Oh No, Not Another Nooma!

I was looking for the 7 volumes of Martin Luther's sermons on Christianbook.com and came across a NOOMA video (You can see it at http://www.christianbook.com/nooma?event=NOOMA18VHP although it may eventually be taken down). I've heard many things said against these NOOMA videos and the man featured in them, Robb Bell. Based upon what what I've heard, I made a rash, negative, harsh, judgment.

Now though, I watched for myself this new video in the NOOMA series called "Name." I want to stay clear of being prejudice or critical. I watched it bearing this in mind. I do realize the importantance of relevance. If I remember reading correctly, even Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers understood the importantance of keeping up to date with the times. Well, the NOOMA series does just that (perhaps way too much though). A description on Christianbook.com of the DVD series says it best:

"Today's generation demand a new format for getting Christian perspectives. Nooma is the new format. It's short films with communicators that really speak to us. Concise and to the point, 10- to 14-minute DVDs tackle topics like forgiveness, discipleship, and unconditional love, making biblical truths vivid and relevant for today's generation"

Before I get into the video I watched, we must understand that there is a line that must be drawn as to how relevent we, as professing Christians, are allowed to go. It's safe to say that if you must do away with the truth in order to be relevent, this is too far. Infact, I feel sadden when I think that a professing believer in the Son of God could ever do this. To toss the truth off to be relevent looks similiar to when Judas betrayed the the Christ with a kiss.

There are certain areas in which we need to be relevent but I think many of the ways in which we've become relevent aren't the ways we're suppose to. You might ask, "Well can you show us the proper way to be relevent?" To which I reply, no I haven't figured it out myself yet either. I will say this though. They're too many factors to take into consideration when finding an answer to that question.

Anyways on to the video...I'm going to describe it as best I can neutrally. I've made a judgment regarding it but it's first by examing what I've seen in the video. Throughout the video you see various people taking off shirts and on the back of the shirt is a word or phrase. At first I didn't quite understand what these words meant but then I realized these are words that people use to describe WHO they are. Every new shirt they shed, you see a new word printed on the back which show all the factors and labels which can make up WHO a person is. The goal of the video is to get stirred up within people to find out the answer to the question as to their real identities, "Who are you?" It is at this point that I find a major problem. Indeed, I agree the question is an important one. However, the way Robb Bell assumes we find the answer to that question is by what we see. We're flesh and blood, we're neighbors, we're husbands and wives, we're teachers, we're on a more deeper level HIV positive as he shows in the video, we're liberal, we're orthodox, we're faithless, etc., we're made up of our history, this makes us who we are. Everything comes together, all the ingredients are mixed and out comes the results of our own individual unique persons.

Robb Bell is speaking in a fleshly sense. He talks as if they're isn't anything called "faith" whereby you lay hold of something which is the real substance. This is a very crucial key and for many I believe through this video, the spiritual, the invisible, which endures forever will be darkened. Whereas the flesh faileth and the world passeth away, yet by this video this is all viewers will know. I don't question Bell's sincerity in wanting to give a dying world hope but their hope isn't in this dying world that they're apart of; they're hope isn't going to be found in anything that they can see. To say it rightly, you aren't what you do, your deeds don't declare who you are, what declares who you are is God. That is what makes you who you are. I guess we can put our finger on the problem this way: the focal point of the problem, as this is the main reason of all problems is the fact that Robb Bell attempts to usurp Christ and God out of the picture. God's word has no power. Man's word and deeds do. What we see is what we get. God says your righteous in heaven though on earth your unrighteous. So what is the real you? If we used the devilish wisdom I'm assuming Robb Bell is using, it would be the flesh and what you do down here. Yet the life that is lived by faith, says the other. You really are not what you see but what you hope for.

I would say to be very careful of these NOOMA videos and Robb Bell. I've written the best that I can and I also understand my writing to be very imperfect. Also my intellectual powers aren't fully strengthened and illuminated but still I'm faulty in my thinking. Please forgive me for my errors and if you find any improvements that you might suggest to make, please let me know. However, from what I've analyzed up until this point, I say, be on guard against this!

