http://cittyonahill.blogspot.com/2009/09/jesus-is-not-your-homeboy.html
This was posted by a friend from school.... Really good!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Daily Verse 9/15/2009
John 1:12-14
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
This verses, like Romans 1:16-17 (the Verses of the Day for yesterday) lay out the simple truths of the Gospel- Those who recieve Christ by faith 1. Are Justified by God, and 2. Are given the right to Become the Sons of God. These awsome promises are for all those who by faith receive Christ.
John, in the second half of verse 12, make the point that receiving Christ must be by faith-"even to them that believe on his name"
The Gospel is about faith. We cannot save ourselves and our good works will never be good enough to justify us before God. The good news is that because we cannot earn salvation, we can receive it by placing our Faith in Christ's eternal sacrifice, his death on the cross which paved the way for our freedom from sin.
Thos of us who love Jesus must always keep Christ's sacrfice in our hearts and minds. He paid our debt and we must never forget it.
Be blessed and Be a blessing!
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
This verses, like Romans 1:16-17 (the Verses of the Day for yesterday) lay out the simple truths of the Gospel- Those who recieve Christ by faith 1. Are Justified by God, and 2. Are given the right to Become the Sons of God. These awsome promises are for all those who by faith receive Christ.
John, in the second half of verse 12, make the point that receiving Christ must be by faith-"even to them that believe on his name"
The Gospel is about faith. We cannot save ourselves and our good works will never be good enough to justify us before God. The good news is that because we cannot earn salvation, we can receive it by placing our Faith in Christ's eternal sacrifice, his death on the cross which paved the way for our freedom from sin.
Thos of us who love Jesus must always keep Christ's sacrfice in our hearts and minds. He paid our debt and we must never forget it.
Be blessed and Be a blessing!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Verse of the Day 9/14/2009
Romans 1:16-17
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thought on Psalm 46
Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
The World can be a scary place at times. David knew that quite well-the word fear appears 61 times in the Psalms! However, In every instance, David fall back on the promises of God. He makes the choice to overcome His fears and trust God.
This passage is one of my favorites because David reminds us that even if everything around us shakes and trembles and falls, God was, is and always will be our "Refuge and strength, {our} very present help in trouble." It is precisely because God is our refuge that we do not have to give into fear.
This Psalm also gives us not just the why, but the how of not fearing-"BE STILL and KNOW that I AM GOD," Jehovah says to us. When we remember that God is on his throne and HE alone is God, it gives us hope to realize that He will continue to watch over his people.
I bring this up because nine years ago today, terrorists attacked this country. Terroroism is a scary thing, and the enemy would like nothing better than to make us afraid. But As we remember the day, let us not give in to fear- let us instead Be still and remember that no matter What God is still on His Throne and He is watching over us!
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
The World can be a scary place at times. David knew that quite well-the word fear appears 61 times in the Psalms! However, In every instance, David fall back on the promises of God. He makes the choice to overcome His fears and trust God.
This passage is one of my favorites because David reminds us that even if everything around us shakes and trembles and falls, God was, is and always will be our "Refuge and strength, {our} very present help in trouble." It is precisely because God is our refuge that we do not have to give into fear.
This Psalm also gives us not just the why, but the how of not fearing-"BE STILL and KNOW that I AM GOD," Jehovah says to us. When we remember that God is on his throne and HE alone is God, it gives us hope to realize that He will continue to watch over his people.
I bring this up because nine years ago today, terrorists attacked this country. Terroroism is a scary thing, and the enemy would like nothing better than to make us afraid. But As we remember the day, let us not give in to fear- let us instead Be still and remember that no matter What God is still on His Throne and He is watching over us!
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Thoughts of Psalm 77:11-12
9/10/2009
I Will Remember the works of the LORD: Surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of thy work, and talk of thy doings."
Asaph, the writer of Psalm 77, decides to remember the works of the LORD, and so must we. When we stop and remember what God has done for us, it gives us a fresh perspective. When we acknowledge how good God has been to us, it helps us to see that just as He has brought us through every trial, so He Will again as we trust Him.
In Verse 12, Asaph goes one step further-Not only does he choose to remember all of the blessings and miracles of God, he states that he will "talk of [his] doings." It is not enough sometimes just to remember what God has done for us; we also must tell those around us. What does Revelation 12:11 say? The people of God overcome by the Blood of the Lamb (Christ's eternal sacrifice) and the Word of our testimony! When we talk about God's goodness, we not only give encouragement to those around us, we also overcome the enemy ourselves! It's a God ordained two-for-one deal -We get blessed and so do the people around us!
The Truth is, that as Christians, we have been blessed-God has done wonders in our lives. He has saved us by The Blood that He shed for us at Calvary and He has, by his eternal grace and mercy, given us the right to become the "sons of God" as John 1:14 states. If that-that the awesome, omnipotent, holy, majestic God would enter into a relation with mere mortal, frail humanity- If that is not the greatest miracle and wonder of all, that I don't know what is.
Let us do what Asaph purposed today-let's stop and remember God's Goodness and then let us overcome the enemy by telling others about the eternal love and mercy of God.
