Hold Fast & Clap On

Our Man In Gdansk!

2011-04-19T19:13:00.001-04:00

Pastor Pawel Bartosik, our missionary pastor in Gdansk, Poland now has an English language blog. Click here to check it out. Good stuff!

We also have a new presence on youtube...

2010-04-09T08:24:00.000-04:00

Take a look...

NewKirk

2010-04-02T13:47:00.000-04:00

Where a new reformation begins....

Public Schools...Pitiful!

2010-02-18T07:49:00.004-05:00

Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.

~ Mark Twain

I sometimes grow weary listening to people complaining that the government schools are doing a terrible job. I have many objections to this horrid system, but I must give it credit for accomplishing its actual – but unstated – purpose, namely, to dumb-down the minds of people so as to make them unquestioning and obedient vassals of the established order. There is nothing so disruptive to the status quo as a society of self-directed, independent-minded people both capable of and insistent on informed, analytical thought. It has been the purpose of government schools to assure that such conditions do not arise; to continue to produce a society of capable workers but who, nonetheless, have passive and contented minds.

The contrast between systems of learning that focus on helping students become epistemologically independent and competent, and the government schools, is often difficult to make other than by anecdotal examples. When I was in the eighth-grade in a government school, we were required to study Latin. That revelation, standing by itself, conveys little to a listener. Only occasionally am I able to find some past curricular evidence with which to compare modern school offerings.

Thanks to the Internet, however, I have rediscovered an interesting item that helps make my point. It is an eighth grade exam that students in Salina, Kansas, were required to pass in order to advance to high school (i.e., the ninth grade). The exam was given in 1895, and consists of the following subject areas and questions.

Read the rest...

It's bad enough that the taxpayer-funded, government-controlled schools are failures in the education department, but that they are anti-Christian in every other way, only makes matters worse. That Christians would think of such an ungodly institution as "our schools" (as in, let's get prayer and Bible-reading back in our schools) is head-in-the-sand shameful.

A Rudderless Ship Of State | Tenth Amendment Center

2010-02-01T14:07:00.001-05:00

A Rudderless Ship Of State

by Chuck Baldwin

In Patrick Henry’s immortal “Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death” speech, he said, “[I]t is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth.” Never have Henry’s words been truer than they are today. For too long, good men have turned a blind eye to the obvious reality that America’s Ship of State has swerved significantly off course. In fact, it is no hyperbole to say that America’s Ship of State is completely rudderless and, absent a speedy course correction, seems destined to crash against the rocks of oppression and economic ruin in the very near future. For anyone willing to open their eyes, the manifestations of America’s almost-certain collision with history are everywhere.

America’s Liberty Ship is dependent upon the twin mainsails of Morality and Constitutional Government to stay on course. It is an irrefutable and irreversible law that these twin sails are indissolubly linked. We cannot have one without the other. America’s founders clearly understood this. Read the rest here:

A Rudderless Ship Of State | Tenth Amendment Center

2010-01-27T08:05:00.003-05:00

Homeschooling Family Granted Political Asylum

Immigration Judge Says Germany Violating Basic Human Rights

In a case with international ramifications, Immigration Judge Lawrence O. Burman granted the political asylum application of a German homeschooling family. The Romeikes are Christians from Bissinggen, Germany, who fled persecution in August 2008 to seek political asylum in the United States. The request was granted January 26 after a hearing was held in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 21.

“We can’t expect every country to follow our constitution,” said Judge Burman. “The world might be a better place if it did. However, the rights being violated here are basic human rights that no country has a right to violate.”

Burman added, “Homeschoolers are a particular social group that the German government is trying to suppress. This family has a well-founded fear of persecution…therefore, they are eligible for asylum…and the court will grant asylum.”

In his ruling, Burman said that the scariest thing about this case was the motivation of the government. He noted it appeared that rather than being concerned about the welfare of the children, the government was trying to stamp out parallel societies—something the judge called “odd” and just plain “silly.” In his order the judge expressed concern that while Germany is a democratic country and is an ally, he noted that this particular policy of persecuting homeschoolers is “repellent to everything we believe as Americans.”

‘Embarrassing for Germany’

“This decision finally recognizes that German homeschoolers are a specific social group that is being persecuted by a Western democracy,” said Mike Donnelly, staff attorney and director of international relations for Home School Legal Defense Associaton. “It is embarrassing for Germany, since a Western nation should uphold basic human rights, which include allowing parents to raise and educate their own children. This judge understood the case perfectly, and he called Germany out. We hope this decision will cause Germany to stop persecuting homeschoolers,” he added.

The persecution of homeschoolers in Germany has been intensifying over the past several years. They are regularly fined thousands of dollars, threatened with imprisonment, or have the custody of their children taken away simply because they choose to home educate.

The Romeikes expressed relief when they heard the decision.

“We are so grateful to the judge for his ruling,” said Uwe Romeike. “We know many people, especially other German homeschoolers, have been praying for us. Their prayers and ours have been answered. We greatly appreciate the freedom to homeschool we now have in America and will be building our new life here,” he added.

Donnelly testified at the hearing on January 21, telling the immigration Judge that homeschoolers are persecuted all over Germany.

Read the rest of the article...

Thanks Keynes, you deserve the rap...

2010-01-26T12:51:00.002-05:00

For a better understanding of things economic, and issues of freedom, forget Keynes...read Tom Woods!

Al, you are such a cool guy!

2010-01-07T07:18:00.003-05:00

Fairbanks businessmen are still so annoyed by former Vice President Al Gore's stand on global warming that they have commissioned another "Frozen Gore" ice sculpture for display in front of a liquor store. This year's version features Gore blowing smoke -- but only when a truck exhaust is connected. Businessmen Craig Compeau and Rudy Gavora say they'll commission the sculpture annually until Gore comes to Fairbanks to debate climate change. "Before we start carbon taxing ... let's try and educate ourselves," Compeau said.

