This morning I was going back through some verses I tweeted while reading in Hosea last month. This verse captivates me...
"And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, "You are my people'; and he shall say, 'You are my God." Hosea 2:23
This might be the greatest thing man could ever say. "You are my God." After seeing lost person after lost person continue to deny the deity and all satisfying glory of knowing Christ Jesus, tears come down my face when I can hear the lost finally say to God, "You are my God." For it is not us who saves people but Jesus Christ and the work of the Spirit in the tri-unity.
We merely talk, but through the grace of God we are given the opportunity to share through him.
May you today you say in your heart, "You are my God." This is evidence of your life laid down before the Father. What a glorious thought!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Time for C.J.
In my continual goal to digest more knowledge of the Bible through scripture, preachers, and authors, I've now started reading "Living the Cross Centered Life" by C.J. Mahaney.
In his introduction he makes known the importance of restating the Cross because many of us never understood from the start.
"Too many of us have fumbled the most important truth of the Bible, and therefore we've suffered the consequences."
This quote is probably the least quotable quote in the whole introduction, but the fact of the quote is so true. Are we lukewarm? Do we live for the Cross?
In his introduction he makes known the importance of restating the Cross because many of us never understood from the start.
"Too many of us have fumbled the most important truth of the Bible, and therefore we've suffered the consequences."
This quote is probably the least quotable quote in the whole introduction, but the fact of the quote is so true. Are we lukewarm? Do we live for the Cross?
Monday, August 17, 2009
If man could only respect women
Pray for Men
Pray for Women
The nation is full of deceit and lies, but as Christians we must rise above the worldly temptations.
If man could only respect women...
I pray God will daily give me more wisdom on how man should treat women.
Pray for Women
The nation is full of deceit and lies, but as Christians we must rise above the worldly temptations.
If man could only respect women...
I pray God will daily give me more wisdom on how man should treat women.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
In Response to "Early Marriage"
After reading through the article and discussing the issue with a friend, I've come to realize some strong emotional disappointments we can make about early marriage. The disappointments can be found in those that aren't dating, engaged, married, or even finding a position close to a marriage possibility. Quotes like this can easily discourage single woman:
"Among evangelical churchgoers, there are about three single women for every two single men...God does work miracles. But the fact remains that there just aren't as many serious Christian young men as there are women, and the men know it."
In response to the article, I want to address the Cross and our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our ultimate road map. Here is a passage that describes God's blessing on us.
"Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard....If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make our bones strong." Isaiah 58:8,10-11a
In words of the ESV study bible, "God reaffirms his readiness to bless his obedient people." He will respond to those who seek Him (Matt 6:33). While the world may deem signals that seem deserted towards a future Christian spouse, we must maintain our strength in knowing "the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard." In my terms, He has our backs when we seek him.
Wayne Grudem's book on "Systematic Theology" has a good section on God's providence. Before we understand this thought of His providence, we must first understand God is the creator and controller of all things. He is God. Now Grudem breaks God's providence down into different categories: Preservation, Concurrence, and Government (governing).
Grudem says God's providence includes concurrence, which means "God cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do."
I say this because this is important for understanding God's "rearing" in our lives. Ephesians 1:11 Paul says God "accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will." You and me are listed in His will because no one is left out. "In your book were written, every one of them the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them," said David (Ps. 139:16). God knew us and planned us before we were born. Then we also must read this verse from Acts 17:28 "in him we live and move." I love the word move here. Our actions within a life in God's will are moving.
God is our backbone, but we must guide ourselves away from laziness. We must "move." I fear for the man who stays in his chair all day and expects his life to change.
If you worry about being single, you are already off on the wrong step. Don't worry about being single. Wake up every morning remember and your reasserting your life under Christ. God,in triune, daily guides our lives, and we must believe this. Don't selfishly try to fix it yourselves. Fall in love with Christ and his providence.
"Among evangelical churchgoers, there are about three single women for every two single men...God does work miracles. But the fact remains that there just aren't as many serious Christian young men as there are women, and the men know it."
In response to the article, I want to address the Cross and our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our ultimate road map. Here is a passage that describes God's blessing on us.
"Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard....If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make our bones strong." Isaiah 58:8,10-11a
In words of the ESV study bible, "God reaffirms his readiness to bless his obedient people." He will respond to those who seek Him (Matt 6:33). While the world may deem signals that seem deserted towards a future Christian spouse, we must maintain our strength in knowing "the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard." In my terms, He has our backs when we seek him.
Wayne Grudem's book on "Systematic Theology" has a good section on God's providence. Before we understand this thought of His providence, we must first understand God is the creator and controller of all things. He is God. Now Grudem breaks God's providence down into different categories: Preservation, Concurrence, and Government (governing).
Grudem says God's providence includes concurrence, which means "God cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do."
