Happy Birthday Ashley!

I love you, honey. I know I don't write it down every time I think of you ... I find it easier sometimes to distract myself so it doesn't hurt as bad. Besides, I wouldn't have time to do much else if I did :)

You're eleven today. Wow! Eleven ... you had just turned three when I last saw you.

It still hurts that you're gone .. all the time. I trust that our Lord knows what He is doing (do you know Him?)

I hope you had a good time on your Day! I remember your first one. Right after you were born the doctors put you on mommy's chest. After she loved on you for a minute, it was my turn .. and when I held you and looked down, you looked up at me and smiled. The nurse had never seen a newborn smile before. Neither had I! You were so beautiful. I think there is (was) a picture of me holding you at that moment somewhere. Maybe your mom has it. I have a few pictures, but not enough. They're all 8 years old, anyway. I'd sure love to see how you look now.

I sure hope to see you soon. Everyone tells me that kids want to know who their real parents are and start asking questions. Do you ever wonder? Have you started asking questions? I pray for you all the time, sweetie. I pray for your Mom, too. Don't think I have any hard feelings against her. She did what she thought was best at the time. Some things are hard to let go of.

I can't wait for the day I get a letter or a call or a face to face from you (oh, how I wait for that day .. is it tomorrow?)

I love you with all the love a father can have for a child.
Love,
your Dad

AW Pink on 1 John 2:2

And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world - I John 2.2

I just love how Arthur Pink has addressed this verse! I think he makes it so obvious. He has several solid points. Each of which validate the limited scope of the atonement in and of themselves, but this has got to be BY FAR the most convincing (I'd say compelling, but it's more than compelling) argument he raises. He does the unthinkable - he interprets Scripture with Scripture. And not only that, but he lets John interpret John. Have a look:

...

In the fourth place, when John added, "And not for ours only, but also for the whole world", he signified that Christ was the propitiation for the sins of Gentile believers too, for, as previously shown, "the world" is a term contrasted from Israel. This interpretation is unequivocally established by a careful comparison of 1 John 2:2 with John 11:51,52, which is a strictly parallel passage: "And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad". Here Caiaphas, under inspiration, made known for whom Jesus should "die". Notice now the correspondency of his prophecy with this declaration of John’s

1 John 2:2	John 11:51, 52
"He is the propitiation for our (believing Israelites) sins".	"He prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation".
"And not for ours only".	"And not for that nation only".
"But also for the whole world"— That is, Gentile believers scattered throughout the earth.	"He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad".

Is that beautiful or what! Side by side we've got the precise interpretation right there! It is not the "whole world of every single individual ever" as if Christ's blood is some sort of magic potion you just apply as needed. John himself tells us that Christ is the propitiation for not only the Jewish children of God, but for the children of God in EVERY nation!

I urge you to read the entire article. It's perfect and pithy.

http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Sovereignty/appendix_04.htm

And if you like that, you'll LOVE the rest of that book -- The Sovereignty of God. It's a top read on my list.

This, for me, is the absolute end of the argument. What a comfort I take in the definite atonement our Lord has made for those who believe. It's such a surety that there is NOTHING that I can do to lose it, and on the flip side of that coin, there is nothing I can do to KEEP it. Think on that one for a second. It is solely because of the propitiation and advocation of Jesus Christ that I am accepted before a just and holy God.

Amen!

Great quote

Ye have enemies? Good, good- that means ye've stood up for something, sometime in thy life....

--Elminster of Shadowdale

As we move on ...

It's been a couple weeks since our brother, Preston, went to be with our Lord. I was reading a devotional from one of his favorite pastors, John Piper (I've been spending a lot of time there lately). He wrote something when their congregation lost a member to a sudden heart attack. The thing that caught my eye first was the sermon that Pastor John was recently speaking on the night he heard of that saints death. It was Preston's life verse -- Philippians 1:21.

I continued to read, and the more I read, the more comfort I received from the Scripture references, so I decided to share:

Get Ready, O Please, Get Ready

Download:

---

By John Piper June 2, 1999

I got home on Tuesday, June 1, from speaking to a conference in Pennsylvania. One of my messages there was based on Philippians 1:21, "To live is Christ and to die is gain." The first news I heard after I got off the plane was that our much-loved choir member and former deacon, and husband and father and friend, Carl Fredericks, had suddenly died today of a heart attack.

As soon as I got home and had devotions with my family, I spoke with Yvonne, Carl's wife. She was, of course, overwhelmed by the utter unexpectedness of it all. There is no minimizing the pain. But there is the unwavering Lover of her soul. And he is a tender Rock.

