There should be no pride here, I suppose--for I am talking about the chosen of God. See, I believe in election or predestination, if you will. So the elect have no reason to be proud-they are chosen of God. It is nothing which they have done that causes them to be the "elect". It is by Divine choice.
Scripture tells us that the numbers of those who are saved are small. Mt. 7: 13-14 states: "Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." This gives no indication as to how many 'few' or 'many' are, but the actual numbers will be small. Jesus says that he is: the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father but by Him. So any of the many who try to get to heaven by some other route will be met with destruction. We are to seek Him while He may be found-and to keep on seeking until we find Him.
I guess the part which I do not understand is that we are to seek Him, but He is the one who gives us the desire to seek-He is the one who saves. He is the one who has elected the saved ones from time immemorial-so we actually do not have free will; it seems we have only the illusion of free will. It is God who saves-but He is also the one who puts the desire to seek Him in our hearts. None that are His will NOT accept Him; conversely, I do not see how any that are not His will even seek Him. If He has given you the desire to seek Him-you will find Him. If you do not have that desire, then you are not going to seek Him, and you will not find Him. Seems like a Catch 22 there someplace-but only the elect will be saved, and they will be the only ones who actually seek Him!
What else can I really say? There will be people from all walks of life-probably people from all over the world who are in the kingdom of God. It will be to the glory of God that these few, all of which He has predestined are saved--and no others--showing His power and omniscience to have known this since the foundation of the the world.
God also states that none of those which He has given Jesus, except the one destined for perdition(i.e. Judas Iscariot), can be taken out of His hand-thus the security of the believer. If God has got you(through your faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior) he ain't a gonna lose you. That is something worth knowing. Hold on to this promise.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
23 May 2013-Assurance of salvation and necessity of baptism
I have recently made fb comments about assurance of salvation and necessity for baptism. I can probably be more open about my beliefs here.
If one believes the Bible, which I do, then I feel we can indeed be assured of our salvation in our own minds. Not to say that anyone else can know for certain whether you are saved-it is an individual relationship between God and man-one on one. Your church cannot tell you if you are saved-it can only tell you what you must do to be saved. You must work out the relationship with God yourself. And ultimately, God is the one calling you into the relationship-you seek Him-but He is the author of the seeking.
But how can one know for certain if he is saved? How do you get that blessed assurance; the peace that passeth understanding? These are questions which are central to the issue of eternal security of the believer. The rock solid conviction that if I die tonight I know that I will be with God in heaven for eternity.
First things first. You need to have made a one-time commitment; one that you can REMEMBER--infant baptism will do you no good here-you will not remember that time when you were baptized. It is the conscious decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior-the renouncing of personal sin, confession of those sins-the acceptance of Christ's once for all sacrifice of his body on the cross to save you that turns the trick. Without that memory, there will be doubts--nay, without that memory--without that event occurring, there is no salvation. You must make that commitment at some point in your lifetime-otherwise, you are destined to an eternity(forever and forever and forever and forever) separated from God-roasting in the proverbial HELL, as it were.
Next, you should follow our Lord into the waters of baptism-again, infant baptism just gets the kid wet. He or she did not make a conscious decision-so his body just got a washing-but nothing SUPERNATURAL happens just by the act of baptizing a baby. Baptism is an action of surrender-of identification with the Lord Jesus. It is saying: I am getting wet because my Lord has commanded me to do this-I identify with all believers who have gone before me-I hereby accept Jesus as Savior and yield to His lordship in my life. These are decisions a baby cannot make for himself-only a person who has enough maturity to realize that he is a sinner can make these decisions.
However, baptism IS a work that we can do-so, an individual can be baptized-yet not saved. Does God need your help to save you? If HE does, HE is a pretty small god. No, God can do it all-Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross was adequate-and if it were not so, then no sacrifice could be adequate to save you from your sins.
The Old Testament saints were not baptized-yet who can deny their salvation? Abraham believed God, and it was counted(reckoned) to him as righteousness. This was before Abraham was circumcised-and no where is it mentioned that Abraham was baptized. Hence, it was the obedience of Abraham, not any work(circumcision or baptism) which he did that gave him salvation. The rest of the Jews who followed Abraham, up until the time of Jesus, were saved by the same belief. The visible display of said salvation was the circumcision of the males-the females were not circumcised(but who can deny their salvation as well), but the circumcision(precursor to New Testament baptism) did not save them. It was a visible display for all to see that this individual belonged to God-that He had become obedient to the Divinely ordained religious system.i.e. Judaism.