Be Blessed, and Be a Blessing!
Compassionate Conservative
I Will Remember the works of the LORD: Surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of thy work, and talk of thy doings."
Asaph, the writer of Psalm 77, decides to remember the works of the LORD, and so must we. When we stop and remember what God has done for us, it gives us a fresh perspective. When we acknowledge how good God has been to us, it helps us to see that just as He has brought us through every trial, so He Will again as we trust Him.
In Verse 12, Asaph goes one step further-Not only does he choose to remember all of the blessings and miracles of God, he states that he will "talk of [his] doings." It is not enough sometimes just to remember what God has done for us; we also must tell those around us. What does Revelation 12:11 say? The people of God overcome by the Blood of the Lamb (Christ's eternal sacrifice) and the Word of our testimony! When we talk about God's goodness, we not only give encouragement to those around us, we also overcome the enemy ourselves! It's a God ordained two-for-one deal -We get blessed and so do the people around us!
The Truth is, that as Christians, we have been blessed-God has done wonders in our lives. He has saved us by The Blood that He shed for us at Calvary and He has, by his eternal grace and mercy, given us the right to become the "sons of God" as John 1:14 states. If that-that the awesome, omnipotent, holy, majestic God would enter into a relation with mere mortal, frail humanity- If that is not the greatest miracle and wonder of all, that I don't know what is.
Let us do what Asaph purposed today-let's stop and remember God's Goodness and then let us overcome the enemy by telling others about the eternal love and mercy of God.
Be Blessed, and Be a Blessing!
Compassionate Conservative
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Hey Again!
Hey everyone!
I know it's been a while since I last posted... Grad school keeps me pretty busy, and I have not found the time to post in the last few months.
So, Here are a few things that have been on my mind the last few months...
1. I fear many conservatives have developed Obama Derangement Syndrome. I mean, the man can do nothing right in the eyes of many on my side of the political aisle. I fear we have become exactly what we hated about the far left during the Bush Administration-Everything that goes wrong is automatically blamed on Obama, as everything that went wrong was previously blamed on Bush.
2. On the same note, it greatly disturbs me when I hear conservative Christians talking about economics using the same language they use in terms things like abortion and gay marriage. I don't like high taxes any more than anyone else, but paying high taxes is not a moral sin. When I hear Conservative groups like the AFA Talk about High taxes as if the spiritual fabric of our country was dependent on low taxes, it bothers me.
3. Governor Huckabee came to my university to speak to the campus this past semester. He said that the economic crisis was a good thing in this respect-it forces us to look at who we are trusting in, and where our priorities truly lie.
If you get a chance, check out Stan from Birds of the Air posts on Carrie Prejean...I could not have said this better.
http://birdsoftheair.blogspot.com/2009/05/odd-bedfellows.html,
http://birdsoftheair.blogspot.com/2009/05/prejean-again.html
Gotta run, but will post more soon!
Be Blessed
Compassionate Conservative
I know it's been a while since I last posted... Grad school keeps me pretty busy, and I have not found the time to post in the last few months.
So, Here are a few things that have been on my mind the last few months...
1. I fear many conservatives have developed Obama Derangement Syndrome. I mean, the man can do nothing right in the eyes of many on my side of the political aisle. I fear we have become exactly what we hated about the far left during the Bush Administration-Everything that goes wrong is automatically blamed on Obama, as everything that went wrong was previously blamed on Bush.
2. On the same note, it greatly disturbs me when I hear conservative Christians talking about economics using the same language they use in terms things like abortion and gay marriage. I don't like high taxes any more than anyone else, but paying high taxes is not a moral sin. When I hear Conservative groups like the AFA Talk about High taxes as if the spiritual fabric of our country was dependent on low taxes, it bothers me.
3. Governor Huckabee came to my university to speak to the campus this past semester. He said that the economic crisis was a good thing in this respect-it forces us to look at who we are trusting in, and where our priorities truly lie.
If you get a chance, check out Stan from Birds of the Air posts on Carrie Prejean...I could not have said this better.
http://birdsoftheair.blogspot.com/2009/05/odd-bedfellows.html,
http://birdsoftheair.blogspot.com/2009/05/prejean-again.html
Gotta run, but will post more soon!
Be Blessed
Compassionate Conservative
Friday, January 09, 2009
Calvinism revisited
This post will revisit an issue that I discussed many posts ago in "TULIP is Not Biblical."
Disclaimer:
I am not, nor will I pretend to be, a Calvinist by any stretch of the imagination. However, I am also decidedly NOT an Arminian, either. Both major camps in this argument have major questions that I am not convinced they have answers for that conform to what the Scriptures have to say.
For the Calvinist, two issues. First question is how do they get around the issue of Atonement?
Calvinism teaches that Christ only died for those who accept Him, However, The Scriptures clearly state that Christ died for all mankind:
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans 5:12-18)
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (I Timothy 2:1-4)
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (I John 2:1-2)
I could be wrong here, but it seems that Calvinists have two basic options when they come to these verses. One is to let go of their concept of Limited Atonement. The other is to reinterpret these passages to fit into their theological grid. The latter can be quite dangerous hermeneutically, and I will have more to say about this later.
