Something I read today.... [Archive] - Apostolic Friends Forum

mizpeh

03-12-2009, 09:16 PM

From The Grace Awakening by Charles Swindoll pag 20-21

"Most people I know look forward to payday. You do, too, right? For a week, or perhaps a two week period, you give time and effort to your job. When payday arrives, you receive a hard-earned, well-deserved paycheck. I have never met anyone who bows and scrapes before his boss, saying, "Thank you. Oh, thank you for this wonderful undeserved gift. How can I possibly thank you enough for my paycheck?" If we did, he would probably faint. Certainly, he would think, What is wrong with this guy? Why? Because your paycheck is not a gift. You've earned it. You deserve it. Cash it! Spend it! Save it! Invest it! Give it! After all, you had it coming. In the workplace, where wages are negotiated and agree upon, there is no such thing as grace.We earn what we receive; we work for it. The wage "is not reckoned as a favor but as what is due".

But with God the economy is altogether different. There is no wage relationship with God. Spiritually speaking, you and I haven't earned anything but death. Like it or not, we are absolutely bankrupt, without eternal hope, without spiritual merit; we have nothing in ourselves that gives us favor in the eyes of our holy and righteous heavenly Father. So there's nothing we can earn that would cause Him to raise his eyebrows and say, " Um, now maybe you deserve eternal life with me." No way. In fact, the individual whose track record is morally pure has no better chance at earning God's favor than the individual who has made a wreck and waste of his life and is currently living in unrestrained disobedience. Every one who hopes to be eternally justified must come to God the same way: on the basis of grace; it is a gift. And that gift comes to us absolutely free. Any other view of salvation is heresy, plain and simple."

Sam

03-12-2009, 09:29 PM

Greasy Grace!!!!!

Easy Believism!!!!

Weak on the Message!!!!

OK, I'm just kidding.
I agree with what Chuck Swindoll is saying.

The Apostle Paul said, "the wages of sin is death" (that's what we earn, that's what we get based on our works)
BUT
the gift of God is eternal life

Thank God for that gift!!!

Sam

03-12-2009, 09:32 PM

This is a note written in the margin of my Bible at Jeremiah chapter 31

The New Covenant is a "gift certificate" for salvation.
The merchandise is not free. Someone paid the price.
We just go to the store and claim the purchased item.

*AQuietPlace*

03-12-2009, 10:24 PM

Awesome stuff!

commonsense

03-12-2009, 10:26 PM

Good words mizpeh. But I can tell you it's not the way I heard it.....

Very little mention of grace in fact.

mizpeh

03-26-2009, 04:07 AM

From Joyce Meyer's The Battlefield of the Mind, a devotional #84

Right Action Follows Right Thinking

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. Romans 12:2

A friend once talked about a church building their congregation had bought. "Function follows form," he said, as he explained that the shape of the building and the size of the rooms had already determined how they could best use the building.

As I thought about it, I realized that's exactly how our lives work. Once we decide the form, the funtion follows. This could be stated another way by saying, once we set our minds to something -- that's the form-- the function, or the action, follows.

Too many people want to change their actions but not their thoughts. They want to be free from anger, gossip, lust, dishonesty, or lying. They want the bad behavior to stop, but they don't want to change their bad thinking.

The principle of God's Word is simple: Right action follows right thinking. None of us ever walks in victory unless we understand and put this principle into practice. We won't change our behavior until we change our way of thinking.

Many people struggle over trying to do the right thing. One woman told me that she had been a real gossip-- not that her words were always evil, but she just liked to talk. It was as if she felt compelled to be the first person to know anything and then to pass it on as quickly as possible. She struggled with holding back or saying less, and it didn't work.

My advice to her was, "Until you change your way of thinking, you won't be free." Then I said I would be glad to pray for her, but added, "You must be accountable."

"I am-- and I will be--"she interrupted.

"No, you haven't heard me. You want deliverance from all the gossip, but you don't want to make any changes in your thinking. It doesn't work that way. You need deliverance in your mind; then your words and actions will change."

She resisted my words, but she did ask me to pray for her, which I did. When I finished, she began to cry. "As you prayed, I understood. God showed me how insignificant and unimportant I feel. When I'm the first to pass on information, it makes me feel good--at least for a while--and important."

She had been asking us to pray for her to change her behaviour, but she still wanted to feel good about what she did. She had to shift her thinking and learn to accept that she was worthwhile and loved by God just for being who she was. Once she learned to change her way of thinking-- and she did over a course of weeks--she no longer had a problem with her tongue.

It's impossible to change wrong behavior to right behavior without an attitude adjustment, which means that first we change the way we think.

I like the way Paul taught in Ephesians 4. he contrasted the old nature with the renewed mind. He admonished his readers: "Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion: And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness (4:22-24).

Another translation puts it this way:" Let the Spirit change your way of thinking, and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy." (4:22-24 CEV)

There it is: Let the Holy Spirit change your way of thinking. that's the only way you can make permanent changes in your life.

Holy Spirit, thank You for Your ability to help me change my thinking. Help me strip myself of the old ways of thinking so that You can work in me to make me more like Jesus Christ. It's in His name that I pray. Amen.

mizpeh

04-14-2009, 09:51 PM

Mark 22:37-38 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

Brother Lawrence emphasized that all physical and mental disciplines and exercises were useless, unless they served to arrive at the union with God by love. He had well considered this. He found that the shortest way to go straight to God was by a continual exercise of love and doing all things for His sake.

Also, he noted that there was a great difference between acts of the intellect and acts of the will. Acts of the intellect were comparatively of little value. Acts of the will were all important. Our only business was to love and delight ourselves in God.

He then said that all possible kinds of self-sacrifice, if they were void of the love of God, could not efface a single sin. Instead, we ought, without anxiety, expect the pardon of our sins from the blood of Jesus Christ, endeavoring only to love Him with all our heart. He noted that God seemed to have granted the greatest favors to the greatest sinners as more proof of His mercy.

Brother Lawrence said the greatest pains or pleasures of this world were nothing compared to what he had experienced of both kinds in a spiritual state. As a result he feared nothing, desiring only one thing of God - that he might not offend Him. He said he carried no guilt because, "When I fail in my duty, I readily acknowledge it, saying, I am used to do so. I shall never do otherwise if I am left to myself. If I do not fail, then I immediately give God thanks, acknowledging that it comes from Him."

http://www.practicegodspresence.com/brotherlawrence/practicegodspresence08.html

Sister Alvear

04-15-2009, 12:59 AM

I like many of his sayings and writings.

mizpeh

04-15-2009, 02:33 PM

I like many of his sayings and writings.
I want to learn how to walk with God. :)

Here's an excerpt from his 4th conversation:

Being questioned by one of his own community, to whom he was obliged to respond, by what means he had attained such an habitual sense of God; Brother Lawrence told him that, since his first coming to the monastery, he had considered God as the aim and the end of all his thoughts and desires.

In the beginning he spent the hours appointed for private prayer in thinking of God, so as to convince his mind and impress deeply upon his heart the Divine Existence. He did this by devout sentiments and submission to the lights of faith, rather than by studied reasonings and elaborate meditations. By this short and sure method he immersed himself in the knowledge and love of God. He resolved to use his utmost endeavor to live in a continual sense of His presence, and, if possible, never to forget Him more.

When he had thus, in prayer, filled his mind with that Infinite Being, he went to his work in the kitchen where he was then cook for the community. There, having first considered the things his job required, and when and how each thing was to be done; he spent all the intervals of his time, both before and after his work, in prayer.

When he began, he said to God with a filial trust, "O my God, since Thou art with me, and I must now, in obedience to Thy commands, apply my mind to these outward things, grant me the grace to continue in Thy Presence; and prosper me with Thy assistance. Receive all my works, and possess all my affections." As he proceeded in his work, he continued his familiar conversation with his Maker, imploring His grace, and offering Him all his actions.

When he was finished, he examined how he had performed his duty. If he found well, he returned thanks to God. If not, he asked pardon and, without being discouraged, he set his mind right again. He then continued his exercise of the presence of God as if he had never deviated from it. "Thus," said he, "by rising after my falls, and by frequently renewed acts of faith and love, I have come to a state where it would be as difficult for me not to think of God as it was at first to accustom myself to the habit of thinking of Him."

As Brother Lawrence had found such an advantage in walking in the presence of God, it was natural for him to recommend it earnestly to others. More strikingly, his example was a stronger inducement than any arguments he could propose. His very countenance was edifying with such a sweet and calm devotion appearing that he could not but affect the beholders.

It was observed, that even in the busiest times in the kitchen, Brother Lawrence still preserved his recollection and heavenly-mindedness. He was never hasty nor loitering, but did each thing in its turn with an even, uninterrupted composure and tranquility of spirit. "The time of work," said he, "does not with me differ from the time of prayer. In the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great a tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the Blessed Supper."

mizpeh

04-22-2009, 03:08 PM

Part Three: Genesis 1 as Covenant Preamble.

.....Genesis 1 then fills the role of the Preamble and is intended to
reveal just exactly who this King is who is making this covenant and
who through it is bringing salvation to the world. The Preamble,
then presents the King in the role of Creator, and this is the reason
why the procedural discourse concerning the creation of all things,
most especially man fills the role of introducing God. No doubt this
chapter could be mined without end for truth about God, but here we
identify seven themes in particular, which will be vital in the
Mosaic covenant, continue to be important motifs throughout all of
Scripture, and come to full fruition in the person of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God. These seven themes are comprised of four roles and
three acts:

1. Creator
It is no small matter that the first truth the Scriptures tell us
about God is that He is our Creator: “In the beginning, God
created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1). To the maker go
the rights of ownership: “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is
he who made us, and we are his.” (Ps. 100:3) Note Gen 14:19:
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and
earth,” where the word translated “Possessor,”
qoneh, means both “creator” and “owner.”
And He has full rights over His creation: “Has the potter no
right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for
honorable use and another for dishonorable use?” (Rom. 9:21)
Jesus had a right to be outraged: “He was in the world, and the
world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.”
(John 1:10).

