He Is Sovereign

Lane Chaplin has the ability to post longer-than-typical videos on YouTube and he has a wonderful collection of Sovereign Grace material on his website. Go visit him at:

http://www.lanechaplin.com/

Today he posted the message I preached in Lexington back in 2005. Yes, those were the days when I still had a ponytail. Call it denial. Call it a middle-aged crisis. I turned 50 the month after this conference and the head-shaving began.

The first year that I was scheduled to preach at the annual Sovereign Grace Bible Conference, I was supposed to preach Tuesday morning, just as the conference was kicking off in earnest. But, on Monday I ate some tainted fish and quickly became much too sick to travel. I called Elder Ward and apologized profusely, but there was no way I was going to be there Tuesday morning. I was crestfallen, to say the least, having missed my first opportunity to preach at the conference. Tuesday night Megan and I got in the car and headed north. Wednesday morning I hugged Elder and told him how sorry I was for messing up the schedule and missing my opportunity. He assured me, "Oh, don't worry. You're preaching Friday morning!"

In restrospect, God knew exactly what He was doing. Friday morning was one of the highlights of my preaching career. And I'm grateful to the folk who make up the Sovereign Grace Bible Conference for their continued love and support. They are a living testimony to the power of grace.

Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist Should Be A Premillennialist

It's rare for me to listen to a sermon and immediately think, "Everyone who listens to me must listen to this." But, John MacArthur's message from last year's Shepherd's Conference (March, 2007) is just such a message. After the conference, the reformed blog-o-sphere lit up with congratulations and denunciations, depending on which side of the eschatological fence the writer resided. But, it's a must-hear for anyone who has listened to our eschatology series, understands what Plank of Wood stands for, or who wants to know why I am so committed to premillennial eschatology as a vital part of my overall theology.

One thing that struck me rather dramatically was how similar John's arguments were to the things I've been saying for years. In fact, anyone familiar with our eschatological teaching will hear distinct echoes in John's presentation. But, as my friend David Morris loves to say, we're plagiarizing the same source material.

You can listen for yourself here:

"It's amazing what one is really."

One of my favorite movies is "The Madness of King George." In one scene, the two eldest princes of England (the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York) are sitting around in typical idleness, comparing honorary titles

The Prince of Wales asks, "What's that one Fred?" while pointing at a cross nestled among the scores of decorations clustered on his brother's coat.

The Duke of York replies, "This? The other day I discovered I'm Bishop of Osnabruck. Amazing what one is really."

That's how I felt when I came across this picture on the Internet. On the left is a fellow I knew in Los Angeles named Reed Kailing. Reed played in several bands through the years and also performed as McCartney in Beatlemania. On the right are Kevin and Phil from my band, 707. And that's your's truly on the drums (I loved that walnut Slingerland kit).

Anyway, this photo was taken in a rehearsal room at the Record Plant in L.A. I'm going to say the year was 1980-81.

Now, all of that is as it should be. I was delighted to discover this photo, which I'd never seen before. But, it was identified on Reed's website (and in consequent reproductions) as "Badfinger in rehearsal." I know that Reed was once a member of Badfinger, but Kevin, Phil and I never were. Still, knowing the way the Internet works and how quickly it circulates rumors and misinformation, it's now a bit of rock'n'roll lore that I was once the drummer in that band.

So, I just found out that I was in a band of which I don't recall being any part. It's amazing what one is really. :-)

It's time for new Romans messages!

I haven't updated the Romans series in several months as I've concentrated on other projects and my email let me know it was time to get back to it! I'm grateful for those of you who enjoyed the series thus far and who wanted to hear more. So, two more messages have been added, R50 & R51. You can find them here --

http://www.gcaarchive.com/romans.shtml

Just scroll down until you find the latest additions. I'll attempt to keep updating this series until we reach the end. Now that some of my earlier obligations are settled, I should be able to stay at it pretty regularly.

Thanks for your patience and your encouragement!