I was re reading my post from a few months ago on this, and somthing needs to be said about the God hates part. Though God does hate all workers of iniquity and is angry with the wicked everyday, God even has grace and mercy on them. When they blaspheme his name, he continues to give them air. When they suppress the truth in unrighteousness, he continues to give them food to eat and clothes to wear. When they murder babies by the millions, He allows them to see the sunshine, and smell the roses. God is also longsuffering and willing that none should perish. The offer of the Gospel is free to all men, When Christ uttered "Father forgive them, they know not what they do," I don't believe he just talking about the elect. Gods hatred is diffrent than ours.
If I hated you, I wouldn't do anything to benifit you. Our God is merciful even on those who hate him in a way that we don't fully understand. Even while God hates the wicked, salvation is still offered to them. I rejoice in these truths thinking of my own salvation. God was patient. Praise be to God.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Fruits of Labor
Many of you know I have commited myself to a skate park in hamilton mill. Its just a great place to go. I was able to go out last week and I get nervouse, so I have a habit of sitting on a bench and reading some scripture before I preach or evangelize. As I was heading toward a bench, a voice called out "Hey, do you have any million dollar bills?" I looked and there was a 10 year old kid, and I didn't have any, but I told him I got somthing better. I gave him a gospel of John and told him to put it in his pocket and take it out and read every so often, he skated away.
I then read some scripture on the bench to focus my attention on the Lord, and I decided to open air. I had to get a bottle of water, my throat gets very dry. I went to get a water and Taj (a young black man) said "hey, can I borrow a dollar?" I was going to give it to him, but I shot back "Borrow, when are you going to give it back?" He said "Next time I see you." I replied "You don't even know me dude." He said something that really got to me, he said "Yeah I do know you, youre the preacher man." He knew me, he knew I come and talk to people about Christ, after all this time and energy thinking no one is listening and no one cares, he knows me. I bought him chips and a coke and offered a tract, I began talking about spiritual things and we sat down and I got my bible out. Taj was a classic american. Grew up in a "christian home" with bible on his shelves and DIDN'T know the main message of the Bible. I began to explain God creating the world and us for his glory, then sin, etc. He started fidgeting alot after the Law, he wasn't comfortable. I got to hell and explained it and asked him if there was a way of escape from the wrath of God, would you want to know about it? He said no. I was heart broken and asked why. He said he deserves to be in hell becuase of his sin and if God just let him go that wouldn't be right. AMEN. He understood Gods justice. I gave him the good news of Christ and focused heavily on the fact that it is Just and how God is both Just and the Justifier of many. He wasn't ready to repent, but he was still fidgeting, but listening. He was startled, praise God.
Saturday night, I got the privelege of taking a soldier out witnessing at the skate park, and it was fantastic, 2 stories really stick out. One is about a young man named Keithon. I have handed him tons of tracts, he is there skating all the time, but we've never chatted much. I actually got in a conversation with him by asking why people don't wear helmets and he responded that many don't, becuase they know how to fall. We chatted a few minutes and I swung to the spiritual and he really sincerely opened up to me. He is post modern to the bone. I took him through some analogies to show the absurdity of post modern thinking and began talking about truth. I have a new general definintion for truth. truth is the acknowledgement and acceptance of facts based in reality. You cant just recognize truth, you must believe it. Truth must be based on facts, real facts and I explained to him the claims of Jesus are the same way. I used apologetics for the proof of the Bible and our chat was cut short, but gave him a summary of the gospel and gave him my card and challenged him to email me and I would send him all the evidence for the Bible he could ever dream of. He hasn't ofcourse, but I really pray he will.
I finally got to open air, and its a passion of mine and I don't get to do it much. I began by reading romans 1 becuase there was a fight that broke out resulting in cops showing up and then went into to romans 3. I open aired a typical Law/Grace message,and there were about 4 loafing around and listening, but afterward I had the privelege to sit with one of those young men and explain the Law and the Gospel to him and speak with him about His need to repent. It was incredible.
God has really blessed me by opening these doors, and I'm so thankful my commitment to this park has begun to pay off. At a recent Christian concert a young man that Keith and I witnessed to about a year ago said he had since repented and trusted Christ. I wish I had more time to commit, and I have this Idea to do a bible study in the park (or any park where there is people) for christians, but if you do it in the park open air style other people are bound to come and listen for minute. Baby is coming so that is my main focus now, hmmmm, how can I let the wife let me go saturday night this week.
