God does exactly what He has proclaimed to us
in His word. He never changes. We on the other hand have a thousand
reasons to experience the rise and fall of these paradigms of
assumptions that challenge the complexity in the mechanism of our
thought patterns as our view of reality. I do believe that we have a
spirit of the mind. How then... does God communicate from the written
page to these areas of our souls in order to produce in us the proper
inner world so that we begin to have the healthy soil that is a result
from this multiple communication in the implantation? How does the seed
of His word spring forth in our hearts to make us like a tree that will
flourish?
This illuminated searching is the secret work of God ... the communication to uproot the hidden corruption of our hearts. Our natural exposure to the corruption of this world... our sin.. and the heaviness that is the sorrowful weight of holding us down in some other frame of mind is the adversity that keeps us from flourishing in experiencing all the eternal varieties.There is a sense in which this implanted communication begins to move in us to experience a profound spiritual awareness so that we are familiar with a peace that passes all understanding... a rejoicing with joy unspeakable in this strengthening of the inner man as His method of impressing on our spiritual senses that He has communicated and irradiated this implanted life flow that we experience as a stream of living water that flows out of our hearts. I believe this is a process called weening. This is why His communication is more than something that we receive in a single message. It is more of a mysterious searching. If you can think of all of the reasons why a person would react to circumstances in all of the multiple ways as the rational process of coming to some kind of acceptance in the circumstance... God sees the real facts of all that transpire in this world from the most minute detail in looking rite into the hearts of all mankind from the beginning of time to the end in one completed understanding. This communication to us is beyond what we could fathom. |
Friday, December 11, 2015
..Romans and the Flesh Monster.......Being weened from the weight of corruption through the implanted word.
Free writing ......Salvation were saved entirely
Gods covenant of grace presupposes Gods
determination of the salvation of man. The spirit of the covenant is the
spirit of grace. Salvation is a foreign procurement that determines the
just consequences in time and in eternity as that by which identity is
confirmed in terms of its future effects in us and in our eternal
state in heaven. The cross is not the process to produce these effects
in us but it has produced salvation in this foreign idea of its full
effects in the initial saving event. This definition of a lack of
self reliance is an understanding of the nature of the powers of the world to come. A real assurance is a
covenant assurance which is the exercise of the understanding
that God is a saving God.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Free Writing.....the true image of oneself
3996 One of the reasons that i write is because i
find that every truth has this quality of comparison. I dont mean in a
sense that it is only in its rational application as a matter of proving
something that becomes an example of the truth. But i mean in matters
of comparing truth to its counterparts in a meta physical sense. There
is only one way... there is only one Truth. Both in terms of its
rational process as a matter of the reality of creating the image of
exactness on a conscious level and the physical wholeness that is so
different and attractive in another sense. This is why truth is caused
to follow a pattern out of the need of a rational explanation as to how
it fits in with that process. Truth follows this line of reasoning in
the causes... its means... and its ends. This is why we can have a
united under standing of the real worthiness of all that transpires in
this world.... what deserves the reward of the proper reality that finds
in the end true glory in glory.
All that truth is as a matter of our view of truth is finding the proper process of the rational thought in linking it to its causes ... means ... and ends as it becomes the image of all that we know in relation to the reality that we understand about ourselves. This is why there is such a disproportionate image as the stream of irrationality connects us to this dark abyss of all of these ideas of incorporation that bring us into connection with one another in this image of a reflection of the safety of this incorporated molding. I call this the rebuilt inner child. If i could compare it to a biblical concept it would be the experience of what the bible terms as a divided soul. I believe that truth has it shadow of the image of itself in a rational sense in a modal idea of something that appears similar but is an anti truth. We have this example of the inner child and the reflection of the inner child. The inner child is the experience of the truth about ones self and the reflection is the process of coming to terms about the truth about oneself. Both of these ideas are the incorporation of a process of coming to a rational enjoyment of the image of oneself. May i say that an image of oneself is full of mystery and that mystery is the art form of something that is in itself an image of the truth in the worthy idea in finding the causes of the meta physical realities of understanding the conscious process of self understanding. The totality of understanding in this world is the incorporation of the truth in all of its available knowledge in the event in terms of what transpires in this world and the creation of the idea of what is true about oneself in the hidden image of the finite comparative understanding. So that we go from a total self image in this matter of the reflection of the comparative finite hidden image as a matter of finding the truth about oneself. I would say that Austin pinned this concept by saying that one is restless until he finds all of his happiness in God. Because an image is only true if it has in it the ideas that are incorporated in the full understanding of the truth about that image. I mean that there is always mystery involved in our finite incorporation. |
Monday, November 23, 2015
Cleaving to God
5808 Yes we must lift up our souls to Him for
comfort. Because we face loneliness and affliction. The world is not
only full of attraction but it is a place where there is constant
friction and hatred. And we are confronted by being in the public arena
with the schemes men have devised so that the spirit is one of
treachery. We can lift up our souls to God so that we might find rest in
His love and forgiveness. Because when we have learned to find all of
our rest and comfort from this world we are able to say as His purposes
are being worked out through us that we will not be put to shame. He is
the access we have to Him. Here is Gods method of treating us who are in
Christ. Since we can lift our souls to Him we are under such a spirit
of love that our purposes will not be thwarted in the end. When we lift
up our souls to Him we are hoping in Him. There is no greater evidence
that our hopes will not be turned aside by Him seeing that He valued our
purposes that He sent His own Son to die and earn salvation when we did
not deserve it. God valued us so much that He gave His most glorious
gift for us.
Now all of our days are spent in following His purpose for us. Because we are convinced by His goodness alone that what He wants is best for us. We face so many personal troubles that we cannot see sometimes. We are full of uncertainty in our best days. Since He teaches us to walk in His ways then He is constantly reminding us that we are freed from any kind of anguish that we are confronted with. We have a conviction to want to walk in His ways. Now in our identity with Him we are being freed from our uncertain worry.
Now that we are on His path we are free from our past corruption and sins. He promises not to remember the sins of our youth. And since we have this promise then we are reminded that there is no lack of understanding that we will face in going before Him for wisdom. Because in forgiving us the we are seen as being in Christ. We are seen by the Father as completely righteous. There is nothing good that He will not lead us in or teach us by leading us. Since we suffer physical pain and the pain of being in this world, that is all of the fears and troubles we can find our full confidence in coming to Him for forgiveness. We know that He is just as certain to be our help as we are to find all of our peace from His forgiveness. What other end in His teaching us is there? If we have peace with God we have all we need. If we have peace with God then He will bless us with all that we need in this life. He will not only lead us to know that He has cast our sins as far as the east is from the west, but He is determined to bless us more than we could ask or think.
Oh He brings us through many trials in His path for us. So that He leads us to cry to Him for peace and relief. Then we are made aware that we have a protection that is not natural. Then we know that He will keep us from the dread of the wicked. All our days will be spent in praising Him for being such a big and loving Father! Psalm 25
Now all of our days are spent in following His purpose for us. Because we are convinced by His goodness alone that what He wants is best for us. We face so many personal troubles that we cannot see sometimes. We are full of uncertainty in our best days. Since He teaches us to walk in His ways then He is constantly reminding us that we are freed from any kind of anguish that we are confronted with. We have a conviction to want to walk in His ways. Now in our identity with Him we are being freed from our uncertain worry.
Now that we are on His path we are free from our past corruption and sins. He promises not to remember the sins of our youth. And since we have this promise then we are reminded that there is no lack of understanding that we will face in going before Him for wisdom. Because in forgiving us the we are seen as being in Christ. We are seen by the Father as completely righteous. There is nothing good that He will not lead us in or teach us by leading us. Since we suffer physical pain and the pain of being in this world, that is all of the fears and troubles we can find our full confidence in coming to Him for forgiveness. We know that He is just as certain to be our help as we are to find all of our peace from His forgiveness. What other end in His teaching us is there? If we have peace with God we have all we need. If we have peace with God then He will bless us with all that we need in this life. He will not only lead us to know that He has cast our sins as far as the east is from the west, but He is determined to bless us more than we could ask or think.
Oh He brings us through many trials in His path for us. So that He leads us to cry to Him for peace and relief. Then we are made aware that we have a protection that is not natural. Then we know that He will keep us from the dread of the wicked. All our days will be spent in praising Him for being such a big and loving Father! Psalm 25
Soaking Prayer...The unction of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit has the individual strings to
our hearts and pulls these strings as we look into the abundance of the
eternal communications in this Trinitarian fellowship through Christ. We
are made aware of this eternal longing to find our relief in His direct
effect in bringing a peace and joy that is beyond the things we rejoice
in through our own work. There is a simplicity to our understanding
that draws us out to have a silent infusion of the waves of power that
flood our entire being. The Holy Spirit causes us to feel as if there is
nothing that we can do to gain a favor in our own understanding of the
divine cause of the working out of the good in this world.
If we are made to rejoice in Christ it is by looking on His beauty in all of the spiritual effects in this communication to us. If we find a confidence in Him then we are drawn out of ourselves by the Holy Spirit. Now we know that there are corporal attractions in this life. But we are made aware that there are greater attractions from those things that are not seen in this world. This is the world of the Holy Spirits communications to us. Our active sight that reside in the our spiritual world is His communication to us of the reality of those things that are not seen. We look at Christ who we long for and we are made confident that we shall be made aware of who we are in our fellowship with the Spirit. Here is His powerful effect in our present consciousness. We cannot fathom the kind of supernatural communication in that bringing about this confidence in the working out of all things as the eternal emanations are felt in us by Him. But it is that fellowship that is bringing about the new mind of having confidences that are leading us in a direction that we know will not be thwarted. Because we are more aware of the Holy Spirits effects in communicating to us than we know of anything that has that kind of pull and power in this world.
If we are made to rejoice in Christ it is by looking on His beauty in all of the spiritual effects in this communication to us. If we find a confidence in Him then we are drawn out of ourselves by the Holy Spirit. Now we know that there are corporal attractions in this life. But we are made aware that there are greater attractions from those things that are not seen in this world. This is the world of the Holy Spirits communications to us. Our active sight that reside in the our spiritual world is His communication to us of the reality of those things that are not seen. We look at Christ who we long for and we are made confident that we shall be made aware of who we are in our fellowship with the Spirit. Here is His powerful effect in our present consciousness. We cannot fathom the kind of supernatural communication in that bringing about this confidence in the working out of all things as the eternal emanations are felt in us by Him. But it is that fellowship that is bringing about the new mind of having confidences that are leading us in a direction that we know will not be thwarted. Because we are more aware of the Holy Spirits effects in communicating to us than we know of anything that has that kind of pull and power in this world.
Romans and the Flesh Monster...being in the presence of Christ transcended all human experience
5825
All of us want to think and do the rite thing
at all times in every situation. Not only do we want to think perfectly
in our viewing all of the situations and people who we are being
influenced, but we also want to feel that we have a genuine
understanding of their particular circumstances and reacting in a
way that would show the most amount of love. We have a picture
in our minds of living within the reality of what is best for them and
our particular interest in the matter. Heres what i want to say ...that
having this kind of understanding is greater than we think it is. The depth of the genuineness of our experience is more than just
thinking that we can do something by a simple command. After all we are
not dogs who do something good and we get a treat as a reward. But we
are volitional , and moral reasoning creatures who define things in
terms of what we learn about God in understanding
of how we are to be within that particular reality. We long to be like
something we are not. And in this sense of our
understanding is determined by our depth of living in a certain reality
that we can control in living beyond the normal
genuine rule.
This is why Christ was a man who came and revealed Himself to all the sinners as the most genuine man alive. Christ understanding of men were beyond our ability to think let alone follow. He saw through every particle in the universe at all times with the most profound illuminated knowledge that was ever seen in any man on this earth. He walk as the most humbled man that ever walked the earth. He viewed things that were beyond this earthly understanding to be genuine enough to understand. He was able to look into the thoughts and intents of other men who were depraved , and yet knew at the same time what they would think them before they thought them. If you think about this it just blows your mind.
At the same time He was a man acquainted with the feelings of every person. Not only did he know what their particular behavior would be, but he knew intimately how each person would experience the outcome of that behavior whether it was by their circumstances or by personal choices. Christ knew so much that He had the key to unlock a person being in bondage. Whatever image a person would be under, Christ brought them into an image of freedom in His presence in His being among sinners. They experienced a freedom to think, feel, and act in the rite way. And yet He has promised to be with us through His Spirit in a much greater way
This is why Christ was a man who came and revealed Himself to all the sinners as the most genuine man alive. Christ understanding of men were beyond our ability to think let alone follow. He saw through every particle in the universe at all times with the most profound illuminated knowledge that was ever seen in any man on this earth. He walk as the most humbled man that ever walked the earth. He viewed things that were beyond this earthly understanding to be genuine enough to understand. He was able to look into the thoughts and intents of other men who were depraved , and yet knew at the same time what they would think them before they thought them. If you think about this it just blows your mind.
