The Gospel

Quotations

By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestined unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death.
The Westminster Confession of Faith, Ch. III:3

Those of mankind who are predestined unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto.
The Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, III:5

Jonathan Edwards

The enjoyment of [God] is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husband, wives, or children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows; but God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams. But God is the ocean.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

The Enemy Within

What a great book! This is a book for everyone! There is a saying "You Are Your Own Worse Enemy"? I am sure it sounds familiar to most of you. This book deals with the heart and the ongoing sin in our lives. Our hearts are constantly haunted by our thoughts, plans, judgement, longings, choices and a sense of right or wrong. This battle within us goes on for the rest of our lives. The ideas and content of this book was based on the works of John Owen. This book gives us hope in the battle within our own soul.

Paul knows what it is like to battle the enemy -- look at Romans 7:14-19 --- 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

There is hope for all of us. In Christ ...

Friday, April 25, 2008

Thr Romans Road To Glory

Evangelism! A command from Jesus: Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

For many Christians evangelism is not even a remote priority and for some they face the problem of how to witness to a nonbeliever. Sharing the Gospel is always difficult because it is offensive to spiritually death people because they supress the truth (Romans 1:18). So to awaken the dead we need to penetrate their hearts with the Word of God so the Holy Spirit can regenerate his or her heart to repentance. We need to understand we do not possess the power to save anyone, only God alone has the power to save and He has already chosen those to be saved before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-4) but God uses evangelism as a means to use us as an instrument in His redemptive plan. Here are a few verses we can use to start witnessing to the lost. It is called the Romans Road because all the passages you use to witness is in the Book of Romans.

Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:8
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 10:13
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Book Review

This is an inspiring book to read. If you want to know how you can suffer well, this is a book that you must read. The true story about Juli and Paul will make you gain a new perspective on why and how we can suffer for God's glory. We may never know the answer directly from God but we can be assure that God is in the middle of it. This book will definately strengthen your faith and walk with God. What I learned from this book is the reality and similarity of human emotions that plays out in suffering weather it is a minor suffering like an unfufilling relationship to a major suffering like losing a love one. But the major different is how an unbeliever and a believer suffer. As a child of God, I pray that I will suffer well for His sake and bring Him all the glory in my suffering. Romans 818 says 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us and in Act 14:22 ... through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. Suffer well brethen for your Heavenly Father is always with you.