After listening to many strong truths, and some very solid messages over the past couple of weeks, I had to take sometime and write about this specific area that God is drilling me with, being lead by the Holy Spirit, actually just experiencing Him as a Christian. Some of this is quotes from a book by Francis Chan called "Forgotten God", and then some is gonna be thoughts.
"that by keeping in step with the Spirit Himself, we might regularly fellowhsip over what He is doing rather than what He did months or years ago"....How often do you genuinely experience the power of the Holy Spirit? What kind of supernatural work is He DOING in your life, not just what He has DONE.
Who are you?
1-The person who is always talking about the Holy Spirit, but yet your life is bearing NO fruit of His presence in your life?
2-The person speaks of the Holy Spirit in theorectiacal or scholarly terms, but who doesn't experience Him?
3-The person who really doesn't talk much, but yet who's life is a powerful display of His presence and power?
Chan ask this question,"and this is the question i just cant get around: If its true that the Spirit of God dwells in us and that our bodies are the Holy Spirits temple, then shouldn't there be a huge differecne between the person who has the Spirit of God living in them than the person who does not?"
If I told you I had an encounter with God where He entered my body and gave me a supernatural ability to play basketball, wouldn't you expect to see an amazing improvement in my jump shot, my defense, and my speed on the court? After all, THIS IS GOD WE ARE TALKING ABOUT! and if you saw no changes in my athleticism, wouldn't you question the validity of my "encounter"? "Churchgoers" all across the nation "say" the Holy Spirit has entered them. They "claim" that God has given them a supernatural ability to follow Christ, put their sin to death, and serve the Church. Christians "talk" about being born again and say that they were dead but now have come to life. When will we stop talking about the Scriptures, and let our lives speak? When will we allow God to speak? When will we stop talking about our knowledge of Him, and talk about our RELATIONSHIP with Him? Yet when those outside the church see no difference in our lives, they begin to question our INTEGRITY, our sanity, or even worse, OUR GOD!
Most of you who will read this blog probably have a basic knowledge about the Holy Spirit, but when it comes down to experiencing the Spirit in your life personally, its a whole different ball game. Take some time, and honestly answer this question, When was the last time I undeniably saw the Holy Spirit Himself work in me or around me? undeniably work?
I challenge you for one week, just one week, to genuinely ask for the reality of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit Himself. I challenge you to cry out to Him for a supernatural work in your life. I challenge you to be obedient to His leading, in whatever it maybe. I challenge you to do this for this week.
I really pray, for Gods Name sake, that His church will grasp the truth about the Holy Spirit, grasp it with their lives! I pray that we would consistently live with an awareness of His strength, power, presence. It is when believers live in the power of the Holy Spirit, that the evidence in their lives is supernatural. This is when the church cannot help but be different and the world cannot help but notice!
Willy
Friday, November 12, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thoughts on a Rainy Day
I already hate driving in the rain, but today was the worst. We’re talking torrential downpour. I was on my way to Lake City Community College (excuse me, Florida Gateway College) for my math class and I could barely even see the road I was driving on. I’m not going to lie, I was kind of scared. I tend to be a bit of a pessimistic thinker, so of course all of the worst-case scenarios are running through my head. So here I am, leaning into my steering wheel, squinting my eyes, and singing I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin (I can be slightly dramatic) on a seemingly endless road. I started to think, “You know what? This is what my life feels like.” I mean, I am a senior in High School, I have all of these life changing decisions to make, and I want to know what God’s will for my life is… but I just feel like I’m driving blindly. I can’t see what’s ahead and to be honest, that scares me. I feel like at any moment I could start hydroplaning and lose control.
But then, I caught up with a little green van. It had probably been in front of me all along, but I couldn’t see it because of the rain. It wasn’t raining any less hard, but somehow I started to feel better now that another car was in view. I didn’t feel so alone. I had “a guide.” “Alright God, what are you trying to teach me?” I asked. But I already knew. I may feel like I could lose control at any moment but you know what, I was never the one in control to begin with. God is in control of my life. I just have to loosen my grip on the steering wheel and let Him do the driving. And like the little green van, God is my guide. He goes before me, directing my steps (Deuteronomy 31:7). I don’t know what lies ahead, but He has already shaped my future.
When I finally make it to my math class we were working on the kind of problems that take up a whole sheet of paper to come up with one answer. I get so frustrated when I get one of these problems wrong and have to start all over again. It is usually because of one little mistake I made in the very beginning of working the problem, like I forgot to carry down a negative sign or something. I used to think God’s will was like that. What if I make a mistake now, at the beginning of the page? Will I totally miss out on God’s plan for my future? But I’m starting to think differently. I’ve already made a lot of mistakes, but God hasn’t given up on me yet. Maybe there is “an easy way and a hard way” but somehow He will get me to where He wants me to go. My goal is to be obedient even though I don’t know what’s next. To keep my eyes fixed on Him rather than where I am going. Even when it’s raining. :)
“But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD;
in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.”
-Psalm 141:8
-CD :)
But then, I caught up with a little green van. It had probably been in front of me all along, but I couldn’t see it because of the rain. It wasn’t raining any less hard, but somehow I started to feel better now that another car was in view. I didn’t feel so alone. I had “a guide.” “Alright God, what are you trying to teach me?” I asked. But I already knew. I may feel like I could lose control at any moment but you know what, I was never the one in control to begin with. God is in control of my life. I just have to loosen my grip on the steering wheel and let Him do the driving. And like the little green van, God is my guide. He goes before me, directing my steps (Deuteronomy 31:7). I don’t know what lies ahead, but He has already shaped my future.
When I finally make it to my math class we were working on the kind of problems that take up a whole sheet of paper to come up with one answer. I get so frustrated when I get one of these problems wrong and have to start all over again. It is usually because of one little mistake I made in the very beginning of working the problem, like I forgot to carry down a negative sign or something. I used to think God’s will was like that. What if I make a mistake now, at the beginning of the page? Will I totally miss out on God’s plan for my future? But I’m starting to think differently. I’ve already made a lot of mistakes, but God hasn’t given up on me yet. Maybe there is “an easy way and a hard way” but somehow He will get me to where He wants me to go. My goal is to be obedient even though I don’t know what’s next. To keep my eyes fixed on Him rather than where I am going. Even when it’s raining. :)
“But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD;
in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.”
-Psalm 141:8
-CD :)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Lion and the Stream
I find it funny that I helped create this blog and have yet to actually "blog." It's been almost 6 months, and nothing. I wrote the preface, and then updated it...but no posts. But today, is the day.
So I have this book...a collection of C.S. Lewis excerpts...and I've had it for a good while now. From time to time I crack it open and read a passage or two.
Each one is rich.
Mad rich.
However, my favorite has yet to remain the very first excerpt in the book. It's called "The Lion and The Stream." It's very symbolic. It's almost like your reading an exposition of his thoughts in visual form.
Please prepare to understand this. I'll let you read before I give a commentary. I like to think most things should hit you first, and heal you after.
Pray for light.
Here we go...
______________________
"Are you not thirsty?" said the Lion.
"I'm DYING of thirst," said Jill.
"Then drink," said the Lion.
"May I- could I- would you mind going away while I do?," said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at it's motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.
The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
"Will you promise not to--do anything to me, if I do come?," said Jill.
"I make no promise," said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.
"DO you eat girls?," she said.
I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
"I daren't come and drink," said Jill.
"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.
"Oh dear!," said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."
"There is no other stream," said the Lion.
____________________
It's natural for us to want the resurrection without the grave...the gain without the pain...to drink from the stream without looking in the Face of the Lion.
I wish all the time that I could be in shape without going through the ridiculous pain of getting there. But that's just not how it works. So I swallow sadness.
Moving on...
Christ stumbled up a hill carrying a cross - a heavy cross - to the place where he would be stripped naked and hung for the world to see by nails in his hands and feet. Prior to that, he was beat in the town square until he was physically not human.
He took the fall, for His future glory. He chose humiliation over glory, so that he would be glorified in the end, and so that men of every nation and ethnicity could come drink from the Spring of Life.
He calls us to do the same. To lay down our lives...to bow our heads and drink before the Lion...submitting to death, that we might have life. He calls us to give in and give up...to sell out and cash in, because He is the great reward. He beckons us to walk the sand and snow, the desert and the storm, to reach the crystal tides of life.
In the book of Joshua, we see that the armies of the Israelites were commanded by the Lord at one time to lap water from the streams like a dog, drinking for life, on hands and knees and all. They were not supposed to simply kneel on one knee, while watching the banks for danger. It was all in, desperate for strength and life.
