revelling in the revelation of God's truth

someone who grew up believing they were worthless... REVELS in the revelation that Christ gives them worth.
.....but
someone who grew up believing they were better than everyone else REVELS in the revelation that they are nothing special (what a relief).


someone who grew up believing they were incapable REVELS in the revelation that they can do all things through Christ who strengthens them.
.....but
someone who grew up believing they were supremely capable of being perfect in and of themselves REVELS in the revelation that they are naked, poor, blind, and weak without Christ.


my point is that we need to be sensitive to what other peoples big revelation is, because it can be hard to understand why something is BIG to them, especially if its 'opposite' to our big revelations.  and we try to be helpful and encouraging, and 'balance' them out. and in so doing, we can diminish or unwittingly undermine their revelling in that truth.... make that BIG truth seem smaller, and take some of the joy of it away from them.

what's your big revelation of God's truth that you REVEL in? and why? and how to people try to 'temper' your revelling? and how does it affect you?

i REVEL in the truths that i am naked, poor, blind, weak.... that my righteousnesses are filthy rags... that without God i can do nothing. the reason? i grew up in a very elitest, 'more capable than thou' environment. and now? in Christ, i can REST, and don't have to strive. yeah. ....people try and temper what they see as 'defeatist' by saying, 'but Lynnie, you CAN do all things in Christ who strengthens you!!!!!' (which i hear as 'do do do, pull up your bootstraps, get on with it -- strive!!!', which echoes my childhood messages. and diminishes my joy and rest.)

i would be interesting in your thoughts/stories... please feel free to comment!!! :)

~lynnie

yeah.

~lynnie

whack

this is WHACK theology.



NO.  its BY grace (the means)  THROUGH faith (the channel that brings it to us) which is a GIFT not of ourselves lest we boast.

saved BY grace, and grace alone.  not grace + faith.  not a mixture.

the deciding factor in my salvation is not my faith.  nope.  it's a gift.  the FAITH is provided for me.

what this guy is preaching is works.  if i was in a church preaching this, i'd walk out.

this is so entrapping it makes me angry.

~lynnie

imputed love

i've long understood that God took my sin and gave me Christ's righteousness.

but i always felt like, so He 'has' to accept me... but why would He love me?

there's nothing in me to love.  not one iota.

so this has blown me away....



He exchanged the hatred that i deserve, for unending love that i don't.

no, i don't deserve it.  not in the least.

but He imputed it to me.... so it's mine.

whoa.

~lynnie

incredibly encouraging

~lynnie

i can't.... He can.

i needed to hear this today... thank You, Lord.





~lynnie

Christ ALONE

because i'm a boring single childless stay-at-home do nothing (not really, but that's how i feel sometimes) i listen to a TON of online sermons, and find a LOT of really good ones. this, i'm sure, is in the top 5 i've heard. al mohler jr at capitol hill baptist on reformation day... on Christ ALONE. amazing. http://www.capitolhillbaptist.org/audio/2010/11/reformation-sunday/

~lynnie

amazing

this is an amazing testimony of a lady who got out of the new age, and she tells of how it's leaking into the church unawares.



~lynnie

aspergers?

i took an asperger's test, it said, 

Your Aspie score: 134 of 200

Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 68 of 200

You are very likely an Aspie

****

also took this aspergers quiz, which said, "Likely to be Autistic"

hmmm.....

****

just read this article about facebook and aspergers.... that about sums up what i love about facebook!  so useful and less confusing for me than real life!! LOL

~lynnie

10 point plan of interpretation

from derek thomas at the ligonier 2010 conference.

rule #1.  what matters here is a hermeneutic for 'ordinary' christians.  the perspicuity of scripture.  that which is essential for salvation can be discerned by ordinary christians using the ordinary means of grace -- by going to church, reading the bible, asking teachers, dependable commentaries.  no gnosticism necessary.

rule #2.  scripture has ONE meaning.  many applications, but only one meaning.  NOT the middle ages idea of 4 meanings in every text.  'when the literal will stand, that which is furthest from the literal is the worst' -- Calvin. one meaning... because behind it is only One Mind.  many authors but behind them only One Author.  a rational, coherent Mind.

rule #3.  scripture is its own interpreter.  NO contradictions; somewhere in scripture is the explanation for the seeming contradiction that we have failed to comprehend.  Be careful therefore of building an entire doctrine on one text.

rule #4.  interpret obscure passages in the light of those that are clear.

rule #5.  pay attention to genre.  God does NOT have feathers, and does not cluck like a chicken.

rule #6.  remember, writers sometimes wrote more than they knew.  interpretation needs to be of the authorial intent of the ORIGINAL Author-- God.

rule #7.  differentiate between description and prescription.  read the narrative in light of the didactive and moral passages.

rule #8.  no interpretation can EVER contradict the gospel.  no interpretation can ever discount justification by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

rule #9.  be careful about word studies.  etymology.  sometimes the root words wonderfully illustrate the meaning; sometimes they do not.

rule #10.  beware of a false christo-centrism.  ie. 'finding Jesus in every passage'.  not every text of scripture speaks directly about Jesus.  instead of, 'where is Jesus in this text?', it should be 'what is Jesus saying in this text?'.  you can hear Jesus in every text, but you may not see Him in every text.

be prepared to die for primary truths.  justification by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone is a doctrine we must be willing to die for.  but secondary and tertiary truths are not to be held with the same degree of closed-handedness.

true, valid, rock steady interpretation that passes the test of time CAN be attained.

~lynnie