Curse Motif of the Atonement

This is a beautiful and Powerful message by one of my favorite Theologians, Dr. R.C. Sproul.

God's Sovereignty A Stumbling Block? - a response

I was having a Facebook conversation with a Brother in Christ who does not share the Reformed position concerning the Doctrines of Grace. It was a standard back and forth , point-counterpoint discussion that I have encountered may times among my Facebook friends. As we Merrily continued to generate much smoke and no fire, as frequently happens in these discussions, he made a telling statement that I felt should be responded to. He basically informed me that to proclaim God's sovereign grace in Salvation, posed a stumbling bock to man's receiving Christ.

Can you imagine that.... To Preach God's Sovereignty in man's salvation, to totally disregard man's self will in the Salvation Process... is a Stumbling block to those who would come to our savior...

Yet, Were it not for God's sovereignty... NO ONE WOULD COME

You see dear Friend, Every man who has ever, or will ever existed has a major Stumbling Block that prevents him from coming to Christ, but it is NOT the sovereignty of God...

It is the depravity of man... His Total Depravity. That Complete sin corruption that by nature effects every aspect of his existence, and renders him Spiritually DEAD... A corruption that is his very nature, as it has been inherited from our original parents at the fall..

Depravity, and the total inability that stems from it. THAT is the stumbling block. That is what SEPARATES man from God...

Rom 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

We often become guilty of just casually glancing over a verse without experiencing the impact of what it is saying. Look at this verse...

1. There is none righteous... That us a Universal negative... None... righteous... NONE

How can a man make a "free will" decision to do the righteous act of coming to God, when he is NOT righteous? Isaiah 64:6 says we are Unclean, and that our righteousness is as a garment stained with menstrual blood... Filthy rags... that is how God sees the righteous acts of man.

2. There is none that understandeth

In his natural state man can not understand God. Spiritual things are beyond his grasp. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says man does NOT ACCEPT the things of the Spirit of God, for they are FOOLISHNESS to him neither can he KNOW them....

How can a make make a free will decision when he is ignorant of spiritual things? He By His Very nature, is without understanding... He can not understand God to make a spiritual decision...

3.There is none that seeketh after God.

Here is a telling statement...Natural man does not seek after God.. Ephesians 2:2-3 says that man walks according to The course of the world, and the devil, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind. John 3: 19-20 Says man loves the darkness more than light, he hates the light and he will not come to the light...

4. There is None that doeth good.

What is meant by this statement? Men do Good things. Charitable acts, Heroic Feats, Sacrificial deeds... men do good things... but... Those goods do NOT justify us before God.Let us look back at Isaiah 64:6. ALL our righteous acts are as Filthy rags. If our only justification before God is our good works, then we have a problem... our works are not good enough...Even when they are done in Jesus name. In Matthew 7:21-23, we see people who seek justification by their righteous works, and Jesus tells them to depart and calls them workers of iniquity...Why, because man in his natural unregenerate state, can do nothing to please God. There is none that doeth good.

"There is none who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities"- Isaiah 64:7

So if a man is not righteous, does not understand or seek after God, and he can do no good, who if not himself is the stumbling Block to his salvation?

Guess whose back!

After a vary long space of laziness, I have decided to reopen the blog. There are the same ol' posts with a new more, how can we say professional look...and The Approved resources are linked as before.
Looking to add more as stuff pops into my ever thickening skull.. the net is ripe with music for the worship music battle of the bands, and I will also be posting Bible lessons and, as always, my humble opinion on various issues...
Let's Get this party started! It's good to be back.

The Most Abused Verses in the Bible-- James 2:13, and Romans 4, Pt.1

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."- Romans 4:5

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."- James 2:17

If you have ever had any dealings with people who do not hold to the eternal security of the believer, or dealt with a pseudo-christian sect such as a Jehovah's Witness or a Latter-day Saint, you have more than likely ran into these verses. Cults such as those previously stated use them to prove you must work in addition to the belief of the gospel, Protestant denominations and many prominent theologians use these verses to support their doctrine of Lordship Salvation, in that, A saving faith will/must be accompanied by good works. (A subject will deal with in another post.) Atheists and skeptics attack The Bible by showing how these verses are a contradiction. Even Martin Luther struggled with the canonicity of James, calling it an "Epistle of Straw," and declaring his desire to "Toss Jimmy into the Stove". The above verse in James was probably the most irritating to him in light if the writings of Paul.
Yet, James is very much a part of the canon of Scripture, and a proper interpretation is needed to deny false teachers and atheists a proof text . When properly studied we will see that These verses deal with entirely different aspects of justification, and when the compared , the contradiction disappears, and  the verses are actually very much compatible with each other

I. The Book of James

James is one of the eight catholic, or if you prefer, universal epistles, addressed to the "twelve tribes scattered abroad." It is not so much a epistle that is evangelistic, but rather an exhortation on living a godly life in the site of men and The Lord. In this letter the name of Jesus Christ only occurs twice, and the gospel and it's particulars are not mentioned at all. The references to the law are frequent, yet as you will see it is not the sacrificial law that is seen in the letter, but the moral law, A law that both Jew, and Gentile Christians are still accountable to. Written to the dispersed Jewish Christians, it shows Christianity not as some new religious concept, but a moral perfection, and completion of the of the Jewish faith.
Now keeping in mind that the letter as a whole is not evangelistic, we can more easily deal with the fact that the words "save", "faith" and "justified" are in the text.

