Podcasts about bucer

In this episode, our hosts Taniel Chemsian and Risa Morimoto sit down with expats Craig Strong and Randy Bennett to dive deeply into life in Puerto Vallarta (PV).  They have covered everything from driving regulations for temporary versus permanent residents, navigating banking and money transfers, and even tips for bringing your furry friends along. They also discuss the housing market, including price points for various neighborhoods and the emphasis on using trustworthy realtors and legal guidance for property purchases. Discover essential insights about healthcare options, insurance coverage, and the advantages of Mexico's tropical climate. Plus, learn about everyday living hacks like virtual mailboxes and phone plans that seamlessly transition to life abroad.  Whether you're considering a temporary stay or making a permanent move, this episode is packed with invaluable advice to help make your dream retirement in Mexico a reality. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts!   Don't miss out on our free webinar, where experts cover everything you need to know about relocating to Mexico—from the best places to live to essential healthcare information for expats. Register at dreamretirementinmexico.com/webinar. Key Moments:  09:08 Stunning picture of Los Arcos in Puerto Vallarta. 12:09 Bucerías growth, housing prices, and Vallarta location. 26:30 Preferring medical care in Mexico over the US. 35:54 Vallarta has diverse housing markets with varying prices. 43:18 Residency determines car registration and tax validity. 49:19 Limited English, no mail, used traveling mailbox. 54:43 Living abroad is cheaper and less stressful. 01:01:05 Moving to PV without a job, debts. 01:06:00 Urban growth brings infrastructure challenges and politics. 01:14:24 HOA fees vary based on building amenities. 01:20:09 DIF card offers discounts for seniors. Lovely place with kind and generous people.

Between the Banner Youth and Ministers' Conferences we had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Ligon Duncan, Chancellor/CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary. We discussed his early years, training for ministry, the mission of RTS, and some of the Banner books he has benefitted from over the years.   Ligon's Banner Picks: Brooks, Thomas, Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices - https://banneroftruth.org/store/christian-living/precious-remedies-against-satans-devices/ Bucer, Martin, Concerning the True Care of Souls - https://banneroftruth.org/store/church-ministry/concerning-the-true-care-of-souls/ Marlorat, Augustin, Prayers on the Psalms: From the Scottish Psalter of 1595 (Pocket Puritans) - https://banneroftruth.org/store/devotionalsdaily-readings/prayers-on-the-psalms/ Warfield, B. B., Faith and Life (note especially the address 'The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:16, 17) - https://banneroftruth.org/store/theology/faith-life/ Warfield, B. B., The Saviour of the World - https://banneroftruth.org/store/sermons-and-expositions/the-saviour-of-the-world/   Other Resources Mentioned: Blair Smith, D., and Miller, Matthew, eds., From Generation to Generation: Writings in Honour of Douglas F. Kelly (Christian Focus, 2023). - https://www.christianfocus.com/products/3162/generation-to-generation Cunningham, William, An Introduction to Theological Studies (edited and introduced by J. Ligon Duncan III) - www.abebooks.co.uk/9781884416026/Introduction-Theological-Studies-Lectures-William-1884416020/plp Garretson, James, ed., Princeton and the Work of the Christian Ministry: A Collection of Addresses and Articles by Faculty and Friends of Princeton Theological Seminary (2 Vols, in Vol. 2 of which can be found Warfield's 'The Religious Life of Theological Students'). - https://banneroftruth.org/store/church-ministry/princeton-and-the-work-of-the-christian-ministry-3/ Witsius, Herman, The Character of a Genuine Theologian (some of the lecture, but not all, accessible here): - https://books.google.com/books?id=MVQAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA158&dq=witsius+character+theologian&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1)   For more information: Dr. Ligon Duncan: https://ligonduncan.com/ Reformed Theological Seminary: https://rts.edu/   Explore the work of the Banner: www.banneroftruth.org Subscribe to the magazine (print/digital/both): www.banneroftruth.org/magazine Leave us a voice message: www.speakpipe.com/magazinepodcast

This is a special encore episode of my popular Christian History series while I take a Sabbatical.This episode is 7th part of the 16th Century and the 31st Part of the Christian History series. It introduces Martin Bucer and John Calvin.Here are the sources I used:"A Concise History of Christian Thought" by Tony Lanehttps://www.amazon.com/Concise-History-Christian-Thought/dp/0801031591/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?keywords=Christian+Thinkers+Tony+Lane&qid=1579476358&sr=8-1-fkmr2“Classic Christian Thinkers: An Introduction” By Ken Samples.https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Christian-Thinkers-Kenneth-Richard-ebook/dp/B07P83JHZZ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=Classic+Christian+Thinkers&qid=1581803169&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyOUwzS0oxMk5GMzlSJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTgwODYxM0lMWTBGSVNJRzdLUSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTQ5MDUwODIyNEtSSkZXREU1JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

A new MP3 sermon from The Sterling Pulpit is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Voices of the Reformation-Martin Bucer Subtitle: Voices of the Reformation Speaker: Brian S. Wright Broadcaster: The Sterling Pulpit Event: Sunday - PM Date: 2/25/2024 Length: 36 min.

In this episode, Risa showcases the top beach towns in Mexico for 2024 that are perfect for a dream retirement. From the laid-back lifestyle of Playa Del Carmen on the Riviera Maya, to the affordable paradise of Bucerías, and the perpetual summer climate of Cabo San Lucas, Risa explores the diverse retirement options available in Mexico.  She discusses the top places where expats are going plus nearby alternatives for those who may not be able to afford these popular beach towns. Join us as we delve into the low cost of living, lively expat communities, and the abundance of outdoor activities awaiting retirees in these sought-after locations. Whether you're dreaming of snorkeling, hiking amidst Mayan Ruins, or savoring fiery Mexican flavors, these town destinations offer an idyllic retirement haven for those seeking adventure and relaxation.  Stay tuned as Risa also shares insights into Puerto Vallarta, Playa del Carmen, and Cabo San Lucas, and invites you to a free webinar on retiring in Mexico. Don't miss this episode highlighting the top beach towns in Mexico for your dream retirement in 2024.   Want to learn more about purchasing real estate in Mexico?Join our FREE WEBINAR! Host Risa Morimoto, Puerto Vallarta real estate broker Taniel Chemsian, and healthcare specialist Pamela Thompson share their expertise and insider knowledge about the most popular expat destinations in Mexico, basics of buying real estate and healthcare options for foreigners. They will be there to guide you through the process and answer any questions you may have.   To secure your spot, simply visit www.dreamretirementinmexico.com/webinar and choose the date and time that works best for you.   Key Moments:  06:34 Choose neighborhood, reputable agent, real estate basics. 08:23 Puerto Vallarta: diverse, vibrant community, beach alternative. 10:46 Bucerías: Sun, beach, outdoor lifestyle, community, golf. 15:03 Cabo lifestyle: laid back, diverse, affordable. 18:43 Consider Todos Santos, a vibrant Baja neighbor. 22:53 Todos Santos: a cultural beach town tapestry. 25:18 Playa del Carmen's summer heats with seaweed. 28:04 In Playa del Carmen, diverse community, personal growth.

In this episode of Dream Retirement In Mexico podcast, hosts Risa Morimoto and Taniel Chemsian take you on a virtual tour of Puerto Vallarta's neighborhoods, highlighting the real estate opportunities in Fluvial, the romantic zone, and the marina area, while also sharing insights into the 2023 real estate market. Additionally, Risa and Taniel discuss their personal experiences and property renovations, offering valuable tips for retirees and investors.   Interested in learning more about relocating or retiring to Mexico?   Join our FREE WEBINAR - Dream Retirement in Mexico.    Host Risa Morimoto, Puerto Vallarta real estate broker Taniel Chemsian, and healthcare specialist Pamela Thompson share their expertise and insider knowledge about the most popular expat destinations in Mexico, basics of buying real estate and healthcare options for foreigners. They will be there to guide you through the process and answer any questions you may have. To secure your spot, simply visit www.dreamretirementinmexico.com/webinar and choose the date and time that works best for you.   Stay tuned for practical insights on retiring and investing in Mexico, and until next time, happy retirement dreaming!   Key Moments:  05:52 Real estate market shows strong travel trends. 09:08 Amapas and surrounding areas see construction growth. 12:12 Investment property tax advice for potential buyers. 15:51 Urban area attracts various demographics with activities. 17:12 Romantic Zone offers varied, limited scenic views. 24:10 Rapid development in the small town of Bucerías. 26:12 Consider pre-construction for rising property values, or rent.

Concerning baptism, in the 16th century, civil governments viewed infant baptism as the act that made the newly born baby a member of society and a member of the church. Luther, Zwingli, Bucer, and all 16th-century reformers except Anabaptists agreed with the Roman Catholic Church that infants must be baptized. The reasons each of these […] The post Reformation Views of Baptism & The Lords Supper appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This is a repost of one of our earliest episodes with Dr. N. Scott Amos, a leading scholar on the 16th century figure Martin Bucer who played an important part in both the English and continental Reformations (and as we discuss in this episode, on the Book of Common Prayer.) This is a link to the book that Dr. Amos edited recently for the Reformation Commentary on Scripture series https://www.amazon.com/Joshua-Judges-Reformation-Commentary-Scripture/dp/0830829547 Dr. Amos is the Professor of History and Chair of the History Department at the University Lynchburg. He is the author of the book Bucer, Ephesians, and Biblical Humanism: The Exegete as Theologian published in 2015, and is the editor of the recently published fourth volume of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture for the books of Joshua, Judges, & Ruth.

Gott sei Dank, unzählige Menschen setzen sich tagtäglich rund um den Globus für eine gerechtere Welt und ein besseres Zusammenleben ein. Auch der Blick in die Geschichte lohnt sich. Oft waren es überzeugte Christen, einfache Menschen, Männer und Frauen, die aus ihrem Glauben heraus den Kampf gegen das Unrecht angetreten haben. Exemplarisch werden wir das Lebenswerk von fünf dieser herausragenden Persönlichkeiten gemeinsam beleuchten. Am Sonntag starten wir mit Martin Bucer, einem Brückenbauer unter den Reformatoren. Predigt aus dem Gottesdienst der G26 am 16.10.2022 Predigt: Stefan Taubmann Im Talk mit Stefan: Annett Lüdecke Du kannst selbst leider nicht in die G26 kommen? Dann sei gern über YouTube Teil der Gemeinschaft: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDpE7VQ0xhY&t=1s

Este relato es muy especial para el equipo de Frecuencia Paranormal. Fue hecho con mucho cariño en memoria de Miguel Ángel, o "Micky", como todos lo conocíamos. Él fue un amigo muy cercano a nosotros. Este es un vídeo muy diferente al resto que hemos hecho. En esta ocasión, les compartimos una experiencia personal de Marco, miembro de Frecuencia Paranormal. Él tuvo una experiencia relacionada con el avistamiento de una niña fantasma. Sobre lo demás... no hay mucho más que explicar aquí. Las palabras no alcanzan para describir esto que les compartimos. Así que dejaremos que este material hable por nosotros. ¡Feliz cumpleaños hasta el cielo, Micky! ► Lugar de los hechos : Bucerías, Nayarit, México ► Fecha: Verano de 2009 ► Experiencia compartida por : Marco Rodríguez, en memoria de Miguel Ángel, "Micky" ¿Tienes un relato que te gustaría compartir en esta Frecuencia? Envíalo a: frecuencia.paranormal.oficial@gmail.com

Este relato es muy especial para el equipo de Frecuencia Paranormal. Fue hecho con mucho cariño en memoria de Miguel Ángel, o "Micky", como todos lo conocíamos. Él fue un amigo muy cercano a nosotros. Este es un vídeo muy diferente al resto que hemos hecho. En esta ocasión, les compartimos una experiencia personal de Marco, miembro de Frecuencia Paranormal. Él tuvo una experiencia relacionada con el avistamiento de una niña fantasma. Sobre lo demás... no hay mucho más que explicar aquí. Las palabras no alcanzan para describir esto que les compartimos. Así que dejaremos que este material hable por nosotros. ¡Feliz cumpleaños hasta el cielo, Micky!► Lugar de los hechos : Bucerías, Nayarit, México ► Fecha: Verano de 2009 ► Experiencia compartida por : Marco Rodríguez, en memoria de Miguel Ángel, "Micky"¿Tienes un relato que te gustaría compartir en esta Frecuencia? Envíalo a:frecuencia.paranormal.oficial@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aula ministrada na Escola Dominical da Igreja Presbiteriana de Vila Guarani no dia 24/04/2022

Brief bios of influential men and women. Class 12: November 21, 2021. Andrew Dionne.

Our Text: Luther and the False Brethren (1975) From 1522 to his death in 1546 Luther clashed with a succession of major evangelical opponents. First there was Karlstadt, then Müntzer, then Zwingli, Oecolampadius, Bucer, and the other sacramentarians, then John Agricola, and finally Kaspar Schwenckfeld and once again the Swiss sacramentarians. For the most part, these opponents accepted the central reformation principles and assumptions that differentiated evangelicals from Catholics.* At the same time, they came to conclusions different from Luther's on issues such as acceptable ceremonial practice, the real presence in the Lord's Supper, the separation of secular and spiritual authority, and the relation between law and gospel. As it happened, they were able to convince a large number of evangelicals to accept their positions, and, consequently, they posed a major challenge to Luther's version of the gospel message and to his authority within the reformation movement. There are several ways in which controversies between evangelicals and Catholics differed strikingly from controversies among evangelicals. In controversies between evangelicals and Catholics, Luther usually made an effort not to attach his name to the beliefs he espoused when challenged by other evangelicals, he occasionally supplemented his theological arguments with claims about himself and his special role in the reformation movement. In controversies between evangelicals and Catholics, each side accused the other of satanic motivation and exchanged the vilest personal abuse; in controversies among evangelicals, the accusations of demonic possession and the ad hominem abuse tended to come more from Luther than from his opponents. Again and again Luther accused Zwingli, Oecolampadius, Bucer, Agricola, Bullinger, and Schwenckfeld of being false brethren and lying hypocrites, but these men generally acknowledged that Luther was a fellow Christian even though he erred. And although Catholic and evangelical opponents alike attacked Luther's authority, whereas the Catholics attempted to discredit it entirely, the evangelical opponents rarely asserted that Luther had no legitimate authority, insisting only that Luther, like any other man, could be in error. Bio on Mark U. EdwardsOther References of Interest:  The Thinking Fellows – C.S. Lewis Commentary on Romans – Philipp Melanchthon The Toys that Made Us (Netflix) Questions? Comments? Show Ideas? Send them to us at http://higherthings.org/contact.

*William A. Clebsch & Charles R. Jaekle, Pastoral Care in Historical Perspective. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC. New York, NY. (1975) 1994.

Neste vídeo retirando de nossa live de #Perguntas e #Respostas, mostraremos: "Unbox: Teologia Pastoral do Martin Bucer ” Confira a seguir!