To read the rest, go to:

http://asphaleia.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/meet-your-maker-snoke-and-mirrors-part-5/

mizpeh

05-07-2009, 06:03 AM

I get annoyed with myself when I become involved in what's going on around me at work, or at church, or at home to the point where I forget about God being with me. I kind of lose that "practicing the presence of God" mindset of always keeping the Lord before my face and I get caught up in the activities of the day. I was reading Numbers 15 this morning and came across this passage in verses 37-41 where God instructs Moses to tell the people to make a visible border on their garments to remind them of who and whose they are. I looked through a couple of commentaries and thought this one was insightful by David Guzik:

4. (37-41) Reminders for a holy people.

a. The tassels on the corners of their garments and the blue thread in the tassels of the corners were intended to remind Israel to Whom they belonged; they were God's people. Such reminders are an effective preventive remedy for sin!

i. But why a blue thread? The ark of the covenant was covered with a blue cloth; blue curtains adorned the tabernacle; blue was in the high priest's garments. It was full of holy reminders!

b. We might imagine an Israelite being tempted into some kind of sin, and then catching sight of his own distinctive garments - reminding him of who he is, and reminding him that others can see who he is: A child of God, not a child of the sin he is contemplating!

i. In this sense, Christian theme clothing and jewelry and such can indeed serve a purpose; it can remind us of who we are, and provide a kind of "walking accountability" for our conduct.

c. However, man's instinctive pride always has a way of perverting such good and holy commands of God; in Jesus' day, He directly rebuked the abuse of this command among the religious elite, speaking of how they would enlarge the borders of their garments (Matthew 23:5), making the tasseled area as conspicuous as possible, as an ostentatious display of their "holiness."

i. The same can also be said of today's Christian theme clothing and jewelry; it can also be abused in the same self-righteous, hypocritical manner.

I was thinking that I might buy a WWJD bracelet but that seems to have been played out. I want to have something as a simple reminder to me and not something others would be aware of. What about if I buy a little ring with a blue stone? Nothing loud or gawdy. Or tying a small blue string around my finger.

Do you think the Holy Spirit would be insulted by me doing this? Isn't that what He does afterall...He puts His laws in our hearts and convicts, quickens us, and brings thoughts to our minds to keep us on track? Does anyone else struggle with trying to walk with God and be led of the Spirit?

mizpeh

05-19-2009, 11:30 PM

"...But is it really possible, amid the wear and tear of daily life, to walk in the experience of these blessings? Are they really meant for all God’s children? Let us rather ask the question, Is it
35
possible for God to do what He has promised? The one part of the promise we believe—the complete and perfect pardon of sin. Why should we not believe the other part—the law written in the heart, and the direct Divine fellowship and teaching? We have been so accustomed to separate what God has joined together, the objective, outward work of His Son, and the subjective, inward work of His Spirit, that we consider the glory of the New Covenant above the Old to consist chiefly in the redeeming work of Christ for us, and not equally in the sanctifying work of the Spirit in us. It is owing to this ignorance and unbelief of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, as the power through whom God fulfils the New Covenant promises, that we do not really expect them to be made true to us.
Do let us turn our hearts away from all past experience of failure, as caused by nothing but unbelief; do let us admit fully and heartily, what failure has taught us, the absolute impossibility of even a regenerate man walking in God’s law in his own strength, and then turn our hearts quietly and trustfully to our own Covenant God. Let us hear what He says He will do for us, and believe Him; let us rest on His unchangeable faithfulness
36
and the surety of the Covenant, on His Almighty power and the Holy Spirit working in us; and let us give up ourselves to Him as our God. He will prove that what He has done for us in Christ is not one whit more wonderful than what He will do in us every day by the Spirit of Christ."

Two Covenants by Andrew Murray
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/murray/covenants.iii.iv.html

mizpeh

06-05-2009, 03:44 PM

This is long but worth the time to read it thoughtfully. Mere Christianity, Chapter 11: Faith by C S Lewis

Roughly speaking, the word Faith seems to be used by Christians in two senses or on two levels, and I will take them in turn. In the first sense it means simply Belief--accepting or regarding as true the doctrines of Christianity...The battle is between faith and reason on one side and emotion and imagination on the other.

When you think of it you will see lots of instances of this. A man knows, on perfectly good evidence, that a pretty girl of his acquaintance is a liar and cannot keep a secret and ought not to be trusted: but when he finds himself with her his mind loses its faith in that bit of knowledge and he starts thinking, "perhaps she'll be different this time," and once more makes a fool of himself and tells her something he ought not to have told her. His senses and emotions have destroyed his faith in what he really knows to be true. Or take a boy learning to swim. His reason knows perfectly well that an unsupported human body will not necessarily sink in water: he has seen dozens of people float and swim. But the whole question is whether he will be able to go on believing this when the isntructor takes away his hand and leaves him unsupported in the water-- or whether he will suddenly cease to believe it and get in a fright and go own.

Now just the same thing happens about Christianity. I am not asking anyone to accept Christianity if his best reasoning tells him that the weight of the evidence is against it. That in not the point at which Faith comes in. But supposing a man's reason once decides that the weight of the evidence is for it. I can tell that man what is going to happen to him in the next few weeks. There will come a moment when there is bad news, or he is in trouble, or is living among a lot of other peple who do not believe it, and all at once his emotions will rise up and carryout a sort of blitz on his belief. Or else there will come a moment when he wants a woman, or wants to tell a lie, or feels very pleased with himself, or sees a chance of making a little money in some way that is not perfectly fair: some moment, in fact, at which it would be very convenient if Christianity were not true. And once again his wishes and desires will carry out a blitz. I am not talking of moment at which any real new reasons against Christianity turn up. Those have to be faced and that is a different matter. I am talking about moments when a mere mood rises up against it.

Now Faith, in the sense in which I am here using the word, is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods. For moods will change, whatever view your reason takes. I know that by experience. Now that I am a Christian I do have moods in which the whole thing looks very improbable: but when I was an atheist I had moods in which Christianity looked terribly probable. This rebellion of your moods against your real self is going to come anyway. That is why Faith is such a necessary virtue: unless you teach your moods 'where they get off', you can never be either a sound Christian or even a sound atheist, but just a creature dithering to and fro, with its beliefs really dependent on the weather and the state of its digestion. Consequently one must train the habit of Faith.

The first step is to recognize the fact that your moods change. The next is to make sure that, if you have once accepted Christianity, then some of its main doctrines shall be deliberately held before your mind for some time every day. That is why daily prayers and religious readings and church-going are necessary parts of the Christian life. We have to be continually reminded of what we believe. Neither this belief nor any other will automatically remain alive in the mind. It must be fed. And as a matter of fact, if you examined a hundred people who have lost their faith in Christianity, I wonder how many of them would turn out to have been reasoned out of it by honest argument? Do not most people simply drift away?

mizpeh

06-06-2009, 03:46 PM

HISTORICAL EVIDENCE & THE OLDEST SECULAR ACCOUNTS SUPPORTING THE EXISTANCE OF JESUS OF NAZARETH

No serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non-historicity of Jesus. Otto Betz

1. Cornelius Tacitus: (AD55-120) Roman historian. Most acclaimed works are the Annals and the Histories. The Annals cover the period from Augustus Caesar’s death in AD14 to the death of the Emperor Nero in AD68, while the Histories begin after Nero’s death and proceed to the reign of Domitian in AD96. In the Annals, Tacitus alludes to the death of Christ and to the existence of Christians at Rome. See Annals XV,44: But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the bounties that the prince could bestow nor all the atonements which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero from the infamy of being believed to have ordered the conflagration, the fire of Rome. Hence to suppress the rumor, he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished with most exquisite tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time, broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also.” (The misspelling of Christ as “Christus” was a common error made by pagan writers). It is interesting that Pilate is not mentioned in any other pagan document that has survived. It is an irony of history that the only surviving reference to him in a pagan document mentions him because he passed sentence of death on Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ (Messiah).

For more quotes and proof of the historicity of Christ: http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/SalvationHistory/Handouts_Lesson_28_Salvation_History.pdf

mizpeh

06-06-2009, 04:07 PM

7. Josephus ben Mattathias: 37-100AD, Jewish priest, general and historian. He wrote two great works of Jewish history: The Jewish War, written in the early 70’s and Jewish Antiquities, which was finished about AD94. In his work, Jewish Antiquities, there is a passage that has created heated debate among scholars for many decades: “Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct at this day.” Antiquities, XVIII, 33

mizpeh

06-06-2009, 05:10 PM

....It was thus with the Old Covenant. God had said to Israel, Obey My voice, and I will be your God (Jer. vii. 23, xi. 4). These simple words contained the whole Covenant. And when Israel disobeyed, the Covenant was broken. The question of Israel being able or not able to obey was not taken into consideration: disobedience forfeited the privileges of the Covenant.
If a New Covenant were to be made, and if that was to be better than the Old, this was the one thing to be provided for. No New Covenant could be of any profit unless provision were made for securing obedience. Obedience there must be. God as Creator could never take His creatures into His favour and fellowship, except they obeyed Him. The thing would have been an impossibility. If the New Covenant is to be better than the Old, if it is to be an everlasting Covenant, never to be broken, it must make some sufficient provision for securing the obedience of the Covenant people.
49
And this is indeed the glory of the New Covenant, the glory that excelleth, that this provision has been made. In a way that no human thought could have devised, by a stipulation that never entered into any human covenant, by an undertaking in which God’s infinite condescension and power and faithfulness are to be most wonderfully exhibited, by a supernatural mystery of Divine wisdom and grace, the New Covenant provides a guarantee, not only for God’s faithfulness, but for man’s too! And this in no other way than by God Himself undertaking to secure man’s part as well as His own. Do try and get hold of this.....

This is an excerpt from Andrew Murray's The Two Covenants. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/murray/covenants.iii.vi.html

This chapter has some excellent thoughts in it. It kind of leans toward OSAS in its wording. But I think if we have a desire to walk with God, He will do everything but force us to walk with Him. For us to lose our salvation which Christ gave His all for us to have, takes unbelief, apathy, and a lack of the fear of God on our behalf. A lack of the fear of God which would unrestrain us from sinning against Him willingly.