Many in our world today believe that you must be baptized to be saved-hence, infant baptism and the consideration by others that it must be performed for salvation. Wrong! It is a work that you can do to help God. And an Almighty God DOES NOT need your assistance. If He did, He would NOT BE almighty-and thus not worthy of our worship. And as He does not change; if baptism or circumcision were not required for salvation in the Old Testament-they are not required in these latter days.
If one believes the Bible, which I do, then I feel we can indeed be assured of our salvation in our own minds. Not to say that anyone else can know for certain whether you are saved-it is an individual relationship between God and man-one on one. Your church cannot tell you if you are saved-it can only tell you what you must do to be saved. You must work out the relationship with God yourself. And ultimately, God is the one calling you into the relationship-you seek Him-but He is the author of the seeking.
But how can one know for certain if he is saved? How do you get that blessed assurance; the peace that passeth understanding? These are questions which are central to the issue of eternal security of the believer. The rock solid conviction that if I die tonight I know that I will be with God in heaven for eternity.
First things first. You need to have made a one-time commitment; one that you can REMEMBER--infant baptism will do you no good here-you will not remember that time when you were baptized. It is the conscious decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior-the renouncing of personal sin, confession of those sins-the acceptance of Christ's once for all sacrifice of his body on the cross to save you that turns the trick. Without that memory, there will be doubts--nay, without that memory--without that event occurring, there is no salvation. You must make that commitment at some point in your lifetime-otherwise, you are destined to an eternity(forever and forever and forever and forever) separated from God-roasting in the proverbial HELL, as it were.
Next, you should follow our Lord into the waters of baptism-again, infant baptism just gets the kid wet. He or she did not make a conscious decision-so his body just got a washing-but nothing SUPERNATURAL happens just by the act of baptizing a baby. Baptism is an action of surrender-of identification with the Lord Jesus. It is saying: I am getting wet because my Lord has commanded me to do this-I identify with all believers who have gone before me-I hereby accept Jesus as Savior and yield to His lordship in my life. These are decisions a baby cannot make for himself-only a person who has enough maturity to realize that he is a sinner can make these decisions.
However, baptism IS a work that we can do-so, an individual can be baptized-yet not saved. Does God need your help to save you? If HE does, HE is a pretty small god. No, God can do it all-Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross was adequate-and if it were not so, then no sacrifice could be adequate to save you from your sins.
The Old Testament saints were not baptized-yet who can deny their salvation? Abraham believed God, and it was counted(reckoned) to him as righteousness. This was before Abraham was circumcised-and no where is it mentioned that Abraham was baptized. Hence, it was the obedience of Abraham, not any work(circumcision or baptism) which he did that gave him salvation. The rest of the Jews who followed Abraham, up until the time of Jesus, were saved by the same belief. The visible display of said salvation was the circumcision of the males-the females were not circumcised(but who can deny their salvation as well), but the circumcision(precursor to New Testament baptism) did not save them. It was a visible display for all to see that this individual belonged to God-that He had become obedient to the Divinely ordained religious system.i.e. Judaism.
Many in our world today believe that you must be baptized to be saved-hence, infant baptism and the consideration by others that it must be performed for salvation. Wrong! It is a work that you can do to help God. And an Almighty God DOES NOT need your assistance. If He did, He would NOT BE almighty-and thus not worthy of our worship. And as He does not change; if baptism or circumcision were not required for salvation in the Old Testament-they are not required in these latter days.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
O, when the saints...
The loss of my mother in January seems to have been the harbinger of a very difficult 2013. Since then my world has lost Catherine Fouts, Marvel Brown, Edgar Moore, Donnie Poor, Dwight Evans, Patsy Evans, Doc Russell, Aunt Betty...
All of these people had an impact on my life or on the lives of friends and family. So many were members of my church; and although most were no longer active, their loss does affect our body of believers.
