Howl of the North

The Majestic Name of the LORD

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:13:00 +0000

The Majestic Name of The LORD

Psalm 8
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.

1 O Lord (YHWH), our Lord (‘adonay), your majestic name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.

In the opening benediction to the LORD in Psalm 8, David salutes God in a highly respectful manner: “O Yahweh, our Master, your kingly name fills the earth!”

Here, the specific covenant name, YHWH, is combined with the majestic title and name for God, Adonai / Adonay. Literally, ‘adonay means Lord or Master. It is actually a plural noun “Lords”, and is used in that form only of the Most High God. Adoni, the singular form, is what other singular false gods are called.

Psalm 8 reminds us that the One God and Sovereign whose name is exalted in Israel also receives honor among the entire peoples of the Earth, whether they acknowledge Him or not. His glory is endless and apparent in its manifestation. David repeats his assertion and the end of the Psalm, but in the middle of it, he proves that God’s name is majestic!

Strength in Weakness
2 You have taught children and infants
to tell of your strength,
silencing your enemies
and all who oppose you.

“Out of the mouth of babes” comes strength against the enemies of God and His people. The weakest, even the child, silences the mocking opposition of those that oppose God. We have seen this when the simple in faith confound the wisdom of men, or when the lowly do great works of mercy and love in the name of God. In many, many ways, each person who subjects themselves to God’s Lordship will be strong in their weakness. The LORD is strong and uses our weaknesses for His glory.

Want to see God’s Glory? LOOK AROUND!
3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
the moon and the stars you set in place—
4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?
5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God (Elohim)
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You gave them charge of everything you made,
putting all things under their authority—
7 the flocks and the herds
and all the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that swims the ocean currents.

This larger portion of Psalm 8 acknowledges the place and state of human beings in the vastness of God’s creation. Our Place is very small, insignificant compared to the rest of creation, much less God Almighty! However, the LORD of Majesty has deigned to set humanity, created in His image, in a place of authority and honor in creation.

Once more, in our lowliness before the vast creation and God, human beings are given loving honor by the King who is also the Father of Eternity. As our Creator and Father, God cares for us, is “mindful” of us, as David says. What does it mean to be mindful of someone? One meaning would be to think about them a lot and purposefully; to give them your attention. God gives us His loving attention! David finishes this Psalm of the proof of the loving Lordship of our God and His majestic name with his closing repeat of the first line:

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Belief, Unbelief and Peace With God

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:32:00 +0000

I responded today to a question posed on a religious forum:

To all of you who believe in a god - What Is it that bothers you more about atheists, that they do not believe in ANY gods or that they don't believe in YOUR God?
Jeff says:
What "bothers" me most is that they have not yet come to believe or have rejected the one and only God, the Creator of all things and therefore do not have peace with God. The question posed here is flawed, because it doesn't matter what an atheist or anyone else thinks is God (or gods), but rather whether or not we have acknowledged the eternally existent God. Also, "bothers" sounds like I would be angry if someone didn't believe in a certain way - I would take a more precise meaning to that word and say it "upsets" me in the sense that I care for atheists and would wish for them the peace with God I spoke of earlier.
I answered this question honestly as I could, so please do not flame me for doing so. I merely answered it and though I do care about those that do not believe in God, I assert their right to choose not to do so and to pass up peace with God if they so choose.
--------------------------------
While I did not make a FULL answer to this question, which would have not been brief, I did make one I would hope would cause atheists and believers alike to think about our attitude towards those that do not believe in God and to provoke the atheist to think of that and the reason for believing in God.
I purposely used the word: "acknowledge", because in its fullest sense, without going into detail, that would mean to obey God and to accept the Gospel & all things that it entails.
Sometimes when we approach others in a hostile and hardened environment, gracious, brief and thought-provoking responses may be what the Spirit is leading us to, so that people will question their state and be drawn unto the Lord.
Peace
----------------------------------
Romans 1:
God's Wrath on Unrighteousness
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 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. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Crisis and Our Compassionate Christ

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:46:00 +0000

I had a friend call me in tears because their life seemed so messed up and they thought that they were being punished for existing. They could not see the way out of their sadness or what they should do.

I think we all get to these emotional points in life when everything is chaos around us or worse, inside of us.

The Christian is promised peace and joy - but things come our way that can try to rob that - legitimate things that need to be dealt with!

Depression can have many causes and I will not judge those that don't have faith in their life, but rather point them to Jesus, the Faithful One! Lack of faith can certainly lead to Nihilism... and then nothing matters or has meaning or holds joy. Depression can be caused by illness or biology - we are not going to be all "happy" at times when such things strike us. Being a grinning idiot impervious to our suffering and the suffering of others is not being Christian.

Jesus Himself wept and shared the sorrow of others - He wept for the lost city and its people He loved so much - He was in emotional agony in the garden of prayer when He was soon to lay down His life. If our Lord can feel deep and sorrowful emotions, then we should not be ashamed to do so either. We know that if we lean on Christ, which I recommended to my friend, that He will share in our suffering and we will identify with His. More even, He will begin to lift the burden of anxiety, fear, sorrow and uncertainty as we walk the path lit by the lamp of His light. He will cause us to persevere, a promise given to all of His faithful, and we will make it through to whatever end with Christ, our compassionate high priest; our loving savior.

Peace and joy are promised and they are the emotional bedrock of the believer in Christ - we just need to cast our cares upon Christ and learn from Him. The many life lessons we learn can only strengthen our faith as we access the promises God gives us in Christ Jesus.

If identify with and in Jesus He will work all things together for good and wipe away our tears and calm our fears amidst wind swept waves of our lives. Being a follow of Jesus is about life, abundant life, and that involves going through emotions, not just negating them intellectually or stuffing them.

Surely He is a good, compassionate and understanding God!

Christian Jihadis and Orthodox Evangelists

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:38:00 +0000

Doctrinally, it is important that our Apologetic does defend the Gospel as well as transmits it faithfully:
Jude 1: 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

There are many misguided people, or worse, false teachers, out there.

However, I find that in their zeal, those that may understand the Gospel intellectually or those that are misguided persons who claim to be Believers, but do not have a clear understanding of the Gospel, may do great harm by not having a clear, Biblical Apologetic.