The Loss of Liberty

2009-11-11T07:12:00.001-05:00

If you think the Federal Gov't is your friend...think again! The liberties founded by men informed by a Christian worldview are slipping away.

Swine Flu & You

2009-09-16T08:27:00.003-04:00

Before rushing out to get the latest vaccine trumpeted by gov't, media, and the powerful pharmaceutical companies, do some research! The vaccine may prove more dangerous than the virus! To help you along, take a look here:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi119.html

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/bosworth1.1.1.html

http://www.lewrockwell.com/rajiva/rajiva25.1.html

The Butterfly Circus

2009-09-08T16:09:00.003-04:00

This is worth every minute of the 20 in this short film. A Christian worldview, yes!
http://www.thedoorpost.com/hope/The%20Butterfly%20Circus/

Yes We Can??

2009-08-27T07:18:00.002-04:00

HT: Mark Horne

New website for Christ Covenant Church

2009-08-12T21:13:00.001-04:00

We're working on a new, improved website for Christ Covenant Church...take a look!

Uncle Screwtape ~ Still At It

2009-07-28T11:31:00.004-04:00

A Satirical Essay (apologies to C.S. Lewis)

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
7/26/2009

My dear Wormwood,

Word of your enormous success has reached our father's ears. What you achieved in Anaheim at GC2009 this past week was beyond our wildest imaginings.

That you should have obtained a public confession from that Jefferts Schori woman that personal faith or conversion of any sort was unnecessary and was actually a Western heresy must surely go down in the annals of hellish history as a first.

We have atheists and agnostics, unbelievers and disbelievers, but to have someone actually masquerading as a Christian and publicly denying one of its central tenets is a feat of uncommon performance. You are to be congratulated.

Your success at undermining that vile religion so adroitly through a female leader, (equality has its plusses) no less, only proves our point that heretics who rise through the ranks of the priestly classes only aid and abet our side. Jefferts Schori is the apogee of the feminist and pansexual revolution roaring through the churches of the West. Spong is her alter ego. Our success in undermining mainline churches like The Episcopal Church with pansexual acceptance and then calling it a "justice" issue rather than a moral issue deftly deflects it away from the truth that it will ultimately destroy their souls making them all hell bound. Heaven's loss, Hell's gain.

Our father has placed the highest priority on undermining Western Christianity. The successes achieved this week in The American Episcopal Church will undoubtedly be followed by more of the same with the Lutherans, Presbyterians, United Church of Christ, Moravians and, in time, and a lot of effort on your part, the United Methodists.

The thin end of the wedge has penetrated the heart of the Christian behemoth; you will continue to hammer it home, opening up more fractures here and there till we have swallowed them all up. They will, in time, be ripe, for our ultimate goal - the triumph of Islam and the imposition of Sharia Law.

Let them cry out for justice for all oppressed peoples, but make sure that any talk of "justice" for orthodox types is glossed over with talk that when they were in charge, they gave nothing to the other side. Now it is their turn to hold the crown of victory. Never mind that the cry of repentance for all peoples was undermining OUR cause. It is important to focus away from any such talk and on to the whine of inclusion, diversity and justice for all peoples.

Keep the Listening Process alive and well. Make sure they get millions of dollars to listen themselves to death. It all works in our favor.

Add to all this the undermining of Western morality with abortion, Internet porn, divorce, the abandonment of children, further undermining of the educational system, preaching moral relativity (keep the pressure on homosexual acceptance in the schools) and the rejection of absolute truth ...and our work will almost be done.

That lesbian Ragsdale woman at Episcopal Divinity School preaching that abortion is a blessing was further sweet music to our ears. It is emptying their churches faster than we could have hoped or imagined.

Now it is very important, Wormwood, to keep the institution alive. To do so, you must keep the remaining orthodox dioceses and parishes in TEC. If they leave, TEC will wilt and die even faster. If The Episcopal Church dies, and on its present trajectory it most certainly will, then it will be apparent to everyone. That will only undermine our cause. Whatever you do, keep it going, if only to make their case (and ours) that this church is where it is at - the seeker friendly church, the inclusive church, the emergent church, full of new ideas, taking the e-word (evangelism) and giving it a whole new definition and meaning.

The thing is not to kill off the church, but to undermine it from within, to change the definition of things, making words mean the opposite of what they originally meant and keeping people seduced by the language of inclusion. Keep the empty shell open if only for tourism traffic. The English have that down to a fine art.

Keep Robinson smiling and hopping from one event to the next while making sure he stays off the booze. Keep him going to AA and announcing he now believes in a "higher power". Good stuff that changes nothing. Hell is filled with people who believe in a higher power. His upcoming appearance at Greenbelt, England, is a major coup. There he will preach his inclusive god and seductive gospel that embraces all manner of sexualities. The only sexual "sin" left in The Episcopal Church is heterosexual adultery. We need to trot that out occasionally to remind the world that TEC still has standards. (Grin)

Marriage, that horrid institution that has provided so much stability for societies and cultures for centuries, must be undermined. If not, then it must be twisted to meet the new sexual realities of the world and church. With your able assistance, we have taken it out of the sphere of heterosexual behavior and procreation, and have turned it into a narcissistic, self-absorbed past-time. Keep pushing the issue of ersatz rights - rights for gays, rights for women, rights for the transgendered, rights for same-sex marriage, and rights for dogs, if need be. Let them keep talking about the "other", but under no circumstances must this talk move into an understanding of a transcendent "other" - of a loving G-d who demands obedience and faith.