I say this because this is important for understanding God's "rearing" in our lives. Ephesians 1:11 Paul says God "accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will." You and me are listed in His will because no one is left out. "In your book were written, every one of them the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them," said David (Ps. 139:16). God knew us and planned us before we were born. Then we also must read this verse from Acts 17:28 "in him we live and move." I love the word move here. Our actions within a life in God's will are moving.
God is our backbone, but we must guide ourselves away from laziness. We must "move." I fear for the man who stays in his chair all day and expects his life to change.
If you worry about being single, you are already off on the wrong step. Don't worry about being single. Wake up every morning remember and your reasserting your life under Christ. God,in triune, daily guides our lives, and we must believe this. Don't selfishly try to fix it yourselves. Fall in love with Christ and his providence.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Case for Early Marriage
In a recent edition of Christianity Today, Mark Regnerus wrote the cover story on "The Case for Early Marriage." This is a thought process that I think many of us hardly think about. Let me share with you some key quotes in his article.
-Just under 80 percent of unmarried, church-going, conservative Protestants who are currently dating someone are having sex of some sort.
-Evangelicals tend to marry slightly earlier that other Americans, but not by much. Many of them plan to marry in their mid-20s. Yet waiting for sex until then feels far too long to most of them. And I am suggesting that when people wait until their mid-to-late 20s to marry, it is unreasonable to expect them to refrain from sex. It's battling our Creator's reproductive designs.
-Among evangelical churchgoers, there are about three single women for every two single men.
-God does work miracles. But the fact remains that there just aren't as many serious Christian young men as there are women, and the men know it.
-We buy, read, and pass along books about battling our sexual urges, when in face we are battling them far longer than we were meant to.
-Many of us think about marriage much like those outside the church-as a capstone that completes the life of the autonomous self.
-The focus of 20-somethings has become less about building mature relationships and fulfilling responsibilities, and more about enjoying oneself, traveling, and trying on identities and relationships. After all the fun, it will be time to settle down and get serious.
-The mentality that we need to shield young adults from the usual struggles of life by encouraging them to delay marriage until they are financially secure usually rests on an unrealistic standard of living.
-Marrying simply for the lure of sex is not what Paul had in mind.
-Family and friends ought to do their best to help young couples discern whether there is more to their love than sexual desire.
-The fact is that God makes no promises of great sex to those who wait. Some experience difficult marriages. Spouses wander. Others cannot conceive children...
-While sex matters, marriage matters more. The importance of Christian marriage as a symbol of God's covenantal faithfulness to his people-and a witness to the future union of Christ and his bride-will only grow in significance as the wider Western culture diminishes both the meaning and actual practice of marriage. Marriage itself will become a witness to the gospel.
-If a young couple displays maturity, faith, fidelity, a commitment to understand marriage as a covenant, and a sense of realism about marriage, then it's our duty-indeed, our pleasure-to help them expedite the part of marriage that involves public recognition and celebration of what God is already knitting together. We ought to "rejoice and delight" in them, and praise their love (Song of Sol. 1:4)
You can find the full article at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/august/16.22.html
-Just under 80 percent of unmarried, church-going, conservative Protestants who are currently dating someone are having sex of some sort.
-Evangelicals tend to marry slightly earlier that other Americans, but not by much. Many of them plan to marry in their mid-20s. Yet waiting for sex until then feels far too long to most of them. And I am suggesting that when people wait until their mid-to-late 20s to marry, it is unreasonable to expect them to refrain from sex. It's battling our Creator's reproductive designs.
-Among evangelical churchgoers, there are about three single women for every two single men.
-God does work miracles. But the fact remains that there just aren't as many serious Christian young men as there are women, and the men know it.
-We buy, read, and pass along books about battling our sexual urges, when in face we are battling them far longer than we were meant to.
-Many of us think about marriage much like those outside the church-as a capstone that completes the life of the autonomous self.
-The focus of 20-somethings has become less about building mature relationships and fulfilling responsibilities, and more about enjoying oneself, traveling, and trying on identities and relationships. After all the fun, it will be time to settle down and get serious.
-The mentality that we need to shield young adults from the usual struggles of life by encouraging them to delay marriage until they are financially secure usually rests on an unrealistic standard of living.
-Marrying simply for the lure of sex is not what Paul had in mind.
-Family and friends ought to do their best to help young couples discern whether there is more to their love than sexual desire.
-The fact is that God makes no promises of great sex to those who wait. Some experience difficult marriages. Spouses wander. Others cannot conceive children...
-While sex matters, marriage matters more. The importance of Christian marriage as a symbol of God's covenantal faithfulness to his people-and a witness to the future union of Christ and his bride-will only grow in significance as the wider Western culture diminishes both the meaning and actual practice of marriage. Marriage itself will become a witness to the gospel.
-If a young couple displays maturity, faith, fidelity, a commitment to understand marriage as a covenant, and a sense of realism about marriage, then it's our duty-indeed, our pleasure-to help them expedite the part of marriage that involves public recognition and celebration of what God is already knitting together. We ought to "rejoice and delight" in them, and praise their love (Song of Sol. 1:4)
You can find the full article at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/august/16.22.html
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