Why Should You Spend Your Life Studying Christian Theology - part a

O God, You have taught me from my youth;

And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. 

Now also when I am old and grayheaded,

O God, do not forsake me,

Until I declare Your strength to this generation,

Your power to everyone who is to come.

Psalms 71:17-18

Introduction Questions:

• How do people within the modern church view Christian theology today?
• How big is the theology section of our local “Christian” book store?  What is the biggest section called?
• How do people outside the church view Christian Theology?
• Who should be concerned with Christian theology?
• How does Ps. 71:17-18 explain how the Christian should view Christian theology?

Reymond offers 5 reasons why Christian theology deserves the church’s and the world’s highest interest and respect.  By Christian theology, we mean the study of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments by means of the historical, grammatical and theological approach.

1. The example of Jesus’ own theological method
2. Christ’s mandate to the church to disciple and teach all nations
3. The apostolic model
4. The example and activity of the New Testament church
5. The very nature of Holy Scripture and the revealed Word of God

1 - The Example of Jesus’ Own Theological Method

Jesus Regarded the Old Testament As Historical

Jesus regarded the old testament as historically accurate.  Just using Matthew’s gospel alone as an example, Jesus refers to the following Old Testament events.  In each case, He represents these events as historically true and accurate.

• Matt. 19:4-5 - creation of Adam & Eve
• Matt. 23:35 - murder of Abel
• Matt. 24:37 - the times of Noah and the Genesis flood
• Matt. 10:15 - the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
• Matt. 22:31-32 - the Word of God coming to Moses
• Matt. 12:3-4 - David’s eating the bread of the presence
• Matt. 23:35 - the stoning of Zechariah
• Matt. 12:40 - the swallowing of Jonah by the great fish
• Matt. 12:41 - Jonah’s preaching and Ninevah’s repentance
• Matt. 8:11; 13:14; 15:7-8; 24:15 - allusions to other Old Testament characters such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Isaiah, and Daniel

Jesus Regarded the Old Testamament  As Inspired

There are also several passages in Matthew that show that Jesus regarded the Old Testament Scriptures as the very words of God.

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? - Matt 19:4-5

Notice that Jesus attributes the words from Genesis 2:24 as coming from “He who made them at the beginning” (God).

But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,  “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ ? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” - Matt. 22:31-32

In this passage, Jesus attributes the words of Exodus 3:6 as being “spoken to you by God”.  He regarded these words as being spoken to Moses and to His own contemporaries (and therefore even to us).  Moreover, Jesus even hung his argument on the present tense verb “I am”, showing that Abraham was still alive and would be resurrected someday from death.  This is amazing.  This shows that Jesus believed that the words of Scripture were so carefully superintended by the Holy Spirit that even a particular verb tense, being without error, could be trusted to support a Christian doctrine.

He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:

    “The LORD SAID TO MY LORD,

    ‘Sit at My right hand,

    Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’ ”?

If David then calls Him “Lord,’ how is He his Son?” - Matt. 22:43-45

In the above passage, Jesus bases His argument that He is the Son of God on Psalms 110.  He tells us that David was superintended by the Holy Spirit (”in the Spirit”).  He also hangs his entire argument on David’s use of the word ‘adon’ (lord).

We could examine many other such texts within the Gospels that show that Jesus regarded the Old Testament as inspired scripture.  But we will stop here.

Does the Old Testament Demand the Killing of Other Human Beings for Religious Reasons?

Whenever we examine Jesus’s endorsement of the historicity of the Old Testament, the following question will often arise.  Did the God of the Old Testament demand people to kill other people for religious reasons.  Examples of this can be found in Deut. 2:34 “We took all his cities at that time, and we utterly destroyed the men, women, and little ones of every city; we left none remaining.”, Deut. 3:6 “And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city.”  Also, some will quote the “imprecatory” (invoking a curse from God) Psalms in Ps. 5:10;10:15;55:15;69:22-25; 109:9-13).  Do these not show that the Old Testament condones the same kind of violence that many find repulsive in the radical Islamic terrorism of today.  There are many examples in scripture where God calls on Israel to destroy its enemies.  Would Jesus agree with such practices?

