Deus Misereatur

New Men & Old Sins   Vladimir Lenin's revolutionary older brother, Alexander Lenin's older brother Alexander   Ulyanov, was executed in 1887 for his role in a plot to assassinate the Tsar. He had been influenced by Dmitry Pisarev, a nihilist writer and critic. Pisarev wrote of a  new kind of human being, ascetically dedicated to science and to working for the "good of humanity." These  new people  are unable to tolerate internal discord. "Conscience---moral duty---must perfectly harmonize with action, reason with feeling, egoism with the love of humanity." Writes Pisarev:  New men don't sin and don't repent; they always reflect, and they only make mistakes in calculation, and then correct their errors and avoid repeating them in the future. For new people goodness and truth, honesty and knowledge, character and intellect are identical; the more intelligent a new person, the more honest he is because fewer mistakes creep int...

Okay, so I'm thinking through the subject of Worship as the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) plays it out. What is below is simply a "thinking-out-loud" chart of the three basic "Regulative Principles of Worship" in Christianity (each branch, and all sub-branches have a regulative principle, or so it seems to me; but we simply draw up the lines in different places). Give it a look, and let me know what your thoughts are: 1.       Position A (More Constricted Position): Ÿ   True Worship -Only what is commanded in Scripture. Ÿ   False Worship -Anything outside what is commanded in Scripture. 2.       Position B (More Lutheran, Anglican, Some Reformed, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic) Ÿ   True Worship -What is commanded (and anything not specifically forbidden is permitted and at times mandated). Ÿ   What is prescribed by Church Councils sometimes required sometimes permitted, Ÿ   Gu...

{ Audio File is here } Heaven Pt. 4: That Day! ( Isaiah 6.1-13 ) Romans 14.7-13 Lord Jesus, into whose hands the Father has entrusted all judgment; we long for your return, we deeply desire to be at home with you! But there is this disturbing business about that Day when we must all stand before you and give an account of what we have done. Please help us to hear rightly this evening that we may we be better prepared for that Day. Amen. Did you ever notice that when you were growing up, you could almost never “pull one over” on your mom or dad? At least, that was the case for me. How many times as a young boy I tried to pull a fast one, and mom or dad saw right through. “Son, did you steal the neighbor’s cigerettes?” “Ummm, uhhh, no.” “Give them here son.” “Dad! How’d you know?” “I’m Dad!” Spank, spank. And remember those times when your dad or mom called for you to come, right then and there, and you could tell from the tone of voice this was your day of reckoning! When ...

(Pondering Psalm 12): Faithfulness and trustworthiness are diminishing in our land, Lord God; lying, and flattering lips speaking from a double heart seem to be growing on every hand – from the White House to the Clearinghouse out to the Coffeehouse. But your words, O LORD, are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times! We praise you O dependable God ! Though the wicked prowl about on every side as vileness is exalted among the children of men, preserve us (your loved ones, your chosen ones, your little ones, your vulnerable ones) from evil and falsehood; keep us, and guard us that we may walk in your righteous ways with you, walking in your safety for which we long. O Lord, hear our prayer. Father, we appeal to your mercies on behalf of those whose lives are in disarray…; whose bodies are ravaged with disease, arthritis, dwindling …; whose minds feel as if they are becoming ramshackle …; whose dreams are crushed …; whose families are in turbul...