Friday, February 26, 2010

NEW NEW NEW

2 Cor 5:17) "[The regenerated person] gets not only a new head, to know and understand true religion; or a new tongue, to talk of it; but a new heart, to love and embrace it, in the whole of his/her life."


-- Thomas Boston.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

GREATER IMPORTANCE

“To convert one sinner from his way is an event of greater importance than the deliverance of a whole kingdom from temporal evil.”


-- George Smeaton, in his classic work on the atonement observes...

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

GIFT OF GOD

"Church growth, if it is genuine, is not a human achievement; it is a gift of God. There is therefore no place for rivalry, for jealousy, or for boasting."

Lesslie Newbigin

PRAY WHEN

"If you do not pray except when you feel like praying, you will not pray much, nor pray when you most need it."

---C.H. Spurgeon

Saturday, February 20, 2010

BE OF GOOD CHEER, KNOWING THE GOD OF JACOB-ISRAEL

The past 3-4 days a fire has been in my bones in 2-3 different facets, could type 30 pages about it, but here is one facet.

If the God of

...Abraham, and of
...Isaac, and of
...Jacob, and of
...Joseph, and of
...Moses, and of
...the slaves in exodus, and of
...the infants of the jews, and of
...those at the bottom of Mount Siani,
...those sent to spy the land
...those stuck in the wilderness for 40 years, but with manna, the pillar, the ark, the tabernacle, the rod of Aaron,
...those like Joshua and Caleb who entered,
...those like Joshua who conquered, and like Rahab spared.
...those blessed by the numerous Judges
...those heard like Hannah, and those called like Samuel
...those mercied like David, and Solomon
...those sent like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel
...forerunners like John the Baptist, unworthy to loose his sandals
...an unamed person like the leper, prostitute, man born blind, theif on the cross
...sinful men like Peter
...those graced like doubting Thomas
...those forgiven like at Pentecost
...murderers like Saul-Paul
...gentiles, whom the believing Jews were astonished that God hath granted them eternal life; Acts 10:45
...countless episodes, events, issues per each individual above and more individuals not named.

AND, realizing Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow
AND realizing Hebrews 13:6 that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

THEN, realizing all these things, what a radical difference it will make in our life,in our:
...obedience,
...prayers,
...study of the Word
...proclamation of the Word and Jesus
...zeal
...denial of self, sacrifice
...labor
...redemption of time;
...stewardship of money, possessions, time, and self.
...joy
...peace
...thankfulness
...hope;

This is mainly for myself, and consideration of my own past and present providences; yet I subsequently pass it along;

We need not worry about our current trials, difficulties, stresses, extremities, circumstances, unknowns.

He sent ravens to Elijah, a nice provision,
He sent Jesus to sinners without strength, a gracious, redeeming, atoning provision,
He sent the Holy Spirit to all his Sheep, a uniting, sealing, indwelling, eternal provision
He sent the Scriptures from Greek to Latin, to Luther's German language for those in bondage to the Pope, to modern English, a provision that will not return to him void, but accomplish it's purpose.

Be of good cheer indeed, He has overcome the world, and greater is He that is in us, than He that is in the world.
Be of good cheer, He is preparing a place for us, He will bring us back unto Himself,
Be of good cheer, all the numerous aspects of Revelation 21 and 22 are true and sure
Be of good cheer, Rev. 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

and so like Piper is trying to say to me: "Todd, Don't Waste your life."

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

NOTHING IS DONE

Nothing is done without God's will, not even that which is against His will. For it would not be done if He did not permit it; yet He does not unwillingly permit it, but willingly; nor would He, being good, allow evil to be done, unless being also almighty He could make good even out of evil."

-John Calvin

POWER OF GOD

If one believes in free will, then tell those that are lost that they have the power to believe. I, however, am not ashamed to preach the Gospel for IT IS THE POWER OF GOD unto salvation to those that believe. (Romans 1:16)

At the Cross (3 Hours)

Shai Linne Video, it is awesome, it is the first time I heard of it before.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK4otftrpA4



Verse 1


There’s something you gotta see, journey with me

It’s approximately 30 A.D.