Who's report will you believe?

mizpeh

06-06-2009, 10:17 PM

I've been studying, discussing, and praying about Christology for quite awhile now. ( I want to KNOW Jesus so I can follow His example of being pleasing to God) I read a couple of paragraphs today written by NT Wright which absolutely in such condensed form speak volumes. I've taken both paragraphs completely out of context but I think they stand fairly well on their own.

What are we therefore saying about the earthly Jesus? In Jesus himself, I suggest we see the biblical portrait of YHWH come to life: the loving God, rolling up his sleeves (Isa 52:10) to do in person the job that no one else could do, the creator God giving new life the God who works through his created world and supremely through his human creatures, the faithful God dwelling in the midst of his people, the stern and tender God relentlessly opposed to all that destroys or distorts the good creation, and especially human beings, but recklessly loving all those in need and distress. “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall carry the lambs in his arms; and gently lead those that are with young” (Isa 40:11). It is the OT portrait of YHWH, but it fits Jesus like a glove.

Thinking and speaking of God and Jesus in the same breadth is not, as has often been suggested, a category mistake. Of course, if you start with the Deist god and the reductionists’ Jesus, they will never fit, but then they were designed not to. Likewise, if you start with the New Age gods-from-below, or for that matter the gods of ancient paganism, and ask what would happen if such a god were to become human, you would end up with a figure very different from the one in the gospels. But if you start with the God of the Exodus, of Isaiah, of creation and covenant, of the Psalms, and ask what that God might be like, were he to become human, you will find that he might look very much like Jesus of Nazareth, and perhaps never more so than when he dies on a Roman cross. Start with the Deist God, and your historical Jesus study will only achieve incarnational christology by sliding towards docetism. Start with the real historical earthly Jesus, and your God will come running down the road to meet you, deeply attractive, deeply preachable, deeply challenging in his transforming embrace. That, for me, is the theological significance of the earthly Jesus.

Both paragraphs are located near the end of the article.

http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_JIG.htm

*AQuietPlace*

06-06-2009, 10:20 PM

I enjoy this thread, Mizpeh.

mizpeh

06-06-2009, 10:22 PM

I enjoy this thread, Mizpeh.

Thanks.

I feel like I'm in my own little world over here. :)

*AQuietPlace*

06-06-2009, 10:25 PM

Thanks.

I feel like I'm in my own little world over here. :)
I'm peeping over your shoulder. ;)

mizpeh

06-06-2009, 10:51 PM

More from the article by NT Wright:

The thing about painting portraits of God is that, if they do their job properly, they should become icons. That is, they should invite not just cool appraisal, but worship though the mind must be involved as well as the heart and soul and strength in our response to this God. That is fair enough, and I believe that this God is worthy of the fullest and richest worship that we can offer. But, as with some icons, not least the famous Rublev painting of the three men visiting Abraham, the focal point of the painting is not at the back of the painting but on the viewer. Once we have glimpsed the true portrait of God, the onus is on us to reflect it: to reflect it as a community, to reflect it as individuals. The image of the true and living God, once revealed in all its glory, is to be reflected into all the world, as was always God’s intention. The mission of the Church can be summed up in the phrase “reflected glory.” When we see, as Paul says, the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, we see this not for our own benefit, but so that the glory may shine in us and through us to bring light to the world that still waits in darkness and the shadow of death.

*AQuietPlace*

06-07-2009, 06:45 AM

Once we have glimpsed the true portrait of God, the onus is on us to reflect it: to reflect it as a community, to reflect it as individuals. The image of the true and living God, once revealed in all its glory, is to be reflected into all the world, as was always God’s intention. The mission of the Church can be summed up in the phrase “reflected glory.” When we see, as Paul says, the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, we see this not for our own benefit, but so that the glory may shine in us and through us to bring light to the world that still waits in darkness and the shadow of death.

This is EXACTLY what I've been thinking about lately. About our mission in the world being to BE Christ on earth. I was thinking about all of the people who don't feel loved... who don't feel that God loves them. They often feel that way because they've never felt strongly and personally loved by people.

If people are often short-tempered and impatient with you, you'll start to feel that God feels that way about you, too. If people are uninterested in you, you'll feel that God is, too. If people think you can't do anything right, you'll usually think that God feels that way, too. God is made visible to us through the people around us.

What a burden that places on us to reflect Jesus to those around us! I've become very convicted about this! I'm not a people person, so it's very easy for me to push people away. But that's not what God called me to do. I'm praying for God to help me to start reflecting his love.

mizpeh

06-07-2009, 08:26 AM

mizpeh

06-07-2009, 08:38 AM

I've been slowly doing a self study on following Christ's example. A few books I'd read over a year or so ago sent me in that direction even though at the time I was searching for revival keys.

*The Knowledge of the Holy by A W Tozer is a good, easy to read, short book on the attributes of God. Some chapters brought me to a place of the awe of the divine. God is amazing! But it was the very last chapter that sparked me. I have it in paperback and have written all over it! http://www.heavendwellers.com/hdt_knowledge_of_the_holy.htm

*The Price of God's Miracle Working Power by A A Allen I knew almost nothing about A A Allen before I read this book except that he had a high profile healing ministry in the middle of the last century and died under questionable circumstances but none of that changes what he wrote in this book. http://www.spiritoffire.org/ebooks/The%20Price%20of%20God's%20Miracle%20Working%20Pow er%20by%20A_%20A_%20Allen.htm

*Lastly, a series of preaching videos by Nona Freeman on " The Power Dimension". http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Nona+Freeman&hl=en#

If you get a chance, check these out. I set out looking for revival and to know Christ and came away with a desire to follow in the footsteps of the One who died for me even into the path of suffering.

*One other book that blessed me immensely is called In His Steps by Charles Sheldon. I stumbled upon it while browsing through Salvation Army's thrift store. It sparked the bracelets WWJD (what would Jesus do). I got through about half of the book before I realized it was fictional!
http://books.google.com/books?id=cHVIAAAAMAAJ&dq=in+his+steps&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=wNQrSs--KIi_twec9_S9CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4

*The next book on my agenda in being like Christ is Thomas Kempis The Imitation of Christ
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/kempis/imitation.toc.html

*But there is one other book I will read first called The Mortification of Sin by John Owen, a Puritan writer during the Great Awakening. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/owen/mort.toc.html I tried to read it last year but struggled with what Owen was saying. I found a teaching series on the book and will try to follow along with them. http://www.westernavenue.org/eujeffspry I believe the book is an exposition of Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (and we know there is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom 8:1) I know we all struggle to live a crucified life. Once again I'm looking for some keys on how to crucify my flesh with the help of the Spirit. I have a feeling the key is prayer and a daily transformed mind. :)

Disclaimer: None of these books are written by Oneness Pentecostals. I don't agree with nor do I endorse everything that is taught in them but there are some pearls of wisdom and edification that will bless you. :)

mizpeh

06-07-2009, 10:19 AM

A recent inductive study of the book of Philippians with Kay Arthur really cemented in my mind the future hope of our resurrection and life with Christ in the New Jerusalem and helped me to take my eyes off the temporal. We are pilgrims passing through this wilderness. http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Precept/archives.asp?bcd=4/13/2009

Do we really believe what we believe?

commonsense

06-08-2009, 08:56 AM

Good thoughts.

mizpeh

06-18-2009, 08:10 PM

I like how Andrew Murray worded this:

As wonderful as the blood-shedding for our redemption is the blood-sprinkling for our cleansing. Here is indeed another of the spiritual mysteries of the New Covenant, which lose their power when understood in human wisdom, without the ministration of the Spirit of life. When Scripture speaks of “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,” of “the blood of Christ cleansing our conscience,” of our singing here on earth (Rev. i. 5), “To Him that washed us from our sins in His blood,” it brings this mighty, quickening blood of the Lamb into direct contact with our hearts. It gives the assurance that that blood, in its infinite worth, in its Divine sin-cleansing power, can keep us clean in our walk in the sight and the light of God. It is as this blood of the New Covenant is known, and trusted, and waited for, and received from God, in the Spirit’s mighty operation in the heart, that we shall begin to believe that the blessed promise of a New Covenant life and walk can be fulfilled.

By Andrew Murray, The Two Covenants

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/murray/covenants.iii.ix.html

mizpeh

06-25-2009, 07:53 PM

Why I Don’t Have a Television and Rarely Go to Movies by John Piper (a nonapostolic)

......There are, perhaps, a few extraordinary men who can watch action-packed, suspenseful, sexually explicit films and come away more godly. But there are not many. And I am certainly not one of them.

I have a high tolerance for violence, high tolerance for bad language, and zero tolerance for nudity. There is a reason for these differences. The violence is make-believe. They don’t really mean those bad words. But that lady is really naked, and I am really watching. And somewhere she has a brokenhearted father.

I’ll put it bluntly. The only nude female body a guy should ever lay his eyes on is his wife’s. The few exceptions include doctors, morticians, and fathers changing diapers. “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” (Job 31:1). What the eyes see really matters. “Everyone who looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Better to gouge your eye than go to hell (verse 29).

Brothers, that is serious. Really serious. Jesus is violent about this. What we do with our eyes can ........ us. One reason is that it is virtually impossible to transition from being entertained by nudity to an act of “beholding the glory of the Lord.” But this means the entire Christian life is threatened by the deadening effects of sexual titillation.

All Christ-exalting transformation comes from “beholding the glory of Christ.” “Beholding the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Whatever dulls the eyes of our mind from seeing Christ powerfully and purely is destroying us. There is not one man in a thousand whose spiritual eyes are more readily moved by the beauty of Christ because he has just seen a bare breast with his buddies........To Read the Rest go to : http://ow.ly/fRb4

mizpeh

07-01-2009, 12:17 PM

From the July 1 devotional of Volume 1 of " For the Love of God" by D A Carson

Fourth, alone among the songs of ascent this one [Psalm 127] is ascribed to Solomon. Sadly, Solomon is a figure whose great wisdom was sometimes not followed in his own life: his own building program, both physical and metaphorical, became foolish (1 Kings 9:10-19), his kingdom a ruin (1 Kings 11:11-13), and his household--not least his multiplied pagan marriages--a systematic denial of the claims of the living God (1 Kings 11: 1-9).

How important to ask God for the grace to live up to what we understand!!

