My Notes on John 1:2-3

John 1:2-3 " He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

He was in the beginning with God.

This 2nd verse speaks of Christ's eternal pre-incarnate state: with God - equal and One with the Father. From eternity past, long before the worlds were made or even thought of, Christ dwelt with the Father in His bosom(John 1:15), at His side. John isnt simply making this up or even exaggerating about who this Jesus was before He came to this world as a babe. John was with Jesus in the moment recorded in John 17 where Chrst lifts up His eyes to heaven and prays a High-Priestly prayer for those whom the Father had given Him. In the earliest part of Jesus' prayer, just after He declares that the Father has given Him authority over all flesh, so that He might give eternal life to all the Father has given Him, Jesus says these words in John 17:4

"I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

Where was Jesus before the world existed? With the Father, in the presence of the Father. Was he just heaven's version of an average man, sitting on the end of the bench in God's presence, waiting to be put into the game? No. He possessed the very Glory of God...lets think about this. This is the same glory that The Almighty Creator of the universe possesses, the same glory that all the wonderful works of creation sing about in Psalms 19:1-3 and in Psalms 145:1-7. This is the same glory of God that avenged all of His enemies, and those that rebelled against Him (Ex. 14:18) This glory that Jesus previously possessed was the same glory that consumed Mt. Saini in the wilderness, the same glory that passed by Moses in the cleft of the rock and prolaimed “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” (Ex 34:6-7) This glory of God was seen in Isaiah's vision in Isaiah 6:1-4 :

"In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”


The seraphim, the highest, and most brilliant of angels,which remained in the prescence of God daily- always, couldnt even bear to look upon His glory because they would be consumed and therefore they were created with wings to cover their feet and their eyes. This glory of Jehovah shook the posts and foundations of the temple - filled it with unbearable smoke, and the flowing train of the Almighty One filled the temple. This glory was so unbearable, so filling, and so wonderful and glorious, that all the angels could cry out day and night is "Holy, Holy, Holy!!!" The prophet Isaiah cannot think about anything else in the presence of the Lord except how beautiful and mighty is the Lord of Hosts, how high and lifted up is He, and low and sinful, how desestable and unclean Isaiah is. His eyes had seen the King, whose glory fills the earth and whose majesty is forever. Who was this that Isaiah saw? This glory, who did it belong to- the Lord of Hosts, The King of Glory....Psalms 24:8-10 says:

"Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle"

John also gives us a glimpse of who Isaiah saw in his vision - who it was that was High and Lifted up- seated on the Throne. John 12:39-41 quotes Isaiah:

"Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”

Why did Isaiah say these things and what do they have to do with Jesus?

John says in verse 41:
"Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him."


All things were made by Him...

All things were made by God, The Word. Everything that has existence was made by and through the Word, Jesus Christ. In the beginning, God created. God created by His Word. Hebrews 11:3 says that "through faith we understand that the worlds were framed(set up, establoshed, fashioned, and put in order). The "worlds" is aich: age, or time in contrast to kosmos: people or space. Duration or continuation of time. The worlds were formed by the word of God: word in this verse is 'rhema': that which is spoken; a statement or word. Logos is the expression of thought, while rhema would be the subject matter of the expression of thought - or the thing spoken about. All things were created by the Second member of the Trinity: the Logos Word which was with God and was God - all things were made by Him, for Him, in Him and through Him. Rhema was the subject matter of "the worlds" which is spoken about. Jesus Christ is not just a word, or an utterance from the mouth of God. Christ is "The Word". The eternal pre-incarnate Son of God was "ho logos" which means The Word. This means that there is no other Word of God apart from Jesus Christ or outside of Jesus Christ, and there is no other method or way of creation except by and through Jesus Christ- the Word; so when it came to God creating a new work, or a regenerating work in the hearts of men by taking them as fallen corrupted wicked sinners, and then re-creating them to be new creatures- Christ was and is the only way to create. He is the only way by which things will be made. Just as the Word made all things which have been made, speaking of the account of creation in Genesis, and even speaking of Colossians 1:15-17 of thrones, principalities, and dominions, whether for or against Him - God created all in Christ and through Christ and He is esteemed as the first born or first in rank above all things that have been made. His transcendence is equal to God and Christ didnt think this equality and Oneness with Him as robbery (Phil 2:6-7) why? Because of the eternal reality that He is equal to the Father. Jesus Christ is the only One qualified to do a creative work- whether in the act of creating the universe, or in creating a heart of flesh in replacement of a stony heart. Just as in Genesis, God created everything from nothing, so He does the same in Christ, actually even more so in re-creating a man from previously being a corrupt, vile, and atrocious mass of sin. This is the glory of God in Jesus Christ because the Father is glorified through the Son as the Son glorifies the Father (John 17:1). God shows off and demonstrates His love, grace, power, holiness, and justice in the face of Jesus Christ. By Him He created all things which have been made from the smallest nucleus of an atom to the largest galaxy full of trillions and trillions of stars - without Him - none of these things would exist; and God does an even greater work in demonstrating His love in that while this planet was full of rebellious, helpless sinners, God displayed His justice and grace in sending His Son to die for sinners, becomming a wrath absorbing propitiation in carrying away our sins upon Himself and drinking the infinite cup of God's furious wrath upon sin. God also demonstrated His justice in that He counts those who believe on His Son's sacrifice as just and in right standing with Him - not because of anything they have done in themselves, no; but because of the always-pleasing, perfectly acomplishing the will of God- life of the Son of God on this earth - and in that imputation of His righteousness, God is now the justifier of those who were once wicked. God does the greatest work in Christ:1) by creating all things that have been made, 2)and by regenerating men's hearts by the work of the Holy Spirit in seeing the beauty and grace of Jesus Christ. Logical conclusion: Since Christ created everything, if you take away Christ, you take away everything. There would be NOTHING witout Him. Jesus re-affirms this in John 15:5 by saying " I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." Without the vine branches wouldnt even exist, likewise without Christ, men are nothing, destined for nothingness and separation from everything in the fires and worm eating miseries of Hell. When men take away the Glory of God in creating everthing that is made and in Him being the only Way to life, they end up believing in and living for nothing - given over by God to lust, dishonor and debasement. When you take away Christ, you take away everything....