Comments anyone? Want to hear your responses...

Brainwashing

Have you ever been accused of “brainwashing” someone? Yeah, you heard me right, brainwashing! It can be a very devastating accusation. Well, I have. In the past, when I’ve been preaching, I’ve been accused of things like this and it’s never bothered me. However, now this accusation comes from a different source: my fiancée’s step-father. This time it has bothered me. It’s bothered me because he doesn’t allow us to be with each other and I think part of the underlying reason is because he believes I’m brainwashing her! How destructive this can be to someone. The truth is that I love her and want to marry her. I’m going to lay my life down for her as Christ laid down His life for the church. That’s the truth. Now when he makes this accusation and even mocks my fiancée for being with me, it makes me feel horrible and that’s because I have no power to do anything about it until she’s 18 (April 5th, 2008).

I looked up the word brainwashing in an American Dictionary from 1828 and it wasn’t even in there. So I had to go to websters.com and look up every definition on the word brainwashing.

The Definitions Of “Brainwashing”

1. A method for systematically changing attitudes or altering beliefs, originated in totalitarian countries, esp. through the use of torture, drugs, or psychological-stress techniques.

I don’t have a method for systematically changing my fiancée’s attitudes or beliefs. It’s not like we sit down and I say, “Ok, sit down, we’re going to spend the next few hours reading through this package I’ve made and we’re going to do this everyday for the next month.” Actually, this sounds more like what her step-father does when he forces her to spend 3 hours everyday doing math problems on the computer. Talk about brainwashing!

The second definition is:

2. Any method of controlled systematic indoctrination, esp. one based on repetition or confusion.

I’ve given my fiancée a Bible, I gave her some books I found to be good, I don’t force her to read her Bible or those books. I’ll admit that I’ve “indoctrinated” her by telling her what the Bible teaches and surely whenever someone learns something sometimes it might result in confusion but this is far from brainwashing! Indoctrination simply means “to instruct in a doctrine” So if brainwashing were to teach someone something, obviously we shouldn’t teach people anything! A father can’t teach his children. A husband can‘t lead his household else he teach them by example. I mean, it’s absolutely absurd! However, brainwashing isn’t simply “indoctrination” but “controlled systematic indoctrination.” It’s horrible that her step-father would accuse me of brainwashing because thus far we see, this is a long shot from the truth. It hurts me because the Bible says love doesn’t seek it’s own and that’s what a brainwasher does. He’s accusing me of not loving her and this is the greatest of sins. God said that the 2nd greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. How much more does He expect us to love our fiancée? Therefore, it’s a serious matter when he questions my love for her by bringing up an accusation of brainwashing. However, there’s still more definitions left, so maybe according to those, I’m “brainwashing.” Let’s see.

3. An instance of subjecting or being subjected to such techniques.

We’ve already ruled out that such techniques as defined above isn’t what I’ve done or am doing. Therefore, we can also say that I haven’t nor will I ever subject her to an instance of these brainwashing techniques. As we saw, how could I say I love her and yet force her to do anything? Love doesn’t seek it’s own, rather love is kind.

4. Intensive, forcible indoctrination, usually political or religious, aimed at destroying a person's basic convictions and attitudes and replacing them with an alternative set of fixed beliefs.

Obviously, as we’ve seen, I’m not intensely or forcefully teaching my fiancée anything. It says that it’s usually political or religious. In this case it’d be religious. It says that its usually aimed at destroying a person's basic convictions and attitudes and replacing them with an alternative set of fixed beliefs. I’ve never aimed at destroying my fiancée’s basic convictions and attitudes. Actually, I never knew them and still hardly know them. I will admit, I do wish false convictions and false attitudes would cease including the one’s that lie in me. I also will say that ever since I’ve been a Christian, my aim has been that the whole world and even myself would align up with those “alternative set of fixed beliefs” found in the Bible.
If to desire this and even seek to make this be a reality is brainwashing, then surely I’m a brainwasher! Nothing more would please me to wash the brains that have been dirtied by lies!

