"Salvation is from the Lord." -- Jonah 2:9
"Salvation belongs to the Lord; Your blessing be upon your people!" --Psalm 3:8
"I, even I, am the Lord, and there is no saviour besides Me. It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you; So you ae my witnesses, declares the Lord, and I am God. Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of my hand; I act and who can reverse it?"
--Isaiah 43:11-13
I have been struck lately about how much we, I, make salvation all about us. Salvation is all about Him! The only reason He saves anybody is for His gory. When a sinner, by the working of the Holy Spirit, repents and believes upon Jesus for salvation, the Father gets all the glory! The party in heaven over that sinner is before the throne of God worshipping Him, because the salvation of the sinner is all about God!
"...It is more blessed to give than to recieve" -- Acts 20:35
God the Father is more blessed and glorified in His giving us His Son, than we could ever attribute to Him ourselves by recieving His gift. That is the beauty of the Gospel!: We are dead and unable to attribute ANYTHING to His glorious work of Salvation apart from the Holy Spirit working throught us! So, the Father works through the Holy Spirit to cause His sheep to hear His voice (John 10:25-30) and to see His Son, and then He gives them eternal life. So we had nothing to do with it in and of ourselves! Salvation is from the Lord!
His Grace
Matt
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
The Shack
2 Timothy 4:3-4: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths."
2 Peter 2:1-3: " But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep."
The Shack, I have not personally read the book, but have heard enough Biblical guidance and counseling exposing the problems with this book. Please take a moment to listen to this pastor (shepherd) teaching his flock in regards to this book. This is not a benign matter. We must be alert and watch, because our enemy is prowling seeking whom he may devour. Brothers and sisters please seek the scriptures for truth!
http://www.leadingtheway.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sto_TheShack_13heresies
http://www.challies.com/sites/all/files/files/The_Shack.pdf (Book Review)
His Grace
Matt
2 Peter 2:1-3: " But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep."
The Shack, I have not personally read the book, but have heard enough Biblical guidance and counseling exposing the problems with this book. Please take a moment to listen to this pastor (shepherd) teaching his flock in regards to this book. This is not a benign matter. We must be alert and watch, because our enemy is prowling seeking whom he may devour. Brothers and sisters please seek the scriptures for truth!
http://www.leadingtheway.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sto_TheShack_13heresies
http://www.challies.com/sites/all/files/files/The_Shack.pdf (Book Review)
His Grace
Matt
God's Glory
The world is dull and sleepy, and utterly indifferent to the glory of God in the work of redemption. We need to tell it over and over and over again, that God is great in the salvation of his people.
There are many who will rise up and deny God's Glory; revilers of all sorts abound in rage; but over and above their clamor, let the voice of truth be heard, "Let God be magnified." They cry, "the Bible is worn out." They doubt its inspiration, they question the deity of Christ, they set up new gods that have lately come up, that our fathers knew not.
Let us confront them with the truth, let us oppose them with the gospel, let us overcome them through the blood of the Lamb, using this one only war-cry, "Let God be magnified." Everywhere in answer to all blasphemy, in direct conflict with profanity, let us lift up this voice with heart and soul. "Let God be magnified."
--Charles Spurgeon
There are many who will rise up and deny God's Glory; revilers of all sorts abound in rage; but over and above their clamor, let the voice of truth be heard, "Let God be magnified." They cry, "the Bible is worn out." They doubt its inspiration, they question the deity of Christ, they set up new gods that have lately come up, that our fathers knew not.
Let us confront them with the truth, let us oppose them with the gospel, let us overcome them through the blood of the Lamb, using this one only war-cry, "Let God be magnified." Everywhere in answer to all blasphemy, in direct conflict with profanity, let us lift up this voice with heart and soul. "Let God be magnified."
--Charles Spurgeon
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Education
I read this today from Voddie Baucham's blog. Pretty good stuff:
http://www.voddiebaucham.org/vbm/Blog/Entries/2010/3/5_More_from_the_“Our_School_Has_Christian_Teachers”_File.html
http://www.voddiebaucham.org/vbm/Blog/Entries/2010/3/5_More_from_the_“Our_School_Has_Christian_Teachers”_File.html
Why 'Church'?
"Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. "But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. "I and the Father are one." -- John 10:25-30
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" -- Romans 10:14-16
'The Preaching of the Word by the chosen servants of the living God, is the ordained means for gathering in of the elect. It is not the Word read, so much as that which is heard, which has the promise attached to it; hence the importance of a devout attendance on the ministry of the Gospel' -- Charles Spurgeon
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" -- Romans 10:14-16
'The Preaching of the Word by the chosen servants of the living God, is the ordained means for gathering in of the elect. It is not the Word read, so much as that which is heard, which has the promise attached to it; hence the importance of a devout attendance on the ministry of the Gospel' -- Charles Spurgeon
Thursday, May 6, 2010
How should we pray?