Recently on the Net, I saw people advocating that Christians can be martyrs if they are killed while killing those that perform abortions. I also recently encountered a Romanian Orthodox person evangelizing for the Orthodox Church, while calling all other Christians heretics. He berated me for not being Orthodox, even though I had just said that I have had a burden for Romania and its people for the past 15 years; praying for it and its sufferings and sending Bibles to persons that have asked for them. (NOTE: I am not trying to pick on the Orthodox Churches in anyway, just using this recent real life example) Christian charity MUST be part of our Apologetic.

A Christian martyr DIES for the faith; they do not kill.
A Christian contends for the faith; they do not create disunity among real Believers.
A Christian points out false doctrines and rebukes false teachers; they do not name call -- there is a subtle difference in origin as well as implementation, also involving spiritual discernment.
A Christian esteems others as better than themselves.

We are not to have needless divisions in the Body, the Church Universal, but Unity!
Ultra-sectarianism or unnecessary strife regarding followings is not what a Christian does.

1 Corinthians 1:
Divisions in the Church

10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

We must follow Christ's example and proclaim the Gospel and Christian behavior as our Apologetic:

Philippians 2:
Christ's Example of Humility

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Being right is not part of Apologetics.
Apologetics is the defense of and the spread of the Gospel.
God does not need to be defended, only the correct transmission of His Word. The Bible never tries to "prove" God's existence or His ways; it only declares them! If we do our job right as vessels of grace and ambassadors of the King, those that God draws by His Spirit will hear - those that reject will not do so because we didn't "defend" God or our personal interests properly.

Romans 10:
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

An Apologist is an evangelist for the Lord and the Lord alone!
We must correctly handle the word of truth and impart the Gospel and the Gospel alone!

2 Timothy 2:
A Worker Approved by God

14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness

The frivolous, argumentative and careless way that some people approach unbelievers and fellow believers alike must be avoided.

An Apologist understand the seriousness of their calling and the need for a reasoned approach to all they do in Christ's name. We are vessels of God to save souls from the Second Death, not to proclaim our own opinions or passions:

Jude 1:
17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Heavenly Father,
You are the one we worship and serve. Please help us to proclaim the Gospel as Paul did, to proclaim "Christ crucified" and not to fall into our own ways or to promote our own ideas. Help us to point to the cross so that all will be drawn to Christ. You love the lost sheep, Good Shepherd, our Savior. We, your friends, will help you gather them into the flock and will bind the wounds of those in the fold already with the oil of gladness, which is the Spirit that comes to all men by grace through faith in You as they hear Your Good News! Give us the wisdom and desire to work Your will on earth.
In Jesus name I pray,
amen

Going Through Troubled Times With a Tireless God

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:21:00 +0000

Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?

2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.

8 The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.

This psalm tells us what God is doing and will do for those that are His during dangerous and troubled times.
The imagery of this psalm gives the traveler confidence that the LORD is truly watching over them as they journey.
Perhaps this is a journey to Jerusalem to worship; the hills may contain danger unknown to the traveler. There could be wild animals, bandits or pagan marauders waiting to prey upon the lonely traveler as they make their way across the uninhabited stretches of land towards the safety of the city of God's temple. The cold of night, the heat of day, the evil that lurks, none can take the life of the traveler, for the Lord does not sleep and is always watching over them. The hills of Jerusalem are other hills that the traveler will see and the LORD will be with the sojourner as they go in and out of the city. We too, are on such a journey and one day soon our trials will be over. We are journeying to the New Jerusalem, the city of God, which we will be a part of and which we will never leave!

Revelation 3:
12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him l the name of my God, and m the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.

These are troubled times for many in the world and dangers seem to be on the rise, yet the LORD who does not sleep will allow us to rest under His protection with assurance of safety. We do not need the false peace or false safety of the world, we have the keeper of Israel to protect us!

1 Thessalonians 5:1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then z sudden destruction will come upon them a as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

Yes, these are troubled and uncertain times, but we do not need to be troubled; our help comes from the LORD!

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

peace,
Jeff

More Reflections on Rejecting God and His Love Gift

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:02:00 +0000

It is very hard to speak about this subject without wanting to avoid it or even being able to do it totally properly, so please forgive me as I do my best here:

certainly the Second Death is not only the natural result of the rejection of God, it involves facing the wrath we could have avoided for our sin.

We are told that the Lake of Fire was created for the Devil and his angels, not human beings, originally, so it seems that Scripture is true when it says 2 Peter: 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

A completely loving God is also a completely just God. What people call the "attributes" of God are His personality characteristic - Who He is! That is why I am convinced that Scripture shows us that eternal torment is something the unrepentant in heart suffers because of what they bear within themselves as well as because of divine wrath against sin. In some sense it isn't as much of a personal "grudge" against the sinner themselves, as some like to make it out to be.

If you break the Law, whether the judge loves you or not, you are guilty and must be convicted. So it is with us and God. Either we can have our "fine" paid for by our Advocate, Jesus, or we can defend ourselves - which we cannot do, because Romans 3 tells us:

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Our loving God gives us every chance to be reconciled with Him - if we reject the reconciliation through the cross of Christ and do not believe in Christ, we are condemned already!

If we take a look at these passages in Matthew 25 (and there are many others) we see that the deficit of the wicked (their internal state) is just as much a cause of punishment as it is part of the punishment itself!

29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. [what they were made to be in life comes up not only lacking, but negative in the end!] 30 And cast the worthless servant [type of person that will enter the Outer Darkness - completely void of merit] into the outer darkness [environment]. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth [remorse, rather than repentance].’
...
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ [full realization of sin is integral in the condemnation - a realization that would haunt one forever!] 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

So we see even by this one description in parable in Matthew 25 that the emphasis isn't on how gruesome the torments would be in the physical sense (though I am certain it would be more unpleasant than we could ever imagine), the emphasis is on the state of the person that caused them to end up in outer darkness and that state is much of what the torment is about!

It is amazing when the judgment comes down of the false prophets God says "I never knew you!" and doesn't go into a long list of personal grudges - even though He could. God is the most just and impartial Judge and dispenses only perfect justice for the sin against Him. The wrath of God is upon the sin against Him, and His vengeance is not a temper tantrum, but rather completely justifiable.

To not see the relational aspect (or lack thereof with God and the one who rejects Him) and the Second Death - how it is the result of broken relationship with God that is chosen by an individual, is to not understand what eternal punishment means - even if you know it has a lot of fire!