II. Chapter 2- Justification

After dealing with the sin of partiality, in the first half of the second chapter, James moves on to the issue of faith and works. A Casual look at the text would show that the above claims have some truth, James does teach justification by works... But is the justification before God, or someone else? If this passage has to do with justification before God, then by all means. the passage contradicts the writings of Paul, but if it is justification before man, then the words "Justified," and "saved" have meanings other than our status before God...

III. Romans 4-Justification

In Romans chapter 3. Paul goes to great lengths to show that Man , both Jew and Gentile are totally depraved and unable to come to God, (Romans 3:10) and that men are justified freely by God's grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (Romans 3:24) apart from the deeds of the law. (Romans3:28) In Romans 4, Paul adds support to his teaching by appealing to Characters in the Old Testament. one of those Characters, Abraham is also mentioned later in the second chapter of James. With these things in mind lets move to the passages in question.


IV. The Questions

Now if you notice, both of our passages of study, open with a question. In Romans 4, the question is "What has our descendant Abraham found?" Speaking of his standing before God, Paul then makes a clear statement of justification... It is not by works. Any ground that Abraham may have for boasting will not be before God. In Ephesians 2:8-9, says that God's Grace, His Salvation, and even your ability to respond in faith, are gifts of God, not of works lest any man should boast. Abraham had no basis to boast before God.

James on the other hand, opens up with two questions. The first is "What does it profit if a man say he hath faith and hath not works?" Notice the phrase, "if a man say." form the very start it appears that James is referring to a man's profession of faith. He then poses a second question. Can faith save him? Notice James mentions nothing about justification before God... he is basically saying "What good is your profession of faith, if there is no evidence?"


V. The Appeals

Notice that as each passage opens with a question, they also follow the questions with an appeal.
In Romans 4, Paul immediately appeals to Scripture, in the character of Abraham, who had righteousness imputed to him on the basis of his faith.
James, on the other hand does not refer directly to scripture, but offers a scenario of a man who has the means to help someone needy, and doesn't. The question, "What does it profit?" refers to his previous statement in verse 14.   His appeal is to the Emotions of the people who he is writing to, in order to elicit a response to his next statement.


Now we come to the direct statements of each apostle. Paul makes it clear that those who work do not receive payment as a gift, but it is a wage. We do not receive the salvation of God because we earn it. All of our righteousness is as filthy rags. (Isaiah 64: 6) What we receive from God is a gift. Romans 6:23 states that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. it is not something we work for, and we do not work to keep it either.
James on the other hand, appealing to the intellect of the people he writes to, says that if your faith does not show evidence, it is dead. like a corpse, it does nothing. it shows no proof of life. the Greek word for dead (Nekros) literally means lifeless.
As stated earlier, this is where grievous error and contradiction abound, both inside and outside the faith. These two verses are the heart of what seems to be a glaring contradiction, yet
as we examine both passages further, we will find that, not only is there no contradiction, but the verses fit as too pieces of puzzle, forming a full picture of real Faith actually is...

Secondary Appeals

In the above verses, notice once again that Paul appeals to scripture, from the writings of David. Quoting from the Psalms, (32:1) Paul states that even in the lives of the forefathers, prior to Christ, The man after God's own heart, was not justified by his works, but by Faith.  Notice the words of David. Iniquities covered, sins forgiven, and the last statement;

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin

The word impute. it means to account for... or to place into an account. the idea behind this statement, is that God does not count your sins against you.  This is in contrast to the unredeemed who "Treasure up God's wrath," having EVERY sin stored up against them.
(Romans 2:4-5) Herein lies your justification before God, in that your sins are not placed to your account. and that is in addition to them being covered. God forgives you because he chooses not to see your sins, and not to count them against you... He literally declares you righteous. not on the basis of your works, but on the imputed righteousness of His Son, which is also a gift.

(Romans 5:17) 

Get this now. the sins a Christian commits are not counted against them, but the righteousness of the Perfect Lord Jesus Christ is counted to them!!   All as a work of Grace, none of it requiring any work on your part...

James on the other hand, once again appeals to emotion without making a direct reference to Scripture. This is done in what appears to be a form of a challenge...YOU show ME YOUR faith,
without YOUR works, and I will show THEE, MY faith by MY works.. Notice something?
Where is God mentioned in this passage? James addresses the person with a challenge to SHOW HIS FAITH, without works... and it can't be done.

James is seeking visible evidence of a man's claim to be in the faith. He then goes on to imply that if all a man has is belief in God, he is no better off, as far as his testimony is concerned, than the demons, who also believe, and show evidence for their belief in fear. (v.19) 
From the passage we see that James is not saying man is justified before GOD by his works, but that works are evidence of a man's testimony of faith before his fellow man.. In other words, don't proclaim you are a Christian to others, unless you are doing the works to back it up.
 
One example that I recall clearly is from a preacher at a revival meeting, who said:
If you are at a restaurant, and want to leave a gospel tract for the waitress, NEVER stiff them on the tip."

God knows the heart of man, and knows who his children are. (John 10: 27, 2 Timothy 2:19) Man, who can not see what is in the heart of an individual, only sees evidence of faith, by the works of a Christian. (Matthew 7: 17) How he speaks, in particular, because his conversation is evidence of the condition of his heart. (Matthew 12:34)

Justification before God is by faith, apart from works, and justification before man, is by works in addition to faith. Paul and James were writing of two distinct things. This will be further evidenced as we examine both of the apostles view of Abraham, in the next post.

