Monday, December 27, 2010
When It's Hard to Agree With God: Bob Burridge
Bob Burridge of Genevan Institute for Reformed Studies has a helpful new post up today about the confession of sin.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
'The Hope of the Whole World': John Cullimore
John Cullimore has a really good post up (he's had alot of good ones recently) called 'The Hope of the Whole World'. What John said about the treatment of an autistic boy, Neal, compared with how God entered our world, really struck me.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
The Name of Jesus: Bob Burridge of Genevan Institute for Reformed Studies
Merry Christmas!!! Here's the latest post in 'The Truth About Christmas Series' called 'The Name of Jesus'.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Great God Of Wonders: Samuel Davies (1723-1761)
My old teacher Bob Burridge recommended this hymn by Samuel Davies, a preacher of the 18th century who was also a President of Princeton University. Pastor Burridge writes about Davies in this blog post.
Here are the lyrics for the entire hymn, which gives praise to God alone.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The Birth of Our Savior: Genevan Institute for Reformed Studies: Bob Burridge
My favorite 7th grade science/Bible/homeroom teacher, Mr. Burridge, has recently started a new website and foundation, the 'Genevan Institute for Reformed Studies'. On the Institute's blog, he has a series of articles about Christmas. Here is Part 8: The Birth of Our Savior, which again mentions 'upper room' (Greek 'kataluma') as the true translation of the place in which there was no room for Christ, rather than the traditional 'inn'. The article, and the others in the series, look at the Christmas story from the perspective of Scripture, removing the false impressions that have been added by years of tradition. I hope you will read this article and then take the time to read the others in the series, as I plan to.
Mr. Burridge is no longer a science teacher. After teaching for many years, he became pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church, Pinellas Park, Florida. Here is a page about the Institute and its founder.
Mr. Burridge is no longer a science teacher. After teaching for many years, he became pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church, Pinellas Park, Florida. Here is a page about the Institute and its founder.
Bigger and Better than Mary: Drunken Mystic blog
Here's a new post by Britt Mooney about the way God works, beginning with the physical and ending with the spiritual, saving the best for last, as He did when He turned the water into wine in John chapter 2.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
'The Seven Storey Mountain' by Thomas Merton: Divisions
Starting here in Thomas Merton's book 'The Seven Storey Mountain' Merton writes about part of the process of his conversion to Catholicism. He speaks about taking a class at Columbia from a professor named Dan Walsh, who was a visiting professor from Sacred heart College at Manhattanville. The class was on St. Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus. If you read at the link and go a few pages you'll get to the place where Merton admires Walsh for having
This is a very striking statement of Merton's, first of all because as a protestant it speaks to me of the stifling effect of sectarianism among protestants, who are subject to separation because of issues of philosophy, doctrine, and also of ecclesiastical structure, etc. There are valid reasons for separation, but in many cases I believe Christians allow differences and conflicts to come between when they should be learning from each other with forbearance and love. There are some differences that do not affect salvation and should not come between fellowship in the body of Christ, but these differences are often allowed to cause bitterness, pride, and broken fellowship in the body that should be united with Christ as our Head. Paul said in Ephesians 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Jesus said in John 15:16-17 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.
So, as Merton said about Catholicism, I believe many of protestantism's differing views could be seen as perspectives that can complement one another and lead us all into greater understanding and unity, rather than division, such as the sometimes rancorous division between Calvinists and Arminians, whose respective advocates have been known to regard one another as even being heretical.
Merton's words are striking, secondly, because of the admittance that there is sectarianism within Catholicism, between different philosophies, followings, and orders, which causes division and bitterness between them; as well as the idea that this adherence to one philosophy brings "the evil of narrowing and restricting Catholic philosophy and theology to a single school, to a single attitude, a single system." The latter criticism could be applied to the whole of Roman Catholicism itself, because the dogmatism of Rome has restricted 'Christian' doctrine and philosophy to its own tradition and made these traditions the only ones that can be accepted and believed in order for its members to be saved; for example, Catholics must accept the dogmas of transubstantiation, Papal infallibility, and the Marian doctrines in order to be considered in fellowship with the Church. This narrowing by Rome has caused division after division over the centuries by those believers who could not in conscience accept these dogmas. Yet these dogmas and others were not accepted or even thought of by the early church, which was taught to 'preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace' and knew how to do it in humility and love. Jesus taught in Matthew 18 that "offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes." In other words it could also say: sins that cause division must come, but woe to him by whom those sins come. Here's the whole passage, which then goes on to say that we must separate ourselves from what causes sin:
The whole passage of Matthew 18 is talking about the body of Christ, and the 'little ones' Christ speaks of are not children, but those who have 'become as little children' by faith. If someone causes the little ones of God to stumble into sin, then woe to that person. The Reformers believed vehemently that the church of Rome was causing many little ones to stumble into idolatry, as well as preventing many from entering into the Kingdom of God by teaching a false gospel of works. The Reformers hoped to reform the church from within, but eventually were forced out by the Church itself and by their own consciences. The offenses of Rome caused a 'cutting off' in the body of Christ because one part of the body caused the other parts to sin.
Paul also taught in 1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?....18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; 20 and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. 23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
We Christians are too quick to puff ourselves up in our own supposed wisdom and look down upon others with differing perspectives as if they had nothing from God to give. We forget that all we have and all we know comes from God, and we have nothing that comes from ourselves. We were commanded to love one another in humility and patience, and we totally disregard that command given by the Apostle and by Christ our Lord Himself.
As a final note, I believe we can pursue unity with individual Catholics when we see the bond of common faith in the Spirit, though I can't see that unity with the Roman Church will ever be possible. An obstacle I encounter in fellowship with individual Catholics is that they have so completely accepted the idea that the RCC is the one true infallible church that they can't go very far in a reciprocal relationship where we can learn from each other, because they don't believe the Spirit and the Word speak directly to believers outside the magisterium, so that believers can exhort one another; nor can they believe that the true church is not the RCC, but consists of a remnant all over the world inside and outside of the many church organizations.
"the most rare and admirable virtue of being able to rise above the petty differences of schools and systems, and seeing Catholic philosophy in its wholeness, in its variegated unity, and it its true Catholicity. In other words, he was able to study St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure and Duns Scotus side by side, and to see them as complementing and reinforcing one another, as throwing diverse and individual light on the same truths from different points of view, and thus he avoided the evil of narrowing and restricting Catholic philosophy and theology to a single school, to a single attitude, a single system.
I pray to God that there may be raised up more like him in the Church and in our universities, because there is something stifling and intellectually deadening about textbooks that confine themselves to giving a superficial survey of the field of philosophy according to Thomist principles and then discard all the rest in a few controversial objections. Indeed, I think it a great shame and a danger of no small proportions, that Catholic philosophers should be trained in division against one another, and brought up to the bitterness and smallness of controversy: because this is bound to narrow their views and dry up the unction that should vivify all philosophy in their souls."
This is a very striking statement of Merton's, first of all because as a protestant it speaks to me of the stifling effect of sectarianism among protestants, who are subject to separation because of issues of philosophy, doctrine, and also of ecclesiastical structure, etc. There are valid reasons for separation, but in many cases I believe Christians allow differences and conflicts to come between when they should be learning from each other with forbearance and love. There are some differences that do not affect salvation and should not come between fellowship in the body of Christ, but these differences are often allowed to cause bitterness, pride, and broken fellowship in the body that should be united with Christ as our Head. Paul said in Ephesians 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Jesus said in John 15:16-17 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.
So, as Merton said about Catholicism, I believe many of protestantism's differing views could be seen as perspectives that can complement one another and lead us all into greater understanding and unity, rather than division, such as the sometimes rancorous division between Calvinists and Arminians, whose respective advocates have been known to regard one another as even being heretical.
Merton's words are striking, secondly, because of the admittance that there is sectarianism within Catholicism, between different philosophies, followings, and orders, which causes division and bitterness between them; as well as the idea that this adherence to one philosophy brings "the evil of narrowing and restricting Catholic philosophy and theology to a single school, to a single attitude, a single system." The latter criticism could be applied to the whole of Roman Catholicism itself, because the dogmatism of Rome has restricted 'Christian' doctrine and philosophy to its own tradition and made these traditions the only ones that can be accepted and believed in order for its members to be saved; for example, Catholics must accept the dogmas of transubstantiation, Papal infallibility, and the Marian doctrines in order to be considered in fellowship with the Church. This narrowing by Rome has caused division after division over the centuries by those believers who could not in conscience accept these dogmas. Yet these dogmas and others were not accepted or even thought of by the early church, which was taught to 'preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace' and knew how to do it in humility and love. Jesus taught in Matthew 18 that "offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes." In other words it could also say: sins that cause division must come, but woe to him by whom those sins come. Here's the whole passage, which then goes on to say that we must separate ourselves from what causes sin:
6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
8 “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.
The whole passage of Matthew 18 is talking about the body of Christ, and the 'little ones' Christ speaks of are not children, but those who have 'become as little children' by faith. If someone causes the little ones of God to stumble into sin, then woe to that person. The Reformers believed vehemently that the church of Rome was causing many little ones to stumble into idolatry, as well as preventing many from entering into the Kingdom of God by teaching a false gospel of works. The Reformers hoped to reform the church from within, but eventually were forced out by the Church itself and by their own consciences. The offenses of Rome caused a 'cutting off' in the body of Christ because one part of the body caused the other parts to sin.
Paul also taught in 1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?....18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; 20 and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. 23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
We Christians are too quick to puff ourselves up in our own supposed wisdom and look down upon others with differing perspectives as if they had nothing from God to give. We forget that all we have and all we know comes from God, and we have nothing that comes from ourselves. We were commanded to love one another in humility and patience, and we totally disregard that command given by the Apostle and by Christ our Lord Himself.
As a final note, I believe we can pursue unity with individual Catholics when we see the bond of common faith in the Spirit, though I can't see that unity with the Roman Church will ever be possible. An obstacle I encounter in fellowship with individual Catholics is that they have so completely accepted the idea that the RCC is the one true infallible church that they can't go very far in a reciprocal relationship where we can learn from each other, because they don't believe the Spirit and the Word speak directly to believers outside the magisterium, so that believers can exhort one another; nor can they believe that the true church is not the RCC, but consists of a remnant all over the world inside and outside of the many church organizations.
"What must I do to be saved?"
Dr. Joe Mizzi on 'What must I do to be saved?' (Come to Jesus!)
Charles Spurgeon's testimony: "Look, look, look! You have nothing to do but look and live!"
Jesus on salvation: John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
Charles Spurgeon's testimony: "Look, look, look! You have nothing to do but look and live!"
Jesus on salvation: John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Sophia's Nativity Picture
My 6 year old daughter came to me last night and showed me this picture she had drawn: so adorable, beautiful, and sweet.
Psalm 147: "He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes"
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
6 The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God,
8 Who covers the heavens with clouds,
Who prepares rain for the earth,
Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
9 He gives to the beast its food,
And to the young ravens that cry.
