise hospitality towards others. Such an arrangement is required by the law of nature itself, and by the express command of our Lord Jesus, who has decreed that ‘they that preach the gospel should live of the gospel’.”

What happens if we are cavalier regarding the exhortations of Scripture in this area? At least three things:

Our steady diet is bi-vocational teaching. God bless tent-makers. Having been an unpaid elder with a fulltime job, I have always been a tent-maker and I am thankful to be one. However, if the church’s steady diet is my teaching, as a man who provides for my family through secular employment, the fellowship loses. Teaching once a month or less, I can muster the time and energy to properly prepare to stand before God’s people to faithfully represent the truth of His word, knowing that next week’s schedule will be far more forgiving. Not so for the man who is required to do so week after week. Eventually, the realities of life will steal from his preparation, and the teaching – and the taught – will suffer. I know many such men. One of them confided to me that when he started the fellowship, he would spend a lavish amount of time in preparation for each Sunday, but that a year later he can only allot a few hours on Saturday. Has this brother lost his zeal for God and the church? Should we frown on him for his dwindling commitment of time? No – rather we will acknowledge that he cannot afford to be continually devoted to the ministry of the word, because that ministry must share with another essential obligation.
We create an opening for those who contradict sound doctrine. When we think of the ministry of the word, our minds normally go to the preaching of the Sunday morning message. However, as the qualifications for elders in Titus make clear, defending sound doctrine is a key element as well. Titus 1:9 lists this as the final qualification: “holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.” Establishing and defending sound doctrine takes a lot of time. At any given time, someone in your fellowship is talking to a friend, reading a book, or listening to a radio program that is chalk full of nonsense. In many instances, though, the nonsense is subtle, mixed with truth, and disorienting in the way that it initially seems to be logical and/or Biblical. This represents a threat to the church, and these situations can quickly take on a life of their own unless someone who is qualified has the time to gently address the issues without delay. For another of Paul’s exhortations in this regard, see 2 Timothy 4:1-5 – a powerful reminder of how central this function is for church leaders. False teachers and itching ears are not hard to find. Given the state of the modern evangelical church, we should not be naïve in thinking that this is a “once in a blue moon” function in a church. There is a regular requirement for careful, thoughtful study and response. Translation: time and devotion.
We tempt men to sacrifice their families and thereby disqualify themselves from eldership. O the shared guilt of shepherds and the church in this area! How many are the men who shortchange their wives and children out of a sense of duty towards the church. This can happen whether or not a man has another occupation, of course, but it is especially likely among men who provide for their families through secular employment and also carry the bulk of the teaching load, and it causes them to disqualify themselves from the very office which they are exhausting themselves to fill. This is very unloving of the church. Paul says that an elder must be above reproach in the management of his household (1 Timothy 3:4,5), having a wife and children who exhibit the fruit of lavish care (Titus 1:6), even while he faithfully executes his service to the church. We are not at liberty, brethren, to force or even allow men to choose between these obligations, and a key part of this equation is committing to set aside qualified men – through financial support – for continual devotion to the ministry of the word.

When I look back on my “career path," I see a faithful God giving over-abundant resources to a very ordinary man, well beyond any reasonable expectation. Why has He done this? For my own comfort and personal security? May it never be! I passionately believe that the key reason God has given our family resources is so we would put them in play within the local church, so that our church would benefit from the continual devotion of at least one man to prayer and the ministry of the word. Simply put, God is staging resources to send laborers into His harvest. As Paul says in Galatians 6:6, “Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.” Let us commit together to honor certain qualified men in this way out of obedience to Christ and for the good of His bride.

Jason Dohm
Hope Baptist Church
Rolesville, NC

Are People Afraid of Your Church?

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:52:58 +0100

Should people be afraid of the church? Actually, yes! In a day and age where we have all been taught to make people feel comfortable about our churches, here is some biblical thinking on the matter from Jim Savastio. There is a clear biblical pattern that when God is at work, people fear. In Timothy 5:19-20, 19, Paul instructs Timothy that the normal rebukes for sin in the church should produce fear and that, “Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.”

In Acts 2:43, during the time of a great outpouring of grace upon the church we read, “Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.”

