This week we’ll be continuing the series by Dr. Dan van Voorhis entitled Christianity in America. This series covers American Christianity from the Puritans through the modern-day Emergent Church. Fascinating series. Today’s lesson focuses on the introduction of dispensationalism, and fundamentalism. As you listen to this lesson, you’ll start to see how today’s modern church “innovations” really aren’t all that new, theologically speaking. New century, new technology, same mishandling of the scriptures.
Daniel van Voorhis, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of History and Political Thought and Assistant Dean in the school of Arts and Sciences at Concordia University, Irvine. He has a BA in Theology and earned his PhD in Modern History from the University of St. Andrews (Scotland) in 2007. (source)
Lesson #4 – The Rise of Fundamentalism
The handout for this video is available via the website FaithCapo.com. Look for Christianity in America Part 4, Word Doc under Attachments. If you are the pen-and-paper note taking time, I highly recommend printing this document before listening through the lecture so you have something to take notes in/on.
Some General Notes on things mentioned in this lesson:
The lecture and handout are very good this week. I’d like to provide some links here for those interested in reading more on the list in the handout labeled “Historical stuff that’s more important than you think”.
Historical stuff that’s more important than you think:
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will,working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
I hadn’t planned to post anything for Good Friday, but Worldview Everlasting (WEtv) posted 2 videos this week that were so full of awesome teaching that I simply had to share it. These are short videos and I will not be adding much text to this post. My encouragement to you dear brothers and sisters in Christ is to spend time in God’s Word and attend whatever services your local church holds this weekend (vespers, sunrise service, etc.) to be fed the Word of God. This holiday isn’t about the abominable bunny, it is about the beautiful exchange of your sinfulness for Christ’s righteousness by His Finished work on the cross.
Update: After this post was posted, WEtv put out another amazing video that simply had to be added to today’s post.
Timeline Events of Holy Week – Pr Bryan Wolfmueller
One Lamb for All – Pr Matt Richard
The Full Suffering of Christ
Psalm 22 (ESV) | Why Have You Forsaken Me?
To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn.
A Psalm of David.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
Be not far from me,
for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.
Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog!
Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.
From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.
Conclusion
Today we remember the most terrible and beautiful day recorded in history. This is the very center of the Scriptures, the Written Word of God. In closing, I’d like to remind our readers of the forgiveness of God and of the call to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, baptizing and teaching all that Christ had taught… what we now have in Scripture.
John 21:15-19 (ESV) | Jesus and Peter
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV) | The Great Commission
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
This week we’ll be continuing the series by Dr. Dan van Voorhis entitled Christianity in America. This series covers American Christianity from the Puritans through the modern-day Emergent Church. Fascinating series. Today’s lesson focuses on the Romantics and the Radicals in the 19th century. As you listen to this lesson, you’ll start to see how today’s modern church “innovations” really aren’t all that new, theologically speaking. New century, new technology, same mishandling of the scriptures.
Daniel van Voorhis, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of History and Political Thought and Assistant Dean in the school of Arts and Sciences at Concordia University, Irvine. He has a BA in Theology and earned his PhD in Modern History from the University of St. Andrews (Scotland) in 2007. (source)
Lesson #3 – The 19th Century: Romantics and Radicals
The handout for this video is available via the website FaithCapo.com. Look for Christianity in America Part 3, Word Doc under Attachments. If you are the pen-and-paper note taking time, I highly recommend printing this document before listening through the lecture so you have something to take notes in/on.
Some General Notes on things mentioned in this lesson:
The lecture and handout are very good this week. I’d like to provide some links here for those interested in reading more on the list in the handout labeled “Historical stuff that’s more important than you think”.
Historical stuff that’s more important than you think:
1857- The Wall Street Panic (one of 5 in the 19th c.!) (Some History)
Hebrews 13:20-21 (ESV)
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will,working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Welcome back as we continue working through the Gospel According to Mark. Last week we covered Mark 10, where we saw Jesus clearly teach regarding marriage and divorce by reaching back all the way to Genesis 2. We are again reminded that Jesus came to die for our sin and then be raised up for our salvation.
Today, we’ll resume reading, beginning in Chapter 11 of the Gospel According to Mark.
Mark 11:1-11 (ESV) | The Triumphal Entry
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
In the future I’d like to get these devotional posts better lined up with the church year, but this one landed fairly closely. If you attend a liturgical church that moves through a lectionary, you probably read through this account or one of its parallels last week or the week prior. While this may seem an oddly specific request from Jesus, Matthew and John give us the reference to the following Prophecy:
Zechariah 9:9 (ESV) | The Coming King of Zion
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
It is so cool to see how completely Jesus fulfilled these prophecies and how once you see they are fulfilled in Him it becomes clear that these couldn’t possibly be about anyone else. Praise the LORD!
