tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27896125384171493692024-02-07T21:46:05.205-05:00Tip of the Tongue Theology"And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" Luke 24:31-32Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-46363369966543834612018-07-22T15:16:00.000-04:002018-07-22T15:21:33.115-04:00COMMUNICATING THE GOSPEL TO KIDS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBugCMmx0u3_hlKEoy0l08PVWvA49dWrbADYtEbeqG3ts5b99spXrZB_pgX4pFYaJkWxRjeQ3o5QKP7-mhQN7meRJmXTogvpuucbcAmY0TzYVtQcL6T6p_pNtSSqaq7-PZfr3CBlx0HdLe/s1600/communicate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBugCMmx0u3_hlKEoy0l08PVWvA49dWrbADYtEbeqG3ts5b99spXrZB_pgX4pFYaJkWxRjeQ3o5QKP7-mhQN7meRJmXTogvpuucbcAmY0TzYVtQcL6T6p_pNtSSqaq7-PZfr3CBlx0HdLe/s320/communicate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">If you have spent anytime around kids or grew up in a large
family, you understand the competitive nature that can exist between siblings
and peers. I have heard my kids say many times, “I can do that too!” You can be
confident that if you praise one kid, there is bound to be a jealous kid who
desires the same attention and praise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Kids are experiencing a time in their life where they are
told what to do or not to do; they are chomping at the bit waiting to prove
that they can do what big kids do! Kids feel pressure of gaining the approval
of their parents and others. This same pressure can influence their
understanding of how they can be accepted by God. When it comes to the gospel,
kids must understand that they need the help of Jesus. Kids must understand
that the statement, “I can do that too!” will never apply to the work of
Christ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Sharing the gospel to kids must emphasize crying out to
Jesus for HELP! Kids must understand that gaining the approval of parents and
God are entirely two separate things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I was very diligent this week in explaining the gospel to my
VBS class. The kids understood exactly what Jesus did before, during, and after
the cross. But the one thing that I had to reinforce the most that continued to
go unnoticed is their need to cry out to Jesus for help. I asked the kids how
they could be accepted by God immediately after explaining the gospel, and
their answers included personal obedience. The kids were acknowledging that
Jesus did something special but continued to trust in their own effort to gain
approval with God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">The kids did not realize the absurdity and pointlessness of Jesus
dying on the cross if salvation could be gained by personal obedience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I am happy that the kids shared their thoughts and that
I had the opportunity to correct them with the true gospel. Many seeds were
planted this week during VBS. The kids left knowing that they cannot gain God’s
approval on their own. I emphasized over and over again the need to repent and
turn to Jesus as their all in all, their only hope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I could have made the mistake in believing that the kids
were ready to be saved because they understood what Jesus did. But the kids
were not ready and will never be saved until they understand and are willing to
let go and cry out “I can’t but you can!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Kids get upset when they realize they can’t do something, but
they must face the same humbling reality that all men and women must face in
order to gain the approval of God through Christ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"><b>[Rom 3:23-24 KJV] “For all have sinned, and come short of
the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus”</b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">By Todd Lockwood</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-48216348479430906782018-07-14T16:59:00.000-04:002018-07-15T13:54:44.870-04:00DO YOU PASS THE TEST OF BEING A CHRISTIAN?<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZmyLk9xr-rS6Qvdc2LspPp6hqogz2wdypqsYVk4mXNIp8gNHKWEOqNERMEpUJhihYSwUXzlM4gbN5225t3z1rcUQRBBt-7ZhVvzuEIXPfCLVrN-L6sS66jl8aOByVGa8Od5O9TVQepiy/s1600/images4BYWFWZW.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZmyLk9xr-rS6Qvdc2LspPp6hqogz2wdypqsYVk4mXNIp8gNHKWEOqNERMEpUJhihYSwUXzlM4gbN5225t3z1rcUQRBBt-7ZhVvzuEIXPfCLVrN-L6sS66jl8aOByVGa8Od5O9TVQepiy/s1600/images4BYWFWZW.jpg" /></a><br />
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By Todd Lockwood<br />
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If so, does it bother you that your relationship with God is non-existent? Many people casually call themselves Christians but have not the slightest desire or concern to be in the presence of God, until they need something. How do you spend your days? Is there evidence in your life that you have been forgiven and adopted into the family of God, outside of just making a profession of faith?<br />
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<b>“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me…” - Matthew 15:8</b><br />
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How can we say that we had a genuine encounter with the God of the universe and go on living as if it never happened? God is holy by his very nature, he is perfect and beautiful in every way. The holiness of God is something to be desired, that is, if you have been given a heart that desires to be with him. A mark of the life of a true believer is the desire to be with God and to be like him. The pursuit of holiness is the pursuit of God. Genuine faith will lead a believer to gradually resemble God more and more till the day the Lord calls them home. A believer will live a life of continual repentance as they get back up again to continue pursuing the heart of God.<br />
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<b>“The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart…” - 1 Samuel 13:14</b><br />
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Is your ultimate affection God? “Affection” is not emotion but it is the very nature of your heart. Your affection will determine what you do with your emotions and knowledge as you act in thought and deed. The affection also determines the will of man, whether it will resemble the will of the Lord. The affection is the “cause” and the “effect” includes the will, emotions, and mind. In other words, if our greatest affection is God, it will manifest itself in our lives.<br />
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<b>“If you love me, you will keep my commandments…Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him…If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” - John 14:15, 21, 23</b><br />
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If God did not give us a new heart to love him and left us to ourselves, we would hate him and desire to live without him. Despite having the knowledge of God, men live as if God doesn’t exist. Man is so depraved that the greatest sin ever committed by man occurred during the greatest witness of God during the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. God manifested himself in the flesh but the world desired darkness over light and crucified the Son of God! God must work in us to be able to pursue holiness and to pursue him. Fallen mankind is not neutral but inclined to sin without God. Our wills are always at odds with the will of God until he intervenes and saves us from self- destruction by giving us a new heart. <br />
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<b>“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” - Romans 1:28</b><br />
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Have you experienced genuine saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? When you are truly satisfied in the Lord, you won’t seek to be satisfied by anything or anyone else. A genuine saving relationship with God is like a beautiful marriage. A man and woman who join together with their hearts in a covenant relationship before God do not live separately immediately after the wedding. Genuine faith is like a beautiful marriage, the covenant bond continues to manifest itself in the hearts, thoughts, and actions of the covenant members. A husband or wife who immediately desire to live separately after a wedding are not representing a genuine marriage. In the same way, an individual who makes a profession of faith and walks away from God immediately after did not experience genuine faith.<br />
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<b>“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” - 2 Corinthians 13:5</b><br />
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<b>“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision…that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.” – Acts 26:19-20, Apostle Paul</b><br />
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Do you pass the test? Does separation from God feel like a punishment to you or are you satisfied without him? The way you answer this question is evidence of the true condition of your heart and if you are saved or not. Can you agree and say the following with a grateful heart?<br />
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<b> “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20</b><br />
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He is risen! He is risen indeed!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-59692021842489712022017-01-21T21:24:00.000-05:002017-01-21T21:24:41.319-05:00The Beauty of Biblical Womanhood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlCH-TdkfnutdFkO2uQ9S96_5M53ChyphenhyphenQw1BZZH-mFVkwB_EnYZw2_00ar2hRrVc08v5Gx99U9PSWw6EEs0wyfHOMScAuO98z8VQwmgNng8vrVgooHbP46vGEmOeTC_FpMsB4KHn_Dh6XF/s1600/4220289_thatcher_249174b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlCH-TdkfnutdFkO2uQ9S96_5M53ChyphenhyphenQw1BZZH-mFVkwB_EnYZw2_00ar2hRrVc08v5Gx99U9PSWw6EEs0wyfHOMScAuO98z8VQwmgNng8vrVgooHbP46vGEmOeTC_FpMsB4KHn_Dh6XF/s320/4220289_thatcher_249174b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Margaret Thatcher with her husband Denis and twin children </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Carol Thatcher and Mark Thatcher (source <a href="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/film/article3276584.ece" target="_blank">The Times</a>)</span></div>
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Male domination has influenced many women to become part of
the feminist movement. I can understand the frustration of many women around
the world today and of the past (see Declaration of Sentiments from 1848). I
stand with you on many issues but not all. I do not believe that the
differences between men and women are obstacles but blessings. At first, this
statement may upset some due to some misconceptions and without further
explanation. I hope the following article will help to remove any confusion
about my statement and to show how God created men and women complementary so
that they would have mutual respect for their differences.</div>
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The misconception in our society is that equality is based
upon sameness (i.e. I can do anything you can do!). When it comes to men and
women this is not true, both have different weaknesses and strengths. For
example, the women body is designed to give birth. Obviously, I haven’t
experienced it for myself but I have witnessed my wife give birth to our two
children. She was in labor for hours but she fought through it. Men can only
stand there as support but nothing more.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But when it comes to overall strength, men are stronger than
most women. I know some scrawny and weak men and I know some tough women but
these are the few exceptions. Men are designed to have the greatest potential
for upper body strength. Legs are probably more equal in potential strength between
men and women. But the physical differences do not change the fact that they
are both equal in worth and honor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What about the intellect? My little girl is one smart cookie
and her education will be just as challenging as our little boy. There are
plenty of intelligent women that have just as much potential as any man. The
cure for cancer could come from a woman just as much as a man.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What about roles? Roles are established all throughout
society (i.e. marriage, work, school, church, and more). Some are based upon abilities
and some are not. My view of roles is determined by the good pleasure of God, not
my own ingenuity. God has used women in great ways to lead and witness for his
glory (i.e. Deborah, Esther, and more). The roles God has had for men and women
throughout history have not always been determined by abilities.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For example, church roles for men and women have nothing to
do with abilities but with the design of God. The New Testament established its
authority for church design upon the created order before the fall, not cultural
trends (1 Tim 2:13 “For Adam was first formed, then Eve.”). Different
roles in the church were not designed to prove that men are better equipped to
lead but to resemble the helper role Eve was to fulfill for Adam in the garden.