At the same time He was a man acquainted with the feelings of every person. Not only did he know what their particular behavior would be, but he knew intimately how each person would experience the outcome of that behavior whether it was by their circumstances or by personal choices. Christ knew so much that He had the key to unlock a person being in bondage. Whatever image a person would be under, Christ brought them into an image of freedom in His presence in His being among sinners. They experienced a freedom to think, feel, and act in the rite way. And yet He has promised to be with us through His Spirit in a much greater way
Romans and the Flesh Monster...Gods working in us leads us to a mysterious freedom
5867 In order for us to get relief from our pride
we need to have confidence that He is presently able to assure us of our
redemption from the slavery to sin and self that we were under in which we were
separated from His love. Because He endured the cross by taking on the
full wrath of the Father for our sin , then we are not only delivered
from the power of sin and the law, but we have a present help in our
time of need. We do not need to pay for our pride or our sins. They were
completely taken care of in Christ. Now we can come boldly before the
throne of grace and find help in our time of need. When we come before Him
we are receiving an ongoing assurance through His suffering .He is listening to our complaints and request as one
who is the end for which we find grace apart from the bondage to the
law. And even tho we experience the effects of sin in our bodies as we are groaning because of the incomplete understanding we have of His
power. yet there is no loss to us who seek Him with all of our hearts as
if we were afraid for our own well being when we compare our goodness
to His standard of goodness.
But instead of Him discouraging us from this concern, He comes to our aid and at the same time calms our fears. Since there is more power in Him that is available to us than we could find in being satisfied in finding relief in what we think we need, then we are invited to find the greatest pleasure and glory in being freed from the bondage of our conscious painful worry. He leads us away from that pain we blindly embrace as if we knew a better way to be self protective. He not only shields us from our lack of understanding, but He gives us new life. We cannot produce enough evidence as to why we are enabled to dwell in His perfect peace. He not only knows better what we need, but He grants us more than we could ever be selfish enough when we receive the good that He gives us..
But instead of Him discouraging us from this concern, He comes to our aid and at the same time calms our fears. Since there is more power in Him that is available to us than we could find in being satisfied in finding relief in what we think we need, then we are invited to find the greatest pleasure and glory in being freed from the bondage of our conscious painful worry. He leads us away from that pain we blindly embrace as if we knew a better way to be self protective. He not only shields us from our lack of understanding, but He gives us new life. We cannot produce enough evidence as to why we are enabled to dwell in His perfect peace. He not only knows better what we need, but He grants us more than we could ever be selfish enough when we receive the good that He gives us..
Romans and the Flesh Monster.... His kingdom animates us
5857
As you know or if you have not already
learned that in meditating on the Psalms regularly I find that angels
are quite intriguing. Whether its the Angel of the Lord who has a sword
that comes from His mouth, who is our great protector, or a myriad of
Angels who are appointed to protect us from this spiritual conflict, yet
they are beautiful creatures who are intimately involved in our lives. Anytime we are in prayer and we start to feel this eternal peace, rolling our anxiety onto Him, it comes with this heavenly
vision of the armies of heaven shining His glory with the hope that we have a
future interest when we see these armies at first hand. If we could
imagine that even tho the sky's seem calm and have a blue glow to
them, yet if we were to have a vision of the spiritual forces in the
skies, there would be an amazing clear transformation of our view in gazing on an object,
having an illumination of a light and color as we feel unable
to find clearness in comparison to the objects we are used to seeing.
And yet we are given a spiritual vision of Gods armies attending His present salvation of us not only enlightening our eyes but in having an effect on our present circumstances. And the angels of heaven give us an experience of Gods saving purposes as the armies of heaven are displayed before us by our Father in heaven acting to come to our rescue . This personal feeling helplessness is buttressed by our illumination of His unfathomable spiritual creation coming from heaven to enact victory for us. Oh my, can we have more confidence than that? For who can thwart His glorious appearance? Who can conclude that God cannot do as He pleases? He does it according to His divine order. May our eyes be opened to these powers that are not seen yet are very real.
Gods order comes from that divine knowledge. We know that the origins of all things comes from a divine source. They come from God and not from a principle. We are to have a new knowledge of confidence that He enacts His purpose even tho the world is trying to force their way upon us. God has determined to reveal this order in the heavens as a buttress for our confidence. The order we seldom see today with our eyes in this physical universe. We are moved by a moral system that causes us to react to the physical universe. But yet God comes to us in the unseen universe. He has come in Christ who has established His order. He determined who we are in acting for us. But we worship Christ the word of God, through revealed truth by a divine method and not through the system of this world. If we set our affections on things above then we will be confident that God does as He pleases in spite of what the world teaches us about moral order.
We can be raised up to rejoice. All of these glorious illuminations come to us in the light of the glory of God. For who can look upon His present glory? But yet how can we conclude that there is no hope in His present communication? How can we understand knowledge that is beyond the normal means of communication? We find it in the Spirit who causes us to think and act correctly. The Spirit communicates to us a living reality so that we are not mere actors in a play of the worlds mindset to be forever frustrated that there is nothing outside this present play. Oh my, now can we conclude that God is the orchestra-tor of a much glorious unseen connection that comes in all of the details of every movement of all of the things of this world? Are we not under the obligation to see that God is not only speaking in the universe so that we grow in confidence by viewing the movements with our eyes, but that He is involved with all of the connections that we could never see and understand? Shall we say that He speaks so powerfully in us, that we are confounded by the weight of the circumstances that we cannot comprehend?
And yet we are given a spiritual vision of Gods armies attending His present salvation of us not only enlightening our eyes but in having an effect on our present circumstances. And the angels of heaven give us an experience of Gods saving purposes as the armies of heaven are displayed before us by our Father in heaven acting to come to our rescue . This personal feeling helplessness is buttressed by our illumination of His unfathomable spiritual creation coming from heaven to enact victory for us. Oh my, can we have more confidence than that? For who can thwart His glorious appearance? Who can conclude that God cannot do as He pleases? He does it according to His divine order. May our eyes be opened to these powers that are not seen yet are very real.
Gods order comes from that divine knowledge. We know that the origins of all things comes from a divine source. They come from God and not from a principle. We are to have a new knowledge of confidence that He enacts His purpose even tho the world is trying to force their way upon us. God has determined to reveal this order in the heavens as a buttress for our confidence. The order we seldom see today with our eyes in this physical universe. We are moved by a moral system that causes us to react to the physical universe. But yet God comes to us in the unseen universe. He has come in Christ who has established His order. He determined who we are in acting for us. But we worship Christ the word of God, through revealed truth by a divine method and not through the system of this world. If we set our affections on things above then we will be confident that God does as He pleases in spite of what the world teaches us about moral order.
We can be raised up to rejoice. All of these glorious illuminations come to us in the light of the glory of God. For who can look upon His present glory? But yet how can we conclude that there is no hope in His present communication? How can we understand knowledge that is beyond the normal means of communication? We find it in the Spirit who causes us to think and act correctly. The Spirit communicates to us a living reality so that we are not mere actors in a play of the worlds mindset to be forever frustrated that there is nothing outside this present play. Oh my, now can we conclude that God is the orchestra-tor of a much glorious unseen connection that comes in all of the details of every movement of all of the things of this world? Are we not under the obligation to see that God is not only speaking in the universe so that we grow in confidence by viewing the movements with our eyes, but that He is involved with all of the connections that we could never see and understand? Shall we say that He speaks so powerfully in us, that we are confounded by the weight of the circumstances that we cannot comprehend?
Spiritual Mysticism vs. Spiritual Maturity ...God is not only the teacher but the creator of the causes of learning.
If God is our teacher then He not only defines
who He is , but He defines how much He is going to reveal and the line
between belief and unbelief. Not only does He have a method for our
understanding , but He is the cause of all that we know of the truth.
This is the reality of the way we begin to be taught by Him so that we
understand who He is and how much we understand about the truth.
In other words we do not come to the truth, but the truth comes to us. Our nature is like the soil for the
growth of plants. The nature is our understanding
of all the purposes and ends for which God has made us in this
world . We are the only creatures understand the renewal of all things.
Mystery is beyond our ability to comprehend. And if God were to desire that we understand mysterious knowledge then He would give us the ability to reason it out. For there are things that are impossible for us to accomplish even tho we know of them, yet we have never had the experience of doing them. And we are always free to talk about things even tho we do not have an intimate knowledge of them. If we we could not give our opinion on something outside our sphere of experience then this world would be a miserable prison. We are made to seek after God through the knowledge of God. Ignorance is not bliss. We cannot know God unless the knowledge is through revelation. Unless we are seeking this divine knowledge then we are restless. If we place limitations on the methods, the kind, and the scope of knowledge that God has not limited then i think that is legalism.
Mystery is beyond our ability to comprehend. And if God were to desire that we understand mysterious knowledge then He would give us the ability to reason it out. For there are things that are impossible for us to accomplish even tho we know of them, yet we have never had the experience of doing them. And we are always free to talk about things even tho we do not have an intimate knowledge of them. If we we could not give our opinion on something outside our sphere of experience then this world would be a miserable prison. We are made to seek after God through the knowledge of God. Ignorance is not bliss. We cannot know God unless the knowledge is through revelation. Unless we are seeking this divine knowledge then we are restless. If we place limitations on the methods, the kind, and the scope of knowledge that God has not limited then i think that is legalism.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Romans and the Flesh Monster....Within doctrine is the complete spirit of experience
5722
There is this pressure about our present
experience that is intermixed with our thoughts that can be described as
coloring the view of our images. How can there be a new birth that increases our understanding and yet not have some kind of change in the
sense orientation of our eyes? Every person experiences a
different way growing in their understanding. Some people
experience a clearer vision of the all the colors and vibrant sensations as the physical light becomes brighter. I recall this experience at
certain times as I am converted to a new understanding. Our renewal is increased in the
communication as our vision becomes greater in the exercise of our physical senses. Some people have more sorrow than joy, some have
more joy than sorrow, some have a very flat experience and some people have no memories of being saved in at a young age.
There is a powerful connection to our view of the world that colors our thoughts. Our thoughts are colored by the experience of these underlying sensations and subtle movements that define the truth that we depend upon. We all have a disposition as a result of understanding our nature by the truth from the proposition. We are subject to miss understanding the truth of the proposition as a result of the discoloration of our sense perceptions.
As we understand the truth we grow in spiritual power and rest as we are weaned from the world. THe process of renewal is seen in the vibrant clearness of these colors as we long for God. We find rest in our fellowship with God. This is accomplished through the process of illumination. How can we describe this seminal life within us?
The life of God in us is the perfect illumination of the colors even tho we have a faulty view from the proposition of the truth. The determinations of the proposition are passed on in the experience of adding color to the soul as an argument the beatific experience. The two tier communication is the level of understanding of a truth as the determinate color in which there is a free flow of implantation as the soul receives the influential color as the power of the determination. In this way the exact doctrine has its own color in that implantation.
There is a powerful connection to our view of the world that colors our thoughts. Our thoughts are colored by the experience of these underlying sensations and subtle movements that define the truth that we depend upon. We all have a disposition as a result of understanding our nature by the truth from the proposition. We are subject to miss understanding the truth of the proposition as a result of the discoloration of our sense perceptions.
As we understand the truth we grow in spiritual power and rest as we are weaned from the world. THe process of renewal is seen in the vibrant clearness of these colors as we long for God. We find rest in our fellowship with God. This is accomplished through the process of illumination. How can we describe this seminal life within us?
The life of God in us is the perfect illumination of the colors even tho we have a faulty view from the proposition of the truth. The determinations of the proposition are passed on in the experience of adding color to the soul as an argument the beatific experience. The two tier communication is the level of understanding of a truth as the determinate color in which there is a free flow of implantation as the soul receives the influential color as the power of the determination. In this way the exact doctrine has its own color in that implantation.
Romans and the Flesh Monster.... we stand completed accepted by God through imputed righteousness.
Its not that we must despair in order to change our desires to be in
line with glorifying God and enjoying Him forever. But when we are faced
with the command to do good, we may be unable to meet the command
because our desire to do the other thing is stronger than our desire to
do the command. And even tho the command has a certain weight that is
added to give us a strong enough desire, yet we may have a stronger
desire because of our attraction to the disobedience and we are unable
to obey.If as the Arminians say that obedience is a necessity to the
command, then there would be a faulty disobedience. So that this is what
growing in Christ by transforming the mind is all about. We go from
being unable to meet the command to able by growing in our desires do be
able. But if we just came to it through giving into our stronger desire
to sin, we would never be attracted to obey the command. We would at
some point give up. Thats why we grow by grace. And grace is always the
positive over the negative soil. Grace brings on the pleasure in spite
of disobeying because Christ has already obeyed, an we simply go to Him
and we have no condemnation. And it is from this view that we look at
our disobedience. We do not sin in the environment of despair. But we
are always to have an eye on Christ as the object of our being able to
obey. Which is evangelical obedience.
