Reformed Saints

One fear I have for the American “Reformed” movement and even more for the Traditional Reformed is their view of the reform fathers. Let me explain so that you understand in a few words. most of us love John Calvin, we enjoy Jonathan Edwards, and just fall in love with Charles Spurgeon’s humor. But there is no doubt from my personal experience and time in the reformed movement that sometimes WE place the “fathers of the faith” to a status that can become untouchable. Reformed individuals can often lift the reformed fathers to almost saint status like that of Catholics. Often times it can easily become as if we quote men of the Reformed faith more then we find ourselves quoting Christ, or the Scriptures. This is only a friendly reminder for those of you who may love reading, enjoy writing, preachers, and teachers of the gospel to remember the many men that stood for the faith of Christendom stood so that you may enjoy the Words of Christ and merely continue to quote Luther and Burroughs. Do not get me wrong, I at times even quote a person, use one for example, but as followers of Christ, just remember that there is none that are in comparison to Christ, and none that even begin to come near, (like that of RCC-saints).

Reformed Conferences… Churches Jobs?

My Thought: This past afternoon a friend in seminary/co-worker approached me about my last post in dealing with Reformed Conferences. He mentioned the issue on how many of the Reformed Conferences in today’s day and age address the issues and deal with the areas that the local church should be addressing.

My Question: My question is then, do these conferences rob from the churches work and are they making it easier for churches to ship their members elsewhere in answering and addressing issues that they cannot.

Fears for Reformed Conferences

Fears: Going to a Reformed seminary and working for a Reformed book publisher has opened my eyes and also made my mind often wonder about some of the many areas of interest in the many Reformed circles today. I plan on blogging a few of my wonders/thoughts on these issues in the next coming months and maybe you (the reader) can/could leave a little feed back on your thoughts?

Disclaimer: I am “Reformed” in American terms (I guess). Below is not a problem so-to-speak, but just an issue that I see may be or become an issue in the years to come in the “Reformed Circles”. This is ONLY and JUST my concerns I often wonder if Americans easily idolize.

Issue: Reformed Conferences!

Thoughts: I myself attend many conferences throughout the year. Desiring God, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, to church conferences and denomination conferences all around American. Nine times out of ten, I attend these for the purpose of selling books for Reformation Heritage Books. However no matter if I am there for work or personal reasons, there are always crowds of others too. Here of late the more conferences I see and hear about I am beginning to wonder, “Why another conference?” Do people go because the conference or because of Christ is being preached at the conference? Do we attend Desiring God, Ligonier, and T4G’s because of their popularity or because we want the Word taught to us? It seems as if many people today may attend the conferences in order to say, “hi” to their circles, friends, and make a name for themselves instead of going for the purpose alone that the conference may be addressing. I hope that in the years to come and even today that we the church do not attend conferences with the thought process of, “I want to see Piper preach and move all around in the pulpit!” but with the purpose of, “I want to Glorify God!”

How to keep Conferences Gospel-Centered: Make sure your reasons in attending a conference in a day and age that tends to nearly have one every week in American is for the purpose to learn, seek, and fall deeper in love with Christ. This will keep the focus of attending conferences become gospel-centered and man-centered in making yourself popular in a particular circle of Christendom.