GrowingPains

07-01-2009, 12:31 PM

GrowingPains

07-01-2009, 12:34 PM

From Joyce Meyer's The Battlefield of the Mind, a devotional #84

Good stuff right there!

GrowingPains

07-01-2009, 12:39 PM

mizpeh

07-15-2009, 11:10 PM

Is there truly an application of the blood of Christ upon the heart?

As wonderful as the blood-shedding for our redemption is the blood-sprinkling for our cleansing. Here is indeed another of the spiritual mysteries of the New Covenant, which lose their power when understood in human wisdom, without the ministration of the Spirit of life. When Scripture speaks of “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,” of “the blood of Christ cleansing our conscience,” of our singing here on earth (Rev. i. 5), “To Him that washed us from our sins in His blood,” it brings this mighty, quickening blood of the Lamb into direct contact with our hearts. It gives the assurance that that blood, in its infinite worth, in its Divine sin-cleansing power, can keep us clean in our walk in the sight and the light of God. It is as this blood of the New Covenant is known, and trusted, and waited for, and received from God, in the Spirit’s mighty operation in the heart, that we shall begin to believe that the blessed promise of a New Covenant life and walk can be fulfilled.

From Two Covenants by Andrew Murray

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/murray/covenants/Page_80.html

mizpeh

07-16-2009, 12:58 PM

Resisting Temptation

From The Imitation of Christ by Kempis

The beginning of all temptation lies in a wavering mind and little trust in God, for as a rudderless ship is driven hither and yon by waves, so a careless and irresolute man is tempted in many ways. Fire tempers iron and temptation steels the just. Often we do not know what we can stand, but temptation shows us what we are.

Above all, we must be especially alert against the beginnings of temptation, for the enemy is more easily conquered if he is refused admittance to the mind and is met beyond the threshold when he knocks.

Someone has said very aptly: “Resist the beginnings; remedies come too late, when by long delay the evil has gained strength.” First, a mere thought comes to mind, then strong imagination, followed by pleasure, evil delight, and consent. Thus, because he is not resisted in the beginning, Satan gains full entry. And the longer a man delays in 18 resisting, so much the weaker does he become each day, while the strength of the enemy grows against him.

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/kempis/imitation.ONE.13.html

mizpeh

07-17-2009, 02:14 PM

Bearing with the Faults of Others

UNTIL God ordains otherwise, a man ought to bear patiently whatever he cannot correct in himself and in others. Consider it better thus—perhaps to try your patience and to test you, for without such patience and trial your merits are of little account. Nevertheless, under such difficulties you should pray that God will consent to help you bear them calmly.

If, after being admonished once or twice, a person does not amend, do not argue with him but commit the whole matter to God that His will and honor may be furthered in all His servants, for God knows well how to turn evil to good. Try to bear patiently with the defects and infirmities of others, whatever they may be, because you also have many a fault which others must endure.

If you cannot make yourself what you would wish to be, how can you bend others to your will? We want them to be perfect, yet we do not correct our own faults. We wish them to be severely corrected, yet we will not correct ourselves. Their great liberty displeases us, yet we would not be denied what we ask. We would have them bound by laws, yet we will allow ourselves to be restrained in nothing. Hence, it is clear how seldom we think of others as we do of ourselves.

If all were perfect, what should we have to suffer from others for God’s sake? But God has so ordained, that we may learn to bear with one another’s burdens, for there is no man without fault, no man without burden, no man sufficient to himself nor wise enough. Hence we must support one another, console one another, mutually help, counsel, and advise, for the measure of every man’s virtue is best revealed in time of adversity—adversity that does not weaken a man but rather shows what he is.

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/kempis/imitation.ONE.16.html

mizpeh

08-08-2009, 10:37 PM

A. W. Tozer wrote a little book on the attributes of God entitled, The Knowledge of the Holy. The very first line of the first chapter reads, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." That is an amazing statement. I remember when I first read this book, as a freshman in college, how deeply moved I was by it and how much I benefited from it. I have never been the same since; this book had such an impact on my life. I have ever since believed, even more strongly over the years, that what A. W. Tozer says here is true. What comes into our minds, that is, our minds, our hearts, our souls, when we think about God is the most important thing about us because it shapes everything else. God has made us so that we instinctively, naturally become like whatever it is we esteem most highly. Whatever it is that we value, cherish, prize, love, adore, we gradually, instinctively move in that direction. Of course, if this is a false god, an idol, so we become like that idol; we take on those characteristics and qualities. How important it is for Christian people to know God as He is, and in knowing Him to find Him, and Him alone, as worthy of their highest esteem and so become like him. Really, one of the greatest and most important truths I have ever learned in my life, I learned from A. W. Tozer, that we become like what we love. May we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and then become like Him increasingly. The greatest need in the church, I believe, in every generation and certainly in our generation now, is the need to know God as He is. May God help us to accept his revelation, discard misconceptions of God that are prevalent in our culture, accept God for who He has told us He is and love Him as He is. Bruce Ware

http://www.biblicaltraining.org/lecture/th103-2 Click on "transcript" or listen to the lecture. :)

BTW, The Knowledge of the Holy By Tozer is a wonderful book. It's online. http://www.heavendwellers.com/hdt_knowledge_of_the_holy.htm

mizpeh

08-13-2009, 05:49 PM

From Jason Dulle's blog:......And like Greg noted, self-deception is even greater at the group-level. I have found this to be true in my own life. There are certain teachings common to my religious organization that are not well-evidenced, but they are believed tenaciously by its members. People are afraid to question these teachings because the group accepts them as being true (and why question the group), and questioning/abandoning those teachings could impact their continued involvement with the group. I have seen people become emotionally disturbed when presented with evidence against these teachings. They often ignore the evidence contrary to their belief—going on as if they never heard it—so that their involvement with the group will not be negatively impacted.

I have even seen people go to great lengths to defend ideas and doctrines that no reasonable person would defend if they were not part of a group of people who believed and practiced such things. Humans have the tendency to want to justify the beliefs of the group they belong to. I have done so myself, and truth-be-told, I am probably doing this in certain areas even now. That’s the thing with self-deception: not only do we deceive ourselves in regards to specific issues, but we deceive ourselves into thinking that we are not deceiving ourselves when we do so. Lord, expose us to our own self-deception so we can see the truth more clearly! http://theosophical.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/self-deception/

I wonder what he could be referring to?

Timmy

08-14-2009, 07:09 AM

From Jason Dulle's blog:

I wonder what he could be referring to?

Flat Earth, maybe? :heeheehee

*AQuietPlace*

08-14-2009, 09:18 AM

From Jason Dulle's blog:

I wonder what he could be referring to?
That was a great blog post. So true.

*AQuietPlace*

08-14-2009, 09:27 AM

From Jason Dulle's blog:

I wonder what he could be referring to?
His answer: :D

Scalia,

Such as…I’m not saying. Nothing personal, but it’s been my experience that the safest way to swim through organizational waters is to keep one’s mouth closed. This is particularly the case in organizations whose articles of faith is longer than most grocery lists, and requires its own separate book to explain what it means. :)

Jason

*AQuietPlace*

08-14-2009, 09:35 AM

Who is he? I'm assuming he's UPC?

Timmy

08-14-2009, 09:48 AM

That was a great blog post. So true.

Yes. Very, very true. Maybe more true than some realize! :winkgrin

mizpeh

08-14-2009, 01:31 PM

Who is he? I'm assuming he's UPC?

He is UPC. Graduated from CLC. I think he teaches at the UPC graduate school, the Urshan Institute. He has a web site with good articles on a variety of subjects. http://www.apostolic.net/biblicalstudies/

*AQuietPlace*

08-14-2009, 02:27 PM

He is UPC. Graduated from CLC. I think he teaches at the UPC graduate school, the Urshan Institute. He has a web site with good articles on a variety of subjects. http://www.apostolic.net/biblicalstudies/
He has some extremely thought-provoking articles there!

mizpeh

08-14-2009, 02:40 PM

Correction: Jason use to be on the Urshan faculty listing but I see he is no longer there. http://urshan.ccsct.com/page.cfm?p=127&showFilter=1&start=1

commonsense

08-14-2009, 07:06 PM

Flat Earth, maybe? :heeheehee

Made me think of a church I pass everyday on my way to work. It used to be an AOG church (and probably still is). A couple years ago the name on their sign changed to " Flatland" . Not sure how that ties into Christianity?

mizpeh

08-15-2009, 06:28 PM

Completely Free

Broken and poured out for the love of His creation
God paid a debt that He didn't owe
Bearing my pain for not one was His equal
And wearing my shame so that I could know him

He gave us all He had to give
So that we could truly live
So let's give all we have to Him
So that we can be completely free

And as they placed the thorns on His brow
As they drove the nails into His hands and His feet
He looked past the moment
To where we are now
And gave us the victory
From what seemed His defeat

He said here's my body
Its broken in two
Here is my blood let it cover you
All that I have is now yours to receive
Payment in full so that you could be free

Oh without a doubt completely
So that we can be completely free

Lyrics by Big Daddy Weave

mizpeh

08-20-2009, 10:29 AM

Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.1 Sam 12:24

mizpeh

09-02-2009, 08:06 AM

Comfortable Christianity
by Horatius Bonar

Is the Christianity of our day of the lofty kind of which apostolic men have left us so bright an example? Is it not feeble, indolent, self-indulgent, second-rate? Is there in it anything of the presentation of ‘living sacrifices’ to God, which is our acceptable and reasonable service? Are we not seeking our own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s? Are we not feasting when the world is starving? Are we not at ease in Zion? Are we not sitting still and in luxurious comfort, when many noble and self-sacrificing ones amongst us are rushing into the toil or the war, and, for want of being supported by their fellow Christians, are sinking under the burden and heat of the day?

O easy, luxurious, comfortable Christian! While you are lolling on your couch the sinner is going down to woe! While you are soothing your conscience with the opiates of religious routine; or pampering the flesh; or killing time in mirth and music, at the concert, or oratorio, or social party; or idling days in sport; or talking politics; or drinking in the applause of public opinion; or sunning yourself in the blaze of the ballroom; or absorbed in the latest novel; or engrossed with the unmeaningness of the card table;—men are dying, the present scene is passing, the eternal world is hastening on, and the Judge is at the door!