The truth with we Christians: we're thirsty. We're weak, and desperate for strength, desperate for water. Sadly, too often not desperate enough. In our fallen and selfish ways, we often can't stand the thought of our kingdom being destroyed, so would rather thirst to death. If we can't drink from the One stream, however, we will search for another. We search for a new stream, and never find one. Every other one is a just a broken cistern, as the Lord says in Isaiah - like a trench we dig that becomes stagnant and dry.
We want the joy of knowing Christ without the pain of the Holy Spirit's renovation in our hearts and lives, because we know these temples are in need of a thorough gutting...ripping out the walls and the pillars that hold us so strong.
These temples are home to pagan gods and idols. Their rotten and dusty, and the Holy Spirit doesn't like it. He means business, building from the ground up.
But we work on preserving our kingdoms and the cities of our hearts without end. These things we've built took so much work...so much time.
The desires and sins we've worked toward are so precious to us so often.
In the narrative, it's Jill's LIFE she's fighting to keep. She asks the Lion so sincerely to look away while she drinks from the stream.
But if only she were to lay down, bow her head, and drink, she would understand just how thirsty she was. She would begin to sip, and then sip some more, and finally find that her face is completely plunged into the stream because the water is so good. She wouldn't want to look up. She wouldn't even think about it. She would just drink. And drink. And drink. And the Lion would devour her, and she wouldn't even care...because she would find that the water is the water of Life.
So will we lay it down? Will we give it all, letting everything we've ever known become His life, as we trade ours for His? We will carry our cross? Will we lay down our earthly crowns and desires that he would be enthroned on our worship? Will we let the tower fall, and replace the foundation with Christ?
Give it all to the One who is Life. He has given His so that you could know him...so that you could drink and be satisfied beyond all measure. His love is perfect.
Drink all you want! He's got it covered!
SSD
So I have this book...a collection of C.S. Lewis excerpts...and I've had it for a good while now. From time to time I crack it open and read a passage or two.
Each one is rich.
Mad rich.
However, my favorite has yet to remain the very first excerpt in the book. It's called "The Lion and The Stream." It's very symbolic. It's almost like your reading an exposition of his thoughts in visual form.
Please prepare to understand this. I'll let you read before I give a commentary. I like to think most things should hit you first, and heal you after.
Pray for light.
Here we go...
______________________
"Are you not thirsty?" said the Lion.
"I'm DYING of thirst," said Jill.
"Then drink," said the Lion.
"May I- could I- would you mind going away while I do?," said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at it's motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.
The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
"Will you promise not to--do anything to me, if I do come?," said Jill.
"I make no promise," said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.
"DO you eat girls?," she said.
I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
"I daren't come and drink," said Jill.
"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.
"Oh dear!," said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."
"There is no other stream," said the Lion.
____________________
It's natural for us to want the resurrection without the grave...the gain without the pain...to drink from the stream without looking in the Face of the Lion.
I wish all the time that I could be in shape without going through the ridiculous pain of getting there. But that's just not how it works. So I swallow sadness.
Moving on...
Christ stumbled up a hill carrying a cross - a heavy cross - to the place where he would be stripped naked and hung for the world to see by nails in his hands and feet. Prior to that, he was beat in the town square until he was physically not human.
He took the fall, for His future glory. He chose humiliation over glory, so that he would be glorified in the end, and so that men of every nation and ethnicity could come drink from the Spring of Life.
He calls us to do the same. To lay down our lives...to bow our heads and drink before the Lion...submitting to death, that we might have life. He calls us to give in and give up...to sell out and cash in, because He is the great reward. He beckons us to walk the sand and snow, the desert and the storm, to reach the crystal tides of life.
In the book of Joshua, we see that the armies of the Israelites were commanded by the Lord at one time to lap water from the streams like a dog, drinking for life, on hands and knees and all. They were not supposed to simply kneel on one knee, while watching the banks for danger. It was all in, desperate for strength and life.
The truth with we Christians: we're thirsty. We're weak, and desperate for strength, desperate for water. Sadly, too often not desperate enough. In our fallen and selfish ways, we often can't stand the thought of our kingdom being destroyed, so would rather thirst to death. If we can't drink from the One stream, however, we will search for another. We search for a new stream, and never find one. Every other one is a just a broken cistern, as the Lord says in Isaiah - like a trench we dig that becomes stagnant and dry.
We want the joy of knowing Christ without the pain of the Holy Spirit's renovation in our hearts and lives, because we know these temples are in need of a thorough gutting...ripping out the walls and the pillars that hold us so strong.
These temples are home to pagan gods and idols. Their rotten and dusty, and the Holy Spirit doesn't like it. He means business, building from the ground up.
But we work on preserving our kingdoms and the cities of our hearts without end. These things we've built took so much work...so much time.
The desires and sins we've worked toward are so precious to us so often.
In the narrative, it's Jill's LIFE she's fighting to keep. She asks the Lion so sincerely to look away while she drinks from the stream.
But if only she were to lay down, bow her head, and drink, she would understand just how thirsty she was. She would begin to sip, and then sip some more, and finally find that her face is completely plunged into the stream because the water is so good. She wouldn't want to look up. She wouldn't even think about it. She would just drink. And drink. And drink. And the Lion would devour her, and she wouldn't even care...because she would find that the water is the water of Life.
So will we lay it down? Will we give it all, letting everything we've ever known become His life, as we trade ours for His? We will carry our cross? Will we lay down our earthly crowns and desires that he would be enthroned on our worship? Will we let the tower fall, and replace the foundation with Christ?
Give it all to the One who is Life. He has given His so that you could know him...so that you could drink and be satisfied beyond all measure. His love is perfect.
Drink all you want! He's got it covered!
SSD
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Immutability of God
I know that I just blogged this morning, but a certain study today in a theology book on Gods "immutability" shook me to the core. I just wanted to give you a brief summary of what I learned,and give you somthing to chew on. I really look forward to some kind of comment.
When we first look at the Immutability of God (the fact that he is unable to change in his being, purposes, promises, perfections) it may not seem like that much of an importance, until you actually stop and look at it. Lets look at it from the view of “if God could change”(in his being, perfections, promises, purposes). If God could change, it would either be for the better, or for the worse. If it were for the better, then we can conclude that he was not already the best possible being when we first trusted him, therefore wondering if he is the best being now? If it were for the worse, then what kind of God would he become? He could become a little evil, other than wholly good. Then, if he was a changing god, he could become wholly evil instead of wholly good if he so chose to. “Thus the idea that God could change leads to a horrible possibly that thousands of years from now we might come to live forever in a universe dominated by a wholly evil, omnipotent(all powerful) God. It is hard to imagine any thoughts more terrifying”. Grudem. Also, if God was a changing god, he could go against his promises about Christ return, or he could change his mind concerning the fact of our salvation. A little reflection like this brings to reality the importance of the immutability of the Lord.
May He forever be praised, seriously!...K.P.
When we first look at the Immutability of God (the fact that he is unable to change in his being, purposes, promises, perfections) it may not seem like that much of an importance, until you actually stop and look at it. Lets look at it from the view of “if God could change”(in his being, perfections, promises, purposes). If God could change, it would either be for the better, or for the worse. If it were for the better, then we can conclude that he was not already the best possible being when we first trusted him, therefore wondering if he is the best being now? If it were for the worse, then what kind of God would he become? He could become a little evil, other than wholly good. Then, if he was a changing god, he could become wholly evil instead of wholly good if he so chose to. “Thus the idea that God could change leads to a horrible possibly that thousands of years from now we might come to live forever in a universe dominated by a wholly evil, omnipotent(all powerful) God. It is hard to imagine any thoughts more terrifying”. Grudem. Also, if God was a changing god, he could go against his promises about Christ return, or he could change his mind concerning the fact of our salvation. A little reflection like this brings to reality the importance of the immutability of the Lord.
May He forever be praised, seriously!...K.P.
Prayer and Faith
I am just going to throw some qoutes out from a book I am reading, "The complete works of E.M. Bounds on prayer". I'd rather do this, than try and sit here and communicate my thoughts on this. I will just let you take it for what its worth... K.P.
"In any study of the principles and procedure of prayer, of its activites and enterprises, first place, must, of necessity, be given to faith. it is the intial quality in the heart of any man who essays to talk to the unseen. he must out of sheer helplessness, stretch forth hands of faith. He must believe, where he cannot prove. In the ultimate issue, prayer is simply faith, claiming its natural yet marvelous prerogatives-faith taking possession of its illimitable inheritance. True godliness is just as true, steady, and persevering in the realm of faith as it is in the province of prayer. Moreover: when faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live."
"Faith is kept alive by prayer, and every step taken, in this adding of grace to grace, is accompanied by prayer."