Part 2 coming soon...

WE HAVE TUNES... and GARBAGE TOO!!

After dinking around with the Html of my music player, I finally got it to fit in the sidebar of my blog. As a total amateur on working with html, I made it fit by reducing the width of each element until I could fit it into my sidebar... A short time later I came to find that the website I downloaded the player from, catered to Blogger, so I in a scene, wasted my time... Oh well, either way I have a couple of righteous tunes for people to listen while viewing . As of right now there are only two songs, as I figure that most people will not spend more than a few minutes reading what I have to say. I will probably add a few more but just getting the thing running was a personal victory... Thank you Lord...

One of the groups, Eden's Bridge is a personal favorite of mine. Most of their work is found in a series of "Celtic" Cd's which are increasingly hard to find. This particular song, "Fear No Evil" from the"Celtic Psalms" Cd, is an excellent example, of well crafted, Christian music. I own almost all their studio Cd's and there is not a dud in the bunch. The beautiful vocals of Sara Lacy and the superior musicianship of the rest of the group, sets it far above most of the corporate spewed garbage, that labels itself C.C.M today.

"Water Grave" is a song originally made popular by the Imperials and here covered by Atomic Opera. One of my favorite metal bands in the 90's. A cool tune that reminds me of the river baptisms performed, at an old country Baptist church I used to attend...

...And now my brothers and sisters and friends and family ect...on to the garbage!!!!

That being said, I would like to "Bless" you now with a video that is so absolutely horrible that I won't even include it in my "battle of the band's segment." I don't Know what "Multi screened Christian Entertainment Center" puked this up, but it is truly the most pitiful display of worldliness I have seen lately. Supposedly done at a "Encounter Generation Youth Conference" a bunch of white youth pastors donned the stage in fake bling , do-rags, and hoodies, thinking this tasteless (c)rap would bring young'ins a viable alternative to the problem of the overly provocative "Front hug"... Give me TWO breaks... Well, for your viewing pleasure...SIGH...

Even if this was a parody it is still a horrible excuse for anything remotely Christian. The lyrics are absolutely atrocious. Check this out!

"I'm a "rough rider" filled up with Christ's love

YO YO YO! Do we have a problem here! Did any of these youth directors do any research on urban slang? A "rough rider" is a brand RIBBED OR SPIKED CONDOM! What is one to think... Filled up with Christ's love? It is also a urban slang term for ... well... look it up for yourselves...

"I ain't dat scared So call yo mama, you'll be riding home in a coma"

Hmmm... A front hug is sinful, but putting someone in a coma is not...

"I'm goin' global cause you don't know me, I'm buying babies like Angelina Jolie"

Say What???? This is just... very offensive. It is this kind of Garbage that gives those who are hostile, fodder for continued ridicule of the Christian Faith. Absolute garbage.

And Folks, If Hugging someone gives you a case of the "randies," SHAKE HANDS....DUH!

Well... enough of that. If this song so offended you, feel free to cleanse your "aural palate" by listening to the righteous tunes in the player in the sidebar, I really strained a braincell getting it in there. well, bye for now, and God's Blessings to the brethren of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.- 1 John 2:15

Jehovah Hosts...Jesus Christ.

Today I would like to finish the study in Isaiah chapter 6. In previous posts we examined the Holiness of God as His primary attribute, The nature of God in His holiness, and Isaiah's reaction to God's holiness, ending with a brief mention of the fact that his encounter with the Lord of Hosts, was an encounter with the pre-incarnate Christ...

In this Study I would like to elaborate on the deity of Christ as seen in this encounter. Before we do this, I would like to examine a couple of verses in the Gospel of John.

" No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known"- John 1:18 
 
"Not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father."- John 6:46. ESV

When you read the eighteenth verse, of John 1 we see that No one has Seen God...Ever. But how can that be? Did God not appear to Ezekiel, Abraham, Moses and Isaiah? How can it be said that no one has seen God? It is simple, The full manifestation of God, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit has never been seen, and The Father is mentioned specifically in John 6:46, where Jesus Christ exclaimed to the Jews that only HE has seen The Father

The only God, (Jesus) who is at the Father's side, HE has made him known...The King James version states this as "the only begotten Son," but the meaning is the same, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son, is the only one who has seen the Father. Then who manifested as God in the Old testament? A simple look at the Beginning of John makes this clear.

In the beginning was the word. And the word was with God And the word was God- John 1:1

The Greek word, translated "With" is "pros" which means near, or along side of. The word was "Pros Ton Theon"- besides the God, and the Word was God, and in verse 14, we find that the "Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." -John 1:14 

Seeing that the Word was with God, and that that Word was Jesus Christ, verse 18 becomes clear. The Word, who was with God, and Was God, and became Flesh, HAS MADE HIM KNOWN.

In other words every manifestation of deity in the Bible, in BOTH the Old Testament, and New, was made by Jesus Christ. Now before you think I am taking a serious leap.. there is a theological term for this. It is Known as a "Christophany."

