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July 17, 2019:
Cody Curtis, composer & leader of Psallos, who will discuss:
“A CALL FOR WORSHIP CONSISTENT with GOD’s WORD, Rich in SOUND DOCTRINE, & INTELLIGIBLE for the SAKE of EDIFICATION”
Live from the historic parsonage of the 19th century gospel minister George Norcross in downtown Carlisle, Pennsylvania, it's Iron Sharpens Iron. This is a radio platform in which pastors, Christian scholars, and theologians address the burning issues facing the church and the world today.
Proverbs chapter 27 verse 17 tells us, Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Matthew Henry said that in this passage we are cautioned to take heed with whom we converse and directed to have in view in conversation to make one another wiser and better.
It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next two hours, and we hope to hear from you, the listener, with your own questions. And now, here's your host, Chris Arnzen.
Good afternoon, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Lake City, Florida, and the rest of humanity living on the planet Earth who are listening via live streaming at ironsharpensironradio .com. This is Chris Arnzen, your host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, wishing you all a happy Wednesday on this 17th day of July 2019.
And I'm thrilled to have back as a returning guest someone who I know that I'm going to want on this program frequently in the future as well. His name is Lou Vega. He's the senior pastor of Covenant Church, which is a congregation in the Presbyterian Church in America denomination in Houston, Texas.
Lou Vega was born in Cuba and fled with his family to America after Fidel Castro's communist revolution and takeover. And today he is addressing Part 2 of a discussion that we began several weeks ago, Part 2 of Tyranny, Its Cause and Cure.
And it's my honor and privilege to welcome you back to Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, Pastor.
Lou Vega.
Well, I would like you, for the sake of those listeners hearing you for the first time, or even for those that heard you the first time but now have forgotten the details about Covenant Church in Houston, Texas, tell us about Covenant Church, Houston, Texas.
Well, we're a Presbyterian church.
Now, do you ever have Spanish-speaking worship services in addition to the English? I actually have a friend that you've got to get to meet sometime. His name is Peter Padro, originally from Puerto Rico, and he and his wife Sonia are dear friends of mine.
He, at one time, many years ago when I first met him in the 90s, was the pastor of the Church of the Good Neighbor in Spanish Harlem, which at the time, I don't know where they are at today, but at the time, they were a conservative, Calvinistic congregation within the PCUSA, which, as you know, is a liberal denomination, but Peter was not and is not liberal.
But anyway, he used to, believe it or not, this is the first time I've ever seen this happen, he, on a regular basis, when he preached, would preach in English and immediately translate his own several sentences that he had just spoken in English, he would translate them instantly into Spanish and go back and forth in the same message.
He didn't have an interpreter, he did that himself. I doubt that they would be inseparable. But if anybody wants to investigate, explore, maybe a better word, more details on Covenant Church in Houston, Texas, you can go to covenantpca .org.
Covenant PCA, which stands for Presbyterian Church in America, covenantpca .org. And why don't you also, I know that you are a graduate of the Greenville Theological Seminary in Greenville, South Carolina, or it's actually in Taylor, South Carolina, right?
Taylor, yes.
And it used to be in Greenville, I believe, or something like that.
No, it's called Milltown.
But it's actually Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, even though one of my pastors, John Miller, is a Reformed Baptist, and he was a graduate of there, and in addition to other places he's graduated from.
I knew it, I knew it!
Well, I want to give their website, especially since we interview so many people who are.
Graduates of that fine institution, and in addition to faculty, gpts .edu. And while I'm doing that, I obviously have to plug the seminary that supports this program financially, the IRBS Theological Seminary in Mansfield, Texas, a Reformed Baptist seminary.
Their website is IRBSseminary .org. IRBSseminary .org. There's two S's back-to-back in the middle, don't forget that. But I had to do that, obviously, because they are kind and gracious and benevolent enough to keep this show on the air with their finances.
But we began a fascinating subject the last time you were on, discussing our topic that we are continuing to discuss today, tyranny and its cause and cure. If you could, because it's such an important aspect of this entire topic, and the reason why you are an excellent candidate to talk about this topic, please, in summary form, tell us about your own flight with your family from Cuba after Fidel Castro tragically, successfully led a communist revolution and takeover of that beautiful country, Cuba.
I'll oblige you, even though I... What do you think the motivation would be of NPR to do that?
To cover that up, I mean.
I could only surmise, but I could tell you this.
Call away. Now, before we go on to continue where we left off on the discussion of tyranny, its cause and cure, I'd like to ask you about the cause of tyranny. Would you say that all forms of tyranny, in some fashion, involve, even if this is unconscious on the part of the tyrants involved, but would you say that the root of all tyranny is really when men wish to become God or be viewed as God, even if they might consider themselves atheists.
We know from Romans 1 there are no real atheists, but would you say that even if it's an unconscious thing, that tyrants basically all have that in common, that they want to be God or be viewed as God.
Reformed helps are reformed.
Yes, in fact, I love that old Bob Dylan song that he wrote and recorded while he was professing to be a born-again evangelical Christian. I don't know where he is theologically this day, but you've got to serve somebody.
It may be the devil, it may be the Lord, but you've got to serve somebody, and he was absolutely right.
Everybody's got to serve somebody.
One thing that we who are conservative Christians must always remind ourselves over is that the communists and the socialists and the leftists aren't the only ones necessarily guilty of this trend towards usurping God's authority.
Tragically, in the lives of Christians, when they are disobeying God, you very often have. I don't think it's the predominant problem in evangelicalism today, but it may have been more so a problem amongst fundamentalists and reformed Christians.
Even though it exists today, it was probably more a problem years ago. You had power-hungry pastors whose churches really acted and practiced more like cults, even if they may have been theologically orthodox.
The heavy-handed authoritarian eldership has been known to behave like tyrants. Also, you have, in many cases, tragically, husbands in marriages that treat their wives and their children more as subjects to their tyrannical kingdom than as a helpmate in regard to the spouse and as a blessing from God in regard to the children.
These things even happen in the body of Christ, don't they?