Neste vídeo retirando de nossa live de #Perguntas e #Respostas, mostraremos: "Unbox: Teologia Pastoral do Martin Bucer ” Confira a seguir!

King Philip of Hesse, Part 2 of Holy Priesthood Volume 4 http://ogdenkraut.com/?page_id=126 Pages 154 to 165   The three powerhouses that ramrodded the Reformation were Luther, Melanchthon, and Bucer–the latter being an eminent theologian, friend and advisor to King Philip, the Landgrave. Bucer was “utterly horrified” when he learned that his good friend, Philip, who was one of the most important defenses of the Reformation, was about to commit bigamy. Bucer rushed to Philip’s castle at Melsungen in an attempt to dissuade the Prince from a terrible mistake. Bucer listened to Philip’s arguments–the main one being his desire for a son to inherit the throne, and had scriptural references to justify it. Philip further stated that if the Reformers wouldn’t assist him, he would turn to the Catholic Emperor. Bucer was stunned and took the problem to Luther. This was a matter that would take more than a day for the leading Reformers to solve.  

We're continuing our survey of some of the key players of the 16th century Protestant Reformation. In this episode we're surveying the life of Martin Bucer, the German Reformer who was influenced by Luther and who, in turn, influenced Calvin. He's a man who I'll admit was mostly a stranger to me before I began researching this episode. I've since come to appreciate his commitment to the Gospel and the Christian unity.RESOURCES The One Year Christian History (eBay): https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-One-Year-Christian-History-One-Year-Books-by-Rusten-E-Michael-Paperbac/114769409935 Banner of Truth: https://banneroftruth.org/us/about/banner-authors/martin-bucer/ Reformation 500: https://reformation500.csl.edu/bio/martin-bucer/ Ligonier Ministries: https://www.ligonier.org/blog/martin-bucer-reformer-and-his-times/ Theopedia: https://www.theopedia.com/martin-bucer Desiring God: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-protestant-melting-pot 9 Marks: https://www.9marks.org/article/the-story-of-john-calvin-and-martin-bucer/ Intro Music: Country Strumstick Mountain Hop, by Andy Slatter

In this episode, Herman Selderhuis and I talk about the reformers, and in particular John Calvin, Martin Luther, and Martin Bucer. For his book on Calvin, see here. And for his work on Luther, see here.

I was honored to have a great discussion with leading Reformation scholar N. Scott Amos on the sometimes overlooked 16th century Reformation figure Martin Bucer, and Bucer's influence on Anglican liturgy and the Book of Common Prayer. We primarily discuss content and background of his article "Martin Bucer and the Revision of the 1549 Prayer Book" in the Reformation & Renaissance Review. Dr. Amos is the Professor of History and Chair of the History Department at the University Lynchburg. He is the author of the book Bucer, Ephesians, and Biblical Humanism: The Exegete as Theologian published in 2015, and is the editor of the upcoming fourth volume of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture for the books of Joshua, Judges, & Ruth. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this second part of This week on Tudor history for the week beginning 22nd February, historian and author Claire Ridgway introduces a literary patron and her husband, a clergyman who ended up dying on a voyage far from home and being buried at sea, and a famous reformer whose peacemaking and pragmatic approach failed to heal rifts and please people. Oh and he ended up being dug up and posthumously tried for heresy, and burnt!   You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/ED-IG_znvZs   24th or 25th February 1618 - Death of Elizabeth Carey (née Spencer), Lady Hunsdon. Elizabeth was a renowned literary patron and was one of the Spencers of Althorp.   26th February 1548 - Birth of Elizabeth Carey's husband, Sir George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon, son of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon, and grandson of Mary Boleyn.   27th February 1583 - Death of clergyman and diarist Richard Madox at sea, near Espirito Santo harbour, near Vitória, Brazil. Madox was on a trading voyage at the time and kept a diary which is a wonderful source of the lead-up to the voyage and tthe voyage itself.   28th February/1st March 1551 - Death of Martin Bucer, the famous theologian and Protestant reformer at Cambridge. As well as his reform and works, Bucer was known for his peacemaking and pragmatic approach. He had good intentions, wanting to avoid schism, but he ended up not pleasing anyone.   Claire's video on the burning of the remains of Bucer and Fagius can be viewed at  https://youtu.be/lwVXkWK3q-k More "On this day" events for 25-28 February: February 25 - The execution of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex - https://youtu.be/lQ0nFNgD74s February 25 - Elizabeth I is excommunicated - https://youtu.be/sS__T7HLURM February 26 – Christopher Marlowe – a rather colourful character! - https://youtu.be/QnT2Qp7RuXc February 26 - The sad ends of loyal men - https://youtu.be/tSH2feVoYHQ February 27 - The Battle of Ancrum Moor and a legendary stone - https://youtu.be/LMEowRAmMns February 27 - The ends of three Catholics at Tyburn - https://youtu.be/zsUSrhyWnwA February 28 - Thomas Forret, a chief heretic and teacher of heresy - https://youtu.be/f3_SnmqCcmk February 28 and 29 - The fugitive wizard earl and an awful burning - https://youtu.be/UBeu4Gz9CNM   -- Claire Ridgway Historian and author, founder of the Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society www.theanneboleynfiles.com www.tudorsociety.com https://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFiles http://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/ https://twitter.com/thetudorsociety https://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/ https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/

En este episodio hablaremos de "Depresión y gracia: el cuidado de Dios por el sufrimiento de sus siervos" del pastor Wilson Porte, Pastor de la Iglesia Bautista "Liberdade en Araraquara", Sao Paulo, profesor y presidente del Seminario Martín Bucer, y miembro del consejero de la Coalición por el Evangelio (TGC Brasil). ¡Acompáñanos una vez más! Intro & Outro –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Wait For Me - Jeff II https://youtu.be/YuBBSQI2XDQ Creative Commons Attribution Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/wait-for-me-jeff-ii Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/wVdnM1hWLwU –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Background :::::::::::::::::::: Music: All That - Bensound https://www.bensound.com Support by RFM - NCM: https://bit.ly/2xGHypM :::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::: Music: Hope Against Hope by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://audionautix.com/ Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/mUALjFA8DkE :::::::::::::::::::: --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/imagen-bautista/message

La franja costera del estado mexicano de Nayarit esconde una sucesión de pueblos con mucha alma. En esta aventura sonora recorremos la carretera federal 200 desde el extremo sur de la región, donde se levanta Nuevo Vallarta, una joven ciudad puramente hotelera junto a la playa. Más allá de esta excepción a la regla, la ruta discurre hacia el litoral más auténtico, donde el turismo se integra con la vida cotidiana de unas gentes cálidas, simpáticas y hospitalarias. Conducimos por túneles vegetales entre bosques húmedos y las estribaciones de la Sierra Madre Occidental, paisajes hechizantes que vamos saboreando en los cortos desplazamientos entre las paradas del camino. Comenzamos paseando por el peculiar pueblo ostrícola de Bucerías con Jorge Grimaldi, gerente del hotel Refugio del Mar. Además la propietaria de Mariscos El Chino, Rocío Andalón, nos invita a probar los famosos ostiones que hacen famoso al lugar. Más al norte, en el cercano pueblo de La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, el fundador de Argos Marine, Jason Foster, nos muestra la Marina Riviera Nayarit, un agradable puerto que da cobijo a embarcaciones de pesca y recreo. Nuestro recorrido continúa hasta Punta de Mita; desde allí, el guía Carlos Saldaña y el propietario de lanchas turísticas Isaí Pelayo nos permiten conocer la reserva marina de Islas Marietas, dos grandes formaciones rocosas con una inmensa riqueza de aves y fauna submarina. De vuelta en el continente, el artista wixárika Cilau Valadez nos recibe en el bohemio pueblo de Sayulita, donde el instructor de surf Héctor 'Papas' González nos anima a probar las olas de su playa principal. La siguiente escala la hacemos en San Francisco –alias San Pancho– para conversar con Angélica Contreras y Sergio Romo, propietaria y chef, respectivamente, del restaurante Las Palmas. En la avenida principal descubrimos dos magníficas iniciativas sociales que tienen el apoyo a la infancia como denominador común: el centro comunitario Entreamigos y el Circo de los Niños de San Pancho. El director de proyectos ambientales del primero, Abraham Vivas, y la coordinadora del segundo, Glades Castro, nos presentan sus actividades. El viaje enfila su recta final en Lo de Marcos, una aldea encajada entre la Sierra de Vallejo y la playa. Allí el responsable de Xplore México, Oliver Cruz, nos propone experiencias de naturaleza y aventura por los alrededores, incluida una travesía hasta la Isla de Coral. Con el capitán Mauricio Rosales navegamos hasta ese diminuto universo de biodiversidad frente a la costa de Rincón de Guayabitos. Histórico de emisiones: 14/12/19 Escuchar audio

