Saturday, 17 August 2013
Views, Visions and Values.: Some thoughts on Jesus’ Teaching on the nature of ...
Views, Visions and Values.: Some thoughts on Jesus’ Teaching on the nature of ...: 1) Introduction Throughout the New Testament, especially the Synoptic Gospels * The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, th...
We Three Kings - Gangnam Style
from my Church's Christmas Celebration 2012, The Community Church, Southport
Views, Visions and Values.: Home is where the Heart is.
Views, Visions and Values.: Home is where the Heart is.: I find because of my job in Liverpool, I get up early in the morning, so I can have that extra cup of coffee, pray and have ...
I now live in Southport, Merseyside having moved here just over 2 years ago from Neath, South Wales I’ve settled here and for the last two years Southport has been my home, and I’ve committed myself to staying here until I die or until the Lord returns. I have wandered previously and made a mess of thinks, but thanks be to God who has settled me here in Southport, my heart is here because this is now my home.
I now live in Southport, Merseyside having moved here just over 2 years ago from Neath, South Wales I’ve settled here and for the last two years Southport has been my home, and I’ve committed myself to staying here until I die or until the Lord returns. I have wandered previously and made a mess of thinks, but thanks be to God who has settled me here in Southport, my heart is here because this is now my home.
Friday, 16 August 2013
Some thoughts on Santification
1 Timothy 1:15-16
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving
full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among
whom I am foremost of all. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy,
so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect
patience as an example for those [a]who would believe in Him for eternal life.
The Justification and Sanctification of believers through the finished
work of Christ, last week we briefly examined the important doctrine of
Justification, which in many ways is part of the bigger picture of Salvation
and the Christian life and walk, today we will examine briefly the important
doctrine of Sanctification which follows on from Justification.
1)
Now let us look at the differences between
Justification and Sanctification
Justification
|
Sanctification
|
Legal Standing
|
Internal Condition
|
Once for all time
|
Continuous throughout life
|
Entirely God’s work
|
We co-operate with God
|
Perfect in this life
|
Not perfect in this life
|
The same in all Christians
|
Greater in some than in others
|
Sanctification differs from justification in several ways.
Justification is a one-time work of God, resulting in a declaration of “not
guilty” before Him because of the work of Christ on the cross. Sanctification
is a process, beginning with justification and continuing throughout life.
Justification is the starting point of the line that represents one’s Christian
life; sanctification is the line itself
2)
Sanctification is a progressive work of God and
man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual
lives
Sanctification is the process of renewal and
consecration by which believers are made holy through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Sanctification is the consequence of justification and is dependent upon a
person being in a right relationship with God.
Sanctification is applied
justification. By its very nature justification does not have a progressive
character. It is God's declaration of righteousness. The focus of justification
is the removal of the guilt of sin. The focus of sanctification is the healing
of the dysfunctionality of sin. Since all
spiritual blessings, justification and sanctification included, are the
Christian's the moment he or she is "in Christ" sanctification is
total and final in one sense Yet, unlike justification, sanctification also
continues until it will be consummated when Jesus Christ returns. For then we
will be like him, perfect and complete. Sanctification,
therefore, has an initial, progressive, and final phase. A believer's present
preoccupation is with progressive sanctification, by which the child of God
lives out the implications of initial sanctification with an eye to the goal of
final sanctification. The sanctified life is victorious, though it is lived
out in the context of temptation and suffering. God promises the
"overcomers" in Revelation 2 and 3 to restore all that was lost in
the fall, in sanctification; the believer is simply applying the implications
of his or her justification.
3)
A believer grows in sanctification by living
according to his or her new identity
Sanctification, defined broadly as the work of
God’s grace in man’s perfection in righteousness, begins when he becomes a
believer and hence is “in Christ.” It continues progressively until death
brings him into Christ’s presence unless he “does despite to the Spirit of
grace.” It is only as one by dedication and faith realizes in actuality what is
provided in the atonement that this grace is experienced; it does not follow as
a matter of course, as the exhortations in the NT imply. Parallel to the work
of sanctification is the infilling of the Holy Spirit in the believer,
perfection in love, having the “mind of Christ,” and “walking as he walked.”
There are many things that I can say about
Sanctification but more importantly that I what I can stay about Sanctification
is what the Bible says about Sanctification.
Now let us look at some scriptures in regards
to Sanctification
1)
Romans 6:15-19 15 What then? Shall we sin
because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not
know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you
are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin [j]resulting in death, or of
obedience [k]resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks are to God that
[l]though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that
form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from
sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms
because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members
as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, [m]resulting in further lawlessness,
so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, [n]resulting in sanctification.
2)
1 Corinthians 1:30 30 But [u]by His doing you
are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, [v]and righteousness and
sanctification, and redemption.