"Faith does not grow disheartened because prayer is not immediatly honored; it takes God at his Word, and lets him take what time he chooses in fulfilling his purposes, and in carrying on his work. ther is bound to be uch delay and long days of waiting for true faith, but faith accepts the conditions-knows there will be delays in answering prayer, and regards such delays as times of testing, in the which, it is privileged to show is mettle, and the stern stuff of which it is made"
"If Jesus dwells at the fountain of my life; if the currents of his life have displaced and superseded all self-currents; it implicit obedience to him is the inspiration and force of every movement of my life, then he can safly commit the praying to my will, and pledge himself, by an obligation as profound as his own nature, that whatsoever is asked shall be granted. Nothing can be clearer, more distinct, more unlimited both in application and extent, than the exhortation and urgency of Christ "have faith in God".
"The nature and meaning of faith is more demonstrable in what it does, than it is by reason of any definition given it."
"Faith is not an aimless act of the soul, but a looking to God and resting upon his promises....faith isn not believing just anything; it is believing God, resting in him, trusting his Word."
"It is not the intelleectually great that the chruch needs; nor is it men of wealth that the times demand. It is not people of great social influence that this day requires. Above everybody and everything else, it is men of faith, men of mighty prayer, men and women after the fashion of the saints and heroes enumerated in Hebrew, who "obtained a good report through faith", that the church and the whole wide world of humanity needs."
"many men, of this day, obtain good reports because of their money-gicing, their great mental gifts and talents, but few ther be who obtain a "good report" because of their faith in God, or because of the wonderful things whcih are being wrought through their great praying. today as mcuh as at any time, we need men of great faith andmen who are mighty in prayer."
"Faith is increased by exercise, by being put into use...Faith grows by reading and meditating upon the Word of God. Most and best of all, faith thrives in an atmosphere of prayer."
"Faith makes prayer strong, and gives it patience to wait on God.......Yet faith is narrowed down to one particular thing-it does not believe that God will reward everybody, not that he is a rewarder of all who pray, but that he is a rewarder of them who diligently seek him. Faith rest its case on diligence in prayer, and gives assurance and encouragment to diligent seekes after God, for it is they, alone, who are richly rewarded when they pray."
"In any study of the principles and procedure of prayer, of its activites and enterprises, first place, must, of necessity, be given to faith. it is the intial quality in the heart of any man who essays to talk to the unseen. he must out of sheer helplessness, stretch forth hands of faith. He must believe, where he cannot prove. In the ultimate issue, prayer is simply faith, claiming its natural yet marvelous prerogatives-faith taking possession of its illimitable inheritance. True godliness is just as true, steady, and persevering in the realm of faith as it is in the province of prayer. Moreover: when faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live."
"Faith is kept alive by prayer, and every step taken, in this adding of grace to grace, is accompanied by prayer."
"Faith does not grow disheartened because prayer is not immediatly honored; it takes God at his Word, and lets him take what time he chooses in fulfilling his purposes, and in carrying on his work. ther is bound to be uch delay and long days of waiting for true faith, but faith accepts the conditions-knows there will be delays in answering prayer, and regards such delays as times of testing, in the which, it is privileged to show is mettle, and the stern stuff of which it is made"
"If Jesus dwells at the fountain of my life; if the currents of his life have displaced and superseded all self-currents; it implicit obedience to him is the inspiration and force of every movement of my life, then he can safly commit the praying to my will, and pledge himself, by an obligation as profound as his own nature, that whatsoever is asked shall be granted. Nothing can be clearer, more distinct, more unlimited both in application and extent, than the exhortation and urgency of Christ "have faith in God".
"The nature and meaning of faith is more demonstrable in what it does, than it is by reason of any definition given it."
"Faith is not an aimless act of the soul, but a looking to God and resting upon his promises....faith isn not believing just anything; it is believing God, resting in him, trusting his Word."
"It is not the intelleectually great that the chruch needs; nor is it men of wealth that the times demand. It is not people of great social influence that this day requires. Above everybody and everything else, it is men of faith, men of mighty prayer, men and women after the fashion of the saints and heroes enumerated in Hebrew, who "obtained a good report through faith", that the church and the whole wide world of humanity needs."
"many men, of this day, obtain good reports because of their money-gicing, their great mental gifts and talents, but few ther be who obtain a "good report" because of their faith in God, or because of the wonderful things whcih are being wrought through their great praying. today as mcuh as at any time, we need men of great faith andmen who are mighty in prayer."
"Faith is increased by exercise, by being put into use...Faith grows by reading and meditating upon the Word of God. Most and best of all, faith thrives in an atmosphere of prayer."
"Faith makes prayer strong, and gives it patience to wait on God.......Yet faith is narrowed down to one particular thing-it does not believe that God will reward everybody, not that he is a rewarder of all who pray, but that he is a rewarder of them who diligently seek him. Faith rest its case on diligence in prayer, and gives assurance and encouragment to diligent seekes after God, for it is they, alone, who are richly rewarded when they pray."
Monday, May 17, 2010
Scripture Memory
The focus of this message is Scripture memory, and the "purpose" behind it. It may seem like something very basic, but through this message God really dugg down deep and caught my attention on alot of different things. So I challenge you to listen carfully to this message. I do ask that you spend time in prayer before watching this and really get focused. Piper begins this message by qouting Psalm 1,16,103 Romans 5,8 and 1 Cor. 13. Then his focus passage is John 15:1-7.
K.P.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Numbers 9
Numbers 9:15-23 is a really interesting passage that I would encourage you to read!
Verse 18 says that the people of Israel “traveled and camped at the LORD’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle.”
This is something that Jim Elliot wrote in his journal in regards to this passage:
“Guidance for Israel in wandering was unquestionable. There was no doubt if God wished them to move- the only question was, were they willing to follow as the cloud moved? Shall my father be less definite with me? I cannot believe so. Often I doubt because I cannot see, but surely the Spirit will lead as definitely as the pillar of cloud. The question is for me, are my plans flexible enough to be subject to immediate revamping? When the cloud remained long, the people must have wondered why and been restless. I must be willing to remain and to go. The presence of God determined the whereabouts of his people. “Where I am, there will my servant be also” (John 12:26). Very well, Lord, what of this summer?”
I thought I would share this because I know a lot of us are at that time in our lives when we are trying to figure out “what’s next”… But I would encourage you to be willing to wait upon the Lord. Keep seeking after him and he will lead you where you need to go. He does not leave us out in the wilderness! We might not have a cloud of fire, but we do have the eternal flame of his Spirit inside of us, continually guiding us. Let’s pray for one another, that we will not be too busy with our own plans and dreams to move when God calls us to move.
With Love,
CD :)
Verse 18 says that the people of Israel “traveled and camped at the LORD’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle.”
This is something that Jim Elliot wrote in his journal in regards to this passage:
“Guidance for Israel in wandering was unquestionable. There was no doubt if God wished them to move- the only question was, were they willing to follow as the cloud moved? Shall my father be less definite with me? I cannot believe so. Often I doubt because I cannot see, but surely the Spirit will lead as definitely as the pillar of cloud. The question is for me, are my plans flexible enough to be subject to immediate revamping? When the cloud remained long, the people must have wondered why and been restless. I must be willing to remain and to go. The presence of God determined the whereabouts of his people. “Where I am, there will my servant be also” (John 12:26). Very well, Lord, what of this summer?”
I thought I would share this because I know a lot of us are at that time in our lives when we are trying to figure out “what’s next”… But I would encourage you to be willing to wait upon the Lord. Keep seeking after him and he will lead you where you need to go. He does not leave us out in the wilderness! We might not have a cloud of fire, but we do have the eternal flame of his Spirit inside of us, continually guiding us. Let’s pray for one another, that we will not be too busy with our own plans and dreams to move when God calls us to move.
With Love,
CD :)
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Pride
God has rocked me hard for the past week, and on wednesday night I finally saw what it was, Pride. I praise Him for opening my eyes to this sin in my life. I went and talked with P.J. this morning and told him this stuff, and he shared this message that was head on with what was going on with me and exactly what I needed to hear. I have been learning ALOT, and I am so thankful for that, but where I messed up was when I wasnt lead to the feet of Christ more and more as I learned more and more. I had become a ridiculous Pharisee, and God in His sweet and sovreign Grace revealed this and Himself to me, and the communication between us was SWEET!! I wanted to share this with you guys as a edificaiton kinda deal. I hope through this that you see God in a differnt way as you learn more Truths.... K.P.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Four Characteristics of Scripture
Here are some things that I have learned recently. If you have any questions, or if I have made a mistake somewhere, let me know. WORD UP!....K.P.
The Four Characteristics of Scripture
1- Authority
The authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.
A- All the Words in Scripture are God’s Words
1-This is what the Bible claims for Itself. All throughout the Bible, you will find these words, “God said”, or “Jesus said”. Also if you look at 2 Timothy 3:16 you will find “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right”. This is one of the strongest, and yet clear verses that confirm the fact that the Words in the Bible are Gods words.
