Drinking has consequences

(Originally written June 28, 2012 on a scrap of paper now lost)

3 Days, no tobacco, no alcohol

The deluge of pain keeps coming Lord. Numerous people have suggest that we postpone the wedding. I do not want to do this. But, I do not want to jeopardize Erin. Lord you will be done in this. Grant me the strength to bear all things.

Forgive me for my anger today. I said things alone I ought not say. Thank you for coming when I prayed. Come near me now, be not far from me. I still fear anger and resentment. Keep me from sin. will gouge out an eye if that is what I need to be pure. Lord, I'm pouring out my heart to you. My soul will be crushed by a delay in the wedding. I don't know if I can handle it. Grant me peace to weather this storm. Be not far from me. Teach me in I Peter.

I trust in you Lord, may I never be put to shame. I feel such shame now.

I Peter 2:11-12 "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they cause you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us"

How do I live a good life God?

2:25 "For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls".

4:8 "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins"
-This is the hope I have Lord, not of you, but of an on-time wedding.

5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you".

Psalms of hope. I believe! Help me overcome my unbelief.

(Originally written June 27, 2012 on a scrap of paper now lost)

Day 2 - No tobacco, alcohol

Lord, thank you for yesterday - your hope and your encouragement. Watch over Erin and I. Prosper us. Heal the wounds I've caused. Work in me so that she may see the change. Help me now as I struggle some, wanting some tobacco. Take the craving away. Hear my prayer. Teach me in your word as I read Psalms 33, 39, 43, 71 and 146.

Psalm 33

Here is why we hope: "May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you" (Psalm 33:22)

Psalm 39

39:7 "But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you"

I've searched for purpose and fulfillment in so many things. Help this verse to be my constant prayer. My hope is in you. Hear my prayer.

Psalm 43

43:3 "Send forth your light and your turret, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell". Hear my prayer. Guide me Lord.

Put your hope in God. Do not be so downcast in your soul.

Psalm 71

71:2 "Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness, turn your ear to me and save me"
71:12 "Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me"
71:14 "But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more".
- Let this be true of me. Lord, I praise you with all my heart and all my soul.

71:20 "Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up"

Psalm 146

Just accept this reading as my praise to you God.

I Peter 1

I Peter 1:13-16 "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy".

Grant me a greater portion of self-control Lord that I no longer bend to evil desires of my youth. Lord, continue to teach me in Mark. Write the words I read in my heart. Embed them in my mind so that I may be renewed and be full of self-control that I may give up the past things.

Mark

9:24 "Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

Lord, I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief. I do trust, help me overcome my lack of trust. I do have faith, help me overcome its weakness.

11:24 "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer believe that you have received it, and it will be yours".

14:38 "Watch and pray so that you do not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak".

Lord, bless me this day. Keep me from from sin.

Sermon notes on Suffering

(Originally Written May 25, 2008 in the Journal)

Pastor Nace Lanier, Burke Community Church Sermon Notes

Devotion is the Christ-centered life (godliness).

God will give you more than you can handle.

Abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul (I Peter 2:11-12 paraphrase).

Submit in public life.

Christians have a responsibility beyond the church. We ought to work even with non-Christians toward moral goals.

Submit in private life.

Grin and bear your suffering, mindful of God. If you suffer while mindful of God it is great and powerful. If you suffer without being mindful of God, then it is worthless.

We suffer as Christians. Suffering is to be accepted and embraced.

"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps" (1 Peter 2:21).

God gives us more than we can handle so that we trust in Him alone.

Thank you Lord for this morning's service at Burke. How coincidental was the sermon subject would be suffering. Obviously, that is a bit sarcastic because with you there is no coincidence, all is ordered.

Lord I submit myself to you. I am your willing servant. I give you all that I have and all that I am. Remember me as you look upon this wreckage of a man. Lord show me how I may follow Christ's footsteps. Show me the continuing path to you. I will walk neither left nor right, but straight and narrow.

Be with my grandmother as she is suffering physical pain with a broken back. Lord heal her wounds and comfort her as she takes the last steps on her journey to you. Be with her in that hospital bed. Send down your angels to minister to her body and soul. I beseech you Lord and call on your good will to hear and answer this prayer.

Lord as always your will be done.

Just War v. Pacifism

(Originally written April 25, 2006 in 3 Subject)

Contemporary Issues of Philosophy

The morality of War

As a Christian do you feel war is right?

1. Violence
2. Obeying the government (Titus 3:1, Romans 13:3-5)

Rae:

War in the Old Testament

-Securing Israel's boundaries (2 Samuel 5:17-25)
-National Defense (1 Kings 20)
-Offensive Attacks (Joshua 6-12)
-Total Annihilation (Deuteronomy 25:17-19, 1 Samuel 15:1-3)

Does God's sanctioning of Israel's military action justify modern warfare?

-God chose Canaan for His people
-Canaan was very vulnerable to attack
-This vulnerability led to a necessary reliance on God
-Disobedience often resulted in war

The Spirit of Pacifism

-The Sermon on the Mount
-Forbidding resistance to evil
-Loving your enemies
-Jesus blesses the peacemakers
-Submitting to persecutors
-Submitting to the government, even that of Rome

However, there is no Biblical record of soldiers who had converted leaving the military for Pacifistic views

Major views:

Pacifism - Direct participation in war is completely wrong, indirect participation is sometimes wrong

Just war theory - participation in war is morally acceptable under certain criteria

Major Biblical support for Pacifism

-Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:38-48)
-Paul's teachings on non-violence (Romans 12:19-21)
-Peter's doctrine of non-resistance (1 Peter 2:18-24)

Nonviolence vs. non-participation
-Pacifists fall into various levels of pacifism
-All fighting though is considered wrong in every level of pacifism
-Participation in work supporting conflict is and is not acceptable depending on the level of pacifism

Criticism of Pacifism
-If a murderer is in your home with you and your family do you let your family be murdered? Do you fight back and try to subdue the attacker? Do you try to save your family?
-What is the definition of violence?
-Duty to the state argument (Romans 13:1-7, the state 'wields the sword' to keep order and peace). Does our duty to the state outweigh our personal disposition towards violence?