As we rest in Christ from our dead works, we learn that it is not by the works of righteousness that we have done but its according to His grace that He saved us. So we have this new view in our being able to die daily to sin that is from the paradigm of no condemnation. Which means that we are no longer to be in the constant relationship to others in an accusing environment. Because we now represent His name. We are judged according to imputed righteousness. Now we are unable to obey the command but we are still looked on by God as being completely righteous by that imputation of Christ righteousness, so that we glory in His name or His authority on our behalf. He really is our advocate. And at some point we are going to need to trust that He is the only one that can make things rite in our world. Because imputed righteousness is Him dealing justice in protecting us even tho we sin. And in this way we grow in our desires to obey and we loose our desire to disobey. Like Steve B says, you got to be loved first. If your in despair, go get loved by the rite people first. God looks on how your treated more than He looks on your sin, and He will balance that scale.
I came across this , very interesting insight. I apologize for leaving the author out, i just cant find it, any way.
Although the concept of righteousness in our culture has come to refer almost strictly to ethical and moral conduct, this is not the primary referent in the OT. Righteousness does produce ethical and moral conduct, and can be found in such, but the OT concept of righteousness is essentially the "fulfillment of the demands and obligations of a relationship between two persons."3 Under the Mosaic covenant, Israel related to God on the basis of Moses' Law. One's righteousness was judged upon their conformity to this Law, through which they related to YHWH. If they kept the Law, which consisted of many non-moral commands, they were considered righteous (in right relationship) before YHWH. When one broke God's Law, they were in essence betraying the relationship between them and YHWH. This is the essence of sin.4
To demonstrate that the OT concept of righteousness has more to do with relationship than with morality, two examples will be cited. In Genesis 38 we find the story of Judah and Tamar. Tamar was Judah's daughter-in-law. She was married to Judah's eldest son, Er, but he was killed by the Lord (Genesis 38:7). Tamar was then given to the second eldest brother, Onan, to wed. He too was killed by the Lord (38:10). The only son left was Shelah, but he was too young to be given to Tamar in marriage. Judah told Tamar to go to her father's house until Shelah was of age, and promised that at that time Shelah would be given to her in marriage (38:11). When Shelah became of age Judah did not keep his promise to give him to Tamar in marriage, so Tamar devised a scheme to get back at Judah. She dressed herself as a harlot in a nearby city and her ex-father-in-law, not knowing who she was, had sexual relations with her. Since he did not have any payment with him for her services, he gave her his signet ring, staff, and bracelets until he could come back with payment. After Judah left Tamar took off her harlot clothes and left the city. Judah did send back payment, but Tamar (unbeknownst to Judah) had fled. Three months later it was told Judah that Tamar was with child. Judah's fury was full and demanded that she be burnt for playing the harlot. When she arrived she claimed that she knew the father of the child, publicly displaying Judah's ring, bracelets, and staff. Judah, realizing his error, said, "She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son" (38:26).
If we were judging righteousness purely on moral grounds, neither Judah nor Tamar could be said to be righteous. When it is understood that righteousness refers to relationship, however, this story makes sense. Tamar's righteousness was not in her act of harlotry, but in the fact that she met the demands and obligations of the relationship between Judah and herself, whereas Judah went back on his word.
As we rest in Christ from our dead works, we learn that it is not by the works of righteousness that we have done but its according to His grace that He saved us. So we have this new view in our being able to die daily to sin that is from the paradigm of no condemnation. Which means that we are no longer to be in the constant relationship to others in an accusing environment. Because we now represent His name. We are judged according to imputed righteousness. Now we are unable to obey the command but we are still looked on by God as being completely righteous by that imputation of Christ righteousness, so that we glory in His name or His authority on our behalf. He really is our advocate. And at some point we are going to need to trust that He is the only one that can make things rite in our world. Because imputed righteousness is Him dealing justice in protecting us even tho we sin. And in this way we grow in our desires to obey and we loose our desire to disobey. Like Steve B says, you got to be loved first. If your in despair, go get loved by the rite people first. God looks on how your treated more than He looks on your sin, and He will balance that scale.
I came across this , very interesting insight. I apologize for leaving the author out, i just cant find it, any way.
Although the concept of righteousness in our culture has come to refer almost strictly to ethical and moral conduct, this is not the primary referent in the OT. Righteousness does produce ethical and moral conduct, and can be found in such, but the OT concept of righteousness is essentially the "fulfillment of the demands and obligations of a relationship between two persons."3 Under the Mosaic covenant, Israel related to God on the basis of Moses' Law. One's righteousness was judged upon their conformity to this Law, through which they related to YHWH. If they kept the Law, which consisted of many non-moral commands, they were considered righteous (in right relationship) before YHWH. When one broke God's Law, they were in essence betraying the relationship between them and YHWH. This is the essence of sin.4
To demonstrate that the OT concept of righteousness has more to do with relationship than with morality, two examples will be cited. In Genesis 38 we find the story of Judah and Tamar. Tamar was Judah's daughter-in-law. She was married to Judah's eldest son, Er, but he was killed by the Lord (Genesis 38:7). Tamar was then given to the second eldest brother, Onan, to wed. He too was killed by the Lord (38:10). The only son left was Shelah, but he was too young to be given to Tamar in marriage. Judah told Tamar to go to her father's house until Shelah was of age, and promised that at that time Shelah would be given to her in marriage (38:11). When Shelah became of age Judah did not keep his promise to give him to Tamar in marriage, so Tamar devised a scheme to get back at Judah. She dressed herself as a harlot in a nearby city and her ex-father-in-law, not knowing who she was, had sexual relations with her. Since he did not have any payment with him for her services, he gave her his signet ring, staff, and bracelets until he could come back with payment. After Judah left Tamar took off her harlot clothes and left the city. Judah did send back payment, but Tamar (unbeknownst to Judah) had fled. Three months later it was told Judah that Tamar was with child. Judah's fury was full and demanded that she be burnt for playing the harlot. When she arrived she claimed that she knew the father of the child, publicly displaying Judah's ring, bracelets, and staff. Judah, realizing his error, said, "She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son" (38:26).
If we were judging righteousness purely on moral grounds, neither Judah nor Tamar could be said to be righteous. When it is understood that righteousness refers to relationship, however, this story makes sense. Tamar's righteousness was not in her act of harlotry, but in the fact that she met the demands and obligations of the relationship between Judah and herself, whereas Judah went back on his word.
Romans and the Flesh Monster.....The conflict of our desires
6807
Very good post TB. Its a real battle that
starts in the mind and then we form an understanding of the object of
our desires. And then the will falls in line. Because there are all
kinds of desires that we have to overcome a persistent sin, we can not
always trust in the reasons why we want to overcome an outward sin. We
need to have the scripture define what a true spiritual desire is so
that the principle part of our understanding would be able to cast down a
sinful desire in order to overcome an outward sin. Because the object
of each desire, which are many, will determine whether the unrighteous
desire dominates the misguided desires and terminates the weaker desires
to overcome an outward sin. The one inward sin will dominate in order
to overcome the outward sin. Coveting to overcome excessive drinking.
When we are in the growth process we must be enabled to overcome a temptation. We always choose what we desire the most, and that includes all of our body motions. So that we are completely responsible for what we choose even tho we are unable to meet the strength of the obedience at the present. Growing in Christ is really being able to gain the strength of desire to obey. And thats part of the wanting to do good but not doing it. Our want to obey desire is not stronger than our desire to sin. So we are responsible because we choose based on our strongest desire.The apostle Paul is not saying that he has an equal choice about the object and the sinning is determined by the resistance of the will. In that case then we could have levels of resistance (in a praiseworthy sense )as to equal obedience rather than a true personal responsible choice in desiring to sin.
Nevertheless, we have longings to obey that are there. And these longings are the renewed desires. So that at some future time we will be better equipped in our minds to have the strength of understanding that will match our present longings. We are looking at the goal of becoming like Christ , but we have not arrived yet. But God sees our longings and He looks at the desires of our hearts. It is by grace that we learn the process of understanding the true spiritual desire. We could never reason on our own to have the understanding. But true spiritual desires will be formed in us by grace as we gaze at Christ, who had the praise worthy understanding so that all that He desired was the Fathers pleasure. And we look on Christ through the word.
The process of being renewed is to be enlightened to grace, in which we learn what is praise worthy by the praise worthiness of Christ work on our behalf. And we learn to identify that glory, the real weightiness of the divine knowledge. The value of the desire is feeling that weight.
When we are in the growth process we must be enabled to overcome a temptation. We always choose what we desire the most, and that includes all of our body motions. So that we are completely responsible for what we choose even tho we are unable to meet the strength of the obedience at the present. Growing in Christ is really being able to gain the strength of desire to obey. And thats part of the wanting to do good but not doing it. Our want to obey desire is not stronger than our desire to sin. So we are responsible because we choose based on our strongest desire.The apostle Paul is not saying that he has an equal choice about the object and the sinning is determined by the resistance of the will. In that case then we could have levels of resistance (in a praiseworthy sense )as to equal obedience rather than a true personal responsible choice in desiring to sin.
Nevertheless, we have longings to obey that are there. And these longings are the renewed desires. So that at some future time we will be better equipped in our minds to have the strength of understanding that will match our present longings. We are looking at the goal of becoming like Christ , but we have not arrived yet. But God sees our longings and He looks at the desires of our hearts. It is by grace that we learn the process of understanding the true spiritual desire. We could never reason on our own to have the understanding. But true spiritual desires will be formed in us by grace as we gaze at Christ, who had the praise worthy understanding so that all that He desired was the Fathers pleasure. And we look on Christ through the word.
The process of being renewed is to be enlightened to grace, in which we learn what is praise worthy by the praise worthiness of Christ work on our behalf. And we learn to identify that glory, the real weightiness of the divine knowledge. The value of the desire is feeling that weight.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Encouragement for the struggling
There is a real deli-ma that we are confronted with in our journey toward the celestial gates. It is when we have drifted from the refuge of the Lord and feel as though we have sinned enough to depart that we are tempted to feel as tho our praising Him is pointless. Yet it is always good to praise Him. It is always good to sing praises to Him.
Circumstances should not determine our desires but rather our relationship to Jesus in these lean times are the determiner of our praising Him. In the creation of the universe there is a design as examples of the attributes of God for us to visualize. His revelation in that creation. On a cool night far from the illuminate light of the big cities we can look at the stars in the sky, and get a glimpse of eternity. We can understand the Person of intricate details who is concerned about the smallest details in our lives. Even when we are failing we are being sustained by Him as He sustains the stars in their orbits. He upholds us with His power in our falling. Even tho we have been forgotten by everyone and we have no comfort from friends , yet He is holding us from falling completely. He is bringing us to an understanding that nothing in this world is worth trusting in as the supreme object as He is.
We praise Him in this deli-ma because His grace is more powerful than our sin. In our fallen state He is reversing the effects in us, healing us, and closing up the wound to be forgotten forever by Him in His Son. He is renewing us and gathering us along with the other humble ones to praise Him alone.
Our God made a covenant with Abraham that He would be the father of many nations and that His children would be as the number of stars. We are Abraham's children by spiritual birth. We have the same spiritual privileges that are promised in His covenant. We are one of those stars being upheld in that vast heavenly light show. Yet looking up beyond the stars we are confronted with a dark mysterious show of eternity. A bottomless view of space of eternal dimensions. There is a display of the night that is illuminated by the glory of God in His holding us up by His all seeing eye and His design of our lives by His infinite understanding. Yes, just as He is sustaining those heavenly lights from His eternal abode in that dark mysterious space, He is bringing us to become a more brighter star to illuminate the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Do you feel His presence? Do not let Satan convince you that you are beyond His care. Go to the night and think of His power to uphold the display of heavenly lights. Sing to Him in your darkest hour. It is fitting, normal , realistic to bless Him with our lips. To God be the glory!
2005
Circumstances should not determine our desires but rather our relationship to Jesus in these lean times are the determiner of our praising Him. In the creation of the universe there is a design as examples of the attributes of God for us to visualize. His revelation in that creation. On a cool night far from the illuminate light of the big cities we can look at the stars in the sky, and get a glimpse of eternity. We can understand the Person of intricate details who is concerned about the smallest details in our lives. Even when we are failing we are being sustained by Him as He sustains the stars in their orbits. He upholds us with His power in our falling. Even tho we have been forgotten by everyone and we have no comfort from friends , yet He is holding us from falling completely. He is bringing us to an understanding that nothing in this world is worth trusting in as the supreme object as He is.