It seems that we are having a parade of the saints of God entering heaven. God is giving each of them a special moment of recognition as He calls them home.
These had lives well lived, but their departure is not noted by our culture. God knows them even if their life is neither little noted nor long remembered by America. These are the ones whom history ignores-but they impact our world for the better: one encounter at a time. Life is really about these folks and the lives they live, rather than the rich and famous.
All of these people had an impact on my life or on the lives of friends and family. So many were members of my church; and although most were no longer active, their loss does affect our body of believers.
It seems that we are having a parade of the saints of God entering heaven. God is giving each of them a special moment of recognition as He calls them home.
These had lives well lived, but their departure is not noted by our culture. God knows them even if their life is neither little noted nor long remembered by America. These are the ones whom history ignores-but they impact our world for the better: one encounter at a time. Life is really about these folks and the lives they live, rather than the rich and famous.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Fatherly advice
I probably have no right to give advice to my children-seems like I did very little to help raise them. In my own defense; my job kept me away from home 15-16 hours a day 5 days a week.
However, before I started commuting 1.5 hours a day I lived in the city in which I worked and my commute was about 15 minutes or less. And I was not hardly making it home in time to see my children at night before they went to bed-in the mornings I left before anyone got up-so the only time I saw my kids was Saturday and Sunday.
I started regretting this situation when my eldest started middle school, but by then I was pretty well locked into the long commute. The only way out of that situation would have been to move back to my original city or quit my job. My employer consistently loaded me down with enough work that it was impossible to do the job and get home in time in the p.m. to see my kids before they went to bed.
Anyway, this was to be about advice, not complaints. I suppose that the key bit of advice I would give my children is this: spend as much time with those children as you can-the quality time that liberals were espousing a few years ago is an illusion. Quality is most easily achieved by the quantity of time spent together. For the sons: do not let/force the wife to do all the raising of the children-be there for them as much as you possibly can. Whether they will appreciate it or not, you will have done what you could do for them. For the daughter: the majority of the child care will fall on your shoulders-whether that is right or not, it is a fact of our existence. But... get that husband/father to spend as much time with his children as you can. For his sake as well as that of the children.
Take the children to church. DO NOT drop them off and go back home or expect Grandma to take them and you stay home. If you do not attend, what kind of message does that give the kids? Help with homework-take them with you when you go to the store-read to them. Whatever creative ways you can find to spend time with them and to give their mother a break from the tedium of childcare.
Guess that is about all I got. Fathers, spend as much time with those little ones as you can. They grow up incredibly fast; and your influence will wane tremendously as they mature. May God richly bless your endeavors!
However, before I started commuting 1.5 hours a day I lived in the city in which I worked and my commute was about 15 minutes or less. And I was not hardly making it home in time to see my children at night before they went to bed-in the mornings I left before anyone got up-so the only time I saw my kids was Saturday and Sunday.
I started regretting this situation when my eldest started middle school, but by then I was pretty well locked into the long commute. The only way out of that situation would have been to move back to my original city or quit my job. My employer consistently loaded me down with enough work that it was impossible to do the job and get home in time in the p.m. to see my kids before they went to bed.
Anyway, this was to be about advice, not complaints. I suppose that the key bit of advice I would give my children is this: spend as much time with those children as you can-the quality time that liberals were espousing a few years ago is an illusion. Quality is most easily achieved by the quantity of time spent together. For the sons: do not let/force the wife to do all the raising of the children-be there for them as much as you possibly can. Whether they will appreciate it or not, you will have done what you could do for them. For the daughter: the majority of the child care will fall on your shoulders-whether that is right or not, it is a fact of our existence. But... get that husband/father to spend as much time with his children as you can. For his sake as well as that of the children.
Take the children to church. DO NOT drop them off and go back home or expect Grandma to take them and you stay home. If you do not attend, what kind of message does that give the kids? Help with homework-take them with you when you go to the store-read to them. Whatever creative ways you can find to spend time with them and to give their mother a break from the tedium of childcare.
Guess that is about all I got. Fathers, spend as much time with those little ones as you can. They grow up incredibly fast; and your influence will wane tremendously as they mature. May God richly bless your endeavors!