3)
I Thessalonians
5:23-24 23 now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your
spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring
it to pass.
4)
I Thessalonians 4:1-8 4 finally then, brethren,
we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us
instruction as to how you ought to [a]walk and please God (just as you actually
do [b]walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we
gave you [c]by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you
abstain from [d]sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to [e]possess
his own [f]vessel in sanctification and honour, 5 not in [g]lustful passion,
like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud
his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things,
just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but [h]in
sanctification. 8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God
who gives His Holy Spirit to you
5)
2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 13 But we should always
give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you
[o]from the beginning for salvation [p]through sanctification [q]by the Spirit
and faith in the truth. 14 It was for this He called you through our
gospel, [r]that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then,
brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether
by word of mouth or by letter [s]from us.16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and
good hope by grace, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work
and word.
Westminster
Confession of Faith, Chapter 13
Sanctification
I. They, who
are once effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart, and a new
spirit created in them, are further sanctified, really and personally, through
the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection,[1] by His Word and Spirit
dwelling in them:[2] the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed,[3] and
the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified;[4] and they
more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces,[5] to the
practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.[6]
II. This
sanctification is throughout, in the whole man;[7] yet imperfect in this life,
there abiding still some remnants of corruption in every part;[8] whence arises
a continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and
the Spirit against the flesh.[9]
III. In which
war, although the remaining corruption, for a time, may much prevail;[10] yet,
through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ,
the regenerate part does overcome;[11] and so, the saints grow in grace,[12]
perfecting holiness in the fear of God.[13]
Times, they're a changing
The
Poet & Philosopher, Bob Dylan wrote one of the most memorable and often
quoted protest songs of the 1960’s, “Times they’re a changing”.
When
we examine our lifestyles today in the early 21st Century we are governed by
time, the writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:17b. “For
there is a time for every matter and for every work” please read Ecclesiastes
Chapter 3 for the context. Yet today we
never seem to have enough time. We often
feel like Lewis Carroll’s Character; “The White Rabbit” running ahead of
ourselves to make up or catch up on time.
One
of the growth areas in the Business World is the concept of Time Management;
there is even a Dummies Guide on Time Management. My late Grandfather was brilliant in many,
many ways, one of which was his time keeping, Has a boy I would walk to and
from Church with Him, (which was an honour, privilege and a blessing, because
it was our time together), people would often say to Him, because they knew
that at 9.30am on a Sunday Morning, he would walk past, that they could set
their clocks by him, because he would walk past at that exact time on a Sunday.
Time
is one of our precious resources and indeed one of our most precious gifts, we
all have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
4 weeks to a month, and 12 months to a year, the question is how do we use or
spend our time, we all have access to
watches and clocks and even our mobile phones have a way to tell us the time,
In the New Testament, there are two
Greek Words that are translated into the English Word Time, these are Chronos
and Kairos, quite simply Chronos means
normal time and Kairos means an appointed time for the purpose of God.
We
all have friends and family, people who we love, care for, support, bless and
encourage, perhaps, today we can all
think of those people around us that we can give one of our greatest gifts, the
gift of time, which can be emailing, texting. Phoning, sending a message on
Facebook or even going to see or meeting up for a Coffee.
Yours
in His Grace
Blair
Humphreys
Thursday, 15 August 2013
JESUS CHRIST THE APPLE TREE
Thanks
to my good friend Richard Bibby, who mentioned this hymn/carol when we were out
tonight for a meal with some other good friends.
From
Divine Hymns or Spiritual Songs,
compiled
by Joshua Smith, New Hampshire, 1784
Tune
by Elizabeth Poston, 1905-1987
1.
The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden
with fruit and always green:
The
trees of nature fruitless be
Compared
with Christ the apple tree.
2.
His beauty doth all things excel:
By
faith I know, but ne'er can tell
The
glory which I now can see
In
Jesus Christ the apple tree.
3.
For happiness I long have sought,
And
pleasure dearly I have bought:
I
missed of all; but now I see
'Tis
found in Christ the apple tree.
4.
I'm weary with my former toil,
Here
I will sit and rest awhile:
Under
the shadow I will be,
Of
Jesus Christ the apple tree.
5.
This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It
keeps my dying faith alive;
Which
makes my soul in haste to be
With
Jesus Christ the apple tree.
Jesus
Christ the Apple Tree
From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jesus
Christ the Apple Tree lyrics in an 1897 re-publication of 1797 printing
Jesus
Christ the Apple Tree (also known as Apple Tree and, in its early publications,
as Christ Compared to an Apple-tree) is a poem, presumably intended for use as
a carol, written by an unknown person in the 18th century. It has been set to
music by a number of composers, including Jeremiah Ingalls (1764–1838) and
Elizabeth Poston (1905–1987).