As Christian’s we must be able to provide an answer to our culture, which today often prides itself with being tolerant.  The following are reasons why God at times commanded the killing of other human beings within the Old Testament for religious reasons, and why Jesus has commanded us to “love your enemies” (Matt 5:44, Luke 6:27,35)

• The Old Testament also forbids all forms of personal vengeance and commands us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:17-18)
• The Old and New Testaments are in harmony in declaring that vengeance belongs to the Lord alone.  ”Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” - Romans 12:19 (also see Deut. 32:35)
• The “imprecatory” Psalms are all prayers in which the psalmist commits His problems to God and leaves it up to God to take vengeance.  They show the psalmist’ obedient faith towards God and non-retaliatory intent toward man, expressing indignation regarding his enemies flaunting of God’s holy name.  The psalmist main concern is the vindication of God’s name and therefore an expression of a perfect hatred (Ps. 139:21-22).
• Jesus and the apostles also pronounced curses towards their enemies (see Matt. 23:13; Gal. 1:8; Rev. 19:1-5)
• The destruction of those who wished to harm Israel was necessary for preserving the seed of the Messiah.  For example, when Sihon the Kind of the Amorites “gathered all his people together and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.” (Num 21:23), the Amorites posed a threat to the continuation of the people of God and the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise.
• Deut. 9:4 is very clear that God ordered the destruction of the Canaanites because of their own wickedness, “Do not think in your heart, after the LORD your God has cast them out before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land’; but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out from before you.” - Deut. 9:4  This principle of the destruction of the wicked is also displayed in the world wide flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  The new testament is in full agreement with setting forth these events as examples for us today, that if we do not turn and repent towards God, we will likewise suffer His everlasting wrath.

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;  and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;  and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; - 2 Peter 2:4-6

But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.  And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.  - Jude 5-7

• What is Christian Apologetics - part b

  “The most crucial issue facing the Christian apologetist is that of method: Should the apologist in his effort to defend the faith and to persuade the unbeliever of Christianity’s truth claims reason to or from special revelation?  Said another way, Should the Christian apologist begin his defense of the faith standing within the circle of revelation or with the unbeliever outside the circle of revelation?” (Robert Reymond, Faith’s Reasons For Believing, p. 26)

  Where do we start from?

  How we answer the following questions will determine where a person starts when engaging in apologetics.

  What is the nature and function of general revelation?

  Major Apologetic Methods:

• What is the nature and function of special revelation?
• Are there “two books” of knowledge, specifically general and special revelation?  Or just one?
• How does sin effect man’s ability to know God?
• What is the character of faith?
• What is the test of truth?
• What kind of certainty does Christianity offer?
• What is the value of theistic proofs?
• What is the value of Christian evidences?
• What is the nature of the common ground between believer and unbeliever that allows for intelligent conversation? 

1. Evidentialism
   • all truth is discovered through sense perception 
   • asserts the ability and trustworthiness of human reason in its search for religious knowledge
   • relies on probability arguments using empirical or historically verifiable facts
   • insists that religious propositions must be subjected to the same kind of verification that scientific assertions must undergo
   • examples would be the Thomistic Roman Catholic tradition (see Thomas Aquinas), inconsistent Reformed evidentialist (i.e. R.C. Sproul and John Gerstner), and the Arminian tradition)
2. Presuppositionalism (or Biblical Foundationalism or scripturalism)
   • fear of the Lord precedes understanding everything else (Prov. 1:7)
   • understanding follows upon and is governed by the faith commitment.  This is often expressed by the Latin expression Credo ut intelligam (”I believe in order that I may understand”).
   • believes that human depravity has made human autonomous reason incapable of understanding truth
   • the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is necessary for Christian faith and enlightenment.
   • example would be the consistent reformed tradition
3. Experientialism
   • stresses inward religious experience as the foundation of truth instead of evidence or written revelation
   • subjective religious experience is the ground of truth and meaning
   • insistence upon the paradoxical character of Christian teaching and that Christian truth is not capable of rational analysis
   • strong emphasis on transcendence and hiddenness of God in religious experience.
   • example would be the Neo-orthodox tradition (see Karl Barth)

Follow Up Questions:

• Why would an arminian naturally tend towards evidentialism?
• What does the Bible say about man’s ability to understand truth?  Read Prov. 2:6-7; John 1:4-5; 14:6,16-17; Col. 2:2; 1Cor. 1:17-20 
• What about Romans 1:32; 2:12-16?  Seems like unbelieving man kind knows a lot without “special revelation”  Are these truths understood through sense perception?  Do they know these truths with certainty?
• Why are presuppositionalist often labeled as “gnostic”.  What is gnosticism?  How is it different from presuppositionalism?