10 He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;
He has blessed your children within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders,
And fills you with the finest wheat.
15 He sends out His command to the earth;
His word runs very swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
He scatters the frost like ashes;
17 He casts out His hail like morsels;
Who can stand before His cold?
18 He sends out His word and melts them;
He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.
19 He declares His word to Jacob,
His statutes and His judgments to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
6 The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God,
8 Who covers the heavens with clouds,
Who prepares rain for the earth,
Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
9 He gives to the beast its food,
And to the young ravens that cry.
10 He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;
He has blessed your children within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders,
And fills you with the finest wheat.
15 He sends out His command to the earth;
His word runs very swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
He scatters the frost like ashes;
17 He casts out His hail like morsels;
Who can stand before His cold?
18 He sends out His word and melts them;
He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.
19 He declares His word to Jacob,
His statutes and His judgments to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the Lord!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Casting Crowns God is With Us
Here's another great song by Casting Crowns. They have a great gift of sharing the old, old story in a way that makes it newly meaningful.
Casting Crowns - I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day Live
I love this version of 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' by Casting Crowns!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Amazing Grace - Mark O'Connor
I'm on a music spree, so here's another beautiful song for you to enjoy!
Hebrew for Christians website: Really neat!
Here is a neat website called Hebrew for Christians, which I have linked to once before when I accidentally came upon it in an online search about Joshua the son of Nun. 'Nun' is one of the Hebrew letters, so it came up in my search, and I posted the page for it here. The author has done amazing work to share with us the richness of the Hebrew language. Even each letter is rich with meaning. I encourage you to read through some of the pages on each letter of the 'aleph-bet'. The author, John Parsons, also has much free downloadable teaching material for homeschool or for adult students, as well as some materials for purchase.
Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!
Several people have shared this video in the last few days, so I thought I would post it for you to enjoy. I hope everyone is having a blessed Christmas season!
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
The Light Came to the World: Dr. Joe Mizzi
Dr. Joe Mizzi has a good post up called 'The Light Came to the World'.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Lord, I Am Your Child: Sharon Lee Beavers
Here's a beautiful song written and performed by Sharon Lee Beavers(Gianuzzi), our Koinonia home school co-op music teacher:
"He waters the hills from His upper rooms"
I posted a few days ago on an Answers in Genesis article called "Born in a Barn?, which states that the word translated as 'inn' in Luke 2:7 is actually the Greek word for 'upper room'; the same word that is used in referring to the room where Jesus met with His disciples. It is a guest room, considered the best room in the house. It stated also that Mary and Joseph may have been planning to stay at a relative's home, but that since there were so many people coming to Bethlehem for the census, that the guest room was full, and Mary and Joseph were staying in the lower room where the animals were sometimes brought if it was very cold outside. The other day, while I was continuing to read Thomas Merton's 'Seven Storey Mountain', Merton quoted from Psalm 104, which in the Douay-Rheims version says "Thou waterest the hills from thy upper rooms: the earth shall be filled with the fruit of thy works." This of course brought to mind the 'upper room' in the gospels and in the article. What an amazing parallel, that God waters the lower rooms, the earth, sending His goodness down from the highest place to the lowest place. As was brought out in an earlier thread, water always flows downward to the lowest place it can reach, and seeps down into the ground to refresh it. This is what God did when He sent His Son to earth. There was no room for Him in the upper room, but He came to the lower room to bring us life, and He said "In My Father’s house are many mansions [rooms]; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." "Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!" Psalm 68:19
Psalm 133
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.
Psalm 133
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.
Unity and the Roman Catholic Church
Here's an interesting post on unity from Paul Pavao, basically saying unity comes from believers enacting love within the local church.
Unity and the Roman Catholic Church
Unity and the Roman Catholic Church
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: A word about "intellectual converts"
Interesting post; both the post and the comments mention things that coincide with impressions I've gotten about the RCC and 'converts vs. cradle Catholics'.
Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: A word about "intellectual converts"
Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: A word about "intellectual converts"
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Answers in Genesis: Born in a Barn?
Here's an interesting article on the Answers in Genesis website about whether or not scripture says Jesus was born in a stable.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Evangeliku: Dr. Joe Mizzi: Who do you say that I am?
Here is a recent post by Dr. Joe Mizzi on his blog, Evangeliku.
Eddie's Word Turnings: Death of a Christmas Tradition
Here is a link to a short story written by my husband Eddie. It has nothing to do with the normal subject of this blog, but it made me laugh alot, so I thought I'd share it for you to enjoy.
Eddie's Word Turnings: Death of a Christmas Tradition
Eddie's Word Turnings: Death of a Christmas Tradition
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton: Still Reading!
I've finished part two of 'Seven Storey Mountain' and have gotten into part three. It's going to be a difficult task to give a review of this book, since there is so much in it that I could comment on. I'm going to try to just give excerpts and comment on them from time to time as I read. There are things I can relate to and agree with in Merton's story of conversion, and then there are things I definitely disagree with, so reading this book has been a very odd experience, since to me it feels like Merton is being influenced by two separate parties which sometimes coincide with one another and sometimes oppose one another: God and Catholicism; specifically, on one side I see God and Scripture and on the other side I see Catholic philosophy, history, and devotion to 'the Mother of God'. Catholics will see no contradiction between these influences, but going with Merton's own description of entering into the 'wilderness' like the Israelites following Moses, I believe he, like all Christians, encountered the same trials and temptations that the Israelites did and, again like all Christians, succombed to some of them. I would count Merton's devotion to Mary as one of those temptations. Merton is very critical of protestantism in this book and probably considered that protestants have fallen into certain of these temptations too. We are so able to see others' failings, but not our own so easily. If only we could listen to one another humbly, and give exhortation in love, we could learn so much. I wonder what he would say about me, for instance. My book is at home and I'm not, so I'll have to post some excerpts later on and comment on them.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Home Living Blog: Thanksgiving
Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving, by Jennie Brownscomb
Here's an interesting post on Lady Lydia's 'Home Living' Blog about the Mayflower Pilgrims. Lady Lydia posted an article written by Richard J. Maybury called "Why the Pilgrims Starved and Then Prospered".
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving with help from some Catholic Pilgrims from Roman, Inc.. I've been trying to find a pretty set of Pilgrims for years. Why is it that the best ones are made by a Catholic company? It's kind of ironic to have Mayflower Pilgrims, who were Calvinist protestants, made by a Roman Catholic company, but then, maybe they can represent both sides of my heritage. My Italian-American Catholic family always loved thanksgiving, and they would serve lazagna first, and then bring out the turkey and dressing! Have a great day!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Out of the Mouths of Babes...
My youngest daughter Abigail, who is three, was dancing and singing along to the Koinonia High School advanced class dance "You are Worthy" and she started singing enthusiastically "You are Woody, you are Woody, you are Woody!!!" After I stopped laughing and wiped my eyes, I explained to her that the word was 'worthy' and what it meant. I'm not sure she understood or even listened, since she and her sisters were all excited about practicing their dances for a program tomorrow night. I may have to do some more explaining on that one. Kind of goes along with the kid who thought a certain hymn title was "Gladly the Cross-eyed Bear".
Saturday, November 13, 2010
The Resurrection of the Body: Visits to Candyland
Here is an interesting subject posted by Kelly at Visits to Candyland blog.
Monday, November 08, 2010
"Yea, doh I walk fru da vawey of dah sadow of deaf, I wiw feew no ebooh."
Here's a video someone posted on facebook of a little girl reciting the 23rd Psalm. Her way of speaking makes it so memorable that I think we should all remember it this way when we need it some day, as if we are a little child speaking to our Father and Shepherd.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
The Pilgrim Church: The Conversion of Augustine
Here's another excerpt from 'The Pilgrim Church' by E.H. Broadbent, about the conversion of Augustine, which sounds similar to the conversion stories of St. Patrick (who was not Roman Catholic, but came from the Celtic line which descended from very early evangelism in the British Isles) and of Charles Spurgeon.
One of the great figures of history meets us at this period, Augustine (354-430),[17] whose teachings have left an indelible mark on all succeeding ages. In his voluminous writings and especially in his "Confessions", Augustine reveals himself in so intimate a way as to give the impression of being an acquaintance and a friend. A native of Numidia, he describes his early surroundings, thoughts, and impressions. His saintly mother, Monica, lives again in his pages as we read of her
prayers for him, of her early hopes, and of her later sorrow as he grew up in a sinful manner of life, of her faith in his eventual salvation, strengthened by a vision and by the wise counsel of Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. His father was more concerned for his material, worldly advancement.
Though seeking light he found himself hopelessly bound by a sinful, self-indulgent life. For a time he thought he had found deliverance in Manichaeism, but soon perceived its inconsistency and weakness. He was affected by the preaching of Ambrose, but yet found no peace. When he was 32 years of age and was employed as a teacher of rhetoric in Milan, he had reached a desperate state of distress, and
then, to use his own words: "I flung myself down, how I know not, under a certain fig-tree, giving free course to my tears.... I sent up these sorrowful cries, 'How long, how long? To-morrow and to-morrow? Why not now? Why is there not this hour an end to my uncleanness?' I was saying these things and weeping in the most bitter contrition of my heart, when lo, I heard the voice as of a boy or girl, I know not which, coming from a neighbouring house and oft repeating, 'Take up and read, take up and read.' Immediately my countenance was changed, and I began most earnestly to consider whether it was usual for children in any kind of game to sing such words, nor could I remember ever to have heard the like. So, restraining the torrent of my tears, I rose up, interpreting it no other way than as a command to me from Heaven to open the book, and to read the first chapter I should light upon.... I grasped,
opened, and in silence read that paragraph on which my eyes first fell--'Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.' No further would I read, nor did I need, for instantly, as the sentence ended--by a light, as it were, of security infused into my heart--all gloom of doubt vanished away."
This, his conversion, caused the greatest joy, but no surprise, to his praying mother Monica, who, as they were returning to Africa a year later, died in peace. Augustine was baptised by Ambrose in Milan (387) and became later Bishop of Hippo (now Bona) in North Africa (395).
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Finished part one of 'Seven Storey Mountain'
I finally have got through part one of Merton's 'Seven Storey Mountain'. So far it has been a long and depressing story because of the aimless selfishness of his early years. I know that his conversion to Catholicism is coming soon, but I don't know what else to expect. In part one, Merton did bring out some insights that were interesting and helpful from a human standpoint. Here's one quote from fairly early in the book:
That isn't necessarily a spiritual insight, but it is an observation that I can relate to. As someone that has suffered from depression since I was small, and used to suffer acute anxiety as well; and as someone who is often way over-sensitive and has tried for most of my life to escape from and avoid pain and discomfort, I can see the truth of Merton' statement. Maybe he learned this truth from personal experience as well. This attitude of escaping from pain comes from selfishness and unbelief; from a lack of faith or trust in God's goodness, and that He works for the good of those who put their trust in Him. This is something that God has been showing me for a long time, little by little, to help me trust in Him more and more. I'm learning to 'trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.'
