All of Grace

God's Providence Towards Me

2011-04-04T13:28:00.003-04:00

Hey Blogosphere!

It's been a while since I've written on this blog. Looking at my last post, it's been more than a year. So, what to write about today? That's an easy answer.

In the Spring of 2009, while moving about on the social networking site Facebook, I came upon a friend request from a lady who lives in the Philippines. Being that I have never been to the Philippines, I did not know this lady personally. I discovered we had a mutual online friend on Facebook. I went to her page to check it out and discovered she was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. I love meeting believers from around the world, so it was a given that I would accept her friend request. It also didn't hurt that she was easy on the eyes for me.

It was a little while before any messages were actually exchanged. That seems to be the case with many Facebook "friendships". People become "friends" sometimes and then you never hear from them again. I guess that's just the nature of social networking online.

So, in May of 2009, I decided I would break the ice and send her a message, thanking her for adding me as a friend. The conversations were very casual at first. You know, "Hey, how are you doing?", "So, tell me a little about yourself"--that kind of thing. Eventually, Facebook email messages would become more frequent as I found myself more and more intrigued with this Filipina sister in Christ. I was very interested in getting to know her further.

Much to my surprise, just a few months later, after not communicating as much as before, I discovered she was engaged. Now, she wasn't engaged when I met her. This was a recent development. Upon initial revelation, my heart was hurting a bit. While she probably did not know it, I was more than interested in friendship with her. Instead of expressing this heartbreak, I rejoiced with her that she had someone with which to share her life. The feelings of happiness for my friend were genuine, even if I was disappointed it wasn't me.

There was another short period of little communication as I desired to be respectful of this new relationship. My heart longed to communicate with her, but I knew the time was not right. So, I waited and I prayed. I prayed a lot. I prayed more than I had in a long time. I didn't pray for a failed relationship for her. That would be selfish and would have caused pain in her heart that I didn't want her to feel. As her brother in Christ first, I was concerned with her heart and her soul.

Without getting into all the details, this engagement ended. While a part of me was hopeful for a relationship with her, my heart was hurting for her. So, I just continued to be her friend and pray for her. By this time, we had been talking more often, even chatting via Yahoo and the like. She knew my interest level at this point. But, she was not ready to commit to anyone just yet, and that I understood. So, I just waited some more and continued praying for her, encouraging her, and caring for her as much as I could.

Okay, let's back up a little bit further, back to before I met her online....

In 2008, I joined a new church. In the membership process, I met some great new friends. To this day, these are some of my closest friends in this world. Two of these friends, brothers, are Scott and Steve Gatdula. They are Filipino-American brothers. Through meeting them, I learned and am still learning a lot about Filipino culture. I am interested in culture and language different than mine, so like a sponge, I wanted to absorb as much as I can from them.

Eventually, I would meet their mother and father, Drs. Tony and Cris Gatdula. I would come to find out that the Gatdulas are part of a group that does medical missions in the Philippines each year, and Scott and Steve invited me to go with them in 2009. However, at that time, I would not have the time off from work to go. So, I vowed to go in 2010, if the Lord willed. Well, the Lord did not will for me to go in 2010, as I was promoted at my job and needed to be in training during months that the mission would be going on. So, again, I vowed, if the Lord willed, I would go in 2011. And here we are...

So, back now to this Filipina I met.

So, after some time of continued friendship and growing closer together through our communications, which now included text messaging in addition to the other means, we decided in December 2010 that we definitely wanted to seek a relationship with one another. So, December 19, 2010 is a day that has changed my life forever. I was now finally in a committed relationship with a woman I so desperately desired to be my wife for the last year and a half. I knew when I first met her that I wanted her to be my wife. And today I know more than ever that she is the one I wish to spend the rest of my life with.

They say that God works in mysterious ways. I must say that I agree. God's providential hand in working in the lives of His people will never cease to amaze me. Here it is, I meet some Filipino brothers in 2008. Then, I meet the most beautiful pinay in the world (I'm convinced she is, sorry to all other pinays) in 2009. The Lord promotes me at my job in 2010(promotion is from above). He brings us together in late 2010 as we begin a relationship with the intent of marriage. And in 2011, with a departure date of June 6, I will be headed to the Philippines for a medical mission and to continue pursuing my bride as Christ pursues His church.

As time goes on, I will share more about this woman I love, but I have written much today. I praise God for her each and every day of my life.

Mahal na mahal kita, Lovey ko! (I love you very much, my Lovey!)

A Life of Praise

2010-01-12T15:43:00.002-05:00

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.” Acts 16:25-26 ESV

This is one of the most encouraging passages of Scripture to me. When I first read it, I was amazed at what God had done. Paul and Silas had been beaten and thrown into prison after casting out a spirit of divination (fortune telling) from a young woman who followed them around for several days. The men who were making money off of her were very upset that their financial means had been taken away, so they took them before the magistrates and it was decided that they should be beaten and thrown into prison.

So, here we are. Paul and Silas are imprisoned. What do they do? They begin praying and singings hymns to God. When I first read this, I was astonished how men who had just been beaten and thrown into prison for doing no wrong could have this incredible resolve to worship God and communicate with Him through prayer in what would seem to be a very dark and desperate part of their lives. Then, I remembered reading earlier in the book of Acts about Peter and John and how they had been beaten for teaching in the name of Jesus yet went away rejoicing because they had been counted worthy to suffer for His name’s sake.

When I first heard this passage preached upon, the preacher indicated that when things get bad, we need to begin to pray and “praise our way out” of the storm we’re in. While I see the significance of being a people who praise God, and while adversity and affliction can often rock our world, prayer and worship of God are not a knee jerk reaction to adversity and affliction. Prayer to and worship of God are a part of the very life of the believer. It’s what true believers do. Our lives should be one of praise to the Most High God. Some will teach that Paul and Silas began to pray because of the situation. But, I believe that Paul and Silas were just going about their lives—lives committed to bringing glory to God and the end result was that God was pleased to free them from prison. After all, He had much more work for them to do.