Related Articles:

• The White Horse Inn: Nonsense on Tap - John W. Robbins from September-October 2007 Trinity Review

Here is a good quote for all to think on, it is from Stephen Charnock’s book “The Existence and the Attributes of God”:  

“It is true, God’s will cannot be hindered of its effect, for then God would not be supremely blessed, but unhappy and miserable : all misery ariseth from a want of that which a nature would have, and ought to have : besides, if anything could frustrate God’s will, it would be superior to him : God would not be omnipotent, and so would lose the perfection of the Deity, and consequently the Deity itself ; for that which did wholly defeat God’s will, would be more powerful than he. But sin is a contradiction to the will of God’s revelation, to the will of his precept: and therein doth naturally tend to a superiority over God, and would usurp his omnipotence, and deprive him of his blessedness. For if God had not an infinite power to turn the designs of it to his own glory, but the will of sin could prevail, God would be totally deprived of his blessedness. Doth not sin endeavor to subject God to the extravagant and contrary wills of men, and make him more a slave than any creature can be? For the will of no creature, not the meanest and most despicable creature, is so much crossed, as the will of God is by sin (Isa. xliii. 24): ” Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins:” thou hast endeavored to make a mere slave of me by sin. Sin endeavors to subject the blessed God to the humor and lust of every person in the world.” Stephen Charnock’s

Take time to think and ponder:

When we stubborn, unregenerate, measly, nonrepentant, and sinful humans believe we who have violated God’s Moral laws have the right, and a free will, to override God and choose Him and grant ourselves salvation, we make ourselves a God, because we believe we can checkmate God and that He doesn’t have the power to do anything about it. Nor would He be Sovereign with the power to choose (elect) whom He wants to save. When one believes he or she can checkmate God they are on VERY dangerous ground.

Lynn

Excalibur Food Dehydrator

You are asking, why in the world would I put this on my site, and I guess you could say, I believe that we are to help each other and when we find something that will help us in our journey here on earth we should share it with our sisters and brothers in Christ. I don’t get anything for putting this on my site but it could be a help to you.

http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/ here is Excalibur’s official web site. I have also placed it in my Favorites - Excalibur’s Offical Site

If you order an Excalibur I suggest you buy it from Excalibur’s official site, you may call them as we did, however ordering from them you actual are assured of receiving your dehydrator.

A friend named Tammy  ordered from another site and never received her unit. She then placed an order direct from the Excalibur’s official site. Tammy knows of others who ordered from other web sites aswell and didn’t get there units either. We ordered our directly from Excalibur without any troubles at all.

I have one Excalibur which I have only had for a few months and also have a 20 year old Vita Mix Harvester stackable dehydrator which you can’t buy anymore. Although, there are other units that are stackable on the market.

I love both of my machines, however I cannot use frozen foods in my stackable dehydrator because the fan and the motor are in the bottom, then when the foods drip it destroys the motor and fan. So do not use frozen foods in a stackable unit… the Excalibur fan and motor are in the back of the unit so when frozen foods drip it does not harm the machine.

The Excalibur comes with a timer or without depending on which you want.

Oh speaking of Tammy she does a LOT of dehydrating and she has two Excaliburs and is getting another one for Christmas this year, she not only dehydrates for her family but for others. She also has a web site you can go to at: http://www.dehydrate2store.com/ - you will really enjoy this site. I have also placed it in my Favorites under Tammy’s Dehydrating Site 

Enjoy,

Lynn

Times are tough and we need to take a lesson from the 10 virgin in the Bible - remember some were ready and had oil in their lamps and others had to beg for oil and ended up leaving to find oil, when the Bride Groom came - the wise  went in - but the ones who were foolish were left out.

Stop and think about the times in which we are living… if you set aside food for your family and times do get bad, you will have food for your family, if times get better then your pantry has a supply for you still to feed your family from.

There is a web site I highly recommend…http://www.dehydrate2store.com/.I have it in my favorites under Tammy’s Dehydrating Site. The site is owned by a lady named Tammy and she has filled it with so many tips and helpful things to help you along your journey of dehydrating, even videos on how to.  You can also find her videos on U-Tube.

You ask — why I am suggesting dehydrating and here is my reason… 1 bushel of tomatoes = 32 quart jars of canned tomatoes -  but that same bushel will dehydrate down to 2 quart jars - it takes much less storage space — not only that but dehydrating retains much more of the enzymes - vitamins and minerals than any other method of preserving your food.

I do not know what will happen, as I am not God but I think God has taught us many times to be prepared. I hope you are among the wise and prepare for what could befall us in America, be ready to care for those you love.

Lynn

This will draw your heart near to God.

Lynn

John Newton - slave trader, poet, and preacher. (1725 – 1807)

John Henry Newton Jr. born in Wapping, London, son of John Henry Newton Sr. and Elizabeth Newton (nee Seatclife). His father a shipmaster in the Mediterranean service was educated at Jesuit College in Spain .His mother a godly women, brought John up as a Nonconformist Christian and dedicated him to the Lord and His ministry. When John was six, his mother died of tuberculosis. His father remarried the following year. The stepmother didn’t pay much attention to John and his needs so when he was 9 he was sent to a boarding school for two years and at the age of 11 he went to sea with his father for a total of six voyages. John became a teenager raised in a godless surrounding. After the six voyages his father retired, and his father planned for John to take up a position as a slave master at a sugar plantation in Jamaica however, in 1743 he became a captain of a slave-ship himself. 

