As he Snuffs the Gale of Popular Applause - John Angell James

As he Snuffs the Gale of Popular Applause - John Angell James

John Angell James Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PLE50E39BA700E815A

2 Corinthians 6:4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God...

John Angell James (1785-1859) was an English Nonconformist clergyman and writer.

He was born at Blandford Forum. After seven years apprenticeship to a linen-draper in Poole, Dorset, he decided to become a preacher, and in 1802 he went to David Bogue's training institution at Gosport in Hampshire. A year and a half later, on a visit to Birmingham, his preaching was so highly esteemed by the congregation of Carrs Lane Independent chapel that they invited him to exercise his ministry amongst them; he settled there in 1805, and was ordained in May 1806. For several years his success as a preacher was comparatively small; but he became suddenly popular in about 1814, and began to attract large crowds. At the same time his religious writings, the best known of which are The Anxious Inquirer and An Earnest Ministry, acquired a wide circulation.

James was a typical Congregational preacher of the early 19th century, massive and elaborate rather than original. His preaching displayed little or nothing of Calvinism, the earlier severity of which had been modified in Birmingham by Edward Williams, one of his predecessors. He was one of the founders of the Evangelical Alliance and of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. Municipal interests appealed strongly to him, and he was also for many years chairman of Spring Hill (afterwards Mansfield) College. He was also an ardent slavery abolitionist, and is portrayed in the huge canvass depicting Clarkson's opening address at the world's first International Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840, in the National Portrait Gallery, London. He died in Birmingham.

A collected edition of James's works appeared in 1860-1864.

This City has so Aroused My Anger and Wrath! - John Angell James stack45ny Subscribed

John Angell James Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PLE50E39BA700E815A

A Treasury of Ageless,
Sovereign Grace,
Devotional Writings http://www.gracegems.org/

Jeremiah 32:1 'For this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My fury from the day that they built it, even to this day; so I will remove it from before My face'

John Angell James (1785-1859) was an English Nonconformist clergyman and writer.

He was born at Blandford Forum. After seven years apprenticeship to a linen-draper in Poole, Dorset, he decided to become a preacher, and in 1802 he went to David Bogue's training institution at Gosport in Hampshire. A year and a half later, on a visit to Birmingham, his preaching was so highly esteemed by the congregation of Carrs Lane Independent chapel that they invited him to exercise his ministry amongst them; he settled there in 1805, and was ordained in May 1806. For several years his success as a preacher was comparatively small; but he became suddenly popular in about 1814, and began to attract large crowds. At the same time his religious writings, the best known of which are The Anxious Inquirer and An Earnest Ministry, acquired a wide circulation.

James was a typical Congregational preacher of the early 19th century, massive and elaborate rather than original. His preaching displayed little or nothing of Calvinism, the earlier severity of which had been modified in Birmingham by Edward Williams, one of his predecessors. He was one of the founders of the Evangelical Alliance and of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. Municipal interests appealed strongly to him, and he was also for many years chairman of Spring Hill (afterwards Mansfield) College. He was also an ardent slavery abolitionist, and is portrayed in the huge canvass depicting Clarkson's opening address at the world's first International Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840, in the National Portrait Gallery, London. He died in Birmingham.

A collected edition of James's works appeared in 1860-1864.

David Wilkerson On Judgment & Prayer

Two short clips of Brother David Wilkerson preaching at Times Square Church in New York City. He speaks on the coming Judgment of God and about Prayer.

God’s wrath and horror films

From http://spurgeon.wordpress.com

In light of our recent discussion over Jonathan Edwards’s famous sermon (Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God) it occurred to me that John Calvin may help us answer the following questions:

- Where does a fear of God’s judgment arise in the natural man?

- Are sinners fearful of His wrath because the preacher builds up to a rhetorical climax of graphic content?

- In our contemporary society — saturated with horror films, books and graphic entertainment — will a sermon on God’s wrath be marginalized to fictional fairytale?

These are serious concerns for the preacher and evangelist.

Early in the Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559) Calvin addresses God’s judgment as a way to prove that knowledge of God is etched on the hearts of all men. He writes,

“One reads of no one who burst forth into bolder or more unbridled contempt of deity than Gaius Caligula [Roman emperor between A.D. 37-41]; yet no one trembled more miserably when any sign of God’s wrath manifested itself; thus – albeit unwillingly – he shuddered at the God whom he professedly sought to despise. You may see now and again how this also happens to those like him; how he who is the boldest despiser of God is of all men the most startled at the rustle of a falling leaf [cf. Lev. 26:36]. Whence does this arise but from the vengeance of divine majesty, which strikes their consciences all the more violently the more they try to flee from it? Indeed, they seek out every subterfuge to hide themselves from the Lord’s presence, and to efface it again from their minds. But in spite of themselves they are always entrapped. Although it may sometimes seem to vanish for a moment, it returns at once and rushes in with new force. If for these there is any respite from anxiety of conscience, it is not much different from the sleep of drunken or frenzied persons, who do not rest peacefully even while sleeping because they are continually troubled with dire and dreadful dreams” (1.3.2; 1:45).