This may seem like an inferior role in the eyes of the world but don’t forget
Jesus who served the Father and taught his disciples that a servant is the
greatest in the kingdom of God (Luke 9:46, 22:24).<o:p></o:p></div>
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The same could be said for marriage, though I would say that
childbearing and breast feeding was God’s way of helping women be the primary
care taker for children. I believe men and women were given “primary duties”
within the context of marriage but these can overlap from time to time. The
wife of Proverbs 31 was very active in providing for the needs of the family
through manual labor and commerce.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is much more to be said but I must be brief for sake
of time. I hope this article has removed any misnomer that you may have had
against scripture and represented the beauty of womanhood in the eyes of God. I
have come to appreciate women more as I grow in my knowledge of the scriptures.
God loves women and so do I. Women and men are equal in worth and honor even if
there are differences. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b> If you are interested in learning more about the biblical
roles of men and women, I recommend that you read <i>Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood</i>.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-77863709713962492502017-01-13T21:21:00.000-05:002017-01-13T22:30:25.907-05:00Transcedence and Authority: God, Bill Nye, and Aliens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fcSUMwYknK0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fcSUMwYknK0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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There are many objections people have against the Bible and
many of these are used without much thought and are rather culturally motivated
rejections. Many of the objections are acquired from growing up in a culture
that is anti-God on so many levels. Though the Scientific Revolution was
inspired by an ordered universe from a Creator, the movement gradually became
more anti-God and gained more honor in society by acquiring positions that
rivaled longstanding religious positions of the past. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Today, we see science as the authority and not the word of
God. We are conditioned from an early age not to question the science elite.
Those who believe in the word of God today are guaranteed to receive the same treatment as Martin Luther who rejected the tradition of the religious elite. The
slightest mentioning of a Creator in a science class will bring you before a
school board so that you may recant and apologize for your gross actions and
beliefs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Furthermore, many are proud to have left behind the highly
improbable fairy tales of the Bible. But the innate desire to seek that which
transcends the human race is still thriving in the culture as scientists try to
explain the unobservable events of the past and the unknown. For example, culture
is fascinated with the idea of alien life despite the lack of evidence because
it is interesting, intelligent, and transcendent. But why not follow after a
transcendent God who created and controls the universe? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Maybe the problem is the fact that the God of the Bible is
not just transcendent but also an authority. Of all the assumptions of alien
life that circulate our culture, why not believe that they are holy similar to
the God of the Bible? But we do not see that, instead, we assume that they are
intelligent, advanced, and in some cases killers as in the movies Independence
Day (1996) and Independence Day: Resurgence (2016). The moment aliens try to
become our authority we must kill them! This is the same treatment our culture
applies to the God of the Bible. I believe that the Independence Day movies
resemble our cultural norm that accepts transcendence that is disconnected from
authority.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For many, the problem is not that the God of the Bible is
transcendent but that he is an authority. Our culture is still clinging unto
the transcendent but will not accept anything that sacrifices complete control
of one’s life. In the end, the highly improbable theories of science say more
about our culture than true science and expose the real reason for rejecting
the God of the Bible for most.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>“</i><span style="background: white;"><i>Unless I am
convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason-for I
can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have
erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves-I consider myself convicted by the
testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the
Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one's
conscience is neither safe nor sound. God help me. Amen.” </i>– Martin Luther, Diet
of Worms (1521)</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-1246524502040007682016-09-18T15:33:00.000-04:002016-09-18T15:33:27.955-04:00What God Expects from a Nations' Leaders - John MacArthur<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q8GLAIoN_FQ" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Dr. John MacArthur, president of The Master's College & Seminary, speaking at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver, CO on July 3, 2016 on what God expects from a nations leaders. The event was hosted by Colorado Christian University and featured Donald Trump, Sarah Palin, Phil Robertson, Star Parker, Hugh Hewitt, Eric Metaxas, Ken Buck, Erick Erickson, Dennis Prager and more.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-29163707953999672062016-08-20T01:23:00.003-04:002016-08-20T01:26:52.746-04:00Warfare: Good Soldier of Christ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaoyYYOwsNC8UjM51PkTgl0WoXBoOnUyGbGrx3iUvBx7SoAHqNSD1LMh3TMGTpUL3prInGwk_DTxDkvyqt8r_6_1Ei8N43GoKEmZK2n_aT_aFm5pHbrrmQd5F4hV_zCi1arG0tvJsVLjk/s1600/pow+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaoyYYOwsNC8UjM51PkTgl0WoXBoOnUyGbGrx3iUvBx7SoAHqNSD1LMh3TMGTpUL3prInGwk_DTxDkvyqt8r_6_1Ei8N43GoKEmZK2n_aT_aFm5pHbrrmQd5F4hV_zCi1arG0tvJsVLjk/s320/pow+image.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
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<b>3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of
Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim
is to please the one who enlisted him. - 2 Tim 2:3-4</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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This passage drowned out all other passages this week during
my studies. I could not stop thinking about the implications of being a “good
soldier of Christ Jesus.” As verse 4 says, a good soldier will not be concerned
with “civilian pursuits.” The aim of a soldier is to fulfill his duty from his
commander. The fact that Paul describes Christians as “soldiers” also reminds
me that we are at war (i.e. spiritually). What should we expect from war? We
certainly cannot expect prosperity or comfort. War is devastating and demands
many sacrifices. The expectations of Christians should be to suffer for as long
as we are at war.</div>
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The evil forces in this world are relentless and will stop
at nothing. Christians should be ready for their attacks by putting on the
whole armor of God. First of all, we must accept the fact that we are at war in
order to be prepared for war. Secondly, we must be completely dedicated to our
God-given mission. Thirdly, we must fight the war with the spiritual weapons
God has given us. If we do not accept that there is a war, then the enemy will
have no resistance. Christians who are not dedicated to their God-given mission
will abandon the battle field. Lastly, if we do not fight with the weapons of
God then the enemy will destroy us.</div>
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Christians must fight the good fight! But we should not
forget that we already have the victory in Christ. Our mission should be to go
into the world to save prisoners of war that are bound by their sin to bring
them into the fold of God.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-1818354278891286052016-06-23T21:36:00.001-04:002016-06-23T21:36:35.028-04:00Signs of a "godless church"... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRcYclqlGQiwTIdLLWVeBHtcDSBvsAzOSMoYoGcUY8kFC3AxdiBiSw19cq2SkiCeJoTh5b__WRiH8viWMo0Xc-Qpmgc7DPqZ2_ap5uVCgU7WjdjQb1ao57gGEvNrkPh_p05aIBMvucMVz/s1600/inspiration-rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRcYclqlGQiwTIdLLWVeBHtcDSBvsAzOSMoYoGcUY8kFC3AxdiBiSw19cq2SkiCeJoTh5b__WRiH8viWMo0Xc-Qpmgc7DPqZ2_ap5uVCgU7WjdjQb1ao57gGEvNrkPh_p05aIBMvucMVz/s320/inspiration-rev.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
By Todd Lockwood</div>
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<div>
Godless churches are covered in stones of lies that prevent seeds of truth from sprouting. Once the seed is cast, there is only a glimmer of hope before it settles upon uninhabitable ground. Members create within themselves religious affections as they see the glimmer of hope but ignore the multitude of rotting seeds that surround them. Motivational preaching snatches them away before they have a chance to consider the ground of death beneath their feet. Services end on a spiritual high but every week results in spiritual lows. <div>
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True religion with holy affections that perseveres to the end is seen as extreme, offensive, and divisive. Short lived revivals are seen as the path to heaven, not consistency and growth. The church needs excitement and soothsayers around every corner to distract them from their true condition. In the end, the church deceives people in thinking that it is a godly church when in fact it is nothing more than a counterfeit. The only thing that the church can offer is spiritual death, temporary joy and gains, and a lifetime supply of deception.</div>
</div>
