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Live from the historic parsonage of 19th century gospel minister George Norcross in downtown Carlisle, Pennsylvania it's iron sharpens iron a radio platform on which pastors Christian scholars and theologians Address the burning issues facing the church and the world today.
Proverbs 27 verse 17 tells us iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another. Matthew Henry said that in this passage quote we are cautioned to take heed whom we converse with 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 hour. And we hope to hear from you the listener with your own questions. Now here's our host. Good.
Afternoon. Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. And the rest of humanity living on the planet Earth who are listening via live streaming. This is Chris Arns in your host of iron sharpens iron. Wishing you all a happy Thursday on this 13th day of October 2016 and today we have as our guest for the very first time on iron sharpens iron Jeff Mickelroth and he is founder of Castle Ray Fellowship in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
And we're going to be discussing his book Why Jesus the continuing relevance of Jesus in the 21st century? And it's my honor and privilege to welcome you for the very first time to iron sharpens iron Jeff Mickelroth.
Hi, Chris. Thanks so much for having me on your show. I'm delighted to be with you.
Well, it's very much my pleasure and I'm sure will be the pleasure and privilege of our listeners today and I hope that I pronounced your name correctly. It's Michael rock Michael Roth. Okay, I will remember that hopefully if they're at the program, but I did the pronounce Castle Ray correctly, correct.
You got you got that right. And Michael Roth Apparently means son of wrath. Wow, I think that I think that relates to my past not my present.
Okay, great. And by the way, I want to Thank Murray in Kinross Scotland who just confirmed that our broadcast is loud and clear in the UK today. One of our listeners or one of our faithful listeners in the UK Murray and Kinross Scotland who's actually a British transplant to Scotland and We were somewhat concerned That some technical difficulties were going to raise their ugly heads today During the broadcast because yesterday we unfortunately had to postpone our interview due to technical issues but thank you Murray and Kinross Scotland, and I hope that these technical difficulties remain absent for our interview.
Well before I even go into your book Why Jesus the continuing relevance of Jesus in the 21st century published by Christian focus? I want to hear something about your own personal background your upbringing the the religious atmosphere of your home if any and how the Lord drew you to himself and Saved you.
Yeah I'm 51 years of age now and I was brought up. If you know anything, and I know you do Chris, but if you know about Northern Ireland and the decades of the troubles. Yes. I was very much brought up in that part of that generation.
In fact, my father was A serving police officer in the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Yes, and so was my former guest.
That I just mentioned Earlier Philip de Corsi when I mentioned to him. I mentioned you to him to you off the air earlier. He was a constable. Yeah.
Yes, that's that's right. I knew that as well. Well, well, my father was a serving police officer. So we grew up One brother one sister we grew up very much shaped by you know Security was an issue. It was a difficult time in Northern Ireland and it did color life and in that way but my upbringing was very typical on the Protestant side of the community.
I was as a child brought along to church You know encouraged them on a Sunday afternoon much against my will to go out to Sunday school and you know in those years and I to be honest, I despised it. I find it thoroughly boring you know, I Cannot remember anything really of significance that I learned from the Bible that I I can't really Go back to that time and say that it was something that shaped me and to be honest, I became a Christian when I had just turned 15 years of age and Literally out of the blue.
I know that many people When they're explaining their journey and coming to faith in Christ They can see a sort of a progression and evolution of things happening in their lives. My story was that I Conspired with some friends in my school holiday to Paris and in the summer and.
The.
Responsible actually only 17 years of age and Somehow I still can't understand it. But my parents Consented and allowed me to go with about 13 friends To Paris and I can tell you that my agenda as a 15 year old boy Nothing to do with finding God.
In fact, I was determined to pack in as much sin as I would now call it as I possibly could and When I was away.
Person the 17 year old guy who organized the trip I find out was a Christian and He in the course of that two and a half week period he started to talk to me about the Bible. He explained the gospel, which I honestly don't think I had really heard explained to me in my life up to that point and It blew me away It just captivated by this message of the love of God and Jesus Christ and I can remember Vividly saying to the guy this is wonderful.
I I want to respond to this message and He said to me in front of two or three of my friends. He said look Jeff if you sense God calling, you know, you need to call upon Jesus Christ and I Said looked at him and I looked at my friends and I said look I'm embarrassed.
I want to go somewhere By myself and do that. So I Made my way to the bathroom in in that hotel in Paris and at 15 years of age I committed myself to Christ Having probably heard the gospel for the first time meaningfully Wow.
And that was yeah, I mean and I try to encourage people Sometimes you know, they say I'm not going to I find it So difficult to speak to you know, so-and-so they seem so far away from God, you know, they don't seem interested at all.
I Did not have any thought of God in my head at all and in the space of I was Completely turned around So that that's that's how I came to Christ and I would love to say I would love to be able to say That from that point forward, you know, I came home from Paris and I and I know I came home from Paris and I Went along with The guy who had pointed me to Christ.
I went along to his church and It was very different to anything that I had experienced and you know It really disturbed me and I came home and I Panicked and I thought have I what have I got myself into here?
And for two years? I you know, I just went back to my My friends my circle of friends to the things I was doing. In fact Honesty would demand that I say I actually got worse than the way I was living.
And then a couple of years later a young girl who was in my class at school who was my wife and she spoke to me and she challenged me and the way that I was living and I Did something that is the most radical thing that anyone can ever do?
I took the Bible in my hand and I started to read it Amen and you know I had an appetite and the more I read the more I grew in confidence and The everything changed because to read the Bible for myself to stutters about it and well, that was I was 17 17 and a half at that stage and From then on you know that the heading in the direction that the Lord the Lord would have me by his grace So that's a little bit about.
Conversion and the immediate after. Well, praise God by the way in case some of our listeners were unfamiliar with the term the troubles the time of the troubles in regard to Northern Ireland that was referring in reference to the conflict between the IRA and Protestants in Northern Ireland and Catholics and Protestants in general in that area of Ulster and in the UK in general because there were obviously terrorist attacks in London and other places that took place.
But the you said that. That the the church that you began going to was radically different from the one of your upbringing. What was the what were some of the differences. And what would if you don't mind sharing your denominational affiliation when you were?
Being raised in Northern Ireland.
Sure. The church that I was up in was a the gospel was not preached in my Early years there. I delight to say that today that same church is absolutely thriving has an evangelical minister a Body of elders are committed to expository preaching.
It is one of those quite unusual stories pocket of believers stuck it out and they have seen an incredible transformation in that church, which which I rejoice in but it was a Liberal I would say, you know You heard Shakespeare quoted, you know, maybe as much as the Bible.
