Men,
I can't count the times that I have used Romans 8:28 to comfort other believers in their struggles. I'd say "take courage because we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." I'm here to tell you that God has informed me, through my Pastor Stephen Davey's Wisdom for the Heart message, that I am misusing that verse. I think it is important for me, and you, to hear/read this message entitled "What It Is Not!" During today's segment of this teaching, he describes what Romans 8:28 does NOT mean.
Here is a brief excerpt Steve teaches Romans 8:28 does not mean:
1. Romans 8:28 is not a precise explanation for suffering. Paul does not provide a quick answer for the grieving. This verse is not a band-aide for you to try to stick on some suffering believer. In fact, this verse does not pretend to solve the riddles of life. Furthermore, this verse does not even attempt to answer the questions that begin with the word, “Why?”
2. Romans 8:28 is not an explanation for suffering and it is, secondly, not a prohibition against sorrow. Have you ever heard a Christian say to another believer, “Now don’t cry . . . remember, Romans 8:28!” The motto of many in the church is, “Deep Christians don’t cry!” Well, if that is the case, then Jesus Christ failed miserably outside Lazarus’ tomb where He wept openly. And the crowd said in John, chapter 11, verse 36b, . . . See how He loved him! This verse in Romans is no biblical prohibition to grieving.
3. Romans 8:28 is not a pretext for avoiding the challenges of life. A believer is misguided who tells another, “Settle down . . . don’t get so excited about your passion for God and zeal for the Lord; He’s gonna do whatever He wants to do anyway, so why bother getting so fired up about accomplishing something for God?! He’s gonna work everything out!”
4. Romans 8:28 is not a permanent ticket to comfortable living. Paul has already reminded the believer in Romans 8:25 that we wait and actively hope with anticipation. Somebody might say, “Well, I’ve been asking God for His will for my life and I just don’t understand why He isn’t coming through.” While we may not know what the will of God is for our future, He has given us more than we are prepared to tackle, right now. Let me give you a few of them:
• obey your parents (Ephesians 6:1);
• if you are single, develop a romantic relationship with a believer only (I Corinthians 6:15);
• raise your children with an understanding of biblical and spiritual truth (Ephesians 6:4);
• provide for the physical needs of your family (I Timothy 5:8);
• work hard in your occupation (I Thessalonians 4:11-12);
• give to the Lord, His church, and His cause (II Corinthians 8-9);
• pray consistently and regularly (I Thessalonians 5:17);
Feeling convicted?? I certainly am
Feb 20, 2012
Jan 20, 2012
Chew on this!
Men,
Yes...it's starting again. Classes that is. I've begun my reading for the second half of Historical Theology. It starts with "Post-Reformation." Obviously this means that the Reformation has happened with the likes of Luther, Zwingli and Calvin as the stars of this Reformation. If you're not sure what happened at the Reformation, well in a nutshell...men, specifically Martin Luther, who were tired of the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, broke from it in an attempt to reform it. The result...the Protestant Church. As you can imagine, "man," in his great desire to do his own thing decided that the reform of the Reformed Church wasn't quite "reformed" enough. So, "Protestants" began to divide to reform the Reformed Church. Anyway, one of the topics that caused the reforming of the reformed church is Supralapsarianism. I know...SupralapWhat???
Supra indicates logical priority to something else. lapsarianism indicates reference to the fall of humanity (from the same root as lapse - to "fall"). Thus, Supralapsarianism literally means "something prior to the Fall."
Theologically, Supralapsarianism is a certain way of ordering the divine decrees of God concerning predestination and creating humans.
Check out how Supralapsarianism orders God's decrees. I'd be interested in your take on this.
1. The decree of God to predestine some creatures to salvation and eternal life and some other creatures to damnation and everlasting punishment in hell.
2. The decree of God to create.
3. The decree of God to allow human creatures to fall into sin.
4. The decree of God to provide the means of salvation (Christ and the gospel) for the elect.
5. The decree of God to apply salvation (the righteousness of Christ) to the elect.
"The Story of Christian Theology" Olson
Yes...it's starting again. Classes that is. I've begun my reading for the second half of Historical Theology. It starts with "Post-Reformation." Obviously this means that the Reformation has happened with the likes of Luther, Zwingli and Calvin as the stars of this Reformation. If you're not sure what happened at the Reformation, well in a nutshell...men, specifically Martin Luther, who were tired of the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, broke from it in an attempt to reform it. The result...the Protestant Church. As you can imagine, "man," in his great desire to do his own thing decided that the reform of the Reformed Church wasn't quite "reformed" enough. So, "Protestants" began to divide to reform the Reformed Church. Anyway, one of the topics that caused the reforming of the reformed church is Supralapsarianism. I know...SupralapWhat???