<div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. - John 17:17</b></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-34999372091895037932016-06-05T00:10:00.001-04:002018-07-15T14:04:20.127-04:00Atheism: The Way to a Better World?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJMotYNDNq3WLxZwfGRJe_C0XMc4HFSsbexpLjP9XXt4aayTGh10znQhKHRXDOqYZgdUFXkZe0kIFahSI5a4IA3qrrpMJ7dHpuhpCutJg9MuxklgMhxZ_RpoYz3OmLlmEjCm-l0dli6dg/s1600/9780830834464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJMotYNDNq3WLxZwfGRJe_C0XMc4HFSsbexpLjP9XXt4aayTGh10znQhKHRXDOqYZgdUFXkZe0kIFahSI5a4IA3qrrpMJ7dHpuhpCutJg9MuxklgMhxZ_RpoYz3OmLlmEjCm-l0dli6dg/s200/9780830834464.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
I recently finished reading “The Dawkins Delusion? Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine” and an article on the gathering of atheists at the national mall. I felt the need to share the truth about atheists similar to Dawkins.<br />
<br />
Atheism has a firm belief that ridding the world of religion would make the world a better place. But there is a problem; the atheistic worldview doesn’t have the ability to define what is better. We may be able to create fascinating technology with the help of science but what is the best way to use it?<br />
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Second, when most atheists say “religion” they are likely referring to the ones with a belief in a deity. The likes of Dawkins describe a belief in God as irrational and a recipe for violence, as if everyone under this umbrella is opposed to reason and peace.<br />
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Religion has been the banner for violence on more than one occasion but so hasn’t non-religious worldviews like atheism, which has been mixed with violent political radicalism. Also, the fact that the universe has order and can be explained should never lead anybody to label someone as irrational for believing in God; intelligent minds create and recognize order. </div>
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The big take away from considering atheism is that it is just another worldview tainted with misconceptions towards other opposing views, is void of a moral compass, and is just as capable of violence as other views. If atheism were to dominate the world scene it would evolve into different factions and be the banner for continued violence, destruction, and division. We are the problem, not a belief in God. We need a divine doctor to change our corrupted hearts. Atheists want you to believe that belief in God is the problem not the remedy.</div>
<div>
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<i>“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" - Jer 17:9</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-71243998963565557752016-06-01T20:44:00.000-04:002016-06-25T23:50:52.612-04:00Recognizing Impostors in the Church<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCWJzNrnrdHfeVX73C_oxggoSBaeaVjEzIJSsoKshZYFOn2d0qIPCpMvgrTHlycXtvG3oF-BkEVnb0DuYhYXKvHRTfFWVAwC4YiA03Y8GPccpbP04yPM1L1fu9ARXY-WRlcrGsQpjItig/s1600/religious+affections+icon.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCWJzNrnrdHfeVX73C_oxggoSBaeaVjEzIJSsoKshZYFOn2d0qIPCpMvgrTHlycXtvG3oF-BkEVnb0DuYhYXKvHRTfFWVAwC4YiA03Y8GPccpbP04yPM1L1fu9ARXY-WRlcrGsQpjItig/s1600/religious+affections+icon.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment." - <b>Matthew 22:37-38</b></i><br />
<br />
Every Christian would benefit from reading at least the first chapter of <i>Religious Affections </i>by Jonathan Edwards. I've tried to condense the heart of what he says into one sentence...<br />
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"A Christian will 'greatly' fear, love, and rejoice for who God is, what he has done, what he can do, and what he will do." <br />
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In the ministry, there are people serving and those serving God with all their heart. There are many impostors in the church who believe that the sign of a Christian is best expressed through charismatic physical expressions, through the intellect, through their impressive ministry resume, or through their disciplined lifestyle. If you read through the scriptures, the greatest sign of a believer is someone who has a strong inclination for God (love, fear, joy, etc.) within their soul, what Edwards would call a religious affection.<br />
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Does your soul yearn for God more than anything? If it does, this is the greatest sign that you are his child.<br />
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"From hence it clearly and certainly appears, that great part of true religion consists in the affections. For love is not only one of the affections, but it is the first and chief of the affections, and the fountain of all the affections. From love arises hatred of those things which are contrary to what we love, or which oppose and thwart us in those things that we delight in: and from the various exercises of love and hatred, according to the circumstances of the objects of these affections, as present or absent, certain or uncertain, probable or improbable, arise all those other affections of desire, hope, fear, joy, grief, gratitude, anger, etc. From a vigorous, affectionate, and fervent love to God, will necessarily arise other religious affections; hence will arise an intense hatred and abhorrence of sin, fear of sin, and a dread of God's displeasure, gratitude to God for his goodness, complacence and joy in God, when God is graciously and sensibly present, and grief when he is absent, and a joyful hope when a future enjoyment of God is expected, and fervent zeal for the glory of God. And in like manner, from a fervent love to men, will arise all other virtuous affections towards men." - Jonathan Edwards, <i>Religious Affections</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-35732788440493011882016-05-15T14:22:00.001-04:002016-05-15T14:29:31.877-04:00Compassionate Discipline from God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5P7AjmeMmGjZLZMx6hZqjghZAQcBO1bkwNMPBGiTNYPDJkD6Sft1NR3JtNqSUjzIOJkTgCFI3bOUbXSUVW9fOpJfMD8zuFbM8APgxNtQl1VT_cSGq8BRq8NOVDXmXzlInpnDFFELigvk/s1600/discipline+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5P7AjmeMmGjZLZMx6hZqjghZAQcBO1bkwNMPBGiTNYPDJkD6Sft1NR3JtNqSUjzIOJkTgCFI3bOUbXSUVW9fOpJfMD8zuFbM8APgxNtQl1VT_cSGq8BRq8NOVDXmXzlInpnDFFELigvk/s200/discipline+image.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
By Todd Lockwood</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Lawlessness in any institution will lead to chaos, division, and strife. Churches are not immune to the realities of ignoring laws that establish good order and peace. Many believers avoid church discipline in order to “keep the peace” but that kind of peace doesn’t come from God. God desires a pure peace from a pure people gathered together to worship him in truth. In order to have real peace from God a church must put forth their best effort to purge sin with scripture as the authority, not their own desires or ingenuity. If a church disregards the customs given by God for the church in his word, its gathering together is not for the “better” but for the “worse” in his eyes. <b>(1 Cor 11:17; 2 Tim 3:16-17)</b><br />
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The Lord has established righteous expectations for his children because he has “renewed” our minds to be a peculiar people that are to shine bright in a dark world. We are to walk as “children of light” that prove what is acceptable to the Lord. There is no place for darkness in God’s design for the church. God desires a holy church full of new creatures in Christ that produce the fruits of the Spirit. <b>(Rom 12:2; Eph 4 and 5)</b><br />
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If a church desires to have a peace that comes from God, it must adhere to God-given discipline. The testimony of Christ in a church dissipates when discipline is removed, neglected, or abused. Discipline is God’s way to help believers become more sanctified; it is meant to restore a child of God from the destructive path of sin to the footsteps of the perfect Savior. A church that turns its back to God-given discipline is rejecting its divine purpose, cherishing sin, and is threatening its own existence by provoking the wrath of God. <b>(James 5:19-20; Rev 2:5)</b><br />
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God’s blessing will not be upon any church or believer that cherishes sin; the prayers of such will be ignored by the Almighty. A church is in danger of partaking in the sin of a rebellious believer if it doesn’t try to purge it through discipline. A government that doesn’t discipline its citizens will soon pay the price for allowing destructive behavior; the church is no different. If Lot had not removed himself from the city of Sodom, he would have been “consumed in the iniquity of the city.” <b>(Psalm 66:18; Gen 19:15)</b></div>
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Influences from a politically correct culture has led many churches to chose their own path of unbiblical forgiveness in order to keep a peace among the members rather than a peace that comes from God. A believer is to forgive as God has forgiven believers in Christ; that was not accomplished without repenting. The word of God clearly says to forgive if a believer repents just as God waits upon our humbled confession before granting us forgiveness. <b>(Luke 17:3-4; Col 3:12-13; 1 John 1:9-10)</b><div>
<br />If a church truly cares about each member, it will hold each other accountable through God-given discipline so that all members may enjoy the peace that comes from above, not from man. God has given the church authority to use his established discipline for the good of every believer and to be a testimony to the world.<br />
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<b><i>"For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." - Proverbs 3:12</i></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-55904392498346060032016-04-06T22:28:00.000-04:002016-04-06T22:28:10.174-04:00Crossing the Finish Line and the Great Awakening<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_kBqvuv9YCiOaT61KUNyvQEllrhvmXMaKt72DU8ZtcGQPL_yu73D4L1pWaf0mdAjd2tJYwnnoXcqw9UET2BMbjj536TYr-tdMIHK0Qw7z8sjp3GmjzOenbcHvvCfv1gG6awtEI_fyCq4/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_kBqvuv9YCiOaT61KUNyvQEllrhvmXMaKt72DU8ZtcGQPL_yu73D4L1pWaf0mdAjd2tJYwnnoXcqw9UET2BMbjj536TYr-tdMIHK0Qw7z8sjp3GmjzOenbcHvvCfv1gG6awtEI_fyCq4/s1600/download.jpg" /></a>The more I study history the more I realize that so called “greatness”
is not so great. One example that I have been studying is the Great Awakening of the 18th Century.