Now I sit here numbed by the back-to-back departures of two of our great older saints, Muriel Sundberg and Carl Fredericks. For me, they framed the congregation visually. Bert and Muriel sat on the west side of the main floor on Sunday morning. Carl and Yvonne sat on the corresponding east side (when the choir wasn't singing). They were both of the hardy, solid, faithful stock that brings stability and strength. They both loved great music. And they both loved the people of Bethlehem. And now their places are empty. O, so empty.

I want to thank God publicly for these two gifts to Bethlehem. Who can calculate the price of a soul? Just last week the staff was away for two days of praying and fasting and seeking the Lord for the future of Bethlehem. One of the texts we lingered over was Psalm 116:15, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Another meaning of the Hebrew word behind "precious" is "costly." Both are true. To us, so costly. To God, so precious.

Why so precious? One reason is that God gave his own Son to die for Muriel and Carl. When Christ died, their death was defeated. "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:55, KJV). In other words, because of Christ's suffering and the Father's sacrifice, the death of Muriel and Carl was robbed of its victory.

This means that the death of every saint is a demonstration to all creation that Christ's atoning death was gloriously successful. It was not in vain. Therefore, the arrival of every saved saint in heaven is another trumpet-tribute to the preciousness of Christ's life and death on this earth. He must (it seems to me) take each one by the hand, as it were, and lead the saint to the Father, and say, "Look! Another trophy! Another 'fruit of my travail.' Another sinner saved and soul made perfect. O Father, look what we have wrought! Is this not precious!"

And costly. O the tears of loss! No, not as those who have no hope, but tears nonetheless. I remember weeping until the heaves continued, but the eyes had no more fluid. Such is the overflowing effect of love, when it is robbed of the beloved.

Dear friends, God is speaking to us all in these sudden, unexpected and painful departures. Are you listening? I said to my family tonight during devotions: it could as easily have been me. Or you. Are we ready? O Bethlehem, are we ready? Do we trust him? Do we love him? Do we live for him? Is he our Love above all loves? Pursue him and know him. Live with him as if tomorrow you might meet him face to face.

Thank you, Lord, for the lives of Muriel and Carl. And thank for the heart-wrenching message of their precious and costly departures. O grant that we might say concerning ourselves - and because of them - "To live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).

Grieving with hope,

Pastor John

© Desiring God

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Billy: The Early Years

So apparently there's a movie out about the life of Billy Graham. Here's a clip:



And here's the official trailer:



I'm gonna see it!

http://www.billytheearlyyears.com/

RefTagger

This is so cool! I just found this awesome script add on that takes any bible reference and not only links it to bible.logos.com, but brings a pop up window right above the verse when you hover over it! This is awesome! Check it out:

Romans 8:28

I didn't add a bit of html code to that reference. Not bad, eh?

Here's the link to add it to your blog:
http://blog.logos.com/archives/2008/06/adding_reftagger_to_a_blogger_blog.html

Here's the original location to add it to any website generally:
http://www.logos.com/reftagger

Scroll down to about the middle of the page for the instructions on how to put it into your webpage/blog.

Blessings

The I.O.U.S. of prayer

This is an acronym from John Piper. While this is posted in his article How to Pray for the Pastoral Staff, (as well as mentioned in his series When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy, taken from the 2005 Regional Conference), I find that this is an excellent prayer to lift to the Lord before your own bible reading as well:

1. Ask God to give us an inclination to his Word and not to money or fame or power (Psalm 119:36), and to open our eyes to see wonderful things when we read his Word (Psalm 119:18), and to have hearts united in the fear of God rather than fragmented over a dozen concerns (Psalm 86:11), and to be satisfied in his steadfast love (Psalm 90:14). (This is the IOUS acronym I use almost every day in praying for those I love.)

Here they are for you to pray through:

Psalm 119:36 Incline my heart to your testimonies,

and not to selfish gain!

Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold

wondrous things out of your law.

Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, O Lord,

that I may walk in your truth;

unite my heart to fear your name.

Psalm 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,

that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Grace to you

Romans 8 by Reformation Day

I've resolved to memorize Romans 8 by Oct 31. I started on the third, so that gives me 4 weeks to do it. I've thought of some tips for anyone who wants to do this type of thing:

1. Use the same bible. You'll not only keep to the same version, you'll actually see the text in your head and remember the words based on the location of the text in your mind's eye.
2. Get an audio bible in the same version. I've got Max McLean's ESV bible, so it's really helpful. Listen to it as often as you can.
3. Get a buddy. Someone who can coach you through. You'd be surprised how much a prompt will trigger your recollection of the verse.
4. Read the chapter twice each time you sit to read it. First time read it through and don't pause to ponder or anything. The second time, slow down a bit and consider what is being said.
5. Trudge through the dry periods. There is bound to be a few days where it gets boring. Keep truckin' . Pray harder and pray for a deeper love of His Word.
6. Pray. Pray before every reading and pray after every reading. The enemy will fill your mind and life with distractions and doubts. Pray the armor of God. Pray for a love of His Word and an understanding of His Word.

