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Posts by Nathan Eshelman

May 20

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The Not-So Lost Art of Pharisee Making

This week I followed a discussion that started off something like this: “New Presbyterian here. Anything I should know in your humble opinion?”  There were many answers given, some humorous, some ridiculous, some wonderful. Here’s a sampling of some of the answers. Remember, the question is, “I am a new Presbyterian; what should I know?

  • Bavinck.
  • The PCA and the PCUSA are not the same thing.
  • Babies are for baptizing.
  • The Federal Vision is bad.
  • The Westminster Standards and Three Forms of Unity complement each other very well.
  • We enjoy cigars- get smoking! Scotch helps too!
  • Psalms are for singing.
  • Grow a beard and say “covenant” a lot.
  • Buy a copy of the Westminster Standards NOW! (Free Presbyterian Edition) Carry it wherever you go.
  • Don’t neglect growth in holiness and love and compassion for others.

I enjoyed reading the answers that people gave. Many were obviously tongue-in-cheek and most of them were broad generalizations (except “Bavinck”) although attempting to be helpful. As I read through them I was reminded of two times in my life when questions were asked  related to the question “What should I do first?”

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Apr 22

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Here Come the Presbyopians!

Presbyopia is a “medical condition where the eye exhibits a progressively diminished ability to focus on near objects with age.” That sounds like a horrible condition, of course, but this is not the presbyopia of which I am speaking. I want us to have a spiritual presbyopia, diminishing our focus on small things and looking toward the Kingdom of Christ advancing throughout the nations. The word presbyopia is made up of two Greek words, “presby” comes from the word meaning elder, and “opia” comes from the Greek word for vision. So for a spiritual definition of presbyopia- we are talking about having a spiritual vision for the increase of the church, a vision which should be shared by the elders of the church, a vision of growth, multiplication, discipleship, and church planting. Read more

Mar 27

Yosemite Valley
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Yosemite’s Song: In the Theater of God’s Glory

I have been in the “theater of God’s glory” (Calvin’s words, not mine).  People have told me for years that I need to get to Yosemite Valley. Who has the time? Five kids. Congregational duties. Personal studies. Denominational duties. Last week my family and I spent the week hiking the trails and being under the falls and granite cliffs. We hiked among 3000 year-old trees and enjoyed natural revelation at its finest.

Yosemite is the most beautiful place that I have ever been. The whole place cries, “Glory!” Huge granite mountains. Unadulterated beauty. Waterfalls in all directions. Now I understand why everyone who has been there smiles when you talk about it. It’s a place that speaks of the glory of God.

Yosemite is a spiritual place for sure. There is something very right about being in a place that is filled with beauty and makes you turn toward the Creator in thanks and praise. Yosemite is truly a theater of God’s glory.

As a Christian I am deeply interested in the message  Yosemite speaks to her visitors. If it’s really as beautiful as I am claiming (and it is), then you would expect that her beauty would drive visitors to the God of the Bible. But she doesn’t. Is Yosemite being unfaithful? Is she speaking a lie to her visitors? Let’s look at some of the ways  people have responded to the voice and song of this deeply spiritual valley. Read more

Dec 31

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Hallowed Memories: Happy New Year!

One my greatest New Year’s Eve/Day highlights is singing the 77th Psalm to the tune Auld Lang Syne. For me, this tradition began in Grand Rapids, MI, in the manse of Rev. and Mrs. Lanning. Bringing in the new year with God’s Word sung is a marvelous tradition that I have brought into my home and promoted among my congregation in Los Angeles.

The 77th Psalm begins with the psalmist crying out to God and refusing to be comforted. He then begins to recall the days of old and in his heart’s meditation he confronts himself with a series of self-examining questions.

Self-examination at the end of year and at the beginning of a new year is worthy of our consideration as Christians. Here are some of the psalmist’s questions that you may also examine yourself as you begin 2013:

Will the Lord cast off forever?  Will he be favorable no more?  Has his mercy ceased forever?  Has his favor failed forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he shut up mercy in anger? What does the psalmist conclude following examining the character of God in relationship to his merciless perception? 

You see, in these questions we find the obvious! Jesus is faithful to his people- he is faithful to his promise. This is not a problem with God’s character. His covenant faithfulness will continue by “his right arm.” As you begin 2013, take time to sing some self-examination, and as you do, turn your heart and mind to the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s “right arm” of faithfulness.