There’s more to this passage that I want to come back to, including the conclusion of this story that involves the jailer of this prison and how the Lord used this event to save him and his family. But, remember, we’ve been called to a life of prayer. We’ve been called to a life of worship. Let’s remember that as we go through our daily lives, whether the situation is up or down.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Flowery Talking-Without Strict Walking

2009-02-03T15:13:00.001-05:00

It's beena while since my last blog post, mostly due to the business of life. But, today, I'd thought I'd share this entry from Arthur Pink.

(Arthur Pink, "Christ our Exemplar")

"Leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps." 1 Peter 2:21

"Whoever claims to live in Him--must walk as Jesus did." 1 John 2:6

If all professors forfeit their claim to a saving interest in Christ, who do not endeavor to sincerely and earnestly imitate Jesus in the holiness of His life--then how small a number of real Christians are there in the world! If flowery talking--without strict walking; if common profession--without holy practice; if Church membership--without denying self and treading the Narrow Way--were sufficient to constitute a Christian--then a large percentage of earth's population would be entitled to that name.

But if Christ owns none but those who follow the example that He has left--then His flock is indeed a little one. The vast majority of those who claim to be Christians have a name to live--but are dead (Rev. 3:1), being such as walk after the flesh, following the course of this world and yielding their members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin (Romans 6:13). The demands of Christ are too rigid for them--they prefer the Broad Road where the majority are found.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14

My Baptism Testimony

2009-01-13T13:50:00.000-05:00

Some of you may know, and some not, that I was recently baptized in September 2008. Since I didn't get to share this with you all then, I wanted to share my testimony with you now. So, here it is:

On January 22, 1973, a controversial decision in the landmark Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court Case, abortion was deemed a fundamental right under the United States Constitution. Since that time, it’s been estimated that 40 million American children have been killed in the name of women’s rights.

I’m not here to talk about abortion today. But, I am here to talk about God’s grace. Please bear with me as I explain.

I was born on March 8, 1978, a little over five years since the Roe v. Wade decision. For whatever reason, my biological mother decided she wasn’t going to raise me. She could have decided to abort me, but God had a plan for me. I hadn’t done anything that would earn life. That’s grace

In May of 1979, at the age of 14 months, God sent two of the most loving people I’ve ever met to adopt me from the adoption agency I was in the care of. Again, I didn’t choose them, they chose me. Again, God’s grace.

I was raised in an Apostolic church. I didn’t know much about sin, the gospel or even what baptism was, but I knew one thing for sure. I wanted to sing on the choir. The only way I could sing on the choir was to be a member. The only way to become a member was to be baptized. So, that’s what I did. I got baptized with no real understanding of what the call to Christ really meant and how to live after being called. I’m not sure if I even understood that there was a call. I was 12 years old at the time. Was I saved? Looking back on it now, my answer would be a resounding no. But, I was on the choir and that’s what mattered to me.

From the age of 12 to about 19 or 20, I was a faithful member of the church. I was involved in all sorts of activities. But, I started straying away from the church as the sinfulness within me was drawing me away into all sorts of lust and sinful living. I could sit and recount all of my endeavors in the world, but it’s best summed up in Ephesians 2.

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind (ESV)

I was spiritually dead in my trespasses and sins. That was my normal course of life. Unbeknownst to me, there was a tremendous weight of sin resting upon me. God’s wrath was abiding upon me. He was angry with me because of my willful disobedience. Yes, I had free will, but that free will ONLY sought evil, because it was dominated by a heart that was desperately wicked and deceitful above all things, and it had been that way since my youth. I was His active enemy, living in the passions of my flesh, carrying out the desires of my body and my mind. I wasn’t His child, I was a child destined for wrath because of my sin, just like every other person in the world.

But here’s the part that changed it all:

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

“But God” might be two of the most important and most passionate words I have ever read in the Bible. But God! It was His great love that He had for all of us who are believers that caused Him to make us alive in Christ. We, who were dead, now made alive. And He didn’t do it while we were yet righteous men. He didn’t do it when we were being obedient to Him. He did it while we were still DEAD in our trespasses. That’s grace!

The passage goes on to tell us that He did it so that in the coming ages He would be able to show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. Soli Deo Gloria! Let God alone be glorified!

I was saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone in the early part of 2004. I can’t pinpoint a specific date of conversion, but I know that God had radically changed me. The things that I once loved to do, I began to gradually hate more and more. I no longer desired to go the places I used to go, nor hang around those I used to hang around. I couldn’t tolerate the sight and sound of much that I used to say and do. The things of the world started to become strangely dim in the light of Christ. The things I once hated started to become loved.

My mom could tell you that I never enjoyed reading too much. But, when the Lord saved me, He placed this insatiable hunger for Him inside of me. I couldn’t put the Bible down. I wanted to know Him in such a way that I had never known anyone before. I’m still appreciating the awesome opportunity given to me by grace to know our beautiful, Triune God.

I don’t want to spend too much time talking about myself. Sometimes when we hear testimonies we can tend to pay a lot of attention to the person giving the testimony and not as much to the one who provided the testimony. My testimony is not about Michael Armstrong. My testimony is about work of God in salvation, from beginning to end. Salvation is truly of the Lord.

In conclusion, some may ask, “Michael, why have you waited so long to be baptized? It’s been four years.” It wasn’t until after my conversion that I realized I was just being saved. I had believed for years that I was saved prior and that this time it was just a re-dedicating myself to the Lord. A man much wiser than I once said, “Rededicating one’s life to Christ is like redecorating the Titanic.” I didn’t need redecorating, I needed a resurrection, and God graciously provided that and will provide a future resurrection for me, along with the rest of His body, at the last day.

