simplicity

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T06:45:00.002-07:00

Though it Seems Not!

2011-07-15T11:50:00.003-06:00

Though it seems not to natural sight,
That all is sweetness, joy, and light;
Though circumstances and events,
Are hard and don’t look heaven-sent;
Though heartache is found everywhere,
And sleep departs because of care;
These things you see, and feel, and know,
Will pass away, with all below;
And what remains, and will endure,
Established, settled, and secure;
Is what the God of Glory’s done
By sacrifice of His dear Son:
By righteousness, forgiveness, true;
His rising, making all things new:
By love that will not let you go,
And this, by eyes of faith, He shows.

by: John Pedersen on Friday, July 15, 2011 at 5:22am

Grace and Peace!

Seasons!!

2011-07-05T20:30:00.003-06:00

Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

This portion of Scripture has always been comforting to me in every season of my life.
The seasons of joy, the seasons of hardships and grief and the seasons that simply linger as the days go by. Think back on the totality of your life so far and I know you will recognize what I am talking about. The interesting thing in the Scripture above is that there is a purpose to everything; it is God’s purpose for His creation, all of His creation.

Most often we don’t grasp the purpose but as believers we can know with certainty that every bit of it works for our good…………amazing thought isn’t it?

I spent a good many years blogging here and have loved every minute of it. The Lord used the writing and the study to grow me in the grace and knowledge of Him and I thank Him for that season.

When my husband of 38 years died almost 3 years ago I said that I would never remarry and at that time of course that was the way I thought and felt. It was my season of grief and widowhood. I remember the admonitions of the Apostle Paul when he said in his judgment a widow would be happier remaining a widow but that she was also at liberty to marry and I always thought that would be me. But then the Lord gave me different thoughts and different feelings and I desired to be a wife again, to be a help meet, to love a man and to be loved by him in return. I had a desire again to have intimacy and someone to tend to and someone to care for.

And so today I have a new season………….a new marriage, someone to walk this journey with again and I’m thrilled, pleased and so thankful. I probably won’t be around much but I guess we never really know what tomorrow will bring do we? In the meantime……………..

Blessings to all,
Grace and Peace!

Ain't it so!

2011-03-11T06:14:00.004-07:00

This Inward Conflict!

2011-02-12T19:22:00.003-07:00

(Philpot, "The Knowledge of Good and Evil" 1845)

"I know that nothing good lives in me—that is, in
my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what
is good—but I cannot carry it out." Romans 7:18

Now it is this which makes the Lord's people such a
burdened people—that makes them so oppressed in
their souls as to cry out against themselves daily,
and sometimes hourly—that they are what they are
—that they would be spiritual, yet are carnal—that
they would be holy, yet are unholy—that they would
have sweet communion with Jesus, yet have such
sensual alliance with the things of time and sense—
that they would be Christians in word, thought, and
deed; yet, in spite of all, they feel their carnal mind,
their wretched depravity intertwining, interlacing,
gushing forth—contaminating with its polluted stream
everything without and within—so as to make them
sigh, groan, and cry being burdened, "What a wretched
man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"
Romans 7:24

He would not be entangled in these snares for ten thousand
worlds—he hates the evils of his heart, and mourns over the
corruptions of his nature. They make the tear fall from his
eye, and the sob to heave from his bosom—they make him
a wretched man—and fill him day after day with sorrow,
bitterness, and anguish.

None but a saved soul, under divine teaching, can see
this evil—and mourn and sigh under the depravity, the
corruption, the unbelief, the carnality, the wickedness,
and the deceitfulness of his evil heart.

This inward conflict, this sore grief, this internal burden,
that all the family of God are afflicted with—is an evidence
that the life and grace of God are in their bosoms.

"Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord!
So you see how it is—in my mind I really want to obey
God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a
slave to sin." Rom. 7:25

Grace and Peace!

At-One-Ment!

2011-01-09T15:22:00.003-07:00

Atonement= ‘at one with God’ THROUGH the sin atoning blood of Jesus Christ.

There are many in Christendom who embrace what is known as ‘universal atonement’; believing that Christ shed His blood for everyone and now it is only a choice (free will) left up to the individual as to the efficacy of the blood atonement.

However the whole of Scripture teaches us that those whose sins Christ atoned for on the bloody cross HAVE BEEN (past tense) reconciled fully to God and that God Himself has accomplished this reconciliation through Christ Jesus. We cannot reconcile ourselves to God by choosing to be reconciled, just as we can’t be saved by choosing to be saved. If universal atonement is in fact a truth (which we know it is not) then there also HAS to be universal reconciliation, universal faith and universal salvation.

(2 Corinthians 5:18) “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.”

(Romans 5:10) “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

(Ephesians 2:16) “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.”

(Colossians 1:20-22) “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (21) And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled (22) In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.”

We know of this reconciliation in our own individual experience (regenerated mind) when the Spirit reveals to us the blessed truth of the Gospel and by faith we see and rejoice in all the spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus. That is when we know that God has peace with us as He looks to the blood atonement and we know that NOW we can have peace with Him. Atonement and reconciliation decreed from eternity, accomplished in time at the cross, applied to and embraced by only those for whom it was intended. “It is finished” He cried and it was.

Grace and Peace!

Rejoicing!

2010-09-11T13:37:00.005-06:00

1Th 5:16 Rejoice evermore.

To be glad, take delight, to make joyful, to gladden! Philippians 4:4; we are called to rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice and there is absolutely no reason why we cannot do that. We aren’t called to rejoice in our circumstances, our tests, our trials or our tears and temptations but to rejoice in the One who brings them to us for His good purposes and which work for our good. Certainly He gives us temporal reasons to rejoice as well, the birth of a new child for instance, the love of family and friends, reconciliations and even the rain that He sends us from heaven. But rejoicing in Him is different isn't it? He isn't temporal, He is the Alpha and Omega, He is Jesus, the same today, yesterday and forever!

I was blessed most recently to attend a Gospel conference in Kentucky with a dear friend in Christ and we rejoiced exceedingly because we were pointed to that very One! I was reminded of Luke 24:32 “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, while he opened to us the scriptures”? It’s a perfect description of hearing the Gospel proclaimed by faithful men whose life’s calling is to preach it because they love it! Nothing stirs the heart more than the love of Christ Jesus.

We didn’t rejoice in ourselves or the things of this life but we rejoiced together in the Lord our righteousness and our redemption by His blood. We rejoiced together that by His work our names are written forever in the Lamb’s book of life and that His electing love is from everlasting to everlasting and nothing can separate us from it. We weren’t pointed to our circumstances or our frames but we were reminded of the firm ground and foundation upon which we stand in common, therefore we always have reason to rejoice together as believers. We met new friends, hugged familiar ones and rejoiced together. What a blessed time it was!

“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. 1 Peter 1:8

I pray you are rejoicing in Him this day!

Grace and Peace!

Temptation!

2010-08-29T10:28:00.008-06:00

A friend posted this thought the other day, “Never mistake temptation for opportunity” and yet that is how temptation comes to us doesn’t it? It appears as a subtle opportunity to fulfill whatever pleasurable desire of the flesh is ours, for a season! Hebrews 11:25

There was one fruit that was forbidden to Adam and Eve, yet Satan presented Eve an opportunity to look at the forbidden in a different way. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eye, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat” Gen 3:6…Eve was tempted and deceived and she seized the opportunity to fulfill the desire that was hers. Adam wasn’t deceived but fulfilled his own desire; he loved Eve more than he did God and they both fell.

Nothing comes to me without God’s hand, but the temptation is mine to claim and in that temptation I am humbled, my faith and my patience are tried and I see my weakness and my need of Christ, temptation has a purpose. I pray I might be led to prayer and watchfulness by those temptations and I might remember that in my flesh I am carnal, sold under sin. Only in Christ and the power of His Gospel can I flee the hour of temptation.

“And lead us not into temptation” Matthew 6:13a

“Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak” Mark 14:38

“Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand”. Psalm 37:24

Grace and Peace!

Righteousness!

2010-08-21T08:14:00.001-06:00

Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.

And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments." Zechariah 3:3&4

‎"Then they go into the entrance-hall, and whom do they find there? The King, and those with whom He is well pleased. They see, they understand clearly how every one there has been clothed in the wedding garment. “That covers thee entirely,...” it is said, “it covers both thy poverty and thy misery; put on this garment and thou wilt please the King. The Bridegroom has prepared it for thee and He Himself wears no other.” How highly favoured they are. Can they take any rest, or find any peace until they have clothed themselves in the garment of the Lamb? Well then, this garment is the all-sufficient atonement, righteousness, and holiness of Christ." H.F. Kohlbrugge

Grace and Peace!

Solitude!

2010-08-15T09:22:00.003-06:00

It’s most comforting to enjoy one’s solitude, it is even desirous amidst this fast paced life we live today. Have you noticed that solitude is really always there in our minds? We live secluded in our minds regardless of the activity we are participating in, be it work, play or any activity! Conversations swirl around us and we lend an ear but our thoughts can be elsewhere, engaged in deeper thought or meaning and is the solitude of the mind.

1 Corinthians 2:11a “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?

Solitude is different than loneliness although outwardly they can appear as the same. Loneliness is when you feel as if something is missing, solitude for me is the inner man at rest while alone, satisfied and peaceful in my thoughts.

Psalm 63:5 “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

My morning has been one of joyful solitude and I always thank the Lord for times like these for I am renewed and refreshed.

Isaiah 35:1 “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad……..and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose”

Grace and Peace!

Wrest, Wrack and Torture!

2010-08-05T20:50:00.001-06:00

Ralph Venning (c. 1622-1674) A Nonconformist pastor and theologian.
RE-POST!

Draw not conclusions from other men’s principles and then say that they are their opinions.

We may make the same complaint as David: “They wrest, torture and wrack my words.” Alas! Men set everything on hooks and stretch and twist every principle like a nose of wax. Alas! What a pity it is to see men invert and pervert one another’s words, and a length to draw such conclusions as would make one think they meant what they never meant!...So some mistook and misreported Paul as if he had said that we might do evil so good might come thereof (Romans 3:8). So the Jews despose that Christ said He would destroy the temple at Jerusalem in three days and raise it up again, when He spoke of His Body (Matthew 26:61; John 2:21). What words thus wrested and perverted may not be called heresy and (as they said of Christ’s words) blasphemy when, if taken as meant, and in their proper sense, they may be found very sound and consistent with truth??

Take heed therefore of…commenting upon another’s text.”

Some More Stuff!

2010-08-02T18:54:00.000-06:00

What a great band of the 70’s and 80’s; Journey. I was trying to think back to how I listened to rock & roll when I was married to my cowboy who listened to country and I can’t remember. I probably listened to it while he was out doing his work and I was in doing mine. He never did like ‘my’ music although I grew very fond of country

I can’t believe it’s been two months since I’ve been here. I’ve been busy at work and at home and out and about a bit more often with friends and family so it’s been a nice summer. I went to the wedding of a young woman who I watched grow up in the church. It was a sweet day to hear them commit themselves to one another and to the Lord, what a blessing it was, plus we had a blast dancing away at the reception! We have had a hot, hot month when everything seemed to burn up and the last couple of weeks we have had some nice rains, thank you Lord.

The social network facebook has been quite interesting this summer as it seems it has become the place for Christendom to discuss the implications of the Gospel. So I read and glean and read and answer and read and get mad and read and laugh sometimes at some of the absurdities. Oh Christendom, Oh Christendom!!

I’m thankful though for facebook as I have met many wonderful Sovereign Grace Baptist believers and several pastors who are willing to minister to those who are outside the institutional church, especially with Sermon DVD’s.

I’m still reading Kohlbrugge and reading “The Poor Man’s NT Commentary” by Robert Hawker among a few other books that are stacked up and it’s all good reading.

I’m headed to Kentucky in September with my dearest friend and her girls for a Gospel conference and I’m really looking forward to it, Lord willing of course. Two and a half days of hearing the Gospel message face to face from Gospel preachers, what a blessing it will be.

Hope to be back blogging soon but I trust that if it is to be, it will be!

Grace and Peace!

The Lord is my Portion!

2010-05-31T14:50:00.003-06:00

“My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” Psalm 73:26

This truth came to mind this morning as I read the plea of a young woman who is currently discouraged in the faith. She is an open and honest young woman when many in this day and age aren’t. Seems that so many want you to think they have no struggles or thoughts that are not ‘politically correct’ but of course we all do, we are all very much human. I encouraged her to read Hebrews 11 to be reminded of the saints of old and to be reminded that our faith takes endurance just as theirs did. We can be confident that the Lord provides that very endurance to every saint even in the midst of the most difficult trials and tribulations.

It doesn’t matter what the trial is the answer is still the same, the sweet truth of the Gospel! We can look for fulfillment in other ways; we can look for answers elsewhere, nothing will satisfy but Christ Himself and the truth of His Gospel. I know that many would see that she currently has no local ‘church’ to be a part of (as so many of us) and would blame that situation for her current discouragement but I don’t think that would hold true. I’m reminded of a young woman in the church who voiced her discouragement at being in church every Sunday and I’ve often thought that was because she was looking for fulfillment in that activity and not to Christ. I wonder, as she continues in the pew, if she has found that fulfillment yet, I hope so!

My point is simple; nothing outside of Christ satisfies the longing heart and that is why He is our portion. Portions of other things fade away don’t they? My portion of dinner soon disappears and portions of an inheritance don’t last forever but the inheritance we have in Christ never fades away and is reserved in heaven for us.
(1 Peter 1:4)

John Gill:

and my portion for ever; both in life and at death, and to all eternity; this is a very large portion indeed; such who have it inherit all things; yea, it is immense and inconceivable; it is a soul satisfying one, and is safe and secure; it can never be taken away, nor can it be spent; it will last always.

May the Lord be your portion this day and always!
Grace and Peace!

Summer Break!

2010-05-13T06:55:00.003-06:00

Ahhh, wishful thinking on my part! Doesn't it look inviting to sit in those chairs and listen and watch the beautiful ocean? I don't think that is in my summer plans, I hope it can be in yours.

It's already a busy summer and it hasn't even started officially by the calender, so I'm not going to be diligent about blogging for now. I hope to see you in a couple of months but who knows what the summer will bring.

In the meantime enjoy yours!

Grace & Peace!

"Comfort for God's People!"

2010-04-30T07:00:00.001-06:00

"Blessed be His name, Jesus Christ is the Fount and Source of all the real comfort we enjoy. He is THE WAY in which the consolations of the Gospel are conveyed to the hearts of His people. This we see in Isaiah 61:1-3: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the Lord has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory.”

Here we see Jesus filled with the anointing which secures comfort to every indigent, poor and needy child committed to His care and attention. In their poverty and misery these find substantial comfort in the unsearchable riches of Christ abounding in the Gospel. To hearts broken with a sense of sin, and rent with a dread of God’s wrath, Christ appears to bind up and soothe with the balm of His blood and the discovery of the love of God in the removal of all guilt, and the forgiveness of all sin. Comforts and joys abound as He reveals Himself as the Liberator of souls from spiritual captivity. These are by nature prisoners, locked up under Satan, sin, and law; but when He comes He brings liberty from the damning power and plague of sin, freedom from the law of sin and death, and deliverance from Satan’s vile slavery. The liberated ones are called to endure many a hard fight of affliction with Satan, sin, and self, and to experience seasons of torment from the miserable comforters who hug their chains of legal bondage; but He who graciously sets them free from their bondage, will see to it that His comfort shall not be lacking in the set time of His Father’s appointing. Pardon is comfort to a condemned criminal. Forgiveness is comfort to a repentant son. Justification is comfort to a convinced sinner. Acceptance is comfort to an outcast of Israel. These the consolations which God comforts by His word and Spirit.

Thomas Bradbury

Grace and Peace to all of God's People!

Spring Stuff!

2010-04-24T13:17:00.002-06:00

Well spring has finally arrived after a long winter. It has been a wet one and I am thankful. After so many years in a drought situation you treasure each drop of moisture even though it causes all the typical hardships…mud, chilly temps, dirty dog feet and well you get the picture. Usually I have to warm up the carburetors with my hair dryer on my mowers but this year they both started up first try, one for the lawn, one for the weeds. Speaking of weeds I’m planning on pulling some out of the flower beds today! Guess I’ll have to wear my coat!

Currently it is the most stressful time at my job that I have ever experienced and I wonder sometimes if I should retire or go on. The older you get the harder it is for new challenges and changes and I’m not sure about my mindset. Is it “I can’t do this” or “I don’t want to do this” so I’m trusting that the Lord will direct my thoughts and steps. Boy do I miss my husband right now. He would encourage me and talk with me and it always helps to have that input.

Every time I go out I hear the doves and I’m reminded of our time on the ranch. I love how sounds can transport you to special places and those places become vivid again. Thank you Lord for the reminders.

I’m working on a blog about the ‘rule of grace’. It is always kind of interesting to me how those thoughts come about and then they start to gel and come together and it feels as if I’m compelled to write them down. My time is limited right now to work on it continuously with the yard work ahead but I jot a note here and there. I get excited when I read the Word and Scripture just moves on the page and it grips you in it's truth and power. Thank you Lord for the written Word!

Grace and Peace!

Deep Deep Love!

2010-04-18T19:53:00.004-06:00

Jeremiah 31:3 “The LORD hath appeared from afar unto me saying: Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you”.

Everlasting: that is from eternity, always, eternal, lasting, perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world + without end.

A truth, an amazing and comforting truth from the Scripture that God has always loved His elect and He always will. His love is exactly like He is, sovereign and unchangeable. He not only loves us now in the present but it is the same love with which He loved us from all eternity. It is as the song says; ‘Vast, unmeasured, boundless and it changeth never, nevermore’.

We can only grasp and know this love by faith but faith is neither the cause of His love nor the beginning of it. There are those who believe and teach that God hated us and only began to love us in time commencing with faith but the Scripture attests otherwise. God Himself chooses whom He will love as evidenced by Romans 9:13 “As it is written, Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated”. Faith and repentance are an effect and fruit of this very love that is shed abroad in our hearts at conversion and it endures forever. Nothing can or will ever separate us from it. It is the everlasting love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

We were by our very nature like all mankind, born dead in sins and trespasses and deserving of the damning wrath of God. We walked in those sins and trespasses and delighted in them in our unregenerate state according to Ephesians 2. But the Scripture doesn’t end there as it is only showing us that our nature is no different than the sons of disobedience. It is Ephesians 2:4-5 that gives us the full picture and focus of this chapter and it is; “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His GREAT LOVE with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).

Now we are alive in Christ so we can begin to comprehend the greatness of our union with Him. Christ is made manifest to us and His great love is revealed to us in His Works. His humble incarnation, His life of perfect obedience to God the Father and especially His going to the bloody cross to atone for our sins; these were works of great love for His people over 2000 years ago. This is the love we are to be rooted and grounded in and by faith we can begin to know the breadth of it, the length, depth and height of it. Ephesians 3:17-19. What a glorious gift, the gift of faith for even though it is not the cause of our union in Him by it we begin our lives of communion with Him.

While we sojourn here we will never fully comprehend His love for His own but the beginning knowledge of it stirs the very depth of our own hearts and minds; there is no greater love. I pray that we each can know this love and that we can begin to love one another as He has loved us. John 13:34.

Grace and Peace!

Accepted in the Beloved! Re-Post

2010-04-10T12:49:00.006-06:00

I found this post while I was looking at some past comments. I shut off my comments some time ago because that was never my purpose in blogging, my purpose has always been to put down the process the Lord has taken me through in this journey of growing in His grace and knowledge. The journey involves so much doesn't it? I was encouraged to read this very post myself again because it so captures the essence of God's eternal love for His people which has never varied or changed. There is no shadow of turning with the Almighty! I think I'll have to find this sermon of Don Fortner's again and have a listen!

Ephesians 1:6 “to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved”.

Accepted, not acceptable and verse 4 explains to us how God did this wondrous thing. He did this by His grace, the grace that is free, sovereign, eternal, immutable and indestructible and it was BEFORE the foundation of the world. Being accepted in the Beloved declares to us that there is a union with Christ, an eternal union that Christ has with all of His people. This union never changes, never varies, is accomplished by God in eternity, not in time, not by us and is not dependent on our feelings, our deeds or anything else that we might think comes from us. This union is IN Christ and it is for His sake and what God doeth we cannot undo for it is altogether by grace.

Christ is the Beloved Son, our mediator, our surety. Hebrews 7:22 “by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant”; one who steps in the place of another before law. The law cannot touch the one who surety represents and Christ is our eternal surety. God ceased to look for anything from us, He looks to Christ as the Lamb slain, as that, which was done from eternity and we are ‘accepted in the Beloved’.

In Paul’s last letter to his beloved son Timothy, he tells him to be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor to be ashamed of Paul himself, a prisoner of the Lord in the affliction of the Gospel. And he reminds him that the Lord “hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” 2 Ti 1:9

No doctrine is sound without this truth or that fails to recognize the believer’s everlasting union with Christ. We are one with Christ from everlasting and that union is now ”made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought to life and immortality to light through the gospel” 2 Ti 1:10

Christ was made manifest by His appearing, just as our union with Him is made manifest ( to make clear to our understanding) to us in time by the results of that everlasting union, the gifts that flow from His grace, our faith and the transformation of our lives. HE brings life and immortality to light and though it was given before time began we experience His grace in time when He brings that light and life to our soul and when we know what He did for us from eternity.

Salvation is a person whom we trust, we know, we seek, we love, we walk with and we believe. We live by trusting and resting in this very person, the Lord Jesus.

Christ is exalted!

Everlasting to Everlasting! (2)

2010-04-03T18:59:00.004-07:00

Accusations and Reflection!
Eternal Justification!

Over the centuries there have been those who agree that from eternity the elect of God have all spiritual blessings in Christ, including justification. It isn’t some new fangled doctrine thought up by a bunch of heretics for it has been discussed by all the greats of the faith and conclusions have been drawn for both views. I actually did a word study on ‘heretic’ recently and you can find that study here.

As I continued my study and writing to further my blogging on this subject I found myself greatly agitated and wondering why. Reflecting upon that agitation I came to the conclusion that it was fueled by the recent virulent accusations against myself and the saints that I fellowship with in truth. It is an understandable human reaction to defend yourself and your beliefs when you are attacked and yet I found it very distasteful in myself. We stand before God, not men and so my own focus has been changed and I simply want to share a few things here. There is a plethora of material to read and to help further your own understanding, Lord willing of course!

John Gill, the beloved Baptist theologian in his “A Body of Doctrinal Divinity”, Book II, Chapter V, section II wrote his article “Justification as an Eternal and Immanent Act of God” and you can find that here. It is an enlightening read!

I found the following article entitled “The Doctrine of Eternal Justification in Light of the Westminster Tradition” (2) extremely helpful in understanding the thoughts of those who don’t hold to Eternal Justification and those who do. This was found in the Protestant Reformed Theological Journal and the author of the article was responding to the rejection of the doctrine of eternal justification. Quoting from the article which can be found here.

“We consider that, as long as our justification 1) has its source in the immutable and absolute decree of God 2) has its objective basis in Christ’s satisfaction on the cross, and 3) has its subjective realization in the elect by faith, we cannot see why any should object to the presentation of the doctrine as a decree to justify. While the various aspects of justification ought to be distinguished, they may not be separated. It must be maintained that the decree is irrevocable.”

I hope the Lord will give you a desire to search the Scriptures to see if these things be true.

“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the thing that are not done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” Isaiah 47:10

“Yea I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it” Isaiah 47:11 b

Grace and Peace!

Everlasting to Everlasting!

2010-03-28T17:34:00.005-07:00

Accepted in the Beloved!

Ephesians 1:3-6 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved”

Chosen and accepted in the Beloved before the foundation of the world, what a glorious truth and comfort to the people of God. Praise Him from whom all blessings flow! We were blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ before the world began and these blessings flowed from the purpose and grace of God for His elect.

“Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” 2 Timothy 1:9

Our acceptance in Christ is solely a work of God from beginning to end. I doubt that many would argue that point, or at least I hope not. The Scriptures seem clear to me that the spiritual blessings that we have been blessed with are ours because of the Sovereign Decrees of God and those decrees were before time, before the foundation of the world. My name is in the Lamb’s book of Life, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world and it is called the book of life because of the decree of election unto eternal life in Christ.

Many questions come to the surface when people speak of eternal things and they can become confusing and can easily be misrepresented. The looming question for many seems to be, to put it simply, when were those spiritual blessings actually ours and what are they exactly? Some say from all eternity (I'm one of them), some say only in time. Does it matter you might ask? Well, whatever is taught in Scripture should matter to us because truth matters and we should diligently search trusting the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. I certainly learned a valuable lesson just recently in how I use language to convey what I believe and so we must learn to express ourselves rightly lest we convey an erroneous idea, I hope and pray to do that!

For God wills nothing in time but what He willed from eternity.

Grace and Peace!

to continue

FAREWELL AMERICA!

2010-03-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

Raising Your Hand!

2010-03-21T08:14:00.004-07:00

We raise our hand over the course of our lives in many ways don’t we? We usually start in school when we want to ask a question or even give an answer and the teacher calls upon us to do so. We give the thumbs up when we like something and this gesture implies one thing and the thumbs down implies something different.

It is one thing to be called upon but it is quite another to raise your hand and admit an error, any kind of error. I, like all of mankind find admitting an error hard to do. It goes against our pride or our desire to be well thought of but at the same time I have found in the long run it is the easiest and the best to do. Thank you Lord for teaching me that.

I used the word “timeless” in a discussion about eternity and eternal things and I used it in complete ignorance and in an unknowing way. I certainly have never believed that eternity is timeless nor do I believe that God does not work out His decrees in time.

Because of the use of that word a young man has misrepresented the teaching of godly men and for that I have publicly apologized which I am also doing here. I myself learned that there is an actual doctrine that teaches timelessness and that is what these godly men have been accused of. I hope that his Christian integrity will show forth in his retracting any statement applied in the wrong way.

I raised my hand!

Grace and Peace!

Friday Stuff!

2010-03-19T17:43:00.003-07:00

Listening to tunes and making cookies on this cold, snowy, windy Colorado evening. I always liked Bob Seger and this is one of my faves. I do laugh at myself because I actually have so many faves but maybe you do too!

Those of us who live in Colorado have several sayings about the weather. The story is if you want the weather to change just wait 15 minutes or you’ll hear ‘only in Colorado”. I think that has been true all over the states this year, a different year for sure. Last night when I came home from work it was 67 degrees, warm and sunny. Today was windy, cold and it snowed all day. It wasn’t cold enough for the snow to pile up as most of it melted. I can’t wait to see the wild flowers on the prairie this year because of all the moisture. I want to get in my car, take my camera and capture some beauty, DV!

It’s tough going in banking! There are so many regulations because of the fiasco of the mortgage industry which cause the little community banks to suffer greatly. It isn’t a fun job anymore but I’m thankful for what the Lord has provided. I can’t believe I’ve been working there 21 years this month. I remember in vivid detail the first day I went to work, I was scared to death and didn't think I could learn. I would sing every morning before I got out of bed "This is the day that the Lord hath made" so that I could remember to rejoice in His providence. Little did I know that the job He had given me to do was one He had equipped me to do. The ways in which He grows us and teaches us in our experiences still amaze me sometimes.

We are doing a bible study in a book by John G. Reisinger titled “Abraham’s Four Seeds” –A biblical examination of the presuppositions of Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism. Mr. Reisinger is of neither persuasion; instead he is a New Covenant theologian and he has much the same mind set that we do although there are some things that we disagree with. The Lord continues to bless us in growing in grace and in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I’m still thinking spring
Grace and Peace!

Promises & Blessing!

2010-03-13T08:25:00.003-07:00

The following is a quote that I've saved but I can't give credit to who deserves it because I don't know that. Thank you to the one who put it down as their thoughts so I could count the thoughts as my own and share them.

"I am a child of GOD (See John 1:12). HE loves me with an intensity that refuses to be diminished (Song of Solomon 8:7) HIS plans for me are always good. (See Jeremiah 29:11) HE loves me because HE has chosen to and not because of what I do or don’t do. (See Ephesians 1:4) HIS goodness and favour will chase me all the days of my life. (See Psalms 23:6)

Every blessing in Christ Jesus is already mine. (See Ephesians 1:3) By faith, I will enter into a path that is abounded by GRACE that my Heavenly Father has prepared for me. (See Romans 5:2) I am everything HE says I am. (See 1 Corinthians 15:10) I can do everything HE has called me to do. (See Philippians 4:13) I can have all that HE has called me to have. (See Psalm 84:11)

My days will only grow brighter.(See Proverbs 4:18) HIS favour is upon me and will never leave me.(See Lamentations 3:22-23) Nothing that comes my way can harm me. (See Isaiah 54:17) HE orchestrates my circumstances so that everything works for my good. (See Romans 8:28) Without respite and fear, I will hold tightly to the hope I say I have, because my GOD can be trusted to keep whatever it is that HE has promised. (See Hebrews 10:23)

I am LOVED with an everlasting LOVE (See Jeremiah 31:3). All my needs are already taken are of (See Phillipians 4:19), so there is no room for fear (See 1 John 4:18)"

Halelu YAH!

Leaning Leaning!

2010-03-10T12:21:00.000-07:00

I was reminded of this hymn just the other day and I remembered that it was my very first favorite hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”. I think it was probably the song I heard when I went to church the first time as a believer. It comes from Deuteronomy 34: 27 which says: “The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms”. Of course we know that Jehovah God doesn’t have arms for us to lean on but He speaks to us in ways that we as creatures can understand. “This is what the learned people call an anthropomorphism which means that in order to understand some of God and to relate to Him, we attribute to Him human characteristics. (The word is made up of two main parts “anthro” meaning man and “morph” meaning to take the shape or form of.)”

Psalm 89:13 “You have a strong arm; Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is exalted”; He is mighty to save, He is mighty with power, He is the Almighty. We remember that it was God who picked us up out of the miry clay and set us upon a rock, the Rock of our salvation the Lord Jesus. Psalm 40:2 We used to sing Psalm 37:23-24 in church and I was always comforted to know that although I might fall I would never be utterly cast down because His arms were underneath upholding me.

To lean on Him speaks to us in so many ways and I think that is why the song is so meaningful. He is our protection and we ought to know that if we trust Him with our very souls we can trust Him with every moment of our days. “The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate” Psalm 34:22

It is futile to put our full trust/confidence in men for all men are untrustworthy in one way or another and we all know that in our own experience. We must also include ourselves because we fail in being trustworthy as well because we are sinful creatures. We are told that it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man, Psalm 118:8 and yet how often we run to men thinking that they will surely protect and defend us only to find sore disappointment. He works those disappointments for our good and in them we are pointed to the trustworthy One. Certainly we have a measure of trust in those that we love but ultimately we should remember that our faith, trust and confidence should be in God alone.

I can’t lean for you and you can’t lean for me but what we can do is encourage one another with the Word of God as we see the day approaching. We can remind one another that the Lord is our Rock, our defender and our fortress as we keep on the path and as we trust Him on the journey. We truly are safe and secure!

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms

Grace and Peace!

Jewels!

2010-01-31T20:14:00.003-07:00

I heard an excellent sermon today on Malachi 3:17 “ And they shall be mine", saith the Lord of hosts, “in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son who serveth him”.

It brought to mind several things, but most importantly of course it brought to mind the Gospel. I heard a minister say not long ago that there are some people who only mind the ‘good’ verses in the bible and that isn’t a biblical way to approach the Scripture. I think he was teaching out of the Old Testament and focusing on God’s judgment which we see abundantly in the OT. Partly because that is where we find the Law Covenant and where we find blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Certainly obedience is a desirable and wonderful thing and we long always to be obedient but we must also remind ourselves that we HAVE ALL spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus NOW. We long to not be disobedient and there can be consequences in this life for disobedience but we are not cursed, Christ took our curse (Galatians 3:13) and obeyed the law perfectly for us. Hallelujah!

It reminded me that Christ has come and we live on this side of His coming, we live in the New Covenant where He has fulfilled all the Covenants, where we can embrace His promises without fear and where we can know that there are no verses that are not good news. You see the Gospel is GOOD news, how simple is that? There isn’t a way to preach Christ to the elect and not preach good news, even in the Old Testament and that is what the people of God need to hear and have the desire to hear, Christ first, Christ last and Christ always!

Which brings us back to the jewels. We are His jewels, His peculiar treasure and we are loved with an everlasting love and today I was reminded of that. Think about it for a moment and let the truth penetrate your heart and mind. We are sinners with nothing to offer nothing to commend us to Him and yet we are called His jewels, His precious jewels!

Grace and Peace!

Sunday Stuff!

2010-01-24T07:53:00.002-07:00

The choice of the song is related to the already pre spring windy days that we have had and the actual tumbleweeds that drift along just as the song says; right into my yard. The song is a nice tune and one that surely everyone recognizes but there isn’t anything nice about tumbleweeds. I sure hope they aren’t as bad as two years ago; it was a never ending cycle. Carry them to the alley, stomp them down over and over so they wouldn’t blow into the neighbor’s yard, but of course they did anyway. I watched my neighbor go out in the night and fork them into the wind so that they would blow further south but I don’t imagine they went very far. They just stopped at the next fence or tree or whatever blocked their drifting along and then they became someone else’s problem. Not a nice thing to do to your neighbor, right?

Today would have been our 40th Wedding Anniversary; we hoped we would be able to celebrate it together. But it wasn’t to be so I’ll think of the celebrations years past and be thankful for the years we did have.

I’ve never minded hand me downs, my mom used to give me wonderful work clothes and I loved them. She had classy taste. I have new to me furniture and I’m really thankful for it. I always wanted leather furniture but didn’t think that would be a wise way to spend, especially now that my income isn’t what it used to be with hubby gone. I went over to my friend’s house here in town to deliver a baby shower gift and guess what? Yep she had leather furniture that she wanted to get rid of and so it now looks really, really good in my living room. My family wanted a love seat (I gave them mine) and so all around everyone is pleased. It wasn’t a need, it was a want but I thank the Lord for providing it.

I’ve had that nasty virus and have been so swamped at work with year end that I haven’t even had time to think of blogging. It will be very busy at least through February, I hope that it will settle down after that.

Still ready for spring!

Grace and Peace!

By His Doing! (5)

2010-01-10T16:19:00.003-07:00

1 Corinthians 1:30 “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption”

Redemption

I’ve touched on all the above complete blessings in Christ except for the last, which is redemption. I find it very telling and interesting that all of the four above are included in one verse to give us a clear picture of Christ’s work so that we may not boast but in Him. It is after all…………by His doing! I find that comforting, I hope that you do too!

Redemption is a very comprehensive term and is used in the Old Testament repeatedly and portrayed in different ways; always pointing to and as a type of Christ. God redeemed (delivered or severed) the nation of Israel from the bondage of Egyptian slavery and so the nation belonged to Jehovah, they were a chosen nation. It was because of this redemption that the nation of Israel owed their very lives and service to God. The tribe of Levi was set apart in a special way of service (the priestly tribe) but the other tribes were to be redeemed or purchased from service by redeeming the firstborn of men and animals.

A firstborn son was presented to the Lord on the 40th day after his birth and redeemed by a payment of five shekels; the firstlings of oxen, sheep, and goats were brought within a year and eight days and sacrificed. The firstborn of an ass (an unclean animal) was redeemed by sacrificing a sheep in its place and the first fruits of the harvest were presented at the Passover.

One of the greatest typologies in the OT is given to us in the book of Ruth when we are shown the picture of the Kinsman-Redeemer which of course represents Christ as the Kinsman-Redeemer of His people. What a blessed picture this is to us for it shows us that the Lord Jesus met and fulfilled every requirement as our Kinsman. He came and took on flesh and He was the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29), so He was a near kinsman. The price of our redemption was the blood of Christ and He alone was able to redeem (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 1:18-19) and He was WILLING to redeem us with His very own blood (Hebrews 10:4-10). Above all the kinsman redeemer had to be free from that which caused the need for redemption and we know that Christ was free from the need of redemption because there was found no sin in Him.

Redeemed=to deliver from sin and its consequences by means of a sacrifice offered for the sinner. To purchase from slavery, the slavery of the bondage of sin.

We leave the types and shadows in the OT and come to the NT where we have the revelation of God in Christ, where we interpret the OT with the NT and where we find the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world coming to redeem His people, the true Israel. It is an effectual redemption; it is particular for His people and was carried out in time on the bloody cross whereby our Kinsman Redeemer shed His blood.

We have been redeemed and we are no longer slaves, but adopted sons and daughters. We have been set free from the bondage of a slave unto sin (John 8:31-36) and we have been redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). We have been redeemed not with silver and gold but with precious blood (1 Peter 1:18-19) and as that purchased possession we have been delivered from the wrath to come, from punishment, condemnation and guilt and our sins have been forgiven (Ephesians 1:7) and are not imputed to us. (Romans 4:8)

In our redemption there is full reconciliation with God and as the purchased possession we await our full redemption. We have the Holy Spirit as the earnest of our inheritance, in whom we are sealed, as we await the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). We long for the day of full redemption from sin and corruption, from this body of death, all sorrows and afflictions and from death and the grave. Oh what a glorious morn that will be, resurrection morn. Come, Lord Jesus!

Let him who boasts, boast in the LORD!

Grace and Peace!

It's Stuff!

2010-01-03T18:12:00.003-07:00

I received this CD for Christmas, what a remarkable voice! I’m sure everyone knows the fairy tale story of Susan Boyle, she did dream a dream and here she is with her first CD which is already a best seller. With her first appearance on the talent show she was laughed at and ridiculed, what a sad testimony of what people put stock in! Go Susan!

We don’t know what the New Year will bring to each of us do we? Thankfully we know that whatever comes comes by the Hand of the Lord. I wonder if we stop often enough to understand the privilege it is to be a believer, especially knowing that believing is not a work that we can do, it is a gift, a gift that not everyone is given! I’m reminded of a stanza from one of my favorite songs in the Trinity Hymnal, #271:

“Why was I made to hear thy voice, and enter while there’s room”?
We know that only sheep hear their Shepherds voice and that is because we are vessels of His mercy.

My dear friend and I were to go to California the end of January for a Gospel Conference that is held twice a year but because of work conflicts I can’t go. Hopefully we can go in July; it would be warmer then for sure. I’m a native born California girl (I know, I know nothing to brag about) but I was sure hoping to see the ocean again.

I hope and pray for all those that I love, especially the saints, that if you are estranged from a brother or a sister or a friend that this year might bring about reconciliation. We, as saints, are reconciled to God by Jesus Christ and He has peace with us and we are accepted in the Beloved. I hope we can each find peace and acceptance with one another.

I’m working on the last part of 1 Corinthians 1:30, redemption but I’ve been really sick, so hopefully soon!

I finally found some sugar free juicy fruit gum………can’t you just smell it and taste it? Ummm, I love juicy fruit!

Happy New Year! 2010

Grace and Peace!

O' Holy Night!

2009-12-24T17:07:00.004-07:00

A friend told me once that she didn’t like this song because there was nothing holy about the night; I suppose she was only thinking of perfection in a moral sense or of worshipping the night itself. Of course up until that night there had never been any moral perfection in the entire world, not even in Adam and Eve; perfection doesn’t fall!

However this night was the night that was sanctified or set apart in timeless eternity for the birth of the only true Holy One, our dear Savior Christ the Lord! It was a holy night; it was divine in that sense and we can listen and sing this song with gladness as it inspires awe in us just as it inspired awe in the shepherds. Oh yes, the world was mired in sin and error pining until He appeared and the angles proclaimed:

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among
Men with whom He is pleased”

We don’t fall on our knees to worship the night but we fall on our knees to worship the One who was born that night and we rejoice with those who rejoice that He has come. We can take this time to remember that there was a divine night when He came willingly to humble Himself and take on flesh, flesh as ours yet without sin.

Oh Savior divine, thank you for the new and glorious morn!

A Blessed Christmas to all the saints as we praise His Holy Name!

Born a Child!

2009-12-16T07:45:00.002-07:00

And yet a King! This is one of my favorite Christmas Hymns, one among many! I think partly because I can remember when I stumbled at the answer, when I didn’t know who Jesus was. Certainly I had heard of Him, this Babe, the Son of Mary but it was only a story to me then, a story of a baby in a manger with animals all around and men bringing gifts and shepherds and angels singing. I know now of course that no one can believe the story and know the Babe apart from having a new heart TO believe and that new heart comes in regeneration, the new birth. You see we too have to be born anew as a child with the first dawning of truth in the new heart and the first joy in KNOWING Him.

The longing of our heart is to know Him; Philippians 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death”

The Apostle Paul certainly knew Christ when he penned this verse but his knowledge of Christ was imperfect just as ours is. Paul suffered the loss of all things and counted that loss as dung so that he might KNOW Christ. We see only in part now and know only in part (1 Corinthians 13:12) but we long to know more. We want to know more of Christ; we want to know more of His love and the unsearchable riches of His grace. We want to know more of the power of His resurrection because in that resurrection we find our justification. We have been begotten again unto a lively hope by His resurrection (1 Peter 1:3) and we want to abound in Christ and that lively hope as we sojourn here. It is amazing to think that the power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that worketh in us, the same power that keeps us and the same power that hath given unto us all things pertaining to life and godliness.

In time He came to save His people from their sins; “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”, but He came as a child. It is this coming that we remember at Christmas; it is THIS Child that we celebrate, the Christ Child!

Joy, Joy for Christ is born!

Stuff Again!

2009-12-12T18:32:00.004-07:00

I was flipping through TV channels this afternoon and I came to a PBS special on Marty Robbins so I tuned in, never dreaming that hearing some old country music would cause such a burst of grief. It was instant and brought such a flood of tearful memories, it was like opening a brand new door. My husband loved the old country music of artists such as Marty Robbins and never did take to the new country tunes…….”ah they’re really not country” he’d say. This journey of grief is so different than I ever imagined it would be; takes me by surprise often.

I really don’t like cold weather and whew, it has been cold. Below zero in the mornings but most of the snow melted today, thankfully!

I finally gave in and watched the movie “Twilight” and subsequently “New Moon’and I've read the books. There is quite a bit of controversy over the movies in Christendom and I’m not sure if that is just because it is about vampires and werewolves but I didn’t find them as horrible as most portray, it surprised me. The question seems to be…..is there idolatry involved for the young girls with these movies and what is so appealing to them? Is the only message they get from these movies a sinful message and how does that affect them? Since I can’t see into hearts I don’t really have an answer but I imagine since the heart is an idol factory there certainly could be idolatry.

Ideally speaking I can tell you that what it stirred in my female heart was the very essence of ‘protection’ that Edward wanted to provide and I don’t find that a sinful desire, actually it is a God given desire. I am a widow who has lost her protection (covering) and I feel very exposed and vulnerable most of the time. It was that which spoke to me. How it speaks to others I can’t really know but I think the fuss about the movies is just that, a fuss! We live in a sinful world and everything is tainted but for believers God uses all things to work for our good, right? Maybe the young girls can be taught something by their mothers as they watch the movie together. :) Oh yeah, I remember swooning over Clark Gable in “Gone with the Wind’ and that kind of dates me doesn’t it?

Grace and Peace!

By His Doing (4)

2009-12-09T18:25:00.002-07:00

1 Cor 1:30 “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”

Sanctification Continued!

The language of Scripture is so important isn’t it? Words have meaning, great meaning and that is why we study the language. We communicate with one another using words and the clearer we are the better the communication. The Lord has given us His Word, both in written form, the Scripture and in Christ Jesus who is the Word. I have been shown by a godly teacher that we should always use biblical language when we speak of biblical truths.

Justification and sanctification are both positional and complete in Christ for the believer. To sanctify something or someone is to set that person or thing apart for the use intended by its designer. In our case we are set apart or sanctified by God, the Master Potter, for His intended purpose. It is a continuing work of the Spirit, not a progressive work and certainly not a work of our own. While it is true that believers grow in spiritual knowledge and maturity (‘growing in grace’) that growth is not defined as a progression (advancement) from a lesser degree of holiness to a greater degree of holiness.

Progression means to advance from one thing to another and so I believe that word causes confusion (it isn’t a biblical word). The word continue however is used consistently in the Word of God. Jesus tells us to continue in His Word (John 8:31) and to continue in His love (John 15:9). Paul instructed and warned so that we would continue in the truth of the Gospel (Gal 2:5) and we are exhorted to continue in the faith, grounded and settled (Col 1:23). We are to continue in prayer (Col 4:2) in the things we have learned (1 Ti 3:14) and we are to let brotherly love continue (Heb 13:1)

Continue means to abide and Jesus tells us to abide in Him (John 15:4) and that when He was gone He would send the comforter who would abide with us forever (John 14:16). These are all works of the Spirit and we can take great comfort of His working in us because the Scripture attests to that working:

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”

To trust in the working of the Spirit is confidence that God will not let me ‘work out my own salvation with fear and trembling’ in my own strength for “it is God who works in you to will and to do for his own good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13) To trust in the working of the Spirit is to have confidence that we are a people created unto good works which the Lord has prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

I think that part of the difference in thought is that there are those who say “we must do” and I believe that ‘we will do’. The must do speaks to my flesh and becomes law, the will do speaks to the spirit and is grace. The must do speaks to my flesh and becomes about me, the will do speaks to the spirit and becomes about Him. We truly can rest in the working of the Holy Spirit in us and in the face of the Scripture that tells us that “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20

“Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord”, for what the Lord requires, He provides.

Grace and Peace!

The Dictionary!

2009-12-04T12:05:00.002-07:00

I’ve always loved the dictionary. Words comprise our language, our communication with those around us and they have meaning. It is important to understand the meaning behind words, especially in Christendom. Instead of assuming a definition, instead of taking other’s thoughts only it is vital to our growth to look them up, to study them and to come to a deeper understanding of their meaning and use. I’ve been amazed over and over at how I have had misconceptions about the meaning and use of words. So I’m going to add a dictionary to my blog and occasionally look at some words.

I’m going to start with 2 actually because they are related in a way but need very definitely to be separated; Heresy & Error! I actually choose these two words because they have been used against me and so I thought I’d better have an understanding as to their meaning.

Heresy is defined in several ways:

The word "heresy" comes from the Greek αἵρεσις, hairesis (from αἱρέομαι, haireomai, "choose"), which means either a choice of beliefs or a faction of believers, or a school of thought.

Heresy is the rejection of established beliefs of a religious body, or adherence to "other beliefs." The word "heresy" comes from the Greek word hairesis or choice. The Greek word is a neutral term.

An opinion or doctrine at variance with the orthodox or accepted doctrine, esp. of a church or religious system and the maintaining of such an opinion.

Error (doctrinal) is defined this way:

The misinterpretation or application of any biblical teaching.

The first wrinkle that we run into is defining what is orthodox isn’t it? Generally speaking, most simply call the teachings of the ‘church fathers’ and the creeds that have been established through the many and various councils orthodox. The great doctrines of the faith have been ironed out over the centuries in different councils and God has blessed his people in those truths. The truth of the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the incarnation, the vicarious atonement, the resurrection and the virgin birth and it was against these creeds that teachings/beliefs were judged in order to determine orthodoxy and to establish teachings/beliefs as heretical. These teachings are foundational to our faith and we are united and embrace them together with joy and thankfulness in the truth.

Orthodox: from ortho- "straight" + doxa "belief"). The reason we have different Christian denominations today, different individual beliefs is because we each believe we have the right belief or opinion at any given time and that is of necessity. If/when we need to change that belief or opinion the Lord will show us even that as He is our teacher. He may do it through the Word or through other believers but He will teach us truth. The word heresy is used liberally (actually misused) in Christendom today I believe, for a variety of reasons and has lost much of its original sense. It’s almost like a sentiment of……’if you don’t believe the same as I do you believe heresy.’ Sometimes it is used to cause fear and I’ve had to learn to not be afraid of the word itself but to investigate, to search and to realize that just because I might believe something different than another doesn’t necessarily make me a heretic, in the truest sense of the word. For a heresy to exist there must be an authoritative system of dogma designated as orthodox and if you don’t conform to that particular system most likely you will be labeled with heresy. Each system thinks it is the one that is orthodox and following is a prime example.