Rouse thyself from thy indulgence, and work! Do it with thy might. Spend and be spent. Give thy money to the Master; give thy strength and thy life to Him. For He is at hand. He may be nearer than thou thinkest. And how shouldst thou like to be caught by Him lounging on thy soft couch, or feasting at thy well-spread table, when thou shouldst have been working for Him, or fighting His battles,—visiting His brethren, soothing His sorrowing children, ministering to His poor disciples, grudging no weariness or hardship for a Master like Him?

mizpeh

09-10-2009, 04:09 PM

Does this sound like someone you know?

As a Mule

“If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of the land yield their fruit” (Leviticus 26:18-20 – NIV).

I have a long history of stubbornness. I’m thickheaded, stiff-necked, arrogant and presumptuous. I’m pretty sure I know best. I’m pretty sure that if it needs to be done, I can get it done – and I certainly don’t need beings of lesser intelligence getting in my way. Sometimes I act like I don’t even need a being of infinitely greater intelligence getting in my way. I may not be large, but I love to be in charge.

Got a problem with that?

Apparently, God does. When he encounters it in one of his kids, he doesn’t beat around the bush. He promises bluntly that those who will not listen to him can expect him to punish them for their sins seven times over.

What’s the deal with that?

I ask, because that’s me he’s talking about. I don’t listen. When crisis strikes, you’d think I’d run to God. Instead, I set about determinedly doing things my way, on my time, with my brains, for my benefit. When stuff gets hard, I just try harder – and harder, and harder, and harder. Even when it’s clear I’m dramatically failing, I just keep stubbornly swinging away; listening ever less, embracing the delusion of self-sufficiency ever more.

I think it’s safe to say there’s only one I know more stubborn than me.

Him.

God has me beat. He can hold out longer than I can. Look at what he says in Leviticus: “I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze.” I will. Not I might, I may, I could, I should, why I oughtta… I will. God’s going to break down my stubborn pride. My flimsy prayers and pleas are going to bounce off his iron heaven; my best attempts to dig into my own resources will only result in a bent and useless shovel.

Knowing this, seeing this, reading it clearly among the very words of God – you’d think I’d cave! Why prolong the inevitable? God isn’t trying to win some locker room bet with me; there’s no doubt in his mind who’s going to win this struggle for control. It’s just a matter of time. And God isn’t deriving some cruel delight from my agony either; that’s not the nature of a perfect father.

God knows that to bless me, he has to break me. I can’t go on to the next place of significance that he has planned for me still lugging around a two-ton weight of pride. I can’t fit through the door that leads to His next grand purpose for my life without personally decreasing. That iron heaven and bronze earth are actually gifts from God: reminders that resistance is futile. I’m not going to come through what I’m facing right now solely by tapping into my own IQ, charisma, or grit. I don’t have enough time, money, talent, or determination to make it to the close of this season intact, much less on top.

I might as well surrender now, crying out to God – and listening to him as he responds and directs me, showing me what to do and where to go. Otherwise, my strength will be spent in vain; my soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of the land yield their fruit.

And I don’t want that.

I’m stubborn. As a mule. But I’m not anywhere near as stubborn as God. So God…

You win.

http://yourjourney.typepad.com/mark_johnston/2009/01/index.html

mizpeh

09-12-2009, 03:54 PM

I could read this guy's stuff all day long. :)

Bounce Back

Sneaky, slimy, lying monster.

That’s what I think of the devil. Conniving, cruel, relentlessly malicious. He hates what is right and celebrates what is wrong. He interferes, frustrates, and accuses. He turns truth into Play-dough and hope into rubble. He’s a filthy, faithless, backstabbing dirtbag.

He levels temptation after temptation at me and you; hurls trouble after trouble in our direction. He constantly messes with our lives, bombarding our minds with his garbage. He’ll milk any offense, exhaust any angle, and go to any level to distract, deter, and defeat us.

And there’s only one thing he doesn’t want us to do in response.

Bounce back.

He doesn’t care if his junk makes us mad or sad; cocky or depressed. The only threat to his little gig is the possibility that we’ll resist by faith and bounce back.

That’s exactly what we’re going to do, by the way.

Bounce back.

Believe anyway. Pray anyway. Hope anyway. Laugh anyway. Press anyway. Rest anyway. Plan anyway.

We’re going to put the entirety of our confidence in Jesus Christ. And then stand firm, trusting.

We’re going to bounce back. Every time. To the glory of God and dishonor of the devil.

Do you need to bounce back in some area of your life today? Let me pray for you: Father, I believe your word. It declares simply but emphatically that if we resist the devil, he will flee from us. For every person reading this blog, whether we’re tempted, lonely, uncertain, guilty, greedy, lustful, or just living in spiritual la-la land, help us wake up – and bounce back by faith in Jesus, the Son of God, who has one-upped Satan by his blood and power. In Jesus’ name.

Amen. Bounce back.

So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you (James 4:7 – NCV).

http://yourjourney.typepad.com/mark_johnston/2009/08/index.html

mizpeh

09-18-2009, 12:41 AM

Another jewel by Jason Dulle:

Every denomination or religious tradition has its doctrinal peculiarities. Not only may these be unique to the religious tradition in question, but they are often thought of as strange to outsiders. Usually these doctrinal peculiarities are based on some Biblical text, but they either distort that text, fail to read it in light of other texts, or overemphasize it to the point that it becomes a distortion. And yet, people who were raised in that tradition not only accept it as true, but will work up all the intellectual muster they can in defense of it. While they manage to convince themselves with their reasons, they often fail to convince most others.

We need to be on guard that we do not become so intent on protecting all the teachings/traditions of our own particular religious tradition, that we will come up with, and actually settle for subpar arguments in their favor. Are there things we believe and argue for simply because they are part of our religious tradition – things we would not believe if we were raised in a different tradition, and would not be persuaded of if presented with the same evidence that we use to justify the teaching/tradition?

Sometimes I ask myself of certain teachings/traditions, “If I was not raised as a Oneness Pentecostal, and was freshly converted to Christianity, would I think this teaching/tradition was clearly taught in Scripture? Would I be persuaded by the evidence that I am offering others in defense of this teaching/tradition?” Sometimes the answer is yes, and sometimes the answer is no. While it is painful to come to the conclusion that your religious tradition is mistaken on some point or points, intellectual honesty and true Christianity requires that be more interested in the truth than in justifying our religious heritage.

Truth is a leader, not a follower. We ought to accept where it leads us, rather than protest when it brings us down an unexpected path – and God forbid that we ignore it. Truth is more valuable than tradition; truth is more valuable than fellowship; truth is more valuable than approval; truth is more valuable than ego; truth is more valuable than reputation; truth is more valuable than winning arguments; truth is more valuable than being right. Truth is valuable simply because it is true. Let us be seekers of the truth.

http://theosophical.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/justifying-our-own-traditions/#respond

mizpeh

09-22-2009, 08:06 PM

I love the highlighted quote.

Types are pictures, object-lessons, by which God taught His people concerning His grace and saving power. The Mosaic system was a sort of kindergarten in which God's people were trained in divine things, by which also they were led to look for better things to come. An old writer thus expresses it: "God in the types of the last dispensation was teaching His children their letters. In this dispensation He is teaching them to put the letters together, and they find that the letters, arrange them as they will, spell Christ, and nothing but Christ."

http://www.bible-researcher.com/type.html

Ga 3:24 - 25 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

mizpeh

10-28-2009, 08:19 PM

Ocean by Mark Johnston

I'm at the ocean.

I awake at 6:20 and stretch clumsily. I stumble out of bed and try to steady my gaze upon the wide eastward window. The first rusty hues of sunrise are bleeding up over the horizon, spilling out from under the great endless gauze of the sea. The morning star rises and beams steadily above a single broad swath of dark gray and purple cloud.

I slide open the balcony door and sound joins sight – the rhythmic swoosh and bang of wave after wave encroaching upon the beach, each a daring soldier rushing forward into the fray and then slipping back to let another take its place.

The first hint of mustard colors the bottom of that stretch of cloud and the blueness of the sky – and of the ocean – becomes apparent. Light begins to glint and dance on the surface of the rolling waters. The roar of the waves’ approach and recession remains steady.

I sat in a restaurant aboard a cruise ship not long ago. The walls were covered with black and white portraits that suddenly became infused with color as we dined. The place was filled with oohs and ahhs, murmurs of appreciation – appreciation of artificial greens and blues and reds and purples.

Paltry in comparison to the picture my Father now paints outside my window.

The enormous basin of the ocean, brimming with its life-giving waters, stretches out in front of me infinite and boat-less. The morning star dims as blue surrounds it. The rust brightens and the cloud seems threatened by the light’s expansion, pieces of its once proud thickness breaking off and drifting away, led by a distant wind. And all the while, the waves march on.

Oh waves of God, crash upon my soul. Oh ocean of divine love, advance upon my soul.

Oh risen Son of God, rise upon my heart. Oh sky of God illuminate within my heart.

Oh daybreak of God, come – bring your bright heaven to my dark earth.