Enjoy your psalm singing, God’s faithfulness to his covenant promises, and the richest blessings of grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. And on behalf of the gentlemen of Gentle Reformation, Happy New Year!

Psalm 77: 1-14a, United Presbyterian Psalter, 1912. Tune: Auld Lang Syne


I thought upon the days of old, The years departed long,
I held communion with my heart, By night recalled my song.
My heart inquired with anxious care, Will God forever spurn?
Shall we no more his favor see? Will mercy ne’er return?

Forever shall his promise fail? Has God forgotten grace?
Has he withdrawn his tender love, In anger hid his face?
These doubts are my infirmity, My thoughts at once reply;
I call back years of God’s right hand, The years of God Most High.

I will commemorate, O Lord, Thy wondrous deeds of old,
And meditate upon Thy works Of pow’r and grace untold.
O God, most holy is Thy way, Most perfect, good and right;
Thou art the only living God, The God of wondrous might.

Nov 21

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Thanksgiving: My Kingdom or His Kingdom?

Let my whole life
be an expression of thankfulness
unto thee for thy grace and mercy.
And therefore, O Lord,
I do here from the the very bottom of my heart,
together with the thousand thousands of angels…
acknowledge to be due unto thee…
all praise, honour, glory, and power,
from this time forth and forevermore.
Amen.

The Reverend Lewis Bayly, a Puritan minister in London, wrote these words around c.1611 as an expression of thanksgiving following an illness. This prayer gives us insight on how to truly live out a life of thanksgiving. Notice that there is very little of Pastor Bayly in this prayer. His thankfulness is aimed to the heavens and with the very angels that surround the throne of God, he is thankful for grace and mercy.  Read more

Nov 3

Guido_de_Bres
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Why the Word of God Will Not Let Me Vote for Mitt Romney: A Gentlemanly Response to Dr.Joel Beeke

There are few men in this world to whom I owe so much. While many readers may say that Dr. Beeke has been an influence in their lives through his writing, his preaching, and his conference messages — I have so much more that I owe to Joel Beeke.

Dr. Beeke has been a key figure in forming me into the minister of the gospel that I am. Four and a half years of study under his instruction at Puritan Reformed Seminary have shaped and molded my spiritual life, my family, my sanctification, and my pastoral ministry. The very first sermon that I ever preached began with the two of us storming the throne room of grace as we prayed in his study. Dr. Beeke laid hands on me as I was ordained to the Gospel ministry here in Los Angeles, CA. He has preached in my pulpit on numerous occasions as he has visited the West Coast. He continues to pray for me and my “success” as a minister within the RPCNA. I really believe that any crowns that I receive in glory will be partially his crowns as well.  Read more

Oct 26

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A Reformed Christian Voter’s Guide

There has been a number of election-related posts over the past several months here on Gentle Reformation. Some authors have questioned whether we should vote for a Mormon. One has  encouraged us to remember the etymology of “vote.” We have been asked to write in a candidate instead of protesting. There’s been some controversy… but Lord willing, it’s all been in the spirit of gentlemen and churchmen. But the question remains: What should we as Reformed Christians do? What should be our guide?

Whether you choose to vote or not to vote in the upcoming elections, below are some paragraphs from the Reformed Presbyterian Testimony that ought to assist you in making a biblically informed decision in (or outside of) the voting booth. Read more

Oct 18

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How to Keep the Sabbath on a Thursday

A friend of mine once brought to mind a truth that I have seen played out many times in conversation. Upon meeting someone, people in my  generation (good ol’ Generation X) will quickly ask, “What do you do for fun?” People in the generations before me will quickly ask, “What do you do for work?”

 I live in a generation which often defines people by what they do to entertain themselves, yet we live in a world that is intended to define people partially by what they do to employ themselves.  Read more

Sep 5

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The Myth of Multiculturalism

Celebrate diversity!

Embrace multiculturalism!

These are two of the tag lines in our culture. Americans loves multiculturalism and all things diverse. Have you ever noticed this? At offices across the country Human Resource Departments want to instruct employees on how to co-exist. Nurses and other medical professionals take classes on how to interpret communication from diverse cultural experiences. Public schools make sure to spend important instruction time teaching about various cultures. We love this stuff! We eat it up!

