Bible and Christian book reviews, along with original articles.
I remember my first year of marriage. “Honey, you’re excited to go skiing with me and the guys for the 30th time, right?” Sure. Just like that one guy’s wife was thrilled when he went over-b…
Source: How Husbands Can Get Their Wives to Resent Them | The Cripplegate
Today’s post was written, in part, by my wife, Leslie Davis. Due to the nature of the post, a wife’s take on the subject was necessary. In last week’s parallel post, we looked at 50 ways that husba…
Source: How Wives Can Get Their Husbands to Resent Them | The Cripplegate
I’ve seen people try to explain away Romans 9, by claiming it was about Israel only, and not individual believers. I don’t agree with them. I’ve seen them try to wriggle out of several other passages in the Bible that to me look like rock solid support for God’s sovereign election. I would be curious though how they get around Acts 9. Let’s take a look at Acts 9.
| Acts 9:1-22 NASB “Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, (2) and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. (3) As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; (4) and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (5) And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, (6) but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” (7) The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. (8) Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. (9) And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. (10) Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” (11) And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, (12) and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” (13) But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; (14) and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” (15) But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; (16) for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (17) So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (18) And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; (19) and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, (20) and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” (21) All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” (22) But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.” |
Now, I think you can see that it is just silly to try to say that Jesus was waiting for Saul to ask Him into his heart. I think it is equally silly to say that Saul wanted to be saved, before the encounter. It also appears obvious that Saul did not have a choice in the situation. We know that he was hunting believers and persecuting the Church. Verse 1 starts out with, “Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord,” Safe to say, he wasn’t a nice man. He certainly didn’t like Christians. After his encounter with Jesus we read in verse 15 God has a conversation with Ananias, where He explains that Saul is chosen by God. “But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; (16) for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”” Interesting to see God choose someone who was violently against Him. Then changes his mind and thinking, and turns him into someone usable for His purposes. God used Paul to give us much of the New Testament. So much of our theology is from Paul’s Epistles. So, my freewill friends, how do you explain this one away? I better not hear any of you saying Saul could have refused and God would have just went on to try another man.
I know that this subject comes up from time to time. When theology starts getting discussed, you want to see where the other person stands. We learn a concept or doctrine. We learn the label for the specific doctrine, and we use it in our dialogue to be more efficient with words. Some people don’t know the doctrine behind the label, and just use the label to sound smart. Those folks get exposed soon enough. Let’s not be like that. If you’ve never heard these terms before, don’t feel bad. They are used by theology nerds. It doesn’t make you less of a Christian if you haven’t heard of them. Simply put, they describe the logical order of God’s decrees involving the fall and salvation. Understand that the logical order is not necessarily the perceived order.
Supralapsarianism is the view that God elected the people who would be saved, and those who would be eternally condemned. He then decreed to create both groups of people. Then, He decreed to permit the fall. Finally, He decreed to save the elect with the penal substitutionary atonement of Christ. So to sum up, God’s decrees of election and eternal condemnation logically preceded the decree of the fall.
Infralapsarianism is that God decreed the creation of all people. Next, He decreed to allow the fall. Then, He decreed who the elect would be and to save them by the substitutionary atonement of Christ. To sum up, God decreed who the elect would be, after He decreed the fall.
Again, these are supposed to be logical orders not necessarily experiential orders in a linear time. For instance, when we talk about the ordo salutis, we reason through the process, assuming that regeneration precedes justification, and glorification, but we realize that the moment between regeneration and justification may be imperceptibly small, like the short amount of time between when the light switch is toggled and the light actually occurs. It seems instantaneous, but we logically conclude that one had to happen before the other, even if we don’t have the perceptive abilities to experience it.
Let’s say an artist creates an eternal image and uses it as a stamp. He places it on a roller and then begins to press it on a piece of parchment. The shadow copy begins to appear, from left to right in spacetime as the artist rolls the stamp, the image is revealed and the little creatures experience their lives in spacetime. The eternal image was already there. It was created entirely at once. We did not know it. How could we? We didn’t exist, but the artist knows it all, all at once, and perfectly. He doesn’t have to reason it through from one point to another. He doesn’t have to deduce or induce any conclusions. The eternal image He created, He created at once, with perfect knowledge of everything in that image. He doesn’t have to look from left to right as He stamps the image on the parchment to see what comes next.
The idea I’m attempting to flesh out here is that God’s knowledge of all things is perfect and has never not been perfect. He has always known what He was going to do and how He was going to do it. It was never not a reality to Him. To say it was inevitable is to denigrate this concept. To say that it was going to happen is like saying that it hasn’t happened yet. Well to us, it hadn’t, but to Him, it had, has, is, is going to be. We feel the need to make sense of things. We want to know how they happen and in what order. What if in eternity, everything never was, will be, and always was? It is paradoxical for us in this existence. It seems only natural to attempt to make sense of God in accord to how we perceive things here and now. Even when we enter into eternity, our experience and perception will be different than God’s. We after all, are still creatures with limited abilities to know and perceive. So the concept goes something like this, God decreed everything simultaneously in one humanly imperceptible instance according to His omniscience and sovereignty, not violating any of His other attributes, but rather in concert with them as a whole in accord with His purpose. cum creare casus esset decretum: “With the creation (or creating) the fall was decreed (or ordained). Thanks to Dr. Dennis for the Latin. Then again, maybe I’m wrong. It is one of those things we can ponder.
