Doctrinal Whirlwind in 2007

The past 9 months have been full of confusion, revelation, realization, transformation. I thought that I knew and understood what I believe in and then I experienced my deep-seated belief system come tumbling down as the very foundation got shaken. Starting with the Romans study in BSF and the lecture in Romans 9-11 - I have been passionately and compulsively studying the doctrine of grace otherwise commonly known as Calvinism. I hate to label things because while studying I realize that I am studying Scripture and trying to interpret Scripture with Scripture not just interpret Scripture through the lens of some human interpretation. How difficult it's been! I have been shaken up because my very view of God seems to be faulty! The more I am studying the higher my view of God - however, it's been a mix of a sense of awe, terror and reverence - for God really is the AWESOME, All-powerful and Sovereign God that I claimed to believe in.

I have no problem with the first part of the TULIP - namely Total Depravity. It is clear in the Bible that man left to himself would not choose God - there is none righteous, none who does good, none who seeks Him. Although we are not all living in our totally depraved state, the Bible is clear that without His grace and mercy, we would not even have the desire to seek Him. There is nothing good in us apart from Him. To me, this is clear - over and over again.

Unconditional election - Or more like, Sovereign Election - This too seems very well supported scripturally but it's tough to understand. Some are chosen by God to be saved. He chose us before the foundation of the world to be His. This doesn't mean that God foreknew who would choose Him therefore He elected us. That would truly put the power in man's choice - his free will - but that really supplants God. Man will choose therefore God elects? The order seems wrong doesn't it? The word foreknow doesn't even apply to knowing ahead of time an action - rather, it talks about foreknowing someone, foreknowing the relationship with His elect, fore-loving His own, if that makes sense. Over and over again, Scripture tells us that God chooses us, God calls us, God gives us the faith to believe and God draws us to Him. I have always thought that yes, God does draw us to Himself but from then on it's up to us to accept or receive His gift of eternal life. This is partly true in that we have the responsibility to believe or reject the Lord Jesus but this cannot happen without the Holy Spirit working in us.

Limited atonement - or as someone put it, definitive atonement? This is to say that Christ died for the elect and only the elect. That the power of His death was not an umbrella atonement that covers the sin of all mankind - and it's up to the individual to go under the 'blood' so to speak in order to be saved. When Jesus died, was His death sufficient to forgive sins and atone for the sins of all who believe? Of course! But saying that Jesus' death did atone but we have to choose to accept really nullifies the efficacy of His blood. He paid the price for sinners, therefore there is no more debt. However, there are those who have died and have gone to hell because they have refused to believe - therefore, the penalty was paid twice - once by Christ and once by the sinner. All that to say that Jesus died to save those whom the Father gave to Him. He didn't die for all mankind. Isn't that so different than what I grew up with? It's hard to swallow but I have scripture to back it up.

Irresistible Grace - I prefer effectual grace - is that when God calls us in Christ and gives us the faith and the desire to receive - we are compelled to believe, compelled to receive. Because He has given us the faith necessary to believe we're able to. There's more to be said on all this but for now, just a summary!

Last but not least, the perseverance of the Saints. This not only includes the common understanding of eternal security, "Once saved, always saved." It's so much more than that!! It has to do with truly being born again, truly being sealed with the Holy Spirit, truly adopted into the family of our Heavenly Father and then God preserving us until the end. There is eternal fruit that manifests itself in the life of a true believer. I often did wonder how a person can really be saved and then go on and on in sin. I found that to be so inconsistent with what I was reading in Scripture. This is now making sense. We hear of those who claimed to be a believer who became a muslim or atheist. We hear of those who were in the missionary field and then forsook the Christian faith that took them there. Of course, true believers can fail and even carry on in sin temporarily but a true believer will not persist living in that sinful condition.

There's so much for me to write! I will be recording some of my thoughts in the next little while. If you're reading this, leave me a comment!

Some thoughts on Joel Osteen

Since he IS America's most popular preacher and the pastor of the largest church in America, consistently on the bestsellers' list, and is aired worldwide, I thought to write some thoughts and quote some articles that reveal who he really is and what he preaches. There's too much for me to actually write but there are plenty of articles that can convince you that he is a false teacher.