We praise Him in this deli-ma because His grace is more powerful than our sin. In our fallen state He is reversing the effects in us, healing us, and closing up the wound to be forgotten forever by Him in His Son. He is renewing us and gathering us along with the other humble ones to praise Him alone.
Our God made a covenant with Abraham that He would be the father of many nations and that His children would be as the number of stars. We are Abraham's children by spiritual birth. We have the same spiritual privileges that are promised in His covenant. We are one of those stars being upheld in that vast heavenly light show. Yet looking up beyond the stars we are confronted with a dark mysterious show of eternity. A bottomless view of space of eternal dimensions. There is a display of the night that is illuminated by the glory of God in His holding us up by His all seeing eye and His design of our lives by His infinite understanding. Yes, just as He is sustaining those heavenly lights from His eternal abode in that dark mysterious space, He is bringing us to become a more brighter star to illuminate the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Do you feel His presence? Do not let Satan convince you that you are beyond His care. Go to the night and think of His power to uphold the display of heavenly lights. Sing to Him in your darkest hour. It is fitting, normal , realistic to bless Him with our lips. To God be the glory!
2005
Sunday, November 15, 2015
10160 Forums / Theology Forum / Atonement on: April 22, 2005, 06:15:40 AM
When i talk to a person about Christ i stay on message because i want them to understand that the core issues are vital. I am offensive when i talk about sin and hell and i see a reaction in there apperance. I cannot just deal with people on an intellectual level. I think that there needs to be a reality check. I spend time praying for the people in my world. I realize how hard it is to believe. I also know that God is the one who saves people inspite of my sins. I think the reasoning about the\" house on fire \"is relevent today. I think the unsaved will see what is important to you as they get to know you. But there is a reality that no matter how many arguments you have the issue is the heart. No man can change the heart. I had an experience where a friend who was unsaved was suddenly taken ill and through talking about my faith and his past religious experience he came to the Lord before he died. I could have begged till i was blue in the face and never changed his heart. I think prayer is vital in gospel presentation because we are fighting in the spiritual realm. 10169 Forums / Main Forum / Secret Place Of The Most High on: April 20, 2005, 07:57:38 PM
\"The fowlers snare\" Have you ever been afraid that the evil perpretrated from some one else might fall on you? The situation could be from your weakness that is magnified by the evils of other people and you feel that it is unfair. Not everything that is experience by us that is negative come from our sin. Many times we are caught in the web of the world system and those sins the world forces us to deal with. This age in which we live is a very evil age. Just try to drive on the roads and not be confronted with an angry driver. There are even more schemes that the average family is confronted with in raising children and in owning things. We must admit that not only are we fighting inside battles but we are confronting outside pressures and fleeting freedoms as sin increases around us. So this psalm speaks to me in a bigger than life kind of way. Snares are all over the place and my Father is always keeping me from getting entangled in them. That is the refuge that His children enjoy. If i get my foot caught in a snare He comes to my rescue and turns my situation for His glory. Can we feel safety admist such opposition? With a Father who cares about the evils His children are confronted with we certianly can! Oh what love that is experienced. When you pray for Him to save you from the snare in your life and He gives you a life lesson on what you prayed for. Take a hold of that confidence and glory in Him. That is a faith builder and your confidence in Him will be so great that people around you will take notice. Really, you will be brought out of yourself and into raptures of the Fathers safe place that you can retreat to in prayer. 10172 Forums / Theology Forum / Atonement on: April 20, 2005, 06:05:47 PM
My problem with presenting the gospel is the sark reality that it condemns the wicked and accuses them of hating God. So i have been guilty in the past of not explaining it in negative terms at all and really presenting a false gospel. Sin is not just a side issue that comes at the end of the presentation. Nor is it a hidden thread in the love of Jesus for the world. Rather sin is the main issue and the law is the focus in bringing people to understand who God is and what relationship they are to Him so that they see their need. You look in the gospels and what kind of heart that is given grace. It is always the absolutely desperate individual who has no hope in this life. This reality is the ground for salvation and the state in which the saint enjoys grace. To present this to the american mind who has everything they need and who are set in their frame of the postmodern state really brings on persecution. Most people want a gospel that has no bite to it[ no conviction] They want the gospel to be like the car they drive with all the bells and whistles and very little irritation. Really when we are those who are humbled and brought low that is the reality that is against the fast pace get all you can thinking . So you are left to be alone so much in this american culture and your message is rejected and your church is accused of being too negative. I love reading the prophets who spoke the word to people who were averse to everything they said. They were all alone so much of the time in an unhappy state. Go to Jeremiah and read this book. Think about what God put him through to get the message rite.
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10173 Forums / Theology Forum / Atonement on: April 20, 2005, 09:47:04 AM
The question is what is the main purpose of the christian life? Is it to reach the world by making the truth acceptable? We do need to be witnesses in the world and loving the world. But again there are these misaprehensions of what the christian gospel is about and the nature of the scriptures importance in church's daily life. Which goes back to the pts i made about the postmoderns ability to apprehend these truths. 2 generations of american educated have a settled in idolatry of middle eastern mysticism with protestantism. IE. The hollywood culture . Our main purpose in life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. 10181 Forums / Break Room / So, How Do Yew Meditate? on: April 19, 2005, 06:17:57 AM
Some times life can be so diffcult that we are left to cry out in pain. Our bodies react to those inward pains and we grope around feeling lost and our crys are from absolute helplessness. There is no more human trust left but a feeble cry. Yet we are also left with this thought that we take the good times for granted and we some times do spite to His goodness. So the bad times are their to teach us to appreciate Him when He blesses us. Have you gotten to the pt where you are skin and bone and you have no one to talk to? Are you in such pain that it controls every area of you life including eating? Are you without a home, put out on the streets? Things could be worse! The important thing is to slow down and think of those things that are bugging you and then think of how big God is. Think a lot about His control. There is nothing in my life that He has not designed. He is hurting me for a purpose. Don't try to concur the world but just give yourself a lot of down time. Rest and tell yourself that God is soveriegn and He is going to work these things out. Take it moment by moment. Pray a lot even though it hurts. He may seem far away and silent because He is building your faith [trusting in the unseen]. Just tell Him how you feel in complete honesty.
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10182 Forums / Main Forum / Secret Place Of The Most High on: April 19, 2005, 05:44:07 AM
This is an interesting Psalm because it is sort of a metaphorical look at the safe place in this world. I picture the Psalmist sitting under a tree looking at the flock of birds flying around. He is thinking about all the dangers that birds are faced with. He gives a vivid picture about a massive desease that hits the bird population and he compares this to the day of judgment when we will be there and watch the wicked go off into eternal punishment. We will be safe in the hands of the Lord. A striking meditation, but a real confidence builder for those who have their faith in the Most High. \"It will not come near you\" that is the judgement into eternal destruction. \"The punishment of the wicked\" . The bird that is used for safety is the eagle and the safe place is under his wings. That is our relationship with our Heavenly Father. That is where we cry out to the Most High and He hears us because we are the people who are poor and needy. He is our only source of protection in this world and we are helpless. We are just like the birds flying around exposed to the dangers of this fallen world. Our trust is not in the power of kings but in the Most High. He will judge and make things right in the end even though we go through this short time of testing and danger. 10185 Forums / Theology Forum / "god Doesn't Care About Our Happiness" on: April 18, 2005, 11:12:57 PM
My experience has been that when i have gone through depression or real tough trials that i have spent alot of time meditating, looking at the problem,and praying. When i have had relief and looked back on those times they seem to be the closest times i have spent with the Lord in heaven on earth. Yet when i was going through them the pain that was driving me to that closeness seemed more than i could handle. I probably needed a close friend but that was what was dealt to me at the time. 10186 Forums / Theology Forum / "god Doesn't Care About Our Happiness" on: April 18, 2005, 11:05:41 PM
I think we need to be patient and praying when we go through tough times. There is nothing wrong with asking God some serious questions about His percieved silence. We need to open our hearts in His presence even though we may come out of prayer feeling worse than we started in prayer. There are states of depression that are not easy to deal with. But we still need to get to the bottom of the problem and role it over to the Lord. I have been very angry when i have prayed and expressed that to the Lord. Prayer that is honest is going to bring healing and release of the burden. Come to Him with a complaint that is directed toward your wanting to trust Him but are experiencing the opposite and this is too much for you to handle. How long will He put you through this? When will He come to your relief? These are questions of mourners who have an interest in glorifying God. Plead the promises! James says \"Are you suffering,then pray!\" 10191 Forums / Break Room / So, How Do Yew Meditate? on: April 16, 2005, 04:40:06 AM
Once again i come running to my Heavenly Father wanting to get unburden of the load and care. Why is this such a birthing of pain to leave my very loves and heart idols that are pushing out the joys of my loving Him for these temporary loves. Such struggles are like gravity pulling me down from His peace that exist in eternity that swollows up the tension i feel. I can have Christ alone or not at all and in having Him i feel the joy beyond any constraint of human intentions of what full joy embodys. Here is the earthly existence i long for; a grip of His gracious arms reaching down from eternity to hold down that those dreadful constraints that are nipping at my feet so that my faith though tried will find Him to be more than my all in all. Oh what a precious Saviour, the God of all Glory, the lover of my soul,that i may pour out those spices in my cup and share in His suffering and so fellowship with Him. 10207 Forums / Main Forum / I Am A Big Wuss! on: April 13, 2005, 06:56:09 AM
im not trying to brag but i am good looking yet i had periods in my single life where i couldnt make a connection with a dog. I mean that is the way things were and i had to accept that as it was. When i just made a point to not think in that way the \"what if\" syndrom and spent time in social settings and church functions just enjoying myself then learning to be free in that way i met someone who i connected with as if i had known her in another life. It is what God is doing in your life that is more important than what you want. \"What if \"is a confidence killer and will hang over your head like a dead weight.Im glad your honest and it is a real battle to over come. Think about the way you think and then when you get into the rut put your thoughts on things above and learn to draw your comfort from those things. The test is when you are by yourself to get in a state where you are not pining away but your thoughts are all leading to optimistic things and enjoy those alone times. If you can then you will be better able to connect when God brings her along. I used to think when i was single that God was preparing my wife for me and i just hadnt met her yet. Look for friends that are the innocent people not real fast track kind. Church is real important . Calvinistic conservative girls are the best10225 Forums / Theology Forum / Oh, How I Love....dotrine? on: April 10, 2005, 11:29:31 AM
I agree that the Gospel is the center of our affection but it is not only for the unsaved. The gospel is the means for the \"saving\" of our souls that is ongoing and the bigness of God is the central theme in this preached message. His grace ,that is the Fathers particular love for His own in sending His Son [who is co-equal with the Father and the Spirit ] He humble Himself and came as close to sin as He possibly could without sinning, lived a righteous life as a man yet fully God, died the death as man for sin He hates and yet hung on the cross as God, [the Glory of God ]rent the curtian in two, and rose from the dead conquring sin and death and rendering the Devil powerless, all this He did as The High Preist accomplishing the Fathers will, and securing salvation for those the Father gave Him before the foundation of the world, and now He is our advocate to be our only means for access into the Throne of God, and the reason we are loved by the Father with that love that He loved the Son because we have His righteousness. We live in this reality, a sure foundation, what a big God! Do you think of the gospel in this way, this is the reality that all principles of moral agents live in. There are only two realms we live in the realm of eternal life ,or the realm of this earth and its pleasures ending in eternal death in hell. Embrace Christ today by repenting of your own way and making Him your only Hope. 10233 Forums / Politics Forum / Form Of Government? on: April 10, 2005, 05:44:09 AM
Our nation was set up as a republic, with a Presbyterian form of accountability. The gov. officials covenanted by placing their hand on the Bible that they would uphold the laws and guard the gospel. These presbys. were confederates or groups of spiritual leaders who counseled these government officials on how to better lead the people and hold them accountable in the moral leadership and constitutional responsibilities. We have moved far from this original republic to a democracy and the rise of the individualism which leaves people powerless to effect any change because the original structure for change was Presbyterian [group] and covenant accountability. We have moved those presby accountability to business accountability and the courts have changed the laws so that they are democratic in nature [the desire of the majority to effect change and this belief that the constitution is subject to change. What do you think?
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10234 Forums / Prayer Requests / Sick on: April 10, 2005, 05:10:43 AM
I am a vitamim freak and have been using the zinc lozengers. Still feel sick but getting better . This virus is a little diff from the common cold because there is also stomach nausea. Thanks for praying.God bless you all.