The Roman Catholic Church convened in their Council at Trent to answer the heresies of the Protestants (the reformers) and declared all Protestantism as heretical. They called them to return to the obedience of the Roman Catholic Church. In their orthodoxy they have determined that Protestants are heretical basically because of the following beliefs:

1. The Supremacy of the Bible
2. Justification by Faith Alone
3. The Universal Priesthood of Believers

So you can see by that example alone that the use of the word itself doesn’t prove heresy. As Protestants we don’t believe that the heresies that we are accused of within the RCC are heresies at all, instead we believe we hold the truth. We are warned in Scripture that there are true damning heresies and we should be very careful to acknowledge that and to search them out, but every difference among us is not a heresy. A nonconformist view within an established system may be perceived as heretical but that may simply be the expression of the established belief system and not heretical at all. We should be careful when we label other believers as holding to heresy when in fact truth can be labeled heresy and heresy can be labeled truth.

We all hold to error and if you think that you don’t then that is your first error. No one today has the complete truth that the Lord Jesus taught to His apostles, especially His teaching to the Apostle Paul. Heresy and error began then and continues today and will be with us until the Lord returns, of that we can be sure.

Grace and Peace!

More Stuff!

2009-11-27T18:18:00.004-07:00

This is a great band, great song! I like to listen to different kinds of music, it's one of the joys of hearing. I can't imagine being deaf and never hearing the sounds that we take for granted. Do you have favorite sounds? If I had to choose a favorite sound I think it would have to be the honk of geese flying overhead as they are flying in formation. I've been known to pull over on the side of the road to watch and to listen, what a beautiful sight and sound. God has given us all things to enjoy, thank you Lord that I have the gift of hearing.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and I did the cooking. It was our favorite holiday, my husband's and mine so I missed him terribly. I missed him getting into the stuffed celery before it was completed and the olive dish and I missed my brother in law enjoying the meal. But we had a really fun day, eating and playing lots of games, it was truly a nice day! Thank you Lord for family!

It's that time of the year at work.............decorate for Christmas, have cider and donuts all month at the bank and try really, really hard to not eat the donuts. Hmmmm, will I be successful this year as in year's past? Seems like once you have one then you just want another, or so it seems.

I'm working on the continuation of my 'sanctification' post, hopefully it won't take me as long as the first one.

Last night I watched 'Star Trek', it was really good especially since it had all the same characters in it. Reminded me of the good old Star Trekky TV days. Tomorrow, I'm mowing the lawn! Well, Lord willing of course!

Grace and Peace!

By His Doing (3)

2009-11-24T19:32:00.004-07:00

1 Corinthians 1:30

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption”.

Sanctification

Sanctification is a sovereign act of God which is carried out by Him through Christ Jesus. He has separated and set apart His people in Christ for His own purpose; that is what the above Scripture means when it tells me that Christ is my sanctification. All of God’s works are perfect thereby sanctification is a perfect and finished work and that is why the Scripture tells us that we are complete in Christ (Col 2:10). There have been millions and millions of words written on this subject so my few words won’t have any impact but in my own heart as I study and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus.

Many teach that sanctification is a progressive work in the believer whereby the believer through his works becomes more righteous and holy while getting closer to God. Some teach that their progressive sanctification is the basis of their assurance and others make it nothing more that an outward legal morality, i.e. “touch not, taste not, handle not”, (men’s commandments). I disagree wholeheartedly with the above mindset and I don’t find any of them taught in Scripture. We don’t read in the Word of God of those men who trusted in Christ claiming to grow in holiness, purity or sanctification before God.

Hear the godly prophet Isaiah in Chapter 6:5 who when he saw the Lord tells us what he truly thought of himself –“Woe is me for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips”. There is the great tried saint Job when after the Lord had severely tried him, when he would have progressively been more righteous and holy said “Behold, I am vile” Job 40:4

The great Apostle Paul knew and taught that ‘there is none righteous, no not one’ (Romans 3:10) and that in his ‘flesh there dwell no good thing’ (Romans 7:18). He tells us in 1 Cor 15:10 that NOW, by the grace of God only, could he say “I am what I am”. It wasn’t by works or faith or any progressive holiness of his but by grace alone. The same grace (God’s unmerited favor) that was dispensed to the elect before the world began, (2 Ti 1:9) our first separation unto Him. It is the same for us; we are all that we are by the grace of God alone in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 10:10 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”

Hebrews 10:14 “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified”

Hebrews 2:11 “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren”

1 Cor 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

Jude 1:1 “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James; to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ and called.”

You see from the Scriptures that we are sanctified completely in Christ Jesus and not by works that we do. What a blessed truth this is to our regenerated hearts. 2 Peter 3:18 instructs us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we do by His working in us. God’s work of grace is maintained in our souls and our love, our commitment and our faith all grow, increase and mature. Thankfully by His working within us to will and to do our outward acts of sin are more controlled and restricted but the flesh, the evil within does not lessen, we drag this flesh where nothing good dwelleth the remainder of our days and learn by experience that “I am carnal, sold under sin”…..

Christ alone is my wisdom, Christ alone is my righteousness. Christ alone is my acceptance with God and Christ alone is my sanctification.

Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord!

Grace and Peace!

12 Months!

2009-11-19T06:08:00.004-07:00

Ashoken Farewell!

I was introduced to this song at the funeral of a beloved pastor, it was heart wrenching. The author (Jay Ungar) wrote it when he was feeling a great sense of loss and longing and he states that he kept the tune to himself for several months because he didn’t understand the emotions that it evoked. The tune was used in the mini series Civil War and was the only contemporary music in that series and it has become a beloved tune. If you have never heard this song, please have a listen!

I had this version of the tune played at my husband’s grave side memorial. He died a year ago today and it truly does bring to the surface the emotions that Jay Ungar was feeling at the time he wrote it, longing and loss, the very deep emotions of grief! It’s amazing to me how music can stir up those emotions that are such a part of our creature hood and how they can reflect the many things that are within. The longing and the loss are because we don’t want to say that final farewell; we don’t want the life to be over.

It’s been a long year of being without my husband, a year of so many differences that I can't even begin to put them down. One huge difference is living alone; I’ve never lived alone until now so that has been an adjustment that hasn't been easy to make. I always told him that I’d hate coming home to an empty house and sure enough I do. I leave the radio on and I have a dog that is glad to see me when I come home so that helps with some warmth, but I miss the smile as soon as I come in and the warmth of his presence. That’s when the longing sets in, the longing to have the one person who knew me the best still here; often I feel quite lost without him.

We don't often stop and think of how wonderfully we are made but I realize what a blessing it is that the Lord created us with the capacity to have memories. Those sweet memories come and go on a daily basis and even those that aren't so sweet. Oh but I wouldn't trade any of it for it is the life the Lord gave us. It's remembering the times for every purpose under the heaven I guess; the times we laughed and danced, the times we mourned together. I’ve been told the longing doesn’t go away and I think that is going to prove to be true. The longing steals upon me suddenly and I’d love to tell him about it, he’d understand.

It’s a different journey now. The Lord knows my weak frame and He never chides me for the feelings of longing and loss. We shouldn’t be afraid to share our emotions nor should we try and hide them as if they are nonexistent. We should always be willing to listen, to bear with each other and to remember that feelings/emotions are a normal part of our life. The Lord is full of compassion for His people and He always gently reminds me that I don’t walk by the many feelings but by faith. I'm so thankful that He taught me to separate feelings from faith, what a blessed growth that was. So I thank the Lord for the life we had together and I press on in this journey and I remember.

Grace and Peace!

Stuff!

2009-11-01T16:58:00.005-07:00

I heard this song today and had to download it into my own fave rock and roll library. It’s a classic! If you like rock and roll give it a listen and enjoy!

I heard an awesome sermon today on the Altar of Incense out of Exodus 30. The Lord gave instructions as to the exact dimensions and plans for the altar and He said that there was to be perpetual incense before the Lord throughout their generation. They were cautioned however that they were not to offer any strange incense on that altar and it was interesting to read on then as to what this incense was made of. It isn’t known today what the spices were that were ground down to make this incense for the altar so any incense burned today as an offering to God would certainly be considered strange incense and wouldn’t be a sweet smelling savour to the Lord. We know from Scripture that Christ alone is our sacrifice to God for a perpetual sweet smelling savour and that we are acceptable to God because of it. (Ephesians 5:2)

I haven’t forgotten my next post on 1 Corinthians 1:30 with thoughts on sanctification, it’s been on my mind quite a bit. It’s an in depth subject and takes a lot of thought to put into words what I believe the scripture teaches. I’m also about to finish “The Reformed Doctrine of Justification” by Dr. Edward Boehl who was the son-in-law of Dr. Kohlbrugge and in this book are inspiring thoughts as well that I’d like to quote.

I’m also quite addicted to ‘Mafia Wars’ on Facebook right now so I’m literally wasting my time in that endeavor. Hope to tone that down soon! :)

Grace and Peace!

By His Doing (2)

2009-10-18T16:23:00.002-06:00

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.” I Cor 1:30

Righteousness

Righteousness simply means that which is right before the law or right in the eyes of the law, God’s law. The Scripture is so plain, isn’t it, that there are none good (righteous), not one can obey the law and stand righteous before Him by his own doing. That is because God requires ‘perfect’ obedience and not a single person has ever obeyed the law perfectly, nor will a single person ever obey the law perfectly excepting Jesus Christ who has been made unto me and has become my Righteousness.

The law requires justice and because we cannot keep the law in perfect obedience and satisfy its demands, Christ came and was perfectly obedient, even unto death. He was wholly and perfectly righteous in His life and His actions and so the just (Christ) died for the unjust (me) and for all of the elect. “By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” Romans 5: 18b. It isn’t by our own obedience, nor by our obedience combined with His but belongs solely to Him and so we are made righteous in the sight of God and are justified from all our sins.

This is the Good News of the Gospel you see, the Just for the unjust, the Holy Son of God for the ungodly, the Righteous One for the unrighteous, the Sinless for the sinner. Christ brought in everlasting righteousness for His people and it is only in His righteousness that I am just before God. I have a righteous standing before God because I am in Christ, in union with Him. My righteousness is as filthy rags so the Scripture tells me and so my rightness before God must be in Christ and because of His work, not mine.

What a blessed truth this is to our hearts and minds. This is what is meant in Ephesians 1:3 where we are told that all spiritual blessings are ours in heavenly places in Christ. Christ Himself becomes the righteousness that we need (2 Cor 5:21) and God is fully satisfied in Him. We are accepted in the Beloved.

I love how 1 Corinthians finishes this section of Scripture. Read the entire first chapter and come to the last verse and we are told why it is all of Christ…………

…………so that, just as it is written ‘LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD!

“The LORD our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16)

Grace and Peace!

By His Doing!

2009-10-10T20:25:00.003-06:00

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” 1 Corinthians 1:30

I love different translations of the Scriptures. My favorite to read is the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and the one I have doesn’t have cross references or notes or commentary, it is simply the Scripture. It is such a joy to read and to trust the Spirit to teach as He wills. This verse in the KJV & the NKJV says “But of Him” which certainly means the same but how simplified and direct is ‘by His doing”, who could make that mean something that is doesn’t? So often we skim over our reading but I love this verse and so decided to do some study on it. It’s easy to read it and be thankful for it but I wondered, what does it mean? What does it mean for Christ Jesus to have become all the above to me? So I’ve isolated each one and have begun to look into the Word for the answers. Isn’t it amazing that we have all the answers in one book!

Wisdom

Wisdom = ‘the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action, discernment, or insight!

The first thing we can know as believers is that true wisdom is not the wisdom of the world. In fact in the same chapter of Corinthians we are told that God has made foolish the wisdom of the world (1 Cor 1:20) with the Gospel. Men’s wisdom is vain and empty because men, by their own nature, cannot know Christ who is the wisdom of God. They cannot know Him with their own wisdom, their own free will, their own choosing or their own doing, it is by His doing alone! The natural man cannot receive the things of God and actually counts them as foolish. (1 Cor 2:14)

By His doing (His action) is by His Grace in regeneration when our minds are enlightened in the knowledge of Christ, our first taste of the wisdom of God. Before regeneration we were separate from Christ and strangers to the covenant (Eph 2:12), but now in Him we are brought near and in all wisdom and insight He has made known to us the mystery of His will, Christ! Christ has made us wise unto salvation through faith (2 Ti 3:15) and we are made alive spiritually (our first resurrection) and turned from darkness to light!

It is by His doing that we receive the Spirit so that we may know the things freely given to us and these things we know are not known by human wisdom but by spiritual wisdom only. (1 Cor 2:12-13) It is wisdom to know that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation and that salvation is of the Lord so that when we boast we boast only in the Lord. The book of Proverbs tells us to pursue wisdom, to now incline our hearts to understanding and to cry out for discernment in all things, for the Lord gives wisdom. (Proverbs 3)

It is only unto those who are the called that Christ crucified, the wisdom of God, is revealed and who are made truly wise. The wisdom of the world stumbles at Christ and denies Him and mocks the very wisdom that we are given in Him. As we grow in grace and in knowledge we grow in wisdom and we grow in His thoughts as our thoughts are brought captive to His. Our highest wisdom is in knowing Him because He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is our wisdom and in regeneration we have been given a sound mind, to be taught by Him and to trust Him for all things. The greatest wisdom we can attain to in this life is to know Him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; Christ my wisdom from whom I derive all spiritual knowledge, who directs my path, guides me in His way and orders my step day by day.

Grace and Peace!

to continue....

Gospel Fellowship!

2009-09-18T17:16:00.004-06:00

The pastor from California that my dear friend is acquainted with came through this week and stayed at her house for two days. It was sweet, sweet fellowship in the Grace of God in Christ Jesus, the Gospel.

This was a man that neither of us had ever met face to face although she has corresponded with him for some time by email. He sends her tapes and notes and he was pleased and humbled to stop and minister to the family. He came to not only minister to her in a personal family way but also to the body of Christ, which included me and another family friend.

When we have the bond of grace in Christ we aren’t strangers to one another. How can we be strangers when we are fellow citizens in the household of God and we have inherited the same promises of the unconditional Covenant? The covenant whereby the Lord writes His laws upon our hearts and minds and our sins and lawless deeds He remembers no more. It was evident in our conversation for those two days how we walked in the same truths of the Scripture. We shared those truths and the love of Christ for His people, His everlasting love. It was pure bliss to talk of those eternal truths that many ignore and brush aside and in doing so lose the clear and certain meaning of the gospel.

The whole of Scripture points us, teaches us and show us the eternal purpose of God in Christ Jesus; to save His people from their sins. Timothy 1:9 “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”

The Gospel truly is simple. I know that is too simplistic of a statement for many, perhaps it sounds uneducated theologically but I remember always Paul’s admonishment to the Corinthians. He was fearful that their minds would be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. John Gill calls it “the pure and simple doctrine of the Gospel, which respects the person and grace of Christ; and chiefly lies in this one plain, easy, and important truth, salvation alone by Him.” What a blessing it is to read the Scripture through the lens of this Gospel because it is God’s eternal purpose in Christ.

On that last night he opened his bible and preached to us from John 10 and the blessed truth of being one of Christ’s sheep. Sheep hear the voice of their Shepherd because they have been given to Him by the Father, not one will be lost. I was almost dizzy in the nodding of my head in a continuous amen and amen! We worshiped in Spirit and in Truth, Christ was exalted and we were truly thankful! Thank you dearest Lord for your care of your sheep!

Grace and Peace!

Vacation and Kohlbrugge!

2009-09-14T10:39:00.002-06:00

Well, I am on vacation for the first time in 21 years without hubby here and it is very bitter sweet. But then all of life is bitter sweet isn’t it? I miss him, which is how simple it is.

Isn’t the moth thingy amazing? I took that picture the other day when I came home for lunch. He was on my step and I think he is disguised as a dried up old leaf. If he was on a tree or elsewhere I think it would work. Course maybe he fools who he is intended to fool, God made him that way after all.

This week the visiting pastor is supposed to be at my friend’s house and I’m looking forward to it. It will be such a blessing for us to have the Gospel preached face to face and to interact that way with those who love Christ. By request I’m making a lemon cheesecake to take along as I know we will fellowship in a meal.

I heard from the brother who has made it a labor of love to find the works of Dr. H. F. Kohlbrugge and he has started a publishing company. He is planning on a few more publications this year but to start off this wonderful endeavor there is in book form “Romans 7: A Paraphrase” and “I believe in the Holy Spirit”, both by Kohlbrugge. I ordered it, it has arrived and I’m slowly savoring my way through it and hope to do some blog posts on it. If you are interested in ordering it you can check it out here

I have a few little projects to work on the next two weeks, some visiting to do and of course there is always shopping. We (the fam) are going to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo next weekend, we haven’t been in years. It is a beautiful setting but will hold a few bitter sweet memories also. The last time we all went together our husbands were with us so I’ll remember that as I’m feeding the giraffes, our favorite thing to do.

I think for now I’ll go outside and start on those pesky weeds that grow in the cracks in the sidewalk and the street. Roundup, here I come.

Grace and Peace!

Man of Sorrows!

2009-09-10T20:49:00.002-06:00

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not” Isaiah 53:3

I wonder if we truly stop and think of Jesus in this way, I wonder if we understand that He carried constant sorrow and He was very familiar with grief and certainly in ways that we will never be acquainted with. We will never agonize as to sweat great drops of blood as He did in the garden, nor will we actually go to the cross for our sins, He did that for us willingly. He was rejected all of His life by those around Him, even some of His own family knew Him not. He is the stone that was rejected by the priests, the scribes and the Pharisees, the religionists’ builders of His day. He is that wonderful stone that is the cornerstone, the very sure, firm and everlasting foundation upon which our faith and our hope are built.

That is why the hearts of the disciples were filled with sorrow when He told them that He must leave them for they knew not what they would do without their foundation. They didn’t understand at that very moment where He was going and that what He would accomplish would become the very foundation of their joy. His leaving, His death and His glorious resurrection brought them salvation, eternal life and all the blessings and gifts of His grace, just as it does for us.

I started thinking about sorrow and the Man of Sorrows to understand the abiding sorrow in my own life. It is the sorrow over the reality of death and broken relationships. It is the sorrow over sin, not only my own but the sin of others as well. Some try out their well meaning coping mechanisms that result in thoughts such as ‘look on the bright side’ or ‘count your blessings’ and those become their pat answers. But I wonder to what end? Often I think it is to chase away the sorrowing spirit but why do we think sorrow is not to permeate our lives, it was Jesus’ constant companion.

I wonder if we realize often enough that to be a people of sorrow and acquainted with grief is very much a part of our sojourning here? So often we want to shake off our own sorrows and grief, we want them to slide right off of our back and we want to be done with them and yet do we? That is the reaction of the flesh, not the spirit. I read a statement recently that said “A main ingredient of sorrow is emptiness, a deep and devastating emptiness” and I fully related to that. Perhaps it is an empty place at the table or empty relationships that used to be full. Sorrow leaves us empty but in our emptiness we find that what Jesus said to the Apostle Paul is true for us too. “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9)

The spirit needs to not only endure with patience but to absorb the suffering and sorrow for it has a great work to do. It humbles us and shows us our frailty and our total dependence upon God. It causes us to seek our solace and our comfort in Him and as we do our faith is strengthened. We think that our joy has to be felt day in and day out and people often confuse emotions for joy and then when the emotions die down does the joy remain? Joy isn’t in the feelings and any joy that is outside of God and the Lord Jesus is fleeting, temporal and sometimes disappointing in the end.

It is when our joy is in Christ and things eternal that it is real and will abide forever and forever. It is the joy that is set before us in Christ Jesus just as it was set before the disciples and as Jesus said to them, He also says to us. Our sorrow will be turned to joy, it will be joy full and no man taketh it from us.

Grace and Peace!

God Alone is Enough!

2009-08-02T20:17:00.002-06:00

It’s the title of a song that stuns the soul in its simplicity. I love the simplicity of Christ that men go about trying to steal. I love the simplicity of the Gospel message of Christ alone, Faith alone and Grace alone, truly love it. I don’t try and add to it to make it hard or to cause a heavy load. Christ said to come to Him all that are heavy laden and He would give rest for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. His yoke is easy and His burden is light because He has accomplished all for us and because of Him we are accepted in the Beloved, no longer under condemnation and our sins are remembered no more.

So with the simple words of this song I’m taking a vacation from blogging and delving into the many books that are awaiting me on my shelf. The first is an exposition of the Book of Revelation by Herman Hoeksema entitled “Behold He Cometh”. I understand why the book of Revelation ends with the words “Come Lord Jesus” and I echo those very words in my heart! Glory awaits us!

God Alone is Enough!
By John Michael Talbot from the words of St. Theresa of Avila:

Let nothing upset you, let nothing startle you. All things pass; God does not change. Patience wins all it seeks. Whoever has God lacks nothing: God alone is enough. -St Teresa Avila

Let nothing trouble you!
Let nothing frighten you!

For everything passes,
But God will never change!

Patient endurance,
Will obtain everything!

Who ever has God
Wants for nothing at all.

God alone is enough!
God alone is enough!
Whoever has God
Wants for nothing at all!

Grace and Peace!

Loving One Another!

2009-07-31T19:02:00.003-06:00

I received a little booklet from Free Grace Broadcaster just the other day that was titled the same as the title of this blog. I receive them periodically and often they contain really good excerpts from studied saints that have gone on to glory. This booklet had some good words that spoke so well to me of the ways we are to love one another. That loving is to always go both ways, from me to other saints and to me from other saints but how often we all fail at loving one another. Oh how that should grip our very soul because Jesus said “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another”. John 13:35

Ralph Venning (c. 1622-1674) A Nonconformist pastor and theologian.

Principles for Preserving Love

Go not about to make one another odious by representing things as being worse than they are.

Many times the picture of the lion is more dreadful than the lion himself. Good Lord! In what black, ugly and deformed shapes do men set forth one another, as if they were monsters and not men?

Draw not conclusions from other men’s principles and then say that they are their opinions.

We may make the same complaint as David: “They wrest, torture and wrack my words.” Alas! Men set everything on hooks and stretch and twist every principle like a nose of wax. Alas! What a pity it is to see men invert and pervert one another’s words, and a length to draw such conclusions as would make one think they meant what they never meant!...So some mistook and misreported Paul as if he had said that we might do evil so good might come thereof (Romans 3:8). So the Jews despose that Christ said He would destroy the temple at Jerusalem in three days and raise it up again, when He spoke of His Body (Matthew 26:61; John 2:21). What words thus wrested and perverted may not be called heresy and (as they said of Christ’s words) blasphemy when, if taken as meant, and in their proper sense, they may be found very sound and consistent with truth?? Take heed therefore of…commenting upon another’s text.

The reason the above hit home so hard is because this recently happened to me. My own words have been twisted to mean what they never meant and so I understood the reason for the admonition. It has been stated that I believe that everyone who is in the church has left Christ and I was stunned. Stunned because I have never stated that nor do I think it in my heart. It’s kind of ironic that the one who said it I do consider a believer, one who loves Christ Jesus and believes in the Gospel. One who holds to justification by faith alone but who has some different doctrinal beliefs than I do and has a high ‘visible church’ view.

Oh if we would take that huge leap and be willing to communicate to one another without fear, without judgment, without pre conceived notions, but that is so far from the norm and yet I know that all things are possible with God. In the meantime I will watch my own assumptions, my own opinions and I will remember that we are to follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. Romans 14:19

“Indeed, the glory of all our hearafter glory will be oneness of communication with the Father, Son, Spirit and one another in God” Ralph Venning

Grace and Peace!