Keep that Jefferts Schori woman well supplied with heresies. Above all, keep her focused on this worldly transformation. Under no circumstances must she be given a glimpse of another world, a heavenly realm, a kingdom not made with hands...keep her believing that MDGs will change the world making it a better place with heaven just an extension of this world as SHE knows it.

Your work has been masterful, Wormwood. Our father broke open a pint of Pike's blood the other evening just to celebrate your incredible success.

Let the darkness roll on.

You remain in our warmest embrace,

Your affectionate Uncle,

Screwtape

Atheism's Moral Swindle

2009-05-20T13:08:00.005-04:00

Before the Wilson-Hitchens movie arrives, lets start thinking about apologetics and defending the Christian faith....

by Joel McDurmon

I long since stopped blogging on atheism, deeming it often a waste of time and occasionally counterproductive. Sometimes, however, the issue merits revisiting. After rereading some old classics, I find the following quotation worth sharing:

When one gives up the Christian faith, one pulls the right to Christian morality out from under one’s feet. This morality is by no means self-evident: this point has to be exhibited again and again, despite the English flatheads. Christianity is a system, a whole view of things thought out together. By breaking one main concept out of it, the faith in God, one breaks the whole: nothing necessary remains in one’s hands. Christianity presupposes that man does not know, cannot know, what is good for him, what evil: he believes in God, who alone knows it. Christian morality is a command; its origin is transcendent; it is beyond all criticism, all right to criticism; it has truth only if God has truth—it stands or falls with faith in God.

In this quotation, many of my readers will immediately detect the echo of Van Til, or Bahnsen, or some other related apologist infused with “worldview,” or presuppositional thinking. Such a guess comes close in content, but misses widely. The surprise: this quotation flows candidly—and insightfully!—from arch-atheist Friedrich Nietzsche.[1] This is not, of course, to say that Van Til derived his ideas from reading Nietzsche—highly unlikely. The point—completely lost on modern atheists—is that when you strike down Christianity, Christian morality necessarily goes with it. Nietzsche candidly professed this, as did his earlier French counterpart Marquis de Sade: no God, no moral imperatives; no “thou shalt,” and no “thou shalt not.” Only, “I will.” Read more

Ambulance chasing....

2009-05-18T10:40:00.002-04:00

Collision, the full-length movie of the debates between Pastor Doug Wilson and famous atheist, Christopher Hitchens should be out soon. In the meantime, here is a preview....

COLLISION - 13 min VIMEO Exclusive Sneak Peek from Collision Movie on Vimeo.

2009-03-17T13:02:00.002-04:00

Bubbles burst...and we better be prepared! Peter Schiff makes a convincing case for "the worst is yet to come." I think he is right, fundamentals don't lie, and there is no reasonable reason to think that it will get better until the government stops doing stupid things. This presentation is long, but worth every minute. Christians need to hear this!

Fred Thompson sounding like Ron Paul

2008-12-22T21:28:00.001-05:00

(HT: Mark Horne) Hits the nail on the head!

2008-10-31T11:17:00.001-04:00

From Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty....

3rd Grade Civics Lesson

Posted by Don Rasmussen on 10/30/08 09:08 AM
Last updated 10/30/08 09:11 AM

Special thanks to my mom for sending this along.

The most eye-opening civics lesson I ever had was while teaching third grade. The presidential election was heating up and some of the children showed an interest. I decided we would have an election for a class president. We would choose our nominees. They would make a campaign speech and the class would vote.
To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other class members. We discussed what kinds of characteristics these students should have. We got many nominations and from those, Jamie and Olivia were picked to run for the top spot.
The class had done a great job in their selections. Both candidates were good kids. I thought Jamie might have an advantage because he got lots of parental support. I had never seen Olivia’s mother. The day arrived when they were to make their speeches. Jamie went first. He had specific ideas about how to make our class a better place. He ended by promising to do his very best. Every one applauded. He sat down and Olivia came to the podium. Her speech was concise. She said, “If you will vote for me, I will give you ice cream.” She sat down. The class went wild. “Yes! Yes! We want ice cream.”
She surely would say more. She did not have to. A discussion followed. How did she plan to pay for the ice cream? She wasn’t sure. Would her parents buy it or would the class pay for it. She didn’t know. The class really didn’t care. All they were thinking about was ice cream. Jamie was forgotten. Olivia won by a land slide.
Every time Barack Obama opens his mouth he offers ice cream, and fifty percent of America reacts like nine year olds. They want ice cream. The other fifty percent know they’re going to have to feed the cow.

2008-10-08T10:12:00.002-04:00

Now here are some economic proposals that break the socialist connection! Christian Schools need to teach this stuff. Somebody write the curriculum, please!

You Heard It Here First

By Dr. Richard A. Jones

Pretend I’ve been chosen as a special select committee of one with authority to fix the financial crisis. The following is my plan to bring you the most effective U-turn possible. I’ve taken the best of the remedies as suggested in recent weeks by various experts and merged them for your information into a single, all-inclusive package. You’ll also see why these proposals help explain why so many in Congress were in a lose-lose dilemma last week per the bailout no matter which way they voted. Neither a Yes nor a No vote will be of any lasting value, with Yes being by far the worst of the two. As you read, keep in mind what the Bible says about honest money, honest markets and honest men. Also be aware that only by adopting the no-nonsense blueprint below will a lasting cure take place, outright socialism prevented, the potential for an explosion of solid, long-term growth made possible, and individual freedom made more secure. Continue reading...

The Day and the Hour......

2008-09-10T11:09:00.005-04:00

Please take this seriously....not the DVD series, but what the production and sale of such stuff reveals. When will Christians stop buying this nonsense that purports to tell us what God has NOT revealed in His Word? I guess when the Holy Spirit graciously opens the eyes of the blind.

