Something I read today....

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

Comment all you want!

Thanks!!!

[mizpeh]

Martin Bucer

“If you immediately condemn anyone who doesn’t quite believe the same as you do as forsaken by Christ’s Spirit, and consider anyone to be the enemy of truth who holds something false to be true, who, pray tell, can you still consider a brother? I for one have never met two people who believed exactly the same thing. This holds true in theology as well.”

This is a good starting point to gain perspective. Remember, there is no one who looks exactly like you do theologically. Be careful here as this type of attitude can quickly exhume your soul from death, but leave every other living person in hell. This is worse than just about anything you could accuse your opponent of. We have answers, but we don’t have all the answers. We have truth, but we don’t have all the truth.

[mizpeh]

Must I Learn How to Interpret the Bible? by D.A. Carson



(1) As conscientiously as possible, seek the balance of Scripture, and avoid succumbing to historical and theological disjunctions.


.....Historically, many Reformed Baptists in England between the middle of the eighteenth century and the middle of the twentieth so emphasized God's sovereign grace in election that they became uncomfortable with general declarations of the Gospel. Unbelievers should not be told to repent and believe the Gospel: how could that be, since they are dead in trespasses and sin, and may not in any case belong to the elect? They should rather be encouraged to examine themselves to see if they have within themselves any of the first signs of the Spirit's work, any conviction of sin, any stirrings of shame. On the face of it, this is a long way from the Bible, but thousands of churches thought it was the hallmark of faithfulness. What has gone wrong, of course, is that the balance of Scripture has been lost. One element of Biblical truth has been elevated to a position where it is allowed to destroy or domesticate some other element of Biblical truth.

In fact, the "balance of Scripture" is not an easy thing to maintain, in part because there are different kinds of balance in Scripture. For example, there is the balance of diverse responsibilities laid on us (e.g. praying, being reliable at work, being a biblically faithful spouse and parent, evangelizing a neighbor, taking an orphan or widow under our wing, and so forth): these amount to balancing priorities within the limits of time and energy. There is the balance of Scripture's emphases as established by observing their relation to the Bible's central plot-line; there is also the balance of truths which we cannot at this point ultimately reconcile, but which we can easily distort if we do not listen carefully to the text (e.g. Jesus is both God and man; God is both the transcendent sovereign and yet personal; the elect alone are saved, and yet in some sense God loves horrible rebels so much that Jesus weeps over Jerusalem and God cries, "Turn, turn, why will you die? For the LORD has no pleasure in the death of the wicked."). In each case, a slightly different kind of Biblical balance comes into play, but there is no escaping the fact that Biblical balance is what we need......

http://www.gfcto.com/2006/06/must_i_..._the_bible.php

[mizpeh]

I'm saving this sage bit of advice MissB gave to Jfrog.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jfrog
That's what I'm getting at. Tell me how you can love a person but hate what they do.

jfrog, have you ever done something you really didn't want to do, only to find later that it was beneficial? Simple example, but my oldest daughter complains when we get ready to rake leaves in the fall. She moans and sighs and grumps, but it never fails--before the afternoon is up, she is laughing and jumping in the leaves with the other two.

Human emotions are unreliable when it comes to determining right from wrong. If we don't FEEL love for someone, sometimes we need to choose the loving action, and surprisingly, often the feeling will follow.

If we allow ourselves to be led by our emotions, we will be like a "reed shaking in the wind." If your flesh is feeling something that is against the spirit, then starve the flesh and feed the spirit. Do exactly the opposite of what you feel and follow what Jesus instructed instead. Pray for the person; bless them; be kind to them; refuse to speak ill of them to others...etc. You may find that your feelings will completely change.

[mizpeh]

What is character? According to the dictionary, character means

1. a distinctive trait;
2. behavior typical of a person or group;
3. moral strength;
4. reputation.

Character is an evaluation of a particular individual's moral qualities. It can also imply a variety of attributes including the existence of lack of virtues such as integrity, courage, fortitude, honesty and loyalty, or of good behaviors or habits. When someone is a moral character, it is primarily referring to the assemblage of qualities that distinguish one individual from another.

When we watch a movie or read a book we usually think of the characters. Even though sometimes the character is complex most of the time they tend to be usually good or bad. Even in the early days of the western, you could tell the characters by the color of their outfits and hats. Although we tend to support the good character and cheer them on as they go about their lives. We want to see them succeed. But in real life character is much more complicated. We are all an array of good and bad character traits. We need to make a conscience decision to do what is right. Depending on your choices, we are either rewarded or have to pay the consequences.