Supra indicates logical priority to something else. lapsarianism indicates reference to the fall of humanity (from the same root as lapse - to "fall"). Thus, Supralapsarianism literally means "something prior to the Fall."
Theologically, Supralapsarianism is a certain way of ordering the divine decrees of God concerning predestination and creating humans.
Check out how Supralapsarianism orders God's decrees. I'd be interested in your take on this.
1. The decree of God to predestine some creatures to salvation and eternal life and some other creatures to damnation and everlasting punishment in hell.
2. The decree of God to create.
3. The decree of God to allow human creatures to fall into sin.
4. The decree of God to provide the means of salvation (Christ and the gospel) for the elect.
5. The decree of God to apply salvation (the righteousness of Christ) to the elect.
"The Story of Christian Theology" Olson
Jan 2, 2012
Tradition or Truth
There is nothing wrong with tradition as long as we do not confuse tradition with truth. As soon as we become more attached to our traditions than we are to truth, we are in VERY deep trouble. The best tradition is recognized for exactly what it is: one that may help us to better worship or serve God, but which is not in and of itself the embodiment of truth. Traditions must be tested, including traditions that touch on the use of particular translations.
As soon as we make our tradition the test of someone else's standing with God (as people have done to Jerome, to Erasmus, and to those who today would use a non-KJV translation), we have elevated it to an anti-biblical status.
An excerpt from "The King James Only Controversy: Can You Trust the Modern Translations?" By James R. White
As soon as we make our tradition the test of someone else's standing with God (as people have done to Jerome, to Erasmus, and to those who today would use a non-KJV translation), we have elevated it to an anti-biblical status.
An excerpt from "The King James Only Controversy: Can You Trust the Modern Translations?" By James R. White
Dec 22, 2011
How's your hearing?
"If we do not listen to God's Word and really HEAR it, we will start to DRIFT.
Neglect always leads to drifting, in things material and physical as well as spiritual.
As we drift from the Word, we start to DOUBT the Word, because FAITH comes by hearing the Word of God. We start to get hard hearts, and this leads to spiritual sluggishness, which produces DULLNESS toward the Word. We become "dull of hearing" --- lazy listeners! This leads to a SPITEFUL attitude toward the Word to the extent that we willfully DISOBEY God, and this gradually develops into a DEFIANT attitude --- we almost "dare" God to do anything!
Excerpt from "Be Confident" Live by Faith, Not by Sight commentary by Warren Wiersbe
Neglect always leads to drifting, in things material and physical as well as spiritual.
As we drift from the Word, we start to DOUBT the Word, because FAITH comes by hearing the Word of God. We start to get hard hearts, and this leads to spiritual sluggishness, which produces DULLNESS toward the Word. We become "dull of hearing" --- lazy listeners! This leads to a SPITEFUL attitude toward the Word to the extent that we willfully DISOBEY God, and this gradually develops into a DEFIANT attitude --- we almost "dare" God to do anything!
Excerpt from "Be Confident" Live by Faith, Not by Sight commentary by Warren Wiersbe
Dec 21, 2011
For nothing will be impossible with God -- Luke 1:37
This verse has a lot of meaning for Jacqueline and I. For those of you who don't know our story, in the middle of our dating relationship, in the middle of a deployment, I turned into a schmuck and dumped Jacqueline in an email. Fast forward to the end of the deployment, God providentially reconnected us and this is the verse that I held onto while God redeemed our relationship ultimately ending up in us getting married.
Our pastor, during a part of his series "Christmas Cousins," elaborated on this small piece of text in a big way. So next time you are struggling with something big in your life, and you think God is not big enough, hold on to Luke 1:37 and the commentary for it below:
Gabriel isn’t just quoting scripture . . . he’s also speaking as an eyewitness.
He stood in the presence of God. He knew.
He had seen countless miracles throughout the previous centuries.
He had watched at the dawn of human history as God created with spectacular colors more than a hundred billion galaxies.
He had watched God craft a man out of dust and a woman out of bone;
He was there when God created the animal kingdom both seen and still yet to be discovered by human observation;
Gabriel has seen the manna fall and the waters part;
He’s seen time stand still;he’s watched lions mouths muzzled and fiery furnaces air-conditioned.
Mary, nothing is impossible with God. And he should know.
He’s watched God take the life of every first born Egyptian and then and spark life in the womb of a barren woman;
he’s seen God float iron to the surface of water and bring repentance to the hearts of an entire nation;
he’s watched God send a chariot of fire from heaven to bring His prophet home and
he’s seen God tear open the earth and send His enemies to the fires of torment below.
