John Frame Eschatology

 I confess my disappointment that so much teaching about the last days is focused on the order of events. In my view, when Scripture tells us about the return of Christ, it doesn’t give us this information so that we can put it on a chart and watch the events as they pass by. That would be catering to our intellectual pride, among other things. Why, then, does Scripture have so much to say about the last days? So that we can reorder our lives in the light of Jesus’ coming.

So far as I can see, every Bible passage about the return of Christ is written for a practical purpose—not to help us to develop a theory of history, but to motivate our obedience. These doctrines motivate our obedience in several ways.

First, the coming of Christ should reorder our priorities. In 2 Peter 3:11–12, the apostle says:

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

Cf. 1 Cor. 7:26. Since God is going to destroy the present earth and replace it with a new heavens and a new earth, what sort of people should we be? The implicit answer: not people who care a lot about material things, or the pleasures of this life, but people who are passionate about the kingdom of God, which will remain for all eternity. That’s not to say that there is something evil about material things, only that we should be using them for God’s purposes, not just our own.

Second, if we are eager for Christ to return, we should be purifying ourselves (2 Peter 3:11–12). Every Christian not only should believe in the return of Christ, but should be eager for it to come. At the end of the book of Revelation, the church prays, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20 KJV). But if we are really so eager for Jesus to return, so eager for the new heavens and new earth, we should be seeking to be as pure as we will one day be in God’s presence. First John 3:2–3 says:

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Another ethical implication of the return of Christ is its encouragement. It shows us that our labors for him today are not in vain. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” That’s a great comfort in the midst of difficulty. The things of this world are going to be burned up, but our labor for the Lord will bear fruit for eternity.

Fourth, our very ignorance of the time of Jesus’ return has ethical implications. For that ignorance implies that we must be ready at any time for his return (Matt. 24:44; 1 Thess. 5:1–10; 1 Peter 1:7; 2 Peter 3:14). When he comes, we want him to find us busy in our callings, in the work of the Great Commission.

Finally, when Jesus comes, we will receive a reward, and we should look forward to that reward in our labors here. That reward should motivate us to good works here and now. In chapter 50, I mentioned that biblical emphasis on rewards, and many Scripture texts emphasize this: Matt. 5:12, 46; 6:1–4; 10:41–42; Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 3:8–15; 9:17–18, 25; 2 Cor. 5:10; Eph. 6:7–8; Col. 3:23–25; 2 Tim. 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; 2 John 8; Rev. 11:18.

Again, God doesn’t expect us to do our duty merely for duty’s sake, but to do our duty with full understanding that our Father will reward his children, not only in this life (Mark 10:29–30), but in eternity as well.

From the biblical emphasis, I conclude that the main reason that God speaks so much in Scripture about the return of Jesus is that this doctrine purifies the hearts of his people. May he use it to purify you and me, as we continue on our journey to glory.

John M. Frame, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2013), 1094–1096.

usechatgpt init success

DO NOT MURMUR AT PROVIDENCE, HAVE FAITH

 Brilliant comments from Calvin on John 13:8:

“Now [Peter] errs more grievously, when he has been corrected, & yet does not yield.

“And, indeed, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗰𝘆.

“It is a plausible excuse, no doubt, that the refusal springs from reverence for Christ; but since he does not absolutely obey the injunction, the very desire of showing his respect for Christ loses all its gracefulness.

“The true wisdom of faith, therefore, is to approve and embrace with reverence whatever proceeds from God, as done with propriety and in good order; nor is there any other way, indeed, in which his name can be sanctified by us;

“for if we do not believe that whatever he does is done for a very good reason: our flesh, being naturally stubborn, will continually murmur, and will not render to God the honor due to him, unless by constraint.

“In short, until a man renounce the liberty of judging as to the works of God, whatever exertions he may make to honor God, still pride will always lurk under the garb of humility.”

(from Mike Riccardi). 

Jesus is the True and Better

 “Jesus is the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true life, the true bread.

“The Bible is not about you.”

* * * * * *

Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.

Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal.

Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing wither he went to create a new people of God.

Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from me,” now we can look at God taking his son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, “Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from us.”

Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.

Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.

Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.

Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert.

Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends.

Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn’t just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn’t just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.

Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.

Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He’s the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.

The Bible’s really not about you—it’s about him. -- this material has been quoted, but I do not see the need to cite the source since the observations are common knowledge to the Christian community.

How Many Galaxies are there?

 1. How many stars in our Galaxy?

The Milky Way galaxy is estimated to contain anywhere from 100 billion to 400 billion stars. However, it is difficult to determine an exact number as many stars are too faint to be detected with current technology, and the exact size and structure of the galaxy is still not fully known.