I want to get the failings of this Bible addressed right off the bat. In my opinion it fails at what it aims to accomplish. Here is a quote from the B&H product page, “Family, friends, and loved ones of military service members want comfort and guidance in how to pray for those in harm’s way and in how to cope with those tensions in their own lives so that they will have peace of mind. The Military Families Bible provides 60 pages of devotionals and prayers that minister to family members and loved ones of military personnel as well as equip the reader to minister to and intercede for those in the military.” All of these articles are in this Bible, but (come on, you knew there was going to be a but…) They are all in the back of the Bible. They don’t have page numbers, and they are not indexed in any way shape or form. You might be asking, “What’s so bad about that?” Well, say for instance you are having a specific problem, that one of these articles addresses, wouldn’t it be great to be able to look it up? The next problem is that these articles should be interspersed throughout the Bible and be attached to relevant scripture passages. As it is, they are just lazily thrown into the back of this Bible. Sure, it puts them in one convenient place to read, but they literally could be a separate devotional book instead. My final problem with the devotionals is that some cited scripture passages have been torn out of context and misapplied by the writer. This doesn’t happen a lot, but it shouldn’t happen at all.
I would offer a solution instead of just seemingly complaining. First, get the feel good authors out of the exposition business. Second, get some vets, their families, and some theologians together, to talk about their experiences, and to help them connect with the Biblical doctrines that comforted them. Third, intersperse the articles throughout the Bible, and connect them to sections of scripture in context, and properly apply the scripture to the situations the military families and soldiers are going through. Fourth, index the articles so that people can find them and the scriptures that can offer them soul care pertinent to their situation. See, was that so hard? Seems legit to me…
Now let’s get into the physical attributes of this Bible. It is a handsome little Bible in the HCSB translation. It came in a two piece, sturdy, retail box. The cover is a synthetic Navy blue, and crimson color leather like material. It is perimeter stitched and case bound, with a paper liner. The page edges are silver, the spine and corners are rounded. This Bible’s spine is smyth sewn, regardless of what the retail sites say.
There is some page crinkling at the beginning of the Bible, but it isn’t very bad. There is a patriotic themed presentation page. The single ribbon marker is red/crimson, to match the stripe on the cover. The publisher’s information page indicates this Bible is manufactured in China… patriotic Bible… made in China… just sayin’
I found this Bible to be just the right size. It measures approximately, 8 ½” by 5 ¾” by 1 ½” It is really more of a text Bible with devotions in the back. The paper is opaque enough, and the print is a 10 pt. font, printed uniformly throughout the Bible. This is a double column, paragraph format, red letter edition. The red print is pretty average, not too bright, not too dull. It is an easy to read Bible, mostly because of the size of the font.
It would be even better if line matching was employed. While the paper is decent, and the font is a good size, there is still some ghosting. Limited footnotes at the bottom of the page reduce clutter. The sewn spine makes this Bible nice and flexible, right out of the box. It lays flat on the table, and that is a big deal for an inexpensive Bible.
It truly is a great value with just the legibility and sewn spine. The 60 pages of devotional material are useful. Don’t get me wrong. I just wished a better implementation had occurred. Of the 60 pages, 30 are devotions and 30 are prayers. I believe that theology makes a difference, and that a firm foundation in God’s word will help you through the storms of life better than anything else. The sovereignty of God, God’s omniscience, and omnipresence, as well as all that those attributes entail gives me peace and comfort in difficult times. Besides these features there are HCSB bullet notes, “Where to turn to” scripture index, and 8 full color maps.
Make sure to check out the rest of the pics at my Flickr page. You can pick up your copy at Christianbook, or Amazon.
ISBN-13: 9781433619670
Hey kids, remember the Aryan Church? Remember how they were decried as a hate group and run out of Idaho? Well now there is a black group that is just like them. They are known as the black Israelite movement. They are a mixture of groups that have as their core beliefs that black people in America are the descendants of the Israelites, and that they are the only people who have a saving covenant with their god, and that the white people otherwise known as edomites by the movement, will be their slaves in heaven or in the millennial kingdom if they submit to their rule now.(its hard to say exactly because there is a wide variance from group to group some believe white people won’t be there at all) Some of them also believe that they will get to rape white women when the time comes. White people are the devil. They believe the KJV is the only true version of the Bible. Some only accept the Old Testament. They made up their own form of Hebrew, which is basically idiotic. They reject the deity of Christ, and many more heresies. Well, Dr. James White, took a look at the movement to help out a brother who has been practicing apolgetics with these groups. Dr. White used his show, to dialogue with one of their leaders, and then later attempted a semi-formal debate. I say, “attempted” because the person on the other end was just like an unreasoning beast. I think that it would be worth your while to watch these videos so that you will know what we are going to be dealing with. The atmosphere of hatred that these groups grow in, mixed with their self-righteousness is a recipe for violence. Imagine street gangs mixed with radical muslim hatred. Got the picture? So here are the videos, and pray for them, pray for all those practicing apolgetics. Since there are so many weird variations of these groups, please forgive me if I got something wrong.