See here WorldNet Daily

That is why Christ Covenant Church's men's study is doing this:....An antidote to end-times craziness that detracts from the work of following Christ's command to "disciple the nations". Join us this Friday, 7:30pm at the Smith Public House. Call for directions: (631)594-1377

Insufficient evidence?

2008-09-04T09:08:00.003-04:00

HT(Pawel Bartosik)

2008-09-01T11:41:00.001-04:00

Let's kick-start our thinking, men, as we look forward to our next Calvin on Tap....

Why this World Matters

By Gary DeMar

Today’s preoccupation with eschatology has led some to advocate a wholesale abandonment of this age, stating that there is no relationship between the temporal kingdom and the eternal kingdom. There is no prescription for the transformation of this world based on the certainty of the next, so some want us to believe. The transformation of the present social structure is built “upon the concept of commitment to the heavenly society as being primary and determinative for this worldly order.”1 There is continuity between the present age and the age to come. The preaching of Jesus regarding affairs in everyday society was based on an

intimate continuity between the world to be and the world that was, even now, being summoned into likeness with it. What the Lord wills for this life cannot be severed from his ultimate plans to be realized fully in the eternal kingdom. Jesus’ own parables makes clear that this kingdom which is future in its complete fulfillment is already present in its operation and influences. Far from proposing a rigid separation of the future and the present, Jesus is proposing, not another world in which to find refuge, but one whose character and being is even now modifying and reshaping the present organization of life.2

A concern for this world is evidence of concern for the next. Others are beginning to see it (read more here). Love for our neighbor is evidence of our love for God who presently occupies the throne of heaven. The exhibit of our Christian life in this world is a reflection of our regard for the world to come. The world to come is the Christian’s focal point. The Christian takes his stand with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:5–7) and brings from heaven, through the “God-breathed” Scriptures, instructions for this present world (2 Tim. 3:16–17). “This constitutes setting one’s affections on things above. It does not spell the turning of one’s back on things beneath. . . . The kingdom of God is not brought in by man. It will come in God’s own way and with his unconquerable consummation. It is coming even now, in its present impact upon the belligerent, but already defeated, world that knows it not.”3

The medieval church saw a vital connection between heaven and earth, with heaven being the pattern for earthly activity. The eternal serves as a standard for the temporal. The Creator outlines parameters for living for the creature.

Central was the assumption of a coherence between heaven and earth, two parts of one homogeneous world, built to a single plan and hence reciprocally related, yet based on a principle of inequality inherent in hierarchy, in which the superior serves as a model for the inferior.4

Without the heaven/earth connection, the world is assigned to the realm of indifference and the inevitabilities of evil. The Lutheran and Calvinistic arms of the Reformation viewed the possibility of social change differently:

Luther had regarded this world and its institutions as incorrigible, and was prepared to leave them to the devil. But for Calvin this world, created by God, still belonged to Him; it remained potentially His kingdom; and every Christian was obliged to devote his life to make it so in reality by reforming and bringing it under God’s law.5

The relationship between gospel and society can best be seen in how our nation’s founders appreciated education, and how education was conceived as a way to preserve the Christian past and the establishment of a Christian future. Harvard College (founded in 1636, six years after the arrival of the British Puritans and named after John Harvard), set the agenda for the nation’s future: “Let every Student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life (John 17:3) and therefore lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and Learning.”

There were similar expressions of evangelical reform in England. We should expect this, since America’s penchant for reform was inherited from its theological English forbears. For example, England’s abolition movement was almost entirely led by the evangelical wing of the church. At the pleading of Lady Middleton and Bishop Porteus, James Ramsay wrote a long Essay on the Treatment and Conversion of Slaves in the British Sugar Colonies (1784). Ramsay was “convinced that men will not respond to lessons of eternal redemption from those who enslave them on earth, or about heaven when kept in hell. . . . He proposed steps to total Emancipation, and suggested that free labour would yield more profit to plantation owners.”6 William Wilberforce, upon being struck with the oppression of the slave trade, wrote in his diary, “Almighty God has set before me two great objectives: The abolition of the slave trade and the reformation of manners.”7 Had the British government “not been in the hands of Christians there seems little reason to have expected it to mount its massive, expensive, and voluntary campaign against slavery.”8 If modern anti-reformists had their way, the institution of slavery would still be with us. They would be preaching to the Church to remain silent on the issue and not to mix Church and State.

I don’t know how true it is, but I’ve heard that John MacArthur is stating that he is unconcerned about the November election (go here). If Brannon Howse is faithfully representing MacArthur views, then his views are outside the great reforming efforts of the church that had political implications. It wouldn’t surprise me that MacArthur holds these views. He has an eschatology that discounts the future. Read some of the comments to Howse’s post, and you’ll understand why the church and our nation are in such a mess. I’ve made my views on this topic clear in “Is the World a Sinking Titanic?” in the May 2007 issue of Biblical Worldview which is a response to an article by Jan Markell who posts frequent articles on Howse’s site. Most of the people who speak at the Worldview Weekend conferences are dispensationalists. Howse is offering “Looking for the Blessed Hope” by David Jeremiah. Schizophrenia reigns.

1 Ray C. Petry, Christian Eschatology and Social Thought: A Historical essay on the Social Implications of Some Selected Aspects in Christian Eschatology to A. D. 150 (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1956), 18.

2 Petry, Christian Eschatology and Social Thought, 18–19.

3 Petry, Christian Eschatology and Social Thought, 21.

4 Georges Duby, The Three Orders: Feudal Society Imagined, trans. Arthur Goldhammer (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1980), 57. Quoted in Stephen Tonsor, “Order and Degree: The Medieval Quest for Individuality within the Bounds of Community,” The Intercollegiate Review (Fall 1988), 29.