Yes, and that's why in the outline that I provided...
In fact, one of the things that I don't think our country, the United States, has learned yet is that when we meddle in the affairs of foreign countries, very often trying to import by force a democracy here or there, we wind up very often toppling one dictator only to have a worse one spring up.
It happened with Osama Bin Laden. It happened... I have heard that with the defeat of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, that the situation in Iraq is even more dangerous, a lot more dangerous for Christians living in Iraq because Saddam Hussein was toppled and you had more militant Muslims rise up to power.
A lot of people may not even realize that Saddam Hussein was really like a nominal Muslim. He was not a theological militant Muslim.
Yeah, so what you're saying, Chris, is very congruent because imagine...
We'll pick up on that when we return from our first break because we have to go to our first break right now. If anybody would like to join us on the air with a question of your own, our email address is chrisarnsen at gmail .com, c-h-r-i-s-a-r-n-z-e-n at gmail .com.
Please, as always, give us your first name at least, your city and state of residence, and your country of residence if you live outside the USA. Please only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter.
Don't go away. We'll be right back after these messages with more of Lou Vega and tyranny, its cause and cure.
Hello, my name is James Renahan and I'm the president of IRVS Theological Seminary in Mansfield, Texas. The Word of God says if a man desires the office of an overseer, he desires a good thing. Do you have the desire to serve Jesus Christ in pastoral ministry?
Twenty years ago, the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies at Westminster Seminary, California was born. For those two decades, these institutions worked together to train men for ministry in Reformed Baptist churches.
It has been a wonderful partnership. Now, we have advanced our school into an independent seminary offering a full program of courses leading to the Master of Divinity degree. This is IRVS Theological Seminary.
We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired and inerrant Word of God, that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh who came to save sinners by his life, death, and resurrection, and that the task of the church is to honor and serve the triune God in all things.
IRVS Theological Seminary is dedicated by God's grace to preparing godly ministers who will be committed to these doctrines. Do you sense a call to serve Jesus Christ and his church as a pastor? Why not consider IRVS Theological Seminary?
You'll find more information at irvsseminary .org. That's irvsseminary .org, two S's in the middle. I hope to hear from you soon. God bless you.
As host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, I frequently get requests from listeners for church recommendations. A church I've been strongly recommending as far back as the 1980s is Grace Covenant Baptist Church in Flemington, New Jersey, pastored by Alan Dunn.
Grace Covenant Baptist Church believes it's God's prerogative to determine how he shall be worshiped and how he shall be represented in the world. They believe churches need to turn to the Bible to discover what to include in worship and how to worship God in spirit and truth.
Grace Covenant Baptist Church endeavors to maintain a God-centered focus. Reading, preaching, and hearing the Word of God, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, baptism, and communion are the scriptural elements of their corporate worship, performed with faith, joy, and sobriety.
Discover more about Grace Covenant Baptist Church in Flemington, New Jersey at gcbcnj .squarespace .com. That's gcbcnj .squarespace .com. Or call them at 908 -996 -7654. That's 908 -996 -7654. Tell Pastor Dunn that you heard about Grace Covenant Baptist Church on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
Got to tell you, for my money, Chris Arnzen's radio program is just the best.
Iron. Criticizing Iron.
I think that's what it's called. This is Todd Friel of Wretched Radio and TV with Phil Johnson of Grace To You, inviting everybody to come to the G3 conference, which has almost instantly become one of the best conferences in the country.
And it is. It's a great conference. I love it. And Chris Arnzen was there last year. He's been there, I think, every year. It's great to see him there. You and I actually did some recordings in the lobby at that place, which is a highlight for me.
So tons of stuff going on. Tons of great speakers. And no matter where you are in the building, you will hear Chris Arnzen's laugh. And that's worth the price of admission alone. If you would like to join Phil, me, Chris, and a cavalcade of great preachers, and me, g3conference .com, g3conference .com.
And now there's even more exciting news. John MacArthur himself is now also on the lineup at the G3 conference, Thursday, January 16th through Saturday, January 18th, 2020. Go to g3conference .com, g3conference .com.
See you there!
Hi, this is John Sampson, pastor of King's Church in Peoria, Arizona. Taking a moment of your day to talk about Chris Arnzen and the Iron Sharpens Iron podcast. I consider Chris a true friend and a man of high integrity.
He's a skilled interviewer who's not afraid to ask the big penetrating questions while always defending the key doctrines of the Christian faith. I've always been happy to point people to this podcast, knowing it's one of the very few safe places on the Internet where folk won't be led astray.
I believe this podcast needs to be heard far and wide. This is a day of great spiritual compromise, and yet God has raised Chris up for just such a time. And knowing this, it's up to us as members of the body of Christ to stand with such a ministry in prayer and in finances.
I'm pleased to do so and would like to ask you to prayerfully consider joining me in supporting Iron Sharpens Iron financially. Would you consider sending either a one-time gift or even becoming a regular monthly partner with this ministry?
I know it would be a huge encouragement to Chris if you would. All the details can be found at ironsharpensironradio .com where you can click support. That's ironsharpensironradio .com.
Iron Sharpens Iron Radio depends upon the financial support of fine Christian organizations to remain on the air, like the Historical Bible Society. The Historical Bible Society maintains a collection of Christian books, manuscripts, and Bibles of historical significance spanning nearly a thousand years.
The mission of HBS is the preservation and public display of ancient scripture, dissemination of scripture, to provide tools equipping believers and Christian apologetics with evidence for the Bible's reliability, and to introduce Reformation literature and Christian art to a broader audience.
Since 2004, HBS has toured schools and churches throughout the Northeast United States, reaching thousands of believers and non-believers alike who are hungry for knowledge of the Bible. HBS's founder, Daniel P. Buttafuoco, attorney at law, is committed to sharing this collection along with an inspirational historical message that will captivate you and your church.
Come journey through their website, historicalbiblesociety .org. The collection includes a complete 11th century Bible, an actual page of the Gutenberg Bible from 1455, the first book ever printed, the Geneva Bible, the 1611 King James Bible, and much, much more.