Notes on John 1:1

The Sovereignty of God over Nature & Creation

A. Over Nature and Weather
Psalms 104; 105:16; 135:7; 147:7-20; 148; Job 9:5-10; 26:5-14; 37:1-24; 38:8-38; Mark 4:39,41. Other texts:
"It is He who made the earth by His power, who established the world by His wisdom; and by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens. When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, and brings out the wind from His storehouses" (Jer. 10:12-13).
"Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain? Or can the heavens grant showers? Is it not Thou, O Lord our God? Therefore we hope in Thee, for Thou art the one who hast done all these things" (Jer. 14:22).
"And furthermore [declares the Lord], I withheld the rain from you while there were still three months until harvest. Then I would send rain on one city and on another city I would not send rain; one part would be rained on, while the part not rained on would dry up" (Amos 4:7). "


- Sam Storms





"Perhaps no word expresses it more pointedly than that of the Psalm: "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth" (Ps. 33:6). The import is that the word, or breath of God, breath being the symbol of His almighty, creative will, is the antecedent, or prior cause, of all that is. "For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast" (vs. 9). This mode of statement harks back to the first chapter of Genesis, where on some eight occasions the successive steps of the creative drama are introduced with the formula "and God said."
God made heaven and earth; by his spirit the havens were garnished; he laid the foundations of the earth; by wisdom he founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; his hands stretched out the heavens, and all their host he commanded; heaven and earth, his hand made, and so all those things came to be; he made the sea and the dry land; he is the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega; he is the beginning of creation; by his will, heaven and earth were, and were created (2 Kings 19:15; Job 26:13; 38:4; Prov. 3:19; Isa. 42:5; 44:6; 45:12; 66:2; Jonah 1:9; Rev. 1:8; 3:14; 4:8).
The piety on which the Scripture places its imprimatur is true piety; this, we find, rests upon, and is necessarily suffused with, the recognition of God's creatorhood. The address to God in adoration, prayer, and praise begins with it; the address to men in law and gospel rests upon it. The faith that is "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," the faith through which the catalogue of saints had witness borne to them that they were righteous, is the faith through which "we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" (Heb. 11:3). And when Paul made his appeal to the idolatrous Athenians that God now commandeth men that they should all, everywhere repent, he began his address by saying, "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands" (Acts 17:24).
If the sovereignty of God rests upon the fact of his oneness and upon the fact of creation, it may be said to consist, first of all, in the right of dominion and rule over all and in the fact of universal possession. The Psalm sounds this note succinctly. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof" (Ps. 24:1). The prophets do the same when they affirm that he is "the God of the whole earth" and as the "Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will" (Isa. 54:5; Dan. 4:17, 25). In the formula of Melchizedek and of Abraham, he is the "possessor of heaven and earth" (Gen. 14:19, 22), and in the words of Paul, "in him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28)."
- John Murray





"
Turn your eye to the heavens and observe the mysteries of Divine sovereignty which there confront the thoughtful beholder: "There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory" (1 Cor. 15:41). But why should they? Why should the sun be more glorious than all the other planets? Why should there be stars of the first magnitude and others of the tenth? Why such amazing inequalities? Why should some of the heavenly bodies be more favorably placed than others in their relation to the sun? And why should there be "shooting stars," "falling stars," "wandering stars" (Jude 13), in a word, ruined stars? And the only possible answer is, "For Thy pleasure they are and were created" (Rev. 4:11).
Come now to our own planet. Why should two thirds of its surface be covered with water, and why should so much of its remaining third be unfit for human cultivation or habitation? Why should there be vast stretches of marshes, deserts and ice-fields? Why should one country be so inferior, topographically, from another? Why should one be fertile, and another almost barren? Why should one be rich in minerals and another own none? Why should the climate of one be congenial and healthy, and another uncongenial and unhealthy? Why should one abound in rivers and lakes, and another be almost devoid of them? Why should one be constantly troubled with earthquakes, and another be almost entirely free from them? Why? Because thus it pleased the Creator and Upholder of all things.
Look at the animal kingdom and note the wondrous variety. What comparison is possible between the lion and the lamb, the bear and the kid, the elephant and the mouse? Some, like the horse and the dog, are gifted with great intelligence; while others, like sheep and swine, are almost devoid of it. Why? Some are designed to be beasts of burden, while others enjoy a life of freedom. But why should the mule and the donkey be shackled to a life of drudgery, while the lion and tiger are allowed to roam the jungle at their pleasure? Some are fit for food, others unfit; some are beautiful, others ugly; some are endowed with great strength, others are quite helpless; some are fleet of foot, others can scarcely crawl—contrast the hare and the tortoise; some are of use to man, others appear to be quite valueless; some live for centuries, others a few months at most; some are tame, others fierce. But why all these variations and differences?
What is true of the animals is equally true of the birds and fishes. But consider now the vegetable kingdom. Why should roses have thorns, and lilies grow without them? Why should one flower emit a fragrant aroma and another have none? Why should one tree bear fruit which is wholesome and another that which is poisonous? Why should one vegetable be capable of enduring frost and another wither under it? Why should one apple tree be loaded with fruit, and another tree of the same age and in the same orchard be almost barren? Why should one plant flower a dozen times in a year and another bear blossoms but once a century? Truly, "whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven, and in the earth, in the seas, and all deep places" (Ps. 135:6).
- A.W. Pink





