Recently I was invited to my friend’s home for a Shutterfly party. I had no idea what to expect but was pleasantly surprised to see all the products she had displayed. Afterward I logged on and designed my own thank you cards from an event we recently hosted at our home. Overall the experience was great…my order was to me within 3 days and I got free shipping!!! Much better than loading all the kiddos into the car and containing them while I went to an actual store! I look forward to designing my free book soon…(oh yes by attending the party you got a coupon toward one free 8×8 picture book!!!) Good food+good friends+great pictures=great fun!
Enjoying my season of distraction January 10, 2010
I love learning. I love to study…just ask Kelley! But I am beginning to think that God has moved me into a phase of distraction…called motherhood. I have been a mother for 5.5 years now but I have always found a way to stay focused on studying God, and his word despite that. But now that Jocelyn is older and Taylor is even more active, I just cannot keep up the intensity that I once enjoyed. I am still studying…but not with the vigor and pace of years past. I am still reading but even that is much more limited and as you all know I am not blogging at all anymore. My current challenge is to read the Bible through in a year. This is a task I have NEVER accomplished…to my shame. However through the accountability of http://www.readingthebible365in2010.wordpress.com I am praying God holds me to this goal. My friend Trish writes the blog and several of my friends are journeying through with us.
Additionally I am reading through the first of five volumes of Francis Schaeffer and will openly admit I only comprehend about 1/3 of what I read. Talk about making your eyes bleed! Schaeffer is THE source for developing a Christian Worldview in modern times. He recognized the issues the world was posing to the church in the early part of the 20th century. Beginning in Germany with philosophy and eventually trickling down to theology in the academic seminaries there was a shift in academic thought; a shifting away from a framework of absolutes and into a relativistic view of reality. Ultimately the problem caught wind and headed west and now the former pillars of Ivy League “Christian” Institutions are among the most liberal and agnostic at best. This virus has also infiltrated most mainline denominations and their learning centers. For us “bottomfeeders”–affectionately, We just digest the drippings from pop-culture icons and from infected pulpits and do not realize how far from the Word of God and true reality we have drifted.
Slowly I plan to work my way through both of these challenging reads… all the while taking time to rest in the “Mommy” distraction. The way I see it…pretty soon I will be begging my kids to be distracted by me not the other way around. 😉
signing off…Laura
Hello To All (is anyone still out there?) October 20, 2009
Well I have had quite a year away from the blogosphere. My Husband and I went to Israel in March of this year and it was super-fantastic and I will post some pictures soon. We visited Jerusalem and all the surrounding biblical sites. The weather was amazing and it really felt like we were in the promised land! In May I graduated from law school, a very big milestone, and immediately began to study for the TN Bar Exam. After 3 months of studying, shingles and stomach viruses I took the exam in July. Sometime also that month my husband and I conceived our third child and I am due on April 4th 2010. I just received the results from my test and I PASSED and will be sworn in sometime next week! After that I will be ready for business and plan to be self-employed as long as I can afford to be. We should know whether we are having a boy or girl on Nov. 9. We really have no preference since we have one of each, either will be great! Spiritually, God has been good! I have almost finished a Precept study of Isaiah and have completed my 3rd year of BSF and am currently in my fourth year! It is so great to worship the Everlasting God whose mercies are new everyday. It is good to be back and writing I always glean more by putting words on paper (or any other medium for that matter). Signing off, Laura.
Discipling Through Romans (2a) November 25, 2008
Romans 2:1-11
Keep this in context: Remember Paul is writing to Christians (both Jews and Gentiles) at the church in Rome.
Study Tip: Any time you see the word “therefore” it is connecting the current passage with something previously said so look and find what it is “there for.”
Verses 1-6 It would be easy for the church to read Chapter 1 with the “world” in mind. So in Chapter 2 Paul brings the concept closer to home for them. Church-going people often develop an air of superiority to the “God-hating world”. Paul corrects this erroneous view. The thing to grasp is all flesh (and I do mean all) suffers from the same sickness—sin. All flesh suffers from the same condition—our sin separates us from fellowship with our Creator. All flesh is traveling to the same destination—eternal torment.
Do you know this about your flesh? That it is sick with sin; that sin keeps you separated from a Holy God; and God is completely justified in throwing you into the pit of fire?
Verse 4 Paul asks a very important question. Have you ever wished God would just zap someone for his or her foolishness? God does not operate that way. Our God is long suffering. God explains this part of his personality when He passes by Moses on Mt. Sinai in Exodus 34:6-7. Look it up.
We must realize the purpose behind God’s long suffering—“to bring others toward repentance.” This is great news for our sin sick selves. A God that is completely justified in blotting us out of existence does not, to lead us toward repentance!