5 William J. Bouwsma, “Explaining John Calvin,” Wilson Quarterly (New Year’s 1989), 73.

6 John Pollock, Wilberforce (Belleville, MI: Lion Publishing, [1977] 1986), 51. William Wilberforce led the effort in Parliament. In the United States, abolition was spawned by revolutionary rhetoric and acts. See Otto J. Scott, The Secret Six: John Brown and the Abolitionist Movement (Seattle, WA: Uncommon Publications, [1979] 1993).

7 Cited in Charles Colson, Kingdoms in Conflict, 100.

8 Scott, The Secret Six, 85.

Gary DeMar is the President of American Vision.

Calvin on Tap

2008-08-22T13:56:00.003-04:00

Tonight we finish up our History of Christianity study at the Smith Public House. Next month we'll be back to see how suds and prophecy go together....hmm. I'm sure we'll arrive at a more sober interpretation of things eschatological than our dispensational friends! It's a 12-part series called: Basic Training for Understanding Bible Prophecy by Gary DeMar of American Vision.

With all the nonsense in the Middle East and Russia flexing some muscle, you can be sure the books will be flying off the shelves....the ones that predict the end is near...again! But why should Christians let the newspapers decide what Scripture means? So join us as we study the Word of God together. Call for directions you first-timers: (631) 594-1377

A Return to Posting

2008-08-19T11:25:00.002-04:00

Yes, it has been a while, hasn't it? But if you go here
you'll see lots of posts...that's where we've been lately. So we're looking to revive this place with new articles, and other items of interest to brothers, sisters, and covenant children. We are also starting a weekly church email newsletter. Why not sign up over there in that little box to the right? You'll find shorter articles in the newsletter and more details here....so watch this space.

Calvin on Tap #3...and beyond

2008-02-08T13:16:00.001-05:00

Men,
We begin a six-part video series on the History of Christianity, February 22nd at the Smith Public House. Come and learn...invite a friend. This is a survey course designed to provide glimpses of the pivotal events in the spread of Christianity and sketches of great Christian figures who have significantly affected Christian history. This series also demonstrates how Christianity affected world history. Kit includes six half-hour programs, leader's guide, program scripts, and reproducible student workbook. Topics covered in the six programs are:

PART I: The Early Church From the executions of Peter and Paul in Rome to the death of Augustine in North Africa, we follow the Early Church as she emerges from the womb of Judaism to survive horrendous persecution and become established in the Roman world. Explore what took place at the early Ecumenical Councils and how the great doctrines of the Church were formulated.

PART II: The Church in the Middle Ages During this period in history, universities, monasteries, and museums were established. The Church, with her majestic Cathedrals, joined these institutions in influencing society. But this interaction with culture was not without difficulties: barbarian invasion, crusades, the Muslim challenge. Also, during this period, Christendom was divided into the Eastern Church and the Western Church.

PART III: The Reformation It was an age of exploration and discovery, of art and literature. The Medieval Church, however, had placed too much emphasis on the church as an institution. As a result, the papacy enjoyed unusual power often coupled with unusual corruption. Cries of reform were heard all over Europe. The Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century was a tremendous movement of spiritual and ecclesial renewal.

PART IV: The Age of Reason and Piety During the two centuries between the death of Martin Luther in 1546 and the conversion of John Wesley in 1738, the Christian world experienced a major paradigm shift from an age of faith to an age of reason. On the heels of Copernicus discovery that the earth is not the center of the universe, rose the Enlightenment a movement that shifted the focus away from God and to human creativity.

PART V: Christianity in the New World America was the land of new beginnings. Europe represented for Americans a corrupt past, whose contamination they wished to escape. This period includes the study of great traditions such as the Puritans and Quakers, and great movements such as the First Great Awakening.

PART VI: Christian Movement in an Age of Uncertainty From the fall of Bastille in 1789 (marking the beginning of the French Revolution) to the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 (marking the end of communism), study the Christian movement in an age of uncertainty. William Carey, the father of modern missions carries the Gospel to India; others followed to remote regions people like David Livingstone, Lottie Moon, Henry Martyn, and Hudson Taylor. Explore the Christian Church as it moves into all the world.

Presenter-host Dr. Timothy George is an Historian and Dean of Samford Universitys Beeson Divinity School. Trained in theology and church history at Harvard University, he has written numerous articles and books including Theology of the Reformers, John Calvin and the Church, and Faithful Witness: The Life and Mission of William Carey. George also serves as senior editor of Christianity Today.

Calvin on Tap presents Luther

2007-12-04T10:06:00.001-05:00

Calvin on Tap again....December 14th, 7-9pm at Smith's Public House. Men, we will be viewing the movie from 2003 on the life of Martin Luther. Reformed discussion, beverage and fellowship to follow. Don't miss it! And now just a little history on the Calvin/Luther connection:

We have no way of knowing when Calvin accepted Luther's doctrine, but there can be little doubt about its influence on him. With the exception of Augustine, Luther undoubtably had more influence on Calvin than any other person. McNeill (154) informs us that, "While writing the Seneca Commentary Calvin lived in the house of a cloth merchant, Etionne de la Forge, a devout Waldensian from Piedmont. This man was an ardent reader of Luther and a fearless propagandist of Protestantism" (p. 109). It is little wonder that Meyer (1969) writes, "In many respects Calvin can and must be regarded as Luther's disciple" (p. 174).

More evidence of Luther's influence can be detected in the Institutes themselves. In 1965, John Hesselink gave a studied analysis of the development and purpose of Calvin's Institutes. He observes that "It covered the traditional catechetical themes: the Law, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Supper and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper in the same order as Luther's Catechisms" (p. 68).

2007-11-15T16:51:00.000-05:00

So Elder Smith's house has become a "Public House" for the evening of November 16th, 7-9pm.