"One night while working on this chapter, I watched the evening news on television. One of the top stories was about several powerful tornadoes that swept across central Mississippi killing seven people, injuring at least 145 more, and leaving nearly 500 families homeless. As I watched the scenes of people sifting through the rubble of what had been their homes, my heart went out to them. I thought to myself, “Some of those people undoubtedly follow Christ. What would I say to them about God’s sovereignty over nature? Do I really believe it myself at a time such as this? Wouldn’t it be easier to just accept Rabbi Kushner’s statement that it is simply an act of nature-a morally blind nature that churns along following its own laws? Why bring God into chaos and suffering such as this?”
But God brings Himself into these events. He said in Isaiah 45:7, “I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.” God Himself accepts the responsibility, so to speak, of disasters. He does more than accept the responsibility; He actually claims it. In effect, God says, “I, and I alone, have the power and authority to bring about both prosperity and disaster, both weal and woe, both good and bad.”
This is a difficult truth to accept as you watch people sift through the rubble of their homes or-more to the point-if you are the one sifting through the rubble of your home. . . . We obviously do not understand why God creates disaster, or why He brings it to one town and not to another. We recognize, too, that just as God sends His sun and rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous, so He also sends the tornado, or the hurricane, or the earthquake on both. . . . God’s sovereignty over nature does not mean that Christians never encounter the tragedies of natural disasters. Experience and observation clearly teach otherwise.
God’s sovereignty over nature does mean that, whatever we experience at the hand of the weather or forces of nature, all circumstances are under the watchful eye and sovereign control of our God."
- Jerry Bridges

24

Thank God for this wonderful 24th year of life! I thank Him mostly for His grace, for demonstrating His love for me in that while I was a 2month old, 7yr old, 15yr old, and 23yr old sinner...Christ died for me, and in this 24th year of my life "Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the Cross I cling". My prayer is that God would be glorified in this 24th year and in the next 24 years of the life He gives and may Christ be magnified and shown to be supreme, in that He has given grace to this weak sinner and that He would continue to conform me to His image....






I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Gal 2:20

An Excerpt from "Man's Utter Inability to Rescue Himself" by Thomas Boston

A man that is fallen into a pit cannot be supposed to help himself out of it, but by one of two ways; either by doing all himself alone, or taking hold of, and improving, the help offered him by others. Likewise an unconverted man cannot be supposed to help himself out of his natural state, but either in the way of the law, or covenant of works, by doing all himself without Christ; or else in the way of the Gospel, or covenant of grace, by exerting his own strength to lay hold upon, and to make use of the help offered him by a Saviour. But, alas! the unconverted man is dead in the pit, and cannot help himself either of these ways; not the first way, for the first text tells us, that when our Lord came to help us, ‘we were without strength,’ unable to recover ourselves. We were ungodly, therefore under a burden of guilt and wrath, yet ‘without strength,’ unable to stand under it; and unable to throw it off, or get from under it: so that all mankind would have undoubtedly perished, had not ‘Christ died for the ungodly,’ and brought help to those who could never have recovered themselves. But when Christ comes and offers help to sinners, cannot they take it? Cannot they improve help when it comes to their hands? No, the second text tells, they cannot; ‘No man can come unto me,’ that is, believe in me (John 6.44), ‘except the Father draw him.’ This is a drawing which enables them to come, who till then could not come; and therefore could not help themselves by improving the help offered. It is a drawing which is always effectual; for it can be no less than ‘hearing and learning of the Father,’ which, whoever partakes of, come to Christ (verse 45). Therefore it is not drawing in the way of mere moral suasion, which may be, yea, and always is ineffectual. But it is drawing by mighty power (Eph. 1:9), absolutely necessary for those who have no power in themselves to come and take hold of the offered help.....

Now, sinner, if you can answer these demands, you may recover yourself in the way of the law. But are you not conscious of your inability to do any of these things, much more to do them all? yet if you do not all, you do nothing. Turn then to what course of life you will, you are still in a state of wrath. Screw up your obedience to the greatest height you can; suffer what God lays upon you; yea, add, if you will, to the burden, and walk under all without the least impatience: yet all this will not satisfy the demands of the law; therefore you are still a ruined creature. Alas, sinner I what are you doing, while you strive to help yourself, but do not receive, and unite with, Jesus Christ? You are laboring in the fire, wearying yourself for very vanity; laboring to enter into heaven by the door which Adam’s sin so bolted, that neither he, nor any of his lost posterity, can ever enter by it. Do you not see the flaming sword of justice, keeping you off from the tree of life? Do you not hear the law denouncing a curse on you for all you are doing, even for your obedience, your prayers, your tears, your reformation of life, and so on; because, being under the law’s dominion, your best works are not so good as—it requires them to be under the pain of the curse? Believe it, sirs, if you live and die out of Christ, without being actually united to Him as the second Adam, the life—giving Spirit, and without coming under the covert of His atoning blood, though you should do the utmost that any man can do, in keeping the commands of God, you will never see the face of God in peace. If you should, from this moment, bid an eternal farewell to this world’s joys, and all the affairs thereof, and henceforth busy yourselves with nothing but the salvation of your souls; if you should go into some ‘wilderness, live upon the grass of the field, and be companions to dragons and owls; if you should retire to some dark cavern of the earth, and weep there for your sins, until you had wept yourselves blind; if you should confess with your tongue, until it cleave to the roof of your mouth; pray, till your knees grow hard as horns; fast, till your body become like a skeleton, and, after all this, give it to be burnt; the word is gone out of the Lord’s mouth in righteousness and cannot return, that you shall perish for ever, notwithstanding all this, as not being in Christ (John 14:6), ‘No man cometh unto the Father, but by me (Acts 4:12), ‘Neither is there salvation in any other.’ (Mark 16:16), ‘He that believeth not shall be damned!