John’s life sounds like a movie with being forced to join the naval service, trying to escape, being caught and flogged 96 times, contemplating suicide, put on another ship called the Pegasus where he again is in trouble for making a deal with a slave traitor named Amos Clowe, who was married to an African duchess named Princess Peye. Both Clowe and his wife abused him terrible. Newton later remembered this as the time he was “once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa.” Now, John’s father is looking for him, and had asked a captain friend of his to keep and eye out for him, he was found and rescued from his bondage. Next upon a ship heading home, a terrible storm cames up awakens him as the ship was filling with water, he cries out to God - upon that moment the Lord touched his heart, although it was not with salvation at  this point in time – oh the goodness of God as He worked in John’s life and heart! Surviving this ordeal he began to read the Bible.  He turned away from gambling, drinking and profanity; though he continued to work in the slave industry he had a compassion now for the slaves he was dealing with. John said “I cannot consider myself to have been a believer in the full sense of the word, until a considerable time afterwards.” 

Next in his this very unusual life John returns to England and a friend of his father’s hires him as his first mate, once again on a slave trading vessel. This ship was now bound for the West Indies off the coast of Guinea. In 1748-49 John became sick with a fever and finally professed total belief in the Lord and asked God to take control of his life. John marks this as his conversion and at this point he said he now had total peace, the amazing grace of God and how mysteriously are His ways.  

On February 12, 1750 John married his live long friend and distant cousin Mary Catlett, who he had been in love with since he was seventeen. Now he goes back to sea and after three more trips to trade slaves and after having a stroke, he stopped this type of employment but continued to invest his monies in the trade business. With time on his hands he began to study Hebrew, Greek and Syriac and became known as a lay minister, seven years later was ordained into the Church of England.  Through a series of things he is finally ordained makes friends with George Whitefield and picks up the nickname of “Young Whitefield.” He also became friends with John Wesley. He was called a moderate Calvinist or a hidden one because of the debates of the day. Newton held strong objection to secular amusement and did not tolerate the Roman Catholic Chruch and its false teachings. 

In December 1790 his dear wife passed away from cancer. In “Letters to a Wife” (2 columns) you can read of his love for his wife. Though his faculties failed him with age, being elderly and blind he continued to preach,. He said he could not stop. On December of 1807 Mr. Newton died and was buried next to his wife at St. Mary Woolnoth. Later in 1893 both bodies were move to Olney, as the church at St. Mary’s removed all those buried there.  

John Newton was a great hymnist and writer – writing one of our best known hymns – Amazing Grace.

In 1840 a baby boy named James Russell was born in Frankfort Spring, Pennsylvania, to his parents James Alexander Miller and Eleanor Creswell (both were of Irish-Scottish ancestors). Frankfort Springs is in the southern portion of Beaver County, on the banks of the Big Traverse which was a small mill steam which drained what is said was a very beautiful valley. James Alexander and Eleanor had ten children, of which their oldest child a daughter died before James Russell their second child was born. James and Eleanor had three boys and seven girls, of which one brother and two sisters died in infancy. The children went to the regional school in Hanover Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. When James was around fourteen, the family moved to a farm near Calcutta, Ohio, where the children attended the regional school in the winter time, however during the summer and harvest time they helped their father on the farm, gardening, doing chores and bringing in the fall crops. In 1857 James Russell was accepted by Beaver Academy.

In 1861 The Christian Commission (YMCA) was organized at a convention in New York City and James would later become a delegate for the organization. This group was created to minister to the troops during the civil war.

James then went to Westminster College, Pennsylvania in 1862 and graduated from Westminster College that same year.  The fall of that year he entered the United Presbyterian Church theological seminary at Allegheny, Pennsylvania. In 1863 James took a break from his studies at the seminary and agreed to serve The Christian Commission as a delegate for six weeks, however upon the end of his service he became an Assistant Field Agent and later he was appointed to the office of General Field Agent, of which he served until July 15, 1865

In 1865 he resumed his studies at the seminary and completed them in the spring of 1867. In the fall of 1867 he was ordained and installed (on September 11, 1867) by the First United Presbyterian Church of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania where he had accepted a call. In two years as the pastor of the church of the First United Presbyterian Church he added almost two hundred people to the church membership. He was raised in the United Presbyterian Church and held strongly their views. Although he did not agree with singing the Psalms only and therefore decided to leave because he could not profess this as part of his beliefs. He then resigned from his office and began the process to join the Presbyterian Church (USA).

