Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone peace With God this Christmas, may He continue to provide for you, bless you and sanctify you. My wish for us all is more of God this coming year.

In Christ
Shane

"Arminian Doctrine Exposed" by Ralph Erskine (1685-1752)

Arminian doctrine, which aboundeth in our day, makes the efficacy of the gospel depend upon man's free will; but we have not so learned Chirst; he hath made surer work, and all the efficacy to depend upon his free grace. The Father's promise to the Son secures it; "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power."

 Let Arminians maintain at their peril their universal redemption, but we must maintain at our peril the universal offer. The Arminian doctrine is to be rejected as robbing Christ of the glory of his free grace, in electing from eternity, and effectually calling in time, ascribing so much to man's free will.

"Peace and Stupidity" by John Owen

 Many love to walk in a very careless, unwise profession. So long as they can hold out in the performance of outward duties, they are very regardless of the greatest evangelical privileges,-of those things which are the marrow of divine promises,-all real endeavours of a vital communion with Christ.



  Such are spiritual peace, refreshing consolations, ineffable joys, and the blessed composure of assurance. Without some taste and experience of these things, profession is heartless, lifeless, useless; and religion itself a dead carcass without an animating soul. The peace which some enjoy is a mere stupidity.


  They judge not these things to be real which are the substance of Christ's present reward; and a renunciation whereof would deprive the church of its principal supportments and encouragements in all its sufferings. It is a great evidence of the power of unbelief, when we can satisfy ourselves without an experience in our own hearts of the great things, in this kind of joy, peace, consolation, assurance, that are promised in the Gospel.

"CONTENTMENT:A RARE GRACE" J. C. Ryle (1816-1900)

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have:  
for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”—Hebrews 13:5 

   NOTHING is cheaper than good advice. Everybody fancies he can give his neighbor good counsel and tell him exactly what he ought to do. Yet to practice the lesson  that heads this paper is very hard. To talk of contentment in the day of health and prosperity is easy enough; but to be content in the midst of poverty, sickness, trouble, disappointments, and losses is a state of mind to which very few can attain.

"The Best Way To Run The Goats Out Of The Church" by D.J. Ward

"Feed My sheep." John 21:17

"Feed the flock of God entrusted to you." 1 Peter 5:2

The best way to purify the church and keep it pure—is to get rid of all the goats! And the best way to run the goats out of the church—is to feed them 'sheep food'. God's sheep will grow in grace under the preaching of grace—but goats will go hungry because they choke on 'sheep food'. They will soon leave and go somewhere else. Preach sovereign grace!
“Now I commit you to God and to the message of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified." Acts 20:32

"The Bible and Homosexuality" Rev. Angus Stewart

It Seems no one wants to preach on the sin of Homosexuality.  Maybe it is because it will offend the gay and lesbian people who refuse to repent.  I guess pointing out sins to a sinful world is no longer cool, no longer correct, but that is fine, I would rather be obedient to God and offend sinners than please the wicked and offend God.  Besides, I did not accept my commission just to make friends, but to preach the Word.   Makes sense to me.  This sermon is not by me, I have preached on this subject a few months ago, early on in our lectio continua of Romans and if I can find it I will post it as well, I think it was a pretty solid sermon, though I cringe when I read my own sermons, they never seem to do His Word justice to me.  This sermon was given by Angus Stewart of Northern Ireland.  All complaints should go to me and at me for choosing to post it.  It is my choice. Be Holy!   
Shane

"Living After the Spirit" Rev. Cornelius Hanko (12 June, 1955)

"Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live"       (Rom. 8:12-13).

This “therefore” that introduces our text is very emphatic. We could possibly better translate it as “therefore then,” or “accordingly therefore.”

It refers back, first of all, to the entire foregoing section, verses 1-11, when the apostle broadens out on that jubilant confession of the believer: There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 

"The Wisdom of Patience" by Thomas Goodwin

  Although I have despatched the subject I first intended, yet I find myself obliged to proceed a little further in the opening ver. 5, in order unto a relieving against a great discouragement, which I know hath, or may have been, in many readers’ hearts, whilst I have been thus discoursing these great things about the perfect
work of patience, &c.; and also to leave behind me the most apposite direction how to obtain this patience, in the perfect work of it: and I will not go out of my text for these things neither.
An Exposition of James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. he discouragement I know is: Oh, how remote are and have our hearts been from this perfect work of patience! which yet some saints have in so great a measure attained, as those great examples given have shewn, both of saints out of the Old and New Testaments. 

