Feels like a monday..

Man, I'm tired. Stayed up late last night. There's an interesting story behind that, though...

I decided to go to bed, but to check to make sure my truck was locked first. So I stepped out onto the balcony outside my apartment so my remote would work, and made sure it was locked. Then I turned around to go in and realized that I had locked the door behind me and I didn't have a key. So here I was, 12:30 or so at night in my boxers and a t-shirt locked out of my apartment and Brooke and Bekah are sound asleep inside. I knocked for a few minutes and then sat in the truck (it was the only place I could open!) and contemplated sleeping in there, but it was WAY too uncomfortable. So I went back upstairs and knocked/banged on the door until my wife let me in. This experience definitely makes the "dumbest stuff I ever did" list.

..On a separate note, what's up with this whole global warming thing? I mean, people on both sides of the issue claim that scientists concur with THEIR point of view. I understand that the scientific community is divided on this issue, but both sides seem to insinuate that the entire scientific community is behind them! Also with the exception of one politician, it seems like all Democrats believe in global warming and all Republicans don't.. Weird stuff. As for me, I don't know what to believe without actually looking into it.

mi declaración oficial

A quien pueda interesar:

No puedo hablar para cualquier persona , sino que no soy un idiota. Toma a persona realmente elegante para hacer para arriba una historia sobre raccoons y lanzadores propulsados cohete del burrito.

¡Haha, usted ganso tonto! ¡Usted puede ningún uso más largo el lenguaje español como arma contra mí!

Su error probará costoso cuando los raccoons asumen el control el mundo.

..To my non-Spanish-speaking friends, please disregard. :D

Effort and Faith..

According to the Bible, we are saved by faith and not of works, and yet according to the book of James, our works prove our faith. Jesus said in John 15 that apart from Him we can do nothing. Paul said in Philippians that he could do "all things through Christ who strengthens me."

It seems to me there is a fine line somewhere between effort and faith in the life of a Christian.

Am I crazy? Don't answer that question. But seriously, where is the middle ground? I know that anything done in our strength does not please God, because we cannot please Him without faith and our works before God are as filthy rags. But to trust God to provide all of our needs (which He said He will) without taking any action whatsoever is to be lazy.

I'm trying to find this balance, and I strongly believe that God is actively teaching me this at this point in my life. I have been at both ends of the spectrum. From what I understand, when we live a life totally surrendered to God and obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we will find that balance. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I grasp this concept with my mind, but it still has not fully come into the realm of personal experience.

I know this- at the end of my life, I want to be able to rest confidently in the fact that I did what God called me to do no matter what, and that peoples' lives were changed because of it.

*To those of you who have posted responses to my previous posts, I just want to let you know I've read them, and I could respond, but this dialogue will never reach an end. I am choosing to move on with a new focus on what it means to live a life that pleases God and brings Him glory. That dialogue might continue on others' pages, but not on mine.*

Why can't the Bible mean what it says?

Acts 17
30"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,
31because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."

Why would God command everyone everywhere to repent if some were not able to repent?

I'm sure the 16 comments I'm going to get on this one are going to be very interesting.

More Evidence

1 John 2 (New American Standard Bible)
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
1 John 2
Christ Is Our Advocate
1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
2and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

Is this out of context?

"Sound Doctrine"

Seems to me like the more I try to learn about God and the Bible, the more questions I end up with. Truly God's ways are higher than ours. But that's not an excuse to neglect Bible study. Just a statement that we will never fully understand God. Never. We can study the Bible our whole life and many things about God will still be a mystery to us.

God cannot be summarized by five points. God cannot fit in the mental boxes we try to place around Him.

I read a post, and I can't remember whose it was, but I believe it was Mark Batterson talking about sideways energy. Energy spent discussing/arguing over doctrine instead of using it to further God's kingdom. Titus 3:9-11 says it all.

I want to be careful that what is going on in discussions is good in some way and not just a pointless argument. There's going to be a point very soon where Jeff and I have said all we have to say to each other. After that it would be easy to argue. But I won't.

Jeff and I are going to debate his point of view in a couple of weeks in JC's sunday school class. After that, 95% of the discussion will be over. The discussion has been enjoyable because we have both grown because of it.

So my focus should be God's kingdom. Not fighting over doctrine. Why? God has commanded it in the Bible.

THAT is sound doctrine.

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

This is Romans 5:6.

My question is this: Wouldn't this be a good opportunity to interject something about Jesus not dying for all people if that were true? If Christ died for the ungodly, which according to Romans 3:9-18 is everyone, that proves Jesus died for everyone.

Maybe I haven't heard the best explanation of the Calvinist view, but so far it seems as though logic is left out. For example, when someone explains the Calvinist view of irresistable grace to me, it is explained sort of like this: "When God reveals His goodness and all He is to you, you will chose him." Further questioning on my part reveals that there is no free will involved. So here you go-

If people can't say no, is it a choice? NO!

It baffles me, to say the least. I am still continuing to dialogue in the hope of better understanding this point of view.

If Jesus died for everyone (Romans 3) and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10) then a view of Romans 9 that does not fit the chapters surrounding it is incorrect.

Choice

The last two posts on Jeff's blog are about the theological topic of election. The point of view expressed in these two posts is one similar to Calvinism or Reformed Theology. Here are the cliff notes, so to speak:

-God chose who would go to heaven and hell before time began.
-People cannot resist choosing God when He draws them.
-If you are not one of the elect (chosen) you cannot choose God, ever.
-Jesus only died for the elect.

I have a few problems with this line of thinking. I believe it is an attack on God's character and is fatalistic, to say the least. If these statements were truth, then no one is responsible for their own destiny.

Here's some of the evidence to the contrary:

First Timothy Chapter 2 (emphasis mine):
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ[a]and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Deuteronomy 30 19-20 (emphasis mine)
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Proverbs 1:29
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
[trust me, this is not out of context; read it for yourself.]

Throughout the Bible the relationship between God and His people has been illustrated as a marriage, a binding relationship where both parties involved make a conscious choice. God is seen as the jealous husband of Israel in the Old Testament and as the Bridegroom in the New Testament.

2 Peter
Read this whole book, especially chapter 3. The book speaks of living a life that brings glory to God because God's judgment is coming on this world and all people.

3:9 shows God's patience and His desire:
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

God is longsuffering (patient) with us because He desires everyone to repent and give their lives to Him.

But here's my main point. Romans chapter 9 is used by some to support Calvinism, but I would like to hear the explanation of chapter 10: (emphasis mine again)
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

Confession is a choice. A view of Romans 9 that supports Calvinist theology conflicts with a Biblical view of Romans 10.

God is awesome.