I'm too dumb to be a Calvinist

I've come to the conclusion that I'm too dumb to read Calvin. I tried to read the document mentioned in my earlier post, called 'Calvins Calvinism,' but I couldn't get into it. I love to read informative books and articles from earlier times and normally enjoy the more detailed and precise language of those times, but this was not interesting to me, and the fact that Calvin kept referring to some other men who he called various derogatory names because they had the 'audacity' to believe in the free will of man was very annoying to me. The Bible teaches the free will of man along with the sovereignty of God, and as Spurgeon said:

“That God predestines, and that man is responsible, are two things that few can see. They are believed to be inconsistent and contradictory; but they are not. It is just the fault of our weak judgment. Two truths cannot be contradictory to each other. If, then, I find taught in one place that everything is fore-ordained, that is true; and if I find in another place that man is responsible for all his actions, that is true; and it is my folly that leads me to imagine that two truths can ever contradict each other. THESE TWO TRUTHS, I DO NOT BELIEVE, CAN EVER BE WELDED INTO ONE UPON ANY HUMAN ANVIL, but one they shall be in eternity: they are two lines that are so nearly parallel, that the mind that shall pursue them farthest, will never discover that they converge; but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring” (Charles Spurgeon, New Park Street Pulpit, Vol. 4, 1858, p. 337).
Following are some links from wayoflife.org that speak about Calvinism:
http://www.wayoflife.org/database/calvinscamels.html
http://www.wayoflife.org/database/calvinismprooftext.html
http://www.wayoflife.org/database/page22/page22.html
http://www.wayoflife.org/database/calvinismdebate.html
http://www.wayoflife.org/database/hypercalvinism.html

I think David Cloud's biblical view on the subject of Calvinism is the most sensible I have heard.
No, I'm not too dumb, but I do believe the Gospel is simple to understand and shouldn't require a high level degree and years of study to understand, and any system of belief that makes people proud and hateful towards others who don't agree with them is not the gospel.
Just to clarify, as David Cloud says in response to James White's desire to debate him on Calvinism vs. Arminianism: I am not a Calvinist, nor am I an Arminian; I'm a Biblicist.

CORRECTION: A reader has pointed out to me that I misunderstood Spurgeon's statement about man's responsibility and God's sovereignty, taking 'man's responsibility' to equal 'free will'. I did later realize my mistake but it never occurred to me to go back and correct it. Thanks 'Anonymous' for bringing that up :) Anyway, about 'free will' and God's sovereignty, I do believe "that the mind that shall pursue them farthest, will never discover that they converge; but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring". I believe our free will is subject to God, but that only He understands where the line is between them.

Christ the Savior is Born!

Luke 2
1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Must read Warren Smith's 'Reinventing Jesus Christ'

Here is a very important book called 'Reinventing Jesus Christ: The New Gospel' by Warren Smith that every Christian should read. Warren Smith is a former new ager who was converted to Jesus Christ and is warning people of the 'new gospel' proposed by the new age movement, via their new 'Christ' whom they call Maitreya. It is a very eye-opening book, exposing the shocking plans of the 'new gospel' evangelists and showing the prominent church leaders who have become part of this end-times delusion that was prophesied in God's Word. Please click on the blue book in the right margin of the page after you click on the link above.
In a related article, here is a commenatry by Paul Proctor speaking on the same subject.
These are urgent warnings that true Christians should prepare themselves for persecution and take care, as Jesus warned, not to be deceived by false christs (see Matthew 24).

It's fun making homemade hand salve

This week I made homemade hand salve using expeller expressed virgin coconut oil, beeswax, essential oils, and wheat germ oil. It was very easy and fun. I also ordered some cute metal tins (8 oz.) to put the salve in.


I made 5 cups at a time, using tangerine essential oil for the first batch and lavender essential oil for the second batch.