I plan on doing this a lot more now. It's been so rewarding to have it stored in my mind and my heart. I recall it and it strengthens me.

May you be blessed!

The First and the Last

The deity of Christ is explicit in many places throughout the Scriptures, but none so crystal clear as in the Revelation. Read this:

Revelation 1.4-20
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Alpha:
1 : the 1st letter of the Greek alphabet — see alphabet table
2 : something that is first : beginning

Omega:
1: the 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet — see alphabet table
2: the extreme or final part : end

So what do we have? We have the Lord God being the Alpha (the first) and the Omega (the last). Furthermore, we have "the living one", "the one who died and is alive forevermore" describing himself as the first and the last. Who is speaking to us? Is it not the Lord Jesus Christ? He describes himself in the very same manner in which the Lord God describes Himself.

They are the same. Christ is in the Father and the Father is in Him. It is more than a tradition adopted by the church because of Constantine. The devil/adversary will do whatever he can to diminish the glory of the One who cast him out of heaven. What more diminishing thing could be done than to deny who He truly is?

To deny the deity of Christ is to be deceived by the adversary who roams the earth seeking someone to devour. But do not be afraid, for Christ has conquered him! Hallelujah, our God is an awesome God.
Amen

The loss of a good friend

Yesterday I went to the funeral of my friend Preston Newby. He was the 24 year old youth pastor at my church. He died helping someone else. That doesn't surprise me one bit. That's the kind of man Preston was.

The thing that amazed me most was not that he died helping another (he truly lived his faith) or the amount of people who went to his funeral (there were hundreds) or the amount of news coverage (it's been the top story all week) or that the news hasn't edited the "Christianity" out of their news stories (they did when Damon Coates was shot). What amazed me the most was the impact that Preston had .. at only 24 years of age! It truly is a testimony to the way Christ can work through a single individual. Preston actually lived the life that many Christians merely say they live. His faith was a way of life for him, not just a talking point at dinner or a topic worthy of debate. That man is one of the most genuine, warm and Christ-honoring people I've ever had the priviledge of knowing. I do look forward to rejoicing with him together in front of the wonderful Savior we both have!

I'm so very proud of his wife, Tara. She's been showing such composure and grace through all this. It is truly a testimony to God's faithfulness. Our Lord promises that He will never leave us in His exhortation to be content with what we have (Hebrews 13.5). It is in those very times when we are at risk of NOT being content that the Lord fulfills His promise. Tara has lost half of herself and God has indeed kept His word! He has NOT left Tara! He has NOT forsaken her! He's given her a supernatural strength and an abundant outpouring of love from her family and church family.

Our church body has also done some amazing things over the last week. So many people have been so involved and supportive of everyone else. I've come closer to some people I've previously just waved at from across the room.

One thing I regret is not having known Preston as well as I would have liked. I call him a good friend, but only because he was a good friend to me. I wouldn't call myself a good friend of his, though he would wholly disagree. He was just that kind of guy. He put others first.

He and his wife have been over to our house, but it's been a while. We had dinner, talked theology, played guitar and sang a couple hymns, but ya know what .. I wish I would have spent more time with him. We always talked about it. We always said "ya, we should get together some time" ... and then just go on with our lives. How I hate those words now ... some time .. what does that mean? It means "not now because I'd rather do something else". That's not good enough any more. The one thing I'm going to take away from this is to turn "some time" into "this time". I'm going to set up a night -- once a month maybe -- where a bunch of guys I know will get together and go bowling or something (it's the first thought that came to my mind .. maybe we'll do different stuff). But I'm not going to just say "some day". I'm going to actually do this. Lord willing.

My God has glorified Himself in the death of Preston in such a way that I can't deny it. Oh wow. Such bonding. Such faithfulness. Such love. This is only the beginning. I love you, Preston. I'm gonna miss you. But we'll see each other soon enough. As soon as the Lord is done with me.

I was looking at his blog today and read this post he posted July 29th. It's so fitting that he would write something like this. And I am glad that he has finally received the reward he so longed for. He said:

I look forward to the day in eternity when I can actually do this perfectly... until then I trust in God's grace and mercy day by day to continue to help me grow and mature in Him until the day I see Him face to face!

My friend, you are there. As for the questions that some may ask. Questions like "where is God in all this?" Preston had also addressed that question. Read this post.

Preston, may your own words comfort those who are mourning.

Some thoughts on freewill

A conversation about freewill went on between myself and another on a message board. He raised up a list of verses which he believes prove that men have a freewill (to choose to do God's will).