You know, maybe a lot of sort of Moral preaching, you know, I mean my parents Would have very much been off, you know, you look don't do anybody any harm, you know be be a good person. That was sort of the general so that that's why I say now I may well have had A godly Sunday school teacher as a child or whatever as a young boy I was more interested in playing football and doing other things.
So, you know, I don't I just can't remember that. But I when I When I was in Paris and my friend the guy had organized the trip. He shared the gospel. I was converted I then went with him to his church, which was I now know although I didn't know the terminology then.
But it was a very current and I I had gone I can still remember this very clearly. I went in my suit dressed up, you know, very formally and I was only in and people were speaking in tongues and and I didn't even know what This was and I came out and my friend came over to me.
I said well Jeff what did you think of that and I can remember and My shirt was completely drenched in sweat. That is how uncomfortable I felt and I just said this is not for me. You know, I did not feel that people were in any sense Thinking about emotion and a lot of very foreign experiences and it and no I'm not saying That I blame that but that's the reason why for the next two years.
I Did not my lord. I'm not saying that but it was not helpful. But it's not so a nominal in the early years and then a very charismatic church and then when I was 17 and this nation and really enjoyed that.
Praise God will tell us now something about how you came to. Be a founding member of a church Castle Ray Fellowship in Belfast and tell us also Something about that congregation.
Yeah, okay. It's one of those Stories the beginning of the church. It comes right off. I was attending and Actually working for that theme local conservative Baptist Church and over the space of Four and a half years.
I was working with them and their commendation. This is my I was you know, my 24 years of age. I'd finished university I'd worked in the bank for three years and banking and then I worked with them for four and a half years with their commendation Largely involved in outreach and in that time the Lord was very gracious and we saw quite a few people come to know the Lord and Who were added into the church now?
I'm not talking Huge numbers but within the context of that church. It was very significant. But sadly again honesty demands that some of these folks. In fact, all of these folks. I think you were coming in We're not coming from Church backgrounds, you know, they were they were people who Did not have the sort of story the heritage.
They didn't dress in The way that the other people who attended that church dress. They didn't Talk in that way and they didn't have a different language maybe when they began to pray and you those sorts of things so there was a there was a I think with some people just understanding where these people were coming from and It became tense it became tense and we actually Youth mission and we had people involved in that.
We had a lot of unsafe people there. But issues were becoming, you know flashpoints and so we decided that in the overall interest of Christian unity it would be wise for us and and we had Absolutely, no plans whatsoever to begin a new church In the area in Belfast that I live.
When we started this new works 22 years ago Someone said to me did I realize that within a one-mile radius? There were 49 evangelical churches. And in actual fact, I know know that individual was wrong there were considerably over a small church splinters breaks to break away, you know a lot but a lot of evangelical churches and We did not want to start yet another church.
And so we had a group of new converts who you know, some of them maybe only Saved a matter of months and there was this difficulty this tension in the church when we thought right We need to get these folks Relocated into a church situation that can cope with them and that they can integrate it.
So and that was our plan to just to do that we met for a couple of weeks just on a Sunday morning and in our house here and There were there were Too many people for a house situation and I remember phoning the local council and saying look I have a situation here would there be a local community center to where I am where a group of Christians could meet for two or three weeks and the council official who is speaking to said look, I'm very sorry, but all our Facilities are in use and I don't remember leaving my details.
But later on that afternoon that individual phoned back and said to me We've just had a phone call a group that we're using the community center right beside you. They've just phoned and say they don't need it anymore.
Would you like it? So I said yes, that'll get me out of a hole here and a stopgap measure so for the next few weeks then we started to meet on a Sunday and It just became very apparent that the Lord was in it.
There was a tremendous Togetherness among the people and they were comfortable to bring their their family members along as well. And it was actually after just over a year of that We decided look we better give ourselves a name here.
You know, we are now meeting together and And it was from that we just took the name of the locality castle a fellowship. And we have been going now over two decades and.
I.
I've been there the whole time and I can say that we have a Wonderful believers who try to be real. Not to play church. They involve themselves in world mission big-picture stuff. They love each other and they are committed to Understanding the Word of God and it is a very fresh Situation to be in.
I sometimes say I know some of my peers. So, you know who are in as they have the building they have the budget. They have the numbers they have the programs. It can be sort of maintaining the status quo and you know can be playing church.
And I thank God for the freshness of the situation that I'm in for the reality That exists among the people so that's a little bit about How the fellowship came into existence and it's sort of a DNA.
Excellent just out of curiosity. I know that churches disagree on when how why to use labels. But I know that for instance our friends at Christian focus They would publish a lot of things by folks who share my theological convictions of reform theology and Calvinism.
I was just curious. Where your congregation? Castle ray might be on those issues.
Yeah, I mean we would have a mix a mix of views absolutely believe in the sovereignty of God we believe in Election we believe in the great doctrine the great reform doctrines, you know, we.
We.
We are an independent fellowship and. But we would have you know be reformed in their theology fundamentals of scripture, you know, we. And that's really where. Well praise God and.
Well, you have written this book Why Jesus the continuing relevance of Jesus in the 21st century. It is interesting that Jesus does continue to have great relevance in the 21st century and so does a counterfeit of him because during Public discussions in the media you will very hear often hear unbelievers judge Christians by a standard That is related to a fictitious Jesus a Jesus of their own imagination or the Jesus of Hollywood and greeting cards who is really nothing more than a Mild mannered passive guru of self sacrifice and humility and Really does not demand repentance of anyone.
That is typically the Jesus that the the Non-believer or even those many of those many of those who profess to be believers will bring up in the media and say of course you Really are not living up to your Namesake as a Christian because you are judging other people for not believing in His deity for not believing in the necessity of embracing him as Savior and You are nothing really but a hate monger and a bigot because the Jesus that I know and love Does not behave that way.
Well the Jesus that they know and love very often is just a Jesus That never existed other than perhaps someone named Jesus or Jesus But but not the Jesus That was born of a virgin and is the second person of the Godhead.
If you could tell us what was the the driving motivation behind writing why Jesus?
Yeah, so many people Think they are rejecting. They're rejecting Jesus, but many people are rejecting it Jesus. They have never really encountered the true Jesus and Christianity is Christ, you know.
The appeal of.
Jesus Christ properly understood seeing him as the expression of the glory of God. He has his own explanation. He is he has a Magnetism in that way that draws people to him and our job as Christians is To help people to see the true Jesus as revealed in Scripture and that was motivation in writing the book I I Hope that I understand something of the times that I live in and where people Around me are at and I thought it would be great if That is not intimidating that would introduce a person to the Jesus revealed in the Bible and So I I thought right Let's go big reasons that are presented in the New Testament of why people need to consider Jesus and Well, there are five reasons in the book Why Jesus.