From what I read about Joel Osteen (and his very own words have confirmed it), he is just a motivational speaker profiting from the large group of marginal, professing Christians - because he preaches the gospel of success and prosperity and what's called the Word Faith movement. When you've got the largest mega-church in America - 30,000+ and counting - you've got to wonder what's wrong with the picture? I'm not saying that God cannot or does not give success to churches who preach and teach the truth - I'm saying that what Jesus has to say is not very POPULAR so if it's attracting people by the droves, you've got to wonder why.

So, I researched just a bit because I'm all for reading books by good authors and even listening to good speakers at times. My first exposure (and subsequent ) to him, my dh and I waited for more. He was all flashy and spoke quickly and motivationally, adding stuff that would appeal to those who liked upbeat, feel-good material. But there was NO meat. And although I didn't hear anything outright unBiblical during that show, I did read material that would definitely be so.

One thing that he is known for is the fact that he will not preach about sin, does not even like to USE the word sin, does not want to bring out ANYTHING negative like hell and eternal judgment because there are plenty of others who do. He wants to preach the 'good news' and only the good news. I have to say that the gospel is only good news because the bad news is so bad. He also shied away from saying that Jesus is the only way when interviewed by Larry King or whoever it was. I'm sure you can google all this and read article after article. Just try googling Joel Osteen sin and you get a bunch of articles. Anyway, when asked, "Well what about Muslims and Hindus etc etc. Is Jesus the only way?" He hemmed and hawed and said several times, "I don't know." I don't want to quote him out of context so I would say to read the entire interview. You will be surprised.

Quote

KING: But don’t you think if people don’t believe as you believe, they’re somehow condemned?
OSTEEN: You know, I think that happens in our society. But I try not to do that. I tell people all the time, preached a couple Sundays about it. I'm for everybody. You may not agree with me, but to me it's not my job to try to straighten everybody out. The Gospel called the good news. My message is a message of hope, that's God's for you. You can live a good life no matter what's happened to you. And so I don't know. I know there is condemnation but I don't feel that's my place.

KING: How about issues that the church has feelings about? Abortion? Same-sex marriages?
OSTEEN: Yeah. You know what, Larry? I don't go there. I just ...
KING: You have thoughts, though.
OSTEEN: I have thoughts. I just, you know, I don't think that a same-sex marriage is the way God intended it to be. I don't think abortion is the best. I think there are other, you know, a better way to live your life. But I'm not going to condemn those people. I tell them all the time our church is open for everybody.

Sounds pretty flaky to me - especially when he claims that the gospel of Jesus is what he lives for.

Quote
Osteen gives the new vision of his ministry: "We're all about building people up. We're all about helping people reach their full potential. We don't push some kind of religion.…all we push is joy and peace and victory through Jesus Christ. …Our message every single week - is through faith in God you can live an overcoming life of victory … I believe that's the message this generation needs to hear. We've heard a lot about the judgment of God and what we can't do and what's going to keep us out of heaven. But it's time people start hearing about the goodness of God, about a God that loves them. A God that believes in them. A God that wants to help them. That's our message here at Lakewood."

And just read how big this church is. It's just something to make you go hmmm~~~

Quote
Forty year old Joel Osteen now has one of the largest church congregations in America.

Lakewood Church has grown from 8,000 to a current attendance of over 30,000 since 1999 when Joel’s father passed away and he took over. “I don't want this to sound arrogant, but I believe one day we're going to have 100,000 a weekend,” he told “Charisma” magazine in June 2004. He certainly has this planned out with a new super facility being expanded in downtown Houston. The church paid the city nearly $11.9 million up front to lease the property for 30 years. It cost $95 million to renovate the Compaq Center in Houston (606,050 square feet) that seated 16,000 to now seat 30,000.

Osteen believes he is breaking a new frontier with the sheer size of his church facility, that Lakewood will one day offer Saturday and Sunday sanctuary to 100,000 worshipers from the Houston area and worldwide.”