Hovoří: Miroslav Frydrych

Audio Transcript:This media has been made available by Mosaic Boston Church. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston and our neighborhood churches, or donate to this ministry, please visit mosaicboston.com.We'd love to connect with you. We do that through the connection card, either the physical connection card or the one that you can get online or in the app. With that said, would you pray with me over the preaching of God's Holy word? Lord, we come to you with humble and grateful hearts for the fact that you, the God of the universe did not reject us when we rebelled against you. Instead, you chose to pour out your love upon us. You chose to extend mercy to us and grace. Lord, we take a moment now to repent of the fact that we take your love for granted, we take your acceptance for granted, we take a relationship with you for granted. Lord, we repent of the fact that often we are bored in our relationship with you. We are apathetic toward you. I pray today, Lord, send a fire of affection, a fire of zeal into our hearts today. With that fire, burn off the draws of indifference and apathy and stir our hearts to love you like never before. Deepen our relationship with you.Deepen our understanding of what it means to be a child of God adopted into your family through the sacrifice of our older brother, Jesus Christ. Who came and did absolutely everything that was required by your law, and then died on a cross bearing the weight of our sin, bearing the wrath that we deserve for our law breaking. Holy spirit, come now into this place, come now and fill our hearts. Continue to lead us, continue to guide us, continue to fill us. We thank you for the Holy scriptures. I pray that you take these words that you have given us, help us understand them, and I pray that they go deeper than the mind and into the heart and transform the will. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen. We're starting a new sermon series today through the book of Malachi which is at the very center of scripture, so to speak. In that, this book is at the end of the Old Testament, and it's right before the New Testament. We are going to spend four weeks in the book of Malachi covering the four chapters.That's going to lead us immediately into the beginning of Matthew. We'll cover Malachi chapters, one, two, three, and four. Then that leads us into advent with Matthew chapter one and two. The title of the sermon today is eternal love. I'm praying the Lord helps us understand his love for us. If you haven't heard, this is a big week in the United States. If you haven't heard, the election is this week. This election has been called the most important, the most monumental, the most consequential election of our lifetime, maybe. Today I want to talk about election, but a more important, more consequential, more monumental election. Today I want to talk about God's sovereign election of people, of us, of believers before the foundation of the world. I want to talk about his love that's a divine love, a sovereign love, an eternal love, a particular love and an electing love. The word Malachi, Malachi of the prophet, Malachi just means my messenger.God has a message for his people. It's the final message given to the people of God, the people of Israel before 400 years of silence before John the Baptizer comes as the prophet preceding, preparing the way for Christ. It's the final instructions. The context is that Israel has been brought back from Babylon. They've been in the promised land for about 100, 120 years. They've rebuilt the temple during the years of Ezra. Nehemiah has come in and rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. As they're rebuilding, they're getting back to worshiping God, to the religious rituals. They're getting back to what it meant to have a relationship with God. On the outside, everything looks great. But on the inside, there's corruption and God sends Malachi to the people of God with the question, how are you doing spiritually? How are you doing deep inside? How's your relationship with the Lord? Their very first answer is, we're fine. We're doing well. Then Malachi in a very systematic way unfolds where they have fallen short of worshiping God, giving Him the worship that He deserves. Malachi is bringing to them a message that's hard.It's hard to hear. God, through Malachi, is confronting their apathy, their indifference to God. They're going through the motions, but their heart is far from God. God speaks through Malachi. 47 to 55 verses are God speaking directly to the people of God. God's goal is to wake them up from this indifference, apathy, numbness, desensitization that they're feeling toward God and get them to a place where they reposition their lives to live lives that God delights to bless. What's fascinating about the book of Malachi is it ends with a warning. The last word of the book is destruction or curse. It's the only of the prophetic books that ends in such a manner. It ends this way because before us is a choice, is a decision. Do we want a blessing or do we want a curse? The instructions are given here to live lives that God loves to bless, lives honorable to God. Today we're in Malachi Chapter 1. We'll cover the whole chapter. Would you look at the text with me, Malachi Chapter 1?The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. "I have loved you." Says the Lord. But you say, "How have you loved us? Is not Esau Jacob's brother?" Declares the Lord, "Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I've hated. I've laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert." If Edom says, "We are shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins." The Lord of hosts says, "They may build, but I will tear down and they will be called the wicked country and the people with whom the Lord is angry forever. Your own eyes shall see this and you shall say, great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel. A son honors his father and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? If I am a master, where is my fear?" Says the Lord of hosts to you, priests who despise my name. But you say, "How have we despised your name?" By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, "How have we polluted you?" By saying that the Lord's table may be despised."When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? When you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor, will he accept you or show you favor?" Says the Lord of hosts. "Now entreat the favor of God that He may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will He show favor to any of you?" Says the Lord of hosts. "That there were one among you who would shut the doors that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain. I have no pleasure in you." Says the Lord of hosts "and I will not accept an offering from your hand. For from the rising of the sun to its setting, my name will be great among the nations and in every place, incense will be offered to my name and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations." Says the Lord of hosts. But you profane it. When you say that the Lord's table is polluted and it's fruit, that is, it's food may be despised.But you say, "What a weariness this is?" You snort at it, says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. "You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering? Shall I accept that from your hand?" Says the Lord. "Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock and vows it and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King ..." says the Lord of hosts, "and my name will be feared among the nations." This the reading of God's Holy inherent and infallible, authoritative word. May you write these eternal truths upon our hearts. Two points to frame our time together. First, we'll talk about the spiritual diagnosis as given by Malachi, which is apathy. Then the spiritual medicine, which is election. First, the spiritual diagnosis, apathy. Malachi 1:1 says, the oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. The word oracle here means burden.It means something that God has given to him, it's heavy on his shoulders. He's bringing it and not because he wants to, but because he has to. Jeremiah talks about a word that God puts into his bones that's like a fire in his bones, not to be trifled with, not to be changed, not to be disregarded or played with. Half the verses and the texts have something to say along the lines of, thus says the Lord or says the Lord or says the Lord almighty. It's not just the word about God, it's the word from God. A word to instill in us trepidation before the holiness of God, the judgment of God, the eternal condemnation of God. It's a burden to be delivered to whom? This is fascinating. It's not just the pagans, it's not to people who don't know anything about God or the word of God or things of God. It's people who love God. It's people who are raised in the faith. People who knew about the faith, the Old Testament covenant. They knew this from infancy. Because they've known it from infancy, they have grown indifferent to it.When God started a relationship with the people of Israel, it's a relationship that he compared to marriage. It's a covenant relationship. He chose to pour out his love on Israel. Now it's grown tepid. It's grown lukewarm. There's a passion leak that happened along the way. It's become a functional relationship. Almost like a functional marriage where you stay together just because of the kids or you stay together because you've been together for so long. It's a functional relationship with the Lord. God comes to them, and the very first thing that He says is, "I love you." Their response is a lukewarm, "Well, how do we know that he loves us?" The reason why he starts there is because they've lost the fire of love toward God. They've grown apathetic toward God. Spiritual apathy is something that every single believer, every single Christian needs to watch out for. But it's so sinister because it's hard to watch out for it. It doesn't come out of nowhere. It creeps in and we grow apathetic by degree. It's like the parable about the frog. How do you boil a frog alive?You throw it into cool water and then just warm up the water, warm up the water until it boils. That's how apathy works in our heart. No one starts off in a relationship with apathy. No one starts out with a relationship with God apathetically. It sneaks in. Sneaks in perhaps because we had expectations that were not met by God. "God, why did you allow this to happen?" That's what happened in Israel. They came back. The temple was rebuilt, but it was just a shadow of itself. Only 100,000 Jewish believers returned when they were a nation of millions. They come back and they said, "Does God really love us? It seems like the nations around us are prospering more than we do." It's hard to spot spiritual apathy in us, but the telltale sign of spiritual apathy is self-justification. I feel this. This is my reality. This is my experience, and I am right to feel this. If my relationship with God is not more passionate, then it's not on me. It's actually on Him.If God wants me to feel different about Him, He should've given me a lot in life, given me a different hand to play. God should have given me the things that I thought He would give me. Then I'd feel better about Him. That's what we see in this text. God comes to them. God wants to show them how apathetic they are to Him, and their reaction was self-justification. Meaning, we have a reason to feel this. Nine times in the scriptures, God is attempting to have a conversation with them. We see the phrase, but you say. Malachi 1:2, "I have loved you ..." says the Lord, "but you say ..." But the people of Israel, this is their response. "How have you loved us." Assumption, you haven't loved us. You haven't showing your love to us. Malachi 1:6B, priests who despise my name. But you say, "How have we despised your name?" God's saying, "You're hating." "How have we hated you?" Malachi 1:7, "By offering polluted food upon my altar." But you say, "How have we polluted you?"Malachi 1:13, but you say, "What a weariness this is? You snort at it." Says the Lord of hosts. God says, "I want a relationship with you. I want to bless you." They said, "But it's so boring to follow you. What a weariness it is." Malachi 2:13-14, He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. But you say, "Why does He not?" They're blame shifting. God is saying, "You're bringing offerings that's your leftovers, your second best to the Lord." They said, "But that's on God. That's God's fault that He isn't accepting what we're bringing Him." The same thing that Cain did. Malachi 2:17, You have wearied the Lord with your words, but you say, "How have we wearied him?" Malachi 3:7, "Return to me and I will return to you." Says the Lord of hosts. But you say, "How shall we return?" Malachi 3:8, will man rob God? You are robbing me. But you say, "How have we robbed you?" Malachi 3:13, "Your words have been hard against me." Says the Lord. But you say, "How have we spoken against you?"God is saying, "You've offended me." "How have we offended you Lord?" It's a hard-hearted reaction to God. Instead of repenting, they are self-justifying. The worst part, isn't just the indifference, it's the response to the person. How great is the person's God and God's love in which is an incredible love. Malachi 1:2, God comes. The very first words on the lips of God in this book are, "I have loved you." In Hebrew, it's not just, "I have loved you in the past." But, "I have loved you with such a great love and I continue to love you despite everything." Their response to that is shocking. But you say, "How have you loved us?" The response is, "We don't feel loved God. It's your fault that we don't feel loved." "I love you." But we don't feel loved. You're not doing enough to show us that you love us. What would warrant such a response? Part of it is, they're so focused on their situation. There is financial, political, relationship turmoil in their lives. God comes to them and says, "I love you."They say, "That's nice, but what have you done for me lately? What about my bills? What about my relationships? What about our health? What about my housing? My prospects, my past, present and future." You can tell from their responses, they're dead inside. They're callous. They're numb toward God. The word apathetic comes from the Greek apatheia, which means no feeling. They don't feel anything toward God. There's a dryness. There's a stupor. There's a senselessness. There's a boredom. That's what Malachi 1:13, their response is, "What a weariness this is? God, we're bored with religion. We're bored of the things of God. We're bored with the word of God. We're bored with God." If you're a parent and if you have kids, you've had this and it happens all the time. My kids come to me and are like, "Dad, I'm bored. I am so ..." Especially over quarantine it's like, "I am so bored. There's nothing to do. There's nothing to wear. There's no place to go. There's nothing to eat." Nothing to eat, always that comes after mom makes soup. They look at it and they say, "There's nothing to eat."Which is the biggest slap in the face to a parent. It's like ... My response is, "You should be lucky you're here. You're welcome. I have gifted you with existence. You're bored and partially because you're not doing anything. Go wash the dishes. Vacuum the car. Go do something." That's part of it. But the other, then you start to analyze what's going on in their heart. What's going on in their heart is, they think that you exist for them, that you, parent, exist to entertain them. They're at the center of the universe. "Mom, dad do everything that I demand. I am bored." That's what Israel is doing. I'm bored with you, God. You're not doing enough to meet our needs, to meet our demands. Now you see that really the core issue of this boredom, of this apathy, of this indifference is pride. That God, you exist for us and you're not doing enough for us. Why do they say that? Because they're focused on their circumstances. So focused on their situation, their financial situation, their health situation, their relational situation.Whenever we get too focused on our situation, too focused on ourselves, no matter how wonderful you are, no matter how wonderful your situation is, no matter how much you accomplish, no matter how prosperous your life, you will always get to a point where you get bored with you. If you're focused on you, you will always get bored with you because you are not enough to satisfy you. We have infinite souls, we have eternal souls and we need something greater than ourselves to live for. We need a greater purpose than ourselves to live for. When we're stuck on focusing on the day-to-day, the situation, and we lose sight of God's purpose for our life, God's plans for our life, we can't be bored. If God had so loved Israel, they're asking, "Why aren't we the blessed nation that we were supposed to be, that we were? We have no army to protect ourselves. We're still under the Persian King. Why is life so difficult?" Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.This indifference then leads to very raw, very dead, very dry religion. A religion that has no heart in it. They bring God their leftovers. They're hedging their bets when it comes to God. That's Malachi 1:6 and 7. God says, "A son honors his father and a servant his master. If then I'm a father, where's my honor? If I'm a master, where is my fear?" Says the Lord of hosts. "Priests who despise my name." But you say, "How have we despised your name?" By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, "How have we polluted you?" By saying that the Lord's table may be despised. It starts with, God speaks to the people of God, "You're indifferent to me. How have we loved you?" Then God turns His attention to speaking to the clergy, to the priest, to the pastors. He's saying, "You have not taught the people well. You haven't taught about fearing God and honoring God and worshiping God because He's worthy of worship." They step back and they say, "How have we hated you? We haven't hated you. We haven't despised you."Then Malachi explains, this is how. Verses eight and nine, when you offer blind animals and sacrifice, is that not evil? When you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? "Present that to your governor, will he accept you or show you favor?" Says the Lord of hosts. "Now entreat the favor of God that He may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will He show favor to any of you?" Says the Lord of hosts. He said, "This is how you have hated me. This is how you've despised me, how you've defamed my name. You've given me leftovers. Try bringing the offerings that you bring me to your governor, to the politicians who are in charge of you. Let's see if they accept that offer." What he's talking about is the sacrificial system that God had instated in Israel. This is how you worship God, by bringing Him your best. God said, through the law, that the people, if they wanted to worship God, they had to bring their first fruits. They had to bring their firstborn of the flock and the most excellent of one's property.God wanted to show that true love always had to do a sacrifice and obedience. This is a real test of faith. They brought animals from their flock, the best animals. The best animals were the best breeding stock. By bringing God your best on an annual basis, you know that you are diminishing your breeding stock. The animals that are coming now from your secondary best are not going to be as good as the animals that came from your first best. It was really a test of faith. I'm going to bring God my best, the best stock, knowing that my obedience of God is going to put me in a place of blessing and prosperity that is diametrically opposed to the world's path to prosperity. Now, God is speaking to priests here because priests got to a point where they said, "We see lethargy in the people. We see indifference in the people. We can't demand absolute obedience from the people because the people will stop showing up. If we demand the absolute best from the people, the people will stop offering anything.We're going to lower the barrier of obedience and tell people, you know what, it's all going to go up in smoke anyway. Let's just be good stewards. You don't have to bring your best, bring your secondary best. Bring the blind animals or the maimed animals or the blemished animals. The ones that you can't sell at the market. At least bring something." They realized that the spiritual temperature of the people was so low that if they demand the best, then they get nothing. They're more worried about themselves and they're more worried about offending people and losing potential income from the church than anything else. God goes to them and says, "You're so worried about offending people that you forgot that you are offending me. I demand the best." That's what God is saying. Mediocrity, I reject that. Half-hearted worship, I reject that. Begrudging worship, I reject that. How does this apply to us today? I have pastor friends in the city, whenever we meet with one another for mutual edification. One of the things that we always talk about, and especially now during the pandemic, is how's attendance at church?How are the numbers at church, et cetera, et cetera? As a minister of the gospel, I've been in the ministry for 11 plus years now. I've read all the church growth books and I know what we can do to grow the church. I know it. There's things that you can do, levers that you can pull to get people in the door. There's things that if numbers were all that mattered, if getting people in the door is all that mattered, there's things that I would do and there's things that I would not do. One of the first things that I would not do, first of all, I would stop preaching about spiritual indifference and apathy. I wouldn't talk about that. I wouldn't talk about sin. I wouldn't talk about obedience. I wouldn't talk about giving God your absolute best. I wouldn't talk about the holiness of God, the judgment of God, the condemnation of God. I wouldn't talk about eternal hell. I wouldn't talk about God's damnation, God's wrath. I wouldn't talk about any of that. I would just talk about God who exists to love you and bless you and protect you.God who is like an enhancement. God who like fairy dust God or Santa Claus God. He just wants to make your life better. Come to Him. He loves you. He loves you the way you are. You can keep living the way you are. Just show up on Sundays. Give God your lip service. Give God a tip and just go and enjoy life the way you want to live it. By the way, a lot of churches do this. What they say is, "Well, we don't want to offend anybody. We want to make a relationship with God more palatable. We want to lower the entry, the on-ramp. We want just to make people's lives better. That's why we preach keys and techniques, and this is five, six, seven steps, 11 steps of how you can live a blessed life. God says, "I'd rather you just ... Instead of making it less off-putting, instead of making it more palatable, instead of making the faith accessible, instead of accommodating people, I'd rather you just close up shop. I'd rather no worship than mediocre worship."That's what he says in verse 10. "That there were one among you who would shut the doors. I'd rather someone show up and just close up the church, close up the temple that you might not kindle fire in my altar in vain. I have no pleasure in you." Says the Lord of hosts, "and I will not accept an offering from your hand." He said, "Priests, you've made the faith about the people. You've removed God. By doing so, you've dishonored God." This is why God writes this word to them. He says, "Look, unless you change, there will be an absence of the presence of God." Lukewarm is not better than nothing. Mediocre worship is not better than nothing. God doesn't want that. What does God say? How do we rekindle our hearts, rekindle our affections for God? This is point two, the spiritual medicine to our apathy is God's sovereign election. The solution to our spiritual apathy is deepening our understanding of God's love for us. That God is sovereign in choosing people to salvation before the foundation of the world, just because He chooses so.He chooses people not based on anything they had done, not based on anything that they will do, but just because that's His sovereign choice. One thing I will mention here in the very beginning, is we're not reading Calvin. A lot of people say, "This is Calvinism. That's one person's interpretation" We're not reading Calvin here. We're reading the scriptures. We're going to read some scriptures from St. Paul. We're going to read scriptures from Jesus Christ. It's in the scripture. It's everywhere in the scripture that God's sovereign election of salvation is taught throughout the scripture. That's number one. Number two, I grew up in a church that did not teach election. It did not teach predestination when it comes to salvation. I only heard about this for the first ... I actually heard about this for the first time in my early 20s, as I started studying scripture, as I started studying theology. I went back to my dad, who was an elder at the church I grew up in, and I asked him like, "Hey, why wasn't this ever taught?"He said, "We didn't really want to offend people. We didn't think it was that useful." It's like theology for people who want to deepen their knowledge of the scripture. But there's a reason why God talks about it. He talks about it often. He talks about not just for people who want to study this with their brains, but He talks about this in a way that's very helpful to our daily walk with the Lord. Then I realized that the people who did teach, the churches that did teach election predestination are churches that preached scripture. By scripture, I mean not just topical sermons where we're going to preach whatever we want on any given day. It's churches that preached books of the Bible. Verse by verse, paragraph by paragraph, chapter by chapter so that you can't skip the things that are not as palatable to people. That's it. Then I started studying the church history. In church history, I realized that the world's greatest minds, the world's greatest Christian minds all believe this. They didn't believe, they loved the doctrines of election predestination.Augusta and Aquinas, the magisterial reformers, Luther. How was your Reformation Day yesterday? We celebrated Reformation Day or Reformation Day anyone? You dressed up your kids as Luther, as Calvin, as Zwingli and got them some candy. Yesterday was Reformation Day. 1517, October 31st Martin Luther goes and he takes 95 Theses and nails it to the door of the church in Wittenberg to reform the Catholic Church. You've got Luther, you've got Calvin, you've got Knox, you've got Zwingli, you've got Bucer, you've got Bullinger. Those who later then sought to bring the reformation to the Catholic Church, the Roman Catholic Church, Blaise Pascal, one of the greatest minds in the history of the world. Then the Puritans, John Owen, John Bunyan. The great awakening was led by Whitfield, Jonathan Edwards, John Newton, Richard Cecil Augustus Toplady.The greatest missionaries Livingstone, Carey, Martyn, Morrison, Patton, William Burns. The greatest preachers Spurgeon and Martin Lloyd Jones. They loved the doctrines of grace, of sovereign grace. Because to understand sovereign grace is to begin to understand the depth of God's love for us. That's why when God talks about, "I've loved you." They say, "How have you loved us?" This is Malachi 1:2-3, He then brings in the doctrine of election. "I've loved you." Says the Lord. But you say, "How have you loved us? Is not Esau Jacob's brother?" Declares the Lord. "Yet I've loved Jacob, but Esau I hated." "I love you." "How have you loved us?" "Let me tell you about Jacob and Esau. One guy, I love. The other guy, I hated." What's going on here? Then he goes into the two nations that descended from these two brothers. Now, Jacob and Esau, they weren't just brothers, they were twin brothers. It wasn't like Isaac and Ishmael where God chose Isaac and not Ishmael.They're brothers from different mothers. Here, it's two brothers, they're twins, same mother. Malachi 1:3-4, I've laid waste to his hill country and left his heritage to jackals or the desert. If Edom says, "We are shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins." The Lord of hosts says, "They may build, but I will tear down and they will be called the wicked country and the people with whom the Lord is angry forever." Edom started with Esau and was an enemy of Israel always. They were never an ally of Israel. At no point in Israel's history were they friendly? As Israel was weakened in 7th century BC, Edom encroached and the people of God were asking, "Why are the Edomites taking over?" Et cetera, et cetera. There were enemies. As God is answering, "Why do I love you? Let me show you how much I loved you. I chose you."He's not just talking about nations. He's talking about Edomites as well. One of the things to know about the love, hate language here. God, isn't using this language in terms of human psychology. There's not a vindictive spirit. There's not a personal animosity. It's language in terms of the covenant. The covenant is, like a marriage covenant, there's a choice. In Deuteronomy actually 23:7, God told Israel, "You shall not abhor an Edomite for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian because you were a sojourner in his land." The language of love and hate is a language of choosing. Love is a choice. Within this general election of nations is a specific relationship that begins with individuals. God chose Abraham. "I'm going to bless you." Then from Abraham's children, Isaac and Ishmael, God chose Isaac over Ishmael. Then Isaac's sons, Jacob and Esau, God chose the younger, Jacob. God determined that the people of Israel would descend from Jacob, not from Esau.He loved them in a special way, in a particular way. A love that did not extend to Esau and to the Edomites. Why? Because there was something good in Jacob. There was something good in Israel. God actually emphasized. No, He chose Israel because they were the least ... Deuteronomy 7:6-8, for you are a people Holy to the Lord your God, the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It's not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord has set His love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of the people. But it is because the Lord loves you. He's keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of Israel, from the hand of Pharaoh, King of Egypt. "Why did I choose you?" God is saying. "Because I love you." That's it. This is kind of ...It's hard for us to understand because when someone loves me or loves you, you're usually like, "Yeah, because there's ... Good choice. You have great taste. I'm glad you love me." It's because there's something loving in us, of course. God is saying, "No, there was nothing lovely in you. The only reason why I chose you is because I chose you. The only reason why I chose you is because I love you." God did not base his choice in anything He foresaw in either Jacob or Esau. Rather God did it because God did it. In Romans 9:11-13, St. Paul expositive this text from Malachi. He says this, "Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad in order that God's purpose of election might continue. Not because of works, but because of Him who calls." She was told, their mother, "The older shall serve the younger as it is written Jacob, I loved, but Esau I hated." Some people try to dodge the implications of this doctrine by saying, "Well, God chose Israel to serve him, not to save them." But Romans 9 clearly isn't just talking about nations.It's talking about individuals and salvation, personal salvation. Now why does Malachi begin with the doctrine of election? He begins with the doctrine of election to deepen our understanding of the vastness of the love of God for us. He says, "Your hearts are indifferent. The reason why they're indifferent is because do you do not understand God's love for you." God loves you so much that before the foundation of the world, before you were born, before you had done anything, your name was already written on His heart, graven on His hands. He, before anything was created, had chosen to love you, to pour out His mercy on you. The reason why it's given us to us here is to get us to this place of utter humility. Why am I a Christian? Because I believed, because I repented, because I studied, because I was faithful, because I read the apologizes, because I read the scripture? No. The reason why you're a believer and the only difference between you and an unbeliever is the sovereign choice. The sovereign grace of God. He chose to love you.That right there, I remember the first time I understood this in my early 20s, I realized I did not know God. I didn't know the love of God. I didn't know the greatness of God. The vastness of God. This is what it means that Jesus loves me? Yes. This is what it means that God poured out his grace on you? Yes. Not just that He forgives you of your sin, but because from the foundation of the world, He chose to save you. You have been saved, you are saved, you always will be saved. It has nothing to do with us, it has nothing to do with earning with good works. Actually Esau was probably the better guy. If you look at just their morality, Esau wasn't a deceiver like Jacob. Esau did get angry that Jacob stole his blessing, but then he got over it. He forgave. Both men were sinners, but God chose Jacob instead of Esau. At this point, the objection is, but that's not fair. The first thing that St. Paul deals with in Romans 9 is, well, what's your definition of fairness?Who decides what fairness is? Then in Romans 9:14-18, he deals a little more with that. Shall we say then is there injustice on God's part? Is it unfair? Is God not fair? By no means, for He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy on. I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I've raised you up that I might show my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Then He has mercy on whomever He wills and He hardens whomever He wills. It's not fair. Then St. Paul says, "Well, what's not fair? Is it your mercy?" No. Whose mercy is it? It's God's mercy. Who gets to do ... Does God get to do with His mercy whatever God chooses? Yes, of course. Does God get to be God? Yes, of course. Was God unjust when He condemned Satan and all of the demons when they rebelled against Him? Was God unjust? No, of course not.He was absolutely just in condemning them. Was God not just when He did not provide a way for them to be reconciled with Him? No. They rebelled. They got judgment. God is glorified in judging as much as He is in giving mercy. The question isn't, why doesn't God save everybody? The question is, why does God save anybody at all? Why does anybody get any mercy whatsoever? God would have been perfectly just in condemning the entire human race. He doesn't owe anybody mercy. This is what God is telling the people of Israel, as He's telling us, we should be absolutely shocked, minds blown by the fact that God chooses to extend mercy to us. In Romans 9:19-24, St. Paul continues with the argument and he says, "You will say to me then, why does He still find fault? For who can resist his will? But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and the other for dishonorable use?What if God, desiring to show His wrath and make known His power has endured with such patience vessels of wrath, prepared for destruction? In order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory. Even us whom He has called not from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles. How can God hold anybody accountable if He chooses some and He doesn't choose others? That's really the question that he's asking. A very logical question. St. Paul's answers, God gets to be God. God is God. He is who He is. He decides what He wants to do with His mercy. It's not just a matter of standing. It's a matter of submitting. Here's how this applies to our ... If we're indifferent toward God's love, if we're numb inside, if there's a coldness toward God, we as believers need to ask the question, where would we be if it were not for the grace of God? Where would we be without the mercy of God if He didn't pour out His love on us? God is sovereign.He gets glory for judging people as much as He gets glory for saving people. That's why Malachi 1:5 after he says this, goes through the doctrine of election. He says, "Your own eyes shall see this and you shall say, great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel." The reason why he starts off with this in a context of their coldness in terms of worship, as he says, "Now is your worship commensurate? Is your response to God's love commensurate to the greatness and vastness of His love? How can we bring our second best to God, our leftovers to God?" How can we give Him the leftovers of our time, of our resource, of our money, of our energy? How can we be disobedient to God like this? He loved us with such a great love. Why isn't our response commensurate? That's why 1st Peter 2:9 and 10 says, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation of people for His own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of the darkness into His marvelous light.Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. He says, "God's called you up. He's given you a purpose. He's given you a job to proclaim His glory and to extend His mercy to others." That's why it makes absolutely zero sense to be bored with God because He's such an amazing God. What a glorious God. He's called the God of hosts eight times, the Lord of armies. He commands all the armies, all the galaxies of the universe and this God chose us. Number one, what this should do to our hearts as Christians, it should melt our hearts with humility what a great God this is. Number two, it should comfort us. That no matter what happens in our lives, we are safe. We are saved. We are with Him. Then it should take our gaze off of our circumstances. When we see God's plan of salvation, it puts everything else into perspective. Then we should ask, okay, the people of God in the Old Testament, how does the Old Testament end?It ends with their sacrifices not being enough. It leads us to ask the question, Lord, well, what is enough? What can we offer you that is enough to reconcile us with you? The answer is, there's nothing. There's nothing that we can do. There's nothing that we can offer to finally be reconciled with God. It leads us to this place of hopelessness unless we see the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, Jesus Christ is shown up in the offering system that the people of God would bring offerings to God for a temporary absolution of their sins. Which is a sign of a need for a greater sacrifice, which is Christ. In the book of Malachi, the people would bring their secondary best. Jesus Christ comes and He gives Himself. His very best, God the father gives His son to die on the cross for our sins. In Malachi, God says, "Jacob, I loved. Esau, I hated." On the cross, Jesus Christ takes our curse upon Himself. In a sense, God the father says, "Yon, I loved. Jesus, I hated."Jesus Christ took our curse upon Himself. Why? Because that's how much He loved us. That was planned before the foundation of the world. That's how great God's love is for us. How much greater should our response be to His sacrifice? God, didn't give His leftovers. He gave His absolute best. If this God, this great, gracious God is for us, then who can be against us? Salvation is a free gift. We can't earn it. We can't do anything to pay for it. We can only accept it freely. But once you accept this gift, God demands everything that we have in response. Finally, before we turn to communion, what if I'm not elect? If you're not a Christian, you got to be asking that question. What if I'm not elect? I would tell you exactly what Jesus Christ says. Jesus Christ is talking about God's election, God choosing some and God not choosing others. In that same breath, He gives an invitation, come on to me.This is Matthew 11:25-30. At that time, Jesus declared, I thank you, father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my father, and no one knows the son except the Father. And no one knows the Father except the son, and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal Him. God, thank you that you opened the eyes of some and you closed the eyes of others. In that same breath, what does He say? He issues one of the greatest invitations in all of human history and says, come on to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart. You will find a rest through your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.Come onto Jesus. Come repent of your sins. Believe in Him. As you do, accept the mercy and grace that He's willing to extend to everybody. That said, we're going to transition to Holy communion. Holy communion is given to us as a sign of remembrance to remember Christ's sacrifice for us on the cross. For whom is Holy communion? It's for anyone who's repentant of their sins. It's for those who repent of their sins. If you are not a Christian, then we ask that you refrain from this part of the service. Or if you are a Christian living in unrepentant sin, we ask that you refrain. Unless you repent, and if you repent right now before Christ asking for forgiveness, asking for mercy and grace, you're welcome to partake. I'm going to pray over the bread and the cup. The way we celebrate communion at Mosaic, is we take the cup, we take the little plastic off. You take the bread in one hand, you take the other little plastic off. You take the cup. As you do that, I'll pray for our time.Heavenly Father, we thank you for the grace that you extend to us. A grace that began before the foundation of the world, before you created anything. You knew that we would rebel and you knew that you loved us so much that you would provide a way for our salvation through the sacrifice of your son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, we thank you that you, the perfect lamb of God, the unblemished lamb of God, were sacrificed. We thank you that you bore the wrath of God that we deserve for our law breaking. That you absorbed that curse in order to extend to us a blessing. Lord, we pray that you bless our time in communion now. We repent of our sin, of our apathy, of our indifference. I pray that you continue to deepen our understanding of your love. As we do, to respond with a commensurate love. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.