Isaiah and the Two Advents

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:41:00 +0000

The message delivered to the prophet Isaiah is the huge overview of the plan of God in history.

While it does not contain all of the details the Lord reveals much to Isaiah. The prophecies in Isaiah are also an expansion upon all of the previous promises of Messiah and blessings of the people of the Earth made in the covenants that had gone before. Isaiah is very much about the promise,Kingdom of the Messiah and the culmination of the Day of the Lord.

The Sign of Immanuel

Isaiah 7:10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin [maiden] shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

We think of Jesus coming as the light of the world and the peace-bringer as we reflect upon His birth during Advent. Isaiah also reveals the rejection and death of that child that would grow into a man and be given as the once-for-all sacrifice that fulfills the demand of Torah for sin:

53:1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

Jesus claimed His messiah-ship when he read aloud in the synagogue from this passage in Isaiah:

The Year of the Lord's Favor

61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,

The Kingdom was announced! So also did Jesus announce His role in it.
One thing Jesus did not do was to speak the next line of the prophecy, because He knew that He would be crucified for the sake of our sins to make all of that possible and that He would have to return again to take up in full culmination His role in the next line of the prophecy:

and the day of vengeance of our God;

The Kingdom is, but is not culminated. The time of mercy and grace is open for all that will believe because of the Advent (coming) of Messiah and His death.

When He comes again, His second Advent will be to rule over the faithful and to complete the work that is in progress:
1John 2:7
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

My favorite passage of Scripture is in the beginning of the wonderful message God gives in Isaiah!!!

This is much like the ending of Ecclesiastes in its succinctness:

Isaiah 1:
18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Reflections re: Rejection of God and His Love Gift

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:07:00 +0000

Jesus said in John 3 that those that don't believe are condemned already.

We would be liars (and Scripture tells us so!) if we said that there is not sin in us - and the greatest sin, the unforgivable one, is the totality of our sinful nature: the rejection of God.

Those that are cast into the lake that burns with sulfur & fire - or as it is called in an opposite allusion, Outer Darkness - are those that have rejected God and are judged by their own works. The believer is not saved based on their works, or we would be in the lake of fire, too! The believer has Christ's righteousness imputed to them, therefore we escape the hell that unbelievers have chosen/made for themselves.

whatever the "environment" of the second death is, it is about outer darkness and a lake that burns with fire, so if that is just the place, then all the other torments must make it even more unimaginable unbearable - because it is a place of eternal spiritual death and separation from God.

In no way am I mythologizing it to some psychological experience only. I think that the reality about "Hell" is more frightening than the one some preachers talk about that ONLY involves burning forever even when they add in their myths of demons tormenting people.

No one can truly understand it now, because everything we are told about it is only an indication of a reality no one has fully experienced yet. The Lake of Fire & Outer Darkness will be real, but IMHO fire and whatever else the environment is is going to be the least of anyone's worries.

I thank God that He is holy. I thank God that He is able to draw potentially all persons to Him, if they would only accept the simple and obvious truth. God allows us the opportunity to accept or reject Him. If He wasn't knocking already on our hearts with the Spirit, we would never seek Him, nor would we even be capable of responding to Him. Even though we cannot save ourselves or even seek God by our own power, human beings are drawn to respond to God. Everything we do is a response to the God that Jesus said was always working. If we read the Scriptures carefully, even though much of it is beyond us, for God's ways are truly higher than ours, we can see that God sovereignty is always maintained and that He still gives human beings an honest choice for Him or against Him. Even persons that know God exists can reject Him, so mere mental assent to the existence of God is not faith.

Since love is equated with light, the opposite is darkness - living in our sins is darkness, because it is rejecting God's ways for our own. Rejecting God is rejecting His love-gift of salvation, which is Jesus Himself, for it is He that purchased the way of our redemption with His own blood. The seed of outer darkness lives in every unregenerate human heart. We need the life-giving new birth by faith in Jesus the Messiah to escape the second death, which is being cast into the lake of fire. Without Jesus we are only left with ourselves and that which we are by nature.

Daily Bible Reading in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:14:00 +0000

"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."- Psalm 119:11

The year is almost over and anyone that is reading the One Year Bible program or a similar one is probably excited that it is nearing the completion.

I am planning on re-doing the OYB plan next year, as I like it a lot (there are so many resources for it in print or online :
http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/
http://www.oneyearbibleblog.com/
http://www.oneyearaudiobible.org/

I figured this would be a good time to ask if anyone was planning on doing any sort of reading plan (whether through the entire Bible or not).

Some people read a portion of Psalms or a Proverb a day or read through the New Testament in a year, etc. All of these are wonderful.

Any cool or fun ideas about Bible reading for the next year?

I pray that in 2010 we will hide His Word in our hearts, listen to the Lord and obey His will in whatever it is He would have us do.
Peace

Prayer For Today Nov 29, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:23:00 +0000

Dear Heavenly Father,

I praise You, Glorious and Sovereign Lord for who You are.
I thank You Eternal One for what You have done, are doing and will do.

Tonight, on this first Sunday of the Advent season, please hear my prayer.
I reflect upon the fact that the Son of Man came as a suffering servant to fulfill Your Torah's demand of sufficient sacrifice for our sins and set those that believe in Him free in the Liberty of the Law of the Spirit. I celebrate the expectation and promise of the Second Advent, the Second Coming of Messiah again in all of the glory of God as Sovereign King in the fulfilled Kingdom of the Israel of believers He has set free.

Gracious Lord, I ask You to work Your will in the lives of:
B, who is facing possible unemployment tomorrow. You are YHWH-Jireh, the LORD that sees and provides.
A, who was recently diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. Please, sustain and heal in Your time.
E, guide them in Your righteousness.
S, who seeks to learn and do Your will daily.
I also pray for those who have no one to pray for them, who have needs only You know, Lord, and those who are cold, hungry, shelter-less, in danger or in need of Your life-giving Salvation - please, have mercy and work in their lives in whatever way You deem fit.

Once more, I thank You precious God for making me Your child and for forgiving me for my sins against You.
I love you.