More to come....
Indeed, the truth that many people never understand until it is too late, is that the more you try to avoid suffering, the more you suffer, because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you, in proportion to your fear of being hurt. The one who does most to avoid suffering is, in the end, the one who suffers most: and his suffering comes to him from things so little and so trivial that one can say that it is no longer objective at all. It is his own existence, his own being, that is at once the subject and the source of his pain, and his very existence and consciousness is his greatest torture. This is another of the great perversions by which the devil uses our philosophies to turn our whole nature inside out, and eviscerate all our capacities for good, turning them against ourselves.
That isn't necessarily a spiritual insight, but it is an observation that I can relate to. As someone that has suffered from depression since I was small, and used to suffer acute anxiety as well; and as someone who is often way over-sensitive and has tried for most of my life to escape from and avoid pain and discomfort, I can see the truth of Merton' statement. Maybe he learned this truth from personal experience as well. This attitude of escaping from pain comes from selfishness and unbelief; from a lack of faith or trust in God's goodness, and that He works for the good of those who put their trust in Him. This is something that God has been showing me for a long time, little by little, to help me trust in Him more and more. I'm learning to 'trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.'
More to come....
Finished 'Choosing to SEE' by Mary Beth Chapman
Last week I finished reading 'Choosing to SEE' by Mary Beth Chapman, who, as many know, is the wife of Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman. It is an amazing story, very uplifting, though as one might imagine, very difficult to read when Mary Beth relates the story of their child's death and the aftermath. The story has many funny moments as well.
The main themes of the story are the goodness and faithfulness of God; God's grace in our weakness and trouble; God's plans are usually not the same as ours, so we may find ourselves doing the things we said we'd never do; and God brings good out of what the enemy means for evil.
Mary Beth writes very candidly about her feelings, faults, weakness, and troubles, as well as the triumphs that come when she and her family look to God and trust in Him for their help and strength. She also writes about the strength and help that come from the body of Christ when others pray and help and weep with those who weep. Another theme is revealed towards the very end of the book and I won't say what it is, but God truly brings beauty from ashes in this family's story, which is the theme of one of Steven Curtis's songs that came out of Maria's death.
Mary Beth also writes quite a bit about the adoptions of her three daughters from China, and about the way that God changed her during the process; also about the new children's home, Maria's Big House of Hope, that was built and dedicated recently in China, as one of the ministries of Show Hope, the adoption grant organization founded by the Chapmans.
The main themes of the story are the goodness and faithfulness of God; God's grace in our weakness and trouble; God's plans are usually not the same as ours, so we may find ourselves doing the things we said we'd never do; and God brings good out of what the enemy means for evil.
Mary Beth writes very candidly about her feelings, faults, weakness, and troubles, as well as the triumphs that come when she and her family look to God and trust in Him for their help and strength. She also writes about the strength and help that come from the body of Christ when others pray and help and weep with those who weep. Another theme is revealed towards the very end of the book and I won't say what it is, but God truly brings beauty from ashes in this family's story, which is the theme of one of Steven Curtis's songs that came out of Maria's death.
Mary Beth also writes quite a bit about the adoptions of her three daughters from China, and about the way that God changed her during the process; also about the new children's home, Maria's Big House of Hope, that was built and dedicated recently in China, as one of the ministries of Show Hope, the adoption grant organization founded by the Chapmans.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Pray for Haiti: Cholera Outbreak!
Haiti is having a cholera outbreak which began abut 2 days ago and has already claimed over 150 lives.
Pray for the people, the government, the missionaries, the aid workers, and the medical workers in Haiti. Pray for the body of Christ there; pray that God will bring spiritual and physical healing as people cry out to Him, that God will be glorified, and the gospel will go out clearly. Pray that God will call, equip, and send laborers into the fields.
Here's a link to the 'Bakers in Haiti' blog with a little more info: http://ourlifeinhaiti.blogspot.com/2010/10/cholera-outbreak.html
Pray for the people, the government, the missionaries, the aid workers, and the medical workers in Haiti. Pray for the body of Christ there; pray that God will bring spiritual and physical healing as people cry out to Him, that God will be glorified, and the gospel will go out clearly. Pray that God will call, equip, and send laborers into the fields.
Here's a link to the 'Bakers in Haiti' blog with a little more info: http://ourlifeinhaiti.blogspot.com/2010/10/cholera-outbreak.html
Saturday, October 16, 2010
The Invocation of Saints: Dr. Joseph Mizzi
Here's a new post by Dr. Joseph Mizzi of 'Evangeliku' blog, comparing the way Catholics may pray to Mary and the saints to how one might ask a fellow Christian to pray or intercede.
Quote and passage from 'Choosing to SEE' by Mary Beth Chapman
Quoted in Mary Beth Chapman's book 'Choosing to SEE': May this be your experience: may you feel that the Hand which inflicts the wound supplies the balm, and that He who has emptied your heart has filled the void with Himself. James Hudson Taylor
Psalm 40:
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.
Psalm 40:
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Hurray! I got a Kindle for my birthday!
My husband gave me a Kindle for my birthday yesterday, and put 'Choosing to SEE' by Mary Beth Chapman on it for me, so I'll be starting to read it today. I'm still working on 'Seven Storey Mountain' by Thomas Merton. It's very long and I haven't gotten to his conversion yet. The early part of his life is pretty depressing, since he lived such an aimless and selfish life, and was moved around so much by his family; then he traveled around alot by himself in his later teens and early twenties without any direction. I'll try to comment soon about some of the things I've seen so far that are interesting or helpful.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday, October 09, 2010
'The Torch of the Testimony': 'Crystalized tradition' vs. the life of the Spirit
'The Torch of the Testimony' by John W. Kennedy is similar in message to 'The Pilgrim Church' and lists 'The Pilgrim Church' in its bibliography. Kennedy also begins his book with a description of the synagogue system as it relates to the early church. In the first chapter after discussing the synagogues, he relates the story of Stephen as an example of how 'crystalized tradition' such as that of the Jews is a barrier to the life of the Spirit. I believe this was what Jesus was speaking of in Matthew 9 when He said: "Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." The Jews had the word of God, but they had taken it and 'crystalized' it into a tradition that actually hampered the work of the Holy Spirit and 'made the word of God of no effect' in their hearts. Their own ideas about the word were outside of the true Spirit of the word. Here is an excerpt from chapter one of 'The Torch of the Testimony':
When that which is revealed of God is crystallized into a tradition, rigidly held and propagated with purely human energy, it becomes an impenetrable barrier to the truth. I've used the phrase 'crystalized tradition' myself when talking about traditions that I've seen in protestant and Catholic teachings. The main doctrine that showed me this principle and made me think of the phrase 'crystalized tradition (or doctrine)' is that of Calvinism, though there are many more examples that could be used. The principles of Calvinism come from the seeds of truth in scripture, but the doctrines that we call Calvinism are an extrapolation from these scriptural truths that are then hardened or crystalized into a doctrine that ignores some other parts of scripture and so becomes a barrier to truth and to unity in the body of Christ. We need to be forbearing with each other's differences that come from incomplete understanding of scripture, because we all have an incomplete understanding and can learn from each other if we exercise patience and love. It's one thing if the differences come from faith with an incomplete understanding, and another thing if the differences come from error and unbelief. I think, for example, that both Calvinists and Arminians are coming from love of God and His word, and from faith, so we should all exercise forbearance and love toward those in the body of Christ, as God commands us.
One of the believers in Jerusalem was a Greek speaking Jew named Stephen. We first meet Stephen as one of the seven deacons appointed to look after the needs of a section of the church which, it was alleged, was being unfairly neglected. It is soon a parent, however, that Stephen was also a gifted teacher and preacher with a particularly sharp, God-given insight into some of the implications of the Gospel as touching Jewish tradition (Acts 6 : 10). In one of the Jewish synagogues he preached a sermon which so stirred up the hot-head champions of Jewish orthodoxy, that he was seized and arraigned before the Sanhedrin on a charge of blasphemy.
The outline of Stephen's sermon is preserved for us in Acts 7. What was the main burden of his message? It was simply this, that the old, Jewish sacrificial order was destined from the beginning to pass away, and the time had now come for itsdeparture. With the revelation of Christ, all the traditional trappings of the Temple had become obsolete, and there could be no reconciliation of the two orders. Life and tradition could not carry on side by side. Judaism as it was could not contain Christ; it would have to give way to Christ or die a spiritual death in isolation. Stephen points out that the transitory nature of the traditional, sacrificial system was symbolized in the impermanence of the tabernacle, and that the building of a permanent structure in the Temple was out of accord with God's ideal (Acts 7 : 44-50). It is true that God honoured the devotion with which the Temple was built, but it was, nevertheless, man's idea (I Chron. 17 : 1), while the tabernacle was erected on the specific command of God Himself (Ex. 25: 8).
It is noteworthy that there was one eminent disciple of Gamaliel whose devotion to his master did not extend to accepting his master's advice of moderation in dealing with the followers of Christ. That disciple's name was Saul. The sentence passed upon Stephen met with his full approval. "And Saul was consenting unto his death " (Acts 8: 1). Saul, or Paul, as he was afterwards to be called, totally rejected Stephen's claim that Jesus was the Christ in whom all the law and the offerings were fulfilled, but he plainly recognized that, if Stephen's claim were fact, it would mean an end to all the tradition in which he had been nurtured, and for which he was so zealous. In the light of Saul of Tarsus' future ministry, it is of interest to see how, in his tacit compliance with the condemnation of Stephen, there was an awareness, probably shared at that time by few if any of the disciples themselves, that this new movement, the church, could not be confined within the limits of Judaism. Separation was inevitable.
Theoretically, it might be maintained that the synagogue could have become the church, but practically this was never the case. No doubt, as has already been shown, the synagogue, being free from the sacrificial ritual of the Temple and with the Scriptures as central to its life, was in a position to accept Christ as the fulfillment of the Word of God without having to undergo quite such a radical upheaval as such an acceptance would have occasioned in the life of the Temple, but it was never likely that a ruling majority of the synagogue adherents would accept this. Loyalty to the orthodox, Jewish tradition was too strong and too deep-seated to be thus rooted out. The Spirit of God had to' move elsewhere to start on fresh and more free ground. We see here but the beginning of a pattern of events which is repeated over and over again through the history of the church. When that which is revealed of God is crystallized into a tradition, rigidly held and propagated with purely human energy, it becomes an impenetrable barrier to the truth. The life of the Spirit can never be confined within the framework of religious tradition. God is much greater than man's thoughts concerning Him, and the plant of the church grows best in a soil uncluttered by the pretty hedgerows of man's limited understanding.