2- We are convinced of the Bible’s claims to be God’s words as we read the Bible. Wayne Grudem states “It is one thing to affirm that the Bible claims to be the words of God. It is another thing to be convinced that those claims are true. Our ultimate conviction that the words of the Bible are God’s words comes only when the Holy Spirit speaks in and through the words of the Bible to our hearts and gives us an inner assurance that these are the words of our Creator speaking to us”. I believe that it is worthy to note one more quote that I believe is very important to note, “It is important to remember that this conviction that the words of Scripture are the words of God does not come apart from the words of Scripture or in addition to the Words of Scripture. It is not as if the Hoy Spirit one day whispers in our ear, “do you see that Bible sitting on your desk? I want you to know that the words of that Bible are God’s words”. It is rather as people read Scripture that they hear their Creator’s voice speaking to them in the words of Scripture and realize that the book they are reading is unlike any other book, that it is indeed a book of God’s own words speaking to their hearts.”
3-The Words of Scripture are Self-Attesting. We can not use anything to prove the Bible to be Gods words by appeal to any higher authority, because the Bible is the highest authority. If we were to use something other that the Bible to prove its authority, then that would be placing the Bible under those facts, which would make them have authority over the Bible, therefore decreasing the value of the Words of God.
4-Objection: This is a circular argument. An example of this would be; we believe that Scripture is Gods word, because it claims to be that, and it claims to be that because Scripture is Gods word, and so forth. Wayne Grudem states what I believe would be the conclusion, “the argument for the Bible as Gods word and our ultimate authority is not a typical circular argument. The process of persuasion is perhaps better likened to a spiral in which increasing knowledge of Scripture and increasing correct understanding of God and creation tend to supplement one another in a harmonious way, each tending to confirm the accuracy of the other. This is not to say that our knowledge of the world around us serves as a higher authority than Scripture, but rather that such knowledge, if it is correct, continues to give greater and greater assurance and deeper conviction that the Bible is the only truly ultimate authority and that others competing claims for ultimate authority are false”.
B. Therefore to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.
From what I understand and believe about the previous discussed section, the statement above calls for application.
C. The Truthfulness of Scripture
1-God cannot lie or speak falsely. I believe the strongest confirmation we have on this is found in Hebrews 6:18, “So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie…” Therefore, since all Scripture is spoken or “inspired” by God, then all scripture must be truth, just as the Lord Himself is. There cannot be untruthfulness in Scripture, period!
2-Gods words are the ultimate standard of truth. John 17:17 “Make them holy by your truth, teach them your word, which is truth”. Here Jesus uses the word truth as a noun, meaning, on purpose, that Gods word is truth, not that it is true, but that it is truth itself.
D. Written Scripture is our final authority
“It is important to realize that the final form in which Scripture remains authoritative is its written form. It was the words of God written on the tablets of stone that Moses deposited in the ark of the Covenant. Later, God commanded Moses and subsequent prophets to write their words in a book. And it was written Scripture that Paul said was “God-Breathed” 2 Tim. 3:16”.
2-Clarity
A. The Bible frequently affirms its own clarity
The Bibles clarity responsibility of believers generally to read it and understand it are often emphasized.
Deut. 6:6-7, From these verses I understand that Israel was expected to be able to “teach and talk” to there children about the Word, therefore the Word must have been able to understand.
Psalm 1119:130 states “The teaching of your Word gives light, so even the simple can understand”. Wayne Grudem says “Here the simple person is not merely one who lacks intellectual ability, but one who lacks sound judgment, who is prone to making mistakes, and who is easily lead astray. God’s Word is so understandable, so clear, that even this kind of person is made wise by it. This should be great encouragement to all believers: no believer should think himself or herself too foolish to read Scripture and understand sufficiently to be made wise y it”.
It is also very important, and yet very interesting to note that not one time in the Gospels did you ever read Jesus saying “I see where you get your problem”, or “I see why you don’t understand, the Scriptures were unclear about that”. Instead you see Jesus putting the blame not on Scripture, but on the ones who misunderstood or failed to accept what the Scriptures said. A prime example of this is in Matthew 22:29 “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scripture, and you don’t know the power of God”.
B. The Moral and Spiritual Qualities Needed for Right Understanding
“But people who aren’t spiritual cant receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they cant understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, Who can know the Lords thoughts” Who knows enough to teach him? But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ” 1 Corinthians 2:14-16. Wayne Grudem states “Although the New Testament authors affirm that the Bible in itself is written clearly, they also affirm that it will not be understood rightly by those who are unwilling to receive its teachings”. This is not to say that all unbelievers will fail to understand the Bible. They will be able to understand if God chooses to allow them to understand, and if they are seeking the Bible sincerely for salvation. In this case the Holy Spirit, if He chooses to, will overcome the effects of sin, allowing the unbeliever to see the Truth.
C. Definition of the Clarity of Scripture
Wayne Grudem defines it as this, “The clarity of Scripture means that the Bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all who will read it seeking God’s help and being willing to follow it”.
D. Why do people misunderstand Scripture?
Throughout history there has been many disagreements on Scripture and its interpretation. From what we have studied so far, we can and must conclude that the problem doesn’t lie in Scripture, but within our very selves. We can conclude, just as Matthew 22:29 states, that the Scripture is clear and able to be understood, and that we misunderstand what is clearly written in Scripture.
Through this study, we can also conclude that there are only two causes to us misunderstanding, one being that we are seeking to make affirmations where Scripture itself is silent, or two being that we have made mistakes in our interpretation of Scripture.
3- Necessity
“The necessity of Scripture means that the Bible is necessary for knowing the Gospel, for maintaining Spiritual life, and for knowing God’s will, but is not necessary for knowing that God exist or for knowing something about God’s character and moral laws”, Wayne Grudem.
A. The Bible is Necessary for knowledge of the Gospel
Romans 10:13-17
The Bible is necessary for salvation, then, in this sense: one must either read the Gospel message in the Bible for oneself or hear it form another person. Even those believer who came to salvation in the Old Covenant did so by trusting in the words of God that promised to Savoir to come.
B. the Bible is Necessary for Maintaining Spiritual life
If you look in the book of Deuteronomy 8:3b and also in Matthew 4:4 we see that Scripture says “ People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”. Also in the book of Deuteronomy 32:47 we see that Moses is giving a command from the Lord, and he says “ These instructions are not empty words- they are your LIFE!”. So, just from these few verses we can come to the conclusion that the Word of God is very, very vital to our spiritual life!
C. The Bible is necessary for certain knowledge of God’s Will
Deuteronomy 29:29 “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of theses instructions”. God has not revealed ALL things to us, but he has revealed enough for us to know his will. God has revealed his words to us that we might obey his laws and therefore do his will.
D. The Bible is NOT necessary for knowing that God exist
People can come to the conclusion that God exist and can even come to the knowledge of some of his attributes, without reading the Bible. Psalm 19:1 states this fact clearly “The heavens proclaim the glory of God, the skies display his craftsmanship”. To look to the sky is to see clear evidence of the infinite power, wisdom, beauty, and majesty of the Lord.
Romans 1:20 “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Thorough everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have NO EXCUSE for not knowing God.”. Paul writes very plainly under the inspiration of the Holy Spirits authority that creation displays Gods existence and character.
4- Sufficiency
“The sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contained all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting him perfectly and for obeying him perfectly.” Grudem. 2 Timothy 3:15-16 give us support for this definition, “You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right”. If you continue on through the end of the chapter which is verse 17 we find that Scripture also gives us what we need to live the Christian Life, “God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work”. Therefore, the sufficiency of Scripture should encourage us as we are in a pursuit of seeking the Lord. Knowing that everything God wants us to know and has willed us to know is revealed to us through His fully sufficient Word.
The Inerrancy of Scripture
Are there any errors in the Bible?
The Inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact. Grudem. If you look back in the Authority of Scripture, there is a section talking about the “Truthfulness of Scripture”. That section discusses the fact that God cannot lie or speak falsely, Hebrews 6:18. Therefore if God cannot lie, or speak falsely, then His word has to be without error. If Scripture is not inerrant, then God would be a liar, therefore throwing His whole Character off!
The Four Characteristics of Scripture
1- Authority
The authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.
A- All the Words in Scripture are God’s Words
1-This is what the Bible claims for Itself. All throughout the Bible, you will find these words, “God said”, or “Jesus said”. Also if you look at 2 Timothy 3:16 you will find “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right”. This is one of the strongest, and yet clear verses that confirm the fact that the Words in the Bible are Gods words.