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10235 Forums / Current Events / Form Of Government? on: April 10, 2005, 05:04:02 AM
Our nation was set up as a republic, with a Presbyterian form of accountability. The gov. officials covenanted by placing their hand on the Bible that they would uphold the laws and guard the gospel. These presbys. were confederates or groups of spiritual leaders who counseled these government officials on how to better lead the people and hold them accountable in the moral leadership and constitutional responsibilities. We have moved far from this original republic to a democracy and the rise of the individualism which leaves people powerless to effect any change because the original structure for change was Presbyterian [group] and covenant accountability. We have moved those presby accountability to business accountability and the courts have changed the laws so that they are democratic in nature [the desire of the majority to effect change and this belief that the constitution is subject to change. What do you think? 10242 Forums / Main Forum / Wicked Is My Righteousness Yes? on: April 09, 2005, 10:02:02 PM
Motivation is a hard nut to crack. Should we stop reading the Bible and praying because we think we are doing it for the selfish reasons only? I say May it never be! There is a reason for wanting forgiveness that is bad. We could be focusing on our feelings and the trouble our sin has brought us and that is the wrong motivation. That usually does not lead to healing and change. The psalmist would say\" search me Oh God and know my heart.\" We really need the grace to repent and have genuine sorrow over sin. This is not really a burdensome legal exercise but an understanding of who God is and how our sin has offended Him and His graciousness in forgiving us. It centers on the greatness of God! The problem with selfish motivation is that we dont know how great God is. When we focus Him on His soveriengty, then we understand our problem and our motivations will change. Its really that simple. 10252 Forums / Theology Forum / What Is Real Freedom? on: April 09, 2005, 01:22:19 PM
wbennet- I agree with you and would only add one thing. There is a historical context in all of this theology that we should not be unlearned in. These positions have been tested through the ages and really the central elements of understanding these evangelical position has been the dissagreements over worship and the message of the gospel. Historical protestant worship has had its low time and its high times. Worship in the church was its thermometer. Those members were not concerned mainly for unity at any expence but concerned about what true biblical churchmanship looked like. That included dissagreements and much pain to get to those high points. Where we are today in our evolution is a the low end of the thermomater. What looks like unity may be a desire for acceptance.
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10253 Forums / Theology Forum / What Is Real Freedom? on: April 09, 2005, 01:05:47 PM
UB- Thanks i will take that to heart. I agree with you but i am finding on this forum that we have a lot of teachers and very few people who clean the church. I will agree that these people have a love that has action. But all of us are gifted differently and if i were not exersizing my gifts then i would be miserable. The gospel is the most simple truth on the face of the earth. Humanly people stumble over its simplicity. Yet it is very complicated and requires a lot of study and application. Everyone has a responsiblity to apply themselves to study these truths. 1 Tim. 3:16 Yet some people are better equipped than others. We have been made in such a way that we are always wanting more of the Spirit. We are experience craven sinners who would dry up if the gospel was not our consuming passion. There are those who have such a wonderful devotion to Christ with little ability and few words but when they speak they have experienced those things. And there are people who are so intellectual that they use many words and have little to show in experience. So we should be patient with one another to work these things out. There are the John the baptist types who are more interested in seperation than getting dirty. Jesus spent more time with the sinners because they needed Him in their desperation. So all of us are very different and should seek to use our gifts even though we suffer for Him. 10258 Forums / Theology Forum / Psalms 119 A Supernatural Experience Of Grace? on: April 09, 2005, 11:21:51 AM
There will always be imperfection or bias both in the distribution of the truth drawn from the text and in the reception of that said truth. Man is totally depraved and twist these things based apoun his sin both known and unknown. We see through a glass dimmly so these heavenly things are filled with mystery. Yet we have been given God the Holy Spirit and we have truth that can be understood for salvation.The requirements are for us to submit to Christ and in doing this we submit to all His words, the whole counsel of God. 10260 Forums / Theology Forum / What Is Real Freedom? on: April 09, 2005, 10:59:14 AM
If you just sit home and read your Bible ,are you being obedient? He has ordained preaching as the means for learning. There are truths that are drawn from the words of scripture that are formulated into doctrines which are the essence of biblical revelation.It is those very doctrines applied to the souls life experiences that are the answers to the intangled thoughts that drive its desires. The sense of scripture is drawn from the truths brought out in preaching which is the essence of the Divine illumination. Read those good books! Let the exegetical interpretation be your all consuming passion in bringing your thoughts captive to the Word of God. 10276 Forums / Theology Forum / What Is Real Freedom? on: April 08, 2005, 06:31:16 PM
i love the doctrine and i like discusssing it. Im sorry about your brother and i hope that he returns to the faith. i know there are a lot of reasons why we struggle in our christian experience. Doctrine is very important and my motives are not what you think. I believe that the bible is not enough to understand who God is and what His requirements are. As you know the bible has ordained preaching as the instrument for learning and growing in the faith so these books are old sermons of dead theologians who were called by God to expound His word. I know that you go to church and here someone else teach you so i dont think i am in this alone. 10289 Forums / Theology Forum / Psalms 119 A Supernatural Experience Of Grace? on: April 08, 2005, 01:35:53 PM
I am really having a hard time understanding this reasoning. I know that the bible can be understood by any one but just like work the more you put into something the more you will get out of something. In comparision to your work i have never met a person who talks about his job like you talk about study of scriptures. I dont mean to sound condmeming but how many people say about there job that you really dont need to understand the specifics just the in general things. It seems to me that when your apply yourself to something you love that thing no matter what others think. I just think your argument is a sort of law of non-contradiction. You cannot not love theology and understand it at the same time. 10291 Forums / Theology Forum / Oh, How I Love....dotrine? on: April 08, 2005, 01:18:53 PM
Yes to a certian extent this is true. But we can dissagree and be adults about it. The danger on the other side of this argument is that we dont get into scripture and we remain babys only on the milk of the word and we need to go on. If you dont gaurd your doctrine then you will create a vacum for all kinds of philosophys to thrive. We are either going forward or going backwards there is no stagnation that exist in the christian world. Wen you stand for something you will have people take sides if this is not your experience ,chances are you are not growing in the Lord. 10299 Forums / Theology Forum / What Is Real Freedom? on: April 08, 2005, 05:06:29 AM
Guys the way we think of God is how we will think of ourselves. If we really want to experience true freedom then we need to acknowlege that God is truely free to chose whomever He wants when He wants. Man , when i get this vision in the preaching of Calvinism i am drawn out of myself. This is the most freeing experience i will ever have on this earth. If i have one ounce of human effort mixed in this i will limit God and thus not be really free in my christian life. If you are under great trials and you are really struggling trusting God and you are really not convinced that He is absolutely soveriegn try this way of thinking I promise you that you will experience true freedom. What do you think? 10354 Forums / Theology Forum / Psalms 119 A Supernatural Experience Of Grace? on: April 04, 2005, 10:14:08 PM
I think we need to start emphasising the reasons we have a bible and that is because we have had isolated saints who wrote letters to the churches. Their whole passion was to get the gospel rite no matter if they stood alone apart from the group. Christ says you cant serve 2 masters you must hate the other and love Him. Men have died at the stake standing alone on the Word OF God and against much opposition.Look at martin luther he stood against the world when he saw justification by faith. Can you imagine what was said about him? All the imperfections that he suffered and the depression? Yet he changed the world by Gods grace. We must make scripture the central appoligitic of all of lifes issues and compare all other doctrines to the light of the word . If we dont then we will be the practical higher critisist as in practical atheist. 10361 Forums / Theology Forum / Psalms 119 A Supernatural Experience Of Grace? on: April 04, 2005, 06:20:59 AM
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HE is the object of faith. The law is the Christ to come. It has taken me some time to see this. Because when you think about it, speaking the way he does about a law seems silly.
Their relationship to the law in the OT was much more burdensom than ours becaues of all the ceramonial and dietary laws. It was the covenant that God made with Abraham that was a salvific covenant, a grace covenant. It had requirements to obey God and keep the law. But they could not keep the law so they had the sacrifices to be the atonement for their breaking the law. Granted the old system was burdensome but it gave them the same kind of faith that we enjoy. There were a lot of shadows in the revelation of God. But Gods grace was greater and they had a deep faith. The law was there to show them their need for a future Savior so they were looking forward to the promised Redeemer. The new covanent is much better because all the law is fulfilled in Christ. He kept the law completely and He is the Word of God, the revelation of God in time. He is the logic of all truth in that the cross represents the reality in which we live on a daily basis. He is the Truth. The old system with the sacrifices from day to day were a temperary means to deal with sin but could not forgive sin, only the death of Christ could take away sin. The law now has the same relation to us but minus the ceromonial and dietary because they are obosolete. We have an obligation to keep the law and it is a real obligation not just to show us how short we fall. We never keep the law but we have a tension of trying to and falling short. Christ atonement satisfied for our sin and the law leads us to Christ. We never keep the law because we are totally depraved and all our works are tainted with sin wrong motives etc. We have Christ righteousness put to our account and we have access to God through Christ. In Christ we are accepted by the Father as righteous. Praise God. We are no longer under condemnation. 10376 Forums / Theology Forum / Psalms 119 A Supernatural Experience Of Grace? on: April 03, 2005, 12:41:50 AM
These are tough issues here. We must not think of the word as written per say but a spoken word. They are the very words of God. These words give eternal life by the Spirit. The creation of man was by the spoken word of God. These words are of a supernatural kind. The word is the means by which we understand who God is and what He requires. Or if you want to know God you know Him by His word. Jesus Christ is the revelation of God. When we think of who God is in order to have a God that is not of our own making we must accept that revelation. He came in the flesh and died in our place. If we only see God as a spirit and disperses Himself in peices to people that is how He reveals Himself then we have an idol. He was sent by the Father and accomplished the Fathers will. To believe in Christ we must believe what He says and that of every word. Submitting to Christ is submitting to His word. The bible does have all we need for life and godliness. I think thats in Corinthians. 10378 Forums / Main Forum / Do We Need To Be Reverent? on: April 03, 2005, 12:14:17 AM
I think we miss out on a lot of relationships because we judge the outward things. Most people have good hearts in friendships.There is grace in the whole world and the unsaved are better at being transparent than christians are. To think that we are just in their lives to witness is short sited in my book. Friendships are developed over time and people can share things in common saved or unsaved. Just because they get drunk dosent mean that they are all bad. I have been shamed by them in being selfish and uncaring. There are unsaved that i could never be good as them in certian areas. God will do the saving and we must be ourselves worts and all. The main thing is to do good to everyone.
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10379 Forums / Main Forum / Born Of The Spirit? on: April 02, 2005, 11:44:40 PM
russgorsline, I come from a background where you sit and listen to the teaching and you keep quiet. You can miss apply this passage by ignoring other passages where it says to exhort one another and many other passages about our speech. I think that the question and answer setting is essential in the growth of believers and is needed as well as the preaching. I think the context in thess. is about not making a living and being in other peoples business by not being busy enough in our own lives. Hey, why do we come here but to communicate the love and grace of God. I dont think that is an absolute rule.
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10380 Forums / Main Forum / A Call To All Christians on: April 02, 2005, 01:46:53 PM
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Truth gets the spotlight and my heart soars at the sight of it. I am not seeking to feel a certain way, nor am I seeking intellectual prowess - but I am beginning to understand what is meant by seeking first His kingdom.
I agree and the truth will set us free. Although i dont think that you should seek emotion the natural response to truth will affect us. Seeking Christ with all we have is essential. And i have found that the devil is in the details. So that is why i seperate the emotions from the intellect for the sake of discussion. I believe that we in the reformed movement have become intellectual calvinist which i have been fighting in myself. The temptation is to become a holiness movement and in the surrounding climate look just like our arminian brothers.Really what we accept as norm might not be real calvinism. We really must take a look at our religious culture and examine how that affects our thinking and compare it to the word of God in prayer. Modern day charismatics have a history of revival in this country in the Charles Finney theology. Our american calvinist fore fathers measured the state of the church by the revivals that is the great awakening kind that were breaking out and the level of religious affections that translated into conversions. 10396 Forums / Theology Forum / Man's Free Will Vs God's Sovereignity on: March 31, 2005, 10:48:39 PM
We have free will to choose anything we want when we are unsaved. We do exactly what we want to do when we want. We are responsible for our actions from birth. But we are blind to spiritual things and cannot choose any thing good. Our motives are purely selfish in our choosing in our unredeemed state. When we do things for others we are wanting the glory for ourselves. We can do no good thing for God. All our good works are filthy rags. When we are regenerated we are given desires to glorify God in our bodys. The Holy Spirit takes residence in us and we are freed from sin. We still choose freely and now those choices are good by justification. We are given Christ righteousness and even though our works are tainted with sin they are accepted because of Christ. We choose freely to either obey the Spirit or not. 10401 Forums / Break Room / So, How Do Yew Meditate? on: March 30, 2005, 12:12:26 PM
Sometimes we need to be put under great trials to bring us to the place where we are in deep meditation and prayer. The experience is painful and desperate because the Lord is teaching us not to rely on ourselves. THis is a faith builder and prayer becomes a source of the only comfort. Prayer is very intense and the crys of the heart are our only relief. We are left to trust only God because the help of man is useless. When we are desperate our sin crys out with accusations for us to lose heart, people around us are accusing because we are left with out the ability to defend ourselves. Circumstances are hopless and the outward pressure can be felt.We must tell God how we feel and that we want to defend His character most of all. THat is the desire of our hearts and when we are desperate we represent His name and He is most concerned for His glory. Fight in the Spirit of prayer. Dont lose your vision of who you are. Circumstancs dont define you but His confidence in you is that vision the devil is trying to put out. We are not perfect and that cannot be the means of victory. The gospel of Christ is the means applied to our hearts. The confidence in Him is that His righteousness is our righteousnss is the faith builder under great stress.