I have always assumed that it was a time of great revivals where the Spirit of
God moved in the hearts of men. There definitely is evidence of this happening in
the writings of Jonathan Edwards but not on the scale that most history books
present it as. The truth is that many of the so called revivals resulted in
emotional outbursts that went into the night and fizzled out several weeks
later. Preachers would exchange pulpits to try to keep the flame burning but
many converts resorted back to their old ways. The last word I would use to
describe the Great Awakening is “perseverance.” Great theatrical itinerant preachers
like George Whitefield were experts on attracting large crowds and creating a
stir but their efforts rarely resulted in lifetime commitments from their
converts. </div>
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The Great Awakening would be better defined as theatrical, divisive,
and short lived. Theatrical because of the off the cuff emotional preaching
that could stir the masses for but a short season. Divisive because of the
church splits that came from the critical spirit of Whitefield and other itinerant
preachers towards the more moderate preachers. Short lived because of the
falling away of many of the so called converts of the revivals. Instead of the
Great Awakening, it might be better to call it the Great Divide, Great Emotion,
or Great Falling Away. But don’t get me wrong, I do believe that the Spirit of
God was moving in the hearts of men during the time but just not on the scale
that is often portrayed by most history books. I would never call it great
for its many so called converts. A great life in the eyes of God is one that
perseveres to the end. The Christian life is a “life-time” commitment, not a
short lived emotional outburst of artificial change. God promises to create in
his children a new heart through Christ to help them persevere and become more
sanctified as they draw closer to the finish line.</div>
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<i>Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so
easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and <b>finisher of our faith</b>;
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. </i></div>
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<i>~ Heb 12:1-2 ~</i><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-11531164077364147792016-02-21T15:38:00.000-05:002018-07-07T23:49:52.946-04:00Every Church Member is a Youth Minister<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39gHBbTI2nwMoU6OdXA0K_xC81H_xW5XZX8KNiZUZNK-bNq9y9K56G3JoW_X2oLfmGarokrbi1L8iK0OaHyovL9jL6ZECtLzOAhE3PRPuSg2Fj2J1GKj5jO2x8jnaJyMdjgzC1kqHPTgd/s1600/talking+pic.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39gHBbTI2nwMoU6OdXA0K_xC81H_xW5XZX8KNiZUZNK-bNq9y9K56G3JoW_X2oLfmGarokrbi1L8iK0OaHyovL9jL6ZECtLzOAhE3PRPuSg2Fj2J1GKj5jO2x8jnaJyMdjgzC1kqHPTgd/s200/talking+pic.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you know how to be holy?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In Titus 2: 1-8, God gives clear direction on the relationships between the older and younger men and woman of the church. After reading the passage, you may notice that there is no mention of a single ministry or minister that can single handedly influence the younger generation to live a godly life.<br />
<br />
God is clear in his word that the church family must work together to communicate sound doctrine and godliness to the younger generation. Many churches have forsaken the biblical approach of collaborated rearing of the younger generation by establishing and depending entirely on one ministry led by one strong personality. The church should seek a more integrated youth ministry that functions cohesively with the church body.<br />
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There is a proper place for different ministries within the church but the instructions found in Titus 2: 1-8 are irreplaceable and essential for fostering future godly generations because God has declared it. God commands that older members of the church be wise and godly mentors who are constantly communicating to the younger generation godly living and doctrine (teach, speak, encourage, urge, etc.). A church that follows God’s instructions in Titus 2: 1-8 will build a stronger family bond between the older and younger generations. The ministries of the church should contribute to a more unified culture, not segmented.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine… Titus 2:1</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-49960102895936346612016-01-24T16:30:00.000-05:002016-01-24T16:46:47.161-05:00The Work of Christ Typified in the Creation Account<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPSp2AfCbgQ-dAPoZXymqx8Ijj6BG4EDFYEq-IgD2RkUnhYJu8JKjLU7ii6zG-bqaWTXYVsX5ePXga9dRDyzbjrH3lLIV-68rJ97Tp9uTELel4q3DCY-iml3BALXRlldjDSJozecWxtCb/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPSp2AfCbgQ-dAPoZXymqx8Ijj6BG4EDFYEq-IgD2RkUnhYJu8JKjLU7ii6zG-bqaWTXYVsX5ePXga9dRDyzbjrH3lLIV-68rJ97Tp9uTELel4q3DCY-iml3BALXRlldjDSJozecWxtCb/s200/Picture1.png" width="200" /></a>The Book of Genesis is probably one of the most read books
of the Bible among Christians. God gives his own commentary on the book through
the New Testament. Reading through the creation account, without the help of
the New Testament, no one would connect the events of creation with the works
of Christ in the hearts and lives of sinners.<br />
<br />
But the New Testament writers
refer to the creation account as an object lesson of how God works in the hearts
of sinful men. The beginning of the Book of John uses the exact opening as the
Book of Genesis (“In the beginning…”) to direct attention to the contrast
between light and darkness. In the case of the Book of John, the light and
darkness refers to the Light of the world (Jesus Christ) and a dark sinful
world. One reason God revealed in the creation account that he could shine
light into darkness was to prove that he could shine light into the darkened
hearts of sinful men through Jesus Christ. The Book of John continues this
thought in 3:19:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>And this is the
condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Paul used this approach as well in 2 Cor 4:6:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>For God, who
commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to <i>give</i> the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
</div>
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The former passages of the New Testament reveal the dark and
sinful nature of humanity and the life giving light of God, Jesus Christ. God
has clearly revealed that there is no light in sinful men until he shines it in
them. Just as Jesus told Nicodemus, men are born of the Spirit and not of the
flesh because the flesh can only offer darkness (sin) and not light (life in
Christ).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the creation account, before light entered into the world
it was described as formless, void, and dark. The first three days involved God
giving form to the world (dry land, etc) and the last three days was God
filling the world (animals, etc). Hearts of sinful men are formless and void
when it comes to the holiness of God; it doesn’t exist within their hearts. God
must act upon the hearts of men through the Holy Spirit to conform it and fill
it with his glory. The Spirit of God moves upon, or hovers over, the hearts of
men just as it moved upon the face of the waters in the creation account. In
his own timing, he is waiting to shine light in those he has chosen to partake
in the heavenly calling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Once someone partakes of the heavenly calling that leads
them to become a new creature in Christ, God continues working in them until
their last day on earth. Just as God finished his creation in six days, God
will finish the work he has started in a believer till the day he calls them
home. Paul understood very well that nothing can separate a believer from the love
of Christ. God will see to it that every believer will enjoy the eternal rest
that the seventh day of creation typified (Heb 4:9-11). The creation account is
proof that there is salvation, sanctification, and redemption with God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Being confident of
this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform <i>it</i> until
the day of Jesus Christ: Phil 1:6<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-61030088537587629562015-12-19T23:10:00.000-05:002015-12-19T23:12:48.038-05:00Pascal (1623-1662): The Despair of Atheism and Deism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><b>Blaise Pascal (1623–1662). </b></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.bartleby.com/48/1/8.html" target="_blank"> Thoughts.</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.bartleby.com/48/1/8.html" target="_blank">The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.bartleby.com/48/1/8.html" target="_blank">Section VIII</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.bartleby.com/48/1/8.html" target="_blank">The Fundamentals of the Christian Religion</a></b></div>
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"The Christian religion then teaches men these two truths; that there is a God whom men can know, and that there is a corruption in their nature which renders them unworthy of Him. It is equally important to men to know both these points; and it is equally dangerous for man to know God without knowing his own wretchedness, and to know his own wretchedness without knowing the Redeemer who can free him from it. The knowledge of only one of these points gives rise either to the pride of philosophers, who have known God, and not their own wretchedness, or to the despair of atheists, who know their own wretchedness, but not the Redeemer.</div>
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And, as it is alike necessary to man to know these two points, so is it alike merciful of God to have made us know them. The Christian religion does this; it is in this that it consists.</div>
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Let us herein examine the order of the world, and see if all things do not tend to establish these two chief points of this religion: Jesus Christ is the end of all, and the centre to which all tends. Whoever knows Him knows the reason of everything.</div>
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Those who fall into error err only through failure to see one of these two things. We can then have an excellent knowledge of God without that of our own wretchedness, and of our own wretchedness without that of God. But we cannot know Jesus Christ without knowing at the same time both God and our own wretchedness."</div>
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<i>We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. 19 [And] we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. <b>- 1 John 5:18-20</b></i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-88919355064702135182015-12-08T01:20:00.001-05:002015-12-08T01:30:47.569-05:00God's Sovereignty: Conversion of Jonathan Edwards<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b>Jonathan Edwards</b> was born in 1703 in East
Windsor, Connecticut. The young Edwards grew up in a Puritan household full of only
sisters. Edwards’s parents expected much from him being the only son and
challenged him to become a leading intellectual and devotional Christian. The
young boy was able to read Latin by age six and Hebrew and Greek by age twelve.