5. The application of a concentrated means of persuasion, such as an advertising campaign or repeated suggestion, in order to develop a specific belief or motivation.

I’ll admit, since I’ve become a Christian, my desire is that the whole world would be persuaded to believe the truth. I have no concentrated means to persuade them though. The way I do try to persuade is by open-air preaching, passing out gospel tracts, and speaking to people in one-on-one conversations in which no force is used and they’re free to leave as they please. If brainwashing is simply standing up, opening your mouth, and speaking what is true then I‘m a brainwasher! We might as well just stand up and speak lies so the people can clap there hands and be happy! It says brainwashing is “The application of a concentrated means of persuasion…in order to develop a specific belief or motivation.” Obviously, when I speak to someone who believes the sun is black and I’m trying to persuade him to believe it’s proper color, my intention is to develop a specific belief. Now when it comes to truth and religion and the right way of living and God, is there anything wrong with trying to persuade a deceived person to believe what is true? Surely not. For a person who doesn’t believe in absolute truth, there’s going to be a big problem because they can have “their truth” and you can have “your truth” and we can all be ok. One can believe raising your children this way is ok and another can believe raising them another way is ok and they can both be right. There is no right way about anything anymore. When God doesn’t decide what is right and what is wrong, when He doesn’t even exist in a persons mind, this is the result of it, simply put chaos. Our generation seems to be the most violent of them all when it comes to anyone who tries to kindly help a neighbor into the light.

6. Forcible indoctrination into a new set of attitudes and beliefs.

It seems this definition and the word “brainwashing” itself brings a bad connotation with it. It seems to make you think that if a person changes his attitudes and beliefs, there’s something wrong with that. By no means is there anything wrong with that! Let me say it forcibly…there is nothing wrong with a person changing his attitudes and beliefs. The only time it’s wrong is when a person goes from truth to lies but when a person goes from lies to truth, then there isn’t anything wrong. Suppose an atheist believes God doesn’t exist and someone comes to him and says, “Sir, your in error. God does exist and I know Him!” If the atheist changes his belief and as a result his attitude, this is a most wonderful thing because he’s changed from believing a lie to believing the truth.

God is my witness. I love my beautiful fiancée. She is God’s little gift to me. I think any loving husband can only love as far as he loves as Christ loves. So here is our perfect example. It is written, “Christ…loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

Let’s forget this brainwashing nonsense and move on. It’s nothing more than a hindrance from that baboon the devil.

Update Part 1

Where do I begin? So much has happened in these last few months that I don't know where to start. Perhaps it's best to start with the one that I constantly think of, worry about, and painfully cry over and that is my lovely fiancee. After a year now of prayer, searching the Bible, and taking into account the experiences and advice from godly persons of the past and present regarding marriage, her and I want to marry.

Right now, I'm in the most hellish state on earth that I've ever been in. These few months have grown darker and darker. It seems as though God has abandoned me but I know He is with me always, even to the end of the world (Matthew 28:20).

I love my fiancee immensely. Her beauty is very great. When she tells me something by a whisper, it is that "gentle and quiet spirit" that comes forward and gives me a glimpse into just how beautiful my fiancee, this little creature of God, can be.

The trouble comes for me when God "stands back" as it were and watches certain things happen that cause pain. It gets worse when I beg God to remove these burdens and they're still on my back. One of those burdens is her parents. They don't allow me to see or talk to her anymore. They falsely accuse me of certain things.

What brings me the most terrible sadness I've ever felt is to think that within a few months from now, she will decide something else.

Another burden is how I'll be able to provide for her. God watches as I worry myself to the grave. He knows the desire of my heart is that on April 5th, 2008, I'll have my precious bride and she'll have me. He also knows that this cannot be unless I'm making at least $1,000 a month to provide for her.