I know that baptism doesn’t save me. There is no regenerative work going on in the water. But, the baptism is an outward symbol of the regeneration that the Holy Spirit has already accomplished, removing my cold and hard heart of stone and replacing it with a warm and tender heart of flesh that seeks to please Him in everything I do.

Born in sin, then born of God. Adopted in the flesh, and then adopted by God. That’s what I call grace.

If God Predetermines Everything, Why Pray?

2009-01-07T14:04:00.002-05:00

As a Christian who holds to what are appropriately called the doctrines of grace, this is a question often posed. Those who are on the other side of the issue of Calvinism, often wonder why it is we pray, even though God has determined all things before we were even born. I think that's a reasonable question. It's one I had myself before I came to really understand the doctrines of grace.

I could write a whole chapter's worth of information that speaks of the importance of prayer in the life of the believer. In fact, John Calvin, for whom Calvinism is named, wrote about 70 pages in his "Institutes of the Christian Religion" specifically about prayer. Most Arminians would probably find that odd because of their misunderstanding of the Calvinist positions.

Today, I'd like to share a piece of an article by Dr. R.C. Sproul titled "The Prayers of the Righteous Are Never Futile."

He writes:

"If God is sovereign, why pray? When I pray to God I am talking to One who has all knowledge. One who cannot possibly learn anything from me that He doesn't already know. He knows everything there is to know, including what's on my mind. He know what I'm going to say to Him before I say it. He know what He's going to do before He does it. His knowledge is sovereign, as He is sovereign.

People may ask: "Does prayer change God's mind?" To ask such a question is to answer it. What kind of God could be influenced by my prayers? What could my prayers to do induce Him to change His plans? Could I possibly give God any information about anything that He doesn't already have? Or could I persuade Him toward a more excellent way by my superior wisdom? Of course not. I am completely unqualified to be God's mentor or his guidance counselor. So the simple answer is that prayer does not change God's mind.

"Does prayer change things?" now, the answer is an emphatic Yes! The Scriptures tell us that "the effecive fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16). What then does prayer change? In the first place, my prayers change me. My time with God is for my edification, not HIs. Prayer also changes things. In practical terms, we say that prayer works. Prayer is one of the means God uses to bring about the ends He ordains."

Wow. I don't think I could possibly say anything to make that any better of an explanation. So, I won't attempt to. Something to really think about when we pray.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Watch and Pray....

2009-01-06T12:19:00.002-05:00

"It must never be forgotten that the flesh is weak and naturally inclined to slumber." Charles Haddon Spurgeon

What a great reminder for us today from C.H. Spurgeon. We must never forget that our flesh is weak and is naturally inclined to slumber. We are naturally inclined to stumble and fall headlong into sin. We are naturally inclined to take our sanctification lightly. This quote from spurgeon reminds me of our Lord's instruction to His disciples in Mark 14:32-38.

32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."

33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.

34 And he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch."

As our Lord went off to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, He gave instruction to Peter, James and John to remain there and watch. What's interesting to me about this is that earlier He gave instruction to the other disciples to just sit there. But, with Peter, James and John, it seems as if He expected more from them. He told them to remain and watch.

Why did He take these three with Him? Surely He did not need them to go with Him. I believe He took them so that they could witness His anguish over the sin He was carrying for us. Christ was wearied with our infirmities. The wrath of God was about to be poured out upon Him for all those who would believe in Him. Also, Christ loved the Father with pefect affection, and the sins which He would carry were an offense to the Father. Imagine having supreme love for your father, yet representing something he hated. Indeed, His soul was sorrowful and troubled. The taste of death was upon Him, as He knew He would have to drink the cup of God's wrath in just a few hours. See His anguish in His prayer to the Father:

35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

36 And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

This was not a routine time of prayer for Jesus. This prayer was a plea to the Father that perhaps the hour of His passion might pass from Him. Christ knew He must die, even if His own flesh (while truly God, He was also truly man) was troubled because of the pain that would be endured. He had a natural fear of death, that is spoken about in Hebrews 5:7. But, He said, "Yet not what I will, but what you will."

37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?

Here is Christ, suffering and agonizing over the sin imputed to Him, so much so that He admits that His soul is very sorrowful. Yet, His disciples are sleeping, after He gave them specific instruction to remain and watch. How is it that some of us can have the same attitude toward sin? How is it that we can take it lightly when it pressed heavy on His soul? How is it that Christ was in great agony for our sins, yet we are never in agony over them?

Notice that He addresses Peter specifically, who had just told him in the preceding verses that all others may fall away, but he would not. Christ told him that He would deny Him, but he emphatically expressed his belief that he would not. Well, Christ puts him to the test here.

Peter could not even last one hour without neglecting his duty to the Master. Christ had not asked him to watch all night, but only for one hour. How could the disciples hear Christ speak of His soul's anguish, yet fall asleep as He prayed? They seemed little affected by His condition. They were careless in carrying out what the Lord had commanded them.

Clearly, Christ was rebuking them for falling asleep while they were to be watching. However, just as God chastens whom He loves, He also comforts and gives counsel. Though they had failed miserably at keeping in Christ's service, He still teaches them.

38 "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

What great advice this was to them, to watch and pray so that may not enter into temptation. Christ did not deny that Peter was sincere in his willingness to follow Christ, even to death. He knew that Peter was sincere. However, He also knew that while the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. When we are not watchful, we are apt to fall into all sorts of temptation. The old saying goes, "An idle mind is the devil's workshop."

When we consider the weakness of our flesh, it should cause us to be quick to pray and be watchful when we are entering into temptation. Romans 8 teaches us that it's not by the flesh that we put to death the deeds of the flesh, but by the Spirit. So, why do we often neglect this? The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.

Let us not take the anguish of our Savior lightly, brethren. Let us remember that it was for our sin He died, and that He has not called us to impurity, but to holiness. Let us not return like a dog to his own vomit.