Because he came as promised because he reveals God perfectly because he died for our sins Because he rose again from the dead to judge and You know And I think if people can't be helped they will get they will have an encounter with the real Jesus.
And so that was the the genesis of the book. I mean at the end of the day, I believe that Christian outreach ultimately comes from Overflow in the life of by Jesus Christ and the riches of Christ that we've got to we've got to share him with others and one way for me of doing that and I actually, I was I didn't set out to write a book originally I was just doing a series of Evenings presenting the truth of Jesus Christ.
Our fellowship was coming up to its 20th anniversary and we just had these meetings and and the Lord was was gracious to us and Someone suggested to me said look, you know, it would be good if that was written up in some form and that was the trigger To then, you know, actually, okay, maybe we need to put this down In in books that we knew idea at that time just in it that was a That was an exciting journey that just I used we have a wonderful names outreach work and There was one guy in that outreach work and a friend of mine who's not a believer but he is Open enough to engage you know to come along to Something that we arranged and to sit very respectfully and listen and I used him As I as I wrote I thought connecting with your your audience here with this Comprehensible does this relate to this connect communicate with him and and I hope for that reason that.
Intimidating. It's not trying to be something that it's not. It's not some sort of Attempted an academic to me. You know, it's not that. There are no Footnotes in in the book. It's just over a hundred pages long.
It can be read in an orange 15 minutes. But it brings a person To consider Jesus as revealed in the Bible. Amen.
That's what it's about and we're go. We'll go through some of those five Reasons when we come back from our first break. If you'd like to join us with a question for our guest today Jeff McElroth, did I say it right that time?
If you'd like to join us on the air with a question for Jeff McElroth our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. CH r is a Rn z n at gmail .com. Please give us your first name your city and state and your country of residence if you live outside of the good old USA and.
We look forward to hearing from you and your questions for Jeff McElroth right after these messages. So don't go away. Chris Arnzen here and I can't wait to head down to Atlanta, Georgia. And here's my friend. Dr. James White to tell you why.
Hi.
I'm James White of Alpha and Omega ministries. I hope you join me at the g3 conference hosted by pastor Josh Bice and Praise Mill Baptist Church at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta January 19th through the 21st in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
I'll be joined by Paul Washer Steve Lawson da Carson Vody Balcom Conrad and Bayway Phil Johnson Rosaria Butterfield Todd Friel and a host of other speakers who are dedicated to the pillars of what g3 stands for gospel grace and glory.
For more details go to g3 conference .com. That's g3 conference .com.
Thanks, James. Make sure you greet me at the iron sharpens iron exhibit booth while you're there.
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Paul wrote to the church at Galatia for am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Hi, I'm Mark Lukens pastor of Providence Baptist Church.
We are reformed Baptist Church and we hold to the London Baptist confession of faith of 1689. We are in Norfolk, Massachusetts. We strive to reflect Paul's mindset to be much more concerned with how God views what we say and what we do Than how men view these things.
That's not the best recipe for popularity. But since that wasn't the Apostles priority, it must not be ours either. We believe by God's grace that we are called to demonstrate love and compassion to our fellow man and To be vessels of Christ's mercy to a lost and hurting community around us and to build up the body of Christ in truth.
And love. If you live near Norfolk, Massachusetts or plan to visit our area Please come and join us for worship and fellowship. You can call us at 508 -528 -5750. That's 508 -528 -5750. Or go to our website to email us.
Listen to past sermons worship songs or watch our TV program entitled resting in grace. You can find us at Providence Baptist Church ma .org. That's Providence Baptist Church ma .org or even on sermon audio .com.
Providence Baptist Church is delighted to sponsor iron sharpens iron radio. Welcome back. This is Chris Arnzen.
If you just tuned into iron sharpens iron our guest today for the first hour is Jeff McElroth who is the author of why Jesus the continuing relevance relevance of Jesus in the 21st century published by Christian focus and.
If you'd like to join us on the air with a question of your own our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Before I return to our interview I just want to remind you that on Thursday, October 27th, the Grace Baptist Church of Carlisle, Pennsylvania is having their annual Reformation conference.
In fact, one of the speakers is a fellow Ulsterman originally from Northern Ireland mark G Johnston who is currently the minister of Bethel Presbyterian Church in Cardiff Wales. He and dr. Sinclair Ferguson are going to be speaking and preaching at this Reformation conference Thursday, October 27th 7 to 9 p .m.
It's absolutely free of charge and there will be refreshments served. For more details Go to grace baptist carlisle org. Grace baptist carlisle, which is spelt c a r l i s l e Org and if you come to the conference, please Let the folks there know that you were sent there by iron sharpens iron radio.
And by the way Jeff do you know mark G Johnston from originally from Northern Ireland now in Wales? I'm sorry. I had you accidentally on mute there for a second. What did you say?
No, I'm sorry. I haven't heard. Brother. Yes, so many exports for the kingdom of God.
Well, he is indeed a wonderful brother in in Christ and I'm looking forward to hearing him seek in fact. His father was also A constable in the royal Ulster Constable. Re. Is that how you pronounce it?
Come stab you in the right.
I'm gonna be butchering your your language probably for the next half hour and I apologize. But We we do have a listener who has a question for you Linda in Hilltop Lakes, Texas. She says she's enjoying the conversation very much.
How is the gospel both? Presbyterian and charismatic growing after 20 years. How is the gospel doing since the refugee crisis. The Islamic refugee? Crisis, and I'm sure she's speaking specifically about the UK.
Because of the fact that she's asking you that question. So if you don't mind asking as best as you can.
Yeah. And come to Here in Northern Ireland. I had the great privilege Just at the start of August. We took a team out from our fellowship to Germany to work with refugees a Couple who we are involved with through European Christian mission.
We went out to help them run a sports camp for refugees. That was the The thing that brought us together and I. My reflection on that time was I mean we were Sitting daily with people a lot of people who have made that horrendous boat journey from Libya across Libya and Africa across to And just horrendous, I'm sure people have seen the scenes on on the news that the amount of lives lost and Undoubtedly the the human misery that we encountered people so fearful for their future and and striking as a Christian was Not minimizing for one minute the hurt And the hardship caught up in this people groups together people who otherwise You know would maybe never even come in contact with the gospel.
We had the most amazing time and I had the Privilege on the last evening of both from so many nations and I was speaking on.