Calvin on Tap

A Monthly Men's Forum
The Wild & Wacky World of Presidential Politics

Reformed Fellowship
Reformed Discussion
Reformed Beverages

If you'd like to join us, email blp22@optonline.net
and we'll give directions.

Welcome, Hunter-Eldridge Family!

2007-10-22T13:46:00.001-04:00

We were very pleased to welcome the Hunter-Eldridge family into membership at Christ Covenant Church this past Lord's Day. The bookends in the picture are Elder Kris Smith and myself, then Andre', Dianna, and children...from left to right, Zipporah, Simeon, Phinehas, Theophilus, and Marisha. We look forward to ministering together, and pray that the Lord would bless this homeschooling family.

I Belong to Jesus Sunday School class

2007-10-01T13:49:00.000-04:00

Here is the contents of a letter that went out to the parents of children who attended our VBS program this year:

Christ Covenant Church presents this unique program of religious instruction in order to assist parents in raising children to live in God’s world. Here’s how:

1. They will hear the great stories of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

2. They will learn Bible verses, the Apostle’s Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and much more.

3. They will learn to sing in harmony. Using Psalms & Hymns, they will learn part-singing in our Singing School.

4. They will receive training in worship. In other words, they will learn how to sit quietly and respectfully during a worship service; how to participate in joyful singing, heart-felt prayer, and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

5. They will learn the basics of Christian Manners. The foundation of good manners is Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself. Children enrolled in our program will learn how to show love and respect for others: parents, teachers, and friends.

Classes begin September 16th, from 12:15pm to 1:00pm (following our worship service and fellowship time). Children may join classes that have already started.

Here is one of the songs the children will be learning:

I Belong to Jesus

Oh, what is your comfort, in life and in death?
And where does your hope and your confidence rest?
That I, with both body and soul, do belong
To Jesus my Savior, to Him alone.

He’s paid for my sins with His own precious blood;
He loved me, forgave me, and promised me good.
From all of the pow’r of the Devil set free;
He’s purchased my pardon, He’s ransomed me .

My heavenly Father, in love, day by day,
Preserves me and keeps me in such a way,
Not even a hair can fall from my head;
But all works together for salvation, instead.

And now by the Spirit, the Spirit divine,
He also assures me that His life is mine;
And so makes me willing and ready to live,
A life that is pleasing, obedient to Him

_____________________________
lyrics: Rev. Brian L. Penney (from the Heidelberg Catechism Q/A 1)
tune: “I Love Thee”, Jeremiah Ingalls 1805

Vacation Bible School ~ 2007

2007-08-23T14:41:00.001-04:00

We've had about 30 + children attending each night for VBS. Although we weren't able to get the singing group from the previous post to come and sing Joshua Fit the Battle for us, we're not doing to badly with our singing without them. Tomorrow night we will be marching around Jericho's wall (I have to get a picture for you) seven times, and you can guess what will be happening!

The children have been listening very carefully to the story and have enjoyed the flannel-board visuals. They like being chosen to help put up the figures on the board, and know that only those showing good behavior will be chosen.

The parents will be coming tomorrow night to see what their children have been learning, we'll have the final Bible lesson, march around the walls, and have some refreshments. We will also be encouraging those who do not attend to sign their children up for our new Sunday School class that starts in September. It's called "I Belong to Jesus". I'll tell you more about it later.

Barbershop - Joshua Fit the Battle of Jerico(ver2.0)

2007-08-03T15:07:00.001-04:00

Now I said we were going to learn about Joshua in Vacation Bible School....and these guys are gonna teach us a couple of things about singing...if we can get them to come to Copiague!

Vacation Bible School

2007-08-03T13:46:00.001-04:00

It's that time of year again! Here are some pictures from last year's VBS. It was a scorcher...hopefully August 20-24 will be a little cooler. Last year our theme was centered on God's deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt. This year we will see God's leading through Joshua, as His people enter the Promised Land. We have a good number of contacts plus new families who want to send their children. A new Sunday School class will be offered as a follow-up starting in September. I'll tell you more about that later.

Finishing Touches

2007-06-01T14:27:00.003-04:00

The sanctuary makeover is now complete...carpet and curtains were the final touches. All praise to God for the finances to restore what was an old, run-down room into a beautiful sanctuary. A fitting place to sing His praises...the acoustics are much improved with the removal of the sound absorbing carpet, acoustical tile and wallboard.

Behold, the padded pews!

2007-04-13T15:21:00.000-04:00

The church makeover is almost complete...carpet should be along next week.

Extreme Makeover ~ Church Edition

2007-03-27T17:26:00.000-04:00

Painting is done...pews are next, painting and padding. Then carpet and window treatments, and that should do it for now. We hope to schedule a dedication/celebration for our church building sometime in May. All are invited!

And after this, painting!

2007-02-28T07:45:00.000-05:00

The Federal Vision

2007-02-26T08:43:00.000-05:00

The Federal Vision Study Group held its first meeting/discussion at Kings Highway Reformed Church yesterday afternoon. The topic was "The Objectivity of the Covenant". Good fellowship, great singing, and lively conversation marked our first session. We look forward to our next meeting, March 25th, in Copiague. You should be there! Our topic for next time is "Justification & Good Works".

We're hoping by that time to have our building renovations completed! Things should really move along this week...more pictures to follow.

More renovation pictures....

2007-02-12T08:19:00.000-05:00

Carmine & Dennis take a well-deserved lunch break! They made great progress last week...kitchen cabinets in, sheetrock done in the sanctuary, raised panel styles & rails up...wow! This week should see the beginnings of the raised panels installed and the floors sanded down to bare wood.

We hope to set up the pews in the fellowship hall and have worship at home again....having been on the road for two Lord's Days.

