First, my wife and kids just got home from another extended mission trip to Venezuela. This is appropriate since many whom we share the gospel with have the typical south American history of syncretistic Roman Catholicism.
Second, we have a “Fall Festival” every year on October 31 where we have become known as a safe place to bring your kids on Halloween. We have games, supper, popcorn, rides, candy, prizes, etc. We also make sure that everyone is exposed to the gospel. But it gives us the opportunity to meet people in our community and talk to them freely. I spoke with one fellow from my workplace and his girlfriend who are rising in faith. They are beginning to recognize a need for Christ and want to be part of a community of believers. I spoke with another lady who moved to the area not long ago. Her family is looking for a home church. I had a sense about some spiritual need they had, but it was pervasive and I’m concerned that she doesn’t even realize it yet. They need a family of God with whom to worship where their issues will be addressed in due time and are considering our church – this being the first contact.
So I celebrated in this way by developing those tenuously positive relationships with the community that allow a window for sharing the gospel.
Tomorrow my church will celebrate All Saints Day (not explicitly though because we do this every month now or so) by spending our Sunday afternoon and evening going out to the town to distribute Bibles, Jesus videos, and tracts (drive-by evangelism in parking lots, gas stations and such); do yardwork for certain people in need; give out free water and tracts at sporting events; work at the local homeless shelter; visit local inmates; do medical clinics in poor neighborhoods; etc. In all the places the gospel is to be shared, and at church those who are not very mobile stay to pray for the efforts of those who go out.
.-= Jim Pemberton´s last blog ..Christian Apologetics – Sin and Free Will =-.
Yesterday, Reformation Day, I suffered a round with depression to the point of pain. Today, the pastor preached on Ps. 4 and how God in His sovereignty comes in due time, not our time, not the right time, but in due time, His time. It was like the Balm in Gilead to my soul. HERE IS WHERE THE REALITY OF SOVEREIGN GRACE KICKS IN WITH THE HELP WE ALL REQUIRE FROM TIME TO TIME.
.-= Dr. James Willingham´s last blog ..The Climax of the Reformation =-.
Have you ever heard of Depressive Realism? It’s contested as it should be, but research conducted *so far* indicates that mildly depressed people by a margin have a better grasp on reality. Suffering depression myself, I know that there is a point where reality can become skewed as I tend to weigh negative experiences higher than positive ones with regard to emotional conditioning. However, the particular reality check in the research has been with regard to one’s perception of control over one’s environment. Optimistic people tend to overestimate the personal control they have while mildly depressed people tend to accurately asses their lack of control. Which makes me wonder if there are more of us Reformed types that suffer depression than those of other theological bents.
O YES, I WANTED TO ADD THAT THOUGH LUTHER DID NOT GO ALL THE WAY WITH CALVIN, HE DID HAVE HIS OWN PERSPCTIVE ON GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY AND IT WAS A HELP. HIS WORK ON THE BONDAGE OF THE WILL IS MOST ENCOURAGING.
.-= Dr. James Willingham´s last blog ..The Climax of the Reformation =-.
I celebrated Halloween by dressing up like an old Baptist preacher :-). Seriously, celebrating Reformation Day sounds like a better idea. I did preach on the subject of Halloween and what the Bible says about the occult. I didn’t condemn people enjoying some aspects of Halloween; but I did speak against being involved in any way with the occult or witchcraft (Deuteronomy 18:10-14; Leviticus 19:26, 31; Isaiah 47:12-15; Galatians 5:20).
David R. Brumbelow
.-= David R. Brumbelow´s last blog ..Unlimited Atonement, Jesus Died For All =-.
Among Luther quotes, I can’t decide between the following two about which one is my favorite. Both illuminate how Luther saw the doctrine of justification, the first relating to exactly how he understood sola fide, and the latter, how he understood justification—both of which agree with one another quite well.
LUTHER QUOTE #1: “To fulfil the law, however, is to do its works with pleasure and love, and to live a godly and good life of one’s own accord, without the compulsion of the law. This pleasure and love for the law is put into the heart by the Holy Ghost. … But the Holy Ghost is not given except in, with, and by faith in Jesus Christ, as he says in the introduction … Hence it comes that faith alone makes righteous and fulfils the law [italics mine].”
SOURCE: Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans, trans. J. Theodore Mueller (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1954), xv. “Of these [true, faith-wrought works] the work-righteous saints know nothing, but feign works of their own in which there is no peace, joy, confidence, love hope, boldness, nor any of the qualities of true Christian works and faith” [italics mine]. Ibid., xxi.
LUTHER QUOTE #2: These are the two parts of justification. The former is the grace revealed through Christ, that through Christ we have a God appeased, so that sin is no longer able to accuse us, but the confidence of conscience in the mercy of God is reduced to certainty. The latter is the bestowal of the Spirit with his gifts, who illuminates against the pollution of the spirit and the flesh.
SOURCE: Cited in Peter A. Lillback, “Calvin’s Development of The Doctrine of Forensic Justification: Calvin And the Early Lutherans On The Relationship of Justification and Renewal,” in Justified in Christ: God’s Plan For Us in Justification, ed. Scott Oliphint (Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britan: Christian Focus Publications, 2007), 76.
.-= Bradley´s last blog ..The Battle of Thermopylae :: 300 Spartans & Their “Last Stand” =-.
Anyone have a favorite Martin Luther quote they’d like to share?
I celebrated in two ways.
First, my wife and kids just got home from another extended mission trip to Venezuela. This is appropriate since many whom we share the gospel with have the typical south American history of syncretistic Roman Catholicism.