Revelation and people from every tribe and nation and tongue gathered around the throne of God and off the lamb and as I looked at the I had this just this feeling of This is like the preview of that day there.
There were we saw three ladies Not connected to each other three ladies all from Iran come to know Christ and in that week and offering is very real but in it all God is on dicing people to himself and I was really impressed by some of the German Evangelical churches they have received a million refugees and and you know there and it's you know, politically that's difficult that creates economic challenges and all that and Reaching out to these people they're showing them compassion and they are sensitively sharing Hope in Jesus Christ with them.
So that's that's just one reflection of what is happening. Maybe In a more European setting in Northern Ireland itself. There there has been very limited Numbers of refugees coming there have been some there are some Syrian folks who have come into the country.
But you mean you're talking to these 60 people in one batch it's not a big thing what we do have in Northern Ireland and in the UK generally is we would have a lot of economic migrants people who are coming to the UK to you know, just better their English to Earn money to send money home and that has also been an incredibly fruitful venture in the gospel for Castle Ray Fellowship for for myself In our home on a Saturday evening for a year and a half there.
We had a Bible study for foreign nationals for folks who have come in from other countries and it was Tremendous a lot of people coming from Eastern Europe from the former communist countries Where maybe the religious background was either, you know, either suppressed completely or it was people coming from an Orthodox and All right.
We had some Saturday evenings where for two and a half hours we would sit with an open Bible and just you know read and answer questions and ask the folks questions and the Lord was good and We we saw people come to Christ and an actual fact.
Was in Krakow in spite of the negative aspects of the news the.
The other question that she was asking and now she assumed you were Presbyterian, but you may be more Baptistic I'm not sure for that aspect of your fellowship but if you wanted to broaden that to the doctrines of grace your estimation of the The spread of the of the doctrines of grace the gospel of grace.
And also she asked about the charismatic movement and I guess you could give pros and cons about that and then I would. I do want to move on to some of the core issues in your book after after you.
Yeah.
Miracle growth within Charismatic churches. They Established church. It sounds awful. And be dead, right? If you know what I mean, and and there can be Seen doctor which is not necessarily a company maybe on the others the other end of the spectrum.
You can see quite a lot of light the evangelical landscape in in Northern Ireland and engagement would be my Perspective on.
The evangelical landscape in Northern Ireland. Well, thank you Linda and Linda has Edited a little very gracious note. We are giving away free books by the way to Those who are submitting questions. Free copies of why Jesus by our guest? Jeff nickel Roth and Linda attaches a note that I can share this with another listener.
And she is going to buy one. So I just heard you Linda if you're going to buy one Go to CV BBS calm one of our sponsors. That's Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service who has a very large selection of Christian Christian focus books at CV BBS calm.
They're one of the primary Warehouses in the United States that carries Christian focus books. So if you go to CV BBS calm you can order that book from them and please mention that you heard about this book why Jesus by Jeff nickel Roth from iron sharpens iron radio and I'd like to go through as many as we can and then of course we can just have you back if we run out of Time before you get to all five.
I'd love to have you back already. I know that but Why Jesus. Because he came as promised. If you could address that.
Yeah And.
Amen, well, I really want you now to just conclude what you most want etched in our in the hearts and minds of our listeners. Because we are closing the program and just about a little over three minutes now and I would love to have you back on the program to address the entirety of The book or as as much as you can in a one or two hour interview the next time you're on.
But for now if you could just conclude with you what you most want etched in the hearts and minds of our listeners.
I have a joy in Jesus Christ Because I have met the true Jesus the one Revealed in the Bible. We have an amazing message to bring to lost people around us and if we can just Just get a few Fundamental points that we can have it's not about being clever it's not about having all the answers, but if we can just get enough of the wonder of Jesus Christ that he did come in fulfillment of all God's promises that he has revealed God Fully finally that he died in our place under God's judgment that he rose again triumphantly if We can get that into our our hearts and minds.
We will be Used by God to bring hope to people who have no hope and if that's what people can Can take away that would be well.
Thanks so much Jeff for taking the time to be on our program today. I definitely want you back on the program. I know that your website for our listeners in the UK if. Perhaps they're near where you are in Belfast.
We do have listeners in Northern Ireland that that. Website is castle ray fellowship comm and that's spelt castle re a gh Fellowship comm. Castle ray fellowship comm and that's castle re a gh Fellowship comm and I want to thank our friends at Christian focus publications for providing us with books today that.
The the majority of which will be giving away on your next interview. God willing if you'd like to be involved in another interview. But they're there with marvelous great well their website is Christian focus calm.
Christian focus calm and that would be primarily for our listeners in the UK if you'd like to order any Christian focus publications. If you live in the United States Go to CV BBS calm. That's Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service CV for Cumberland Valley BBS for Bible book service calm.
And I don't know if you have any other contact information that you care to share Jeff, but that's up to you.
Yeah. If anyone has any Queries or want to cut even tell us how the book is being used. It's always wonderful to hear that. We know that it has been used Internationally, and it's fantastic. So that's in the back of the book.
Great. Well, we look forward to Having you back on the program and I will at some point either this evening or tomorrow. Get in touch with you by email to let you know the dates that we have available for your return.
That's marvelous. Thank you so much for that as a real privilege. God bless you.
God bless you too, brother, and I hope that all of you listening stay tuned because Coming up in a matter of moments. We have Mike Gadosh one of the sponsors of iron sharpens iron radio Is going to be joining us.
He is also founder of solid ground Christian books their website is solid dash ground books calm and We're going to be Finding out other things that are now available in print that perhaps have been rescued from oblivion buried beneath the years.
That solid ground Christian books has unearthed sometimes from centuries ago that have been long forgotten and we thank the Lord for the The contribution to the church that solid ground Christian book is for bringing us some very priceless gems in literature back into the hands of Christians in the 21st century, but if you'd like to join us with a question for Our guest our second guest for today Mike Gadosh our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Don't go away. We're gonna be right back after these messages with Mike Gadosh.
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And here's one of my favorite guests Todd Friel to tell you about a conference.
He and I are going to. Hello, this is Todd Friel host of wretched radio and a wretched at TV and occasional guest on Chris's show. Think I think that's what it's called. Hoping that you can join Chris and me at the g3 conference in Atlanta my new hometown.
It is going to be a bang-up conference called the g3 conference celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with Paul Washer Steve Lawson da Carson Vodie Baucham Conrad and Bayway Phil Johnson James White and a bunch of other people.
We hope to see you there. Learn more at g3 conference. Calm g3 conference.
