I am preparing my lesson for youth group tomorrow night, in my preparation I have have been studying Gal 2:17.  I have not “found” anything “new”, but I have been greatly impressed by what Paul is saying!

Gal 2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

Paul is addressing the issue of Peter moving away from the Gentiles because they were not following the Mosaic Law. Paul speaks this verse as a great challenge and accusation against Peter! He is saying: If while you are saying you are justified by grace, yet you are still seeking to be justified by the Law, you are saying that the grace of God was not good enough to justify you. In fact you are saying that even after the grace of God you are still a sinner! This is not true because Christ is NOT the minster of sin! If you are looking to the Law to justify you, you are saying Christ what you did wasn’t good enough!!!!

What a strong accusation!

There are two applications from this verse:

One, if you are unsaved, Christ’s grace is more than you need to be justified, there is NOTHING you can do! Following the Law will not justify you. Christ is not the minister of sin, but if justification and if you are seeking to be justified any other way you will not be justified!

Two, if you are saved, you are already justified! And as Paul says in verse 18, if you seek to go back to works to justify yourself you are make yourself a transgressor and not justifying yourself. The Law was NEVER meant to justify, but to show that one was a sinner and needed a savior!

I hope that you have been challenged as I have been! Not to look to the Law to make me a better person, but to look towards Christ! The Law is there to help teach us what is wrong so that we look to Christ for what if right!

~ Nate

This morning (8/20) I gave a devotional at our men’s prayer breakfast. I know it was practical in my life and wanted to share it here as well.

Hebrews 4:16

“Let Us” – Prayer is not one person praying, while everyone else is thinking about everything else in life. When one person leads in prayer we need to all be praying with them, they are “leading” in prayer, not praying on behalf.We need to pray individually. Prayer is not just a collective event, but is something that each one of us need to be doing individually as well. Last under this phrase, prayer is something that we need to teach our families, and to those around us. It is an us factor, therefore we should help others to be part of the us, and not just someone who listens to others pray.

“therefore come boldly” – We do not have to fear God. I am not saying that we don’t reverence God, I am saying that we don’t come timidly. “Boldly” means “openly” or “confidently” we are joint heirs with Christ, we don’t have to be timid before God. It is not “proudly” though, there is still a reverence.

“unto the throne” - We come before the King of kings. He is not just another man. He is not one of many gods, he is the supreme being of all the universe. He has no equal. We don’t have to wonder if he can do it, we don’t have to wonder if he has the authority. He is on the throne!

“of grace” - The character of the one sitting on the throne. He is graceful to us. He sent his son to die for us on the cross, what more grace is there than that. Who in this world would sacrifice their son for you. Some may be willing to sacrifice themselves for someone who loved them, but who would be willing to sacrifice themself for one who hated them, and was in outright rebellion against them? Yet this is what God did for us. Grace!

“that we may obtain mercy” - Not getting what we deserve. How often does this happen to you on a daily basis? You have done something wrong that deserves punishment, and you pray to God and in his mercy he doesn’t give you the punishment that you deserve? When he died on the cross he provided a way to obtain mercy and not face the death that we deserve for being a sinful people.

“and find grace to help in time of need” - Getting what we do not deserve. Does this not also happen on a daily basis? I can think of countless times when God has given me many things that I do not deserve. The greatest of these was salvation. We do not deserve the salvation that he provided for us, but because of his grace, we have that which we don’t deserve. I think one of the most interesting things about this phrase is “in time of need”. Those good things that happen to us daily that we don’t deserve, often happen when we need them to. There are times that God is just gracious and does something for us out of the blue, but often it is in our time of need that we see him giving us what we do not deserve to get.

So remember first of all that it is our individual privilege/duty to pray. That we come before the King of kings who has the power and the authority to do what we ask. We are joint heirs with Christ and therefore we come before God as sons and daughters. His character is one of grace, and from him we can find deliverance from what we deserve and be given what we don’t deserve.

~ Nate

Galatians 6:2,5 “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ…For every man shall bear his own burdens.”

