Interesting items from the Interwebs, from all over the world.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Monday, February 27, 2017
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Friday, February 24, 2017
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Friday, February 17, 2017
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Monday, February 13, 2017
Sunday, February 12, 2017
The end of the church?
I recently read a post somewhere online that bemoaned the decline of church attendance in recent years. The article stated that if this trend continues, the church would be nonexistent in 50 years. This is in direct contrast to Scripture that says the gates of Hell will not prevail against His church and His Word will not return to Him void. (ISA 55:11 Matt 16:18).
Thomas Brewer in a recent Tabletalk Issue states: "secularism isn't the dissolution of Christianity. Rather than representing the dissolution of Christianity, secularism more so represents the dissolution of nominal Christianity. God is not failing, and He is not failing His church. He is still in control as ever."
And thankfully someone is in control and it is God. I am so glad that God is sovereign and in control and that his church will prevail. Brewer goes on, "Our hope is not in the here and now, but in a world to come." And thankfully the secularism that surrounds us is only temporary.
Our hope is indeed in the world to come when God will make all things new with a new Heaven and a new earth. This will be the ultimate fulfilment of God's promises.
Saturday, February 11, 2017
The end of the church?
I recently read an article that bemoaned the decline of church attendance in recent years. The article stated that I'd this trend continues, the church would be nonexistent on 50 years. This is in direct contrast to Scripture that says the gates of Hell will not prevail against His church and His Word will not return to Him void. (ISA 55:11 Matt 16:18).
Thomas Brewer in a recent Tabletalk mahagazine article states: "secularism isn't the dissolution of Christianity. Rather than representing the dissolution of Christianity, secularism more so represents the dissolution of nominal Christianity. God is not failing, and He is not failing His church. He is still in control as ever."
And thankfully someone is in control and it is God. I am so glad that God is sovereign and in control His church will prevail. Brewer goes on, "Our hope is not in the here and now, but in a world to come." And thankfully the secularism that surrounds us is only temporary.
Friday, February 10, 2017
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Packer Quote
"First, it should be observed that the "five points of Calvinism," so-called, are simply the Calvinistic answer to a five-point manifesto (the Remonstrance) put out by certain "Belgic semi-Pelagians" in the early seventeenth century. The theology which it contained (known to history as Arminianism) stemmed from two philosophical principles: first, that divine sovereignty is not compatible with human freedom, nor therefore with human responsibility; second, that ability limits obligation. (The charge of semi-Pelagianism was thus fully justified.) From these principles, the Arminians drew two deductions: first that since the Bible regards faith as a free and responsible human act, it cannot be caused by God, but is exercised independently of Him; second, that since the Bible regards faith as obligatory on the part of all who hear the gospel, ability to believe must be universal. Hence, they maintained, Scripture must be interpreted as teaching the following positions: (1.) Man is never so completely corrupted by sin that he cannot savingly believe the gospel when it is put before him, nor (2.) is he ever so completely controlled by God that he cannot reject it. (3.) God's election of those who shall be saved is prompted by His foreseeing that they will of their own accord believe. (4.) Christ's death did not ensure the salvation of anyone, for it did not secure the gift of faith to anyone (there is no such gift); what it did was rather to create a possibility of salvation for everyone if they believe. (5.) It rests with believers to keep themselves in a state of grace by keeping up their faith; those who fail here fall away and are lost. Thus, Arminianism made man's salvation depend ultimately on man himself, saving faith being viewed throughout as man's own work and, because his own, not God's in him."
J I Packer