On November 12, 1869 both the old and new Presbyterian churches joined together as the Presbyterian Church USA, of which nine days later Reverend Miller was called as their pastor to the church called Bethany Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia. The congregation grew from 75 members to around twelve hundred and was the largest church in Philadelphia. In 1878 he resigned this position and accepted a call as pastor with the new Broadway Presbyterian Church out of Rock Island, Illinois.

James, now thirty years of age, married Louise E. King of Argyle, New York on June 22, 1870. The couple had three children named William, Russell, and Mary.

In 1875 he began to write Christian articles while at the seminary in Allegheny, Pennsylvania of which he did for some time. Then in 1880 Pastor Miller resigned his position at Broadway Presbyterian Church and was given the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Westminster College, they then invited him to assume editorial work for the Presbyterian Board of Publication in Philadelphia, where he became the assistant to the Editorial Secretary for the said board of publication.

While in Philadelphia he became involved with the Hollond Mission and later became their pastor. He was their pastor for sixteen months and while there the membership increased greatly. Then in 1899 a new church was organized with sixty-six members. They named themselves St. Paul Church in West Philadelphia and asked Miller to become their pastor. He was there from 1899 to 1912, which was the year he died. This congregation grew from the 66 members to 1,397.

In 1911 he retired his positions due to health issues. On July 2, 1912 in the afternoon, James was resting quietly and without warning he quietly passed away, with his wife Louise and his daughter by his side. He passed so quickly there was not time to call Louise and James sons to the bedside of their father.

James Russell Miller wrote numerous articles and books. Under his direction 66 million copies of the periodicals were printed by the Presbyterian Board of Publications. His books had a circulation of over two million copies during just his lifetime. It is in hopes that many of his articles and books will continue to be republished, as so many good solid Christian writers of the past books need to be reprinted, not for money sake but for building the Church.

In the USA all James R. Millers works before 1923 are out of copyright and all of his poems are out of copyright.

Gleaned from J.R. Miller’s Archives, and Wikipedia

“Do You Understand What You Read?” Acts 8:30

“We would be abler teachers of others, and less liable to be carried about by every wind of doctrine–if we sought to have a more intelligent understanding of the Word of God. As the Holy Spirit, the Author of the Scriptures, is He who alone can enlighten us rightly to understand them, we should constantly ask His teaching, and His guidance into all truth.

When the prophet Daniel would interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, what did he do? He set himself to earnest prayer that God would open up the vision. The apostle John, in his vision at Patmos, saw a book sealed with seven seals which none was found worthy to open, or so much as to look upon. The book was afterwards opened by the Lion of the tribe of Judah; but it is written first, “I wept much!” The tears of John, which were his liquid prayers, were, so far as he was concerned, the sacred keys by which the sealed book was opened!

Therefore, if, for your own and others’ profiting, you desire to be “filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,” remember that prayer is your best means of study! Like Daniel, you shall understand the dream, and the interpretation thereof–when you have sought unto God; and like John you shall see the seven seals of precious truth unloosed–after you have wept much.

Stones are not broken, except by an earnest use of the hammer; and the stone-breaker must go down on his knees. Use the hammer of diligence, and let the knee of prayer be exercised–and there is not a stony doctrine in Scripture, which is useful for you to understand, which will not fly into shivers under the exercise of prayer and faith! You may force your way through anything–with the leverage of prayer. Prayer is the lever which forces open the iron chest of sacred mystery, that we may get the treasure hidden within! So shall you grow healthy, strong, and happy in the divine life!” (Charles Spurgeon)

Some 30 years ago our son was in Mississippi and was being tested by the Lord. After he was gone several months I found myself going into his bedroom where I flung myself onto his bed sobbing my heart out for our son uncontrollably. My husband tried to console me but nothing could comfort me.  I began to pray as the tears flowed down my face, that God would bring him home, when a thought came across my mind, “Pray for a changed heart” I was stunned by the thought but immediately stopped praying selfishly and prayed that God would change his heart. Two days later the phone rang and it was our son, his words were “Mom God changed my heart!” and our son though miles away had returned to himself!

We do know as Spurgeon says God hears our prayers and sees our tears. The Scriptures themselves state He bottles our tears in heaven. (Psalm 56:8) We have a God who cares about His sheep individually.

Lynn

With permission from Grace Gems

For those of you who are confused on the point of predestination, I wanted to do a little more explaining. Several young people have asked me if predestination meant that:  If you desire to be saved, you can say a salvation prayer, but you have to wait until judgment day to find out if you were predestined or not. If not, too bad, you weren’t saved all along.  Instead of looking at it from man’s point of view, let’s start with God’s before I answer the question.

Ephesians 1:4 ~ … He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…

Predestination was God’s choice of who should be saved, decided before the foundation of the world, before He said “Let there be light.”