Mark 11:12-14 (ESV) | Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
When we worked through the parallel texts in Matthew, we spent a great deal of time pointing out how this encounter with the fig tree was prophetic, and it pointed to the religious leaders, the chief priests of Israel. They had a form of godliness (the leaves) but were not bearing fruit (faith in Christ Jesus). They were the fig tree that bore no fruit. This text is often used by unbelievers who seek to deny the Deity of Christ (Muslim and Atheist apologists and heretics who deny the Trinity) by accusing Jesus of being mistaken and not knowing it wasn’t the season for figs. Jesus knew, and this wasn’t about wanting figs nor was it about a prophet having a tantrum. Mark isn’t writing about the false teaching of the Pharisees here, he’s writing about the Authority of Jesus and his inclusion of the encounter with the fig tree is being used to build up to that moment.
Mark 11 (ESV) | Jesus Cleanses the Temple
And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city.
Here, the fruitless tree seeks a way to destroy Jesus, for they feared Him.
Mark 11:15-19 (ESV) | The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree
As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Notice here that the object of faith isn’t faith itself, it is God. Don’t allow others to mix this teaching with the mustard seed reference where the end result is a focus on whether or not you have “enough faith” as if it were gasoline in a fuel tank. Jesus isn’t telling them they will somehow grow into a power of their own, He tells them to have faith in God. What is the fruit that was lacking in the fig tree? Faith. What are we asking for in prayer? Forgiveness by the Blood of Jesus. Don’t look inwardly for a sense of forgiveness or some emotional experience confirming what the Scriptures say… when you hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaim you forgiven and set free, trust in His Word. And when you speak these words of forgiveness to your neighbor, trust in God’s Forgiveness for your neighbor as you do in your own forgiveness. Jesus is not merely teaching about signs and wonders to impress the kingdoms of this world, He’s preaching the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mark 11:20-33 (ESV) | The Authority of Jesus Challenged
And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
In refusing to confess Him as the Christ, they suppressed the truth in their own unrighteousness (Romans 1). Jesus’ authority came from Heaven, for He is God the Son. He came to set the captives free, not to rule over them in this temporal life, for His Kingdom is not of this world.
Philippians 2:1-11 (ESV) | Christ’s Example of Humility
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus didn’t need to verbally proclaim His Authority at this time, for God had already testified of Him as did the signs and wonders and teaching of Jesus. Those who had an ear to hear did hear, and eyes to see did see. His sheep heard His voice and believed. We are still doing so today, for as long as the LORD tarries.
Conclusion
Consider the cross this week, consider your sin, consider the humble sacrifice Jesus, God the son, made on our behalf, that we might be called Children of the Most High God. Until next week, spend time in the Written Word of God and do not forsake the gathering of the saints, hearing of the Preached Word… both Law and Gospel.
Hebrews 13:20-21 (ESV) Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will,working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
March 22, 2016. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Diamonds” by Hawk Nelson which currently sits at #15 on the 20theCountdownMagazine.
This is one of those songs or messages that can be true and even helpful for certain situations and circumstances, but it is not particularly helpful in the broad sense. There are a couple of issues at work here, the first is the skipping of Law entirely and the second is in presenting a theology of Glory rather than a theology of the cross. Not every trial and tribulation is designed to make us shine like diamonds in this life… sometimes they come as the result of sin so that we might repent (the ongoing work of the Law in our lives). A theology of Glory is the false hope that being a Christian will make us successful and nearing perfection in this temporal life. God’s Word doesn’t promise that. That’s not the point of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are promised Eternal Life, reigning and ruling with Christ in the Kingdom of God in the resurrection, yes… and that is an established Hope secured by God the Holy Spirit. All that takes place here in this temporal life is to Glorify God and to testify of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are times when we must endure trials of many kinds so that Christ’s Grace, Love, and Mercy can be displayed through us… there are other times when we join in His suffering and we simply won’t know or see how it works to His Glory… like with Job. Let’s give the song a listen and then look through the lyrics.
Here and now I’m in the fire, in above my head
Being held under the pressure, don’t know what will be left
But it’s here in the ashes
I’m finding treasure
He’s making diamonds
Making diamonds
He’s making diamonds out of dust
He is refining
And in his timing
He’s making diamonds out of us
I’ll surrender to the power of being crushed by love
‘Til the beauty that was hidden isn’t covered up
It’s not what I hoped for
It’s something much better
Oh The Joy of the Lord
It will be my strength
When the pressure is on
He’s making Diamonds
I won’t be afraid to shine
I won’t be afraid to shine
I won’t be afraid to shine
‘Cuz He’s making diamonds out of dust
Making diamonds out of us
Publishing: Atlantis Underwater Music (SESAC)/FairTrade Tunes (SESAC) (both admin. by Fair Trade Music Publishing c/o Music Services, Inc.)/Sony/ATV Timber Publishing (SESAC)/ Open Hands Music (SESAC)/ Forest For The Trees Music (SESAC) Writer(s): Jason Ingram, Matthew Bronleewe, Jon Steingard
Discussion
Okay, so for us to put the best construction on this song, we need to acknowledge a couple of base assumptions. Firstly, we have to assume the listener is a regenerate believer, a Christian. That assumption HAS to be made because this song doesn’t even entertain the notion of the Law of God nor of sin. It seeks to jump straight into the proclamations of the Promises of God. Secondly, we have to assume that no matter what the listener feels he/she is going through, it is God’s work of sanctification (making holy) on the individual. While there are differences in confessions regarding sanctification, we cannot really get into those because of what is lacking in the song… the Law of God. What we can infer from the language of the song in being changed from dust (carbon, yes, but appeal to poetic license) to diamonds is that the theology under the hood is one of progressive sanctification through external trials and tribulations. There is a sense where this is accurate, Biblically, so let’s look at some of those references (again, given our assumptions on the audience):
James 1:1-4 (ESV)
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James is writing to the Twelve Tribes in the Dispersion (notice he’s using the reference to the 12 Tribes of Israel in a way that includes the Gentile believers, for we are all included in Israel by faith) and he encourages them to count it all joy when they meet trials of various kinds, that they may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. This language certainly fits the song’s narrative of becoming diamonds, particularly since we measure diamonds by their perfection and clarity, etc. However, to keep this notion of “diamonds” properly grounded in scripture we need to keep reading in James to see what is included in this perfection and completeness, lacking in nothing.