This is the depth of my pleasure: after viewing the unfolding of his work outside my window, I’m invited to converse with the artist.

http://yourjourney.typepad.com/mark_johnston/2009/10/ocean.htm

I felt something similar as I looked out of the 7th floor window of my doctor's office today. The large city park was before me and the leaves on the trees were beautifully full of color, all the shades of autumn. My thoughts were drawn to God again as I drove home down my tree-lined street. (We had a late autumn which followed a late summer this year. I'm hoping winter will be scratched and we'll go right into spring! )

mizpeh

10-28-2009, 09:16 PM

obsession...

i think a lack of obsession plagues our society today. i think it's part of why there are so many who have left the faith, it's why the divorce rate is so high, it's why values are bought and sold lightely, and it's why people react angrily to people who are obsessed with something.
now i must make it clear that most things people are obsessed with are not good things to be obsessed with. for example, while animals aren't a bad thing to be interested in, they're not something that need consume the bulk of a person's interest (at the cost of other things). really, there's only one obsession that's good -- and that's an obsession about god.
think about it: what could possibly be worth dedicating your entire life to? what doesn't die, doesn't fade, and will never let you down? it seems like god is the only answer there.
i would take this idea of obsession a step further, though. rather than saying it is permissible and good to be obsessed with god, i'm going to argue that a life that isn't dedicated to god isn't worth living. sure, no one is going to be able to live entirely for god -- but if you're not trying to live for god, your life is worthless.
if your life isn't dedicated to something or someone eternal, unchanging, and perfect, your life is futile. you aren't going to do anything that lasts forever on your own. the human race in its entirety can't do anything with eternal value. everything will fade, and everyone will die. what does that leave for us to live for? does it not leave only a dedication to god? is he not our only lasting hope for life? i think it's obvious that he is.
there is another reason that i'd like to point out that god-obsessions make people mad. i think it's because there's conviction in encountering someone totally sold out to god. according to second corinthians chapter two verses fifteen through seventeen, christians have the aroma (in a figurative sense) of christ. when we come into contact with people, we smell like something. to the unbeliever, the god-obsessed christian smells like death. though they smell like life and love to fellow christians, they smell like conviction and condemnation to those that refuse to believe in the truth.
my main point in all this is that we should be god-obsessed not because it's just a good thing, but because it's the only possible hope in life. rely completely on him -- on his love, on his power, on his grace -- and on nothing else. this is the essence of the god-obsession. http://discoveringhope.blogspot.com/2006/11/obsession.html

Matthew 22: 37-40 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Paul, the apostle, was OBSESSED with Christ. Gal 2:20, Phil 1:21, Phil 3:8, 1 Cor 9:24-27
Christ calls us to be OBSESSED with Him. Matt 6:33

*AQuietPlace*

10-28-2009, 11:43 PM

You read some great stuff, Miz.

mizpeh

11-11-2009, 10:18 AM

Sentinels [Oh, Silver Birch Trees]

The bark is white
not pure
for there are streaks
and lines of different kinds
perhaps, from the land
in which they were born.
Like sentinels,
They guard the forest.
Bent and bowed
Knots and knobs
But standing tall
against the elements
that have beaten, torn apart
to bring them down.
And the young bending low
as though to pray
seeking strength
for time ahead.
For they know too
they are frail,
some will not survive.
As the bark is torn, ripped aside,
it exposes the soul
weeping, it dies
the wounds are deep.
Some will have scars
that are slow to heal.
They are won proudly,
the toll has been paid
for only a few are there
in the forest of tree.
Sentinels standing
for what they believe
but never alone.

Maude DiPietro

BrotherWallace

11-13-2009, 11:06 AM

Amen, Mizpeh. With His stripes we are healed. It is not by our works, but by his grace we are saved through faith. and hope maketh not ashamed. We are HIS workmanship. We are bought with a price, and we are not our own.

mizpeh

11-13-2009, 12:44 PM

mizpeh

11-18-2009, 04:07 AM

A couple of theological statements I found while googling to see if I should buy a certain book on the Incarnation:

This first one is on Universalism and the atonement of Christ.

My next question relates to the Mediation point. Torrances' 'substances' and Barth's 'actualisation' is an interesting one, relative to incarnation and salvation. Is this why, given Barth's "universal" view of election, that many of his "followers" (for lack of a better term) end up holding to a "universalist" soteriological position? Since for Barth, Jesus is actualised salvation for all, therefore, ipso facto, all humanity is truly "saved" (both objectively and subjectively). If not, then Barth's "actualised" metaphysic flops; and when I say, "if not," I mean if universalism is not the case relative to salvation. http://derevth.blogspot.com/2008/11/ben-myers-why-i-think-tf-torrance-is.html

Hmmm....something to think about. I'm not a universalist, not even close but isn't what is written above a logical conclusion of the atonement IF we conclude that the work of the cross is all that is needed without human response? IOW, we need to respond to the atonement. We need to "DO" something in order to acquire the benefits of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. I'm not saying that we "EARN" salvation but that we have to obey the gospel by responding to it in faith, repentance, and the baptisms.

The second quote has to do with Christ. Everything Christ does, God does. This is a direct quote from the book I'm thinking of buying. (I still can't make up my mind whether to buy it or not. I'll have to read a couple more reviews.)

"Because Jesus Christ is God, he not only makes God known but what he does is the word of God. his word and deed is the word and deed of God. His love and compassion is the love and compassion of the Father. When he forgives that is the very forgiveness of God. This is likewise a point on which Torrance lays immense stress, the identity between the act of Jesus and the act of the Father. What he does is what God does. Torrance would often say, `There is no God behind the back of Jesus.' In other words, there is no other God than the we see in Jesus and no act of God other than the act of Jesus. The word and act of Jesus and of the Father are identical. The deity of Jesus is therefore the guarantee that the reconciliation we see and receive in him is the reconciliation of God himself." http://www.amazon.com/Incarnation-Person-Thomas-F-Torrance/product-reviews/0830828915/ref=cm_cr_pr_redirect?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0#R11V1JUH3241W6

mizpeh

11-18-2009, 04:26 AM

4. “Ask Jesus into your heart”: Although there is nowhere in Scripture that people are commanded to ask Jesus into their heart, this has become the primary means by which Evangelicals believe a person becomes a Christian. Don’t be scared here. Heart surgery, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular exercise (or lack thereof) have no bearing on Christ’s presence in your heart. He does not actually live there. http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2009/11/the-beginners-guide-to-christianity-thirty-things-you-need-to-know-right-now/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+ParchmentAndPen+(Parchment+and+ Pen)

Does Christ actually live in our hearts? I think so. Isn't that what getting filled with the Holy Spirit is.........Christ taking up residence within us?

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Col 1:27

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 2 Cor 13:5

When someone asks Jesus Christ into their hearts, they should expect to speak with other tongues.

mizpeh

11-18-2009, 04:56 AM

Another quote from the book I am thinking of buying. Beautifully spoken about the passion of God for his creation.

"In the incarnate life of Jesus, and above all in his death, God does not execute his judgment on evil simply by smiting it violently away by a stroke of his hand, but by entering into it from within, into the very heart of the blackest evil, and making its sorrow and guilt and suffering his own. And it is because it is God himself who enters in, in order to let the whole of human evil go over him, that his intervention in meekness has violent and explosive force. It is the very power of God. And so the cross with all its incredible meekness and patience and compassion is no deed of passive and beautiful heroism simply, but the most potent and aggressive deed that heaven and earth have ever known: the attack of God's holy love upon the inhumanity of man and the tyrranny of evil, upon all the piled up contradiction of sin."

T F Torrance, Incarnation. The Person and Life of Christ

mizpeh

11-18-2009, 12:00 PM

Have you ever noticed how some people love to pick fights over such unimportant matters? Some may not realize that they are picking fights over minutia, but in reality, that is exactly what they are doing. Some have become so practiced at engaging in battle that it seems normal and satisfactory to them.
No doubt good intentions are the core reason that some engage with such provokingly prickling words, but good intentions don’t make the pecking any easier to take on the receiving side. Like chickens, some choose to peck away at people they love and appreciate — over such little things!
Even Christians. Of all the people who should reject this perplexing pecking problem of engaging in controversial conversation over minuscule issues, it should be Christians. Not that we are perfect, but that we should be attempting to understand the grace of God in such a way that we follow the advice given to us in the Bible. Love your brother and sister. Encourage them. Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another — all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Heb. 10:24-25) We aren’t to segregate ourselves to avoid conflict and hurtful words. We are to meet with the body of Christ – interact with them – learn from each other – uplift each other. Kindly. Rationally. Lovingly......http://fromthebalcony.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/the-mouth/

James 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

mizpeh

11-18-2009, 09:20 PM

I've been groaning for the past 6 days when I start my daily bible reading! I've had to read two chapters from 1 Chronicles every day!! Torture!!! So I click on the button that allows Alexander Scourby to read the lists to me as I read along and learn the correct pronounciations. What is the purpose of these lists, I wonder? I happened upon this blog today and learned one man's thoughts on the purpose of the lists in 1 Chronicles:

Three Questions with Gerald Bray: On Three Questions to Ask of Biblical Texts......

What are the questions we should ask when approaching a passage of Scripture?

The first question we must ask of every biblical text is simply this—what does it tell us about God? What does it say about who he is and about what he does?

The second question is: what does this text say about us human beings? What are we meant to be and what has gone wrong?

The third and final question is: what has God done about this and what does he expect of us in the light of what he has done?

Asking these questions and seeking answers to them will help us interpret the Spirit’s message to Christ’s people and to each of us as individuals.

What about sections of Scripture that seem hard to apply? I’m thinking, for example, of the genealogies of 1 Chronicles.

These genealogies bring us a message from God even if they appear on the surface to be barren and unprofitable. All we have to do in order to understand them is to ask the right questions about them and their meaning will be quickly opened up to us.

Let me ask you, then, to answer the three questions you posed above. What do they teach us about God?

They tell us that he is a faithful God, who keeps his covenant from one generation to another. Whoever we are and however far we may be from the source of our human life in Adam, we are part of his plan. Over the centuries we may have developed in different ways, lost contact with one another and even turned on each other in hostility, but in spite of all that we are still related to one another and interconnected in ways that may go beyond our immediate understanding or experience.

What do they tell us about ourselves?

They say that most of us are nobodies from the world’s point of view. We live and die in a long chain of humanity but there is not much that anyone will remember of us as individuals. At the same time, without us, future generations will not be born and the legacy of the past will not be preserved. We are part of a great cloud of witnesses, a long chain of faithful people who have lived for God in the place where he put them. Even if we know little about them we owe them a great debt of gratitude for their loyalty and perseverance when they had little or nothing to gain from it or to show for it.

What do they tell us about God’s dealings with us?