Thanks, Todd. I think. See you at the iron sharpens iron exhibitors booth. Welcome back. This is Chris Arnzen if you just tuned us in. My guest for the second hour is Mike Gay Dosh the founder of solid ground Christian books one of the sponsors of iron sharpens iron radio and also.
He is going to be with me and Todd Friel and James White and a bunch of other folks at the g3 conference in Atlanta, Georgia. God-willing the 19th through the 21st and it's my honor and privilege to welcome you back to iron sharpens iron.
Mike Gay Dosh.
Well, thank you. I was just talking to rich Pierce about that conference and rich of course works with James White and We both decided that the best thing for us to do is to be able to get as far away from the iron sharpens iron.
If they can maybe put us maybe down in the basement or We would love to be with you sounds like Todd Friel is a piece of work With you again today and the opportunity to be able to share some of the things that the Lord is doing.
It's solid ground some of the books that we're working on some of the books that we just got out some of the books that we've had out for a while and Just the opportunity that God is giving us to be able to go around the country.
I'm going to be heading down to Florida. Next week. I'm gonna be heading down to Florida for a conference that's being held in Jacksonville with Keith Foskey. You met yes, and Keith has been on the program, too.
That's right. That's right. And he's he is Hosting a conference down there and it's going to be one this year I think it's a Monday and a Tuesday in the past. It's been Thursday Friday Saturday this year it's going to be on a Monday and Tuesday and It's the whatever the Monday and Tuesday is of a week from this Monday and Tuesday, and then I'm going to be leaving there To drive up to North Carolina where I'm going to be going to the National Family Integrated Church Conference same people that he just rattled off that are going to be a g3 are going to be speaking at Up in Asheville, North Carolina at Ridge Conference Center, so I'm going to be in Florida and then I'm going to be driving up to Asheville to be able to spend the weekend up there.
Oh great and.
Please send my regards to pastor Keith Foskey and I know that he is going to be on the broadcast again in the near future God willing and Always enjoy having him on the air. I was also delighted to hear that through your invitation.
An old friend of mine pastor Andrew Montoro Andy Montoro who is now retired from Pulpit ministry and pastorate and he is now a member of the church where Keith Foskey Pastors. Oh, wow. Great. Oh, you didn't even know that, huh?
And that was through your invitation to Andy to the last conference. That was the James White conference that we were at in Jacksonville, Florida. What well? For those of our listeners who are discovering solid ground Christian books for the first time never heard you on the program before perhaps.
Give a brief summary of your publishing ministry and let us know what you want to highlight today.
Well solid ground began almost 16 years ago. I'd actually begun publishing Christian books at when I was pastoring a church on Long Island. It was called Calvary Press and then when I relocated down to Alabama in night in the 2001 in the spring of 2001 solid ground was born and I began to bring back into print books that had been out of print for a long time.
The first book we did was called a pastor sketches by Ichabod Spencer. Which has gone through several different printings and is now available in a nice double hardcover volume. We also did mothers of the wise and good by J. Best Burns.
That was another one of our earliest titles as well as golden hours by Elizabeth Prentice and legacy of a legend by Edward Payson and we did some booklets booklets by Peter Jeffrey seeking God and John Angel James the duties of church members to their pastor and We were off and running.
We've now published over 350 titles. The biggest project we ever did was the 22 volume hardcover smites own set of the collected works of Thomas Manton and It's most people who have seen it or have purchased it or have received it.
The finest set that has been published probably in 150 years. Unfortunately, they're there are now gone we don't have any more in stock. So we're very sad about that and it's not likely in my lifetime.
We'll ever see another set quite the way we did that but and that's for those of our.
Listeners unfamiliar with these smiths own.
Books that is the highest quality of binding. Is it not it is. Yes it is and it There are they're not they're not done in the same quality as the one we did. And I'm not just saying that because I did it.
It's just that was a very very very special Thing that we did. I'm very thankful the Lord allowed us to do well over a hundred thousand Significantly larger project than we had ever done before and have ever done with ebooks now being such a big thing.
We just I just don't know I don't know that it'll ever be able to be done that way again. It's just now with ebooks coming in. It's the number of people who really want to get their hands on a hardcover set like that Sadly are becoming fewer and fewer.
There are still some dinosaurs or gently the younger generation for the most part not not totally but for the most part the younger generation preferred the Electronic books. I just again. I don't know that that'll ever ever be available again that way but well, I was I was personally.
Honored by the news that Solid grand Christian books is coming out with a leather bound edition of James White's biography of me. Is that more on my brother. And I'm surely. Surely he blessed by then.
Yeah, we definitely we definitely need to put that in some some form that's gonna last for a long time. Yeah, that's another reason why rich and I decided we want to be on the other side. What's going to be happening on your side of the g3 conference, but.
It should be I tell you that should be an exciting conference. I'm really excited that asked me to become a part of that and it's it's really an honor that he is allowing me to come and Just hope what.
I don't say anything today that's going to cause him to change.
Well, I want to thank pastor Josh too because he is providing a free exhibitors booth for iron sharpens iron radio there in exchange for Iron sharpens irons promotion of this conference and I want to thank I want to thank Lindbrook Baptist Church on Long Island for Sending me out to Atlanta, Georgia.
Maybe they just wanted me as farther far away from them. I think that possibly could and.
At least it wasn't your home church in Carlisle that send. That would. They gave you a one-way ticket that would be. You know, that's great. I'm and and you know, you and I are both from Amityville Long Island and We.
You know, we are very familiar with Lindbrook and very excited to know that they're Supporting your work and the number of churches the church out in Waiting River. I know it's been your work. Ron Glass has been Supporting your work for a long time and it's been a real blessing to you.
And yes.
And one of the things that I find quite amazing about pastor Ron Glass that shows his ironic spirit and his grace and That he loves this program so much that he is one of the key sponsors of it even though I do not share his dispensational understanding of biblical hermeneutics and He but he is a thoroughgoing five-point Calvinist and a strong believer in the doctrines of grace.
So he chooses to overlook that difference and sponsor the program and I'm very honored that he does so.
Yeah, that's a it's a very gracious Gracious act on his part and it says a lot about his character. That's that's very encouraging to hear.
Yes. Well, let us know about what you first want to highlight. Let me let me.
Highlight a couple of things that Ron that Ray Rhodes has published. I think you know Ray.
Yeah, in fact, I've had him on the show and a member is a fellow elder of his lieutenant colonel. Kevin Jared is Now attending Grace Baptist Church in Carlisle. He has a year stay here working with the United States Army War College, which is in Carlisle.
Yeah, and I think he's got about seven or six or seven months left in that. That year a project that he is working on but he is attending.