Church Renovations

2007-02-08T09:51:00.000-05:00

Sandro and crew at work...sheetrock spackle and paint. The old wainscot will be covered with classic raised panels with a new chair rail. The floor will be sanded down and refinished. We're leaving more of the beautiful hardwood floor showing...minimal carpet. New doors are on the way, again for a classic look. The pews need some work...checking prices from Pad-a-Pew on padding the seats and backs, then a light refinishing of the wood that shows.

Many thanks to Dennis Miller & Carmine Matone, dear brothers in Christ, for their conscientious work and expertise! They're making this old building come alive! If all goes well we should see the finished product by the beginning of March. Dennis & Carmine are working on the kitchen renovation this week and I'll have to get some more pictures by the end of the week.

Paedofaith ~ And why not?

2007-01-03T12:51:00.000-05:00

Christ Covenant Church will begin a study of the Rev. Rich Lusk's book, Paedofaith: A Primer on the Mystery of Infant Salvation and a Handbook for Covenant Parents beginning January 21st. I'm seeing it as strapping on another weapon in our warfare with the unbiblical and, mind you, unreformed mindset surrounding parents and their covenant children in the world of modern evangelicalism. Maybe it is "baptism" by immersion...immersion in the Faith-- in the Christian home, in the Church, and in the school. That kind of nurturing of infant faith is what made Van Til (quoting from the back cover), "Though there were no tropical showers of revivals, the relative humidity was always very high...I was 'conditioned' in the most thorough fashion. I could not help believing in God--in the God of Christianity--in the God of the Bible!"

Would that all our covenant children were so "conditioned" as Dr. Van Til, and King David, and John the Baptist, even our Lord Jesus Christ. Why should we not expect with confidence that faith from the womb is the norm; and expect that by God's grace, through the faithful nurture of Christian parents, that the faith that began as a tiny seed will flower and produce fruit? And why not?

1st Christmas ~ Sam, Micah & Ariana

2006-12-27T13:43:00.000-05:00

Busy October!

2006-10-31T11:34:00.000-05:00

October was a busy month! Christ Covenant Church's (notice the name change!) first annual family conference went very well! Dr. Gregg Strawbridge did a masterful job presenting the Covenant, October 6th-8th. It was a pleasure to see a number of friends from the Federation of Reformed Churches there.

Each month we hold a worship service at Huntington Hills Center for Health & Rehabilitation. October 12th marked our seventh month doing this ministry. Most of those who attend our service are not able to attend worship services outside the center, so they truly look forward to our coming each month. Nearly half the folks who regularly attend the service are from Lutheran background and they love our formal, liturgical worship...they get to participate in songs, responses, the Lord's Prayer and the Apostle's Creed as they were used to in their home churches!

On October 19th-20th Elder Kris Smith and I represented CCC at the first meeting of the Augustine Presbytery of the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches in Lancaster, PA. At that meeting we were presented as a candidate church sponsored by All Saints Presbyterian Church (pastored by Dr. Strawbridge) , recommended , examined, and received into full membership in the CREC. We enjoyed meeting the elders and pastors in our presbytery again, and we had too much fun at the Oktoberfest at Elder Detweiler's beautiful home. We are very pleased! (As you can see from the picture of the Augustine Presbytery, funny hats are back in style!)

As a member church we hope to sponsor a sister church, Kings Highway Reformed Church of Brooklyn (Rev. Ron Weinbaum, pastor), as a candidate/mission church helping them as they seek membership in the CREC. As part of our encouragement to them we have had three joint worship services this month, the 8th, 22nd, and the 29th. We especially enjoyed our fellowship this past Lord's Day as we held a Reformation Day dinner following worship.

Yes, that was October...hopefully it won't be such a long time in between posts.

Conference & Debate...soon!

2006-09-10T06:39:00.000-04:00

To You & Your Children:
Rediscovering the Lost Doctrine of the Covenant
with Dr. Gregg Strawbridge
~ October 6th & 7th ~

Dear Friends,
Welcome to Covenant Christian Fellowship’s first annual family conference! Below you will find the conference schedule and other pertinent information.

Friday, October 6th
6:30pm ~ 7:00pm: Registration (the Book Table will be open)

7:00pm ~ 7:30pm: Welcome, opening prayer, & Singing School

7:30pm ~ 8:30pm: "What Ever Happened to Covenant Theology?"
Rediscovering the Lost Doctrine of the Covenant
Pressing the Covenant Beyond "Covenant Theology"
The Road Ahead

8:30pm ~ 9:30pm: Singing, Closing Prayer, & Fellowship (Book Table open)

Saturday, October 7th
8:30am ~ 9:00am: Fellowship (Book Table open)

9:00am ~ 9:30am: Welcome, Opening Prayer, Singing School

9:30am ~ 10:30am: "The Case for Covenant Baptism"
Sacraments are Covenantal
Infant Inclusion in the Covenant
Baptism and the Great Commission

10:30am ~ 11:00am: Break

11:00am ~ 12:00am: "The Case for Covenant Communion"
History: On the Road from Rome
Theology: The Reformation in Conflict
Scripture: Child Inclusion
Objections: Tradition and Self-Examination

12:00pm ~ 1:15pm: Lunch Break

1:15pm ~1:30pm: Announcements, Singing School

1:30pm ~ 2:30pm: "The Practice of Covenant Succession"
Family Expectations: Children in Christ ~ Covenantal Nurture & Education
Family Practice: Discipline for Celebration
Family Challenges: Pop Goes the Culture
Family Future: Vocation and Guiding our Children into the Future

2:30pm ~ 3:00pm: Break

3:00pm ~ 4:00pm: "A Covenantal Outlook"
Sacramental Practice Symbolizes Life
Worship is the Center of Life
The Kingdom Extends into Life
The Victory of the Gospel: Covenantal or Revivalistic?