Something on Facebook Worth Visiting!

If you have spent any time at all on facebook you know there are several Christian pages and groups you can be a part of.  I am not on the social networks as much as I once was but I still visit from time to time and after searching high and low I found what I believe to be some of the best groups and pages on FB.  

                                                                                                           The Evangelical Reformation Society

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=130750513634864

Rediscovering the Puritans
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=156352211046350


The Protestant Reformation
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Protestant-Reformation/172330966135212?v=wall

GermanReformationProject.Org 
http://www.germanreformationproject.org/

If you have any good, Reformed, Puritan, or Reformational facebook pages, let me know, I am always on the look out.   


Be Holy!
Shane

"What Do You Desire This Christmas?" by Shane C. Montgomery

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved."
Romans 10:1 (KJV)


I wonder what might your greatest wish be this Christmas?   This is the one time of year where we are allowed to indulge in our dreaming, why even our Christmas cartoons tell our children this is the time of year, a special time, where dreams can and do come true.  They say that if we can dream it, it can happen.   Many of us have spent the last several weeks listening to our children telling us what they wish for this Christmas, I have a long list from my seven year old son, the list from my teenage son is much, much shorter but by no means cheaper!   Video games are high on the list as well as a new Apple Ipad, ouch!   Of course we cannot and will not grant every  wish for our children, to do so would be to spoil them and teach them wrongly.  We do believe in raising our children by the guidelines set forth in Scripture.

"The Small Church Pastor" by Shane C. Montgomery

" For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."        Isaiah 55:8-9 (KJV)

What is the criteria for handling God's Holy Word?  How much training is required before a man can expound God's Will?  

"CALVARY!" by J. C. Ryle (1816-1900)

You probably know that Calvary was a place close to Jerusalem, where the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified. We know nothing else about Calvary beside this. I call this tract "Calvary," because I am going to speak to you about the sufferings and crucifixion of Christ.
I am afraid that much ignorance prevails among people on the subject of Jesus Christ's sufferings. I suspect that many see no peculiar glory and beauty in the history of the crucifixion: on the contrary; they think it painful, humbling, and degrading. They do not see much profit in the story of Christ's death and sufferings: they rather turn from it as an unpleasant thing.
Now I believe that such persons are quite wrong. I cannot agree with them. I believe it is an excellent thing for us all to be continually dwelling on the crucifixion of Christ. 

Ten Reasons Why I Deserve To Go To Hell!.......and One Reason Why I Wont" by Shane C. Montgomery

Ten Reasons Why I Deserve To Go To Hell!.......and One Reason Why I Wont!

1)  I do not Love God Enough.

2)  I do not Love My Neighbor Enough.

3)  I am Still Me Centered at Times.

4)  I am not Christ Centered Enough.

A Puritan Prayer Of Contentment

Heavenly Father, if I should suffer need, and go unclothed, and be in poverty, make my heart prize Thy love, know it, be constrained by it, though I be denied all blessings. It is Thy mercy to afflict and try me with wants, for by these trials I see my sins, and desire severance from them. Let me willingly accept misery, sorrows, temptations, if I can thereby feel sin as the greatest evil, and be delivered from it with gratitude to Thee, acknowledging this as the highest testimony of Thy love.

Alright Denmark!

 One of the reasons I like using Blogger so much is that they provide a great stat checking tool and upon checking the stats of this blog I noticed that people from all around the world follow this blog.  This is truly a honor for me, and next to the U.S. the country that far and away has the most visitors is the great nation of Denmark!  When I was stationed in Northern Germany near the Holland border I was lucky enough to get to spend a little time in Denmark and what a blessing it was, Denmark is such a beautiful country and the people are so nice and friendly.    So to everyone in Denmark who visits this blog, a great big thank you and I am honored you spend a small portion of your day with me!   Thanks to all my brothers and sisters in Denmark and the rest of the world for helping this site grow so quickly.  I would love to hear your comments or advice on this site.   I love you all and I do truly appreciate your stopping by for a visit and I pray you are edified but what you have read here, please continue to visit and may God provide for all your needs and continue to sanctify you all!   
Be Holy!
Shane C. Montgomery