This was my reply:

People tend to start off on the wrong premise. I see all the time how many people think the will is self determining, but we must understand that the will is driven by something. Namely, our nature. We will to make choices, yes. I don't think anyone who argues against the freedom of the human will would disagree with this. The question, however, is what does natural, fallen man WANT to do? The answer ... SIN. Fallen man wills to sin rather than willing to be holy. If you deny this biblical precept, you must also deny salvation by grace alone. You must ... MUST admit that if natural man can sometimes be holy enough to please God (and that is the whole point of saying the will is in bondage) then natural man can make it into heaven based on his own performance.

In a nutshell, the human will is in BONDAGE ... either to sin unto death, or righteousness unto life.

Romans 6:16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

A.W. Pink:

1. The Nature of the Human Will.
What is the Will? We answer, the will is the faculty of choice, the immediate cause of all action. Choice necessarily implies the refusal of one thing and the acceptance of another. The positive and the negative must both be present to the mind before there can be any choice. In every act of the will there is a preference—the desiring of one thing rather than another. Where there is no preference, but complete indifference, there is no volition. To will is to choose, and to choose is to decide between two or more alternatives. But there is something which influences the choice; something which determines the decision. Hence the will cannot be sovereign because it is the servant of that something. The will cannot be both sovereign and servant. It cannot be both cause and effect. The will is not causative, because, as we have said, something causes it to choose, therefore that something must be the causative agent. Choice itself is affected by certain considerations, is determined by various influences brought to bear upon the individual himself, hence, volition is the effect of these considerations and influences, and if the effect, it must be their servant; and if the will is their servant then it is not sovereign, and if the will is not sovereign, we certainly cannot predicate absolute "freedom" of it. Acts of the will cannot come to pass of themselves—to say they can, is to postulate an uncaused effect. Ex nihilo nihil fit—nothing cannot produce something

...

2. The Bondage of the Human Will.
...In what does the sinner’s freedom consist? This question is naturally suggested by what we have just said above. The sinner is ‘free’ in the sense of being unforced from without. God never forces the sinner to sin. But the sinner is not free to do either good or evil, because an evil heart within is ever inclining him toward sin. Let us illustrate what we have in mind. I hold in my hand a book. I release it; what happens? It falls. In which direction? Downwards; always downwards. Why? Because, answering the law of gravity, its own weight sinks it. Suppose I desire that book to occupy a position three feet higher; then what? I must lift it; a power outside of that book must raise it. Such is the relationship which fallen man sustains toward God. Whilst Divine power upholds him, he is preserved from plunging still deeper into sin; let that power be withdrawn, and he falls—his own weight (of sin) drags him down. God does not push him down, anymore than I did that book. Let all Divine restraint be removed, and every man is capable of becoming, would become, a Cain, a Pharaoh, a Judas. How then is the sinner to move heavenwards? By an act of his own will? Not so. A power outside of himself must grasp hold of him and lift him every inch of the way. The sinner is free, but free in one direction only—free to fall, free to sin. As the Word expresses it: "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness" (Rom. 6:20). The sinner is free to do as he pleases, always as he pleases (except as he is restrained by God), but his pleasure is to sin.

http://www.pbministries.org/books/pi...nty/sov_07.htm

Having said all that, I will address a few of your verses (in green):

Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Please tell me where the will is involved in these verses? I only see a command given, not a choice made. Tell me ... what choice was made? This choice indicates that the nature of the person making the choice determined the outcome of their choice. Their will was a servant to their nature, which shows that their nature desired to disobey God rather than obey Him. The choice is our answer right here.

Genesis 4:6 The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it."

I refer you to the response above. IF you do well...is only a choice given, not a choice made. The command to rule over sin is given, but the will did only what the nature would allow. Did Cain rule over his sin? Obviously not. Why not? Because he willed not to. Why did he will not to? Because his nature was fallen into sin. His nature determined his willingness.

I hear it already ... why do some murder and not others? (or something like that) ... I answer: God uses sinners for His purposes. This is shown in Egypt in the story of Moses and Pharoah. God hardened Pharoah's heart. Why?

Romans 9:17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

Now there are times where God does NOT use sinners to murder or imprison or whatever, but it is quite clear from Scripture that GOD moves the sinner just as He moves the Christian.

Exo 13:17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, "Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt."

Again ... a choice offered does not show a choice made.

As for your next set (Exodus 19:5-8), look at verse 4:

Exodus 19:4 You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel." 7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." And Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.

It seems to me that the offer they were given, was only accomplished because the LORD acted first.

Deuteronomy 1:43 So I spoke to you, and you would not listen; but you rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the hill country.

