It's Saturday, and all this blogging is wearing me out, lol. I haven't been this involved in discussion since my Faith, Reason, and Imagination class last semester. (talk about being challenged in explaining/defending your faith). I have way exceeded my limits, but hopefully all this blogging will be habit-forming.
Jeff is gone to St. Louis. :O( I have no life. Which reminds me:
I admire Kristen Barfield and J.C. Thompson more than I even think I know. They have put the L-O-N-G-D-I-S-T-A-N-C-E in the long-distance relationship. They probably even put the r-e-l-a-t-i-o-n-s-h-i-p there, too. I'm glad we're all getting married together!
I miss you, Jeff.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Romans 1
I read Romans 1 today devotionally. I noticed an interesting pattern throughout the chapter: God was in complete control of both the belief of the believers, and the unbelief of the non-believers.
Paul begins by saying that he himself is "called as an apostle"(v.1), "set apart for the gospel of God"(v.1), and that he along with the believers has "recieved grace and apostleship"(v.5), and that those to whom he is writing are the "called of Jesus Christ"(v.6). He addresses those believers, "to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints"(v.7). God called them; God set them apart; God gave them the grace and apostleship that they recieved, God loved them, making them beloved, etc.
Paul continues that God has made what is known about God evident to ungodly and unrighteous men (v.19). They did not honor or obey God (v.21). God, in ultimate control, gave them over to impurity (v.24), to degrading passions (v.26), to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper (v.28).
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes to believers, "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," Ephesians 2:1-6
God gave some over to their evil ways and yet, as we see in Romans and Ephesians, pulled those believers out of death and the lusts of their flesh into salvation. If hating God and reveling in our own sinful lusts merited God's wrath, why did God pull some out of it, and yet turn others over into it?
[emphasis mine]
Paul begins by saying that he himself is "called as an apostle"(v.1), "set apart for the gospel of God"(v.1), and that he along with the believers has "recieved grace and apostleship"(v.5), and that those to whom he is writing are the "called of Jesus Christ"(v.6). He addresses those believers, "to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints"(v.7). God called them; God set them apart; God gave them the grace and apostleship that they recieved, God loved them, making them beloved, etc.
Paul continues that God has made what is known about God evident to ungodly and unrighteous men (v.19). They did not honor or obey God (v.21). God, in ultimate control, gave them over to impurity (v.24), to degrading passions (v.26), to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper (v.28).
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes to believers, "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," Ephesians 2:1-6
God gave some over to their evil ways and yet, as we see in Romans and Ephesians, pulled those believers out of death and the lusts of their flesh into salvation. If hating God and reveling in our own sinful lusts merited God's wrath, why did God pull some out of it, and yet turn others over into it?
[emphasis mine]
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Pain
When Isaiah saw God in the temple (Isaiah 6), he was ruined (or undone) over his sin. He completely came apart. The angel burnt the flesh on his lips with a coal to cleanse him from his sins, no doubt a painful experience.
The pain of repentance is not given much attention. Do we come undone over our sin, and when God restores us and heals us, do we feel the pain of being refined by the fire of God's holiness?
I pray that we would be sensitive to sin, and that it would grieve the Spirit within us. And I pray that we would all experience being refined by God's holiness, however painful the experience may be.
The pain of repentance is not given much attention. Do we come undone over our sin, and when God restores us and heals us, do we feel the pain of being refined by the fire of God's holiness?
I pray that we would be sensitive to sin, and that it would grieve the Spirit within us. And I pray that we would all experience being refined by God's holiness, however painful the experience may be.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Eloping
Life (and my engagement) would be much easier if the main thing was the main thing. No elaborate ceremonies, no cake that I can't eat, no extra expenses, NO WAITING. I would be eloping right now if that were the case. "Hello judge, sign this please, have a nice day." Now that's an idea.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Does "all" mean "all"?
Here is an interesting verse, that, taken word-by-word literally, would seem to contradict itself.
"For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." --Acts 2:39, enfasis mine
The context:
is the day of Pentecost. Peter is preaching Jesus to the Jews. They come under conviction, and ask Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" (v. 37)
Peter tells them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (v. 38)
Here is where v. 39 comes in. The promise he is speaking of is salvation. (repentance, baptism, forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit.)
Inference:
We know from context that in v.39, "you and your children" are the Jews, and that "all who are far off" are the Gentiles. But then Peter clarifies that the promise of salvation is for "as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself", not all.
So does "all" mean "all"?
In this passage we see it used in reference to the Gentiles, but not in reference to the recipients of the promise of salvation.