When that which is revealed of God is crystallized into a tradition, rigidly held and propagated with purely human energy, it becomes an impenetrable barrier to the truth. I've used the phrase 'crystalized tradition' myself when talking about traditions that I've seen in protestant and Catholic teachings. The main doctrine that showed me this principle and made me think of the phrase 'crystalized tradition (or doctrine)' is that of Calvinism, though there are many more examples that could be used. The principles of Calvinism come from the seeds of truth in scripture, but the doctrines that we call Calvinism are an extrapolation from these scriptural truths that are then hardened or crystalized into a doctrine that ignores some other parts of scripture and so becomes a barrier to truth and to unity in the body of Christ. We need to be forbearing with each other's differences that come from incomplete understanding of scripture, because we all have an incomplete understanding and can learn from each other if we exercise patience and love. It's one thing if the differences come from faith with an incomplete understanding, and another thing if the differences come from error and unbelief. I think, for example, that both Calvinists and Arminians are coming from love of God and His word, and from faith, so we should all exercise forbearance and love toward those in the body of Christ, as God commands us.
Friday, October 08, 2010
Monday, October 04, 2010
'The Pilgrim Church': The Union of Church and State
Here's an excerpt from 'The Pilgrim Church' by E.H. Broadbent in which we see the church uniting with the Roman State and then the fall of Rome:
This second period of the history of some of the churches, beginning with Constantine's edict of toleration in 313, is of lasting importance because it exhibits the experiment on a large scale, of the union of Church and State. Could the Church, by union with the world, save it?
The Roman world[16] had reached its greatest power and glory. Civilization had attained to the utmost of which it was capable apart from the knowledge of God. Yet the misery of the world was extreme. The luxury and vice of the rich were boundless; a vast proportion of the people were slaves. The public exhibitions, where the sight of every kind of wickedness and cruelty amused the populace, deepened the degradation. There was still vigour at the extremities of the Empire, in conflict with surrounding enemies, but disease at the heart threatened the life of the whole body, and Rome was helplessly corrupt and vicious.
As long as the Church had remained separate it had been a powerful witness for Christ in the world, and was constantly drawing converts into its holy fellowship. When, however, already weakened by the adoption of human rule in place of the guidance of the Spirit, it was suddenly brought into partnership with the State, it became itself defiled and debased. Very soon the clergy were competing for lucrative
positions and for power as shamelessly as the court officials, while, in congregations where a godless element predominated, the material advantages of a profession of Christianity changed the purity of the persecuted churches into worldliness. The Church was thus powerless to stem the downward course of the civilised world into corruption.
Ominous clouds, threatening judgment, were gathering. In distant China movements of the population, setting westward, led to a great migration of the Huns, who crossed the Volga, and, pressing upon the Goths in what is now Russia, forced them on to the frontiers of the Empire, which was by this time divided; the Eastern part, or Byzantine Empire, having Constantinople as its capital, and the Western, Rome. The Germanic or Teutonic nations came out of their forests. Pressed by the Mongol hordes
from the East, and attracted by the wealth and weakness of the Empire, Goths (divided into Eastern and Western under the names of Ostrogoths and Visigoths) and Germanic peoples such as the Franks, Vandals, Burgundians, Suevi, Heruli, and others, broke like the waves of some resistless flood over the doomed civilization of Rome. In one year great provinces such as Spain and Gaul were destroyed. The inhabitants, long accustomed to peace, congregated mostly in the cities for the sake of the ease and pleasure afforded there, saw the armies which had so long guarded their frontiers disappear; the cities were wiped out, and a cultivated and luxurious population, which had avoided the discipline of military training, was massacred or enslaved by Pagan barbarians. Rome itself was captured by the Goths under Alaric (410), and that great city was plundered and desolated by barbarian hosts. In 476 the Western Roman Empire came to an end, and in the vast regions where it had so long reigned, new kingdoms began to grow up. The Eastern part of the Empire continued, until, in 1453, nearly a thousand years later, Constantinople was captured by the Mohammedan.
This second period of the history of some of the churches, beginning with Constantine's edict of toleration in 313, is of lasting importance because it exhibits the experiment on a large scale, of the union of Church and State. Could the Church, by union with the world, save it?
The Roman world[16] had reached its greatest power and glory. Civilization had attained to the utmost of which it was capable apart from the knowledge of God. Yet the misery of the world was extreme. The luxury and vice of the rich were boundless; a vast proportion of the people were slaves. The public exhibitions, where the sight of every kind of wickedness and cruelty amused the populace, deepened the degradation. There was still vigour at the extremities of the Empire, in conflict with surrounding enemies, but disease at the heart threatened the life of the whole body, and Rome was helplessly corrupt and vicious.
As long as the Church had remained separate it had been a powerful witness for Christ in the world, and was constantly drawing converts into its holy fellowship. When, however, already weakened by the adoption of human rule in place of the guidance of the Spirit, it was suddenly brought into partnership with the State, it became itself defiled and debased. Very soon the clergy were competing for lucrative
positions and for power as shamelessly as the court officials, while, in congregations where a godless element predominated, the material advantages of a profession of Christianity changed the purity of the persecuted churches into worldliness. The Church was thus powerless to stem the downward course of the civilised world into corruption.
Ominous clouds, threatening judgment, were gathering. In distant China movements of the population, setting westward, led to a great migration of the Huns, who crossed the Volga, and, pressing upon the Goths in what is now Russia, forced them on to the frontiers of the Empire, which was by this time divided; the Eastern part, or Byzantine Empire, having Constantinople as its capital, and the Western, Rome. The Germanic or Teutonic nations came out of their forests. Pressed by the Mongol hordes
from the East, and attracted by the wealth and weakness of the Empire, Goths (divided into Eastern and Western under the names of Ostrogoths and Visigoths) and Germanic peoples such as the Franks, Vandals, Burgundians, Suevi, Heruli, and others, broke like the waves of some resistless flood over the doomed civilization of Rome. In one year great provinces such as Spain and Gaul were destroyed. The inhabitants, long accustomed to peace, congregated mostly in the cities for the sake of the ease and pleasure afforded there, saw the armies which had so long guarded their frontiers disappear; the cities were wiped out, and a cultivated and luxurious population, which had avoided the discipline of military training, was massacred or enslaved by Pagan barbarians. Rome itself was captured by the Goths under Alaric (410), and that great city was plundered and desolated by barbarian hosts. In 476 the Western Roman Empire came to an end, and in the vast regions where it had so long reigned, new kingdoms began to grow up. The Eastern part of the Empire continued, until, in 1453, nearly a thousand years later, Constantinople was captured by the Mohammedan.
Friday, October 01, 2010
"The Pilgrim Church": The Council of Nicea, The Canon of Scripture
Here's another excerpt from "The Pilgrim Church" by E.H. Broadbent, from page 20-22 in the online book:
The prominence of the Bishops and especially of the Metropolitans in the Catholic churches made for ease in communication between the Church and the civil authorities. Constantine himself, while retaining the old imperial dignity of chief priest of Pagan religion, assumed that of arbitrator of the Christian churches. The Church and the State quickly became closely associated, and it was not long before the power of the State was at the disposal of those who had the lead in the Church, to enforce their decisions. Thus the persecuted soon became persecutors.
In later times those churches which, faithful to the Word of God, were persecuted by the dominant Church as heretics and sects, frequently refer in their writings to their entire dissent from the union of Church and State in the time of Constantine and of Sylvester, then bishop in Rome. They trace their continuance from primitive Scriptural churches in unbroken succession from Apostolic times, passing unscathed through the period when so many churches associated themselves with the worldly
power, right down to their own day. For all such, persecution was soon renewed, but instead of coming from the Pagan Roman Empire it came from what claimed to be the Church wielding the power of the Christianised State.
The Donatists being very numerous in North Africa and having retained, or restored, much of the Catholic type of organisation among themselves, were in a position to appeal to the Emperor in their strife with the Catholic party, and this they soon did. Constantine called together many bishops of both parties and gave his decision
against the Donatists, who were then persecuted and punished; but this did not allay the strife, which continued until all together were blotted out by the Mohammedan invasion in the seventh century.
The first general council of the Catholic churches was summoned by Constantine and met at Nicaea in Bithynia (325). The principal question before it was that of the doctrine taught by Arius, a presbyter of Alexandria, who maintained that the Son of God was a created Being, the first and greatest, but yet, consequently, not on an equality with the Father. Over 300 bishops were present, with their numerous attendants, from all parts of the Empire, to examine this matter, and the Council was opened in great state by Constantine. A number of the bishops present bore in their bodies marks of the tortures which they had endured in the time of persecution. With two dissentients, the Council decided that the teaching of Arius was false, that it had not been the teaching of the Church from the beginning, and the Nicene Creed was framed to express the truth of the real Divine Nature of the Son and His equality with the Father.
Although the decision reached was right, the way of reaching it, by the combined efforts of the Emperor and the bishops, and of enforcing it, by the power of the State, manifested the departure of the Catholic church from the Scripture. Two years after the Council of Nicaea Constantine, altering his view, received Arius back from exile, and in the reign of his son Constantius all the bishoprics were filled by Arian bishops; the Government, now become Arian, persecuted the Catholics as formerly it had done the Arians.
One of those in high places, moved neither by popular clamour nor by the threats or flatteries of the authorities was Athanasius. As a young man he had taken part in the Council of Nicaea and afterwards became Bishop of Alexandria. For nearly fifty years, though repeatedly exiled, he maintained a valiant witness to the true divinity of the Saviour. Slandered, brought up before tribunals, taking refuge in the desert, returning to the city, nothing shook his advocacy of the truth he believed. Arianism lasted nearly three centuries as the state religion in a number of countries, especially in the later established Northern kingdoms. The Lombards in Italy were the last to abandon it as the national religion.
Not only the first, but the first six General Councils, of which the last was held in 680, were occupied to a large extent with questions as to the Divine Nature, the relations of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the course of endless discussions, creeds were hammered out and dogmas enunciated in the hope that the truth would by them be fixed and could then be handed down to succeeding generations. It is noticeable that in the Scriptures this method is not used. From them we see that the mere letter cannot convey the truth, which is spiritually
apprehended, neither can it be handed from one to another, but each one must receive and appropriate it for himself in his inward dealings with God, and be established in it by confessing and maintaining it in the conflict of daily life.
It is sometimes supposed that Scripture is not sufficient for the guidance of the churches without the addition of, at least, early tradition, on the ground that it was by the early Church councils that the canon of Scripture was fixed. This of course could only refer to the New Testament. The peculiar characteristics and unique history of the people of Israel fitted them to receive the Divine revelation, to recognise the inspired writings, and to preserve them with an invincible pertinacity and accuracy. And with regard to the New Testament, the canon of inspired books was not fixed by the Church councils, it was acknowledged by the councils because it had already been clearly indicated by the Holy Spirit, and accepted by the churches generally, and this indication and acceptance has ever since been confirmed by every comparison of the canonical with the apocryphal and non-canonical books, the difference in value and power being evident.
