Friday, May 24, 2013

The Five Church Membership Vows of the OPC



The Five Membership Vows of the OPC (Orthodox Presbyterian Church)

  1. Do you believe the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, to be the Word of God, and its doctrine of salvation to be the perfect and only true doctrine of salvation?
  2. Do you believe in one living and true God, in whom eternally there are three distinct persons – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – who are the same in being and equal in power and glory, and that Jesus Christ is God the Son, come in the flesh?
  3. Do you confess that because of your sinfulness you abhor and humble yourself before God, that you repent of your sin, and that you trust for salvation not in yourself but in Jesus Christ alone?
  4. Do you acknowledge Jesus Christ as your sovereign Lord, and do you promise that, in reliance on the grace of God, you will serve him with all that is in you, forsake the world, resist the devil, put to death your sinful deeds and desires, and lead a godly life?
  5. Do you promise to participate faithfully in this church’s worship and service, to submit in the Lord to its government, and to heed its discipline, even in case you should be found delinquent in doctrine or life?
Apparently these are similar to those found in the PCA (Presbyterian Church of America).  Simple, concise and straight forward . . . wait there is no mention of infant baptism, does this mean I'm Presbyterian? =)

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Responding to the Pluralist

Some argue for tolerance and a response which is more anti-intellectual/traditional to appease the modern skeptic schooled in pop culture . . . "In Christianity, however, the answer to bad theology can never be no theology. It must be good theology" Dr. Bruce L. Shelley (Church History in Plain Language, 3rd ed.).

Thursday, May 09, 2013

Technique Conquers All

Caio Terra ("Kai-Ho Tay-Ha") is one of the new breed of the upper echelon postmodern BJJ champions . . . internet learning and all! From white belt to black belt in 3 years . . . AND the medals to boot! (some old BJJ guy is probably seriously pissed off right about here)

An Ideal And A Vision

"Where there is no vision (or revelation), the people are unrestrained" Proverbs 29.18 (NASB). According to Oswald Chambers, "There is a difference between an ideal and a vision. An ideal has no moral inspiration; a vision has." Therein lies the chasm between the idealistic motivations of a fallen humanity and the divine call to obedience from the righteous Most High God.