The Valley of Vision!

2009-07-25T16:48:00.006-06:00

I hope to get back to blogging my own thoughts and study soon, perhaps in September when I have my vacation. It has been a busy, busy summer for me for which I am thankful. Lots to do and keep up with at home and at work and without my husband to care for at home my time has been freed up to be a little more spontaneous with visiting family and friends. In the meantime I find these Puritan Prayers and Devotions a blessing!

Assurance

Almighty God,

I am loved with everlasting love,
clothed in eternal righteousness,
my peace flowing like a river,
my comforts many and large,
my joy and triumph unutterable,
my soul lively with a knowledge of salvation,
my sense of justification unclouded.

I have scarce anything to pray for;
Jesus smiles upon my soul as a ray of heaven
and my supplications are swallowed up in praise.

How sweet is the glorious doctrine of election
when based upon thy Word
and wrought inwardly within the soul!

I bless thee that thou wilt keep the sinner
thou hast loved,
and hast engaged that he will not forsake thee,
else I would never get to heaven.

I wrong the work of grace in my heart
if I deny my new nature and my eternal life.

If Jesus were not my righteousness and redemption,
I would sink into nethermost hell.
If Jesus were not by the power of His Spirit
my sanctification,
there is not sin I should not commit.

O when shall I have his mind!
When shall I be conformed to his image?
All the good things of life are less than nothing
when compared with his love,
and with one glimpse of thy electing favour.

All the treasures of a million worlds could not
make me richer, happier, more contented,
for his unsearchable riches are mine.

One moment of communion with him, one view
of his grace,
Is ineffable, inestimable.

But O God, I could not long after thy presence
If I did not know the sweetness of it;
And such I could not know except by thy Spirit
in my heart, nor love thee at all unless thou didst
elect me,
call me,
adopt me,
save me.

I bless thee for the covenant of grace.

Grace and Peace!

The Valley of Vision!

2009-07-20T07:26:00.004-06:00

As believers we continually turn to Christ for all things, He is all. We are pilgrims and sojourners here because this is truly not our home. We have a Saviour, a Saviour who knows His own, God, our Saviour who came and clothed Himself in flesh so that He might redeem us and save us from our sins.

The Saviour

Thou hast given me a Saviour,
produce in me a faith to live by him,
to make him all my desire,
all my hope,
all my glory.

May I enter him as my refuge,
build on him as my foundation,
walk in him as my way,
follow him as my guide,
conform to him as my example,
receive his instructions as my prophet,
rely on his intercession as my high priest,
obey him as my king.

May I never be ashamed of him or his words,
but joyfully bear his reproach,
never displease him by unholy or imprudent
conduct,
never count it a glory if I take it patiently
when buffeted for a fault,
never make the multitude my model,
never delay when thy Word invited me to
advance.

May thy dear Son preserve me from this present
Evil world,
So that its smiles never allure,
Nor its frowns terrify,
Nor its vices defile,
Nor its errors delude me.

May I feel that I am a stranger and a pilgrim
on earth,
declaring plainly that I seek a country,
my title to it becoming daily more clear,
my foretastes of it more abundant;
and whatsoever I do may it be done
in the Saviour’s name.

Hallelujah what a Saviour!

Grace and Peace!

The Valley of Vision!

2009-07-09T17:37:00.002-06:00

I have a little booklet of the title above that is a collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions and I have the set of CD’s that go along with the book. I’m not bent toward the Puritan way of thinking of law and works so some of the sentiment I don’t hold to however there is rich blessing in the reading and the listening.

The blessing comes because I know, as a believer that I deserve nothing, absolutely nothing. I know that by my nature I am as deserving of His wrath as those His wrath falls upon and yet His wrath doesn’t rest upon me. I have been given so much, so much that words can’t always express it, so much that I don’t even know, nor can I comprehend all that God has prepared for me; I have only a glorious taste of it here. I’m going to copy some of them here for a time and hope that you are blessed as well in the knowledge of what words sometimes try and express. That all spiritual blessings are ours in Christ Jesus.

Election

Holy Trinity,

All praise to thee for electing me
to salvation,
by foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of the Spirit,
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood
of Jesus;

I adore the wonders of thy condescending love,
marvel at the true believer’s high privilege
within whom all heaven comes to dwell,
abiding in God and God in him;
I believe it, help me experience it to the full.

Continue to teach me that Christ’s righteousness
satisfies justice and evidences thy love;
Help me to make use of it by faith as the ground
of my peace
and of thy favour and acceptance,
so that I may live always near the cross.

It is not feeling the Spirit that proves
my saved state but the truth of what
Christ did perfectly for me;
All holiness in him is by faith made mine,
as if I had done it;
Therefore I see the use of his righteousness,
for satisfaction to divine justice and making
me righteous.

It is not inner sensation that makes Christ’s death
mine.
for that may be delusion, being without the Word,
but his death apprehended by my faith,
and so testified by Word and Spirit.

I bless thee for these lively exercises of faith,
for the righteousness that is mine in Jesus,
for grace to resign my will to thee;
I rejoice to think that all things are at thy disposal,
and I love to leave them there.

Then prayer turns wholly into praise,
and all I can do is to adore and love thee.
I want not the favour of man to lean upon,
for I know that thy electing grace
is infinitely better.
Grace and Peace!

Growing in Grace!

2009-07-05T20:00:00.002-06:00

A Holy Boldness!

I undertook this series on ‘Growing in Grace’ to respond to wonderings about how someone who isn’t a member of a church lives their Christian life. I have tried to be specific and to answer according to the understanding that I have now in this process of ‘growing’. My goal wasn’t to offend although I know that I have with this series. It wasn’t to promote anyone who reads here to leave the church, it was simply to give a picture of living faith outside of the church, which I am doing at this specific time in my life. How you have a living faith outside of the church was in fact the jest of the wonderings. We should always be careful to distinguish between the Christian church and the Christian faith; two very separate things.

We are called to serve the Lord without fear (Luke 1:74) and we are called to pass the time of our sojourning in fear (1 Peter 1:17) and so we must come to an understanding of what we are called to. Fear can mean many things to each of us so it is helpful to come to some understanding of how these words are used. We are not called to have a servile or slavish fear of the Lord our God as under the Law, we are free from the spirit of bondage that the law brings; Christ was made a curse for us (Galatians 3:13) and Grace has been exalted above Law! We are freed from the bondage of sin and the fear of death and hell and freed from the fear of men, what a glorious freedom we have. If Christ has set us free we are free indeed (John 8:36). Because the Jews served under the law and knew the burden of the law they have the saying that ‘greater is he that serves from love, than he that serves from fear”, they knew the difference.

It is a fear that rests in an attitude of the deepest respect of Who He is, our Sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all life. This is not a terrible apprehension of His judgment or His wrath, it is instead a filial fear for we are His sons and daughters and we know that we are under His mercy and His goodness. That is why we can cry ‘Abba Father’. We know Him because we know Christ and it is awe at His Attributes of Mercy, Goodness, Grace and His unfailing Faithfulness. His Love is perfect love and as the Scripture tells us in 1 John 4:18

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love”

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” Hebrews 4:16

We are told to come boldly to the throne of Grace, without fear and with great confidence that we will be heard. We are encouraged throughout the Scripture to come for help, to expect Faithfulness, to believe promises, to come with holy courage, to be brave and bold. We come because we have faith in Christ, in His person, His blood and His righteousness, “we have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19) and “we draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. “ (Hebrews 10:22.) We have confident access through faith (Ephesians 3: 12) and we can “have boldness in the Day of Judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). What sweet repose to have our conscience freed by the cleansing blood of Christ Jesus.

We come boldly to the throne and the end of that coming is that we may obtain mercy and that we might know that Jesus came so that we might have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10.)

Grace and Peace!

Growing in Grace! (3)

2009-06-27T18:59:00.002-06:00

It has been wondered if someone is not a member of a church and they are indulging in sin who will confront them and how will they be disciplined?

Accountability and Discipline

It has been assumed that if you do not have church membership you are not accountable to anyone on earth. I’m not quite sure how/where that statement even came about because I certainly have never said that I am not accountable to anyone on earth. I have to assume that the statement was made in regards to sin and that is how I’m going to address it here. We certainly ALL know that in many ways we are accountable to others. I’m accountable to my employer and answerable to him for the job that I have been given to do, I’m held responsible to do that job. To those who provide my daily needs such as the water in my home and the electricity that I use I’m accountable/responsible to pay them for those services. And of course in those ways the list does goes on. Ultimately even in these types of things we are accountable before God.

Accountable= subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable.

There is often confusion about the meaning of words and how they are used in our communication with others. Some use words without really understanding what they are saying simply because it somehow sounds good. I think that is the way it is with accountability. It is assumed that ‘church membership’ lends itself to a degree of accountability that is not found outside of membership.

King David said after his great sin with Bathsheba “Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned”. Only God can forgive sin and that is what being accountable means in regards to our sin. It is God’s Law I transgress when I sin and so the accountability belongs to Him and him alone. Only He can truly and really forgive my sin and He alone!

It has always been comforting to me (and still is) that those I am very close to know what sins I struggle with and have a propensity for. I have no obligation to report or explain my sin to every person in an assembly of believer’s however we are called to come alongside in our mutual state to encourage and to rebuke if necessary in love. There are those in my life who have been right there for over 20 years who continue to love me, inquire after me and we still fellowship in the bond of Christ. The Body of Christ isn’t just limited to the few that you fellowship with in church and the Lord continues to bless me by bringing members of His body into my life

We dig into the scriptures together and we remind each other of the promises of God and we empathize with each other in our mutual state but never have I felt accountable to them for my sin or held them accountable to me. Certainly we are all called to address true sin when it is evident but that doesn’t take church membership to accomplish, it takes the bond of Christ in love. We must be very cautious in our judgments and not play guessing game as to someone’s sin. We cannot call things sin that God does not call sin or that are not evident as sin, i.e. judging someone’s motives. We should be diligent to remember several things, among them: Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted”….because the Scripture tells us that “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Cor 10:13).

We certainly sin against one another and the Lord is merciful to give us a way to reconcile the sin between us and that is to forgive one another in the offenses but I am not accountable to you and you are not accountable to me for your actual sin, we are accountable to God alone.

Undoubtedly there is a fear that if someone is not in church membership that there is no way to discipline them. In my over 20 years in the church I have seen 2 discipline cases and although I don’t want to bring them up and hash them over I still have grave and great doubts about the last one as I don’t believe that excommunication was warranted.

I’ve often wondered why, if Matthew 18 is used as a guideline in discipline cases, the sin/sins are not brought before the whole body as the instruction is written. I’ve wondered if in the doing of that many such cases could be avoided. It seems as if only elders are considered to be ‘the church’ in the actual carrying out of Matthew 18 and I think that is a great failing to the body.

Personally I truly trust the Holy Spirit to convict me of sin as He has been doing since I first became a Christian. Should I fall into a grievous sin that I cannot see or that I refuse to repent of I trust the He will chasten me and will cause a beloved saint to address that in my life.

to be continued

Growing in Grace! (2)

2009-06-20T07:21:00.003-06:00

It’s been wondered how one has fellowship if it is not in the bond of ‘church membership’ and I understand the sentiment. It has also been wondered how someone deals with personal trials and how you partake of other’s trials as well if you do not hold membership in a church. There are certainly various types of fellowship; there is the fellowship of life long friends, fellowship with co workers, fellowship with family, fellowship with your particular ‘church family’, social fellowship and many more but true lasting and eternal fellowship is to be found only in the Gospel and in Jesus Christ and should be found with all those we consider saints. Christ Himself is the bond of our fellowship if we are believers, we are His Church!

Koinania/Fellowship

“God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” 1Cor 1:9

I have rich fellowship with many in the bond of the Gospel which is not in the foundation of church membership. It is a fellowship in truth, the truth that God’s Grace in Christ is Sovereign and free and man can do nothing to earn it; we add nothing to it. We continue to search the Scripture through the lens of the Gospel and trust the Lord to grow us in grace AND in the knowledge of Him. Jesus said that He was the way, the TRUTH and the life and as believer’s we should covet growth in truth. For me that takes personal study and God has graciously put in my life those who encourage me to be a good Berean.

It is a fellowship of the saints spoken of, for instance, in Romans 12 where we are kindly affectioned towards one another in love and rejoice together in hope. We are likeminded in our doctrine but we have the freedom to ask questions and to disagree without fear. The fellowship is continual and abundant as the Lord always provides for His saints.

I gather with a dear family usually every other Sunday morning and we listen to the Word of God preached by faithful men who preach the Sovereign Grace of God in Christ. We are always without a doubt pointed to Christ and we come away edified in the grace that is ours in Christ. We sing the songs that we love out of the Trinity Hymnal and we fellowship often with a meal. We freely discuss the Word that we have just heard preached and we rejoice in our fellowship in the Gospel. It is a delight to our souls to share the bond of Christ because we are partakers of the same grace and the same gifts that flow from that grace. We share the gift of faith that has been given to each of us and the knowledge that we are new creatures given new hearts by God’s creation, not our own.

This family is acquainted with a pastor in California who they have never actually met and yet he is coming this way to minister to them although they are not members of his church. I’m sure I will be blessed to be included in his visit and I look forward to it. To have men who care for your soul and your well being in Christ is an amazing testimony to the bond of fellowship that is in the Gospel of Christ, not the bond of church membership.

“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3

Trials and Tribulations

A part of every believer’s growth to maturity is the avenue of the trials and tribulations that He sends our way. We all face them and the Scripture gives us a good idea of their results in Romans 5. We are said to glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation works patience and patience experience and experience hope. We see the faithfulness of God in every trial and that experience works patience and hope to trust Him for what He brings each day. As all of us are faced with tribulation part of our fellowship is to encourage and to be encouraged and that takes place rather we are in church membership or not. I love 2 Cor 1:4 because it tells us why we can even begin to give comfort and encouragement to one another:

“Who comforteth us in all our tribulations, (speaking of our God) that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God”

We are certainly to bear one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2) and I do that now the same as I always have, through communication with the saints. You would probably be surprised at the vast number of believer’s who aren’t in a church who truly fulfill the call to bear one another’s burdens daily. We are to pray for one another, we are speak the truth in love and we are to be willing to give of ourselves as the Lord leads, be it simply keeping close in contact. Those actions are reciprocated to me by all the saints that are in my life, rather they are here face to face or scattered about. Of course we bear our own burdens as well (Gal 6:5) with the patience and hope that tribulation brings and as we lift up our eyes to the hills. Psalm 121 (paraphrased in a song):

I lift up mine eyes to the hills;
from where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord;
Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let they foot be moved;
He who keeps thee will not slumber;
Indeed He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

And He shall watch over thee’
He is thy shade at thy right hand’
The sun shall not smite thee by day,
Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall protect thee from all evil;
And He shall preserve thy soul;
And He shall watch over thy comings and goings,
From this time forth and forevermore.

Grace and Peace!

to be continued…..

7 Months and a Few Final Thoughts!

2009-06-18T11:50:00.002-06:00

It seemed natural as the 19th day of each month rolled around to put down some thoughts about the death of my husband and the ongoing effects. I didn’t have a plan, it just seemed to evolve and here it is tomorrow, seven months later. I know many memories will remain; not only the good but the painful as well and new ones will surface; some will fade with age and time. So I’ll share a few last thoughts today and I’ll keep the memories close in my heart.

I was thinking of all the events and how the Lord orchestrated them and how truly thankful I am when I recall those last few days. How I was at home for lunch when his stroke started and so I was here to call 911 and how relieved he was to be headed for the hospital instead of the nursing home. That was his greatest fear, knowing that if he couldn’t walk I wouldn’t be able to care for him at home. He never had to suffer that agony of heart and mind and I’m so thankful.

I’m thankful that we spent time in preparation for the event of death. So many think it is ghoulish to talk of those things and make plans ahead but death is eminent for us and to be prepared in some ways is such a blessing as we can’t truly be prepared for the reality of losing a loved one. I knew what he wanted and he trusted me fully with making the medical decisions because he had witnessed for 38 years the abilities the Lord had given me to care for him. He often praised me but I always turned the praise to the Lord, who alone is in control of all things. I thanked Him continually for equipping me for such a task.

I’m thankful I had time to soothe his brow once again in the hospital emergency room; I lost count of how many times I’ve done that. I’m thankful I could hold his hand and give him a bit of loving comfort while he lay there; he was always comforted by my presence. I’d always tell him, now just close your eyes and rest for a minute and he always did. I’m so thankful the Lord gave me the strength to take charge in tough situations like that because at heart I am truly a weakling. I’m thankful I saw him to his room and sat with him for awhile, told him I loved him and kissed him goodbye. I remember his smile from the doorway of his room as I left to go home because that was the last, so thank you Lord for that picture in my mind. I’m thankful that I knew he didn’t want ventilator life support because that is what came the next morning and although it was tough, I was confident in my answer. I’m so very thankful the nurse later told me the results of the MRI and that he would have never recovered from the brain stem stroke that he had even with a ventilator.

I’m especially thankful that I was there when he took his last breath which was God’s tending mercy to me because He knows me. Life has great joy in it and great sorrow and the Lord brings us measures of each throughout this journey. Oh but we can trust Him to use each and everything to work for our good and so I’ll leave off where I started; missing him and knowing that:

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven” Ecc 3:1

Thank you Lord!

Grace and Peace!

Growing in Grace!

2009-06-14T18:46:00.005-06:00

It’s been wondered how those who aren’t members of a ‘church’ can be fed, how they can grow and mature in the faith, how do they know what to believe doctrinally and how do they have fellowship without the bond of church membership? So many things are assumed and yet no one has inquired as to the answers to these questions which is perfectly understandable. I’m sure that there is fear of heresy, fear of getting too close in case I rub off and all the usual fears that we have about something that is different from what we practice. I think that perhaps the word practice is a very key word in all these thoughts and questions and should be considered within Christendom.

Teachers/Pastors

Christ gave gifts to men (Eph 4:8) and certain of those gifts are given to the Body of Christ in men gifted to be teachers and pastors. (Eph 4:11) They are to be equipping the saints for the work of the ministry and for edification until we all come to the unity of the faith.

I think it has been assumed that because I am not a member of the ‘church’ at this time in my life that I have thrown away what Christ has given and that is very far from the truth. I have three gifted/godly teachers in my life that I currently study with and whose knowledge I glean truth from; one is a pastor who has a small assembly in Colorado, I receive his taped ministry and we correspond and talk on the phone occasionally. I ask him whatever comes to mind and he answers and we may disagree on some things but we have the freedom to do that. Each one of them ministers their gifts to the Body of Christ, of which I am a member. We, the Body of Christ are greatly blessed and we benefit by those gifts.

The difference in my practice, in part at least, from yours is that some of those I fellowship with are scattered geographically, while others are here. The ones that are scattered obviously cannot gather in a building or a home together to be edified in truth and face to face fellowship. Nevertheless we are edified in various other ways utilizing the internet especially. We gather on Sunday nights for voice conference and we bring our concerns to prayer and we are taught the great Truths of the Scripture. Last week, as an example, Brother Bob brought to us the 2nd half of “Gospel Principals of Imputation” and we all rejoiced in hearing the depth of the riches of Christ and that Christ and all that He is and has done is what is imputed to us. The Scripture doesn’t say that He provided but that He IS our justification/righteousness, He is our wisdom and our sanctification so that is why we can say “Let Him who boasts, boast in the Lord. (1 Cor 1:31) Christ is all.

We are each to study to show ourselves approved (2 Ti 2:15) and we do that with the help of gifted men who have these gifts and I’m thankful for them, very thankful. These gifts are priceless to a believer who yearns and longs to grow up to a perfect (mature) believer and we each grow in our proportion of the gifts that Christ has given to each of us. (Eph 4:13) I listen to others as well; I’ve listened to the series on the Gospel given by the pastor of the church I left and was blessed as I always am when I hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, regardless of who preaches it.

The greatest gift that we have is the Holy Spirit who teaches us what He wants us to know, men cannot do that. They can impart words and knowledge and the words can be truth but only the Spirit can and does effectively teach us those truths and instills those new Gospel principals in our hearts. That is how we all grow and mature and are fed.

To be continued with Koinania/Fellowship….

There Am I in the midst!

2009-06-12T07:20:00.002-06:00

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”

It’s a glorious blessing to gather with fellow believers and to know that as you are gathered in His Name, there He is. Personally I, as with countless others, believe the simplicity of what Christ is saying here. When two or three of His body are gathered together, be it for the Lord’s Supper, for study, for worship, for listening to the Word spoken or even for fellowship He is there. We call upon His name as we pray and it is as John Gill says:

Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together,.... This seems to be said in opposition to a Jewish notion, that a number less than ten, is not a congregation (a); whereas, though the number is ever so few that are met together to pray to God; or to hear his word, attend on his ordinances, or do the business of his house, or transact any affair that is for the glory of God, and the good of souls, in my name, says Christ; that is, by his authority, depending on his assistance, calling upon his name, and making use of it, and seeking the glory of it:

there am I in the midst of them; presiding over them, ruling in their hearts, directing their counsels, assisting them in all they are concerned, confirming what they do, and giving a blessing and success to all they are engaged in. The Jews, though they say there is no congregation less than ten, yet own that the divine presence may be with a lesser number, even as small an one as here mentioned (b).

"Ten that sit and study in the law, the Shechaniah dwells among them, as it is said, Psa_82:1. From whence does this appear, if but five? from Amo_9:6, from whence, if but three? from Psa_82:1, from whence, if but two? from Mal_3:16, from whence, if but one? from Exo_20:24.''

And again (c),

"two that sit together, and the words of the law are between them, the Shechaniah dwells among them, according to Mal_3:16, from whence does it appear, that if but one sits and studies in the law, the holy blessed God hath fixed a reward for him? from Lam_3:28.''

Thank you Lord that you take heed of your sheep in each and every situation and that you consider their doings as unto Thee, and thank you that you hear even one who calls upon you from a renewed heart and mind.

Grace and Peace!

The Communion of Saints!

2009-06-07T20:53:00.005-06:00

It’s been stated and wondered; how do believers partake of the Lord’s Supper, among other things, if they are not a member of an institutional church? Do they check ahead every week (since it is assumed they are grazing at different churches)to see if there is open communion? What do they now believe about baptism and do they renounce it because they are not a member of a ‘church’? How do they have fellowship if they aren’t a member of an institutional church? How do they mature and how are they fed and how do they know what doctrines they are to believe? Do they share in one another's trials and pray for them and how can there be discipline in their lives if they aren’t a member of a ‘church’ and have they left the ‘church’ because of anger at God or sin not recognized and repented of? These are interesting and legitimate questions so I’m going to do a series and address those very questions, from my own perspective. I’m sure the questions were stated with preconceived answers but questions are an important part of every avenue of our lives, especially our growth in grace and in knowledge of the Lord Jesus so that we may know what we believe.

The Lord’s Supper

The Apostle Paul gives us in his epistle to the Corinthians what he had received from the Lord Jesus, a clear command! Paul was not one of the disciples at the Last Supper but he received revelation from the Lord. He was taught by the Lord Himself so these are words of instruction from Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Young’s Literal Translation

“For I-I received from the Lord that which also I did deliver to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was delivered up, took bread, (24) and having given thanks, He broke, and said, “Take you, eat you, this is my body, that is being broken for you; this do you-to the remembrance of me. (25) In like manner also the cup after the supping, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; this do you, as often as you may drink-to the remembrance of me (26) for as often as you may eat this bread, and may drink this cup, you do show forth the death of the Lord-till He may come.

The Lord’s Supper is exactly what is spoken of above; it is a remembrance of the Lord’s death shown forth in our regenerated minds, our new heart. His body was broken and His blood was spilled and we remember that great sacrifice for us, His elect, when we eat the bread and drink the wine. The giving of the wine by Christ is the only material/covenantal sign mentioned in connection with the New Covenant and it is called the cup of blessing.