In the name of Y'shua haMessiach I pray
amen

"He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
(Acts 4:11-12)

Devotionals

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:47:00 +0000

After some recent discussions I have had about the very early Apostle's Creed and the revision/addendum of it called the Nicene Creed, which came much later, I thought I would revisit the idea of Devotions.

technically not a devotion in itself, the Lord's Prayer has been called the prayer (as in primary and most exemplary) of the Church. It is also the earliest one that is known to have been prayed together by groups of believers (ie- as a devotional).

http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Matthew&verse=6:9%E2%80%9313&src=KJV
http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Luke&verse=11:2%E2%80%934&src=KJV

Jesus' beautiful prayer show us the basic model of prayer to God. It contains all of the aspects of what is known as the ACTS pattern of prayer:

Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication

Devotions, for the non-Roman Catholic or non-Orthodox Christian, are at their core, basically formal or semi-formal times of prayer and reflection with & upon Scripture.

Other inspirational readings or activities associated with devotionals should adhere to Biblical principles or they should be discarded, IMHO.

The notion that grew around devotions, that they impart some spiritual benefit towards one's salvation/atonement for sin, or can be directed towards any other aim or any other person than God Himself is erroneous at best and demonic at worst.

Some Christians are completely against formalized prayer of any sort, referring to the scripture that says in Matthew 6:7: “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
But then Jesus goes on to tell us: Pray then like this: and proceeds to give us the Lord's Prayer.
If our prayers model this principle and intent, the idea of them being "vain babblings" or meaningless repetitions is untrue - if any prayer is a vain repetition, it is because the intent is wrong or by misunderstanding as to the fact that repeating some mantra-like phrase or phrases is not the key to impressing God or getting Him to hear us. Thankfully, God knows the intents of the heart, so He is the judge of such things, but so we can avoid these errors, His Son has shown us the principles of proper prayer and what is not effectual prayer for those who listen and discern.

There have been many classic devotionals that have been used throughout the history of the Church, but if they are true devotions, they all find their root in the Lord's Prayer.

Peace

Thanksgiving & B-Day Personal Update

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:37:00 +0000

Just thought I would put a personal update here.

I spent Thanksgiving with my son and he and I have been hanging out at my place for the past few days.
We went shopping for some supplies for one of his electronic projects he takes pleasure in doing. It has been nice to do our thing together. I love being with my son. He is my earthly "pride & joy", because he was given to me by the Lord :) I pray that the Father of us all will guide my son into His fatherly ways throughout his life.

I did some Apologetics during the Thanksgiving holiday with someone I had never met before.
They said they believe in "a God" but declared that they believed that the Bible "was written by men" and that the writings were written from 50 up to 400 years after the life of Jesus and a whole host of other misconceptions/deceptions. Instead of telling this person how "wrong" they were, I just agreed that yes, the Bible was written by human beings - inspired, of course ;), but I did not go there yet - and that the earliest Gospel is thought by atheist as well as theist scholars to be from 20 to 50 years after the time of Jesus - something that surprised the person and gave them pause.
I found this unforeseen discussion an opportunity to engage the critical thinking of someone that thinks they already have Christianity figured out but rejects it to perhaps to investigate more and rethink some things. Dialogue can be a good tool in the Apologist's arsenal. Instead of creating a debate, the conversation can create interest in the truth. We even touched upon the place of the Dead Sea scrolls in relation to the Canon of Scripture and some early Church history, which I did not whitewash. I was asked if I would be able to talk again - and I said that would be possible. Apologetics is a way of life, just as it was for Paul. We are always given an opportunity, like Paul was given, to have people ask us to hear more about Christ. Whatever happens, I know the Spirit is always at work.

I got a nice gift for my B Day!
I bet you guys cannot guess what it is: a Bible!
http://www.amazon.com/Wide-Margin-Reference-Black-Goatskin-ES746/dp/0521708168/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259424235&sr=8-2

This is an English Standard Version printing very much like my first Bible I ever bought myself when I was 18 and struggling and just first going into seminary. At that time I got one for $50 and that was a LOT of money then, especially for a poor student. I knew it was an investment in the future - one that in retrospect was well worth it.
I love the Cambridge wide-margin Bibles. The center reference and the space for lots of personal notes around the text and at the back of the Bible make it my favorite type of printing of all time! I still have my old, well-used and appreciated KJV Cambridge wide-margin, but I have wanted one like it in a modern translation and I got my wish!
Thank you, Lord!
Getting this Bible makes me feel like I am starting all over again on a new adventure in Bible learning, like when I was 18 - and somehow, I think it will be true :)

Peace

Coffeehouse Christianity and Losing Time

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:40:00 +0000

Some of the recent modern Christian gatherings, mostly associated under the very broadly labelled "Emergent" movement, have done Wednesday "Coffee Services".

What's a coffee service?
A local one here sits around on comfy furniture and drinks yummy coffee while doing Bible studies in a relaxed atmosphere.

I have never been to a coffee service, but the idea of drinking a delicious dark roast while hanging around with fellow believers and perhaps a few "fish" (we are fishers of men!) doesn't sound too bad to me!

I never realized that I engage in coffee house Christianity.
I have several male pals that I have met with over the years at random times and discussed Jesus, the Bible, Islam and a host of other related things over the years. These men were not believers at the time I did we started this. (Thankfully I can say that so far one has come to faith in Christ and we still talk in the coffee shops)

Last Wednesday afternoon I was hanging with one of my friends at a coffee house near his work. We were talking about the genealogy of Jesus as traced in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke... and then the question came up about God and Time.

It is one of my favorite subjects of the Bible study... and it surprisingly has much to say about it.
I must admit because of the nature of the subject it can be a real head-spinner: GOD (completely beyond our comprehension except for what He wishes us to know) and Time (something I am subject to and part of the Universe that God created).

My friend and I did not get too deep into the issue, but we did remark how important to the ancient Israelites time was.

Time was tracked on the "sacred calendar" for new moon Sabbaths and feasts of Israel and other aspects of Jewish religious life. To the Jews, God was working in Space and Time with and for the nation of Israel. God and His promises were not far off.

Even though people knew God could not be contained in the Tabernacle or the Temple or even in the Creation itself, God was very near in the Ark of the Covenant, because He chose to be, for the sake of Israel.

--------------------------

The promise of Messiah, given in the Proto-Evangelium in Genesis shows that God has always had the Messiah in mind (just as other places in Scriptures say, too).