At the age of thirteen Edwards attended college at Yale. The young intellectual
graduated at the top of his class and would have likely gone in a more secular direction
if it had not been for his conversion while in college.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edwards had several seasons of awakenings during his earlier
years before college but remained unregenerate. As a boy, Edwards prayed often
and spoke to his friends about the things of God. Edwards and his friends built
a booth in a secluded swamp just for praying. But over time the convictions
that Edwards had went away and he began living a life of pleasure and sin.
Edwards was convinced that he was not truly converted before college and
described himself as a dog returning to his vomit. The lifestyle Edwards lived
began bothering his soul while in college. Edwards felt no assurance of
salvation and tried seeking salvation through good works but he had no real
affection for the things of God.</div>
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The lack of affection for the things of God stemmed from
Edwards objection to the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. Edwards struggled
with the belief that God chose some to eternal life and left others to suffer
everlasting torment. The doctrine of election was a “horrible” doctrine to
Edwards and he felt that he could find no pleasure in God. Edwards resisted God
but the same sovereign God he resisted eventually became irresistible in all his
glory. According to Edwards, he was converted the moment he read 1 Timothy 1:17
which says, “<i>Now unto the King
eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever
and ever, Amen.</i>” Immediately, Edwards was diffused with the enjoyment of the
fullness of the glory of God and was pleased to have gained Christ at the expense
of dying to self. After the conversion, prayer and service to God was done
through an affection that Edwards could not express.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>"<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "playfair display" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">The first that I remember that ever I found anything of that sort of inward, sweet delight in God and divine things, that I have lived much in since, was on reading those words, </span><span class="bibl" style="background-color: white; font-family: "playfair display" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px;"><span class="reg" id="1%20Timothy%201%3A17">1 Timothy 1:17</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "playfair display" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">, "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever, Amen." As I read the words, there came into my soul, and was as it were diffused through it, a sense of the glory of the divine being; a new sense, quite different from anything I ever experienced before...</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "playfair display" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">The sense I had of divine things, would often of a sudden as it were, kindle up a sweet burning in my heart; an ardor of my soul, that I know not how to express." </span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "playfair display" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">- </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "playfair display" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Jonathan Edwards [</span><span style="font-family: "playfair display" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">1716</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "playfair display" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">], </span><span style="font-family: 'Playfair Display', Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9uYXZpZ2F0ZS5wbD93amVvLjE1" style="color: #3d4b66; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Letters and Personal Writings (WJE Online Vol. 16)</a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "playfair display" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"> , Ed. George S. Claghorn</span></i></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-28504752577248958152015-09-25T14:27:00.000-04:002015-12-08T01:58:18.698-05:00True Evangelism Transcends the Church Walls<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
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it should be intertwined into every ministry of the church. Each church member is to be an “ambassador” for Christ in their daily life (2 Cor 5: 14-21). Furthermore, church members should not wait for the world to come to them to evangelize but should obey the great commission and go out “into the world.” Churches should find ways to get involved with their community, which means more than just going door to door or praying that visitors will come on Sunday morning. Evangelism is a way of life that transcends the church walls; it is the DNA of the church.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Human beings are creatures of habit and we all have our own routine. Coworkers, gas station attendants, barbers, neighbors, and many more are part of our daily life. Each member has a unique opportunity to “sow” seeds among the people they come across every day (Mark 4:26-27). God is sovereignly working in the hearts of men and it is the sole responsibility of every Christian to plant a seed of truth and wait for him to give the increase. Human effort to force a conversion is futile and dishonoring in the sight of God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. Mark 4:26-27</b></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-72666874392352309872015-09-21T22:10:00.000-04:002015-09-21T22:20:16.858-04:00Intrinsic Model: The Development of the New Testament Canon<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">By: Todd Lockwood<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Did the early church
determine or recognize the canonical books that make up the New Testament? The
following article will prove that the early church had a consistent methodology
for “recognizing” canonical books. Furthermore, it will explain how early
heresies helped contribute to the discussion of canonicity and to help
accelerate the process. The history of the development of New Testament canon
can only be correctly understood by considering the historical and theological implications
of the early church. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The earliest Christians
never used the term “canon” to describe the Old Testament or the writings that
eventually became part of the New Testament. Athanasius (A.D. 367), bishop of
Alexandria, was the first writer known to have used the term to describe his
approved list of the Old and New Testament. The word “canon” comes from the
Greek word <i>kanon</i> and literally means
“a rod” used as a rule. Before the word “canon” was used by the church, the
phrase “rule of faith” was used to describe acceptable Christian doctrine<b>.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> </b>No doubt, the early church was accustomed to receiving this phrase from the Apostle Paul in his letters (Gal 6:16; “rule” <i>kanon</i>). Early Christians enjoyed the
“living voice” of the teachings of Jesus through his apostles whether conveyed
by word of mouth or as written gospels.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The word “canon” was a late development in the church but the concept of acceptable
teachings was not.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Athanasius, by making a
canon list, did not impose upon the New Testament inspiration. The former
bishop of Alexandria, along with the rest of the church involved in the
development of the New Testament, simply recognized what God had set in place.
Early Christianity birthed from the promises and prophecies of the Old
Testament through Jesus Christ; it was a fulfillment and continuation of God’s
“redemptive-history.” The early church was not ignorant of this fact and used
it for their advantage to recognize God’s “rule of faith” and “canon” that had
been handed down to them through Jesus Christ and the apostles. For this
reason, Justin Martyr (A.D. 150) was able to regard apostolic writings on par
with the writings of the prophets.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Furthermore, this is why recent scholars like Michael J. Kruger can say that
the apostolic writings were “canon” immediately after they were written.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Thus, New Testament canon development research involves the intrinsic theology
of the twenty-seven books just as much as it involves historical events in the
early church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">At this point, it is
necessary to stop and discuss some of the historical events that influenced the
development of the New Testament. The topic of New Testament canon development
would be oversimplified by ignoring the disagreements in the early church over
the canonicity of certain books. Early Christians did not agree unanimously on
the authority of every book found in the New Testament today. A few of the
shorter Epistles and the Book of Revelation took longer to be accepted by the
church as canonical. But the presence of disagreements did not mean that there
was not a common standard or limitation for orthodoxy.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
The response of the orthodox church towards heresies proves that there was a
working standard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The earliest known list
of New Testament books was written by the heretic Marcion in Rome about A.D.
140. But Marcion’s list did not represent the redemptive-historical methodology
of the orthodox church. Marcion distinguished between the God of the Old
Testament and the Father of Jesus Christ. The theology of Marcion led him to
reject the entire Old Testament as well as parts of the New Testament that
resembled Judaism. Unlike the orthodox church, Marcion did not believe the Old
and New Testament spoke of the same redemptive-history. Marcion taught that the
God of the Old Testament was an inferior God of justice compared to the God of
goodness of the messenger Jesus Christ. According to Marcion, the apostle Paul
and his companion Luke were the only ones who preserved the true message of
Jesus Christ. Marcion edited the writings of Paul and the Gospel of Luke to rid
them of any references to the Old Testament. For his unorthodox actions,
Marcion was formally excommunicated from the church.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Marcion’s list may be
the earliest known list of the New Testament books but he was reacting against
a theology that was already in practice by the orthodox church. The fact that
Marcion created his own list of New Testament books doesn’t mean that he was
the first to elevate the books to the status of scripture. Of course, Marcion
attacked more than just the New Testament but rejected the entire Old Testament,
which by itself would have led to his excommunication.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
What influence did Marcion have on the New Testament canon development? Marcion
did not present to the orthodox church a new concept but helped accelerate the
canon development by contributing to the discussion. The orthodox church may
have not had a New Testament canon list but there was still a fundamental idea
for canonicity.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Another heresy that
influenced the development of the New Testament canon was Montanism. Montanism
was an enthusiastic and apocalyptic movement started by Montanus in the second
century. After converting to Christianity, Montanus went into a trance and
began speaking in tongues. Montanus taught that he was the leader of a new
outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Associated with Montanus were two woman who
uttered prophetic oracles with him. Montanism taught that the New Jerusalem was
arriving soon and that the prophecies spoken by the leaders were to be written
down as sacred documents.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Montanism did the
opposite of what Marcion did and challenged the orthodox church by adding to
the redemptive-history of God handed down to them by the apostles. The orthodox
church was faced with the question of whether the message of the
redemptive-history of God was complete or ongoing. Montanism presented the
orthodox church with a new dilemma but it also led some within the church to
doubt the canonicity of books that contained apocalyptic passages. The orthodox
church rejected Montanism for not being consistent with the final authority of
apostolic writings but, just like Marcion, it contributed to the discussion of
canonicity and accelerated the development.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn10" name="_ftnref10" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Both heresies helped the orthodox church think more critically about
canonicity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The orthodox church did
not autonomously judge against heresies or non-canonical books but depended on
the “redemptive-history” of God to guide their decisions. The history of the
development of New Testament canonicity doesn’t begin at the first instance of
heresy or the first church council; God established the framework for
canonicity before either. Scripture has internal qualities that make it
recognizably canonical. The early church did not accept books based on their
usefulness, universal acceptance, or any other outside criteria that could be
forced upon the books. For example, the church found some non-canonical books
to be more useful than the book of James, Jude, 2 Peter, 3 John, or Philemon.