Read her article, especially the section on the abortion law being changed. Follow the link below. I added my comment to the site and under the link on this post.
KIMBERLEE KRUESI
Source: New laws include no-permit carry, powdered alcohol ban | Idaho Statesman
This propaganda would be laughable if it weren’t so prevalent. This statement demonstrates her bias, “…Idahoans can carry a concealed gun without needing licenses or training starting Friday, just in time for Independence Day…” Catch the part about training? This implies that there should be training. I suppose the government would regulate that, and determine who could carry after completing the course. That would limit your 2nd amendment right.
Then the abortion piece. This person must be a leftist pro-abort activist or something. Just because a court or government approves or upholds something doesn’t make it moral or ethical. Remember slavery? It was legal. “…It will soon be illegal to buy, sell or donate fetal tissue even though no such practice exists in the state. The law is a response to undercover videos released last summer that alleged Planned Parenthood officials were selling fetal tissue for profit…” It isn’t alleged. It is true, and we all know it. Her little zinger of, “…even though no such practice exists in the state…” was a suggestive addition. If she weren’t practicing propaganda she would have just reported the law change, not added her own bias to taint the minds of the readers. How does she know it wasn’t happening here? Did she do any research? Did she site any sources? Nope, we just have to take her at her word. Oh, and this bit really galled me, “…It was later determined the videos were altered and a grand jury in Texas cleared Planned Parenthood officials…” the altering she was talking about is usually referred to as editing, which I assume she does to her written work. Again, just because a court clears them doesn’t make it moral or ethical. (slavery, racial segregation) How about the little dig at all the evil anti-kill your baby groups trying to save the children from the ghouls in the abortion industry? “…Meanwhile, women seeking an abortion will now be given a list of free ultrasound providers — typically owned by anti-abortion advocates…” Of course they are owned by anti-abortion advocates! Only a hard-hearted, evil, morally bankrupt, blood thirsty, molech worshipping, ghoul, would be pro-abortion in my opinion. (since her article is full of her opinions I thought it would be cool to add mine.)
Meanwhile, the shrinking PCUSA makes plans to recover its identity.
Source: PCA Goes Back to Where It Started: Women’s Ordination | Gleanings | ChristianityToday.com
Here are several key differences between these two distinctive Presbyterian denominations.
Source: How to Tell the Difference Between the PCA and PCUSA
God is real, good, and real good. We are creatures of His, and we are sinners who deserve His wrath. This life is about Him and for Him. We are egomaniacs, because we think it is all about us.
God’s word is the Bible. You should read it sometime.
Boys and girls are different. God made it that way for many reasons.
Your flawed perception doesn’t change what is true, this includes your gender.
Government should be small and have very limited power.
Actors and musicians are not political scientists, nor are they any more intelligent than your favorite sign language using ape. Don’t get your political ideology from them.
Character matters. You wouldn’t let Jared from Subway watch your kids, so why would you trust Killary Clinton or Donald Rump with the Presidency?
Sinful people with murderous hearts kill people, not inanimate objects. Banning guns is just stupid.
Marriage is between one man and one woman, joined by God, in front of witnesses, for the rest of their lives. Any extra-marital sex or emotional entanglement is adultery.
Modern feminism, like the kind where you see all of the man hating, is horrible. Even the more quiet kind is responsible for much of the decay in this country. Refer back to the, “boys and girls are different” statement. We are not interchangeable. We are equally people in God’s eyes, but He made us to fulfill roles in the home, workplace, Church, battle field, and so on.
Women should never be in combat. Men are supposed to protect women and children.
America is not God. America is not Israel. Get over it.
You don’t have the right to not be offended. Grow up!
Socialism, and communism are satanic, tyrannical, systems.
You are not the center of the universe. Your pet sin does not become ok just because it is yours. If you’re gay, you’re sinning, if you’re straight you’re sinning. Yes homosexuality is a sin. Yes adultery is a sin. So is telling lies, blasphemy, theft, not loving God perfectly every nanosecond of every day. So, repent and believe in Christ’s work on the cross.
These are just a few of the things off the top of my head this morning that are getting under my skin. If you disagree, that is your prerogative. Get your own blog and say what you like. I won’t be allowing your comments on my site. I have to pay for this thing, so there is that.
Snyder's Soapbox 