Theology

⁣⁣⁣⁣Be encouraged, saint—the One who calls you to obedience is the One who equips you for it. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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You may have heard the phrase “do the next thing” before—it was largely made popular by Elisabeth Elliot so she is often credited with the quote, however—she was actually quoting from a longer poem by Minne E. Paull, crediting old Saxon legend.⁣
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This is the original poem:⁣⁣⁣⁣
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“From an old English parsonage down by the sea⁣⁣⁣⁣
There came in the twilight a message to me;⁣⁣⁣⁣
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,⁣⁣⁣⁣
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.⁣⁣⁣⁣
And on through the doors the quiet words ring⁣⁣⁣⁣
Like a low inspiration: “DO THE NEXT THING.”⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Many a questioning, many a fear,⁣⁣⁣⁣
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.⁣⁣⁣⁣
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,⁣⁣⁣⁣
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.⁣⁣⁣⁣
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,⁣⁣⁣⁣
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Do it immediately, do it with prayer;⁣⁣⁣⁣
Do it reliantly, casting all care;⁣⁣⁣⁣
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand⁣⁣⁣⁣
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.⁣⁣⁣⁣
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,⁣⁣⁣⁣
Leave all results, do the next thing.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Looking for Jesus, ever serener,⁣⁣⁣⁣
Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;⁣⁣⁣⁣
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,⁣⁣⁣⁣
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,⁣⁣⁣⁣
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.⁣⁣⁣⁣
Then, as He beckons thee, do the next thing.”⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Philippians 4:13-14⁣⁣⁣⁣
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“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

“With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” —Psalm 119:10-11

Why is it wrong to murder? What’s immoral about infidelity or mistreating animals? Rape, racial discrimination? Where do we get any frame of reference for morality regarding these issues? Many outside the Church would decry those actions but...by what standard?⁣ We find the only objective, absolute standard for morality in God’s Word alone. Any other line we point to lacks footing, it’s ever-shifting. We know these things are sin because the Law is written on our hearts (Romans 2:15) by a good and gracious God that we might see our need for Christ. “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”⁣ —Romans 7:7-12⁣ It is our hope that God would provide opportunities for the Gospel to be shared with this question. There is no Gospel without the Law. It shows us our sin and drives us to Christ. Give them the whole of two distinct parts, both the Good News of Christ Jesus that has the power to free from the inescapably necessary payment of sin and death on our behalf as well the Law that sets it up so beautifully. May they never be confused or conflated but always shared in tandem.

“I have a great need for Christ: I have a great Christ for my need.” ― Charles H. Spurgeon⁣⁣⁣⁣

The hope for this tee is the humble communication of a universal need for Christ, us as believers very much included. There are those who first need Christ for salvation and there are those who never leave the place of needy reliance after coming to know Him. ⁣⁣

The lost need Christ and so does the Christian. Let’s both let that be known and remember it ourselves.

“Knowing how to interpret Scripture correctly, therefore, is as important as knowing that the Bible is true. And since the Bible was written by authors with specific intents, the way to determine a text’s meaning is to discern the original author’s intent for it.” -Ligonier

Enrich your wardrobe with a versatile long sleeve tee. For a casual look, combine it with your favorite jeans, and layer it with a button-up shirt, a zip-up hoodie, or a snazzy jacket. Dress it up with formal trousers or chinos to achieve a more professional look.

“Post tenebras lux” is a phrase in Latin from the Protestant Reformation that means “after darkness, light.”

“The phrase ‘post tenebras lux’, a rallying cry of Protestant Reformers, refers to the rediscovery of biblical truth in a time of spiritual darkness. Because the darkness of heresy and immorality constantly creeps in, the church must always be seeking to rediscover the light.”

           —Ligonier

We are in a what seems to be a corporate time of trial in the Church, a forfeiture of truth in exchange for comfort and unbiblically defined “love”. Though things appear bleak at times, Scripture tells us how the story ends and who the Victor is—we can fight the good fight knowing that.

Psalm 30:5b

“Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

“Weeping may endure for a night; but nights are not for ever. Even in the dreary winter the day star lights his lamp. It seems fit that in our nights the dews of grief should fall. When the Bridegroom's absence makes it dark within, it is meet that the widowed soul should pine for a renewed sight of the Well beloved.

But joy cometh in the morning. When the Sun of Righteousness comes, we wipe our eyes, and joy chases out intruding sorrow. Who would not be joyful that knows Jesus? The first beams of the morning brings us comfort when Jesus is the day dawn, and all believers know it to be so. Mourning only lasts to morning: when the night is gone the gloom shall vanish. This is adduced as a reason for saintly singing, and forcible reason it is; short nights and merry days call for the psaltery and harp.”

         —Spurgeon

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and ball the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Hebrews 10:23-25

May this remind us of the great privilege we have been entrusted with as followers of Christ to always have the Gospel on our lips as well as the great need of those who don't know Him have to hear of it. 

