The Wood's Secret Garden

I have a truly wonderful husband!  I can't imagine another man putting up with me--and I mean that.  Last night, to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary, we decided to take an "anniversary" picture.  Well, that turned into a project.  I wanted to do something "artistic" which kept evolving as the evening progressed.   My sweet husband, not only put up with the many changes of settings and clothing, but he actually seemed to enjoy it!  Once we hit on capturing our wedding picture in the background of the photo, as the theme for the project, we had to do a great deal of kissing as we changed the tripod location.  I was the serious one-task oriented; setting up the tripod, checking the lighting, etc. and Michael was the one who made the entire experience delightful!  I truly cannot imagine another man actually going through this process, let alone, enjoying it! It is hard to believe that a year has...

Dr. David P. Murray, Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan writes: What would you say to a church where two of its most promising young “Christians” had not only left the faith but had turned against it with mockery and hostility? That’s the very real scenario I was asked to address recently at a small gathering of pastors and elders. It is undoubtedly one of the most agonizing and disturbing experiences in the Christian life when a dear friend or family member, abandons his/her profession of faith. I’ve known this very personally and painfully, both among my relations and in my pastoral ministry. I was asked to give some guidance to these pastors and elders on how to deal with such situations in their own congregations. I assumed that every attempt had been made to recover the lost “sheep,” and that the members had been excommunicated. So my advice was really limited to how to minister to the hurting and p...

This is exciting News! Sacramento is hosting this year's Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology. In fact, this is the last year it will be held in Sacramento. Two of the speakers at the conference are D.A. Carson and Philip Ryken. Well, that's great news; but that's not the exciting news. The exciting news is that they will both be preaching at Soaring Oaks Presbyterian Church on Sunday, March 7th and there is no registration fee. No that's really exciting news. Soaring Oaks is a small church and to have these two men preaching there is truly a blessing from God. We are looking forward to this with great anticipation and much prayer.

I will be posting excerpts from the writing of Iain Murray over the course of the next week or so. Tomorrow will be excerpts from his book "Evangelicalism Divided" which a very prominent pastor has recently pulled out of context and twisted. From: A Senior Saint on Unity By Iain H. Murray Christians agree that unity is the gift of the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:3). It follows that when believers experience more of his grace and power, the bond between them will grow . Conversely, what William Hamilton once said is true, "The more carnal a Christian is, the more sectarian he will be." ( Note: Sectarian, i.e. One characterized by bigoted adherence to a factional viewpoint ) An outpouring of the Spirit always brings greater unity. What Daniel Baker reported as happening in the revival at Beaufort, South Carolina, was true in many parts of the States at the time of the Second Great Awakening: "The effect no one can conceive who was not present. Politics were laid a...

I urge all to go to this link and listen: This should concern anyone and everyone who is familiar with the writings of Iain Murray and/or who has thoughtfully read "Evangelicalism Divided". Murray's statements are being pulled out of context and he is being misrepresented to support one man's personal agenda. Does anyone read anymore? Does anyone hold a man accountable if he should misrepresent the statements of another? This is scary stuff. It is one thing to encourage Christians to be discriminating regarding doctrine and to examine themselves to see if they are in the faith. It is an all together different thing being promoted by this man. There is a difference between false teachers and weak confused genuine believers. I am trusting the Lord that the parties whom I have contacted, to make them aware of this, will set the record straight.

The more I learn of the controversies that have plagued the Church throughout history, the more I realize that we are like mice on that little wheel in their cage; going round and round, repeating the same arguments--over and over and over again. I am beginning to think that many have fallen in love with the squeaking noise that the wheel makes. I was reading "Differences in Judgement about Water Baptism, No Bar to Communion" by John Bunyon published in 1673 and discovered that the arguments presented in this 40 page publication are the very same arguments one may read by the men of today. Well, actually they are more versed then the arguments of today (on both sides). John Bunyon answers a book written by the Baptists entitled "Some Serious Reflections on that Part of Mr. Bunyon's Confession of Faith..." he begins his answer by saying: "But before I enter the body of your book, give me leave a little to discourse you about your preamble to the same, wh...

While reading through a treatise, I came across the following statements and was astonished. They were not contained within the same chapter; but they were part of the same treatise. Can you guess who said the following: But because the counsel of God is incomprehensible, we confess that in order to obtain salvation it is necessary to have recourse to the means which God has ordained; for we are not of the number of fanatics who, under colour of the eternal predestination of God, have no regard to arrive by the right path at the life which is promised to us; but rather we hold, that in order to be adopted children of God , and to have proper certainty of it, we must believe in Jesus Christ, inasmuch as it is in him alone that we must seek the whole grounds of our salvation. The same man said elsewhere: Moreover, we believe, that since baptism is a treasure which God has placed in His Church, all the members ought to partake of it. Now we doubt not that little children born of Christian...

Paedo vs. Credo baptism will continue to be a difference that will divide the church in terms of Church unity, as it relates to church membership. It is one of the few theological differences that is, not only held in the mind and conscience of it's adherents, but also requires an outward action be administered by church leadership and received by congregants. Therefore, holding differing views on baptism (as it is tied to a sacrament) will continue to necessitate a distinct separation in terms of "doing" church. However, many of the other theological differences that currently divide the church, when included in a local body's statement of faith, do not require outward actions be preformed. Therefore, let us not "throw the baby out with the bath water" so to speak--by using the difference between baptism to distract us from doing what we can to remove the sinful practice of further dividing the church by requiring that any individual desiring to join ...