As I post my first post about this topic about singleness. I am actually working on a post about the giant curse that the true upper Midwest is going through. But as I read a book call "Getting Serious about Getting Married" by Debbie Maken, I have started to try and understand blog about it. Her writing about marriage and how through out the difference ages, marriage has been slowly moving away from what it was and that singleness is now being taught as it is the same as marriage. She claims that marriage was a big deal back in the good ol' days (my quote, not hers). She said that only a couple of generations ago, marriage was still a big deal and people would be "weird" (again my quote) if they were not married. It is this (my) generation where it is not so. The reason she quotes was that people considered it a sin to not maximize a female total time to reproduce. That just seems weird to me. The Puritans made singles live with families until ready and it was illegal to not get married. Also she blames parents for not finding a suitable husband or wife for their children.
As I learn more and more about how my great-great-great-great-grandparents thought of marriage, the question is still raised, how do I know that singleness is my calling? She used 1 Cor. 7 to justify her answer of singleness be a calling and not something that we should do. She claims that Paul would be destroying God's idea of marriage if everyone would be single. I tend to believe that Paul is telling us to remain single unless you completely desire to marry. Debbie says that only in a few cases is some called to remain single like Paul. These people (and maybe lucky people based on Kyle's wedding) would be like Paul and could not support having a family because of there constant traveling and starting churches. She says that most singles that do a lot of mission work can not use this reason because it is either local mission or only a couple of weeks in a foreign country. As I understand her reason, I feel that it is not quite right when I reread 1 Cor. 7. So hopefully, God willing, I am going to read a couple sermons from John Piper, John MacArthur, and others to find what Paul was talking about. More about that in the next single blog.
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Listening to: Scott Krippayne - May I Have This Dance
via FoxyTunes
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Another pray request
I would all to pray for my friend Brendan Lebsack. He is currently in Uganda serving with the Navs in a college ministry. There has not been any problems that I now of but he is always in need for prayer. Pray that his ministry glories God and advances God's plan. You can read about what God has been doing on his blog at brendanlebsack.blogspot.com. His blog is titled, The Established Steps of Brendan - Proverbs 16:9. Thanks all.
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Listening to: Shades Of Green - How Sweet Is Heaven
via FoxyTunes
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Listening to: Shades Of Green - How Sweet Is Heaven
via FoxyTunes
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Singleness a Study to waste time.
I have been noticing that a lot of people that I know are getting married. So I have been thinking a lot about my singleness and will I ever get married. Good thing for me, I have lots of time to read and study (but will I is the question). I am currently reading a book by Debbie Maken called "Getting Serious about Getting Married." There are questions in the back that I might address in this blog series. I am going to actually tag these post so people can follow (all of the 1 reader that is called Me). So I want to start out so people know where I can coming from. I am a single Christian guy, with an anti-social problem that rival most monks, who lives in a 4x8 ft white box that the government calls a dorm room. I spent nearly to much time searching the internet. I am going to start looking for an apartment so I can be a least free of room inspections. I actually should be doing my AMT homework. I am looking to do something really big for my 100th post. Leave a comment of an ideas.
Also, there is a new ESV Study Bible coming out in October. But through Sovereign Grace Ministry website, you can pre-order now and save 35% on also donate 5% to Sovereign Grace Ministry. More info here. I use the ESV because of the accurate current English that is uses. I have notice that most of the time, it is really close to the KJV but in modern English. Read the website for more info.
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Listening to: Scott Krippayne - I Am Jesus
via FoxyTunes
Also, there is a new ESV Study Bible coming out in October. But through Sovereign Grace Ministry website, you can pre-order now and save 35% on also donate 5% to Sovereign Grace Ministry. More info here. I use the ESV because of the accurate current English that is uses. I have notice that most of the time, it is really close to the KJV but in modern English. Read the website for more info.