4:00pm ~ 4:30pm: Break

Introductions to the debate ~ Dr. Gregg Strawbridge (Presbyterian) and Rev. John Puskar(Reformed Baptist)

4:30pm ~ 6:00pm: Debate Topic ~ God’s Way with the Children of Christian Parents: Crisis Conversion Experience or Covenantal Nurture?

Debate Format:
Opening Statements ~ 10 minutes each
Main Arguments ~ 15 minutes each
Cross Examination ~ 5 minutes each
Closing Statements ~ 5 minutes each
Questions & Answers ~ 15 minutes (alternately directed)

6:00pm: Closing Prayer, Benediction, Doxology

We will have a Book Table run by our good friend Jeff McCormack of Apologia Books throughout the conference. Be sure to stop by! And we hope you like to sing...we will be singing some glorious psalms & hymns. Another feature will be a brief Singing School tutorial on 4-part harmony singing, using Jesus Shall Reign Wher'er the Sun as our practice hymn.

Pastor Strawbridge will be preaching at our worship service tomorrow, October 8th, which also will be here at First Methodist Church beginning at 12:30pm. We hope some of you will be able to stay to worship and celebrate the Lord’s Supper with us. If you can, please join us for the Fellowship Meal following the service, as well.

Location: 25 Broadway, Amityville, NY 11701 (parking is across the street from the church)
Contact: (631) 594-1377
blp22@optonline.net

St. Anne's Pub...bub!

2006-06-09T14:49:00.000-04:00

St. Anne's Pub is a ministry of Christ Church (CREC) of Spokane, WA. It's an audio magazine with some great stuff. Their newest draught on tap is Controversy. You'll find the alehouse here: www.stannespub.com
Oh, don't skip over the music. I like John Fleagle's Twa Corbies, but you really have to listen closely and have an ear for Scottish words and pronounciation to get the story.

That Wonderful Cup

2006-06-01T14:27:00.000-04:00

Dr. Peter Leithart's article, Paedocommunion, the Gospel, and the Church from the latest Credenda/Agenda nails it....

Paedocommunion is not only about admission requirements narrowly considered, but like paedobaptism, is linked with a whole range of issues. It is not only about the nature of the Supper, but also about the Church, baptism, and most broadly, the character of the salvation that Christ has achieved in the world. The gospel is not directly at stake in the paedocommunion debate. Opponents of paedocommunion honestly and sincerely proclaim the gospel of grace, and I am grateful to God that they do. Still, the ecclesial and theological shape that the gospel takes correlates significantly with the positions on paedocommunionm, and the coherence between the gospel and the church's practice is at the heart of this debate. The stakes are not so high as they were when Luther protested indulgences and the myriad idolatries of the late medieval church. But the stakes are high, very high.

What is the "shape of the gospel" in American churches across our multitude of denominations? More and more, I think the issue of paedocommunion and the Covenant, more generally, will "shape" the answer.

Bright Future...we are postmil, after all!

2006-05-19T11:36:00.000-04:00

Covenant Christian Fellowship is excited about the future...we're a candidate church in the CREC and hope to be received into that group of churches in October. It's great to see the growth of the CREC all over the place! It's especially encouraging to see the growth of a consistent covenantalism not only in the CREC, but in other denominations as well. The issue is not simply paedocommunion, but covenant nurture and covenant succession. If we want to raise up a new generation of faithful followers of Christ, we can't continue to do business as usual. The division of the Body of Christ into communing & non-communing members is an aberration, biblically and covenantally. It must therefore have less than desirable consequences. Children are not fooled, they know they either belong or they don't. The power of the knowledge and the assurance of "belonging" should not be underestimated. And, conversely, the power of confusion in saying a child of Christian parents doesn't belong until he or she has a conversion experience acceptable to the elders, or can recite the catechism, or some other artificial requirement (the traditions of men) does not lead in the direction we want for our children.
This is why we are holding our conference. We want to spread the Good News of the Covenant! We were glad to see the new issue of Credenda/Agenda "That Wonderful Cup". Check it out at www.credenda.org Also, Athanasius Press is about to release the Gregg Strawbridge edited book, The Case For Covenant Communion very soon. It looks to be a great companion to Tim Gallant's study, Feed My Lambs.

We're in the process of selling a piece of property that the church owns to help fund repairs and renovations of our OLD church building. Hopefully, within a month or so we'll be able to get started with the roof...and then the kitchen and then the bathrooms...and, well, the list is long!

Our nursing home ministry is going well. One of the residents, Emma, a dear saint 97years old, loves to worship with us. She loves the Lord and is an encouragement to all who talk with her! We pray that our ministry at Huntington Hill Center for Health & Rehabilitation would bear fruit.

Our church website is coming along...visit it, or better yet, visit us! www.ccfreformed.net

CCF Conference

2006-05-12T15:25:00.000-04:00

October 6th & 7th Covenant Christian Fellowship presents: To You & Your Children: Rediscovering the Lost Doctrine of the Covenant. Dr. Gregg Strawbridge is our speaker. We're hoping to find a debate partner for Dr. Strawbridge, as well. Here's the topic: God's Way with the Children of Christian Parents: Conversion Experience or Covenant Nurture?
So far we haven't found anyone to debate. We're working on it...maybe Greg Welty...we'll see.

We're excited about the opportunity! If anyone wants more info about the conference, let me know. We'll keep you posted.

Close reefed and scudding before the wind...

2006-05-04T15:14:00.000-04:00

Hold Fast & Clap On...if you enjoy Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels you know it ain't all smooth sailing, and life is like that. This picture from the movie Master & Commander is especially moving as there is a man overboard and Ralph Vaughn Williams improvisation of Thomas Tallis' Third Mode Melody, a haunting tune, is playing. You'll find it as Psalm 63 in Cantus Christi.