November 20, 2019 Show with Michael A. Gaydosh on “Counsels & Thoughts for the Spiritual Life of Believers”

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Live from the historic parsonage of the 19th century gospel minister George Norcross in downtown

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Carlisle, Pennsylvania, it's Iron Sharpens Iron. This is a radio platform in which pastors,

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Christian scholars, and theologians address the burning issues facing the church and the world today.

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Proverbs chapter 27 verse 17 tells us iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another.

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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.

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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

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Chris Arnzen. Good afternoon

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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.

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This is Chris Arnzen your host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio wishing you all a happy Wednesday on this 20th day of November 2019 and I'm thrilled to have back on the program someone who is probably the most vital

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Christian in my own personal life outside of God himself, involved in my salvation, involved in my tutelage as a new

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Christian, and involved as an ongoing friend spanning decades.

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I'm speaking of my very first pastor who plunged me beneath the waters of baptism, Michael A.

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Gaydosh, and he is founder of Solid Ground Christian Books whose website is

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Solid -Ground -Books .com and today we are going to be discussing a jewel he has discovered that has little notoriety today even though at one time it apparently was such a highly respected book that it received accolades from the 19th century prince of preachers in London, England, Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

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We're going to be talking about counsels and thoughts for the spiritual life of believers and this is by a relatively unknown author today,

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Thomas More, but it's my honor and privilege to welcome you back to Iron Shepherd's Iron Radio, Michael Gaydosh.

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Well thanks Chris, it's a privilege to be on the program yet again, I'm thankful that the

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Lord continues to honor your labors and has been blessing you with great guests,

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I'm grateful for the opportunity. I know you had one of my most recent authors on yesterday,

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Joe Bianchi, and your name came up quite a lot during the program and it was all favorable.

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Well that's encouraging. Yeah, Joe had asked me to consider doing a new edition of his book,

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God Chose to Save, and I was very thankful to be able to do that and it's now available again and I'm glad that he was able to speak about it yesterday.

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Yes, well what do you tell our listeners about, because we do have new listeners that seem to be joining us regularly.

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Some of them are new believers, some of them are not believers at all, sometimes they're people who are searching, sometimes they are people of other religions who are probably just waiting with bated breath for me to represent what they believe, at least in their own minds they think that my guests are representing them, but we do have, as I said, new folks joining us every day, so tell our listeners about Solid Ground Christian Books.

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Well Solid Ground began about 19 years ago. I had moved from Long Island, New York, where I was pastor of a church there for almost 20 years, and moved to Alabama, and there the

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Lord opened up a door for new ministry and it was in the area of Christian publishing.

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I had begun publishing Christian books while pastoring in Long Island. We began the ministry called

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Calvary Press, and our very first book was Thoughts for Young Men by J .C.

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Ryle. I remember that very well. And we have now been privileged to be able to bring that book back into print yet again.

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In fact, we were the first ones to publish that as a single volume all by itself, probably in almost 100 years, and now there probably are a half -dozen or more editions of that book.

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So I'm grateful that the Lord allowed us to begin that again, bring that book back into print.

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We also began printing and publishing the book Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentice, and many, many other books as well.

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Calvary Press was actually involved in the first edition of Ted Tripp's most famous book,

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Shepherding a Child's Heart, and then when I relocated to Alabama, the

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Lord opened the door for me to begin publishing yet again, and to do it this time full -time.

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There it was a ministry of our church, and now it's my livelihood. And I have published in the last 19 years almost 350 titles, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity.

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I have customers in all 50 states and probably 20 countries scattered throughout the world, and I'm very thankful for the opportunity of being able to serve in this way.

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We have books for children, we have books for women, for pastors, for new believers, for unbelievers.

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We have everything from multi -volume sets to booklets of 25 or 30 pages, and we are very grateful for the opportunity of being able to serve the body of Christ.

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And I have many, many pastors who have been using our books. One of the things that we do as well is we offer opportunities to set up book tables in churches to begin a ministry to their people of being able to present before them hand -selected

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Christian books of high quality at good prices. And we also go to conferences, not as many as we used to because my wife and I now are living in southeast

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Florida, and it's a little bit tougher for us to get to places we used to get to when we lived in Birmingham, Alabama.

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But we still do go to conferences in different parts of the country and carry our books with us.

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I'm very thankful for the opportunity of being able to do that. I plan to be at G3 again this year, which is coming up in January, and then there's a conference immediately following that.

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There's a Founders Conference that meets in Laurel, Mississippi. Yes, Deep South Founders Conference.

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That's right. It's a Founders Conference, and you went there last year. That's right. Pastor Cary Kimbrell invited me down there, and it was a really blessed time.

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It was such a blessing to meet people down there that I had never heard from before who loved my show.

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Yes, absolutely. That's what we're about. That's what we're doing. This book that you just mentioned by Thomas Moore is a book that I didn't know about probably six weeks ago.

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Wow. One of my customers called me and told me about the book.

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He had read an article in a Scottish magazine that he gets every month.

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He read the article to me, and I was very impressed with what he read. He told me that this article was taken from a book entitled,

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Councils and Thoughts for the Spiritual Life of Believers by Thomas Moore.

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It's M -O -O -R without an E at the end. Yes, not the Roman Catholic martyr under King Henry VIII, and not the founder of Moore College in Sydney, Australia, either.

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No, no. He's none of those things. In fact, to this point, we have yet to find out any information about Thomas Moore other than the fact that he wrote this book that was published for the first time in 1882.

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He wrote the preface in July of 1881, but the book appeared in 1882 for the first time.

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I got my copy. I found a copy in the U .K., and it was the second edition in 1883.

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That's what we have used to print our new edition. As I said,

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I only learned about the book about six weeks ago, and I got a copy of it right away. I just paid extra money to get it quickly, and I devoured it.

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I carried it everywhere with me that first week or so and very quickly decided this was a book that I couldn't keep to myself.

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I needed to get copies of it made, and I got the lady that does my covers to do a cover.

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We found a Rick Ergenbright cover or picture, I should say, to grace the cover.

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It's kind of a country scene in the U .K., and it really does capture the idea of the spiritual life of the believer.

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I am very thankful that we finally have this out. I shouldn't say finally because it did come out very quickly, but we have only done it in hardcover because it's the kind of book

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I know people are going to be reading over and over again as I have been doing. I'm just so excited about the book.

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I was really encouraged when I got my copy and noticed on the inside they had endorsements.

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The endorsement that they had at the top was not surprisingly the endorsement from Sword and the

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Trowel magazine and Spurgeon's magazine.

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So this would be Spurgeon's comments about the book. He says, These are no ordinary religious snatches in the form of daily portions for believers.

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Then he said this, and I love this, The author's vessel does not hug the coast of ordinary experience.

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I love that. He says, Out into the deep waters of confident trust, assured faith, and intense consecration.

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And then I took this line and put this on the front cover. Every paragraph tells of an experimental fellowship with Jesus and a closeness of intercourse which fitted for becoming the guide and advisor of others.

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Certainly there is here no milk for babes, but strong meat for those who are of full age.

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Wow. I was just blown away by those words. As I started reading,

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I realized that God had led me to something quite extraordinary, quite special.

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In fact, so much so that I hope I'm not exaggerating. I don't think

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I am. People have often asked me, What's the most important book you've published?

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Certainly I've published many books that I consider to be very important. In fact, if they weren't important,

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I wouldn't do them. But whenever I've been pressed on what was the most important,

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I've always said, without hesitation, The Pastor's Sketches by Ichabod Spencer. That was the first book

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I published, and it's the book that has continued to be a blessing wherever it has gone.

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But now I feel that that book has a rival in this book, Counsels and Thoughts for the

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Spiritual Life of Believers. And the more that I read it, the more convinced

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I am that this is clearly a book that is certainly at the very top of the list of books that I've had the privilege of publishing.

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And I do want to mention the name of the man who brought the book to my attention.

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His name is Bob Hart. And Bob lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with his wife

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Judy. And Bob is a dear friend. He's been a customer almost from the very beginning.

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And Bob has been the kind of customer who buys books by the dozen to give away.

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And he is the man who told me about this book, so I dedicated the book to him.

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And I'm very thankful that Bob was able to minister to me in this way.

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He's been such a good friend and such a strong supporter of Solid Ground Books that I'm very thankful that I was able to dedicate this book to him.

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And it has proven already to be in my life a very, very important, monumental book in my own spiritual journey.