2. What Galaxy has the most stars?

The galaxy with the most number of stars currently known is the IC 1101 galaxy, which is located about 1.04 billion light-years away from Earth in the constellation Virgo. IC 1101 is a supergiant elliptical galaxy, and it is estimated to contain around 100 trillion stars, which is several times more than the number of stars in our Milky Way galaxy. However, it is important to note that our knowledge of the universe is constantly evolving, and new discoveries may reveal even more star-rich galaxies in the future.

3. How many Galaxies are there?

The exact number of galaxies in the observable universe is not known, but it is estimated to be in the range of 100 billion to 2 trillion galaxies. This wide range of estimates is due to the fact that we can only observe a small fraction of the universe, and our methods for detecting galaxies are limited by factors such as distance and the amount of light emitted by the galaxy. Additionally, the definition of what constitutes a "galaxy" can vary depending on the context and the specific criteria used for classification. Nevertheless, current observations and theoretical models suggest that there are likely many more galaxies in the universe than we can currently observe.

Total Depravity, Boettner

 "Man is a free agent but he cannot originate the love of God in his heart. His will is free in the sense that it is not controlled by any force outside of himself. As the “bird” with a broken wing is “free” to fly but not able, so the natural man is free to come to God but not able. How can he repent of his sin when he loves it? How can he come to God when he hates him? This is the inability of the will under which man labors.”

~ Lorraine Boettner 1901-1990, "Total Depravity"

Buildings and Websites

 


The best Christian websites are like the best Christian buildings. You can build it, but it doesn't mean the unbeliever is going to visit. And perhaps an unbeliever will visit, but without the Holy Spirit they will leave as bored as they came. God has provided great Christian websites and great buildings for the benefit of His people, but until the Holy Spirit gives the new birth they are powerless to change minds and hearts.

Institutes 3.4.3 Repentance

 

Monergism Article on Repentance

 Do you think repentance means we simply stop sinning?

Repentance does not mean to simply stop sinning. Instead, it involves the grace-enabled act of turning to the sole Person with the capacity to empower an individual to overcome sin—namely, Christ. Being a Christian is not a self-salvation project, but rather an appeal to the divine grace of God in Jesus Christ as the sole hope for redemption. Bereft of this divine intervention, human beings would remain perpetually incapable of change, irrespective of therapeutic interventions or the exertion of willpower. Prior to Christ's opening of the heart to the gospel, every individual remains ensnared in inescapable bondage. The necessity of Christ's intervention underscores the futility of attempting self-salvation. Part of the problem is that people are still stuck on trying, at least partly, to save themselves. As articulated in Luke 18:27, what is impossible for humanity—faith and repentance—is possible with God.

Here is an analogy that helps us further understand the nature of repentance:

Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Just as you don't need a doctor unless you are sick, similarly, you don't need a Savior unless you are a sinner. Christ's mission is to save those who recognize themselves as sinners in need of redemption. By nature, humans are inclined toward pride, resisting the admission of their status as rebellious sinners who require rescue. In the context of the aforementioned quotation, the Pharisees interrogate Jesus about his association with tax collectors and sinners, believing themselves to be more righteous. However, this self-righteousness ultimately exposes them as individuals who fail to recognize their own sinfulness and need for grace. Instead, they remain trapped in a cycle of pride, erroneously believing that they merit God's favor.

Thus, the call to repentance commences with the acknowledgment of one's entrapment in sin, the recognition of one's incapacity to escape its grasp, and the appeal to Christ as the sole means of deliverance from both the guilt and power of sin. In this way, repentance transcends the mere cessation of sinful actions (an impossible supposition) and encompasses a profound, grace-facilitated transformation in the individual's relationship with God, enabled by Jesus Christ.

Life is Short, Eternity is Long

 Reality, as described by the Bible, is mind-boggling, when I stop to think about it. People are born in remote jungles, and serve in grueling slave labor jobs for the Aztecs, Incas, or Mayans for what 40 years? and then die as rebels to God and then will suffer eternity which is over 40 quadrillion years in eternal torment. Even their earthly life which had some blessings and mercies where still hard, difficult, and toilsome....on top of that so very short compared to eternity. I live with air conditioning, indoor plumbing, hot water, clean water, a car, and loaded grocery stores, and most importantly God's Word, Spirit, and grace.

Repentance is not something we do

 “We should not interpret this to mean that repentance is another thing a person has to do to receive salvation in addition to faith. Rather, genuine faith includes repentance. Faith that doesn’t include repentance is false faith, for those who truly believe turn away from evil.”