In fact, “before the foundation of the world” means before God even laid plans for the whole world, and according to Ephesians 1:5, 9, & 11, it was according to the good pleasure of His own will. He predestined because He wanted to.

Also, we do not choose our salvation by our own will.

John 1:12-13 ~ But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Our sinful nature did not choose God (the will of the flesh) and our conscious minds did not choose God (the will of man). God chose us (Ephesians 1:4). Thus, from God’s point of view, only those who are predestined will desire to be saved, not the other way around.

Auty

Do You Understand How Important It Is To Stand On God’s Word and His Truths?

If you go to a church that you know is not true to the Word of God - is not your participation in being seen as a member of that church a lie and walking against the truth of God?

What are you teaching your children? Are you grounding them in false doctrines, or are you fearful for their souls and running from false churches and teaching as fast as you can? 

Here is what Thomas Watson has to say about God’s truths. 

“We glorify God, by standing up for his truths. Much of God’s glory lies in his truth. God has entrusted us with his truth, as a master entrusts his servant with his purse to keep. We have not a richer jewel to trust God with than our souls, nor has God a richer jewel to trust us with than his truth. Truth is a beam that shines from God. Much of his glory lies in his truth. When we are advocates for truth we glorify God. “That ye should contend earnestly for the truth” (Jude 3). The Greek word ‘to contend’ signifies great contending, as one would contend for his land, and not suffer his right to be taken from him; so we should contend for the truth. Were there more of this holy contention God would have more glory. Some contend earnestly for trifles and ceremonies, but not for the truth. If we glorify God, he will glorify our souls forever. By raising God’s glory, we increase our own: by glorifying God, we come at last to the blessed enjoyment of him.” -Thomas Watson

I hope God uses this to build you up in Him today.

Lynn

I apologize for the delay, though I admit, Florida makes for a very pleasant delay. =)

I wanted to tell you about how my transformation unto understanding began.  It began with the Lord, but Ms. Lynn was one of His instruments.  When I was about 12 or 13 years old, I was in an art class and I overheard her speaking with a friend about something new to me – predestination; and though I never meant to eavesdrop, Lynn did.  Our friend was quite as astonished as I was that God would pick and choose not only who would go to Heaven, but also who would go to Hell.  She kept reiterating “But I thought God loved everyone.”  She meant no argument, she was only confused as I was, and Lynn told us that the Bible was actually quite clear about predestination.  All we had to do was take a good look at Romans and Ephesians.

She explained that predestination is like adoption; when you go to an orphanage, you have a given right to choose whichever child you prefer, you don’t have to take them all.  And of course underlying that is God’s perfect sovereign right to do whatever He wants, partly because He is Master and Creator of all things.  Shouldn’t a great composer be allowed to design a masterpiece according to his own whims?  Those who play the symphony have no right to complain or decide what it should sound like.  Even more biblically, we can look at the potter who forms the clay to be an honorable vessel or a dishonorable vessel.  The clay cannot speak, the clay cannot move, only the potter shapes and controls it.

I’ve gotten a little carried away, but my point is that it’s not only possible for God to choose whom He wills to save, but that He does.

Auty

My life theme right now, as I mentioned, is reflecting Christ, and mainly being an image of Him, so that He may glorify Himself through me. My favorite quote from Charles H. Spurgeon on this topic is from his book, Morning and Evening:

“A Christian should be a striking likeness of Jesus Christ… If we were what we profess to be, and what we should be, we should be pictures of Christ; yea, such striking likenesses of Him, that the world would not have to hold us up by the hour together, and say, ‘Well, it seems somewhat of a likeness’; but they would, when they once beheld us, exclaim, ‘He has been with Jesus; he has been taught of him; he is like Him; he has caught the very idea of the holy Man of Nazareth, and he works it out in his life and everyday actions.’”

The verse Spurgeon uses with that quote is Acts 4:13 “Now when they [the Sanhedrin] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

I take a silly delight in the unique ways God operates, and in this verse and passage of scripture, God stays true to His ways. Here were two fishermen:

·        Uneducated - They probably were not able to read. Chances are if they were fishermen, they didn’t even pass the first grade. They are totally without knowledge in matters of scripture.

·        And Untrained – They are obviously not Rabbis; they’re not even motivational speakers. They used to catch fish and mend nets for a living.

And they are filled with the Spirit of God! This causes the Sanhedrin to absolutely marvel! Even for those who were not of God, it was plain for them to see who Peter and John resembled.

How much of Christ do others see in you? Despite the fact that He gets glory no matter what, are you acknowledging the fact that He deserves it?

May He cause more of His reflection to shine in me.