The United States Air Force Academy definition is "We define character as the sum of those qualities of moral excellence that stimulate a person to do the right thing, which is manifested through right and proper actions despite internal or external pressures to the contrary."

When we think of someone with good character or morals we can find many who fit the bill. One of the men I think about is Noah. Even if you are not biblical you have heard of Noah. Noah was a man who God chose as being a person of good character. Noah was a just man. He was righteous in conduct and character. He was a man vindicated by God. He was also able to maintain his integrity as he was being ridiculed by his peers. He was a role model for them and by being a man of good standing and did not waiver in his conviction, God protected Noah and his family.

Another quote by an author unknown says, "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."

In looking at the negative side of character for a brief moment. The current situation on Wall Street shows the CEO's of these firms as greedy. Shows a lack of integrity.

Once your character has been destroyed how long do you think it would take for others to trust you again? Would your character ever be totally repaired? Would there always be a hint of question surrounding you?

Remember when dealing with others keep your character intact. Also, remember the true test of character is what you do when no one is watching you. Do you act the same way when you are alone as you do when you are with others. As Abraham Lincoln said, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-is-Character?&id=1828510

[mizpeh]

For the Love of God, A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God's Word, by D.A.Carson

Jude 1

"Dear Friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith which was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men" (Jude 3-4). Observe:

(1) Sometimes it is right to contend for the faith. That is not always the way forward, of course: more often the primary emphasis must be on proclamation, articulating, and rearticulating the whole counsel of God. Sometimes a gentle answer or earnest entreaty will prove the wiser course. But here, Jude urges his readers to contend for the faith.

(2) That for which we must contend is the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. The place where the faith is being attacked in such cases is bound up with some stance that describes itself as "progressive," "contemporary," or "avant-garde"-- but which is inevitably prepared to sacrifice something that "was once for all entrusted to the saints." Of course, sometimes the latter is nothing more than an appeal to unwarranted tradition, but that is not what is going on in this case. Here the "progressivists" are sacrificing something that has been essential to the Gospel for the very beginning.

(3) In some cases, contending for the faith (which is not to be confused with being contentious about the faith) is the most urgent thing to do. That is why Jude can openly admit he had hoped to write something else, but felt compelled to apply himself in this more urgent task. However discomfiting, when essential truth is being denied, and the denial is being believed by rising numbers, strategic wisdom foregoes other ministry for a while and focuses on the immediate pressing danger.

(4) The need for the firmest contention usually arises when the heretical voices arise in the church. When those who oppose the truth are outside the church, then although some Christians must respond to their various arguments (perhaps for evangelistic purposes), there is no urgency about contending for the faith once entrusted to the saints. Once such people manage to slip inside the church, however, so that many naive Christians accept their teaching without perceiving it to be pernicious, firm contention is inevitable. Such people must not only be refuted, but disciplined--and the latter cannot be accomplished without the former.

(5) The peculiar godlessness Jude confutes in this case is some perverse reading of the Gospel that transmutes it into "a license for immorality" (v 4). Any reading of the Gospel that promotes immorality or denies the efficacy of Jesus' salvation must be wrong and dismissed as godless.

(This is a devotional book written by D.A. Carson that follows along with the daily reading selections from the M'Cheyne bible reading plan.)

[mizpeh]

Here's the Theological Word of the Day that comes in my email everyday:

Theological Word of the Day

Four Marks of the True Church
Posted: 18 Mar 2009 10:01 PM PDT
(Also, “Marks of the Church”)
The Four Marks describe a belief in Christendom that the body of Christ—the church—is characterized by four “marks” or distinctives. These marks are found in the early church and found their way into the Creed of Constantinople in 381, “‘[We believe] In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.’” 1) One: this describes the unity of the body of Christ. It is not many, but one. 2) Holy: This describes its nature as being “set apart” unto God, his possession. It also describes its aspiration to be like God in its character. 3) Catholic (universal): this describes its universality. The body of Christ is not limited to a time, place, race, or culture. 4) Apostolic: This describes its origin and beliefs. The church’s teaching are apostolic in that they find their roots in the teachings of the Apostles. http://wordoftheday.reclaimingthemind.org/blogs/

[mizpeh]

C. He Prayed When Fame Threatened.

"But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together....And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed" (Luke 5:15-16).