In Acts 5:5,10-11 fear gripped the community when it was learned that Ananias and Saphira died after being found lying, “Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things....10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.”

In Acts 19:16-17, when the power of God was exercised against men with evil spirits, fear fell upon all, “Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.”

Another Reason to Love the Church

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:08:09 +0100

Gresham Machen Reminds Us of Another Reason to Love the Church

"Is there no refuge from strife? Is there no place of refreshing where a man can prepare for the battle of life? Is there no place where two or three can gather in Jesus’ name, to forget for the moment all those things that divide nation from nation and race from race, to forget human pride, to forget the passions of war, to forget the puzzling problems of industrial strife, and to unite in overflowing gratitude at the foot of the Cross? If there be such a place, then that is the house of God and that the gate of heaven. And from under the threshold of that house will go forth a river that will revive the weary world." (Christianity and Liberalism [1923], 180-81)

Gresham Machen Died 72 Years Ago Today, January 1 - He was fifty five. Darryl Hart remembers this compelling and insightful statement,

Ways to Close Out 2009 and Begin Again

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:31:27 +0100

Here are three helpful tools for looking back on 2009 and forward to the new year.

For my favorite, see Doug Phillips on, "How to End the Year 2009"

For a wonderful way to guide all of the New Year see, The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

Here are some creative questions from Michael Hyatt for looking back at 2009, "Seven Questions to Ask About Last Year."

How Do I Find Time for This Elder Discipleship?

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:59:39 +0100

I know from some conversations that some are thinking, "How do I make time for this?"

Here are five points to consider:

First, your heart has to be in it. You have to be convinced that this is what you need at this time in your life. If it is, don’t let the opportunity pass. All good things require discipline, difficult decisions and energetic stretching of the hours of the day. It is worth it, but your heart has to be in it or the efforts will fall off.

Second, we would want you to be able to set aside 3-4 hours per week to read the books and meet with the group once per week. Some will finish the books and some will not. The books are generally not very thick so the book list is really not as massive in terms of sheer reading as it looks. There are more books than there is reading. Having the books as resources will also be a valuable asset for many years to come.

Third, for many men, it is easy to find 3-4 hours of reading per week if they refrain from surfing the internet, looking at blogs and chasing news stories one link at a time and watching funny video clips and other things. These things really add up. You may actually have more time in your schedule than you think because of misplaced priorities, time wasters and lawful research that may be better put aside.

Fourth, I recommend that men set aside specific times to do the reading. Two hours twice per week with no interruptions would be a nice way to do it, or some variation of that.

Fifth, have your children do the reading with you as part of their school. This will give lots of opportunity for you to discuss meaningful things around the dinner table and while you are sitting in your house, walking by the way, lying down and rising up.

Click Here for more information

Free Online Copy of "Charity and its Fruits" is Available

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:17:19 +0100

Check out this free online version of "Charity and it's Fruits" by clicking on this link.

Family Tensions and Holidays - Check this from Russell Moore

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:59:21 +0100

Here is some very practical wisdom from Russell Moore on "A Word about Family Tensions and the Holidays."

He says, "human depravity doesn’t go into hibernation between Christmas Eve and New Year’s." I liked how he identified how temptation comes to us at holiday gatherings, "God will allow you to be tested. He’ll refine you, bring you to the fullness of maturity in Christ. He probably won’t do it by your fighting lions before the emperor or standing with a John 3:16 sign before a tank in the streets of Beijing. More likely, it will be through those seemingly little places of temptation—like whether you’ll love the belching brother-in-law at the other end of the table who wants to talk about how the Cubans killed JFK and how to make $100,000 a year selling herbal laxatives on the Internet." Read the whole article and be improved.

A Sobering Christmas Eve

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:42:10 +0100

It's Tyranny Eve.

It's the Nightmare before Christmas.

It's an Economic Winter wonderland.

Elder Discipleship Update

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:47:13 +0100

Next Tuesday evening at 8:00-10:00 Eastern Time, we will be having our first online “Elder Discipleship” discussion. We are starting with a focus on Jonathan Edwards collection of lectures on 1 Corinthians 13, “Charity and it’s Fruits.”