In the land of Israel- the city of Jerusalem

But on the outside there’s screams and loud cries

Through faith, this scene can be seen without eyes

The mean shout lies and seem to sound wise

As we inch through the crowd, we need to be cautious

A Roman execution, men on three crosses

But all the focus is on the one in the center

The gate closes behind you- no one can enter

The sight you behold is so odd, you’re stunned

The man hanging on the cross is God the Son

12 noon, it’s pitch-black because the sunshine’s lacking

Your minds can’t fathom this divine transaction

As slowly the sound becomes mostly drowned

You realize that you’re standing on holy ground


Bridge



So forever will I tell

In three hours, Christ suffered more than any sinner ever will in hell (4x)


Chorus


It’s where we see Your holiness- at the cross

We see that You’re controlling this- at the cross

We see how You feel about sin- at the cross

Your unfathomable love for men- at the cross

It’s where we see Your sovereignty- at the cross

We see our idolatry- at the cross

We know that there’s a judgment day- from the cross

May we never take our eyes away- from the cross


Verse 2


We’re now in the realm of the sublime and profound

With God at the helm it’s about to go down

The Father’s wrath precise will blast and slice

The priceless Master Christ as a sacrifice

Willingly, He’s under the curse

To be treated as if the Son was the worst scum of the earth

The scene is the craziest

Jesus being treated as if He is the shadiest atheist

How is it the Messiah is in the fiery pit

As if He was a wicked liar with twisted desires?

The One who’s sinless and just

Punished as if He was promiscuous and mischievous with vicious lust

The source of all godly pleasure

Tormented as if He was a foul investor or child molestor

How could He be bruised like He was a goodie two-shoes

who doesn’t think that she needs the good news?

He’s perfect in love and wisdom

But He’s suffering as if He constructed the corrupt justice system

We should mourn at the backdrop

Jesus torn like He’s on the corner with crack rock with porn on His laptop

What is this, kid? His gifts are infinite

But He’s hit with licks for religious hypocrites

He’s the Light, but being treated like

He’s the seedy type who likes to beat His wife

He’s treated like a rapist, treated like a slanderer

Treated like a racist or maybe a philanderer

Jesus being penalized like He had sin inside

Filled with inner pride while committing genocide

I could write for a billion years and still can’t name

All of the sins placed on the Lamb slain

But know this: the main thing the cross demonstrated

The glory and the holiness of God vindicated


Bridge


Hook

Jesus Christ's Limited Atonement?

BY WORKS

"The doctrine of justification itself, as preached by an Arminian, is nothing but the doctrine of salvation by works...

I do not serve the god of the Arminians at all; I have nothing to do with him, and I do not bow down before the Baal they have set up; he is not my God, nor shall he ever be; I fear him not, nor tremble at his presence...The God that saith today and denieth tomorrow, that justifieth today and condemns the next...is no relation to my God in the least degree. He may be a relation of Ashtaroth or Baal, but Jehovah never was or can be his name."

- C.H. Spurgeon

"I Believe in 'Free-will' So I Can Boast Myself." (Regeneration Precedes Faith)

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

oxymoron

Free will is an oxymoron. To be free is to act without compulsion, and to will is to act with or by compulsion. It matters not whence the compulsion comes, if it is willed it is not free. If we will, we are bound, and if we do not will, we are free, but we are also not human. To be human--to be a creature--is to be a slave.

--D. Matthew Brown.

SHEER GOOD

"The Gospel is sheer good tidings, not demand but promise, not duty but gift."

Herman Bavinck

SMILES FROM SATAN

Where one thousand are destroyed by the world's frowns, ten thousand are destroyed by the world's smiles. The world, siren-like, sings us and sinks us.

—Thomas Brooks;

(and I would add, there are a lot of smiles by the religious leaders who likewise destroying those attending.)

Interesting thought: The smiles of satan; The smiles of sirens. Mankind is attracted to and decieved by the very smile of satan. That very gateway from whence the lies emerge.

COMMITING MY WAY UNTO THE LORD

The prevailing idea seems to be, that I come to God and ask Him for something that I want, and that I expect Him to give me that which I have asked. But this is a most dishonouring and degading conception. The popular belief reduces God to a servant, our servant: doing our bidding, performing our pleasure, granting our desires. No, prayer is a coming to God, telling Him my need, committing my way unto the Lord, and leaving Him to deal with it as seemeth Him best.

—Arthur W. Pink

Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude—an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God.

—Arthur W. Pink

Prayer is not intended to change God's purpose, nor is it to move Him to form fresh purposes. God has decreed that certain events shall come to pass through the means He has appointed for their accomplishment.