The definition of a Christophany is quite simple. It's the tangible appearance of Christ
Prior to the incarnation, (Old testament) and after the crucifixion. (New Testament)
Now this theological teaching does not come without controversy, as there is much dispute as to what actually constitutes a Christophany in the Old Testament. Yet the following verses show that the doctrine is definitely Biblical, and this brings to our passages in in Isaiah chapter 6.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.- Isaiah 6:8-10

Once Isaiah's sins were purged, we see from the scripture, that The Lord asked for a messenger, and Isaiah volunteered. What followed was a prophecy which would be fulfilled by the Jews during the time of Jesus Christ. It is a prophecy that exclaimed that the The chosen people would be blind and deaf to the appearance of Christ their king. The prophecy was fulfilled as Jesus stood in the presence of the Jews:

But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.- John 12:39- 40

Isaiah's message was a prophecy of the Jews rejection of their messiah, a rejection that would eventually lead to salvation of the Gentiles- Romans 11:8. And the fulfillment of the additional prophecy of Isaiah 53:1 shows that in two instances, Jesus is referred to as Jehovah in the Old Testament. This is seen clearly in the next verse:

These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.- John 12:41

John clearly stated that when Isaiah saw the Glory of Jehovah of Hosts, and when He spoke about him, he was referring to Jesus Christ...

In other words, Jesus, is Jehovah of Hosts, and his appearance to Isaiah is an example of a Christophany.

Knowing this, it is logical to assume that anytime Jehovah of Hosts is mentioned in the Old Testament, it is referring to the pre-incarnate Christ.

Theologian Albert Barnes wrote concerning these passages in John chapter 12:

"John 12:41 When he saw his glory - Isa_6:1-10. Isaiah saw the Lord (in Hebrew, יהוה Yahweh) sitting on a throne and surrounded with the seraphim. This is perhaps the only instance in the Bible in which Yahweh is said to have been seen by man, and for this the Jews affirm that Isaiah was put to death. God had said Exo_33:20, “No man shall see me and live;” and as Isaiah affirmed that he had seen Yahweh, the Jews, for that and other reasons, put him to death by sawing him asunder. See Introduction to Isaiah, Section 2. In the prophecy Isaiah is said expressly to have seen Yahweh Joh_12:1; and in Joh_12:5, “Mine eyes have seen the King Yahweh of hosts.” By his glory is meant the manifestation of him - the Shechinah, or visible cloud that was a representation of God, and that rested over the mercy-seat. This was regarded as equivalent to seeing God, and John here expressly applies this to the Lord Jesus Christ; for he is not affirming that the people did not believe in God, but is assigning the reason why they believed not on Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The whole discourse has respect to the Lord Jesus, and the natural construction of the passage requires us to refer it to him. John affirms that it was the glory of the Messiah that Isaiah saw, and yet Isaiah affirms that it was Yahweh; and from this the inference is irresistible that John regarded Jesus as the Yahweh whom Isaiah saw. The name Yahweh is never, in the Scriptures, applied to a man, or an angel, or to any creature. It is the unique, incommunicable name of God. So great was the reverence of the Jews for that name that they would not even pronounce it. This passage is therefore conclusive proof that Christ is equal with the Father.- Barnes' New Testament Notes.

We see in these passages, a clear testimony to the deity of Jesus Christ.

So with clear direction that "Jehovah of Hosts" in Isaiah is the pre-incarnate Christ, it would be logical to assume that whenever the title "Jehovah of Hosts" is mentioned in the Old Testament, it is referring to Jesus Christ's as He interacts with His chosen people, the children of Israel.

There are many verses in the Old Testament referring to The LORD of Hosts in the Old Testament- (266 by my count) and time would not permit a thorough study within the confines of this post. However, I would like to examine one verse, that testifies to The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ in His Glory.

Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.- Isa 44:6

Redeemer, The King of Israel, The First and Last, are all terms that refer to Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

In this time of total irreverence concerning Our Lord Jesus Christ, where every aspect of his Life is attacked by the unredeemed, it is good to have Bible truth, to show who he is. He is not a corporate marketing tool to sell garbage, and He is not some hippie dude you can call Homeboy.

He is "God, manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the

Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."- 1 Timothy 3: 16.

Let 2010 be the year when God's chosen proclaim the True Jesus Christ, as revealed in God's Holy Word. Amen

Depression and Being Thankful

"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving"-Psalm 69:30


Another holiday has passed, Families have met, imbibed on the traditional dinner, adding extra cholesterol to their diet. and a few pounds to their stature. A time for food, and family, football and fellowship, at least for most.

For some people this is the beginning of a very depressing time. A time of financial worry, elevated by the holiday season, can be particularly depressing. And in light of our current Employment situation, as a country, that depression can be significantly heightened. Combine that with the corporate greed and the "gimme gimme" consumer mentality that the holidays have evolved into, and you have a nice sewer of excuses to to ruin what was meant to be a joyous celebration of gratefulness to God for His Bounty, and the Birth of Jesus Christ.

As a child I remember when Halloween and Christmas were separated by the holiday of Thanksgiving. Advertisements and decorations for the stores, and the city, generally went up on the first of December. Carols were played on the radio, or sang by carolers in the square, you could hear them throughout the streets, as people window shopped and made plans on what to buy for the holidays. Snow would gently fall, and there was "magic in the air," as the church bells rang ... And Oh! Many of the carols were actually about the birth of Christ.