Genesis 3:
14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”

Here we see that Satan will continue his attempts to destroy or " eat dust" (ie- human beings, who are currently mortal in time) and the power of the offspring (Messiah) to finally crush the workings of Satan.
The imagery of the offspring crushing the head of the serpent is quite strong! Everything is said to be "put under the feet" of Christ - whether they are powers, nations, death or anything that would take away from the Glory of the Messiah!

---------------------

All is subject to Him Eternally!

Hebrews 2:
5 Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere,

“What is man, that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man, that you care for him?
7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned him with glory and honor,
8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.”

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

-----------------------

What is eternalness and eternity? God Himself!

1 Timothy 6:
until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

John 17:
17:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

-----------------

Time is important in how God deals with human beings, who are currently subject to time. He is all-knowing and in control. Nothing happens unless and until He allows or causes it!

When we think of Jesus' "Advent" or "Appearance" in this world as a babe born in Bethlehem, the promise of Genesis 3 came when God chose. He knew the perfect time in human history to send the Messiah to us:

Galatians 4:
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

--------------------

Jesus will return again at His second appearance at a time we do not know, but a time which the Father has chosen. When the Messiah's 2nd Advent occurs, the dead and the living believers will undergo a time transformation we can only now imagine. This is truly what it means to be in Christ and He in us:

1 Corinthians 15:
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

----------------
Discussions involving Time & Eternity can cause me to lose time... because having a Biblical view of time and not just a speculative one, is important. There is much we can know, but much we will learn in what we call the future and much we will never know, because God is the Eternal!
Maranatha!
Come quickly, Lord Jesus... may the time be soon!

Advent: Expectation for the Coming Messiah

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:34:00 +0000

Advent: Expectation for the Coming Messiah

In the West, the season of Advent begins November 29th this year.
Advent is from the Latin word adventus, which means "coming" or "appearance".

I love the time of anticipation, waiting and contemplation of what it means for us that God loved us enough to send His Son, Jesus the Messiah, to be born as a human babe in this world :)

I found an interesting definition of Advent:

Advent is a period of spiritual preparation in which many Christians make themselves ready for the coming, or birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ. During this time, Christians observe a season of prayer, fasting and repentance, followed by anticipation, hope and joy.

Many Christians celebrate advent not only by thanking God for Christ's first coming to Earth as a baby, but also for his presence among us today through the Holy Spirit, and in preparation and anticipation of his final coming at the end of time.

I was pleased to see that it mentions that not only do we celebrate that Jesus came as the Christ-child into this world, but that Advent also makes us look forth to Jesus Second Coming!
It is true, because Advent is the Latin translation of the Greek word parousia, which means "divine presence".

There are several places that parousia is used in the Bible, and this passage using it is a wonderful promise:
1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

During this time of year, when commercialism and the pressure to give gifts or perhaps dealing with family problems ... or any of the other stresses and let downs that are associated with the holidays, let us remember a few things.

-The Faithful of God were awaiting the promise of Messiah, even though they did not fully understand who and what He was to be. They knew that He would come and set things to right and bring all people that were faithful into true worship of Him.

-Today we have that same expectation of future healing of the world and the hope and promise that this message will be finally & completely fulfilled:
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

As the saying goes, "He is the reason for the season". No matter what our traditions or family gathering involve, I pray we keep that in mind and spread the Good News that the Messiah has come to us, born in Bethlehem!
May we also pray for those that are alone during this season, that the Lord would send loving family or friends to comfort and visit with them - and do so ourselves.

Just as the faithful of old longed for the Messiah, we, too, long for Him.
Let us think upon the mystery of Christ with joy this season. May we thank Him for coming to earth as an innocent babe, and for His ultimate sacrifice for us as a man. May we also in the same breath lift up our heads, and look for our redemption that draws near and cry out in our hearts "Maranatha!"
"Come quickly, Lord Jesus!"
amen

more on being Born Again

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:44:00 +0000

Delete

I know this is a very complex, yet basic topic.

It is the core of our relationship with the Lord - indeed, it is completely dependent upon Him!

Titus 3:

3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

WOW!

That one sentence contains many deep truths about our salvation.

If we are born again, we see that several things are at work.

1) We are REGENERATED!

If we are "born again", or reborn, we are regenerated, because Scripture is clear that if we are not born again, we are the enemy of God and have no righteousness in us, but are "dead in our trespasses" against God.

Ephesians 2:5

even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Colossians 2:13

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

So, the opposite of being regenerated is to be dead!

2) It is the Spirit that sanctifies us, not works

Also, we see in the Titus passage that it is the work of the Holy Spirit that renews us, not our good works.

Good works are the fruit of a living tree, one that is alive in Christ, but our good works are the result of salvation and the work of the Spirit in us - works have nothing to do with whether we are saved or not, in themselves. They are the result of the Holy Spirit. A regenerated person becomes radically changed and does bear the fruit of works, but that is the result of being born again. If someone persists in unrepentant habitual sins, with no remorse or attempt to align their will with God's, then it may be wise to ask if that person was ever truly born again, because as Jesus said, every good tree bears fruit - because the root of the tree is good, the root being Christ!

Titus 3 also shows us that it is because of God's mercy, not any action on our part, that salvation comes. He is the one who calls us and sanctifies us. It is the Holy Spirit that even makes it possible for us to respond to that call.

What is that response to God's Spirit?

3) FAITH! (faith is essential for salvation)

As we see in the John 3 passage it is not merely mental assent or a "belief THAT Jesus is (insert belief here)...

it is belief IN Jesus that brings salvation - a belief that is faith and trust in Jesus as our savior and who He is and what He does.

When we respond to the knocking of God on the door of our heart, He will enter in and dwell with us! It is all His doing and it is only by grace, through faith that we are justified and made in right standing before God!

(more later - please add your thoughts, too)

Churchianity, Belief That... or Born Again

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:22:00 +0000

Am I born again?
This is the question we all should all have a definitive answer to.

What does it mean to be born again? ...
Is being a "churched" person - one who attends church, who reads or studies the Bible, who may even feel something at church the same as being Born Again?
What role does going to church or assembling together have in being born again?

How does one become born again?...
Is it repeating a prayer?
Joining a church?
Doing good works?
Believing that Jesus died for our sins?
Having a certain experience?

If one is born again are they saved?
Can they lose their salvation?
Can a Christian be a Christian and not be born again?

Please post what you think about these questions.