2- We are convinced of the Bible’s claims to be God’s words as we read the Bible. Wayne Grudem states “It is one thing to affirm that the Bible claims to be the words of God. It is another thing to be convinced that those claims are true. Our ultimate conviction that the words of the Bible are God’s words comes only when the Holy Spirit speaks in and through the words of the Bible to our hearts and gives us an inner assurance that these are the words of our Creator speaking to us”. I believe that it is worthy to note one more quote that I believe is very important to note, “It is important to remember that this conviction that the words of Scripture are the words of God does not come apart from the words of Scripture or in addition to the Words of Scripture. It is not as if the Hoy Spirit one day whispers in our ear, “do you see that Bible sitting on your desk? I want you to know that the words of that Bible are God’s words”. It is rather as people read Scripture that they hear their Creator’s voice speaking to them in the words of Scripture and realize that the book they are reading is unlike any other book, that it is indeed a book of God’s own words speaking to their hearts.”
3-The Words of Scripture are Self-Attesting. We can not use anything to prove the Bible to be Gods words by appeal to any higher authority, because the Bible is the highest authority. If we were to use something other that the Bible to prove its authority, then that would be placing the Bible under those facts, which would make them have authority over the Bible, therefore decreasing the value of the Words of God.
4-Objection: This is a circular argument. An example of this would be; we believe that Scripture is Gods word, because it claims to be that, and it claims to be that because Scripture is Gods word, and so forth. Wayne Grudem states what I believe would be the conclusion, “the argument for the Bible as Gods word and our ultimate authority is not a typical circular argument. The process of persuasion is perhaps better likened to a spiral in which increasing knowledge of Scripture and increasing correct understanding of God and creation tend to supplement one another in a harmonious way, each tending to confirm the accuracy of the other. This is not to say that our knowledge of the world around us serves as a higher authority than Scripture, but rather that such knowledge, if it is correct, continues to give greater and greater assurance and deeper conviction that the Bible is the only truly ultimate authority and that others competing claims for ultimate authority are false”.
B. Therefore to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.
From what I understand and believe about the previous discussed section, the statement above calls for application.
C. The Truthfulness of Scripture
1-God cannot lie or speak falsely. I believe the strongest confirmation we have on this is found in Hebrews 6:18, “So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie…” Therefore, since all Scripture is spoken or “inspired” by God, then all scripture must be truth, just as the Lord Himself is. There cannot be untruthfulness in Scripture, period!
2-Gods words are the ultimate standard of truth. John 17:17 “Make them holy by your truth, teach them your word, which is truth”. Here Jesus uses the word truth as a noun, meaning, on purpose, that Gods word is truth, not that it is true, but that it is truth itself.
D. Written Scripture is our final authority
“It is important to realize that the final form in which Scripture remains authoritative is its written form. It was the words of God written on the tablets of stone that Moses deposited in the ark of the Covenant. Later, God commanded Moses and subsequent prophets to write their words in a book. And it was written Scripture that Paul said was “God-Breathed” 2 Tim. 3:16”.
2-Clarity
A. The Bible frequently affirms its own clarity
The Bibles clarity responsibility of believers generally to read it and understand it are often emphasized.
Deut. 6:6-7, From these verses I understand that Israel was expected to be able to “teach and talk” to there children about the Word, therefore the Word must have been able to understand.
Psalm 1119:130 states “The teaching of your Word gives light, so even the simple can understand”. Wayne Grudem says “Here the simple person is not merely one who lacks intellectual ability, but one who lacks sound judgment, who is prone to making mistakes, and who is easily lead astray. God’s Word is so understandable, so clear, that even this kind of person is made wise by it. This should be great encouragement to all believers: no believer should think himself or herself too foolish to read Scripture and understand sufficiently to be made wise y it”.
It is also very important, and yet very interesting to note that not one time in the Gospels did you ever read Jesus saying “I see where you get your problem”, or “I see why you don’t understand, the Scriptures were unclear about that”. Instead you see Jesus putting the blame not on Scripture, but on the ones who misunderstood or failed to accept what the Scriptures said. A prime example of this is in Matthew 22:29 “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scripture, and you don’t know the power of God”.
B. The Moral and Spiritual Qualities Needed for Right Understanding
“But people who aren’t spiritual cant receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they cant understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, Who can know the Lords thoughts” Who knows enough to teach him? But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ” 1 Corinthians 2:14-16. Wayne Grudem states “Although the New Testament authors affirm that the Bible in itself is written clearly, they also affirm that it will not be understood rightly by those who are unwilling to receive its teachings”. This is not to say that all unbelievers will fail to understand the Bible. They will be able to understand if God chooses to allow them to understand, and if they are seeking the Bible sincerely for salvation. In this case the Holy Spirit, if He chooses to, will overcome the effects of sin, allowing the unbeliever to see the Truth.
C. Definition of the Clarity of Scripture
Wayne Grudem defines it as this, “The clarity of Scripture means that the Bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all who will read it seeking God’s help and being willing to follow it”.
D. Why do people misunderstand Scripture?
Throughout history there has been many disagreements on Scripture and its interpretation. From what we have studied so far, we can and must conclude that the problem doesn’t lie in Scripture, but within our very selves. We can conclude, just as Matthew 22:29 states, that the Scripture is clear and able to be understood, and that we misunderstand what is clearly written in Scripture.
Through this study, we can also conclude that there are only two causes to us misunderstanding, one being that we are seeking to make affirmations where Scripture itself is silent, or two being that we have made mistakes in our interpretation of Scripture.
3- Necessity
“The necessity of Scripture means that the Bible is necessary for knowing the Gospel, for maintaining Spiritual life, and for knowing God’s will, but is not necessary for knowing that God exist or for knowing something about God’s character and moral laws”, Wayne Grudem.
A. The Bible is Necessary for knowledge of the Gospel
Romans 10:13-17
The Bible is necessary for salvation, then, in this sense: one must either read the Gospel message in the Bible for oneself or hear it form another person. Even those believer who came to salvation in the Old Covenant did so by trusting in the words of God that promised to Savoir to come.
B. the Bible is Necessary for Maintaining Spiritual life
If you look in the book of Deuteronomy 8:3b and also in Matthew 4:4 we see that Scripture says “ People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”. Also in the book of Deuteronomy 32:47 we see that Moses is giving a command from the Lord, and he says “ These instructions are not empty words- they are your LIFE!”. So, just from these few verses we can come to the conclusion that the Word of God is very, very vital to our spiritual life!
C. The Bible is necessary for certain knowledge of God’s Will
Deuteronomy 29:29 “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of theses instructions”. God has not revealed ALL things to us, but he has revealed enough for us to know his will. God has revealed his words to us that we might obey his laws and therefore do his will.
D. The Bible is NOT necessary for knowing that God exist
People can come to the conclusion that God exist and can even come to the knowledge of some of his attributes, without reading the Bible. Psalm 19:1 states this fact clearly “The heavens proclaim the glory of God, the skies display his craftsmanship”. To look to the sky is to see clear evidence of the infinite power, wisdom, beauty, and majesty of the Lord.
Romans 1:20 “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Thorough everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have NO EXCUSE for not knowing God.”. Paul writes very plainly under the inspiration of the Holy Spirits authority that creation displays Gods existence and character.
4- Sufficiency
“The sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contained all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting him perfectly and for obeying him perfectly.” Grudem. 2 Timothy 3:15-16 give us support for this definition, “You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right”. If you continue on through the end of the chapter which is verse 17 we find that Scripture also gives us what we need to live the Christian Life, “God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work”. Therefore, the sufficiency of Scripture should encourage us as we are in a pursuit of seeking the Lord. Knowing that everything God wants us to know and has willed us to know is revealed to us through His fully sufficient Word.
The Inerrancy of Scripture
Are there any errors in the Bible?
The Inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact. Grudem. If you look back in the Authority of Scripture, there is a section talking about the “Truthfulness of Scripture”. That section discusses the fact that God cannot lie or speak falsely, Hebrews 6:18. Therefore if God cannot lie, or speak falsely, then His word has to be without error. If Scripture is not inerrant, then God would be a liar, therefore throwing His whole Character off!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Psalm 119 Striving to be undefiled in the way
As some of you know I have really been studying psalm 119 for a while. I have been reading in a commentary by Charles Spurgeon, and I have really gained a lot of insight into this incredible passage of the bible. Its amazing how much there is to learn in just one verse! So, I would like the share a few things about the first verse of Psalm 119. In verse one David says, "Blessed are those who are undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD." The first thing that Spurgeon points out in his commentary is that the psalmist considers a the person who is walking in the way of the LORD to be happy.