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Insignificance
Feeling kind of insignificant tonight. Often I just stop to think-look up at the heavens-and realize what a fly speck our big old planet actually is. Then I look around me out here on the farmstead and see how small I actually am in relation to the world in which I live. How much land would the entire human race occupy of the entire Earth? What percentage could we inhabit and no one feel pinched for space? I have a feeling that there is actually of room for a lot more people than live here at present. In spite of what some think about the overpopulation of the earth by mankind.
Then that leads me to question how much of an effect our presence has on our planet in the ultimate scheme of things. Do our polluting habits, which are of such concern to environmentalists actually amount to ever the proverbial hill of beans? I am certain that a natural disaster such as giant sun spots or collision with a heavenly body-even a volcanic eruption would have a much bigger effect on our planet than anything we can do. And probably our planet has a certain amount of self-healing built into it. No matter how much damage we do, I think that the planet can heal itself-and in probably less time than most would believe.
Plus, assuming an Almighty God-He had to know what condition our planet would be in at this very moment in time. If He did not know, then He is not Almighty, and therefore he would not be worthy of our worship. Perhaps fear, because his power would still be enormous; but not worship. And He indicates in the Bible that He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent-so as this is the only record He has given us of Himself, then it would behoove us to study His word and learn as much as we can about His revelation of Himself to mankind.
The only thing that gives me any significance is Jesus Christ. He, as the only begotten-the very Son of God, was willing to die for me, that I might have eternal life. And His life and death can give my life significance and meaning. Without Him, I am nothing-but with Him, my life, and that of each human becomes precious. The down side of this is that even though precious, if we reject God, through His Son Jesus Christ, then He has not given us any other name under heaven by which man may be forgiven. So if one DOES NOT accept Jesus as Lord and Savior(a one time decision that each of us must individually reach), then God has provided us with no other alternative.
So my counsel to all would be: Make certain that your salvation is secure. Do not rely on anything besides Christ alone-not a specific church or some person-make your decision for Jesus today, for no one is guaranteed tomorrow.
Then that leads me to question how much of an effect our presence has on our planet in the ultimate scheme of things. Do our polluting habits, which are of such concern to environmentalists actually amount to ever the proverbial hill of beans? I am certain that a natural disaster such as giant sun spots or collision with a heavenly body-even a volcanic eruption would have a much bigger effect on our planet than anything we can do. And probably our planet has a certain amount of self-healing built into it. No matter how much damage we do, I think that the planet can heal itself-and in probably less time than most would believe.
Plus, assuming an Almighty God-He had to know what condition our planet would be in at this very moment in time. If He did not know, then He is not Almighty, and therefore he would not be worthy of our worship. Perhaps fear, because his power would still be enormous; but not worship. And He indicates in the Bible that He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent-so as this is the only record He has given us of Himself, then it would behoove us to study His word and learn as much as we can about His revelation of Himself to mankind.
The only thing that gives me any significance is Jesus Christ. He, as the only begotten-the very Son of God, was willing to die for me, that I might have eternal life. And His life and death can give my life significance and meaning. Without Him, I am nothing-but with Him, my life, and that of each human becomes precious. The down side of this is that even though precious, if we reject God, through His Son Jesus Christ, then He has not given us any other name under heaven by which man may be forgiven. So if one DOES NOT accept Jesus as Lord and Savior(a one time decision that each of us must individually reach), then God has provided us with no other alternative.
So my counsel to all would be: Make certain that your salvation is secure. Do not rely on anything besides Christ alone-not a specific church or some person-make your decision for Jesus today, for no one is guaranteed tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Mower is better?
Just yesterday I needed to mow again. There was a time when I enjoyed mowing-then I got old. Don't get me wrong-I still like to see a neatly coiffed landscape. However, I no longer have the energy I had when I was 20-or 30-or even forty or fifty. Using the push mower to trim about wears me out because my strength has decreased. Sitting on the riding mower is no picnic either.
I suppose that the big problem is the size of the yard. My lawn in town is approximately 1 acre in size-which is more than adequate. However, my country lawn is well over 1 acre-possibly approaching 2 acres. And I still mow both of them.
And the new one is so rough. Eventually I hope to get it smoothed out somewhat, but we have not yet had a good lawn growing season out here in the country. And I really hate to actually use boughten water to get the grass to grow. So I been hoping for a good growing season-maybe this year.