Today, the magic is gone...."Christmas" decorations are hauled out before Halloween decorations are even pulled off the shelves... Credit card commercials, as well as their credit management counterparts, increase on the television. Stores rearrange their aisles, adding more merchandise to the shelves, and corporate makes plans to slash prices for the most important holiday of the year. Thanksgiving? No. Christmas? Not that either...

Black Friday

.....BLACK FRIDAY!!! The infamous "day-after" where people, still bloated from a meal, not quite fully digested, (and that they weren't truly thankful for) brave the early morning rush, to beat the horde to the nearest holiday sale.
Once there they will bicker and fight for available parking, and stand in ever lengthening lines, pressing the doors like fans at a rock concert. Woe be to the employees who must unlock the doors, and release the feeding frenzy, as half insane shoppers press in for the latest heavily advertised toy or electronic gadget. Woe, more so, as supply succumbs to demand and fights break our over the few remaining articles available.

Oh, the joyous holiday sounds as Christ-less "seasonal songs" gently play over the intercom, often interrupted by undisciplined children screaming for a toy that will go unpurchased by their parents.
And as the checkout lines form, tired and frustrated cashiers tally the purchases and collect what is due...Cash better spent, or cards from which the purchaser has no ability, or intention of "paying off." On completion of the purchase, the more pleasant cashier will often be forced say, "Happy Holidays," for fear of loosing her job at the mere mention of Jesus Christ.

Yet it doesn't end there, for the parking lot, now filled to capacity, is teeming with cruisers trying desperately to get a spot, so that they can have their shot at the insanity. Thieves also are walking from car to car intent on relieving someone of their holiday purchases. Cars struggle and dodge through parking lot traffic, and onto the equally crowded roads that lead to there home...

Mission accomplished.

And this, for a gift to be opened on Christmas day.... and exchanged the day after... while the giver is left struggling to recover his finances.

Small wonder people are depressed.

At this time of the year, or for any time that the "Deep Blue Funk" might set in, I am reminded of a dear sister in Christ who gave me something so simple, that if done properly, will work wonders for the individual who heeds the advice... It requires a pencil or pen, some paper, and something few Christians take time for... Quiet time with our Heavenly Father.

Step one... Find a place of quiet solitude, wherever it may be. Even if it requires leaving the home and family for awhile.

Step two... When you get to your place of solitude, take your piece of paper, and pencil/pen, and number the paper in a column from one to fifteen.

Step three... Clear you mind from all distractions, from within and without. Focus on this one thing above everything else.... "What do I have to be grateful for?" Surely 15 things to be grateful for would not be hard to find... perhaps in prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart, if you find this difficult.

Step four... Write down everything that comes to mind, no mater how small and insignificant. Search your heart, be honest with yourself. Perhaps you can be open enough to find a blessing somewhere, that you never realized. (For example... you have a job you absolutely hate, but at least you are employed.)

Step Five... Have you reached fifteen? Add to the list if there is more, as fifteen was just a marker. Pray and think it through, until you are feel satisfied that there is nothing you can add to your list.

Step six... Look at your list, and as you look at each one, realize that each is a blessing from God. Come before our Heavenly Father, and thank Him for each blessing, and beg His forgiveness for not seeing the reasons to be grateful this holiday reason.

The Final step. Take this list put it in your pocket or purse, and refer to it anytime you feel depressed, and also at least once a day in prayer. Add things to it as you see them. Pray to the Father about those things that can be improved. (example: The job mentioned earlier.) Update it as you feel led.

And while your at it, there are other things you can list:

• 15 People who are lost, and need to hear the gospel.
  

• 15 People who need intercession, (sick, needy, depressed).
  

• 15 sins to confess, and forsake- (you will likely find more if you are honest to God and with yourself).

• 15 ways to be a Blessing, and a Christian example to others.

• 15 personal petitions.
  

Add all of them together, and what'cha know... You have a prayer list. (remember fifteen is just a marker.)

Now you have a list of things to take before God in worship and prayer. Prayer and Fellowship with our God is a sure cure for depression.

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; "- 1Timothy 2:1

The Worship Music Battle Of The Bands IV

Guess what time it is folks! It's time to waste a few minutes of your life and listen to the Fourth installment of the Worship music BATTLE OF THE BANDS...

Today we have videos from a couple of real pros. both taken From public access Channels... and you know what kind of freak shows come from public access...

So 'ere we go!

Contestant number one is John Daker, An amateur singer from Peoria Illinois , Who apparently stood in for the pastor of The First United Methodist church. He is accompanied by the charming Rena Unsicker (who has since passed on to be with The Lord.) This video has become extremely popular on the Internet, as people have created many remixes, and spoofs... He has t-shirts available and even appeared on The first cycle of the VH1 T.V. show "Web Junk 20." So without further delay, John Daker, with his video hit "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today/That's Amore!
I am gonna be dead honest with you... I LOVE THIS VIDEO! Mr. Daker is a blessing, if for no other reason, than that I laugh myself sick every time I listen to this . You think that Rena's 55 years of teaching could include a few minutes of teaching lyrics? Hmmmm... Either John had a serious brain lapse, or he did not know the lyrics to the songs...But the fact that He slugged it out without not so much as a blush shows he is a real trooper.

Highlights from the video for me were:
1. The Eyebrows...bobbin' up and down as he sings...
2. 1:52 seconds into the video where , for a split second, he actually sounded like Dean Martin
(Dits... Your In LOVE!!!)
3. The "serial killer" looks toward the end of the song. (2:01 and 2:07) Classic. This video is to
me, proof that God has a scene of humor.