Those who would criticize the Bible and who try to find fault with it might see a contradiction in these two verses. This is not the case though, and with just a little study one can see the great truth that God has written here for us.

First, so that we can fully understand what Paul is say, we must take a closer look at the word burden in both verses. It will be noticed that the word in the original language for the word burden is different in both verses. In the first verse the word for burden carries with it the idea of “oppressive suffering” or “great weight” this is something that is too much for one person to bear. In the second verse the word for burden is a diminutive form of another word meaning “cargo” or burden”. Since it is the diminutive form, it carries the idea of a “small burden” or a “small cargo”.

Now that we have a better understanding of these two words what can we learn from these two verses, and how can we apply it to our lives?

There are burdens and pressures that come into a Christian’s life that are too much for one person to bear. These can come in all shapes and sizes and can range from financial to persecution to the death of a loved one. This would be a great weight to them, and might even be a weight that would “crush” them emotionally or spiritually. It is the duty of fellow Christians to come along side this burdened Christian during this time in their life and to bear their burden with them so that it is not too much for them.

There are burdens that come into a Christian’s life that are just the normal day to day things of life. These can be things like chores, work, fulfilling one’s responsibilities, and other things of this manner. It is the individual responsibility of the Christian to attend to their own tasks, and the normal issues of life, and to not try to get others to carry his work for him.

Let’s apply this to our lives starting today. If you see someone who is going through a hard time, and dealing with some big issues, come along side them and help them carry this heavy weight. Take responsibility for the tasks of your life and the day to day responsibilities you must fulfill.

~ Nate

(I am in the middle of classes right now. They are going quite well. I wanted to take a brief minute to share a word of encouragement)

John 10:26 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”

Do you know the Shepherd’s voice? Often we are so busy with the hustle and bustle of life that we are too busy, or there is too much noise and we do not hear the Shepherd’s voice. I think of the prophet who heard the “still small voice” of God. He was away from all the commotion of life. Do you ever take a minute to listen for God? Do you have a time when you “get away” so that God can speak to you? Take time today and every day to spend some time “away” with God in your devotions and prayer.

The Shepherd knows you! Even when we aren’t listening to the Shepherd he know us. Though we might not be listening to his instruction, and we might fall into some problems because of not listening to him, he is still there and knows us. What a comfort that God knows you and me on a personal level, he know the hairs on our head!

As mentioned above, we need to be listening for the voice of God. Only listening though won’t do us any good. Once God has given you instruction, you need to follow him! I have seen this with my own eyes. My dad was a “shepherd” and there was an instance when some people who didn’t work with the sheep every day were trying to move them from one place to another, they were having no success. My dad came over, who worked with the sheep everyday, and just started talking to them, they followed him, without any herding, because they knew his voice and trusted him. Do you know God’s voice? Do you follow him where he leads?

Listen for the voice of the Shepherd? He knows you better than you know yourself. Follow the voice of the Shepherd!

~ Nate

Jeremiah 18:4 “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”

When we receive Christ as Savior we become a new person. 2 Cor 5:17 ”Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Our sins are washed away, our mistakes are forgotten, we are a clean, fresh newborn in Christ.

After being a Christian for only a short period of time, the new Christian will realize that just because they got saved, doesn’t mean they are perfect. Though we endeavor to be holy, we still have the flesh. If we do not avoid temptation, if we do not have self-control we will fall into sin. Often when someone falls into sin, small or big, they think, or are told, that they can no longer be used of God. This is not true!

When you fall into sin, it does not mean that you are no longer useful to God. Though there are consequences for sin, and sometimes because of sin there are limitations to your future ministry, you are never useless to God. “So he made it again another vessel,” after we sin and get right with God, he can take your life and re-form your life into a model Christian life, and make you useful to his ministry. “As seemed good to the potter to make it,” God is not just making you a generic vessel, God has a specific design for your life, and though sin can limit what we can be used for sometimes, he still has a specific plan for you. He has a specific plan for you and he will form our life to work for that plan.

Whether or not you have fallen into “major” sin, you have sinned, and you need to allow God to re-form those mars, allow God to remake you. You are never useless before God if you get your life right with God and allow him to make you as it “seems good” to him to make you!

