I have heard it said: "that God will in no way interfere with the will of man." As if our will were the all-sovereign force of the universe. I happen to know that God's will is the only all-sovereign force there is.
Let's look at a simple story that is not normally used to show the sovereign will of God--the story of the coat of many colors.
We all know the story, Jacob makes his son, Joseph, a beautiful coat of many colors. His brothers are overcome with jealousy and they plot to kill him. Instead they decide not to kill him but to toss him into a pit, but just then slave traders happen by and Joseph is taken off to Egypt. While in Egypt, he faces one challenge after another but ends up as the Pharaoh's right hand man. From here he is able to come into a position of authority over his brothers when they come to Egypt for food, as the whole land is in famine. Joseph shows unconditional love and forgiveness to his brothers. Eventually the Hebrew people come to Egypt and from there they become slaves. Later on, God saves a Hebrew male baby, named Moses, whom He uses to free His people and lead them out of bondage into the promised land (after a fast little trip through the wilderness that is). From there Israel becomes a nation. There are a few trips over the Jordan and back a battle or two, and a carrying away or two, a rebuilding, the roman occupation and the stage is set for the Messiah to come and redeem his people and all of man kind.
Now, I ask you - "Did God leave it up to chance that Jacob would Give Joseph that coat?" No coat - no slavery. No Egypt - no exodus. No promised land - NO Messiah from that line of events!
How can one really think that had Jacob woke up that day and not felt like giving that coat to Joseph, that God would have altered all of His plans for redemption. lets not forget, Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
God had Ordained Christ to the Cross before He even laid the foundation of the earth. Whats more is, He ordained everything that has and will ever come to pass.
God is all sovereign. His will is the only will that has never and can never be moved by any force other than Himself. You do not enjoy the same privilege, my friend.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
God's witness in nature, enough to condemn but not save.
This statement hit my ears funny the first time i heard it. John Calvin talks about this in his institutes. I thought," How could God leave us a witness that was not perfect? If in fact the Bible is infallible, is not His Witness in nature as well? If so, how can it be infallible and not save? Isn't God's form of communication perfect?
Answer:
God's Witness in nature is not only perfect, it's totally infallible. General Revelation and special Revelation are not equa, but they are both inspired by God. Romans 1 tells us that what is to be known of God is clearly seen by the things made (us), and so we are without excuse; hence, it's enough to condemn--yet, it's not able to save. How can that be you ask? Well, it's our fault! Had mankind not fell, had Adam not sinned, we would know God through the creation perfectly; but we are fallen, and it's due to our dullness that we cannot see the God of scripture through nature.
God gives his revelation to man. We turn from it and claim it came from nothing instead. I think condemnation, due to the witness of nature along with our sin, is perfectly reasonable.
Answer:
God's Witness in nature is not only perfect, it's totally infallible. General Revelation and special Revelation are not equa, but they are both inspired by God. Romans 1 tells us that what is to be known of God is clearly seen by the things made (us), and so we are without excuse; hence, it's enough to condemn--yet, it's not able to save. How can that be you ask? Well, it's our fault! Had mankind not fell, had Adam not sinned, we would know God through the creation perfectly; but we are fallen, and it's due to our dullness that we cannot see the God of scripture through nature.
God gives his revelation to man. We turn from it and claim it came from nothing instead. I think condemnation, due to the witness of nature along with our sin, is perfectly reasonable.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
fight the good fight
Paul did not have it easy. from the day he was saved until the day he was martyred, he was utterly given over to the work of the Gospel. and no matter what kind of suffering he went through he never let it stop him.
2Co 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? I (speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
2Co 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
2Co 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
2Co 11:26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
2Co 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
2Co 11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
2Co 11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
2Co 11:30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
2Co 11:31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed forevermore, knoweth that I lie not.
2Co 11:32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
2Co 11:33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
the thing i find most amazing about all this is that he just kept going and as far as i can tell he did not get down on himself, he did not need to read how to make friends and influence people to figure out how to speak to the lost, he did not need a self help book to make himself feel better about himself. and seeing as though so many people disliked him you would think he would have had a complex from it. as the mind set is today, you would think he would have gotten lonely and needed a family with a nice house with 2.5 kids and a white picket fence in order to have purpose. but even without those things and as far as i can see he was just fine with who he was and where God had him in life and in fact he considered it a great privilege to carry the Lord's message, and to suffer for the Name that is above all others. i can not imagine a person today going through half of this without having major questions as to whither God be for him or not. (i know and am very keen to the fact that people suffer and die today. so i can not just make that a blanket statement, i can only judge from an American view point concerning American Christians)with that said, i think the most an American Christian will ever face is, his family outcasting him, or his friends, lover, coworkers, and so on. and yet so many do not finish well. how can that be the worst thing we have to face and have so many seeking a softer more acceptable gospel? what would timothy have thought of this American Gospel? can you imagine the Guy who received the last words ever written by Paul saying how he finished well and was ready to be offered, and then have him take a look at what stops, or slows, or kills Christianity in America today. i think he would be shocked, and saddened by it.