All I did was melt 4 cups of coconut oil (it's solid in cold weather) on medium low heat and then add 1 cup of beeswax pearls. You can adjust the amount of beeswax if you like it more solid. The more beeswax you add the more solid the salve will be. I had to raise the heat a little until the beeswax melted. Then I took the pot off the heat and added a tablespoon of wheat germ oil (for the vitamin e) and about an ounce of the essential oil. I let it cool for just a few minutes and then used a small ladle to spoon the oil into the tins. It hardened and turned opaque as it cooled. Then I put the lids on and later made some nice labels for them. They will be used for Christmas gifts. My daughters and I couldn't wait till Christmas to use ours, so we each got a tin and tried it! It is very good for chapped hands and dry feet.
Pictures coming soon!

Medicinal Herb Course on sale at TNfarmgirl!

Are you interested in learning about how to make your own herbal remedies? I've been wanting to for quite a while, so when I saw that TNfarmgirl has her medicinal herb course on sale until December 31 for only $15 dollars (that's $10 off the website price) I jumped on it! She will also answer email questions through the end of February (usually it's 30 days from the purchase date) so you can get lots of help for over two months if you sign up now! She also has lots of great-looking soaps and shampoo bars which I've been wanting to try; I ordered several for Christmas gifts.

Did John Calvin 'consent unto the death' of Michael Servetus?

Here is an article I read about John Calvin today. I had been told several years ago that John Calvin had a heretic put to death. I, not being a Calvinist and not knowing anything about him except by hearsay, did not have any reason to think this wasn't true and did not investigate it, though it always bothered me that someone who was supposed to be a reformer would be a persecutor.
I had started reading 'Calvin's Calvinism' here, and a reference to the incident caused me to look up more information on the subject. I found the above article that explains another side of what happened between John Calvin and Michael Servetus, who is the man Calvin supposedly persecuted.
I always have wondered what Calvin really taught; if he would recognize the doctrines that are attributed to him today. I have never read any of his writings, so when I finish the translated documents mentioned above, I'll let you know what I think.

Why I will never 'go home' to catholicism

Recently, I've been interested in the merits of Protestantism as opposed to Roman Catholicism, and have been commenting on a Catholic blog that I found while searching for some information about a Roman Catholic priest who left the catholic church to become a protestant minister.

Debating with these Catholic ladies has caused me to dig deeper into the Bible and history to understand the differences between protestantism and catholicism and the truth of the claims of each to be the true church.

I have a personal interest in this also because several years ago I was shocked to learn that some close family members were in the process of joining the catholic church. As a baptist and admirer of many protestant heroes, such as Tyndale and the Waldenses and the Pilgrims, this was incomprehensible to me.

Here is a link to some messages I found that express the thoughts that have been solidifying in my mind as I study this issue; this Presbyterian minister of course is much more learned than I, and can express the truth much more effectively, but his conclusions are very similar to what I've concluded so far. These messages are by Rev. Robert S. Rayburn of Faith Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, Washington.

These messages state better than I can why I will never 'go home' to Roman Catholicism.

Before I go, let me say that I see many good things in Catholicism and many catholics are true believers in Christ. I see the attraction of it and applaud many of the stands that catholics take. Here is a quote from the last message by Rev. Rayburn:

In particular, the negative principle -- the pointing out of error -- may never be allowed to overwhelm the positive, the assertion of truth. The negative work is necessary, the Bible makes that clear enough, but it is all too possible for the negative, the denunciatory to begin to take the chief place in teaching about the Christian faith, and the results of that are never profitable. [Murray, Lloyd Jones, ii, 680]
John Newton described this danger in a more personal and homely way when he wrote, "There is a principle of self, which disposes us to despise those who differ from us." To give too much place to criticism, even theological criticism, is, therefore, an invitation to a hateful approach to those with whom we disagree, and hateful folk have never advanced the interests of the gospel, never protected the church from the inroads of error, and never persuaded others to abandon their errors to come home to the truth.
I do not want any of you, ever, to become a Roman Catholic. Over these last weeks I have told you why. But it will be an altogether pyrrhic victory if all we succeed at doing is making ourselves more anti-Catholic. As one old Reformed writer put it, "Faith is not the negation of errors, but the affirmation of the truth." [Francis

Burman, in Sepp, ii, 181]
After all, at the end of the day, as we said repeatedly over these past weeks the errors we believe we have demonstrated in the Roman Catholic system are, in kind, the same errors it would be easy enough to find in Protestantism, and, indeed, always lurking in our own hearts. To know a certain idea to be a mistake is not the same thing as embracing the truth and living by it.

