GraceAloneCanSave's Xanga

Updates

Fri, 09 May 2008 05:34:21 GMT

I don't know if anyone received auto updates from this, but just in case...

I've updated my truthstands.blogspot.com blog. I'm going to try to put thoughts on it more often... especially since I'll be taking a couple theology classes this summer there will definitely be plenty of thoughts running around my head .

Quick update

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:24:56 GMT

I just posted a minor update on my Blogger site

BTW. Anyone else like (or LOVE) Caedmon's Call?

A Must Listen

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 23:28:18 GMT

I know listening to preaching outside a live event isn't popular among the younger generation, but you must hear today and tomorrow's broadcast from Focus on the Family as it has a huge bearing on your future and how we think of ourselves in this country.

John MacArthur (my pastor and the president of the organization for whom I work) preached this message in Colorado on the National Day of Prayer. He main thesis: God has abandoned America.

Check it out

I can see!

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 03:49:34 GMT

These last two entries have been posted on my primary blog, TruthStands

Kind of...

Friday I received my first set of contact lenses. After several years of fear and trepedation of touching my eye I finally bit the bullet. I almost backed out at the last minute... but I couldn't find any glasses I liked so I went ahead with it.

This morning it was a real struggle to get them in. The right one wasn't too bad, but the left one, well, left me wanted to go get some glasses. I didn't time it, but I'm guessing it was around an hour or so... and eventually, after several tries herself, Rachel was finally able to get it in.

Here's hoping tomorrow won't take as long so we can get to church on time...

Foreknowledge

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 03:48:29 GMT

Here is an excellent article on the meaning of foreknowledge in Scripture.

Hail Mary

Wed, 09 May 2007 03:44:08 GMT

This has been posted at TruthStands.BlogSpot.com

Over at Pulpit Magazine there is an article posted about the ETS president resigning and returning to his Catholic roots. There ensued a discussion in the comments about the potential unity of Catholics and Protestants. Since I was just typing about Mary in a paper I'm working on I just thought of something that wouldn't make very many Catholics happy.

One of the disagreements we (Protestants) have with Catholics is their worship of Mary. Or to avoid idolatrous words, they're over appreciation for her. During Jesus' life Mary is praised one time by one woman (this not count Elizabeth's praise to Mary before he was born, Luke 1:42). Luke 11:27, "As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!”"

Jesus responds immediately, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" In other words Jesus says, "The fact that Mary nursed me does not allot her any special blessing. Rather, those who become disciples are blessed."

In reality this is a gentle rebuke for placing emphasis in the wrong area. What the Catholic Church has done in their doctrine of Mary goes far beyond this, and the rebuke will be infinitely stronger on that Day.

The Lineup

Wed, 09 May 2007 03:17:47 GMT

This is also posted at TruthStands.Blogspot.com

Ok folks, here's the line up of my classes for the fall:

OT503 BEGINNING HEBREW Tues/Thurs 7:30AM - 9:20AM
TH507 HISTORICAL THEOLOGY Tues/Thurs 10:40AM - 12:00PM
PM521 DISCIPLESHIP LAB I Tuesday 1:00PM - 2:50PM
BI505 HERMENEUTICS Thursday 1:00PM - 2:50PM

Total Credits: 9.50

Beginning Hebrew is... well... Hebrew. Without a doubt that will be the most difficult class. Historical Theology will have a lot of reading and who knows what else, but I'm looking forward to the content. Discipleship Lab is a small group thing, not a class and no homework. It only meets 7 of the 14/15 weeks. Hermeneutics (methods of interpretation) was not originally on my list, but when I saw it had no additional reading (like Historical Theology) I decided to add it.

I'm uncertain if I'll actually be able to do this much... the first class to go if I can't keep up will be Hermeneutics. However if I am able to take this much (and the same next semester) then I'll have a full year--1/3 of seminary--behind me.

Above all I'm thankful to the Lord for a great family, a wonderful job, and the opportunity to be here and be at this point in my life that I thought would be further down the road.

TruthStands.BlogSpot.com

Mon, 07 May 2007 04:59:41 GMT

Ok, so for some reason I was not able to get into my blogspot blog for a long time. On a whim I just decided to try and got right in. So I'll be posting there as well (or maybe mainly). A lot of the blogs I've been reading lately have been blogspot... anyway...

Read ya later!

Ultimate Giver or Ultimately Greedy?

Sat, 05 May 2007 03:54:43 GMT

One of the Christian radio stations has this promotion this year they're calling "The Ultimate Giver". Here's the idea: you call in and tell of a friend/family/someone you know who desperately needs a car. Once a month the station chooses one of the callers and not only does the "needy" person get a free car, but so does the person who called in!

Now that's all good and fine, but I don't think it's cause to consider the callers "ultimate givers". For at least two reasons: 1) they're giving away someone else's thing, 2) they're only doing it because they will get a free car themselves. Not only is it not sacrificial giving, but its also self-serving giving.

Now just to be clear, I don't have a problem with the promotion itself, I just don't like that it's called "The Ultimate Giver".

Case in point, they aired the last person who won. First they played the clip of her initial call telling her story. She sounded a bit subdued and slightly emotional telling of this other person's plight. Next they played the first part of the call when they told her she won, "Oh my gosh, I'm so excited!! My car is so horrible right now." Now I'm sure at some point during the call she mentioned how great it would be for this other person... but she instictively thought of herself first. Let's be clear, I'm sure I would do the same thing!

So again, I'm only saying let's call things what they are (something like, "The Ulimate Car Giveaway"), and not a Christianized, self-righteoutized (yes, I did make that up) version.

No more 'Lord'

Fri, 04 May 2007 16:51:47 GMT

Sick.

The fate of these is worse than those who at least will say, "Lord, Lord did we not prophecy in Your name..."