This is a devotional from Oswald Chambers I read the other day. I do not typically read it everyday, but everytime I do, he is spot on for the moment. Enjoy and let it sink in:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit." Ephesians 6:18
As we go on in intercession we may find that our obedience to God is going to cost other people more than we thought. The danger then is to begin to intercede in sympathy with those whom God was gradually lifting to a totally different sphere in answer to our prayers. Whenever we step back from identification with God's interest in others into sympathy with them, the vital connection with God has gone, we have put our sympathy, our consideration for them in the way, and this is a deliberate rebuke to God.
It is impossible to intercede vitally unless we are perfectly sure of God, and the greatest dissipator of our relationship to God is personal sympathy and personal prejudice. Identification is the key to intercession, and whenever we stop being identified with God, it is by sympathy, not by sin. It is not likely that sin will interfere with our relationship to God, but sympathy will, sympathy with ourselves or with others which makes us say - "I will not allow that thing to happen." Instantly we are out of vital connection with God.
Intercession leaves you neither time nor inclination to pray for your own "sad sweet self." The thought of yourself is not kept out, because it is not there to keep out; you are completely and entirely identified with God's interests in other lives.
Discernment is God's call to intercession, never to fault finding.
His Grace
Matt
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit." Ephesians 6:18
As we go on in intercession we may find that our obedience to God is going to cost other people more than we thought. The danger then is to begin to intercede in sympathy with those whom God was gradually lifting to a totally different sphere in answer to our prayers. Whenever we step back from identification with God's interest in others into sympathy with them, the vital connection with God has gone, we have put our sympathy, our consideration for them in the way, and this is a deliberate rebuke to God.
It is impossible to intercede vitally unless we are perfectly sure of God, and the greatest dissipator of our relationship to God is personal sympathy and personal prejudice. Identification is the key to intercession, and whenever we stop being identified with God, it is by sympathy, not by sin. It is not likely that sin will interfere with our relationship to God, but sympathy will, sympathy with ourselves or with others which makes us say - "I will not allow that thing to happen." Instantly we are out of vital connection with God.
Intercession leaves you neither time nor inclination to pray for your own "sad sweet self." The thought of yourself is not kept out, because it is not there to keep out; you are completely and entirely identified with God's interests in other lives.
Discernment is God's call to intercession, never to fault finding.
His Grace
Matt
Monday, May 3, 2010
Seek it like Silver
"My son, if you will receive my words, and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding." -- Proverbs 2:1-6
Nothing super profound, but Ashley and I were reading this last night and I could not help but think about a few things....He says receive it, treasure it, be attentive to it, incline your heart, cry for it, lift your voice, seek it, search for it. The only reason we can seek after wisdom and understanding is because absolute truth, wisdom, and understanding exists and is there to seek. V.6 says that the Lord gives wisdom and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding
"All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the MAN of GOD may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." -- 2 Timothy 3:16
The Bible was written and given to the Man of God. Those of us who are sheep of His fold, His church. He says in Proverbs 2: Seek for wisdom and understanding, by my spirit, through my spoken and written word and you will find it. Don't just read it, seek it as silver or hidden treasures:
What if I told you that I hid a $10 million dollar silver coin in your house and you could have it if you could find it...how hard would you search for it? Why?
Will we seek His Word for wisdom and understanding in the same way? Why or Why not? As a true Man (or Woman) of God, it is not optional.
Grace
Matt
Nothing super profound, but Ashley and I were reading this last night and I could not help but think about a few things....He says receive it, treasure it, be attentive to it, incline your heart, cry for it, lift your voice, seek it, search for it. The only reason we can seek after wisdom and understanding is because absolute truth, wisdom, and understanding exists and is there to seek. V.6 says that the Lord gives wisdom and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding
"All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the MAN of GOD may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." -- 2 Timothy 3:16
The Bible was written and given to the Man of God. Those of us who are sheep of His fold, His church. He says in Proverbs 2: Seek for wisdom and understanding, by my spirit, through my spoken and written word and you will find it. Don't just read it, seek it as silver or hidden treasures:
What if I told you that I hid a $10 million dollar silver coin in your house and you could have it if you could find it...how hard would you search for it? Why?
Will we seek His Word for wisdom and understanding in the same way? Why or Why not? As a true Man (or Woman) of God, it is not optional.
Grace
Matt
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