Here are the passages in that great portion of Scripture that started the entire born again question:

John 3
You Must Be Born Again

3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
For God So Loved the World

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

The B-I-B-L-E ... that's the book for me! sings

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:36:00 +0000

“The ESV satisfies the preaching, memorizing, studying, and reading needs of our church, from children to adults. We are building all our future ministry around it.”
John Piper
Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis

I was thrilled that this quote of endorsement from my pastor for the ESV Bible translation was inside the brochure that accompanied my recent purchase of a personal-sized ESV Bible. I got it to carry to school, because there is no way I could lug my rather hefty ESV Study Bible there every day.

The ESV Study Bible has been out for a little over a year now and I have enjoyed it immensely. Because of the brochure, I decided to take a look at the ESV Blog again. There are some new versions for urban churches and lots of nice journaling Bibles and all sorts of useful versions for just about any lover of Scripture.

I know we have discussed Bible translations some and what our favorite ones are, etc, but I just want to once more encourage those who do not have an ESV Bible translation to check it out.
http://www.esv.org/

Some of the things I like about the ESV are:

-Essentially literal translation

-The language of it sounds familiar to those that are used to KJV, but the highest scholarship available in the 21st century has made available possibly THE best English language translation that will ever be done of the Bible.

-Endorsement by some of the best authors and preachers and teachers of the Gospel, such as:
RC Sproul, Dr Albert Mohler, John Piper, Max Lucado, Jerry Bridges, Mark Driscoll, Ravi Zacharias, James MacDonald and a whole host of other faithful Christians that are engaged in teaching & Apologetics.

-Easy to understand and use for prayer, devotion, study and doctrine - a wonderful all-around Bible translation for any Christian's needs.

I love to read from several translations - KJV, NRSV, NLT, etc, but I have found the ESV to be one of the overall best general use translations and wish I would have had this when I was in seminary!

With little exception, the Bible quotes I use in any discussion of or writing about the Bible or things related have been from the ESV, especially over the past year.

I don't think a person has to be locked into one translation only. Plenty of reasons may have a person using several different translations in their reading/study of the Bible:
Your church or study group may not use the one you prefer, so that could be an issue.
You may prefer one version for study another for devotions or personal reading
or any of a host of other good reasons to read from a particular translation or translations

… but I would like to encourage my friends here to check out the ESV
It has been such a joy and been so beneficial to me that I have to recommend it once again :)

You can read it online, too :)
if you want to take a peek at the ESV, here is the gospel of John online (you can do a search or choose another book from there, also):
http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+1

Peace
Jeff

Apostles' Creed

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:02:00 +0000

Some of us have been or are members of churches or organizations that confess/pray what has been known throughout history as the Apostles' Creed.

Creeds in church history are interesting things.
They have been tests of orthodoxy and confessions of faith and many different types of creeds have been produced by various groups.

However, the Apostles' Creed is unique among the creeds and is the oldest one we have in any form.
The Creed was part of the early "universal", if not somewhat fragmented church, which did have its own heresy issues, but somehow I feel that because of its great antiquity, it was more of a true confessional than some test of orthodoxy against the various deviations in doctrine that have always plagued the body of Christ in its most catholic manifestation.

Have you ever said it?
I have.

I remember that it was such an eye-opener when I got older to find out that when I said it I didn't have to have a giant embellished capital "C" appearing in my head (probably with tiny angels fluttering around it) when I spoke the phrase: "the holy catholic church"

(no offence meant to my RCC friends - I just have some silly recollections haha)

When I first came to understand vaguely what the Gospel was as imparted by Jesus own words in the Bible, I was suspicious of this Creed. It was certainly just a reactionary response on my part to distance myself from things past, but in the past few years I have come to appreciate once more the beauty of it.

It is nice to know that there is a creed that is in my memory that does contain many key affirmations of just what a Christian believes.

The basic language of the creed may not be exactly the type we would see in a "modern" doctrinal creed, but then again, we wouldn't see in those the simple beauty that the Apostles' Creed has, either.

Whether one meditates upon it, prays it, confesses it or just studies it for its importance in Church history, the Apostles' Creed retains its original significance and value today.

Here is a link to one of many interesting articles I decided to read about the Apostles' Creed after I got the desire to make a small post about it: http://www.reformed.org/documents/apostles_creed_orr.html

It is a pity that many groups of Christians have either written the Apostles' Creed off as outmoded, misunderstand just what we are supposed to be acknowledging belief in or haven't even bothered to investigate it.

Apostles' Creed text provided here for visually impaired or text reading browser users:

Apostles' Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
    the Maker of heaven and earth,
    and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
    born of the virgin Mary,
    suffered under Pontius Pilate,
    was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
    and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
    from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit;
    the holy catholic church;
    the communion of saints;
    the forgiveness of sins;
    the resurrection of the body;
    and the life everlasting.

Amen.

Fear and Trembling

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:06:00 +0000

Fear and Trembling (a prologue)

For some time now, especially the past few months, God has been trying to communicate some things to me.

To be brutally honest, it has caused me great distress and grief. Why this is so, I do not know, except I think it is remotely similar to how prophets like Ezekiel and Isaiah must have felt when the LORD revealed Himself (partially, of course, as no man has seen God at any time in His full glory) in a manner that caused them great distress and was over-powering.

I am no prophet, nor have I had any visions, so I really sympathize for those that have had such encounters, because this small Apokalypsis, this minor revealing, has really hit me hard and is just growing in intensity.

Whatever God is trying to tell me is huge. I know this. He has always led me in ways that I have not understood and only understand partially when I am through them. His word is certainly a lamp to our feet, and I can only see the next step and no other. May God guide me always.

However, I know in my heart that the things God is speaking to me about are a lot like the big picture overviews that Isaiah received. He saw the overview of God's timeline like no other. God is trying to get me to understand things that have ramifications for Apologetics that will help to breach such things as:

- Answering Muslim objections that Christians have abandoned the true ways God set down from the beginning. Illuminating Christian works/ethics with the works righteousness of Islam.
-Answering aspects of the Paul/James Controversy and what constitutes the true message of Jesus. Destroying the myth of the perversion of the Gospel by Paul and why James is one key to breaking this.
-Outreach to the Nihilism of "Generation Z" and presenting the Good News to them, not converting kids from wildness of self & sin to a false Christianity that would only enslave them. Something that many kids are smart enough to spot miles off.