Verses 7-11 Paul continues showing the reward due to those who receive righteousness and pursue God’s glory and the punishment due those who are self-seeking and about their own glory.
Whose Glory are you interested in? Whose service do you busy yourself with? Do you concern yourself with things that will gain favor with man, self, or God?
For my friend November 20, 2008
By Dr. John Piper
…American culture does not belong to Christians, neither in reality nor in biblical theology. It never has. The present tailspin toward Sodom is not a fall from Christian ownership. “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). It has since the fall, and it will till Christ comes in open triumph. God’s rightful ownership will be manifest in due time. The Lordship of Christ over all Creation is being manifest in stages, first the age of groaning, then the age of glory. “We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23). The exiles are groaning with the whole Creation. We are waiting.
But Christian exiles are not passive. We do not smirk at the misery or the merrymaking of immoral culture. We weep. Or we should. This is my main point: Being exiles does not mean being cynical. It does not mean being indifferent or uninvolved. The salt of the earth does not mock rotting meat. Where it can, it saves and seasons. And where it can’t, it weeps. And the light of the world does not withdraw, saying “good riddance” to the godless darkness. It labors to illuminate. But not dominate.
Being Christian exiles in American culture does not end our influence; it takes the swagger out of it. We don’t whine about the triumphs of evil. We are not hardened with anger. We understand. This is not new. This was the way it was in the beginning—Antioch, Corinth, Athens, Rome. The Empire was not just degenerate, it was deadly. For three explosive centuries Christians paid for their Christ-exalting joy with blood. Many still do. More will.
It never occurred to those early exiles that they should rant about the ubiquity of secular humanism. The Imperial words were still ringing in their ears: “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13). This was a time for indomitable joy and unwavering ministries of mercy.
Yes, it was a time for influence—as it is now. But not with huffing and puffing as if to reclaim our lost laws. Rather with tears and persuasion and perseverance, knowing that the folly of racism, and the exploitation of the poor, and the de-God-ing of education, and the horror of abortion, and the collapse of heterosexual marriage are the tragic death-tremors of joy, not the victory of the left or the right.
The greatness of Christian exiles is not success but service. Whether we win or lose, we witness to the way of truth and beauty and joy. We don’t own culture, and we don’t rule it. We serve it with brokenhearted joy and long-suffering mercy, for the good of man and the glory of Jesus Christ.
Piper, John. Life as a Vapor. Sisters, OR: Multonomah Publishers, 2004.
Discipling Through Romans (Chapter 1b) November 14, 2008
Romans 1:18-32
Paul begins to explain the Gospel. This will be similar to a “geometric proof” (remember those ☺), as one doctrine will logically lead to another. Webster’s Dictionary defines doctrine as (1) a principle, position or policy taught or advocated; (2) a body or system of teachings relating to a particular subject. We study doctrine because the Bible affirms certain pillars of truth that build the Christian faith. Without these pillars the whole house falls—and man cannot understand the work Christ did. The gospel and doctrine are inseparable. Without proper instruction man cannot fully receive Christ and understand what he has been given in this gift. Also remember the gospel means “good news.”
I. Doctrine of Separation: Paul takes great pains to explain why and how a Holy God separates himself from a sinful creation. This doctrine will be developed from Rom 1:18-3:20. Does it seem odd that an explanation of the gospel does not start with Jesus? The gospel always begins with God! His holiness cannot be joined with our sin and his righteous wrath is the due penalty of our sin. Until we recognize how holy God is… and how separated by sin we are… we cannot truly know the good news of Jesus.
II. Doctrine of General Revelation: Another amazing concept Paul chooses to weave into his announcement of the good news is the doctrine of general revelation. In Ecclesiastes 3:11, Solomon writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: God has set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done. God has revealed his eternal power and divine nature to every man. We know there is a supreme being; yet we disobey in our lack of faith. Paul says we are without excuse and deserve the righteous judgment or wrath of God.
III. Darkened hearts; Depraved minds; Deserving death: Paul begins to layout the progressive nature of man’s thoughts and actions when he rejects God. This downward spiral starts by refusing to glorify God with thanksgiving for being our Creator. (v. 21) The rejection of God leads to a darkened heart and foolish actions. As man continues to base his philosophy (or belief system) on things that are made…he continues to do what we were made to do…worship. Oh that we would understand this point; we are all worshipers of something. It is either the worship of the One who created all things or the worship of all things created. What do you worship? Where do you spend your self, your resources? Look in the mirror…your god may be yourself.
Paul shows where the mind that rejects God eventually ends up…totally depraved…given to every lust, worshiping the body of man, rampant perversion and homosexuality. Does this sound familiar in a culture that can be characterized as “God-haters?”
