Lane's Blog

"Common Objections to Christianity" (Leon Brown c/o Modern Reformation)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:05:00 +0000

An Update About Where I've Been

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 03:12:00 +0000

I love blogging. I love Youtubing. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do those two things as much as I'd like to lately. I don't foresee that picking up until August, either. In short, I'm way too busy right now. I moved my fiance into her new apartment today, I get married in two weeks, I take the California Bar Exam in July, I'm president of two clubs at Trinity Law School and vice dean of another, and I get my Juris Doctor in May (with the parents coming into town and all). With all of that, it's very hard for me to keep up with this blogging and Youtubing like I used to. The good news is that I see it picking back up again after the Bar exam is over (and after we return from our honeymoon - Hello, Bahamas!!). Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. I value each of you greatly, and I always appreciate the encouragement you all give so unselfishly. In the meantime, God bless!

Lane

A People Who Call Evil Good, and Good Evil (Dr. James White)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 20:57:00 +0000

Celebrity in Christianity? with guest Phil Johnson | RIGHTLY DIVIDED | Episode 13

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:47:00 +0000

Is there really a such thing as a "Christian Celebrity?" Should these exist? Is it inherently wrong for a Christian or their ministry to be popular? Phil Johnson, Executive Director of John MacArthur's Grace to You Ministry and blogger at Team Pyro, provides a balanced view of these issues in this edition of Rightly Divided.

Phil's blog: http://teampyro.blogspot.com

http://rightlydividedpodcast.blogspot.com

Bitterness Ain't Bittersweet

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:23:00 +0000

One of the sins I've struggled with a lot during my life has been bitterness (especially in my early 20's). It always seems to creep up in the weirdest of circumstances, and whether we realize it or not, it's always detrimental. Like any sin, it gives a certain amount of satisfaction for a time, but that satisfaction is always selfish. In many ways and in my opinion, it can almost be deemed a "gateway drug" to selfishness. I'm pretty sure we've all experienced it at one time or another.

I'm not familiar with the following site so I can't speak on everything that it may contain, but I did find a chart where the person went on to explain some of the results of harboring bitterness. Though some of their page appears to give some self-serving advice (note the self esteem portion below), I think that overall these are helpful. They gave the following:

Bitterness is antisocial. A bitter person is selfish, inconsiderate of others, withdrawn from society, indifferent or adverse to conformity with conventional standards of social behavior. Even strangers avoid bitter people, Prov. 14:10. No one is happy around bitter people.
Bitterness is a sign of the fragmented life, Jer. 2:19.
A bitter person rejects Bible teaching. James 3:14, "But if you have bitter jealousy and strife, stop being arrogant and lying against the truth."
Bitterness shows total lack of grace orientation. A bitter person does not understand the Plan of God, let alone how it affects individuals. In Job. 9:17-18, Job's complaint against God. "Why does God let this happen to me", is a statement of bitterness.
Bitterness accompanies the sin unto death, Job. 21:25.
Bitterness motivates complaining, Job 7:11, 10:1. People who habitually complain are bitter people; they have no self esteem.
Bitterness motivates gossip, Psalm 64:3
Bitterness fragments other peoples lives. Heb 12:15, "See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by it many be defiled.
Bitterness is self induced misery, and it produces chain sinning. Bitterness is misery to others in the periphery. But two wrongs never make a right. You cannot build your happiness on someone else's unhappiness.

In summary, "Bitterness ain't bittersweet." It's downright detrimental regardless of what "good" may come out of it.

What does God say to do with bitterness? In short, "Get Rid of It!" (Eph. 4:31) The older I get, the more I realize why God is so adamant about putting off this sin. It really does paralyze you in ways that you can't even realize without the Holy Spirit giving you knowledge of it. Instead of working for the good of others, it causes you to focus your work on what you believe is good for yourself.

The good news is that Jesus Christ died for even this sin. He was on the Cross to atone for this sin for everyone who believes. It's not about ceasing to struggle against this sin in this life because you've overcome it. It's about struggling against it because you love your Savior more than you love your temporal bitterness against others. Christ isn't bitter towards me even though I sin against Him. He gave His life for mine. The least we can do is make every effort to cast off bitterness against others for His sake.

