|
SubscriptionsSites I Read
|
|
|
|
| I've been spending the last 1 1/2 weeks at Open Gate Ministries down in Reading Pennsylvania. It's a two week program designed around the idea of Urban Evangelistic Training. We've spent the first week in seminars, three a day, learning about how to teach, catching the evangelistic vision, etc. This week we've been teaching a Vacation Bible School. I'm helping out with the 12 and up boys class. Makes for an interesting time. The children always want to play, some of them are quite heavy and cause sore shoulders. Until next time, William. | | |
| I just came back from a four day conference, New Attitude, in Louisville Kentucky. I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend it to anyone. It's put on by Sovereign Grace Ministries and some of the speakers included Joshua Harris, John Piper, and Mark Dever. The overarching theme was Discernment. Some of the topics were, Discernment in Doctrinal Issues, Discernment in Culture, Discerning our hearts.
For info or to download the sermons and listen to them go to www.newattitude.com.
Later on I may speak more into some of the sermons.
| | |
| Forgiveness. It's a topic we don't like to think about in todays society. All we can think about is my rights above all else. My way or the highway. The idea of respect is foreign to many people. I talk to people who say, I'll not respect you unless you respect me. If everybody lived by that code we'd have nobody respecting anybody. When respect does not exist between people there is a certain loss of simply getting along with one another. When we don't get along with one another in society, there is a breakdown and people get in senseless arguments, fights, kill others. It all comes down to this idea of forgiveness.
The Bible is very clear on this matter. God very clearly states, If you don't forgive others, then neither will I forgive you. The parable of the unforgiving debtor brings out very clearly what will happen to us at the end of time if we don't forgive those around us. In light of what God has done for us by sending down his Son on the cross to die for us, why are we so petty in our unforgiving hearts ? What's the point of holding out ? Do we think that we're making ourselves look better ? In fact we end up looking petty and childish. Actually that's a bit of an inaccurate statement, because children actually tend to forgive much better than we as adults.
So how be we forgive others as God has forgiven us.
More on Christlike love later.
| | |
| What happens when we accept the free gift of salvation ?
First, let us consider the gift itself. God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved John 3:17. That helps the understanding a bit doesn't it. God didn't send His Son to condemn, but to save us from our sinful nature. God came down as a sacrifice for us in the person of Jesus to take upon Himself our sins. The amazing aspect of this thought is that God himself came down. He sent a part of Himself down to earth to experience humanity and to bear our sins.
It's a bit mind-boggling to consider this. I'm talking somewhat of the Trinity here. God in three persons. It's even more humbling to consider that God loved us so much that He Himself came to die for us. What did we do to deserve this, absolutely nothing. In fact, Gods' attribute of justice would dictate that we should die for our sins, not Jesus.
So what is result of the free gift. When we accept the absolutely free gift of Salvation our sins are imputed unto Christ. We are no longer slave to the old evil nature, but are a new being. We no longer must pay the price of sin, but are now free. Yes, we may still pay the price in the body for past sins, but in the spirit we are free indeed. For example, a life of alcoholism or smoking, may lead to liver disease or emphysema, but though the body may be destroyed yet will we see God.
Accept the free gift, it's free to all.
| | |
| Sorry, I'm a bit late on this one, it's day after tomorrow. Anyhow, I was pondering recently about the Free Gift of Salvation. Actually, around the whole Christmas season to be more accurate, and then more recently during the whole Easter season. You know, society has made both Christmas and Easter into such overblown events and has truly missed the point. We spend so much time at these times of year buying gifts for one another, eating to much etc. and yet we don't stop to think.
So here are my thoughts on the subject. John 3:16 states it nicely. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. That's it. There it is. The free gift. All we as humans must do is to believe in what Jesus did for us on the cross, repent of our sins, and simply accept the free gift.
Why is that so hard ? I know many of us don't like to admit to the fact that in the eyes of God we are sinners, born in a sinful nature. We like to say that well we're just mistakers. We just make a lot of mistakes. Well the fact of the matter is that we are all sinners and can do nothing to appease the righteous wrath of God. Gods' attribute of Justice dictates that justice must be served on a sinful human race. However, we are fortunate in that His attribute of Love made a way for us to escape our judgement due to us. We are even more fortunate in that we live in the day of Grace and Mercy and have the chance to accept the gift.
When we as humans hear of a free gift, no strings attached, we think that there must be a catch. Well the fact of the matter is, there are no strings attached to this one. Won't you accept the free gift.
More on the results of this acceptance later in the week.
Possibly some thoughts on the Biblical teaching of Forgiveness as well.
| | |
|