This next video is is by Waggoner the giraffe, as he sings the 91 Psalm...Sigh... Just give it a listen...I am sure you will be blessed.

You gotta love the passed out panda bear that falls from the pulpit while Waggoner "Comes Alive" I guess that's what you get for drinking all the communion wine... It seems that, like Mr. Daker, Waggoner has a problem jumping the gun at the beginning of the song, but he later proves his vocal prowess as he sustains a note, which sounds like Pavorotti on an acid trip...
For the life of me I can not figure out how the goofy guy in the gold hat kept a straight face through this video...

Waggoner the giraffe is one of the characters of David Unger Hart (or Liebe Hart) a street performer, actor and artist who made a name for himself using a series of worn out hand puppets. He claimed to star in several T.V. shows, "Wings", "Chico and the Man"and "Golden Girls," Among others. He also claims that Jim Henson was his Christian Science Sunday school teacher and inspiration, and to top it off he believes he was abducted by space aliens. This video comes from a Jr. Christian Science Bible Show played on a Los Angeles public access Channel. now if I haven't given you enough reasons to avoid this like the plague. Feel free to search YouTube for some of his other works... They are a video cornucopia of weirdness...

So there we have it, another funny , weird, wonderful, and zany addition to the

WORSHIP MUSIC BATTLE OF THE BANDS!

The Holiness of Christ - Isaiah, A Picture of Salvation (part 2)

"Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.


I. A Quick Review, from the previous post.

In Isaiah's encounter with the God in the Sixth chapter , we have so far seen

• The sovereignty of God, as He sits on an exalted throne
• The majesty of God, in the train that fills the temple
• The unapproachable glory and transcendence of God, in the covered feet and faces of his seraphim.
• The Holiness of God, and the fullness of His glory in Proclamation of his angels. Also in the the Holy name of Him who sat upon that throne.
• And finally, the reaction of a sinful man as as the pronounced an oracle of doom upon himself, self condemned in the Presence of a Holy God...

II. Isaiah, a picture of Salvation..

Notice that When Isaiah stood in the presence of The Holy one he was extremely conscious of his sin. The condition of a persons heart is shown by his speech.

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

-Jeremiah 17:9

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh
- Matthew 12:34

Isaiah knew his heart was wicked, by the very words that proceeded from his mouth, As he Stood in the court of the temple, terrified at the presence of God, a seraphim was sent to the to obtain a fiery coal from the alter. Then, holding the flaming hot coal in it's hand the Angel moved toward Isaiah. The prophet stood, wrecked in sheer terror , and motionless, as the burning hot coal touched his lips. Was the coal not a symbolic act of purification? or perhaps it was a taste of the judgment that would fall upon his people? Either way, one can only imagine the pain he must have felt, as the angel proclaimed "This coal has touched thy lips, your iniquities have been removed and your sin purged. If you were to look to the Hebrew, you would see that the word for "Purged" is Kaphar, and the word kaphar means "atoned."
The Lord of Hosts atoned for, and removed the sins of Isaiah, and as placing the coal upon his lips became a symbol of the purification of his speech, we see God preparing Isaiah for the ministry.
Notice something Also. when Isaiah stood in the presence of God, it was not until after the purging of his sins that the Lord spoke.

"Whom Shall I send, and who will go for Us?"

It is a truth. If you have not been reconciled to God through the Death of his son, If you have not received the Atonement, provided by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, you have no relationship with the God, and have no business preaching His Word.

Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
-Isaiah 59: 1-2
and
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Psalm66:18

God does not take pleasure in wickedness. (Psalm5:4) and sin separates God from man. He hides His face, and has no fellowship with them. The unredeemed are called "children of the devil" (1 John 3:10) and, before they can become a Child Of God, they must call upon the only one who can mediate between them and the Heavenly Father, The Lord Jesus Christ.

"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"
-1 Timothy 2:5

Just as Isaiah stood in the presence of God's Holiness, and saw himself condemned, One who is to come to God MUST realize he is a sinner. No one who stands before God is righteous. (Romans 3:10-13) Isaiah would write later in this very book that all our righteousness is a filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6). How many Christ followers, having never heard the true gospel, have piled high the filthy rags of dead works, thinking that they have been accepted in "The community of faith," yet never repenting of their sins. Instead of coming to Christ with a sorrowful heart for violating His holiness, they gather teachers who butcher the Word of God to justify their iniquity. (2 Timothy 4: 3-4) They have deluded themselves into believing that God, in his love for everyone, will not condemn, and that he will not judge anyone for their sins.

“Through his death and resurrection, I am now fully reconciled to the world ... The whole world. ... In Jesus, I have forgiven all humans for their sins against me ... When Jesus forgave those who nailed him to the cross they were no longer in his debt, nor mine” (William P. Young- The Shack pp. 192, 225).