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And I'm really praying that God will use it in your life, Chris, as I've sent you a copy, and the lives of many others.

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If you don't mind, I'd like to read the preface, because I think that Moore just does a wonderful job of laying out the purpose of this book.

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And this will be a real help to all who are listening. Do I have a moment to do that?

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Oh, of course. Okay, this is what Moore said, July 1881.

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This book is published, as its title indicates, for the use of believers.

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That is, for the use of all those who, through grace, have been effectually led to see, in some measure, their position as sinners before God and their deep need of salvation through the atoning death of the

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Lord Jesus Christ. And I thought right away, as soon as I read those words, I thought, wow, this man is extremely careful in the way that he uses his words and just describing believers the way that he does.

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Those who, through grace, have been effectually led. He's clearly a man who embraced the doctrines of grace, as we will see as we look at this even further.

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And he says this, its aim, that is the aim of this book, through the gracious influence of the

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Holy Spirit, is to be helpful to them for their establishment in the full assurance of faith in relation to their perfected and unchanging salvation in Christ.

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Also, to be useful to them in their conflict within dwelling sin.

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And to assist them in their endeavor to live a life of faith on the

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Lord Jesus, to walk in daily fellowship with him, and to be at all times his faithful witnesses.

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Now what's beautiful about that paragraph is really that paragraph summarizes the book.

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The first portion, the first, I think it's 19 chapters of part one of the book, addresses the subject of our perfect salvation in Christ and the unchanging nature of that salvation.

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And his whole goal is to give us a full assurance of faith. And then the second part deals with the subject of conflict within dwelling sin.

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He does a brilliant job, and we will consider some of the sections there of that second part.

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It is so important, so practical. I've already read several of the chapters, maybe a half dozen times, because of the fact that it is so important for us to get the battle down.

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Because every day we live as Christians, we have conflict within dwelling sin.

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And very much like John Owen and his mortification of sin, John Owen's other work on indwelling sin, he deals with it in a very practical way.

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And then also, then beyond that, he says, to assist them in their endeavor to live a life of faith on the

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Lord Jesus. And he does such a great job of focusing on what faith is and how important it is we look to Jesus always, focus on him, and do so so that we might walk in daily fellowship with him and always be faithful witnesses unto

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Christ. Then he says this, and I love the way he says this. In fact, he actually quotes from a later chapter in the book.

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He says this, More of Christ in the heart, better to love him and to be more influenced by him, and more of Christ in the life, better to serve him.

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And that's taken from page 166 of this book. Then he says, And heart troubles they fall into are well aware that spiritual truths, which the believer had often thought about without any apparent spiritual benefit, have, when presented to the mind in a different form or in a different relationship or at a different time, often have been made instrumental of much blessing through the gracious influence of the

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Holy Spirit. I think that his point there is that there are times when we may receive the same message or hear the same truths, but because of our circumstances changing, suddenly those truths which we have heard dozens and dozens of times suddenly take on new life and give us new light and new hope.

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And one of the things he talks about, Chris, I think that will be a real encouragement to you, is that he really helps us to deal with the struggles that we have, the difficulties that we face, the depressions that we go through.

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And his goal is always to get us to focus not on the problem, not on the difficulty, not on the affliction, but on Christ, always on Christ, leaning more upon Christ, looking more to Christ, focusing more upon what he has accomplished for us and where he is right now at the right hand of the

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Father interceding for us. And to me that is just an incredible blessing, and being able to always be reminded that we need to be looking to Jesus, looking away from ourselves, looking away from our sins, looking away from our weaknesses, looking away from our frailties, and looking to him, looking to him for our strength, looking to him for our hope, looking to him for our future, as we looked to him in our past.

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One of the remarkable things, as you've already stated about this book, is that you, who are a very well -read person of literature, the finest of Christian literature from the past and the present, that you are so excited over this work written by an author of unknown origin.

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We know that this man is not writing God -breathed words as in the

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Scripture, so we take it for granted that the book of Hebrews, whose authorship we are not certain of, is necessary for our life and faith, and many books in the

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Old Testament as well, whose origins we're not 100 % certain of as far as the human author, but this being a non -canonical book that is written by someone of unknown origin, for you to be so excited about it, that says a lot, because obviously in the publishing world people are not necessarily, especially today, this may not have been true decades or centuries ago, where a publisher would look at something and judge it by the value of its contents rather than who wrote it, but today you're rarely, even in Christian publishing, you're not going to get publishers who are going to excitedly and immediately accept the manuscripts of those who are unknown, and yet this has got you bubbling over, and it's just a...

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Well, and what's neat to me too, Chris, is that it was... I didn't realize and I didn't know that Spurgeon had read and had endorsed with such glowing words this book until I actually got the old copy into my hands.

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And one of the things that your listeners would probably not know is in order for me to be able to get this book published,

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I literally had to sacrifice my personal copy. I had to tear it apart, and I had to then go through and use whiteout on many of the pages that would have a little blotch here, a little mark there, and I had to go through all 400 pages, page by page, and make sure that it was going to be clean and readable.

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I had to then cut... I had to make sure that the pages were all in proper order and make sure that everything was exactly right when

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I sent it to the printer so that when they scanned it in, that it would be done well.

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I had it shot at 105%, meaning it's a little bit larger than the original was, which makes it just a tad more readable.

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In fact, it is quite readable. As you know, you've seen the book yourself. There's no problem in terms of the size of the font and the print.

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It's a nice, clean -looking book, but I did literally have to sacrifice my own copy.

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I'll tell you, it was tough for me to put the book in the mail and send it off for a couple of reasons, because number one, you never know if it's going to get lost, or number two, the fact that now

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I didn't have it in my hands anymore. Until it came back from the printer a couple of weeks later,

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I was without the book that I had been reading over and over and over again.

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I think that having Spurgeon glowing and gushing about the book himself,

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I'm glad that I had already been reading it before I had done that, because I was able to go online and read some of the book online.

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So I already had been digging into it and tasting it, but when I saw that Spurgeon said what he said about it, boy, that just caused me to even be more excited to realize, you know what, this is as good as I thought it was.

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Now, do we know, or do you know, whether this man, Thomas More, was a contemporary of Spurgeon?

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Oh, yeah, because he did write the preface. As I said, he wrote the preface, it was in July of 1881.

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So he was clearly a contemporary of Spurgeon, and the book had become known to Spurgeon, obviously, and he wrote this advertisement, or whatever it is they called it in those days.

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I don't think they used the word endorsement, but that's clearly what it was. There was also another, and I've never heard of this group, but it was called

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Footsteps of Truth, and I'm assuming maybe that's a magazine, but the

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Footsteps of Truth, this is what they said about the book. They said, This is a choice volume by no ordinary scribe, a delightful combination of the good old

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Puritan doctrine and advanced spiritual instruction, such as could be given only by one deeply imbued with the unction of the

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Holy One, resulting from a comprehensive grasp of Scripture teaching, extending over the wide field of doctrine and practice, and bearing upon the inner and outer life of the children of God.

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The index on the opening pages awakens an appetite which is fully supplied in the rich fare throughout the book, and it seems to us impossible that any believer can rise from its perusal without a deeper sense of his indebtedness to God for the riches of grace he is here so sweetly reminded of as being provided for all his necessities in relation to life, conflict, and final victory.

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This is truly a book for the times, and we give it our strongest commendation, hoping that the entire edition may be speedily exhausted.

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And obviously it was, because as I said, the next year I got the second edition already in 1883.

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And so, you know, there clearly was, it was well received when it was published.

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I want to read the opening. The opening paragraph begins, letting you know where this man stood regarding the doctrines of grace.

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He wrote, the book is divided, in fact let me say this, the book is divided into five parts. The first part consists of 19 chapters, and the subject is concerning the believer's standing in full salvation.

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And there the focus is mainly on, there are 19 chapters, about 82 pages, and it covers a variety of subjects intended to encourage us in regards to the sure foundation that we have in Christ.

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The second part is entitled, counsels and thoughts concerning the spiritual conflict in the inner life of believers.

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And this is a very practical section, I mean incredibly practical, on dealing with our remaining sin.

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In fact, you know what we should do, because I don't want to interrupt you in the mid -sentence, before you read that I want to go to our first break.

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Okay. And if anybody else would like to join us on the air with a question, we do have several people waiting, and I hope they're waiting patiently, to have their questions asked and answered by you.