Another problem is actually getting the mower from one site to the other. I have not purchased a trailer, so I have to load the mower on the back of the pickup and haul it back and forth between lawns. And the pickup is old and has issues-like every time I run the pickup the battery runs down due to an expensive electrical problem. Not to mention the rider. It has electrical problems also-and it is only 2 years old.
The logical solution would be to sell the one house, but easier said than done. Then we could just let the grass grow out in the country. No laws about weed control out there.
The other issue is the cost of gasoline...and the cost to the environment of carbon emissions. So being green, I suppose I should rebel and refuse to mow both lawns. Course, that would get me in trouble with both the law, the wife, and the neighbors. What to do? I suspect I will continue to mow both lawns until such a time as I get rid of one house.
I suppose that the big problem is the size of the yard. My lawn in town is approximately 1 acre in size-which is more than adequate. However, my country lawn is well over 1 acre-possibly approaching 2 acres. And I still mow both of them.
And the new one is so rough. Eventually I hope to get it smoothed out somewhat, but we have not yet had a good lawn growing season out here in the country. And I really hate to actually use boughten water to get the grass to grow. So I been hoping for a good growing season-maybe this year.
Another problem is actually getting the mower from one site to the other. I have not purchased a trailer, so I have to load the mower on the back of the pickup and haul it back and forth between lawns. And the pickup is old and has issues-like every time I run the pickup the battery runs down due to an expensive electrical problem. Not to mention the rider. It has electrical problems also-and it is only 2 years old.
The logical solution would be to sell the one house, but easier said than done. Then we could just let the grass grow out in the country. No laws about weed control out there.
The other issue is the cost of gasoline...and the cost to the environment of carbon emissions. So being green, I suppose I should rebel and refuse to mow both lawns. Course, that would get me in trouble with both the law, the wife, and the neighbors. What to do? I suspect I will continue to mow both lawns until such a time as I get rid of one house.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Glorifying God
How do I even talk about this subject? Moses lived a life, at least the last 40 years of a lifespan of 120 years, becoming the humblest servant of an Almighty God that he could be. Oh, to attain to such humility! To be open to every desire of God for my own life. To be used as He sees fit-each and every event, every second, to be so attuned to God, that I would always be getting the utmost out of that moment.
I have wasted way too many years doing my own thing. What could God have accomplished for His kingdom work with a servant who was fully obedient to His wishes? I had a friend who lost his life recently-but he lived life well. Helped others; responded to needs that he saw in the world around him. And had lots of fun doing it.
It would seem that the one who gives his life most completely to God lives the most exciting, fulfilled life. Not the politician or the millionaire/billionaire who seek their own glory or comfort in the few short years they will walk this earth. All of our human actions outside of God are vanity; a chasing after the wind.
Jesus lived a purposeful life. Totally yielded to the will of God, yet, working toward a specific goal. O, to submit every thought, every action to God-to give it all up to Him. All of my life-to be able to glorify Him through every ache and pain, every second of every day. Humanly, completely impossible. Sins of omission. To my eyes, worse than sins of commission. God can use actions for His purposes. Lukewarmness or inaction are a waste of the time we have been granted on this world-God has said He will spew those individuals out of his mouth who are lukewarm. That is a horrible fate for a sentient being!
So many; multitudes, live each day, totally oblivious to eternity. Yet, I stand on the brink of eternity-my life is only a wisp of smoke. I am here today; tomorrow the world I have inhabited will not miss me-I am so insignificant in the whole scheme of things. Yet, at the same time...God sent His son to die for ME. What an awesome thought. How can my petty mind even wrap itself around this? Oh, to able to glorify the living God each and every day. The beauty of it all is, when I fail today, God has so far given me a tomorrow to do better-but that is guaranteed to no one, so I need to make the most of each one with which I am blessed.
I have wasted way too many years doing my own thing. What could God have accomplished for His kingdom work with a servant who was fully obedient to His wishes? I had a friend who lost his life recently-but he lived life well. Helped others; responded to needs that he saw in the world around him. And had lots of fun doing it.