—Arthur W. Pink

LOINS

Seek not great things for yourselves in this world, for if your garments be too long, they will make you stumble; —William Bridge

SHORT SEASON

I cannot but look upon all the glory and dignity of this world, lands and lordships, crowns and kingdoms, even as on some brain-sick, beggarly fellow, that borrows fine clothes, and plays, the part of a king or lord for an hour on a stage, and then comes down, and the sport is ended, and they are beggars again.

—Richard Baxter

MEDITATIONS P2

What is the reason there is so much preaching and so little practice? For want of meditation.... Constant thoughts are operative, and musing makes the fire burn. Green wood is not kindled by a flash or spark, but by constant blowing.

—Thomas Manton

MEDITATIONS

If I have observed anything by experience, it is this: a man may take the measure of his growth and decay in grace according to his thoughts and meditations upon the person of Christ, and the glory of Christ's Kingdom, and of His love.

—John Owen

Fear God

We fear men so much, because we fear God so little. One fear cures another. When man's terror scares you, turn your thoughts to the wrath of God.

—William Gurnall

FUNERAL OF SORROWS

We spend our years with sighing; it is a valleyof tears; but death is the funeral of all our sorrows.

—Thomas Watson

HIS MISERIES

The tenets of [the Christian life] seem paradoxes to carnal men; as first, that a Christian is the only freeman, and other men are slaves; that he is the only rich man, though never so poor in the world; that he is the only beautiful man, though outwardly never so deformed; that he is the only happy man in the midst of all his miseries.

—Richard Sibbes

CURE

God's wounds cure, sin's kisses kill.

—William Gurnall

HIGHER PURPOSE post 2

We would not read the Bible merely to increase our vocabulary, though that would be a side benefit. Likewise, we should not read the Bible in order to tell others, thought is a side benefit of extreme importance. The disciples were sent out and the apostles were sent out, and Christians are to let their let shine, but the "telling" was still based on "what you have heard, first."

We do not study up against padeobaptism merely for making the study the main point of apologetics or making the main point a conveying of our study. We do not study up against Mormonism merely for making the study of the main point of apologetics, or conveying our studying, or convincing others of our study, when in reality the study is primarily about us knowing Christ personally as we are brought to the truth of Scripture, regardless if it is ever presented to the Mormon or congregation for discipleship.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

DEFINITIONS DEFINE

God is God. Man is Man. Definitions Define. God can be incarnate and become a God-man. Man cannot be deity and become man-god. God is free according to His nature. Man is free according to his nature. God's nature is free. Man's nature is not free. To say: definitions do not define, is infact a creation of a definition.

GOD'S FREEWILL

God is God. Man is Man. Definitions Define. God can be incarnate and become a God-man. Man cannot be deity and become man-god. God is free according to His nature. Man is free according to his nature. God's nature is free. Man's nature is not free. To say: definitions do not define, is infact a creation of a definition.

Freedom. Does not mean "freedom from definition" otherwise, it is impossible to define what "freedom" is. (attempt to define freedom without a defintion, it is impossible). Thus it would be impossible to articulate what it means for "God to have a free will." (free being an adjective modifiying the will)

So Freedom has a definition. "x" and thus "freedom" cannot be "negative x" nor "z".

God's will is free, as free is defined. ... See More
Man's will is not free, as free is defined.
Freedom is not defined by doing ABSOLUTELY anything, because then it means one is free to ABSOLUTELY declare freedom to be "-x" or "z", but in doing so, one has erased the definition of "freedom."

In such a world, then "freedom" would mean now freedom means enslavement, or nothing, or void of definition. To assert first freedom has definition, and can mean absolutely anything, thus allowing someone else to say: Freedom has no definition, and can mean absolutely nothing---is totaly insanity and irrationality. Thisi would be calling Truth a Lie, and Lie a Truth. This would be calling Wisdom, Ignorance, and Ignorance, wisdom. etc.

A=A, A cannot = non-A. Freedom cannot mean EVERYTHING, because if it means EVERYTHING, then it also means NOTHING, but if it means NOTHING, then freedom means nothing, which it is then impossible for freedom to mean anything. Freedom cannot mean enslavement.

Freedom cannot mean God is both God and non-god.
Freedom cannot mean man is both man and non-man.