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Okay. And if anybody wants to join them and get in line, our email address is chrisarnsen at gmail .com.

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C -H -R -I -S -A -R -N -Z -E -N at gmail .com. As always, please at least give us your first name, your city and state of residence, and your country of residence.

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If you live outside the USA and only remain anonymous, if your question involves a personal or private matter, let's say you disagree with the theology being expressed today, and you don't want to draw identity to yourself, we understand that.

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Perhaps you are a pastor, you disagree with your own elders or your congregation or your denomination over the theology that we're expressing today, and you want to remain anonymous.

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Well, whatever the reason is, if it's personal and private, we can understand that. But if you're just asking a general question about this book, about the theology in this book, about the theology we may be discussing today, please give us at least your first name, your city and state and country of residence, if you live outside the

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Solid Ground Christian Books is to Iron Sharpens Iron Radio. They have nearly tripled their advertising budget on this show since they first launched their advertising on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

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Not only because they love this show and want it to remain on the air, but also because you, the listeners, have been so wonderful in your responses to these ads and you have been purchasing many books from them and we plead with you not to stop or slow down.

38:37

And if you haven't purchased anything yet, please purchase as many books as you can afford for the holiday seasons and also to replenish your own library and for your own edification.

38:48

Please go to solid -ground -books .com, and always remember to mention

38:53

Iron Sharpens Iron Radio to them. And we are forever grateful to you because, as I said, your purchases of books from solid -ground -books .com

39:04

further ensure a longer future for Iron Sharpens Iron Radio. And thank you,

39:10

Mike Gaydosh, for being such a faithful and loyal and generous supporter of this program.

39:16

Well, I'm truly honored to do it, Chris. I know that you've been very faithful to pray for me about a year, over a year ago when

39:23

I was going through the open -heart surgery, and you've demonstrated your faithfulness as a friend numerous times, again and again, and I'm very thankful to be able to help.

39:33

I'm thankful that we've been able to increase our giving and support of your work. I was starting to explain the way that the book is divided here, and I think we were just coming onto the second part, after he deals with 19 chapters that address the subject of our sure foundation in Christ, seeking to build and strengthen our assurance.

40:00

The second part deals with counsels and thoughts concerning the spiritual conflict in the inner life of believers.

40:07

And we'll be looking at some of that material in a minute, but then I want to move then to the third part, and he covers that in 15 chapters.

40:16

Then the third part covers the next step, and this is a work of progress.

40:22

It's kind of walking you through the spiritual life. The third part is counsels and thoughts concerning a life of faith unto

40:29

Lord Jesus and walking in fellowship with Him in the daily path. Some people might want to jump to that section first, but I would recommend that you would work your way from beginning all the way up to this point, because really you're only going to appreciate what he says in that third part if you've worked your way through the previous two parts.

40:53

And I just finished, actually, I don't know how many times I've read through this already, but I finished the second part just this morning in my personal devotions.

41:02

And that's 19 chapters again in that section. And the fourth part is a little different.

41:10

It only has four chapters, and the chapters are a little bit longer. The subject, justification, sanctification, responsibility of the natural and spiritual man in relation to the law and the gospel.

41:26

And then the fourth chapter concerning the distinction between relationship to the national Israel of the past and spiritual

41:32

Israel of the present. And then the fifth part, which is really apart from the other four.

41:40

The other four kind of work in concert together, one proceeding to the next.

41:47

But the fifth part of the book actually can be read from the very beginning when you first get the book.

41:53

And the reason is because the fifth part is actually made up of three 31 -chapter devotions.

42:02

They're really intended to be read as like daily devotions. And they are briefer, there's one passage or sometimes two passages of scripture that are given and then meditation upon those passages.

42:18

And that covers from page 252 to 398. So it's a good portion of the book, that fifth part.

42:27

And in some ways it's almost worth the price of the book. Those devotionals that he has, he's got first division, second division, third division, and then there are 31 for each of those.

42:41

So you can read these on a daily basis over a three -month period. That's one way you can do it.

42:47

Another way you could do it is you could read them morning, noon, and night and work your way through in one month doing it that way.

42:56

And that's very doable because they're not lengthy. In fact, let me read for you one of the very first ones that I read that I just love.

43:07

I've read it over and over again. And it's the first devotional of the second division.

43:13

And the passages that he quotes at the top are John 6, 17 to 21 and it was now dark and Jesus was not come to them and the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.

43:29

So when they had rowed about 25 or 30 furlongs they saw

43:35

Jesus walking on the sea and drawing nigh unto the ship. And the second passage is

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Isaiah 30, verse 18. Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you.

43:49

And then comes the opening words. The Lord Jesus is never in a hurry.

43:57

You hear that, Chris? Yes, I did. And that's always something that is comforting to remember.

44:03

The Lord Jesus is never in a hurry. However much unbelief may desire to hasten his hand he still abides his own time.

44:15

Omnipotence can afford to wait because it is always sure of success.

44:24

I love that. Omnipotence can afford to wait because it is always sure of success.

44:32

Amen. And when that omnipotence is combined with infinite love and infinite wisdom the right thing is sure to be done at the right time and in the right way.

44:48

Sometimes the Lord waits until it is quite evening time before he breaks forth in refreshing and delivering and directing light and grace.

45:01

The dusk becomes more gloomy and yet he waits.

45:07

He waits to be gracious. He waits his own opportunity. And then when twilight has ceased and it is quite even time when all plans are frustrated all our hopes disappointed no help seems near and darkness thickens then he shines forth suddenly and gloriously and there is light abundance the deliverance is complete and the way made plain to the end.

45:39

So believer be encouraged. Whatever may be the path of service clearly appointed you by the

45:46

Lord continue therein notwithstanding all present difficulties and your

45:52

Lord will appear in his own time for your help. Remember that although it was dark and the sea rose high by reason of a great wind that blew the disciples continued to row.

46:08

It was all they could do and it was all that was required of them. In a little while the

46:15

Lord appeared and at once their purpose was accomplished and the ship was at the land with it they went.

46:22

Thus it is that patient perseverance in the path of duty amidst many and great difficulties often results through the

46:30

Lord's grace in more complete and unexpected success than could otherwise have been accomplished.

46:38

Therefore believer do what you can continue rowing and when the right time comes the

46:47

Lord's hand will be manifest for he doth wait that he may be gracious unto you.

46:54

Amen. Wow. Powerful stuff. We have a listener in Asheboro, North Carolina who has a question for you.

47:03

His name is Grady, a very faithful, loyal listener to Iron Trip and Zion Radio and also a very generous supporter financially of this program.

47:12

Grady asks, Hi brothers Chris and Mike, I'm looking forward to reading this book by Thomas More. Brother Mike, are you still planning on doing another printing of Thomas Manton's works if you have enough interest?

47:25

Lord willing, I look forward to meeting you both at the G3 conference. Yeah, I think I know who

47:30

Grady is. And the answer to that question is I'd love to.

47:36

I would absolutely love to, but to this point the interest has not been what it would need to be for me to be able to pull it off.

47:45

I really would need about 200 pre -orders to be able to do the set and I think to this point

47:52

I've only been able to generate about 40 in two years. And it's more and more difficult to do these multi -volume sets.

48:04

That's why so many of them that once existed are no longer available.

48:10

I think of things like the works of Benjamin Warfield, the ten -volume set, no longer available.

48:18

In fact, at this point even the two -volume selected shorter writings are no longer available.

48:24

I don't know all the reasons. I'm sure that the e -book and logos and all of these places that are now producing the books in digital format is making it more and more challenging for publishers like me to be able to do these multi -volume sets.

48:45

So at this point I would say it's a long shot. I've thought about maybe doing it in paperback but I don't know that it makes sense to put forth all the effort and all the money that would be necessary to do it in a paperback edition.

49:01

I'm just not sure if people would be really interested in laying out the money that would be required to just get it in paperback.

49:10

So at this point I would say Grady, not a problem missing it.

49:22

I think the pre -publication price I was putting out there was around $300 and if we can get the $200 at $300 that really isn't even enough honestly but at least it would probably allow me to be able to pursue it.

49:42

Now maybe you should explain to Grady and the rest of our listeners why you were chuckling when you heard his name and city and state because he might get a complex over that.

49:52

Well I think he's a customer that's why. Oh okay. I think he probably knew.

50:02

I've gotten to know a lot of my customers through the years and faithful, faithful customers and I don't remember what came first.