The Problem of Career Calvinists (and Advantage)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:47:00 +0000

Career Calvinist (n): An individual who affirms the five points of Calvinism who also rely on other Christians for their financial and social well being.

That's the definition of what I'm calling a "Career Calvinist." The point of this post, though, might not be what you're expecting. I'm not going to bash people who fit in the definition above because, frankly, some of my good friends fit into this category, and there is nothing inherently wrong with this. The problem doesn't arise when Calvinists rely on other Christians for their financial and social well being. It arises when a Calvinist's financial and social well being outweighs their devotion to the doctrines of grace and ultimately Christ. The point of this post, then, is to weigh the pros and cons of being a Career Calvinist and give warning signs we can all seek to avoid when falling into the trap of loving what Francis Schaeffer called "The Idol of Personal Peace and Affluence" instead of Christ Himself.

First the pros:

Being a Career Calvinist certainly has its advantages. Your constituency is usually like minded believers who affirm all the points. As a result, there is less conflict when discussing certain things that are critical to the Body's edification. This, in turn, helps ideas and doctrine flourish where it would not flourish otherwise.

I can't say this for all Christians, but, from my experience, Calvinists are usually the most honest and dependable people I know. For example, I have a brother who I've never actually met in person, but I've known him for several years. I can speak with him about pretty much anything because I know that his convictions and devotion to Christ runs deep. This same quality is true for many of my brothers and sisters, although I only have a few that I confide in to that extent. The reason this is a perk for the Career Calvinist is because when problems arise, you don't generally have to worry about your friends leaving your side even if you're involved in some terrible sin. They will pray for you, keep you honest, and possibly even help you financially should the desire exist.

There are other pros, but these are the two main ones that come to mind.

Now the cons:

If we're honest with ourselves, we usually seek to please the boss above all others because, ultimately, the boss has a lot of determination on whether our financial needs are met. This, in turn, causes us to put up with things that we normally would not in other situations because 1) the happiness of the boss and 2) seeking to avoid confrontation whenever possible are what keeps us in this situation of personal peace and affluence. My argument is that, instead of the majority of us, the Career Calvinist's boss is the general public. It's you and me. We're the ones who pay their bills. If it wasn't for book sales, DVD sales, and conference ticket sales, they'd have a boss much more like the ones the rest of us have. Because of this, discernment can be frowned upon, if the boss would frown upon it as well. Here's an example: A popular evangelical leader with heretical doctrine also has the praise and support of millions of evangelicals worldwide. Because of this, the public supports his ministry financially which allows for a wider range of influence from this individual. Let's say you're John Doevin. You have a book that you really want people to read because you want it to sell well and not do the alternative like work a 9 to 5. If your desire to stay "on the job" outweighs your desire to "beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matt. 7:15), you're going to seek to appease your boss by either staying in the financial and social state you're in or entering into it. Who is your boss in this situation? It's the general public who can possibly provide your income. The problems with this get even deeper, but you have the general gist.

The Career Calvinist will always be forced to eventually keep up with the latest trends, but it may not be in the same sense you are thinking of. We are all familiar with our seeker-sensitive friends doing things like playing Hell's Bells for Easter or giving away XBox's because they know what they provide by way of substance won't draw anyone, but we seldom think of this aspect: The latest trends I'm speaking of have to do with popularity. If X speaker/author is getting popular with certain people, the Career Calvinist will certainly take note as this will affect his well being both financially and socially. In short, this still makes the Career Calvinist one of relevance, but it's not the same type of relevance the seeker-crowd concerns itself with. The problem with this is evident: Keeping up with trends and allowing them to dictate who or what you speak about or against is allowing for the "lord of relevance" to dictate the Christian life instead of Christ and the Scriptures. The Career Calvinist knows that it's wrong to ask someone to try Jesus for 30 days or your money back? Well, he first has to check the general public consensus to see if he can speak out about it. He'll get back to you in a bit.

There are many more issues that could be evoked from this issue, but the last is one that has already been alluded to but must be expressly stated: Career Calvinism becomes nothing more than politics at some point. When the general public is your boss, your goal is going to be keeping your name high in the public polls. If a popular leader endorses a corrupt leader, no problem! The general public holds the endorser in high esteem, therefore, the corrupt leader can be brought into the fold (and you into both of their billfolds). I personally enjoy American Politics, but politics in general have no place in the church. If sinner's salvation and believer's edification are your main concerns, your socio-economic status won't be. Your decisions then won't be affected by "double minded men who are tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine." It will be affected by the true meat of God's Word.

As I finish, let me stress again that I don't think being a Career Calvinist is wrong in and of itself. In fact, I know some Career Calvinists who are able to do this quite well. They are unashamed to talk about almost anything when it comes to protecting the sound doctrine that our Lord gave His life for. They also don't have another means of income other than what they make from book sales, DVD sales, etc. These, however, in my limited experience, are few and far between. Instead, I see a disturbing general trend where politics determine what is considered worth defending, where people are much more satisfied with their personal peace and affluence than they are with supporting the Christ in whose name they have these things, and where people who do speak up against the errors they see are called "Angry Calvinists" and other pejorative (and sometimes ad hominem) terms. We should strive not to let our personal peace and affluence affect our devotion to Christ. If we do, we are no different than the world many of us Calvinists make it our duty to preach against.

These are just some things to think about if you are thinking of becoming a Career Calvinist, already are one, and/or are trying to determine just where your loyalties lie when it's all said and done.

Review of Shai Linne's "The Attributes of God" Album

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Let me start by saying that Shai Linne is a worldling (and possibly a heretic) because he rhymes lyrics to beats.

Next let me say that the ridiculous reasoning above is exactly why many are going to not give Shai Linne's latest album a second thought, and that is a shame.

Every song on The Attributes of God is worship, and I don't use that term lightly. The lyrics are constantly making me more appreciative for the God who made me, saved me, and is bringing me to glory.

Take a moment to read the titles to each of the songs:

1. The Perfection of Beauty
2. The Glory of God (Not to Us)
3. Taste and See
4. Our God Is In the Heavens
5. The Holiness of God
6. Mercy and Grace
7. Lord of Patience
8. All-Consuming Fire
9. Perfect Love
10. Faithful God
11. Judge of All the Earth
12. The Jealous One
13. The Omnis

14. Self-Sufficiency
15. Triune Praise

Just what the album title says: "The Attributes of God."

Maybe you disagree with the use of rap in glorifying Christ. Maybe you disagree with some of the decisions Shai's made in recent years. Even Shai and I disagree on some things, but that is natural. I don't know of anyone who I'm in agreement with on everything. But I can honestly say he's one of the few people who I would not hesitate to have in my "Gospel foxhole" at anytime and in any place. If you skip on this album because you don't agree with him on every decision he's made, you will surely be robbing yourself of the God glorifying experience this album shares with its audience.

My demographic is primarily males ages 45-54 (Youtube says so). This isn't exactly the demographic who is patiently awaiting their pre-order of a rap album, and I can understand that. I would just encourage this demographic to not dismiss it just because it is a rap album. If you can't get over the fact that Shai rhymes to beats, just read the lyrics to this album and be introduced to one of the most God glorifying poets we have the blessing to have among us. You will be edified, I promise.

(Lyrics to the song "The Glory of God")

The Attributes of God Album: iTunes, Amazon

________________________________________________________________

On a related note, if you want more of an insight to the passion and love of the Lord this brother in Christ has, you can check out the Rightly Divided we did a few months ago. The subject is Justification.

RIGHTLY DIVIDED | Episode 12: Staying Faithful Among Adversity with guest Kirk Cameron

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:50:00 +0000

In this shorter than usual Rightly Divided, I sit down with Kirk Cameron to talk with him a little about coming to faith in Hollywood and some upcoming projects he's working on.

http://www.kirkcameron.com

RIGHTLY DIVIDED | Episode 11: A 180 on Abortion with guests Tony Miano and Ray Comfort

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:49:00 +0000

What makes someone go pro-choice to pro-life within a minute? I sit down with Ray Comfort and Tony Miano in this edition of Rightly Divided to discuss the new documentary which is taking the internet by storm: 180 Movie.

http://www.180movie.com

http://www.heartchangers.com

http://www.livingwaters.com

http://rightlydividedblogcast.blogspot.com

RIGHTLY DIVIDED | Episode 10: Christians and the Internet with guest Tim Challies

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:00:00 +0000

The web can be an interesting place to say the least. There are many great things about it: edifying blogs and videos, staying in touch with friends, the ability to communicate at will, etc. But there are also many deterimental things about it that Christians should safeguard themselves from.