Visit historicalbiblesociety .org today. Thank you, Daniel P. Buttafuoco, attorney at law, for your faithful support of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
I'm Pastor Bill Shishko, host of A Visit to the Pastors Study, and I am so thankful to be part of the advertising family right here on Iron Sharpens Iron. If you live on Long Island, or if you're visiting the metropolitan New York area, I invite you to join us for worship at The Haven on Sundays at 4 .30 p .m.
We meet at the Ascension Lutheran Church facility, 33 Bayshore Road in Deer Park, New York. At The Haven, you'll find God-saturated singing, gospel-rich ministry, and great commission opportunities.
Learn more about us at thehavenli .com and join us this Sunday at 4 .30 p .m., 33 Bayshore Road, Deer Park, New York.
Chris Sorensen, host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio here. I want to tell you about a man I have personally known for many years. His name is Dan Buttafuoco. Dan is a personal injury and medical malpractice lawyer, but not the type that typically comes to mind.
Dan cares about people and is a theologian himself. Recently, he wrote a book titled Consider the Evidence for the Bible. Ravi Zacharias wrote the foreword. Dan also has a master's degree in theology.
Dan handles serious injury and medical malpractice cases in all 50 states. He represents many Christians in serious injury matters all over the country. Dan is an exceptional trial lawyer. He wrote the test for the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and currently his firm has over 100 cases that have settled for $1 million or more, and in approximately 10 different states.
In Illinois, his lawyers had the fourth largest settlement in the state's history. In New York, his case involving a paralyzed police officer made the front page of the Law Journal. If you have a serious personal injury or medical malpractice claim in any state, I recommend that you call Dan.
Consultations are free. There is no fee unless you win. Dan Buttafuoco's number is 1 -800 -669 -4878. 1 -800 -669 -4878. Or email me for Dan's contact information at chrisarnson at gmail .com. That's chrisarnson at gmail .com.
And we thank Dan Buttafuoco and his law firm from the depths of our hearts because he, through his benevolence and graciousness and desire to see Iron Trip and Zion Radio remain on the air, has just renewed his advertising contract for another six months and has, by God's grace, been used as a tool in God's hand to pluck us here at Iron Trip and Zion Radio out of the pit of poverty, at least probably with finances that will enable us to maintain until the end of September.
We thank Dan for his willingness to renew his contract. And I plead with you, the listener, that wherever you live in the United States, if you are aware of somebody who is in need of a personal injury attorney or a medical malpractice attorney, please call Dan at the number he provides during his commercials.
Or you could even email me, chrisarnson at gmail .com, chrisarnson at gmail .com, and put I need a lawyer or something like that in the subject line. Keep in mind that Dan Buttafuoco is only involved in personal injury and medical malpractice cases.
So send me that email if you need somebody, if you hear about somebody, because we really need Dan to keep renewing his advertising contracts with us in order to remain on the air. It's chrisarnson at gmail .com, chrisarnson at gmail .com.
Now we are back with our guest, Lou Vega. We have been discussing tyranny, its cause and its cure. This is part two of a discussion we began a number of weeks ago, and we are delighted to have Lou back on the program to continue this fascinating and important topic.
And, Lou, before the break you were talking about how people, perhaps they are professing Christians in the political arena, and they are unconsciously, perhaps, operating or functioning as Sassanians or Pelagians.
If you could describe or define those two theological aberrancies and explain how they apply to the topic that you're discussing. And one of the things that clicked in my mind as you were applying Pelagianism to tyranny, it makes perfect sense that if someone is blind to their own moral corruption and inability and depravity, apart from a miracle of grace by the triune God, they are going to be more susceptible to want to rise to tyrannical power or see someone else rise to tyrannical power because of the fact that Pelagius, as you are fully aware, in his debate with Augustine, one of those heresies that comes from Pelagianism is a denial of the depravity of the human heart prior to regeneration.
And the unnecessary element of grace to save a sinner, it is a helpful aid in their minds but not a necessary one. So when you have a high view of man like that, you are more likely either to become a tyrant or support a tyrant, are you not?
Right.
Amen.
Well, when we come back from our midway break, I want you to address that Christians are continually taught by God and how that applies to the cure of tyranny. And we have to go to this longer than normal break in the middle of our show because of the fact that Grace Life Radio, 90 .1 FM in Lake City, Florida, localizes Iron Sharpens Iron Radio and all of their programming to Lake City, Florida as a requirement of the FCC.
So therefore, while we air our own globally heard commercials, they air their own public service announcements and commercials that apply to Lake City, Florida. So while we air our own commercials during this elongated break, please use this time wisely.
Write down information provided by our advertisers so that you can more successfully and frequently patronize them because you always have to remember, every time you patronize one of our advertisers or all of our advertisers, you are helping to further ensure a long life for Iron Sharpens Iron Radio because we cannot survive on the air without the support financially of our advertisers and also, of course, our benevolent donors, our listeners who just contribute to this program donations.
And so, not only write down the information provided by our advertisers, but please also send us a question. For Lou Vega on tyranny, its cause and cure, and the email address as always is chrisarnsen at gmail .com, C-H-R-I-S-A-R-N-Z-E-N at gmail .com.
And please give us your first name, your city and state of residence, and your country of residence if you live outside the USA. Only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter.
So don't go away. We'll be right back after these messages with more of Lou Vega and tyranny, its cause and cure.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said,.
Give yourself unto reading. The man who never reads will never be read. He who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves that he has no brains of his own.
You need to read.
Solid Ground Christian Books is a publisher and book distributor who takes these words of the Prince of Preachers to heart. The mission of Solid Ground Christian Books is to bring back treasures of the past to minister to Christians in the present and future, and to publish new titles that address burning issues in the church and the world.
Since its beginning in 2001, Solid Ground has been committed to publish God-centered, Christ-exalting books for all ages. We invite you to go treasure hunting at solid-ground-books .com. That's solid-ground-books .com and see what priceless literary gems from the past to present you can unearth from Solid Ground.