----------------
Listening to: Scott Krippayne - I Am Jesus
via FoxyTunes
E-sword Live
There was a program that I used on my windows laptop. I can not use the program on my Mac because it is made for a Mac. Went to the site today to see if there was a Mac version. They was no luck but I did find that they have a live internet site. It is called E-sword Live. It is a Bible software program that is now available online. It has different tools that can help. You can also select different version. You have to register but I think it is worth it. It also has some word study and Bible dictionaries. I just got my account so I am playing with it right now.
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Listening to: href="http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/sovereign+grace+music/track/before+the+cross">Sovereign Grace Music - Before the Cross
via FoxyTunes
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Listening to: href="http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/sovereign+grace+music/track/before+the+cross">Sovereign Grace Music - Before the Cross
via FoxyTunes
Saturday, June 7, 2008
A debate on Facebook.
This week I went a group of profession Christians to see what people where talking about. A topic title is "Chew on this theory...." and it is about once saved always saved. The person that started the post does not believe in any assurance of salvation so I choose to step in and debate the issue. After I had use the verses I know that would prove that he was not correct in his theology. My next step was to research the verses the others used and see if they are in context of the Bible. I found out that there not is context. The next part is the clarification of 2 verses that were used. This is a longer post.
Chew on this theory....
I have studied this topic of once saved always. Using what I already know, sermons by Dr. MacArthur (gty.org) and Dr. Piper (desiringgod.org), and a book called “Way of the Master” by Ray Comfort. I ask that you pray before you continue reading for God to help you discern/judge what I am saying. All verses that do not have the initials behind are from the English Standard Version (ESV).
I am going to first example why the verses you used are incorrect and using hermeneutics and different sermons try to find the correct meaning.
The first verse I grabbed was Galatians 5:3-4; “I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” In the beginning of verse 3, Paul said that he was testifying again. What is Paul testifying again? He is testifying verse 2, “Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.” Paul made the effort to say that if you must obey one part of the law you must follow the whole law. The problem that Paul is addressing was legalism that the Judaizers were brought into the church at Galatia.
John Piper (desiringgod.org) says “The problem with the Judaizers was that they wanted to cash in on Christ's profit, but only by making investments with him from their own moral assets. And Paul says that if you try to earn dividends from Christ from your own investment of circumcision or dietary rules or feast days, Christ will profit you nothing. Why? Because all the spiritual and physical benefits Christ gives are dividends paid from his own investment at Calvary. When the Son of God died for our sins, the moral assets which he invested in the bank of God's glory were so great that the dividends are infinite, endless, and available to all who . . . who what? Verse 2 says: Christ's profits are not yours if you try to earn them with your own investments. Why? Because that dishonors Christ, nullifies grace (2:21), and removes the stumbling block of the cross (5:11). We exalt the cross and grace and Christ when we admit we have no assets to invest, and that Christ's investment at Calvary was totally sufficient to win free dividends of righteousness and life for all who trust him. So verse 2 teaches that slavery is when you reject Christ as the merciful benefactor who gives us freely a share in his endless profit. Slavery is when you choose to deal with him as a banker who needs your investment to produce dividends for his customers.”
Paul continues to say that the legalism would “severed” (ESV) or “is become of no effect unto you” (KJV). Both words in this case means “of separation” and the Greek word is “apo” (Blueletterbible.org). So the people that believe in legalism are separated from Jesus. This separation from Jesus requires them to meet the requirements of the law, the same law that Jesus over came at Calvary. The law must justify them on judgment day and this is why they no longer had grace. Paul says is Romans 11:6, “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” In other words, if I have to fulfill the law, I am no longer under God’s covenant of grace.
Hebrews 6:4-6 says, “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”
John MacArthur sermon series called “ The Tragedy of Rejecting Full Revlation” talks about Hebrews 5:11-6:12. In the second part of the series, is about 6:1-8. When Dr. MacArthur writes about verses 4-6, he says:
Hebrews 5-11-6:12 is talking about Jews who know about Christ but yet still cling to the Jewish religion and will not abandoned their religion to follow Christ and be saved. In today’s world, it would be someone who goes to church and never repented and believe in Christ. He knows about Christ but has not accepted the teachings.