Grace Baptist Church of Carlisle for that time, but I'd like to feature in the opening segment here is a trilogy of books that Ray wrote encouraging people to do family actually given a Model for family worship and he has divided it.
The three books that I've published for him so far are the family worship for the Reformation season and that's for the month of October and what he does is he takes every day of the month and He will give and guidance as to walk through.
He has scripture reading. He then has an historic and then a time of prayer and he does have really met together. The one that I'm looking at I have my season and And Ray has just patient. He's given about Thanksgiving and the place of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Day 1789 by President United States, and then he has the proclamation of George, Washington and Debbie. Of volume he also has and then he also has one for the Christmas season. Which was actually the very first one he did who are not really, you know, not not prone to Celebrate Christmas as a holiday.
It is still it's a wonderful was on the Incarnation it's not so much focused on Christmas Day missing upon the Incarnation of Christ and the Salvation that he has brought to us, but it's intended for families with smaller children.
But even children can be invested. The volumes right now are a nice volume. Really beautifully done and the one I have my hand here is about a hundred book cover. Chemical way to be able to get something to walk through family and very comfortable.
Leading their family in worship. What Ray kind of does is he walks you through each step that that can be done and it takes away a lot of the From either a father or a mother who is responsible to lead the family in in worship.
Now some folks might be scratching their head about your comments regarding Christmas. Well, there are. Of today would be a tiny minority I'm assuming but there are some Christians and even some that share our theological convictions on the doctrines of grace that do not Celebrate Christmas as a holiday or holy day.
Not because they don't believe in the Incarnation, of course. Yeah, but that because they believe that that specific holiday has too much attachment not only to Rome but also to materialism and greed and all kinds of things that That holiday has unfortunately morphed into especially in the greater population.
Yeah, that's exactly right. And I think that. And so being sensitive to that we understand that there are those who are you know, wouldn't maybe not even be interested. But I think that they would need to understand that it's the focus is not upon December 25th as the special holiday.
We all know that that is not the exact day Christ was born. We don't know what day he was born, but but certainly there's there's some value maybe a great deal of value. I believe in celebrating and and explaining and understanding the importance of the Incarnation of our Lord and.
And so, you know, that's all that he seeks to do during that during that month.
Yeah, the only thing that we know for certain is that one of the greatest living individuals ever born of woman. That date of birth was February 14th 1962.
Earl Blackburn is working on a book for me dealing with. It's basically biblical evangelism engaging the culture and he's been working on that for quite a while and we're hoping to have it done sometime next year.
And He wanted to know if he had just gotten if I had just gotten a copy of his newest book. Which is a book he has published for Christian focus. I believe it is and it's a book on the 50 great events in Christians 50 most influential events in Christian history.
And and did you include the day that you and I met for the first time? He said I can't believe you said that he said Tom Lyon a pastor in Tacoma, Washington. Which is pretty scary. Well, Tom and I were both collegiate wrestlers and we're both getting a little old and senile in our old age.
Not surprising that we would be asking a question like that. But Unfortunately, no your birth date not in the day that Earl Blackburn and we met is not included. So, but anyway be that as it may one of the books since he published it was a book entitled Jesus loves the church.
Should you the title but so much? Well, we'll make a distinction between Christ and his church to the point where they'll say well, I love Jesus. But I can't stand the church. Well, I. The church is certainly flawed but at the same time we know that Christ loved the church and he gave himself for the church and the purpose of the church is to bring glory to God it is to bring sinners together.
And many times people they get they get all bent out of shape because their church is imperfect and. Yet you realize that the church is. It's a hospital for sinners. It's a. It's that would be like walking into a hospital and being upset because everybody in there is sick.
Well, yeah, that's why there's a hospital the hospital is there because people are sick and. And I think that when Bunyan wrote Pilgrim's Progress. You know that when he first when Christian first enters into the narrow way.
The first place he is sent is to the house of the interpreter. When he goes to the house of the interpreter. The do you remember what the first is in the house of the interpreter? No, I can't remember right now.
It is a very grave person had a there was a picture on the wall with a very grave person. Who had his eyes were lifted to heaven the best of books was in his hand. The law of truth was upon his lips. The world was behind his back he stood as one who pleaded with men and a crown of gold did hang above his head and and Bunyan then goes on and says Because The Lord of the place where you are going has authorized.
It is only this man who is to guide you in all the way that you are to go. And the description He gives that sevenfold picture that he gives is a picture that a new Christian needs to find is a true pastor a shepherd.
Who is a shepherd after God's own heart? Amen, and the next thing that he after he after he is leaves the house of the interpreter. He then proceeds on to to the to to seek the cross where the burden that was on his back falls off itself down the hill and rolls into the empty sepulcher and Is never seen again.
And as soon as he leaves there and goes over the hill difficulty. The next place he ends up is in the palace beautiful. Well, the palace beautiful is a picture of the church and. And what what Earl Blackburn does in this book so brilliantly as he lays out the importance of the local church and the value of the local church the importance of the membership the requirements of membership and the duties of church a wonderful very practical book we've had many many churches through the years that have ordered dozens of copies in order to be able to use with their pre membership class and.
And it's it's a book that even it's not necessarily a book that that would only be a value Valuable for Baptists because we've had many Presbyterian churches that have used it and we have endorsements.
But and so that that is a very very important and very valuable book. In fact if you could.
Send my regards to pastor Earl and tell him that I would love to have him on the program to discuss that book. Had tried on several occasions to get him on the broadcast and he was recovering from surgery I believe was some kind of medical issue and so now that I believe he is back in.
Full strength or at least. Yeah, he is he's doing well physically and he did tell me that he's running out of excuses to give you. Any more surgeries, I think. A couple of those surgeries were a little bit iffy, I think you just had them.
Give a reason why you couldn't appear.
And I'm not sure he would be happy of your Inflection of the term or the word. Physically he's doing good physically. I'm implying that there's other things going on.
Very very well in every way that I can imagine. He's he's a dear friend. I love her all. And he is actually He. I missed him this year at a conference the Southwest Founders Conference in Mansfield, Texas.
He wasn't able to attend this disappointed that I didn't get a chance to spend time with him. I usually only get to see him once a year maybe twice at the most but This year so far. We haven't been able to connect yet.
One thing that I really love about him is that he dispels the myth that No reform Baptist pastor could possibly have a sense of humor. Oh.
Yes, he does have a sense of humor and in fact most of the men most of the men that I know Who are reformed Baptists do have a very good sense of humor. They just never show it. They definitely don't show it from the pulpit.
I think that in and I understand that I think that I think that that humor. Humor has its place. Yes, and I think even at times and at times I think that That the pulpit is not necessarily off-limits for humor as long as it's within bounds, right?