My exhortation to us all today is to "watch and pray that we may not enter into temptation."

Be on guard, brothers and sisters.

In Christ's love....

Just Two Days In...and Already Three Are Gone!

2009-01-02T13:03:00.003-05:00

Hey Everyone:

Two days into the new year and the city of Baltimore already has three murders. Two of those happened at about 5am today. The other one was yesterday and the victim, who was shot by his own cousin, was a friend of mine in middle and high school.

Please pray that God would be pleased to use His people to send His gospel into the city where it will penetrate the hearts of sinners and bring about salvation for their souls. And please, when you hear about another murder on the news or read it in the newspaper, please remember to pray for the victims’ families and the soul of the murderer that they perhaps will come to salvation. It's easy to hear of violent murders and shake our heads in disgust and judgment. It's more difficult to remember to sincerely care about human life. These folks have souls that have either entered into eternal rest with Christ, or have been awakened to the realities of hell.

I love the city of Baltimore. I spent a lot of time there in my days before Christ and was saved at a church in Southeast Baltimore where I remained until I came to Hope Bible Church (where I am now a member). It pains me to see “my city” in the condition it is in. I can understand now why Jesus stood at the gates of Jerusalem and wept.

Please join with me in prayer for the city. Thanks everyone. Love to all.

Watch Your Step!

2008-12-23T16:31:00.003-05:00

"For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body." James 3:2 ESV

I'm not one to see Scripture taken out of context at all. I think it's irresponsible for those who would consider themselves students of the Word to do so. We have a great responsibility to rightly divide the word of truth, being workmen who need not be ashamed. So, please understand my belief concerning this as I write briefly here today.

On Sunday morning, as usual, I stepped out of the house to be on my way to church. I leave my house just about every day, so leaving the house is not something I have to put much thought into. It's a very routine process. Well, that is until this Sunday.

When I walked out the front door, I noticed it was pretty wet outside. I thought to myself, "Maybe I should bring my umbrella with me today." But, then I remembered that my umbrella was in the car, so I was good...so I thought.

What I didn't realize was that on the second set of steps leading to the main sidewalk, was some ice...right on the edge of each of the two steps. Well, I slipped on the top step, falling backward and landing on that same step...back first. The "wind" went rushing right out of my body. The pain in my back, my chest, my right shoulder and right leg were all immediate. I couldn't breathe, couldn't call for help, couldn't do anything but lay on the ground, writhing in pain. It had been a while since I had the "wind" knocked out of me, so it was very scary not being able to breathe for about a minute or so (it seemed like forever!).

After a few minutes, I contemplated if I would continue on to church or if I would go back into the house, call my father, and see what to do next. Well, I decided that I would continue on to church. I really wanted to be there, worship with the body of Christ, and hear the Word of the Lord from my pastor. I was also looking forward to a Christmas social after church.

As I was driving to church, which is about a 20 minute drive for me, I was able to really think about what had just happened. The first thing that came to mind was that I should be very grateful to the Lord that nothing more serious happened. I could have easily hit my head on the concrete and died. I had a great uncle that had that happen to him when I was a child. So, I thanked the Lord for sparing me from that.

My next thought was to my own neglect in watching where I was stepping. I was so used to walking down those little steps that it never occurred to me that I should look where I was going. I hadn't prepared myself for what lied ahead.

How many times have we all done something so many times that it becomes so routine to us that we don't even think much about it? We go through life pretty much knowing what is being asked of us each day and what we need to accomplish. We usually have a pretty good idea of how we're going to accomplish it as well. But, how often do we consider variables that may change or challenge what we're setting out to do? Do we look at each task as a brand new task, or do we merely see it as something we need not pay much attention to? The Bible says that pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall. How true!

My advice to us all today is to watch your step! Be careful where you step. Don't assume things are what you think they are. Sometimes things require further investigation. We all stumble in many ways. That's very true. Just be careful, brothers and sisters.

In Christ

Life Together Under the Word

2008-12-10T16:26:00.003-05:00

"Life together under the Word will remain sound and healthy only where it does not form itself into a movement, an order, a society... but rather where it understands itself as being a part of the one, holy, catholic (meaning universal, not Roman Catholicism, my explanation), Christian Church, where it shares actively and passively in the sufferings and struggles of the whole Church. Every principle of selection, every separation connected with it that is not necessitated quite objectively by common work, local conditions, or family connections is of the greatest danger to a Christian community.
When the way of intellectual or spiritual selection is taken, the human element always insinuates itself and robs the fellowship of its spiritual power and its effectiveness for the Church, and drives it into sectarianism."--Dietrich Bonhoeffer (bold, my emphasis)

For those who would seek to only focus on the struggles and sufferings of ONE group of people, but yet try to use the Bible to justify such partiality in concern, I think this quote speaks volumes. People need to see themselves as part of a larger body of believers and then take on the burdens of all believers everywhere, not just ones that look like us or experience the same struggles that we do.

There is much more to that can be said by this quote, but for now, I'll leave it here.

Remember Them That Are In Bonds

2008-12-08T13:38:00.003-05:00

"Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body" Hebrews 13:3 KJV

Hebrews 13 starts off by saying "Let brotherly love continue." I'm sure we have read this chapter of Hebrews and remember some very important things that the writer wrote for us so that we can "let brotherly love continue."

We usually remember that we should be sure to entertain strangers, because it says that we may have entertained angels when we weren't even aware. We tend to remember the fact that marriage is to be honourable and the bed to be undefiled. We remember that we are to be content, not covetous and to also honor those whom God has appointed over us.

But, how many of us remember verse 3 daily? Weekly? Monthly? Yearly? At all?