~ Nate

Luke 12:6-7  “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

Sometimes life seems to be so overwhelming and so much seems to be happening to us that doesn’t make sense to us, that we can begin to wonder if God is even paying any attention to what is happening in our life. Yet, from these verses in Luke we can be reassured that God pays great attention to our lives.

The farthing that is mentioned here in our money today would be worth less than a cent. That is a pretty small and insignificant amount! Not only is that a small amount, but two of them was worth five sparrows. A sparrow was not of great value, yet God does not forget one of them. He pays attention to even a bird that we would subscribe very little monetary value.

God pays attention to every detail. Every hair on your and my head is numbered by God! That is how well God knows us and pays attention to us! Can you imagine if you loved one of your relatives so much that you knew everything about them even the number of hairs on their head? That would mean devoting a great deal of time and care to know that much about them, and this is who well God knows and pays attention to you.

God does not forget even one sparrow that is worth nothing by our standards, and Gods says that you and I are worth MANY sparrows! So, when life seems to have you down, and you are feeling insignificant, remember the sparrow! Remember that you are worth more to God than MANY sparrows that he does not forget!!!

~ Nate

I once read a quote that really made me think, pretty sure I know who wrote it, but for the sake of not making a mistake I will only say here that it is not my own.

“We are slowed more by a grain of sand in our shoe, than by the mountain we climb.”

What a thought provoking statement. It is so true of many of our lives, I know for sure that I let this happen to me all the time! There are many things in life that happen to us day to day, some things are big, and some things are small.

What slows you down?
- Someone does something different than you would do it?
- Someone is annoying?
- You spilt the milk?
- You are out of your favorite cereal?
- Maybe it is finances?
- You mean I actually have to work at memorizing scripture?
- Maybe you don’t like the color?
- They didn’t use your idea?
- You mean I might have to give up something I really like so that I can become more like Christ?
- People might make fun of me?
- They might call me a goody-two-shoes?
- Ten Percent?!?!?
- You want me to give up my Saturday to help a fellow Christian?
- If I read my Bible I will have to get up 30 minutes earlier!
- and the list goes on and on and on….

What is slowing you down in life? What is slowing down your spiritual life? I will be the first to admit that there are grains of sand in my shoe: I like things to be done my way, everyone knows that being in Seminary is not a get rich quick scheme, and there are others, but I have to work on a daily basis to get those grains of sand out of my shoe, and focus on the bigger picture. I want to live a life that serves and magnifies God, and there are other things that are far more important for me to be worrying about, like living a holy life, than the sand in my shoe.

God takes care of everything, so don’t let the little things slow you down!

~ Nate

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

I have heard Christians say that faith is not logical, you just do it. I have also heard Christians say that trusting God does not make sense. I totally disagree, faith in God is totally logical! We don’t base our faith in logic, we base it in Christ and in the Word of God. Yet, as Paul says to the WORLD it is illogical, it doesn’t make sense, but to the SAVED it is the “power of God.” It does make sense.

This is just a quick thought. The world says it doesn’t make sense, but to the Christian it should make all the sense in the world!!

~ Nate

Acts 17:6 “These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.”

The goal of this post it to cause me and you to evaluate our lives, and challenge us to do more! When you read about the lives of first century Christians this verse would be a great summary verse. They were spreading Christianity to everyone and every nation. Not only that they were changing their world!!!

Today, I want to focus more on ourselves, than on the world. So often we evaluate the need of the world to the neglect of evaluating ourselves!

I have a question that we need to ask ourselves, then evaluate ourselves based on what we find: Are you turning your world upside down?

Our goal is to win the lost to Christ, and this is a great goal, but often we forget that there is so much more that we are to be doing! Think of the example of Christ, and answer me this: Did Christ only provide help to Christians? When Christ saw someone in need did he condemn them to hell on the spot, or did he first meet their need then tell them to follow him?

I am not downplaying evangelism, not at all, I am trying to show us that evangelism is more than just telling someone that there is a heaven and a hell, and that they need to get saved! Evangelism is living a life that shows them there is a reason to trust Christ, and that Christ does care about them!

