Thursday, January 03, 2013

 

Resolved

English: The memorial to Jonathan Edwards in t...
English: The memorial to Jonathan Edwards in the chapel of Jesus College, Oxford (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Jonathan Edwards was one of the greatest American theologians and philosophers. His works combine profound theology with religious fervor. His Resolutions give insight into the intensity and seriousness of his pursuit of God:
“Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.
Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.
1. Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most to the glory of God, and my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration . . . whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.
5. Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can.
11. Resolved, When I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.
28. Resolved, To study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive, myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.
36. Resolved, Never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call to it. Dec. 19, 1722.
41. Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month, and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.
56. Resolved, Never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.
67. Resolved, After afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them; what good I have got by them; and, what I might have got by them.
Read the rest of Edwards' Resolutions.

Harry Plantinga


Monday, September 28, 2009

 

What Comfort!

September 28
When a tear is wept by thee, think not that God doth not behold; for, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him."
Thy sigh is able to move the heart of Jehovah; thy whisper can incline His ear unto thee; thy prayer can stay His hand; thy faith can move His arm.
Think not that God sits on high taking no account of thee. Remember that however poor and needy thou art, yet the Lord thinketh upon thee.
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards Him.

C.H. Spurgeon



Tuesday, June 23, 2009

 

We Are The Clay, And You Our Potter

Imagine a beautiful china tea cup saying:
“I wasn’t always like this, there was a time when I was just a cold, hard lump of clay. One day the potter picked me up and said, “I could do something with this”. Then he started to put pressure on me and change my shape. I said, “What are you doing? That hurts, stop!” but he said, “Not yet.” Then he put me on a wheel and began to spin me around and around until I shouted, “let me off.” He replied, “Not yet.” Then he shaped me into a cup and put me in a hot oven. I cried, “Let me out of here, I’m suffocating.” But he looked at me and said, not yet.” When he took me out, I thought his work on me was over, but then he started to paint me. I couldn’t believe what he did next. He put me back into the oven, and I said, “I can’t stand this, please let me out!” but he said “Not yet.”
Finally he took me out of the oven and set me on a shelf where I thought he had forgotten me. Then one day he took me off the shelf and held me up before a mirror. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had become a beautiful teacup that everyone wants to buy.”
There are things going on in your life today that you don’t understand. When you finally get to the place God want you to be, you’ll realize that He has been making you into a vessel He can use, bless and use to bless others.
So allow God to shape you! By allowing JESUS access in your life John 3.16

Sunday, August 17, 2008

 

The Mercy Of The Lord

It is tender mercy.

With gentle, loving touch, he heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.

He is as gracious in the manner of his mercy as in the matter of it.

It is great mercy.

There is nothing little in God; his mercy is like himself- It is infinite.

You cannot measure it.

His mercy is so great that it forgives great sins to great sinners, after great lengths of time, and then gives great favours and great privileges, and raises us up to great enjoyments in the great heaven of the great God.

It is undeserved mercy.

As indeed all true mercy must be, for deserved mercy is only a misnomer for justice.

There was no right on the sinner’s part to the kind consideration of the Most High;

Had the rebel been doomed at once to eternal fire he would have richly merited the doom, and if delivered from wrath, sovereign love alone has found a cause, for there was none in the sinner himself.

It is rich mercy.

Some things are great, but have little efficacy in them, but this mercy is a cordial to your drooping spirits; a golden ointment to your bleeding wounds; a heavenly bandage to your broken bones; a royal chariot for your weary feet; a bosom of love for your trembling heart.

It is manifold mercy.

As Bunyan says, “All the flowers in God’s garden are double.”

There is no single mercy.

You may think you have but one mercy, but you shall find it to be a whole cluster of mercies.

It is abounding mercy.

Millions have received it, yet far from it being exhausted; it is as fresh, as full, and as free as ever.

It is unfailing mercy.

It will never leave thee.

If mercy be thy friend, mercy will be with thee in temptation to keep thee from yielding;

With you in trouble to prevent you from sinking;

With you living to be the light and life of your countenance;

And with you dying to be the joy of tyour soul when earthly comfort is ebbing fast.


Tuesday, July 29, 2008

 

Salvation Too Cheap?