This verse tells us that we ought to remember those in bonds, even as if we were also in bonds with them. We should love and care for these brothers and sisters as we care for ourselves and our families. And in the case of those which suffer adversity, are we truly caring for them as we should? These people, mostly in other nations around the world that are hostile towards Christ and His gospel, are not simply foreigners. They are full-fledged members of the body of Christ, suffering for the sake of the gospel!

Are we praying for Evangelist Girmay Ambaye, who was arrested in Eritrea back in 2005 for witnessing about Christ to people on a city bus? This wasn't his first time being arrested. Evangelist Ambaye had been arrested at least twice before, yet he continued to preach Christ.

Evangelist Ambaye

How about Son Jong Nam? He was arrested in January 2006 for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in North Korea. He is now awaiting public execution for his "crime."

Son Jong Nam

There are many stories like this that the majority of us probably have no idea about. Are we praying for the persecuted church around the world? Are we even concerned to know what's going on with our brothers and sisters around the globe? Have we become so comfortable in our own Christianity in America that we don't look beyond the borders of our "free and democratic" society and really reach out to help our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?

Let brotherly love continue!

How can we help? How can we be actively involved in the lives of our brothers and sisters? Well, thankfully, the Lord has provided a wonderful organization that seeks to do just that. I've been a supporter of this ministry, both financially and through prayer, for the last 2-3 years. The ministry I am referring to is Voice of the Martyrs. Many of you may have heard of this organization, but weren't sure if you'd get involved. I encourage you today to consider it, as it is a great way to "let brotherly love continue."

So, what is Voice of the Martyrs all about? (from http://www.prisoneralert.com/vompw_faq.htm):

Pastor Richard Wurmbrand founded VOM over 30 years ago. He was in prison in Romania for 14 years for his faith in Christ. In the `60s he and his family were ransomed out of Romania for $10,000 and came to the U.S. where he began traveling, educating the free world of the atrocities committed against Christians in Communist and other restricted countries. VOM's five main purposes are based on Hebrews 13:3. They are:

1. To encourage and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission in areas of the world where they are persecuted for their involvement in propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ. We accomplish this by providing Bibles, literature, radio broadcasts, and other forms of aid.

2. To give relief to the families of Christian martyrs in these areas of the world.

3. To equip local Christians to love and win to Christ their enemies who are opposed to the gospel in countries where believers are actively persecuted for their Christian witness.

4. To undertake projects of encouragement, helping believers rebuild their lives and Christian witness in countries that have formerly suffered Communist oppression.

5. To emphasize the fellowship of all believers by informing the world of atrocities committed against Christians and by remembering their courage and faith.

There are many ways we can help our brethren. Here are a few ways:

1. Prayer- We need to keep our brothers and sisters in prayer as they suffer though various trials for the sake of Christ. We need not only pray that persecution may decrease, but that their faith would increase as they endure the agonies of suffering at the hands of enemies.

2. Financially- I know we are going through tough economical times in America right now, but if you can still spend extra cash on items of entertainment, can you spare some extra money for those whose families have been severely burdened by the loss of a father/mother to imprisonment or death as a result of religious persecution? Many will go out this year, despite the economic recession, and spend lots of money on gifts. How much better would our time and money be spent praying and giving to those who need it?

3. Send encouraging letters to those imprisoned- VOM has a minsitry called Prisoner Alert (www.prisoneralert.com) in which they have set up a way for you to write to imprisoned Christians around the world. Each month they update the website with a profile of a Christian who is currently in bonds for preaching the gospel, or simply having Bibles in their possession. I highly encourage you to do this, if you can.

4. Send letters to government officials- Prisoner Alert also has an option to write short, to the point and respectful letters to government officials in countries who claim to promote religious freedom, yet deny those freedoms to Christians.

5. Preach the gospel- This is one thing that we really need to do more of, myself included. Here in America, we currently have no serious restrictions preventing us from freely and openly preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified to those who are lost. We need to be on our knees thanking God for such freedom, but we can't stay on our knees. We need to get up, get out, and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ! It is the power of God unto salvation to those who believe (Romans 1:16) and we ought not be ashamed of it. How better to prove that we care about the sufferings of our brothers and sisters than to risk that same type of suffering ourselves?

I believe if more people in America were concerned with evangelism, we would receive persecution. But, as it stands today, there's no real reason for our pluralistic society to be that concerned. There's only really a handful of us out on the frontlines. Perhaps fear of man and what he can do to us is what's really behind the lack of concern for evangelism. But why fear man, who after they kill us, can do nothing else to us? We need to fear God over man. We need to seek to please Him and not men.

So, today, I just want to encourage you to head over to Voice of the Martyrs' ministry Website at: http://www.persecution.com or to the Prisoner Alert Website at: http://www.prisoneralert.com

"Let the brotherly love continue!"

The Sinner of All Sinners, Saved By Grace!

2008-12-04T11:00:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite parts in the movie "Amazing Grace", which is about English abolitionist/politician William Wilberforce, is where his former pastor, John Newton says something like, "There are two things I know. I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior."

That phrase sums it all up for me. When I think about where the Lord has brought me from, I can't help but agree. Even when I consider how terribly short I fall as a Christian, I know that there is still much work to be done for me to really look like Christ. Am I being sanctified? Absolutely. But there's still much to be done. Though I am a great sinner, Christ is a great Savior. He knows how to save His people completely and perfectly. Praise God for divine providence!

When I look back at my life prior to being saved by God's grace, I can truly say that I am the worst sinner I know. When I think about all the horrible thoughts I've had, horrible things I've done, and horrible things I've said, I know my own sin more than I know anyone else's. With other people, I can only know the sin they show me. I can't know or begin to know the very thoughts of their hearts. That isn't even my job. So, what I see from others, as far as sin is concerned, is limited.