 May I let you in on a little secret? Multiculturalism is a lie. Read more

Jul 14

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Troubles Sleeping? Let Anne Bradstreet Point You to Jesus

Many people have trouble sleeping today. Medical doctors talk about three stages of insomnia: early, middle, and late onset. For some, sleeplessness is a physiological issue, for others it is a moral issue. I am not going to diagnose you or judge whether your sleeplessness is ethical or physiological… but I can point you to Jesus.

Anne Bradstreet, an American Puritan, and poet, knew the trials of a sleepless night. Let Mrs. Bradstreet point you to Jesus:

By Night When Others Soundly Slept 

By night when others soundly slept
And hath at once both ease and Rest,
My waking eyes were open kept
And so to lie I found it best.

I sought him whom my Soul did Love,
With tears I sought him earnestly.
He bow’d his ear down from Above.
In vain I did not seek or cry.

My hungry Soul he fill’d with Good;
He in his Bottle put my tears,
My smarting wounds washt in his blood,
And banisht thence my Doubts and fears.

What to my Saviour shall I give
Who freely hath done this for me?
I’ll serve him here whilst I shall live
And Loue him to Eternity.

Jul 12

Queen for a Day: Book Review of Lady Jane Grey

Okay… so this isn’t my book review… it belongs to Irene Huizing: lover of Christ, elder’s wife, editor extraordinare, servant of the church. Sometimes I put Irene up to things… like writing book reviews. Here is a short book review of Lady Jane Grey, a book that you should buy for your children, children’s children, and all that are afar off. I really appreciate what reformed authors such as Simonetta Carr are doing to bring vibrant church history to our children. Have a look…

Queen For a Day: A Review of Lady Jane Grey
Reviewer: Irene Huizing  Read more

Jul 6

Two-Sevenths of a Meditation on the Resurrection

Meditations on Jesus, his person and his work, are always worth meditating upon. We established that last week as we reflected, in meter, on the connection between his humiliation and exaltation. Sometimes meter helps us to internalize, understand, and apply what is normally heard in prose.

Today, John Updike shares… well, I share Mr. Updike’s words…  stanzas one and seven of Seven Stanzas of Easter. As you reflect on Christ, do not go the way of the modernist or the postmodernist-  do not turn events into metaphors. The resurrection is the historical fact upon which the confession of the church stands, and upon which the Lord Jesus is building his church… Read more

Jul 3

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Not All Independence is Created Equal

Hot dogs and burgers on the grill. Potato salad sitting in the sun all day. A day off work to swim, relax, and enjoy a cold one (Mexican Coke, please). Fireworks bursting in the night sky. We love our independence as a country.

We also remember longingly the freedoms we used to have and no longer enjoy. As my kids grow older, I will tell them, “When I was a kid drones did not watch our every move from the sky. People used to have freedom of choice with their bodies—they did not HAVE to purchase medical insurance to avoid additional taxes! When I was a kid you could go to the airport without the presumption of guilt that resulted in “assault” from government agents. When I was a kid there was a lot more freedom than you have now!” Read more

Jul 2

2 Comments

RPCNA Synod: The Aquila Report & Non-Reflection

A few people have asked me, “Where are those Aquila Report articles that you wrote during Synod?” “Well, they’re on the Aquila Report, of course!” Read more

Jun 21

Poy-ems as Christology

Yesterday, The Reverend Barry York gave us some Christology via versification. T. David Gordon in his little book, Why Johnny Can’t Preach reminds us of the importance of literature in preparing thoughtful preachers, especially poems (or as my professor from seminary, David Murray, would say, “poy-ems”):

“Whatever else it may be, poetry is not trivial. It may be perverse or twisted, angry or bitter, rebellious or self-centered, heterodox or even blasphemous, but it is not trivial.”

Since poetry is not trivial, and since Barry brought us sound Christology yesterday, and since I love thinking about the way that David Murray says “poem,” and because it is always appropriate to meditate on Jesus,  I offer you this stanza from Edward Shillito’s “Jesus of the Scars” for your Thursday meditation:

The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak; 
They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak;
And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.

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