Back to local history it seems! Next to Carnoustie is Barry and Barry has had a water powered mill for around 5 centuries. More info at wikipedia. Last year a local group managed to 'Save Barry Mill' from closure. This was partly fund-raising but also getting people attending. A number of events were organised including a couple of music nights. Last year was great fun so Marta and I looked forward to a night of 'music/poetry/comedy'. A different format and it worked well. Of course my Flip Camera came along too and below is a collection of highlights of the second half of the evening.
Going by the photo's of a spaniel on the beach on this blog, you would probably guess that I live on the coast. We are lucky enough to have a beach just a few minutes away. Across the water from this beach is St. Andrews - not far as the crow flies but a little bit of a drive via Dundee.
The town of St. Andrews is pivotal in Scottish (world?) history for many reasons. Not least due to John Knox - there is an excellent Wikipedia article about his life.
There is much a modern reader might find objectionable or at least uncomfortable in his life. A man of God carrying a sword, sermons causing riots, meddling in politics, publishing anonymous attacks? However his strong will, radical ideas and example of individuals struggling any way they can against oppressive governments has universal appeal.
So as I stroll along with the sand with Dandy, I try to picture a chained Knox in a French galley rowing away from Scotland. His strong will forming to return to his home country one day and preach the true Gospel of grace once again. For all his mixing with Queens and great minds such as Calvin, his dedication and faith in giving the Gospel to the people were his primary focus and not political reform and social programmes.
Knox’s grave is in the middle of an Edinburgh car park. This is a scandal. I think Scotland needs a loud, brash and un-PC Knox preacher of today to stir things up but maybe not to riots with a two handed sword!
CHAPTER 2 OF GOD, AND OF THE HOLY TRINITY continued…
3. In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost: the Father is of none, neither begotten, nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.
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CHAPTER 2 OF GOD, AND OF THE HOLY TRINITY continued…
2. God hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of himself; and is alone in and unto himself all-
sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which he hath made, nor deriving any glory from them,
but only manifesting his own glory in, by, unto, and upon them. He is the alone fountain of all being, of
whom, through whom, and to whom are all things; and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by
them, for them, or upon them whatsoever himself pleaseth. In his sight all things are open and manifest,
his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to him contingent,
or uncertain. He is most holy in all his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands. To him is due
from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience he is pleased to
require of them.
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CHAPTER 2 OF GOD, AND OF THE HOLY TRINITY continued…
1. There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him; and withal, most just, and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.
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CHAPTER 1 OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE continued…
10. The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture.
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CHAPTER 1 OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE continued…
9. The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself: and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly.
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CHAPTER 1 OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE continued…
8. The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which, at the time of the writing of it, was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and, by his singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical; so as, in all controversies of religion, the church is finally to appeal unto them. But, because these original tongues are not known to all the people of God, who have right unto, and interest in the Scriptures, and are commanded, in the fear of God, to read and search them, therefore they are to be translated into the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come, that, the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship him in an acceptable manner; and, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, may have hope.
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CHAPTER 1 OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE continued…
7. All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all: yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.
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CHAPTER 1 OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE continued…
6. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word: and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.
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CHAPTER 1 OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE continued…
5. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the church to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture. And the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God: yet notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.
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CHAPTER 1 OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE continued…
4. The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man, or church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.
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CHAPTER 1 OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE continued…
3. The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture, and therefore are of no authority in the church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.
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CHAPTER 1 OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE continued…
2. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these:
Of the Old Testament:
Genesis
II Chronicles
Daniel
Exodus
Ezra
Hosea
Leviticus
Nehemiah
Joel
Numbers
Esther
Amos
Deuteronomy
Job
Obadiah
Joshua
Psalms
Jonah
Judges
Proverbs
Micah
Ruth
Ecclesiastes
Nahum
I Samuel
The Song of Songs
Habakkuk
II Samuel
Isaiah
Zephaniah
I Kings
Jeremiah
Haggai
II Kings
Lamentations
Zechariah
I Chronicles
Ezekiel
MalachiOf the New Testament:
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
The Acts of the Apostles
Galatians
Ephesians
James
Peter 1
Peter 2
Philippians
Colossians
Thessalonians I
Thessalonians II
John 1
John 2
John 3
Timothy I
Timothy II
Titus
Romans
Philemon
Jude
Corinthians I
Corinthians II
Hebrews
RevelationAll which are given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life.
The First Part of a Long Series of Posts – one article per blog.
CHAPTER 1 OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE
1. Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing: which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.
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Recently I have been drawn into debates about some trendy teachers on the liberal side of the Christian church. I have a draft sitting here on the topic of one such character and I do not think I will finish that post. Great experience putting it together and researching it but writing about individuals does not personally sit well with me especially when the wider point is general. In principle though, naming names of false teachers is Biblical. It can be very messy when those teachers are ambiguous.
So this will generally address a problem with such teachers of today (and often of the past). If there is one issue that is the acid test of whether to use someone's teaching or not it is Universalism. Consider the following quotes from the Gospel of John:
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
So there we have it a divine Jesus – Messiah and Son of God is essential or you face the wrath of God. Anyone can repent and put their faith in Him. There are many many more I could add to the list but these 5 are all in context and more than sufficient.
Some today are keen to be ‘inclusive’ and flat out say all will be saved because God’s grace will win over human hard hearts. Others walk a middle road not quite being inclusive and not quite being exclusive yet keeping Christ as the central figure. This must be hard work to maintain this position if nothing else, yet it is very common in the mainstream Church.
The consequences are eternal too – should we risk our lives and our families lives to pass on the Gospel if it is just a nice to have? Can we ease off if everyone is saved in the end anyway?
Based on scripture, it is a deadly serious essential and we must take the message to all urgently. I just do not have time for wobbly looking teachers (however interesting or dynamic they are) – I will pick up the blog, book, podcast etc by the teacher that I know has a solid position on the message of Jesus.
Both is the answer to ‘Inclusive or Exclusive?’. To enter the Kingdom, you must be born again but all are invited to repent and put their trust in Jesus.
No danger of me becoming a mainstream trendy teacher then :-)