If you have not yet signed up, click here to register.

I would like to give you some details for our meeting.

First, let me direct you to the updated detailed reading schedule we have posted here. You will notice that we have scheduled discussion for each book on the reading list. Each reading assignment is identified by the date corresponding with Monday of that week.

Second, notice that on the reading schedule, we have identified one scripture memory assignment for each quarter. We will begin each meeting reciting this text of scripture during the specified time period.

Third, regarding the time of meeting monthly. We have established Tuesday evening from 8:00-10:00 pm, Eastern time. We may change this from time to time, but our consistent pattern will remain the same.

Fourth, we will launch our password protected collaborative web site on Tuesday before we meet. We will walk through it’s capabilities and how to use it on Tuesday evening during our meeting.

Fifth, I would like to explain why we would begin with the book, “Charity and it’s Fruits.” We must acknowledge that we live in an era where people often lose sight of the importance of love in the church. It is clear from scripture that love fulfills the whole law. We have a tendency to make the church an encyclopedia of theology, rather than an epistle of love. Often, as we take care of the church of God, we forget the laws of love that are meant to govern everything else that happens in the church. In a time of transition and reform, love is often left out of the equation of church life, when Christ meant it to be central.

I am looking forward to our times together over the next year and that God will continue to sanctify us and teach us how to “conduct” ourselves “in the household of God.”

“Tyranny Eve”: Early Morning Christmas Eve Gathering on Capitol Hill to Protest Health Care ...

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:18:43 +0100

Go to TyrannyEve.com for more information.

Fall Intern Class Book Vote - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by Bruce Ware

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:14:55 +0100

Hands down, the favorite of this intern class was Father, Son, & Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, & Relevance by Bruce Ware.

FYI: it was also the favorite of the Spring class.

The Grace of Charity in the Heart

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:25:34 +0100

Our first "Elder Discipleship" reading is from Jonathan Edwards, Charity and Its Fruits. Here is one of Edward's statements on the importance of love in the church,

"The ordinary influence of the Spirit of God, working the grace of charity in the heart, is a more excellent blessing than any of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit."

Charity and Its Fruits, Jonathan Edwards, p28

Internet Discussions on Whether or Not Modern Youth Ministry is Biblical

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:58:16 +0100

The discussion of whether or not age segregation is a biblical practice is an important one. I gave a message on this subject at Sufficiency of Scripture 2009 that generated some discussion on the internet. I was grateful for the accuracy of The Christian Post which ran an article reporting on the message I gave at SOS 2009. They had pretty heavy traffic on their comments section. Here is a long discussion thread on Sharperiron that records opinions on both sides. Sermon Audio posted the article and several listeners and broadcasters weighed in on it.

John MacArthur on the Dangers of Pragmatism

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:09:45 +0100

John MacArthur, writing about the dangers of pragmatism, points out that it comes from within the church,

"Unfortunately, there is at least one other parallel between the church today and the church in the late nineteenth century: many Christians seem completely unaware—if not unwilling to see—that serious dangers threaten the church from within. Yet if church history teaches us anything, it teaches us that the most devastating assaults on the faith have always begun as subtle errors arising from within."

Register Now for Elder Discipleship

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:40:59 +0100

Time is Running Short to Sign Up for Elder Discipleship.

Our first Elder Discipleship session is December 29^th. You can sign up here.

The purpose of the National Center for Family Integrated Churches is to “promote and facilitate healthy family integrated churches.” One of the critical components of this is equipping elders because a student becomes like his teacher (Luke 6:40) and the church will become like the elders that lead it.

One of the greatest needs in the church today is the supply of qualified elders. When I ask leaders what their churches need most, four out of five say, “qualified elders.” Everywhere I go, this is the cry.

In the same way that healthy families spring from healthy fathers and mothers, healthy churches are the result of godly elders. The appointment of godly elders is critical because they have a reforming influence on the church, for they “set in order the things that are lacking” (Titus 1:5).

The ultimate purpose of this elder discipleship program is to contribute to a rising generation of gospel centered leaders who will take care of the church of God – God’s way. For, without qualified gospel centered leaders, how will we have gospel centered God pleasing churches?