Even when I consider notorious sinners like Adolph Hitler or Jeffrey Dahmer, I know that my crimes against God and humanity have not been any better than their's. Yes, if I compare myself to them, I'd look like a saint. But, comparing my personal sin against God's standard, we are equal. It's only God's grace that I did not commit the same atrocities. God detests all sin. His nature, being holy, cannot tolerate sin. We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and the wages we have earned is death (Romans 6:23). Oh, but the precious gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Oh, what a precious gift it is! When I consider my great sin, and then I consider the perfect righteousness of Christ, I know that I am truly unworthy even to be called a Christian. To bear the name of the One who lived a perfectly holy life and then laid down His life for His sheep, of which I am allowed to be a part of, seems so very unfair to Christ. Why should an innocent man die for such great sinners?

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

God loved this great sinner! He was merciful to me and has been merciful to all who come to Him in truth, confessing and repenting of their sin and placing their faith in Christ alone! He chose us in Him (Christ) before the very foundations of the world. He foreloved us even before we knew ourselves. He loved us before we were born, our parents were born, and even before Adam was created.

I’m forgiven because You were forsaken,
I’m accepted, You were condemned.
I am alive and well, Your spirit is within me,
Because You died and rose again.

Amazing love,
How can it be
That You, my King, would die for me?
Amazing love,
I know it’s true.
It’s my joy to honor You,
In all I do, I honor You.

Lois Feldman: Victim?

2008-12-03T11:58:00.003-05:00

By now, many of you may have heard or read the story of a 38 year old wife and mother of three from Iowa named Lois Feldman. It's a sad story for many reasons. If you're unfamiliar with the story, allow me to give a brief synopsis.

On Saturday, November 22, 2008, Lois Feldman, along with her husband, Kelly, went to Minnesota's Metrodome to cheer on their beloved Iowa Hawkeyes in the Iowa-Minnesota game. Before the game, however, she says that she was drinking heavily. That proved to be a very bad decision for Mrs. Feldman.

Just before halftime, Lois decided she needed to use the ladies room. No one is really clear as to what transpired from the time she left her husband watching the game to when police arrived at the scene of two people, Lois Feldman and Ross Walsh, being cheered on by onlookers as they were engaged in sexual intercourse in the handicapped stall of the men's restroom. Both were ticketed for indecent conduct and Feldman was released into the custody of her husband and Walsh to his girlfriend (probably ex-girlfriend now).

Feldman now claims that she was so drunk on wine that she doesn't remember anything about the incident at all and she has stated that it has "ruined my life" saying that it wasn't just the incident itself that ruined her life, but also the press coverage. She told the Des Moines Register that she was fired by the assisted living center she had been an administrator of.

Now, Mrs. Feldman says that she believes that SHE is the victim in this case. She believes she was a victim of foul play rather than a willing contributor. Could it be? Surely. Is it likely? I'm not sure. Speaking about the incident, she says:

"I would never ever do that...My kids are my life. I go to church every Sunday."

Her contention is that she may have been drugged or someone may have slipped something into her drink. Unfortunately, for her defense lawyer, she and Mr. Walsh refused to submit to toxicological testing, so the extent of her drunkenness or even if there were foreign substances in her drink is unknowable at this point.

As someone who used to drink quite often, and have experienced being drunk on many occasion in my life before Christ, I can certainly understand how this might have happened to Mrs. Feldman. I remember doing things I would have never done under normal circumstances, but for me, liquor (especially wine) provided "liquid courage" to an otherwise "safe" kind of guy like myself. I felt free from all inhibitions and I dared to do things I would have never actually done without the alcohol. Notice that I didn't say I had never "thought" about doing those things, but just that I never would have actually done them.

As I was discussing this with a close friend of mine yesterday, she said that she believes alcohol works as sort of a "truth serum" where things that are down within an individual eventually come to the top. I agree, as that has been my experience with being intoxicated. But, outside of experience, I now know it to be true because God's Word says so.

Proverbs 20:1 says:

"Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise."

Proverbs 23 has this to say:

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?

The answer?

30 Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine.

The wounds I received, as well as Mrs. Feldman, are self-inflicted wounds. The woe and the sorrow, along with strife are because of our dealings with drunkenness. Notice that complaining accompanies it. "It's ruined my life," she proclaims. She complains that she is a victim. I agree, but not of anyone else. She is a victim of her own sinful inclination (Genesis 6:5) that led her to drink heavily in the first place.

31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. 32 In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.

33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.

Mrs. Feldman says that she goes to church every Sunday. So, with that, I would assume she believes that she is a Christian, probably having made some sort of profession of faith at some point. Jesus told us in Matthew 7 that a good tree cannot bring forth corrupt fruit, nor can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. We will know those who are His by their fruit. But, what does the Bible say about those who engage in drunkenness and sexual immorality?

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21 ESV

Please understand that my intent is not to pick on Mrs. Feldman. But, according to the accounts of this incident, she is guilty of at least all of the emboldened acts listed above. Am I saying that I know without a doubt that she's not a believer? No, I'm not saying that. However, her response to all of this is not one of a genuine believer who is grieved over their sin. It isn't one of a truly repentant person, who acknowleges their wrongdoing and takes responsibility for it. Like Adam and Eve in the garden, the natural tendency of the human heart is to shift blame to others.

Believers know that God is truth. We also know that God requires truth in the innermost parts of us. We believe, as God's Word teaches us, that God is spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. In order for us to have any kind of relationship with the Lord, we must be honest with ourselves and more importantly God, and take ownership of our wrongdoings and understand that we are responsible for our own sin. If we are unwilling to even acknowledge fault, we lie, and do not the truth.

That's really what this blog was all about today--personal responsibility. Tomorrow, we'll take a look at another way to deal with wrongdoings. I think you'll be surprised to see who I use as an example.

Until next time....

Defects and Defilements

2008-12-01T11:15:00.000-05:00

Defects and defilements

(Letters of John Newton)

Dear friend,

You say that you are conscious of defects and defilements. But your heart could not be right--if you did not feel these things. To be conscious of them, and humbled for them--is one of the surest marks of grace; and to be more deeply sensible of them than formerly--is the best evidence of growth in grace!