The prominence of the Bishops and especially of the Metropolitans in the Catholic churches made for ease in communication between the Church and the civil authorities. Constantine himself, while retaining the old imperial dignity of chief priest of Pagan religion, assumed that of arbitrator of the Christian churches. The Church and the State quickly became closely associated, and it was not long before the power of the State was at the disposal of those who had the lead in the Church, to enforce their decisions. Thus the persecuted soon became persecutors.
In later times those churches which, faithful to the Word of God, were persecuted by the dominant Church as heretics and sects, frequently refer in their writings to their entire dissent from the union of Church and State in the time of Constantine and of Sylvester, then bishop in Rome. They trace their continuance from primitive Scriptural churches in unbroken succession from Apostolic times, passing unscathed through the period when so many churches associated themselves with the worldly
power, right down to their own day. For all such, persecution was soon renewed, but instead of coming from the Pagan Roman Empire it came from what claimed to be the Church wielding the power of the Christianised State.
The Donatists being very numerous in North Africa and having retained, or restored, much of the Catholic type of organisation among themselves, were in a position to appeal to the Emperor in their strife with the Catholic party, and this they soon did. Constantine called together many bishops of both parties and gave his decision
against the Donatists, who were then persecuted and punished; but this did not allay the strife, which continued until all together were blotted out by the Mohammedan invasion in the seventh century.
The first general council of the Catholic churches was summoned by Constantine and met at Nicaea in Bithynia (325). The principal question before it was that of the doctrine taught by Arius, a presbyter of Alexandria, who maintained that the Son of God was a created Being, the first and greatest, but yet, consequently, not on an equality with the Father. Over 300 bishops were present, with their numerous attendants, from all parts of the Empire, to examine this matter, and the Council was opened in great state by Constantine. A number of the bishops present bore in their bodies marks of the tortures which they had endured in the time of persecution. With two dissentients, the Council decided that the teaching of Arius was false, that it had not been the teaching of the Church from the beginning, and the Nicene Creed was framed to express the truth of the real Divine Nature of the Son and His equality with the Father.
Although the decision reached was right, the way of reaching it, by the combined efforts of the Emperor and the bishops, and of enforcing it, by the power of the State, manifested the departure of the Catholic church from the Scripture. Two years after the Council of Nicaea Constantine, altering his view, received Arius back from exile, and in the reign of his son Constantius all the bishoprics were filled by Arian bishops; the Government, now become Arian, persecuted the Catholics as formerly it had done the Arians.
One of those in high places, moved neither by popular clamour nor by the threats or flatteries of the authorities was Athanasius. As a young man he had taken part in the Council of Nicaea and afterwards became Bishop of Alexandria. For nearly fifty years, though repeatedly exiled, he maintained a valiant witness to the true divinity of the Saviour. Slandered, brought up before tribunals, taking refuge in the desert, returning to the city, nothing shook his advocacy of the truth he believed. Arianism lasted nearly three centuries as the state religion in a number of countries, especially in the later established Northern kingdoms. The Lombards in Italy were the last to abandon it as the national religion.
Not only the first, but the first six General Councils, of which the last was held in 680, were occupied to a large extent with questions as to the Divine Nature, the relations of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the course of endless discussions, creeds were hammered out and dogmas enunciated in the hope that the truth would by them be fixed and could then be handed down to succeeding generations. It is noticeable that in the Scriptures this method is not used. From them we see that the mere letter cannot convey the truth, which is spiritually
apprehended, neither can it be handed from one to another, but each one must receive and appropriate it for himself in his inward dealings with God, and be established in it by confessing and maintaining it in the conflict of daily life.
It is sometimes supposed that Scripture is not sufficient for the guidance of the churches without the addition of, at least, early tradition, on the ground that it was by the early Church councils that the canon of Scripture was fixed. This of course could only refer to the New Testament. The peculiar characteristics and unique history of the people of Israel fitted them to receive the Divine revelation, to recognise the inspired writings, and to preserve them with an invincible pertinacity and accuracy. And with regard to the New Testament, the canon of inspired books was not fixed by the Church councils, it was acknowledged by the councils because it had already been clearly indicated by the Holy Spirit, and accepted by the churches generally, and this indication and acceptance has ever since been confirmed by every comparison of the canonical with the apocryphal and non-canonical books, the difference in value and power being evident.
Grace and gifts come through Christ, our Intercessor, who will come again for us
Romans 8:31-34 If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
1 Corinthians 1:3-7 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3-7 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
'The Pilgrim Church': The Epistle to Diognetus
Here's another excerpt from 'The Pilgrim Church' by E.H. Broadbent, from chapter one, starting on page 16 of the online book:
Amidst the confusion of conflicting parties there were true teachers, able and eloquent in directing souls in the way of salvation. One, whose name is unknown, writing in the second century to an inquirer named Diognetus,[14] sets himself to answer the questions asked as to the mode of worshipping God among the Christians, the reason of their faith and devotion towards God and love to one another, why they neither worshipped the gods of the Greeks nor followed the Jewish religion, and
why this new practice of piety had only so late entered into the world.
He writes "Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language", living in such places "as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if
foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers.... They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives ... they are reviled and bless".
Then, speaking of God, he says, He, "who is almighty, the Creator of all things, ... has sent from heaven, and placed among men, Him who is the truth, and the holy and
incomprehensible Word, and has firmly established Him in their hearts. He did not, as one might have imagined, send to men any ... angel, or ruler, ... but the very Creator and Fashioner of all things--by whom He made the heavens--by whom He enclosed the sea within its proper bounds"--whom the stars obey. "This messenger He sent to them.... As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so sent He Him; as God He sent Him; as to men He sent Him; as a Saviour He sent Him." Not as judging us
He sent Him, though "He will yet send Him to judge us, and who shall endure His appearing?" As to the delay in sending the Saviour, God has always been the same, but waited in His long-suffering. He had "formed in His mind a great and unspeakable conception, which He communicated to His Son alone." As long as He concealed His own wise counsel He appeared to neglect us, but this was to make it manifest that of ourselves we cannot enter into the kingdom of God. But when the appointed time had
come, "He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the Holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet
exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!"
Amidst the confusion of conflicting parties there were true teachers, able and eloquent in directing souls in the way of salvation. One, whose name is unknown, writing in the second century to an inquirer named Diognetus,[14] sets himself to answer the questions asked as to the mode of worshipping God among the Christians, the reason of their faith and devotion towards God and love to one another, why they neither worshipped the gods of the Greeks nor followed the Jewish religion, and
why this new practice of piety had only so late entered into the world.
He writes "Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language", living in such places "as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if
foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers.... They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives ... they are reviled and bless".
Then, speaking of God, he says, He, "who is almighty, the Creator of all things, ... has sent from heaven, and placed among men, Him who is the truth, and the holy and
incomprehensible Word, and has firmly established Him in their hearts. He did not, as one might have imagined, send to men any ... angel, or ruler, ... but the very Creator and Fashioner of all things--by whom He made the heavens--by whom He enclosed the sea within its proper bounds"--whom the stars obey. "This messenger He sent to them.... As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so sent He Him; as God He sent Him; as to men He sent Him; as a Saviour He sent Him." Not as judging us
He sent Him, though "He will yet send Him to judge us, and who shall endure His appearing?" As to the delay in sending the Saviour, God has always been the same, but waited in His long-suffering. He had "formed in His mind a great and unspeakable conception, which He communicated to His Son alone." As long as He concealed His own wise counsel He appeared to neglect us, but this was to make it manifest that of ourselves we cannot enter into the kingdom of God. But when the appointed time had
come, "He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the Holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet
exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!"
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Finally getting somewhere in reading 'The Pilgrim Church'
I've had a copy of 'The Pilgrim Church' (by E.H. Broadbent) since last Christmas, but until this week I only got a few chapters into it, even though the subject is very interesting to me. I am now about 2 thirds through it and I think it's an amazing perspective on church history which everyone interested in the subject should read, even if they don't agree with the doctrinal and theological perspective of the author. The book is very well documented, and gives many quotes and stories of men, and some women, who were great influences in the churches throughout the centuries in different regions, mainly Europe.
In reading the different thoughts of the men described and quoted, I see that I am most in agreement with the oldest forms of Baptists and those the author refers to as 'the Brethren', as opposed to the mainline protestant denominations. Also, the modern Baptists have only surface resemblance to those earlier believers and congregations. That is why when I first started blogging I hesitated to call myself 'protestant' because technically the Baptist beliefs and denominations did not come out from Roman Catholicism, though some of the people who became Baptists came out of it; the Baptist beliefs came from groups that existed at different times parallel to Roman Catholicism, and also the beliefs come straight from Scripture and not as remnants of Roman Catholic practices, as some protestant practices are. I use the term 'protestant' out of convenience only.
It's very interesting to see how similar the perspective of the author is to mine, in that he recognizes believers in all denominations, also seeing their strengths and weaknesses as groups. Also in that churches should not be united with the state and have temporal power; and should allow freedom of conscience for all believers, and encourage forebearance among believers toward each other's differences in doctrine if the doctrines are not against the truth of scripture.
More to come....
In reading the different thoughts of the men described and quoted, I see that I am most in agreement with the oldest forms of Baptists and those the author refers to as 'the Brethren', as opposed to the mainline protestant denominations. Also, the modern Baptists have only surface resemblance to those earlier believers and congregations. That is why when I first started blogging I hesitated to call myself 'protestant' because technically the Baptist beliefs and denominations did not come out from Roman Catholicism, though some of the people who became Baptists came out of it; the Baptist beliefs came from groups that existed at different times parallel to Roman Catholicism, and also the beliefs come straight from Scripture and not as remnants of Roman Catholic practices, as some protestant practices are. I use the term 'protestant' out of convenience only.
It's very interesting to see how similar the perspective of the author is to mine, in that he recognizes believers in all denominations, also seeing their strengths and weaknesses as groups. Also in that churches should not be united with the state and have temporal power; and should allow freedom of conscience for all believers, and encourage forebearance among believers toward each other's differences in doctrine if the doctrines are not against the truth of scripture.
More to come....
Friday, September 24, 2010
Isaiah 55
1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
The sure mercies of David.
4 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,
A leader and commander for the people.
5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
Because of the LORD your God,
And the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.”
6 Seek the LORD while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the LORD,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
8 “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
9 “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “ For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “ For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the LORD for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
The sure mercies of David.
4 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,
A leader and commander for the people.
5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
Because of the LORD your God,
And the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.”