I then read some scripture on the bench to focus my attention on the Lord, and I decided to open air. I had to get a bottle of water, my throat gets very dry. I went to get a water and Taj (a young black man) said "hey, can I borrow a dollar?" I was going to give it to him, but I shot back "Borrow, when are you going to give it back?" He said "Next time I see you." I replied "You don't even know me dude." He said something that really got to me, he said "Yeah I do know you, youre the preacher man." He knew me, he knew I come and talk to people about Christ, after all this time and energy thinking no one is listening and no one cares, he knows me. I bought him chips and a coke and offered a tract, I began talking about spiritual things and we sat down and I got my bible out. Taj was a classic american. Grew up in a "christian home" with bible on his shelves and DIDN'T know the main message of the Bible. I began to explain God creating the world and us for his glory, then sin, etc. He started fidgeting alot after the Law, he wasn't comfortable. I got to hell and explained it and asked him if there was a way of escape from the wrath of God, would you want to know about it? He said no. I was heart broken and asked why. He said he deserves to be in hell becuase of his sin and if God just let him go that wouldn't be right. AMEN. He understood Gods justice. I gave him the good news of Christ and focused heavily on the fact that it is Just and how God is both Just and the Justifier of many. He wasn't ready to repent, but he was still fidgeting, but listening. He was startled, praise God.
Saturday night, I got the privelege of taking a soldier out witnessing at the skate park, and it was fantastic, 2 stories really stick out. One is about a young man named Keithon. I have handed him tons of tracts, he is there skating all the time, but we've never chatted much. I actually got in a conversation with him by asking why people don't wear helmets and he responded that many don't, becuase they know how to fall. We chatted a few minutes and I swung to the spiritual and he really sincerely opened up to me. He is post modern to the bone. I took him through some analogies to show the absurdity of post modern thinking and began talking about truth. I have a new general definintion for truth. truth is the acknowledgement and acceptance of facts based in reality. You cant just recognize truth, you must believe it. Truth must be based on facts, real facts and I explained to him the claims of Jesus are the same way. I used apologetics for the proof of the Bible and our chat was cut short, but gave him a summary of the gospel and gave him my card and challenged him to email me and I would send him all the evidence for the Bible he could ever dream of. He hasn't ofcourse, but I really pray he will.
I finally got to open air, and its a passion of mine and I don't get to do it much. I began by reading romans 1 becuase there was a fight that broke out resulting in cops showing up and then went into to romans 3. I open aired a typical Law/Grace message,and there were about 4 loafing around and listening, but afterward I had the privelege to sit with one of those young men and explain the Law and the Gospel to him and speak with him about His need to repent. It was incredible.
God has really blessed me by opening these doors, and I'm so thankful my commitment to this park has begun to pay off. At a recent Christian concert a young man that Keith and I witnessed to about a year ago said he had since repented and trusted Christ. I wish I had more time to commit, and I have this Idea to do a bible study in the park (or any park where there is people) for christians, but if you do it in the park open air style other people are bound to come and listen for minute. Baby is coming so that is my main focus now, hmmmm, how can I let the wife let me go saturday night this week.
Monday, September 7, 2009
remember the sabbath day
I am writing primarily to brothers on facebook whom have misunderstood my sabbath observance thing. I want to tell you the whole story how this came about. First, a dear brother was with other brothers who remember and keep the sabbath, but are evangelical christians. Kind of like seventh day baptists, Not Seventh day adventist. My brother in Christ then came home and showed me these things in the Bible and I started to become convinced That Gentiles should remember and keep the sabbath, the same way Gentile believers after conversion don't lie, steal or covet becuase they love their savior Jesus Christ.
First from scripture, there is the sabbath in the creation account, before jews and gentiles where God rests from his creation on the seventh day. Obviously God wasn't tired, he is God, but it is in the creation account. Next we have Exodus 16, which pre-dates the 10 commandments, Where the sabbath was to be kept and yes this was to the nation of israel. Next you have exodus 20 and the 10 commandments, the moral law. My understanding is that the moral law never ends. Also, God in general is very specific about how he is to be worshipped in the OT and the day the sabbath is to be observed is the seventh day, which is the equivelant in our calendar is friday night to saturday night.
Now I do understand that there are many,many,many rules about the sabbath in the old testament. Then we get to the new testament and Jesus said that he came not to abolish the law but to fulifill it. Now the releigous people of the day did abuse the sabbath and Jesus corrected them. Jesus observed the sabbath in the gospels. Now, Jesus dies and is resurected on sunday. After his death. there are a few texts that talk about meeting on the first day, Acts 20:7 is one of them and they did meet on the first day of the week to break bread and hear preaching, no doubt about it.
There are some other texts that talk about gathering offerings on the first day, and John being in the spirit on the Lords day, but these texts I don't believe are adequate to say that there is now an observance of the "Lords day" as opposed to the sabbath. And I firmly belive Jesus is Lord of the sabbath and that he fulfilled the law, but even though he fullfilled the law, we come to Jesus in our sin, repenting and believing, then out of love for God with our new nature, we naturally keep the things in the law. We don't want to lie and offend God, or steal or lust becuse we love our saviour. *I am not suggesting observing the Sabbath becuase we must fullfill a legal requirment for salvation, I am not saying that at all.*
Here is the skinny that im thinking. The moral law, 10 commandments are clear. Salvation by grace through faith is very clear. the Sabbath being the seventh day is clear. The idea of a change from the sabbath to Lords day observance is not clear. That is what I am seeing. Now please understand I have not come to a definitive conclusion, I am doing as the bereans, searching the scriptures to see if these things are so. I have just been confronted with something that seems to be true, and i am going to the Word of God and the Word ALONE for the answer. I welcome you into the discussion with me, but please understand, I am in no way abandoning Jesus to attempt to keep 600+ laws, What I am becoming convinced of is that I should observe the sabbath the same as I don't lie, steal, look with lust.