He’s seen God in all His terror and in all His glory.
Mary, let me tell you what I know and what I’ve seen. Nothing is impossible with God.
Jumping for Joy 12/18/2011 Luke 1:26-80 by Steven Davey
Our pastor, during a part of his series "Christmas Cousins," elaborated on this small piece of text in a big way. So next time you are struggling with something big in your life, and you think God is not big enough, hold on to Luke 1:37 and the commentary for it below:
Gabriel isn’t just quoting scripture . . . he’s also speaking as an eyewitness.
He stood in the presence of God. He knew.
He had seen countless miracles throughout the previous centuries.
He had watched at the dawn of human history as God created with spectacular colors more than a hundred billion galaxies.
He had watched God craft a man out of dust and a woman out of bone;
He was there when God created the animal kingdom both seen and still yet to be discovered by human observation;
Gabriel has seen the manna fall and the waters part;
He’s seen time stand still;he’s watched lions mouths muzzled and fiery furnaces air-conditioned.
Mary, nothing is impossible with God. And he should know.
He’s watched God take the life of every first born Egyptian and then and spark life in the womb of a barren woman;
he’s seen God float iron to the surface of water and bring repentance to the hearts of an entire nation;
he’s watched God send a chariot of fire from heaven to bring His prophet home and
he’s seen God tear open the earth and send His enemies to the fires of torment below.
He’s seen God in all His terror and in all His glory.
Mary, let me tell you what I know and what I’ve seen. Nothing is impossible with God.
Jumping for Joy 12/18/2011 Luke 1:26-80 by Steven Davey
Dec 20, 2011
Dec 15, 2011
That's my Jesus!!! A TRUE servant leader
Men,
We all consider ourselves "servant leaders." Do we really know what that means or looks like?
Check out this sermon given by Voddie Baucham "Leading as a Servant" at the Truth & Life Conference 2011. Below is an excerpt:
His first act as a servant leader:
The Creator of the universe, wraps Himself in human flesh, not only that, but He submits Himself as an obedient Son not only to sinful parents, but to parents that sinned against Him, not only to sinful parents that sinned against Him, but sinful parents He created who sin against Him. And He submits to them in everything.
Christ the servant leader, takes upon the sins of those whom He serves and He dies in their stead, but WHY???
For His Father's Glory!!!
Does He get exalted, yes He does...by His Father...AFTER He dies.
So then, you and I as servant leaders...what do we do???
We give ourselves away as slaves, and we serve those to whom we have been called. Experiencing humiliation if necessary in the process. Why? So eventually we can become well known?
THAT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO A SERVANT LEADER.
No. So that Christ, may be glorified in the lives of those whom we serve.
When that happens, not only do you not turn it around and seek the higher position of notoriaty, but you're actually terrified of it. Because it makes it more and more difficult to be humble. And when people come up to you and say "How much you meant to me" and when a servant leader hears that, the one thing that goes through their mind is, "Oh how terrible it would be for me to take that into myself and rob God of His Glory."
Servant leadership is not about becoming rich or well known, its about you making much of Christ, and He will not share His Glory with another.
We all consider ourselves "servant leaders." Do we really know what that means or looks like?
Check out this sermon given by Voddie Baucham "Leading as a Servant" at the Truth & Life Conference 2011. Below is an excerpt:
His first act as a servant leader:
The Creator of the universe, wraps Himself in human flesh, not only that, but He submits Himself as an obedient Son not only to sinful parents, but to parents that sinned against Him, not only to sinful parents that sinned against Him, but sinful parents He created who sin against Him. And He submits to them in everything.
Christ the servant leader, takes upon the sins of those whom He serves and He dies in their stead, but WHY???
For His Father's Glory!!!
Does He get exalted, yes He does...by His Father...AFTER He dies.
So then, you and I as servant leaders...what do we do???
We give ourselves away as slaves, and we serve those to whom we have been called. Experiencing humiliation if necessary in the process. Why? So eventually we can become well known?
THAT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO A SERVANT LEADER.
No. So that Christ, may be glorified in the lives of those whom we serve.
When that happens, not only do you not turn it around and seek the higher position of notoriaty, but you're actually terrified of it. Because it makes it more and more difficult to be humble. And when people come up to you and say "How much you meant to me" and when a servant leader hears that, the one thing that goes through their mind is, "Oh how terrible it would be for me to take that into myself and rob God of His Glory."
Servant leadership is not about becoming rich or well known, its about you making much of Christ, and He will not share His Glory with another.