― Thomas R. Schreiner

Eight Ounces of Steak

 Just because 8 ounces of steak is good for our bodies, it doesn't mean we can take in 80 ounces in one day. And just because one sermon is good, it doesn't mean we can take in 10 sermons a week. While personal daily devotions is a means for daily nourishment, it doesn't mean God has designed us to take in 8 hours of bible reading each day. He has designed us to work and create, to labor and contribute, to serve and to give-- to live out what we have been given in Christ.

Unity of the Law

1st Tweet: As a Christian would you vote to pass a law for a day of rest on Sundays (Sabbath law)?

2nd Tweet: How would our Sunday’s be different if nothing was open? A mandatory day of rest by law shouldn’t be seen as wrong by anyone.

MY RESPONSES:

Should someone (we) see it as wrong to: "put to death all those who break a mandatory day of rest." How should our enforcement of Sunday be any different. If we cite the existence of the day from the OT, should we not also cite the enforcement of the day from the OT as well? I'm just trying to be consistent. How can I (you) cite OT law for making the Lord's Day rest mandatory, but then I (you) abandon the OT law for making the enforcement of Lord's Day law (punishment/death). I don't so how I (anyone) can pick, then abandon. If we break civil laws today as members or as elders/mayors (in society, in a local congregation) are we immoral? If we are not immoral for violating OT civil law, which is no longer binding, how can we be immoral for violating a civil law that God never inspired?

 2nd, God gave us a civil law, saying we want one is saying we want God's civil law. If the moral law is not up for discussion, and the civil law is "supposed to be" the same as God's, then I don't suddenly see the freedom to say, the judicial law is "whatever man decides"

3rd, If a female "preaches" and the elders do not enact church discipline. We cannot say, civil laws allow her to preach, judicial laws do not enact punishment, so both the lady and elders were "moral", since civil and judicial laws were kept. Both Violations were immoral.

Does Rom. 13 say Rome is bound to OT Civil law? Paul wasn't trying to get'em to adopt it. Why should I submit to your personal desire to impose a civil law on Rome, that God/Paul doesn't impose, nor Rome has on their civil law books. YOU can't pick-n-choose what parts of OT civil law "you'd" like to vote in.

You "propose legislation." On what basis should I align to your proposal. God's law is abrogated. Rome's Law is "already" THE Law. If Rome isn't bound to all God's civil law, then they're not bound to your proposed portion of civil law; I'm not bound by your proposals either.

I said "citizens...want to" (meaning their proposals cannot bind my conscience._ Citizens...want to...impose higher taxes, that aren't law yet. Must I align with their proposals? No. Why must I align with you proposals?

You: Rome and Todd, I ask you to align with my proposals for altering Rome's Civll-Judicial laws.

Me and Rome: Why.

You: Because God's Moral law requires obeying the Lord's Day.

Me and Rome: Does God's Moral require obeying "the Civil Laws of God".

You: No.

Me: Then we shall not adhere to either God's Civil law or your proposal.

<unfinished>

Howl, Howl (by Spurgeon)

 “Not one drop of Jesus’ blood-bought ones was ever lost yet. Howl, howl, O hell, but howl you cannot over the damnation of a redeemed soul.

“Out with the horrid doctrine that men are bought with blood and yet are damned! It is too diabolical for me to believe.

“What! Did Christ at one tremendous draft of love drink my damnation dry? and shall I be damned after that? God forbid!

“What! shall God be unrighteous to forget the Redeemer’s work for us, and let the Savior’s blood be shed in vain? Not hell itself has ever indulged the thought.”

— Charles Spurgeon

Bed of Roses

 When chained to the stake he embraced the flames, and said, "Oh, ye papists, behold! ye look for miracles; here now may you see a miracle; for in this fire I feel no more pain than if I were in bed; for it is as sweet to me as a bed of roses."

Protestant James Baynham, 1532

God uses Means

God does not save people in a vacuum, apart from means, but through the preaching of the gospel. That is the means He uses to gather His elect. A farmer cannot hope to harvest a crop if he sits around and does nothing. He must plant seed. But the reverse is also true. He can work till he's blue in the face, he can cast seed in the ground he plows up, but unless the blessing of rain falls from heaven, the seed will remain dormant and all his work will be in vain. Similarly when we cast the seed of the gospel, we must also pray to to our Heavenly Father that He would send His Holy Spirit to open the hearts of the hearers … for, apart from His blessing the seed will fall on deaf ears. 