Our righteousness is in Jesus alone; and our hope depends, not upon the exercise of grace in us--but upon the fullness of grace and love in Him, and upon His obedience unto death.

It is a mighty manifestation of His grace indeed--when it can live, and act, and conquer in such hearts as ours; when, in defiance of an evil nature and an evil world, and all the force and subtlety of Satan--a weak worm is still upheld; when a small spark is preserved through storms and floods!

In these circumstances, the work of grace is to be estimated, not merely from its imperfect appearance--but from the difficulties it has to struggle with and overcome. Therefore our holiness does not consist in great attainments--but in spiritual desires, in hungerings, thirstings, and mournings; in humiliation of heart, poverty of spirit, submission, and meekness; in hearty admiring thoughts of Jesus, and dependence upon Him alone for all we need. Indeed these may be said to be great attainments; but they who have most of them are most sensible that they, in and of themselves, are nothing, have nothing, can do nothing--and see daily cause for abhorring themselves and repenting in dust and ashes!

'Tis the Season to Be.....What?

2008-11-28T12:13:00.000-05:00

This picture is a familiar scene for many who brave the large crowds and cold morning air on the day after Thanksgiving. Yes, probably the biggest shopping day of the year...Black Friday! One day after giving thanks (prayerfully to the Lord and not simply unassigned gratitude), folks run out to get the best deals on things for themselves and others as the Christmas holiday approaches.

I've never actually been shopping on Black Friday. I've heard enough horror stories about it that I am not interested in going. Sure, I may miss out on greatly reduced prices, but I'd rather not endure the crowds and utter lack of courtesy that is shown this time of year.

I'm sure we've all either read stories, watched news reports or have even had personal experiences with shopping during the Christmas season, especially on Black Friday. People have been trampled in a mad dash to grab the coveted gift. People have stolen things from other people's carts that they couldn't grab for themselves earlier. They push past each other, bump each other and generally show a lack of consideration for their fellow shoppers. It's so bad that many local law enforement agencies place uniformed officers in these stores to try to keep some semblance of order.

People line up as early as 3am (maybe even earlier), just to wait for store openings, and when the doors open, all breaks loose. Common decency often flies right out of the window.

The Christmas season is supposed to be about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It's supposed to represent the time where our gracious God sent His only begotten Son into the world so that all those who will repent of their sin, believe the gospel and place their complete trust in Christ will be saved. Unfortunately, with much of the carrying on (even by some believers), I don't think Christ's example is being accurately depicted during this season, at times.

If the Christmas season was truly all about Christ in America, I'd hate to say that this is what I think might more accurately depict the scene at many shopping areas, just a day after Thanksgiving.

Don't Just Do Something, Sit There!

2008-11-28T12:01:00.001-05:00

"Don't Just Do Something, Sit There!"
by M. Adolphus Armstrong

In today's evangelical Christian church, there seems to be a high emphasis on ministry, and rightly so. Everyone should be involved in some sort of service to help the local church.

Many have taken on a very "purpose-driven" mindset about ministry, even to the point where a person may be involved in 5, 6 or even 10 different ministries or more. They always seem to be doing something at the church. They're at this practice, this gathering, this rehearsal or meeting, etc. There's nothing wrong with these things. In fact, they're all very honorable things.

However, what I've noticed is that oftentimes these ministries take up so much time actually doing something that many suffer when it comes to personal time reading and studying the Bible.

Notice that I said reading AND studying. There's a bit of a difference in the two. For instance, I can read my Bible in the morning for a few minutes before I head off to work/school, etc. But, study takes considerably more than just a few minutes. Studying takes time.

But, if we're constantly on the move, where do we find real and substantial time to study? The answer is, we usually don't. By the time we're finished from all of our daily, weekly or monthly duties, we're just too worn out to put real quality time into our studies. So, instead, we wind up going to church and allowing our pastors to spoon feed us everything we know about the Bible. While pastors are put in place to teach us, if we only learn from him and never on our own, we will never go beyond his level of understanding. We will be subject to what he knows alone.

So, that brings me back to the title of this article. "Don't Just Do Something, Sit There!" You might have had to give that a second glance. Usually the saying is, "Don't just sit there, do something!" Well, some of the problems we face in our Christian walk is because we are always doing something, yet never just sitting and learning from God.

I want to share a story with you from the Bible concerning this issue I'm writing about today. Let's look at the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 10:

38 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving along? Then tell her to help me." 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Here we have Jesus entering into a village, and there He is met by Martha. Martha has a sister named Mary. Martha was so worried about preparing things for Jesus, so cumbered about with ministry (for she was seeking to minister to him), that she missed the most important thing for her to understand. Mary had chosen it, and He said it would not be taken away from her.What was it that Mary had chosen? Mary chose to sit at the Lord's feet and listen to His word. She chose to be still and learn from Him. That was what was most important.

Dr. John MacArthur says this:

"Jesus was not speaking of the number of dishes to be served. The one thing necessary was exemplified by Mary, i.e., an attitude of worship and meditation, listening with an open mind and heart to Jesus' words."

In order for us to truly understand what it means to minister for Christ, we must first know Christ intimately, through personal worship, prayer and the reading and hearing of His word.

Are you taking real time to sit at the feet of Christ? Are you scheduling yourself enough time to really dig into His Word and know Him more intimately? Or, are you cumbered about with so many things like Martha?

I encourage all who read this to carefully consider your own schedule, and see if your study of His Word is lacking. Knowing God rightly is vitally important to being a faithful servant of Christ.