Right. Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that behind the pulpit Earl was a stand-up comic or anything I'm just talking about in public banter like during a break at a conference or whatever. It might be. He's a very funny guy.
In fact, one of the funniest people that I've ever met in my life that you know personally Ed Moore. He is Hilarious, but he very rarely Uses humor from the pulpit. In fact, I don't remember ever hearing him use humor from the pulpit other than perhaps when he's making introductions of People in the audience like if he sees me in the audience or something.
But we're gonna go to a break right now and If anybody would like to join us on the air with a question We do have already a few listeners waiting to have their questions asked and answered. Our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com.
Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Don't go away. We will be right back after these messages. So please don't go away. Iron sharpens iron welcomes solid rock remodeling to our family of sponsors serving South Central, Pennsylvania.
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Am Chris Arns and host of iron sharpens iron radio here to tell you about an exciting offer from world magazine My trusted source for news from a Christian perspective. Try world at no charge for 90 days and get a free copy of r .c. Sproul's book relationship between church and state.
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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 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.
Welcome back. This is Chris Arnzen and my guest for the last half hour and the previous half hour. Has been and will continue to be Mike Gados whose? Ministry you just heard about on that ad. Solid ground Christian books.
Solid dash ground dash books. Calm and we are discussing. The fruits of his publishing ministry. Things not only that have been brought back into print Some of which have been long forgotten by the church and are now being very vibrantly blessed by but also even new Contemporary authors who have been brought into print through solid ground Christian books.
And our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. We do have RJ in Westchester County, New York. Who asks why is it that some of these wonderful books that you have republished fell into obscurity.
Knowing of their great value and great depth and great biblical insight.
The best that I've been able to come up with in terms of the reason why some of these great books from the 17 and 1800 stopped being reprinted was I believe.
Fundamentalist controversy that that began to emerge in the early 20th century liberalism coming on it appears that for some reason these great books and they were they were lost for two generations. And Like Prince, for instance a pastor's sketches by Ichabod Spencer the first book. I published that had been reprinted probably 25 times in 50 years.
From the time it was first published in 1851. And the last edition that I could find until my edition came out in 2001 Was around 1900 and so all of a sudden at the turn of the century It's just stop being republished.
There may be other reasons. I don't know. There were obviously there were world wars that were going on and and and perhaps Because of shortages there they may have also fallen. There may be other reasons as well.
But I do think that in some ways there was somewhat somewhat of an anti intellectual in the the early 20th century.
Haven't been able to find anything definitive to explain it, but I'm very thankful that the Lord has used solid ground as well as many other. Well, not many other publishers in these works works and there they continue to do a great job.
Don did mostly Puritan works. I do some Puritan works, but not nearly as many. I do a variety of things. In fact, there's a book that I have in my hand right now that I love. It's called our sovereign God.
It is on reformed theology 1974 to 1976 these were actually the first three years that James Montgomery Boyce Began that famous Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology and these first three years some of the addresses in here are just unsurpassed in some of the titles of These sermons that the sovereign.
The first part is part one the sovereign God in introduction John Stott's Message the sovereignty of God the Son Roger Nicole did a sermon the five points and God's sovereignty and he also did the doctrines of grace in Jesus teaching.
Stuart Sachs did God's sovereignty and Old Testament names for God. Then part two was knowing the sovereign God and you can imagine who did one of those was J. I. Packer on knowing God wonderful wonderful a drop Robert C Sproul you probably know him as our he did a sermon Why do we not know why we do not know God and then the why we must know God and Then there's Ralph Kuyper the key to knowing God and then RC Sproul again in the part three discerning the will of God.
James Montgomery Boyce disobedience and God solely. The endorsement I have on the backs book came into my possession and it had a profound impact upon my life. There's no way to know how much these addresses have helped shape my view of God and his grace.
But I'm certain that my life my family and my ministry have been richer for having read them again and again. Which are bringing these addresses back at the very issues tell of glory use these words to the value of these great and glorious doctrines and.
That's a just a wonderful wonderful. In fact, Robert Brady of the Alliance of confessing evangelicals just brought that book up During a meeting that we had in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Just about a week and a half or so ago.
Really? Yes. Wow. Did he know that I'd republished it? Yes, he specifically brought that up because he knew of my connection with you and you knew that you were my first pastor and so.
Oh, wow, that's great. You know, that is I tell you it's been one of the disappointments to me that that book has not done. I'm not sure why it hasn't done as well. But another book I'd like to based in song from all ages hmm, and.
You probably have heard the name. Yes, he comes up a lot in debates between James White and Roman Catholic apologists. Well, there you go, and and I know that Philip shop was a church historian and what what he did is by Gathering he did something.
I've never seen before and it's beautifully beautifully done. He he arranged this volume of hymns and the hymns actually go back to the 300s and and he has arranged the book Christ for us and The second part is Christ in us and the there is.
And what he did is he organized these hymns? Around the different themes like Christ for us. He has a series in the Advent. The first of the hymns in the Advent was written by Ambrew is most note and amp.
This is a hymn called O thou Redeemer written by Ambrose from 397 series of hymns That were written on the Advent and they're all listed according to the year that they were Paul Gerhardt Horatius Bonner in 1856 and then there's another Series of section on the Incarnation.
Once again, you have hymns from five three ninety seven the Latin hymns from the 700s. They up again till you have Isaac Watts Charles Wesley Philip Dodd reed W Series on the infant series of sermons from their Harriet Beecher Stowe and guess what you know, who's related to.
Harriet Beecher Stowe. No, Reverend Buzz Taylor my.
My former co-host the guy that used to come on the radio with you.
Yes, but he had to return to his full-time job. If actually had to do something where he could make money.
It was not he was not gonna get rich working with you. I know that for. Then the next series is on the epiphany the appearing of our Lord. Then you have another whole section on Christ life an example and then a large section on the passion of Christ.
You know on and on and on it's it's it's an amazing amazing volume. I've never seen anything like it of Christ the ascension of Christ then Christ in glory his intercession and rain Christ judging the world and.
And if that's three hundred and ten pages and then the second part is Christ in us and then Christ in us. We have the level the love and loveliness of Christ Christ our refuge and strength Christ our peace.
Faith in Christ union with Christ the Holy Communion love and gratitude to Christ forever with Christ and praise and adoration of Christ. And again, every one of those sections is Divided according to the date in which the hymns were written and there people would never have would will never have seen before and.
You know how I found this book was actually I didn't find it. It was actually a gift to me from dr.