Muito bem, muito bem, muito bem, começa mais um BTCast, o seu podcast de teologia! Rodrigo Bibo recebe o nosso alemão de sunga, Alex Stahlhoefer para juntos conversarem sobre a vida e obra de Martin Bucer. Se liga que começaram nossos especiais da Reforma Protestante, ouça os demais aqui. Adquira o livro Teologia Pastoral do Martin […] O conteúdo de Martin Bucer – BTCast 369 é uma produção do Bibotalk - Teologia é nosso esporte!.

Muito bem, muito bem, muito bem, começa mais um BTCast, o seu podcast de teologia! Rodrigo Bibo recebe o nosso alemão de sunga, Alex Stahlhoefer para juntos conversarem sobre a vida e obra de Martin Bucer. Se liga que começaram nossos especiais da Reforma Protestante, ouça os demais aqui. Adquira o livro Teologia Pastoral do Martin […] O conteúdo de Martin Bucer – BTCast 369 é uma produção do Bibotalk - Teologia é nosso esporte!.

Menjalani gerakan reformasi dengan gaya yang berbeda, Bucer menjadi pimpinan komunitas Kristen Protestan terbesar di dunia saat itu. Apa yang dilakukannya??

En este episodio hablaremos un poco acerca de la gran importancia que tiene la Planeación en un Viaje. Platicaremos acerca de nuestro recorrido por la Riviera Nayarit conociendo los destinos de La Cruz de Huanacaxtle y Bucerías.

This episode is 7th part of the 16th Century and the 36th Part of the Christian History series. It introduces Martin Bucer and John Calvin.Here are the sources I used:"A Concise History of Christian Thought" by Tony Lanehttps://www.amazon.com/Concise-History-Christian-Thought/dp/0801031591/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?keywords=Christian+Thinkers+Tony+Lane&qid=1579476358&sr=8-1-fkmr2“Classic Christian Thinkers: An Introduction” By Ken Samples.https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Christian-Thinkers-Kenneth-Richard-ebook/dp/B07P83JHZZ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=Classic+Christian+Thinkers&qid=1581803169&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyOUwzS0oxMk5GMzlSJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTgwODYxM0lMWTBGSVNJRzdLUSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTQ5MDUwODIyNEtSSkZXREU1JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Twee boeken schreef hij over Martin Bucer "Eén van ons" en "Martin Bucer en Johannes Calvijn" Daarover dit gesprek

Kaum Anabaptis, yang bertumbuh di konteks Reformasi Eropa pada abad ke-16 adalah golongan yang sempat dianggap bidat baik oleh Gereja Katolik Roma maupun Gereja-gereja Reformasi. Akan tetapi dalam kenyataannya, gerakan ini lebih tepat disebut sebagai Reformasi Radikal vis a vis Reformasi Magisterial seperti yang dilakukan oleh Luther, Zwingli, Bucer, dan Calvin. Bagaimana paham kaum Anabaptis mengenai keselamatan? Obrolan kali ini dipandu oleh Perdian K. M. Tumanan, M.A. in Theology and Peace candidate, Anabaptist-Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, IN, dan respons disampaikan oleh Setiawan Adi Widya Nugroho, alumnus dari Fakultas Teologi, UKDW Yogyakarta. Mari simak. Semoga menjadi berkat.

Dr. Marijn de Kroon leest het gedicht van Martin Bucer "Mens en Schepping".

Fathers of the Faith for Covenant Kids is a podcast teaching reformed theology and church history that is meant for the entire family! The Van Brimmer Family take 15 minutes weekly to teach through a quick kids lesson with you and your family, focusing on historical confessions, heroes of the faith and those men and women we have to thank for their faithfulness. This week we learn about Martin Bucer.

