Quote of the Day

Resolution One: I will live for God
Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will

- Jonathan Edwards

Verse of the Week

An unprecedented third post in a day. :P But a verse that had slipped my mind at the start of the year that I was just reminded as I was browsing this blog.

1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal:


2 Surely I am more stupid than any man,
and do not have the understanding of a man.
3 I neither learned wisdom
Nor have knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has ascended into heaven, or descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has bound the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name, and what is His Son’s name,
If you know?
5 Every word of God is pure;
He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
6 Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
7 Two things I request of You
(Deprive me not before I die):
8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches—
Feed me with the food allotted to me;
9 Lest I be full and deny You,
And say, “Who is the LORD?”
Or lest I be poor and steal,
And profane the name of my God.

- Proverbs 30: 1-9 (Emphasis mine)

On Pride and Growing Weary Part II

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Galatians 6:7-10

The second comforting thing that was revealed was God's, through Paul, exhortation to not become weary and lose heart in doing good. The amazing thing was that this very verse came to my mind so strongly yesterday as I was having tea with a friend, who shall not be named :P, as we were talking (or lamenting rather) about the state of the church today and of an organization, that shall also remain nameless. Serving in church has not transpired to be the smooth or easy thing that I, in my naivety, had thought it would be. I had thought that after the tumult of the last few months serving in the aforementioned nameless organization, serving in church would seem mild in comparison. Alas, a different environment brings with it a whole load of different and not-so-different issues and problems.

But even as we shared of difficulties in both organizations, there was a growing realization in me that very often God works in ways that boggles human wisdom.

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—
31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”

- 1 Corinthians 1:26-30

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.

- Isaiah 55: 8-9

Do not grow weary in serving Him, for He knows the secret things of the heart and He sees what Man cannot see. So often I am tempted to simply want to give up when it seems like nobody is listening or when God seems to be treated so churlishly by those who claim to know Him. I mean, how can you treat the Creator of the UNIVERSE like He is some poor, weak beggar who could really use your help or else He won't be able to get anything done. Or treat Him as a little accessory that you add, like the cherry on top of a cake, to your life and simply ignore Him when His Word and Commandments conflict with your lifestyle or culture, while still claiming to KNOW Him. I would be a hypocrite if I do not also add that this is something that is also a constant struggle in my life, in casting aside all things and to simply fall onto the Rock, which is Christ.

But it pains me greatly to see others around me who could simply care less about the things of God, and that it does not bother them that Christ is not supremely, infinitely valuable to them. Added to the fact that I am a person of impatient disposition, one often loses hope in there every being a genuine move of God through one's church. But yet God promises good to those whom He loves and His promises never fail. Looking back at my life, I see circumstances and decisions that one can only lift up one's hands and say "It is the Lord's doing." Throughout all the days of my life, He has not ceased to do all things to draw me to Himself, regardless of how stubbornly I would run away and hide from Him. How then can I not praise Him and attest to His Goodness? How can I remain despondent and without hope when He works all things for His good pleasure and for our good. For He is Sovereign over all and

"For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;
He does according to His will in the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of the earth.
No one can restrain His hand
Or say to Him, “What have You done?”

- Daniel 4: 34b-35

On Pride and Growing Weary Part I

1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
5 For each one shall bear his own load.
6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Galatians 6:1-10

Today was one of the rare days when I have actually gone into a service in church and the scripture passage that was read simply summed up and confronted the issues that I have been facing over the past couple of weeks.

3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

Upon reading this, the first thing God reminded me was of the Apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthian church.

6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

1 Corinthians 4:6-7

It is a constant struggle against my flesh, especially in the past year, over the pride and self-righteousness deep in my own heart that never seems to go away. Most likely it's a by-product of my reading of books by John Piper, D. A. Carson and the like, as well as from listening to the many Paris Reidhead, Leonard Ravenhill and Paul Washer sermons, which just goes to show how subtly the Evil One can take a good and excellent thing and make it a snare to the unwary. After a while, it is so easy to be puffed up with knowledge and rather than making you more humble and contrite in the face of an Awesome (in its fullest sense) and exceedingly Gracious God, one takes pride in the fact that he has "attained" a higher level of understanding that makes him "superior" to other believers.

For what does one have that he has not received? Is it not only by His Grace that He has chosen to reveal such awesome truths through preachers like John Piper and Paul Washer to you? For once you were blind and could not discern things that were Spiritual, and God in His Grace removed your blindness that you might see. For I am convinced that if He had never opened my eyes to His Truth a couple of years ago, despite of all those years in Sunday School and BB, I would never have come to Him in my natural unregenerate state. Who am I but a weak pitiful man who would never have sought Him unless He had sought me first. What place then is there for pride, where is the boasting?

14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

Galatians 6:14-15

Amen

Free Will and God's Sovereignty

A good short post detailing Compatibilism over at Cal.vin.st

In Part 1 we concluded that man does not make choices from a posture of neutrality, as this would render all choices without reason, leaving not only the world chaotic, but would prevent the Lord judging decisions as morally good or bad as God judges the motives of the heart. Further, contrary to common opinion, man’s choices are self-determined by his greatest desire at the time, therefore man cannot choose any possible option in any possible scenario. Finally, as man in his unregenerate state does not desire God, rather is hostile toward Him, man will never freely choose God if offered Him unless God first grants Him such a desire.

Concluding this brief introduction to Free Will, today we will define the term Compatibilism, and then look at some Scriptural examples of the ‘will’ (as understood by Compatibilism) in operation; seeing God decree an action, man freely choosing that action based upon his desire, and God then holding man accountable for that action.

Click here to continue reading

Part 1 can be read here.

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Video of a Christian Law School in US. Interesting to watch

Because He is Worthy

"You should believe in Jesus Christ, you should repent and you should serve Him even if He sends you to Hell because He is worthy of repentance, He is worthy of faith and He is worthy of service though you get nothing from it. Do you understand that kind of Christianity? Where it's all about Him, and not about Man."

"I need no other argument, I need no other plea. It was enough that Jesus died, [and] that He died for me."