50:12

Iron sharpens iron or solid ground whether Grady came to solid ground through iron sharpens iron or if you found out about iron sharpens iron through solid ground because obviously

50:23

I've got your program plastered on every one of my pages including your most famous quote from R .C.

50:32

Sproul about your rapier like intellect. And I never will cease hearing you mocking that commendation because you've known me so long you think that R .C.

50:45

Sproul must have been out of his mind when he wrote that. They took him to the hospital right after that because he was so heavily medicated.

50:55

I tend to think and choose to remember him being fairly young and healthy and he wrote it folks.

51:04

Your memory is kind of slipping right now. Well that is a treasured commendation and as is the commendation by Jeff Thomas a mutual friend of ours whose commendation folks is now on the

51:20

Iron Trip and Zion Radio website. I will treasure that forever as well. It is a glowing longer commendation than the late

51:29

Dr. Sproul wrote. And by the way folks tomorrow on Iron Trip and Zion Radio and Friday we will have

51:37

Jeff Thomas on this program for two days. We hardly ever do that but tomorrow

51:43

God willing Jeff Thomas will be discussing Brownlow North, the All Around Evangelist and also

51:49

How Can I Please God and Everything. These are two books that Jeff Thomas has written for Reformation Heritage books and so if you listen tomorrow and Friday you'll be able to hear

52:02

Jeff Thomas and if you've never discovered him before I strongly urge you to tune in because he is absolutely extraordinary and you can hear his sermons on sermon audio and other places.

52:11

I'm sure you would concur that he's one of the finest preachers alive today. Oh without a doubt. I think some of the best sermons that I've ever heard were sermons that Jeff preached.

52:23

I know one of the sermons that he preached at a Banner of Truth conference many years ago.

52:28

It had to be probably 25 years ago there in Pennsylvania.

52:36

The sermon was so powerful. It was on Second Corinthians. In fact can you pick up on that where we left off because we have to go to our midway break right now.

52:45

This is our longer than normal break. Please be patient with us. Please write down the information provided by our advertisers so that you can more frequently and successfully patronize them.

52:54

And write down questions for Mike Adash and send them to ChrisArnson at gmail .com. ChrisArnson at gmail .com. This is a longer than normal break required by Grace Life Radio 90 .1

53:03

FM in Lake City, Florida who according to FCC regulations has to localize this program to Lake City, Florida.

53:10

So please be patient with us as this is a longer than normal break and we'll be right back, God willing, after these messages from our sponsors.

53:18

Please do not go away. Chris Arnson, host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, announcing a new website with an exciting offer from World Magazine, my trusted source for news from a

53:31

Christian perspective. Try World Now at no charge for 90 days by going to getworldnow .com.

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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.

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Armed with this coverage, World can help you to be a voice of wisdom in your family and your community.

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today. Also check out World News Group's podcast, The World and Everything in It, at wng .org

54:29

forward slash podcast. That's W for World, N for News, G for Group, dot org forward slash podcast.

54:49

This is Pastor Bill Souser of Grace Church at Franklin, here in the beautiful state of Tennessee.

54:56

Our congregation is one of a growing number of churches who love and support Iron Sharpens Iron Radio financially.

55:05

Grace Church at Franklin is an independent, autonomous body of believers, which strives to clearly declare the whole counsel of God as revealed in Scripture, through the person and work of our

55:17

Lord Jesus Christ. And of course the end for which we strive is the glory of God.

55:24

If you live near Franklin, Tennessee, and Franklin is just south of Nashville, maybe ten minutes, or you are visiting this area, or you have friends and loved ones nearby, we hope you will join us some

55:38

Lord's Day in worshiping our God and Savior. Please feel free to contact me if you have more questions about Grace Church at Franklin.

55:48

Our website is gracechurchatfranklin .org. That's gracechurchatfranklin .org.

55:56

This is Pastor Bill Souser wishing you all the richest blessings of our

56:02

Sovereign Lord, God, Savior, and King Jesus Christ today and always.

56:10

Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

56:18

Amen. Amen. Amen.

56:38

Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

56:47

Amen. Amen. Amen. used as a gift.

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The silver gilding he added on the page edges has a stunning mirror finish resembling highly polished chrome.

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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.

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For more details on Post -Tenebrous Luxe Bible Rebinding, go to ptlbiblerebinding .com.

57:42

When Iron Sharpens Iron Radio first launched in 2005, the publishers of the

57:48

New American Standard Bible were among my very first sponsors. It gives me joy knowing that many scholars and pastors in the

57:56

Iron Sharpens Iron Radio audience have been sticking with or switching to the NASB.

58:02

I'm Pastor Nate Pickowitz of Harvest Bible Church in Gilmanton Ironworks, New Hampshire, and the

58:08

NASB is my Bible of choice. I'm Pastor Rich Jensen of Hope Reform Baptist Church in Quorum, New York, and the

58:16

NASB is my Bible of choice. I'm Pastor Sule Prince of Oakwood Wesleyan Church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the

58:25

NASB is my Bible of choice. I'm Pastor John Sampson of King's Church in Peoria, Arizona, and the

58:32

NASB is my Bible of choice. I'm Pastor Chuck Volo of New Life Community Church in Kingsville, Maryland, and the

58:40

NASB is my Bible of choice. I'm Pastor Steve Herford of Eastport Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, and the

58:48

NASB is my Bible of choice. I'm Pastor Roy Owens, Jr.

58:53

of the Church in Friendship in Hockley, Texas, and the NASB is my Bible of choice.

59:35

I'm James White of Alpha Omega Ministries, and my friend Chris Arnson and I are excited to be attending another

59:41

G3 conference together in Atlanta, Georgia, Thursday, January 16th through Saturday, January 18th, on a theme that is vitally important to all of us,

59:50

Worship Matters. I'll be on the speaking lineup with Eric Thomas, Joel Beeky, Paul Washer, Steve Watson, Phil Johnson, Tom Askell, Voti Baltham, and the world -renowned preacher, teacher, and author,

01:00:01

John MacArthur. A fascinating new addition to the roster is Kosti Hinn, nephew of the notorious false teacher,

01:00:08

Benny Hinn. Kosti has repented of the word -faith heresies of his youth and is now a Reformed Baptist pastor and cessationist in California.

01:00:16

Come join me and Chris Arnson at G3 2020, January 16th through the 18th, in Atlanta, by registering at G3conference .com.

01:00:25

That's G3conference .com. See you there! Discover more about Grace Covenant Baptist Church in Flemington, New Jersey at gcbcnj .squarespace

01:01:41

.com. That's gcbcnj .squarespace .com.

01:01:48

Or call them at 908 -996 -7654. That's 908 -996 -7654.

01:01:57

Tell Pastor Dunn that you heard about Grace Covenant Baptist Church on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio. I'm Dr.

01:02:12

Gary Kimbrough, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Laurel, Mississippi. God tells us in James 127 that pure and undefiled religion is a visit to fatherless and widows in their affliction.

01:02:22

In the providence of God, three years ago, I discovered a poor small church outside Lusaka, Zambia, in a township called

01:02:27

Cabanana, who were taking care of 24 orphans. I found them just at the time when they had lost all their funding.

01:02:33

What was I to do? Could I just say, God bless you and walk away? The situation of the children set heavily upon me.

01:02:39

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.

01:02:45

The entire need for their clothing, food, education, and some medical services is $73 per month per child.

01:02:51

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.

01:02:57

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?

01:03:05

Please send your gift of any amount to Bethlehem Baptist Church, 838 Reed Road, Laurel, Mississippi, 39443.

01:03:12

Or donate through our website, bbclaurel .com. Again, the address is

01:03:17

Bethlehem Baptist Church, 838 Reed Road, Laurel, Mississippi, 39443.

01:03:23

Or bbclaurel .com. Thank you. Chris Sorensen, host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio here.

01:03:33

I want to tell you about a man I have personally known for many years. His name is Dan Budofuco.

01:03:39

Dan is a personal injury and medical malpractice lawyer, but not the type that typically comes to mind.

01:03:45

Dan cares about people and is a theologian himself. Recently he wrote a book titled

01:03:50

Consider the Evidence for the Bible. Ravi Zacharias wrote the foreword.

01:03:56

Dan also has a master's degree in theology. Dan handles serious injury and medical malpractice cases in all 50 states.

