O holy night! The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees! O hear the angels’ voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born; O night divine, O night, O night divine.

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. – Romans 8:22. All of creation groans because of sin. Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden and ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and because we are all descendants of Adam and Eve we are born with a sin nature. All of creation had been groaning under sin for some 4,000 years when Jesus was born on earth. Jesus Christ came to earth to pay the price for our sins so we could be redeemed. Jesus is the “thrill of hope” that makes the “weary world rejoice”!

“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,” – Philippians 2:5-6.
In every way Jesus Christ was and is God.  Jesus Christ was and is equal with God.  It was and is His rightful claim, but Jesus did not cling to His equality with God.

“but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”  – Philippians 2:7. Jesus took upon Himself human nature. Jesus added humanity to His deity. From the moment Jesus was born; He remained both God and man.
This is the incarnation – Jesus being fully man yet fully God.
Incarnation…In Carne (In Flesh).
Jesus is Emmanuel … God with us.
Even though the Lord Jesus laid aside all of His glory and took on the form of a servant and came as a man, He never, never ceased to be God.
Jesus was not part human and part holy. His deity was not humanized and His humanity was not deified.
Jesus was fully God and fully man throughout His earthly life.

“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” – Philippians 2:8.
Jesus left heaven and came to earth not only to live among us but to die for us. He was born to die so that we might live!
Jesus was in heaven – That is God for us.
Jesus came to earth to be Emmanuel – That is God with us.
Jesus died on the cross – That is God as us.
And if we believe – that is God in us.
Jesus did not become a man so He could live. Jesus became a man so He could die so we could live! He paid the debt we cannot pay and a debt He did not owe. Jesus experienced the pain of death and the wrath of God so that we would not have to. 

“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.” – Philippians 2:9-11
Everyone and everything will one day accept Jesus’ Lordship as the Christ.
Every knee above us in heaven.
Every knee around us on earth.
Every knee under us in hell.
Everyone and everything will accept His Lordship.

There will be an acclamation, a sounding forth to the glory of God the Father that Jesus Christ is Lord!
Christians, the purpose of our life is to bring glory to God the Father and the way that glory is brought to God is when we acclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is Love and His gospel is Peace;
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease,
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful Chorus raise we;
Let all within us praise His Holy name!

Chorus
Christ is the Lord, then ever! ever praise we!
His pow’r and glory, evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory, evermore proclaim!

Christmas night was a holy night because on that night the only One in the entire universe who could save us, Jesus Christ the Lord, was born.

O Night Divine

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I have been meeting with my pastor, William Shifflett, each week to discuss the book “The Doctrine of the Word of God” – P&R Publishing, 2010 by Dr. John Frame. Dr Frame is Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology and Philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary. Frame’s book is divided into 4 parts. We recently finish discussing part four: HOW THE WORD IS REVEALED TO US and are currently in the Appendix sections which contain a wealth of information in themselves. With the holidays beginning, I thought that I would review the parts starting with Part One and summarize my thoughts here.

PART ONE: ORIENTATION

Section one introduces the theme of the book. Frame writes; “The main contention of this volume, is that God’s speech to man is real speech.  It is very much like one person speaking to another. God speaks so that we can understand Him and respond appropriately.”  Frame summarizes his book by telling us; “God’s Word, in all its qualities and aspects, is a personal communication from Him to us.”

Our response to God’s revelation should be one of obedience that comes from the heart: “When God speaks, our role is to believe, obey, delight, repent, mourn – whatever He wants us to do.  Our response should be without reservation, from the heart.”

Christianity is different from world religions. Frame explains that God is an absolute personality. Not only personal, but “tripersonal”. God is absolute because He is unchangeable, eternal, infinite and personal. His point is that some religions recognize gods who are absolute and some religions and worldviews acknowledge the existence of a personal god; but Christians acknowledge and worship the true God who is personal and absolute.

God is the Creator.  “God, the absolute tri-personality, is related to the world in terms of the Creator-creature distinction. He is absolute, and we are not.” The creature’s life, in every respect and at every moment, is possible and meaningful only because of it’s relation to the Creator. The creation is set apart from the Creator and the creature is wholly dependent on the Creator (Acts 17:28).

God is the Covenant Lord.  The relationship between Lord and servant is called a covenant. “The Creator is related to the creature as it’s covenant Lord.” God is the God of control, authority, and presence. Frame describes God’s control, authority, and presence as the three “lordship attributes“. Frame then give us three perspectives by which we can look at all of reality; situational, normative and existential. The situational perspective is the authoritative Word being taught and preached. The normative perspective focuses on how Scripture defines the Word. And the existential perspective is where God’s Word is transferred to our hearts.

God’s Word comes to us with absolute power able to accomplish it’s purposes. (Isaiah 55:11)

Next will be Part Two – GOD’S WORK IN MODERN THEOLOGY.
Frame’s book, “The Doctrine of the Word of God” is excellent. I highly recommend it.

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Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples! – 1 Chronicles 16:8

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION – JUNE 20, 1676:

“The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present War with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst of his judgments he hath remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it be the Lord’s mercy that we are not consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as not standing before Him with thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions.”