Spurgeon says, "The psalmist is so delighted with God's word that he considers being conformed to it the height of blessing. He has gazed upon the beauties of the perfect law as if this verse were the sum and outcome of all his emotions.....we not only judge the keeping of God's word to be wise and proper, but we are also warmly delighted by its holiness. We cry in adoring wonder, 'Blessed are the undefiled'. Eagerly wanting to be undefiled, we wish for no greater happiness than to be perfectly holy. It may be that writer labored under a sense of his own faults and envied the blessedness of those whose walk had been more pure and clean. Contemplating the perfect law of the LORD was enough to make him mourn his own imperfections and cry for the blessing of an undefiled walk."
So, I think it can be said that the psalmist delighted in the word of God because he saw that others who kept the Law were blessed, or happy. The psalmist says that the undefiled in the way are blessed. We know that we can never be completely without sin or defilement, but the psalmist was rejoicing in sanctification. His blessedness was found in dependence upon God to change him from glory to glory, and in the hope that one day when he has left this world he will finally be able to be totally undefiled before the LORD and experience the ultimate blessedness. So, the blessedness that we can experience on this earth is found in seeking God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and in seeking him he will make up holy. Well guys, I really pray that this will do something in your hearts. I pray that our ultimate joy would be found in going hard after Christ and striving to be undefiled in the way. So, I will close with another quote from Charles Spurgeon and I hope that you will make this your prayer.
"Lord, if I am not yet so blessed as to be among the undefiled in Your way, I will think of the happiness they enjoy and make it my life's ambition."
-AC
Spurgeon says, "The psalmist is so delighted with God's word that he considers being conformed to it the height of blessing. He has gazed upon the beauties of the perfect law as if this verse were the sum and outcome of all his emotions.....we not only judge the keeping of God's word to be wise and proper, but we are also warmly delighted by its holiness. We cry in adoring wonder, 'Blessed are the undefiled'. Eagerly wanting to be undefiled, we wish for no greater happiness than to be perfectly holy. It may be that writer labored under a sense of his own faults and envied the blessedness of those whose walk had been more pure and clean. Contemplating the perfect law of the LORD was enough to make him mourn his own imperfections and cry for the blessing of an undefiled walk."
So, I think it can be said that the psalmist delighted in the word of God because he saw that others who kept the Law were blessed, or happy. The psalmist says that the undefiled in the way are blessed. We know that we can never be completely without sin or defilement, but the psalmist was rejoicing in sanctification. His blessedness was found in dependence upon God to change him from glory to glory, and in the hope that one day when he has left this world he will finally be able to be totally undefiled before the LORD and experience the ultimate blessedness. So, the blessedness that we can experience on this earth is found in seeking God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and in seeking him he will make up holy. Well guys, I really pray that this will do something in your hearts. I pray that our ultimate joy would be found in going hard after Christ and striving to be undefiled in the way. So, I will close with another quote from Charles Spurgeon and I hope that you will make this your prayer.
"Lord, if I am not yet so blessed as to be among the undefiled in Your way, I will think of the happiness they enjoy and make it my life's ambition."
-AC
The Sake of the Call.
On January 8, 1956, Jim Elliot and six other missionaries were killed by the Auca Indians- men whom Jim had diligently prayed for and sought to serve for six years. He willingly gave his life for the sake of Christ, and his example infused millions with passion for the Gospel.
This is an amazing quote from Jim’s wife Elisabeth Elliot:
“Jim’s aim was to know God. His course, obedience–the only course that could lead to the fulfillment of his aim. His end was what some would call an extraordinary death, although in facing death he had quietly pointed out that many have died because of obedience to God.
He and the other men with whom he died were hailed as heroes, “martyrs.” I do not approve. Nor would they have approved.
Is the distinction between living for Christ and dying for Him, after all, so great? Is not the second the logical conclusion of the first? Furthermore, to live for God is to die, “daily,” as the apostle Paul put it. It is to lose everything that we may gain Christ. It is in thus laying down our lives that we find them.”
After Jim’s death, Elisabeth chose to continue to give her life in service to the very people who had killed her husband. (Eventually, they came to except the gospel message)
For some reason, this got me thinking about another man I read about in a Leslie Ludy book one time:
“A Chinese pastor who was thrown into solitary confinement for more than a year because of his faith. Day after day, week after week, month after month he crouched in a tiny cell hardly big enough to stand up in. He remained there in total darkness. There was no light, no human companionship. It was just him and God. When he was finally released, he had nearly gone blind from the long lack of light. His body was weak and fragile. But his face was radiant and glowing. He seemed to effervesce with joy and peace. His Christian friends peppered him with questions. “How did you survive solitary confinement so long? What was it like?”
The frail pastor paused and smiled. “It was like a honeymoon with Jesus!”
That statement amazes me because here was a man who hadn’t even talked to another human being in a year and yet he was totally fulfilled and fully satisfied with Jesus Christ alone.
These two stories have really made me think. Faced with the circumstances, would I choose to love Jesus more than I love my own life? If everything I had was stripped away (friends, family, facebook) and I was thrown into a prison cell, would Christ be enough?
As we were sitting in church this morning singing “Fairest Lord Jesus,” I realized that I don’t have to be threatened by death or thrown into a prison cell to decide if Jesus is enough for me. I make this decision every day with how I spend my time and energy. Do I willingly die to my selfish desires and lay down my life every day, knowing that Jesus is more than enough? Can I honestly sing “Jesus you’re everything to me” or am I still holding on to things this world offers?
I hope these questions and thoughts will challenge you as they have challenged me!
Okay one final thought. (Sorry, I know this post has been kinda long). But in Acts 7 when Stephen (the first martyr) is right in the middle of being persecuted, it says he “looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (verse 55). And that kind of sums up what all of these stories are all about. When our eyes are fixed on Christ, EVERYTHING else, even our lives, seems less important compared to proclaiming His eternal glory.
-CD :)
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Canon of Scripture-please read and comment
This is a little bit of my understanding on the Canon. Figured I would share it, and try and get a little discussion going on, so....
The Canon is a list of all the books that belong in the Bible. The importance of us knowing the Canon is summed up in two verses in the book of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy 32:47 Moses says to Israel "These instructions are not empty words-they are your life! By obeying them you will enjoy a long life in the land you will occupy when you cross the Jordam River", and in Deuteronomy 4:2 Moses says "do not add to or subtract form these commands I am giving you. Just obey the command of the Lord your God that I am giving you". Being that the Canon is a list of all the books that belong in the Bible, and the Bible contains our "life" (Deut 32:47), and no one is to add to nor subtract from it, it is the utmost importance that we know for a fact that the Canon is correct.
The Old Testament Canon
The earlist collection of the written Words of God was the Ten commandments,(written by God Himself, Exodus 31:18/32:16), therefore making the Ten commandments form the beginning of the Old Testament Canon. Although the Holy Spirit was not permanently given to man until after the resurrection of Christ, He did move upon whom He chose and made happen what He wanted to happen, and in this case it would be the fact of writing God's Word, (1 Samuel 10:25, 2 Chron. 26:22). The end of the writing process was approximantly 435 B.C., which were around the time of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. After 435 B.C. the Jewish sect did not accept any other writings for they were not deemed worthy as the Old Testament Scripture are deemed because they knew of no one who could speak with the authority of God as the Old Testament Prophets had done. If we go to the New Testament, we find that there was no disagreement between Jesus and the Jews over the Old Testament Canon. Over 295 times, Jesus and the New Testament authors qouted Scripture from the Old Testament, but no one time was there a quote from the Apocrypha or any other writings.
The Apocrypha was not included in the Canon because 1- they do not claim for themselves the same kind of authority as the Old Tesament writings, 2- they were not considered to be Scripture from the people whom they originated, 3-they were not considered Scripture by Jesus and the New Testament authors, 4- they contain teachings inconsistent with the rest of the Bible.
The New Testament Canon
The New Testament Canon begins with the writings of the apostles, to whom the Holy Spirit was promised and was going to teach and bring to rememberance the things that they had learned from Christ, (John 14:26, 16:13-14). Also, if you held the office of an apostle you were seen to have the same authority as the Old Testament Prophets had held, which was to speak and write the ver words of God, giving there words and writings the same authority as the Old Testament Scriptures. There were some books of the New Tesament that were not writen by an apostle, but the authenticity of these books was affirmed by the apostles, (ex would be Paul affirming the authenticity of Luke).
There is no other writings that are going to be added to the Canon, and we can get this from Hebrews 1:1-2. These facts all indicate that there is a finality to the revelation of God in Christ, and that once this revelation has been completed, there is no more to be expected. Now understanding the fact that a majority of the New Testament was written by apostles, the rest was affirmed by apostles, and that the Son of God is the greatest and final revelation to mankind according to Hebrews 1:1-2, we must conclude that in order for "scripture" to be added to the New Testament Canon it must be: 1-written by an apostle, 2- affirmed by an apostle, or 3- be affirmed by the Son of God Himself.