Someone asked me where I got my defintion of freedom from, so I replied....

I made it up. If it is wrong, what is the defiinition of freedom? Whatever it is, it MUST be bound by the definition, thus the very term is not absolutely free.


He replied:
Webster: freedom, the power or condition of acting without
compulsion. freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of
restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated. This
makes sense to me...


To which I responded:

So the term freedom is not free to completely contradict that definition and show no resemblance to that definition.

Freedom cannot mean lacking the power or condition of acting without compulsion. Freedom isn't free, freedom is within and under the power and condition and the compulsion of the definition. Here: The term freedom is under the power, condition, and compulsion of Mr. Webster. So the very word "freedom" has no freedom.

My goal is not to define freedom in this thread.

My goal is the explaining that God does not have freedom to act contrary to his nature, but such confines, is in no level demeaning to God, and should never be presented as such.

For example, My goal is not to define what "death" is, but to merely explain that saying Jesus dies, is not an evidence of his limitations or weakness. You are asking me to define "death" in essence, which is not my point;

My point is anyone who goes around tauting "Jesus dies" as a slur to Jesus , is totally miscontruing the matter, likewise anyone who goes around and says, "God does not have a will free from his nature" as an attempted slur to God, is also missing the point on the issue.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

MY ALL

""I have received my all from God. Oh, that I could return my all to God."

~David Brainerd

THE DISPOSAL

[W]henever God is pleased to make way for his providence, he even in external matters so turns and bends the wills of men, that whatever the freedom of their choice may be, it is still subject to the disposal of God. (Inst. 2.4.7)

John Calvin

FROM FOR BY

"God saved you from Himself, God saved you for himself, and God saved you by himself."

-Paul Washer

Friday, February 12, 2010

HE MOURNS

"The holier a man becomes, the more he mourns over the unholiness which remains in him."

-Charles Haddon Spurgeon

PREVENTING GRACE

Until we are tested, we think that we are living on our own strength. It is, however, God alone who keeps us from falling by his preventing grace. We might say, “All men may do this or that, but we will not!” When the trial comes, however, we quickly see that only God’s preservation upholds us. So it was with Abimelech (Gen. 20:6), God withheld him from sinning. God also reveals his renewing grace through our testings. Paul in his prayer for deliverance from his thorn in the flesh, found God’s sufficiency and renewing grace (2 Cor. 12:9).

We do not realize the power and strength that God puts forth on our behalf, and the sufficiency of his grace, until we compare our trials with our weaknesses. God’s power and grace are then seen clearly in our lives. The effectiveness of an antidote is not realized until one has been exposed to the poison. The preciousness of a medicine is revealed by the presence of the disease. We will not know the power of grace until we feel the power of testing. We must be tried, to realize the glory of being preserved.
—John Owen “Temptation”

Thursday, February 11, 2010

LET NO MAN SAY

Let no man say then, that because God is so famous in his mercy and
patience, in this day of his grace, that therefore he will not be fierce, and
dreadful in his justice, in the day of judgment; for judgment and justice, are
the last things that God intends to bring upon the stage, which will then be
to the full, as terrible, as now his goodness and patience, and long-sufferance
are admirable.

John Bunyan

NOT I WHO LIVE

"The spiritual life which I have is not my own. I did not induce it, and I cannot maintain it. It is only and solely the work of Christ. It is not I who live, but Christ lives in me. My whole life is His alone."

John Owen

CULTURE

In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centering on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe , where it became a culture. And, finally, it moved to America where... it became an enterprise."

---Richard Halverson

THEN SOMEBODY ADDED:

"An enterprise. That's a business." "A business? But isn't it supposed to be a body?" "Yes." "But when a body becomes a business, isn't that a prostitute?"

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

NOTHING BUT

"Before God's effectual call, a humbling work passes upon the soul. A man is convinced of sin; he sees he is a sinner and nothing but a sinner... Such as were never convinced are never called."

- Thomas Watson

RC Sproul The Total Sovereignty of God

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The Heart of Jesus, or Mere Tradition?

MEASURE

Crises of Faith Are Yardsticks for Growth


By J. I. Packer


How does one measure spiritual growth?

The question assumes that we do grow spiritually, that there is something to be measured. But can I take that for granted? Scripture tells us to grow—“grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,” says Peter. But I suspect that, with all our passion for bodybuilding and personal development, very few of us are seeking to grow in the way that Peter tells us to. So very few of us are actually doing so.