It would seem that the one who gives his life most completely to God lives the most exciting, fulfilled life. Not the politician or the millionaire/billionaire who seek their own glory or comfort in the few short years they will walk this earth. All of our human actions outside of God are vanity; a chasing after the wind.
Jesus lived a purposeful life. Totally yielded to the will of God, yet, working toward a specific goal. O, to submit every thought, every action to God-to give it all up to Him. All of my life-to be able to glorify Him through every ache and pain, every second of every day. Humanly, completely impossible. Sins of omission. To my eyes, worse than sins of commission. God can use actions for His purposes. Lukewarmness or inaction are a waste of the time we have been granted on this world-God has said He will spew those individuals out of his mouth who are lukewarm. That is a horrible fate for a sentient being!
So many; multitudes, live each day, totally oblivious to eternity. Yet, I stand on the brink of eternity-my life is only a wisp of smoke. I am here today; tomorrow the world I have inhabited will not miss me-I am so insignificant in the whole scheme of things. Yet, at the same time...God sent His son to die for ME. What an awesome thought. How can my petty mind even wrap itself around this? Oh, to able to glorify the living God each and every day. The beauty of it all is, when I fail today, God has so far given me a tomorrow to do better-but that is guaranteed to no one, so I need to make the most of each one with which I am blessed.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Hunting the elusive morel.
Over the years I have spent way too much time looking for mushrooms. Heck, I don't even like to eat the danged things that much. It is all in the batter anyway. I would call them tasty(i.e. in my parlance, salty)-but that is mostly due to the battering.
However, wifey claims to have a hankerin' for 'em, so I dutifully shuffled off to seek some morels this morning. Got my boots on, pulled my cap down over my eyes(hafta keep the sun out of my eyes) and headed out to the back side of the 40 acres a lookin'. I had to walk uphill all the way to the woods through the mud of the cornstalk stubbled field-we seem to have mud everywhere here in nemo that is not graveled or concreted this year. Finally got to the timber after about a 10 minute trek with both hips killing me, and began my search.
Always been told that may apples are an indicator of morels; so, obviously, when I see some may apples, I start a closer examination. There are a lot of may apples out there in the woods, and I believe I looked under and around most of them in that 40 acres, but I never seen hide nor hair of even one mushroom. I made the big loop all through that 1/4 mile stretch of woods, dodging black berry briars and tree stumps(loggers done a job on the woods last fall), and all I got for my efforts was hot and sweaty. I have about concluded that finding mushrooms is not one of my gifts. I am fair at the hunting, but my finding skills seem to be in need of a little honing.
My daddy used to find a few mushrooms-but he never taught me how to find them. So, either it is all luck, or there is more to search and discover than meets the eye. May have to tackle the search again before the mushroom season is over, but that 45 minutes I spent stumbling over my feet was enough for this old boy for today. Had to come back to the house and sit in my easy chair for a spell after all that hard. work. And as far as I can tell, I got only one tick. So maybe wearing the old green gum boots was a good idea.
However, wifey claims to have a hankerin' for 'em, so I dutifully shuffled off to seek some morels this morning. Got my boots on, pulled my cap down over my eyes(hafta keep the sun out of my eyes) and headed out to the back side of the 40 acres a lookin'. I had to walk uphill all the way to the woods through the mud of the cornstalk stubbled field-we seem to have mud everywhere here in nemo that is not graveled or concreted this year. Finally got to the timber after about a 10 minute trek with both hips killing me, and began my search.
Always been told that may apples are an indicator of morels; so, obviously, when I see some may apples, I start a closer examination. There are a lot of may apples out there in the woods, and I believe I looked under and around most of them in that 40 acres, but I never seen hide nor hair of even one mushroom. I made the big loop all through that 1/4 mile stretch of woods, dodging black berry briars and tree stumps(loggers done a job on the woods last fall), and all I got for my efforts was hot and sweaty. I have about concluded that finding mushrooms is not one of my gifts. I am fair at the hunting, but my finding skills seem to be in need of a little honing.