They tell us that we too are called to be obedient and to keep the faith we have inherited, passing it on undiminished to the next generation. They tell us that there is a purpose in our calling that goes beyond ourselves. Even if we are not glorified and leave little for posterity to remember us by, we shall nevertheless have made an indispensable contribution to the purposes of God in human history.
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/11/18/an-interview-with-gerald-bray-what-questions-should-we-ask-of-a-biblical-text/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+between2worlds+(Between+Two+Wor lds)

Thank you, Lord, for 1 Chronicles. Please forgive my groaning! :blush

Pressing-On

11-18-2009, 09:44 PM

Pressing-On

11-18-2009, 09:46 PM

I felt something similar as I looked out of the 7th floor window of my doctor's office today. The large city park was before me and the leaves on the trees were beautifully full of color, all the shades of autumn. My thoughts were drawn to God again as I drove home down my tree-lined street. (We had a late autumn which followed a late summer this year. I'm hoping winter will be scratched and we'll go right into spring! )

I meant to comment on this the day you posted it. Such a wonderful poetic post!! I didn't know if you wanted us to clutter your blogging with additional comments! LOL! Enjoyed it, Mizpeh!!!

mizpeh

11-18-2009, 10:01 PM

Thank you, Mizpeh!! I'm not at Chronicles yet, but I was honestly dreading it!! Forgive me, Lord!!!LOL!! I read the Bible online so I can look up other translations or read a commentary if I run across something curious (happens alot). I go to Studylight.com and that is where you can listen to Alexander Scourby's voice as he reads the Bible. I only use it for lists because he reads to fast for me when I want to think about what I'm reading.

mizpeh

11-18-2009, 10:02 PM

I meant to comment on this the day you posted it. Such a wonderful poetic post!! I didn't know if you wanted us to clutter your blogging with additional comments! LOL! Enjoyed it, Mizpeh!!!Comment all you want! :)

Pressing-On

11-18-2009, 10:15 PM

LOL!! I read the Bible online so I can look up other translations or read a commentary if I run across something curious (happens alot). I go to Studylight.com and that is where you can listen to Alexander Scourby's voice as he reads the Bible. I only use it for lists because he reads to fast for me when I want to think about what I'm reading.

Thanks, I will utilize that when I get to the lists!! LOL!

Pressing-On

11-18-2009, 10:15 PM

Comment all you want! :)

Thanks!!! :friend

mizpeh

11-26-2009, 08:15 AM

Martin Bucer

“If you immediately condemn anyone who doesn’t quite believe the same as you do as forsaken by Christ’s Spirit, and consider anyone to be the enemy of truth who holds something false to be true, who, pray tell, can you still consider a brother? I for one have never met two people who believed exactly the same thing. This holds true in theology as well.”

This is a good starting point to gain perspective. Remember, there is no one who looks exactly like you do theologically. Be careful here as this type of attitude can quickly exhume your soul from death, but leave every other living person in hell. This is worse than just about anything you could accuse your opponent of. We have answers, but we don’t have all the answers. We have truth, but we don’t have all the truth.

mizpeh

11-27-2009, 04:10 PM

Must I Learn How to Interpret the Bible? by D.A. Carson

(1) As conscientiously as possible, seek the balance of Scripture, and avoid succumbing to historical and theological disjunctions.

.....Historically, many Reformed Baptists in England between the middle of the eighteenth century and the middle of the twentieth so emphasized God's sovereign grace in election that they became uncomfortable with general declarations of the Gospel. Unbelievers should not be told to repent and believe the Gospel: how could that be, since they are dead in trespasses and sin, and may not in any case belong to the elect? They should rather be encouraged to examine themselves to see if they have within themselves any of the first signs of the Spirit's work, any conviction of sin, any stirrings of shame. On the face of it, this is a long way from the Bible, but thousands of churches thought it was the hallmark of faithfulness. What has gone wrong, of course, is that the balance of Scripture has been lost. One element of Biblical truth has been elevated to a position where it is allowed to destroy or domesticate some other element of Biblical truth.

In fact, the "balance of Scripture" is not an easy thing to maintain, in part because there are different kinds of balance in Scripture. For example, there is the balance of diverse responsibilities laid on us (e.g. praying, being reliable at work, being a biblically faithful spouse and parent, evangelizing a neighbor, taking an orphan or widow under our wing, and so forth): these amount to balancing priorities within the limits of time and energy. There is the balance of Scripture's emphases as established by observing their relation to the Bible's central plot-line; there is also the balance of truths which we cannot at this point ultimately reconcile, but which we can easily distort if we do not listen carefully to the text (e.g. Jesus is both God and man; God is both the transcendent sovereign and yet personal; the elect alone are saved, and yet in some sense God loves horrible rebels so much that Jesus weeps over Jerusalem and God cries, "Turn, turn, why will you die? For the LORD has no pleasure in the death of the wicked."). In each case, a slightly different kind of Biblical balance comes into play, but there is no escaping the fact that Biblical balance is what we need......

http://www.gfcto.com/2006/06/must_i_learn_how_to_interpret_the_bible.php

mizpeh

12-02-2009, 12:47 PM

I'm saving this sage bit of advice MissB gave to Jfrog.Quote:
Originally Posted by jfrog
That's what I'm getting at. Tell me how you can love a person but hate what they do.
jfrog, have you ever done something you really didn't want to do, only to find later that it was beneficial? Simple example, but my oldest daughter complains when we get ready to rake leaves in the fall. She moans and sighs and grumps, but it never fails--before the afternoon is up, she is laughing and jumping in the leaves with the other two.

Human emotions are unreliable when it comes to determining right from wrong. If we don't FEEL love for someone, sometimes we need to choose the loving action, and surprisingly, often the feeling will follow.

If we allow ourselves to be led by our emotions, we will be like a "reed shaking in the wind." If your flesh is feeling something that is against the spirit, then starve the flesh and feed the spirit. Do exactly the opposite of what you feel and follow what Jesus instructed instead. Pray for the person; bless them; be kind to them; refuse to speak ill of them to others...etc. You may find that your feelings will completely change.

mizpeh

12-04-2009, 07:04 PM

What is character? According to the dictionary, character means

1. a distinctive trait;
2. behavior typical of a person or group;
3. moral strength;
4. reputation.

Character is an evaluation of a particular individual's moral qualities. It can also imply a variety of attributes including the existence of lack of virtues such as integrity, courage, fortitude, honesty and loyalty, or of good behaviors or habits. When someone is a moral character, it is primarily referring to the assemblage of qualities that distinguish one individual from another.

When we watch a movie or read a book we usually think of the characters. Even though sometimes the character is complex most of the time they tend to be usually good or bad. Even in the early days of the western, you could tell the characters by the color of their outfits and hats. Although we tend to support the good character and cheer them on as they go about their lives. We want to see them succeed. But in real life character is much more complicated. We are all an array of good and bad character traits. We need to make a conscience decision to do what is right. Depending on your choices, we are either rewarded or have to pay the consequences.

The United States Air Force Academy definition is "We define character as the sum of those qualities of moral excellence that stimulate a person to do the right thing, which is manifested through right and proper actions despite internal or external pressures to the contrary."

When we think of someone with good character or morals we can find many who fit the bill. One of the men I think about is Noah. Even if you are not biblical you have heard of Noah. Noah was a man who God chose as being a person of good character. Noah was a just man. He was righteous in conduct and character. He was a man vindicated by God. He was also able to maintain his integrity as he was being ridiculed by his peers. He was a role model for them and by being a man of good standing and did not waiver in his conviction, God protected Noah and his family.

Another quote by an author unknown says, "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."

In looking at the negative side of character for a brief moment. The current situation on Wall Street shows the CEO's of these firms as greedy. Shows a lack of integrity.

Once your character has been destroyed how long do you think it would take for others to trust you again? Would your character ever be totally repaired? Would there always be a hint of question surrounding you?

Remember when dealing with others keep your character intact. Also, remember the true test of character is what you do when no one is watching you. Do you act the same way when you are alone as you do when you are with others. As Abraham Lincoln said, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-is-Character?&id=1828510

mizpeh

12-09-2009, 07:56 PM

For the Love of God, A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God's Word, by D.A.Carson

Jude 1

"Dear Friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith which was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men" (Jude 3-4). Observe:

(1) Sometimes it is right to contend for the faith. That is not always the way forward, of course: more often the primary emphasis must be on proclamation, articulating, and rearticulating the whole counsel of God. Sometimes a gentle answer or earnest entreaty will prove the wiser course. But here, Jude urges his readers to contend for the faith.

(2) That for which we must contend is the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. The place where the faith is being attacked in such cases is bound up with some stance that describes itself as "progressive," "contemporary," or "avant-garde"-- but which is inevitably prepared to sacrifice something that "was once for all entrusted to the saints." Of course, sometimes the latter is nothing more than an appeal to unwarranted tradition, but that is not what is going on in this case. Here the "progressivists" are sacrificing something that has been essential to the Gospel for the very beginning.

(3) In some cases, contending for the faith (which is not to be confused with being contentious about the faith) is the most urgent thing to do. That is why Jude can openly admit he had hoped to write something else, but felt compelled to apply himself in this more urgent task. However discomfiting, when essential truth is being denied, and the denial is being believed by rising numbers, strategic wisdom foregoes other ministry for a while and focuses on the immediate pressing danger.

(4) The need for the firmest contention usually arises when the heretical voices arise in the church. When those who oppose the truth are outside the church, then although some Christians must respond to their various arguments (perhaps for evangelistic purposes), there is no urgency about contending for the faith once entrusted to the saints. Once such people manage to slip inside the church, however, so that many naive Christians accept their teaching without perceiving it to be pernicious, firm contention is inevitable. Such people must not only be refuted, but disciplined--and the latter cannot be accomplished without the former.

(5) The peculiar godlessness Jude confutes in this case is some perverse reading of the Gospel that transmutes it into "a license for immorality" (v 4). Any reading of the Gospel that promotes immorality or denies the efficacy of Jesus' salvation must be wrong and dismissed as godless.

(This is a devotional book written by D.A. Carson that follows along with the daily reading selections from the M'Cheyne bible reading plan.)

mizpeh

12-09-2009, 09:22 PM

Here's the Theological Word of the Day that comes in my email everyday:Theological Word of the Day

Four Marks of the True Church
Posted: 18 Mar 2009 10:01 PM PDT
(Also, “Marks of the Church”)
The Four Marks describe a belief in Christendom that the body of Christ—the church—is characterized by four “marks” or distinctives. These marks are found in the early church and found their way into the Creed of Constantinople in 381, “‘[We believe] In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.’” 1) One: this describes the unity of the body of Christ. It is not many, but one. 2) Holy: This describes its nature as being “set apart” unto God, his possession. It also describes its aspiration to be like God in its character. 3) Catholic (universal): this describes its universality. The body of Christ is not limited to a time, place, race, or culture. 4) Apostolic: This describes its origin and beliefs. The church’s teaching are apostolic in that they find their roots in the teachings of the Apostles. http://wordoftheday.reclaimingthemind.org/blogs/

mizpeh

12-31-2009, 06:44 PM

C. He Prayed When Fame Threatened.

"But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together....And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed" (Luke 5:15-16).