How does a Calvinist view the Scriptures above?
(Side issue but very important: Those who reject the Calvinist view of Limited Atonement, do not necessarily believe in Universal Salvation, which is clearly NOT taught by the Scriptures. I, for one, believe that Christ did indeed die for the sins of the whole world. However, not all will accept the offer of Atonement provided by Christ. The offer is Universal but many will reject the offer. So while the sacrifice of Christ was sufficient for all, it was only efficient for those who choose to surrender themselves to Him. Universal Opportunity, but Not Universal Salvation.)
The second issue that Calvinists have to deal with is the Problem of evil. How did evil get into the universe? If mankind has no free will, that how did evil get here? We know that evil exists, so why is it here. One way that Calvinists respond is with the idea of supralapsarianism, which says that God decreed the Fall of mankind before the creation. If this idea is true, then God is the author of evil, because God willed mankind kind to commit the first sin. However, We know from Scripture that God cannot be the author of evil. (James 1:13; see also 1 Corinthians 14:33)
How does a Calvinist deal with the problem of evil?
As I said, the Armenians have some issues that they must deal with as well.
For One, The role of God in drawing men to Salvation. Armenians say that it is completely man's decision in salvation. That does not square with John 6:44. So how does an Armenian get around that?
A Second issue is the issue of God's Sovereignty. Arminians place such an emphasis on free will that God's omnipotence and Sovereignty is can be obscured, and some go so far as to say that God is limited in His Sovereignty. This is known as Open Theism, which states that God either cannot know or chooses not to know the future. This is contradicted by basically the ENTIRE body of Scripture, which portrays God knowing the future and in complete control of all of His attributes such as omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence.
Again, the only way Arminians can get around these issues is to fit what the Bible says into their theological grid
We all do that in some way- Fit what is in the Scriptures into our Theological grid. I do the very same thing, and we must stop. We must take the Scriptures at face value and base our theology on the them, not base our Bible on our theology. SOLA SCRIPTURA!
I would love to hear from you Calvinists and Armenians out there on how you answer the questions I raised. I am interested in your responses!
Disclaimer:
I am not, nor will I pretend to be, a Calvinist by any stretch of the imagination. However, I am also decidedly NOT an Arminian, either. Both major camps in this argument have major questions that I am not convinced they have answers for that conform to what the Scriptures have to say.
For the Calvinist, two issues. First question is how do they get around the issue of Atonement?
Calvinism teaches that Christ only died for those who accept Him, However, The Scriptures clearly state that Christ died for all mankind:
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans 5:12-18)
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (I Timothy 2:1-4)
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (I John 2:1-2)
I could be wrong here, but it seems that Calvinists have two basic options when they come to these verses. One is to let go of their concept of Limited Atonement. The other is to reinterpret these passages to fit into their theological grid. The latter can be quite dangerous hermeneutically, and I will have more to say about this later.
How does a Calvinist view the Scriptures above?
(Side issue but very important: Those who reject the Calvinist view of Limited Atonement, do not necessarily believe in Universal Salvation, which is clearly NOT taught by the Scriptures. I, for one, believe that Christ did indeed die for the sins of the whole world. However, not all will accept the offer of Atonement provided by Christ. The offer is Universal but many will reject the offer. So while the sacrifice of Christ was sufficient for all, it was only efficient for those who choose to surrender themselves to Him. Universal Opportunity, but Not Universal Salvation.)
The second issue that Calvinists have to deal with is the Problem of evil. How did evil get into the universe? If mankind has no free will, that how did evil get here? We know that evil exists, so why is it here. One way that Calvinists respond is with the idea of supralapsarianism, which says that God decreed the Fall of mankind before the creation. If this idea is true, then God is the author of evil, because God willed mankind kind to commit the first sin. However, We know from Scripture that God cannot be the author of evil. (James 1:13; see also 1 Corinthians 14:33)
How does a Calvinist deal with the problem of evil?
As I said, the Armenians have some issues that they must deal with as well.
For One, The role of God in drawing men to Salvation. Armenians say that it is completely man's decision in salvation. That does not square with John 6:44. So how does an Armenian get around that?
A Second issue is the issue of God's Sovereignty. Arminians place such an emphasis on free will that God's omnipotence and Sovereignty is can be obscured, and some go so far as to say that God is limited in His Sovereignty. This is known as Open Theism, which states that God either cannot know or chooses not to know the future. This is contradicted by basically the ENTIRE body of Scripture, which portrays God knowing the future and in complete control of all of His attributes such as omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence.
Again, the only way Arminians can get around these issues is to fit what the Bible says into their theological grid
We all do that in some way- Fit what is in the Scriptures into our Theological grid. I do the very same thing, and we must stop. We must take the Scriptures at face value and base our theology on the them, not base our Bible on our theology. SOLA SCRIPTURA!
I would love to hear from you Calvinists and Armenians out there on how you answer the questions I raised. I am interested in your responses!
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