A NATIONAL THANKSGIVING

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and

Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness”:

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplication to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our national government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best. Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, AD 1789 George Washington

“The thankful person must order his conversation suitably to the engagements that his mercies have put him under. When we have said all, it is the life of the thankful, that is the very life of thankfulness. Obedience and service are the only real manifestations of gratitude. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God” (Psalm 50:23). Set down this for an everlasting truth, that God was never praised and honored by an abused mercy. God took it ill from Hezekiah: “But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 32:25). He that is truly thankful will say as David, “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits?” (Psalm 116:12). We then glorify God with His mercies when we employ them to right ends, when we thankfully take our own share of comfort from them, receiving them with thanksgiving as from the hand of a father.” – John Flavel (1630-1691)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-7

I recently acquired a bit of American history and a lot of Baptist history. I am a little unsure of what I should do with it.

Information on Thomas Armitage DD:

Thomas Armitage served as pastor of Fifth Avenue Baptist Church New York, NY for 40 years. Fifth Ave Church was renamed to Park Avenue Baptist Church and again renamed to Riverside Church. Riverside Church | Rockefeller Brothers Fund (rbf.org)

The Riverside Church has their own repository for Riverside’s institutional records and those of its predecessor churches, the Norfolk Street Baptist Church, the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, and the Park Avenue Baptist Church. They have several artifacts pertaining to Thomas Armitage. The Riverside Church Archives is available for research by application and appointment only at 490 Riverside Drive, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10027. Riverside Church History & Archives – Riverside Church (trcnyc.org)

Thomas Armitage was also a prolific author. 27 Results | American Baptist Historical Society (mercer.edu)

Thomas Armitage is probably best known for his book, A History of the Baptists, first published in 1887. This 978 page book is a significant account of Baptist history and is still in print and popular today.

Thomas Armitage helped found the American Bible Union and also presided over it. The American Bible Union was formed in 1850 by Baptist members of the American Bible Society (ABS) who wanted the Society to produce translations that, in their view, more accurately reflected the original text.

Information on the document:

The document is dated June 15, 1848.

Signatures on the document include:

Bartholomew T. Welch, D.D. (1794 -1870); Pastor of Pearl Street Baptist Church, Albany New York. His father was a midshipman in the navy, and his grandfather a lieutenant. His grandfather on his mother’s side was Bartholomew Trow, one of the famous patriots who threw over the tea in Boston Harbor. Welch, Bartholomew T, Dd – Biblical Cyclopedia & A Dictionary of the Doctrines, Ordinances … of … – Google Books

W. S. Clapp; Pastor of 1^st Baptist Church, Albany New York (1846-1849) The History of the City of Albany, New York: – Google Books

Ira Harris (1802 –1875); Ira Harris was an American jurist and senator from New York (1850–1853). He was also a friend of Abraham Lincoln.

Ira Harris’ daughter Clara Harris and his stepson/future son-in-law Henry Rathbone were the Lincolns’ guests at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865, when the president was shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth. Booth stabbed Rathbone in the arm when he tried to stop the assassin from escaping. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_Harris

Friend Humphrey (1787–1854); Mayor of Albany (1843–1845) and New York State Senate (1840–1841) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend_Humphrey

The service that presented the certificate was officiated by:

Stephen Remington (1803 -1869): From New York, he was a pastor, missionary, and author. Reasons for becoming a Baptist  HathiTrust Digital Library & Pedobaptists not open communionists : HathiTrust Digital Library

Alfred Bennett (1780-1851): He was the first Pastor of the Baptist Church, Homer, NY and Senior Agent of the American Baptist Missionary Union.

Memoir of Alfred Bennett : (archive.org)

William Arthur: Pastor of the First Baptist Church Lansingburgh N. Y. and editor of The Antiquarian and General Review, Volume 3. Father of 21^st President of the United States Chester Alan Arthur.  The Lansingburgh Historical Society

G.C.Baldwin: Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Troy, NY and author. The model prayer.. : Baldwin, George C. &  Representative women from Eve, the wife of the first, to Mary, HathiTrust Digital Library & Representative men of the New Testament / by George C. Baldwin. HathiTrust Digital Library

Your comments are welcome.

An article from Founders Ministries by Tom Ascol

Originally posted by H.B. Charles Jr.  April 2, 2021

Originally posted Sep 15, 2020 by https://www.ligonier.org/

It’s harder to find honest and tactful debates between Mormons and Christians than you’d think. I appreciate the candor that the Mormon here exhibits. We’re sticking with Dr. James White today as he apparently debates every theological topic under the sun!

Aaron Shafovaloff: James White dialogs with Alma Allred. James White is a Christian apologist and founded Alpha and Omega Ministries (http://www.aomin.org/). Alma Allred is a Mormon apologist and an LDS Institute teacher (http://byteline.blogspot.com/). This event took place on July 15, 2016. It was organized by Christ Presbyterian Church in Salt Lake City (http://www.gospelutah.org/). A special thanks to Jason Wallace.

This article came from Apologetics315.

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