Jesusfolket drar igång en ny termin genom att diskutera Jesu bud om att älska sina fiender och vända andra kinden till. Ska det tas bokstavligt? Vad betyder det om man befinner sig i ett fredligt land som Sverige? Och hur påverkar vår syn på våld allt annat vi tycker och tänker? Kyrkofädernas pacifism: https://helapingsten.com/2009/09/05/krig-del-3-kyrkofadernas-pacifism/  Erica Chenoweths forskning som visar att ickevåld är mer effektivt för social förändring än våld: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/02/why-nonviolent-resistance-beats-violent-force-in-effecting-social-political-change/  En överblick av debatten mellan anabaptisten Marpeck och kalvinisten Bucer: https://books.google.se/books?id=PKK4AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA94&lpg=PA94&dq=marpeck+bucer+debate&source=bl&ots=AK3g-BIB1E&sig=ACfU3U3r9BOT4pywUreSDd2oNV1aw1fq0g&hl=sv&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjx14_mpNfkAhVOwsQBHW9YAaYQ6AEwA3oECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=marpeck%20bucer%20debate&f=false  Har du frågor, kommentarer eller tips på vad vi ska podda om? Maila oss på jesusfolket@gmail.com Bjud in oss att tala! https://helapingsten.com/boka/  Gilla Jesusfolket på Facebook! facebook.com/jesusfolket Följ oss på YouTube! youtube.com/helapingsten Och följ bloggen Hela Pingsten! helapingsten.com

SUMMARY: It’s #ChurchHistoryMonday! Join me as I learn about a relatively unknown, yet very important reformer, Martin Bucer SCRIPTURE: * Psalm 119:17-24 LEARN THE FAITH: * Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 90 MAIN RESOURCE: * “Here We Stand: Martin Bucer” from Desiring God ( https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-protestant-melting-pot ) PRAYER/ MEDITATION: * “God Over All” from the Valley Of Vision ( https://banneroftruth.org/us/devotional/second-day-morning-god-over-all/ ) Contact Me: * Leave me a Voice message!! Click here: https://anchor.fm/al-washburn/message --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/al-washburn/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/al-washburn/support

Message from Jeff Gordon on June 9, 2019

Bucer's Coffeehouse & Pub has been roasting their own fine coffee for nearly twenty years, serving great espresso, baking beautiful pastries, grilling hearty sandwiches, pouring amazing local draught beers and fine wines, and much more...   They host a vibrant and diverse community that appreciates great food and drink, enjoys live music and loves to run into their friends at the unique coffee shop by day/pub by night.   Best yet, Bucer's is owned by River's and Terran's Grandma and Ben Greenfield's mother: Pat Greenfield! In this episode, River and Terran walk you through what the experience is like at their favorite coffee shop.   The Coffeehouse & Pub is located at:   201 South Main Street Moscow, ID 83843 (208) 596-0887    You can visit their website here: http://www.bucerspub.com/

One of these gospel laws, among the many which had been deleted or diluted, was the practice and principle of plural marriage. It had been taught and practiced by the ancient prophets, patriarchs and the apostles. This law was commonly known and lived from the times of the ancient patriarchs and continued down throughout the Christian Dispensation. [39]Although the practice of plural marriage was commonly known and believed by many people in the Jewish society, it was never condemned by Jesus. The Savior had surely witnessed plural marriage, heard it taught, and of course had read of the many examples of this law in the scriptures; yet there is no evidence that he opposed or refuted that practice. He spoke of strict moral issues which pertained to every physical or mental sin involving sex, but the word polygamy was never refuted, nor did he utter a word against those prophets and patriarchs who had obeyed this principle of marriage. Because Jesus took no issue against polygamy, it is therefore implied that Jesus must have sanctioned that law. This fact was generally understood and accepted by many scriptorians and reformers. Our chief reformers, Luther, Melanchthon, Bucer, Zuinglius, etc., after a solemn consultation at Wittenburg, on the question “whether for a man to have two wives at once, was contrary to the divine law?” answered unanimously “that it was not”—and on this authority, Philip the Landrave of Hesse actually married a second wife, his first being alive. The language of this council was “The Gospel hath neither recalled nor forbid what was permitted in the law of Moses with respect to marriage.” (Theylyphthora, Vol. 1:212, by Rev. Martin Madan)   www.ogdenkraut.com   www.Youtube.com/user/GodismyCompass   www.Facebook.com/Lazurus1977  

Martin Bucer by Museum of the Bible

As is our annual custom, we’ve selected several clips from the episodes we released over the last year. We spoke with many people and had many fascinating conversations. I hope we’ll pique your interest, and you’ll go back to listen to many of the full conversations represented by these highlights. Thank you to everyone who visited reformedforum.org/donate throughout the year. We are tremendously grateful for your generous support. Be assured that we’re setting the stage for another big year as our board continues to think and pray about our next steps. We’re looking forward to another full year of Christ the Center. January 25 marked our 10th anniversary. Jeff, Jim, and I recorded that first episode during my first year in seminary—three homes and three children ago. Things have changed over the years, but our goal has stayed the same. Our mission is to present every person mature in Christ (Col. 1:28). Episodes 524 — Marcus Mininger, Uncovering the Theme of Revelation in Romans 1:16–3:26 533 — Michael Kruger, How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church 540 — The Nature of Apostasy in Hebrews 6 542 — Bill Dennison, Karl Marx 551 — The Impeccability of Jesus Christ 555 — Darryl Hart, Still Protesting 556 — The Deeper Protestant Conception 566 — Glen Clary, The Liturgies of Bucer, Calvin, and Knox 570 — Danny Olinger, Geerhardus Vos: Reformed Biblical Theologian, Confessional Presbyterian 571 — Cory Brock and Nathaniel Gray Sutanto, Bavinck’s Philosophy of Revelation

Glen Clary compares and contrasts the Reformation liturgies of Martin Bucer, John Calvin, and John Knox. Studying each of these helps us to understand the significance of worship reformed according to Scripture and focuses our attention upon worship in our present day. Further Reading Knox Liturgy Genevan Liturgy Catholic Describes Communion Service in Calvin's Church John Knox and Public Prayer https://youtu.be/BO_ir9r7q1Q

A Meet and Greet for The Puerto Vallarta Travel Show at Kelly's Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse. Meet Marty Juel from Indiana. His Lions Club is bringing an eyeglass exchange to the Lions Club of Puerto Vallarta. Then we talk with Ian Tait From East Vancouver British Columbia. He has been coming to Puerto Vallarta since 1972. Both Marty and Ian tell us about their favorite Restaurants, and things to do in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Listen to The Podcast Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico. That music you were just listening to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, The [caption id="attachment_2017" align="alignright" width="300"] Vista Grill on The Beach Romantic Dinner[/caption] El Dorado Beach Club, and at night for dinner The El Dorado transforms into the ever so romantic Vista Grill with those dramatic views of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors. Of course, at La Palapa you can enjoy that same view of the Los Muertos Pier all day long for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so Puerto Vallarta my friends! This week I have a couple of listeners who came to the Meet and Greet at Kelly’s Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse, both lovers of Puerto Vallarta, but first, let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta, the 14th of May 2018.   Restaurant Week PV May 15th till June 10th 2018 As I mentioned last week, restaurant week begins today May 15thth and goes all the way to June 10th this year. Subscribe On iTunes & Leave a Good Review Subscribe on Android With Spreaker From Vallarta Lifestyles Vallarta Lifestyles Publishing Group established Restaurant Week in 2005 through an annual festival that takes place every year from May 15 – June 10. Restaurant Week features many of Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit’s most coveted restaurants. Participating establishments offer innovative three-course menus, with three options available for each course. Since the prices are often discounted by up to 50%, dining out during Restaurant Week is not only more fun, but also much more affordable. Participating restaurants can choose to offer their special, Restaurant Week menu at $269, $399 or $466 pesos per person, tips and beverages not included. I have a link in the show notes for the directory of participating restaurants from Vallarta Lifestyles Magazine. https://restaurantweekpv.com/en/participantes Each participating restaurant has a restaurant week banner hanging outside so they are easy to find. Down Vallarta 2018 [caption id="attachment_3097" align="alignright" width="300"] Getting Ready for Down Vallarta 2018[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3102" align="alignright" width="300"] Getting Ready for Down Vallarta 2018[/caption] The Down Vallarta BMX bike race took place on Sunday and I have pictures of the event and of the construction of the ramps, the trucks filled with dirt, and some pics of the event itself that I shot from the roof of the condo in the sky, the Airbnb I stayed in for $32.00 a night. I got some pretty good shots from there so check them out, and yes, it was a great spot to watch the action both Saturday for the trial runs, and Sunday for the real thing. [caption id="attachment_3099" align="alignright" width="300"] Getting Ready for Down Vallarta 2018[/caption] I was talking with the MC of the event a couple days earlier, and he told me the wrong time of the start, and listener Bill and wife were coming up to join me, but alas, I gave them the wrong start time and they just couldn’t get through, so sorry Bill, I still have beers chilling up here for you. [caption id="attachment_3108" align="alignright" width="283"] Down Vallarta BMX 2018 From my Airbnb in The Sky[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3110" align="alignright" width="300"] Down Vallarta BMX 2018 From my Airbnb in The Sky[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3109" align="alignleft" width="300"] Down Vallarta BMX 2018 From my Airbnb in The Sky[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3111" align="alignright" width="300"] Down Vallarta BMX 2018 From my Airbnb in The Sky[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3113" align="alignright" width="197"] Down Vallarta BMX 2018 From my Airbnb in The Sky[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3112" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Down Vallarta BMX 2018 From my Airbnb in The Sky[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3107" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Winner of the Event![/caption]                 New Airbnb on The Beach [caption id="attachment_3121" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Airbnb on The Beach[/caption]   And speaking of condo in the sky, my wife arrives tonight and I’m not going to make her climb the stairway to heaven, originally I had reserved this place up on Arroyo del Pedregoso for the first 10 days of the trip knowing that if I thought it would be a good fit for Debbie, I could extend the stay, but knowing that there were other choices out there, cheap enough for me, yet, good enough for her. So I hit the Airbnb site pretty hard and I found yet another place with no reviews, but it was described as being on Playa Camarones, which the picture clearly showed, and it [caption id="attachment_3122" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Airbnb on The Beach[/caption] looked like a pretty nice place from the pictures of course, and the guy was giving the first 5 to reserve a 20% discount, so I reserved the place for $191 for the 3 days so like, $63 a night. I know, splurging Barry? Well, yes. It’s going to be out 30th wedding anniversary, so yeah. Anyway, if you haven’t used Airbnb, they don’t tell you the exact address of the place or even the street name until after you commit to it. You are shown the approximate location of the place, usually, I mean, some of these listings, the owner tells you where it is. But anyway, I pay for the place and guess where it is, above the Barracuda! So, I’m like, rushing to see what the hours of the place are, and they don’t open till 12 noon and they close early on Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday till midnight so it shouldn’t be too bad. I’ll have some more time to wander through that neighborhood in the Cinco de Diciembre Neighborhood. Of course I’ll take pictures and stuff and junk, and get back to you on the Condo with a review. Puerto Vallarta’s 100 Year Anniversary They are gearing up for the 100th anniversary of the Municipality, The City of Puerto Vallarta, coming up May 31st. The town is all abuzz with excitement as the date approaches. Things are very busy right now with restaurant week and the people already in town for the event. I’ll bring you more in the next show. Screenshots of ATM in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Remember I had a listener ask about the ATM machines, how they are a little intimidating, well I took screen shots of the entire process, and I have the pics in the show notes for this episode, describing the whole thing with arrows and stuff and junk. Check them out. [caption id="attachment_3123" align="alignleft" width="300"] Enter Your Pin Number and Push Continuar[/caption]           [caption id="attachment_3124" align="alignnone" width="300"] Select Cash Withdrawal[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3126" align="alignleft" width="300"] Select Savings or Checking[/caption]         [caption id="attachment_3125" align="alignnone" width="300"] Do You Agree to Pay 31.32 pesos for the Service? About $1.60 US[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3127" align="alignleft" width="300"] Press Accept[/caption]         [caption id="attachment_3128" align="alignnone" width="300"] Sure You Want To Do It? Continue[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3130" align="alignnone" width="300"] Getting Ready To Pay You Pesos[/caption]           Okay, I’m in paradise, that’s enough of that, let’s get on with the interviews. Meet and Greet Interviews at Kelly's Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse I invited listeners to come join me and JR at Kelly’s Pour Favor Cookhouse and Saloon last Tuesday, and there were lots of people there, a nice crowd. I plied you with offers of t-shirts and the chance to pitch your business, to tell us what you are doing in paradise, you know the usual, and two listeners stepped up to the plate. The first is Marty Juel, from Indiana, and the second is Ian Tait. [caption id="attachment_3117" align="alignright" width="300"] Ian Tait[/caption] Steve Tenny and his band Tequila rush sent us upstairs to the Patio Lounge, and I set up the microphones, and we had a little chat. Let’s get to that right now…. [caption id="attachment_3116" align="alignleft" width="300"] Marty and Jeanine Juel at the Meet and Greet[/caption] Listen to The Podcast [caption id="attachment_3134" align="alignleft" width="300"] Lions Club in Puerto Vallarta[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_3136" align="alignright" width="225"] Lions Club in Puerto Vallarta[/caption]         [caption id="attachment_3141" align="alignnone" width="300"] Lions Club Puerto Vallarta From Inside[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3142" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Lions Club Puerto Vallarta From Inside[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3143" align="alignright" width="300"] Lions Club Puerto Vallarta From Inside[/caption] I have links to that Eyeglass Program. What a great opportunity to get involved in helping out right here in Puerto Vallarta. And good on you Lions Club. I have pictures of the outside, and Marty is sending me pics of the inside of the place. I always wanted to know about that place. Hey, maybe you might have plans to rent out a large facility while in town. Check out the pics for sure. And Ian, love his voice, and he has the greatest attitude. Both these guys are so much fun, and really, just typical of the kinds of people you meet in paradise. There’s tons of people who spend lots of time here in bars and on the beach, who are full of it. Information in mean. Thanks guys. [caption id="attachment_3138" align="alignnone" width="300"] Lions Club Eyeglass Recycling Program[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3137" align="alignleft" width="300"] Lions Club Eyeglass Recycling Program[/caption] Okay, that should do it for this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. Next week, stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and more.  Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message. And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. Don’t forget his maps, his DIY tours and his revitalized Happy Hour Board. I have links to all of those in the show notes. [caption id="attachment_3146" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Lions Club Eyeglass Mission[/caption]   And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven't been to my website, you really need to have a look there.  I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven't already all-right? All right. [caption id="attachment_3147" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Lions Club Eyeglass Mission[/caption] So, thanks to Marty Juel and Ian Tait for coming down to Kelly’s Pour Favor for the meet and greet and sitting for an interview. Remember to check out the eyeglass exchange that the Lyons do. It’s all there in the show notes for this episode, and hey, thanks to all of you for listening all [caption id="attachment_3148" align="alignright" width="200"] Lions Club Eyeglass Mission[/caption] the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos!           Marty Juel Indiana Lions Club, District 25-G Lions Club Eyeglass Recycling Program Places Marty Stayed The Melia Vallarta Playa Los Arcos, Puerto Vallarta, México Plaza Mar, Puerto Vallarta, México Places to Visit in Puerto Vallarta The Puerto Vallarta Zoo Vallarta Botanical Garden Places Marty Likes to Eat Bravos, Puerto Vallarta, México Fredy’s Tucan, Puerto Vallarta, México No Way Jose Restaurant, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico   Ian Tait's Favorite Picks Day Trip Bus to Bucerías   Breakfast Serrano's Meat House, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Ándales Puerto Vallarta, México Wild and Hungry Cougar Puerto Vallarta, Mexico     65 peso specials Dinner Langostinos, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico ask for a Jorge Karen’s Place in Bucerias    

Camden Bucey and Ryan Noha serve brief notice on several new books from P&R Publishing and a worthwhile biography. Martin Greschat (Stephen E. Buckwalter, trans.), Martin Bucer: A Reformed and His Times Luder G. Whitlock, Jr., Divided We Fall: Overcoming a History of Christian Disunity Sean Perron and Spencer Harmon, Letters to a Romantic on Dating Sean […]

Camden Bucey and Ryan Noha speak about a biography of Martin Bucer and several new books from P&R Publishing.