Human parents would be very upset if five or ten or 20 or 40 years after birth their babies were still babies; it must also grieve our heavenly Father when his born-again children are content to mark time in immaturity rather than aim at spiritual advance.

May God joggle our consciences, and joggle them hard, about this! Meantime, however, back to my original question: how may growth in grace be discerned? How may we know that we grow?

To get a handle on this question, we must start by asking: what are the changes in a person’s life that show sanctification in progress? This is a bigger question than can be properly answered here, but we can point to at least three areas of necessary change. Each is double-barreled.

First, growth in grace means increase in humility, and in the passion for praise. A pair-of-scales effect operates here. The closer one walks with God, the more sensitive one becomes to sin. One’s estimate of oneself sinks lower because of the depths of sinfulness that one now sees within oneself. As one’s view of oneself goes down, so one’s gratitude for God’s love in salvation raises up in greater adoration.

Those who are growing spiritually tread in their inner life the path of punctured pride and passionate praise, and become ever more ardent in effacing themselves in order to exalt their Savior-God.

Second, growth in grace means increase in faith that will forfeit worldly security.

Fifteen years ago a man in an electronics shop said to me, “what you have faith in is what you’d bet your life on.” He was right! Growing in faith in the God of all grace produces willingness at his call to enter situations of material insecurity and, by human thinking, of risk. Once it is clear that the call really is from God and is not just a foolhardy fancy of one’s own, those who are growing in grace will obey the summons and, as Oswald Chambers put it, “smilingly wash their hands of the consequences. “That is not irresponsibility; it is, rather, faith in action, the kind of faith by which, we are told in Hebrews, “Abraham obeyed when he was called . . . and . . . went out, not knowing where he was to go.” Such faith sees obedience as top priority, and trusts God’s care. It embraces the path of obedience as the place of real and ultimate safety, however hazardous and indeed ruinous it may look from outside. In this sense all who grow in grace bet their lives on God constantly.

Third, growth in grace means increase in love that gives. Folk wisdom divides humanity into two classes, the givers and the takers, and many born-again Christians seem to remain takers rather than becoming givers. But those who are advancing into Christ-likeness renounce self-absorbed self-seeking. They actively love God and others, giving up to the limit of their time, talents, and treasure to honor God and help humans. Cheerful self-denying generosity, that gives and goes on giving even then, marks all who are growing in grace.

On now to crunch-point. Physical growth is discerned by measuring height and weight; how is spiritual growth measured?

The true answer is that it cannot be measured. Growth in grace is a mystery of grace, which it is beyond us to monitor in either ourselves or others. Observables, like zeal, knowledge, self-image, and behavior patterns, are ambiguous: they may be carnal at bottom, though spiritual-looking on the surface. The heart of growth is growth in the heart, which only God can search and know.

However, something of our spiritual stature may be discerned by our responses to what we call crises of decisions and Scripture calls temptations. Those who deal with crises, or temptations, better than they once did show that they have grown in grace in the interim.

Example: Abraham. Twice, early on in his life of faith, to save his skin he passed off his wife as his sister, free flesh ripe for the royal harem. Neither humility nor adoration nor obedience nor faith nor love was expressed in that action. But some decades later Abraham was ready at God’s call to sacrifice Isaac. The difference between that first response and later response to crises of decision showed that over the years Abraham had grown in grace.

Do you and I really grow in grace? I wonder.

This article was previously published in Eternity Magazine, January 1989.

EMOTIONS

"Enthusiasm, euphoria, fervor, excitement, and emotion - all the things [some] tend to equate with spiritual intensity - have no power to restrain lust, pride, selfishness, or greed...gaiety is no substitute for godliness. And real godliness does not always carry with it an emotional high.

"According to Scripture, the Spirit-filled person pursues righteousness with a burning sense of conviction and with a deep awareness of his or her own sin. Where the Spirit is at work, there is deep joy; but there is also profound sorrow."

- John MacArthur

Our Joy

Our Joy is Jesus; not sinful men.

Our Joy is Jesus; not the reactions or responses of sinners to our message.

Our Joy is Jesus; not the attention of sinful men to our message.

Our motivation is Jesus; not sinful men.