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10402 Forums / Break Room / So, How Do Yew Meditate? on: March 30, 2005, 12:11:48 PM
Sometimes we need to be put under great trials to bring us to the place where we are in deep meditation and prayer. The experience is painful and desperate because the Lord is teaching us not to rely on ourselves. THis is a faith builder and prayer becomes a source of the only comfort. Prayer is very intense and the crys of the heart are our only relief. We are left to trust only God because the help of man is useless. When we are desperate our sin crys out with accusations for us to lose heart, people around us are accusing because we are left with out the ability to defend ourselves. Circumstances are hopless and the outward pressure can be felt.We must tell God how we feel and that we want to defend His character most of all. THat is the desire of our hearts and when we are desperate we represent His name and He is most concerned for His glory. Fight in the Spirit of prayer. Dont lose your vision of who you are. Circumstancs dont define you but His confidence in you is that vision the devil is trying to put out. We are not perfect and that cannot be the means of victory. The gospel of Christ is the means applied to our hearts. The confidence in Him is that His righteousness is our righteousnss is the faith builder under great stress. 10417 Forums / Main Forum / It Is Finished on: March 27, 2005, 07:56:55 PM
Before the creation of the world the Trinity counseled together to fulfill the ultimate purposes in the Godhead. They decreed that Christ would suffer for sin and fulfill all righteousness. The Father sent the Son and the Spirit. It was for the glory of God that all these things should be acomplished. The ultimate pleasure would be fulfilled in the Godhead because any other being could not fulfill those purposes.He suffered an eternal punishment to meet eternal demands as justice. He died as a man but hung on the cross being fully God. It was an act of love that is eternal and a particular love to those the Father gave the Son in the counsel before time. The work the Son did met the demands of the Father on the cross and open access to the throne of God. Those whom the Father chose before the foundation of the world are in the Son and stand righteous because of His righteousness. Now we have a sacrifice that is a once for all sacrifice and we come to the Father through Jesus Christ. We have boldness because His blood is more priceless than any earthly goods. It is a death and resurrection of great value. All the purposes in our lives are wraped in the ultimate purpose bringing Glory to God in Jesus Christ.We have eternal life that cannot fail because it is the purpose of Father to give the Son those for His glory and that is an eternal purpose in the Godhead. No other being could keep the eternal demands except Christ. Those who are not in Christ will suffer an eternal punishment. This is the requirement of God. Punishment that is any less would not be acceptable to the eternal demands. 10432 Forums / Theology Forum / Can Sin Be Recgonized And Confessed? on: March 27, 2005, 06:19:47 AM
Joker
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Let me put it this way: If you study sex to learn how to please your wife, that's admirable. If you prefer studying sex to making love to your wife, that's a problem.
Nursie
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ther are people who become so obsessed with theology that they become detached from the real world. They think they are transcended above the world and on some spiritual high but really they are just deluded and so detached that they are out of touch.
Every one including you have motives that are selfish and prideful. If you study any subject that means that you are spending the time and that shows that you are intrested. Quantity time is important not quality, in the scriptures. Day and night are use over and over in the scriptures about thought life of spiritual things. We live in the transcendent where we communicate with God and He answers back. Our minds are in the heavenly realm. I cannot be not knowlegeable about God and love Him at the same time it is impossible. It really is the law of noncontridiction here. My motives are not always good but i know that the knowing about these things gives me freedom and independence. When you pray its like being in a spiritual battle and taking more territory in the spiritual realm. Granted i could use some more communication skills . Its not about being positive or negative.Jesus on witnessing in todays thinking was terrible because everyone left Him at the end because His message was too hard. If you dont have any enemys then you message may be too soft on the sin side. In a sense we are out of touch because there are more non christians than christians its just how much flack you want to take as a confronter. I leave the enemy thing in Gods hands because He does a better job than i could ever do. 10439 Forums / Break Room / So, How Do Yew Meditate? on: March 26, 2005, 04:35:40 AM
Hours of meditation are relief from the tension of self indulgence and soul pain. A deep river of joy floods the soul with inconceivable flucuations of throne room loves and graces. Suspending all prevelent earthly connections in the God connection drives me into transcendent moods and extreme enlightened blessed eternal raptures. How can i explain the history of heavenly mindedness but by deeper longings and greater experiences of future glories until Christ is complete in me a worm. How can God share such love with a totally depraved person. What a mystery of this union with Christ but loves ends are Gods purposes for my soul. His love is a deep river of instant coolness to an inflamed temper. Oh God of all glory kill me with such wonderful raptures that engulf my feeble body until i meet you in glory. What other physical condition is worth the expendeture. 10442 Forums / Theology Forum / Election on: March 26, 2005, 03:35:28 AM
Well at ch 8 im thinking ok so i have this righteousness and i have this struggle with remaning sin and i am not condemned any more so you begin to think that he is saying that you can share in this greak work of salvation, and also as a jew your thinking he really hasnt gotten to the bottom of my relying on circumscisian to save me. And then you come to ch 9 and here i will have to say is where my meditation was an experience of total pride killing. When i got out of ch 9 i was aw struck at the power of God and my total inability. Whatever pretenses i came out of ch 8 with were dashed by ch 9 it is truely a strike at mans pride to effect any change in his condition. I felt really helpless and my mind was affected with the blow at human intentions. It is here that we must come to grips with God holiness and the good fear of it.
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10443 Forums / Theology Forum / Election on: March 26, 2005, 03:20:13 AM
Hey guys, I ve medatated through Rom to ch. 11 many times and i think that Paul is really laying out the doctrine of grace from every possible angle. You get the greetings about the gospel and its sole ability to do the work, and answer all the sin problems of mankind because it solves the problem of mans unrighteousness by God righteousness. You have the great statment about mans condition and the steps in the rejection of the gospel. Paul is always trying to stay one up on how your are going to react by his present reasoning and so you say at this point i agree the world has rejected the gospel , then he pts the finger right at our self righteousness and say we are just like them. and he quotes the psams to prove that there is no one righteous not even one.then you come to ch 5 and there he starts on the doctrine of justification by faith as the sole reason for Gods righteousness being applied to our account. And then he goes on to sanctification and the doctrine of sin and his personal struggle with sin as a mature believer. His whole reasoning has been through an historical account of abraham because he is dealing with a jewish reader.
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10444 Forums / Theology Forum / The New Phariseeism on: March 25, 2005, 05:16:17 AM
I like to think as of freedom as living in the heavenly realms and feasting on the Lord at all times. To be honest this struggle of life brings me down because its all about what others do and what my responsibility is. It is a legal thinking that is oppressive. I love the gospel because it is simple but yet profound and powerful. It really is all about relationship with the Father. Some people think it is about the eggs they have in their basket and they have them all in order and they live a legal religious life. It seems that what happens is they end up with so many eggs they have no time to bask in the eternal life that they possess and the fellowship with the Father. I would rather have one egg and a life of heavenly joy and rest in the arms of my Heavenly Father. 10446 Forums / Theology Forum / Election on: March 25, 2005, 04:39:58 AM
Hi everyone, I want to say a word about the feelings. They are important but they dont run your life. We are whole people and we should think properly as believers. What we think about really does have an impact on our feelings, have you ever drawn back and anolized you present thought patterns. Most everyone has thoughts racing through the mind. Little worries, lust, envy etc. I have spent a lot of time in quiet meditation on the word of God and prayer and i find that after this practice my thoughts are being directed rather than directing me. After a while of allowing your thoughts to go on by themselves then you form moods which form habits which lead to anguish.If you take your thoughts captive then you will be heavenly minded and you will be emotionally high. We have been given the Spirit and He doesnt over ride our habits but works with the desires and the word to convince us that we are just passing through this world. Our responsibility is vital if we are going to experience the presence of God.
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10447 Forums / Theology Forum / You Can't Go Against The Leadership on: March 25, 2005, 04:09:09 AM
Hi everyone, If the guy dosent stand up for himself no one else will. If he is saved and has a complaint that is legitimate then he should tell the pastor with out being ostrasized.I have seen personality conflicts before but the leaders should know how to deal with that. Most pastors get into the ministry for the wrong reasons. They want to tell everyone what to do and there is no accountibility. I ask this one thing because i think it is the bulls eye of the problem in the church today. Are the people for the church or is the church for the people? The latter is the biblical one. It really is all about service. Every one is equal in Gods eyes as far as submitting to the whole counsel of God. There are not two sets of rules one for the leadership and one for the congregation. Sheparding is the word that comes to mind here. Christ is the head of the church some pastors think that they are. 10449 Forums / Theology Forum / Election on: March 23, 2005, 09:47:40 PM
In the providence of God there is common grace and special grace. In the world there is common grace that is God has gifted men with talents, family, arts, and phlanthropy so that His glory is seen. We enjoy these graces and these graces also extend to the whosoever will may come. Then there is special grace, which comes at salvation. This is by the soveriegn act of God, and comes by grace alone with out any of mans works.There is the bare will of God in special grace. All other doctrines are a philosophy. Philosophy and doctrine cannot intermingle. Some people in the world have better common grace than the christians special grace. 10472 Forums / Theology Forum / Can Sin Be Recgonized And Confessed? on: March 20, 2005, 10:50:34 PM
Nursie im sorry for my inflamatory remarks. i assumed that you were saying that i was not saved. If thats all your upset about then lets be patient with one another. I certianly think that you have been very nice to me and i dont want you to construe that i dont like you. Thanks for the advice. I recognize now that you are trying to help i will pray about this and try to be a little more communative. A lot of the reason that i dont reply in personal response is i just dont have the time. Please give me the benefit of the doubt. Thanks 10475 Forums / Theology Forum / Can Sin Be Recgonized And Confessed? on: March 20, 2005, 10:04:42 PM
Nursie if you are going to attack my faith then you are not gracious but hateful. You are judging my eternity based apoun my knowlege and pride. Not all pride is bad if its a pride in God. No doubt that i struggle with many sins and i am have also said that i am addicted to sin which you left out. You should not tell people they are not saved by a forum discussion. You need to give people the courtisy of being able to say their feelings and knowlege and not search their motives. You are being mean. Please i have not said one thing about your relationship with God and i think you are a nice person but i think you are going to far here and you will alienate a lot of people. I am sorry that i was so foward but i really feel that you are being mean.
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10476 Forums / Theology Forum / Can Sin Be Recgonized And Confessed? on: March 20, 2005, 09:53:32 PM
You have compartmentalized your life and have neglected the development of your soul. (when I say soul I am referring to the personality, not the spirit.)
What is a tricodomist but a person that brings God down to a sub god. You are saying that the mind cannot understand spiritual things until the soul is searched into. Because you put the mind with the soul.The mind is part of the spirit of a person and God is the only one that can transform the mind.Man is body and spirit or soul. A spiritual transaction must take place not a counseling session.
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10477 Forums / Theology Forum / Can Sin Be Recgonized And Confessed? on: March 20, 2005, 09:32:28 PM
Could a person be so enamoured and impressed with themselves over their own knowledge of theology that theology becomes their god rather than God Himself?
You are saying that i am not a christian here because you question my motives for knowing God. I am very proud of knowing the truths and i am not surrounded by people who disparage my dedication. I would say to you if you want to judge people then you will be judged in the same way. When you judge my motives you are going against the scripture calling the brother recca. If you see an area of pride in me you should cover over it. You disparage former pastors based on the attitudes they have and call them a cult because they were controlling. You did not give one objective argument about a specific sin that would disqulify them from the ministry. Instead you complained about them using control. How can you accuse people of something that is so subjective and call them a cult.