There are many who believe that the Lord’s Supper is a Sacrament teaching that there is a sacramental communication of grace, an inward conveying of sanctifying grace, when they partake of the elements of bread and wine. Others believe that there is a communication of grace and faith to the experience of the one participating. There is nothing within Scripture that speaks to us in either way. The grace that we have was given to us in eternal election in Christ and is received by faith alone, not with any efficacy in the elements of bread and wine. (2 Ti 1:9 Eph 2:8) The Lord’s Supper was not given to us as a means to ‘get’ something; it was given as a memorial celebration of the Lord Jesus and His death till He come and we come, not to get but to rejoice in what we have already been given.

How do Gospel believers in fellowship who are not members of an institutional church celebrate the Lord’s Supper?

The Scripture is clear that when we come together to fellowship we are to remember the Lord’s death till He come. “Do this in remembrance of me”. We do that out of church membership when, as members of the Body of Christ, we come together as fellow believer’s in the Gospel in our homes. We gather around the table and we commune in prayer and in the Word of God as we partake of the bread and the wine together. The elements are not administered to us, we are not served. Christ alone is our High Priest and each of us are priests in the New Covenant. We read Scriptures that give us a clear picture of Christ and His sacrifice for His body and we give praise to the Lord for His bounty, for His life and His death and we celebrate with joy unspeakable the glories that are ours in the Gospel of Christ Jesus.

We participate together as the Body of Christ and it is a time of close communion with one another in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace and Peace!

Remembering....................

2009-05-25T14:11:00.004-06:00

God shed His grace on thee…….America the Beautiful!

When I was growing up we called this day Decoration Day, a day that was set aside to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers who died in defense of their country and we took the day seriously. From the Memorial Day Order:

“The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form or ceremony is prescribed, but Posts and comrades will, in their own way, arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit”.

A quote:
“I have never been able to think of the day as one of mourning; I have never quite been able to feel that half-masted flags were appropriate on Decoration Day. I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it. We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did.” ~Benjamin Harrison

I’ve always loved to watch movies about the wars that Americans have fought in, not because I like death and blood and guts but because the really good movies are based on truth. It is the truth of the bravery of men and women who actually fought and died for their country; I can’t begin to even imagine that bravery can you? I’m so thankful to God for causing men and women to rise up with passion and courage to fight to retain the land of the free and the brave.

That’s a picture of my house where we fly the flag on commerative days like today. What a blessing it is to live in America even today when everything around us is changing. We aren’t sure anymore if we will remain a democratic nation, the land of the free, but we can still trust that God is the one in control. God shed His favor on America from the nation’s inception when it was founded by men and women in search of freedom and liberty for their very souls, the liberty to worship Him as their conscience led them. Let us pray together that God will continue to shed His favor upon America the Beautiful!

It has also become a day to decorate the graves of family who have departed and so it was this year for me; a first time to decorate the grave of my husband on this Memorial Day. My husband told me once that he wanted his flowers while he was alive and could enjoy them and since it was summertime I was able to go out and pick a bouquet of flowers for him that very day. So perhaps the flowers I took today were just for me as a remembrance, a remembrance of that bouquet of flowers he enjoyed while he was here.

Grace and Peace!

6 Months and The Porch Swing!

2009-05-19T18:28:00.003-06:00

It has been six months today since my husband died. It was winter then with no leaves on the trees or grass or flowers and now summer is almost here. It still seems just like yesterday but time rushes on and we can’t recapture those bygone moments even though we would like to. I would love to have that last day again with the knowledge that it would be the last day but of course I know that is just wishful thinking on my part. It is a natural part of the lingering grief, wishing for one last kiss or one last look or one last word of endearment but I remember vividly the last smile and I hold that close in my heart.

Memories still flood my mind when I least expect them. Last week I had to go to a compliance seminar in Golden and so I had to drive up to Denver via the same route that we traveled for years when he was going through his brain surgeries. It never dawned on me that traveling that road again would bring those bitter sweet memories; memories of every stop for coffee, memories of the conversations of what was waiting him, memories of the physical trials and hardships but especially memories of holding his hand coming and going.

He had big, huge hands and from the first years to the last years we always held hands. There is special warmth in a loved ones hand, the intertwined fingers, the rough spots you know by heart and I always knew I could have picked out his hands with a blindfold on because of the familiarity of them. Hands are more than just an appendage; they are an avenue of many things. Perhaps it is a sweet and tender caress, a sign of affection or maybe it is a wave from the door as you are leaving for work. It could be a helping hand with the dishes or making a bed but whatever it is we are connected in a special way when we hold hands.

Which brings me to the porch swing. It’s ready now; I cleaned up the porch this last weekend. He would sit out there during the day sometimes to watch the world go by but we sat out there together in the cool of the evenings swinging back and forth, back and forth, sometimes talking, sometimes just listening to the sounds and always holding hands. If we were having a hardship or even a fuss we would sit out there and hold hands as a means of communicating love and closeness amidst the circumstances. I will miss that this year but I’ll go out to swing still in the cool of the evening and the memories will come and go seemingly at their leisure.

The trip up to Denver and back gave me pause in the very midst of those memories to thank the Lord for His faithfulness in seeing us through each and every trip and bringing him home so many times when we didn’t think he would come home. We had many more years than we ever thought we would and many more years to hold hands, thank you Lord!

Grace and Peace!

Sure Results (2)

2009-05-17T09:30:00.001-06:00

It seems that so many false doctrines come about because man is determined about several things. He is determined to have a part of his salvation and he is especially determined to have a god of his own making. The Scripture speaks of that determination when it tells us that men worship the creature instead of the Creator. This god of his own making is a god that fulfills all of his desires, is a god that is only in control of ‘good’ and not evil, a god that sits in the heavens and wrings his hands hoping that ‘his will’ will come to pass. This god is altogether like himself. This god is frustrated because his love, his power, and his wisdom are meaningless attributes because they cannot accomplish what he wants. If you really think about universal atonement in depth, this god has no power to save a single soul because he is impotent to do so as the power actually lies within man.

It’s a disturbing thought to many, a truth that goes against everything they have ever been taught or believed and yet I wonder if they realize that there is no Scripture in the Word of God that teaches, explains illustrates or typifies that the atonement made by Christ Jesus is universal.

Christ effectually purchased a people with His blood and they are called many things in Scripture. They are called the ‘Church’, (this is not the visible organized church), and they are called the elect, the beloved, His seed, the bride, the wheat, the righteous and the sheep to name a few. These elect people were given to Christ by the Father and their names were written in the Lamb’s book of life before the world began.

The revealing words of Jesus Himself tell us the truth of the matter. He was not confused about whom He came to die for as a Substitute/Surety and for whom He accomplished redemption. A surety is a person ‘who makes themselves responsible for another, who makes himself liable for another’s debts’ and Christ is the Surety of His people as He is the Surety of the New Covenant (Heb 7:22). The redemption of His sheep was His purpose in coming, the purpose that the Father sent Him for.

Jesus was speaking unto the Jews in Chapter 10 of John explaining in a parable that He, the Christ is the true shepherd of the sheep and that they, the Scribes and Pharisees were the thieves and the robbers and not shepherds of the flock.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” John 10:11

“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep” John 10:14-15

These are the words of Jesus to the Jews in the temple when they asked Him, are you the Christ, tell us plainly:

“I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him” John 10:25-31

The Jews were so offended by the words of Christ that they wanted to stone Him. He made himself to be the eternal God with His words that He and the Father were one and they accused Him of blasphemy and of being mad and having a devil. But they had not ears to hear; they couldn’t hear and never would hear because they were not sheep. Sheep are the only ones who hear Christ and His Gospel because they belong to Him and will not follow another.

Not a single sheep shall perish in the way, not a single one. Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd of the sheep satisfied divine justice for His people when He died as our Substitute and the SURE RESULTS of His redeeming work is eternal salvation.

Isaiah 53:10-11 “Yet is pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

Christ did not fail!

Grace and Peace!

Sure Results!

2009-05-03T17:45:00.003-06:00

As I journey around the blogging sphere and the internet in general I’m continually amazed at the vast majority of those who claim the name of Christ and yet who confess the doctrine of universal atonement. This doctrine simply put states the Jesus Christ died for all men without exception, that He made salvation possible for all men and that man makes the blood of Christ effectual for himself by his meritorious act of faith. So in other words, Christ died the bloody death of the cross but by His death He didn’t really secure the salvation of anyone, He only made it possible. You see of course why I’m continually amazed?

If we break down the word ‘atonement’ we find that it means ‘at one with God’ through the sin atoning blood of Jesus Christ. The whole of Scripture certainly teaches us that those whose sins Christ atoned for have been fully reconciled to God and that God Himself has instigated and accomplished this reconciliation in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:18 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation.

Romans 5:10 “For if, when we were enemies, (in our minds) we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

Colossians 1:20-22 “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him, I say whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight”

The consistent Universalist, if reading the above verses would have to conclude that the blood of Christ reconciled all men to God and yet that reconciliation is meaningless without the efforts of man. Those efforts generally are represented by ideas such as ‘choose Christ’, ‘accept Christ’, ‘exercise faith’ and so on and yet is that what the Scripture teaches? If all are reconciled then there would also have to be universal faith and universal salvation. If this is true then all of those reconciled would be presented unblameable and unreproveable in his sight and we know from Scripture that this isn’t true.

The doctrine of universal atonement holds a very dim view of God, His character and His power. It makes God out to be totally impotent to accomplish His will and reduces His power to be dependent upon man’s power. Universal atonement actually has to claim that there is no power or merit or efficacy in the blood of Christ without the cooperation of man, therefore trampling underfoot that precious blood.

The love of God, His grace and His mercy are not mutable (subject to change); they are glorious attributes that accomplish exactly what He has purposed from all eternity.

to be continued..

5 Months a Birthday and Tulips!

2009-04-16T08:10:00.002-06:00

It has been five months since my husband died and this month has had many reminders of him. It was his birthday on the 14th of the month and it was a very bitter sweet day because I wanted to wish him another happy birthday and fix him a gooey chocolate cake. Last year one day after his birthday we had to evacuate the town because of the fire. He was my main concern that day because I didn’t have any oxygen for him and along with me he was kind of scared. We were cared for by dear friends who even boarded out their own dogs so that they wouldn’t disturb my dog and they took such good care of my Chugi because they knew his limitations! There was Easter Sunday too and I always loved to cook for him on any holiday that I could. My family was here this year and we again missed having the men with their wondering….’how soon is dinner going to be ready’ and missed sitting down with them at the table and enjoying the bounty the Lord provided!

Certainly the pain of loss has lessened in intensity on a daily basis and the longing too yet they remain and they surface often in my mind. That is one reason I’ve been writing about this journey so as to remember, to look back and to understand how the Lord has worked and what He has taught. Little things still simply come and go in my thoughts, for instance the thought that it was always Chug and Eileen and now it’s just Eileen. That makes for somewhat of an identity crisis because the first part of that equation is missing and so realizing how far reaching a death is stuns me sometimes in even just the little things. It’s like……….’Oh I never thought of that” and so it is added to my grieving experience.

I have realized once again how our mind (called our heart interchangeable in scripture) is where all things begin and I’m really being taught through this grief process that we truly are at peace when our mind is stayed on Christ, hence my perfect peace post. If I dwell continually in my mind on the loss and let the longing over power me I could easily spend my days totally depressed and in a funk, I am after all very human. But………..the Lord has been truly merciful in giving the understanding and application of that one verse in Scripture amongst so many and so He moves my thoughts to Him and His Faithfulness and I’m so thankful that He does.

The tulips are blooming again but more abundantly this year. Last year after the fire we had one tulip blooming; this year we have quite a few. I’ve been reminded of the frailty of life even in the flowers and I think of 1 Peter 1:24-25:

“For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Life is frail and perishing, just as the flower which fades and falls away. We look upon one another and we see the outward temporal things that are fading away, the glory of man. Perhaps it is the vigor of youth or the years that the body is strong and hardworking, the prime years or the childbearing years and the raising of families. These glories of man are all fading and wither away to finally be cut down by death. BUT… (see there is that wonderful word but which generally points us to that which we cling to in the Lord), as believers we have the Gospel which endures forever. We haven’t been redeemed by any perishable things, by silver or gold or by corruptible man. We have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ and through His blood we have obtained an inheritance that will never fade away like the flower. 1 Peter 1:4

Keeping my mind stayed on Christ,
Grace and Peace!

A New Day a New Song!

2009-04-12T16:01:00.001-06:00

We sing a new song every day in our hearts through regeneration, the believer's first resurrection from the dead. Today I learned a new song in the Trinity Hymnal about Christ's Resurrection, a song written by Martin Luther. The tune is wonderful and I can just imagine it played on an organ. The words are words of Truth that reminded me again that Christ is my Resurrection, in Him alone our souls will feed.

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" John 11:25

"Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it" Acts 2:24

Trinity Hymnal #207

Christ Jesus lay in death's strong bands,
For our offenses given;
But now at God's right hand he stands
And brings us life from heaven;
Therefore let us joyful be
And sing to God right thankfully
Loud songs of hallelujah. Hallelujah!

It was a strange and dreadful strife
When life and death contended;
The victory remained with life,
The reign of death was ended;
Holy Scripture plainly saith
That death is swallowed up by death,
His sting is lost for ever. Hallelujah!

Here the true Paschal Lamb we see,
Whom God so freely gave us;
He died on the accursed tree—
So strong his love!—to save us.
See, his blood doth mark our door;
Faith points to it, death passes o'er,
And Satan cannot harm us. Hallelujah!

So let us keep the festival
Whereto the Lord invites us;
Christ is himself the Joy of all,
The Sun that warms and lights us.
By his grace he doth impart
Eternal sunshine to the heart;
The night of sin is ended. Hallelujah!

Then let us feast this joyful day
On Christ, the Bread of heaven;
The Word of grace hath purged away
The old and evil leaven.
Christ alone our souls will feed,
He is our meat and drink indeed;
Faith lives upon no other. Hallelujah!

Amen!

Perfect Peace and Whose Character! (2)

2009-04-06T19:31:00.003-06:00

It’s an interesting concept that many Christians believe it is their level of character that will win out at the end, which brings us to the ‘whose character’ in the title of the blog. I was actually pointed in that direction not long ago when the statement was made that “my character will prove out rather I’m a tare or not”. I’m thinking that statement was made because I do not have membership in the visible church and maybe because Christian faith and the Christian ‘church’ were synonymous in his mind. Perhaps because of that the thought was that I would renounce my faith in Christ or maybe what was meant was that I would return to the world’s ways, etc. and perhaps that would prove that I was a tare. I guess quite honestly I’m not sure what was meant! But I thought about it.

Often we are pointed to look within ourselves and to judge our salvation by that means but I find that an unacceptable and unbiblical approach to my salvation. We are encouraged to examine ourselves whether we be in the faith but that isn’t an encouragement to examine our ‘righteous acts’ for we have none of our own. It is an encouragement to examine our faith and trust in Christ and His Gospel. Do we love it above all else, do we abide in Him and His simplicity, have we the power of the Gospel unto salvation in our soul or have we added so many ‘pluses’ to it that it is no longer recognizable? Has it become about what we do instead of what He has done?

I know I know many will shake their head and be of the mind that this is an antinomian statement and I don’t mind their head shaking. I rejoice in the transformation of life that Christ works in all of His elect, I greatly rejoice in the transformation in my own life. It is real; it is a joy to contemplate because we know our own natures. We know that our nature never improves but that we grow in the new. We grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ as He works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. If we are pointed to look for salvation in any way within us and begin to do that we will surely become self-righteous as the Pharisee and operate in the flesh instead of walking by faith and trusting Christ Jesus. I’ve always wondered what those who look within do when they have stumbled, perhaps they have been uncharitable to a brother or a sister (which often involves a judgment of motive) or perhaps they have whispered untruth behind someone’s back. If good doings add to their character then do they subtract from their character when they stumble? I wonder when they know they have reached the exact character level that determines their being one who isn’t a tare. Hmmm, interesting concept isn’t it? I read a little sentence the other day that was so apt to this topic by Sinclair Ferguson which said: "The greatest temptation and mistake is to try and smuggle character into God's work of grace"

I’m so thankful that my standing in Christ doesn’t in any way depend upon me. I’m so thankful that I know the only One whose character is spotless, perfect and without blemish and it is that character, His Righteousness that I wear as a robe, a white robe as a bride. It is that character that defines me as an elect child of God because it has been imputed to me and because of that Grace in Christ I have been accepted in the Beloved.

Christ Alone and Always!

Smart Man that Thomas Jefferson!

2009-04-03T06:13:00.001-07:00

When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.
Thomas Jefferson

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.
Thomas Jefferson

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
Thomas Jefferson

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.
Thomas Jefferson

No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.
Thomas Jefferson

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thomas Jefferson

In light of the present financial crisis, it's interesting to read what Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:

Banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.

http://www.jeffersontoday.org/quotes/

Perfect Peace and Whose Character!

2009-03-29T20:31:00.002-07:00

It depends, of course, on what peace we are talking about doesn’t it? There are many kinds of peace that come to mind. Peace vs. war, peace outward, peace inward, peace with fellow men, fellow saints, our families and our neighbors. Of course the most important peace we can have is peace with God and that peace only comes if God has peace with us through the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot conjure it up ourselves; it comes to us in the new man and the realization that Christ is our peace. He has established our peace through the full satisfaction of the law by His life of obedience and His obedience unto death, even the death of the cross. God therefore is just to have peace with us for Christ has accomplished our reconciliation to God. Oh what a blessed peace it is to our soul when we know that God has peace with us.

Several things come to my mind. Do you remember growing up and hearing at Christmas time that because Christ had come there was now “Peace on earth Goodwill towards men”? I wasn’t exposed to Scriptural interpretation when I was growing up and so the peace I always thought it meant was peace on earth from wars between men. The words are often used at peace rallies so I think many today still think the same way when they hear these words. I would always say to myself ‘but there isn’t peace so how can that be true.’ We can know that isn’t what the Scripture teaches because Jesus says in Luke 12:51 “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you Nay, but rather division”. Jesus didn’t come to establish outward peace among men; instead he came to establish the Gospel and the Gospel is the greatest division there is among men. The Gospel is God’s goodwill towards His elect; Christ is the peace; the Prince of Peace!

So how can we, those whom God has peace with, have perfect peace in this vale of tears? How can we have the peace that passes all understanding, how can we have abiding peace in our souls continually? First we must recognize that although we may not always have a ‘feeling’ of peace the foundation itself never changes, because that foundation is Christ and He never changes so true peace is always ours. To understand that God is immutable and how that is applicable to us is perhaps one of the most understated truths in Christendom. God has given us all spiritual blessings (gifts) in Christ and the Scripture tells us that His gifts are without repentance. Romans 11:29 “For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable”. In other words, God will never revoke our election, our calling, His love, His grace and mercy nor the gifts that flow from that grace. He will never revoke the gift of faith or our place in the Body of Christ.

Isaiah 26:3
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee”

The word perfect as used in this scripture is not in the Hebrew text instead it is, ‘peace, peace’, which I really think is better. Think of it, nothing in this life is perfect in the sense in which we usually think of perfect but Christ alone and His work, although if we could keep our mind continually stayed on Christ we would have perfect peace. The double use of the word peace gives a greater sense and rich meaning to me of what we do have when our mind is stayed on Christ. It is a spiritual cure for the spiritual man while we sojourn here.

Keeping our minds stayed on Christ is having our minds fixed on who He is and what He has accomplished for His elect. It is a mind that is grounded in His love and His promises and a mind that knows that He is always faithful to keep His promises; not a single promise will go unfulfilled. It is the promise that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ along with the promise that we are kept by the power of God unto salvation. We don’t keep ourselves by anything that we do, we don’t have that power but we know that He does. My mind needs to be stayed on Him, upon His righteousness for I have no righteousness of my own and that is where whose character comes into the picture. to be continued………

Grace and Peace!

4 Months and Spring!

2009-03-18T18:45:00.004-07:00

The robins are here, the doves are cooing and it will be four months tomorrow since my husband died. Here it is spring already. I have always heard that going through each event for the first time after a death is difficult, I can attest to that as a truth. I think partly because each new event brings back a memory or many memories; in this case even a returning season.

This time of the year he would remind me that it was time to have our lawn mower serviced; you know, an oil change, sharpen the blades, etc. He would ask me the remainder of the mowing season…..did you check the oil honey and here I’ve already started the mower once and totally spaced checking the oil! He knew how I would forget that. He was also the one to water (which in our case only involves turning on the underground sprinkler system), but he was home to do that and could chose a time when the wind wasn’t blowing. Well, you know how often that has been this spring….rarely! So it is that I have these new things to think on and to do and I just hope I remember them all.

I’m learning to live a different daily life with lots of changes and I’m the worlds worst with change, so establishing a new routine comes hard. Sometimes I hit a rough spot in the journey, this week I have been blue, really blue. It has been a keen awareness of the 38 years along with the penetrating sorrow that remains and a great longing this week to hold his hand, we did that a lot.

I’ve had to learn that because I get up every morning, because I look the same as I always have, (maybe a few more gray hairs and some emotional eating pounds), because I still smile and I still laugh and because I continue to go about my day most people think I’m through with the grief. I guess that is normal when we base so much on what we can see with our own eyes. There are the few who are close who know differently of course, I’m very thankful for them and their understanding and their prayers.

One of those friends who is close is coming over to my house for bible study on Friday night and that is a nice change for me. We will share the riches of the Gospel together and I’m looking forward to the good fellowship in Christ who has blessed us both with all spiritual blessings in Him. Thank you Lord that you always give blessing amongst the grief and difficulties of this fleeting life. They are always there; often we only need to look with a single eye and it will be clear!

Keeping my eye upon Him for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Everything around us might change, even in a moment, but what a truth for us to know that He will never change.

Grace and Peace!

The Idol Factory!

2009-02-28T19:20:00.004-07:00

I know whereof I speak; I know that John Calvin was correct when he said the heart is an idol factory. I used to say the word ‘idolatry’ but not understand the source, I knew I was an idolater and yet I didn’t know to what extent and how that was ingrained into my heart/mind. I grieved over that for years, I asked those I was close to if they though I would be an idolater all of my life and of course they couldn’t answer that. There were some who judged, there were others who came alongside and loved me anyway.

Then there came the day that the Lord gave me the very thing I didn’t know that I was even seeking and that was a look into my own heart at the sin of idolatry. I will never, never forget that day and you can call it an experience if you want to and you can even do that in a derogatory manner, makes no difference to me. I sobbed great tears for a very long time, tears of sorrow, tears of repentance, tears of knowledge and tears of joy! Oh how I thanked Him and I still to this day remember that I will always be a ‘continuing repentant idolater’.

It can actually be a daily endeavor sometimes to recognize the temptation of idolatry. It takes wisdom and discernment that can only come from God, a discernment that it isn’t the situation that I’m in that causes the idolatry, it isn’t the people that are in my life, it is literally in my own heart. The wisdom is certainly not in my flesh, my flesh loves idolatry! My flesh loves to put my identity and my trust in any thing other than the God who created me. The flesh loves what it can see and touch, be it a husband, a mother, a job, a place, a church, children, family, friends and certainly has to include the biggest idol of all for each of us; ourselves. The idol list is endless that is why Calvin likened it to a factory don’t you imagine?

I’ve blogged about this before so you might wonder why now, why again? It is because I have been reminded of this recently by the remarks of several, not only about me but about others as well and those remarks have included the pastor that I loved very much, a pastor who was kind and tenderhearted, a pastor who knew me because he wanted to know me as one of the flock. I idolized many things in those days including him. He was the first godly Christian man that I ever knew and he left a lasting impression. I would bemoan my idolatry and he would tell me that all men have a measure of idolatry in their heart. He would tell me to read the Word pointing me to Christ and His Work but I didn’t have the same ears to hear the Gospel then that I do now. I know that He would be extremely disappointed in me today because I’ve left the membership of the church but often we are called to do things that disappoint others in order to stand by our own convictions.