God’s presence remains close enough to even the hardest of sinners, close enough that God occasionally fills the sinners thoughts with a foretaste of His coming wrath. It may be silent for a time, but then this knowledge “rushes in with new force” like God’s immediate presence overcoming the Old Testament sinner (see Lev. 26:36). To put this more biblically, Paul in Romans 1:28-32 writes,

“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

After explaining that “death” here cannot be limited to physical death, John Murray writes, “The most degraded of men, degraded because judicially abandoned of God, are not destitute of the knowledge of God and of his righteous judgments” [The Epistle to the Romans (Eerdmans: 1959) 1:52]. There are ever-present reminders that God is holy, that all sin must be punished and that sinners are rightfully consumed by the second death. Somewhere in the recesses of the conscience all sinners are reminded that a propensity to gossip is quickening God’s wrath. And this wrath is fully justified.

What all this suggests is that – while we appropriately stand in amazement at the work of God in blessing the sermons of Jonathan Edwards to spark revival – the true power of a sermon on God’s judgment is fueled by the divine whisper from our conscience that all of us rightfully deserve God’s wrath. Because of this profound universal truth we cannot think that preaching graphic sermons on God’s judgment compete with the entertainment industry or will be marginalized by our hearers to the status of fiction.

As creatures of God, we are etched with His image. When the movie concludes we resume our busy lives. When the sermon concludes sinners remain under His authority and bound to the inescapable reality that all sinners deserve to face God’s wrath.

I cannot help but note what incredibly dead hearts we have as sinners! We even encourage and approve of other sinners in their self-condemnation (v. 32). It must be a great Savior to save great sinners, self-condemned and patting others in approval of their self-condemnation. Indeed, Christ has saved us from ourselves, saved us from God’s judgment, saved us from our guilt and due penalty! He was crushed for our iniquities (Isa. 53:5, 10). What grace and mercy that sinners self-condemned now live in hope!

My simple conclusion is this: Sermons on God’s judgment will remain distinct from horror film entertainment because terrifying fiction and terrifying wrath are not easily confused. If anything, the horrors of graphic imagery seen on the big screen will stretch the sinner’s minds to the unfathomable terrors of God’s wrath to come. Preachers should unashamedly expound all of Scripture with the confidence that our sovereign God is speaking to every soul.

The Wrath of God - Five Types of Divine Anger

By Seeker @ http://www.twoorthree.net

I urge you to listen to the first and second parts (second part tomorrow) of the two part radio series on Focus on the Family, which began today. The series is a couple of lectures by John MacArthur entitled A Nation Abandoned by God (you can also download this and previous shows using the FOTF podcast RSS). MacArthur is using Romans 1 as a description of one type of wrath of God - when God abandons us to our sinfulness by removing his restraint. However, to set this idea up, he reviewed the five types of wrath that God exhibits in the bible.

Since many people don't think or wrath as an attribute of God (having abandoned truth while holding only to grace), it is important to understand the judgment and righteous anger of God.

1. Eternal Wrath - Eternal separation from God - the final judgment for those who reject Christ. This is going on now for those dead, and will go on into the infinite future.
2. Eschatological Wrath - The outpouring of God's judgment during the "last days." (Revelation 6-19). This wrath is yet to come.
3. Calamitous Wrath - Such interventions as the Noahic Flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, etc.
4. Consequential Wrath - the natural results of bad choices. Whatever we sow, we reap. This reaping, though passive on God's part, it still seen as God's judgment, and wrath, on sin.
   
5. The Wrath of Abandonment - this is what MacArthur says is being described in Romans 1, and how God judges individuals, groups, and nations. And he says America is already there.

MacArthur has taught this previously, and you can read a sample in What's Wrong with America.

What is the relationship between God’s wrath and believers?

Posted by erik @ http://www.irishcalvinist.com

“I know and understand God’s wrath being towards unbelievers. What about believers? Can God’s wrath be on believers with sin in their life? Can unrepented sin cause God’s wrath to be on them even though they believe in Christ and have faith? OR does Christ’s death cover all our sins? Past,present,and future? I think about Romans 3 where it speaks of Christ being the propitiation for our sins…”

The answer is hit dead on in this question with the word propitiation. Propitiation is another one of those big words that we must know and will greatly impact our lives.

I agree with how Wayne Grudem defines propitiation in his very helpful systematic theology: “A sacrifice that bears God’s wrath to the end and in so doing changes God’s wrath toward us into favor.”

In the place of believers Christ was set forth publicly to propitiate God’s wrath, that is to satisfy completely, put an end to and completely remove (Rom. 3.25; Heb. 2.17; 1 Jn. 2.2; 4.10). In completely satisfying the wrath there no longer remains any guilt for sin (cf. Rom.8.1, also Col. 2.13).

I really like Grudem’s definition because it brings with it the idea of favor. Propitious as defined by dictionary.com is to be favorably inclined. Jesus Christ was offered to make God propitious towards believers. He accomplished this propitiation upon the cross and as long as this sacrifice towards believers is accepted God is inclined towards Christ’s sheep (another reason why you cannot loose your salvation, btw, it is tied to the complete work of Christ, but that is, as my pastor says, for free.)

With reference to a believer’s sin, how does God deal with it? He does discipline us (Heb.12.5-10), but this is in love, with Christ likeness in view. A believer must also repent of sin (1 Jn. 1.7-8) for we understand that unconfessed sin dishonors God and even hinders prayers (Ps. 66.18; 1 Pet. 3.7). The thing to remember is that believers do not like sin, in fact they cannot continue in it (1 Jn. 2.4, 3.9-10), for it grieves them as it grieves God.

Great question. Hopefully this is helpful and it surely does fit with the goal of this site, namely, to aid us in becoming more impressed with Jesus.