Second, we have a “Fall Festival” every year on October 31 where we have become known as a safe place to bring your kids on Halloween. We have games, supper, popcorn, rides, candy, prizes, etc. We also make sure that everyone is exposed to the gospel. But it gives us the opportunity to meet people in our community and talk to them freely. I spoke with one fellow from my workplace and his girlfriend who are rising in faith. They are beginning to recognize a need for Christ and want to be part of a community of believers. I spoke with another lady who moved to the area not long ago. Her family is looking for a home church. I had a sense about some spiritual need they had, but it was pervasive and I’m concerned that she doesn’t even realize it yet. They need a family of God with whom to worship where their issues will be addressed in due time and are considering our church – this being the first contact.
So I celebrated in this way by developing those tenuously positive relationships with the community that allow a window for sharing the gospel.
Tomorrow my church will celebrate All Saints Day (not explicitly though because we do this every month now or so) by spending our Sunday afternoon and evening going out to the town to distribute Bibles, Jesus videos, and tracts (drive-by evangelism in parking lots, gas stations and such); do yardwork for certain people in need; give out free water and tracts at sporting events; work at the local homeless shelter; visit local inmates; do medical clinics in poor neighborhoods; etc. In all the places the gospel is to be shared, and at church those who are not very mobile stay to pray for the efforts of those who go out.
.-= Jim Pemberton´s last blog ..Christian Apologetics – Sin and Free Will =-.
Yesterday, Reformation Day, I suffered a round with depression to the point of pain. Today, the pastor preached on Ps. 4 and how God in His sovereignty comes in due time, not our time, not the right time, but in due time, His time. It was like the Balm in Gilead to my soul. HERE IS WHERE THE REALITY OF SOVEREIGN GRACE KICKS IN WITH THE HELP WE ALL REQUIRE FROM TIME TO TIME.
.-= Dr. James Willingham´s last blog ..The Climax of the Reformation =-.
Have you ever heard of Depressive Realism? It’s contested as it should be, but research conducted *so far* indicates that mildly depressed people by a margin have a better grasp on reality. Suffering depression myself, I know that there is a point where reality can become skewed as I tend to weigh negative experiences higher than positive ones with regard to emotional conditioning. However, the particular reality check in the research has been with regard to one’s perception of control over one’s environment. Optimistic people tend to overestimate the personal control they have while mildly depressed people tend to accurately asses their lack of control. Which makes me wonder if there are more of us Reformed types that suffer depression than those of other theological bents.
I hope your All Saints Day was better.
.-= Jim Pemberton´s last blog ..Christian Apologetics – Sin and Free Will =-.
O YES, I WANTED TO ADD THAT THOUGH LUTHER DID NOT GO ALL THE WAY WITH CALVIN, HE DID HAVE HIS OWN PERSPCTIVE ON GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY AND IT WAS A HELP. HIS WORK ON THE BONDAGE OF THE WILL IS MOST ENCOURAGING.
.-= Dr. James Willingham´s last blog ..The Climax of the Reformation =-.
I celebrated with a post and trying to start a twitter trend using tag #RefD. 🙂
.-= Mark Lamprecht´s last blog ..Christmas On 20 Bucks =-.
I celebrated Halloween by dressing up like an old Baptist preacher :-). Seriously, celebrating Reformation Day sounds like a better idea. I did preach on the subject of Halloween and what the Bible says about the occult. I didn’t condemn people enjoying some aspects of Halloween; but I did speak against being involved in any way with the occult or witchcraft (Deuteronomy 18:10-14; Leviticus 19:26, 31; Isaiah 47:12-15; Galatians 5:20).
David R. Brumbelow
.-= David R. Brumbelow´s last blog ..Unlimited Atonement, Jesus Died For All =-.
Among Luther quotes, I can’t decide between the following two about which one is my favorite. Both illuminate how Luther saw the doctrine of justification, the first relating to exactly how he understood sola fide, and the latter, how he understood justification—both of which agree with one another quite well.
LUTHER QUOTE #1: “To fulfil the law, however, is to do its works with pleasure and love, and to live a godly and good life of one’s own accord, without the compulsion of the law. This pleasure and love for the law is put into the heart by the Holy Ghost. … But the Holy Ghost is not given except in, with, and by faith in Jesus Christ, as he says in the introduction … Hence it comes that faith alone makes righteous and fulfils the law [italics mine].”
SOURCE: Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans, trans. J. Theodore Mueller (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1954), xv. “Of these [true, faith-wrought works] the work-righteous saints know nothing, but feign works of their own in which there is no peace, joy, confidence, love hope, boldness, nor any of the qualities of true Christian works and faith” [italics mine]. Ibid., xxi.
LUTHER QUOTE #2: These are the two parts of justification. The former is the grace revealed through Christ, that through Christ we have a God appeased, so that sin is no longer able to accuse us, but the confidence of conscience in the mercy of God is reduced to certainty. The latter is the bestowal of the Spirit with his gifts, who illuminates against the pollution of the spirit and the flesh.
SOURCE: Cited in Peter A. Lillback, “Calvin’s Development of The Doctrine of Forensic Justification: Calvin And the Early Lutherans On The Relationship of Justification and Renewal,” in Justified in Christ: God’s Plan For Us in Justification, ed. Scott Oliphint (Geanies House, Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britan: Christian Focus Publications, 2007), 76.
.-= Bradley´s last blog ..The Battle of Thermopylae :: 300 Spartans & Their “Last Stand” =-.
oops … my italics didn’t come through … sorry
.-= Bradley´s last blog ..The Battle of Thermopylae :: 300 Spartans & Their “Last Stand” =-.
Very informative!