I bring him up because it was pointed out recently that he had written a little booklet called “To Walk in the Light" and the last chapter in the booklet is on reconciliation. That is one of the lasting things that I remember from his ministry and that is how to reconcile. It is one of the greatest joys in our life to truly reconcile with a brother or a sister in Christ; to forgive as we have been forgiven and to mutually submit to one another in that process. It is never a one sided endeavor, it requires humility on both sides.

If you knew him at all you can along with me know that he would have sought reconciliation in this ‘church’ situation and in order to do that he wouldn’t be on facebook encouraging the saints to paint an ugly picture of another saint, he wouldn’t be blogging character assassinations and he would have publicly rebuked anyone who said they were a follower of him. He didn’t encourage hatefulness or backbiting, either with his words or with his silence, in fact in his little booklet he said this about a Christian:

“Neither should a Christian harbor in his heart hatred, a sour attitude, or a desire to ‘get even. Neither should he deem it necessary to defend himself from real or imaginary slights, engage in sarcastic ‘put downs’ and tale bearing, or scheme to take advantage of others” (I think this could also include others defending or doing the put downs for us)

It certainly isn’t idolizing the former days to recognize that God truly used a man to put before His people, not only truth but godly principles as well; after all He does use sinful men to do that throughout our journey. The Lord, of course, is the only One to teach us. To lead people to that conclusion is somehow demeaning to God’s purpose for the man’s life and we should remember that there is a great difference between idolatry and thankfulness. We should always be thankful for those the Lord brings into our lives as we sojourn here.

Grace and Peace!

The A-Words Continued!

2009-02-21T11:21:00.002-07:00

I believe that whenever we hear accusations against others it should be understood that accusations alone are not always truth regardless of who states them. They certainly can be a result of truth but they can also be a result of our sinful desires. A desire for instance to protect ourselves or even the desire to protect those that we love, accusations cannot do that only truth can. Seems like such a noble desire to us, doesn’t it? Accusations can also be a means to justify our own actions or to take the focus off of ourselves and suddenly then the accusations become the truth and we are no longer even willing to examine ourselves.

Assumptions are the same way. Why are assumptions stated about people as if they are the truth? Have you noticed too that the assumptions are most generally negative and can be such a gross misrepresentation of a person? Now that should be our first clue shouldn’t it? I guess it simply must make us feel better about ourselves, but how does that fulfill Philippians 1:3:“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” How does if fulfill Romans 12 (a good time to read this chapter).

We think we can peer into another’s heart/mind but we are cautioned against doing that. We are to peer only into our own and even that look itself is filled with deceit (Jeremiah 17:9) so how in the world do we think we can know the heart of a man and why would we want to?

1 Corinthians 2:11 tells us that “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” John Gill says the following about this verse:

1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man,.... The thoughts of a man's heart, the conceptions of his mind, the schemes he is drawing there, his designs, purposes, and intentions; these can never be known by another man, no, nor by angels or devils; not by any creature; by none

save the spirit of a man which is in him? which is only conscious to, and can only make known the things that are in him:

even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God; and which, as it proves how secret, hidden, unknown, the mysteries of grace are, until revealed by the Spirit; so it gives full evidence to the deity of the Holy Ghost, and clearly shows he must be God, who is in him, knows the thoughts of his heart, the counsels of his mind, his purposes and decrees, and what is contained in them.

Only the Lord can see into a man’s heart and so I think we tread where we shouldn’t when we go about assuming the motives behind what people do. As believers we have the mind of Christ; we are a spiritual man and we are to have spiritual thoughts in common, thoughts of Christ and His Gospel. John Gill says this about our thinking on man’s judgments (accusations and assumptions) against us:

“it is a small thing with him to be judged of man's judgment; he cares not what judgment the natural man passes upon him; nor does his faith in things spiritual, stand upon the authority and judgment of men; nor will he submit to it; nor can he be reproved, convinced, and refuted by such a person: for though a thousand sophistic arguments may be used with him which he cannot answer, he has a witness within himself to the truths of the Gospel”

I don’t have a mind to address the assumptions that have been made about me because the comfort of Christ and His Gospel transcends any doings of man. With that thought hopefully once again I can be pressing on to places and grounds where I will find grace and mercy. That is what Christ has given in abundance!

Grace and Peace!

3 Months and A-Words!

2009-02-18T19:21:00.004-07:00

It’s been three months since my husband died and I can’t decide if they have gone by quickly or has it seemed like years. Maybe I can’t decide because I’m taking one day at a time and if that is true, well thank you Lord!

Saturdays are my hardest day of the week. Two weeks ago was the first Saturday I spent without tears. But I also spent a Saturday visiting with a dear friend who is a widow and that understanding with one who walks in the same shoes helped a lot. I think Saturday is the day because the work week was over and we had time to sit together at the table, especially in the mornings. It was the day we had our most fusses and we laughed about that often. I usually tried to fix a really good lunch; you know the kind I used to fix every day. He especially loved it if the meal had gravy, he considered that the best part! So it is the little things that linger in the mind and they come and go at their own bidding, or so it seems. But of course we know that the bidding of all things is in the Hand of God who directs the thoughts and steps of man!

This brings me to the A-words! It has been a long year and a half and yet the ‘churchy’ issues rage on! I have to conclude that the Lord isn’t finished yet although as participants we desire that it all be put to rest, but that would be our timing and not His. The A-words that have popped into my mind during contemplation of the continuing saga in just the last few weeks all start with the letter A and I found that kind of amusing. Words have meaning and these words have in depth meaning for me, words such as ‘accusations’,'attacks' ‘assumptions’, ‘approval’, and ‘accountability’ . Much of the ongoing turmoil is a result of the application of the words above, that is what I believe.

I was thinking that I could press on and of course in the ways that really count I have. But in other ways I’m drawn back into the thick of it. I received a letter just recently from a long time friend that is still in the church. Although I can't see into her heart I believe that her intention was good and because of that I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. I believe that she loves me and that she thinks she has my best interest at heart but if we put all of that aside there is one thing she doesn’t have and that is the truth, she has the opinions of others of what the truth is.

Her letter to me, which was supposed to contain the Word of God which alone is a two edged sword and always accomplishes what the Lord intends, instead contained opinions that resulted in assumptions and accusations of the dissenters and now her blogging contains references to my leaving the church and WHY I did that. However, there is a small matter she is overlooking; the fact that she has never once spoken to me about my decision to leave the church and neither has she spoken to the others who have been labeled dissenters about their own decisions and trials. So her opinions are based on the opinions of others and their opinions are based on the opinions of others and…well, you see the road we are going down.

To be continued……

O Taste and See!

2009-01-24T21:53:00.003-07:00

“O taste and see that the LORD is good, blessed is the man who trusteth in him” Psalm 34:8

David, the psalmist penned these words by the Holy Spirit and we know through the Scripture how he tasted the goodness of the Lord and how he trusted Him. Tasting His goodness is not a single taste when we are converted but an ongoing feeding upon Christ as the life giving Vine, as the Bread of Life and the frequent and continual revelations to us of His goodness.

To taste His goodness is to taste the reality of sins forgiven, sins remembered no more and to understand that blessed is the man whose sins are not imputed to Him because they have been imputed to Christ. It is the taste of His goodness in grace and in mercy and in the finished work of Christ.

As we sojourn here each new taste brings the blessedness of His causing us to turn to Him and to trust Him more by faith! The taste can come by simply reading His Word; it can come through trials and tribulations, through persecution, through circumstances that we like and those that we don’t. He brings those so that we taste of His faithfulness and His kept promises. Oh but every taste is sweeter than honey to my mouth. (Psalm 119:103)

We can only taste that the Lord is good by Grace through faith. It is impossible to taste the goodness of the Lord in self righteousness or unbelief. The Pharisees are a good example of that. They thought they were pleasing to God with their many laws and their outward adherence to them. They boasted in their outward obedience and pointed others in the same direction but all they did was to add burdens to the already heavy laden. They laid guilt upon guilt on the people because they taught the law was a means to produce something good in them. The religious do the same today. They preach laws that keep people far, far from God in trembling fear and shame and preach rules and regulations instead of pointing to Christ and His finished work, the Gospel.

Only grace can conform, the grace that is the perfect merit of Christ’s Righteousness imputed to His people. It is grace that is God’s love manifested to us in Christ. It is from this grace only that lives are transformed, not law nor guilt. We grow in grace by His promises to us, not ours to Him, by how much He loves us, not by how much we love Him. By faith when we see this grace in Christ, when we see that He loves us without measure and that nothing can separate us from it we begin to trust that love and we are freed from our fleshly desires that consume us. We rest in the law of faith and the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus because only then are we set free from the law of sin and death.

“Come unto me, all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart’ and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30.

The words of Jesus comfort our very hearts and minds for we know that He has accomplished for us what we could never accomplish for ourselves. We rest in His work, which is why the burden is light!

O taste and see!

Two Months & Income Tax!

2009-01-19T17:49:00.004-07:00

My thoughts have been so personal since the death of my husband and so I haven’t quite come out of the grief mode. I’m confident now that will take some time. It isn’t the kind of grief that says life cannot go on or that says I can’t go on. I know without a doubt that the Lord sustains me and keeps me each moment of the day and has promised that He always will. I’m so thankful for His unfailing Faithfulness.

It is the kind of grief that I have experienced today. It has been two months today since he died and I’m doing our income tax. I’ve been able to accomplish that little job since we moved down here because we have simple W-2 income. We haven’t had to itemize like we used to when we lived on the ranch and had depreciation and expense. I guess in this life style nothing really depreciates except for us.

But this year I have had to do a bit more research because I don’t know how to file when your spouse is deceased. You see, I’d like to discuss it with him and I can’t because he isn’t here. Death is strange in that way, it doesn’t take away the desire to talk to your spouse, I suppose that is the grief of it. He would always sit at the table and watch me; he was so proud of me and thought I was ever so smart! ;)

I wasn’t taught how to cook as I was growing up so when we were first married I told him I didn’t really know how to cook. Well, he thought for a minute and then he asked me if I could read and of course I said yes and he pointed me to the cook books, such a simple solution! So it was today, I looked up how to file for a deceased spouse and read the instructions and finished the job, all the while wishing that he was sitting there watching me. I’m sure there will be many more such instances; they are called ‘grief bursts’. But as he would always say to me; “don’t worry about it honey, it will all come out in the wash’. Isn’t that truly the way life is? The Lord has it all worked out for us so we have no need to worry!

Grace and Peace!

Truly Pressing On!

2009-01-16T19:45:00.004-07:00

I worked on a blog this week about the ‘church’ issues that continue to plague the saints. It was quite lengthy as I had a lot to say. As I said in my last blog, we all have our own opinions, don’t we? But this week I realized some things that are far more important, at least for me. And anyway, what difference does it make what my opinion is, you have your own.

I have a friend in London, a dear sister in Christ whom I have never met. We visit by email and we share Christ and His Gospel always. I realized I hadn’t taken the time this week to do that nor to share Gospel love with a sister in Christ who lives in Idaho. I’ve never met her either but oh how encouraging they always are in the Lord.

I’ve excerpted a statement by each from their emails to me. I wanted to share here the encouragement that they gave to me because I truly did need it this week. I was in bondage to the folly of answering a challenge but the Lord opened my eyes to that bondage, whew! Thank you Lord Jesus!

“Our fleshy instinct is to give back what we receive - keep on slapping each others cheeks till they bleed. But the Lord Jesus said NO to this - He taught us to break this vicious circle of revenging on and over again back and forth. Instead, He said, let them smack you on another cheek and let this mindless violence be stopped when it reaches His follower!”

“I was so amazed at the "church trial" situation you described on your blog! I've never ever experienced something like that before in the "church" setting! That must have been heart-rending. We are pretty darn good at "biting and devouring" one another....what we haven't learned very well is loving one another. I think it's the same in the body of Christ as it is in marriage....if you start with assuming the worst about the other person, you will eventually be bitter against them because you will interpret all of their actions and words through that lens. God, help us!”

I have limited spare time and I realized I didn’t spend much of it this week delighting myself in the Word of God or in Christ Himself; I was too intent on the challenge. I didn't spend time in encouraging the saints that the Lord has put in my life, and He calls us to encourage one another daily doesn't He? I hope I'll not waste my time like that anymore. I am truly pressing on and rejoicing in the Lord Jesus Christ, forgetting those things which are behind. I hope that someday you may be able to do that too!

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” Philippians 3:13-14

Grace and Peace!

To Establish!

2009-01-10T10:46:00.007-07:00

Preface: I have been challenged by a pastor (EDIT: This was not the pastor of the church I came out of) to take a stand on one side or the other of the controversies that took place in the church that I used to be a member of. I’ve been criticized heavily for believing that often there is truth on both sides and in these types of situations my conviction is that I can only take a stand on what I know to be true or have witnessed and not on what others perceive as the truth. I won’t blindly follow anyone and so the following is one such conviction. I will address others in time! (edited below, took out opinion statement)

In this life we are called to establish many things, sometimes it is easy sometimes it isn’t. We establish relationships and those take years to become good relationships. The Lord Himself establishes His children in the faith once delivered. We become established in our jobs, some establish institutions, businesses or laws. In a court of law the truth is to be established: to show to be valid or true; prove: to establish the facts of the matter. To prove with sound, just and well-founded reasons. Sometimes that is difficult to do and so the jury is cautioned to find a guilty verdict only upon proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

A recent conversation I had with a co-worker comes to my mind and I’d like to jot it down here as an example of what I am talking about.

I was visiting with a co-worker and in the course of our conversation I gave her some information that was only for her, something that was about me not anyone else. I hadn’t given this information to another soul, but soon it was ‘seemingly’ common knowledge. Knowing that she was the only one with that information I knew where it had come from and so I went to her. I have had to learn, as a continuing repentant idolater, to ask a specific question when I confront someone so that ALL things are represented fairly and so that I don’t cave just to please someone. I didn’t ask her if she had ever said anything ‘negative’ about me because we all know that is part of what we do, we voice positive and negative thoughts, they are called opinions. Opinions about what we believe i.e. (convictions), daily life, and work and yes, even people. Instead I asked her the very specific question of ‘did you or did you not tell “so and so” what I told you? I wanted her to have fair opportunity to tell me the truth of the matter that was at hand. Generalities don’t count when you are trying to establish something as truth.

The reason I am relaying this story is because of a public ‘church’ trial, at the local level, that I attended some time ago where the issue of establishing if someone was a liar was taking place.

Dictionary:
To lie is to state something that is false with the intention that it be taken for the truth by oneself or someone else.

If one is trying to deceive then it is the intent of being untruthful rather than the truthfulness of the statement itself that is considered.

I didn’t agree with the tactics used at this trial to prove the charge. We (the onlookers) didn’t hear the whole of the tape that was used as evidence, just supposedly the important statements and snippets of it here and there. The questioning was leading and not direct and it was obvious that the trial wasn’t to establish truth, but to bring a verdict. I believe things that weren’t true were established as true along faulty conclusions. There was never a question asked that proved this woman a liar; instead they were questions such as ‘did you ever say anything negative about such and such’ or ‘this and that’, very vague questions without substance. The defendant remembered some things she had said that could be construed as negative and some things she couldn’t recall.

Her counsel asked if they might be more specific and give her an idea of what they were asking but of course they never did and I took exception to that. How do you prove someone a liar if you never establish what they lied about in court? I wish they would have asked direct questions because that might have established her side or their side. Remember the definition above; lying is proving someone’s intent and that was NEVER accomplished, although she was found guilty and handed a sentence of excommunication, the harshest form of discipline which should always be reserved for only those who are living in open proven blatant sin and who refuse to repent.

Her personality lends itself to forgetting much of what is said and forgetting who said what and even when but a liar she is not. I’ve known her for over 20 years and my opinion is that they found her guilty of a personality trait and that grieves me. It grieves me for her, it grieves me for those who charged her and it grieves me a great deal for those who sat and watched and listened to what they perceived as evidence which truly wasn’t. We know the Lord will have His way, of that we can be certain. But His way is not always to make the crooked straight, at least not while we are here. One day the crooked will be straight and all things will be known, oh how all believers long for that day.

There were three families that took their appeals and complaints to the next level in the government of the ‘institutional church’ and they were all sustained and overturned by the classis. The appellants were reprimanded, yes, for certain of their actions; nevertheless they were upheld in their quest. Some call it a win/loss situation, I don’t think of it in those terms. I pray to this day that true reconciliation can come about in the company of the saints! We know that all things are possible with God.

Oh yes, the outcome of my own little story. I gave my co-worker a fair chance to tell the truth or to tell a lie and didn’t muddy the waters in the process; something we should all remember in our quest to have the truth surface.

She lied!

Grace and Peace!

The Way We Were and a Covering!

2009-01-01T16:33:00.002-07:00

It’s a brand new year and remembering the years gone by has been part of my days since my husband died. One of my favorite movies of old was ‘The Way We Were’ with Robert Redford and Barbara Streisand and I’m sure most remember the song of the same title. “Memories, like the corners of my mind, Misty water-colored memories of the way we were”. It’s probably a girlie flick and a girlie song; you know the kind that we love because they stir the emotions.

It’s been bittersweet these last weeks as I have had an opportunity in many ways to remember the way we were. I’ve done that through pictures, old 8mm film that we put to VCR and through verbal memories with family. Because the last ten years had been so full of care giving, working, taking care of the home and yard and doing all the things that it takes to keep a home going we had forgotten to reminisce very much. I wish we had done that together more often.

Watching the movie film was sweet and I sat there and just smiled at him because every time I had the movie camera on him he would smile, wave or tip his hat, even on his horse or when he was running cattle down the alley. It puts you right back into the moment so, of course, I smiled back and waved at him and whispered those sweet words of endearment, a bit of comfort! The song says: “Memories may be beautiful and yet what’s too painful to remember we simply choose to forget, so it’s the laughter we will remember, whenever we remember the way we were” It is easier certainly to remember the laughter but I think it is also necessary to remember the painful memories as well. It would seem if all you remembered were the ‘good’ memories and the laughter you would have to set up an idol, I’m reminded in the Scripture to not do that. So I go about remembering both, the bitter and the sweet!

We don’t use the word ‘covering’ in our marriage language today but the Scripture gives us that very picture. It is the same picture we have in the book of Ruth in the bible. Naomi commands Ruth to go unto Boaz, at the threshing floor, where Ruth was to ask Boaz to spread his skirt over her. (Ruth 3:9) This was a symbol of coming under his care and protection as near kinsman. So the ‘covering’ is a protection for a woman, one that she cherishes without even knowing the full extent of what it means; that is until she is without the covering.

I did some reading and found that “An ancient Hebraic wedding custom included a robe or shawl that a groom placed around the shoulders of his bride signifying she has come under his covenant covering of protection, and spiritual, physical, emotional, and material care.” It’s amazing because every woman I’ve talked with instantly recognizes the covering that her husband gives her.

I’m thankful to be reminded in Psalm 91 that “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty and that He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. “

I come under The Almighty, the “Shaddai’s” gracious protection because I am His child and the metaphor is as birds do their young who are unable to cover their selves.

“Hide me Oh Lord under the shadow of thy wings.”

Living in Galatians!

2008-12-27T20:39:00.003-07:00

I have a dear pastor friend who coined this phrase, “Living in Galatians” and I appreciate it so much. It is rich in meaning and speaks to me of the place of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life, the place of grace and of faith and the place of the law. The book of Galatians tells me that I must listen carefully so as to discern when the Truth is being set aside for anything other than the Gospel, the Gospel that was taught and revealed to the Apostle Paul by Jesus Christ. Paul marveled that the Galatians had turned away so quickly from the grace of Christ; I can understand the marvel for it does seem that once the Gospel of grace has truly been revealed to you in power you would never turn away.

The book of Galatians gives us grace in Christ by faith over law for any part of our salvation, including sanctification, hence ‘living by faith and trusting Jesus’. Paul asked the Galatians “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh……..therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith”?

The law brings a sense of wrath and condemnation but it cannot bring the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. The law cannot give life (Galatians 3:21) nor can it bring justification, redemption, wisdom or sanctification. Christ is all (1 Corinthians 1:30). It is utter folly to abandon the Gospel of Christ, the power of God unto salvation, for righteousness by the law as the Galatians were doing ‘for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth” (Romans 10:4)

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel.” (Galatians 1:6) Notice that turning away from the grace of Christ is actually turning away from Him who has called His elect only one way, by His effectual grace. The Galatians suddenly wanted to mix works and grace together and that mix is another gospel (which is no gospel) and Paul warns them of listening to any perversion of the purity of the Gospel. He tells them if they add a work (circumcision in this case), Christ would profit them nothing. (Galatians 5: 4). Christ will profit nothing when any work (condition) is added to any part of our salvation as a requirement i.e., water baptism, church membership, tithing, etc. These conditions pervert the Gospel and we should be very careful to maintain its purity as the Apostle Paul instructed the Galatians. It is a hazardous thing to tamper with the Gospel.

What is it to live in Galatians? The Apostle Paul gives us an idea when he says in the book of Acts that he wanted to finish his course with joy by testifying to the gospel of the grace of God. It is a daily endeavor in our heart to exalt the Gospel, to be firmly established in the Truth of it and to have continual confidence in the power of it for our salvation. It is living by faith which worketh by love (Galatians 5:6b) and it is trusting Him to work in us to will and to do of His good pleasure and trusting Christ as “The Lord our Righteousness “(Jeremiah 23:6-33:16)

God has spoken to us by His Son, Christ is God’s final word to us (Hebrews 1:1-3), let us not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage, let us instead stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free. (Galatians 5:1)

“The just shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11)

Grace always!

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus!

2008-12-21T14:56:00.010-07:00

Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth thou art;
Dear Desire of ev'ry nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver,
Born a child, and yet a King,
Born to reign in us for ever,
Now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to thy glorious throne.

Let all the people of God rejoice in the birth of Jesus Christ. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Greek word translated 'dwelt' means to occupy, or specifically to 'reside' as God did in the Tabernacle of old, which is a symbol for protection and communion. What a wonderful picture this presents to us of Christ, our God and our Savior coming to dwell with His people so that we might have communion with Him. May His coming always be a wonder to us and may we keep it close and ponder it in our heart, just as Mary did!

Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life and He has said to those that believe, "and ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free.....if the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed!"

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

He has come and He will come again!

Dusty Spurs!

2008-12-06T15:51:00.004-07:00

It was a beautiful day in Colorado. The sky was blue, not a puff of wind and the sun was shining warm for December. Jesse Lee (Chug) Beckett was laid to rest today with family gathered to remember his life.

I took down his spurs; they had been hanging on hooks attached to a mirrored plaque of a horse for many years and they were truly dusty! I took them, along with his hat, to place alongside his picture to honor his life, for they represented so intimately who he was. I wrote a little piece that was read at the memorial called ‘Reflections’ and wanted to share just a portion of it here.

“All men have a calling in life and Chug’s was the ranch life. At heart he was a cowboy whose dedication to the land, the cattle, the horses and all that goes along with ‘living the ranch life’ bore the results of his dedication. He worked hard, he was a gifted man in his calling and he fulfilled that life long calling in his steadfastness to ‘getting the work done’. The last 10 years of his life were especially difficult for him because he couldn’t even do things that he considered helpful for those that he loved. He couldn’t help Eileen in ways that would relieve a burden and he couldn’t visit his children or grandchildren because he could no longer travel. Although he didn’t like the limitations that were put upon him by his health he handled those years in a sweet, patient and loving way. The strong and proud man became the humble and dependant man, but he never grew angry.”

He believed that funerals were for the living and for the Gospel to be heard. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news that Christ came into the world to redeem His people. All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God and Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice and they follow me”. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved but the name of Jesus Christ. Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved."

It is the last, final thing that we do for those that we love and it was of the greatest honor and privilege, he would have been pleased. I miss him greatly!

Grace and Peace

Running Parallel!

2008-11-30T13:33:00.003-07:00

I was asked the other day how I was doing since I lost my husband and this is the picture that flashed into my mind. It took me by surprise and yet I understood the connection. It was a feeling of being so fragile that if you blew on me I would scatter just as the seeds are doing in this picture.