Our motivation is Jesus; not the reactions or responses of sinners to our message.

Our movitation is Jesus; not the attention of sinful men to our message.

Our joy and motivation is Jesus completing the work, not us adding to it either through sanctification or evangelism, these are only displays of our complete joy in Him, not causes of it.

LEARNING TO LEARN

Learn, but also learn to not make an idol of learning, learning is to point us to a person: Jesus, not to us: our recall and wit.

Monday, February 8, 2010

VERY TIMELY

His name, ah, I am sick of the way in which they use His name today! Shame on some that are called Christian ministers! They believe in Christ, but it is a Christ without His crown, His atonement, His judgment seat, or even His Godhead. They mock us with orthodox phrases, from which the essential truth is gone. They pretend that they believe in the atonement, and when we listen to their atonement we find that it does not effectually atone for anyone. It is a mere fiction, and not a fact. It saves nobody, but is a mere sham. They have eviscerated the gospel, and then they hold up the empty carcass, and claim that they are Christians still.

Christians who have murdered Christianity! Believers who doubt whether there is anything to be believed! Yet we are entreated in our charity to hug such traitors to our bosom. We shall do nothing of the kind. We would sooner believe in infidels outright than in those who pretend to be Christians and are infidels at heart. “Modern thought” is a more evil thing than downright atheism; even as a wolf in a sheep’s skin is worse than a wolf in his natural form.

There are pretty things said of our Lord Jesus by those who deny the faith which are sickening to me. I loathe to hear our true Lord praised by false lips. They deny the doctrines which He taught, and yet prate about believing Him. It is a shallow trick, but yet it deceives shallow souls. Poor, weak minds say, “The man speaks so beautifully of Jesus, surely he cannot be in error.” I tell you it is the old Judas trick--the Son of man is betrayed with a kiss. How nauseating their praises must be to Him whom they are betraying.

Think not that they are honest; their designs are far other than appear upon the surface. They laud Him as man that they may dishonor Him as God: they cry up His life, and His example, that they may cast His atoning sacrifice into the ditch. They lift up one part of the divine revelation with no other intention than that they may dash down the other: they crouch at His feet that they may stab at His heart."

C.H. Spurgeon

Laboring

Strive for the Highest Quality of Labor for the Glory of God, but not for the glory of the Labor or the laborer.// The opposite of "not laboring for self" is not "sloth", but rather is-- "laboring for God"// and again this laboring is always a fruit of grace, never a cause of grace.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

GREATER GLORY

The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former. Hag 2:9

Hebrews 3:1-6 (ESV)
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, [2] who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. [3] For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. [4] (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) [5] Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, [6] but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

PERSONAL MATURING

Personal maturing; God has not gifted Sproul like SCC, nor gifted SCC like Sproul; I do not have to compete and strive to be someone I am not. Albeit, I more identify with the blessings of Methibosheth. Develop your gifts for God, but do not covet the gifts of others.

WHY US

Fallen men strive for prominence through musical abilities, athletics abilities, intellectual abilities, entertainment abilities, or overall wealth; Angels covered their eyes day and night, never imgaining ever drawing attention for themselves, and certainly bewildered that God would be mindful of us--- the worms, vapors, lepers, and ungodly.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

JOHN 6

from www.reformationtheology.com or www.monergism.com

John 6:66, “From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked with Him no more”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, preaching on this passage (on 2/5/1882) said:

"The defection in this case was on account of doctrine... The truth was too hard for them, it was not to be borne with. “It is a hard saying. Who can hear it?” A true disciple sits at the feet of his Master, and believes what he is told even when he cannot quite comprehend the meaning, or see the reasons for what his Master utters; but these men had not the essential spirit of a disciple, and consequently when their Instructor began to unfold the innermost parts of the roll of truth, they would not listen to His reading of it. They would believe as far as they could understand, but when they could not comprehend they turned on their heel and left the school of the Great Teacher.

Besides, the Lord Jesus Christ had taught the doctrine of the sovereignty of God, and of the need of the Spirit of God, that men should be led to Him, “for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.” Here our Lord uttered a bit of old-fashioned free-grace doctrine, such as people nowadays do not like.