6 Seek the LORD while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the LORD,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
8 “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
9 “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “ For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “ For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the LORD for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Pilgrim Church by E.H. Broadbent: Chapter One: The Synagogue System
Now that 'The Pilgrim Church' is available to read online, I'm going to continue my objective to post some parts of the book for discussion. To read it yourself, go to the link and scroll down to E.H. Broadbent to choose how you want to read it. Following is another excerpt from Chapter One:
The Synagogue
From Pentecost there was a rapid spread of the Gospel. The many Jews who heard it at the feast at Jerusalem when it was first preached, carried the news to the various countries of their dispersion. Although it is only of the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul that the NewTestament gives any detailed record, the other Apostles also travelled extensively, preaching and founding churches over wide areas. All who
believed were witnesses for Christ, "they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word" (Acts 8. 4). The practice of founding churches where any, however few, believed, gave permanence to the work, and as each church was taught from the first its direct dependence on the Holy Spirit and responsibility to Christ, it became a centre for propagating the Word of Life. To the newly-founded church of the Thessalonians it was said, "from you sounded out the word of the
Lord" (1 Thess. 1. 8). Although each church was independent of any organization or association of churches, yet intimate connection with other churches was maintained, a connection continually refreshed by frequent visits of brethren ministering the Word (Acts 15. 36). The meetings being held in private houses, or in any rooms that could be obtained, or in the open air, no special buildings were required.[1] This drawing of all the members into the service, this mobility and unorganised unity, permitting variety which only emphasised the bond of a common life in Christ and indwelling of the same Holy Spirit, fitted the churches to survive persecution and to carry out their commission of bringing to the whole world the message of salvation.
The first preaching of the Gospel was by Jews and to Jews, and in it frequent use was made of the synagogues. The synagogue system is the simple and effectual means by which the national sense and religious unity of the Jewish people have been preserved throughout the centuries of their dispersion among the nations. The centre of the synagogue is the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and the power of Scripture and synagogue is shown in the fact that the Jewish Diaspora has neither been crushed by the nations nor absorbed into them. The chief objects of the synagogue were the reading of Scripture, the teaching of its precepts, and prayer; and its beginnings go back to ancient times. In the seventy-fourth Psalm is the complaint: "Thine enemies roar in the midst of Thy congregations ...hey have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land" (Psa. 74. 4, 8). On the return from the captivity it is said that Ezra further organised the synagogues, and the later dispersion of the Jews added to their importance. When the Temple, the Jewish centre, was destroyed by the Romans, the synagogues, widely distributed as they were, proved to be an
indestructible bond, surviving all the persecutions that followed. In the centre of each synagogue is the ark in which the Scriptures are kept, and beside it is the desk from which they are read. An attempt under Barcochebas (A.D. 135), which was one of many efforts made to deliver Judaea from the Roman yoke and seemed for a short time to promise some success, failed as did all others, and only brought terrible retribution on the Jews. But though force failed to free them, the gathering of the people round the Scriptures as their centre preserved them from extinction.
The likeness and connection between the synagogues and the churches is apparent. Jesus made Himself the centre of each of the churches dispersed throughout the world, saying, "where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18. 20), and He gave the Scriptures for their unchanging guidance. For this reason it has proved impossible to extinguish the churches; when in one place they have been destroyed they have appeared again in others.
The Synagogue
From Pentecost there was a rapid spread of the Gospel. The many Jews who heard it at the feast at Jerusalem when it was first preached, carried the news to the various countries of their dispersion. Although it is only of the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul that the NewTestament gives any detailed record, the other Apostles also travelled extensively, preaching and founding churches over wide areas. All who
believed were witnesses for Christ, "they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word" (Acts 8. 4). The practice of founding churches where any, however few, believed, gave permanence to the work, and as each church was taught from the first its direct dependence on the Holy Spirit and responsibility to Christ, it became a centre for propagating the Word of Life. To the newly-founded church of the Thessalonians it was said, "from you sounded out the word of the
Lord" (1 Thess. 1. 8). Although each church was independent of any organization or association of churches, yet intimate connection with other churches was maintained, a connection continually refreshed by frequent visits of brethren ministering the Word (Acts 15. 36). The meetings being held in private houses, or in any rooms that could be obtained, or in the open air, no special buildings were required.[1] This drawing of all the members into the service, this mobility and unorganised unity, permitting variety which only emphasised the bond of a common life in Christ and indwelling of the same Holy Spirit, fitted the churches to survive persecution and to carry out their commission of bringing to the whole world the message of salvation.
The first preaching of the Gospel was by Jews and to Jews, and in it frequent use was made of the synagogues. The synagogue system is the simple and effectual means by which the national sense and religious unity of the Jewish people have been preserved throughout the centuries of their dispersion among the nations. The centre of the synagogue is the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and the power of Scripture and synagogue is shown in the fact that the Jewish Diaspora has neither been crushed by the nations nor absorbed into them. The chief objects of the synagogue were the reading of Scripture, the teaching of its precepts, and prayer; and its beginnings go back to ancient times. In the seventy-fourth Psalm is the complaint: "Thine enemies roar in the midst of Thy congregations ...hey have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land" (Psa. 74. 4, 8). On the return from the captivity it is said that Ezra further organised the synagogues, and the later dispersion of the Jews added to their importance. When the Temple, the Jewish centre, was destroyed by the Romans, the synagogues, widely distributed as they were, proved to be an
indestructible bond, surviving all the persecutions that followed. In the centre of each synagogue is the ark in which the Scriptures are kept, and beside it is the desk from which they are read. An attempt under Barcochebas (A.D. 135), which was one of many efforts made to deliver Judaea from the Roman yoke and seemed for a short time to promise some success, failed as did all others, and only brought terrible retribution on the Jews. But though force failed to free them, the gathering of the people round the Scriptures as their centre preserved them from extinction.
The likeness and connection between the synagogues and the churches is apparent. Jesus made Himself the centre of each of the churches dispersed throughout the world, saying, "where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18. 20), and He gave the Scriptures for their unchanging guidance. For this reason it has proved impossible to extinguish the churches; when in one place they have been destroyed they have appeared again in others.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Reading Merton's 'The Seven Storey Mountain'
Actually I just finished the introduction to this edition of 'The Seven Storey Mountain' by Thomas Merton. From the introduction it sounds like, since this is Merton's first book and it was written very early in his life right after his conversion to the Roman Catholic Church, that it may not be enough to read this book to find out who he was and where he was going. However, the book quickly became a bestseller when it first appeared in 1948, and has been constantly a good seller since then, so it will certainly be interesting from a human perspective and as a conversion story. More to come....
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Choosing to See: A New Book by Mary Beth Chapman
I just read on facebook that Mary Beth Chapman's new book, Choosing to See, is now at #13 on the New York Times bestseller list. I went and read the reviews on Amazon and it sounds really good. Here is the description on Amazon:
From Publishers Weekly
Chapman, wife to singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman, tells the story of her life and loss in this tender memoir. Chapman discloses how unsuited she is to be the public figure spouse to a charismatic and outgoing husband. Marrying him totally upset her orderly mental image of a quiet life in the suburbs with a 9 to 5 working husband. Instead, she discovered that God gave her a life she didn't expect that has taken her places she didn't want to go. As Chapman tells it, fame, travel, and adoption of children took this quiet woman out of her comfort zone more times than she cares to remember. In 2008, the tragic death of their five-year-old daughter, Maria, led to still more inner heartache. The Chapmans' story is harrowing and deeply sorrowful, yet the author finds a way to communicate their hope, faith, and love for a faithful God in every moment by grace-infused moment.
Product Description
I've told my kids for years that God doesn't make mistakes," writes Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Grammy award winning recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman. "Would I believe it now, when my whole world as I knew it came to an end?" Covering her courtship and marriage to Steven Curtis Chapman, struggles for emotional balance, and living with grief, Mary Beth's story is our story--wondering where God is when the worst happens. In Choosing to SEE, she shows how she wrestles with God even as she has allowed him to write her story--both during times of happiness and those of tragedy. Readers will hear firsthand about the loss of her daughter, the struggle to heal, and the unexpected path God has placed her on.
Here's one of the customer reviews:
I pre-ordered this book since I grew up listening to Steven Curtis Chapman's music, and my husband & I have an interest in adoption. Honestly, I am an avid reader, and have read LOTS of Christian books, both fiction & non-fiction, and, honestly, after a while they kind of all seem to sound the same. I found this book to be very refreshing and honest. Humbly and frankly addressing topics that are often 'taboo' in Christian circles, such as depression, not 'having it all together', doubts, anxiety, etc. was a change, for one. While reading the book, I felt like I was meeting someone like me, almost like talking to a friend, instead of someone leading a perfect life trying to tell me how to make mine perfect as well, following their method. I would highly recommend reading this book.
Sounds like my kind of book, as a quiet person myself, who often feels overwhelmed and inadequate for my tasks. After I read it I'll add my own review as well.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Psalm 19
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
6 Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
6 Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Hallowed Be Thy Name
In thinking about prayer and specifically The Lord's Prayer, the second line of the prayer "Hallowed by Thy Name" reminded me of the different names of God which are so amazing and beautiful. Here is a page that gives many of the scriptural names of God, and following is a portion of that page.
THE NAMES OF GOD
OLD TESTAMENT NAMES FOR GOD
ELOHIM......Genesis 1:1, Psalm 19:1
meaning "God", a reference to God's power and might.
ADONAI......Malachi 1:6
meaning "Lord", a reference to the Lordship of God.
JEHOVAH--YAHWEH.....Genesis 2:4
a reference to God's divine salvation.
JEHOVAH-MACCADDESHEM.......Exodus 31:13
meaning "The Lord thy sanctifier"
JEHOVAH-ROHI......Psalm 23:1
meaning "The Lord my shepherd"
JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH.......Ezekiel 48:35
meaning "The Lord who is present"
JEHOVAH-RAPHA.........Exodus 15:26
meaning "The Lord our healer"
JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU......Jeremiah 23:6
meaning "The Lord our righteousness"
JEHOVAH-JIREH.........Genesis 22:13-14
meaning "The Lord will provide"
JEHOVAH-NISSI.........Exodus 17:15
meaning "The Lord our banner"
JEHOVAH-SHALOM........Judges 6:24
meaning "The Lord is peace"
JEHOVAH-SABBAOTH......Isaiah 6:1-3
meaning "The Lord of Hosts"
JEHOVAH-GMOLAH........Jeremiah 51:6
meaning "The God of Recompense"
EL-ELYON..............Genesis 14:17-20,Isaiah 14:13-14
meaning "The most high God
EL-ROI................Genesis 16:13
meaning "The strong one who sees"
EL-SHADDAI............Genesis 17:1,Psalm 91:1
meaning "The God of the mountains or God Almighty"
EL-OLAM...............Isaiah 40:28-31
meaning "The everlasting God"
THE NAMES OF GOD
OLD TESTAMENT NAMES FOR GOD
ELOHIM......Genesis 1:1, Psalm 19:1
meaning "God", a reference to God's power and might.
ADONAI......Malachi 1:6
meaning "Lord", a reference to the Lordship of God.
JEHOVAH--YAHWEH.....Genesis 2:4
a reference to God's divine salvation.