-Thomas Boston

For the full article @ Monergism

Joy From Christ - Paul Washer

Joy from Christ, not your performance - Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

An Excerpt from "The Sufferings, Support, and Reward of Faithful Ministers" - L. Hayes

I have been reading "The Faithful Minister" recently, and I came across some very encouraging words by Lemuel Hayes. This excerpt came from Hayes' final sermon at the West Parrish congregation in Rutland, Vermont. This sermon was entitled "The Sufferings, Support and Reward of Faithful Ministers, Illustrated" and in this sermon Hayes comes from the text Acts 20:24. These words twoards the end of this sermon stood out in particular to me, and they have been a great comfort to me as a minister of the gospel. I pray that they would encourage you as well....

When godly ministers have finished their course, all their imperfections and trials will end. They see so many defects in themselves, so much self-seeking, unfaithfulness and ignorance, that they often tremble lest after they have preached to others, they themselves may be cast away, that they shall fall short of that heaven they have so often recommended to others and have their dwelling with the wicked. But these fears will subside and to their surprise they will hear their Redeemer say, "Enter thou into the joy of thy lord!"

Faithful's Discourse with Talkative - Pilgrims Progress

Faithful: Well, if you please, propound another sign how this work of grace discovereth itself where it is.

Talkative: Not I, for I see we shall not agree.

Faithful: Well, if you will not, will you give me leave to do it?

Talkative: You may use your liberty.

Faithful: A work of grace in the soul discovereth itself, either to him that hath it, or to standers-by.

To him that hath it, thus: It gives him conviction of sin, especially the defilement of his nature, and the sin of unbelief, for the sake of which he is sure to be damned, if he findeth not mercy at God’s hand, by faith in Jesus Christ. This sight and sense of things worketh in him sorrow and shame for sin. Psa. 38:18; Jer. 31:19; John 16:8; Rom. 7:24; Mark 16:16; Gal. 2:16; Rev. 1:6. He findeth, moreover, revealed in him the Saviour of the world, and the absolute necessity of closing with him for life; at the which he findeth hungerings and thirstings after him; to which hungerings, etc., the promise is made. Now, according to the strength or weakness of his faith in his Saviour, so is his joy and peace, so is his love to holiness, so are his desires to know him more, and also to serve him in this world. But though, I say, it discovereth itself thus unto him, yet it is but seldom that he is able to conclude that this is a work of grace; because his corruptions now, and his abused reason, make his mind to misjudge in this matter: therefore in him that hath this work there is required a very sound judgment, before he can with steadiness conclude that this is a work of grace. John 16:9; Gal. 2:15,16; Acts 4:12; Matt. 5:6; Rev. 21:6.

To others it is thus discovered:

1. By an experimental confession of his faith in Christ. 2. By a life answerable to that confession; to wit, a life of holiness-heart-holiness, family-holiness, (if he hath a family,) and by conversation-holiness in the world; which in the general teacheth him inwardly to abhor his sin, and himself for that, in secret; to suppress it in his family, and to promote holiness in the world: not by talk only, as a hypocrite or talkative person may do, but by a practical subjection in faith and love to the power of the word. Job 42:5,6; Psa. 50:23; Ezek. 20:43; Matt. 5:8; John 14:15; Rom. 10:10; Ezek. 36:25; Phil. 1:27; 3:17-20. And now, sir, as to this brief description of the work of grace, and also the discovery of it, if you have aught to object, object; if not, then give me leave to propound to you a second question.

Talkative: Nay, my part is not now to object, but to hear; let me, therefore, have your second question.

Faithful: It is this: Do you experience this first part of the description of it; and doth your life and conversation testify the same? Or standeth your religion in word or tongue, and not in deed and truth? Pray, if you incline to answer me in this, say no more than you know the God above will say Amen to, and also nothing but what your conscience can justify you in; for not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. Besides, to say I am thus and thus, when my conversation, and all my neighbors, tell me I lie, is great wickedness.

Then Talkative at first began to blush; but, recovering himself, thus he replied: You come now to experience, to conscience, and to God; and to appeal to him for justification of what is spoken. This kind of discourse I did not expect; nor am I disposed to give an answer to such questions, because I count not myself bound thereto, unless you take upon you to be a catechiser; and though you should so do, yet I may refuse to make you my judge. But I pray, will you tell me why you ask me such questions?

Faithful: Because I saw you forward to talk, and because I knew not that you had aught else but notion. Besides, to tell you all the truth, I have heard of you that you are a man whose religion lies in talk, and that your conversation gives this your mouth-profession the lie. They say you are a spot among Christians, and that religion fareth the worse for your ungodly conversation; that some have already stumbled at your wicked ways, and that more are in danger of being destroyed thereby: your religion, and an ale-house, and covetousness, and uncleanness, and swearing, and lying, and vain company-keeping, etc., will stand together. The proverb is true of you which is said of a harlot, to wit, “That she is a shame to all women:” so are you a shame to all professors.

Talkative: Since you are so ready to take up reports, and to judge so rashly as you do, I cannot but conclude you are some peevish or melancholy man, not fit to be discoursed with; and so adieu.

