Tuesday, September 9th, 2008
I need clarity.
With all the talk going around, I just don’t know what is true anymore. Individually, I have been able to read, write and think but I haven’t been able to figure things out much. I use a lot of examples in everyday life, football, starcraft, etc. to describe my situation so that I can understand. But still, I can’t see beyond the problems.
I need light to shine on what is dark. We need the truth to shine on the lies and untruths. We need Jesus more than ever but instead of seeking him, we have relied on our own intelligence and our own insights to go about doing things. Lord, shine your light in our lives. Illumine my heart Lord. See if there is anything that is dishonoring to you, anything that is not pleasing to you. Show me.
Shine your light on my life, shine your light on my wife, shine your light on my family. Shine your light on darkness that fills my mind and the unclarity that disturbs my heart.
Lord, what is truly wrong with us? Sin, unforgiveness, lack of love, etc. We need you above all else. no vision, no direction, these are merely symptoms of a larger problem. We are disconnected from God. We are disconnected from the source of light, of true fellowship, of true worship. That is the reason we have worshiped idols rather than the true God. We need to conform our lives, our minds, our hearts, our desires to the Lord Jesus Christ.
I need Him above all else. Without Him, I will continue to complain, I will continue to be blind, I will continue to walk in darkness. Let me walk in faith, daily. Let me walk in faith in every circumstance. May my prayers match my words. May I not continue in my hypocrisy.
As I talked with A, L, N, and others, I continue to feel that I’m not quite there. I don’t know the answers, and I don’t know how to work with people to come to the answers, or answer. Even as I talk with R, I know that he doesn’t understand me completely. It is due mainly to our fallen nature and sin. But it is in those circumstances when we pray and look solely on God that we are set back on to the right track. Even during the deacon meeting and leadership meetings, discussion after discussion I am at a loss for words. I don’t know what to say or do. But I do know that after each meeting, I am a little bit more disgruntled… We seek not after God, so many times we are after our own agendas (knowingly or unknowingly)… But again, it is at the time of prayer that we are brought back to the reality of God and his kingdom. We need not only be reminded, but we need to experience, to taste, to feel, to truly be brought into the presence of God.
I need clarity. I need to pray… I need Jesus….
Tags: Add new tag, faith, prayers
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Wednesday, August 20th, 2008
This section of the Confession of faith deals with God’s unconditional election of those predestined for life. The bible clearly states that salvation is wholly a work of grace through faith in Christ so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 and since salvation is pure unmerited grace, then there is no room for works. Today’s confession makes this abundantly clear:
3 points –
1) God predestined some to life before the foundation of the world and this choice is eternal, and unchangeable
2) The choice was out of God’s free grace, good pleasure and love; not based on any quality or works of man
3) God’s election manifests his glory by displaying his holiness of wrath in the destruction of the wicked and displaying the perfection of his mercy and love in saving the elect.
Those people who are predestined to life, God—before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and unchangeable purpose and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will—has chosen in Christ to everlasting glory. He chose them out of his free grace and love alone, not because he foresaw faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of these, or anything else in the creature, as conditions or causes moving him to do this; and all to the praise of his glorious grace.
(WCF 3.5)
Tags: Add new tag, bible, faith, salvation, westminster
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Wednesday, August 20th, 2008
That WCF 3.3 is concerned about God’s grace for both the elect and the reprobate. For the reprobate, God’s grace, mercy, patience is highlighted (and obviously God’s justice, but not just God’s justice). Eph. 2:3 “among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”
If, from eternity, God had predestined the elect for grace and mercy (Eph 1:4-5), but in history the elect were for a time “children of [God's] wrath”, the converse could also be said: from eternity God had foreordained the reprobate to damnation, but in history the reprobate were for a time recipients of God’s common grace, mercy and patience.
To state it simply: after Adam’s fall, the human race was headed to hell. All of us deserve hell. However it was by God’s good pleasure that he decreed that some may be saved through Jesus Christ. All of us deserve hell, but for a short time, we all are recipients of God’s common grace, mercy and patience. Again this is for His glory.
By God’s decree, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestined to everlasting life, and others are foreordained to everlasting death.
Tags: christ, decree, faith, wcf, westminster
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Wednesday, March 28th, 2007
the book of isaiah has been one of those books in the bible that slows me down. there are so many things I just don’t understand/hard to understand.
i read through isaiah 36-37 today about how assyria threatened to destroy judah, but through hezekiah’s prayer and isaiah’s prophecy, God saves the day and His glory is made known.
hezekiah ends his pray by pleading with God… “now, o LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God.” isaiah 37:20
isaiah says this is what God says… “For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant david’s sake.”
God will act according to His will… for His name sake and to keep His covenant. God is faithful to His word and is faithful to uphold his holiness, glory, and majesty.
a recurring theme throughout isaiah and the histroy of israel is the forming of alliances with unholy allies either for convenience sake, security, wealth, etc, but God wanted His people to rely solely on Him. He wanted a people who would be HIS people and HIS alone.
and that continues to be His desire for us. He wants us to be a people who will look to Him, to cry to Him, to seek Him in all things… for all things… He wants us to be His people and He wants to be our God. All to Him for His name sake and for His glory and for His Kingdom…
Tags: faith, glorification, salvation
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