I understand and know different things now. Most often we can only truly know life by the experiences we have and those experiences affect us in our person, in who we are. They bring real pain, real suffering, and real sorrow in grief but they also bring real joy and real peace. This has been one of those times for me.

I understand the suffering of another widow and how the loss of her husband cut deep into her very being, I didn’t know that before. That happened just the other morning at the post office and it really doesn’t take many words to convey to each other the shared loss. It is a loss and longing I could never have imagined until I experienced it and I know now that it was the same for them. I will remember that going forward.

So many want to put grief into a time frame but I’m confident that it is something that God doesn’t want me to sweep under the rug or try and short cut just because it is painful. We are so often tempted to do that aren’t we instead of walking through the hardship. The grief is a companion right now that brings a whole life into perspective and I don’t want to toss it aside as if the whole life wasn’t worth this present suffering, it was the life of one God gave to me and so I’m thankful to look at it intently and to grieve over the loss of it.

Running parallel and alongside is the comfort of the Holy Spirit in faith, for we do walk by faith and not by sight. It reminds me of the unilateral/parallel covenant of Grace running throughout history since before the foundation of the world. All of the promissory covenants have been fully realized in the New Covenant in Christ. The saints of old were never without hope and never without the same Grace of God in Christ that we have today. It is the same with the eyes of faith. If we look at life through those eyes then we have great and abiding hope and comfort running parallel with us as we journey through this vale of tears.

Tears are such a blessing to us. Job says in 16:20 that his eyes poured out tears unto God. King David in Psalm 56:8 asks God to put his tears into a bottle and asked if they were not in His book? Here is what John Gill says about this verse which captures the very essence of faith and grief running parallel to each other.

Psalm 56:8 “are they not in thy book?” “verily they are; that is, the tears and afflictions of his people. They are in his book of purposes; they are all appointed by him, their kind and nature, their measure and duration, their quality and quantity; what they shall be, and how long they shall last; and their end and use: and they are in his book of providence, and are all overruled and caused to work for their good; and they are in the book of his remembrance; they are taken notice of and numbered by him, and shall be finished; they shall not exceed their bounds. These tears will be turned into joy, and God will wipe them all away from the eyes of his people.”

This is the very reason that believers grieve differently than the unbeliever. We have hope in the knowledge that the very tears that are shed are appointed to us by our Sovereign God and they have a purpose and are useful to us. He cares abundantly for us amidst the trial that brings the tears, this brings peace and joy to our souls. "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" 1 Peter 5:7

Grace and Peace!

A Widow's Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T22:23:00.002-07:00

The celery is all cut up and ready for the dressing in the morning and the cranberry salad is made. The house will be warm in the morning when the turkey is in the oven and the potatoes are being peeled. Life has changed but living goes on. Thanksgiving was our favorite holiday and so I’m so pleased that I get to cook this year for my sister and family. We will have our first Thanksgiving together as widows. My sister doesn’t like the sound of that word, I’m not sure why. I don’t mind it because it is found so often in the Scripture and so I’m comforted knowing that God Himself regards me as a widow and He knows how I am afflicted.

The Hebrew word means “a desolate house---forsaken’ (solitary; lonely: a desolate place) and so I understand a bit better the word itself and why it fits so well with the loss of a husband. In this short week of being in a new place it explains exactly the ‘feelings’ that can overtake me in a moment of time. When the two are no longer one it does seem desolate, it is certainly solitary, there is a new vulnerability and I sense a feeling of being unprotected in a way that I never have before.

I imagine every new widow feels these things, thinks the same thoughts and so I run to His Word to find the solutions. I find great comfort knowing that there was a time when I was without Christ and a stranger to the covenants of promise, having no hope, now I have the patience of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ and the promises of God. He has promised that He will never leave me nor forsake me so I’m not truly ‘a desolate house nor have I been forsaken by Him’. It may be that life will be lonelier but Jesus says He is with me alway, even unto the end of the world. So in the midst of discovering widowhood I discover again the Faithfulness of Christ Jesus!

Thank you dearest Jesus that you have caused me to find comfort in you and your promises this day!

Isaiah 41:13 “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Two Shall be One!

2008-11-21T06:52:00.002-07:00

Several years ago I posted an entry entitled ‘Holding Her Hand’ in remembrance of my mother who had died. The title was a way to express my deepest honor and joy at being able to be at her bedside as she was dying and to be holding her hand as she took her last breath.

Several weeks ago I posted an entry entitled ‘There is a Time’ as my brother-in-law had just passed away unexpectedly and I remembered how comforting that portion of Scripture is; ‘There is a time for every purpose under the heaven.’

So it is, once again, my time to be reminded that there truly is a “time for every purpose under the heaven’. My husband of 38 years died on November 19, 2008 at 3.45 am while I again had the deepest honor and joy of holding his hand as he took his last breath.

Our life together was like all marriages, there were times of joy and there were times of sorrow, ups and downs, sin and misery, quarrels, forgiveness and for us it was in sickness more than in health. It isn’t always rosy, it isn’t always easy but when two become one flesh it changes us. We truly do cleave together in a way that is special as in no other relationship even amidst the hardships. I miss the warmth of his presence, his voice, the three kisses every time we parted or came back together (it was our special touch). I miss the intimacy of the shared memories that are between a husband and a wife. I miss his patience with my shortcomings especially because I have so many. I imagine in the days ahead I will find many things that I miss; I’m thinking even wiping up the spilled coffee! The wife is grieving, the care giver is resting.

I’ve had great comfort, peace, strength and courage from the Lord my God, how merciful He has been to me. The comfort and peace come in knowing, by faith, that He does all things well regardless of the pain and the grief that accompanies them. He is Sovereign over all things and therein lays the peace. It is the comfort and peace of trusting the Creator of all souls to bring glory to Himself. He is the Potter and so I can rest in His Sovereign Way and I have peace. It truly does pass all understanding.

He gave me strength and courage to keep on in well doing, weariness was a constant companion for both of us and so often we wanted to bury our heads in the sand with the physical trials. We didn’t know this journey to the hospital would be the last one but it was and He gave me strength and courage to help him through his last hours, I am thankful. I am thankful for the love of family and the love and prayers of the saints in my life, God is gracious to provide for every need.

My heart is heavy, the tears flow often but I am confident and trusting that the Scripture gives me a clear picture of my God and Savior. The One who has promised that He will never leave me nor forsake me and whose compassion's never fail to His people for His mercies are truly new every morning. Great is Thy Faithfulness!

Grace and Peace

No Words Necessary!

2008-11-10T06:24:00.003-07:00

Well maybe just 3 words........ain't he cute?

The Burning Bush!

2008-11-09T07:12:00.001-07:00

On a bit lighter note!

I love this time of the year. It has remained in the 60's & 70's for quite some time now with a cold day here and there thrown in for good measure. It has been absolutely beautiful, the bush in my yard is but a small proof of what the trees and scrub have looked like up and down the valley and along the river. A light breeze once in awhile to fall some more leaves and soon those will be gone and it will be time for winter.

Winter is the only season that I don't really appreciate and yet I am reminded of the beginning of creation. "Then God said "let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years" Genesis 1:14

God created the seasons to come and to go and so I also remember that after the flood the Lord said in His heart:

"While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease" Genesis 8:22

The seasons are a continual reminder to me that the earth remains and the Lord God will never again destroy all living things as He did in the flood. It is a reminder to me that He has set all the boundaries of the earth and He has made summer and winter. (Psalm 74:17)

Every day can be like a discovery, a discovery of the faithfulness of God if we have eyes to see the faithfulness. As a believer I have been given those eyes to see and the ears to hear but so often I can get bogged down in the trials of life and forget, the seasons help me to remember! Thank you Lord!

Grace and Peace!

Yet I will.......

2008-11-08T09:25:00.002-07:00

I have been drawn this last couple of weeks to the book of Habakkuk, a profound book that speaks to us even today in our own land. His name means to ‘embrace’ or ‘wrestle’, Martin Luther favored the idea of embracing so as to wrestle and concluded; "It is certainly not unfitting, for in this little book we see a man, in deadly earnest, wrestling with the mighty problem of theodicy (the divine justice) in a topsy-turvy world."

Habakkuk was perplexed, as we are so often, at what seemed to be God’s indifference at what was going on around him. Perplexed may actually be a softer word to use to describe what he was really thinking. Why, we question, is evil abounding around us, why do you not Oh Lord check the violence, the strife and the contention that arises around us? Why is there not any justice for those who try and justify their evil ways or for those who deceive their neighbors. Why do the wicked surround the righteous, the wicked who are sure and secure in their own evil ways and why do they prosper? Habakkuk stood upon his watch to wait and see what the Lord would say unto him (Habakkuk 2:1).

We ask the same today don’t we? In our nation we wonder why the wicked have had their own way and why the nation has elected a man to the White House that surely will destroy our freedoms and bring about chaos, or at least the beginning of it.

Is the answer to our perplexity the same as Habakkuk? In one sense I believe it is. The Lord answered his questions by saying this: “Be utterly astounded! For I will work in you days which you would not believe though it were told you”. The Lord was raising up the Chaldeans to bring judgment and destruction to the Jewish nation and the vision of it was a burden to Habakkuk. The vision of who the Lord has raised up for our nation presents a picture of things that we never in a million years dreamed would come to us as a nation; a nation of the free and the brave, America the Beautiful. It is a picture of a nation being overrun by communism, a picture of destroyed freedoms which this nation has thrived on. It is a picture to the believer of being a captive of sorts just as the Jews were captive to Babylon and so this vision is a burden to us.

We are a nation, just as the nation of Israel that has rejected the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel. We are a nation that has become an idol, a nation full of pride in its own accomplishments and a nation that is the epitome of Romans 1. We have exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, the Creator who is blessed forever. Dare we question His judgments for we must make no mistake and think that they come by any other than His Sovereign Hand. They come by His alone for the vision is yet for the appointed time. (Habakkuk 2:3)

I pray that we would have the comfort that Habakkuk offered to the people of Israel in his day. I pray that we might rest in the day of trouble and

“Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls.
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feel like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills”

“But the righteous will live by his faith”

Grace and Peace!

With All Thine Heart!

2008-11-02T12:35:00.003-07:00

We all have favorite scriptures that come to mind frequently. Many times we may even use them out of context as a means to remember the Lord’s promises, well I do anyway! One of my favorites that the Lord brings to mind often is Proverbs 3: 5-6:

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.”

Solomon was known as wise and these Proverbs are words of wisdom for us from God. In fact the beginning of the book of Proverbs itself begins in that manner…..’to know wisdom’; so we know that it is of wisdom to trust the Lord with all our hearts.

The statement, lean not unto thine own understanding is the part that we need to heed because when we do try and lean to our own understanding that in and of itself becomes the hindrance to our trusting. Many do that with even salvation but I’m not talking of the glorious truth that we trust the Lord for all of our salvation. We trust fully that He has saved us, body, soul and spirit. That is forever settled in my heart and He is my very life and breath.

I’m talking about our daily lives, our sojourning here and how often we worry and fret about tomorrow. We lay awake, toss and turn and we can be scared and frightened about what might come our way. Someone once said that worry is actually praying to ourselves and I think that rings so true. If we worry we must think that there is something we can do to change the circumstances, we must think that there is something we control. I detest worry when it is in my spirit and when I do worry I know that I am not trusting that the Lord has it well in His Hands and that He knows what He is doing.

He knows exactly what we have need of today AND tomorrow, if tomorrow should come. If we don’t have it, we don’t need it. If we need it He promises to supply it (Philippians 4:19). Whatever circumstances He brings into our lives are needful for us and work for our good although we may not understand how and why. Jesus tells us that we are much more valuable to Him than the sparrow and the Father takes care of even the sparrow. He clothes the lilies of the field in grand array, how much more will He clothe us. He knows the EXACT number of hairs on our head each and every moment of the day for when one of them falls it is His will alone that it does. When a beloved saint comes to me with worry I look on their shoulder to find a hair that has fallen and I gently take it in my fingers and hold it up to them and I simply say….’not a hair can fall’. Oh how encouraging that is for them and for me to be reminded of the Lord’s good providence to His beloved. His watch care over us never fails, for He alone is faithful.

We are tempted today to worry about tomorrow. To worry about the election, to worry if our income will carry us in the future, to worry about our families, to worry about our freedoms in America, to worry about who will gain control or seemingly will reign over us and possibly make our lives a living hell. But we can and must be confident that the kingdoms of this world are His and the Lord our God shall reign for ever and ever.

Grace and Peace!

Wheat/Tares and Church Membership (3)

2008-10-28T19:31:00.003-07:00

“Matthew 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

The gates of hell will never prevail nor have they ever prevailed against the Church, the body of Christ. God establishes each member in Christ, seals each member individually, gives us the earnest of the Spirit in our heart, the guarantee of our inheritance. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22) (Ephesians 1:13-14) This is our membership in the body of Christ.

From the biblical perspective there is only ONE Church, ONE body and this body is comprised of all those for whom Christ died, the elect Jew, Gentile, man, woman, child, there is no distinction. Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus”.

It is the ONE body, the body that we are united to by Grace in eternal election, the body that was given to Christ by the Father, that Christ purchased with His blood and the body that He is the head of. This is the body that I am a member of.

For me it seems quite simple. The Church, the body, assembles in different places which is what the scripture is attesting to when it talks of the ‘church’ at Ephesus for example. If we call it what it is it would be the assembly at Ephesus or the assemblies (plural) in a region, i.e. ‘Asia’. The scripture is telling us that members of the one Church, the body, assembled together to worship the Lord, to learn the Lord’s doctrines, to fellowship in the Truth, to encourage, to edify one another, to weep/rejoice together, to bear one another’s burdens, to celebrate the bread and the wine together and to pray. I love to assemble with the saints, to use the gifts that the Spirit has given to me for the body and to grow together in the grace & knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:42 “And the continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine, and in fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and in prayer.”

Being considered a tare because of withdrawing my membership from the ‘church’ really gave me pause to think further on the requirement of ‘church’ membership and how that requirement makes distinctions in the body of Christ. First of all I cannot find a single reference to the idea of ‘vows’ given to a certain assembly of believer’s, or a single reference to the requirement of membership in the Scripture. I don’t find that the scripture speaks of distinctions that are made in the body between the members or the non member however that is common ‘church’ practice, especially with the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Confession of faith doesn’t have much meaning any longer, too many other considerations come before confession, or so it seems!

I confess Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life and I confess: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” Acts 4:12. I am accountable to Him alone for He is the Shepherd of my soul, the Bread of life; He is the Living Water and the Manna from heaven. He is my Rock, my Redeemer, my Savior and my Substitute. He is the Lamb of God who took away my sin so that I am as white as snow in the Father’s eyes. He alone is my Mediator who ever liveth to make intercession for me. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever and ever, amen! I confess this outside of membership and I trust fully the Lord Jesus Christ who has saved me to the uttermost! Amen and Amen!

Pressing on
Grace and Peace

Wheat/Tares and Church Membership (2)

2008-10-23T07:10:00.002-06:00

It was very surprising to me that so many assumptions were made when I withdrew my membership from the ‘church’ because of doctrinal differences. Assumptions are also made when anyone even dares to begin to ask questions about the modern day practice of church membership, where it started, is it biblical or is it perhaps tradition. I was surprised because I didn’t realize all those many years that ‘ church membership’ was exalted to that position in the minds of those I fellowshipped so closely with. Remember from posts past, I am the naïve one when it comes to Christendom so my naive expectations were that there would be a time of communication with the elders of the importance of my beliefs, my conscience, and that there would be understanding, care, acceptance and kindness. Those expectations were certainly dashed, but I do count that as working for my good. Now don’t laugh but I actually thought that the elders would tell me that I would be welcome to continue to worship even in the differences and without membership. I know, I know, rather naïve of me right?

One assumption that is made is that the believer doesn’t have a desire to assemble with other believers and that is certainly erroneous. There are also labels attached to anyone who even dares to ask that question. Labels such as rebellious, non-submissive, individualistic, foolish and on and on the labels go. I think the subject that needs to be talked about, looked at AND discussed among the people of God is “the practice of church ‘membership’ and the requirement thereof”. I am not talking about forsaking gathering together with the saints when you can, how you can and as often as you can. So this isn’t about losing the desire to assemble in any way. Every believer, every sheep longs to flock together to worship the Lord our God, it is natural to our regenerated new life. But the looming question is; does that desire equate itself to ‘church membership’?

There is only one ‘body of Christ’ and therefore there is only one membership in that body. The New Testament repeatedly points us to that wonderful Truth. If you do a word search in your bible software and type in one body you will see what I am talking about.

Romans 12:4-5 “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another”

1 Corinthians 10:17 “Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; we all partake of the one bread.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

The scripture above means different things to believers and held a great difference for me and I shared that as I came out of the church. You see, I believe that the baptism spoken of above is the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon regeneration when we are placed in the body of Christ, not water baptism. John the Baptist says in Matthew 3:11 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire”.

All believers, rather water baptized or not have been baptized into the one body by the one Spirit. It is the circumcision/baptism made without hands. Man and the ‘institutional church’ have nothing to do with it.

1 Corinthians 12:20 “But now there are many members, but one body”

1 Corinthians 12:25 “that there should be no division in the body, but the members should have the same care for one another.”

Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful”

Ephesians 4:4 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling”

Sobering words for me to consider as God does not divide His body and He has set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 1 Corinthians 12:18

To be continued……

Wheat/Tares and Church Membership!

2008-10-17T19:33:00.007-06:00

It will soon be a year since I came out of a membership in the institutional church. It has been a year of growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, rejoicing in His truth, a year of fellowship in the Gospel with the saints in my life and a year of grief without regret. I have great peace about my decision but the grief has been real. When someone dies you know they say it takes a year for you to go through a process of grieving and so it may be with the church as well.

Why then a piece on wheat & tares you might ask? Well, I’m to be considered a tare according to one woman in the church because of my actions. She planted that consideration into the minds of some right after I left, although I just have found that out. My action that precipitated the consideration was my withdrawing my membership from the institutional church. To say that I am appalled is putting it mildly but I’m also thankful that the mindset of some in that assembly has come to the surface, it adds to my peace.

I did write a letter to her for several reasons. I didn’t want the sun to go down on my anger and so I needed to confront her with my own thoughts about her statement. I also think she is very, very misled and I wanted her to think about what she said and to question if her belief lines up with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Of course I don't believe that it does, it lends itself more to the Roman Catholic position. These are some of the points I tried to make in my letter to her:

A tare is always a tare never to be wheat just as a goat is always a goat never to be a sheep. By considering me a tare she actually consigned me to hell as a reprobate. God, in His Sovereignty, has decreed from all eternity vessels of mercy and vessels of wrath, wheat/tare-sheep/goats-elect/non-elect. That judgment is His alone. Certainly we know people who don’t confess Christ in true faith and seemingly are unregenerate at a given specific time in their life but we can never make the judgment here that someone is a reprobate.

By her suggestion that I be considered a tare she trampled underfoot the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for me. She has counted His atonement for the sin of His people as insufficient to accomplish what He came to do. I have most assuredly, by Grace, been given the gift of faith to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and by her statement that precious gift of faith was made meaningless. She literally reduced union with Christ to institutional church membership.

1 Corinthians 12 says to us in verse 27 “Now you ARE the body of Christ and members individually”. Jesus Christ came to establish His body, His bride, His Church, which is always and only the people of God. Although this body may assemble together in various ways and places we are ALREADY members of it for WE are the Church. His life, His bloody death and His resurrection accomplished that and the Holy Spirit has placed us in the body of Christ upon regeneration and the new birth. That is true membership in the Church, true union with Christ.

To be continued…

There is a Time!

2008-10-12T08:07:00.005-06:00

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”

“A time to be born and a time to die” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

We have to be born to experience all else that follows in this lovely part of Scripture. We spend a life time after being born doing all of the other. There are the times we plant and then come the harvest. Maybe we have had to gather the stones from the land to cast them away to plant. There are our times of laughing and dancing; we love those times don’t we? We speak and we are silent, often not sure of when to do either. There is a time to build up and a time to tear down, perhaps in building our cities and our homes and they decay and must be torn down. We go through life loving those the Lord has put in our lives, family, friends and our brethren in the Lord. All of these things are literal yet in the believer’s life they are also spiritual. Once we know the Lord we also come to know that we are called to hate many things. We hate our sin and we are called to hate the things of the world. The scripture tells us that we are to be willing to hate our families if need be to be His disciple. For me that means to not set them up as idols and cleave to them before the Lord. We are hated ourselves because of the Gospel and because those who hate us hated Jesus first. We are called to build up with our words not to tear down and sometimes the Lord turns our mourning into joy and our laughter into tears. Spiritually, the Truth is planted into our hearts and we reap the harvest of faith and trust. It is our very lives that the preacher is talking about here.

But there comes a time to die.

Job 14:5 “Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass”

It is of the greatest comfort to know that our Sovereign God determines the days of our life. I call them our numbered days, for He knows that exact number of them. He has appointed the limits and we cannot pass those limits. We cannot live a day longer or a day less than what is appointed to each of us. He has given us the medical field to help us along our days but they do not kill us with their inabilities, their failures, their malpractice, nor do they keep us alive by their knowledge, their tests and their treatments. All of it rests in the Hand of the Lord our God.

My brother in law passed away yesterday, it was his time to die. He was a part of my life for over 46 years and I will miss him greatly, it is my time to mourn.

Free Will!

2008-10-06T20:31:00.001-06:00

Here is the greatest definition of free will I have ever heard:

"You can do something that you can't do"

Thanks Dr. Vrell!

The Seven Waves of Apostasy! (2)

2008-09-28T10:22:00.004-06:00

Fullerism!

Named after its founder Andrew Fuller, this was our study on the first and most destructive of heresies and this heresy is still today thriving. Perhaps under different names with different nuances here and there but at its root it is the same. There are many, many good and fine articles on the internet that give great details of what Andrew Fuller taught if you are interested in reading for yourselves and becoming more familiar with these teachings. Some of the more in-depth are written by George Ella. I believe it is always good to know the false teaching that is out and about and lingers so as to be on guard against them, I have appreciated these studies for this very reason.

If we remember that definite atonement was settled at the Synod of Dordt it will give us a better understanding of why what Andrew Fuller taught must be refuted. He wanted to mitigate what was perceived as a harshness with definite atonement and so he married Calvinism with Arminianism and that = fullerism. Today it might even be called ‘Cal-Minian’. Fuller affirmed the tenants of Calvinism but started mixing doctrines that contradict, such as universal atonement which led to the false hermeneutics of paradox teaching, synthesis, analogy and compartmentalization. Some basic affirmations of Andrew Fuller:

1. God and man are both sovereign. The both do all for their salvation.
In 1 Kings 18:21 Elijah asks the question: “How long will you falter between two opinions” giving us the basic idea of ‘dualism’, which is what Andrew Fuller taught doctrinally. It is the dualism of ‘team work in salvation’ of grace & works righteousness, God’s Sovereignty and man’s free will and the dualism of the theory that God has two wills.

The concept alone is foolish because it makes God a God who earnestly wants and desires to save everyone but can’t.

2. God is the lawgiver but He is also subject to the law of reason and common sense.
God is responsible to honor a greater law than Himself in the plan of salvation, which is the eternal law that God must follow in His dealings with man and this comprises much of the ‘fullerite’ gospel.

We know that God is not subject to any law greater than Himself and we can be assured that the fullerite gospel is nothing but a humanistic appeal to man’s nature. It has no saving value at all; it compromises the true Gospel and is a mock gospel. We should take heed to Paul’s words in Galatians as one who was not taught the Gospel by men but was taught of Jesus Christ.

3. Duty Faith
There are differing ideas about duty faith and Fuller wasn’t consistent on what he taught. From his ideas that God and man work together man we have the idea that man is able to ‘savingly’ believe the Gospel and therefore is partially responsible to be ‘born again’ by his own ability.