It is easy not to help people by making excuses; “They are probably faking being homeless.” “They are not fellow Christians.” “They will probably use my help for/to facilitate more sin.” “They don’t need help, they need salvation!”

It is not our job to evaluate the heart and motives of others! It is not our job to regulate the morality of this world! How will they see Christ unless they see him through you? If you think that changing your world, your community, is not evangelism, then think again. Jesus won the lost by showing them he cared for them!

Having trouble evangelizing? Maybe it is because you only ask people if they are going to heaven or hell, and forget to show them that you care about them, and where they are going!

How will they see Christ unless they see him through you?

~ Nate

It has been almost three months since the last time I posted. Things have been really busy as this is my last semester of school! I have four classes this summer, and then I graduate! I am truly excited, and thankful to the Lord for his help!

With graduation coming, Cindy and I have been looking for a church that God would lead us to. There are many churches that needing help, and there are always our own desires, so how do we know where God is leading us? Finding God’s will sometimes seems like an allusive ghost, we are often taught that God’s will is hard to find. Well, I do not think it is as hard as we make it sound sometimes, it is just as hard as we make it, that is all. I believe there are four easy steps to finding God’s will.

1). Pray. Prayer is our way of communicating with God. Have you ever know somebody wanted something, but you waited until they asked for it before you gave it to them, just because you wanted them to ask first? We as humans my do this for many different reasons, but God only does it for one, he wants us to demonstrate that we need him.

2). Read the Bible. This is one of God’s ways of communicating with us. If you do not listen to someone, how do you know what they want you to do? The same applies to God, if you are not reading his Word to you, how can you know what he wants you to do!

3). Follow where he leads. Psalm 37:23 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” We often want to see the big picture, we want the “10 year plan”. This is not the way that God leads, God leads step-by-step. Just like the Israelites in the wilderness, had to follow the pillar, so we must daily follow God. This point and the next tie together.

4). Take the Open Door. I have found the easiest way to follow God’s will in my life is to take the open door. Now there is a few things you must be doing in order to know that an open door is the will of God, and not a trap by Satan: You must be doing the first three steps, and you must evaluate the open door to see if it is in line with scripture, or contradictory to it! If you feel that God is leading you in a direction, then begin to head that direction, with prayer and seeking his will. If the door stays open, then go through, if the door closes, then God must have a different door that he wants you to go through. The key is to just go/live one step at a time!

I hope this is an encouragement to you, it is to me I know. When I begin to get stressed about what I need to do next, this is what I focus on, God leading me step-by-step, and I know if I approach life this way I cannot go wrong!

~ Nate

Have you ever considered the way in which you celebrate Christmas? Think of it like this: It’s your birthday, and you’re excited! You find out that the party is at someone else’s house. When you get there the door is locked and you can’t get in. This is weird, so you go to the window an look in, and this is what you see! Everyone you know is there, their singing birthday songs, eating birthday cake. They all have gifts, even though it is not their birthday. They are exchanging gifts, and opening them having a grand ole time. They don’t even notice that you are not there, come to find out they didn’t even invite you!!!

It is sad to say that this is how many of us treat Christ on the day that we celebrate his birthday, Christmas! We have forgotten that Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s coming to earth to die for us! To us it is just a day to get that item that you have been wanting for a whole year, and won’t want any more tomorrow.  I’m not saying that we shouldn’t exchange gifts, but we need to remember that that is not the focal point of Christmas, it is only a remembrance of the greatest gift that was given to us!

One of the greatest things you can do to help keep the focus of your Christmas on Christ is to begin the day with the story of Christ. Read Luke 2, maybe even have a family devotional in Luke 2. Don’t rush through it, take your time, enjoy remembering what Christ did for us! Then when it comes time open gifts, don’t let it be a free-for-all. Sit around as a family, have one person open a gift, everybody oohhh and aaahhh, thank the person who gave it, then move to the next person. Repeat this process over and over until all the gifts are give. This will make everyone appreciate the gifts so much more, and in so doing help them to appreciate the GIFT that was given them, as they may actually take some time to consider that gift as they have considered everyone else’s.

