Posted on 10/30/2014 11:43:40 AM PDT by Idaho_Cowboy
I know how pious this is going to sound and I hate, more than you know, to sound pious, but I’m going to say it because it is true. I’m not good and I struggle with a whole lot of stuff…but I am a man of prayer. I simply could not survive if I couldn’t go before the throne. It’s the reason I get up early in the morning (coffee and Jesus!)...
What I’m going to say here isn’t from an expert or a contemplative. I’m just a guy who really loves Jesus and likes hanging out with him. So for what it’s worth, here’s how to know God better...
Frankly, I wouldn’t anymore go to Jesus than I would try to get into the palace of the Queen of England. There are some places where I don’t belong. I’m a nobody and “nobodies” don’t have the right to hang out with really important people like the High King of Heaven. But he asked. Can you believe that? He asked.
He said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
...
Most of us figure that God will condescend to spend time with us—if we beg him, if we are really nice, and if we make all kinds of promises. The truth is this: he looks forward to the time with me and misses it when I don’t show. Same with you.
...
He knows you and your sin.
The writer of Hebrews described it this way: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses…Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).
(Excerpt) Read more at keylife.org ...
Luke 15: 11-32 "And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."
Psalm 23 "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
He restoreth my soul. Some of the most comforting words in the Bible. The great accusor tells us we must be better before we dare go to God, but God in his Grace calls us to come close and then He does the work in our lives we can never do.
Proverbs 24:16 "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief."
Thank you
I love jesus and Steve Brown.
Steve was JUST on local radio..moments ago.
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Honest question: How can a minister be a Calvinist AND ordained in the Presbyterian Church? Don't the two Protestant denominations have basic theological differences?
Calvinist is a theological worldview, also called Reformed. Presbyterians (well, not the PCUSA ones maybe) are Reformed. If you’re a PCA pastor and not a Calvinist something’s not right.
In other words, Presbyterian should equal Calvinist but Calvinist does not always equal Presbyterian (there are Baptists, nondenominationals, and small denominations who are also Reformed).
I’m not familiar enough with Calvin’s theology or the modern Presbyterian Church to give ant meaningful answer to that question.
I’ve never heard anything that Mr Brown has shared that has set triggered any red lights theologically speaking though.
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1. Neither am I.
2. That's a good thing.
Im fond of Steve’s “material”, presentation, and give em a listen whenever I can. WIth material readily available on the internet its pretty easy to keep current.
Thanks for the heads-up.
In other words, Presbyterian should equal Calvinist but Calvinist does not always equal Presbyterian (there are Baptists, nondenominationals, and small denominations who are also Reformed).
Sometimes I think I'm becoming a Calvinist (Spurgeon was http://www.spurgeon.org/calvinis.htm) but I can't accept that the doctrine of limited atonement is Biblical. Well, that and I have some differences in eschatology.
Historically, Presbyterians (John Knox) branched off from John Calvin. Quick and dirty history ... you can view the Protestant Reformation as having three source-points: Luther (in Germany), Calvin (in Switzerland), and Henry VIII (in England). From their beginnings, all of these Protestant springs were opposed to one another as well as to Catholicism.
And it gets more complicated from there.
I’m a Catholic, and I’m enjoying this writer’s work and benefitting from it. People don’t have to agree on everything to agree about a lot of things.
There we have it!
Having read the whole article now ;-), I can just say Amen. I taught a class about repentance and forgiveness on Tuesday night, and I “retold” the parable of the Prodigal Son ... he went away to New York and blew all his money being popular in nightclubs, and then he got a job cleaning an office building, and he could have eaten the cookies people had in their desks ...
But he thought, all my Dad’s employees can pay their rent and buy groceries, so he went to his father and said, “Can I have a job?”
And I emphasized to the children that his father, God, didn’t say, “Well, okay, you can work here ... but I don’t trust you, so be careful ...”. He bought the best steaks and a new suit, hired a DJ and threw a bash. God isn’t like us!
I’ve found that when people agree on the big things, they tend to form factions and dispute over ever littler point. “Okay, we all agree about all our theology ... but you can’t dress your 2-year-old in a Hello Kitty bat costume and take her trick-or-treating! That’s EVIL!”
Fault finding has never been a path to sharing God’s Love.
Im no fan of halloween but I not going to get acrimonious about it.
We Live We Learn
I’m not a fan of Hallowe’en, either ... don’t get me started about candy ... but you pick your battles, and Kathleen (my 10th child) looks adorable as a bat.
So true!
there are levels or depths of halloween “involvement”
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