George Ella has many works on Andrew Fuller and here are a few quotes of his refuting some of these ‘duty faith’ ideas:

“To put it bluntly, within the covenant of grace it is the Holy Spirit’s duty to give faith to those for whom Christ died. It is not every man’s duty to appropriate this task to himself…The Holy Spirit will never honour a doctrine that relieves Him of His role or robs Him of His glory.”

Fuller can argue in this way because he believes that fallen man is by nature both aware of God and his inborn duty to accept the Gospel.

Fuller stressed time and time again that as God demands that the sinner believes the Gospel, it must be because the sinner is able to believe.

If it is the duty of all men to believe, they must believe that Jesus died far all men; that he will pardon all men, and save all men. If they believe not this, their faith is vain, and they are yet in their sins; and if all men do believe this, they believe a lie, for the bible affords no such warrant for the universal faith of these unconverted legions. "

This is just a very small portion of the teaching of Andrew Fuller, but it makes us aware of where and how these ideas get started. Ideas that we need to stand against regardless of the labels that might be put upon us. May we do so in the pure Gospel of Grace that has been extended to the saints in Christ alone by a most Sovereign God.

“ I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels”. Isaiah 61:10

Salvation is of the Lord!

Grace and Peace

The Seven Waves of Apostasy!

2008-09-19T21:58:00.007-06:00

Introduction!

We are being presented in our Sunday night conferences at p-net seven peaks/waves of apostasy/heresy that have come about since the great Synod of Dordrecht which was considered the climax of the Reformation. They are being presented in time order. These issues, at least the beginnings of them, are new to me so it has been very interesting to see where these heresies have started and how far they have gone. These seven waves are heresies that have developed Post-Reformation and are movements away from and compromises of the ‘reformed’ teaching that was settled at the Synod of Dordt. These are considered perversions of that teaching, perversions of the advances made in the reformation and not the stream of heresies involved in Arminianism, Weslyism, etc. These blog posts will be my own based upon my notes and so I pray to do justice to what is being presented by Bob and not misrepresent his teaching.

The reformation wasn’t a change in a religious institution nor was it a reformation of the non-conformist of that day. Instead it was a change in thinking of the masses (loosely used) where God moved upon a group/mass of people and unleashed His Spirit to an understanding of the gospel, a recovery of some apostolic truth. Luther recovered the biblical definition of grace against the Augustinian view although he maintained many weaknesses, such as grace coming through the Sacraments. Calvin challenged more than Luther but wasn't consistent on atonement as evidenced by his many writings. There were subtle differences between the two that were never settled.

Regeneration is a renewal of our minds and so in that sense the reformation was a gospel revolution to regenerated minds. In regeneration a seed of all truth is planted and that seed grows and is progressive in individual souls through the power of the Holy Spirit, hence our own reformation as we grow in our understanding of the truth.

There were many who continued to fight for the continuation of the advances in truth and understanding of the gospel brought about by the reformation. Men such as John Gill, James Hervey, William Huntington, William Gadsby, Tobias Crisp and Augustus Toplady to name just a few. These men all affirmed the Sovereign Grace doctrine of Dordt and did not pervert those doctrines with paradox teachings. However there was one who challenged the teaching and assumed that all those men were wrong and he was going to straighten out the reformation. He believed he was called to reform Calvinism and his name was Andrew Fuller. William Gadsby called him the greatest enemy the church of God ever had and believed he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

So we come to the greatest and first wave of all the heresies and the most damning whose influence has continued unhindered to this day. It is called ‘Fullerism’ and my next post will go into the details of what Andrew Fuller taught and how it discredits the Sovereign Grace teaching of the Synod of Dordt.

Light & Fluffy!

2008-09-11T20:54:00.005-06:00

I’m on vacation and I decided that I wasn’t going to be a cleaning madwoman like I was last year, so I’m actually a bit laid back this year. Now if you know me at all you know that is quite an accomplishment for me beings my co-workers call me a ‘type A’ personality or worse yet accuse me of being OCD. (Have you ever looked up the definition of OCD , well I’m definitely not that although now I’m being told that only an OCD would look up the meaning of OCD, go figure!) But you know what I always say……’be who you is’!

I joined Netflix and have been watching some light and fluffy romantic comedies and I can only stand so much of that so the next batch coming should be a bit meatier with thrills and action and maybe even a real story. You know the kind where you are literally sitting on the edge of your chair ready to jump up when the action is too intense and run into the other room (I actually do that). I’ve had a few recommendations along those lines such as “The Bourne” series and they are on my list. I watched ‘Luther’ the other night and loved that movie. Can we even begin to imagine taking on the whole RCC? Oh how the Lord used Martin Luther to return to us the Truth of ‘Sola Fide’, a truth that had been swept aside in the lies of the great apostasy.

I’ve also read some light and fluffy books compared to the deeper theological ones. “A Scandalous Freedom” was a good book about the radical nature of the Gospel. It is about the freedom we have in the Gospel, in Christ and those mind sets that stifle that freedom. Of course he isn’t talking about radical freedom to go out and sin just for the fun of it but he is talking about the radical freedom we have in knowing that our sins are forgiven and in being who we really are. He talked about the masks we all wear for others; even the masks we wear when we look at ourselves and how horribly bound we can be by them. Perhaps it is the mask of ‘religiosity’ or ‘superiority’ or ‘acceptability’ (in order to fit the mold) or an ‘I got it all together’ mask. Take them off he says, after all Jesus is the only one we need to please and He knows us without ANY masks and loves us still! We are ‘accepted in the Beloved’, what more do we need.

My BF invited me to join Facebook, what a hoot that has been. It has been very entertaining and lots of fun. It’s a great way to stay in touch with those you don’t hear from often or get to see and you can just drop them a little hi on their ‘facebook’ page. I love the internet for all the good and right reasons, don’t you? What a gift from God to us!

My BF and I also had pie and coffee the other day at Village Inn. We go to fellowship but the pie is awesome. We always talk of our current struggles, our trials and we usually shed a tear or two. But…………God! Where two or more are gathered in my name there I am in the midst and Christ is always there, comforting with His Word as we share it together in edification. We discussed the first chapter of Ephesians the other day and how we can know that everything we have is IN CHRIST! Oh amen and amen! See we don’t have to do- do- do to get- get- get, God has already given us ALL things in Christ.

I’ve painted a room or two, done some light cleaning and tomorrow I’m off to town to go shopping. I still have next week to do some visiting with the saints that I don’t see often and so I’m looking forward to that. My hubby and my dog are both happy that I’m home, I’m just not sure which one is the happiest……………prolly the dog!

Grace and Peace

Summer Bookshelf!

2008-09-02T17:59:00.001-06:00

I finished my book entitled “The Trinity and Subordinationsim” by Kevin Giles, which was really a three fold book written to portray the Doctrine of God and the Contemporary Gender Debate, with a portion on Slavery, all connected in the author’s estimation with the error that the Son is eternally subordinated to the Father. It was a very well studied read and very informative to me. It wasn’t written only for the trained theologian, instead it was so well written and researched that it was understandable to the average reader, i.e., me!

Part one of the book is ‘The Trinity Tradition’ and I was so pleased to read it. It was full of the historical development of the Orthodox Trinitarian tradition which the author embraces as do I. He discusses the forming of the doctrine of the Trinity quoting Athanasius, Augustine, Calvin, Barth to name a few and the creeds that put into words the doctrine of the Trinity as it was developed. Among those were the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, the Belgic confession and the Second Helvetic Confession of 1566. So that portion of the book alone is well worth the read, especially if you are like me and haven’t read much on the history of the development of the doctrine of the Trinity.

The author then begins to discuss the error that the Son is subordinate to the Father in any way other than his temporal subordination in what is known as ‘the economy of salvation’. He is addressing in this portion of the book how the teaching of the eternal subordination of the Son in the Trinity is used as a means to teach the permanent subordination of women. I was truly appalled at the ideas of men such as Luther and Calvin and their ideas that women are an inferior created class. The author insists that the beginning place for any discussion on men/women is Genesis 1:26-28 where we learn that men and women are both created in the image of God, not one lesser than the other.

There is so much information in this book and I know that I will read it again a second time to glean even more. I can’t give you even a complete overview of this book; it would take pages to do that. His ideas on the current Egalitarian/Complementarian debate are very thoughtful as there are so many nuances within that debate, a debate that I just recently became aware of. But he makes an excellent point when he addresses Philippians 2:5-11 and tells us that this Scripture as penned by Paul, was not given as a refutation of the eternal subordination of the Son to the Father but was given to men and women so that both sexes might emulate Christ’s voluntary and costly self-giving and humility:

“Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave.” (Phil 2:5-7)

His conclusion of the teaching that the Son is eternally subordinated to the Father is this:

“They are guilty of subordinatiosm, understood as the error of reading back into the eternal Trinity the temporal and voluntary subordination of the Son seen in the incarnation. Their concern for upholding the permanent subordination of women, which they believe the Bible teaches, has led them to thinking that the Son is eternally subordinated to the Father, something the Bible definitely does not teach. The Son is the co-Creator for all eternity, and after Easter he is confessed not as the obedient servant of the Father but as the Lord who reigns as “the head over all things”

Another great read!

The Wedding!

2008-08-31T10:11:00.009-06:00

Saturday
Contemplating what it is going to be like to attend this wedding today has been quite a thought process, an ambivalent thought process. I’ve known this young lady since the day she was born, I was there and along with her dad was the first to see her in the nursery, to touch her fingers and to rejoice with the parents who had lost one in miscarriage and one in still birth. The parents have been friends for many, many years so I wanted to go to share their joy this day as well.

They belong to the church I withdrew my membership from, so therein lay the ambivalence and why I am even a bit hesitant. I wonder you see; who will be there, will they shun me, what do they think now, do they still care for me as I care for them, will they even talk to me and on and on the thoughts swirled. I think you get the picture and I’m sure you can relate, after all we really are all the same. At the same time, I know that my deepest joy doesn’t rest in the opinion that others may have of me, it rests in Jesus Christ my only true comfort. So I’m off to the wedding and I’m looking forward to the day and I’m hesitant, both thoughts mingled together.

Sunday
It was an outdoor wedding and probably one of the windiest days we have had in several months, but at least the wind made it cooler. It wasn’t a solemn setting as some weddings can be, more down to earth with a western setting as the kids are from that lifestyle. The traditional vows were said and the pastor gave a short message about marriage being likened to Christ and His Church. In my own mind I rejoiced in knowing that Christ shed His blood for His people only, and we, His sheep, are the true bride of Christ and I rejoiced that I know Him as my Bridegroom. I know that many there rejoiced in the same truth.

When I saw those that I genuinely love I went to them, unhesitating to show that, although I have come out of the membership of the ‘institutional church’ and have doctrinal differences with them that hasn’t changed me or my love and care for them. In those differences I don’t question their faith or their love for Christ, nor am I ashamed of coming out of the church or where I am at today in my earthly journey along the way, trusting always the One who directs my steps. I wanted them to know that without words but by my actions! There were several that wouldn’t have come to me if I hadn’t gone first, but I don’t mind that, someone always has to be the first don’t they? I don’t believe they did that out of dislike or in a judgmental way, more along the lines of confusion and I do like to give the benefit of the doubt as much as possible. So I was delighted to give hugs, shake hands and inquire into their well being, having missed them. It was a social setting and remained on that level the remainder of the day, but it was good. There was good food, lots of laughter, much reminiscing and I’m truly glad that I went.

I do miss their presence in my life but I know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes so I rest in that truth as I rest in Him!

Sing to Jesus!

2008-08-17T09:49:00.005-06:00

Come and see, look on this mystery
The Lord of the Universe, nailed to a tree
Christ our God, spilling His Holy blood,
Bowing in anguish, His sacred head

Sing to Jesus, Lord of our shame
Lord of our sinful hearts.
He is our great Redeemer.
Sing to Jesus, Honor His name.
Sing of His faithfulness, pouring His life out unto death.

Come you weary and he will give you rest
Come you who mourn, lay on His breast
Christ who died, risen in Paradise
Giver of mercy, Giver of Life

Sing to Jesus His is the throne
Now and forever,
He is the King of Heaven.
Sing to Jesus, we are His own.
Now and forever sing for the love our God has shown

Fernando Ortega

Summer Bookshelf!

2008-08-15T22:28:00.001-06:00

I’ve been reading quite a bit this summer, I love to read. I finished the book titled “American Jezebel” by Eve LaPlante. It was a biography of Anne Hutchinson, a nonconformist Puritan woman written by a descendant who says “I am neither to disdain nor to exalt my central character: I strive instead for a balanced portrait of Anne Hutchinson’s life and thought in all their complexity”. It is vibrant history of New England in the early 1600’s, especially ‘religious’ history. I was fascinated by the story of this courageous woman who wanted nothing more than the believer’s freedom of conscience and to worship without persecution. The Puritans came to America in the early 1600’s to escape the state church and the persecution they were suffering. But in the end they became almost exactly what they had left England for, they became the persecutors.

She was an early champion of freedom of conscience and supported the notion that individuals can believe as they wish and she wasn’t willing to accept religious authority without question. Can you even imagine in the 1600’s a woman who had such strong convictions and wholly kept them even amongst the heresy trial, the time spent away from her family in arrest and finally the excommunication from her church? Did she hold to heresy? I imagine it depends on how you define the word ‘heresy’. If it is a belief that you hold to that doesn’t fit the mold of ‘orthodoxy’ then I am sure she did hold to heresy. She isn’t here to ask and so we can read what others say she believed but unless we could hear it from her we will never truly know. Only a man knows his own thoughts and his own mind.

Interestingly the ‘Charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations” was issued to those who wanted to maintain independence from Massachusetts and the religious attitudes that were prevalent there just as they had been in England. This charter language, copied below, leads directly to the Third Amendment to our Constitution which grants to us religious freedom.

“No person within the said colony, at any time hereafter, shall be any wise molested, punished, disquieted, or called into question, for any differences in opinion in matters of religion, and do not actually disturb the civil peace of our said colony; but that all and every person and persons may…..freely and fully have and enjoy his and their own judgments and consciences, in matters of religious concernments, throughout the tract of land hereafter mentions”

The battle, of course, still goes on. If you question, if you hold to differences of opinion, if you adhere to your own conscience then there is a label of some sort that is attached to you. Maybe it is rebellious and un-submissive, maybe it is a heretic or maybe it is a fool. It was said that ‘they’ destroyed her and yet I don’t believe they did. Men can destroy the body but only God can destroy both body AND soul.

A very enlightening and good read!

But God................!

2008-08-10T13:06:00.002-06:00

Two words, profound truth!

Several months ago these very words came up in a dialog online, simple but mighty words they are! We were discussing the second chapter of Ephesians and how many believe that we, the elect, were under the wrath of God until the time of faith. I think it will depend on what you mean by wrath but my conviction of scripture is that the elect were never under the damning wrath of God, being delivered from that by His eternal election in love.

When we consider ourselves we are BY nature as deserving of His damning wrath as the others, by nature we walked in the lusts and desires of our flesh, fulfilling them. The same spirit that works in the sons of disobedience worked in us, motivating us…………but God!

We were satisfied in our nature and in our lust unable & unwilling to come to Him………but God!

We were without hope………but God!

Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots……but God!

They took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb……but God raised Him from the dead.

The disciples asked Jesus, “then who can be saved? And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The Good News…………but God!

A Description of God's People!

2008-08-04T11:39:00.003-06:00

1 Peter Chapter 1
Don Fortner Sermon paraphrased by me!

Peter gives us a wonderful description of who we are as saints and describes most simply the great gifts that we have, the gifts that we can rejoice in and treasure as we sojourn here.

1. We are strangers in this world; the world will not know us. Abel was a stranger to Cain although they were brothers because Cain did not know Abel. Cain was a natural man, Abel a spiritual. It is the enmity between the seed of Christ and the seed of the serpent, to always exist until the new heavens and the new earth.

2. We are elect, the favored of God. We believe as a result of our election unto salvation.

3. We are begotten again unto a living hope. We are regenerated and born anew from above.

4. We are heirs of an inheritance that is reserved in heaven for us, an inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled. We cannot even begin to fathom what awaits us in glory as ‘eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1Corinthians 2:9

5. We are kept, we are hedged about, guarded and sealed by the power of God. What a truth to realize and embrace, that we are kept by God, never to be lost. He will bring us each home safely.

6. We rejoice even in heaviness, being tested by fire. It is a ‘needs be’ to be tested and tried so that our faith will be more precious and it will result in praise and glory when Christ is revealed when He returns.

7. We love Him because of His great love for us. Do we meditate on that enough, do we understand that God is rich in mercy and He loves us with great love? Do your ears hear that, it is GREAT love!

8. We believe Him though we do not see Him; by the faith He has given us.

9. We have joy and this joy comes because we believe Him, because we love Him, because of our knowledge of Him. It is joy that comes from confident peace that rules in our hearts.

10. We receive the salvation of our souls, the end of our faith. We are continually receiving this great salvation as we sojourn here. The prophets searched and made careful inquiries into this salvation and the angels long to look into it. What a great salvation it is, do we remember that every day? We walk in that salvation every day, the salvation purchased for us by His blood. We walk 'set apart', not to show our ‘religion’ before man, not to be seen of men but because it is right, we are set apart unto God not to man.

11. We know what God reveals because we are continually taught of God. We know the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, our ears have been opened. We know how God saves sinners; we get the lessons because He is the One teaching them to us. We know what God has revealed in His Word. Do we search the scriptures daily to know more of the Gospel of our Lord, the Gospel that is the power of God unto salvation? It has been given to us to know.

12. We are redeemed, not with corruptible things but with the precious blood of Christ. Do you remember that every day, do you remember that without Him we are nothing? We have been redeemed from a meaningless existence in time; we have been redeemed from a vain manner of life.

It was a willing sacrifice; doesn’t that still to this day amaze you? He was willing to suffer and shed His blood for His people.

Praise Him; praise Him, Jesus our blessed Redeemer!

Grace and Peace!

2008-08-02T12:05:00.007-06:00

“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (1Corinthians 1:3)

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2)

The saints are greeted many times in the New Testament with these very words, grace and peace! The important thing to note is where this grace and peace come from and they come to us through God, not man!

You might wonder why that knowledge would be so important and it is simply because we can rightly know that man cannot take true grace and peace away. God has peace with us through His Son Jesus Christ and that is why we have peace with God. The believer knows the way of peace and knows that it is only to be had in the Lord Jesus Christ, His righteousness imputed to us, true Grace!

We are to do as much as lies within us to live peaceably with all men, if it be possible. (Romans 12:18). I am to do every step that lies within me to maintain peace and if peace isn’t possible the blame shouldn’t lie with me, having done all to maintain it. Many will differ certainly on what my role would be in maintaining peace; some will say that I must believe the way they do or I destroy the peace but shouldn’t our unity be in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and cannot we then still maintain peace? The greatest step to maintaining peace, for me, is to forgive men their sins against me as God has forgiven mine; I pray that be your step as well.

May the Lord strengthen you this day amidst the circumstances and trials of your life, may He give you a strong sense of His peace that passes all understanding and may this peace keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) Jesus said He would be with us alway, even unto the end of the world.

“Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen” (Romans 15:33)

They Went Out!

2008-07-27T13:35:00.009-06:00

1 John 2:18-25

18 “ Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.”

Verse 19 of 1 John 2 is perhaps one of the most misused verses against true believers in Scripture by the ‘church’ and by individuals within the ‘church’. It is generally used against anyone who leaves a certain denomination or leaves the institutional church as a member altogether by saying that because of their leaving they prove themselves to be an unbeliever. But if we read the verse in context we will see that those who are talked about here left because they were antichrist and did not believe the truth, the truth about Jesus Christ.

They didn’t believe the truth, instead they believed a lie. The liar denies that Jesus is the Christ and the liar denies the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son. This is the antichrist, the ones who go out from amongst the elect. It isn’t a going out from a certain denomination, but a going out from the Truth. The truth of who Christ is, the truth of the doctrine of salvation found only in Him and the simplicity of the Gospel. It is always beneficial to us to note when the word BUT is used for it follows as instruction to us. In this case after verse 19 it explains to us that a true believer has an anointing from the Holy One so that they cannot believe this lie. It is the anointing by the Holy Spirit which has come to us in regeneration and conversion that protects the elect from being deceived as to who Jesus Christ is and what He has done.

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” Matthew 24:24

Before regeneration Titus 3:3 tells us that “we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers’ lust and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.”

I was deceived when left to myself, left in my flesh only;

“BUT, after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared: Titus 3:4

You see, by the gift of faith the kindness and love of God was revealed to me in regeneration/conversion, and the coming to the knowledge of Christ and what His work had already accomplished for me. My mind was changed (metanoia/repentance) and I came to know my God and Savior who had elected me before the foundation of the world and in that election was the promise of eternal life through Christ the Son.

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:13

I believe!

Kohlbrugge and the Law!

2008-07-23T18:30:00.005-06:00

"What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet” But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead”. Romans 7:8-9

“For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” Romans 7:14

Dr. Kohlbrugge’s sermon on Romans 7 is difficult to read and understand. It isn’t like a sermon that you can pick up and read quite easily. He was Dutch and he wrote, as one person described, with parenthetical phrases, long sentences and his language is quite idiomatic (a distinct style or character). So I read and then I re-read and I take it quite slowly. I lay it down for a time and then come back but the amazing thing is there are always nuggets that simply jump out at you. This is where I came to with the last reading and it compliments my own thoughts and studies on the Law. He had a great zeal for the glory of grace and in that I fully and most humbly agree with him.

Dr. H. F. Kohlbrugge’s sermon on Romans seven:

“I know some will slander those who follow me and in malice make this claim” (about him and his beliefs).

Here is the claim that others have made of him.

“I am not concerned whether that which the law commands or forbids is done or transgressed; that a man should do evil that good may follow; that a man many continue in sin freely, as long as he holds to grace alone”

And his answer to them:

"Oh, no I surely desire nothing else than what the law wants; how could I do otherwise, since I love, honor, value and esteem the law ever since I ‘accepted’ (came to know of in conversion, I don’t believe we accept) the righteousness of God. But I teach you that, if a man will retain the law and works---when a person is dead unto them by the body of Christ, and when a person seeks to bring it into harmony with Christ, with which a man is dead unto sin in his death, and with whom we live unto God in his resurrection: that then a person does just the very opposite of that which the law demands; and that a man acts contrary to his own spirit, when he seeks to fulfill the law after the letter.

If you esteem the law the way I esteem it, so as not to overlook even a tittle of the same and rather use it as a witness against you, then you will keep close to Christ, then you will serve God in Spirit and in truth. But if not, then a person removes himself from the grace of God by his truth according to the letter, because he has a spiritual lie in his right hand.................. I desire what the law wants, but I do not find in it what I would.

And so, everything is of God, in whom we are justified, holy and delivered in Christ Jesus, and from whom we receive all things as it is present in the knowledge of Jesus Christ on the ground of faith in his word, power and truth. There the law is not against us, but I am for the law; and since now---the way I favor the law and assent to it-----I am aware of my daily, repeated and ceaseless acts, thoughts, reflections and desires and the imaginations and thoughts of my heart; I see that the Spirit does not proceed from the flesh; for I do the very opposite of that which I praise in the law."

The title for his sermon on Romans 7 was the crux of his understanding: “For I am carnal, sold under sin”. He saw himself through the law, when sin becomes ‘exceedingly sinful’ and he saw the great difference between the flesh and the spirit. We will drag this flesh, this old man around the remainder of our days here and this flesh is always under sin and will never improve. The Scripture tells us that we are no longer under the Law because the Law as a rule of life only speaks to the flesh not the spirit.

Oh but wait you might say, the Scripture exhorts us to live a holy life.

“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind” Ephesians 4:23

It is this continual renewing of our mind by the Holy Spirit in the Gospel, the knowledge of the Grace that is ours in Christ Jesus that is the power within us that causes us to walk after the Spirit and not the flesh.

Amen and Amen!