They call it “Calvinism”, and put it aside among the old exploded tenets which this enlightened age knows nothing of. What right they have to ascribe to the Genevan reformer a doctrine as old as the hills I do not know. But our Lord Jesus never hesitated to fling that truth into the face of His enemies. He told them, “Ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.” “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” Here he tells them plainly that they could not come unto Him unless the Father gave them the grace to come. This humbling doctrine they could not receive, and so they went aside." (Sermons, 28, 111-2)

CHIEF END OF GOD

"The chief end of God is to glorify God and enjoy Himself forever."

-- John Piper.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Not What My Hands Have Done

Not What My Hands Have Done

FOREVER GRATEFUL TO YOU LORD

Christian DEATH Persecution: The world was not worthy of them

FRIENDSHIP EVANGELISM

If you believe in friendship Evangelism, go to North Korea, and work your charm. Yes we are friendly, yes we evangelize, but never think that draws goats. We are a savor of death unto death...(and to others a savor of life to life).

All the unregenerate are God haters, enemies of God, and would crucify Him if given the opportunity; There is no middle ground.

Jesus was the friendliest evangelist ever in the infinity of time, life, and existence. And He was hated without a cause, crucified, mocked, spat upon, called a Demon, and they shouted all the louder, "We have no King but Ceasar, Crucify Him!! Crucify Him!!" Crucify this friendly evangelist, and release Barabbas who has never cured a leper, raised the dead, or forgiven sins.

The car was travelling 87 mph in a 55 mph zone, after a 30 minute chase, the car was finally boxed in and brought to a halt. The Cop asked, "Why were you speeding, and why didn't you pull over when I turned on the siren??" The speeder: Honestly, neither you nor the goverment are friendly ENOUGH so I am not interested in what your government, your laws, or even you have to say."

The solution was not "Friendship Evangelism":

2 Cor. 4:8-11 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [10] always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. [11] For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

2 Cor. 1:8-10 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. [9] Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. [10] He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

2 Cor. 11:23-33 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. [24] Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. [25] Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; [26] on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; [27] in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. [28] And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. [29] Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

[30] If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. [31] The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. [32] At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, [33] but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

NOT OUR FEELINGS

If we try to get up warm feelings and good dispositions in order to remove some fancied remainder of distance, we shall fail; not simply because these actings of ours cannot do what we are trying to do, but because there is no need of any such effort. The thing is done already. God has brought his righteousness nigh to the sinner.

Horatius Bonar

EVIL IDOLATERS

But the most abominable form of idolatry in the world is that which Paul calls “will worship,” the worship of yourself (Colossians 2:23).

Those who attribute salvation in whole or in part to the will, work, or worth of man are the most abominably evil idolaters in the world, for they worship themselves. Freewillism is the worship of self. Legalism is the worship self. Free-will works religion makes man his own savior, for it makes the will, work, or worth of man the determining factor in salvation. Now hear me well. — If your salvation, in whole or in part, is looked upon by you as something that is dependent upon or determined by your will or your works, you are a lost, Christless soul, an idolater. You may talk about God and grace, Christ and redemption, the Holy Spirit and regeneration; but you really worship yourself. You trust in your own decision. Your confidence is in your personal goodness. Your peace is derived not from what Christ has done, but from what you have done.

Don Fortner

MOTIVATION NOTE #1

I have 11 pages of thick notes that I have compiled on the core of Christian motivation, among many fundamental concepts, here is a primary one:

God. God is my motivation. God's Glory, God's Grace, His "Person", God's Attributes, God's Presence.

Angels cry day and night, "Holy, Holy, Holy", there motivation is NOT based on the reactions of other angels, or mankind, nor of even a reaction from God Himself. Merely the Holiness of God and the Presence of God's "Person and Being" ... See Moremotivates them, yea utterly compels them to bear their testimony aloud. May we do the same, by beholding the person of Jesus by faith alone, by grace alone, by the Power of the Holy Spirit alone.

Php 2:13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

NOT US AT ALL

The power of preaching is the Holy Spirit using the public reading of the Holy Scripture with nothing added. Yes pastors talk thereafter, but their talking is likened to the movement of the priests. The priests had to move inorder to sprinkle the blood on the altar, but the power was not in their movement, but in the blood.

God is so Sovereign, that like Philip, God could cause me to appear in another place, like North Korea, and with one sermon like Peter, God could regenerate the entire political and military membership, though I have never studied a syllable of the Korean language, nor have access to a translator.--and all with the same ease as the centurion admitted:

Mat 8:8 But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."