01:04:04

He represents many Christians in serious injury matters all over the country. Dan is an exceptional trial lawyer.

01:04:11

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.

01:04:25

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

01:04:35

Law Journal. If you have a serious personal injury or medical malpractice claim in any state,

01:04:41

I recommend that you call Dan. Consultations are free. There is no fee unless you win.

01:04:48

Dan Buttafuoco's number is 1 -800 -669 -4878. 1 -800 -669 -4878.

01:04:56

Or email me for Dan's contact information at chrisarnson at gmail dot com.

01:05:02

That's chrisarnson at gmail dot com. I'm Dr.

01:05:15

Tony Costa, Professor of Apologetics and Islam at Toronto Baptist Seminary. I'm thrilled to introduce to you a church where I've been invited to speak and have grown to love,

01:05:26

Hope Reform Baptist Church in Corham, Long Island, New York, pastored by Rich Jensen and Christopher McDowell.

01:05:33

It's such a joy to witness and experience fellowship with people of God like the dear saints at Hope Reform Baptist Church in Corham, who have an intensely passionate desire to continue digging deeper and deeper into the unfathomable riches of Christ in his holy word, and to enthusiastically proclaim

01:05:50

Christ Jesus the King and his doctrines of sovereign grace in Suffolk County, Long Island, and beyond.

01:05:57

I hope you also have the privilege of discovering this precious congregation and receive the blessing of being showered by their love as I have.

01:06:06

For more information on Hope Reform Baptist Church, go to hopereformedli .net.

01:06:13

That's hopereformedli .net. Or call 631 -696 -5711.

01:06:22

That's 631 -696 -5711. Tell the folks at Hope Reform Baptist Church of Corham, Long Island, New York that you heard about them from Tony Costa on Iron Sharpens Iron.

01:06:38

And we thank the folks at Hope Reform Baptist Church of Corham, Long Island, for being a new annual sponsor for this broadcast, and their monthly financial support means the world to us.

01:06:51

It is much appreciated as it is urgently needed. And the pastor there, one of two pastors,

01:06:58

Rich Jensen, happens to be a close mutual friend of mine and Mike Gaydosh, my guest today.

01:07:04

And I'm sure when Mike gets to know Rich's new co -pastor, Christopher McDowell, he'll get to enjoy fellowship with him as well.

01:07:12

But before we return to Mike Gaydosh, who's going to finish a story about Jeff Thomas, who's my guest tomorrow on Friday, before we return to our actual discussion on the book that is the subject of our broadcast today, we just have a couple of announcements to make in regard to upcoming events that I hope you will join me in attending.

01:07:33

The first one is the Foundations Conference. This is only eligible, registration is only eligible for those that are men in ministry leadership, due to the small venue that they have that seats less than 200 people in Manhattan.

01:07:49

That's Thursday and Friday, December 19th and 20th in New York City. The Foundations Conference, I think, is perfectly timed because I can't think of a better place on the planet

01:08:00

Earth to spend at least a part of your Christmas season than in New York City. And I'm looking forward to being there myself,

01:08:07

Thursday and Friday, December 19th and 20th for this conference. The speakers are always absolutely superb and they include

01:08:14

Dr. Stephen J. Lawson, Paul Washer, the aforementioned

01:08:20

Jeff Thomas, who's my guest tomorrow and Friday on Iron Trip and Zion Radio, a man who I believe is going to be a household name over the next decade,

01:08:29

Reverend Armin Tomasian, who is a young pastor, but he has gifts and abilities and wisdom far beyond his youth.

01:08:38

He is absolutely extraordinary, Reverend Armin Tomasian. Richard Caldwell Jr. and Andrew Quigley are also on the lineup at this conference.

01:08:45

I have never heard either of them speak yet, but since SermonAudio .com selected them to speak at this conference,

01:08:51

I'm sure that they must be magnificent because SermonAudio .com is known for being very rightfully finicky when it comes to picking people to represent their ministry.

01:09:02

If you'd like to join me Thursday and Friday, December 19th and 20th in New York City at the Foundations Conference, go to thefoundationsconference .com,

01:09:11

thefoundationsconference .com. Then, coming up in January, you heard Mike Gaydosh mention it briefly, the

01:09:17

G3 Conference is going to be held once again at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, Georgia, which is a suburb of Atlanta, right near the

01:09:28

Atlanta Airport. It's actually connected by railway to the

01:09:35

Atlanta Airport. This is going to be held specifically Thursday through Saturday, January 16th through the 18th, 2020.

01:09:45

The theme this January is Worship Matters. They have a mind -blowingly long and impressive roster of speakers, as always, at the

01:09:56

G3 Conference, and I am so thrilled and excited, anticipating hearing these men preach and speak.

01:10:03

We have, again, Dr. Stephen J. Lawson, the founder of One Passion Ministries. We have my dear friend since 1995,

01:10:12

Dr. James R. White of Alpha Omega Ministries. Phil Johnson, the Executive Director of Grace to You, the media ministry of John MacArthur.

01:10:20

Phil Johnson has the dubious reputation of being the most frequently interviewed guest on Iron, Sharp, and Fire in our history since 2005.

01:10:28

Derek Thomas, a world -renowned and beloved and highly revered

01:10:34

Presbyterian author and conference speaker and teacher and pastor. Dr.

01:10:40

Tom Askell, a dear friend of mine, the Executive Director of Founders Ministries, the

01:10:45

Calvinistic ministry within the Southern Baptist Convention. And there are many more speakers on this roster, including the latest to be added to this lineup,

01:10:53

John MacArthur, one of my modern -day heroes, and if it was only John MacArthur preaching, I'd be there.

01:11:00

And I am looking forward to being in the room with him for the first time ever. Although I've interviewed

01:11:06

Dr. MacArthur and he's written a wonderful commendation for the show, I've never met him face -to -face, so I'm eagerly looking forward to this opportunity.

01:11:13

If you'd like to join me there, and Mike Adosh there, Thursday, January 16th through Saturday, January 18th at the

01:11:20

Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, Georgia for the G3 Conference, go to g3conference .com,

01:11:27

g3conference .com. And remember, folks, if you are a business owner or a parish church organization leader or you are promoting a special event or anything else that requires that you promote your business or parish church group or event heavily, especially if you want to be present at a place where there are very large numbers of Christians present as well, then

01:11:56

I would strongly urge you not only to just register to attend this event, but register for an exhibitors booth just as I have manned for the last three years.

01:12:06

This will be my fourth exhibitors booth at the G3 Conference, and I can assure you

01:12:11

I've always had an extraordinary experience manning an exhibitors booth, and I'm sure

01:12:16

Mike Adosh will concur that he has also had extraordinary experiences manning exhibitors booths for Solid Ground Christian Books at this event.

01:12:24

Am I not right, Pastor Mike Adosh? Absolutely, absolutely. It's always been a blessing.

01:12:30

We end up seeing many, many customers face -to -face as well as many friends from the past, members in Long Island like you,

01:12:41

Chris. It's always been a blessing. Josh Weiss is a great host and a very, very gracious man, and it's been a wonderful experience.

01:12:53

My wife has been able to go the last, I guess last year was maybe the first time she was able to attend with me, but it was a great blessing.

01:13:01

It really was. Yes, so if you want to join me and Mike Adosh there at the G3 Conference 2020, register at g3conference .com,

01:13:11

g3conference .com, and don't forget also register for an exhibitors booth if it applies to you.

01:13:17

They typically have over 5 ,000 people there every year, and this year with the addition of John MacArthur, I have a very strong confidence they'll have over 6 ,000 people there.

01:13:25

So go to g3conference .com, g3conference .com. Make sure you tell everybody there that you heard about this event from Chris Arns and at Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

01:13:33

Last but not least, if you love this show, folks, and you don't want it to disappear from the airwaves, please go to ironsharpensironradio .com,

01:13:40

click support, then click, click to donate now. You can donate instantly with a debit or credit card, or you could even mail in a check via snail mail to the address that appears on the screen when you click support at ironsharpensironradio .com.

01:13:52

We are in urgent need of your financial support because December, we do not have any of our bills paid, nor do we have any of the money to pay for them next month.

01:14:03

So please, I urge you, if you love the show, please donate to us as frequently and as generously as you can.

01:14:10

We thank all of you who are already doing that, but those of you who have not yet begun to support us financially, if you love the show and you don't want it to go away, please do it.

01:14:20

And obviously the caveat is never uh siphon money out of your regular giving to your local church where you're a member in order to give to us.