A miner once said to a preacher, "I'd like to be a Christian, but I can't receive what you said tonight." "Why not?" asked the preacher. "Well, I'd give anything to believe that God would forgive my sins, but I can't believe He'll forgive me if I just turn to Him. It's too cheap." The preacher looked at him and said, "Have you been working today?" Surprised, the man replied, "Yes, I was down in the pit as usual. Why?" "How did you get out of the pit?" "The way I usually do. I got into the cage and was pulled to the top." "How much did you pay to come out of the pit?" The miner looked at the preacher in astonishment. "Pay? Of course, I didn't pay anything." "Well," said the preacher, "weren't you afraid to trust yourself to that cage? Wasn't it too cheap?" "Oh, no," he said; "it was cheap for me, but it cost the company a lot of money to sink that shaft." Then the implication of what he had said struck him, and he saw that though he could have salvation without money and without price, it had cost the infinite God a great price to rescue lost men.


 

Counting the Cost

Let's ask ourselves this question: "Am I concerned about the sacrifices I may be called upon to make in serving Christ?" Two young men were talking about this very thing. One of them said, "I cannot tell you all that the Lord Jesus is to me, or what He has done for me. I do wish you would enlist in His army."
"I'm thinking about it," answered the other young man, "but it means giving up several things-in fact, I am counting the cost." A Christian officer, just passing, heard the last remark, and laying his hand on the shoulder of the young soldier said, "Young man, you talk of counting the cost of following Christ, but have you ever counted the cost of not following Him?"


Wednesday, March 26, 2008

 

Technology and the Bible - eNews for March 25, 2008

Quoted from http://www.khouse.org/enews_article/2008/997/print/:

Technology and the Bible

from the March 25, 2008 eNews issue
http://www.khouse.org (visit our website for a FREE subscription) Why do we believe the Bible is accurate? Is it more than just a history book? What makes it different from all other religious books? How do we know that the Bible really is the Word of God?

In the 20th century we have witnessed one of the most remarkable discoveries in recorded history: the discovery that the universe is finite. The implications of this discovery are indeed staggering. Beginning with Albert Einstein in 1903, twentieth-century physicists have demonstrated that space-time and matter had a finite, simultaneous beginning. Prior to this discovery, atheistic scientists and philosophers rested comfortably on the notion that the universe was eternal. Consequently, a universe without a beginning needed no cause, it just existed. However, a universe that has a beginning either created itself (a logical and scientific absurdity) or it was caused to exist by a Being who preceded it. By definition, that means a transcendent Creator, One who exists outside time and space.

A transcendent Creator presents some interesting possibilities. Because a transcendent Creator possesses the sufficient means to act in our space-time domain, He also has the capability to get a message to us. The Bible claims to be that message. The Bible authenticates that its text is an extraterrestrial, supernatural message system from a transcendent Creator in several ways. Not the least of which is its scientific accuracy.

The Bible declares that God is omniscient (all-knowing). He possesses a perfect understanding of the physical universe. Consequently, we would expect any book claiming to be the word of God to be without error or contradiction when it speaks on scientific issues. Well, not only is the Bible 100 percent accurate regarding scientific phenomenon, it revealed many scientific facts thousands of years before they were discovered by scientists (i.e. that time, space, and matter are finite, the universe is expanding, the spherical nature of the earth, the laws of thermodynamics, the oceanic currents, etc.)

Throughout the Bible's text there are highly specific and accurate statements regarding the laws of physics, the nature of our solar system, the planet earth, and its life forms that were penned centuries before this scientific knowledge was discovered by the scientific community. This phenomenon, called scientific foreknowledge, is present throughout the text of the Bible and is a powerful hint of supernatural authorship.

Throughout the Bible we find the fingerprints of a supernatural message system. Numerous design features in the Biblical text defy coincidence and demonstrate that the Bible, which consists of sixty-six books, penned by forty authors over thousands of years, is an integrated message system. Astonishing evidence has gradually accumulated in the fields of archaeology, astronomy, physics, and biology which confirm the scientific and historical accuracy of the Bible, the supernatural origin of its text, and the fact that it has been preserved virtually unchanged for over two thousand years. No other holy book on planet earth authenticates its message in these ways.

Did you know that the Bible anticipates the use of nuclear weapons and smart bombs? Did you know that there are passages of Scripture that allude to modern technologies and discoveries like DNA, microchip implants, clones, holographic images, and even global television coverage? Chuck examines these scriptures in detail in his new briefing pack Technology and the Bible.

Related Links:

Technology and the Bible - DVD - New!
Technology and the Bible - MP3 Download - New!
Technology and the Bible - Audio CD - New!

see also,


Saturday, April 07, 2007

 

Happy Easter

There was ONE who lived, and was called The Resurrection and The Life! He changed history, brought hope, and the promise of eternal life. Check it out! http://www.atstracts.org. Happy Easter!


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