Remember, Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

~ Nate

Heb 13:5-6 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

There are times in life when it seems that everything and everyone is against you! It is in these times that we must lean on the everlasting arms of Christ! When I think of the promise that Christ will always be with us, I think of the Israelites when they left Egypt.

What a great step of faith this was on their part. They leave Egypt with no military power, setting out for a land that they will have to conquer, while leaving a land that might try (and did try) to conquer them again. Yet, they had God with them. He was with them when they left, and He was with them the entire trip. I think it was interesting that He did not make them just have faith that he was there, but He made his presence known. Though they did not see God in a human form and He did not always speak and say “Go this way” and was never vary far ahead of them, He WAS always there and always leading. This is true for our lives as well. We cannot point to a visible object and say, “see there God is, I know he is with me,” but He is always there and he tells us this in MANY different ways, from promises in the Bible to little good things that happen during the day. Often times he may not be speaking to us in an audible voice, or even giving us direction far in advance, yet he is always there, leading, protecting, guiding, and loving.

Live in rest and share the Good News, because God is with you!

~ Nate

I recently heard a preacher go off on the doom of America. I understand that things don’t look the greatest and that we are slipping in many ways, yet the way that he went on was disgraceful.

This man had given up all hope in America except for a definite divine intervening miracle by God. He went on to list all the ways that America was falling, and even through in a pop shot at a politician. The basic theme of his message was, America is going to fall, get ready and here is how to live in that world.

Now I am not trying to say that America isn’t that bad, I know that there are lots of problems and sin is rampant. What bugs me is the attitude take towards it, it was one of “it’s going to happen so let get ready to deal with it.” I think a better attitude would be one of “America’s got problem, I’m a Christian and I know the solution.” Now we might not be able to turn America around, but I’d rather lose the battle trying to save it, than to give up without even trying.

Don’t give up hope for America! We need to be praying for America, that includes: ourselves, our churches, our fellow citizens, the unsaved, the leaders, and all that have ties to America! God can work through us and in spite of us. Don’t stop living for God and evangelizing America until God calls you home!

~ An American citizen – Nate

In class the other day we were going over the children of Israel crossing Jordan into the Promised Land. One of the items discussed was the cessation of the manna that God had been providing. Josh 5:12 “And the manna ceased on the morning after they had eaten the old corn on the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more;  but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” This caused me to think about the greatness of God.

When the children of Israel had needed food God provided it for them. Shortly thereafter they had the opportunity to enter the Promised Land. You remember the story, they sent in 12 spies and 10 were bad and 2 were good. Because of the Israelite listening to the 10 bad spies and their distrust in God, they were punished by having to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness. This is where I saw the goodness of God, they were being punished for sin, and yet God was still providing for their daily needs. This applies far beyond the manna; the Bible also states that the clothes and shoes didn’t wear out. Deut 29:5 “And I have lad you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.”

There are times in your life and my life that we have had to be punished, and there will probably be times when we have to be punished for sins that we commit. Yet, we can rest assured that even though God must chasten us for our sins, He does not stop loving us, and He does not stop caring for us! He is our heavenly Father who is always doing what is best to train us up toward spiritual maturity!

One of my most favorite poems of all time is the poem “Footprints in the Sand.”  The last post I made led to this one, for as I was writing it and thinking about the leading and help of Christ, this poem came to mind. There are times in our life when everything seem too much, and when we look back at those times it may seem that we were all along. We MUST remember though, that that even though it seemed we were along, if we had been along we would not have made it! God is Good All the Time!

“Footprints”

~ Carolyn Carty

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed He was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from His life. For each scene He noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonging to Him and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of His life flashed before Him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of His life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of His life.

This really bothered Him and He questioned the LORD about it. LORD you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.

The LORD replied, my precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.

Heb 13:5 “…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.“

ECCLESIOLOGY

Summary Statement: I believe that the Church is the body of Christ and a family. It is God’s instrument to accomplish His purpose on earth. Though God has set aside Israel He has not forgotten her, and has not replaced her with the church. The Church finds is beginning at Pentecost and it’s conclusion at the Rapture. There are two Biblical offices in the church, Pastor and Deacon, though this does not limit ministry to only these offices. There are also two ordinances for the church to continue in, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The churches primary function is the edification and training of the believer.