An Interview With Natasha Moraga of Tile Park, Puerto Vallarta, also known as El Parque De Los Azulejos. We talk about her Project to Restore and Tile Lazaro Cardenas Park in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. [caption id="attachment_1536" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Art Rendering Parque de Azulejos[/caption]   Listen to The Podcast Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico. That music you were just listing to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, The El [caption id="attachment_194" align="alignright" width="300"] La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] Dorado Restaurant, and at night for dinner The El Dorado transforms into the ever so romantic Vista Grill with those dramatic views of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors. Of course, at La Palapa you can enjoy that same view of the Los Muertos Pier all day long for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so Puerto Vallarta my friends! This week I have a very important guest, and I know you will love her. She’s Natasha Moraga, and she is going to tell us about her newest project, El Parque de los Azulejos, in Lazaro Cardenas Park on the Southside of town in Puerto Vallarta, but first, let’s see what’s happening in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, this week the 24th of October 2017. Subscribe On iTunes & Leave a Good Review Subscribe on Android With Spreaker [caption id="attachment_1573" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Natasha Moraga, Artist-Muralist[/caption]     I just returned from a very quick visit to Vallarta and boy have I got some great shows for you for the rest of the year. Anyway, it seems the weather has turned. Somebody turned off the rain spigot and for the entire time I was there, not a drop of rain, and although it’s still hot like in the 90’s, the humidity is beginning to come down some, so, looks like mother nature is delivering on time once again, and cooler temps and lower humidity is just around the corner. Now, last week we didn’t have a show because of my travels to paradise, truly a working vacation you guys, but I did hear from one of my listeners my buddy Bob, the Photographer from Kamloops Canadia, who told me that they couldn’t download my San Pancho Day Trip and Interview with Cassandra Shaw podcast, so I checked it out and low and behold, he was right, so I made the correction and fixed the audio players on the webpage, so if you happened to have missed the podcast with Cassandra and the daytrip to San Pancho, check it out again. It’s up and running at Puertovallartatravelshow.com. And by the way, I’ve noticed that many of you listen directly from my website, and that’s cool, but you can find the show, if you have an iPhone or an iPad, using the purple Podcast application that every iPad and iPhone has built right in, and if you are an android user, you can get the Spreaker App, Stitcher, and download the show from your phone or mobile device. I’ll add some links to the shownotes so you can see what I’m talking about. In fact, I’m thinking about adding a page to show how to consume the podcast. Maybe in the next few weeks so I’ll tell you when that happens so you can have a look for yourselves. Okay…. Now last week at Kelly’s Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse we had a meet and greet with microphones. JR and I were there with about 15 of you listeners and it was a great time. I got a chance to meet my buddy Debbie, Cheap Debbie from Canadia was there with her lovely daughter Tessa, and Tessa’s handsome boyfriend,  Enrique, who is a great chef, a Vallartense, a Vallarta Native. They were so much fun I have to tell you. Actually, Debbie and I were so busy out-cheaping each other during the whole meet and greet. We actually determined that I was just as cheap as she is. Actually, cheaper. [embed]https://youtu.be/JXwqHRYteC0[/embed] I told her about the condo I stayed at via Airbnb and I have to say, I really liked the place. It was quiet, except for well, the building that is going on on the Southside, I had that to contend with during the day, but the views were great, there was airconditioning and a pool, two balconies, comfortable bed, for $65 a night. Now you all know that is kind of expensive for me, I usually stay in the 30-40 dollar a night digs, but this time I was splurging because I was bringing my Debbie along,. If you have been following along, you know of my plan to spring the trip on her just a couple of days before, just to give her time to shop and pack, and well, she didn’t go! Let me explain….Anyway, those in attendance didn’t want to talk on the podcast. Such shyness abounds among you listeners I swear. I did have a couple of women who stopped by to pitch their new Wine Concierge Business they just launched in Puerto Vallarta, Vanusa Pedroso and Natalia Castro, so let’s go to that interview right now, just to give you the flavor of the meet and greet. [caption id="attachment_1804" align="alignleft" width="1000"] Uncork Mexico[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1806" align="aligncenter" width="637"] Vanusa + Nataloa[/caption] Now the band was just getting ready to kick off a set, so you are most likely going to hear some of that too, but let’s get to the interview right now shall we?... Link to Uncork Mexico.com   Listen to The Podcast Nice ladies with an idea that they are hoping will take off in Paradise. I have the links and all their information in the show notes to this episode of the podcast, so check them out. [embed]https://youtu.be/rPT_sFYgdiI[/embed] The band that was warming up was a group called the La Trez Cuatroz, and if you remember the interview I had with Miranda and Reid, from Monzon Brewing Company, they told us about the band that did the benefit concert to help in Mexican Earthquake Relief, well, they were the band warming up and they were great. I introduced myself to the guys and we have an interview planned with these three great musicians who really know the bay, really know how to have a great time and will have all kinds of suggestions for all of you listeners. That will be coming up in January just in time for the high season. So La Trez Cuartoz, spelled with a "z" at the end. They rock you guys! That will be a great interview. La Trez Cuartoz Facebook Page [caption id="attachment_1779" align="aligncenter" width="994"] Dia De Los Muertos by Valeria Almaraz[/caption] Now next week I will be talking about all the things that are planned for Dia de Los Muertos celebrations all along the bay, and there will be many so stay tuned for that, next Tuesday Halloween Day. If you want information as to what is coming up before hand, go to the show notes and I will have a link to the events planned, but if you can wait, I will be talking about that on Halloween, next week! Let’s get to the show. Lazaro Cardenas Park in Puerto Vallarta is located on the southside of town, a block off of the beach. I have one of JR’s maps in the shownotes to allow you to see where the park is. [caption id="attachment_1782" align="aligncenter" width="856"] JR's Map of The Southside[/caption] The park, actually sits atop of an underground parking structure. For a little history, that park didn’t always sit on a parking structure, it was a big [caption id="attachment_1538" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Art Rendering Parque de Azulejos[/caption] place of contention in the early 2000’s. The city was looking for a place to build a parking area to relieve the massive parking issues on the south side. Actually it was finally in 2006, after many years or wrangling and negotiating and protests and ecological studies and delays and delays, the eventual removal of some large parotta trees that were growing in the park, the former Lazaro Cardenas Park, a really beautiful park was dug up, a big hole was dug and  a subterranean garage built with 178 parking spaces, then the hole was topped with a new park, complete with [caption id="attachment_1802" align="alignright" width="300"] Boys and Burro Sculpture[/caption] benches, a pavilion, and planters. And today, the park is used for open farmers markets, Taco festivals, Zumba Classes in the morning, it has the classic sculpture by Jim Demetrio of the boys and the Burro. It is a wonderful public space. But it has over the years, fallen into both repair and disrepair. Every once and a while The Puerto Vallarta Garden Club gets in there and spruces the place up, but those projects although welcome, are short lived. The benches are showing signs of wear and tear, They are cracking under the tropical sun with rusting rebar being exposed to the elements, ensuring even a more rapid decline and deterioration. It’s a fact that Lazaro Cardenas Park is in dire need of a facelift. Enter our next guest, Natasha Moraga. [caption id="attachment_1610" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Donate to Tile Park PV[/caption] If you have walked around the Southside of Puerto Vallarta, no doubt you have seen the Tile Wall on Pino Suarez, at the school. I know that when I first saw the wall, I thought to myself, self, I wish I had a file with my name on it on a wall in Puerto Vallarta! I thought, that would be pretty cool. I never really thought of who actually did this work, this mosaic tiling. I just took it for granted and moved on. [caption id="attachment_1532" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Mosaic Tile Wall at Basillio Badillo and Pino Suarez[/caption] Then one day I was reading an article about this person, Natasha Moraga, and I was fascinated by her story so I just needed to bring her on to the show and have her tell us about herself and her project, El Parque de Los Azulejos, or Tile Park PV. [caption id="attachment_1537" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Art Rendering Parque de Azulejos[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1535" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Art Rendering Parque de Azulejos[/caption] Now I was just at the park you guys, last week with Natasha, and I had a chance to see up close,  the progress they have already made there, smoothing out the angles, preparing the surfaces for the application of the tiles. But they need your help to move forward, and you can help and be a part of this incredible outdoor art project in the heart of the Southside of Puerto Vallarta, where Natasha Moraga, with Brother Daniel and a crew of hardworking folks, and you listeners too, will turn this promising piece of paradise, into a shining jewel. El Parque De Los Azulejos, Tile Park Puerto Vallarta. So let’s go right now to Puerto Vallarta Mexico, and have a conversation with Natasha Moraga, Tile Park Puerto Vallarta….. [caption id="attachment_1800" align="alignleft" width="300"] Progress at Parque de Los Azulejos, Puerto Vallarta[/caption] Listen to The Podcast [caption id="attachment_1799" align="alignleft" width="300"] Progress at Parque de Los Azulejos, Puerto Vallarta[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1798" align="alignleft" width="300"] Progress at Parque de Los Azulejos, Puerto Vallarta[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1797" align="alignleft" width="300"] Progress at Parque de Los Azulejos, Puerto Vallarta[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1795" align="alignnone" width="300"] Progress at Parque de Los Azulejos, Puerto Vallarta[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1788" align="alignnone" width="300"] Park in Need of Updating[/caption] Upcoming Workshops Be a Sponsor  Natasha's Projects Wall Basillio Badillo and Pino Suarez Wall at the Marina Letters into Vallarta [caption id="attachment_1533" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Natasha Moraga Puerto Vallarta[/caption] Favorite Places to Eat and Go Breakfast Cocos Kitchen Puerto Vallarta Memos Pancake House, Puerto Vallarta Fredy's Tucan, Puerto Vallarta  Out of town north in Bucerías. Paninos Bakery Restaurant, breakfast best French Toast Lunch Wok. Co., Puerto Vallarta Salud Super Food, Puerto Vallarta Vallarta Eats Food Tours Dinner Bistro Teresa, Puerto Vallarta Great Beach Spot Casitas Maraika South beach beach club great day trip Don't miss Walk around town so much to see. Mark where the work is. Beaches go south in the bay smooth waters Contact www.tileparkpv.com Info@tilepark.com Booth at the Saturday Farmers Market Natasha is a wonderful person and she is determined to have this project done, hopefully in time for the 100 year anniversary of Vallarta, so we will see if that can happen. Remember, if you don’t want to be kicking yourself for waiting too long, you might want to do your Holiday Shopping early and order a tile or two. I have links to their website as well as pictures of the park, to help you understand the wonderful project that is Tile Park PV. Remember just go to www.tileparkpv.com and check out the tiles, the activities and workshops and more. Well, that should do it for this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. Next week stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and [caption id="attachment_1787" align="alignright" width="300"] Natasha Moraga, Tile Park PV[/caption] more.  Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message. And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. [caption id="attachment_1580" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Nat Moraga, Artist-Muralist[/caption]   And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven't been to my website, you really need to have a look there.  I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven't already all-right? All right. So, thanks to Natasha Moraga, from El Parque de Los Azulejos, Tile Park Puerto Vallarta, Go to www.tileparkpv.com and see what she has there for you. There are planned events scheduled so go to the website and see when they are having the workshops where you can learn the art of Mosaic tiling, and take home the talent and the skill to do it yourself. You will see the pictures of the renderings of the park, you will see the pictures that I took of the park as it is now, and the work being done as the project moves forward. They are in the shownotes of  this episode of the show at puertovallartatravelshow.com So thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos!

He was the German glue of the Protestant movement — the unifier between the diverse strands of Reformation.

Martin Luther wasn't the only Augustianian monk involved in the Reformation. In this episode of 5 Minutes in Church History, Dr. Stephen Nichols discusses the life and ministry of Martin Bucer.

What does it mean to live the Christian life? Half of John Calvin's Institutes are devoted to the Christian life. Bucer held that a person was sanctified by grace through faith. He had to find a middle way on the sacramental question. Luther believed at baptism, the Holy Spirit went into that person's life. In Communion, Luther believed Christ is received into the person's life. Luther's view of the Sacraments caused people to ask why they did not always make Christians. Zwingli held that the Sacraments were a witness to others. Zwingli denied the Sacraments work the way Luther believed because spirit and matter do not coalesce in that way. His view caused people to ask why the sacraments were necessary. The result were those such as the Anabaptists (re-baptizers) who rejected infant baptism.

Consider that Luther was primarily concerned with salvation. Zwingli's concern was the sovereignty of God. He worked with the town council in Zurich to bring about social change. Zwingli believed that with the new life in Christ, society should change. Martin Bucer also played a key part in the Reformation. Bucer developed a Protestantism that was influenced by both Luther and Zwingli.

Explore that Bucer held that the promise of God is given in and through baptism. He believed a person could receive the promise but not receive the benefit. Baptismal Regeneration means you receive salvation at baptism if you chose it or not. Divine election is the work of God's love in your life. Bucer held that the Doctrine of Election was life-giving and liberating. The Doctrine of Election at the time of the Reformation was a socially revolutionary doctrine.