2Ti 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
2Ti 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
2Ti 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
fight the good fight, this is not just a race. it's a battle so we must be battle minded. that means stop letting personal loss or hardship prevent us from keeping the faith and finishing the course. consider it it a privilege when you suffer, consider it a privilege that God counts you worthy to suffer for his Name.
Act 5:40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Act 5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
2Co 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? I (speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
2Co 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
2Co 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
2Co 11:26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
2Co 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
2Co 11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
2Co 11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
2Co 11:30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
2Co 11:31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed forevermore, knoweth that I lie not.
2Co 11:32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
2Co 11:33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
the thing i find most amazing about all this is that he just kept going and as far as i can tell he did not get down on himself, he did not need to read how to make friends and influence people to figure out how to speak to the lost, he did not need a self help book to make himself feel better about himself. and seeing as though so many people disliked him you would think he would have had a complex from it. as the mind set is today, you would think he would have gotten lonely and needed a family with a nice house with 2.5 kids and a white picket fence in order to have purpose. but even without those things and as far as i can see he was just fine with who he was and where God had him in life and in fact he considered it a great privilege to carry the Lord's message, and to suffer for the Name that is above all others. i can not imagine a person today going through half of this without having major questions as to whither God be for him or not. (i know and am very keen to the fact that people suffer and die today. so i can not just make that a blanket statement, i can only judge from an American view point concerning American Christians)with that said, i think the most an American Christian will ever face is, his family outcasting him, or his friends, lover, coworkers, and so on. and yet so many do not finish well. how can that be the worst thing we have to face and have so many seeking a softer more acceptable gospel? what would timothy have thought of this American Gospel? can you imagine the Guy who received the last words ever written by Paul saying how he finished well and was ready to be offered, and then have him take a look at what stops, or slows, or kills Christianity in America today. i think he would be shocked, and saddened by it.
2Ti 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
2Ti 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
2Ti 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
fight the good fight, this is not just a race. it's a battle so we must be battle minded. that means stop letting personal loss or hardship prevent us from keeping the faith and finishing the course. consider it it a privilege when you suffer, consider it a privilege that God counts you worthy to suffer for his Name.
Act 5:40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Act 5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
Friday, July 25, 2008
institutes of the christian religion
so, i had mentioned that i was going to write about the study i am doing on the institutes of the Christian religion by John Calvin. I think that i will pick a small portion of the institutes and then comment on it. that should suffice to give a small peek into what a massive wealth of knowledge of Scripture Calvin possessed.
book one, chapter one, section two
Without Knowledge Of God There Is No Knowledge Of Self;
"On the other hand, it is evident that man never attains to a
true self-knowledge until he have previously contemplated the face
of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself.
For (such is our innate pride) we always seem to ourselves just, and
upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced, by clear
evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity.
Convinced, however, we are not, if we look to ourselves only, and
not to the Lord also - He being the only standard by the application
of which this conviction can be produced. For, since we are all
naturally prone to hypocrisy, any empty semblance of righteousness
is quite enough to satisfy us instead of righteousness itself. And
since nothing appears within us or around us that is not tainted
with very great impurity, so long as we keep our mind within the
confines of human pollution, anything which is in some small degree
less defiled delights us as if it were most pure just as an eye, to
which nothing but black had been previously presented, deems an
object of a whitish, or even of a brownish hue, to be perfectly
white. Nay, the bodily sense may furnish a still stronger
illustration of the extent to which we are deluded in estimating the
powers of the mind. If, at mid-day, we either look down to the
ground, or on the surrounding objects which lie open to our view, we
think ourselves endued with a very strong and piercing eyesight; but
when we look up to the sun, and gaze at it unveiled, the sight which
did excellently well for the earth is instantly so dazzled and
confounded by the refulgence, as to oblige us to confess that our
acuteness in discerning terrestrial objects is mere dimness when
applied to the sun. Thus too, it happens in estimating our spiritual
qualities. So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite
pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address
ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than
demigods. But should we once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and
reflect what kind of Being he is, and how absolute the perfection of
that righteousness, and wisdom, and virtue, to which, as a standard,
we are bound to be conformed, what formerly delighted us by its
false show of righteousness will become polluted with the greatest
iniquity; what strangely imposed upon us under the name of wisdom
will disgust by its extreme folly; and what presented the appearance
of virtuous energy will be condemned as the most miserable
impotence. So far are those qualities in us, which seem most
perfect, from corresponding to the divine purity."