This has really been almost overwhelming to me, because it takes into account the whole of Scripture and not just isolated passages. I thank and praise God that He is expositing whole books of Scripture to me as best as my small mind can begin to grasp them - which will be a lifelong process. But that is really one key to this sort of Apologetic: exposition of whole writings, not just isolated passes.

We really don't get the chance or usually have the time in this busy world to do such things with others, so we must be workers and diligent students of Scripture, so that when we do use Scripture in our Apologetic, we will do so exactingly and have the information surrounding the passages we use to give overviews and explanations that put such passages in context with God's big picture.

This seems like a tall order, but God will guide us through as we glimpse into some of the mind of God in His word as it is communicated to us, so we can show that love to others and try to communicate it to them.

Philippians 2:
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed,
so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works
in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

This beautiful passage is where the religious Existentialist Søren Kierkegaard
got the title for his work "Fear and Trembling", which spoke of, among other things, the anxiety that can be caused by an individual human moral agent in their journey towards and with God.

As we see in in this passage in Philippians, it is God who works in us to cause His will into being in the world and for His pleasure and glory.
We, as moral agents, are only responding to the path that God has set before us and the works that He wants us to do. Our works are not works that give us salvation, nor are our works reflecting upon any ethical character inherent in us, but rather they are the works of salvation (i.e. - because of salvation), for the pleasure of God.

There is much that can be said here, but I will continue on.

Ephesians 2:
8 For by grace you have been saved a through faith. And this is not
your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so
that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that
we should walk in them.

Once more, we see that all we do - all of our works - have been set before us beforehand. We respond to God's agenda and complete the works He has already determined He wants us to do. Our walk of faith produces the works, but the works do not save us, nor are they contributing to our righteousness, because Scripture is explicit in telling us that Jesus is our righteousness. There are many places that speak of this, but here is one:

1 Corinthians 1:
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

The attacks that are coming against the followers and the Gospel of Jesus in the 21st century are tearing at the heart of the authenticity of just what it means to be a follower of Jesus as he originally put forth His teachings.

Those who are antichrist use many of the same tactics, just in different variations. We need to hold fast to that which was delivered to the believers from the very beginning. To do this we must understand just what it is that was delivered to us!

With the power of the true Gospel, we can not only defend the Gospel, but smash through all opposition to it, God willing, and communicate in honesty the message of the Gospel, so that the work and will of the Spirit of God is done in the lives He is seeking for His Kingdom. Then we shall be like Paul, free of the blood of those he communicated the message to and the family of God will be increased.

May God's will always be done!

Isaiah 46:
“Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, you transgressors,
9 remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
10 declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

Yes, may God's will be done. For we see, that God sees the end from the beginning and has set us forth on the path of faith and the works he wishes from us, according to the purpose that He has determined.

Once we have a correct view of salvation and how we and our works fit into that, Torah will truly be the schoolmaster that leads us to Christ and the liberty of being set free from sin.

As I have said before, the Gospel is dangerous and can be overwhelming in its power, because it is the Word of God, written and Incarnate, that cuts through all deception and false religion of men. It is the power of God to lead us to Christ, our salvation and righteousness.

Hebrews 4:
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

(hopefully more later, God willing)

Love is the "Law" !

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:12:00 +0000

Love is the "Law" or Love fulfils Torah (more thoughts on Christian love)

I post here a verse from 1 Jn that was in my last on this topic and then the one from 2 Jn to show that John equates loving as walking righteously and that the singular commandment to love fulfils and includes pleasing God by keeping any commandments He gives us.

1 John 2
10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

2 John
4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 5 And now I ask you, dear lady— not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning— that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

This is something that seems to elude mainstream Christianity, because there is no way we can make a list of commandments that would we should follow to fulfil this - we cannot throw out or follow Torah in its entirety, nor is every Christian called to do exactly the same things as others, as Paul states in Romans 14:

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

In Galatians, Paul spoke of how frightening Liberty in Christ is to those who would "Judaize" believers once more (here are some passages from Galatians 1 & 2, but I recommend reading those chapters and more in their entirety):

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to n a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
...
4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in— who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.
...
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 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. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

The love of God, which John says has been poured into us through the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. That we should respond to God's love with love and spread His love by loving others is the central commandment of the Gospel! The Good News is that love cannot fail, nor can it do evil, for God is love and in Him is no darkness!

We are set free from the bondage of sin and the bondage of trying to perfectly follow the Torah (which is impossible and which saves no one) and now follow the Torah of the Spirit. We will do whatever works God commands of us, not because they are written down, but because His Torah is now written in our hearts. That is the Torah of the Spirit, which is itself love. Faith produces our works, but works do not do anything to save us whatsoever.

The problem with the Pharisees was not that they weren't following the written Torah, but that they heaped burdens upon men and did not have the Torah of the Spirit. They looked good and did works that people could see, but Jesus called them good-looking tombs with dead men's bones inside.

The Gospel is dangerous to some, because they cannot comprehend the Liberty we have in Christ and want to keep re-establishing that which Christ freed us from.

Love is truly the Law :)

Increasing In Love

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:01:00 +0000

Increasing In Love

There are several recountings in the Gospels about Jesus answering, as a rabbi, a question posed by those that studied and taught Torah : "What is the most important commandment?" [ie- thing to do].

In Mark 12, Jesus expounded upon the importance and centrality of love in the life of the believer in response to that question.

Mark 12
The Great Commandment
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and a there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

V.I. Lenin set the stage for his brand of Communist action in his work: "What is to be done?" I cannot recount one mentioning of loving others in that work, which has influenced the lives of billions of people through its influence in the Soviet Union, Southeast Asia, Latin America and China and elsewhere. It laid out how by the collective effort of individuals, one was to create the good society.

Jesus did not give us a list of anything more revolutionary to do than the most important and basic means to that end, that is to simply: love.

If we truly love our creator, the second commandment will follow, we will love fellow human beings. Jesus showed us that everyone is our neighbor, so we are to show love to all persons.

I John 2
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but a also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever d keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

The New Commandment

7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1 John 4:11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:12
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

John 13
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another"

These passages show us that a true believer in the Messiah has the love of God in him. We are already given the tools to love by faith. There is no more effort needed to love than to simply respond to the love of God, setting aside our own selfish ways, and to give that love back out to our fellow human beings as His vessels of love to the world.