Romans 1:32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Discipling Through Romans (Chapter 1a) November 13, 2008
Romans Chapter 1:1-17 Please think about the Questions in Section VI
I. Romans 1:1
Entering Credentials
a. Name
b. Job Description
c. Expertise/Training
II. Romans 1:2-4
Paul’s Christology—His Doctrine of Christ
Paul tells the church in Rome whose team he is on…which propositions or facts of Christ he affirms as true.
a. Prophesy is fulfilled in Christ
b. Physical lineage of Christ—his humanity
c. Proved to be Son of God through the Resurrection—his divinity
III. Romans 1:5
By Christ and for him Paul lived out his calling to bring the obedience of faith to all Gentiles.
***Rather than teaching Christ as something that would make their lives better…Paul taught that our faith in the gospel is an obedience issue. When we hear the gospel we make a decision either to obey through faith in Christ or disobey by rejecting Christ and having no faith.
IV. Romans 1:7(b)
The grace of faith always precedes the peace given to God’s chosen people. (This is a greeting we read Paul use repeatedly in his epistles.)
V. Romans 1:8-13
Paul is telling the church in Rome his desire to visit them so that:
a. They can be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith,
b. To have a harvest of believers, and
c. To preach the gospel to Greeks and to non-Greeks in Rome
VI. Romans 1:16-17
Paul’s Mission Statement: There is no shame in preaching the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew then for the Gentile.
The Gospel gives:
a. A righteousness revealed—Through Whom?
b. Righteousness provided by God—Why is this needed? How does God make this provision?
c. Beginning and ending in faith—How do I receive the righteousness God provided?
d. “The righteous will live by faith.” Habakkuk 2:4
Paul’s intent for the entire book of Romans is summed up in his lengthy greeting. He will spend the last half of chapter one through chapter eight explaining the gospel. Then in chapters nine through eleven he goes to great pains to address God’s purpose in redemptive history. From chapter twelve through the first half of fifteen he applies what he has taught in very practical ways to help the church live in a Christ-like manner. His closing thoughts and final doxology are included in the last half of chapter fifteen and chapter sixteen.
Worldview. Everyone has one, what is yours? November 11, 2008
“As our eyes are opened wide and on you, grant us the privilege of your worldview and may your kingdom be what wakes us up and lays us down” Toby Mac
Notes from R.C. Sproul’s Worldview series:
Biblical Worldview: Sees God as both transcendent and immanent. He is both superior in form and knowledge to His creation (transcendent) and intricately involved in its existence (immanence). Immanence comes to final reality in the person of Christ who comes as a man and dwells among us.
Secularism: Elevated view of the “now.” Secular-derivative of the latin word seculum which means “this world” or “now.” Ism- elevates the view of “this world” to a philosophy of thought or worldview. This is the broadest worldview existing in our time. From the trunk of Secularism comes other various forms or branches of philosophy i.e. Humanism, Existentialism, Pragmatism, etc. Though each have various points of contradiction, they come from the same origin of Secularism.
Our culture is not pagan, this is a pre-Christian condition, we have been given enough of the “message of Christ” to inoculate us from being confronted with the offense of the cross and responding in obedience to its requirements. So in this post-Christian culture, we are secularists…not pagans.
The Secularist believes the now counts for now. He denies the transcendent and eternal God, which lead to the Death of God movement and ultimately results in the despair and death of man.
My comments follow:
3 Implications this awareness brings to the believer:
1. Pray for God to cleanse the church of its love affair with Secularism by repenting of our sin, learning what this system of thought is and how it skews the believer’s view of Jehovah God. When our theology is tainted with ideas hostile to God, we end up worshipping a god of our own creation and not the God of the Word. The biggest offense to God is not that the lost think and behave like “lost people” but that His Bride is being seduced with ideas that do not honor him.
2. Pray that God will restore the repentant believer to a God-centered view of the world. This view understands we serve a transcendent and eternal God who is sovereign in His involvement with the “now.” This idea MUST be reapplied to the hearts of believers: Now counts for eternity!
3. Pray for understanding the world we live in and the lost we serve. Learn the worldview the world embraces and how to battle it with the gospel. Unless we are understanding the lens through which a person is seeing we will never gain a point of entry in appealing to them for Christ.
I truly think this is the “in the world” Jesus refers to…that we not become so disinterested in the lost that we have no means of appeal. His life is the perfect example of this tense concept. He came to the world but did not become worldly. Rather he impacted his “now” by challenging all their notions of truth. When we engage in this world… in this way—and worldview’s are challenged—we can expect to be outnumbered, persecuted and even killed (He was). If doing so, however, produces one convert…one person saved from the pit of fire… it would be worth my life being poured out like a drink offering over and over.