01:14:28

Never do that, and never put your family in financial jeopardy to give to us. Those are two commands of God, but if you're financially blessed above and beyond your ability to obey those two commands, please, if you don't want us to go away, go to ironsharpensironradio .com,

01:14:41

click support, then click, click to donate now. If you want to advertise with us, send me an email to chrisarnson at gmail .com,

01:14:47

and put advertising in the subject line as long as whatever it is you're promoting is compatible with what I believe. I would love to help you launch an ad campaign because we are in urgent need of your advertising dollars.

01:14:56

You don't have to believe identically with me, but you need to be promoting something compatible with what I believe. And by the way, folks, if you are not a member of a

01:15:03

Bible -believing church and you're not even prayerfully looking for one, you're living in rebellion against God, please rectify that situation.

01:15:09

I have lists of biblically faithful churches all over the world, and I have helped many people across the globe find churches where they have joined and become members, or where they have visited when they are on vacation, or where they have recommended to their family, friends, and loved ones who do not have churches.

01:15:25

So, please, send me an email to chrisarnson at gmail .com if you need help finding a biblical church near you, and that is chrisarnson at gmail .com,

01:15:34

and put I need a church in the subject line. That's also the email address where you can send in a question to Mike Gaydosh, the founder of Solid Ground Christian Books.

01:15:43

That's chrisarnson at gmail .com, chrisarnson at gmail .com. Today we are discussing counsels and thoughts for the spiritual life of believers, a rare find, a jewel of literature just discovered recently by Mike Gaydosh, by Thomas Moore, 19th century

01:15:59

Christian author. And you can also ask general questions on theology and also anything on the

01:16:05

Christian publishing industry as well. It's chrisarnson at gmail .com, chrisarnson at gmail .com.

01:16:10

Before we return to the counsels and thoughts discussion, Mike, why don't you continue what you were saying about our dear friend

01:16:17

Jeff Thomas, who's on my program tomorrow and Friday. I was saying that one of the most powerful sermons that I can recall ever hearing was the sermon that Jeff preached at a

01:16:29

Banner of Truth conference, and it was such an incredible experience that I can remember the men who were in attendance after the sermon was over.

01:16:42

There are times when you can tell by silence the power that a sermon had.

01:16:49

And I remember after that sermon, everyone got up, no one said a word, and we all just walked with heads down back to our dorms.

01:17:01

And we sat there in some cases for up to an hour just pondering what we had just heard.

01:17:10

And when we finally were able to lift our heads and speak to each other, it was basically, wow, can you believe what we just heard?

01:17:25

And to this day, I can still remember just the way that he began that sermon.

01:17:34

He began by introducing his age and saying, I am so many years old,

01:17:42

I don't remember how old he was at the time, and I've been pastoring for 30 some years, and I have yet to experience one day of the thousands of days that Spurgeon experienced when he was pastoring.

01:17:58

I am so and so years old, I've been pastoring for so many years, and I have yet to experience one day of the thousands of days

01:18:06

George Whitefield experienced when he was pastoring. And I tell you, just knowing the kind of ministry that he had, and he continued that ministry in Aberystwyth for 50 years in the same church, we were just mesmerized by his words from 2

01:18:29

Corinthians, speaking about the position as ministers of the gospel, that we are at the end of the line, being ready to be sacrificed for our faith.

01:18:43

But anyway, that was one of many sermons that Jeff has preached that I've just sat there and been so blessed, so deeply blessed by his words.

01:18:56

And at the same time, I've spent a lot of time with Jeff through the years he's been in my home.

01:19:02

I had the privilege of spending a weekend in his home. I got to stand in his pulpit and preach for him back in the mid -90s, and he's just a special man.

01:19:15

He really is, and I'm grateful that God has blessed him with health, and that he's able to continue to minister and preach the word.

01:19:25

And I'm glad that you're going to have him on the program. He's also a rare man, and that he is able to adjust to whatever the circumstances, pretty much whatever you throw at him.

01:19:37

He handles it well, and I'm excited for you that you have him coming on.

01:19:45

Now back to the book, I just wanted to open, I wanted to read the opening lines of the book itself in part one.

01:19:55

And again, as soon as I read these words the first time, I realized, wow, this man really understands the gospel.

01:20:06

Concerning the believer standing in full salvation is part one. The first chapter is entitled,

01:20:12

To the Believer, On Living in the Unclouded Enjoyment of Covenant Blessings.

01:20:18

And this is how his book begins. The Lord Jesus did not die merely to make salvation possible for sinners, if they would but truly repent and trust in him and persevere in faithfulness to the end.

01:20:35

He died not to make salvation possible, but to make it certain for all that the

01:20:42

Father gave him. His death ensures that all such shall receive grace to repent and believe and persevere to the end.

01:20:54

Covenant engagements include the gift of everything necessary for full, final, and complete salvation, and place all the power in the hands of the

01:21:06

Lord Jesus for carrying out these engagements. According to his own words, thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

01:21:22

And I just thought right off the bat, I said, man, oh man, this guy understands the gospel.

01:21:28

And he lays it out with such simplicity, with such clarity. And his goal in this first 19 chapters is to make sure that we understand that if we are a believer, that our condition and our position is one of absolute, unsettled safety and blessing.

01:21:52

He says one of the greatest hindrances to the spiritual life of the child of God is a state of continued doubt about his salvation.

01:22:01

Such a state has a tendency to weaken the soul for everything good, and to lay it more open to the ensnaring influence of its spiritual enemies.

01:22:13

How important that is, Chris, that we understand that if we're a child of God, that our position is one of absolute safety.

01:22:23

That we are in the hands of God, and despite our own failures, despite our frailty, despite our fallings, he will never let us go.

01:22:34

He will never leave us. He will never forsake us. And I think he nails it down from the very beginning, and that's what has been such an encouragement to me, and such a comfort, is the focus that he has from the very beginning.

01:22:50

How important it is that we remember that we have everything that we need found in the

01:22:59

Lord Jesus Christ. And I think that beginning the way he does from the very get -go is exactly where he needed to begin.

01:23:09

Because there are so many times that people begin in the wrong place, and I think that his focus upon what

01:23:16

Christ has done for us is substitutionary His death for us has reconciled us with God and has given us standing with him in absolute certainty.

01:23:31

Page after page after page, he just continually goes on and focuses upon what

01:23:37

Christ has done for us. Concerning the distinctiveness of the faith of God is one of the chapters that he has, is one of the sections.

01:23:50

Are you there? Yes, I was worried that I lost you for a second because you cut out for a second. Wow, you are,

01:23:58

I'd be shocked if you weren't stirring up very deep and enthusiastic interest in many of our listeners who love the best in Christian literature, hearing what you're reading, to buy this book.

01:24:13

We do have a listener question if you don't mind having a break in what you're reading to.

01:24:19

Sure, sure. Okay, this is an anonymous listener who says,

01:24:25

Although I truly believe, biblically, according to my doctrine and theology, that nothing occurs in this life without God decreeing it before the foundations of the world, at the same time, my brothers and sisters in Christ who share this belief at times can tell you this truth while you are suffering in a way that makes

01:24:49

God sound cruel, in a way that makes them sound unconcerned, that you should bucket up and pull yourself up by your bootstraps and not be so harmed by these trials that you are facing.

01:25:06

How do we present these truths of God that he decrees all things, even the most harsh and painful trials, without sounding like we depict

01:25:16

God as a monster or a tyrant or a merciless dictator? Well, that's a very well -framed question, and I think that there is great danger in our having an attitude towards the sovereignty of God over all the affairs of life that, number one, does give the impression that God is distant, unconcerned, cold, and callous, and also that we ourselves almost give the impression of being stoics and that we have no feelings whatsoever.

01:26:02

And, you know, I was just doing a study, I do a Bible study on Monday nights here in Port St.

01:26:08

Lucie, Florida, and we've been going through the book of Acts, and we came to, we, last week we looked at the death of Stephen, the martyrdom of Stephen.

01:26:19

This week we began by reviewing that and then noticed that in the opening words of chapter 8, it says that many pious or godly men took

01:26:33

Stephen and buried him, and then it says they made loud lamentation over him.

01:26:40

And, you know, I just said to the, in the Bible study, I said, you know, isn't this amazing? Stephen actually professed to have seen

01:26:51

Jesus as he was dying. There's no question that as he saw the

01:26:59

Lord Jesus in his death, that he went to be in the very presence of Christ. Stephen was safe.