To be continued...

The Way Of Salvation

by Paul Mcgrade - written on June 22nd, 2007

"And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, you Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, You Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they called the blind man, saying to him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calls you. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said to him, What will you that I should do to you? The blind man said to him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said to him, Go your way; your faith has made you whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way." - Mark 10:46-52

"And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging."

Notice Bartimaeus is blind, he's sitting by the highway side, and he's a beggar.

Martin Luther's last written words were "We are beggars; this is true." Like Bartimaeus, we're blind and we sit by the highway side begging.

"And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, you Son of David, have mercy on me."

If you read Matthew, in it you'll find that the lower a person's view of Christ, the less He was responsive to them. It's as if He would have walked right past them. On the other hand, the higher a person's view, the more intimate He was with them.

Bartimaeus had a low view of Christ. He called Him just the Son of David.

"And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, You Son of David, have mercy on me."

There will be many things that charge us to hold our peace. That is, many things will attempt to suppress our cries to Christ for mercy but we must cry the more a great deal. Bartimaeus desired to see; our desire is to be saved. Therefore, it's a greater matter for us to beg of the Lord.

"And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they called the blind man, saying to him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calls you."

I had to ask myself why didn't Jesus keep walking? What made Him stop now? I highly doubt it was because of anything on Bartimaeus' part.

We desire to be saved, we've cried out for what seems like forever until finally Jesus stands still and commands us to come to Him. I want to emphasize the word command. The power that was behind the command "let there be light" is the same power behind this command. It's irresistible grace. How much does a man on fire desire to be cooled? In the same way, we desire to be saved, Bartimaeus desired to receive sight, who's not going to come when the Saviour and the great Physician calls? Obviously, those who don't want a Saviour, nor a Healer.

Yet, we desire to be saved and He calls us. "For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Therefore, we can be comforted. Those who doubt their salvation, need not fear, for He has heard your cries, if indeed you have cried. Those who doubt their salvation but have not lifted up one single prayer to God about it, how shall the Master hear you as He passes by?

"And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus."

Now that we've heard His call to come, again, He says "Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;" we may cast away our garment, rise, and go to Jesus. Here is a picture of repentance. Remember what He said "For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Therefore, let us cast off our garment. Whatever we are holding onto is our garment. Then let us rise and go to Jesus.

"And Jesus answered and said to him, What will you that I should do to you? The blind man said to him, Lord, that I might receive my sight."

Imagine Jesus asking you one question "What will you that I should do to you?" Now for Bartimaeus it was that he wouldn't no longer be blind. For me, it would be that I might be saved.

"And Jesus said to him, Go your way; your faith has made you whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way."

"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any many should boast."

Something wonderful that can be seen here is the liberty given by Christ to those who are saved. Notice what He said to him "Go your way." He didn't ask him to follow Him. He didn't command him to follow Him; he simply said "Go your way." Neither did Jesus manipulate him. He didn't say "If you follow me, I'll heal you but if you don't follow me, I won't heal you." He was going to heal him, regardless of what he did afterward. Now, in the wisdom of God, He knew that Bartimaeus would follow Him. Likewise, that is the result of true salvation. We follow Christ when we've been truly saved. Like Peter, we say, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

In conclusion, I'd like to add that this passage of scripture is very beautiful. It teaches us the way of salvation. I'd recommend this passage to be studied carefully and meditated upon, especially if you don't know if your saved but are tormented with fear.

Genesis 17:21

"But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto you at this set time in the next year." - Genesis 17:21

If this verse can teach us anything about God, it shouts that God knows the future and whispers to us that God knows the past and present. We could go even further than that and say this verse teaches us another thing. This verse shows us something of the power of God. It gives us a glimpse of what God meant when He said "I am the Almighty God." Men usually like to talk about the "free will of man" but this verse shows us the "free will of God;" that He does what He wants in the heavens and in the earth.