JEHOVAH-MACCADDESHEM.......Exodus 31:13
meaning "The Lord thy sanctifier"
JEHOVAH-ROHI......Psalm 23:1
meaning "The Lord my shepherd"
JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH.......Ezekiel 48:35
meaning "The Lord who is present"
JEHOVAH-RAPHA.........Exodus 15:26
meaning "The Lord our healer"
JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU......Jeremiah 23:6
meaning "The Lord our righteousness"
JEHOVAH-JIREH.........Genesis 22:13-14
meaning "The Lord will provide"
JEHOVAH-NISSI.........Exodus 17:15
meaning "The Lord our banner"
JEHOVAH-SHALOM........Judges 6:24
meaning "The Lord is peace"
JEHOVAH-SABBAOTH......Isaiah 6:1-3
meaning "The Lord of Hosts"
JEHOVAH-GMOLAH........Jeremiah 51:6
meaning "The God of Recompense"
EL-ELYON..............Genesis 14:17-20,Isaiah 14:13-14
meaning "The most high God
EL-ROI................Genesis 16:13
meaning "The strong one who sees"
EL-SHADDAI............Genesis 17:1,Psalm 91:1
meaning "The God of the mountains or God Almighty"
EL-OLAM...............Isaiah 40:28-31
meaning "The everlasting God"
Friday, September 10, 2010
A Question About Scripture and the Church
Here's a question prompted by the difference between the Catholic and protestant ways of looking at scripture.
Are we to judge Scripture by what our church teaches, or are we to judge what our church teaches by Scripture?
Are we to judge Scripture by what our church teaches, or are we to judge what our church teaches by Scripture?
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Evangeliku: Mary, the Disciple of Christ
On Evangeliku, the blog of Dr. Joe Mizzi, who also runs the website 'Just for Catholics' there is a new post up called 'Mary, the Disciple of Christ'. This post is very interesting, because Dr. Mizzi, a physician and former Catholic, quotes from St. Augustine, who says some things that I have been saying recently about Mary, though I have never read these things from Augustine before. One of these things is that:
“Mary is holy, Mary is blessed, but the Church is something better than the Virgin Mary. Why? Because Mary is part of the Church, a holy member, a quite exceptional member, the supremely wonderful member, but still a member of the whole body. That being so, it follows that the body is something greater than the member. The Lord is the head, and the whole Christ is head and body. How shall I put it? We have a divine head, we have God as our head.”
UPDATE: Another thought about Mary that I've mentioned, and which I've also seen in quotes from the Church Fathers, is that Mary represents Israel giving birth to her own Savior. Mary is called 'woman' several times by Jesus, and the last time is when Jesus gives Mary away to the beloved disciple at the cross. Scripture says that from that day on John took Mary into his own home. The woman in prophecy always refers to Israel or the people of God. I believe Mary represents Israel here as well. Disciples of Christ will love Israel as our Mother from whom comes the Savior, and welcome her into our home looking forward to the time when she will be one with us as the Bride of Christ. I was thinking about this story and this occurred to me as a very meaningful interpretation. It helps me to see more who Mary is, not so I can exalt her, but so I can love and welcome her and all Israel as part of the Body of Christ, one with us under our Head. A few of the Fathers taught that Mary had slipped into doubt for a time before Christ died, along with the brothers of Christ who did not yet believe. I believe this fits with the way Israel as a whole has been in unbelief for a time, until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled, but then 'all Israel will be saved.'(Romans 11:26)
“Mary is holy, Mary is blessed, but the Church is something better than the Virgin Mary. Why? Because Mary is part of the Church, a holy member, a quite exceptional member, the supremely wonderful member, but still a member of the whole body. That being so, it follows that the body is something greater than the member. The Lord is the head, and the whole Christ is head and body. How shall I put it? We have a divine head, we have God as our head.”
UPDATE: Another thought about Mary that I've mentioned, and which I've also seen in quotes from the Church Fathers, is that Mary represents Israel giving birth to her own Savior. Mary is called 'woman' several times by Jesus, and the last time is when Jesus gives Mary away to the beloved disciple at the cross. Scripture says that from that day on John took Mary into his own home. The woman in prophecy always refers to Israel or the people of God. I believe Mary represents Israel here as well. Disciples of Christ will love Israel as our Mother from whom comes the Savior, and welcome her into our home looking forward to the time when she will be one with us as the Bride of Christ. I was thinking about this story and this occurred to me as a very meaningful interpretation. It helps me to see more who Mary is, not so I can exalt her, but so I can love and welcome her and all Israel as part of the Body of Christ, one with us under our Head. A few of the Fathers taught that Mary had slipped into doubt for a time before Christ died, along with the brothers of Christ who did not yet believe. I believe this fits with the way Israel as a whole has been in unbelief for a time, until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled, but then 'all Israel will be saved.'(Romans 11:26)
Prayer: Jesus teaches His disciples to pray: part one
Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
This is the prayer given by the Lord Jesus Himself to His disciples to teach them how to pray.
The first thing I see is that we are to pray secretly, simply, and without vain repetitions of words. We are praying to be heard by our Father and no one else. We are saying only what really needs to be said, and not repeating phrases as if that is what will make God listen to us.
The second thing I see is that we are to pray to our Father in heaven. He is the one who can hear our prayers, being omnipresent, omniscient, and all-powerful. God is the only one in heaven who is able to hear our prayers because human beings cannot hear and distinguish millions of simultaneous and continuous prayers.
The third thing I see is that the Father's name is to be hallowed or set apart in our hearts as the one to pray to, and as the only one who is our God and helper and provider, as scripture repeats many times in various places.
More later...
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
This is the prayer given by the Lord Jesus Himself to His disciples to teach them how to pray.
The first thing I see is that we are to pray secretly, simply, and without vain repetitions of words. We are praying to be heard by our Father and no one else. We are saying only what really needs to be said, and not repeating phrases as if that is what will make God listen to us.
The second thing I see is that we are to pray to our Father in heaven. He is the one who can hear our prayers, being omnipresent, omniscient, and all-powerful. God is the only one in heaven who is able to hear our prayers because human beings cannot hear and distinguish millions of simultaneous and continuous prayers.
The third thing I see is that the Father's name is to be hallowed or set apart in our hearts as the one to pray to, and as the only one who is our God and helper and provider, as scripture repeats many times in various places.
More later...
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Prayer Challenge
Over on Visits to Candyland, Leo, who is Catholic, has challenged the other Catholics there to pray a novena of Hail Marys 'for my conversion' in hopes that I will convert to Catholicism. Here is his challenge:
Elena, I have a challenge and a request for you, Christine and John. This thought came to me last week and again at Mass this morning and so I offer it to you.
Would you each be willing to join me in a simple 9 day novena? Let's say one simple Hail Mary each day for 9 consecutive days for the sake of Jennie's conversion. This would put the whole thing in our Blessed Mother's hands and give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to witness to the role of His spouse. It would also witness to the effect of even one simple Hail Mary prayer. Are you game?
I didn't know how or if I should respond to this, so I prayed about it for a while. The first thing that came to mind was Elijah and the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18, especially the passage which says "Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God." After praying and thinking some more, and talking to my husband about it, I decided I shouldn't challenge them to pray to Mary while I pray to God, since I don't want to encourage people to do that. Also Elijah didn't ask the Israelite people to pray to Baal, but only to watch while the prophets called on Baal. I finally decided to challenge them to pray to the Father about whom they should pray to in heaven, while reading scriptures about prayer, and to be willing to submit to whatever the Father shows them in His word. Leo accepted my challenge, though he said he will do the novena to Mary as well. I don't know if the others are accepting my challenge, though 2 have accepted Leo's.
Here is my challenge:
Leo,
I've been praying about what you've said here, and if I should say anything about it. I'm asking that you don't pray to Mary for me, not because I think it will hurt or affect me, but for your own sake and the others. If you want to pray for me, please pray to the Father in heaven.
I would like to request instead of your challenge, that you accept mine. I will pray to the Father that He would open your eyes to see that He is the only one in heaven that we should pray to, as Jesus taught us to pray. I ask that you would pray the same thing, that the Father would show you whom you should pray to in heaven, and that you will be willing to submit to Him in whatever He shows you in His word. Would you accept this challenge, to pray this for 9 days in faith that God will give wisdom?
And here's another note I added later after praying and thinking about this some more:
Leo, our hearts can deceive us, so I'm asking that we search God's word about prayer as we pray, and ask that God would open our eyes by the Holy Spirit's guidance through His word. I'm going to do a search on prayer and pray and praying, etc.
So we're praying that the Father would show us whom we should pray to in heaven, and that we will submit to whatever He shows us in His word.
By the way, last night I remembered the passage that says our hearts can deceive us, and added three words to my request: 'in His word'.
Jeremiah 17:
9 “ The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I'm going to post some of the passages I find as I search the scriptures about prayer. If nothing else, I'll learn some more good things about prayer. I hope everyone does.
Monday, September 06, 2010
Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: In a discussion at Called to Communion
Here's a post by John Bugay that links to a discussion at 'Called to Communion' about some new scholarship on the structure of the early church at Rome.
Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: In a discussion at Called to Communion
Beggars All: Reformation And Apologetics: In a discussion at Called to Communion
Friday, September 03, 2010
Thoughts of Francis Turretin: How Many Popes Does it Take to Deny the Immaculate Conception?
ANOTHER UPDATE: I'm opening comments here now, since everybody seems to be scared of TurretinFan and won't go over there. But please read all the links here if you want to comment.
Thoughts of Francis Turretin: How Many Popes Does it Take to Deny the Immaculate Conception?
I'm going to try something new, since I'm not a patristic scholar. If anyone wants to comment, please do so over at TurretinFan's blog. I may open comments here later on.
UPDATE: Here are two more articles which Jason Engwer linked to in the comments of TurretinFan's post on the debate on the Immaculate Conception:
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/09/some-early-sources-on-sinlessness-of.html
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/09/some-later-sources-on-sinlessness-of.html
Thoughts of Francis Turretin: How Many Popes Does it Take to Deny the Immaculate Conception?
I'm going to try something new, since I'm not a patristic scholar. If anyone wants to comment, please do so over at TurretinFan's blog. I may open comments here later on.
UPDATE: Here are two more articles which Jason Engwer linked to in the comments of TurretinFan's post on the debate on the Immaculate Conception:
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/09/some-early-sources-on-sinlessness-of.html
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2006/09/some-later-sources-on-sinlessness-of.html
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Revelation Song -Philips Craig and Dean- (with lyrics)
This is another beautiful song of worship to Jesus.
No Other Name: Unhindered
We sang this song in church this Sunday. It's a beautiful song praising Jesus, who is Emmanuel which means 'God with us'. God's name is the only one worthy of praise.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thoughts of Francis Turretin: The White-Ferrara Marian Debate - Some Follow-Up
More from TurretinFan on the Immaculate Conception.