Religion is a Red Herring November 6, 2008
After watching Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Ben Stein Documentary) I really got inspired to jot down some Ideas.
Background: I was a Biology major at MTSU. I was presented Darwinism at every turn and on all fronts. I was crazy enough to say in a Lab with all my peers: “I do not believe in evolution…” It was like someone died with the silence and hysteria that ensued after my passing comment. Then, in an effort to clarify, I said, “Don’t get me wrong, I think every being has a God-given ability to adapt over time.” Wow, talk about being labeled a heretic.
Expelled: I Love This Film! Being entrenched in the closed-system of Darwinism I have a deep appreciation for the “REBELS” in this documentary. The paradox of conservatives filling the role of “bra-burning radical,” screaming for freedom—really makes me laugh!!!
In a nutshell, this film sets out to highlight the suppression of freedom that the field of science has encountered and the high-jacking of research and education that has been in the wake of Darwin’s tsunami.
During the film, Stein interviews several scientists, to include, directors of the Discovery Institute (an institution devoted to the true, free, unabashed study of scientific concepts) the following comments were extracted during the interviews:
• Religion is a red herring. Christ has never been in the science classroom and this is not what we are attempting to accomplish. We simply want a debate on the evidence.
• From a Polish geneticist: America is much more restricted in its freedom of study in this area than Poland. (My comment: What, America is not free to weigh, evaluate, debate and instruct on scientific evidence…What, we are less free in this area than….POLAND???!!!!)
• Professor from Biola University: I have never received $ from Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson. The questions that are presented with Darwinism never go away. They get loaded down with sorts of political baggage, but in a relaxed setting with scientists who embrace Darwin’s Theories (after a few beers) they admit there are major problems with his work. Any fundamentalist will agree to evolution as “change over time,” but that is not the same as Darwin’s Evolution which is defined as: “common descent of all life on earth from a single ancestor via undirected mutation and natural selection” and with this there are serious questions. So the alternative: Study of patterns of nature that are best described by Intelligence. This is not microwaved creationism but a MINIMAL commitment to a possibility of intelligence.***
• Super-smart professor in France: (I assume he moved there to have the freedom to teach whatever he wanted in the field of science) The question is not: “Is Darwinism correct?” The question is: “Is it clear enough?” That thing is a mess!
In possibly the most fascinating parts of the entire flick, Stein gets an interview with the self-proclaimed Atheist Richard Dawkins. A staunch Darwin supporter. Dawkins rejects the idea of Intelligence insomuch as it could possibly lead to any type of deity but would concede the possibility of life being “seeded” on earth through an alien force. Yes, that’s correct, no God but Aliens.
Finally, Stein is able to present through history those leaders and societies that have embraced Darwin’s Theories as fact, and the ultimate impact those ideas had sociologically. The list of characters sold out to preaching Darwin’s gospel through ideological and sociological manipulation includes: Hitler, Stalin, Margaret Sanger, and Dawkins.
Hitler: Although Darwinism was not a sufficient cause of Nazism, it was a necessary one. In Darwinism, if there is no purpose for any “unfit” life form, and if through the propagation of government we have supported the infirmed and imbiciled (who under Darwin’s model would not have been fit enough to survive) then the radical extermination of these “drains” would then allow for the “survival of the fittest,” accomplishing Hitler’s goal of an Utopian Germany society.
Stalin: Attempted to skew “evolution” to de-evolve man back to his “superhuman” strength whereby allowing for his political advantage through the Ape-Man. ( I am not kidding!)
Margaret Sanger: Founder of Planned Parenthood: she was a major proponent of a Darwinistic worldview and from her, Eugenics was birthed in the US. This is the means by which a society controls the population growth through various means of abortion and birth control. From this Darwinist’s vantage point, if we came from nothing and are going to nothing then life has no intrinsic “Quality.” There are no inalienable rights endowed to us from any “Creator” and it would be senseless to preserve the rights of an individual at the expense of another.
Dawkins: (this part of the film actually brought me to tears) I am praying for the soul of this blind man. The god of this world has him so blinded to any glimpse of truth it is very scary to me. Even scarier that his book, The God Delusion, has sold millions of copies. In the last blaze of glory for the film Stein asks Dawkins: What if you are wrong? What if you die and meet God and He says: Richard, Why? I gave you everything…millions of dollars…why could you not acknowledge me? And here Dawkins says: I would answer (he actually pulls a quote from another atheist) Why did you go to such pains to hide yourself???
Amazing…and as Stein closes the film he makes a very compelling statement, maybe science is key to seeing how many pains God has gone to in order to REVEAL himself? Could this be the reason for all the hostility and agenda? Good Question.
See this film. I would give it 2 Genetically Mutated Ape Thumbs Up! ☺
All Things Controversial 