 Although we may intellectually understand this truth, it is easy to forget its significance in our daily lives. All too often we affirm this truth and then put it away in a file cabinet in some dark basement. It is easy to be tempted to rely on our own persuasive arguments to change the hearts of others, but we must remember that only God can transform a person's heart. Therefore, we must consistently pray before and after we share the gospel with others. We must plead with God to disarm the natural hostility of their hearts and open their minds to the truth. We must also pray for ourselves, that we may be gentle and wise in our approach, and that our defense of the Bible may be both cogent and compassionate. But how often do we forget to pray when sharing the gospel? Let us never forget the importance of seeking God's intervention as we share the good news of salvation. 

 (1 Corinthians 3:6-7, Acts 16:14, 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5, James 1:18, John 15:5, Romans 10:14, 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 1 Peter 3:15, Colossians 4:6)

Goodness of God Song

 

Animal Laws

 Animals do not make laws. Animals do not force clothing, literacy, taxes, speeding, honesty, fidelity, property rights, punishments for murder, or trial by jury-- for billions of years across 1.7 million species.

Atheist begins: "Let me Introduce you"

Evolution does not provide the framework for:

1, binding imperatives/ mandatory actions, emotions, opinions

2. shame, remorse,

3. respect, empathy.

You can post commands and opinions, but for billions of years 1.7 million species will entirely ignore and defy your commands and opinions-- just as they do to this day. Humans as animals are not bound to any imperative, opinion, goal. purpose.

Whatever actions, responses, behaviors, traits you do cite in an animal it is still not "objectively good", as if jumping, swimming, climbing, burrowing are objectively good/ bad.

Violence happens in the animal world, but so does jumping, swimming, climbing, burrowing, nudity, illiteracy, infidelity. You either embrace all traits, or renounce all traits; But all traits are equal though different. A brown cow is not better than a violent cow. A peaceful cow is not better than a red cow.

Nugget on Atheism

Evolution allows for no binding imperatives. Things happen.

There are no "goals" (for life to exist, improve, cooperate, be sustained, or continue.)

Life happens, but so does death. Cooperation happens but so does violence. If empathy happens so does jumping, swimming, climbing, burrowing in the ground.

Offspring are born, but not always. Mates are found, but not always. Life is not an imperative. Health is not an imperative.

In Evolution no "is" or "are" is an "ought" or a "must". In Evolution no "does, do, did, has" is an "ought" or a "must". Examples. 1. Termites are cooperative. But this does not mean that "ought" to cooperate or "must" cooperate. Bears do not cooperate. 2. Humans "do" show empathy. Insects do not show empathy, animals only operate on instinct. No animal says that humans "ought" or "must" show empathy.

The feelings of shame, remorse, empathy, cooperation are all traits that are never required responses, just like "jumping" is not a required response. Some animals jump, some don't. Humans may have remorse, humans may not. Evolution does not care if life exists, improves, thrives, survives, or ends. There is no goal, intentionality, purpose in evolution. Death is fine, shame is fine, selfishness if fine.

Atheists say, "But cooperation, morality, empathy improves and extends life." Improvement and comfort are subjective. A pig fines comfort in mud, should humans wallow in mud? Bears hibernate, should humans hibernate? Sharks can live 300-500 years without reading, writing, waring clothes, or leaving the ocean; should humans imitate sharks to extend their life? Atheists tell me "you ought to read more." I tell them to tell that to a Shark. A shark will ignore them as 1.7 million species will, and thus so will I ignore their commands. 1.7 million species don't read and in evolution that is okay, so I won't read either. They say we came from animals, but then ditch the entire framework that animals operate under. 

Agreed Behavior

 An atheist has defined morality as "agreed behavior in a community."

I responded, "If we came from animals who have existed and evolved over 2 billion years, then nothing in evolution "requires" agreement. A cat can climb a tree or avoid a tree, neither is right or wrong, neither is required. You cannot praise conformity nor shame non-conformity. Even praise and shame are decisions that are meaningless like having wings or not having wings. If an animal or human derived from animals has no shame, it is irrelevant as an animal having no wings. No trait is mandatory, required, or essential. Even survival is not mandatory, required or essential. Plenty of species are extinct and that is just fine. There are no goals and no purpose or objective in the outcome of an explosion."

Habakkuk 3:17

 Habakkuk 3:17-19  For though the fig-tree shall not flourish, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labor of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no food; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls:  (18)  Yet I will rejoice in Jehovah, I will joy in the God of my salvation.        (19)  Jehovah, the Lord, is my strength; And he maketh my feet like hinds' feet, And will make me to walk upon my high places. For the Chief Musician, on my stringed instruments.