Click to Subscribe to All Ben's Fitness & Get A Free Surprise Gift from Ben. Click here for the full written transcript podcast of this episode. March 7, 2013 free podcast: Is Decaf Coffee Healthy, Can You Have Too Much Iron, How Often Should You Pee On The Bike, How To Stop Chafing When You're Running, What Happens To Your Gut When You Get Too Hot During Exercise, Fish vs. Fish Oil...and More! Have a podcast question for Ben? Click the tab on the right side of this page, call 1-877-209-9439, Skype “pacificfit” or (if you hate the sound of your own voice) scroll down to the “Ask Ben” form. Please don't forget to give the podcast a comment/ranking in iTunes - it only takes a minute and it helps grow our healthy and fit community! ----------------------------------------------------- News Flashes: To get these and other interesting news flashes every week, follow Ben on Twitter.com/BenGreenfield, Facebook.com/BGFitness and Google+. Interesting that the packages soda comes in may be as bad as the soda itself when it comes to blood sugar regulation. Here's a big fat clue for boosting your testosterone levels. This is why I'm a fan of eating wild fish as a replacement for fish oil WHEN YOU CAN. Scary. That tuna you're eating isn't actually tuna. ----------------------------------------------------- Special Announcements: Even though I completely understand if you can't join me this weekend for the Become Superhuman live event - I've decided open up a LIVE streaming PPV option for you to participate in the Become Superhuman event – in real time (and yes, access to the post-event recordings too)! Help us out by completing this survey - please, we need 250 responses! Wednesday, March 13 at 5:30pm PST - Come see Ben Greenfield, vegan athlete Rich Roll and celebrity trainer Vinnie Tortorich duke it out over diets on spreecast.com. Get featured on the podcast by creating your own MyList -here's what to do (did I mention that it's free?): Create your own "MyList" list that targets your passion in health, fitness or nutrition (gear, tools, supplements or anything else), Share your MyList right here by leaving a link to it in the comments section at the bottom of the page, I'll choose the best list, and contact you for an interview about why you chose the items on your list. ----------------------------------------------------- Listener Q&A: As compiled, edited and sometimes read by Brock, the Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast "sidekick". Chris asks @ 00:14:10 I have to urinate frequently while training and racing, last weekend I had to go 3 times in the first 25 miles of a ride. That will just annoy me in my IM in may. What are some things I can try, eliminate or experiment with to get in front of this. Is it just too much water that I drink leading up to long workouts? Too much water the night before? Maybe too much water and not enough elecotrolytes? Maybe excess sodium in my diet is causing me over drink during the week? Last year I had to make pit stops in my two "A" races. Misty asks 00:20:32 Any thoughts on auto urine therapy? I know its an ancient practice among some cultures, and people have even survived on their own urine when there was nothing else around. I am wondering if you have any thoughts on it for detox, immune and general health. Angela asks 00:26:30 I wanted to see if you have a solution for friction burns on the upper arms while running. If I do any distance over 7km, I seem to get burns under my arms and they are so painful. ~ In my response to Angela, I recommend: Hammer Balm (use 15% discount code 80244), Hammer Seat Saver  (use 15% discount code 80244), and Coconut Oil (works better mixed with aloe). Dushan wrote 00:30:10 I've always avoided decaf because I heard that the chemicals they use in the process are bad for you. Then I heard about Swiss water decaf, which doesn't use chemicals, but is expensive. Then I talked to a coffee rep. at Costco who told me that they wash their decaffeinated coffee and none of the chemicals remain. My wife also read that the chemicals evaporate at 190 degrees and coffee gets roasted at 350. She also read that rats were tested with the chemical with no effects. Any thoughts? ~ In my response to Dushan, I recommend Bucer's Incognito blend  or Bulletproof Decaf Coffee. Gareth asks 00:38:47 I recently got diagnosed with Hemochromatosis (High Iron Levels) with  very high transferrin saturation but average ferritin levels. It's hereditary.  It's easy to find allot written online in relation to the impact of low Iron levels on Endurance athletes but I cant find much information on the impact of high Iron levels. Can you offer any advice?  Is it a benefit or drawback? I'm a runner doing mostly 5K and 10K distances and I average 70 miles a week. Cheri asks 00:46:36 This year I entered a my 4th 100 mile race ~ It was 93 degrees come race day & at mile 34 the Aidstation ran out of water!!  I went approx 10 miles in 93 degrees with no water.  I continued on to mile 50 but stopped due major brain fog & sweating heavy when walking.  It took me about 3 weeks to get "mentally" back to normal.  They say that once you have "heatstroke" you are more prone to having it again.  If I acclimatize myself prior to going into a race (if I know it'll be hot), Will I have the possibility of feeling the same even if i'm hydrated? ~ In my response to Cheri, I recommend my recent USAT webinar on heat acclimation methods. Prior to asking your question, do a search in upper right hand corner of this website for the keywords associated with your question. Many of the questions we receive have already been answered here at Ben Greenfield Fitness! ====================================== [contact-form-7 id="6222" title="Ask Ben"]======================================

Listen to Pastor Wilkins's talk about the Bucer Institute kicking off Fall 2007 and then hear Pastor Wilkins give a lecture on the Life of the Reformer, Martin Bucer.

https://storage.googleapis.com/communio-sanctorum/500Years-Part05.mp3As we come up to the 500 year anniversary of Reformation Day, when Martin Luther tacked his revolutionary list of exceptions to current church practice and belief to the Castle Church door in the German town of Wittenberg, we're faced with the realization that the Reformation embraced many more people than the popular telling of history enumerates. Many more.Who do we think of when we think of the Reformation? Martin Luther & John Calvin are the first two most would name. Then with a bit more searching of the gray matter, maybe Philipp Melanchthon & Ulrich Zwingli. There are, of course, dozens more notables who played important roles in the drama that was the Reformation. One of them is the focus of this episode – a man and name that ought to be as prominent in our knowledge of this period as Zwingli or Melanchthon –> Marin Bucer, the Reformer of Strasbourg.Before we get in to his story, a little background on the situation in Germany is a good idea.As moderns, we're used to thinking of history in terms of nation-states. Even as we think back to ancient times, we tend to cast the dominant empires as just very old versions of nation-states. That, despite the fact the modern nation-state of Western civ is a relatively recent invention. We must exercise caution as we review the history of Renaissance Europe and the period of the Reformation because it was this period of time that helped set the political climate for the eventual emergence of the modern world with its nearly ubiquitous carving up of the globe in nations with clearly defined borders.Voltaire once said, “The Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, Roman, nor an empire.” Yet, that's what we call that collection of principalities that formed a loose political collection from the 9th to the 17th C. In the 16th C, the Holy Roman Empire was politically centralized in name only. It was composed of several politically different regions that put a significant check on the Emperor's power. It was this division of power that made the Reformation possible, and helps explain why it took root in Germany rather than France or Spain. As the series we did in Season 1, The Long Road to Reform makes clear, there had been many attempts at reform of the Church prior to Luther and the early 16th C, but none had the Reformation's success precisely because they usually took place in areas that were governed by a single monarch dedicated to Rome.  The HRE Emperor Charles V was also Rome's guy, but he only held his office due to the endorsement of 7 German prince-electors, who regularly differed from him on various issues. These powerful Electors and the noble-houses they were scions of had debated for years about the desirability of breaking with Rome. Martin Luther was able to succeed where others failed precisely because he arrived at a time when enough of these Electors had grown fed-up with Rome's meddling, the Emperor was politically weak, and the common people universally recognized the corruption of the Church's upper echelon.Martin Luther's political region was Saxony, ruled by the powerful and well-regarded Elector Frederick III, known as Frederick the Wise. His successors, both named John followed Frederick's support for Luther. The powerful Landgrave, Philip of Hesse, nestled West of Saxony & East of the Rhine, was another avid supporter of the Reformation. That support will play a key role in later developments for both Bucer & Luther. The Emperor walked a political tightrope as he sought to balance the demands of his these tetchy electors, dozens of lesser principalities, and the growing number of politically powerful free imperial cities ruled by councils that often acted as sovereign governments. As if that wasn't enough, Charles V also had war on multiple fronts to deal with, France in the West, the Ottomans in the East, and Italy to the South. The Reformation leaders realized the time was ripe for them to sever ties with Rome since the Emperor needed their support to deal with the external threats. It was a political perfect storm for a religious movement to emerge.Martin Bucer was born in  the French region of Alsace, next to Germany, in the free imperial city of Schlettstadt. His family were coopers by trade – barrel-makers. Nothing's known of Martin's mother. His hometown boasted a well-known school where families of the Bucer social class sent their children. He graduated there in 1507 then, at his grandfather's insistence, became a monk-novice in the Dominican Order. A year in, he was made an acolyte in Strasbourg where he took vows as a friar. By 1510, he was ordained a deacon.Bucer then began studying theology in the Dominican monastery in Heidelberg 5 yrs later. A brief trip to Mainz saw him taking a course in dogmatics and ordination as a priest. In 1517, he returned to Heidelberg to enroll in the university. It was there that Bucer began to be influenced by the ideas of Erasmus and the humanists. It was also there at Heidelberg that everything was to change for him. In April 1518, Johannes von Staupitz, an Augustinian vicar-general, invited an upstart Augustinian monk named Martin Luther from Wittenberg to debate that monks increasingly troublesome views. This debate is known now as the Heidelberg Disputation. It's where Bucer met Luther for the first time. In a long letter to his friend, Bucer recounted what he learned, commenting on several of the theses Luther had posted, where then printed up and spread all over Germany. They were the points Staupitz wanted to dispute. But Bucer found himself intrigued by them, doubly so after hearing Luther's defense. He agreed & found in Luther's points much to connect with his emerging humanist ideas. The following year, Bucer received his degree, and while giving his disputation before the faculty of  Heidelberg, made clear his theological break with Aquinas and Scholasticism.Bucer's next step in joining the Reformers was his departure from the Dominicans. That story is interesting and reads like a novel.The Grand Inquisitor of Cologne was the Dominican, Jacob van Hoogstraaten. He launched an inquiry into the teaching and views of the famous humanist scholar Johann Reuchlin. Now, in some places, like Spain, once the Inquisition set its sights on someone, everyone else beat a hasty retreat, lest suspicion fall on them as well. Not in Germany. Things were different there precisely because of the much weaker political structure. So when Reuchlin fell afoul of Hoogstraaten, several German nobles took Reuchlin's side, forcing Hoogstraaten to back down. Thwarted, he now was compelled to prove his title of Grand Inquisitor was deserved ad set his sights on Bucer, who he felt was an easier and more vulnerable target. When word reached Bucer he was now in the Inquisition cross-hairs, he decided to leave the Dominicans. Friends in the Order expedited the annulment of his vows, which were officially severed in April 1521.Though the Inquisition was now technically not able to go after him, it could work to see the annulment of his vows reversed. So over the next 2 yrs, the nobles who'd back Reuchlin came to Bucer's aid as well. He went to work as a chaplain in the court of the Elector of The Palatine and lived in the city of Nuremberg, the most powerful city of the Empire. The city government was a major supporter of the Reformation and the city became something of a magnet for Reformers. It was there Bucer met many who shared his views. In the Fall of 1521, Bucer accepted an offer to become pastor at Landstuhl. The next Summer, he met and married a former nun named Elisabeth.The city of Landstuhl was the center of one of Bucer's noble defenders, Franz von Sickengen, a German knight of confused reputation. Sickengen seems something of an opportunist who sided with commoners when it served to increase his wealth and prestige, then to back nobles for the same reason. He was something of a political pragmatist who saw in the Reformation a way to both advance his personal agenda while giving vent to his loyalty to the German people. He'd built himself a virtually impregnable castle at Landstuhl; at least impregnable by medieval styles of siegecraft. It became the scene of his ultimate defeat in 1523 when in a battle with other German nobles artillery was used for one of the first times.Wanting to advance the Reformation in his capital, Sickingen sent Bucer to Wittenberg for further study with Luther and his assistant Melanchthon. He stopped in the town of Wissembourg on the way and was persuaded by the local reformer, Heinrich Motherer, to stay and work for a time as chaplain. Bucer went to work preaching sermons each day calling for immediate reform. His special focus was abuse in the monastic orders. He was an ardent advocate of the Reformation solas; Sola Scriptura & Sola Fide. He decried the Mass as a recapitulation of Christ's saving work. He lambasted the monasteries as turning the Gospel into a system of salvation by works. Summing up his ideas in six theses, he called for a public disputation with his opponents, of which there were not a few. But the Franciscans and Dominicans ignored his challenge. Bad move on their part because it seemed to say to the local townspeople that they were afraid of not being able to refute Bucer's charges of corruption. Those townspeople, further agitated by Martin's sermons, began threatening the local monasteries. That was too much for the bishop at Speyer who then excommunicated Bucer. In a sign of the way things would go across Germany in the decades that followed, the town council decided to support the now persona-non-grata Bucer, rather than jail or exile him, thereby serving Rome it no longer aligned under its leadership.  Events beyond the Wissembourg town-limits put Bucer in peril. His benefactor, von Sickingen, was defeated and killed during the Knights' Revolt I just mentioned. The Wissembourg council urged Bucer to leave. He fled to nearby Strasbourg. It was May 1523, and it's there that Martin Bucer had his greatest impact.Though Bucer arrived in Strasbourg as a political refugee with no visible means of support and no legal rights as a citizen, within 3 months he'd become a settled fixture and influential voice there. Upon his arrival, Bucer immediately wrote to Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich, asking for a post there were he could help the burgeoning Reformation cause. Before he heard back, the reformist-minded Strasbourg city council asked him to assist their local pastor by serving as his chaplain. Bucer began teaching Bible and was so effective one of the local guilds appointed him as the pastor of St Aurelia's Church. Strasbourg couldn't have the pastor of one of its most influential church not be a citizen, so citizenship    was granted.Bucer was joined in Strasbourg by a team of capable minds all united by the Reformation Cause. Matthew  Zell, Wolfgang Capito, & Caspar Hedio. Early on, Bucer called for a debate with Thomas Murner, a monk who'd attacked Luther with biting satire.Though Strasbourg's council leaned toward the reformist camp, like so many German political leaders of this time, it tended to vacillate on installing Reformation ideas. They wanted to reform the Church but balked at implementing changes to the civil sphere that would set them at odds with the Emperor and his allies. Because Bucer and his Reformer pals had the ear of the masses, hostility toward the civil magistrates grew apace with their hostility toward the Roman clergy.That hostility boiled over when a local Augustinian leader denounced the Reformers & Strasbourg city council as heretics. Furious mobs broke into and looted local monasteries. Opponents of the Reformation we re arrested, including that Augustinian leader. That proved the crisis that moved the Strasbourg council to realize if could not longer vacillate. They asked Bucer to produce an official statement clarifying for all what their theological position was. He drafted twelve articles outlining Reformation doctrine. Missing were such things as the Mass, monastic vows, veneration of saints, and purgatory. He specifically rejected the authority of the pope but emphasized obedience to civil government. The opponents to the Reformation who'd been arrested were released and exiled, ending any and all hurdles to the Reformation in Strasbourg. And all this before the Fall of 1523, the same year Bucer arrived there.Strasbourg's reformers then set about to build a new order of service for their churches. As their basic template, they adopted the order already in use in Zurich by the churches influenced by Zwingli, then made some tweaks. In an ambitious move, they suggested that ALL churches of the Reformation adopt the same order and presented their proposal to the luminaries at both Wittenberg & Zurich.Before we carry on with Martin Bucer's story, we need to pause for a narrative sidebar . . .THE central debate Reformers carried on among themselves, and the cause that ended up producing several different Reformation streams, was the doctrine of the Lord's Supper, Communion, the Eucharist. Early on, a rift appeared between Martin Luther and the Swiss Reformers led by Zwingli.Avoiding an overly technical dissertation, let me summarize the 2 positions by saying that Luther adamantly affirmed a real presence of Christ in the bread and wine of communion, while Zwingli regarded the elements of Communion as symbolic memorials to Christ and His work.For long time listeners to CS, these views were rooted in the Christological debates of the 4th & 5th Cs we spent so much time on in both Season 1 and the Creeds series of Season 2. Luther emphasized the unity of Christ's person, saying His human attributes were infused by His divine attributes, so He was present everywhere, including in the elements of the Lord's Supper. Zwingli emphasized Christ's dual nature as God and Man and that His body, while real, was resurrected and sat at the right hand of the Father in Glory.At the Marburg C olloquy where Lutherans and the Swiss met to seek concord, they were able to agree to 13 articles, but when could not achieve agreement on the last, detailing this issue of the presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper. It's been told that in the discussions between Luther and Zwingli, as Zwingli waxed long on a philosophical treatise supporting his position, Luther took a piece of chalk and wrote on the table in front of him, “This is my body.” As Zwingli kept talking, Luther just tapped the table beneath the words.As one biographer on this says, at Worms, Luther had announced that his conscience was held captive by The Word of God. There at Marburg, he clung to the same conviction. He would not allow himself to be swayed from Christ's simple statement “This is my body” by the erudite and reasoned position of Zwingli.So intractable was Luther on this issue, and so suspicious did he become of Zwingli attempting to dissuade him, Luther went so far as to suggest the Swiss weren't Christians. But that wasn't something he regarded very long. Indeed, as the Marburg Colloquy wrapped up, Zwingli asked Luther to draw up a list of the things they agreed on as a standard for all Reformed churches. Luther and Melanchthon, really it was mostly the latter's work, produced a total of 15 articles that became the standard accepted at Schwabach in 1529. Lutherans and the Swiss agreed on all but the last dealing with the Lord's Supper. It reads thus . . .Regarding the Last Supper of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, we believe and hold that one should practice the use of both species as Christ himself did, [by “both species” is meant both bread & wine. Remember that the Roman Catholics only used the wafer. Reformers advocated using both bread & wine] and that the sacrament at the altar is a sacrament of [and here we see the distinct Lutheran doctrine of the real prese nce] the true body and blood of Jesus Christ and the spiritual enjoyment of this very body and blood is proper and necessary for every Christian. Furthermore, that the practice of the sacrament is given and ordered by God the Almighty like the Word, so that our weak conscience might be moved to faith through the Holy Spirit. [Then Melanchthon adds verbiage acknowledging the differing opinions of the Reformers] And although we have not been able to agree at this time, whether the true body and blood of Christ are corporally present in the bread and wine [of communion], each party should display towards the other Christian love, as far as each respective conscience allows, and both should persistently ask God the Almighty for guidance so that through his Spirit he might bring us to a proper understanding.This theological division not only caused massive theological problems, it produced a plethora of political problems. Those German princes who'd supported the Reformation had hoped for a religious harmony to support their break with both Rome and Emperor. A fractured Protestant church was both   weak. Bucer recognized this and worked feverishly to affect a compromise that would unite the Lutherans and Swiss. His efforts resulted in several important documents. His views of the Lord's Supper influenced Calvin, who also sought to affect a compromise between the two groups.Bucer's work toward that end began just a year after arriving in Strasbourg and continued for several years.  Bucer himself had abandoned a belief in the real presence of Christ in the elements after his own study. What troubled Martin was the insistence by both Luther and Zwingli on maintaining their positions in peril of their unity and the disharmony it engendered, allowing a rift that weakened them in the face of hostile parties. He asked for their unity to be based on what they agreed on, rather than disunity based on where they differed.Bucer's story goes longer, but unfortunately, not this episode, so let's wrap it up . . .He ministered in Strasbourg for 25 years, and while his attempts to reconcile the Swiss & Lutherans was unfruitful, he did achieve a shot-lived concord in 1536. But Bucer's reputation was dealt a terrible blow by his support of The Count of Hesse's bigamy that we've talked about in other places. It was Bucer who persuaded Luther to  support Philipp's secret marriage of a second wife. Along with Melanchthon, Bucer took part in the unsuccessful conversion of the Archbishop of Cologne in 1542.When the Protestant princes lost the Shmalkaldic War, the victorious Charles V convened a meeting at Augsburg to draw up articles known as the Interim. Bucer was “invited” to attend and be a voice for the drafting of the articles. When his edits were rejected, he was arrested and eventually coerced into signing them. But when he returned to Strasbourg, he attacked the Interim and continued his calls for reform of the church. The city council, now under close watch by imperial authorities asked Bucer to zip it. When he showed no sign of doing so they told him to leave.Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in England was watching events on the continent with interest. He invited Bucer & his pals who'd been booted from Strasbourg to come to England and help with the Reformation cause there. They arrived in April of 1549 and within days were introduced to King Edward VI. Bucer was given a position as a Professor of Divinity in Cambridge.In going to England, Bucer had great hopes of spreading the influence of the Reformation's objective of simplifying the church's liturgy. His reforms made little headway against the magisterial nature of the Church of England. His greatest influence is likely to be found in the second edition of the Book of Common Prayer which Cranmer asked him to review and edit.England proved to be an unhealthy environment for the now aging Martin. In 1551, his health finally broke and he died on the last day of February at the age of 59.In eulogy, one of his scholarly friends wrote of Bucer, “We are deprived of a leader than whom the whole world would scarcely obtain a greater, whether in knowledge of true religion or in integrity and innocence of life, or in thirst for study of the most holy things, or in exhausting labor in advancing piety, or in authority and fullness of teaching, or in anything that is praiseworthy and renowned.”Two yrs after his death, when Mary 1, AKA Bloody Mary came to the throne, as part of her effort to restore Catholicism, she tried Bucer posthumously for heresy. His casket was dug up, his remains burned, along with copies of his writings. When Elizabeth ascended the throne, she restored Bucer's legacy. A brass plaque now marks the original location of his grave.