So ... this goes with everything I have said all along. They only will to be in rebellion. If someone has a will that is free to choose either sin or righteousness APART from God's regenerating work in man's heart, what need is there for a Savior?

I'm going to skip down a few, so I can give you a flavor of everything you present. You present Psalm 32:8,9. I show you the entire chapter:

Psalm 32:1 A Maskil of David. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah.
5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

It clearly speaks of one who has already been saved. One with whom God has declared righteous. Your proof text here seems to only show that the one who is teaching is the LORD. David is speaking in this psalm to God. So unless you think David is teaching God something, this is God teaching David.

Ecclesiastes 7:29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

God made man without sin, but quite obviously not without the ability to sin. The only man God made upright is Adam. Everyone else has this iniquity inherently in them ... original sin. (Psalm 51:5, Romans 5:12)

Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

What does Jesus say the will of His Father is?

John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

The will of His Father, according to Jesus, is that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life. That's all the will of the Father is where the unregenerate is concerned. Who WILL believe?

John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

They believed BECAUSE they were born of God (I believe that this happened at the same time - the moment you are born again, you will believe), NOT of their own will...but of God. If you attempt to say that they were born again because they believed, then you are misreading this statement. Do we believe and then become born again? Quite clearly not. We are born of the will of God. Just as we have nothing to do with our physical birth, we have nothing to do with our spiritual birth.

John 7:17 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.

This confirms my previous conclusion. You will believe Jesus' words IF you are born again. If you are NOT born again, you will NOT believe. Who wills to do God's will?

Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

The natural man hates God and does not obey God. Those who do the will of God are those who have been born again.

1Corinthians 7:36 If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry--it is no sin. 37 But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. 38 So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

It is clear that Paul is speaking to Christians here. Where is the free will? It only shows that a man who has his desires under control should stay unmarried to better serve the Lord.

I would continue with this exercise, but to be honest, you would have to prove with Scripture that an unsaved heathen has chosen God APART from the working of the Spirit. Can you provide this evidence?

I end with this ... and please consider this. If man is free to choose, WHAT is he free to choose? Does man choose God? Or does God choose man?

Romans 11:5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.

2Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

The steps:

We are (1) chosen by God, then we are (2) sanctified by the Spirit - set apart, then we (3) believe the truth.

Some are chosen to believe, while others are not. Does God not have this right to distinguish?

I submit that man will only choose that which he desires. And man, apart from God, does not desire God. Once God acts upon a man, gives him a new heart, and changes his nature from one desiring sin to one desiring righteousness, THEN and ONLY THEN will man choose God.

1John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

God bless

The purpose(s) of God's Word

Psalm 119.105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

This verse means more than just that the word of God tells us where to go, it also teaches us that God's Word shows us where we are.

Let me explain. Imagine yourself walking in a dark forest with nothing but a lamp. Now, look at your feet, since, after all, you can see them because of the light. Does that tell you where to go? No. It shows you where you are at right at that very moment! The path shows you where you are going.

Here is another passage which supports this:

Romans 3.19-20
Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Through the Law, we see our sin. We see where we fall short of God's glory. I recently did a post about Law and Gospel hermeneutics, where we understand that there is law revealed even in the New Testament. We are taught by God's Word where we fall short in Paul's epistles as much as in the Ten Commandments. For instance, Philippians 2.14 commands us to do everything without complaining or arguing. But I doubt very highly that anybody can accomplish this.

Consider these two verses:

James 3.2
[W]e all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

How much clearer could it be?! So you see, God's Word is powerful. It reveals to us (those who have eyes to see and ears to hear) that we fall desperately short of God's moral standards. We must rely on the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5.17) and was the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2.2), thereby justifying all who believe (Romans 3.28, 5.1; Galatians 2.16, 3.24). That last verse (Galatians 3.24) shows us the very purpose of God's Law. That we will be driven to Christ to be cleansed by His shed blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9.22).

For all who may read this post who don't know what any of this means. Read the verses I've linked to and also read the beatitudes, found in Matthew 5.1-7.29. God has shown us how we miss His moral standards of PERFECTION by giving us the Law. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus accurately explains the Law of Moses (the Ten Commandments) and explains that God's moral standard is so high, NOBODY can reach it. That is what Romans 3.10-18 and Romans 3.23 mean.

THAT is why the Law is good. God has revealed to us our shortcomings, rather than simply judging us and rightfully condemning us. Do not be condemned by the Law, my friend. See it for what it is; a blessed gift of mercy to show us our shortcomings. For God could have simply written us off and punished each one of us for our sins. But He did not! He sent His one and only Son into the world to atone for our sins. To appease the wrath of God against a sinful, rebellious world. What a gracious act of divine mercy!

This, my friend, is the gospel:

1 Corinthians 15.1-4
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

The proof?