Solid Ground Christian Books is honored to be a weekly sponsor of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
One sure way all Iron Sharpens Iron Radio listeners can help keep my show on the air is to support my advertisers. I know you all use batteries every day, so I'm urging you all from now on to exclusively use batterydepot .com for all your battery needs.
At batterydepot .com, they're changing the status quo. They're flipping the script. They're sticking it to the man. In other words, they'd like to change the battery industry for good by providing an extensive inventory of top-of-the-line batteries that are uniformly new, dependable, and affordable.
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I'm Dr. Gary Gimbrel, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Laurel, Mississippi. God tells us in James 1 -27 that pure and undefiled religion is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.
In the providence of God, three years ago, I discovered a poor, small church outside Lusaka, Zambia, in a township called Kabanana, who are taking care of 24 orphans. I found them just at the time when they had lost all their funding.
What was I to do? Could I just say, God bless you and walk away? The situation of the children set heavily upon me. As I was praying concerning this need, it came to me, I trust from the Lord, to tell the orphans' plight to a broader audience.
The entire need for their clothing, food, education, and some medical services is $73 per month per child. If just 50 of us would give $35 a month, we could meet the need. Bethlehem Baptist Church will pay the fee to get the funds there.
So if you give a dollar, a dollar will get to the orphans. In this season of hope and giving, will you consider giving hope to 24 orphans? Please send your gift of any amount to Bethlehem Baptist Church, 838 Reed Road, Laurel, Mississippi, 39443.
Or donate through our website, bbclaurel .com. Again, the address is Bethlehem Baptist Church, 838 Reed Road, Laurel, Mississippi, 39443. Or bbclaurel .com. Thank you.
Iron Sharpens Iron welcomes Solid Rock Remodeling to our family of sponsors. Serving South Central Pennsylvania, Solid Rock Remodeling is focused on discovering, understanding, and exceeding your expectations.
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He's a skilled interviewer who's not afraid to ask the big, penetrating questions, while always defending the key doctrines of the Christian faith. I've always been happy to point people to this podcast, knowing it's one of the very few safe places on the Internet where folk won't be led astray.
I believe this podcast needs to be heard far and wide. This is a day of great spiritual compromise, and yet God has raised Chris up for just such a time. And knowing this, it's up to us as members of the Body of Christ to stand with such a ministry in prayer and in finances.
I know it would be a huge encouragement to Chris if you would. All the details can be found at ironsharpensironradio .com, where you can click support. That's ironsharpensironradio .com.
Chris Arnsen, host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, announcing a new website with an exciting offer from World Magazine, my trusted source for news from a Christian perspective. Try World Now at no charge for 90 days by going to getworldnow .com.
That's getworldnow .com. I rely on World because I trust the reporting. I gain insight from the analysis, and World provides clarity to the news stories that really matter. I believe you'll also find World to be an invaluable resource to better understand critical topics with a depth that's simply not found in other media outlets.
Armed with this coverage, World can help you to be a voice of wisdom in your family and your community. This trial includes bi-weekly issues of World Magazine, on-scene reporting from World Radio, and the fully shareable content of World Digital.
There's no obligation and no credit card required. Visit getworldnow .com today. Also check out World News Group's podcast, The World and Everything in It, at wng .org forward slash podcast. That's W for World, N for News, G for Group, dot org forward slash podcast.
James White of Alpha Omega Ministries here. If you've watched my Dividing Line webcast often enough, you know I have a great love for getting Bibles and other documents vital to my ministry rebound to preserve and ensure their longevity.
And besides that, they feel so good. I'm so delighted I discovered post-Tenebrous Lux Bible rebinding. No radio ad will be long enough to sing their praises sufficiently, but I'll give it a shot. Jeffrey Rice of Post-Tenebrous Lux is a remarkably gifted craftsman and artisan.
All his work is done by hand from the cutting to the pleating of corners to the perimeter stitching. Jeffrey uses the finest and buttery soft imported leathers in a wide variety of gorgeous colors, like the turquoise goatskin tanned in Italy used for my Nestle All-in -28th edition, with a navy blue goatskin inside liner and the electric blue goatskin from a French tannery used to rebind a Reformation study Bible I used as a gift.
The silver gilding he added on the page edges has a stunning mirror finish resembling highly polished chrome. Jeffrey will customize your rebinding to your specifications and even emboss your logo into the leather, making whatever he rebinds a one-of-a-kind work of art.
For more details on Post-Tenebrous Lux Bible rebinding, go to ptlbiblerebinding .com. That's ptlbiblerebinding .com.
Tired of box store Christianity? Of doing church in a warehouse with all the trappings of a rock concert? Do you long for a more traditional and reverent style of worship? And how about the preaching?
Perhaps you've begun to think that in-depth biblical exposition has vanished from Long Island. Well, there's good news. Wedding River Baptist Church exists to provide believers with a meaningful and reverent worship experience featuring the systematic exposition of God's Word.
And this loving congregation looks forward to meeting you. Call them at 631 -929 -3512 for service times. 631 -929 -3512. Or check out their website at wrbc .us. That's wrbc .us.
I'm James White of Alpha Omega Ministries. The New American Standard Bible is perfect for daily reading or in-depth study. Used by pastors, scholars, and everyday readers, the NASV is widely embraced and trusted as a literal and readable Bible translation.
The NASV offers clarity and readability while maintaining high accuracy to the original languages which the NASV is known for. The NASV is available in many editions like a topical reference Bible. Researched and prepared by biblical scholars devoted to accuracy, the new topical reference Bible includes contemporary topics relevant to today's issues.
From compact to giant print Bibles, find an NASV that fits your needs very affordably at nasbible .com. Whichever edition you choose, trust, discover, and enjoy the NASV for yourself today. Go to nasbible .com.
That's nasbible .com.
As host of Iron Sharp and Zion Radio, I frequently get requests from listeners for church recommendations. A church I've been strongly recommending as far back as the 1980s is Grace Covenant Baptist Church in Flemington, New Jersey, pastored by Alan Dunn.