When praise and honor come from men there is a special need for prayer and meditation in the presence of the Lord. Often praise comes from shallow hearts, and from those who offer it for some selfish advantage. If we foolishly accept this praise and feed upon it, serious spiritual damage will result. In such times as these there is often severe temptation to self-exultation and independence. If yielded to, this results in the believer becoming useless to God, and he must be chastened to bring him back again to lowliness and dependency. It becomes very difficult for a Christian to maintain a spirit of dependence and lowliness in times of great spiritual and material blessing. Nor do we usually feel a great need to pray during such times. And accompanying a spirit of independence there is a severe temptation to go beyond th will of God in some act of self-expression.

Uzziah, the king of Judah, was a man greatly used of God. His record of achievements were many and notable. The secret of his life up to this point is found in II Chronicles 26:5, " As long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper." However, during this time of great prosperity his heart was lifted up to his own destruction. He foolishly sought to assume the right of the priest and offered incense upon the altar contrary to the will of God and despite the urgent pleading of Azariah and eighty other priests. His previous good record could not now be pleaded in his defense. He was stricken with leprosy, and lived and died in a cottage apart (II Chronicles 26:16-21). How different it would have been for Uzziah if he had retired for prayer and heart-searching in the presence of the Lord in the time when he was at the peak of his prosperity and blessing.

So it would be well for all for us to withdraw for prayer when great spiritual or material blessing seems to threaten us with pride. The man who led the writer to Christ said frequently, 'My, how God will use anyone who will be careful to give God all the glory." Failure to give God the glory will lead to walking in the self-life with its inevitable barrenness.

What a lesson there is for us in the life of our Lord. He felt a special need when fame threatened; God help us to see a similar need in our own lives. This dangerous situation of prosperity may be completely solved in the presence of the Lord, and we can leave the place of prayer humbled and cleansed both from any reliance upon ourselves and from feeding upon the praises of men. Let us all take note of the heart-searching question uttered by our Lord in John 5:44: " How can ye believe, which received honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?"

From Changed by Beholding Him, by Newton C. Conant

mizpeh

02-04-2010, 01:43 PM

Dr. Lindsley: What are the top three needs of the church today?

Dr. Stott:
a. The church’s most basic need is to remember what kind of community it is, and in particular its double identity. For God calls his people out of the world to belong to him and sends them back into the world to serve and to witness. The first calling is to ‘holiness’ and the second to ‘worldliness,’ using the word as the opposite of ‘otherworldliness,’ and meaning ‘involved in the life of the world.’ So the church is called to ‘holy worldliness’ (Alec Vidler), for this is its double identity. It needs constantly to ensure that neither identity smothers the other.

b. The church’s second need is to be what it claims to be, and so to allow no dichotomy or conflict between its profession and its practice. Without this the church lacks authenticity and so credibility.

c. In response to the challenge of pluralism, the church needs to be faithful in defending and proclaiming the uniqueness and finality of Jesus Christ. If it does so, it will certainly suffer for its faithfulness. If we compromised less, we would undoubtedly suffer more.

http://theologyandculture.wordpress.com/2009/01/03/john-stott-interview-books-and-church/

mizpeh

02-21-2010, 06:55 PM

"What is Your Calling?

Perhaps the best way to facilitate any ministry, not just the ministry of prophecy, is for us to know our own callings. The church is the body of Christ, and he has assigned each of us a function within his body. Some of us are "eyes," others are "hands," and so on. What are you?
My friend I mentioned earlier, Rick Joyner, regularly takes a survey of the audiences where he speaks. He asks them if they know their calling in the body of Christ. He tells me about ten percent of the audiences claim to know their calling. Then he asks the ten percent if they're walking in their calling. And only ten percent of that group generally claims that they are. If this were an accurate survey of the whole church, it would mean only one percent of the church is actually functioning within the role Jesus has assigned to them.
What would happen to your physical body if only one percent was functioning properly? Would you be happy to have fifty percent functioning properly? Most of us want our physical bodies to operate with one-hundred percent efficiency. How do you think Jesus feels about his body?
Some of us can't function efficiently because we don't know what part of the body we are. Others of us know what part we are but we don't think other parts are necessary. Perhaps none us of walk fully in our callings until we believe in the necessity of all callings. For only then will we have the humility to fulfill our own role."

From Surprised by the Voice of God by Jack Deere, page 188-189.

Lafon

02-21-2010, 07:23 PM

My friend I mentioned earlier, Rick Joyner, regularly takes a survey of the audiences where he speaks. He asks them if they know their calling in the body of Christ. He tells me about ten percent of the audiences claim to know their calling. Then he asks the ten percent if they're walking in their calling. And only ten percent of that group generally claims that they are. If this were an accurate survey of the whole church, it would mean only one percent of the church is actually functioning within the role Jesus has assigned to them.

From Surprised by the Voice of God by Jack Deere, page 188-189.

Were any reasons given which indicated WHY only one percent of the church is actually functioning within the role Jesus has assigned to them? (Sorry, I didn't read everything you've posted, so you might have already addressed this question.)

mizpeh

02-22-2010, 08:42 AM

Were any reasons given which indicated WHY only one percent of the church is actually functioning within the role Jesus has assigned to them? (Sorry, I didn't read everything you've posted, so you might have already addressed this question.)The author didn't give reasons why a large majority of those who claim to be the church of the living God are not functioning within the role Jesus has called them to in the body of Christ.

What do you think the reasons for this might be?

mizpeh

03-17-2010, 07:23 AM

" There is one basic reason why Bible-believing Christians do not believe in the miraculous gifts of the Spirit today. It is simply this: they have not seen them. Their tradition, of course, supports their lack of belief, but their tradition would have no chance of success if it were not coupled with their lack of experience of the miraculous. Let me repeat: Christians do not disbelieve in the miraculous gifts of the Spirit because the Scriptures teach that these gifts have passed away. Rather they disbelieve in the miraculous gifts of the Spirit because they have not experienced them.
No cessationist writer that I am aware of tries to make his case on Scripture alone. All of these writers appeal both to Scripture and to either present or past history to support their case. It often goes unnoticed that this to history, either past or present, is actually an argument from experience, or better, an argument from the lack of experience.

I was once arguing with a well-known theologian over the subject of the gifts of the Spirit. I made the comment that there was not a shred of evidence in the Bible that the gifts of the Spirit had passed away. He said," I wouldn't go that far, but I know that you cannot prove the cessation of the gifts by Scripture. However,we do not clearly see them in the later history of the church, and they are not part of our own theological tradition."This man taught at a seminary that was dogmatically cessationist in its approach to miraculous gifts, but in private conversation he freely admitted that this doctrine could not be proved by Scripture.He actually mentioned the second most important reason why people disbelieve in the gifts of the Spirit, namely, they cannot find New Testament-quality miracles in the history of the church. The third most common reason for disbelieving in the gifts of the Spirit is the revulsion caused by the misuse, or the perceived misuse, of the gifts in contemporary churches and healing movements.

None of these reasons are ultimately founded on Scripture. They are based on personal experience. Actually, in the case of the first two reasons, they are based on a lack of personal experience.
It is common for charismatics to be accuse of building their theology on experience. However, all cessationists ultimately build their theology of the miraculous gifts on their lack of experience.Even the appeal to contemporary abuse is an argument based on negative experience with the gifts.
What I am saying, therefore, is that the real reasons for disbelieving in the gifts of the Spirit today are not at all based on Scripture; they are based on experience. In the chapters that follow, I want to look at these three reasons in more detail." From Surprised by the Power of the Spirit by Jack Deere pages 55-56.

mizpeh

03-17-2010, 02:10 PM

Three reflections on Job 42:

(a) Job's response to the Lord (42:1-6) is not, " Now I get it. Now I understand," but hearty repentance. He even summarizes God's argument back to him: " You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'" (42:3). Without a trace of self-justification, Job responds, "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know" (42:3). Job is now certain that in the last analysis none of God's plans can be thwarted (42:2). In fact, God's massive self-disclosure in words to Job has revealed so much more of God that Job contrasts his present seeing of God with what he had only heard about him in the past---which of course reminds us that very often in Scripture God enables us to "see" him by disclosing himself in words, "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes" (42:6). This is not saying the the three friends were right after all. Job is not now admitting to large swaths of hidden guilt that ostensibly brought on his suffering, but to the guilt of demanding that God provide him with a thorough explanation.

(b) The three friends are now forgiven for all the false things they said about God only because of Job's intercession (42:7-9). This eminently suits the crime: they have been condemning Job, but only Job's prayers will suffice for their own forgiveness. What they have said that is not right about God (42: 7,8) can only be their simplistic tit-for-tat merit theology. They have allowed no mystery and grandeur; implicitly, they have allowed no grace.

(c)The drama ends with a massive vindication of Job. His wealth is restored (and doubled), he is given a new family, and all of the old honor in which he was held is restored and increased. Many a contemporary critic finds this fanciful, or even a secondary ending that some dumb editor has tacked on to the end of a more nuanced book. Such skepticism is profoundly mistaken. One of the points of the books is that in the end the people of God are vindicated. God is just. Similarly, Christians are not asked to accept suffering without vindication, death and self-denial without promise of heaven. Evil may now be mysterious, but it will not be triumphant. We are not spiritual masochists who can only be fulfilled by suffering. If there be any sense in which we delight in sufferings, it is that we delight to follow the Lord Jesus who suffered. Even he did not delight in sufferings. The pioneer and perfecter of our faith was the one "who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb 12:2). So "let us run with perseverance the race marked out before us" (Heb. 12:1).

From For the Love of God by D. A. Carson, March 13.