Auty

God’s Jewels By: Thomas Watson

God’s Jewels! By: A. W. Pink

Treasures and Pleasures! By: Thomas Watson on “The Jewels Reward.”

To learn about God’s Jewels listen to Thomas Watson’s short audio message presented by Sermon Audio.

“Herein is encouragement to prayer. “What comfort would it be to pray to a God that, like the chameleon, changed color every moment? Who would put up a petition to an earthly prince that was so mutable as to grant a petition one day, and deny it another?” (Stephen Charnock, 1670).

Should someone ask, But what is the use of praying to One whose will is already fixed? We answer, Because He so requires it. What blessings has God promised without our seeking them? “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14), and He has willed everything that is for His child’s good. To ask for anything contrary to His will is not prayer, but rank rebellion.”

We hear peope say that because someone prays, they have the power to change or influence God’s decision – Nay old man this is not true, our prayers were foreordained like everything else were before the foundation of the world. And, you ask “Why,” well God planned to use our prayers as the means He would use to do what He planned to do all along. So He uses us to pray which should always include “Never The Less Not My Will But Your Will Be Done” which means we bow to His sovereignty, and trust Him with the outcome.

“For I am the Lord, I change not;” Malachi 3:6

In prayer He remains unchanging, our prayers like Pharaoh, Moses in wilderness, Noah and the ark, David and Bathsheba, Paul and his scourging, everything that comes to pass – in other words everything that ever happens was foreordained by God and everything He foreordained does and will come to pass. So God uses our prayers as part of His plan to accomplish something. It could be to the hardening of a soul, or to the saving of it. It could be to bless or to mend hearts. He could use our prayers to direct someone from harm or to guide them in some way. But it all goes along with God’s foreordained plan. So when you pray realize that God has ordained you to bow your knee and to pray just what you will. Prayer is also used to conform us to the image of our Dear Lord and Saviour.

Just take a moment to think and ponder how God is using you to bring others before Him in prayer, or to come along side of you to aid and comfort, to build and encourage the one who is praying.

Lynn

With permission from Grace Gems

Herein is solid comfort. Human nature cannot be relied upon; but God can! However unstable I may be, however fickle my friends may prove, God changes not. If He varied as we do; if He willed one thing today and another tomorrow; if He were controlled by caprice, who could confide in Him? But, all praise to His glorious name, He is ever the same. His purpose is fixed; His will is stable; His word is sure. Here then is a Rock on which we may fix our feet, while the mighty torrent is sweeping away everything around us. The permanence of God’s character guarantees the fulfillment of His promises: “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, says the Lord who has mercy on you” (Isa 54:10).

I remember when I first understood the Sovereignty of God, my whole world was bright and my soul was full. I cling to that fact that my God is Sovereign (Psalm 115:3) and with Him being Sovereign I found Him to be a God who does not change. (Malachi 3:6a) His decrees will come to past because He decreed them and He will not and cannot change His mind. If He changed His mind as we do, there is no way we could believe anything He said. Because He is an unchanging God we know He will do what He said He would do.  We know that when He said He elected a people to be His own and that He sent His precious Son to die – not for everyone but for those He elected before the foundation of the world to be His we can count on it because He is truthful and keeps His word. I thank God for the mercy and grace He has shown on me and I do love Him and trust Him with my soul. 

I hope you too know my God who does not change and who is trustworthy.

Lynn

With permission from Grace Gems

Lynn

Grace Gems sends out daily devotions that have fed my husband and I for a long time. We both look so forward to receiving them by e-mail every morning. Jeff sends out meat from men that God used to share Christ and to build up the true church in their day and age, as well as still using them today.

Those who have eyes will see, and those who have ears will hear.

Those of us, who belong to Christ, cherish truth from the Word of God and delight in sitting at the table served to us by our Wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

“The God of Jacob” by Arthur Pink

Jacob supplies us with the clearest and most unmistakable illustration of God’s sovereign election to be met with in all the Bible. The case of Jacob gives the most emphatic refutation to the theory that God’s choice is dependent upon something in the creature–something either actual or foreseen–and shows that the eternal election of certain individuals unto salvation–is due to no worthiness in the subjects–but results solely from God’s sovereign grace. The case of Jacob proves conclusively, that God’s choice is . . .

Entirely sovereign,
Wholly gratuitous, and
Based upon nothing but His own good pleasure.

Election is not as some have supposed–harsh and unjust–but is a most merciful provision on the part of God. Had He not from the beginning, chosen SOME to salvation–ALL would have perished! Had he not before the foundation of the world chosen certain ones to be conformed to the image of His Son–the death of Christ would have been in vain, so far as the human race is concerned!