I'm Stephan Lindblad, Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at IRBS Theological Seminary in Mansfield, Texas. I accepted this call to teach at the seminary because I'm firmly convinced that the people of God in the churches of our Lord Jesus Christ need to be firmly grounded in the truth of Holy Scripture.
I'm excited to be teaching such subjects as the nature of theology and the doctrine of Scripture, and even the doctrine of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Our churches and our people need to be well-grounded in these truths.
Indeed, future ministers of the gospel need to understand these truths in order to proclaim them to all of God's people. If you want to learn more about our program, visit us online at irbsseminary .org.
The mission of HBS is the preservation and public display of ancient Scripture, dissemination of Scripture, to provide tools equipping believers and Christian apologetics with evidence for the Bible's reliability, and to introduce Reformation literature and Christian art to a broader audience.
Since 2004, HBS has toured schools and churches throughout the Northeast United States, reaching thousands of believers and non-believers alike who are hungry for knowledge of the Bible. HBS's founder, Daniel P. Buttafuoco, attorney at law, is committed to sharing this collection, along with an inspirational historical message that will captivate you and your church.
Iron. Criticizing. Iron.
I think that's what it's called. This is Todd Friel of Wretched Radio and TV, with Phil Johnson, of Grace to You, inviting everybody to come to the G3 conference, which has almost instantly become one of the best conferences in the country.
And it is. It's a great conference. I love it. And Chris Arnzen was there last year. He's been there, I think, every year. It's great to see him there. You and I actually did some recordings in the lobby at that place, which is a highlight.
So tons of stuff going on. Tons of great speakers. And no matter where you are in the building, you will hear Chris Arnzen's laugh. And that's worth the price of admission alone. If you would like to join Phil, me, Chris, and a cavalcade of great preachers, so it should be a cavalcade of great preachers, and me, G3conference .com.
G3conference .com.
And now there's even more exciting news. John MacArthur himself is now also on the lineup at the G3 conference. Thursday, January 16th through Saturday, January 18th, 2020. Go to G3conference .com. G3conference .com.
Hi, I'm Buzz Taylor, frequent co-host with Chris Arnzen on Iron Sharpen's Iron Radio. I would like to introduce you to my good friends Todd and Patty Jennings at CVBBS, which stands for Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service.
Todd and Patty specialize in supplying reformed and Puritan books and Bibles at discount prices that make them affordable to everyone. Since 1987, the family-owned and operated book service has sought to bring you the best available Christian books and Bibles at the best possible prices.
Unlike other book sites, they make no effort to provide every book that is available because, frankly, much of what is being printed is not worth your time. That means you can get to the good stuff faster.
It also means that you don't have to worry about being assaulted by the pornographic, heretical, and otherwise faith-insulting material promoted by the secular book vendors. Their website is CVBBS .com.
Browse the pages at ease, shop at your leisure, and purchase with confidence as Todd and Patty work in service to you, the Church, and to Christ. That's Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service at CVBBS .com.
That's CVBBS .com. Let Todd and Patty know that you heard about them on Iron Sharpen's Iron Radio.
And the phone number for CVBBS .com, where you can order as well, is 800 -656 -0231, 800 -656 -0231. Remember, they only man that phone line Monday through Friday between 10 a .m. and 4 .30 p .m. Eastern Time, so make sure you're calling during those hours.
And they still have this excellent offer for two free books. The first you will receive for free if you ask for it with the purchase of any amount, no matter how small. That is True Love, Understanding the Real Meaning of Christian Love by Dr. James M. Renahan, who is the president of IRBS Theological Seminary, one of our primary sponsors here on Iron Sharpen's Iron Radio.
You'll get this little hardback, published by Evangelical Press, absolutely free if you put in the comments section at CVBBS .com that you want True Love by James Renahan. There is another book that involves or requires a minimum purchase of $50, and that is my favorite biography of all, a pastor in New York, The Life and Time of Spencer Cone, about a Reformed Baptist pastor in Manhattan in the 19th century, Spencer Cone, back then they called them Particular Baptists, and I keep reminding you that it should be, his life is so fascinating, it should be a major motion picture, and that is no exaggeration.
If you want that book, you'll have to purchase at least $50 worth of merchandise, include the book, A Pastor in New York, The Life and Time of Spencer Cone, by John Thornberry, in your cart, and then add the coupon code IRONSHARPENSIRON, all capitals and all one word, IRONSHARPENSIRON.
As soon as you add that coupon code, the price of A Pastor in New York, The Life and Time of Spencer Cone will be subtracted from your grand total, but remember, you have to add at least $50 worth of merchandise into that cart as well.
But, to make life easier, I suggest that you just call 800 -656 -0231, 800 -656 -0231, Monday through Friday, between 10 a .m. and 4 .30 p .m. Eastern Time, and ask for the book, True Love, by James Renahan, for any purchase, and or the book, A Pastor in New York, The Life and Time of Spencer Cone, by John Thornberry, for a minimum $50 purchase.
And of course, if you're purchasing more than $50, you'll also get the True Love book added on that for free, since that requires the purchase of any amount, no matter how small. And please, you have to remember to tell them if you call them that you heard about this from Chris Arnson on IronSharpensIron Radio.
I just have a couple of folks I want to thank, and also a few special events I need to announce. First of all, I want to thank my friend, Pastor Bill Sasser, and his lovely bride, Lynn Sasser, at Grace Church at Franklin, in Franklin, Tennessee, for their generosity.
They heard that IronSharpensIron Radio was in a very dismal and frightening financial situation, and they sent out of their own pocket a generous donation to IronSharpensIron Radio to carry us through until larger checks come in from our sponsor renewals, like the renewal of Dan Badafuco, Attorney at Law's advertising campaign renewal, and also BatteryDepot .com's advertising renewal, and LinbrookBaptist .org's advertising renewal.
We thank all of them for helping us remain on the air. It was coming close for us to having to pack up the bags and turn out the lights, because we were that bad off financially. So I want to thank the folks at the pastor and his wife at Grace Church at Franklin, that's Bill Sasser and Lynn Sasser.