"The Kingdom of God is not in word(talk), but in power" (1 Cor 4:20)

An Evening of Eschatology

*If you cannot see this video, you can view the original post at AdjustmyThoughts.com or you can see it at DesiringGod.org


*Not that this matters, but I stick with the Dispensational Premillenniest view (closest to the Historic Premillenniest view)- Im not sure that I can defend it like Dr.Hamilton does in this video, but I have come to believe this view just by seeing it in Scripture throughout my life and the convictions it has given me personally.*

I will post more info on these views as I further research them....

The Gospel

The Gospel: by B.R. Graves

Audio




The Gospel. This is the blessed God-given good news of truth concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for sinners. This gospel doesent just end with a dead Savior hung upon the cross, because a dead savior is no savior at all. Christ died for the sins of His people, expiating and quenching the unquenchable, Hell encompassing, fiery, just wrath of the Almighty God. In His death Christ became the propitiation for our sins, spent 3 days in the heart of the earth and was raised to new life,proclaiming victory over death, Hell, the grave and all principalities and powers.
The gospel begins with God.In witnessing, it can begin with the sinfulness and wickedness of man - but man can only see how wicked and sinful he is when he beholds the Standard to which he is measured by, and that Standard is the Holy God. God is Infinitely morally, and spiiritually, of purer eyes than to behold evil and a God who hates iniquity and will not let the guilty go unpunished. In His righteousness He esteems His glory of infinite value and in esteeming His glory He takes pleasure in that which is beautiful and glorious and He consumes and destroys that which is sinful. He does not justify the wicked, for in justifying wicked men He himself would be an unjust judge. This presents a great dillemma, because if all men in Adam are sinful, if all men are wicked and depraved, drinking down iniquity like water, then all men deserve His holy wrath. God in His justice would be right and worthy of glory to consume rebellious sinners who hate him with a passion. But God, in order to vindicate His glory and in order to show His great name, because He is a God of love - He chose out of the good pleasures of His will, not influenced by anyone or anything else outside of Him, God chose to save a people for Himself, so that in saving them He would display His great glory in changing God-hating, rebellious humans into God loving, Christ resembling saints - who will be set apart unto holiness for His purposes.
In this "good news" of the Gospel, God displays His divine forbearance in patiently passing over sins committed by nations and peoples and even His own Israel, who sinned against Him and deserved immediate judgment. Instead, God passes over their sins in accepting sacrifices, the blood of bulls and goats, and even letting wicked idolatrous men live to see beautiful days and enjoy long healthy and lives. In doing this God was holding back His wrath, even making it seem like it was somewhat "acceptable" for men to trample His glory. But justice delayed is not justice denied. Gods wrath had not been quenched and the blood of bulls and goats would not always suffice. Justice had to be served, God's wrath that sinful men deserved must be vindicated.....this was done so in Christ
When men were sinners, enemies of God, God-haters, and helpless to do anything about it, God in His goodness and to display the greatness of His grace, sent His only begotten Son to die as a wrath absorbing sacrifice for the sins of the world. He bore the infinite eternal wrath of God and drank the full cup of God's wrath that men who have been in hell for centuries upon centuries will never be able to finish. He paid for the sins and purchased salvation for those who would believe on Him. His death on the cross didnt just extend an offer to all men - the death of Christ did extend this offer to all, but Christs death actually saved, and actually purchased salvation to those who will believe.
The question of the gospel is not 'Do you realize that you are a sinner?' for all men ought to realize this and in this realization all men ought to repent and cry out to God whether He saves them or not. All men ought to realize the crimes of their sins against a holy God. The question of the gospel is not 'Do you want heaven?' for all men want heaven, streets of gold, trees of life, happiness, no sickness, and eternal life forever. The question of the gospel lies in this 'Do you want God?' Do you realize that because of the crimes of your sins, and your helplessness and inability to do anything about them - you need a Savior, one who will reveal to you that all your good works are as filthy rags and One who will tell you that because of God's grace, the righteousness of God has been fulfilled and met in Him. Do you now esteem Jesus Christ and His death on the cross, His perfect life on this earth, and His daily intercession for His people above all things? Do you hate sins that you once cherished and took pleasure in? Are you willing to forsake all to cleave to this Jesus that paid the price for your sins - not for what you can get out of Him in terms of selfish gain, but because He is worthy of all honor glory and service?
This is the gospel: that God in His goodness, sent His Son to die for the sins of the world, absorbing the wrath of God and laying His life down for His sheep - so that they might have life, abundant life, and life eternal, knowing their Shepherd as One Flock, being made a new creation, a pure and spotless bride, and being made presentable to the Lord Jesus on that Great Day. His death is sufficient for all and made efficient for all who believe. Do you believe on Jesus?

Thoughts on the Trinity...

Two Quick Apologetic Tips on the Trinity
10/07/2009 - Alan Kurschner

The two most frequent objections to the Trinity can be illuminated with two simple, but effective, illustrations. First, "How can there be three and one at the same time"? This question conflates two categories into one. But Christians understand that there are two categories involved. There is one "What" (Being/Deity) and three "Who's" (Persons/Father-Son-Holy Spirit).Here is the best illustration that I think brings out this fundamental difference in these two categories that unbelievers can immediately relate to: There is only one humanity (Being) but many individuals (persons). Individuals share in the Being of humanity, and that does not mean that I am you, and you are me — we are different persons with the same single Being. This illustration is not intended to exhaust or explain all the elements of the Trinity; instead, it serves to illustrate this single categorical difference between Being and persons. Someone may object by saying, "Does not this analogy support polytheism, since there are billions of individuals, there can be billions of Gods or divine persons?" Let me be clear: this illustration is intended to show a single distinction between two categories — Being and persons; the point is not intended to show how many persons there are. Only Scripture can provide us this latter truth. Next, believers are often not as aware of this second most frequent assumption that unbelievers have about the Trinity. But if you are aware of this deep assumption by those who deny the deity of Christ, you can disarm them, aiding them to the vista of Trinitarianism.Memorize and internalize the following Trinitarian truth:

Difference in function does not indicate inferiority of nature.