1. Body of Christ – One of the important aspects of the Church is that it is a body. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 we see this description give to the Church. This is important to understand. The Church is made up of many individuals that contribute to the ability of the Church to accomplish God’s work. Yet, though there are many individual part, they for one complete whole, whose head and purpose is singular.

2. Family – “Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.” In these verses from the writings of Paul was find another characteristic of the Church, it is a family. This has many implications in church practice. We need to treat one another like we our family, inside and outside the church. Christ says that the world will know that we are his disciples by our love for eachother.

3. Instrument to accomplish His purpose – When the Jews rejected Christ and crucified Him. God turned to the Church to be his light in the World. Israel had been the light for the world to see and come to. Now the church was God’s light to the world to show the world who God is, and they were to go out into the world.

4. Set aside Israel, but has not replaced her – In Chapter eleven of Romans Paul deals with Israel being broken and the church believer being grafted in. Paul makes is clear though that we are not to get high-minded because God can do the same to the Church. He also points out that Israel is only set aside and not disposed of. He reminds that in the end of days, there will be a deliverer come to redeem Israel and return her to her previous state.

5. Pentecost – The Church finds it’s beginning at the time of Pentecost. Jesus had instructed the disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they had received the promise of the Father (Luke 24:49). At Pentecost, after receiving the Holy Spirit, the church goes out into the entire world. This is the beginning of the Church.

6. Conclusion at the Rapture – At the Rapture God takes the church out of the world. When he does so we see the end of the church and the reinstating of Israel as His tool. It will take time, specifically through the Tribulation, for Israel to come back to Christ, but they will.

7. Pastor – The Pastor is the leader of the Church. He responsible for leading the Church in the direction that God would have them to go. In first Timothy chapter three Paul gives the qualifications of the Pastor. Though all these qualifications are important, they are all governed by the first, which should be considered the most important. To be blameless. If this characteristic is prominent in one’s life the rest of the qualifications will likely be met.  His main responsibility is to be in prayer and study of God’s Word so that he can train and lead the people of God (Acts 6:4)

8. Deacon – The Deacon is to assist the Pastor in the day to day needs of the Church. In Acts 6:1-3 we seen the need of the Deacon mentioned. The needs of the Church were multiplying as the number of the Church was growing. The Deacon is to have basically the same qualifications as the Pastor. The Deacons are to serve the Church, they are not to be lifted up but are to remain humble.

9. Does not limit ministry – To clarify, the Pastoral and Deacon roles are not the only possible ministries in the Church. There are many ministries that all can be active in, there will still be qualifications, but they will vary by position.

10. Baptism – Baptism is one of the ordinances of the Church. Baptism is for the purpose identifying with the church, which is important. This identifying is important, because it signifies a leaving of the world and coming to Christ. Baptism is also important because it is an illustration of what Christ has done for the believer. For this reason (as well as others), I believe that baptism is to be by emersion, as it seems to be the Biblical precedent is emersion, as well as the best way to illustrate what Christ has done for us.

11. Lord’s Supper – The Lord’s Supper is for the remembrance of what Christ has done for us. The Lord’s Supper is to give time to reflect on Christ, and to search our hearts to make sure that we are right with him. Christ commanded it to be done, and we see that it was being practiced in the New Testament in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. Though Paul had to correct their practice, he did not tell them to cease. The Lord’s Supper is for the believer and not for the unsaved.

12. Primary function is the edification and training of the believer – I believe that Acts 2:42 gives the primary function of the church. “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Though some might see the Church as an evangelization organization, this is not the primary function of the church. The Church is for the edification and training of the believer. The church is to train and build up the believer so that there is fellowship between believer so that they can function as a family, and most importantly the training of the believer so that THEY can evangelize. When this is accomplished the church will become an organization of evangelism.