Mark 15:16-17

"And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

Matthew 9:36-38

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'"

Romans 10:14-17

"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!' But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?' So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

-9"x27"

-choice of Black or Forest felt body

-white band and ties

-hand-lettered design screen-printed in white and gray inks

-high quality ink on wool blend sewn pennant

-made in the USA

Can be hung with tacks, thin nails or by ties. Release any wrinkles easily with steam from an iron or clothing steamer.

Show some confessionally Reformed spirit with a mini felt pennant repping either the Westminster (for those that sprinkle) or the Second London (for those of us who dunk)! 

• 2.5"x4"
• black felt body with white band
• screen-printed design
• high quality ink on wool blend sewn pennant
• made in the USA

Can be hung with tacks or thin nails. Release any wrinkles easily with steam from an iron or clothing steamer.

“Theology enables God's people to think correctly and live rightly. What we do always flows from what we believe, and a sound theology helps us think clearly, rightly, and, most importantly, biblically about God. It is important that we love God with our heart, but it is also imperative that we love the Lord with our mind as well.” —Danny Akin

“Q: What is God?

A: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.”

Westminster Shorter Catechism

 “It is a covenant of pure grace. There was nothing in Noah why God should make a covenant with him…He was one of the best of men; but the best of men are but men at the best, and can have no claim upon the favour of God. He was saved by faith as the rest of us must be, and faith we all know is inconsistent with any claim of merit... As a preacher of righteousness he understood well enough that on grounds of justice he had no claim upon the Most Holy God, and he would not venture to plead any merit of his own. But out of pure favour—just as out of the mountain’s side the sparkling fountain gushes freely without the labour or art of man, so this covenant of sparing mercy sprang spontaneously from the overflowing, ever bounteous and loving heart of God.”

--Spurgeon on Genesis 9:16, “The Rainbow”

We live in a world where the rainbow does not exist in the minds of men as representing the truth we see in God’s Word—instead representing love of sin and self.

Our hope is that the Lord may give you (and your children!) opportunities to share the goodness of God in his mercy to grant faith to those who repent and believe in Christ with this design—highlighting his kindness to extend mercy and grace to sinners. It was purposely designed to graciously share the truth of what the rainbow does represent in a sea of people that may have never heard or seen it apart from “pride”.

 

Genesis 8:21a-b

“…the LORD said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth…”

 

Genesis 9:11-17

“”I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:  I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.  When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.  When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’  God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.’”

 

Romans 5:8

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

 “It is a covenant of pure grace. There was nothing in Noah why God should make a covenant with him…He was one of the best of men; but the best of men are but men at the best, and can have no claim upon the favour of God. He was saved by faith as the rest of us must be, and faith we all know is inconsistent with any claim of merit... As a preacher of righteousness he understood well enough that on grounds of justice he had no claim upon the Most Holy God, and he would not venture to plead any merit of his own. But out of pure favour—just as out of the mountain’s side the sparkling fountain gushes freely without the labour or art of man, so this covenant of sparing mercy sprang spontaneously from the overflowing, ever bounteous and loving heart of God.”

--Spurgeon on Genesis 9:16, “The Rainbow”

We live in a world where the rainbow does not exist in the minds of men as representing the truth we see in God’s Word—instead representing love of sin and self.

Our hope is that the Lord may give you (and your children!) opportunities to share the goodness of God in his mercy to grant faith to those who repent and believe in Christ with this design—highlighting his kindness to extend mercy and grace to sinners. It was purposely designed to graciously share the truth of what the rainbow does represent in a sea of people that may have never heard or seen it apart from “pride”.

 

Genesis 8:21a-b

“…the LORD said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth…”

 

Genesis 9:11-17

“”I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:  I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.  When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.  When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’  God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.’”

 

Romans 5:8

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

• 100% combed and ring-spun cotton
• Heather colors are 52% combed and ring-spun cotton, 48% polyester
• Athletic Heather is 90% combed and ring-spun cotton, 10% polyester
• Fabric weight: 4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m2)
• Pre-shrunk fabric
• 32 singles
• Relaxed unisex fit
• Side-seamed construction

1. Q. What is your only comfort in life and death?

A. That I am not my own,[1] but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death,[2] to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.[3] He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil.[5] He also preserves me in such a way[6] that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head;[7] indeed, all things must work together for my salvation.[8] Therefore, by His Holy Spirit He also assures me of eternal life[9] and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for Him.[10]

[1] I Cor. 6:19, 20 [2] Rom. 14:7-9. [3] I Cor. 3:23; Tit. 2:14. [4] I Pet. 1:18, 19; I John 1:7; 2:2. [5] John 8:34-36; Heb. 2:14, 15; I John 3:8. [6] John 6:39, 40; 10:27-30; II Thess. 3:3; I Pet. 1:5. [7] Matt. 10:29-31; Luke 21:16-18. [8] Rom. 8:28. [9] Rom. 8:15, 16; II Cor. 1:21, 22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13, 14. [10] Rom. 8:14.

May we never tire of speaking about and sharing the goodness of God regardless of personality or disposition!

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!” (Psalm 34:1-3)