That is James White's statement and it will go a very long way in your Trinitarian apologetics. There is a built-in assumption for many that if Jesus has a lesser role than the Father, he must therefore have a lesser nature. This is an illogical inference. Those who oppose the deity of Christ point to Jesus' submissive remarks about doing the will of his Father. For example, Jesus says, "the Father is greater than I am." They infer from this that Jesus does not share the same nature with the Father (this ignores that the context is talking about their relational roles, not their nature, John 14). Jesus also calls the Father, "My God." Yet those who oppose the deity of Christ ignore that this is a humble acknowledgment of the Incarnate Jesus, modeling for us humility and submissiveness (John 20:17). This exalting affirmation is exactly what we would expect from the Son of God. Similarly, since Jesus is the agent of the Father in many respects such as the Creation, therefore Jesus cannot be fully God. And regarding the Spirit, they will make the similar false assumption: Since the Spirit is sent by the Father, the Spirit cannot have the same divine nature as the Father. Again, they will look at these statements and make the fallacious leap that difference in function indicates inferiority of nature.By doing so, they also deny the freedom of the Divine persons to choose their roles. Or to put it another way: they assume that to be truly God, the Son and the Spirit must have the exact same roles as the Father. Do not allow them to accept this assumption. Probe them to ensure they see this point. So a simple, but effective, illustration will show that difference in function does not indicate inferiority of nature: A husband and wife will have different roles in a marriage. Wives are to take on the submissive role, but this does not indicate that difference in function requires inferiority of nature. Does the wife have a lesser nature than that of the husband? Of course not. They both are fully human. I hope these two simple illustrations will be staples when you come across these frequent assumptions. The former illustration depicts the difference between Being and persons; the latter illustration depicts the difference between Being and functions. Let's praise God for the Incarnation, which itself presupposes a submissive role that brought about our salvation. We do not worship a unipersonal-Unitarian God, but instead a complementary-Trinitarian God.

A Sobering Story from The Pilgrim's Progress...

Background: Christian is at the Interpreter's house and is being led by Interpreter through many illustrations concerning spiritual things. Just as Christian sees perhaps the most inspiring and encouraging illustration of a fearless man defeating many opposing enemies and entering into a great mansion with a white robe, he wishes to be on his way until Interpreter tells him that he wishes to show him more.....here is what Christian was shown...

"Nay, stay, said the Interpreter, till I have showed thee a little more, and after that thou shalt go on thy way. So he took him by the hand again, and led him into a very dark room, where there sat a man in an iron cage.
Now the man, to look on, seemed very sad; he sat with his eyes looking down to the ground, his hands folded together, and he sighed as if he would break his heart. Then said Christian, What means this? At which the Interpreter bid him talk with the man.
Then said Christian to the man, What art thou? The man answered, I am what I was not once.
Christian: What wast thou once?
The Man: The man said, I was once a fair and flourishing professor, Luke 8:13, both in mine own eyes, and also in the eyes of others: I once was, as I thought, fair for the celestial city, and had then even joy at the thoughts that I should get thither.
Christian: Well, but what art thou now?
The Man: I am now a man of despair, and am shut up in it, as in this iron cage. I cannot get out; Oh now I cannot!
Christian: But how camest thou into this condition?
The Man: I left off to watch and be sober: I laid the reins upon the neck of my lusts; I sinned against the light of the word, and the goodness of God; I have grieved the Spirit, and he is gone; I tempted the devil, and he is come to me; I have provoked God to anger, and he has left me: I have so hardened my heart, that I cannot repent.
Then said Christian to the Interpreter, But is there no hope for such a man as this? Ask him, said the Interpreter.
Christian: Then said Christian, Is there no hope, but you must be kept in the iron cage of despair?
The Man: No, none at all.
Christian: Why, the Son of the Blessed is very pitiful.
The Man: I have crucified him to myself afresh, Heb. 6:6; I have despised his person, Luke 19:14; I have despised his righteousness; I have counted his blood an unholy thing; I have done despite to the spirit of grace, Heb. 10:29: therefore I have shut myself out of all the promises and there now remains to me nothing but threatenings, dreadful threatenings, faithful threatenings of certain judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour me as an adversary.
Christian: For what did you bring yourself into this condition?
The Man: For the lusts, pleasures, and profits of this world; in the enjoyment of which I did then promise myself much delight: but now every one of those things also bite me, and gnaw me like a burning worm.
Christian: But canst thou not now repent and turn?
The Man: God hath denied me repentance. His word gives me no encouragement to believe; yea, himself hath shut me up in this iron cage: nor can all the men in the world let me out. Oh eternity! eternity! how shall I grapple with the misery that I must meet with in eternity?
Interpreter: Then said the Interpreter to Christian, Let this man’s misery be remembered by thee, and be an everlasting caution to thee.
Christian: Well, said Christian, this is fearful! God help me to watch and to be sober, and to pray that I may shun the cause of this man’s misery....."

The New Covenant part 2

How does God vindicate His holiness in the New Covenant?

First, notice in the following passage in Ezekiel 36 how many times the words "I will" are used concerning God doing the work in this new covenant.

Ezekiel 36:24-30
I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. [1] 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. 30 I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.

Now, there is no question what the "WILL" of God is here in this passage. There is no question as to what the will of God is in this covenant. It cannot just simply be an "offer" or a motion to do do something good for someone. This "I Will" is a serious rescue mission by the power of the Almighty God to vindicate His holiness and redeem a people for Himself. These "I will's" are not poetic and wishful thinking on God's part: because when it comes to His will scripture teaches that it will always be accomplished. Some examples:

Genesis 3:15 - "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[1] and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

Genesis 8:21 - “I will never again curse[1] the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.