I also want to thank the Providence Theological Institute in Franklin, Tennessee, who also sent in a gift to help us be carried through until these larger checks arrive. Their website is P-T-S-T-N, which stands for Providence Theological...
Actually, I'm sorry. I'm going to have to get back to you with the correct website, because they've changed the website. That's their old website. I apologize for that. I will get back to you with the correct website for the Providence Theological Institute's website.
But I want to thank them for donating to us as well. They helped carry us through until the larger checks come in from our renewal contracts from our sponsors. So thank you so much, and I will make sure that I announce that website before the end of the show.
I apologize. They did have an old website. Now, I want to alert you to some exciting events that are coming up. First of all, coming up next month, in August, there is an event being held by our friends and our sponsors at the Fellowship Conference New England.
August 1st through the 3rd are the dates of this conference. In Maine, that will be.
Thursday,.
Friday, and Saturday, August 1st through the 3rd. And my friend Mac Tomlinson is the leader and orchestrator of this annual conference, and he's also a very generous contributor and sponsor of Iron Sharp and Zion Radio.
So we are more than happy to publicize this event for them. The speakers include Pastor Anthony Mathenia, who's been a guest on Iron Sharp and Zion Radio a number of times. He is actually Paul Washer's pastor.
He's a real gifted speaker. Loves to have Anthony Mathenia on the show. Pastor Mac Tomlinson, he is, as I just mentioned, the person who orchestrates this annual conference. He is the pastor of Providence Chapel in Denton, Texas.
Pastor Lee Dodd is also on the roster for this. And Pastor Nathan Pickowitz, who is also not only a pastor, but he's also an author and a frequent guest on Iron Sharp and Zion Radio. I hope that you, if you are able to attend this event.
In.
Maine, that you go to fellowshipconferencenewengland .com fellowshipconferencenewengland .com fellowshipconferencenewengland .com and you'll find out all the details for this conference August 1st through the 3rd coming up before you know it.
And please mention that you heard about this conference from Chris Arnzen on Iron Sharp and Zion Radio. We would love to hear good reports from Fellowship Conference New England that our advertisements for them brought about great results.
So,.
By the way, the exact city in Maine is Portland, Maine, and even more specific, it's the Deering Center Community Church in Portland, Maine where the event is being held August 1st through the 3rd. Then coming up a little bit after that, we have the Church at Friendship in Texas is having their own conference featuring my friend Dr. Tony Costa, the Professor of Apologetics and Islam at Toronto Baptist Seminary, and I hope that you if you've never heard Tony Costa, you've got to hear this brother speak and teach.
He is brilliant. He is so brilliant that Dr. James R. White of Alpha Omega Ministries has had Dr. Costa on standby to fill in for him in the case of an emergency, like for instance, Dr. White in the past I remember he was going to debate a very prominent Roman Catholic and he was sick and he feared he might not be able to follow through on the obligation and he had Dr. Tony Costa waiting in the wings to fill in.
Fortunately, he did not have to have Dr. Costa fill in for him, but that gives you an idea of how brilliant and powerful a speaker Dr. Tony Costa is. The conference is being held August 2nd through the 4th and that is in Hockley, Texas at the Church at Friendship.
The Church at Friendship in Hockley, Texas. You can find out more details at church at friendship .org. Church at friendship .org. Then I am going to be in December, I'm going to be packing up my bags and heading back to my old stomping grounds in New York City to the Foundations Conference, a conference orchestrated by sermonaudio .com.
They always have a phenomenal conference and this is for men in leadership only, whether they are pastors or parachurch leaders. The speakers include Dr. Stephen J. Lawson, Paul Washer, Rev. Jeff Thomas, Rev. Armand Tomassian, Richard Caldwell and Andrew Quigley.
I urge you, if you intend to attend, that you register as quickly as possible because they can only hold less than 200 people in this venue. I will be there. Please look for me if you register. I would love to see you God willing.
The website is thefoundationsconference .com. Thefoundationsconference .com. That's Thursday and Friday, December 19th and 20th in New York City and what better time of year to go to New York City than during the Christmas season and I am looking forward to that with bated breath.
And then coming up in January I'm packing up my bags again and heading down south to Atlanta, Georgia more specifically to the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, Georgia, which is a suburb of Atlanta.
That's Thursday, January 16th through Saturday, January 18th. The theme this January is Worship Matters and the speakers, as always, are remarkable and the length of the roster is very long. Dr. Kosti Hinn, who is a Reformed Baptist pastor in California and a cessationist, and believe it or not he's the nephew of the notorious heretic and charlatan Benny Hinn.
And Kosti spends most of his ministry outside of his own pulpit, of course seeking to alarm people alert people about the dangers of the Word of Faith heresy that he was raised in. And thankfully that he repented from.
So, anytime you hear about Kosti Hinn speaking somewhere I strongly urge you to be there if you can. Darryl Bernard Harrison is on the roster. He is a new addition to the Grace TU ministry of John MacArthur.
He is a really brilliant writer. David Miller what a powerful preacher. He is old school hellfire and brimstone preacher and I love hearing him preach. Derek Thomas he is no doubt very well known to the majority of Reformed Christians due to his writing with Banner of Truth and due to his preaching.
What a remarkable brother he is. Dr. James R. White of Alpha Omega Ministries. Dr. Joel Beakey of Puritan Reform Theological Seminary and more. And of course you've been hearing the ads for the G3 conference.
John MacArthur has been added to the lineup which if he was there even by himself it would be well worth your effort and finances to make a trip to Atlanta by train, plane, or automobile to hear Dr. MacArthur preach on worship matters.
If you want to register go to G3conference .com G3conference .com. I also urge you to register for an exhibitors booth because they are expecting over 5 ,000 people to attend as they draw every year and with Dr. MacArthur there I think they're going to have more than 6 ,000 people.
So register while there's still room not only for your seat but also for an exhibitors booth if it applies to you if you have a business, parachurch, organization or something else that you want to promote in a crowd that large.