What a sad day it will be when the people stand before their God of love, with offerings of many wonderful works done in his name, and they hear:

"I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."- Matthew 7:23

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment, Yet we see so little preaching of sin in the pulpit...and even less conviction is seen in the lives of the people who claim to be Children of God. When we are under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and we see ourselves sinners before a Holy God, what can we do but realize we are condemned, for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) Yet because preachers fail to warn people of the impending judgment, rank open sin goes unconfessed and unforgiven...The call for repentance has been changed to a call of acceptance and tolerance...yet Jesus Christ has made it clear:

'I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish"- Luke 13:3

Isaiah stood before God, guilty and Hopeless but God chose to show him mercy. This act of mercy is available to anyone who will repent and come to Christ. "For as the wages of Sin is death, the GIFT OF GOD is Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23)

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,"

and

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Ephesians 2:4, 5- 9, 10

We once again see the pattern. Those who are saved are created for the purpose of doing good works. First God saves, and then God sends...He purged Isaiah of his sins and then He asked
for a messenger. Isaiah said, "Here am I, send me." Notice he did not say, "Here I am," as that would be a statement of location. God already knew where Isaiah was... He said, "Here am I." Isaiah was offering himself to God. A living sacrifice, for as tradition has it, Isaiah was martyred...
God calls all of his Children to be living sacrifices. Holy and acceptable unto Him. (Romans 12:1) it is your spiritual worship, and your reasonable service...We are responsible for preaching and exposing error (2 Timothy 4:1-3) as God has no fellowship with false prophets and teachers.

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not."

(2Peter2:1-3)

Next- The Holiness of Christ- Jesus is the Lord of Hosts

The Holiness of Christ - The LORD of Hosts (part 1)

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." -Isaiah 6: 1-5


In my walk with God I have heard many sermons on His holiness, and in practically every one this passage, or parts of it were quoted. Much of what you read may be a repeat of what I have learned From such Great men of God as R.C. Sproul, and Jerry Bridges, and S.L.Johnson, whose sermons and books on God's Holiness are of necessity for anyone who desires to Learn of the truths of this divine Attribute of God.

In the prior studies on the attribute of God's Holiness I have only briefly mentioned this passage, because I feel that some great truths, concerning The Lord Jesus Christ can be gleaned from this vision of Isaiah... truths that are lost in our present culture of Play- doh Christianity... I will not spend a serious amount of time ranting about the Christ of the post modern/ liberal / Emergent Culture, as the illustration to the right pretty much sums up how "So called Christianity" views it's savior today. No, this time I would like to dive straight into the Word of God itself and glean the truths concerning our precious savior. Truths that fall unseen before the spiritually blind as they cling to a false idol of their own making.

Isaiah chapter 6

In this portion of scripture we see The prophet of Isaiah's vision in the sanctuary of Solomon's temple, There is no specific time mentioned except it was in the year that Uzziah died, that being 757 B.C. Uzziah was an example of a good king who made the mistake of violating the holiness of God. After living a life pleasing in the sight of God, and accomplishing much for the kingdom of Judah, Uzziah sought, in his pride to put himself in a place where God did not intend him to be. He wanted to burn incense in the sanctuary of the LORD, a privilege that The Lord set aside solely for the Levites. As eighty-one priests went into the sanctuary to resist him, and warn him to leave , God smote Uzziah, in his pride and anger, with leprosy. Uzziah was thrust out of the Temple and lived the rest of his life quarantined, until he died...
It was this in this year that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prophet of God, saw the glorious vision as it appeared to him. How rich the wonderful truths are found in this passage .

I. A Vision of God

Isaiah's vision is a wellspring of great truth concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. His deity, His sovereignty, and His holiness are all seen clearly in this passage of Scripture, in addition, we will see the theological truth on the doctrine of a Christophany. But before we come to those truths, lets start with a detailed study of Isaiah's encounter with The Lord Of Hosts.

A) The Throne
In verse one we see that Isaiah saw The Lord, and in this vision He was sitting on a throne.
Throughout the Bible a throne is a symbol of authority for the person who sits on it. It denotes kingship, and sovereignty. Notice that this throne that Isaiah saw was "high and lifted up"... it did not touch the earth, it was suspended in the air... it was not just an earthly throne, it was a heavenly throne, he saw it for what it was, the exalted throne of God.

B) The Train
Perhaps you have seen a Hollywood movie where a king was passing through his court, and his long cape draped behind him, carried by servants. Or maybe you have seen a bride at a wedding, who during the ceremony walked with a flowing train of her dress trailing behind her.. Symbolically, the longer the train, the more majestic the person wearing it...Isaiah noticed that the train of The Lord's robe , that part which hung down from The Lord's throne, filled the temple..., a testimony to his majesty of The Lord...The Lord who is Sovereign, Exalted and Majestic.

C) The Seraphim
Isaiah also saw above the Throne a number of creatures that he identified as "Seraphim"
These creatures stood above the throne. How powerful must they have been to be so close in proximity to the face of The Lord. Powerful beings indeed when you consider that man can not, even for the slightest moment, glance upon God's face. (Exodus 33:20)
The sseraphim are fiery creatures...Their name is taken from the word meaning "burning." (Heb. "saraph") Some Consider this to refer to their color, being that of copper, (Strong's) yet I believe that they were literal fiery creatures, standing in attendance of God on His Throne.

" And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." -Hebrews 1:7, Psalm 104:4

Now each of these flaming creatures had Six wings, and each set of wings had a specific purpose.
The first set mentioned covered the angels face... perhaps to veil him from the Glory of God. As close as they were and as powerful as they must have been to stand in His presence, they still had to veil themselves from direct contact with The Lords Face.
The second set mentioned covered their feet...a form of reverence..