Mike de Mayo, you know Mike. Oh, yeah, that's been years since I've seen Mike.
Mike is your friend and and and he had somehow come up with an old copy of this book and and he gave he gave It to me one time and asked me to take a look at it and see if it was something that I could use and and sure enough.
It is a wonderful wonderful book and I've been able to. We've seen that book go all over the world. It is just an amazing book and anybody involved in church music anybody's involved and even just family worship.
Could utilize this book. Great. We do have an anonymous listener in Delphin County, Pennsylvania.
Who writes. I have truly cherished Christian books both from the past and present written by female authors. I wonder at times though if this is a violation of the scriptures that prohibits women from being teachers of men.
Since I am learning from these female authors Should I lay these? Anxieties to rest.
Yeah, I think so I think that the talking about of course in in in the church place that the women have in the church. But but not a teaching position as an elder a pastor not to be placed in positions of teaching over men.
And I think the books that I've read that have been helpful to me from women aren't aren't books on theology. That's theology. But but like stepping is a book that to understand is written wasn't just for primarily used of God.
I've always encouraged men to pick that up and read it because it will help you to understand the way a woman thinks and what Ridley have. A woman she wrote and Shadably gifted woman. She had her own training in linguistics.
She was she. Her scholastic achievements included proficiency in several modern languages in addition to Latin Greek and Hebrew. She had devoted herself to Bible studies. She memorized the entire New Testament Isaiah and the minor prophet who never married and on her tombstone is engraved her favorite blood of Jesus Christ their devotional.
But in the first is called little pillows and Morning bells their head and then then the next volume which is contained in the same book I have it's a double volume. The second volume is called morning bells or waking thoughts for the little ones and Have some beautiful beautiful devotional thoughts here in the Introduction to the most of the readers of this little book will have already read little pillows.
Those were given you to go to sleep upon night after night. But in the morning we want something to arouse us and to help us to go brightly and bravely through the day. So here are morning bells and to remind them that we must not only rest in Jesus.
The motto of little pillows Might become to Jesus. The motto of morning bells might be follow Jesus. May he who loves the little ones bless this tiny effort to help them to follow him day by day and then.
There there's a second turned out to be he ever did and it was entitled morning stars Names of Christ before my dear sister died. She was too ill every reader should have. You would read one chapter every day.
My dear sister intended writing another book for you evening stars or promises for the little ones. But though she is gone, will you not search them out in your Bibles every evening and just say and it is for me and What she did in this book.
The unique thing she did in this book was just scripture. She would quote a passage of scripture and she would have the the book The chapter. But then she would leave space because she wanted the children to find the verse and into the book itself.
And I had I was I was able to purchase an old copy of first edition and the child Used the pen a couple of hundred verses at least really a beautiful book on on focusing on the names of Christ our leader.
The unspeakable gift to our physician our Redeemer. Incredibly in her life.
Had the privilege when I was staying with Peter Jeffrey and Lorna one time of being able to go over and see her home in Wales, it's an incredible woman and I'm so thankful to God that I had an opportunity to be so many years.
By the way, RJ in Actually, not RJ the anonymous listener in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. If you give us your full name and mailing address since you're a first-time questioner You'll receive a brand new New American Standard Bible a beautiful edition with an embossed cross on the cover.
Compliments of the publishers of the New American Standard Bible who have been sponsoring iron sharpens iron since we first Began broadcasting in 2006. So we thank them for their now. I have a question.
I have a question Chris. Yes. How in the world do you know that anonymous. Because I can recognize the fact that it's the address and everything.
Could be wrong, but the it just looked like a totally foreign address and. An email address I should say and so on. So, okay. And we do have a listener in Hilltop Lakes, Texas Linda who says please ask brother Michael Gay Dosh founder of solid ground Christian books.
To place these books in a special section of their website. Like old books if possible that would make it easier to locate them now. Obviously most of your books are old books. So it'd be better I guess to reverse that if you had a section for contemporary authors or something.
New authors. Living author as well. He couldn't do living authors because you know, you'd have to keep changing.
But you follow the drift. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, I think that's a good idea. I know that our website Leaves quite a bit to be desired and I'm I apologize for that. We we have to Bob at being able to get people to be able to find the things that they're looking for.
One thing that a person can do is When they click on the categories of books on our worries and you have this drop-down menu the first several are the SGC book SGC B books and you'll see American Heritage classics.
American Tract Society Baptist classics. Whenever you see things like that Baptist classics, well, you know right away that these are older works. We have Christians classics again. Those are all older works and so well, obviously those are older works.
Richard Newton's children's titles.
Those are all older works. You can do a 20 20th and 21st century section. Maybe that's the way you could do this. Separate them.
Yeah, yeah, there's probably a way that I can do that. I think that that the categories of books for instance, I just clicked on what is called the Classic reprints is a solid ground classic reprints and I clicked on that and there are dozens and these are all older works.
You got the power of God unto salvation by Warfield by White Cross doctrine of justification by Buchanan Lord of Glory By Warfield sermons to the natural man and spiritual man by show they they are there and they are organized all of those wherever you see classic reprint and you know.
And you know that those are the older works. So, I mean that would be the simplest way just to stay right there and there's SGCB books and look for the Baptist class, you know anything that has classic in it is going to be an older work.
Okay, we have a very good question. That will have to be our last question our friend. Tyler and mastic Beach Long Island. Says what is your most cherished? Cherished book that you have ever printed at solid ground now.
Obviously a pastor sketches is going to be one of them. But but if you could bring up another one perhaps.
Yeah well.
I think that the Baptist can 1689 London confession. David Charles a pastor in Ohio is the one who recommended that we do. That he asked me if I'd ever considered doing doing a leather edition. We have a beautiful the London Baptist Confession and the Baptist Catechism, which also includes the appendix on baptism and.
Although there have been honestly there have been for me to put my finger on one particular one, but let me say this I forgot. I wanted to just take a minute your readers to Volume that I'm working on that should be out within the next two weeks and it's called a complete body of divinity by Thomas Watson and This and it is the edition that's published in 1878.
It has Spurgeon's memoir of Watson and then it has Spurgeon's back on baptism. He wanted to leave the the book the body of divinity is. He felt that he needed to add a while leaving Watson's and so that is going to be available sometime within the next.
Two or three weeks at the most and we are out of time and that website is solid-ground-books .com. Solid-ground-books .com. Thank you so much Mike Adosh for being our guest today, and I look forward to your return.
Thank you.
And I want everybody to always remember for the rest of your lives that Jesus Christ is a far greater Savior Than you are a sinner. We look forward to receiving your questions tomorrow on iron sharpens iron radio.