How else could the early church have accepted “under-utilized” books? The only
logical conclusion would be that the church did not believe that it had a
choice in the matter of canonicity.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Early church documents
support the idea that the church was recognizing God’s canonicity, not their
own. The “Muratorian Fragment, Irenaeus, Serapion of Antioch speak of
‘receiving,’ ‘recognizing,’ or ‘confessing’ certain books and not ‘selecting’
or ‘choosing’ them.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn12" name="_ftnref12" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[12]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><b> </b>Furthermore, the church’s dependency
on God’s framework can be seen in the writings of Clement of Alexandria,
Serapion of Antioch, and Irenaeus when they describe how the four Gospels have
been handed down to the church.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn13" name="_ftnref13" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Clearly, the church would not have used this terminology if it believed that it
was the final judge of canonicity. The apostles, through the appointment of God
through Jesus Christ, were given authority and inspiration that the orthodox
church recognized. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The first
ecclesiastical councils to officially classify the New Testament canonical
books were both held in North Africa; the first in Hippo Regius (A.D. 393) and
the second in Carthage (A.D. 397). Members of the council did not impose upon
the New Testament inspiration but applied the general practices of the orthodox
community mentioned in this research.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftn14" name="_ftnref14" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[14]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a> Early
Christianity did not jettison the Old Testament and create its own criteria for
canonicity but depended on the redemptive-history of God to determine the
direction it should take. The apostolic writings were a continuation of the
redemptive-history found in the Old Testament. In the end, New Testament canon
development cannot be accredited to a heresy or church council, only to God.</span></div>
<br />
<div>
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<br />
<div id="ftn1">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bruce, F.F. <i>The Canon of Scripture</i>. (Downers Grove,
Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 17-18, 77, 255.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Metzger, Bruce.
<i>The Canon of the New Testament: Its
Origin, Development, and Significance</i>. (Clarendon Press, 1987), 52.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn3">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ibid., 6.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn4">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Kruger,
Michael.<i> The Canon Revisited:
Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books</i>.
(Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2012), 121.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn5">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bruce, F.F. <i>The New Testament Documents: Are they Reliable?
</i>(Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity, 1981), 16-24.; Hill, C.E. “The New
Testament Canon: Deconstructio Ad Absurdum?” <i>Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society</i> Vol 52.1(March
2009), 117.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn6">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bruce, F.F. <i>The New Testament Documents: Are they
Reliable?</i> (Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity, 1981), 16-24.; Metzger,
Bruce. <i>The Canon of the New Testament:
Its Origin, Development, and Significance</i>. (Clarendon Press, 1987), 90-94.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn7">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Kruger,
Michael.<i> The Canon Revisited:
Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books</i>.
(Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2012), 137.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn8">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Metzger, Bruce.
<i>The Canon of the New Testament: Its
Origin, Development, and Significance</i>. (Clarendon Press, 1987), 99.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn9">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ibid., 100.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn10">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ibid., 106.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn11">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref11" name="_ftn11" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Hill, C.E. “The
New Testament Canon: Deconstructio Ad Absurdum?” <i>Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society</i> Vol 52.1(March
2009), 118.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn12">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref12" name="_ftn12" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[12]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ibid., 118.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn13">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref13" name="_ftn13" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Ibid., 118.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn14">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Pastor/Desktop/Church%20History%20I/Paper%201/Lockwood_Final_Paper%201.docx#_ftnref14" name="_ftn14" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[14]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Bruce, F.F. <i>The New Testament Documents: Are they
Reliable?</i> (Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity, 1981), 16-24.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-19298499161246840452015-02-02T21:38:00.000-05:002015-02-10T21:25:30.628-05:00Does "Romans 9:1-13" talk about electing a nation or individuals, or both?<div>
There are many who see the presence of the election of Israel in "Romans 9" as a reason to disqualify the chapter from also teaching "individual election." But the two are not at odds with each other in the chapter. Contrariwise, they are complimentary to each other. Together, they are an essential part of Paul's argument. In the end, Paul proves that "individual election" is how the nation of Israel began and that it continues to be an essential part of its existence till Jesus returns.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<i><b>Verses 1-5</b></i><br />
<div>
The teachings of Paul in the previous chapters before “Romans 9” went against the teachings of the Jews of his day in many ways. Paul taught that the law could not justify anyone before God. He taught that Gentiles, and not just Jews, can become the children of God through Jesus Christ. Paul even goes as far as teaching that a Jew is someone who is circumcised in the heart and not in the flesh; which can describe believing Jews and Gentiles. The fact that Paul was teaching contrary to the Jews of his day could have made it appear that he had a bitterness towards the Jews that was influencing him to oppose their doctrine. Also, because so many Jews rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah, Paul could have been seen as trusting in a false Messiah. Furthermore, if Israel is truly God’s chosen nation, how can so many from the nation be separated from their promised Messiah and his teachings? Did God fail to keep his covenant and promises with the nation of Israel? Thus, Paul begins “Romans 9” by expressing his deep love and appreciation for the Jewish people, his kinsmen according to the flesh. Then he goes on to validate Jesus Christ as the Messiah by explaining that he is also a Jew according to the flesh. He also goes on to prove that God has not failed to keep his covenant and promises with Israel by explaining who really is the true Israel of God.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li> “In this chapter he begins to remove the offences which might have diverted the minds of men from Christ: for the Jews, for whom he was appointed according to the covenant of the law, not only rejected him, but regarded him with contempt, and for the most part bated him. Hence one of two things seemed to follow, — either that there was no truth in the Divine promise, — or that Jesus, whom Paul preached, was not the Lord’s anointed, who had been especially promised to the Jews.” – <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom38.xiii.i.html" target="_blank">John Calvin, Commentary on Romans</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
<br />
<i><b>Verses 6-9</b></i></div>
<div>
Paul is defending the integrity of the word of God by explaining that God did not fail to keep his promises made to Abraham and his seed. Israel is made of descendants of Abraham but as Paul points out that doesn’t mean they all become beneficiaries of the promises. Paul uses Ishmael and Isaac to show that being physically the seed of Abraham doesn’t guarantee anybody the promises of Abraham. God is the one who decides who will be considered the true seed of Abraham among the physical descendants of Abraham. Case in point, Isaac was chosen to be called the true seed of Abraham and not Ishmael. In other words, “…They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” In the end, it is God who promises who will and will not be considered the seed of Abraham.<br />
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<ul>
<li>“He now gathers from God’s answer a proposition, which includes the whole of what he had in view. For if Isaac, and not Ishmael, was the seed, though the one as well as the other was Abraham’s son, it must be that all natural sons are not to be regarded as the seed, but that the promise is specially fulfilled only in some, and that it does not belong commonly and equally to all. He calls those the children of the flesh, who have nothing superior to a natural descent; as they are the children of the promise, who are peculiarly selected by the Lord.” – <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom38.xiii.ii.html" target="_blank">Calvin, Commentary on Romans</a></li>
</ul>
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<i><b>Verses 10-13</b></i></div>
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Paul understands that using Ishmael and Isaac as an example may be problematic seeing that Ishmael was an illegitimate son. But Paul doesn’t stop there and uses Jacob and Esau as another example; two legitimate twin sons of Isaac. Paul explains that God chose Jacob to be a child of promise and not Esau. Now, they were both equally sinful in their lifetime so it is not as if Jacob earned God’s favor more than Esau. But, there is no need to discuss their merit in the first place because God’s decision to choose Jacob and not Esau had nothing to do with their future actions, good or bad. For scripture says, “For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;”. <br />
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<ul>
<li>“Now, by adding, not through works, but through him who calls, he means, not on account of works, but of the calling only; for he wishes to exclude works altogether. We have then the whole stability of our election enclosed in the purpose of God alone: here merits avail nothing, as they issue in nothing but death; no worthiness is regarded, for there is none; but the goodness of God reigns alone. False then is the dogma, and contrary to God’s word, — that God elects or rejects, as he foresees each to be worthy or unworthy of his favor.” – <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom38.xiii.iii.html" target="_blank">Calvin, Commentary on Romans</a></li>
</ul>
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<i><b>Conclusion</b></i></div>
<div>
Paul is speaking about more than just how Israel was chosen as a nation (Gen 25:23; Mal 1:2-3). He is explaining how the nation’s beginnings are founded on God’s promises of individual election and how there are elected individuals within the nation throughout its history, including Paul (Acts 9:15; Rom 11:1). And this election is what distinguishes Abraham’s children of the flesh as either children of promise or not; the children of promise being those who are spiritual and not just merely physical in nature. Spiritual, meaning being born again by the Spirit of God with faith like Abraham. Thus, Jacob and others elected by God within the nation of Israel are counted as the seed of Abraham, which explains how Paul can say that not all Israel is Israel. Also, if someone is counted as the seed of Abraham then they are in Christ and, if it was not for Christ, God could not promise to have a single spiritual child, Jew or Gentile (Gal 3:29).<br />