"For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." --Acts 2:39, enfasis mine
The context:
is the day of Pentecost. Peter is preaching Jesus to the Jews. They come under conviction, and ask Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" (v. 37)
Peter tells them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (v. 38)
Here is where v. 39 comes in. The promise he is speaking of is salvation. (repentance, baptism, forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit.)
Inference:
We know from context that in v.39, "you and your children" are the Jews, and that "all who are far off" are the Gentiles. But then Peter clarifies that the promise of salvation is for "as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself", not all.
So does "all" mean "all"?
In this passage we see it used in reference to the Gentiles, but not in reference to the recipients of the promise of salvation.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Edification
Once I was finished with my post for today, and quite proud of it, God called the verse to my mind that says to speak "only such a word as is good for edification", so I had to start over.
It is amazing to watch my future husband grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. I rest completely assured in his ability to lead, not as the world defines a leader or a man, but as Christ defines one. I am comforted about my future as I see him leading into God's calling and will, and I will joyfully follow.
As we are surrounded with failing and/or failed marriages, we are constantly confronted with what is a well-meaning forewarning, "don't worry, you won't want to be near each other once you are married", or, "see how you feel about one another after a few years of marriage", etc.
Well, I can say that they are accurate when defining the mainstream and worldly picture of marriage.
However, Christ is the center of the universe, and He is the reason why everything doesn't fall apart. He holds every atom within its boundaries, and if He were to remove His hand from sustaining the universe, all would cease to exist.
In the same way, if Christ is the center of your marriage, it will not and can not fall apart. Sure, everyone says, "that won't happen to us; we're different". But Jeff and I do not say this in vain. We will not fail as long as Christ is the center of our marriage. He is the center of our lives, and by default He will be the center of our marriage.
Praise Jesus, from whom no area of our existence escapes His lordship!
It is amazing to watch my future husband grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. I rest completely assured in his ability to lead, not as the world defines a leader or a man, but as Christ defines one. I am comforted about my future as I see him leading into God's calling and will, and I will joyfully follow.
As we are surrounded with failing and/or failed marriages, we are constantly confronted with what is a well-meaning forewarning, "don't worry, you won't want to be near each other once you are married", or, "see how you feel about one another after a few years of marriage", etc.
Well, I can say that they are accurate when defining the mainstream and worldly picture of marriage.
However, Christ is the center of the universe, and He is the reason why everything doesn't fall apart. He holds every atom within its boundaries, and if He were to remove His hand from sustaining the universe, all would cease to exist.
In the same way, if Christ is the center of your marriage, it will not and can not fall apart. Sure, everyone says, "that won't happen to us; we're different". But Jeff and I do not say this in vain. We will not fail as long as Christ is the center of our marriage. He is the center of our lives, and by default He will be the center of our marriage.
Praise Jesus, from whom no area of our existence escapes His lordship!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
ok, so I'm really bad at this...
Well, it seems that I am really bad at doing anything involving a computer, except for piling stuff in front of it, for longer that a few straight days. Email, myspace, facebook, blogging- there's just so much to do to maintain an internet social life- it's like having a part-time job that doesn't pay anything, but yet costs you just as much sleep.
4 lessons I've learned in the past few weeks:
1. Seeking and waiting on God means you have to SEEK, and WAIT.
Skipping out on a word from God and making a critical decision w/o His confirmation means you are making a MISTAKE. And it's definitely not fair to those whom your decision affects.
2. The professor has the floor in any classroom discussion, and you will never win.
So ask him questions that he cannot answer, and can provide no evidence for.
3. Being kind and intelligent when defending your faith gains more ground than being defensive and irrational.
4. People get angry when you say that if one does not believe and follow the teachings of Christ, then he is not a Christian.
Apparently the title "Christian" is available for any religion-inventing Joe, even if he doesn't adhere whatsoever to the teachings of Christ. I must have missed that memo on the change in definition.
4 lessons I've learned in the past few weeks:
1. Seeking and waiting on God means you have to SEEK, and WAIT.
Skipping out on a word from God and making a critical decision w/o His confirmation means you are making a MISTAKE. And it's definitely not fair to those whom your decision affects.
2. The professor has the floor in any classroom discussion, and you will never win.
So ask him questions that he cannot answer, and can provide no evidence for.
3. Being kind and intelligent when defending your faith gains more ground than being defensive and irrational.
4. People get angry when you say that if one does not believe and follow the teachings of Christ, then he is not a Christian.
Apparently the title "Christian" is available for any religion-inventing Joe, even if he doesn't adhere whatsoever to the teachings of Christ. I must have missed that memo on the change in definition.
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