I am going to stop here with showing you the context of the verses you use because I feel that going continuing might hurt someone. Looking at what Dr. MacArthur wrote, I seem clear for me that I can have assurance in my salvation and that is what this debate is about. The problem that had showed up on other side of the debate was the difference of salvation by grace and salvation by works. Robby, Danielle and, Robert, based on what you wrote, all of you believe in a salvation by works. I must work to continue to remain in God. The problem with that is that all works are like dirty garments. Isaiah wrote in chapter 64 verse 6, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” So according to God’s Holy word, no matter what I do, I cannot save myself. Paul writes in Galatians 2:16, “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” Also, God knows the intention of my heart and all of it is evil. God will judge us on his moral law, a moral law that no one has kept because of our sinful nature from birth. That moral law is the 10 commandments (Matthew 5:17-37) and all of our deeds will be judged based on that law. The only person in history who has kept the 10 commandments was Jesus Christ. God used his son, Jesus, to save our souls but making his own Son sin for us. The Bible says that we must repent (Luke 13:1-5) and believe (Acts 16:31-34) in Jesus to be saved.
My heart goes out at all because of the seriousness of the difference of salvation. Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 5:3-4 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” That is the message I give to you today. Repent and believe in the one that can save you.
----------------
Listening to: Casting Crowns - Love Them Like Jesus
via FoxyTunes
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Listening to: The Joslin Grove Choral Society - Softly And Tenderly
via FoxyTunes
Chew on this theory....
I have studied this topic of once saved always. Using what I already know, sermons by Dr. MacArthur (gty.org) and Dr. Piper (desiringgod.org), and a book called “Way of the Master” by Ray Comfort. I ask that you pray before you continue reading for God to help you discern/judge what I am saying. All verses that do not have the initials behind are from the English Standard Version (ESV).
I am going to first example why the verses you used are incorrect and using hermeneutics and different sermons try to find the correct meaning.
The first verse I grabbed was Galatians 5:3-4; “I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” In the beginning of verse 3, Paul said that he was testifying again. What is Paul testifying again? He is testifying verse 2, “Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.” Paul made the effort to say that if you must obey one part of the law you must follow the whole law. The problem that Paul is addressing was legalism that the Judaizers were brought into the church at Galatia.
John Piper (desiringgod.org) says “The problem with the Judaizers was that they wanted to cash in on Christ's profit, but only by making investments with him from their own moral assets. And Paul says that if you try to earn dividends from Christ from your own investment of circumcision or dietary rules or feast days, Christ will profit you nothing. Why? Because all the spiritual and physical benefits Christ gives are dividends paid from his own investment at Calvary. When the Son of God died for our sins, the moral assets which he invested in the bank of God's glory were so great that the dividends are infinite, endless, and available to all who . . . who what? Verse 2 says: Christ's profits are not yours if you try to earn them with your own investments. Why? Because that dishonors Christ, nullifies grace (2:21), and removes the stumbling block of the cross (5:11). We exalt the cross and grace and Christ when we admit we have no assets to invest, and that Christ's investment at Calvary was totally sufficient to win free dividends of righteousness and life for all who trust him. So verse 2 teaches that slavery is when you reject Christ as the merciful benefactor who gives us freely a share in his endless profit. Slavery is when you choose to deal with him as a banker who needs your investment to produce dividends for his customers.”
Paul continues to say that the legalism would “severed” (ESV) or “is become of no effect unto you” (KJV). Both words in this case means “of separation” and the Greek word is “apo” (Blueletterbible.org). So the people that believe in legalism are separated from Jesus. This separation from Jesus requires them to meet the requirements of the law, the same law that Jesus over came at Calvary. The law must justify them on judgment day and this is why they no longer had grace. Paul says is Romans 11:6, “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” In other words, if I have to fulfill the law, I am no longer under God’s covenant of grace.