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10478 Forums / Theology Forum / Can Sin Be Recgonized And Confessed? on: March 20, 2005, 09:15:35 PM
What have i stated here that brings you to question my motives? I did not say that i rejected all psychology but only the stuff that says that a person can seek God through Christ and not find Him. When a person seeks God imperfectly or from wrong motives should he stop ? Can a person seek God with a sinful heart and have assurance that He has found Him. Did you say that i am not a believer? Thats what it sound like to me. When you question my motives you are talking about a false conversion. When you write your post you are saying something about the God you know. Does your God bless the person who doesnt spend the time knowing all the details about who He is? Does He withhold His love to those who cry out to Him throughout the day? Do you bring God down to your relationship level and say that all transcendent motions in the person are manic? Have you considered that a promise to those who meditate on Gods word are blessed? Do you know the spiritual guides in my life and have you talked to them. Does your God answer the desperate people or does He wait until they have talked to a psycologist? Does your God not promise that if you speak highly about His love before the saints that He will answer your prayers? Do you have a prayer life where you have direct answers to your prayers and you have listed them in your mind? I dont think that wbennet was questioning my motives ,were you wbennet? I am defending myself because i feel that you judged my motives for eternal life and i only answer to God. 10503 Forums / Theology Forum / Can Sin Be Recgonized And Confessed? on: March 20, 2005, 07:19:42 AM
Sin is a principle in us and is connected to idols that we carry around in our minds. The view of ourselves is always tainted with a love of self. We acknowlege sin when we commit it. But just acknowlegeing it is not getting to the heart or root of sin. The Psalmist say that the sins in him is greater than he can number. He says that his sin is over his head. At times he is unhappy because the disipline he is going through is a result of practicing sin and having love for it. There is a sense that the more we look inside the more we see our sin. When we confess sin and turn from it we leave it for a short time and return to the same sin again. Everyone has a favorite sin that is so ingrained in them that sometimes they dont know that they really believe. There is a sin of the heart that is just natural to them and it is a security to them and makes them feel good about themselves to view themselves in a better light. Ive seen the best of men tainted by their sin , little idol makers. When we think that we have arrived and become self sufficient thinking that we can cruise through life with no mourning over the state of our hearts we are arrogant and are in need of mercy. The standard for the believer is perfection and to love the Lord with all heart , mind , soul. Man, and i am not trying to be condescending but i think it is really short to think that you can confess a few sins in His presence and feel you have done complete forgiveness, Martin Luther practiced confession for hours over sin. He drove the preist mad over confession. He would confess until he felt that he could go on his way and then after a few steps he would remember 20 more sins.This is leaglism! There are hidden sins that we cannot see for our own sanity i think. I mean the difference between me and the maniac is that God doesnt allow me to see all the filth in my heart if He did i would be a dead. Its grace that im His and all of grace. Christ died to cover all my sin and that was once for all. He is working in me a process where my conscience is not condemned because He is greater than my conscience. Through suffering He is bringing the dross to the surface and purifying me. 10508 Forums / Theology Forum / Election on: March 19, 2005, 05:10:41 AM
Election is an exalted doctrine to show forth the glory of God and to aim at the evil of pride that exist in all of us. In ephesians ch.1 Paul is bringing to us the reason for his singular focus that brought about his courage to stand and proclaim the gospel in the midst of extreme suffering within and threats of death without. He gets so carried away with affection that he starts sentence and piles one idea apoun another with out stopping to start a new sentence. Is as if he were standing in the pulpit high above the congregation with fire in his eyes lost in the glory and wonders of the Most High. He is an example of what happens to us when we experience the effects of the preaching of election. Election exalts God and has direct effects apoun the minds of His created dependents.A person under the power of the gospel of Gods soveriegnty is effected in such a way that he is convinced that he has no power to go on in existence of time without Gods rule. That drives the divided heart of mixed desires to relinquish the hold on idols by a distress of facing the truth of the gospel and and under such helplessness by the distress comes a rejoicing in God that He alone effects the change in the inward parts. That my friend is the experience of election preaching and that is the spiritual renewel that is needed in todays message. In a heightened awarness it brings about revival.
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10509 Forums / Theology Forum / Does Evil Come From God? on: March 19, 2005, 04:24:08 AM
James says that God is not the author of sin. The angels were created to worship God and do His will. They had a free will because not only did Lucifer rebel but He took with him a large number of angelic beings. There is mystery here and we know that God decreed that evil should exist in a permssive way. Nothing exist without Gods decrees yet evil did not come from Him. In Romans it says that the existence of evil makes Gods glory appear greater. The muchness of the attributes of God come from the backdrop of evil. Now we have an apoligetical inlargement for Gods love by the antithetical existence of hate. The antithetical argument is also apparent in the apprehending of the grace of God as greater than sin. It is apparent in God being the highest above other gods. We are created with the desire to excel even more in our spiritual understanding. We are overcomers by the power of the Spirit in the struggle with the flesh. We are created as transcendent beings to a supernatural experience over against the course of the world and power of satan. 10533 Forums / Theology Forum / The Seven Dispensations on: March 16, 2005, 05:31:46 AM
Creation to fall Innocency
Fall to flood Conscience
Flood to Abraham Human Government
Abraham to Moses Promise
Moses to Christ Law
Church Age Grace
Millennium Kingdom
The dispensation in scripture is a management that man has been given. But I think the dividing of the scriptures into dispensations is hard to find in scripture. God is soveriegn and He makes covenants that have a promise that will go according to His plan.A covenant in scripture is not like men make covenants with themselves. God promises and gives the grace to carry it out. He provides the forgiveness when it is broken by man. I rather see covenants that God made with man as found in the scripture. The covenant to preserve mankind after the flood. The covenant with Abraham a salvific covenant.The new covenant a further light on salvation. I dont agree with dispensationalist that God gives man a management and when His plan fails He turns to a different age or management. I think the above charastics can be found from the begining of time in salvation all 7 of them. I dont characterize the garden as innocence. Our conscience is used by the law to condemn us and when we are saved it is by grace alone, we have access to all the promises, Christ is our king or ruler who we answer to in all of life, while we are here on earth there will always be human governments.Finally Gods plans never fails and man is never the center of His workings. God never changes so the bible is a progressive revelation of who God is and what he requires. Salvation by faith alone is as old as Adam, but was not revealed as it is now. Its like going into a dark room and you only see a few things but as time goes on the light gets brighter. That is the hermenutics of scripture.
9931 Forums / Main Forum / Believing Is Seeing. Pretending Is Not Believing. on: November 25, 2005, 12:25:29 PM
Believing is the only way to have a since of security in life. To believe is to acknowlege a dependence on someone else in a moment by moment experience. That is taking that security of salvation that is in Him. The centrality of believing is a need to have the person come to your rescue. You see in Him the only way to be delievered because He is righteous and you are not. That righteousness is so important in who He is that He needed to impute it to you so that you could be righteous in yourself. That is the reason He delievers you in all of your circumstances. That is the reason that He is accessable to your comfort and your security. For a saint believing in Him is accepting that His righteousness was imputed to me and my sin has been taken care of at the cross. That is the central power in believing that is trusting in a Person and what He has done on my behalf. That is where the power of security exist. When i trust in Him in this way then my confidence to communicate to Him is securily confined as Him being my secret refuge in a public adversarial life. Believing is not just a one time transaction of His righteousness but is a continual going to that place of security, that place of trust and being delievered from these human delimas that are self inflicted or that come apoun us. Believing is a repeated montra on the lips of the righteous, just as Christ confessed His Fathers authority all through the gospels. It is the essential element in approaching a benevolent Father to experience the power of illumination in our meditation. It is comming with dependent words on our lips such as ,it take refuge in You, i trust in You, rescue me, deliever me,turn your ear to me, be my rock, hear my cry, come quickly. All these phrases are powerful lines in a believing in the heart. That continued believing in Him leads you to trust in Him as the only stirdy foundation on which you can stand. When you experience believing you will experience power and peace that is evangelical righteousness that has been imputed to you by sheer mercy and grace and even though the cry of you heart and conscience is that you do not deserve His gift you will cast that doubt to the wind because of your experince in that security. Only Satan would like you to hold onto that doubt so that He can convince you to dash yourself against that gracious Rock. The reality is that the unsaved who have not experienced the struggle of believing go head long into that Rock and are crushed. Not you though because of your confession and your constant struggle to believe. Yes that is evangelical believing mixed with corruption but solid because of His. Knowing that that place of trust is there is the other central power in persevering in believing. That place is not going to be pulled from you. He will be there to go to without reseverations ,without conditions, with out finite purposes as His intentions such as responding to some bessetting sin and aimed at you to punish you. In believing we see Him as always faithful, full of mercy, unfailiing love, compassionate, blessing. That is who we are dependent on in all of life. There are no intentions in Him to destroy us or harm us. What confidence we have in believing is a confidence that is 100 percent on Him in which He transfers His confidence in that imputed righteousness to us and believing is that power of confidence of another Person indwelling us in reality, that being God the Holy Spirit as our advocate as a immanent Person in our experience on earth. Unless we accept imputed righteousness we will not experience the Holy Spirits presence in a strong way. We will not go to God under any circumstances because we will draw back by corrupting our confidence in looking to our own righteousness as the means of believing. We must understand soveriegn grace and its power to accomplish what we cannot accomplish in ourselves. We must experience a transforming power in believing just as we experienced it when we first believed. You remember that radical transformation in your first confession to Him dont you? What you forgot was the simplicity in trust Him for that grace. Confess Him again, come to Him the same way you did at first. You have that hunger in you, it just is more of a struggle to see it because you are used to Him. 9942 Forums / Main Forum / Perfection? on: November 23, 2005, 07:44:11 PM
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The whole theology of Paul in the Romans 6:7,8 is that we are identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection and so we have been changed with a whole new set of desires. ... But we still have the remnants of the body of sin in our members. It affects both our physical and spiritual as if it were a person living inside of us.
So where is the objection to choice between submitting your "self" physically and spiritually to the new desires of Spirit or the desires of the "old man"? And what does "mortification of sin" mean to you?
What is involved here is what the you is in salvation. Its what goes into the equasion of choice. There is a new you in salvation in which you no longer belong to you but to someone else.So if i am changed and given new desires then i am intrinsically different than what i was before as me. In other words there is a different me there. Now that is the essence of choosing because what used to please me no longer pleases me if i reckon myself alive to the new me. In other words i begin to believe that i am different and begin to understand just what that difference is.Yes i choose and i am responsible. But in reality my life no longer belongs to me and in that sense i have died to my sin and now i am in Christ. I am saying that it is more than just saying that there are good and evil and we choose between the two. It is not a life of living moral choices it is a new creation of the self. Yes all of my faculties are mine and i control all of them, but they have been renewed and so that change is what is intricate in my choices. Heres the metaphysics. Will is not like a scale that has a balance with objects of equal weight on each end. To will is to desire one object over another. I choose based apoun what pleases me the most. That pleasing has the understanding involved in my view of the object of choice but the choice is not determined by the circumstances that go into my understanding but rather my desires and the condition of my soul. There is a freedom in the choices that the new me experiences that the old me did not. I am not in bondage to my will or my conscience or the law. I am free in Christ, by reckoning it so. My will is now a pleasure desire. 9947 Forums / Main Forum / Perfection? on: November 23, 2005, 05:57:06 PM
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I thought the quote from Gene was interesting in that he seemed to capture the spirit of Romans 6:13 -
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
- and the practical imperative that comes with it. (A statement that may cost me that "awesome" Patrick gave me.)
The whole theology of Paul in the romans 678 is that we are identified with Christ in His death, berial and ressurrection and so we have been changed with a whole new set of desires. He is not saying that we as it were have a bad dog and a good dog and we choose between them. Rather he is saying that we have a totally new reality that reins in us and we need to understand that life. We are sanctified completely and the power of sin has been cut off it no longer reins in us. But we still have the remnants of the body of sin in our members. It affects both our physical and spiritual as if it were a person living inside of us. Righteousness reigns but sin is still nipping at us. Just like this above verse, we are intrinsically righteous but we still must mortify sin because its remains are still in us. 9951 Forums / Main Forum / Perfection? on: November 23, 2005, 02:30:55 PM
Ok here is the heart of the issue as i see it in the american church. Look we have been fed object theology for many years and it is taking its toll on the state of the worshiper. The heart is not balance of mans responsibility and Gods soveriegnty. Its the difference between the state of the soul and the importance of the object. Our problems are not hyper calvinism but are arminisim related. Calvinist are not preaching calvinsim but a learned object oriented calvinism. Whats your object today? Selling books? the function of the church? the social gospel? Beating people over the head with moral persuasion? Word of mouth faith? Social enginerring? Professorship? College education? When ever the gospel goes out it goes out under these to paradigms. Object worship, or spiritual worship. We have focus on church buildings, programs, human relational worship, multi-cultural religious crossovers, busisness run churches and a plethera of other objects. Why because there is not much spirit focused worship and we focus on the object orintation. We really need to start from the beginning of supernatural gospel and get back to free grace and God soveriegnty preaching until everyone is offended. Then and only then will the message be more important than the system of object worship that plagues the minds of that Ejypt generation of promise land seekers. Look Calvinism focuses on the souls of men. All the directions toward worship teaching is to get to the condition of the soul of man. Its not even just conviction and moral but a real concern for each of man in body and spirit. We are so ingrained with the object worship mentality that we have over looked the clear historical difference in this area. Our message needs to focus on the soul of man both in a moral call and a meeting his needs in the historical sense. Unless we get back to this detailed teaching of calvin we will just raise a generation of confused arminist. Look it is very simple, there is no pragmitism in choice. There is no inbetween agency to each choice. We either rely on the supernatural work of Christ or we rely on our own abilities. The object has no power. When we start preaching Calvinism there will be an automatic change in society. The message has a built in generator to affect the heart and regenerate it. Lets start with justification by faith, and the need for Christ rule, and the real concern for the soul of man and the grace of God and the supernatural need for regeneration. Lets get single hearted with the confession!