Go to G3conference .com G3conference .com and again that's Thursday January 16th through Saturday January 18th, 2020. I will be manning an exhibitors booth so please look for me and I hope that if you register for your own exhibitors booth that you have one nearby, the Iron Sherpins Iron Exhibitors booth.
Last but not least, if you love this show, you don't want it to disappear from the airwaves, you love listening to the guests and topics that very often are not heard anywhere else but Iron Sherpins Iron Radio please go to IronSherpinsIronRadio .com click support, then click to donate now.
You can donate instantly with a debit or credit card that way. You can also send in a check via snail mail the old fashioned way to the address that appears on the screen when you click support at IronSherpinsIronRadio .com.
Make out your checks to IronSherpinsIronRadio .com and send them on in if you prefer snail mail. Please always remember never siphon money away from your regular giving to your local church in order to provide for IronSherpinsIronRadio .com.
Never do that. Never put your family in financial jeopardy by giving to IronSherpinsIronRadio .com. Those two things are commands of God providing for your church and home. Providing for my show is not a command of God obviously.
But if you are financially blessed above and beyond your ability to obey those two commands you have extra money for benevolent purposes, for recreational purposes, for coffee and ice cream. You have extra money that you don't even know what to do with.
Perhaps it's just sitting around collecting interest. Well, please, if you love this show and you don't want it to disappear, please go to IronSherpinsIronRadio .com click support, then click, click to donate now.
And donate as frequently as you can and as heavily as you can. Please, if you are not a member of a local Bible-believing church please send me an email. I can help you find one. In fact, I just got an email today from somebody looking for a church in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
And I will be getting back to you as soon as possible listener with that information. I have helped people all over the world find churches near them that are biblically faithful. So if you're in that position, send me an email to ChrisArnson at Gmail .com.
ChrisArnson at Gmail .com. I need a church in the subject line. If you would like to advertise with us, send me an email to ChrisArnson at Gmail .com and put advertising in the subject line because we really do need your advertising dollars in a very urgent way.
That's also the email that you use to send in a question to Lou Vega. That's ChrisArnson at Gmail .com. ChrisArnson at Gmail .com. And please give us, as always, your first name, your city and state, and your country of residence if you live outside of the USA.
And before we go to any listener questions, Lou, I wanted you to touch on the fact that all true Christians are continually taught by God as a part of the solution to tyranny or the.
Cure. Well, praise God, we do.
Have a listener question. We have one of our very faithful and generous listeners, Grady in Asheboro, North Carolina, who says Brothers Chris and Lou, is the church partly to blame by not making an impact with the gospel and allowing government overreach, or does the tyrant shut down all avenues of religious expression before he takes over?
Well, thank you, Grady, for that excellent question. Keep listening to Iron Sherpa and Zion Radio, and keep contributing to the show, not only with your excellent questions, but financially because we always love to receive checks from you, and they are as needed as they are appreciated.
And keep spreading the word in North Carolina about the show. We have Ronald in eastern Suffolk County, Long Island, who says, When we are having dialogue and debate with our family, friends, loved ones, and neighbors about the socialistic tyranny that many of our citizens here in the United States are welcoming and aggressively trying to establish, should we not be more concerned with them over the gospel of Jesus Christ and not let them sidetrack us into going overboard in defending earthly forms of political government that are superior to socialism.
And communism? Well, thank you,.
Ronald, in eastern Suffolk County. Just to add my two cents, I don't agree with our brethren that sometimes border on pushing us into the realm of the Amish and the Mennonites and the Jehovah's Witnesses that want us to be completely removed from the political arena.
But at the same time, I think what might have been at the heart of our listeners' question, Ronald in eastern Suffolk County, is that very often we as Christians, in our hatred of socialism, communism, liberalism, leftism, we tend to dwell too much in our conversations with the liberals and leftists in our life.
We tend to dwell too much on political issues, and we allow ourselves to be sidetracked away from the gospel, which is the most important thing that makes everything pale into insignificance. So don't you think that there is a place, there is a very important place for us to dialogue about politics, to be involved in politics, but we can never let it eclipse the gospel, should we?
Yes, there's always this battle amongst our brethren in Christ, even our Reformed brethren, between those that would believe that although individuals as Christians should be involved in the political arena in some realm, at least in the area of voting, like, for instance, John MacArthur, one of my greatest heroes that is alive today, he frowns upon pastors becoming overly involved in politics and bringing their congregations into the political arena.
He thinks that it's solely the arena of the individuals, whereas you have our other brothers on the other extreme, perhaps, but it's still theologically very close in many ways, the theonomist brothers that we have, who would strongly disagree with Dr. MacArthur, and there's, of course, all shades in between.
While we are on this earth, we're never going to get that balance completely perfect, are we?
No. Amen.
And.
Let's see here, we have Arnie in Perry County, Pennsylvania, who wants to know, is not the way that biblically a nation is transformed.
By.
The transformation of individual citizens or subjects in that nation who are born again? In fact, let me have you pick up on that when we return from our final break, because we have to get to our final break right now.
Okay. And we're going to be right back after these messages, so don't go away.
Hi, I'm Stephan Lindblad, Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at IRBS Theological Seminary in Mansfield, Texas. I accepted this call to teach at the seminary because I'm firmly convinced that the people of God in the churches of our Lord Jesus Christ need to be firmly grounded in the truth of Holy Scripture.
Indeed, future ministers of the Gospel need to understand these truths in order to proclaim them to all of God's people. If you want to learn more about our program, visit us online at irbsseminary .org.
I'm.
Pastor Billy Linhard of Sovereign Grace Particular Baptist Church of San Angelo, Texas, and I'm thrilled to have joined the Iron Sharpens Iron Radio family of sponsors. We fully subscribe to the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith as a faithful summary of the most vital Biblical truths.
Desire to worship the Triune God of the Holy Scriptures in spirit and truth, and seek to make His glory known in the Concho Valley, West Texas, and beyond. Sovereign Grace PBC of San Angelo purposes to center our worship on the Holy Scriptures and the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the hope that He will grow us in love and unity of truth.