James 1:5-18 (ESV)
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Notice the first point of lack James addresses is wisdom. When we study the book of Proverbs, we see Solomon urging his son to seek Wisdom and it points to Christ. Christ IS Wisdom, the Word of God made flesh. Also notice the instruction to the lowly brother and the rich, that they are to both boast in the perfection and completion being brought by the LORD. Are both being made rich? Not temporally. The rich is being humiliated… and that is to be a point of boasting. I must say this is not easy to accept or even to understand, but it is so. James clarifies by reminding his reader of the temporary state of this life… fleeting and perishing. The rich man will fade away. Don’t place your hope in the riches of this life, where moth and rust destroy and thieves steal. The crown of life is our inheritance in Christ Jesus, by Grace through faith.
Again, I’m not refuting the first part of James 1, and we’ll look at what Peter had to say on the matter, also. I just want to make sure our approach to scripture is kept in context here. We’ve seen 1 Peter 1:3-9 before, it’s one of my go-to encouragement passages:
1 Peter 1:3-9 (ESV) | Born Again to a Living Hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Notice here that Peter’s endgame focus isn’t of being made a diamond here in this life, he’s looking beyond the resurrection to the salvation of our souls through faith in Jesus Christ. This is the theology of the Cross. Though our testing for a little while may lead to physical death, it pales in comparison to an Eternity in Christ Jesus. We rejoice in this hope of salvation, sealed by God the Holy Spirit. I recommend taking time to read through all of 1 Peter, since most of it addresses the role of suffering in this life for the Christian, but let’s close this notion out with the following:
1 Peter 4:12-19 (ESV) | Suffering as a Christian
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
Lot’s of great things in here. Notice how the encouragement to rejoice in present suffering is anchored fully in the Name of Jesus Christ. This is something sorely lacking in the Hawk Nelson song. It doesn’t reflect back to the object of our faith, the source of our justification and sanctification, the Person and Work of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. That’s a HUGE oversight in the song, and precisely why it doesn’t earn an “Approved” rating. One might argue that the Joy of the LORD is Jesus, but that requires a great deal of Scriptural knowledge to interpret an allusion to Christ in the song lyric (by taking God’s proclamation of Jesus at His baptism (Matt 3:17) and transfiguration (Matt 17:5), “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased“).
Peter also makes a distinction between reasons for suffering. If we suffer for Christ’s sake we are blessed… go ahead with the diamonds thing as long as it is anchored in Christ and the hope lay in the resurrection, not in this present life. However, if we are suffering for wrongdoing… that is the work of the Law killing this flesh of sin in us. That requires repentance and forgiveness in Jesus’ Name.
Conclusion
So we do see and have acknowledged some good that can come from discussing the song. The lack of any reference to the Person and Work of Jesus is a major problem, also the blanket application of James 1:2-4 without specifying the audience is also a problem. In order to give this song its best construction, we had to assume a target audience that isn’t clearly identified. God isn’t turning unbelievers into diamonds. Those who die in unbelief will perish eternally.
Even if your theology is solid, I think the song’s emphasis on the result of trials being YOU become a precious gem can get our eyes off of Christ and the exaltation of His Name. I won’t flatly disapprove of it because I do recognize a narrow application where this song can be of benefit in encouraging a brother or sister in Christ who is struggling with hardship, facing a fiery trial. Do so with Heaven and the Resurrection as our Hope, not in this present, fading life.
Jude 24-25 (ESV)
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
This week we’ll be continuing the series by Dr. Dan van Voorhis entitled Christianity in America. This series covers American Christianity from the Puritans through the modern-day Emergent Church. Fascinating series. Today’s lesson focuses on the introduction of dispensationalism, and fundamentalism. As you listen to this lesson, you’ll start to see how today’s modern church “innovations” really aren’t all that new, theologically speaking. New century, new technology, same mishandling of the scriptures.
I hadn’t planned to post anything for Good Friday, but 
Welcome back as we continue working through the Gospel According to Mark. Last week we covered 
CCM Radio Edition.
Faithful Stewardship 
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