Genesis 17:21 - "But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”

Proverbs 21:1 - "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will."

Romans 9:19 - "You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”"

Daniel 4:35 - all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

Last Verses - a very big key in this topic.

Isaiah 46:10 - "declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ "

Ephesians 1:11 - "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,"

In summary - God's will is never disrupted, thwarted, frustrated or defeated. Bottom line- God's will always comes to pass! His counsel always stands!! His will is never disturbed by man's free will, natural disasters, chaotic uncontrollable circumstances, or anything. This is a hard concept to grasp for many because it brings up the question "Well, did God kow ALL these things on the earth would come to pass...or more specifically, Did He ordain these things? Why?" This would take another post to answer these questions, but the focus that our attention must be set upon is resting in His Sovereignty. God is not a monster, not a magician with puppets on strings, and He is not a controlling dictator. He is Holy, Just, Righteous and Good...a God who has mercy upon thousands (Ex 34:7), a God who laid His life down for many (Mark 10:45), a God who will not let the guilty go unpunished and our focus should not be on how to orchestrate or figure out the "counsel of His will", but how to accomplish and prove what is His perfect and acceptable will(Rom 12:2).

Furthermore, since Scripture teaches that His will always comes to pass and nothing can stay His hand, if we apply this truth to Ezekiel 36, then it is clear that God will actually accomplish this great work of the new covenant. He will do the things He has set forth in this passage
HE WILL:
- take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries
- sprinkle clean water and will cleanse His people
- give a new heart and a new spirit
- remove the heart of stone and will put in a heart of flesh
- "put My Spirit within you" - the effects of that will "cause you to walk in my statutes"
- be your God
- deliver you from uncleanness
- make the grain and the fruit of the land abundant

Have these things been accomplished? Are they currently in progress? In the end, do we see that this new covenant is fulfilled, or is God just waiting for people to choose Him while He watches patiently like a fisherman waiting to see if the fish will bite?
Lets go through these promises of God in Ezekiel 36 and see when and how they come to pass.

"I will take you from the nations and gather you from the countries..."This promise is in reference to God's gathering the Israelites from the countries where He scattered them because of their disobedience (Ezek 36:18-19 ; 5:10). God scattered His people because they were rebellious, but this in turn eventually led to more rebellion as the scattered Israelites stumbled upon idols and false worship of other nations. Therefore God chose out of the counsel of His own will to vindicate His holiness and glorify His name by gathering His remnant out of the scattered nations and He would bring them into their own land. (Ezek 37:21-23; 36:24) This gathering of God's people in the new covenant can also be looked at as a type and shadow in that God would gather His scattered children (John 11:51-52), the heirs of salvation, from all over the world and bring them into one flock with One Shepherd (John 10:16). This great prophecy of the new covenant is being fulfilled as we speak, but the full manifestation of it will be known when His flock, His gathhered ones stand before Him on that great day that the book of Revelation speaks of and cry out "“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev 7:9-10)

"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. "

Key words: Water & Spirit - where are these seen again? "Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:5-6)

Mr. John Darby

"It is principally to this passage (although not exclusively) that the Lord Jesus alludes in John 3, telling Nicodemus that He had spoken of earthly things, and that, as a master of Israel, he ought to have understood that this renewing of heart was necessary to the blessing of Israel in the earth. The truth of this, with regard to a Jew, ought not to surprise him, since it was a work of sovereignty in whomsoever should be born of God"

More sights of water & spirit - (I am not being a sacramentalist in this next passage, I am simply looking at the symbolism of being baptized with water and being baptized with the Spirit)

Acts 1:5 " for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Without God cleansing you, and without God putting in you a new spirit, you CANNOT see the kingdom of heaven. This isnt a suggestion to get sprinkled and get a new spirit like one suggests getting a new car from a dealership because his old one is dead. This is a requirement that is beyond any man's control....God's "I will" is doing the cleansing and putting in and He begins the work and finishes it.(Phil 1:6) This work of God is not only done by Him effectually for His people, but the command to repent, seek a new heart, a new spirit and a new mind is given to ALL men because all men have transgressed. (Ezek 18:31-32) Repentance is commanded of all men whether God acts in saving them or not. Repentance is necessary because all men have sinned against a totally Honorable and Worthy and Most High Sovereign.This is the only Way that any one will live - if they are converted and turn! All men are required to repent because all men have transgressed and the only remedy to cure a dead heart and spirit is to have a living one.

Being "born again" - regenerated, is necessary to enter the kingdom of God. This sprinkling of water and putting in of a new spirit is God's work and the way that it happens is like the wind, Jesus says in John 3:8 . It happens when He wills to all those whom He wills it to happen. (John 1:13) God, a Spirit, births spirit - a baby doesent "birth" itself...meaning that it doesent choose when it is conceived, or born. Neither can a man choose or will himself to be saved - it is a work of God. (Romans 9:16) John 3:20-21 says "For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” The only way any sinner can or does do what is right is because God is working within him to do what is right.

To many, this understanding of salvation is hard to grasp, simply because it can bring up the question "How do I know I am even saved if its God who has to do the saving?" Scripture tells us that no man can will himself to be saved or even "do something" to be saved- but scripture also tells us that men are commanded to cry out to God, call on the name of the Lord, and to repent and believe the gospel, seeing that they are sinful in the eyes of God and that they are in need of a Savior. This is the test of assurance - have you repented, and keep repenting, do you believe on the Lord Jesus and are you still believing and cleaving to Him more than on the day you were saved? Will you submit to His Lordship? Does your heart cry out "yes"? If this is som then Romans 8:16 tells you that the Holy Spirit of God (His Spirit that he puts within you(Eze 36:27)) will bear witness with your spirit (your regenerated, God-sensitive, quickened) that you are a child of God. The result of this realization of sin and loathing iniquity is also a part of the new covenant when the Lord says in Eze 36:31 ,"Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations".