Just War Theory

7 Traditional Criteria:
1) War must be prompted by a just cause
2) War must have a just intention
3) War must be engaged as a last resort
4) The war in question must be initiated by a formal declaration by properly constituted authorities
5) The war in question must be characterized by limited objections (not total annihilation or wholesale destruction)
6) The war must be conducted with appropriate means (force must be proportional to the threat)
7) The war must respect noncombatant immunity

Robert Fullinwider article:

-We should focus more on innocence when assessing validity of violence (terrorism).
-There is a division between combatants and non-combatants, those this distinction is a difficult one to determine in some circumstances.
-We must rethink our definition of terrorism.
-International law brings some order to international affairs.
-Private judgment of a state undermines international law.
-One must be able to justify their actions in a manner that is satisfactory.

Image of God, Salvation & Predestination

(Originally written April 21, 2006 in 3 Subject)

Historic Christian Belief

Theosis - the way of the East

The Eastern Orthodox makes a distinction between the image of God and in the likeness of God.
The image of God - the capacity to relate to God
The likeness of God - an unbroken union with God

The Fall resulted in the damage of the image of God in humanity, but is still retained. The Fall however resulted in a complete loss of the likeness of God. The likeness of God can be restored to those in Christ to a significant degree however.

Three Categories of Divine Election

1. General Election
2. Corporate Election
3. Particular Election

General Election
-Election in History
-God chooses nations and individuals to play a particular role in history: to glorify God
Romans 9:6-13 (Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob over Esau in the blessing), Romans 9:16 (Pharaoh)

Corporate Election
-God foresees who will believe in Christ
-Ephesians 1:3 - chosen in Him from before the creation of the world
-Those chosen = a corporate entity, the believers in Christ
-Christ is God's 'chosen [elect] one, all others are chosen in Christ (John 3:16, 1 Timothy 2:5, Romans 8:29, 1 Peter 3:9)

Particular Election
-Augustine, Calvin
-Monergism - salvation brought about through spiritual regeneration without willingness from the saved (irresistible grace)
-God has chosen individuals out of the whole of fallen humanity
-Election is one aspect of predestination, Election (salvation & glory), Reprobation (judgment)
-Predestination: Election & Reprobation (John 6:44, Acts 13:48, Ephesians 1:5 and Romans 8:29)
-Romans 8:29 is actually used by Calvinism & Arminianism

Catholic Epistles, Pastoral Epistles, The Epistles of John

(Originally written January 24, 2006 in Book 20)

The first three Catholic Epistles:
1 Peter
2 Peter
Jude

1 Peter: Salvation & Suffering

What it means to live for God in a world without God.

"For Western Christians at the close of the 20th Century this brief tract written within a culture not yet Christian becomes a relevant textbook on Christian living in a culture no longer Christian".

1 Peter

I. Problem of Authorship
-What difference does it make whether the Apostle Peter wrote this letter or someone else wrote it and ascribed it to Peter?
-Peter is a highly esteemed apostle
-Peter was an eye witness
-Peter's words in 1 Peter & Acts

II. Who was I Peter written to?
-Gentiles

III. Setting of Peter's Readers
-ridicule for their beliefs
-honor and shame
-walking in Jesus' steps

2. II Peter

-Parallels Jude
-II Peter 1:20-21 Source of Scripture
- A response to rationalistic and hedonistic denials of God
-Paul's letter as Scripture

3. Jude: Danger! False Teachers!

-Parallels 2 Peter
-Jude was probably written after II Peter

Pastoral Epistles

Called Pastoral because they were written to young pastors

Contents: Introduction to Timothy and Titus about:
1) Errors of false teachers
2) Conduct and teaching as pastors/teachers
3) Church order and behavior in worship
4) Pastor's relationship to other groups in the Church
5) Qualifications for Church leaders

Authorship: critical scholarship considered non-Pauline
-a pseudonymous writer in the second century
-used Paul's authority
-to combat a rising Gnostic influence
-or could think of them as pious forgeries

Paul's authorship attacked on four grounds
1) Historical arguments
-don't fit into chronology in Acts (written after Paul was released in the end of Acts)
2) Stylistic arguments
-Author uses different style and words than Paul's (Paul was older, could have given secretaries more freedom)
3) Ecclesiastical arguments
-Church structure and church order is too developed for first century church (ignores fact that church in Acts is already highly developed)
4) Theological arguments:
-Heresy is a developed Gnosticism of the second century so it is therefore, post-Paul (Gnostic heresy existed very early on)

1st Timothy Highlights

1:18-20 Timothy's character and Paul's admonition

1 Corinthians 11:29-30
- New covenant stipulation
- Will Hymenaeus and Philters be in heaven?
2 Timothy is written 5 years after and it seems unlikely.

2:11-15
- Role of women in the church is one of the hottest topics in evangelicalism today

Authorship of Hebrews
-Philip?
-Apollos?
-Priscilla?
-Barnabas?

Hebrews was the oldest complete early Christian sermon that has been preserved.

Written to professing Jewish Christians in danger of apostasy (going back to Judaism)

The Epistles of John

Intro to I John

Test of fellowship
-Am I a carnal or a spirit directed believer?
-Assumes all John's readers are believers

Tests of Life View

-Am I spiritually alive or spiritually dead?
-Assumes some readers are not Christian