My daddy used to find a few mushrooms-but he never taught me how to find them. So, either it is all luck, or there is more to search and discover than meets the eye. May have to tackle the search again before the mushroom season is over, but that 45 minutes I spent stumbling over my feet was enough for this old boy for today. Had to come back to the house and sit in my easy chair for a spell after all that hard. work. And as far as I can tell, I got only one tick. So maybe wearing the old green gum boots was a good idea.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Free will. I don't know if I have ever heard a sermon about this topic; and I realize it is a difficult subject to deal with. It is, I suppose, both a cross denominational and interdenominational issue.
I believe that John 3:16 is used as a key verse in support of free will. It is stated that "...whosoever believeth shall not perish..." in the KJV.
But what does the term actually mean? Do we have merely an appearance of free will? I do know that we are compared to the pot that the potter molds on the wheel-it is displeasing to him so he destroys it and remakes it as it pleases him in the image he has in mind for it.
We make minute decisions every second of our lives, so in that sense, we have to have a free will. But do you have control over your body as to whether your heart will beat its next beat or your lungs will breathe the next breath of air? I don't-my body is programmed to do these things which are essential to its continued existence independently of my wishes. So from that perspective, I have no free will. It was programmed into my body when it came into being that my heart would beat and that my lungs would breathe.
Thoughts go through my mind, but from whence do they actually come? I can formulate some of them, but many of them appear without my actually willing them into being.
I believe that John 3:16 is used as a key verse in support of free will. It is stated that "...whosoever believeth shall not perish..." in the KJV.
But what does the term actually mean? Do we have merely an appearance of free will? I do know that we are compared to the pot that the potter molds on the wheel-it is displeasing to him so he destroys it and remakes it as it pleases him in the image he has in mind for it.
We make minute decisions every second of our lives, so in that sense, we have to have a free will. But do you have control over your body as to whether your heart will beat its next beat or your lungs will breathe the next breath of air? I don't-my body is programmed to do these things which are essential to its continued existence independently of my wishes. So from that perspective, I have no free will. It was programmed into my body when it came into being that my heart would beat and that my lungs would breathe.
Thoughts go through my mind, but from whence do they actually come? I can formulate some of them, but many of them appear without my actually willing them into being.
What must you do to be saved?
My denomination believes in the eternal security of the believer-what most people call: once saved, always saved(i.e, if a person is truly saved, he cannot lose that salvation).
However,this has nothing to do with the believer, everything to do with the God. My God is all-powerful, omniscient, and omnipresent. He also is constant-He does not change. It is stated somewhere in the Bible, that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And another place states that NOTHING can snatch a believer out of the hand of God.
I fear that most people believe in a works based salvation wherein a person can be saved today, then do something wrong(sin), and lose his salvation, and then have to be resaved to regain his salvation. This diminishes God, and in my eyes, would make such a god unworthy of worship.
I believe in a God who saves us by grace through faith-it is a free gift(grace)-the faith comes from Him(Ephesians 2: 8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no man can boast.)
I will not take the time right now to go into all the ramifications of my belief system, but it involves much more than just the salvation of individual believers. It involves such diverse topics as global warming and all of human history.
However,this has nothing to do with the believer, everything to do with the God. My God is all-powerful, omniscient, and omnipresent. He also is constant-He does not change. It is stated somewhere in the Bible, that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And another place states that NOTHING can snatch a believer out of the hand of God.
I fear that most people believe in a works based salvation wherein a person can be saved today, then do something wrong(sin), and lose his salvation, and then have to be resaved to regain his salvation. This diminishes God, and in my eyes, would make such a god unworthy of worship.
I believe in a God who saves us by grace through faith-it is a free gift(grace)-the faith comes from Him(Ephesians 2: 8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no man can boast.)
I will not take the time right now to go into all the ramifications of my belief system, but it involves much more than just the salvation of individual believers. It involves such diverse topics as global warming and all of human history.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
An aimless rant on global warming/climate change.
Ah, perhaps the rain has stopped for now. God shows us how dependent we actually are on His mercies. We really need to dry out a little bit, but we can go into drought mode so quickly. I would so much prefer having too much water than not enough. Nothing grows when you have a drought; at least grass grows when you have excess water. And where I live flooding is not an issue, so too much water is preferred. But why can't we just have the right amount of precipitation? Why do we always have these extremes?