A favorite Bible passage

One of my favorite Bible passages is Malachi 4:1-3.

Malachi 4
The Great Day of God 1 “For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the LORD of hosts, “ That will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. 3 You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says the LORD of hosts.



Enough said.

Psalm 49

Psalm 49
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. 1 Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, 2 Both low and high, Rich and poor together. 3 My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding. 4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will disclose my dark saying on the harp. 5 Why should I fear in the days of evil, When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me? 6 Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, 7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him— 8 For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever— 9 That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit. 10 For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others. 11 Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, Their dwelling places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. 12 Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain; He is like the beasts that perish. 13 This is the way of those who are foolish, And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah 14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; Death shall feed on them; The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling. 15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah 16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; 17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself), 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see light. 20 A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.

This didn't have to happen

Here is a sad story about a young man named Jesse Kilgore who lost hope after reading a book by famous atheist and evolutionist, Richard Dawkins.
What is so sad is that the young man was a Christian, but after reading Dawkins' book 'The God Delusion' he became so hopeless that he took his own life, apparently without even speaking about this to his own father who might have given him guidance.
This story amazed me because of the fact that there is so much information available to someone who wants to find the truth about our origins (see answersingenesis.org); this DID NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN. WHY did Jesse just give up without asking for help from those who are wiser than he? Why did he just assume that the atheist, whom God in His word calls a fool, was right? Why did he give up his faith and his life instead of fighting to the end?
Here is a search page from my husband's website, exchangedlife.com, that links to messages my husband wrote about Richard Dawkins' books and articles refuting Dawkins' evolutionary teachings.
Just because someone like Dawkins sounds so sure of himself doesn't make him right.
There is no evidence for evolution, contrary to the BIG LIE you have may been taught in public schools. The evolutionists know how to sound sure of themselves (and maybe they are) but the facts don't support them if you are willing to keep looking for the truth ("Seek and you shall find" as the Lord Jesus said).

I'm reading some wonderful Church history

I'm reading some very interesting and wonderful Church history here. I'm interested in protestant history through the centuries as they opposed the Roman Catholic church as it arose and became a dominant institution rather than the living church of Jesus Christ. There is a mistaken idea propagated by the Catholic church that they were the only church for centuries and therefore must be the true church because 'God would not leave the world without any light,' as they like to say. Well, if you read this and many other protestant historians, you will see that there has always been a true church that by necessity had to protest against the Roman church in order to be obedient to Christ and hold up the light of the true gospel. Puritans, or 'cathari' as they were called in Latin, rose up even from the beginning of the Roman church and constantly were a problem to them all throught the centuries. The catholics don't like to admit this.
If you don't want to read the whole thing, I suggest you start with the section entitled "Reflections on the History of Christianity during the First Three Centuries" (starting on page 121) as I did, hoping to go back later and read the rest.
I think you will find it very encouraging if you are a believer.

Check out this great give-away!

Dana at The Old Red Barn Co. is giving away these three lovely quilts! Check it out here!

My first post; worse than a blank canvas

I'm writing this first post so people who read my comments on other blogs have a way to contact me if they want to.
Right now I can't think of anything exciting to say, except that being more of an artist than a writer, this blank window is worse than a blank canvas, because in filling it I'm revealing more of myself than in a drawing.
Anyway, I hope to have things to post on many subjects in the future.
See ya later.
Jen