The
first known publication of "Jesus Christ the Apple Tree" was in
London's Spiritual Magazine in August, 1761. This credits "R.H." as
the submitter and presumed author.[1] Another early printing, which cannot be
dated closely but may well be the second and could even be earlier, is an
English broadsheet.[2] This broadsheet uses the term "Methodists,"
which certainly places it after about 1730, when the term first came into use
at Oxford University, and probably substantially later, when the religious
movement had spread.
The
hymn's first known appearance in a hymnal, and in America, was in 1784 in
Divine Hymns, or Spiritual Songs: for the use of Religious Assemblies and
Private Christians compiled by Joshua Smith, a lay Baptist minister from New
Hampshire. It became quite common in American hymnbooks, though not in English
ones, after that, and for that reason has often been assumed to have an
American author; there is no evidence however to support this.
The
song may be an allusion to both the apple tree in Song of Solomon 2:3 which has
been interpreted as a metaphor representing Christ, and to Jesus' description
of his life as a tree of life in Luke 13:18–19 and elsewhere in the New
Testament including Revelation 22:1–2 and within the Old Testament in Genesis.
Apple trees were commonly grown in early New England and there was an old
English tradition of wassailing or wishing health to apple trees on Christmas
Eve.[3] The song is now performed by choirs around the world, especially during
the Christmas season as a Christmas carol.[4]
Another
motivation of the song may have been to Christianize old English winter season
songs used in wassailing the apple orchards -- pouring out libations or
engaging in similar ceremonies to seek fertility of the trees.[5]
References
I was wondering… how well you know me Written by Vicky Walker
http://blog.christianconnection.co.uk/i-was-wondering-how-well-you-know-me/
Checked your wires lately? The ones that control how you think? And your alien origins? Whether you’re from Mars or Venus? From merely knowing my gender you can know so many things about me – how I want to be spoken to, how emotional I am, my likes and dislikes, expectations of a relationship and so much more. Plus the helpful Christian bit that also says I’m looking for someone to be my leader, to pursue me (while simultaneously guarding my heart, obviously) as I journal dreamily about cupcakes iced with key verses from Proverbs 31.
While certain aspects of Christian culture demand men be MEN (tear at your own chest hair roaring like a lion if this resonates – it’s fine if this applies to you, girls; it’ll grow back) and women be passive and nurturing, these things can’t happen in isolation. They are narratives we weave for each other across generations. What you ‘deserve’ will vary according to your gender: usually a nice girl or a good man. A nice girl who will… do what, exactly? According to some thinking, perform a supportive role, her identity largely forged around her ability to nurture. A ‘good woman’ is sometimes permitted – she is usually deployed to calm and balance a ‘wild man’ – but in general nice is preferred. A ‘nice man’ however can induce eye rolling from wives-in-waiting who want a good man to take charge and lead. Lead what? Well, if not an actual church then… something. Even his home. Be the decision maker. Step up. Take charge. GRR etc. It may not describe you at all. You may be a man who is a thinker and dreamer more than a doer. You may be a woman who makes plans without waiting for permission. We’re surrounded by so many expectations it can take time and deliberate effort to work out who we really are. Even pastimes. Men who like baking and rom coms or women who like football and crime dramas aren’t the exception.
So what about considering personality instead of clichés? Whether someone is an extrovert or introvert, serious or light hearted, what they laugh at, their emotional intelligence, what they’ve experienced and how they see the world are going to matter much more than an idealised fantasy man or woman. And character; the actual core of a person. The traits we’d want in a partner regardless of gender, whether someone is honest, caring, kind, down to earth. Our values, the difference we want to make, not a list of expectations of how our fantasy partner should serve us and fit into our plans. It can be too easy to judge each other if the words don’t seem to fit. Can a man say he is sweet and sensitive or a woman she’s straightforward and independent without worrying about being dismissed or labelled?
The roles we’re expected to play can be painful and, in the end, limiting. Advice suggesting women should present themselves as a prize worth winning or a princess worth fighting for. The insistence men are ‘visual’ or even ‘hunters’ (wiring again) and can’t help how they respond. Who might just look at your photos rather than read your profile – wink, wink – and if they do read, reject those who don’t seem ‘feminine’ (gentle & nurturing?) enough. How do we strip back the expectations that have been fired at us for years and accept each other for who we really are? Find partners based on character not on whether she’s a woman who ‘must cook and love children’ (especially lightly seasoned ones), or concentrate on making ourselves seem pleasant and pick-able for a strong, confident leader-man, rather than accepting we’ll be in a relationship with another human. Surely the best we have to offer anyone is who God made us, stereotype-busting quirks and all?
Read more articles on: Dating & Relationships
About Vicky Walker
Vicky Walker is a writer and speaker, among other things. Her book ‘Do I have to be good all the time?’ about life, love and awkward moments is available now from www.vickywalker.info
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