"And he [GOD] said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground". - Exodus 3:5

Feet... Why would the seraph have to cover their feet? Do feet symbolize a connection to creation?
Moses standing in the presence of God's holiness was commanded to remove his shoes. As lso was Joshua (Joshua5:15.) It seems whenever man encounters the presence of holiness, he is told to remove his shoes. It is considered by many to be a sign of reverence to the holy, such as one would remove his hat when entering the church, yet I feel that there could be a deeper meaning. Perhaps, by wearing shoes in the presence of holiness, a connection is broken of man from the ground... and in that sense, the separation is considered to be an exaltation... a lifting up of man from the earth that he came from...Mans connection to the ground is a symbol of his being a creature...
Is it possible that this is why the seraphim's feet were hidden? Maybe feet, being symbols of a created being, were to be hidden when they weren't connected to the creation... In other words The seraphim when lifted up with the throne of God, were required to hide their connection to the creation...that being their feet...
I am sure that muddied the water up a little... but the third set were for the purpose of transportation... they flew with 'em...simple e'nuff...

D) The Proclamation of the Angels.
As Isaiah goes further in describing the vision of God, he comes to hear the voice of the seraphim as they stand above the Throne of God, he is not clear how many serephim were there, maybe the fact that he did not give a specific number, shows that there were more than he could count in the short time before he succumbed to his encounter with God, or perhaps it is possible that their message was more important than the number of those proclaiming it. None the less their proclamation, refereed to by theologians as the "Trihagion" (Thrice holy) reveals several truths concerning He who sits on the throne
God is Holy- Bible truth reveals the one attribute that describes everything that God is and does, is His Holiness. Notice that the seraphim pronounce him Holy, Holy, Holy. It is common knowledge that when a Jewish man sought to emphasize something important, in both writing and speech, he would repeat a phrase. He would use repetition like we use bold letters, italics, and ALL CAPS.
Jesus Christ throughout the gospels would show emphasis on the truth of His teachings by using the words "Truly, truly I say unto you." the repetition of the word "truly" showed the importance of what He had to say.
Now notice that seraphim did not just proclaim that God was Holy, they proclaimed he was Holy, Holy, Holy. Few things
in the Bible are repeated to the third degree, and of God's Attributes, only his Holiness is given such emphasis... nowhere do we find any other attribute or emotion (love) being elevated to such great importance... In addition this repetition of the word Holy, also proclaims the "triune" nature of God, for all the members of the Godhead are Holy... (Matthew 1:18, John17:11, Acts 4:27).
If you look back to the beginning of the text, notice that Isaiah said that he saw the Lord...notice the word Lord in the English, the way it is written (Capital "L", lower case "ord")
This is the English translation of the Hebrew word "Adonay." this is the word chosen by the Jewish people, in speech,when referring to God, as opposed to His personal name. This was done for fear of blasphemy. the Jews took great pains to keep from blaspheming His holy name. The seraphim on the other hand had no problem using God's personal name when proclaiming his holiness...
They called him "Yehweh of the hosts" or Jehovah of the armies ...in English the letters for LORD , are all uppercase. This name and title refers to the fact that God is the sovereign over the armies of heavenly angels, as well as the armies of Israel. Jehovah Sabaoath, is Holy, Holy, Holy! And the Whole earth is full of His Glory.

E) The reaction of Isaiah.
We can properly assume that the writing of Isaiah's encounter with God was well after the fact, as when it actually happened, the time between His eyes seeing the throne, and his reaction concerning his spiritual status was at best mere seconds. It took Isaiah not long at all to realize Whose presence he was standing in, and how rotten he was as he stood before God, in His Holiness...His first reaction was to pronounce doom on himself.
Notice the word "WOE"- This word in the Hebrew is a extreme passionate cry of despair. Perhaps you have heard a Jewish person loudly exclaim "Oy Veh ish meir" in a time of distress...That person is saying "WOE IS ME". Now for the prophet, the exclamation of " woe" has a more significant meaning and it is found in the concept of the oracle...
The "oracle" is a single word that often prefaces a prophetic utterance. In the Bible it comes in two forms, the first is an oracle of Weal, or welfare... and the second is an oracle of WOE, or doom. The Lord Jesus used both of these in his speeches. In the beatitudes He used the oracle of weal in the form of the word "Blessed." -(Matthew 5:3-11) In His open condemnation of the scribes and pharisees, He proceeded each rebuke with an oracle of "Woe." (Matthew 23: 13-33) Understanding the impact of the oracle of woe shows the severity of God's judgment on those who receive it.
And it is with this we can understand how Isaiah felt, as he pronounced doom upon himself... "WOE is me for I am undone". Isaiah proclaimed himself dead, cut off, destroyed in the presence of The LORD... Why? What was the FIRST thing that came to mind as he struggled function in Gods presence? "For I am a man of unclean lips". It was his foul mouth...Perhaps he knew that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34) Perhaps he knew his heart was wicked. (Jeremiah 17:9) He saw himself condemned because of his mouth. He stood self condemned in the presence of God.

"For mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts " -verse 5

Who did Isaiah see sitting on the throne? Isaiah saw the KING. He saw JEHOVAH SABAOTH

But though he [Jesus] had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. -John 12:37-41

Isaiah saw JESUS CHRIST!

THE HOLINESS OF CHRIST - Isaiah, A Picture of Salvation (Part 2)...coming soon