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When
we truly follow Jesus Christ
scars
from opposition are plenty... and painful
yet
His
grace is awe-inspiring... and abounding
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Sweet
fellowship with His children refreshes the heart!
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I
will give thanks to Thee,
O
Lord my God,
with
all my heart,
and
will glorify Thy name forever.
(Psalm
86:12)
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Note:
We made some changes to the Simple Theology: Theological
Doctrines of Anthropology.
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Something
we've been thinking about in recent months, which our Pastor touched on
briefly in his recent excellent sermon (thank you Tim for the
word 'aggressive')... worded the way it keeps coming to our
hearts:
Don't
do random acts of kindness.
Aggressively
do
specific, commanded acts of kindness!
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Hey!
We just posted our first little bit about the 'No Spike Diet' we
are following these days (click here).
We
are so grateful to have finally been pointed in the right
direction on this issue after many (wasted and unnecessary)
years of following what the typical diabetes 'experts' are
saying. If you are a Type II diabetic like we both are in this
household, the wrong kind of foods (sadly still being advocated by too
many) can do you tremendous harm! We know this
first hand.
If,
as a diabetic, you desire to do something extremely good for
your body - check out the info we are posting (the first couple
of parts are online
now) and save yourself some discouragement, confusion, and
ignorance like we just walked through the past decade.
Seriously, you do better than we did... ok?
We
are praising God for His kindness and tender mercies to us.
There is so much hope for those desiring to keep their blood
glucose numbers at healthy levels. (Friendly questions coming at
you: Did you know you should be doing this? And do you
know how you can do it?)
We've
had a great many people ask us what we're doing on this issue so
we are starting to post some info on it. Someone was kind
enough to share the info with us... we're just sharing this good
stuff with you now. :)
A
'No Spike Diet'
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Simple
Theology: Theological Doctrines of Anthropology
The
study of mankind is called anthropology.
Origin
of Mankind
God
created mankind.
-
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness..." And God created man in
His own image, in the image of God He created him; male
and female He created them. (Gen 1:26a,27)
-
...He who created them from the beginning made them
male and female... (Mt 19:4b)
God
creates each new life today.
-
For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me
in my mother's womb. (Ps 139:13)
Notes
:
This verse refers to a person formed after the original creation
of Adam and Eve. It therefore speaks to each person being formed
personally by God.
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Created
In God's Image
Mankind
was created in the image of God.
-
And God created man in His own image...
(Gen 1:27a)
-
...since he [man] is the image and glory of God... (1 Cor
11:7b)
Notes
:
Theological Term - Imago Dei (In His Image)
:
Spiros Zodhiates says this is not an exact duplicate – only
the shadow of a thing. Representing the original in an imprecise
manner. Lacking the essential characteristics (reality) of the
original.
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Created
For God's
Glory
Mankind was created for God's glory.
-
Everyone who
is called by My name and whom I have created for My glory,
whom I have formed, even who I have made. (Is 43:7)
-
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to
Him be the glory forever. Amen. (Rm 11:36)
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The
Fall of Mankind
Adam,
the first man, sinned.
-
...but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the
garden, God has said, "You shall not eat from it or
touch it, lest you die." ... When the woman saw that the
tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes,
and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from
its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and
he ate. (Gen 3:3,6)
-
...through the one man's [Adam's] disobedience the many
were made sinners...
(Rm 5:19a)
Notes
:
Theological Term - Imputation (to credit someone else's account with
something). Adam's sin was imputed to all of mankind -
his sin was credited to us, making each of us sinners because of
his sin.
:
Sin is called 'Universal Sin' because it is the condition of all
people on earth. (The one exception to this was Jesus Christ Who
is sinless.)
:
Sin is also called 'Inherited Sin' because the corrupt sin
nature is passed down to us from our parents. We are born with
it, therefore it is innate.
:
Sin is also called 'Personal Sin' because of our own sin - the
sins we personally commit.
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Total
Depravity of Mankind
All
of mankind is totally depraved.
-
How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be
clean who is born of woman? (Job 25:4)
-
The heart is more deceitful than all else and is
desperately sick... (Jer 17:9)
-
...there is none righteous, not even one. ... There is
none who does good, there is not even one. (Rm 3:10,12b)
-
And those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
(Rm 8:8)
Notes
:
Total depravity means sin permeates every bit of each person's nature.
:
Total depravity includes the complete inability of mankind to do anything that finds the
approval of a holy God apart from Christ.
:
The implication of Job 25:4 is that no one can be just or clean
before God. There is no good in the sinner in relation to being
right with God.
:
'In the flesh' in Rm 8:8 means not born again, not born from
above by God's miraculous working power.
:
Total depravity soundly refutes the theory that man is basically
good.
:
Total depravity does not mean every person is as bad as they can
be.
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Destiny
of Mankind
Mankind
will either live eternally with God, or be separated from Him
for eternity in an agonizing hell.
-
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will
awake, these to everlasting life,
but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. (Dan
12:2)
-
...and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection
of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection
of judgment. (Jn 5:29)
-
...that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have
eternal life. (Jn
3:16b)
-
...dealing out retribution to those who do not know God
and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And
these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from
the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power... (2
Ths 1:8-9)
-
And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment... (Lk
16:23a)
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Please
see Simple
Theology - Theological Doctrines for other areas
of theology previously posted.
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"Sometimes
I think of trials as being punitive discipline as if I'm being
punished for what I've done in the past. We often think of
discipline that way, even with our kids. The thing is, God's
discipline is not that way towards me as a Christian. If I was
actually getting what I deserved, it would be much worse than
cancer, in fact infinitely worse than the worst pain imaginable.
God's punitive discipline would be the full force of His wrath
against me as a punishment for my sins."
"Instead, God's discipline is formative, meaning it is
meant to shape me or train me (and others) to be more complete.
This is an act of love, not punishment. Praise God for His Son
Jesus, who took that punitive discipline to the cross in my
place! As a result of Christ's work, I am a legitimate son of
the living God and instead of being punished I am being trained
in holiness and virtue through my trials. This is reason to
rejoice in our sufferings!"
Quote
of Andrew Mark on
May 27, 2008
Andrew
was born
Sept 11,
1981. He entered heaven
Feb 7, 2009.
Read
more about Andrew and his wife Grace at: http://graceandrew.blogspot.com
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Oswald
Chambers (My Utmost for His Highest)
"We have the idea that God is going
to do some exceptional thing – that He is preparing and
equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future.
But as we grow in His grace we find that
God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment.
If we have God's assurance behind us,
the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying
Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life."
(Italics
ours.)
(These
Blessed Us - Quotes)
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When asked what God had taught him most
deeply about life, George Mueller (1805-1898), pastor and
philanthropist, explained:
"There was a day when I died,
utterly died, died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences,
tastes and will, died to the world, its approval or
censure, died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and
friends, and since then I
have studied only to show myself approved unto God."
(Source: George Mueller of
Bristol
by A. T. Pierson)
(These
Blessed Us: Quotes)
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God
Moves In A Mysterious Way
(by William Cowper)
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs,
And works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
(These
Blessed Us: Poems)
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