His family name was “Black Earth,” as in the rich, fertile soil around his hometown. In German, Schwartzerdt. His first name was Philipp. He was born in Feb of 1497 at Bretten in SW Germany. His father was an armorer for an important German Count.Though tiny for his age, Philipp was brilliant. It seemed his body put all its energy into the development of his mind rather than his increasingly misshapen body. So at the age of only 10 he joined the scholars at the school of Pforzheim where he learned Latin, Greek and was introduced to Classical philosophy. When it became clear Philipp was something of a prodigy, his well-known humanist uncle Johann Reuchlin took a hand in his education as well. It was he who suggested the burgeoning young scholar follow the humanist fashion of the time and translate his German last name of Schwartzerdt into the Greek Melanchthon.When at the age of 11, both his father and grandfather died within a few days of each other, Philipp moved in with his grandmother. The next year, at aged 12, He entered the University of Heidelberg where he studied philosophy, rhetoric & astronomy. He quickly made his mark as a scholar of Greek, but was denied his master's degree for being too young. Shifting to the school in Tübingen, he continued his studies in law, mathematics and medicine.He was finally granted his Master's when he turned 19 and began studying theology. Under the influence of humanists like his uncle and Erasmus, Melanchthon became convinced true Christianity was something very different from the dry scholasticism of the Academics.When his attempts at reform were opposed in Tübingen, he accepted a call from Martin Luther to teach in the University at Wittenberg. At the ripe old age of 21, he took on the role of Professor of Greek. As he studied Scripture he became increasingly convinced Luther's ideas were theologically sound. There's a good chance the young Melanchthon helped clarify some of Luther's early ideas. He went with Luther to Leipzig for a debate with the Catholic Apologist Johann Eck in 1519. Though he only attended as a spectator, he inserted some of his own comments into the debate. Those comments were so telling, Eck felt the need to respond. After returning to Wittenberg, Melanchthon published an effective reply, basing his retorts in Scripture.When it became clear Philipp was a settled fixture at the University in Wittenberg and was proving himself an able assistant to Luther, the town's mayor gave consent for his daughter to marry him.In 1521, Melanchthon's lectures on Romans in the University became the basis of the Reformation's first volume on dogmatics, titled Theological Common Places. Seeing several revisions over the following years, the work dealt with themes like the relationship of the law and gospel, the bondage of the will, and justification by faith.From the outset of his tenure as Luther's theological side-kick, Melanchthon set a priority on educational reform. He advocated a need for fluency in Greek in theological training and a restructuring of universities along humanist lines. His plans were implemented in the reordering of the schools at Heidelberg & Tübingen, as well as new school at Marburg and Königsberg. Along with Luther, he called for each town to have a public school for the education of its young.In the last episode, we noted Luther's increasing cantankerousness as he aged. Some historians attribute this onerousness to his failing health and the constant pain his last few years saw him in. But even as a younger man, Luther was given to bouts of moodiness that swung between mania and depression, sometimes wildly! Philipp's even-keeled and exceedingly moderate nature seemed the perfect foil to Luther.Three famous painters gave their skills to capturing Melanchthon. Holbein, Cranach, and Albrecht Dürer, whose image seems more an attempt to capture Philipp's spiritual essence than his actual appearance. Contemporaries remarked Dürer capably achieved his goal. These images and the descriptions we have of him present a man who was likely not taller than 4'9” and somewhat misshapen. He was rarely in good health but was able to accomplish as much work as he did  because of his well-honed work habits and the extraordinary discipline he exercised. Though Melanchthon could have used his position to great personal advantage, he never accumulated wealth or possessions, but was known for his generosity and hospitality.His marriage was happy. He called his home "a little church," & peace was always found there by visitors. There was genuine affection between Philipp and his wife and 4 children. One visitor remarked on his stay with the Melanchthons that he happened by one of the rooms to see Philipp rocking a cradle with one hand while reading a book in the other.Master Melanchthon had many friends with whom he conversed often, frequently via correspondence, in which he reveals far more of himself and his ideas than he ever did publicly. In fact, he was so generous with his thoughts he frequently wrote speeches & treatises for others, granting them permission to claim them as their own.Melanchthon eschewed all jealousy, envy, slander, & sarcasm, though being the keen intellect he was, and dealing with oft times obstinate theological opponents he did we can be sure his witty repartee would have been entertaining. To put it succinctly, Melanchthon was The scholar's Scholar. We've probably all heard of, maybe even known, those people who have to be, or think they are, the smartest person in the room. With Melanchthon, he aspired to be, not the smartest, though there's little doubt he was, but his goal was to be the  noblest, the most honest & decent soul in the room. To that end he was brutal in his self-assessment, even to the point of acknowledging his faults to his opponents and critics.After the Diet of Worms and the obvious break with Rome it clearly meant, Luther seemed content to go his way and take the Church in Germany with him. Then, when other Reformers differed from Luther's positions on various issues, he seemed willing to split from them as well. Melanchthon worked hard at affecting a reconciliation with both papists and other Reformers, if only they would be willing to negotiate on the basis of Scripture. He & Luther took part in an meeting at Marburg in 1529 with the Zwingli and the Swiss Reformers in an attempt to find a common ground. The Colloquy blew up over their different understandings of the nature of the Eucharist. Melanchthon was able to hammer out agreement with Martin Bucer and Southern Germans on the same issue in the Wittenberg Concord in 1536. He contributed to the 13 Articles Lutherans and Anglicans agreed on 2 yrs later. Having achieved unity with Bucer, the 2 participated in discussions at Hagenau & Worms that eventually led to a monumental Colloquy at Regensburg of 1541.  It was there that Cardinal Contarini made a serious bid for reconciliation with the Reformers, When it became clear there were issues both sides could NOT compromise on, the split between Rome and Protestants was final.While Melanchthon seems a committed Ecumenist in these efforts, a decade later when Thomas Cranmer called for a Reformation-wide ecumenical conference in London, he was less enthusiastic. But there's good reason for that. He was being accused by hardcore supports of Luther of betraying the cause in weakening Lutheran teaching.And Philipp's desire for harmony ought not be understood as his being soft on error. As early as 1522, he argued with Luther's other assistant at Wittenberg, Andreas Carlstadt who, while Luther was in hiding at Wartburg, assumed control of the Reformation movement in Luther's absence. Carlstadt's attitude was that the reforms ought to go forward as swiftly as possible. The problem was, the nobles and rulers who were generally in favor of a break with Rome, found the pace of reform Carlstadt urged too much too soon. Even Luther advocated a slower pace. So he left the Wartburg to return to Wittenberg and dress Carlstadt down. Andreas stayed for a time but, frustrated that the Reforms he knew were needed weren't being enacted swiftly enough, he left to spread his ideas of Radical Reformation across German & Switzerland. He eventually landed in in the University of Basel.Along with Luther, Melanchthon was instrumental in formulating the 1530 Augsburg Confession defining the tenants of Lutheranism. In 1540, Melanchthon issued a revised edition of the Confession with edits many Lutherans found objectionable. He was accused by Matthias Flacius of selling Luther out after the great Reformer's death. Melanchthon adopted a more moderate view than Luther on predestination and the nature of the Lord's Presence in Communion. His supporters were scornfully called Philippists. These attacks caused the gentle and uncontentious soul considerable distress in his last years. But after his death in 1560, Melanchthon's essential unity within Lutheranism was vindicated and he was buried beside his friend.Between Luther & Melanchthon, the later was more the scholar while the former was more the man of action. The steady Melanchthon was the perfect foil to   the mercurial Luther. Their friendship owed much to that fact as each recognized the value the other very different style provided for the massive undertaking they'd assumed. While this may be over-simplifying it, we might say Luther was the face and voice of the Early Reformation while Melanchthon was its brains and heart. Melanchthon's role was best served when he was the quiet one behind the scenes. When Luther was gone and he was called on to step up and take the lead, he proved unequal to the task. Make no mistake, no one doubted his piety & integrity. It's just that he did not possess the force of character Luther had.Still, there's a case to be made that had it not been for Philipp Melanchthon, there wouldn't have been a Martin Luther and the Reformation as we've come to know it.So – the world would be a very different place.

Jordan talks with Jonathon Beeke about the duplex regnum Christi and related topics in Reformed theology. They cover topics like: What did the early magisterial reformers think about it? Did they have any shared understanding of the two kingdoms or of political theology in general? How did the patristic and medieval thinkers influence the Reformers in their views here? What did Luther, Bucer, and Calvin think? Were they similar? What were the views of the Reformed Orthodox? And more!Resources:1) Duplex Regnum Christi, Jonathon Beeke2) Politics After Christendom, David VanDrunen3) Theonomy: A Theological Critique, David VanDrunenSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-london-lyceum4672/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands