Archive for November 2007
Carpe Blogdom
Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007 at 11:26 PM by David Zavadil
Here are a few interesting articles.
Coffee Bible Club has an interesting article titled Pelagius Invades Church Music
Against Heresies has written a reminder that It takes time for Men to come to faith
Posted in Just For Fun (RSS)
Psalm 119 Aleph
Posted on Thursday, November 29, 2007 at 11:51 AM by David Zavadil
Posted in Bible Study (RSS), Ministry (RSS)
Psalm 119 Intro
Posted on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 11:44 AM by David Zavadil
Psalm 119 is one of my favorite passages. It is simple, yet poignant. A jewel in the center of our Scripture. Charles Bridges, a contemporary of J.C. Ryle, has called Psalm 119, "twenty-two pearls upon one string." C.H. Spurgeon wrote, "This marvelous poem seemed to me a great sea of holy teaching, moving, in its many verses, wave upon wave; altogether without an island of special and remarkable statement to break it up." A poetical and Scriptural masterpiece, this chapter is worthy of every believer's study.
There is not title or author ascribed to this Psalm, yet this does in no way diminish its majesty. Written as a teaching Psalm, it has just as much to teach us in english as it did in the original Hebrew. As most of you know, if you want learn the Hebrew alphabet, Psalm 119 is a great teaching tool. Each section is identified by a letter of the alphabet. In the original Hebrew, each verse of the respective section begins with a word starting with the letter for that section. For instance, the first section is labeled aleph. Each verse in this section begins with a word beginning with the letter aleph.
Not only does this book offer us an education in the Hebrew alphabet, it offers us an education in the walk with God. Throughout the Psalm the author deals with elements of piety. Our walk with God. It is interesting to note that virtually every verse in this Psalm there is a reference to the Word of God. Let me illustrate with a few references.
1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!
10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross, therefore I love your testimonies.
The psalmist challenges us, the readers, to grow deeper in our walk with God, not just through our study of the Word, but through prayer and meditation also. Throughout the psalme we are challenged to move beyond the theoretical and philosophical to the practical. Our daily walk is one of practice, practice to live within the rigors of the world. The only way we can do this is though the strength of God. Psalm 119 guides us to the Word of God and the disciplines of our faith to find see his strength.
Posted in Bible Study (RSS)
Carpe Blogdom and Information
Posted on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 11:43 AM by David Zavadil
I was going to begin this installment of Carpe Blogdom with some video my daughter sent me. After viewing "The Farting Preacher," discretion got the better of me and I have decided to hold off on that post.
I will be reposting some studies on Psalm 119. I began this study about two years ago and never finished due to a move and ministry transition. I will bring us up to date with the perevious posts and then continue to move us forward in this study.
Justin Taylor points to some Anti-Religioius Bigotry
Walter Williams writes on The Greatest Generation
Posted in Just For Fun (RSS)
Mortifying Sin
Posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 12:45 PM by David Zavadil
Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it while you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you. - John Owen, The Mortification of Sin
As many of you may know, I am taking part in the Challies dot com book club. We are reading Owen's The Mortification of Sin. This book is a must read, that is being said after just two chapters. In a Previous Post I posted the address to download a copy of the book. You should also be able to find it at your local bookstore. Download or purchase it and join is in our reading, it is not too late.
In Chapter one, Owen set about to clarify and define what is meant by the term mortification. It is a term we rarely hear any more. We may here that someone is mortified, "scared of or afraid of something," but ask if they have mortified anything and most people will go, "Huh?" Taking Romans 8:13, "If you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body you shall live," as his foundation, Owens demonstrates that mortification means to put to death. We are to put to death the sin that reigns in our bodies. He writes:
"The mortification of indwelling sin remaining in our mortal bodies, that it may not have life and power to bring forth the works or deeds of the flesh, is the constant duty of believers.... The vigor, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depends on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh." (pg 49)
Chapter two begins, see quote at top of this article, by challenging the reader to make mortification a daily habit. He warns of that happens when we allow sin to abide and do nothing to resist and fight temptation.
"When sin lets us alone we may let sin alone; but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still, so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times and in all conditions, even where there is least suspicion." (pg51)
"If sin be subtle, watchful, strong, and always at work in the business of killing our souls, and we be slothful, negligent, foolish, in proceeding to the ruin thereof, can we expect a comfortable event? There is not a day but sin foils or is foiled, prevails or is prevailed on; and it will be so while we live in this world." (pg 52)
What a challenge to us in this day and age. Though the author was writing in the 1600's, the issue is timeless. In a day when everyone wants it easier, the true road is one of constant fighting. We are to be daily putting our sin to death. To rest even one day is to give victory to the evil one. Though he has lost the war, through our slothfulness he is daily winning battles and leading "professors" into sin at astounding levels. We have become so enraptured with our needs, our wants, our work, our families our everything that we forget the challenge to forsake it all for the cause of Christ. Anything that causes us to take our eyes off of Christ leads to sin. Think about it. Is it any wonder that our churches are so weak and ineffective today? Listen again to Owens.
"If vain spending of time, idleness, unprofitableness in men’s places, envy, strife, variance, emulations, wrath, pride, worldliness, selfishness (1 Corinthians 1) be badges of Christians, we have them on us and among us in abundance." (pg 56)
I read that passage and stood condemned. Like Paul, I find myself crying, "I am chief among sinners!" How often during the day do I spend my time allowing sin to fester instead of putting it to death. I have begun a diet and workout regimen and have become a legalist with it. I want to discipline my body and must also work to discipline my soul. Daily I, WE, must be seeking out the sin in our lives and be putting it to death. "The root of an unmortified course is the digestion of sin without bitterness in the heart." (pg 56) Oh that we, the Church, would get past our complacency and learn to hate sin to the point of wanting it to die, totally. "The good Lord send out a spirit of mortification to cure our distempers, or we are in a sad condition!" (pg 56)
Posted in Bible Study (RSS), Commentary (RSS), Fear of God (RSS)
Haloscan Acting wierd
Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 at 3:02 PM by David Zavadil
If you have tried to comment, or have seen a weird post as you were commenting, please forgive me. My haloscan account is acting strange. I am finding comments from a year or longer showing up on current posts. I am trying to solve the problem. Okay, I realize this probably bothers me more than it bothers you but I thought I should let you know.
Posted in (RSS)
A Rare Occurance
Posted on Friday, November 16, 2007 at 10:19 AM by David Zavadil
When I started this blog, first under the first name "The Official Zavablog" and now "The Eastminster Pulpit," I had decided I would focus on helpful links, teaching the Scripture and ministry notes from our Church. After watching the last hour of the CNN® Democratic Debate, I can't help but make some comments. Let me say up front, I have voted for candidates in both parties and independents in the past. I am more concerned with the person in office than the title or party they belong to. I guess that is where I am beginning to struggle this time around.
The one thing that came to my mind very quickly last night was, "I have not seen so much makeup since on TV since Dennis' favorite read, Mark Packer was on the local news 10 nightly news." Poor Bill Richardson, he could hardly move his mouth it had dried so hard. Makeup aside, that was about the only fun thing I saw. I was amazed at the lack of answers to the powder puff questions they received. In answer to bringing peace in the middle east, one candidate replied that he would have the troops out within his first year and then proceeded to talk about how he would increase troop strength by three division. Explain that one to me. When they all were asked about Supreme Court choices, and litmus testing. Would they appoint a pro-choice judge, they all talked around the question. Only one, Kisinich (forgive me is the spelling is not even close, I had never even seen the man until last night) was bold enough to say he would have a litmus test. The rest resisted making that statement and in an effort not to touch the abortion issue, the rest all said they would appoint judges that respected the right of privacy. The secret code phrase, for " I will be pro-choice but I can not say the A word on national television."
The debate finished with a question for Mrs. Clinton. "Do you prefer diamonds or pearls?" Can you say, "idiotic planted question?" For those waiting with bated breath, her answer was, "both!" I was totally dumbfounded by this charade posing as a debate. I pray that some candidate steps up from somewhere. The ten or so I watched last night certainly didn't come across as the "best and the brightest" to me. I will concede that I had voted against most of the candidates in previous elections, but I was really hoping to hear some hope, all I heard was how bad we are. I was hoping to hear some ideas of moving our country forward, all I heard was how great it is that none of them are the present administration. I am very unsettled about our upcoming elections.
As I look at the line up, both Republican and Democratic (sorry independents and Libertarians a vote on principle is admirable but won't get your candidate elected, we are still a two party system), I do not see much in the way of a statesman. Even the men purporting to be the statesmen, when you listen close, are nothing more than politicos in nicer suits. We need a Washington or Jefferson of the 2000's someone who is concerned with this country, all of it, and not what his or her party thinks or does. We need leadership that knows where their grounding comes from and are not afraid to lead according the will of God not the whims of man. Wouldn't it be great if the people of Georgia could pray us up such a man? Now wasn't that a slap to the politically correct world of today, when the Governor calls for a day of prayer and fasting to lift up their drought stricken state and within the week it rains? God is indeed awesome. He will bring us through.
Thank you for reading my rambling, it felt good to get that off my chest. Now, back to the Word of God and His ministry. Pray for revival, that is our real hope. To the only Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be hope and glory and honor!
Edited on: Sunday, November 18, 2007 2:50 PMPosted in Commentary (RSS)
The Reign of Grace
Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 at 12:07 PM by David Zavadil
"They that receive the abundance of grace shall reign in life through Jesus Christ." Rom. 5:17.
Let us once more think what the Throne of Grace can be to us. The grace that reigns through Jesus Christ enables us to gain the victory over sin in our life here below.
Salvation does not, as many think, mean a life of falling and rising again. No, it is God's will that His children should be conquerors in their life here upon earth. But on one condition that they should day by day live in the abundance of grace that is to be obtained atI the Throne of Grace. Let us read again the words in which the reign of grace is revealed to us. In the verses which follow on our text, this point is made clear (Rom. 5:20 21): "The law came in beside, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly." Is it it wonderful that, although sin abounds grace is always greater and more abundant than sin can ever be? 1 may, reading God's Word, have an overpowering sense of the great power of sin but I have also the assurance that grace as the life power of God within me, is far more abundant and powerful.
Then these words follow: "As sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Whatever I may know or feel of the power of sin in the world, or in myself, I know too that grace is stronger, grace always has the victory over sin- "We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." This is a sure word. They who receive the abundance of grace reign already in this life through Jesus Christ.
Do you not see how everything depends on appearing daily before the Throne of Grace with a deep sense of need, but fully assured that abundant grace, as the power to conquer sin, will be given us? Oh, that God's children would realize that the footstool of the Throne Of Grace is the place where each one may experience that "God is able to make all grace abound unto us, that we, always having all sufficiency in everything may abound unto every good"!
Andrew Murray from The Secret of the Throne of Grace
Posted in Bible Study (RSS)
Join the Reading Challenge
Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 3:20 PM by David Zavadil
Join the challenge. Challies dot com is beginning a reading club tomorrow. Sign up today and join us in reading John Owen's The Mortification of Sin. You can download a copy here . The chapters are relatively short, but do not expect an easy read. Remember this is a challenge.
Posted in Books (RSS), Just For Fun (RSS)
The FEAR of Isaac
Posted on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 12:11 PM by David Zavadil
Ge 31:42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.’’
Ge 31:53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.’’ So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac,
Isa 8:13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
Jacob had set out to find a wife and ended with two. In the process he had found himself indentured to Laban, the father of his wives. In Genesis 31 we find Jacob having another of his famous dreams. The angel of God tells him to take his wives and flocks and flee Laban's abusive treatment.
Jacob drives his flocks toward home as he and his wives flee Laban. When Laban hears of their flight, he gathers a posse and sets off in pursuit. After seven days he catches up to them and confronts Jacob. Unknown to Jacob, Rachel had stolen her father's idols, seeking some sort of inheritance. Laban lays into Jacob. 26 And Laban said to Jacob, ‘‘What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? 28 And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. 29 It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?’’
Jacob expresses that he feard Laban, that he would take his daughters back by force leaving him without a living and without his wives. He tells Laban to look around, if he finds the idols, who ever has them will be killed. Laban searches but can not find them. Neither relized that at that moment Rachel was sitting atop them on her camel. When Laban comes to search the animal's bags, she tells him (this is my paraphrase) 'Daddy, you don't need to come near me, it is that time of the month." Laban steps back, fearing becoming unclean, and does not check her saddle bag.
After Laban's failure to prove his claim, Jacob begins to berate Laban and in the course of this monologue shares what we read in verse 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.’’
As we continue in our look at The Fear of God we come to this passage. The word translated fear is used only here in verse 42 and in verse 53. It literally means "the dread or terror." Here we find Jacob ascribing to God, as a name of God, "the FEAR of Isaac." Isaac had become the spiritual leader of his people. He was a man of God and as Abraham's son, the first in the Abrahamic promise of blessing. Jacob was not saying that Isaac was fearful of God like we might be scared of the bogey man or dreading God like we dreaded the announcement in school calling us to the office. I believe that Isaac had learned something on the altar in Genesis 22. That day he saw the hand of God in ways many of us never will and at the same time came to a greater understanding of Jehovah Jirah so that his fear was not on of fear of what God could do, but a fear of what would happen with out the God who sees all.
Jacob is learning a lesson, obviously taking more time to learn than his father, that without God there is not hope. He is learning, as we all must learn, that to fear God is to fear what our lives would be like without God. He is confessing here, that if God had not seen what was happening and moved on his behalf he would be undone. The thought of being alone, without God's protectiona and guidance, produces a godly fear.
The prophet Isaiah develops this thought in Isaiah 8: 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.’’ As we fear life without God, not just fear it but dread it, we find our true sanctuary and rest. My friends, when was the last time you truly thought about what your life would be like without Jesus, with out the salvation you now profess? Does the thought bring chills and dread to you? Can you not bear the thought of life without the Almighty in your life?
The FEAR of Isaac brought santuary to Jacob and there he found hope. Isaiah paints a picture of our life in Christ. As we are in awe of our relationship, in fear of being separated, we find sanctuary, protection and strength to be what he desires of us. In fact, as we grow in this holy fear of God we become living rocks of stumbling for the lost. As the see our hope they will literally stumble all over trying to figure out how they can have it. It is only as the Spirit convicts them and brings to light Proverbs 1: 7 ¶ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction, that they will truly be able to find sanctuary. Only as they see that apart from Christ they can do nothing (John 15:5) will they be able to know true peace and salvation.
Edited on: Sunday, November 18, 2007 3:18 PMPosted in Bible Study (RSS), Fear of God (RSS)
I have not Disappeared
Posted on Thursday, November 08, 2007 at 2:01 PM by David Zavadil
I have not dropped off the face of the planet. My wife and I to a belated and much needed break and went to Williamsburg for a few days. We have been upgrading our internet access at the Church as well as preparing for a Congregational meeting and Officer Training. All of this busyness has kept me from writing for a few days. I hope to have a new installment on the Fear of God up on Monday, or before.
Be sure to check out the latest give away at Challies
dot com 
Posted in Family happenings (RSS)