This is my understanding so far, and so I am up for anymore information or any correction. Hope it helps...
K.P.
The Canon is a list of all the books that belong in the Bible. The importance of us knowing the Canon is summed up in two verses in the book of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy 32:47 Moses says to Israel "These instructions are not empty words-they are your life! By obeying them you will enjoy a long life in the land you will occupy when you cross the Jordam River", and in Deuteronomy 4:2 Moses says "do not add to or subtract form these commands I am giving you. Just obey the command of the Lord your God that I am giving you". Being that the Canon is a list of all the books that belong in the Bible, and the Bible contains our "life" (Deut 32:47), and no one is to add to nor subtract from it, it is the utmost importance that we know for a fact that the Canon is correct.
The Old Testament Canon
The earlist collection of the written Words of God was the Ten commandments,(written by God Himself, Exodus 31:18/32:16), therefore making the Ten commandments form the beginning of the Old Testament Canon. Although the Holy Spirit was not permanently given to man until after the resurrection of Christ, He did move upon whom He chose and made happen what He wanted to happen, and in this case it would be the fact of writing God's Word, (1 Samuel 10:25, 2 Chron. 26:22). The end of the writing process was approximantly 435 B.C., which were around the time of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. After 435 B.C. the Jewish sect did not accept any other writings for they were not deemed worthy as the Old Testament Scripture are deemed because they knew of no one who could speak with the authority of God as the Old Testament Prophets had done. If we go to the New Testament, we find that there was no disagreement between Jesus and the Jews over the Old Testament Canon. Over 295 times, Jesus and the New Testament authors qouted Scripture from the Old Testament, but no one time was there a quote from the Apocrypha or any other writings.
The Apocrypha was not included in the Canon because 1- they do not claim for themselves the same kind of authority as the Old Tesament writings, 2- they were not considered to be Scripture from the people whom they originated, 3-they were not considered Scripture by Jesus and the New Testament authors, 4- they contain teachings inconsistent with the rest of the Bible.
The New Testament Canon
The New Testament Canon begins with the writings of the apostles, to whom the Holy Spirit was promised and was going to teach and bring to rememberance the things that they had learned from Christ, (John 14:26, 16:13-14). Also, if you held the office of an apostle you were seen to have the same authority as the Old Testament Prophets had held, which was to speak and write the ver words of God, giving there words and writings the same authority as the Old Testament Scriptures. There were some books of the New Tesament that were not writen by an apostle, but the authenticity of these books was affirmed by the apostles, (ex would be Paul affirming the authenticity of Luke).
There is no other writings that are going to be added to the Canon, and we can get this from Hebrews 1:1-2. These facts all indicate that there is a finality to the revelation of God in Christ, and that once this revelation has been completed, there is no more to be expected. Now understanding the fact that a majority of the New Testament was written by apostles, the rest was affirmed by apostles, and that the Son of God is the greatest and final revelation to mankind according to Hebrews 1:1-2, we must conclude that in order for "scripture" to be added to the New Testament Canon it must be: 1-written by an apostle, 2- affirmed by an apostle, or 3- be affirmed by the Son of God Himself.
This is my understanding so far, and so I am up for anymore information or any correction. Hope it helps...
K.P.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Philippians 1:24
Philippians 1:24 "But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account."
This is where Paul is talking about "For me to live is Christ, to die is gain." (Phil 1:21). He then follows that with verse 24. Verse 24 hit me like a bag of bricks. (Not that I know what that feels like, but I bet it hurts). I wanted to know who would it be necessary for me to stay for? Who, spiritually, would be hindered because I died? If I died tomorrow, who would have a spiritual hole to fill? Sure, people would miss me and be sad I'm dead (at least I hope so), but who would miss me spiritually? Verse 25 says that he knows he's not about to die yet so he can help to sanctify them and further their walk in faith. Then, 26 says (as to why he will stay and further their faith) "so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus." Which then made me wonder who do I lead to glory in Christ?
None of this is to say that I need to go get a church and get them to love me and need me. Instead, within the people I already know, I would influence them spiritually, which is what truly matters. Therefore, I put this question to you: Who is it necessary that you to stay here for?
-Michael
This is where Paul is talking about "For me to live is Christ, to die is gain." (Phil 1:21). He then follows that with verse 24. Verse 24 hit me like a bag of bricks. (Not that I know what that feels like, but I bet it hurts). I wanted to know who would it be necessary for me to stay for? Who, spiritually, would be hindered because I died? If I died tomorrow, who would have a spiritual hole to fill? Sure, people would miss me and be sad I'm dead (at least I hope so), but who would miss me spiritually? Verse 25 says that he knows he's not about to die yet so he can help to sanctify them and further their walk in faith. Then, 26 says (as to why he will stay and further their faith) "so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus." Which then made me wonder who do I lead to glory in Christ?
None of this is to say that I need to go get a church and get them to love me and need me. Instead, within the people I already know, I would influence them spiritually, which is what truly matters. Therefore, I put this question to you: Who is it necessary that you to stay here for?
-Michael
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Psalm 63:1
Psalm 63:1 "O God, you are my God..."
As many of you know, I have been in Psalm 63 for a while. God keeps showing me more and more out of this passage. Earlier this week, I was hit strongly by this verse. I was reading this and Matthew Henry's commentary on it as well and they just showed me something of it in a whole new light.
What's crazy is that David is not in the temple when he writes this. He is not chillin' on his throne. He's not hanging out with friends. He's not even close to being in Jerusalem. In fact, it says he is in the wilderness of Judah. The time frame of David's life is when he left Jerusalem when his son, Absalom, was rising up against him. David left everything he knew and loved so that he would not be killed by Absalom. He left the comfort and security of his house, the presence of God at the temple, his citizens, and his kingdom. In fact, David's friends Abiathar and Zadok came with the Levites carrying the Ark of the Covenant. They did this so they would have God on their side. However, David knew that God was not contained in a box. He knew that God was with him with or without the Ark. So, he told them to send it back. David was faithful in the Lord. He put himself at the Lord's mercy and trusted that he would see God again. This is found in 2 Samuel 15.
In the middle of this, David says, "O God!" He recognizes that God is God. That there is no other Jehovah. He praises God just for being God. He knows that God is still Elohim (strong, mighty, covenant God) the same God who created the world and made covenants with man and Himself. That God is Jehovah Jireh; that the Lord will see to it. He will take care of David and his life. He knows that God is still El Shaddai, the powerful nourisher. That God can and will strengthen David. David knew that God is worthy to be praised simply because He is God. He doesn't need to create worlds, save souls, punish souls, give grace or mercy, show love, give life, etc. in order for Him to be praised. He is God! He, alone, is worthy to be praised.
But, David does not stop there. He goes on, "You are my God!" Not only are You God, but You are my God. Not only are You the creator and sustainer of the universe, but You are my God! God is not some great creator who was proud in what He made, but then just let us be. He is a personal, intimate God who loves us and wants to know us and for us to know Him. That is why we can call Him abba, father. That is why we get to talk to Him constantly. That is why He reconciled us unto Him. So we could enjoy a personal relationship with Him. It's crazy to think about it, actually. That the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God of the Universe who created me is my Father. He is close. He is intimate. He loves me! That is beyond comprehending. That is beyond crazy. That is amazing!
I praise God for being God and my God. I praise Him that He has shown Himself to me in this way. I pray that God will do the same for you and that you will worship Him for this.
-Michael
Soli Deo Gloria
As many of you know, I have been in Psalm 63 for a while. God keeps showing me more and more out of this passage. Earlier this week, I was hit strongly by this verse. I was reading this and Matthew Henry's commentary on it as well and they just showed me something of it in a whole new light.
What's crazy is that David is not in the temple when he writes this. He is not chillin' on his throne. He's not hanging out with friends. He's not even close to being in Jerusalem. In fact, it says he is in the wilderness of Judah. The time frame of David's life is when he left Jerusalem when his son, Absalom, was rising up against him. David left everything he knew and loved so that he would not be killed by Absalom. He left the comfort and security of his house, the presence of God at the temple, his citizens, and his kingdom. In fact, David's friends Abiathar and Zadok came with the Levites carrying the Ark of the Covenant. They did this so they would have God on their side. However, David knew that God was not contained in a box. He knew that God was with him with or without the Ark. So, he told them to send it back. David was faithful in the Lord. He put himself at the Lord's mercy and trusted that he would see God again. This is found in 2 Samuel 15.