After Sunday services, join us for a fellowship meal, followed by our Ladies Fellowship and our Children's Sunday School Class. If you're looking for a church in West Texas that's serious about the Word of God and worship that pleases Him, come visit us.
For details about Sovereign Grace Particular Baptist Church of San Angelo, Texas, email sgbcsa at gmail .com or visit us at sgbcsa dot com. That's sgbcsa dot com.
Sgbcsa sgbcsa sgbcsa sgbcsa. Fourth largest settlement in the state's history. In New York, his case involving a paralyzed police officer made the front page of the Law Journal. If you have a serious personal injury or medical malpractice claim in any state, I recommend that you call Dan.
Consultations are free. There is no fee unless you win. Dan Buttafuoco's number is 1 -800 -669 -4878. 1 -800 -669 -4878. Or email me for Dan's contact information at chrisarnson at gmail dot com. That's chrisarnson at gmail dot com.
I'm Pastor Bill Shishko, host of A Visit to the Pastors Study, and I am so thankful to be part of the advertising family right here on Iron Sharpens Iron. If you live on Long Island or if you're visiting the metropolitan New York area, I invite you to join us for worship at The Haven on Sundays at 4 .30 p .m.
We meet at the Ascension Lutheran Church facility, 33 Bayshore Road in Deer Park,.
New York.
At The Haven, you'll find God-saturated singing, Gospel-rich ministry, and Great Commission opportunities. Learn more about us at thehavenli .com and join us this Sunday at 4 .30 p .m., 33 Bayshore Road, Deer Park, New York.
Did you know that all believers are priests? In 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 9, the Apostle Peter describes Christ's church as comprising a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
So if you're a Christian, you're also a priest. Now you can find the newest styles in Reformed and Protestant apparel at CitizenPriest .com. CitizenPriest .com specializes in Christian-themed t-shirts and clothing, especially for Reformed Christians.
CitizenPriest .com's merchandise is purposefully Scripture-based and meant for the edification of the saints and the furtherance of the Gospel. Let everyone know that you stand firm on the doctrines of the Reformed faith by wearing apparel from CitizenPriest .com.
Visit CitizenPriest .com today.
Lynnbrook Baptist Church on 225 Earl Avenue in Lynnbrook, Long Island is teaching God's timeless truths in the 21st century. Our church is far more than a Sunday worship service.
It's a place of learning where the Scriptures are studied and the preaching of the Gospel is clear and relevant.
It's like a gym where one can exercise their faith through community involvement.
It's like a hospital for wounded souls where one can find compassionate people in healing. We're a diverse family of all ages.
Enthusiastically serving our Lord Jesus Christ.
In fellowship, play, and together. Hi, I'm Pastor Bob Walderman, and I invite you to come and join us here at Lynnbrook Baptist Church and see all that a church can be.
Call Lynnbrook Baptist at 516 -599 -9402. That's 516 -599 -9402. Or visit Lynnbrookbaptist .org. That's Lynnbrookbaptist .org.
I've got to tell you, for my money, Chris Arnzen's radio program is just the best.
I think that's what it's called. This is Todd Friel of Wretched Radio and TV with Phil Johnson of Grace to You, inviting everybody to come to the G3 Conference, which has almost instantly become one of the best conferences in the country.
For me.
So tons of stuff going on.
Yeah.
Tons of great speakers. And no matter where you are in the building, you will hear Chris Arnzen's laugh. That's worth the price of admission alone. If you would like to join Phil, me, Chris, and a cavalcade of great preachers, so it.
Is.
So, Phil, I'm Phil Cavalcade of Great Preachers. And me, G3Conference .com, G3Conference .com.
And now there's even more exciting news. John MacArthur himself is now also on the lineup at the G3 Conference, Thursday, January 16th, through Saturday, January 18th, 2020. Go to G3Conference .com, G3Conference .com.
See you there. Listening to Christian radio can be a big gamble spiritually. Even many of the major Christian networks that include excellent, biblically faithful teachers on their lineup sadly often also include the worst of doctrinally dangerous heretics.
If you are a lover of the doctrines of sovereign grace, you need not fear listening 24 hours a day to FirstLoveRadio .org. They feature Christ-centered programming from Reformed pastors and teachers you can rely upon for theological soundness and biblical faithfulness, such as Dr. W. R. Downing, Dr. Peter Masters, Pastor Joe Jakowicz, Pastor Robert Gifford, Al Martin, Edward Delcor,.
And more.
FirstLoveRadio .org also livestreams my Iron Trepans Iron Radio program daily. Please stick around on FirstLoveRadio .org after Iron Trepans Iron Radio is over to continue being blessed by the unwavering proclamation of the gospel of sovereign grace.
Spread the word about FirstLoveRadio .org. Welcome back. And by the way, folks, I have the website that I was trying to find earlier for that wonderful organization that generously donated a gift to Iron Trepans Iron Radio, a financial gift very recently to help us make it through this week until we get our checks from our renewed sponsors.
The Providence Theological Institute of New Covenant Theology in Franklin, Tennessee sent us in a donation to help us make it through this week. And their website is PTINCT .org, PTINCT .org, that stands for Providence Theological Institute of New Covenant Theology, PTINCT .org.
We thank Zach, Maxie, and the folks at the Providence Theological Institute of New Covenant Theology for their generosity because we would not have made it through this week without their assistance. Now we are back with our final brief segment with Lou Vega.
We know that we have to have him back again very soon because we've run out of time again before we knew it. And if you could, Lou, let us know if you found that scripture verse that you were looking for and if you could also provide us with a summary of what you most want etched into the hearts and minds of our listeners today about this subject.
Well, I want to make sure that you come back soon. I'm going to send you a calendar of dates where you can return. I want to remind our listeners that your website is CovenantPCA .org, Covenant PCA for Presbyterian Church in America .org.
Thank you so much, Lou Vega, for being our guest today. Thank you everybody who listened, especially those who took the time to write. I hope you all always remember for the rest of your lives that Jesus Christ is a far greater Savior than you are a sinner.