so in other words, we are self deceiving, self righteous sinners who do not know what is good until we look to God. i love how he talks about the eye that looks on black, when it sees a brown or dirty white it thinks it to be pure white even though it's far from it. so when we look at man our entire lives, a person who has some moral standards tends to look like that pure white. in reality they are nothing more then brown. we need to look to God to see the real white. is this not what we hear over and over again on the streets, "oh yes i'm a good person" "i'm not really any worse then anyone else" or "compared to some people i am really good". well there it is, compared to people a lot of others are good, but compared to God there are none righteous no not one!
book one, chapter one, section two
Without Knowledge Of God There Is No Knowledge Of Self;
"On the other hand, it is evident that man never attains to a
true self-knowledge until he have previously contemplated the face
of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself.
For (such is our innate pride) we always seem to ourselves just, and
upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced, by clear
evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity.
Convinced, however, we are not, if we look to ourselves only, and
not to the Lord also - He being the only standard by the application
of which this conviction can be produced. For, since we are all
naturally prone to hypocrisy, any empty semblance of righteousness
is quite enough to satisfy us instead of righteousness itself. And
since nothing appears within us or around us that is not tainted
with very great impurity, so long as we keep our mind within the
confines of human pollution, anything which is in some small degree
less defiled delights us as if it were most pure just as an eye, to
which nothing but black had been previously presented, deems an
object of a whitish, or even of a brownish hue, to be perfectly
white. Nay, the bodily sense may furnish a still stronger
illustration of the extent to which we are deluded in estimating the
powers of the mind. If, at mid-day, we either look down to the
ground, or on the surrounding objects which lie open to our view, we
think ourselves endued with a very strong and piercing eyesight; but
when we look up to the sun, and gaze at it unveiled, the sight which
did excellently well for the earth is instantly so dazzled and
confounded by the refulgence, as to oblige us to confess that our
acuteness in discerning terrestrial objects is mere dimness when
applied to the sun. Thus too, it happens in estimating our spiritual
qualities. So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite
pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address
ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than
demigods. But should we once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and
reflect what kind of Being he is, and how absolute the perfection of
that righteousness, and wisdom, and virtue, to which, as a standard,
we are bound to be conformed, what formerly delighted us by its
false show of righteousness will become polluted with the greatest
iniquity; what strangely imposed upon us under the name of wisdom
will disgust by its extreme folly; and what presented the appearance
of virtuous energy will be condemned as the most miserable
impotence. So far are those qualities in us, which seem most
perfect, from corresponding to the divine purity."
so in other words, we are self deceiving, self righteous sinners who do not know what is good until we look to God. i love how he talks about the eye that looks on black, when it sees a brown or dirty white it thinks it to be pure white even though it's far from it. so when we look at man our entire lives, a person who has some moral standards tends to look like that pure white. in reality they are nothing more then brown. we need to look to God to see the real white. is this not what we hear over and over again on the streets, "oh yes i'm a good person" "i'm not really any worse then anyone else" or "compared to some people i am really good". well there it is, compared to people a lot of others are good, but compared to God there are none righteous no not one!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
hagee the heretic?
i am not sure what kind of theology this is. i have some idea about what he believes, and just by hearing the few things in this video i think its safe to say the man is a heretic. i mean he flat out denies that Jesus Christ is the messiah. he claims that Jesus never said he was messiah and that the Jew's never denied him. i do not go around randomly calling people heretics, still and all Paul says to mark them and so i did. thoughts?
Monday, July 14, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
green house gases good for the earth?
very interesting indeed. see here. we all know by now that kyoto and every other agreement like it are nothing more then a ploy to keep a liberal agenda in motion. one that threatens the very existence of this nation. not to mention if this info is correct, it's a danger to the very earth it's claiming to protect.
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