Is global warming a reality? The weather does indeed seem to have changed since I was a child, but I am still not certain that it is man-made climate change. I suspect that one solar flare would cause more problems for our planet than all the carbon emissions which we have produced. The same thing applies to volcanic eruptions and meteor strikes. Both do far more damage to planet Earth than anything mankind can do.
So, yes, I do believe that we can affect our planet-however, I suspect that factors beyond our control will have a much greater impact on our climate than anything that feeble little mankind can accomplish. Experts can debate this issue but it is only opinions at the end of the day. Evidence or statistics can be twisted and utilized to support so many conflicting theories that I do not believe this issue will ever be satisfactorily resolved for either side.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
WWJD? What would Jesus Do?
What would Jesus do? WWJD? That was the question a few years back. As a practicing Jew, which Jesus was, He would have obeyed the law-as long as He did not violate the law of God by obeying the law of man. He is said to have been perfect(whole or complete) in all His thoughts and actions. The only law available for Jesus to obey was the one handed to man via Moses-what we would call the Old Testament. The New Testament was not written until after Jesus had lived His life here on earth as a mortal man who was also fully God.
I here state my belief from what I see in Scripture. Jesus fulfilled the whole law-He obeyed the whole law of God. If God said it, He believed it and practiced it in His life. That would include all the dietary laws; the prohibition of wearing linen and wool together; the prohibition of tatoos; all of the Ten Commandments. Anything God had said would have been obeyed by a Jewish Jesus in the way that God would have had it obeyed. To do anything less would eliminate Him from contention as the Messiah and Saviour of mankind.
It is not required that one be a believer of Jesus' Messiahship; however if you are-then it would seem, you should adhere to the tenets of Christianity. I accept grace-no, I embrace grace. But Jesus, in His perfection, did not need grace. He had completely fulfilled the law. Everything He did-every thought, every action, had to be perfect and in complete compliance to the total law; anything less, and He is NOT the Messiah.
Grace itself cannot abrogate the law. To do so mars the perfection of the law. Grace must work within the parameters of the law-man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man.
However, the Sabbath was to be obeyed, and a Jewish Jesus would have done so. Not the laws of the Sabbath added by mankind, but the spirit of what the Sabbath was about. Now, under grace, I can regard all days as the same or I can especially observe the Sabbath or I can observe some other day as particularly sacred-but is that violating one of the Ten Commandments? I can see a Jewish Jesus as especially observing the Sabbath, but can I conceive of one who would have held another day, such as Sunday, as the primary day of observation of the proverbial "day of rest"?
Enough said. This was not to be a rant about Sabbath observance. I believe that God can be worshiped any day of the week. But it would appear that if you are observing only one day a week that the Biblical standard is Saturday, not Sunday.
I here state my belief from what I see in Scripture. Jesus fulfilled the whole law-He obeyed the whole law of God. If God said it, He believed it and practiced it in His life. That would include all the dietary laws; the prohibition of wearing linen and wool together; the prohibition of tatoos; all of the Ten Commandments. Anything God had said would have been obeyed by a Jewish Jesus in the way that God would have had it obeyed. To do anything less would eliminate Him from contention as the Messiah and Saviour of mankind.
It is not required that one be a believer of Jesus' Messiahship; however if you are-then it would seem, you should adhere to the tenets of Christianity. I accept grace-no, I embrace grace. But Jesus, in His perfection, did not need grace. He had completely fulfilled the law. Everything He did-every thought, every action, had to be perfect and in complete compliance to the total law; anything less, and He is NOT the Messiah.
Grace itself cannot abrogate the law. To do so mars the perfection of the law. Grace must work within the parameters of the law-man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man.
However, the Sabbath was to be obeyed, and a Jewish Jesus would have done so. Not the laws of the Sabbath added by mankind, but the spirit of what the Sabbath was about. Now, under grace, I can regard all days as the same or I can especially observe the Sabbath or I can observe some other day as particularly sacred-but is that violating one of the Ten Commandments? I can see a Jewish Jesus as especially observing the Sabbath, but can I conceive of one who would have held another day, such as Sunday, as the primary day of observation of the proverbial "day of rest"?
Enough said. This was not to be a rant about Sabbath observance. I believe that God can be worshiped any day of the week. But it would appear that if you are observing only one day a week that the Biblical standard is Saturday, not Sunday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)