1 Corinthians 15.5-8
and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

When Paul wrote this letter, it was less than 30 years after the crucifixion. The claim "most of whom remain until now" means that most of the witnesses to the resurrection were STILL ALIVE when Paul wrote the Corinthian church! The claim was verifiable!

So what must YOU do to be saved?

Acts 16.31
Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved

Praise God!

Begging the Question

One of my pet peeves is the improper use of a phrase, and this one is probably the most widely misused phrase, hands down. I hear it on the radio and tv, I read it in all sorts of news articles, and hear it just about everywhere I go.

What does it mean to "beg the question"? Does it mean, as many people incorrectly claim it to mean, that some particular situation or comment "begs" for a question to be asked?

NO!!

It is a logical term used in regards to arguments. To "beg" the question is to ask that the very point at issue be conceded. In other words, it is to say "I'm right and I don't need to support that assertion. This debate would go a lot faster if you would just admit that."

For more information on this (and many more logical fallacies) go here:

Begging the Question

Fallacy Files

There ... that's off my chest now. If this post informs just ONE person, I'll sleep well. lol

Blessings in Christ

A living lesson

This morning I came dangerously close to reaping the consequences of my anger. I was crossing the street on this rainy Portland morning and saw a car out of the corner of my eye ... I thought "they'll slow down, I'm a pedestrian!" ... well, they didn't. The guy came within two feet of me and laid on his horn. Well, being a pedestrian, and having a right to cross the street at whatever pace I choose, I kicked the car. "Who does he think he is?! Doesn't he know I'm John?!"

Bad idea. He laid on his brakes and I could see right through the window ... two young men, mid twenties jumped out of the car and started yelling profanities and big threats. They both came charging at me and I thought "oh crap, that guy looks like he can punch real hard!" and started backing up. They both were aggressively charging at me and I was backing up ... terrified.

This yelling went on for a minute or two and I started realizing to myself "hey, if these guys were gonna do anything, they'd have done it by now". The smaller of the two guys (still bigger than me) came up to me while the driver examined his door, still yelling profanities at me. When the passenger approached, I looked at him and shoved him away from me. Then they both came charging again, so I dialed 911. It was more of a hopeful deterrent than anything ... by the time the cops got there to protect and serve, I would need an ambulance if anything was actually gonna happen. But it seemed to work. They gave me about ten feet of space, all the while yelling at me while I'm on the phone with the police.

Then my bus came and boy was I relieved to see it! I was so relieved that I got cocky. I looked at the two guys and smiled and said something to the effect of "have a nice day, guys. Don't be late to work!" How arrogant of me. Why did this happen? Is it because I kicked their car? Is it because they were "tough guys"? No. It happened because I believed I have the right to be wherever I am at whatever time I want to be there. "This is my road, don't they know that?"

I truly failed today. Not only did I act inappropriately, but I realized that not a single prayer went up. In that moment of decision, I chose to believe in what was happening ... not what my (my?) God can do to protect me. I'd like to examine myself this morning. My goal is to apply the knowledge I have of Scripture regarding anger and personal rights.

The book of Proverbs says this:

Proverbs 16.5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.

Proverbs 21.4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
The lamp of the wicked, is sin.

I like the CEV version of this verse:

21.4 Evil people are proud and arrogant,
but sin is the only crop they produce.

15.25 The LORD tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow's boundaries.
16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

God, in response to Job's questioning, makes these statements:

Job 40.11-13
11 Show your furious anger!
Throw down and crush
12 all who are proud and evil.
13 Wrap them in grave clothes
and bury them together
in the dusty soil.

By implication, God is saying that this is what He does to those who are proud and evil. These warnings, just a few of many, cause me to shudder. In my pride, I was an abomination to the LORD. I was certainly punished. Immediately. And look at the second proverb there. A proud heart is the lamp of the wicked. It is what the unregenerate use to light their path. It is sinful and causes me to fall away from God in my walk.

But God never instructs us in His Word not to do something without offering a positive alternative. A beneficial solution:

Proverbs 14.3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,
But the lips of the wise will protect them.

Here, God says "don't speak foolishly, but instead speak wise ... because that will protect you". God never gives us a command for no good reason. Sin destroys not only our relationship with God, but causes problems in our temporal life. Well, the flip side is that obedience BUILDS our relationship with God and PREVENTS problems in our temporal life.

Psalm 101.5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy;
No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.

God will not endure one who is proud and arrogant. But instead, God again gives us the blessed alternative.

Psalm 101.6 My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.

So what do I do with this information? The first thing to do is to remind myself of my position in Christ.