In responding to the love that God has shown us, who do not deserve it, but to whom He gives it anyway, we will grow in that love and love God in return and love others as that love is perfected in us.

How is does love grow in the human heart and how is it perfected?
By the work of the Spirit of God, which dwells in the heart of the believer:

Romans 5
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and e we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

We already have what it takes to love as God's Spirit transforms our hearts in that love. A light is to be set on a hill, not covered and lights to this world are what a believer is supposed to be. Lights of love that point to the source of that love: the God that gives us peace and love in our hearts, through faith in the Messiah and the work of His Holy Spirit :)

If, as the Scripture tells us, "love never fails", anything done in true Agape will never lead us to doing sin or compromising the Gospel.

If we do those things, it is never Agape, but some human notion of love that we are following.

1 corintihians 13
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 John 4
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

We do not have to worry about any philosophies of men, compromising the Gospel or complicity in sin if we act towards others in love...
because, as Scripture so wonderfully tells us, if we are truly born of God, our love will never do wrong, for God IS love!

We cannot rely on rules and regulations as the means of love, just as we cannot follow Lenin's ideas of "What is to be done" to create good for others. Jesus turned to Torah to show that there was a fulfilling principle of Torah in Him that included and transcended mere Law-keeping: the Torah of the Spirit will always guide us as the right motivation for our deeds.

It is the Spirit of love that will guide us, because it is through the Spirit that we discern good and evil.
Let us shine love into this hurting world.

wallpaper

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:05:00 +0000

here is some wallpaper I made from a Hubble telescope image and Scripture... please free to use:

a few thoughts...

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:03:00 +0000

Someone asked me the other day when I told them I spoke with some people about Jesus: " How did the debate go?"

I responded: "I don't debate unbelievers; never do. I dialogue, which is something almost lost itself these days."

People quoting Scripture, the Qur'an, the Communist Manifesto, the NY Times or whatever to "win arguments" or to show their correctness does show a lack of disrespect and is dehumanizing. We should speak to people! Paul was knowledgeable of his audience and spoke to people in terms they could relate to, with understanding of where they were coming from, not just what HE wanted to say. Unless there is some sort of a debate going on to defend the Gospel, I can't see how debating unbelievers is going to help in the least.

Feeling smug about being a machine-gun quoter of Scripture or of winning some debate that should have never been is really taking credit away from God.

I think talking about Jesus is just what a follower of Christ wants to do, to share His goodness and is compelled to do, if we understand the gravity of the fact that God loves and wants the people we come in contact with daily to be with Him forever, too, just like He called us!

Using Christ to win arguments is just a bunch of religious nonsense and may drive people even farther away from the Lord. I don't want that guilt on my hands because of pride.

Telling the truth in love in the appropriate manner and at the appropriate time is something only the Spirit can lead us to.

It really all begins with human relationships, which are the basis of the dialogue itself:
People relating the Gospel to PEOPLE!

Love That Changes: FAIL! or Freedom in Christ?

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:31:00 +0000

What Paul has laid out for the church in Rome and for us in the first four chapters of this book [Romans] is the fact that you and I, while created to be in a relationship with God, have fallen short of our end of the bargain. Because of sin we no longer are able to keep up our part of the relationship. We have fallen short of God’s glory.

But here’s the good news that he offers in this chapter: a way has been made to repair that relationship once again. A means has been provided whereby we can be at peace with the very God whom we have injured with our sin.

(from a sermon by Kieth Manry)

Just these statements alone are under such attack from all sides these days in the various efforts to deconstruct, debunk or "restore" Christianity to what it was, should be or to disprove it entirely.

Sin, the sin nature and the motives of Paul himself are all under severe attack and have been for the past couple of decades especially.

I am finding it increasing more and more difficult to speak with certain people such as: Muslims, followers of Robert Eisenman's works or the "Zeitgeist" crowd about the very contents of Paul's writings. To even quote a Pauline Epistle or reference "Pauline" doctrine is to risk it being denied as worthless, misguided or knowingly fraudulent. God certainly has love that changes everything... an offer that was and is extended to all of us... but it seems that this wonderful message is being rejected and obscured by scoffers, enemies of Christian doctrine and supposed scholars & intellectuals as well as the pop masses of the "Post-Christian" West. How sad.

Even the Messiah warned his followers of this phenomenon:
Matthew 24
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The worshipers of YHWH are the only people on Earth that can claim a singular and loving God who is interested in us personally... one with whom we, as created children, can have a personal relationship with. We are not mere rule followers or ritual observers. We have a God that is so mighty and so infinitely high above us in all things, yet is personal ... and that is mind-blowing!

We can be set free from our failures in Christ!
Whether it is failings towards God, our friends and family, strangers or ourself, only in Christ alone can all of those relationships be set to rights.

Let us not be among those that are blinded by religious dogma or our own conceits!
If there is truly love that can heal the heart and the world, should we not give it a fair investigation... much less a willing response?

I Pray Because I Have To!

noreply@blogger.com (TimberWolf) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:09:00 +0000

I am always completely amazed at the level of hurting that is around me.

The amount of physical illness, internal suffering, material hardship, interpersonal issues and countless other problems that people face is overwhelming to even consider full on!

I see the same issues in devout Christian's lives, struggling Christian's lives, unbelievers lives ... in short everywhere I look.

Every day it seems I am given a request for prayer about this thing or that ... or cry out to God because I know of a need that someone is not asking prayer for ... or prayer for myself and my own struggles and hardships.

I pray every day because I have to!

It is no wonder the saints in Revelation cry out "How long O, Lord!"
I think we are part of those saints and I thank God that no prayer is lost and that they all will be fully answered according to God's will some day soon.

When I look around and see the chaos, confusion, hurt, thrown away lives and the despair that we almost swim in on planet Earth, I have to pray!

I have to praise the Lord for all that IS good!
I have to give those sorrows and needs to Him or I would collapse under the stress, worry and weight of them.
I have to pray because He is the answerer of prayer!
I pray because His yoke is easy and His burden is light... so I cast my cares and concerns upon Him and trust that the good and merciful Lord does answer all prayers for good - either in the present or on that soon to be day when Jesus returns again.

I have to pray and I pray believing and thanking God that He allows and encourages me to do so and that He is a rewarder of those that do.

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.