The new Church facility has- eight giant video screens, 12 elevators, three escalators, two waterfalls, 241 toilets and 65 urinals and parking for more than 7,000 vehicles. The church also added a five-story wing, featuring Lakewood's television studio; classrooms for kindergarten through high school students; a chapel/auditorium for weddings, funerals and baptisms; and a cafe. Additional floors can be added as the church grows, Garrett said. (source- CHARISMA NOW - July 14, 2005 ed.)

http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac29.htm

Don't get me wrong - it's not necessary that a large church be a seeker-friendly, wishy-washy, unbiblical church. And maybe i'll get flamed for the "seeker-friendly" comment.
The message he preaches is all about 'claiming verses' and having faith enough to prosper or have victory or both. In my opinion, he presents God as the cosmic genie condescending to humans as One who makes all their wishes come true. Too bad the Chinese Christians in Communist China or the persecuted church in Muslim countries and poverty-stricken believers in Africa haven't heard this message. I guess they missed out on this faith...

Of course he says some things that counterfeit truth and encourage his listeners. But he preaches that God wants everyone to be successful, prosperous, healthy, wealthy and happy. He is big on 'claiming' verses in order to twist God's arm with your magnificent faith in order to bring about what you want (written tongue in cheek).

Quote
"You've got to speak it out. Your words have creative power. One of the primary ways we release our faith is through our words. There is a divine connection between you declaring God's favor and seeing God's favor manifested in your life. And some of you are doing your best to please the Lord. You are living a holy consecrated life, but you're not really experiencing God's supernatural favor. And it's simply because you're not declaring it. You've got to give life to your faith by speaking it out." (Audio clip from Bible Answer-Man Broadcast, April 26, 2004, ).

"Early in our marriage, Victoria and I were out walking through our neighborhood one day when we came upon a beautiful new home in the final stages of construction… Victoria was excited. She turned around, looked back at the home, and said, 'Joel, one day we're going to live in a beautiful home just like that!…' Over the next several months, she kept speaking words of faith and victory, and she finally talked me into it. She convinced me that we could live in an elegant home like the one we saw. I got rid of my limited thinking and I started agreeing with her. I started believing that somehow, some way, God could bring it to pass. We kept on believing it, seeing it, and speaking it (Osteen, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, Chapter One, ).

There's more but there are plenty of articles out there that expose the dangerous message and gospel that Joel Osteen preaches. I think you should stay away from him in my opinion.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires. (2 Timothy 4:3, NASB)

Worthwhile Books List

I'd like to compile a list of books that I've found valuable and that others have recommended. I haven't read all of them but I'm confident that these contain valuable wisdom and information. These books mostly address homeschooling and parenting.

* Successful Homeschool Family Handbook by Dr. Raymond & Dorothy Moore. (Recommended by Reda Redding)

* The Mother At Home by Jacob Abbott (Recommended by the Bluedorns)

* The Parenting of Champions by J. R. Lucas (Rec by Chautona Havig)

* Teaching the Trivium by Harvie and Laurie Bluedorn (Rec. by Susan Fry)

* Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs (marriage)

* Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul

* The Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall (excellent so far)

Out of the Mouth of Babes

The boys pointed out that I had made a 'hole' in the back of Cayden's head while giving him a haircut. I said, "Well, I'm not perfect."

Ethan asked, "Why aren't you perfect mom?" "Because I'm a sinner." I responded.
Ethan then said, "That reminds me of the verse in Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

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Today, Cayden watched me swallow three large vitamins. I told him not to ever take this or else he might choke and die. He said, "Then I'll go up? To heaven?" I said, "Well, how do you go to heaven?" He responded, "By being really good?"

Ethan then said, "Oh, no, no. It doesn't matter if you're really good. You can't go to heaven that way. You have to believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. Acts 16:31."

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Due to another altercation, the kids were reminded of Cain and Abel. Perplexed, Cayden asked, "Why didn't Abel have a shield so that he could block the blows and maybe if Cain threw a rock at him it would bounce off the shield and hit Cain back?"

Ethan rolled his eyes and told him, "Don't you know? There was no metal-working before Jubal and Tubal-Cain were born!"

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I called the kids to come and pray at night and Cayden jumped into his bed and under the covers. I said, "No, we need to get up." (We pray sitting or kneeling up, not lying down.) Ethan said, "Yes, that reminds me of a verse. Remember what it says in Leviticus 10:3: "I will be treated as holy" because God is holy.