Colossians 1.9-14
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
...
21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven

Paul prayed for the Colossian church to be filled with the knowledge of His will so they would walk in a manner worthy of the Lord (v10). Then he reminds them (us) to give thanks to the Father. To give thanks to Him for He has transferred us from darkness to Light, so we no longer are condemned. We are redeemed and forgiven! I am forgiven! This incident was a lesson. I know this now. Look at vs 21-23. They further encourage me that although I may have fallen here, I have been reconciled through death. I WILL BE presented before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach. And not if I continue in "good works" ... but what? If I continue IN FAITH (in what?) in the gospel that I heard. What is the gospel? Paul tells us that it is a righteousness that is given to us from God.

Romans 1.16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

Praise God for HIS righteousness!

Hebrews 12:6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.

I was disciplined, or taught about my pride through this. I was shown my erroneous attitude, as I myself show my son (though not perfectly, as my Father in heaven).

Proverbs 3:11-12
11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

The Lord DELIGHTS in me! He shows it with this very lesson in discipline! Praise God for His abundant mercy!

I know my heart is heading in the right direction as well because of God's Word:

Proverbs 12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

I indeed delight in this discipline. I desire to be rid of my pride once and for all. I truly believe I am one step closer because of this. However, I shall be cautious of becoming proud of my humility. Spiritual pride is deceptive.

Lord, forgive me for my pride. I acknowledge it is sin and know it is not pleasing to You. I know you have placed my sin on your Son at the cross. I have died with Him that day. I have been buried with Him and risen in baptism. Thank you that you have forgiven me. I thank you, LORD, that you have taken this opportunity to teach me about myself. You've shown me my pride (something I indeed did pray for just the other day), and you've shown me my faith in You is not as strong as I thought. Lord, please increase my faith and decrease my pride. I thank You for Your faithfulness and compassion.

Reformed Confessions on mp3

http://urclearning.org/creeds-and-confessions-audio/

This link includes:

Apostles Creed
Nicene Creed
Athanasian Creed
Chalcedonian Creed
Heidelberg Catechism
Belgic Confession
Canons of Dordrecht (Dordt)

For the most part, I agree with these. There are a few points, such as infant baptism mentioned in the Heidelberg Catechism, which I don't understand enough to agree or disagree. For instance, I understand that it doesn't intend to be the same as the Catholic baptism. It seems to be more like the typical type of "dedication" only with water.

In fact, it is my understanding now that Calvin also believed in infant baptism. And I've found out that some reformers still practice it today. As a sort of covenant thing ... akin to circumcision. How odd.

I have yet to listen fully to the Belgic Confession, so I have no comment on that yet.

Psalm 42:3

Ps 42.3
My tears have been my food day and night,
while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

These were his companions saying this, not his enemies. He was traveling with a band of soldiers. They would have been the ones who spoke with him.

Be encouraged when the people closest to you doubt your faith. It is nothing new (Ecc 1.9), and you're in good company.

Blessings

Lessons on Romans

This series, taught by Tom Browning - Arlington Presbyterian Church (PCA) - is a must have for any serious Christian.

One of the best teachings on the book I've heard. A series of 43 downloadable MP3's.

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/mp3/romans_browning.html

Blessings

Free Christian Music

I'd like to share two absolutely wonderful CD's I've found online.

The Living Sacrifice CD from Christ Our Life Ministries. I've provided links to the mp3's below for your convenience. The original site (click here) contains the sheet music (tablature) and lyric sheets.

John
Living Sacrifice
Fire of God
Man of Sorrows
Prophets Call
Cry Aloud
I Come to the Light
Now is the Time
You Love Righteousness
Let Me See Thy Face and Die
Psalm 23
Love Never Fails
From Death to Life
Resurrection Song
Beatitudes
Psalm 103

And Calvary Chapel Saving Grace from Firefighters for Christ. *(the top CD at this link is my personal choice). The mp3's of my favorites are below. (BTW, that site also has great mp3 sermons).

Faithful and True
Psalm 8
You Still Call Me Away
Walk In It
LORD, I Come to You
One Thing
Fly
I Will Wait
Tear Down These Walls
I Abide

All of these songs are either explicitly Scriptural or laced heavily with Scriptural themes. It is so cool to hear my kids singing along with these lyrics (they're 4 and 2). It's a great way to memorize Scripture and the truths contained within.

May these songs bless you as they have me and my family and friends.

Grace to you

UPDATE: There is now a second CD from Living Sacrifice (the first group of songs). Here is the link to the page, rather than putting each song up individually.

http://christourlife.ca/free_worship.html
http://christourlife.ca/worship_songs.html

Some of the songs are better than others ... you can really see them evolving in their talent. But the second link has more of the new "winners" on it, in my opinion. Enjoy!