In the middle of this, David says, "O God!" He recognizes that God is God. That there is no other Jehovah. He praises God just for being God. He knows that God is still Elohim (strong, mighty, covenant God) the same God who created the world and made covenants with man and Himself. That God is Jehovah Jireh; that the Lord will see to it. He will take care of David and his life. He knows that God is still El Shaddai, the powerful nourisher. That God can and will strengthen David. David knew that God is worthy to be praised simply because He is God. He doesn't need to create worlds, save souls, punish souls, give grace or mercy, show love, give life, etc. in order for Him to be praised. He is God! He, alone, is worthy to be praised.
But, David does not stop there. He goes on, "You are my God!" Not only are You God, but You are my God. Not only are You the creator and sustainer of the universe, but You are my God! God is not some great creator who was proud in what He made, but then just let us be. He is a personal, intimate God who loves us and wants to know us and for us to know Him. That is why we can call Him abba, father. That is why we get to talk to Him constantly. That is why He reconciled us unto Him. So we could enjoy a personal relationship with Him. It's crazy to think about it, actually. That the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God of the Universe who created me is my Father. He is close. He is intimate. He loves me! That is beyond comprehending. That is beyond crazy. That is amazing!
I praise God for being God and my God. I praise Him that He has shown Himself to me in this way. I pray that God will do the same for you and that you will worship Him for this.
-Michael
Soli Deo Gloria
Read it. Meditate on it. Live it out.
Okay. Here’s the deal. For some reason, I find writing on a blog a little intimidating. BUT if we all could just come here to share what was on our hearts, this wouldn’t be so intimidating; it would be an awesome way to encourage each other! I really want to learn from you guys. So I’m just going to share with you what I have been reading and maybe you (yes, you) can now share what you have been reading! :)
I know a while back we talked about Psalm 119 and how awesome and convicting it is to see how the word of God was the author’s greatest joy! His worth, delight, treasure, hope, and happiness was found in pouring his life out for God and obeying his every word. With that in mind, something I was reading tonight really stuck out to me…
These are some inserts from Mark Batterson’s book called Primal (with my commentary, of course):
“Not unlike radio waves, the Spirit of God is always broadcasting. But we’ve got to tune in to his frequency. The Holy Spirit has multiple channels of communication, but His primary channel of communication is Scripture. When we open the Bible, it’s like God opens His mouth. That’s how we get on His frequency. That’s how we tune in to His voice.
When you open the Bible and really hear the voice of God-His Loving voice, His graceful voice, His powerful voice, His convicting voice, His affirming voice, His authoritative voice- your life begins to echo God’s. Your life becomes a joyful noise. Your life begins to harmonize with the Holy Spirit.
When you love someone, you love the sound of his or her voice. If you’ve ever had a long distance relationship, you know whereof I write. A relationship with God is a lot like that. To love God is to love his voice. Or to put it another way, to love God is to love his word.”
((I thought this was cool, because when you start thinking about the bible as God’s voice-- Him speaking to you, it makes it really personal. Really special. It really is a joy to hear from him!))
“If you are relying on a preacher to be fed, I fear for you. Listening to a sermon is acquiring secondhand knowledge. It is learning based on someone else’s experiences. A sermon is no replacement for firsthand knowledge. I’d rather have people hear one word from the Lord rather than a thousand of my sermons. And that is what happens when you read the Word for yourself.
Start reading the bible and you’ll discover that the more you read, the more you crave. It’s an acquired taste.
But here’s the secret: you can’t just read the Bible; you have to meditate on it. Reading gives breadth to our understanding but meditation gives depth. If all we do is read scripture, then our understanding is one-dimensional. Reading without meditating is like taking one look through a kaleidoscope without turning it. So many colorful and beautiful patterns of truth remain undiscovered simply because we think we’ve seen everything there is to see when we haven’t seen anything yet.”
((The word meditation is used eight times in Psalm 119.))
“The best translation of the bible is your life. God doesn’t just want to speak to you through Scripture, he wants to speak through you. He wants to write His-story through your life. And Scripture is the script.”
You guys are smart and probably already know all of this, but I know sometimes I can get so caught up in podcasts and Christian books that I forget about the most important thing. So I encourage you all to take the time to dig into the Word that God has spoken to you. Not for the sake of knowing the Bible, but for the sake of knowing God! And displaying him to the world.
-CD :)
I know a while back we talked about Psalm 119 and how awesome and convicting it is to see how the word of God was the author’s greatest joy! His worth, delight, treasure, hope, and happiness was found in pouring his life out for God and obeying his every word. With that in mind, something I was reading tonight really stuck out to me…
These are some inserts from Mark Batterson’s book called Primal (with my commentary, of course):
“Not unlike radio waves, the Spirit of God is always broadcasting. But we’ve got to tune in to his frequency. The Holy Spirit has multiple channels of communication, but His primary channel of communication is Scripture. When we open the Bible, it’s like God opens His mouth. That’s how we get on His frequency. That’s how we tune in to His voice.
When you open the Bible and really hear the voice of God-His Loving voice, His graceful voice, His powerful voice, His convicting voice, His affirming voice, His authoritative voice- your life begins to echo God’s. Your life becomes a joyful noise. Your life begins to harmonize with the Holy Spirit.
When you love someone, you love the sound of his or her voice. If you’ve ever had a long distance relationship, you know whereof I write. A relationship with God is a lot like that. To love God is to love his voice. Or to put it another way, to love God is to love his word.”
((I thought this was cool, because when you start thinking about the bible as God’s voice-- Him speaking to you, it makes it really personal. Really special. It really is a joy to hear from him!))
“If you are relying on a preacher to be fed, I fear for you. Listening to a sermon is acquiring secondhand knowledge. It is learning based on someone else’s experiences. A sermon is no replacement for firsthand knowledge. I’d rather have people hear one word from the Lord rather than a thousand of my sermons. And that is what happens when you read the Word for yourself.
Start reading the bible and you’ll discover that the more you read, the more you crave. It’s an acquired taste.
But here’s the secret: you can’t just read the Bible; you have to meditate on it. Reading gives breadth to our understanding but meditation gives depth. If all we do is read scripture, then our understanding is one-dimensional. Reading without meditating is like taking one look through a kaleidoscope without turning it. So many colorful and beautiful patterns of truth remain undiscovered simply because we think we’ve seen everything there is to see when we haven’t seen anything yet.”
((The word meditation is used eight times in Psalm 119.))
“The best translation of the bible is your life. God doesn’t just want to speak to you through Scripture, he wants to speak through you. He wants to write His-story through your life. And Scripture is the script.”
You guys are smart and probably already know all of this, but I know sometimes I can get so caught up in podcasts and Christian books that I forget about the most important thing. So I encourage you all to take the time to dig into the Word that God has spoken to you. Not for the sake of knowing the Bible, but for the sake of knowing God! And displaying him to the world.
-CD :)
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
What a pursuit, What a love
I figured I would try this thing out, see how to do this deal, so I am just going to write a thought from a verse that I read yesterday.
Acts 7:34 "I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt."
As I read this verse, two words hit me real hard, "come down". For some reason my mind shifted to 2 Timothy 1:9 "For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserve it, but because that was his plan from the beginning of time-to show us his grace through Christ Jesus".
Okay, here is where I ended up; God wanted to have fellowship with us, so He created us. But what gets me is the fact that even before He created us He knew what was going to go down. He knew that we were going to rebel, hate, and pretty much just curse His name. He also knew before hand that He was going to "come down" out of Heaven (which ment that He knew that He was going to be giving up His Glory) through His Son, Christ, and that we were going to kill Him.
It really humbles me as I sit here and think about this. Knowing all of this before hand, and He still creates us, and then after He redeems us, we are "blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms" (Eph 1:3-4), promised that He will never remember our sins (Heb 10:17), and then tells us in Hebrews 10:22 that we can go into His presence! What a pursuit God has after us! What a love Christ has for us!
There is nothing that we can do with this Truth but just worship!
Acts 7:34 "I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt."
As I read this verse, two words hit me real hard, "come down". For some reason my mind shifted to 2 Timothy 1:9 "For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserve it, but because that was his plan from the beginning of time-to show us his grace through Christ Jesus".
Okay, here is where I ended up; God wanted to have fellowship with us, so He created us. But what gets me is the fact that even before He created us He knew what was going to go down. He knew that we were going to rebel, hate, and pretty much just curse His name. He also knew before hand that He was going to "come down" out of Heaven (which ment that He knew that He was going to be giving up His Glory) through His Son, Christ, and that we were going to kill Him.
It really humbles me as I sit here and think about this. Knowing all of this before hand, and He still creates us, and then after He redeems us, we are "blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms" (Eph 1:3-4), promised that He will never remember our sins (Heb 10:17), and then tells us in Hebrews 10:22 that we can go into His presence! What a pursuit God has after us! What a love Christ has for us!
There is nothing that we can do with this Truth but just worship!
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