The Great Dilemma - The Solution

The Great Dilemma - The Solution
By Paul Mcgrade

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness and so God created man. Then man went against God's command, he sinned against God and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And so the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Now, when God flooded the earth, He destroyed absolutely everything! You see, God told Adam & Eve to be fruitful and multiply. And from the time of Adam & Eve, all the way to the time of Noah, it was about 1,000 years. So, God makes man. He tells man to be fruitful and multiply. After 1,000 years of this God looks upon the earth and what does He see? Corruption. The earth was filled with violence. Every man had corrupted his way upon the earth. So what does God do? He says, I'm going to destroy them.

Every man had corrupted his way but it says Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Now, why did God keep Noah? He should have destroyed him to! Why'd He keep him? Was it because Noah was a little better than everyone else? Did Noah do something the rest didn't do and therefore God decided to spare him? Was he born with some sort of moral spark and the rest born dead? Was it because Noah was righteous? He did righteous deeds? Because he obeyed God and the rest didn't? What was it that caused God to be gracious to Noah and not to the rest?

The answer's this: Nothing. Nothing Noah did caused God to look upon Him and be gracious to him. If the flood came and Noah waved his hands to get God's attention, if he had jumped up and down on the highest mountain, if he'd yelled to God for help because the waters were up to his neck, God would not have looked if it was because of something Noah had. God was not gracious to Noah because He saw Noah had a moral spark the others didn't have. God wasn't drawn to Noah, He wasn't wooed by Noah, neither did Noah dazzle God's eyes with any gold that he lifted up. No, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord not because of anything he was or anything he had for God.

The reason why Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord is because God chose to be gracious to him and not to the others. God in His infinite wisdom thought it to be the most wisest, most glorious, most gracious way; that Noah be spared and the others be destroyed. Grace is totally free. It is totally unmerited, undeserved. It is apart from anything and everything about us. You cannot understand the grace of God until you realize that God saw the wickedness of man. That every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil. How could God look at us and be gracious to us? To anyone of us? Man is a fallen, radically depraved, spiritually dead, morally corrupt, sin loving, God hating creature. In the very core of his being he is as opposed to God as the devil himself. He cannot change and has no desire to do so. He loves a lie and will do everything in his power to restrain and suppress any and every truth about God and the more he knows about God the more he hates Him because God is righteous and man is evil. Now how do you expect God to spare something like that? It is only by Gods grace.

If God was not gracious Noah would have been destroyed to. Yet God spared one man. Noah! One vile, detestable, little man and his family. The last thing written about him was that he was found drunk and naked in his tent and yet God saves this man? That my friends is the grace of God! Free and undeserved. Not of him that wills, not of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.

----Now, God is just. How is it that God could save anyone then? How could God save a people like us? How can God say to Noah, for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation? Something we need to understand is that there is none who are righteous, no not one. So then how could God say to Noah, for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation? Possibly the greatest question that ever could be asked is this: how can God look at one who is unrighteous and at the same time call them righteous, even though they're not? The answer's this:

Galatians 3:22 - The scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

How could God say to Noah, for you have I seen righteous before me? He could say it because of what Jesus Christ was going to do. You could say that God looked up the road in history and saw Christ's righteousness and declared it to be Noah's, even though Noah was undeserving and was not righteous in himself. So how can God be just and at the same time save us? By sending His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die. God set forth His only begotten Son. Jesus Christ came into the world, born of a virgin, lived a perfect righteous life. He never disobeyed His Father. He never broke a command His Father gave because He loved Him. He was one with Him. He was with His Father before the world began. Yet when He came into the world, the world hated Him. His own did not receive Him. The world condemned Him. They ridiculed Him. Said He was a liar and teaching lies. They thought He was crazy because He called God His Father. They crucified Him and all this was being done to fulfill the prophecy God would fulfill. This was being done because God loved us so much. It was the only way a people like us could be saved. It was the only way we could be reconciled to God. It was the most wisest and most glorious way. Yet at the same time it was the most bloodiest, most gruesome, most painful way.