The Athiests Riddle

I ran across this article whilst stumbling: http://www.cosmicfingerprints.com/iidb.htm

The riddle is formed in a post on the IIDB discussion board;

Gentlemen:

The starting point of this discussion is my central thesis, which is:

1) DNA is not merely a molecule with a pattern; it is a code, a language, and an information storage mechanism.
2) All codes are created by a conscious mind; there is no natural process known to science that creates coded information.
3) Therefore DNA was designed by a mind.

If you can provide an empirical example of a code or language that occurs naturally, you've toppled my proof. All you need is one.

Perry Marshall

Here is the original article, with mp3 downloads (for people like me who like mp3 downloads): http://www.cosmicfingerprints.com/atheists_riddle.htm

Read the article and listen to the mp3's. It is provocative. And I challenge any athiests to consider it. And, if possible, come up with the empirical example requested. If you can, then you have silenced a strong argument for design. But if you cannot, then consider those implications. Because "If DNA is a code, then we have every reason to believe that it is designed."

Is accurate soteriology "too deep"?

Is this thought "too deep" as our football throwing friend would have us believe? Or is this a question us Christians should consider? See, I'm a Calvinist who believes in the freewill of men. The freewill of men PROPERLY DEFINED, that is.

As Jonathan Edwards states, "the Will (without any metaphysical refining) is, that by which the mind chooses any thing."[a] I can't say it any better. So, our will is free to choose things. We can choose whether we will brush our teeth or not. We can choose to politely let that person in front of us on the highway or crowd them off. These choices are ours to make. There is not someone else making these choices for us.

The question of "freewill" as spoken of in Christian circles, comes when we are faced with the choice to receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, as we are commanded and exhorted to do in Scripture.

For brevity's sake, let me say that men ARE free to choose to believe Christ as Lord and Savior. The problem, however, does not lie in our ABILITY as much as it does in our DESIRE. Jesus states that men love darkness and run from the light (John 3:19-20). We must be spiritually reborn (John 3:3) in order to even SEE the kingdom of God. We are spiritually dead, being alienated and separated from God because of our sin. This intrinsic separation, this death to spiritual matters is what prevents us from willingly choosing to follow Christ. It is not that we CAN NOT do it ... it is simply that the unregenerated sinner does not WANT to. Therefore, he does not.

The Westminster Confession says this:

Chapter IX
Of Free Will
III. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation: [4] so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good,[5] and dead in sin, [6] is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto. [7]
IV. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, He frees him from his natural bondage under sin;[8] and, by His grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good;[9] yet so, as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he does not perfectly, or only, will that which is good, but does also will that which is evil.[10]

Where the comic above comes into play is that, for many people, this poses a problem when presented with the concept of election/predestination. If God elects us (which Scripture repeats numerous times, and in the context of salvation), and if we freely choose Christ (which every Calvinist confirms) then how can we reconcile it? Should we just cry "too deep" as this comic strip does? I'm afraid that too many people will do just that.

But what I believe the bible to teach is that, while all men are naturally unwilling to come to Christ, including the elect, God has hand-picked some on whom He will show mercy (Rom 9:18) and will grant them (and them alone) the grace sufficient to change their unwilling, hardened heart of stone into a willing, soft heart of flesh. The rest, He leaves to die in their sins. Read these verses from Ezekiel:

36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Do you see how God says that it is Him who will do all of these things? He is the one who will give us a new heart. He will put a new spirit within us. And verse 27 tells us exactly why. This process will move us to follow His decrees and keep His laws. In other words, this act of regeneration done to us by the giving us of a new spirit and heart will CAUSE us to obey God. And the foremost command in mind here is the command given to repent and believe the gospel. Once more, the Westminster Confession:

Chapter X
Of Effectual Calling
I. All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His appointed time, effectually to call,[1] by His Word and Spirit,[2] out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature to grace and salvation, by Jesus Christ;[3] enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God,[4] taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh;[5] renewing their wills, and, by His almighty power, determining them to that which is good,[6] and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ:[7] yet so, as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.[8]

My advice is this: Believe it. The bible tells us exactly why some are chosen and not others. "In Christ we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." (Eph 1:11). Just because we are unable to "reason out" why God chooses some and not others according to our limited understanding does not make it untrue. God says it is according to HIS will. And this should be good enough reason for any humble Christian. Who are we to question God's purposes? Who are we to say that God doesn't have a right to be merciful to some and just to others? Do not rely on a human idea of "fairness", because if God were fair, NONE would be saved. We are saved by merciful grace, not merit. Praise God for His merciful grace!

[a] Jonathan Edwards; Freedom of the Will; Part I; Section I
For WCF Scripture proofs for Chapter IX
http://www.the-highway.com/WCFChIX.html
For WCF Scripture proofs for Chapter X
http://www.the-highway.com/WCFChX.html