Hebrews 6:4-6 says, “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”
John MacArthur sermon series called “ The Tragedy of Rejecting Full Revlation” talks about Hebrews 5:11-6:12. In the second part of the series, is about 6:1-8. When Dr. MacArthur writes about verses 4-6, he says:
“This is a very serious warning, and the warning is simply this. You had better come to Christ; for, if you fall away, it will be impossible to renew you again to the point where you've repented...That's the issue. Now, some people say it proves you can lose your salvation; but as I've been saying all along, it's not even talking to Christians at all here. In fact, those brothers in Christ who would teach us that it proves you can lose your salvation have got some real problems. Because if that teaches you can lose it, it also teaches you can't get it back again; 'cause it says, "If you fall away, it is impossible to renew you to repentance.
So I daresay you would not wanna assign this to believers who could lose their salvation. For once lost, would be damned forever if interpreted that way. So we must, in the context, see that he's talking to these on the...on the verge of commitment to Christ; and let me say that there is no need for the believer ever to fear that he'll lose his salvation. None at all. The Bible is so absolutely clear about that. John chapter 10 comes to mind, and verse 27. "My sheep hear My voice. I know them. They follow Me. I give unto them eternal life. They shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, who gave them to 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." Now you try to get anybody out of that... " (gty.org)
Hebrews 5-11-6:12 is talking about Jews who know about Christ but yet still cling to the Jewish religion and will not abandoned their religion to follow Christ and be saved. In today’s world, it would be someone who goes to church and never repented and believe in Christ. He knows about Christ but has not accepted the teachings.
I am going to stop here with showing you the context of the verses you use because I feel that going continuing might hurt someone. Looking at what Dr. MacArthur wrote, I seem clear for me that I can have assurance in my salvation and that is what this debate is about. The problem that had showed up on other side of the debate was the difference of salvation by grace and salvation by works. Robby, Danielle and, Robert, based on what you wrote, all of you believe in a salvation by works. I must work to continue to remain in God. The problem with that is that all works are like dirty garments. Isaiah wrote in chapter 64 verse 6, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” So according to God’s Holy word, no matter what I do, I cannot save myself. Paul writes in Galatians 2:16, “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” Also, God knows the intention of my heart and all of it is evil. God will judge us on his moral law, a moral law that no one has kept because of our sinful nature from birth. That moral law is the 10 commandments (Matthew 5:17-37) and all of our deeds will be judged based on that law. The only person in history who has kept the 10 commandments was Jesus Christ. God used his son, Jesus, to save our souls but making his own Son sin for us. The Bible says that we must repent (Luke 13:1-5) and believe (Acts 16:31-34) in Jesus to be saved.
My heart goes out at all because of the seriousness of the difference of salvation. Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 5:3-4 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” That is the message I give to you today. Repent and believe in the one that can save you.
----------------
Listening to: Casting Crowns - Love Them Like Jesus
via FoxyTunes
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Listening to: The Joslin Grove Choral Society - Softly And Tenderly
via FoxyTunes
Friday, June 6, 2008
Hebrews 6:1-2
I am reading a sermon done by John MacArthur. It is on Hebrews 6:1-8 and is for a debate about once saved always saved. As I do not personal believe in once saved always saved, the doctrine I am on is an assurance of salvation. The sermon is called "The Tragedy of Rejecting Full Revelation." It is a series on Hebrews 5:10-6:12. I am reading part 2 on 6:1-8. I am learning a lot about the what the writer of Hebrews is saying. It appears that this part of Hebrews is written to Jews who know about Christ but need to move on and believe in Christ. They know Christ because of the Old Testament. Dr. MacArthur says that the Jews need to abandoned their Jewish learning and start to believe in Christ. It is really interesting and I am only 1/3 of the way done with the sermon. The link to the sermon is here.
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Listening to: Superchick - Wishes
via FoxyTunes
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Listening to: Superchick - Wishes
via FoxyTunes
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Ely Boys Choir
The Ely Cathedral has a Boy's Choir and here is a video of them singing in the Chapel this past Sunday. The sound quality is not great.
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Listening to: Way of the Master Radio - May 21, 2008 - Hour 1
via FoxyTunes
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Listening to: Way of the Master Radio - May 21, 2008 - Hour 1
via FoxyTunes
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