Thoughts of Francis Turretin: The White-Ferrara Marian Debate - Some Follow-Up
In the post TurretinFan links to 'Ineffibilis Deus' which is the document which declares the Immaculate Conception to be official Church Dogma. Here is a quote from it that shows the purpose of the doctrine and the spirit of it, which is offensive beyond words:
All our hope do we repose in the most Blessed Virgin -- in the all fair and immaculate one who has crushed the poisonous head of the most cruel serpent and brought salvation to the world: in her who is the glory of the prophets and apostles, the honor of the martyrs, the crown and joy of all the saints; in her who is the safest refuge and the most trustworthy helper of all who are in danger; in her who, with her only-begotten Son, is the most powerful Mediatrix and Conciliatrix in the whole world; in her who is the most excellent glory, ornament, and impregnable stronghold of the holy Church; in her who has destroyed all heresies and snatched the faithful people and nations from all kinds of direst calamities; in her do we hope who has delivered us from so many threatening dangers. We have, therefore, a very certain hope and complete confidence that the most Blessed Virgin will ensure by her most powerful patronage that all difficulties be removed and all errors dissipated, so that our Holy Mother the Catholic Church may flourish daily more and more throughout all the nations and countries, and may reign "from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth," and may enjoy genuine peace, tranquility and liberty. We are firm in our confidence that she will obtain pardon for the sinner, health for the sick, strength of heart for the weak, consolation for the afflicted, help for those in danger; that she will remove spiritual blindness from all who are in error, so that they may return to the path of truth and justice, and that here may be one flock and one shepherd.
All these things ascribed to Mary are things that only God Himself does, and our hope and praise should go to Him alone. Christ is the one who crushed the head of the serpent. This is why I am offended and continue to feel the need to expose the spirit behind this doctrine.
I posted this whole chapter a few days ago and bolded this passage, hoping it might strike a chord: 1 Peter 1:20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
We believe in God the Father through Christ alone, and our faith and hope are in Him.
Thoughts of Francis Turretin: The White-Ferrara Marian Debate - Some Follow-Up
In the post TurretinFan links to 'Ineffibilis Deus' which is the document which declares the Immaculate Conception to be official Church Dogma. Here is a quote from it that shows the purpose of the doctrine and the spirit of it, which is offensive beyond words:
All our hope do we repose in the most Blessed Virgin -- in the all fair and immaculate one who has crushed the poisonous head of the most cruel serpent and brought salvation to the world: in her who is the glory of the prophets and apostles, the honor of the martyrs, the crown and joy of all the saints; in her who is the safest refuge and the most trustworthy helper of all who are in danger; in her who, with her only-begotten Son, is the most powerful Mediatrix and Conciliatrix in the whole world; in her who is the most excellent glory, ornament, and impregnable stronghold of the holy Church; in her who has destroyed all heresies and snatched the faithful people and nations from all kinds of direst calamities; in her do we hope who has delivered us from so many threatening dangers. We have, therefore, a very certain hope and complete confidence that the most Blessed Virgin will ensure by her most powerful patronage that all difficulties be removed and all errors dissipated, so that our Holy Mother the Catholic Church may flourish daily more and more throughout all the nations and countries, and may reign "from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth," and may enjoy genuine peace, tranquility and liberty. We are firm in our confidence that she will obtain pardon for the sinner, health for the sick, strength of heart for the weak, consolation for the afflicted, help for those in danger; that she will remove spiritual blindness from all who are in error, so that they may return to the path of truth and justice, and that here may be one flock and one shepherd.
All these things ascribed to Mary are things that only God Himself does, and our hope and praise should go to Him alone. Christ is the one who crushed the head of the serpent. This is why I am offended and continue to feel the need to expose the spirit behind this doctrine.
I posted this whole chapter a few days ago and bolded this passage, hoping it might strike a chord: 1 Peter 1:20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
We believe in God the Father through Christ alone, and our faith and hope are in Him.
Friday, August 27, 2010
1 Peter 1: "For you who through Him believe in God"
1 Peter 1
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because
“ All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the LORD endures forever.”
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because
“ All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the LORD endures forever.”
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Thoughts of Francis Turretin: Was Mary Sinless?
Today TurretinFan posted this link to a friend's post about the immaculate conception. I can't help it, I have to link to it. Jesus is the only one who is sinless, and Mary stands for all of us who fall yet are redeemed by His blood.
Thoughts of Francis Turretin: Was Mary Sinless?
Thoughts of Francis Turretin: Was Mary Sinless?
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Concordat Watch
Concordat Watch is a website dedicated to exposing the truth about agreements, called concordats, made between the Catholic Church and the governments of countries.
Here is one web page on the website that shows how the innocent are trampled in the Roman Catholic Church's quest for power and money. The article begins:
Here is a FAQ page that gives some basic questions and answers about concordats. Following is one quote from the page about what a concordat is:
The basic premise of the website is that these 'concordats', which are sometimes called by other names to disguise what they are, are a danger to the civil rights of the citizens of the countries where they are enacted. Concordat Watch calls for true separation of church and state. I want to clarify that there is a true concept of separation, which our founding fathers endorsed; and there is a false concept of separation which today's liberals call for. The false concept is that there can be now mention, symbol, prayer, etc. of Christianity in or related to any state-run property or organization. They don't seem to care if other religions are represented; only Christianity, especially Biblical Christianity, is abhorred.
The true concept of separation of church and state is that the state shall make no law that inhibits the free practice of religion, and that no church shall control the government and so inhibit the civil rights and free practice of religion for the citizens. Thus, there is a wall of separation between church and state, but not so that no mention of God is allowed on state property, for example.
Here is another section from the FAQS page about how the concordat effects the citizens:
What powers are conferred on the Vatican and what liberties do citizens of concordat nations sacrifice, if any?
It varies from country to country, because concordats demand whatever the Vatican thinks the market will bear. Current concordats in countries like Poland and the Dominican Republic forbid anyone married in a Catholic Church to ever sue for a civil divorce. The Polish concordat phrases it with great delicacy (1993, Article 10.2), calling for the state to put in place the enabling legislation which would enforce "concordat marriage". But the Dominican one (1954, Article 15.2) is franker: "by virtue of contracting Catholic marriage, spouses renounce the possibility of divorce, which shall not be applicable to these Canon marriages". Here we see how a concordat can deny some citizens their rights under civil law in a direct fashion.
Generally, however, this is done in a more roundabout way. The concordat grants taxpayers’ money to Catholic social services (for example in Germany Catholic hospitals are funded to 98.2% by the state) yet it also stipulates that Church institutions are to be run according to Canon (Church) Law, and not civil law. This means that if you work at a Catholic school, hospital, care home, etc., you can be fired for changing your religion, being gay, living with a partner, or even remarrying. Thus you can be denied your rights under civil law indirectly, that is, if you want to retain your job.
Furthermore, with such generous state subsidies there are many places in, for example, Germany, where Catholic social services are the major or even sole employer in some field. This can result in people feeling they must go to church and even force their families to attend, in order to have a chance to get a job. It’s this unofficial erosion of liberty which is the most worrying thing. No concordat is going to come right out and say: “You must give money to the Church if you want to make sure that someday your handicapped child gets a place in a Church-run (yet state-subsidised) sheltered workshop.” But the concordat sets things up so that this can happen.
My conclusion:
Is the church meant to be a political state that makes agreements that enable it to entwine itself into the workings of governments in order to gain power over the citizens and money for its own purposes, to the detriment of the weakest members of society? OR is the church meant to be the body of Christ that appears in local bodies all over the world and which live to love God, love each other, love their neighbors, and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey the commands of Christ; not by compulsion and power of a hierarchy, but by the word of God worked out in love by each member.
Here is one web page on the website that shows how the innocent are trampled in the Roman Catholic Church's quest for power and money. The article begins:
The Polish Government can afford to subsidise Church influence in every corner of society, from chaplains throughout the civil service to holiday pay for the monks and nuns who teach religion in state schools. Yet it is unable to provide free school lunches for Polish children, a quarter of whom are malnourished. This is an itemised list of state subventions to the Church for 2008.
Here is a FAQ page that gives some basic questions and answers about concordats. Following is one quote from the page about what a concordat is:
It's a commitment to give the Church certain legal and financial privileges forever, unless the Church agrees to relinquish them. You can change a law if enough representatives vote to do so, but you cannot change a concordat without agreement from the Vatican, because it is classed as an international treaty. Once in place, therefore, concordats are removed from democratic control.
The basic premise of the website is that these 'concordats', which are sometimes called by other names to disguise what they are, are a danger to the civil rights of the citizens of the countries where they are enacted. Concordat Watch calls for true separation of church and state. I want to clarify that there is a true concept of separation, which our founding fathers endorsed; and there is a false concept of separation which today's liberals call for. The false concept is that there can be now mention, symbol, prayer, etc. of Christianity in or related to any state-run property or organization. They don't seem to care if other religions are represented; only Christianity, especially Biblical Christianity, is abhorred.
The true concept of separation of church and state is that the state shall make no law that inhibits the free practice of religion, and that no church shall control the government and so inhibit the civil rights and free practice of religion for the citizens. Thus, there is a wall of separation between church and state, but not so that no mention of God is allowed on state property, for example.
Here is another section from the FAQS page about how the concordat effects the citizens:
What powers are conferred on the Vatican and what liberties do citizens of concordat nations sacrifice, if any?
It varies from country to country, because concordats demand whatever the Vatican thinks the market will bear. Current concordats in countries like Poland and the Dominican Republic forbid anyone married in a Catholic Church to ever sue for a civil divorce. The Polish concordat phrases it with great delicacy (1993, Article 10.2), calling for the state to put in place the enabling legislation which would enforce "concordat marriage". But the Dominican one (1954, Article 15.2) is franker: "by virtue of contracting Catholic marriage, spouses renounce the possibility of divorce, which shall not be applicable to these Canon marriages". Here we see how a concordat can deny some citizens their rights under civil law in a direct fashion.
Generally, however, this is done in a more roundabout way. The concordat grants taxpayers’ money to Catholic social services (for example in Germany Catholic hospitals are funded to 98.2% by the state) yet it also stipulates that Church institutions are to be run according to Canon (Church) Law, and not civil law. This means that if you work at a Catholic school, hospital, care home, etc., you can be fired for changing your religion, being gay, living with a partner, or even remarrying. Thus you can be denied your rights under civil law indirectly, that is, if you want to retain your job.
Furthermore, with such generous state subsidies there are many places in, for example, Germany, where Catholic social services are the major or even sole employer in some field. This can result in people feeling they must go to church and even force their families to attend, in order to have a chance to get a job. It’s this unofficial erosion of liberty which is the most worrying thing. No concordat is going to come right out and say: “You must give money to the Church if you want to make sure that someday your handicapped child gets a place in a Church-run (yet state-subsidised) sheltered workshop.” But the concordat sets things up so that this can happen.
My conclusion:
Is the church meant to be a political state that makes agreements that enable it to entwine itself into the workings of governments in order to gain power over the citizens and money for its own purposes, to the detriment of the weakest members of society? OR is the church meant to be the body of Christ that appears in local bodies all over the world and which live to love God, love each other, love their neighbors, and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey the commands of Christ; not by compulsion and power of a hierarchy, but by the word of God worked out in love by each member.
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