When praise and honor come from men there is a special need for prayer and meditation in the presence of the Lord. Often praise comes from shallow hearts, and from those who offer it for some selfish advantage. If we foolishly accept this praise and feed upon it, serious spiritual damage will result. In such times as these there is often severe temptation to self-exultation and independence. If yielded to, this results in the believer becoming useless to God, and he must be chastened to bring him back again to lowliness and dependency. It becomes very difficult for a Christian to maintain a spirit of dependence and lowliness in times of great spiritual and material blessing. Nor do we usually feel a great need to pray during such times. And accompanying a spirit of independence there is a severe temptation to go beyond th will of God in some act of self-expression.

Uzziah, the king of Judah, was a man greatly used of God. His record of achievements were many and notable. The secret of his life up to this point is found in II Chronicles 26:5, " As long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper." However, during this time of great prosperity his heart was lifted up to his own destruction. He foolishly sought to assume the right of the priest and offered incense upon the altar contrary to the will of God and despite the urgent pleading of Azariah and eighty other priests. His previous good record could not now be pleaded in his defense. He was stricken with leprosy, and lived and died in a cottage apart (II Chronicles 26:16-21). How different it would have been for Uzziah if he had retired for prayer and heart-searching in the presence of the Lord in the time when he was at the peak of his prosperity and blessing.

So it would be well for all for us to withdraw for prayer when great spiritual or material blessing seems to threaten us with pride. The man who led the writer to Christ said frequently, 'My, how God will use anyone who will be careful to give God all the glory." Failure to give God the glory will lead to walking in the self-life with its inevitable barrenness.

What a lesson there is for us in the life of our Lord. He felt a special need when fame threatened; God help us to see a similar need in our own lives. This dangerous situation of prosperity may be completely solved in the presence of the Lord, and we can leave the place of prayer humbled and cleansed both from any reliance upon ourselves and from feeding upon the praises of men. Let us all take note of the heart-searching question uttered by our Lord in John 5:44: " How can ye believe, which received honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?"

From Changed by Beholding Him, by Newton C. Conant

[mizpeh]

Dr. Lindsley: What are the top three needs of the church today?

Dr. Stott:
a. The church’s most basic need is to remember what kind of community it is, and in particular its double identity. For God calls his people out of the world to belong to him and sends them back into the world to serve and to witness. The first calling is to ‘holiness’ and the second to ‘worldliness,’ using the word as the opposite of ‘otherworldliness,’ and meaning ‘involved in the life of the world.’ So the church is called to ‘holy worldliness’ (Alec Vidler), for this is its double identity. It needs constantly to ensure that neither identity smothers the other.

b. The church’s second need is to be what it claims to be, and so to allow no dichotomy or conflict between its profession and its practice. Without this the church lacks authenticity and so credibility.

c. In response to the challenge of pluralism, the church needs to be faithful in defending and proclaiming the uniqueness and finality of Jesus Christ. If it does so, it will certainly suffer for its faithfulness. If we compromised less, we would undoubtedly suffer more.

http://theologyandculture.wordpress....ks-and-church/

[mizpeh]

"What is Your Calling?

Perhaps the best way to facilitate any ministry, not just the ministry of prophecy, is for us to know our own callings. The church is the body of Christ, and he has assigned each of us a function within his body. Some of us are "eyes," others are "hands," and so on. What are you?
My friend I mentioned earlier, Rick Joyner, regularly takes a survey of the audiences where he speaks. He asks them if they know their calling in the body of Christ. He tells me about ten percent of the audiences claim to know their calling. Then he asks the ten percent if they're walking in their calling. And only ten percent of that group generally claims that they are. If this were an accurate survey of the whole church, it would mean only one percent of the church is actually functioning within the role Jesus has assigned to them.
What would happen to your physical body if only one percent was functioning properly? Would you be happy to have fifty percent functioning properly? Most of us want our physical bodies to operate with one-hundred percent efficiency. How do you think Jesus feels about his body?
Some of us can't function efficiently because we don't know what part of the body we are. Others of us know what part we are but we don't think other parts are necessary. Perhaps none us of walk fully in our callings until we believe in the necessity of all callings. For only then will we have the humility to fulfill our own role."

From Surprised by the Voice of God by Jack Deere, page 188-189.