This program is designed to be used in your own church, by gathering a group of men who desire to grow in this area. It is a strategically packaged course that exposes participants to the biblical directives for church life.

We pray that study groups will be formed and that the principles will be applied in real church life in order to “take care of the church of God” (1 Timothy 3:5) This should not be used simply as an academic exercise but as a resource to stimulate fruitful service within the local church.

Application in the local church should be the focal point of our study. The books we will read and the discussions we will have, are meant to be applied in your local church setting. Elder training without a local church context, falls short of the biblical purpose.

The enormous importance of this is shown in Paul’s words to the elders of the church of Ephesus on the beach of Miletus, when he said, ‘Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). This shows us the value of the actual work of an elder. It is valuable because a blood bought people are a valuable people.

Out of the Emergent Church - A Testimony

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:30:47 +0100

Today you are looking at a former emergent, missional, conversational, tolerant, and unifying waste of pulpit space. By God's grace I stand before you a redeemed wretch, kingdom member, and a profoundly changed man.

Not too much more than a year ago, I could be found among the small gatherings in coffee houses reading books by Rob Bell, Brian McClaren and Phyllis Tickle. Part of a movement? Not really. It was more of a conversation that never ended, maybe you could call it a rebellion against movements, but deep down I thought of it as an introspective glimpse into the wonders of God's greatest creation. Me.

How did I end up there amongst the black rimmed faux glasses, hair highlights and eggnog latte's? I suppose at the time I would have told you I landed there because of zeal. I wanted to create a new church for a radically new generation. I saw the statistics in my schooling that warned us that the Church was losing this generation, and unless we made the necessary unlearning of “church” we would lose this generation. I was willing to do anything necessary to make sure young people weren't needlessly going to hell over a worn out approach and irrelevant presentation of the gospel. I could go on and on with excuses, but from the objective perspective I have now been given, I realize I was sitting there because I was simply depraved. I had not in mind the things of God but the things of men.

God began to speak to me one day as I sat down to read an article by Christianity Today, which quoted Rob Bell as saying, “We are rediscovering Christianity as an Eastern religion...” And something sparked in me, and all of a sudden I suspected the crowd I was following might just be playing for the other team. I wanted to dismiss these thoughts, after all, I had devoted years to building my ministry around the teachings of these Emergent leaders. I couldn't just throw it all away now could I? I opened my Bible, and read these words, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God ” (2 cor. 6:14-16) It was not so much the verse that made me start to weep at that point, but my initial reaction to it scared me. I did not like that verse. It was so judgmental, and intolerant. The thought crossed my mind that Paul really did not sound like Jesus at all, and I wondered whether he was really a Christian.

For the next couple of months I was in a daze. I could not concentrate well, I could not bring myself to study for my sermons, which caused a lot of people to wonder whether I had gone off the deep end. But there was one evening, after my family had gone to sleep that I began to surf the Internet, and I ran into a sermon by brother Paul Washer. I listened to about five minutes of it before calling him a pharisee and turning it off. But something kept telling me to listen to the rest of it. So, I forced myself to listen to the whole thing. Then I listened to it again. I sat down and read the book of 1 John, then Romans, and it seemed as if it was for the first time. It is hard for me to describe it to you, but the Bible describes Saul's conversion in such a way that seems fitting for what happened to me. Something like scales fell off of my eyes, and I was struck by how vivid and fulfilling the scriptures were. The next day I decided that I could not continue to preach the way I had. By God's grace, I preached a sermon for the first time to my congregation that lifted up the Holiness of God, and did my best to shed light on their depravity. I repented publicly of my sinful pride and flippant use of the scriptures. There were a lot of tears that day, but there was also Glory being given to God through those tears. People wanted to be saved, they were cut to the heart, and desired to be forgiven.

Since then, so much has happened that I do not have time to tell it all, but to give a few examples, as a church we are family integrating, we have families taking part in home worship groups, Bible studies are actually about the Bible, and the scripture is being lifted up as our sole authority in faith and practice. For me my faith is now by scripture alone, by faith alone, by grace alone, through Christ alone, to the glory of God alone!