Well, I along with many other students are gearing up for another year of school, or have already started it. Many K-12th schools have been underway for a few weeks now, while most colleges and universities have just recently started, or are about to start. I attend Pensacola Theological Seminary and am beginning my last year of classes. This will be my seventh year of “higher education” and I am looking forward to being done studying for awhile (although the idea of a doctoral degree still lingers in the back of my mind). On the thought of school, two verses came to mind that should encourage every Christian student, as well as Christians in general.

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Often times I hear of students who quit their studies only part way through the year. When things get overwhelming we must remember that if we have been seeking God’s will and he has lead us to where we are, then that is where he intended us to be! “Be not weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.” Do not look for a reason to quit when everything seems tough, but rather look to the reason that you headed to where you are now. If you were following God and he lead you to where you are, do not think that he will lead you away, but rather that he will lead you through what he has for you.

Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. We often know that we cannot quit what we have started, yet we cannot see how we are going to make it through either. We must remember that as Christians we do not have to rely on our own strength to make it. I say “we do not HAVE to” because it is a choice that every person must make. You can choose to try and make it on your own strength, and you may or may not make it, if you do it is only by the grace of God. Rather than try to make it on your own strength and not be sure what will happen until it is over, you can chose to allow God’s strength to be what caries you through. If you are leaning on Him, there may be times that seem hard, but you need not worry, because you are leaning on the everlasting arms!

I hope this encourages some students, as well as other Christians. Remember that if you are following God He will direct you to where he wants you, and that whatever He has for you can be completed through His strength

~ Nate

CHRISTOLOGY

Summary Statement: I believe Christ who is preexistent and eternal. He was virgin born into his incarnate state, thereby being both perfectly God and perfectly man. In this state he emptied Himself of his rights as God and become humbled. Because of his impeccability, he was able to be our vicarious atonement and will return to rule the world.

1. Preexistent: Christ existed before the foundation of the world as part of the Godhead (The Trinity was discussed under Theology Proper). Scripture also exerts the fact that Christ was in existence before the worlds were made. John 1:1 refers to Christ as the Word and states that the Word was with God, was God, and that He as the preexistent God was active in creation.

2. Eternal: Not only did Christ exist before the world, but He has an eternal existence. Christ is eternal. This is seen in both John 1:1 and Hebrews 1:3, both of these verses express that Christ was God, and had the essence of God. That fact that he is God makes Him have the same attributes and therefore is eternal.

3. Virgin Born: Isaiah 7:14 states that the Messiah will be born of a virgin. This is necessary for Christ to be able to be both God and Man. In the New Testament it is seen the filling of this prophecy when the virgin Mary conceives Christ by the Holy Spirit while yet being a virgin

4. Incarnate: John 1:14 says “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” For Christ to sympathize with mankind He must become part of mankind. This was done through his incarnation.

5. Hypostatic-Union: Christ was both perfectly God and Perfectly man. This is a hard concept to grasp and to explain. Ryie quotes the Chalcedonian Creed which states that this union of God and man was without mixture, without change, without division, and without separation. He was all of both, yet distinctly each.

6. Emptied and Humbled: This doctrine is best seen in Philippians 2. This idea of Christ emptying and humbling Himself is not that He gave up Deity, but rather that He emptied Himself of His Glory and took the form of a man. He did not lose any of His Deity, but rather he added humanity so that He could die for the rest of humanity.

7. Impeccability: As God, Christ is unable to sin, this is the impeccability of Christ. This is why He is our Savior, because He is without sin. This sheds light on the “temptation” of Christ, in that He was unable to sin, therefore the testing was not to see if Christ would sin, but was to prove that he would not.

8. Vicarious Atonement: Christ’s death on the cross was in place of the sinners punishment for his sins. Christ took out place of punishment. This is seen in the Greek preposition anti which means instead of. The use of this is seen in Mark 10:45 as well as other places in the New Testament.

9. Return: In Revelation is seen the return of Christ as KING of kings. He is coming back to rule the world as the Jew wished. This ruling in not for the purpose of liberating the Jews (though it will), but for the purpose of showing the world that even in a perfect atmosphere their hearts are evil and He will judge them for that.