Acts 15 the Jerusalem council must only have been about a few issues, in the apostles response, they didn't say "and teach them not to lie, not to steal, to obey parents, etc." They seem to be only concerned with a few matters their given their response. Collosians 2 and a few other texts state let no man judge you in sabbath, new moon or festival, etc. My understanding of these passages seems to be that he is refering to the festivals, ceremonies, and other sabbaths that were fullfilled in Christ. I am not making a case that we should keep the festivals, ceremonies and other sabbaths.
Now I will be honest and also write that there is no warning in the new testament that sabbathbreakers wont inherit the kingdom of God, why is there not. I have no idea, but I can only be honest and say its not there. We dont have sections of scripture where the gentile believers are being taught to obey sabbath, I acknowledge this to be true.
My email is Benjamind105@gmail.com and feel free to tell me your thoughts, but only from scripture, I don't care about mans opinions. If you send me church history, include scripture, or I will not read/look at it. Church history can only be called right if it followed the scriptures in whatever area. Please only send me things related to my issues, I don't disagree that Jesus is our sabbath rest or that he is Lord of the Sabbath, that is not my issue, My issue is observance of the 4th commandment, not out of legalism for salvation, but love for my savior. God Bless.
P.s. don't gossip about this, talk strait to me.
First from scripture, there is the sabbath in the creation account, before jews and gentiles where God rests from his creation on the seventh day. Obviously God wasn't tired, he is God, but it is in the creation account. Next we have Exodus 16, which pre-dates the 10 commandments, Where the sabbath was to be kept and yes this was to the nation of israel. Next you have exodus 20 and the 10 commandments, the moral law. My understanding is that the moral law never ends. Also, God in general is very specific about how he is to be worshipped in the OT and the day the sabbath is to be observed is the seventh day, which is the equivelant in our calendar is friday night to saturday night.
Now I do understand that there are many,many,many rules about the sabbath in the old testament. Then we get to the new testament and Jesus said that he came not to abolish the law but to fulifill it. Now the releigous people of the day did abuse the sabbath and Jesus corrected them. Jesus observed the sabbath in the gospels. Now, Jesus dies and is resurected on sunday. After his death. there are a few texts that talk about meeting on the first day, Acts 20:7 is one of them and they did meet on the first day of the week to break bread and hear preaching, no doubt about it.
There are some other texts that talk about gathering offerings on the first day, and John being in the spirit on the Lords day, but these texts I don't believe are adequate to say that there is now an observance of the "Lords day" as opposed to the sabbath. And I firmly belive Jesus is Lord of the sabbath and that he fulfilled the law, but even though he fullfilled the law, we come to Jesus in our sin, repenting and believing, then out of love for God with our new nature, we naturally keep the things in the law. We don't want to lie and offend God, or steal or lust becuse we love our saviour. *I am not suggesting observing the Sabbath becuase we must fullfill a legal requirment for salvation, I am not saying that at all.*
Here is the skinny that im thinking. The moral law, 10 commandments are clear. Salvation by grace through faith is very clear. the Sabbath being the seventh day is clear. The idea of a change from the sabbath to Lords day observance is not clear. That is what I am seeing. Now please understand I have not come to a definitive conclusion, I am doing as the bereans, searching the scriptures to see if these things are so. I have just been confronted with something that seems to be true, and i am going to the Word of God and the Word ALONE for the answer. I welcome you into the discussion with me, but please understand, I am in no way abandoning Jesus to attempt to keep 600+ laws, What I am becoming convinced of is that I should observe the sabbath the same as I don't lie, steal, look with lust.
Acts 15 the Jerusalem council must only have been about a few issues, in the apostles response, they didn't say "and teach them not to lie, not to steal, to obey parents, etc." They seem to be only concerned with a few matters their given their response. Collosians 2 and a few other texts state let no man judge you in sabbath, new moon or festival, etc. My understanding of these passages seems to be that he is refering to the festivals, ceremonies, and other sabbaths that were fullfilled in Christ. I am not making a case that we should keep the festivals, ceremonies and other sabbaths.
Now I will be honest and also write that there is no warning in the new testament that sabbathbreakers wont inherit the kingdom of God, why is there not. I have no idea, but I can only be honest and say its not there. We dont have sections of scripture where the gentile believers are being taught to obey sabbath, I acknowledge this to be true.
My email is Benjamind105@gmail.com and feel free to tell me your thoughts, but only from scripture, I don't care about mans opinions. If you send me church history, include scripture, or I will not read/look at it. Church history can only be called right if it followed the scriptures in whatever area. Please only send me things related to my issues, I don't disagree that Jesus is our sabbath rest or that he is Lord of the Sabbath, that is not my issue, My issue is observance of the 4th commandment, not out of legalism for salvation, but love for my savior. God Bless.
P.s. don't gossip about this, talk strait to me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