When Christ hung on that cross, it pleased the Father to bruise His only begotten Son. It pleased God to pour out all the holy hatred, all the holy wrath and fierce anger of God upon His beloved Son. He did it because He is love. This, the Son of God coming to lay down His life, was the love of God manifested before our very eyes. It is entirely told in the Bible. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. When Christ, in agony, was on that cross, God was slaughtering His own Son. He was crushing Him with the full weight of the wrath that should fall upon you and me. He threw it down upon Jesus, His beloved, precious Son.


If you were standing at the foot of a dam and the wall broke, all that weight, all that water crashing down upon you, would be too much to bear. Christ though bore every second of His Fathers wrath. He drank every last drop of His Father's cup. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. And then Jesus cried with a loud voice, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? From eternity to eternity, the perfect, unthought of, sweetest, unfathomable communion Jesus had with His Father was torn and ripped from Him and this is why He sweat great drops of blood. The greatest of all judgments Christ has suffered, to be cut off from God. The Father broke fellowship with His Son and turned His back on Him. Christ died and was buried in a tomb for 3 days. God though raised Him from the dead; and has highly exalted Him and though Christ once was dead, He now sits at the right hand of God, in the glory He had with Him before the world ever was created. God has given Jesus a name which is above every name! That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

My friends, God shall save you by His grace through faith. You must believe though on the Lord Jesus Christ. You must trust that though you aren't righteous, yet God is able to call those things which be not as though they were. He's able to declare you to be righteous even though your not because of Jesus. Can you trust Him? Can you believe on Him that justifies the ungodly? Are you not sure if you believe? Well then, do you want to believe? Then LOOK to Him who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Oh, my friend, if you can believe God is true, if you can just simply believe on Jesus Christ, you are saved. Your feelings do not declare your salvation but Christ does! Will you look to Him? Oh, please look to Him and you will be saved.

May God command the light to shine out of darkness again. May He shine in your hearts, the light of this glorious gospel of Christ. Though I don't understand and am a blind wretch, yet may God do a work that is unexplainable and can only be done by Him to His glory. May He do it in each one of you. May His kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Spurgeon Gems - Part 1

I'm going to begin to post some of the quotes by Charles Spurgeon that I find helpful.

"Faith in the Christian, when he first gets it, is true and saving—but it is not in proportion. The man believes one doctrine, perhaps, and that is so delightful that it swallows up every other. Then he gets hold of another and he swings that way like a pendulum—no doctrine can be true but that one. Perhaps in a little time he swings back like a pendulum the other way. He is unsteady because while his faith perceives the Truth of God, it does not perceive the harmonies of the Truths of God. His faith, for instance, may perceive the Lord Jesus Christ, but as yet it has not learned the position which Christ occupies in the great economy of Divine Grace. He is half-blind, and cannot see very far. He has sight, but it is not the sight which he will yet receive. Like the blind man who, when our Lord healed him, saw men at first as trees walking, he comes, in due time, to see clearly, for Grace always goes on in its work—it will never halt half-way."

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"The last thing I have to notice about this true faith in Christ as sight is that it is at all times a very simple thing to look. Look! No one needs go to a grammar school or to a university to look. Look! The smallest child, as we have said, can look—the most illiterate and untaught can look. If there is life in a look, glory be to God for such a provision because it is available for each one of us! Sinner, if you would be saved, there is nothing for you to think upon but Christ. Do your sins trouble you? Go to Him and trust in Him—and the moment you look to Him you are saved. “Oh,” says one, “but I cannot do that! My faith is so weak.” Well, when I walk about and see a beautiful sight, very seldom do I think about my own sight—my mind is occupied with the sight—and so let it be with you. Never mind those eyes—think more about the vision to be seen. Think of Christ. It would be a pitiful thing if, when there were some great procession in the streets, all you thought about was your own eyes. You would see but very little. Think less about your faith, and more about Jesus—

“Weary Sinner! Keep your eyes
On the atoning Sacrifice.
View Him bleeding on the tree,
Pouring out His life for you.
Cast your guilty soul on Him,
Find Him mighty to redeem!
At His feet your burden lay.
Look your doubts and fears away.”

Turn over and over in your mind the great transaction on the Cross. I have sometimes said to young seekers, Go home and spend an hour deliberately reading about the death of Christ. And then picture it in your mind’s eye, for it is in that way that faith comes. Through the Holy Spirit’s power we come to believe that story by thinking upon it, seeing Jesus in it, and then following on and giving it the full acceptance of our spirit. Go to the Cross for faith if you cannot go with faith, and the Lord
grant that you may find in Jesus."

(Quotes taken from "Seeing Jesus" By C. H. Spurgeon)

Parked In James

I've been reading the Bible since September of 2006. Since then I started at Genesis and have reached James. As I read through James today, I wrote some things down. These things I've written down are results from my first "pass-through." I think it would be good for me to stay in James for a while. Here is what I wrote:

1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

{} James - Who is James? A servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

{} Why is there a distinction between God and the Lord Jesus Christ?

{} Who is James writing to? The twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.

{} What twelve tribes is he talking about?

_______________________________________________

1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations;

{} My brethren. Who is James referring too here? Jews? Christians? Who?

{} What does James mean by temptations?; what temptations is he talking about?

{} Why is this [verse 2] the first thing he says to his brethren, the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad?

{} Why should they count it all joy? Verse 3 answers this question.

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1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.

{} Falling into divers temptations would be the trying of your faith. Again, exactly what temptations is he referring to?

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1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

{} Why should I let patience have her perfect work? That you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

{} Those that don't realize that the trying of your faith works patience, would be unwise. So James writes verse 5.

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1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraides not; and it shall be given him.

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Lets look at 1:2-3:

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.

Lets look at 1:12:

Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.

Now lets compare Revelation 2:10:

Fear none of those things which you shall suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days; be faithful to death, and I will give you a crown of life.

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FINAL QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER ONE

{} Why does the Bible use the phrase crown of life?

{} What is the word James is talking about in chapter one?

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3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

{} How does the tongue defile the whole body?

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4:4 You adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

{} Adultery with the world.

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4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

{} How do I practically submit myself to God?

{} How do I practically resist the devil?

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4:8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.

{} How do I practically draw near to God?

{} How to I practically cleanse my hands?

{} How do I practically purify my heart?

Possibly the answer to all three questions is in the next verse [verse 9].

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4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

{} These are commands to be obeyed.

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4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.

{} How do I practically humble myself in the sight of the Lord? Possibly the previous verse [verse 9].

{} This is a promise!

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LASTLY

4:16 But now you rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

{} What did James mean here?

Some Heartfelt Thoughts

Its 2007 now and back from Georgia.

There is so much that is going on that it would be hard to explain.

I look at the Bible and am overwhelmed by it. It's taken me 4 months to finally read from Genesis to Acts. It hurts me to read the Bible because I have to, when I'd rather read the Bible because I want to. Yet if I do not force myself to read it, I will not read it and this is what hurts me. It hurts me also to think that my motive for reading the Bible is for the accomplishment itself. This ought not be so. It is my written prayer here that the Lord would help me.

I think about how frail my health is and how quick my life 'twill soon be past. They are frightening and torturous thoughts to really think of falling into the hands of the living God. How unaware I am to the fact that Im going to die soon and all things will be final then. I won't be able to change anything. There won't be any second chances; for anything I've ever done or for the life I have lived.

God is love (1 John 4:16). For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9).

I confess that the last three sentences that I've quoted are the most hardest things in the entire universe to believe. My weary, restless, and tired soul thirsts. I am well spent and I do long and desire rest for my soul. How can I believe in God's only begotten Son? How will I know when I believe in Him?

These are some of my heartfelt thoughts lately.