01:27:06

Those rocks that were thrown at him merely were used to usher him into the presence of Christ.

01:27:14

In fact, the end of the chapter ends with the words that he fell asleep, and it's the most calming, beautiful picture.

01:27:22

But then you have this statement that these pious men, says these godly men, knowing that Stephen had just been ushered into the very presence of Christ, made loud lamentation over him.

01:27:38

I said, here you have a beautiful example of how men who are godly, men who believe in the sovereignty of God, still wept.

01:27:50

They still wept over the death of their dear brother in Christ and their friend.

01:27:56

We are not called to be stoics. When Paul says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, that what he writes, he writes about those who have fallen asleep.

01:28:07

Remember what he said? He said, so that you would not sorrow as those who have no hope.

01:28:15

He doesn't say that you would not sorrow, because sorrow is part of our lot in this world.

01:28:22

When we lose loved ones, we sorrow. We go through times of sadness.

01:28:29

This week I just lost a dear friend, Bob Hanson, who was a godly man who

01:28:35

I first met when I was a pastor in Portland, Oregon. And Bob recently passed away in Greenville, South Carolina.

01:28:43

We got a chance to spend some time with he and Linda, and she called us to share with us that Bob had gone home to be with the

01:28:49

Lord, and it was a sad time for us. I've had several occasions to cry over Bob's death, and yet at the same time,

01:29:02

I know that Bob is with the Lord. Bob is a wonderful, godly man, and I saw him grow in grace despite the fact that the last few years of his life he never was able to get out of bed.

01:29:14

And I think that understanding that God doesn't ask us as his people to have no emotion, to have no tears.

01:29:26

He will wipe the tears from our eyes, but that is when we are with him. And he keeps our tears, and he puts them in a bottle.

01:29:34

And I do think that it's so important that we as the people of God, who believe in the sovereignty of God, do so with the compassion that was shown by those men who, when they buried

01:29:46

Stephen, they made loud lamentation over him. And we are to weep with those who weep, as well as rejoice with those who rejoice.

01:29:55

And I do think that, I don't know if I've shared this on your program before, and this would have been even before you came to the church,

01:30:06

Chris. There were two couples in our congregation in Long Island, both older couples who had a daughter.

01:30:14

They each had one daughter, and both of their daughters had been unable to have children for many years, and they had prayed for a long, long time for them.

01:30:24

And then, lo and behold, they both became pregnant around the same time. Did I ever share this with you,

01:30:32

Chris? I'm not sure, but I remember another story about somebody who is a member of Calvary Baptist Church that involves a pregnancy, but I'm not sure if it's the same one.

01:30:43

So, the two grandparents who were still in the church, the mothers now who were pregnant, their children, were not in the church.

01:30:52

They had moved away many years earlier, but we were kept informed of how they were doing, and they were both progressing in the pregnancies and it's an unbelievable thing that happened one

01:31:04

Sunday. I walk into the church, and one of the couples come up to me with tears in their eyes to share with me that their daughter had given birth, and the baby had died, and they were heartbroken.

01:31:23

I took them back into my study, and I just wept with them, prayed with them as they were.

01:31:30

Here, they had been waiting so long to have a grandchild, so many years, and had the terrible news that the baby was born, but that the baby did not live.

01:31:43

As soon as I walked out of the door, after praying with them with tears still in my eyes, I see the beaming face of the other couple sharing with me that their daughter had given birth and that the child was thriving.

01:31:56

I rejoiced with them, and I just embraced them, and I hugged them, and I went into the pulpit that morning before the pastoral prayer, and I shared with them what

01:32:10

I had just experienced. I said, what an amazing experience of weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice.

01:32:21

I'll never forget what happened after the service. The couple whose child gave birth to the healthy child, they came up to me and apologized.

01:32:33

I told them, I said, you don't have to apologize. You have every reason to be thrilled and to be praising

01:32:41

God. You need to temper your rejoicing with the weeping with this other couple, but they also need to temper their weeping by rejoicing for you.

01:32:57

That's what the passage is saying. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.

01:33:03

That experience, I've never forgotten that. How could you? The providence of God with these two situations coming and the fact that they both happened the very same week and they both happened that morning.

01:33:16

I just think that the Lord has given me that experience to carry with me all these years to say, we are to be not emotionless people, not medicinal in our views of God's sovereignty and say, well,

01:33:32

God's in charge. He knows what he's doing. There's no reason for us to be upset. There's no reason for us to be disappointed.

01:33:38

Now, I think disappointment is part of our lives, but we always take our disappointments directly to the

01:33:46

Lord Jesus. We say it to him. We speak it to him. One of the things that Moore talks about in here is he says, speak it word by word.

01:33:57

He can handle it. You tell him the frustrations you're experiencing, the difficulties you're having, and you leave it with him and you lay it at his feet and you ask him to help you to be able to deal with these things because disappointment is part of our lot in life.

01:34:15

We will be disappointed. And who disappoints us the most, Chris? Chris Harnson disappoints

01:34:21

Chris Harnson the most. Mike Gaydosh disappoints Mike Gaydosh the most. It's not other people that I'm disappointed with.

01:34:27

I'm most disappointed with me. I'm not disappointed with the Lord. I'm disappointed with Mike Gaydosh.

01:34:34

And I think the more we understand that, the more we realize that our greatest need is to recognize how desperately we need him.

01:34:45

In fact, listen to this. This is something that I just read this morning for the first time. He says, this experience of continually receiving is realized more fully the closer we walk with the

01:34:57

Lord Jesus. It is an experience which keeps the soul very low in itself and is ever accompanied with conscious self -helplessness.

01:35:08

We must stoop to rise. The highest experience of a soul in Jesus is not from climbing or striving mightily, but from sitting down very low.

01:35:23

And then he gives this beautiful example. Jacob's ladder was not from heaven to the top of some high mountain, but to where Jacob lay low with stone for his pillow.

01:35:36

Lying very low in ourselves, then heaven opens. Jesus is seen nearer.

01:35:43

The soul is strengthened because strong in him. The soul is happy because happy in the

01:35:50

Lord. A maiden carrying an empty pitcher, desired to fill it at a stream that flowing down the rocky sides of a mountain.

01:35:58

Being conscious of strength and brilliant in spirit, she lifted the pitcher high that the water may run into it.

01:36:06

Soon, however, she found the pitcher too heavy and took it away only half full.

01:36:13

Another came on the same errand, but conscious of her weakness. She does not lift her pitcher high, but places it on the ground under the waterfall where it is soon filled without wearying effort.

01:36:28

So is it with believers. They have often found their most hallowed and most precious seasons of holy communion and have received help and joy when unable to reach forth with vigorous effort unto the

01:36:42

Lord Jesus have come as empty vessels and have laid low before him in their helplessness.

01:36:51

Then the refreshing streams flowing from that fountain of living waters have filled them with fresh delight and renewed vigor.

01:37:01

This, after all, is our safest position. For often in lifting high, old self is lifted up as well.

01:37:12

Praise God. I'm going to read a question from Johnny in Queens, New York, and you can answer it when we return from our last break, which will be much more brief than our previous break.

01:37:23

Johnny says, just from the sample reading of this devotional from Tom Moore, profoundly stirred my soul.

01:37:31

It is a wonder how such substantial works of spiritual enrichment lacks the reception a greater

01:37:49

Christian readership than it does. Why do you think so many people in Christ's visible church would settle for mere crumbs, much of which is rancid, of much of modern writings while passing by such healthy spiritual nourishment?

01:38:05

And we'll have you respond to that when we return. This is our final break. If you want to ask a question, send it in quickly because we're rapidly running out of time.

01:38:13

This is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. ChrisArnzen at gmail .com. Don't go away. We're going to be right back after these messages from our sponsor.

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Dividing Line webcast here. Although God has brought me all over the globe for many years to teach, preach, and debate at numerous venues, some of my very fondest memories are from those precious times of fellowship with Pastor Rich Jensen and the brethren at Hope Reform Baptist Church, now located at their new beautiful facilities in Corham, Long Island, New York.

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I've had the privilege of opening God's Word from their pulpit on many occasions, have led youth retreats for them, and have always been thrilled to see their members filling many seats at my

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I also want to congratulate Hope Reform Baptist Church of Corham for their recent appointment of Pastor Rich Jensen's co -elder,

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Pastor Christopher McDowell. For more information on Hope Reform Baptist Church, go to hopereformedli .net.