Morning Dedication

ALMIGHTY GOD,
As I cross the threshold of this day
I commit myself, soul, body,
affairs, friends, to thy care;
Watch over, keep, guide, direct, sanctify, bless me.
Incline my heart to thy ways;
Mould me wholly into the image of Jesus,
as a potter forms clay;
May my lips be a well-tuned harp
to sound thy praise;
Let those around see me living by thy Spirit,
trampling the world underfoot,
unconformed to lying vanities,
transformed by a renewed mind,
clad in the entire armour of God,
shining as a never-dimmed light,
showing holiness in all my doings.
Let no evil this day soil my thoughts, words, hands.
May I travel miry paths with a life pure from spot or stain.
In needful transactions let my affection
be in heaven,
and my love soar upwards in flames of fire,
my gaze fixed on unseen things,
my eyes open to the emptiness, fragility,
mockery of earth and its vanities.
May I view all things in the mirror of eternity,
waiting for the coming of my Lord,
listening for the last trumpet call,
hastening unto the new heaven and earth.
Order this day all my communications
according to thy wisdom,
and to the gain of mutual good.
Forbid that I should not profited
or made profitable.
May I speak each word as if my last word,
and walk each step as my final one.
If my life should end today,
let this be my best day.

~ Valley of Vision

One Nation Under God

PAUL HARVEY'S ON-AIR PRAYER

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. "We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good', but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and setus free. Amen!"

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, "The Rest of the Story," and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called "One Nation under God."

My Elijah Syndrome

I had posted this the other day due to overwhelming disappointment with participation in our Bible Study. I really wasn't sure if I was alone or not and I could no longer keep the tears back. So many posted after that, I feel embarrassed - but encouraged. "Lord, I and only I am left." And He said, "No... actually..." So, I've moved that post to here.

Hey guys,
I don't know who is actually still with me in this study. I know that some of you are keeping at your own pace and just not posting but it's hard to tell... Right now, I have to admit that I'm really disappointed. I was really looking forward to studying God's precious Word together once again, but you know the feeling when you're with a group of friends and you're talking and talking and then suddenly you look around and notice that you're all alone? Well, that's kind of how I feel! (Estera, I have to say, you have been such an encouragement to me - seeing how busy you are and how faithfully you've stuck through all these past studies). Anyway, I understand what a busy life is like - so that's definitely not the reason RIGHT? I just pray that even if you are not posting, the Lord is your first love. That He has preeminence over all your other activities. That He is at the top of your list. That catching up on friends, email, TV programs, books, mags, movies, dining out and music are NOT more important than keeping your heart for the Lord.

He is SO worthy of our attention. His Word is so WORTHY of filling our hearts and minds. He alone is WORTHY of all our affections and thoughts. I pray that you, my beloved family and friends, find Him to be so. I pray that even if this study is not for you, you are still spending time daily communicating with Him, intimately familiar with His character, His goodness, His grace, His guidance. I pray that you HUNGER for Him, for His Word, for Holy Spirit power. I pray that nothing stands in the way of pursuing Him: not pursuing pleasure, pursuing careers, pursuing praise of other men, pursuing worldly knowledge, pursuing a bigger income, better resume, a more luxurious lifestyle. Christ alone.

Yes, perhaps I sound fanatical. Because I am. I am fanatically in love with the Lord Jesus. I am fanatically in love with His Word. I cannot live without Him. I do not WANT to live without Him. I have been praying for each of you by name since the study started - and trust the Lord is working in your hearts and lives. I want to continue in this study but I'm not sure how many others are. Even if there's two of us, that's ok. I will continue. If you want to continue... PLEASE stick to your commitment. Pray before you say, Yes, I will do this. and then discipline yourselves to stick with it. And remember that the reason for posting is to encourage one another and to keep each other accountable. It was so wonderful in past studies knowing that we were all spread out over the states and Canada and we still were connected with the Word.

I might regret and erase this post. I don't know. But I'm not going to pretend that it doesn't hurt me. I will pray to see if the Lord wants to continue this study. Perhaps at a future time. I don't know. Regardless, press on. Life is brief and it will soon pass. The only thing that will withstand the fire are the gold, silver and precious stones. What will matter is what matters in eternity.

Love you all, Jules

Why another blog?

I'm not sure.... I feel compelled to get some thoughts out there... I'm tired of writing things out in my journal, especially when I can type far faster. The Lord has been really dealing with some issues in my life and He has proven Faithful and Above All. I am recording this in order to look back and praise Him for who He is and what He has done in my life. and perhaps some other blah blah.