In this episode of Rightly Divided, I sit down with Tim Challies of challies.com to discuss the topic of "Christians and the Internet."

(Note: The original topic was limited to the blogosphere, but the more we spoke the more I realized that wouldn't cover all the topics we discussed in this video.)

Here are Tim's books:
1. The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment
(http://j.mp/ppG73v)

2. Sexual Detox: A Guide for Guys Who Are Sick of Porn
(http://j.mp/qlUcgR)

3. The Next Story: Life and Faith after the Digital Explosion
(http://j.mp/qlUcgR)

http://rightlydividedpodcast.blogspot.com

180 Movie (Full Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Here it is. After months of waiting, here's the 180 Movie from Living Waters. I think it's brilliant, and it will make an impact on those struggling with the issue of abortion. I'll be interviewing Ray Comfort and Tony Miano about this movie in the near future for an upcoming Rightly Divided. Please share this with your friends, and let's make some 180s!

180Movie.com

"Besides the Bible, what are 5 books that every Christian should read?" (Michael Horton)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:01:00 +0000

HT: @wscal

"How flawed can one's knowledge of Jesus Christ be and it still be sufficient for saving faith?" (Michael Horton)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:42:00 +0000

Christ Sanctified as Lord in Our Hearts (Dr. James White - 2011 Psalm 119 Conference)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:14:00 +0000

The Idolatry of Marketability

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:02:00 +0000

Marketability to the masses is generally not a bad thing if it is used in the context of cars, clothing, or toothpaste. When it comes to Christianity, though, it's a different story. It's sad, but the marketability of the individual has become the "standard of truth" for much of Evangelicalism. Instead of being more concerned about what an individual teaches and holds to, mainstream Evangelicalism has become more concerned about whether the individual "will sell." What do I mean by this? What I mean is it doesn't matter to these people what the error is as long as the error doesn't impede upon the marketability of the individual to society at large. For example, "Angry Calvinists" (ie. those who actually hold to Calvinism) are usually not easily marketable to the masses so they seem to be easy for these folk to target and discard. It's why you can see these people write articles about "Angry Calvinists" but none about T.D. Jakes' heretical oneness doctrine. Jakes is generally more marketable.

This practice is nothing more than run of the mill idolatry. It's generally not spoken about because it is, in fact, such (and it's the same reason why some are hesitant to link to articles like this), but it's true nonetheless.

Why would someone, even orthodox folk, be concerned about the marketability of an individual, though? It's because it is sin, and it's sin that should be dealt with. It's only dealt with rarely because, let's face it, people are a lot more concerned with their personal status in this life than they are the things eternal.

There's no doubt that there are some smart businessmen in Evangelicalism abroad. I'm convinced (like my friend, Chris Rosebrough) that some could even be CEOs of very big companies. The problem comes when these people believe that the Church is a business. It is not. Though they are making a lot of money off of it running it like a business, the Church, by definition is the called of God. As such, if we really believe that God has chosen His remnant, we should treat the Church as sacred and not as a Madison Square Avenue marketing demographic. I sometimes wonder if the reason we see these people not going to try their hand at running companies in a secular context is the "Christian Music Principle" - that is, many in Christian music tried their hand at making it in the real world, couldn't, and now they found their place in a sub-par Christian music scene that gives them all the attention they sought in the real world but could never get it because they didn't measure up. Like the "Christian Veggie Tales Watch" or the "Christian Football Scripture Holder" you'll find at a Lifeway Christian Gift Shop, these people are just the "Christian version of someone successful." In other words, they aren't really "Christian" just because someone slaps the name "Christian" on them, they aren't really valuable to the Christian for the same reason, and they aren't really "successful" by the standards of the Church.

Brothers and sisters, let's not be led by every wind of doctrine of every marketable person that comes our way. Let's actually stand for truth instead of merely flirt with it while protecting our market share. Then we may really see a Reformation instead of a repackaged "Christian" version of what we already saw last year.

The Potential Weaker Brother with guest Phil Johnson (Rightly Divided Clips)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:37:00 +0000

Your Questions Needed! (Event with Dr. Kim Riddlebarger)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:21:00 +0000

September 21st at 7:30pm at Christ Reformed in Anaheim, we will be having an event with Dr. Kim Riddlebarger of the White Horse Inn. Dr. Riddlebarger will be discussing "Christ's Three Roles as Prophet, Priest, and King: the Foundation of Reformed Theology" for display on my Youtube channel at a future date. After his lecture, we will be having a Q&A, and we want your questions! Please submit your questions in the comment section of this blog or my Facebook page. I will compile a list, and we will go through as many as time allows. The event Sept. 21st is open to the public, too, so if you're in the area, feel free to come by and be a part of the audience! We plan to open up the floor for audience questions as well.

Christian Liberty and Two Sides of Legalism

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 23:40:00 +0000

Is telling to abstain from drink altogether "legalism?"

Before we get to the answer, let's lay out a few things. Christian liberty is spoken about many places in the Bible. Paul says that if he knows of a weaker brother, he will abstain from doing whatever behavior it is that weaker brother is struggling with. He does this out of love. There are many people who believe that if you tell someone not to drink, you are advocating legalism, but not too many people look at the opposite side. Would you agree that telling someone they must drink is wrong? Is it sin? I believe it is. Nowhere in the Bible does it say you absolutely must have a beer with your dinner. So, to say that one must have a drink is adding to the Word of God and is thus legalism. The opposite side holds true, too, though. Nowhere in the Bible does it say it's a sin to have a drink. To say that one must not have a drink is also adding to the Word of God. So in short, is telling someone they must indulge in alcohol legalism? Absolutely. Is telling someone they must completely abstain from alcohol legalism? Absolutely. The word "liberty" implies "freedom." Freedom is not "you're free to do what's in accordance to conscience as long as you drink alcohol," and it is not "you're free to do do what's in accordance to conscience as long as you do not drink alcohol." Both are wrong, but they are both two sides of the same legalistic coin. Interestingly, however, you mainly run into the imperative drinkers in bars and such, and you usually run into the imperative abstainers in church settings. I wonder if they realize how much they have in common and how similar their positions are.

The weaker brother is something that must be considered. There's no doubt about that. However, many people take it to an unbiblical extreme by having a "weaker brother" around who is no more real than the imaginary friend I tried to have when I was four. These people basically say that you have to not have a drink anywhere because a weaker brother may potentially be around, know you're a Christian, and thus have his faith shattered because he saw you take a sip of a beer. However, if you applied the logic consistently, you could potentially get someone to quit eating, too. How? If you're in public, people see you. Everyone knows that gluttony is a sin. What is the only way to get gluttonous? Food. Couldn't I then get someone to quit eating food if I adopted the previous logic? Look back at the "potential weaker brother advocate (PWBA)" and see how his logic carries out. If this were alcohol and not food, the PWBA would say, "You shouldn't have a drink in public or even talk about a drink in public. A weaker brother may see you and be injured as a result of seeing you take a sip." How does this carry over to food if the objects of both are not sin, but the abuse of both is? Most can eat a Chicken McNugget and not delve into gluttony. Yet, if the PWBA were consistent, everytime you mentioned you were going to McDonald's on a social network, they would be coming after you for potentially harming a weaker brother as well. I don't see that, and I certainly don't see their friends chastising them when they update their status letting us all know they're going to get a Big Mac. I was SBC at one point, and, from my experience there, I can assure you that the consistent, crossover logic rarely exists. In fact, from my experience, I believe there are some in the SBC who would defend their consumption of fried chicken much more than most would defend their consumption of alcohol. I can't say that eating fried chicken is a sin. It's not. (I rather enjoy eating it.) But I can tell you that telling someone they have to eat or they have to not eat fried chicken is open legalism.

This illustrates why we need to advocate true Christian freedom; true Christian liberty. The extreme of alcohol consumption - from having a drink to too much to drink - is drunkeness (which the Bible condemns as sin). The extreme of abstinence - from personal to applying it to others - is legalism (which the Bible also condemns as sin). Note that I didn't say alcohol consumption nor abstinence from alcohol is sin. I said the extremes of both are.

The freedom to discuss these things is also a part of Christian liberty. Many who do not want you to discuss alcoholic beverages or food in any public context allude to Paul in Romans speaking about the weaker brother. However, what they fail to realize is that Paul... spoke about these things in the very verses they allude to, and Paul's letters were sent to be read publicly. What they also fail to realize is that by telling you via blog, Facebook, etc. you shouldn't discuss these things in a public forum, they are discussing these things in a public forum. I'd be much more concerned about the weaker brother having a little sense to spot inconsistencies and giving up on the faith altogether than I would him seeing that I affirm my Christian liberty (even though I would put it away for a time if we discussed it, and he was, in fact, a weaker brother and not a weaker Pharisee).

So, in summary, here it is:

SINFUL LEGALISM
- Telling someone they must drink a drink containing alcohol, eat a particular food, etc.
- Telling someone they must not drink a drink containing alcohol, eat a particular food, etc.

CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
- Being free to decide among ourselves what you want to do and what you don't want to do. When you start impeding on other people's freedoms, you are only interested in your "Christian Freedom" to take away everyone else's.

Martin Luther said, "Men can be taken with both women and wine. Shall we then prohibit and abolish women as well?" We shouldn't confuse the object of abuse with the actual abuse of it. That may be the primary way legalism breeds and multiplies.

For further study, here's an interview I did with Phil Johnson recently on this particular issue. I will be making the portion on the "Potential Weaker Brother" a Rightly Divided Clip here pretty soon.

______________________________________________
(1) http://homepage.mac.com/shanerosenthal/reformationink/jcchrliberty.htm

Rob Bell's "Love Wins" Reviewed by Phil Johnson (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 17:56:00 +0000

John MacArthur on Piper/Warren, Celebrity Pastors, and the Current Reformation of Reformed Theology (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:01:00 +0000

Here is commentary John MacArthur made recently with Christianity.com regarding the Piper/Warren situation, people who are Reformed in profession but Arminian everywhere else, celebrity pastors, and how he really does believe there is a current reformation of Reformed theology that he didn't see 25 years ago.

Season Three of Westminster California's "Office Hours" Starting Soon

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 19:01:00 +0000

Being a law student, I have to pick and choose which podcasts I listen to carefully. Over the last few years, Westminster Seminary of California's show, "Office Hours," has been one of those I pick. It's coming up on its third season September 7. One of my favorite segments from the show is, "Ask the Profs." They plan to kick of the season with this segment. Below, you can read the full press release and see a schedule of who will be on the show when.

re: Season Three of Office Hours, the official audio broadcast of Westminster Seminary California.

In its first two seasons Office Hours has featured interviews with with WSC faculty members (including Mike Horton, Bob Godfrey, and Hywel Jones) as well as friends of the seminary such as Sinclair Ferguson, Terry Johnson, John Witte, David Hall, and visiting faculty such as Guy Waters and Darryl Hart. We've also introduced listeners to WSC alumni planting Reformed congregations in Turkey, Israel, and Southeast Asia.

On September 7, we begin the third season of Office Hours and we're approaching 100,000 downloads. To celebrate we begin with another episode of "Ask the Profs" in which the faculty takes phone calls at 760-480-8477 and answers questions about Reformed piety, church planting, why it's important for ministers to learn the biblical languages, whether it's fair for God to expect sinners to keep the law, and the relationship between worship and the culture. In this episode we talk with Mike Horton, Bob Godfrey, Dennis Johnson, Bryan Estelle, and David VanDrunen.

Over the summer, in preparation for season three, Office Hours sent each member of the faculty to a deserted island for a little R & R. Well, we did not actually send each member to an island but we did get everyone into the Office Hours studio and we did enjoy talking about the five books they would want on a desert island and why. Those episodes are being edited now and will be released throughout the season.

This season Office Hours also talks with W. Robert Godfrey and David Hall about Reformed worship, with Mike Horton about his new book For Calvinism, and about why some Protestants are attracted to Eastern Orthodoxy, and with W. Robert Godfrey about why some Protestants are attracted to Roman Catholicism. We are scheduled to sit down this year with Carl Trueman, Kevin DeYoung, and Richard Muller as they visit the campus. The full schedule is below.

Office Hours Season Three

DATE EPISODE GUEST(S)

9/7/2011 Ask the Profs Mike Horton, Bob Godfrey, David VanDrunen, Dennis Johnson, Bryan Estelle

9/21/2011 Reformed Worship Bob Godfrey, David Hall

10/5/2011 For Calvinism Mike Horton

10/19/2011 Desert Island Books Steve Baugh

11/2/2011 Desert Island Books David VanDrunen

11/16/2011 Desert Island Books Joshua Van Ee

11/30/2011 The Attraction of Rome Bob Godfrey

12/14/2011 Desert Island Books Bryan Estelle

12/28/2011 Desert Island Books Joel Kim

1/11/2012 Desert Island Books Ryan Glomsrud

1/25/2012 Desert Island Books Dennis Johnson

2/8/2012 Desert Island Books Mike Horton

2/22/2012 Desert Island Books John Fesko

3/7/2012 Desert Island Books Julius Kim

3/21/2012 Desert Island Books David VanDrunen

4/4/2012 Desert Island Books Charles Telfer

4/18/2012 Desert Island Books Bob Godfrey

5/9/2012 Desert Island Books John Bales

5/23/2012 Desert Island Books R. Scott Clark

6/6/2012 De Young, Restless, and Reformed Kevin DeYoung

6/20/2012 The Relevance of Reformed Orthodoxy Richard Muller

7/4/2012 The Attraction of Eastern Orthodoxy Mike Horton

8/8/2012 Student Life at WSC Graduating Students

7/18/2012 Histories and Fallacies Carl Trueman

Limited Atonement and Target

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 22:51:00 +0000

There's a billionaire who can buy every single item in Target. He decides to get some deodorant, cleaning supplies, and the new Cosmo. Did he purchase every item in the store? If the unlimited atonement advocate was consistent, he'd have to say yes. Since he has the funds available, he actually purchased everything, the logic would go. The limited atonement advocate, however, says this doesn't make sense. Does he own things he didn't pay for? Of course not. No doubt the limited atonement advocate would admit that the billionaire had sufficient funds available to purchase every item, but they would assert that doesn't mean he actually purchased anything other than the items he paid for.

That's the crux of the issue when it comes to limited atonement. The limited atonement advocate believes that Christ's payment was sufficient for all, but it was not made for all. He only purchased those who have been Christians, who are currently Christians, and who will eventually be Christians in the future. If he purchased/paid for everyone, no one would be in hell.

Here's a video from The Apologetics Group's DVD "Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism" (which is currently $5 at Monergism) that helps illustrate limited atonement further.

"I Get Passionate and Animated When I Talk About Theology... Is that Wrong?" (Dr. James White)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 22:17:00 +0000

We care deeply about the things of God, but is it wrong to get passionate about those things when we are conversing with those who may disagree with us? Dr. James White answers this question in a Q & A from the "Conducting Debate to the Glory of God" lecture sponsored by Trinity Law School.

Trinity Law School
Alpha and Omega Ministries

Jesus is the Gospel | History of the Modern "Gospel" (Session 7 - Final)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:25:00 +0000

This is the final video in the "History of the Modern Gospel" series.

Jesus is the Gospel - So far, this series has looked at what the Gospel is not, giving glimpses along the way of what the gospel is. In our final session, we simply look to Jesus to discover the good news.

http://www.realtruthmatters.org

Christ Crucified (RC Sproul)

noreply@blogger.com (Lane Chaplin) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:55:00 +0000

Ligonier Ministries