Christ is the foundation of the distinctions but God never made a distinction of who he counted as the seed of Abraham in Genesis when he made the promises to Abraham but Paul goes into great detail in “Romans 9”, “Galatians 3” and elsewhere to explain God’s distinctions found in scripture. In the end, Paul proves that God has kept his promises with those he considers the true Israel, the Jews and Gentiles elected according to his grace that have become one family in Christ (Rom 11:17-18;Eph 2:19-22; Gal 6:14-16). The majority of the world and the physical descendants of Abraham that have rejected God are not considered children of Abraham because they do not have faith like Abraham. But even though the majority of the physical nation of Israel has rejected God, he has not forsaken them just as he has not forsaken the world, in order to save, overtime, the entire elected remnant found within the nation and the world (John 10:16; Rom 11:4-5).<br />
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<i></i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><i>Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. - John the Baptist (Luke 3:8)</i></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-14725561799105022172015-01-27T13:46:00.000-05:002015-01-28T10:53:54.105-05:00The "weakness" of the law of God<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:2-4)"</i></b></div>
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John Calvin is right in saying that, "The word <i>flesh </i>is to be taken still in the same sense, as meaning ourselves. The corruption then of our nature renders the law of God in this respect useless to us; for while it shows the way of life, it does not bring us back who are running headlong into death." <a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/calvin/cc38/cc38011.htm" target="_blank">Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 38: Romans, tr. by John King, [1847-50]</a></div>
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The law of God is not weak in itself but its strength is dependent upon the one who possesses it. There is no defect in the law of God for the "law of the Lord is perfect". It is when the law of God is in the hands of fallen men that it is weak. Our sinful flesh prevents us from obeying the law of God perfectly, thus, removing any hope of ever being justified by the perfect law of God. </div>
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It takes a perfect person to obey the perfect law of God and the only person who has ever done so is Jesus Christ. It is not that the law of God cannot justify someone, it is that there is no one except Jesus Christ that is able to obey it perfectly to be able to be justified by the law of God.</div>
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<b>"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Cor 5:21)</b><br />
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The righteousness of Christ is what made his sacrifice on the cross perfect. Though he was sinless he took upon himself the infirmities of our sinful flesh, including a painful death. Not only did Christ obey what we cannot obey, he defeated what we cannot defeat, namely death. When someone repents of their sins and receives him as their Lord and Savior they are reaping where they have not sown; they become beneficiaries of the rewards that come from his obedience, sacrifice, and triumph over the grave.</div>
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<b>"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." (Acts 2:23-24)</b><br />
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It is only through Christ that the righteousness of the law can be fulfilled in us. Left to ourselves, we will fall short of being justified by the law of God since we cannot keep it perfectly through the infirmities of our flesh. Christ is our only hope of ever being justified before God and being able to stand before him as if we never sinned. </div>
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When you are presented with the law of God, it will expose your inability to justify yourself and reveal your need for Jesus Christ. Even what we may consider petty sin (lies, stealing, etc) separates us from God and we all need Christ for reconciliation, justification, and eternal life.</div>
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<b>"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom 6:23)</b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-35098273997613328432015-01-25T22:51:00.001-05:002015-01-26T15:55:41.157-05:00Goodness: Treatment of those who disagree with youI've heard the statement "you don't know them like I do" many times. This statement is an attempt to try to support a controversial individual; to prove that there is a secret way to tap into the person's "goodness", that the person is not capable of certain actions, or that there is a permissible reason for their controversial acts. The fact of the matter is that most of the time there is little to no goodness, a high probability of acting controversially, and no legitimate excuse for their actions. Usually, the defender sees the supposed "better side" because the person is either A) just like the controversial person, B) tries to stay away from controversy and accountability, or C) lacks discernment and is either oblivious to the person's problems or downplays them. <br />
<br />
In the case of the like-minded friends of Hitler, they would have genuinely agreed that he was a good person but, guess what, he was a mad man. Of course, Hitler's friends are a case of being A) just like the controversial person. I'm not talking about the people who were too afraid to say a single word against Hitler in order to save their life ( a better case for "B") or young Germans that were brainwashed into believing his lies ("C"). If you really want to know if someone is genuinely a good person see how they treat people who disagree with them. In Hitler's case, he killed those who disagreed with him.<br />
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How do you treat others that disagree with you? Do you kill them with your words? God commands Christians in his word to be patient and gentle to those who disagree with them and to try to live peacefully with all men as much as possible (2 Tim 2:24-25; Rom 12:18). The bottom line is that God wants Christians to win people not arguments or self-righteousness. It doesn't matter if the person is your enemy, Christians are to "...Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" According to Jesus, loving your enemies will bring you closer to perfection (Matt 5:43-48). I would say being close to perfection would make you a pretty good person!<br />
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I hope this note was insightful and encouraging. Take a look at yourself to see how you treat others that disagree with you. If those who disagree with you quickly become your enemies maybe it is because you need the power of God in your life through Jesus Christ which only comes by repenting of your sins and trusting him as your Lord and risen Savior. Also, closely examine those who you think have some goodness in them because they are kind to you by seeing how they treat others that disagree with them. There might not be as much goodness as you think. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-70598242574329109862015-01-19T19:31:00.000-05:002015-02-02T22:04:40.856-05:00When does the depravity of man first appear in the Bible?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Adam
and Eve ran away from God and hid from him after they sinned. God had to seek
Adam and Eve because they would not come to him. And once God confronted them
and asked them what they did they did not accept any responsibility for their
actions and tried to blame someone else. Their hearts did not desire to seek
God and their hearts also did not desire to have their sin confronted. Instead,
their hearts desired to run away and hide from God in order to avoid having their
sin discovered. It is true that they heard the voice of God and understood that
they were accountable to God but they were not willing to reconcile their
relationship with God because they were not willing to accept the consequences
of sinning against God. In other words, they desired to continue to live in
darkness in order to hide from God; it was God who had to draw them to him for
there to be reconciliation. The actions of Adam and Eve are consistent with the
fallen family that they began according to John 3:19-21 and other scripture.
They thought they could hide from God and were not afraid to be defiant once
God confronted them. As a member of the fallen family, we are just as foolish
and defiant. There is not one righteous and there is not one who seeks after
God in our fallen family. God must seek us and draw us to him or else we would
all continue to sit in the darkness, thinking that we can somehow hide from him,
to escape the consequences of our sin. Some will even go as far as suppressing the knowledge of the existence of God to have a false hope of escaping the consequences of
their sins (Rom 1:28, 3:9-18; John 6:44). But there will be nobody that will be able
to defy God on the day of judgment. Unless we put our faith in the saving works
of Jesus Christ, having our sins nailed to the cross, we have no hope of
escaping the wrath of God that will be poured out upon those who have sinned
against him.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-5399859015791287002014-10-30T20:03:00.000-04:002014-10-30T20:07:20.221-04:00Greatness: King Jesus or Alexander the Great?<div style="text-align: center;">
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. <b>Romans 8:31-39</b></div>
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A Christian labors for a kingdom that is never ending. The suffering of every saint is not in vain because "... the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom..." There are many men of this world who have fought for a kingdom that eventually ended. Their labors for their kingdom existed only in a temporal dominion. King Jesus has established a heavenly kingdom for his saints where they can enjoy the fruit of their labors for eternity.<br />
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King Jesus accomplished something great conquers of this world only dreamed of. Through Jesus, his elect are the great conquers of this world. The apostle Paul may have never conquered as Alexander the Great but he was still greater. Both received numerous battle scars for their kingdom but only one will enjoy their labors for eternity. Paul may not be the King of his kingdom but his King will have everyone, including Alexander, to bow the knee at the name of King Jesus.<br />
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Both King Jesus and Alexander the Great fought and suffered for their kingdoms but only one was God. What act is greater? Surely, God stepping down from his thrown to fight and suffer for an undeserving human race is. The kingdom of Jesus is a kingdom worth fighting for not only because of its eternal existence but due to the great love wherewith he loved us when he died on the cross. No battle scar received by Alexander ever amounted to the scars of our great Savior. Alexander was able to escape death on many occasions during battles but death eventually found him and he was not able to defeat it. The grave could not contain King Jesus because on the third day he arose, proving victorious over death. King Jesus allowed human hands to nail him to the cross but he did not allow or need human hands to resurrect him from the dead!<br />
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Alexander boasted of descending from his gods but where are their temples now? Their existence depended on the human hands that made them and are now nothing more than an ancient historical display. They are ruining away and will one day perish with the fallen world but King Jesus has a temple that lives forever, because he is the temple of new Jerusalem! The new Jerusalem will have no need of a physical temple "for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it."<br />
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There is a time and place to fight for worldly kingdoms but do not forget that the kingdom of King Jesus is worth far more than any kingdom of this world. Alexander the Great offered worldly riches but could never save the souls of the inhabitants of his kingdom. Also, Alexander the Great could not rule over his kingdom forever and it eventually divided and fell. King Jesus holds his kingdom together now and forever and can offer salvation and heavenly riches untold but the greatest gift of his kingdom is to be able to worship him forever!<br />