Because all mean are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, and the heart of a sinful man is deceitfully wicked, it is only necessary to have a new a new heart and a new spirit to be born again. (John 3:5-7; Eph 2:1; Jer 17:9-10)This is the process of regeneration, by which the Holy Spirit of God moves upon the heart of a sinner and quickens his spirit and creates within him a new heart so that he might see his sinfulness before a holy God, and that he might believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. (Titus 3:5)Regeneration is all by the grace of God and it transforms a man from being a sinful, helpless, enemy of God into being a God-loving, sin-hating, spiritually alive person in Jesus Christ. This process of regeneration happens like the wind(John 3:8) - the Spirit might move as a mighty wind current, drawing 3000 to Christ at once as in Acts 2:41, or the Spirit might blow upon the heart of one as a light wind rustles the smallest of leaves on a tree. ex. Lydia in Acts 16:14. The point is that the Spirit moves Sovereignly and freely and graciously, showing mercy upon whomsoever He wills, and will never cast out whoever will come(John 5:21; 6:37) and regenerating the heart of man so that He might be drawn to Christ and have life eternal. I will focus more upon the other promises of God in the New Covenant in the next post....

Remeber that in these promises of the new covenant , the Lord does these things because He is Gracious and Merciful, a God who loves inspite of who we are and He is passionate about His glory, and passionate to display His Holiness....may you meditate upon these things and be humbled by His grace....

You sure you want to be "Like Mike"?

Like many I was MJ fan throughout the 90's as a buck, and even more recently I have enjoyed re-living the "I wanna be like Mike" days when watching his highlights as they honored his entry into the hall of fame....but this...this was just sick....what you are about to see...or might have seen already is pride at its best...
MJ, a word of advice to you...In the eyes of God, all of our jumpshots, buzzer beaters, and "hard work and determination" are as filthy rags apart from the grace of Jesus Christ.

Truly, to witness such a great career is something we might never see again, and yes, we must give honor where honor is due...so, Congrats Mike Jordan! But let us remember that pride is sin: a malicious, hardening, blackened,infectious disease that will cause us to esteem ourselves much higher than we ought....and the remedy for it is humility...with side effects of being broken and crushed by a Holy and Righteous God....either by His grace, or by His wrath...lets pray the former finds my basketball hero....until then, watch.

* The article posted after the video is a mockery, if you will, of the speech given on HOF night. I found some humor in it, I hope you will as well.










Thank you, I appreciate it. That appreciation doesn’t extend to everybody. It excludes Mr. Burton, the geezer who lived next door to my family in North Carolina when I was growing up. He used to chase me out of his yard and curse me. (Look to the heavens.) Hey, old man, look at me now! Your yard had crab grass, old man. Speaking of old men, when I was a tiny tot Santa promised me a sled for Christmas and all I got was a matchstick car. I have the letter I wrote to Santa right here, dated November 30, 1967, to prove what I say. A week later, at the Wilmington mall, on the afternoon of December 14, Santa promised me the sled. (Turn to face the North Pole.) Hey, Claus, I’m a Hall of Famer now, so kiss my behind. What Hall of Fame are you in? You’re no saint, IMO. Throughout my career I kept a photo of Santa taped to the inside of my locker for motivation. I’d look at it before big games, and imagine the man about to guard me was a jovial fat guy in a red and white suit. Forget Claus. Folks, I always dreamt of this day, standing here, able to denigrate the little league coach who lifted me for a pinch hitter on June 3, 1971. He pulled me for Petey Schultz a guy with a .214 batting average! Over some stupid rule that every kid gets to play two innings? Hey, coach, I went on to play professional baseball,and once even got a hit. Well, we’re not here to discuss my Little League coach. A man doesn’t get to the pinnacle of his profession without the will to win. And I certainly had that. (Pat self on back.) I’m glad I possessed the will to prove the naysayers wrong. I was drafted third out of North Carolina. Is Sam Bowie here tonight? Didn’t think so. It is the Hall of Fame, right? Heh-heh. Yes, old Sam, picked in the draft before myself. Do we have time for me to run down his career stats in their entirety? Well, we’ll save that for another speech. I’d like to thank the people of Chicago with the following exceptions: Jerry Krause, Ed my old mailman, and the guy who forgot to plow my driveway after it snowed five inches on December 12, 1985, you know who you are. You forgot to plow the driveway of a Hall of Famer, chump. I paid you that month, did I not? To all the young people watching, keep striving. Dare to be great. I say that to all young people except Hannah Montana. I don’t care about you, Hannah. I took my nephews and nieces to your concert on February 22, 2007 and you kept us waiting 44 minutes, 11 seconds for the show to start. Forty-four minutes, 11 seconds, Hannah. What’s up with that? I hereby publicly embarrass you. In closing I’d like to read something. I hope I don’t get too emotional. (Put on reading glasses, and pull a paper from pocket for maximum emotional affect.) To the driver of the gray Oldsmobile, license plate number ZRT6Y3, who cut me off on the way from the airport, you’re a terrible driver. The worst! How do they even give this person a license? Isn’t there a test in this state? I was in my lane when all of a sudden this no-brain comes across the line ... well, what can you do? Thank you again, folks. This is truly the greatest night of my life.

Written By: Brad Dickson



Proverbs 16:18 - Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 3:34
He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.