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9952 Forums / Main Forum / Perfection? on: November 23, 2005, 01:02:47 PM
Free choice is not choosing between two equals that is good and evil. Free choice is choosing one thing over another by what pleases me. It is not the object of that choice that is the determinate factor of pleasure but rather the state of the soul in choosing the most pleasing thing. I will discuss this in 20 mins. 9953 Forums / Main Forum / Was Paul A Sinner? on: November 23, 2005, 12:36:31 PM
They keep saying that we are saints not sinners. Now there are two questions here that must be answered about saints. One is why am i a saint? What keeps me as a saint? I was chosen to be a saint, not by any thing in myself but because of His soveriegn grace. In fact in myself i am a depraved person. I am a saint because i have a foriegn righteousness, and all the work in making me a saint was done by Him on the cross and was imputed to me not infused to be dole out to me more righteousness little by little. I have the full imputed righteousness of Christ that makes me a saint. Two i could not remain a saint without being in Christ. Remaining in Christ is not of my own doing either. \"Without me you can do nothing\" so i am a saint by the shere mercy of God and i remain a saint by that mercy, in myself i am a sinner and want to disobey and i do disobey all the time. I commit willful sin by not doing what i am supposed to do which is to love God with all my heart mind and soul, how many of you have done this? Or is fail not do those evil things that i am command not to do. 9956 Forums / Main Forum / "knowing" Salvation on: November 23, 2005, 11:38:40 AM
If you look in romans you will find that abraham reckoned himself ungodly not just in his initual justification that is in the initual imputed righteousness of Christ which was the essence of his true faith, but that reckoning continued thoughout his life of faith. The reason is that it was not of works that he obtained faith nor was it of works that he kept his faith. Saving faith results in the work or righteousness but it has no works attatched to it. Justification is all of grace but sanctification is the result of justification. Justification is all of grace and is our reliance of being righteous, which is apart from works and is imputed. We could not get salvation in ourselves nor could we keep salvation in ourselves. We are sinful an corrupted through and through this side of heaven. We expect to sin because we are sinners by nature. Sin is not just acts of evil, it resides in us as sure as death over takes us. 9979 Forums / Prayer Requests / Along Wiith Everyone Else on: July 09, 2005, 04:48:45 PM
I think there are reasons for all of us to question whether we did the rite thing. I think that is a self fulfilling prophecy to think that way. Every thing that happens is decreed by God. You didnt step out of His control for this decision. Your wife is not powerful enough to aleniate you from your family. Your problems in that area are your problems. If you had the queen of Ejypt you would find yourself in the same situation with them. First of all you are commanded to love her like Christ loves the church. She is commanded to love you. Every marriage starts when we say I do before that you only know what you percieve is true by what kind of person she was. The reality is at the altar. Be glad you are married and stop questioning God on his design in your life. Your wife will respond to your confidence in your love for her she will mirror your desire.
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9980 Forums / Theology Forum / Types And Shadows on: July 09, 2005, 04:17:40 PM
The scripture is for teaching, it contains doctrines that are drawn from the literal interpretation. These doctrines are essential to living a Godly life. This is the science of interpretation and that is to draw out the doctrines from the text. Typology is a science that can be counter productive in this process. This is evident in todays way of thinking. There have been doctrines that are outside of the whole counsel of God from this way of looking at the scripture. Instead of clearing up a doctrine in the text typology clouds the doctrine and people are left with a false view of what the text is saying. The old way of thinking that is confessional put boundries around these doctrines. Typology has made these texts sort of living as the constitution if you know what i mean.
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9981 Forums / Theology Forum / Types And Shadows on: July 09, 2005, 04:02:18 PM
My problem with typology is that the scripture is only saying one thing. The stories are literal in the OT. They should be read as literal first because there are moral lessons that can be overlooked by typology. Granted there are many different applications in in one text. My point is that if you make a literal story a type you add to the text a teaching that is your own even though there may be some merit in what you are saying. This can make the logic and literal interpretation of the text equal with a private interpretation. Think of what a mans imagination can come up with in the name of typology. Its a dangerous game. 10042 Forums / Theology Forum / "more Effective" Prayer on: June 01, 2005, 07:43:19 PM
His love and Spirit on my church so there will be healing and renewal. You want to be healed of some emotional termoil? Do you get tired of seeing Satans work strong in your world. You have a defender more powerful than any court. I will give you a Comforter-defender and He will guide you into all truth. You have the court of heaven at your beck and call and you have the promise of the Father that He will work through your prayers. He is given us open access to the throne of God and He says you have because you ask not. Try this every time you want something or plan something think about how your faith will make these descisions that will give you freedom in Christ to experience the Fathers love and come to the reality that is all you need. Pray in the Spirit until that freedom releases you into perfect peace that my friend is better than any thing the word has to offer!
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10043 Forums / Theology Forum / "more Effective" Prayer on: June 01, 2005, 07:30:01 PM
Prayer is the life line of the christian. Unless i pray i cannot experience the presence of the Holy Spirit .Sometimes we forget that He is in us and He is a person. We have the presence of God and He chooses to work through prayer. Do you feel a change in your heart when you pray. Is your faith strengthened and do the things of earth and the pull of outward things loose there hold. Prayer draws us away from trusting in ourselves. When we pray the Holy Spirit speaks in the deepest recesses of our hearts that we belong to the Father and His love for us is always abiding. We get refreshed and have a new outlook on our trials. We begin to feel safe and wonder why we worried so much about this pressing problem. What drives us to prayer? Trials, answered prayer, revival, experienceing highs of Gods presence and realizing that we are made to glorify Him and enjoy Him. When you have met God in prayer you will pour out your heart like a little child! You will realize that He is awsome and has all the power to effect any change that you will experience. Faith is so important in prayer. We get weak in faith and our prayers are so small and unexciting. When your faith is strengthened through answered prayer you will deepen in your prayers. You will live like there are two people in the room instead of one. The things of heaven will be near to you. That will strengthen you to give of yourself to others because you desires will have eternity rewards in mind. I mourn over how sometimes i make my plans and give no thought to experiencing the Fathers presence in making them. How much of my life has been spent in carnal persutes that pull me away from prayer and communion with the Spirit. What energy have i spent crying out to God for my loved ones to be saved for God to pour out 10047 Forums / Theology Forum / Distinctly Defining The Gospels on: June 01, 2005, 05:53:34 PM
Hi Dlktrose, I skimmed through you post and i think that there are some things that i need explanation. I consider that the word \"assembly\" was not just a new testament word and denotes Gods dealing with a remnant of people in this case Isreal. That is an old testament church. The concept of church was not of pentecost origin but was extended to the Gentiles at Pentecost as included in the \"assembly\" or grafted in and now there is no difference in the body of Christ. The apostles make reference to this comparision many times in the N. T. The doctrine of God and His promised presence in the assembly is progressively revealed starting from creation. (Hebrews) I do not see a difference between the Old covenant and New but rather a completion in Christ. Salvation, the law, the promises were all experienced by the OT saints in a deep way because it has always been by faith. It has always been by grace thats why they had the sacrifices. They had real salvation experience and real worship in the assemblies. 10126 Forums / Theology Forum / Got Legalism? Or Freedom? on: April 28, 2005, 11:26:05 AM
Hi , Here is the collision course we are at in this country. As i was confronted last week with legalism of which for a long time i have not had to deal with this at a personal level. It brought back old memories of past experiences in my pre-covenant community days. After this confrontation i experience the pulling of sin as i have not experienced in a long time. I have learned by experience to identify these effects in me. I think that this delima is so ingrained in americans that they dont recognize that they are in spiritual prision. What happens when sin abounds? The law abounds in all its threatenings! I was so brow beaten this week that i was looking for the 7 steps to freedom. Gods love relationship with me seemed far away. I can only say that this experience is dreadful to any one who has to go through this on a regular basis. Steve is right and as religion has abounded just as it did in Martin Luthers day. We need those 95 theeses to be nailed up on the doors of the church again. We dont need more rules we need love from the Father and affection in our relationships. If it takes laying your Isaacs on the altar for freedom would you do it?
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10127 Forums / Theology Forum / Got Legalism? Or Freedom? on: April 28, 2005, 11:25:23 AM
Hi , Here is the collision course we are at in this country. As i was confronted last week with legalism of which for a long time i have not had to deal with this at a personal level. It brought back old memories of past experiences in my pre-covenant community days. After this confrontation i experience the pulling of sin as i have not experienced in a long time. I have learned by experience to identify these effects in me. I think that this delima is so ingrained in americans that they dont recognize that they are in spiritual prision. What happens when sin abounds? The law abounds in all its threatenings! I was so brow beaten this week that i was looking for the 7 steps to freedom. Gods love relationship with me seemed far away. I can only say that this experience is dreadful to any one who has to go through this on a regular basis. Steve is right and as religion has abounded just as it did in Martin Luthers day. We need those 95 theeses to be nailed up on the doors of the church again. We dont need more rules we need love from the Father and affection in our relationships. If it takes laying your Isaacs on the altar for freedom would you do it?
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10128 Forums / Theology Forum / Stay Or Go? on: April 25, 2005, 05:42:20 PM
I think that you can visit around and see if you like another church. I think that it is really hard to find a church with standards that create a special unity. My church pick would be a small church because the first thing that i would look at would not be the music but the teaching and preaching.You wont find a lot of people going to these churches. I am a calvinist so that message is what i would look for. I know exactly what is acceptable to me and that would be a confessional church [Westminster Confession] . I would want to here the word preached and compare it to the confession. The human side is important that is do i get along with the people? Are they of one mind with me as a human being and doctrinally. The music should be more doctrinal than sentimental. Every sunday you would sing Hymns, have special music that is doctrinally sound, reading of scripture, prayer and preaching. I spent 2 yrs praying about and visiting churchs before i committed. These people would be the muture in the faith kind of people so there would be a lot of unity. Most people want to be entertained and so if you liked that then you would be surrounded by those kind of people.
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10129 Forums / Main Forum / Temptation Sometimes Wins on: April 23, 2005, 08:27:28 AM
Maybe its not about your sin 13yrs ago mabey thats in your mind. There are a lot of people who did worse things than you did that are enjoying relationships. I dont know you but i think that it may be something that you are doing now that is contributing to your delima. Your standards may be too high or you may not put yourself in situations that are condussive to meeting that one. Yet God is in control and these things will work themselve out you can trust Him. I would consider the way i think at the present, becausee at some pt you must forget those things that are behind and press on toward the mark. 10157 Forums / Theology Forum / "god Doesn't Care About Our Happiness" on: April 22, 2005, 10:31:32 AM
There are two realities going on in side of me. On the one hand i am saved and rejoicing in my christian life. When i meditate on the word i have something to look foward to in heaven that on this earth i never attain. Yet when i look at my life i feel weak and my relationships in family etc. never really satisfy me. At times it is just depressing to tell you the truth. I have seen that when we exalt God and worship Him according to His design and through His word we are lifted up in our experience and at some point we come down to earths realities. This is like the apostle says we long to get rid of this earthly sin and the limitations that bring us down. [\"groaning\" ] Sometimes the battle gets so feirce that we dont know which way is up or down. God works these trials into our lives to change us on the inside and because He is soveriegn He knows just what we need when we need it. So these ultumate questions about trust and His character are not good questions. Rather we need to do as the Psalmist and that is ask those things of Him that argue for His promises. This is for His glory, and our natural relational tendencies when things are troubling to us. Great confidience is found when we go with boldness to the throne of Grace and argue our case as the psalmist does. We are then untrouble by the burden we have just unloaded on to the Lord. Try to learn how to plead the promises. This is a life long adventure.
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