Our Hope in the Resurrection of Christ

2008-11-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

"Our Hope in the Resurrection of Christ"

"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death:" Revelation 1:18 KJV

Over 1900 years ago, the apostle John wrote these words of our glorious Savior and King, Jesus Christ. A lot of believers misunderstand the book of Revelation to be about the anti-Christ and the seals and the devil and the lake of fire. Their fixation is upon the eschatological (end times) unfolding within the pages of the book. And while these things are all included, this is not the true object of the book of Revelation.

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:" Revelation 1:1 KJV

The book of Revelation is about He who lived, and was dead, and now lives forevermore. The book of Revelation is about Jesus Christ, the victorious King of kings and Lord of lords, who defeated death on the cross, and was raised up with all power in His hand. It is a revealing of what was once hidden and now made clearly seen. Jesus Christ in His full glory.

While I don't want us to delve into Revelation today, I want us to focus on what it means for us that Christ was raised from the dead and now lives forevermore. Let's look to the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15.

"1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also." 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 NASB

Here we have the most important message that the world has ever been delivered, that Christ died for the sins of His people according to the Scriptures, was buried and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. This is certainly good news for us, who were dead in our trespasses and sins and utterly helpless, without hope.

Much is talked about concerning Christ's perfect life of obedience to the will and purpose of the Father as well as His sacrificial, substitutionary atonement on the cross, but many miss the importance of Christ's bodily resurrection. All three of these truths are foundational to the Christian faith.

But, in the Corinthian church, there was some misunderstanding about Christ's resurrection. Yes, they believed in Christ's resurrection, but some of them were having trouble accepting the resurrection of the believers also. At the time of the Corinthians, there was a tenet of Greek philosophy called dualism. It basically stated that everything that was physical was intrinsically evil. Because of this widely held belief, the thought of resurrected bodies was disgusting. We see this type of reaction from the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers in Acts 17:32:

"Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you again concerning this."

Epicureans were materialists, and while they did not deny the existence of God, they didn't believe He was involved in the affairs of men. They believed that the body and soul of a man disintegrated when he died.

It's also possible that some Jews in the Corinthian church may have been influenced by the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection even though it was "according to the Scriptures" as Paul noted in 1 Cor. 15.

12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

Here Paul begins to lay out the argument for the necessity of the resurrection.

"13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is vain. 15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, who He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied."

Dr. John MacArthur writes:

"In these verses, Paul gives 6 disastrous consequences if there were no resurrection: 1) preaching Christ would be senseless (v. 14); 2) faith in Christ would be useless (v. 14); 3) all the witnesses and preachers of the resurrection would be liars (v. 15); 4) no one would be redeemed from sin (v. 17); 5) all former believers would have perished (v. 18); and 6) Christians would be the most pitiable people on earth (v. 19)"

What a hopeless people we would be without the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We'd have no hope of future bodily resurrection and all those before us would have died believing in vain. As seen in verses 13 and 16, the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of believers stand and fall together. If there is no life to come, we'd be better to "eat, drink and be merry" for tomorrow we die.

I'm going to leave off today with the Scriptures. They explain our hope in the resurrection infinitely better than I could even attempt.

"20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 the last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that he is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 When all things are subjected to HIm, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all"

"54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the say that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY." 55 O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."

Amen.

Thoughts on Adoption

2008-11-28T11:59:00.001-05:00

The doctrine of adoption is one that particularly rings loudly in my heart. I understand, being adopted naturally, the difference between being someone's natural child and being an adopted child.

You see, adoption involves a choice to be made. But, this choice isn't made by the child, but by the parent. I didn't choose my mom and dad. They chose me as a little baby. Their choice to love me despite not having any blood ties to me was one of the greatest acts of love I've ever encountered in 30 years of life. They didn't have to pick me out of all the little babies who were much cuter than I. But, they did.

I was what you'd call "the runt of the litter." I was undersized and underdeveloped for my age (14 months old). I was a sickly child (was extremely anemic). But, they chose me--a sick child, to lavish their love upon. That's amazing grace.

So, when it comes to the doctrine of adoption, I realize that this is exactly what God had done for me, and for all those who are His. He didn't take the most qualified people. He didn't take those who were the greatest of them all. He took the least of us and brought us into His family. He called us His sons. He gave us a distinction that the rest of the world does not have. We are children of the Most High God. We have been allowed entry into an everlasting love relationship with a God who did not have to choose any of us, but saw our sick condition and decided to lavish His love upon us, outside of any human counsel. That's amazing grace.

One of the major differences with natural adoption and spiritual adoption as sons of God, is that my adoptive parents here on earth cannot pass down any of their unique attributes to me. I don't have my father's eyes, or my mother's nose, or even the dark skin of my father. But, my heavenly Father has given me the mind of Christ, made me a part of His own body, and has sent His Spirit to live within me, leading me and guiding me along the way. That's amazing grace!

Oh, the doctrine of adoption! So sweet the sound of God's loving melodies towards His children! May we all walk in this truth and live lives worthy of our calling.

Praise the Lord!!!! I'm FREE!!!!!

2008-11-28T10:17:00.000-05:00

I'm so thankful that the Lord has seen fit to allow this blog to be released from blog purgatory! LOL. Now, before anyone starts trippin' about my use of the word "purgatory", please understand that it's just a joke. Purgatory does not exist. It's completely foreign to the pages of Scripture.

But, I'm so thankful that I can now post freely. Praise the Lord! So, watch out for new blogs coming soon! I'll actually be moving some of my old blogs here today as well!

Grace and peace,
M-dot

Brand New Blog!

2008-11-19T11:45:00.001-05:00

Hey Everyone:

I decided that my old blog name (anexpositorsthoughts.blogspot.com) was too close to an existing blogsite. I didn't do this intentionally, but after I realized how close it was, I decided it be best if changed my blog name/address. So, I'll be posting here periodically. So, be on the lookout for some blogging in the coming weeks. I actually have one in mind that I may get to today.

Until then, Grace and peace.