Reduced to its simplest terms, ELECTION means that God chose me–before I chose Him. Our Lord said, “You have not chosen Me–but I have chosen you.” (John 15:16) We love Him–because He first loved us. Election means that before I was born, yes, before the foundation of the world–I was chosen in Christ and predestined unto a place in God’s family! Election means that we believed–because He made us willing in the day of His power. Election then,

Strips the creature of all merit,
Removes all ground of boasting,
Strikes us helpless in the dust,
And ascribes all the glory to God!

With permission from Grace Gems

By: A.W. Pink

But how may I be sure that my works have been “wrought in me” by God? Mainly by their effects. If you have been born again, you have a new nature within. This new nature is spiritual and contrary to the flesh—contrary in its desires and aspirations. Because the old and new natures are contrary to each other, there is a continual war between them. Are you conscious of this inward conflict?

If your repentance be a God-wrought one, then you abhor yourself. If your repentance be a genuine and spiritual one, then you marvel that God did not long ago cast you into hell. If your repentance be the gift of Christ, then you daily mourn the wretched return which you make to God’s wondrous grace; you hate sin, you sorrow in secret before God for your manifold transgressions. Not simply do you do so at conversion, but daily do so now.

If your faith be a God-communicated one, it is evidenced by your turning away from all creature confidences, by a renunciation of your own self-righteousness, by a repudiation of all your own works. If your faith be “the faith of God’s elect” (Titus 1:1), then you are resting alone on Christ as the ground of your acceptance before God. If your faith be the result of “the operation of God,” then you implicitly believe His Word, you receive it with meekness, you crucify reason, and accept all He has said with childlike simplicity.

If your love for Christ be the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:25), then it evidences itself by constantly seeking to please Him, and by abstaining from what you know is displeasing to Him: in a word, by an obedient walk. If your love for Christ be the love of “the new man,” then you pant after Him, you yearn for communion with Him above everything else. If your love for Christ be the same in kind (though not in degree) as His love for you, then you are eagerly looking forward to His glorious appearing, when He shall come again to receive His people unto Himself, that they may be forever with the Lord. May the grace of spiritual discernment be given the reader to see whether his Christian profession be real or a sham, whether his hope is built upon the Rock of Ages or the quicksand’s of human resolutions, efforts, decisions, or feelings; whether, in short, his salvation is “of the Lord” or the vain imagination of his own deceitful heart. – From “Experimental Salvation” by A.W. Pink

With permission from The Highway

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Romans 7:21-24

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. - Colossians 3:12-14

I love reading the works of Arthur W. Pink, like his works on The Sovereignty of God and The Attributes of God. Both of these are very fine writings. Then Grace Gems sends out daily devotions each morning by e-mail and many of them are from A.W. Pinks writings. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

Lynn 

(Arthur Pink, “The Rest of Christ”)

“Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden–and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

There is also a FUTURE rest beyond any that can be experienced here, though our best conceptions are most inadequate of the glory awaiting the people of God.

In Heaven, there shall be a perfect resting from all of our sins–for nothing shall ever enter there, which could either defile or disturb our peace. The Christian yearns to be done with sin forever–that there may never again be anything in his heart or life dishonoring unto the One who has redeemed him at such infinite cost. He pants for perfect conformity to the image of Christ, and for unbroken fellowship with Him.

What it will mean to be delivered from indwelling corruptions–no mortal tongue can tell. The plague of their hearts is a constant occasion of grief to the saints–as long as they are left in this wilderness of sin. It is a burden under which they groan, and from which they long to be delivered. The closer a believer’s walk with the Lord, and the more intimate his communion with Him–the more bitterly he bewails that sin within him, which is ever fighting against his endeavors after holiness. Therefore it was, that the Apostle cried out, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death!” (Romans 7:24) But blessed be God, we shall not carry this burden beyond the grave–the hour of death will free us from all indwelling evil.

In Heaven, there will be perpetual rest from all our afflictions. Though afflictions are needful for us in this present scene, and when sanctified to us are also profitable; nevertheless they are grievous to bear. But a day is coming when such tribulations will no longer be necessary, for all the dross shall have been purged from the gold. The storms of life will all be behind, and an unbroken calm shall be the believer’s portion forever and ever!

Where there shall be no more sin–there shall be no more sorrow! “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes! And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever!” Revelation 21:4

“Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then I would fly away, and be at rest!” Psalm 55:6

 With permission from Grace Gems

Are you following a watered down version of the Gospel of God?

If so, you must ask yourself… “Am I saved at all?”… Then repent and believe

Think and ponder,
Lynn

part 1 of 5

Part 2 of 5

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Part 5 of 5

Listen to these two very interesting videos by John MacArthur.
Lynn

Part One:

Part Two

What are your goals to serve your church and the nations this year?

I will be waiting to see your comments.
Lynn