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<i>The battle cry of the saints is the blood of the Lamb and their labors are never in vain and will never be forgotten!</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-33221966774179372032014-09-20T09:40:00.001-04:002014-09-20T09:45:54.680-04:00Conformity: Afraid to Change?...By Todd Lockwood: The Christian experience is different for each person. Someone may never marry. They may grow up in a Christian home, or not. Someone could come to know Christ at a young age or old. There are many variances and we all have our own experiences.<br />
<br />
In the last five years, my world has been turned upside down on several occasions. The first time occurred during my journey towards the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I did not grow up learning of the saving works of Christ and had little knowledge of him. My life and the people I surrounded myself with were centered on worldly pleasures. For me to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior was a life changing moment. Weekends used to mean parties and girls but now it means a special time to worship my God!<br />
<br />
After accepting Christ, I naively thought that that was the last of any big change in my life. I was wrong! God has been constantly conforming me to the image of Christ since day one of my new birth. At first, someone might think that it sounds pleasant to conform to his image but it comes with a price on many levels. Christ is an example of humility and sacrifice, something the human flesh is very much resistant to. Becoming Christ like may not always be pleasant but there is nothing more wonderful than to follow in his footsteps! Jesus is my all in all!<br />
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Marriage was one of the many changes that entered my life after my salvation. The marriage of a man and woman is an example of the love Jesus Christ has for his church. Just as Eve was taken from the side of Adam, the church was taken from the pierced side of Jesus Christ on the cross. Christ sacrificially served the church and a husband is to follow that example for his bride. Marriage is anything but a paradise of constant tranquility, though there are times where that feeling does arise. More times than not, the reason why a marriage suffers is due to self-centered motives.<br />
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Speaking of the church, people of the church also become an integral part of your life as a believer. Another big change in my life accord when I had to start evaluating each relationship with the word of God. Churches form around doctrinal statements, their understanding of the word of God. The relationships that you build within the church end if you hold to something outside the "essential perimeters" of the doctrine of the church. Churches have their own views on what is essential and what is not. I recommend the following <a href="http://www.albertmohler.com/2004/05/20/a-call-for-theological-triage-and-christian-maturity-2/" target="_blank">article by Al Mohler</a> for further discussion about essentials in the church.<br />
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Now, I would like to share the climax of my thoughts. It was not until I was married and had strong relationships with church members that God turned my world upside down again by sharing with me truths that were contrary to the norm of my circle of believers. I eventually realized that my circle of believers were hindered by tradition, which prevented them from sound reason and some very important truths found in the word of God. This is very common among believers and, to this day, God continues to strip from me lies that I hold unto. Praise the Lord!<br />
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Before reaching a change in my beliefs, I had no idea that I would eventually become at odds with my circle of believers. They saw me come to Christ, some being a part of that journey. Not only that, but they saw me grow. I was the fruit of their labors. If you have ever witnessed or experienced such a transition in someones life, you understand the strong bond that grows from it. But with that said, there should be no bond stronger than the bond that you have with God, not even your closest ones.<br />
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In Matthew 10, Jesus Christ did warn that families would divide over the truth of the gospel. This was definitely the case during his time when the world was mostly polytheistic. Of course, I did not come to accept a new religion but I did hold to beliefs that were contrary to the essentials of my former circle of believers. For the sake of time, I will not go into detail about my beliefs but they are not outside the realm of orthodoxy. The circle I was saved under is a very traditional and unique fundamentalism. If you want to learn more, <a href="http://tipofthetonguetheology.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-inspired-me-to-create-tip-of.html" target="_blank">read my article</a>.<br />
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So you changed doctrine, big deal, right? I became the antithesis of my former circle. The people that they constantly degrade from the pulpit eventually became a portrait of me. To make matters worse, I had strong bonds with many of them, including one of their daughters, my wife. The realization that you approved of the marriage of your daughter to a man that eventually became the antithesis of your beliefs is not an easy pill to swallow. The changes didn't change the love that my wife and I had toward each other but it did make things more difficult between us, family, and friends.<br />
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The future that my wife and I thought we had with the circle of believers we both enjoyed was now over. I had a calling to the ministry and there was no hope of reconciliation; fulfilling the will of God in our life had to come from somewhere else. The journey to find another place to call home had begun. My wife and I have and are still struggling through the transition but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Over time, my wife and I have worked together to try to base our lives on the word of God.<br />
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Knowing how much was at stake, was I afraid to change? Yes. It is easier to change and keep it to yourself but it is harder to make that change public.<br />
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But, in the end, I owe it to God to conform to the image of Jesus Christ. Christ did not suffer and die for me to take the easy road of conformity! God forbid that I would ever love or care about anything more than what he has done for me. It is a shock to the world's ears, and sometimes even the ears of some believers, but I love God more than my wife, children, family, or anybody else. This does not mean that love cannot be given to others but that it should never be more than the love you have for God. Though I say this, my life doesn't always represent this and we all need the grace of God to strengthen our love for him.<br />
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When your love for God is superior, the care for what others think or can do to you falls into the background. No matter how humbled you are, speaking the truth will bring trials. Depending where you are at, speaking the truth could end your life. Just take a trip to Iraq or North Korea and you will find out. Believers in America are not at risk of losing their life and many times when trials come our way we are shocked and afraid to walk in the truth. Have we not read the gospels?<br />
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<i>These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)</i><br />
<br />
My reason for writing this was to encourage believers to never put down their cross even when faced with division among your closest ones. Your world may be shaken up a bit but remember there is no other foundation than Jesus Christ, all other foundations are artificial. Don't be afraid to think or change in a direction that is contrary to your circle of believers, family, friends, coworkers, classmates, or anybody else. Seek the truths of the Bible and don't be afraid where it takes you. Keep your eyes and affection on God! There is nothing worth more than God, not even conformity.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-44124441902600287292014-09-08T09:04:00.000-04:002014-09-08T09:05:34.606-04:00Humbled Beginnings of Christ<div style="text-align: left;">
By Todd Lockwood: Jesus Christ came from humbled beginnings. Usually, we look to the events of his birth to emphasis that he was born in a lowly place and placed in a manger. But the word of God also speaks of the humbled beginnings of Jesus' ancestry. Hebrews 2:16 says that Jesus took on the seed of Abraham. At first, this might not seem like a lowly beginning seeing that Abraham is recorded as a man of great faith who was willing to heed to God's calling to a strange land and who was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac (Heb 11). But where did God find Abraham before these events? God chose Abraham from among the many inhabitants of Mesopotamia, where Abraham and his family were accustomed to worshiping idols (Josh 24:2). Is it not lowly enough for God to take on the nature of man, is there any more need to choose an ancestry of idol worshipers?</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abraham, and broughtest him forth out of Ur" (Neh. 9:7). It was not Abraham who chose God, but God who chose Abraham. "The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia" (Acts 7:2): this title "the God of glory" is employed here to emphasize the signal favor which was shown to Abraham, the glory of His grace in electing him, for there was nothing in him by nature that lifted him above his fellows and entitled him to the divine notice. It was unmerited kindness, sovereign mercy, which was shown him. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This is made very evident by what is told us in Joshua 24 of his condition before Jehovah appeared to him: "Thus saith the God of Israel, your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods" (v. 2). Abraham was living in the heathen city of Ur, and belonged to an idolatrous family! At a later date God pressed this very fact upon his descendants, reminding them of the lowly and corrupt state of their original, and giving them to know it was for no good in him that he had been chosen: "Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you; for I called him alone, and blessed him" (Isa. 51:1, 2). What a flesh-withering word is that: the great Abraham is here likened (by God) to "the hole of the pit"—such was his condition when the Lord first appeared unto him. - A.W. Pink, <i>The Doctrine of Election</i></blockquote>
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<b><i>Conclusion</i></b></div>
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I have said this before but I will say it again, to say that you just want Christ as an alternative to an exhaustive theology is an oxymoron. The rich truths of Christ are like deep waters; they are like vines intertwining on every page of the word of God. Our great King served us in humility and the moment you think you grasp this or any other truth, God reveals that the depth of his truth is deeper still.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2789612538417149369.post-21956892100489088472014-08-15T14:29:00.000-04:002015-02-02T22:05:35.466-05:00Did Spurgeon hold to the "Doctrines of Grace"?<div style="text-align: center;">
<img 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" /></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>A Defense of Calvinism</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) </div>
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It is a great thing to begin the Christian life by believing good solid doctrine. Some people have received twenty different "gospels" in as many years; how many more they will accept before they get to their journey's end, it would be difficult to predict. I thank God that He early taught me the gospel, and I have been so perfectly satisfied with it, that I do not want to know any other.<br />
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Why, if I believed what some preach about the temporary, trumpery salvation which only lasts for a time, I would scarcely be at all grateful for it; but when I know that those whom God saves He saves with an everlasting salvation, when I know that He gives to them an everlasting righteousness, when I know that He settles them on an everlasting foundation of everlasting love, and that He will bring them to His everlasting kingdom, oh, then I do wonder, and I am astonished that such a blessing as this should ever have been given to me! ...<br />
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To read "A Defense of Calvinism" in its entirety <a href="http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/A%20Defense%20of%20Calvinism%20by%20Spurgeon.pdf">click here.</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15343168258278913923noreply@blogger.com