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That's hopereformedli .net or call 631 -696 -5711.

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That's 631 -696 -5711. Tell the folks at Hope Reform Baptist Church of Corham, Long Island that you heard about them from James White on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

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I'm so grateful to our sovereign God that while manning an exhibitor's booth for Iron Sharpens Iron, a major Bible conference,

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Christ Reformed Community Church shares my conviction that God is both creator and sustainer of the universe.

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He rules and reigns providentially over our lives. He directs not only the historical events of the world, but also the personal events of individuals.

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I agree with Christ Reformed Community Church that the very purpose of the church is to make disciples, that we are tasked with the responsibility to evangelize locally, nationally, and globally, and that we are to equip the saints for the work of service.

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Unlike the man -centered, seeker -sensitive movement, they do not gauge the success of biblical discipleship by how many people are in a church, but by the faithful ministry of God's Word and Gospel.

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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.

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We're a diverse family of all ages. Enthusiastically serving our Lord Jesus Christ. In fellowship, play, and together.

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Hi, I'm Pastor Bob Walderman, and I invite you to come and join us here at Linbrook Baptist Church and see all that a church can be.

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Call Linbrook Baptist at 516 -599 -9402. That's 516 -599 -9402.

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Or visit linbrookbaptist .org. That's linbrookbaptist .org. Chris Sorensen, host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio here.

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That's chrisarnson at gmail .com. This is

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Our congregation is one of a growing number of churches who love and support Iron Sharpens Iron radio financially.

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Grace Church at Franklin is an independent, autonomous body of believers that strives to clearly declare the whole counsel of God as revealed in Scripture through the person and work of our

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Lord Jesus Christ. And of course, the end for which we strive is the glory of God.

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If you live near Franklin, Tennessee, and Franklin is just south of Nashville, maybe 10 minutes, or you are visiting this area, or you have friends and loved ones nearby, we hope you will join us some

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Our website is gracechurchatfranklin .org. That's gracechurchatfranklin .org.

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This is Pastor Bill Sousa wishing you all the richest blessings of our

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Sovereign Lord, God, Savior, and King, Jesus Christ, today and always.

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01:49:53

Call 866 -403 -3768. That's 866 -403 -3768.

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Or go to BatteryDepot .com. That's BatteryDepot .com. And remember folks, please stick around after Iron Trip and Zion Radio is over, so you can hear the preaching of Joe Jackowitz, pastor of Christ Church in Dublin, California, who is also the founder and president of First Love Radio, who live streams this broadcast,

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Iron Trip and Zion Radio, every day. And now we are returning to our discussion with Mike Gadosh on Councils and Thoughts for the

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Spiritual Life of Believers, a book by Thomas Moore that has been brought back into print by Solid Ground Christian Books for the first time in many years.

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And we were just reading Johnny from Queens' question.

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And Johnny is trying to embarrass me by my limited vocabulary, I think, because I found out a word that I thought was a typo.

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It's actually a word I've never heard of before called greetin', as if you are saying greeting with an apostrophe.

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Greetin' it actually means of, according to Johnny. So the question once again is, just from the sample reading of this devotional from Tom Moore, profoundly served my soul, it is a wonder how such substantial works of spiritual enrichment lacks the reception, greetin', of greater

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Christian readership than it does. Why do you think so many people in Christ's visible church would settle for mere crumbs, much of which is rancid, of much of modern writings while passing by such healthy spiritual nourishment?

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Well, it's hard to be able to discern the reason, but I do think that a lot of it, a lot of the response of people to more solid works are an indication of the shallowness of the day in which we live.

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I do believe that much of it can be attributed to the lack of leadership from the preaching messages every week that challenge people to dig deeply into the scriptures and quote from great works and encourage their people to get great works like these into their hands, and even as many churches do have book rooms or book tables in their churches that introduce people to solid works,

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I think that unfortunately books like this particular one, first of all, they're not known.

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I mean, this book was out of print, wasn't even available. People didn't know about it. I didn't even know about it. I've been a publisher,

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I've been a Christian for, and I was in the ministry with publishing for over 40 years, and I'd never heard of Moore and never heard about this book, and neither has pretty much anybody else.

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But books that are available that are more serious, I think there are probably a hundred reasons, but I do think that much of it has to do with the state of the church today, and too many people are looking for quick fixes, are looking for these popular one -minute devotions, one -minute theology, 10 -minute sermons.

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There is just a, sadly, a shallowness in many places, but I think the key is that we as God's people, we need to demonstrate a deeper love for Christ, a deeper love for people, a sensitivity to where people are, and introduce people to these things, and what we're doing today in this broadcast is seeking to whet people's appetites.

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Now, so far we haven't had anybody order this book so far, so either I'm not doing a good job explaining it.

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I can't do any more than what I've tried to do, and I've sent out many advertisements, so we have sold through the first print run and almost the second print run already, and we're getting ready.

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I'm waiting for my third print run to arrive sometime probably next week, but I do have about a half dozen copies that are still available to be shipped to those who have an interest in learning about this book and being able to have first -hand knowledge of this book,

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Councils and Thoughts. I hope that that you will be able to see in your own personal walk, and I believe you will,

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Chris, as you start reading the book, you'll see the value of the book very quickly, and I think you will understand why

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Spurgeon glowed as he spoke about it, and I hope that your listeners will desire to have their personal relationship with Christ deepened, their love for Christ to grow, and I just believe that books like this need to be read.

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They need to be read again and again. They need to be digested, and we need to be seeking a closer walk with the

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Lord Jesus. That's what we need, confessing our sins, walking close to him, confessing our sins word for word, not just in general but specifically, and asking the

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Lord to give us strength to help us to fight the battle one more day. Thank you,

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Johnny in Queens, New York. We have another anonymous listener, and this is our last question, who says,

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I am anonymous because I do not want to unintentionally harm or hurt the feelings of those

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Arminians that I truly love in my family and in my church, but at the same time, do you think that Arminianism has so affected

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Christendom, even those in many Reformed circles, that the quest of the day is to dumb down literature in order to manipulate the minds of the lost more easily, thinking that in a pragmatic sense, you can more easily win them to Christ?

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And we have, what, 10 seconds to answer that? We have about two minutes, a little less than two minutes.

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Well, it's impossible to be able to understand the motivation of people. I mean,

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I know that people who hold to a more Arminian approach, they do have a tendency at times to think that we can kind of quickly trick people into getting them to, quote, make a decision, and I think that there is obviously great danger in that.

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I think that bringing people to understand their need of Christ is, we don't know how long that will take.

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There are times when the process of getting people to understand, like Ray Comfort does with looking at the

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Ten Commandments and saying, you know, the last people, are you a good person? And people will generally say, yeah,

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I'm a good person, and say, well, have you ever lied? Yes. So what does that make you? It makes me a liar.

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Have you ever committed adultery in your heart? Yes. That makes you an adulterer. And going through it, so you say you're a good person, but yet you admit that you're a liar, you're a thief, you're an adulterer.

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You still think you're a good person, and many times people say, well, I guess I'm not as good as I thought I was.

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And then being able to say, well, you're a lot worse than even you realize, and our only hope is found in the righteousness of another.

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Our righteousness is filthy rags in the sight of God. Our very best deeds are filthy rags in his sight.

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And I think that there is danger, yes, and I think that Ernie Riesinger years ago would say, don't tell people that Calvinism doesn't stifle evangelism, be evangelistic.

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Amen. And I think that's the key, is just for us to seek to be an example of going forth, because many times the danger is

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Calvinists don't evangelize. They don't seek to press people on the claims of Christ, and I think there is great danger in allowing the truths, which are glorious truths of God's sovereignty, to cause us to become casual about these things, and that should never, ever be.

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And we are out of time, and I want to remind our listeners that the website is solid -ground -books .com, solid -ground -books .com,

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and if everybody could make sure you email me your mailing address, because one of you has won the book that we have been discussing and Mike Gaydosh is going to pick.

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Do you want to pick now or later, Mike? Now, I'll do it later. Okay, one of you has won the book according to how excellent your question was.

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So send me your mailing address if you want to be a winner, because we don't know who that is yet.

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And I want to thank everybody who listened, especially those who took the time to write, and I want you all to always remember for the rest of your lives that Jesus Christ is a far greater