TestingPoint.org

Spoiler Alert!

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 17:43:49 -0200

Jesus wins in the end.

(Per my last post, the King sent reinforcements, thank God.)

Losing the War

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 11:21:00 -0200

I'm losing too many battles.

I'm on unfamiliar terrain,
I'm outnumbered,
I'm tired,
I'm alone,
My armor is falling apart,
My sword is rusting,
My helmet is made of tissue paper.

I will lose this war if the King doesn't send reinforcements, but all my messengers are dead.

Call for me?

-Daniel

Where's Daniel?

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:11:29 -0200

This is my full calendar, including classes:
CALENDAR

Unreached People of the Day

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:55:55 -0200

Missing the point

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:33:07 -0200

"A religious mentality, characterized by timidity and lack of moral courage has given us today a flabby Christianity, intellectually impoverished, dull, repetitious, and to a great many persons, just plain boresome. This is peddled as the very faith of our fathers in direct lineal descent from Christ and the apostles. We spoon-feed this insipid pabulum to our inquiring youth, and to make it palatable spice it up with carnal amusements snatched from the unbelieving world. It is easier to entertain than to instruct. It is easier to follow degenerate public taste than to think for oneself. So too many of our evangelical leaders let their minds atrophy while they keep their fingers nimble operating religious gimmicks to bring in the curious crowd."
--A. W. Tozer

Bible Reading

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:13:00 -0200

This is a really awesome tract by J. C. Ryle (1816-1900) on Bible Reading. Please at least skim it...

http://www.biblebb.com/files/ryle/PRACT5.HTM

Test yourself: Christ or football?

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 22:26:42 -0200

God is TOTALLY in control

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:25:44 -0200

"I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done. (Isaiah 46:9-10)

God ordained it all.
"Who has commanded and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and calamity come?" (Lamentations 3:37-38)
"I form light and create darkness, I make comfort and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things." (Isaiah 45:7)
"Does evil befall a city, unless the Lord has done it?" (Amos 3:6)

God knows from ancient times what is yet to happen in the future.
"Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them" (Isaiah 42:9)

Jesus was delivered up to be crucified (not with risk, but) "according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God."

It was God's will and plan to crush Jesus.
"Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him," (Isaiah 53:10) and "...this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men." (Acts 2:23)

Herod and Pontius Pilate did exactly what God had predestined them to do.
"...for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." (Acts 4:27-28)

God chooses who to save, and who not to save from their sin.
"When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God; and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:48)

The Lord knows those who are his (2 Timothy 2:19). He is the one who grants repentance (2 Timothy 2:25-26). He will call his own sheep by name and they will hear and come (John 10:3-4 and John 10:16).

God does not leave to uncertain risk our growth and perseverance in holiness.
"I will put my Spirit within you, and will cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances." (Ezekiel 36:27)

(If your deepest desires are not to please God, be afraid. Pray for God to grant you repentance.)

It is the Lord himself who works in us to will and to do his good pleasure (Philippians 2:12 and Hebrews 13:21).

Most importantly, and a cause for celebration among those who would give God his due glory, God does whatever He pleases.
"Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases."

For more information, go here.
(Lots of the non-Bible text hacked out of The Pleasures of God by me.)

The Law of Moses and the Christian: A Compromise

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:16:34 -0200

http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/34/34-3/34-3-pp321-334_JETS.pdf

When I first heard of this, it struck me as ridiculous, and possibly heretical. The title is a pretty provocative one for me, because I have, though experience, come to associate compromise in Christianity with a watering-down of Scripture. However, I was relieved to find that that's not what the author intended here. His compromise is not that of finding a happy medium between two opposing viewpoints merely to please both sides.

Anyway, this is a scholarly article I find helpful in determining just what relationship the Christian ought to have to the old covenant Law. If you've got some time to spare, please read it, and please do try to follow his argument. This is now my position on the issue.

Exegetically-correct Bible study

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:42:55 -0200

http://www.desiringgod.org/media/pdf/booklets/BTBX.pdf

Exegesis is the critical interpretation of Biblical text to discover its *intended* meaning. (That's so key. No more of this post-modern trash, "what does this verse mean for you?") This little book details the exegetical method called arcing, which aids in determining the author's intent. It divides texts into their propositions of truth, and then examines the relationships between them by noting the connecting words.

I highly recommend that anyone interested in reading the Bible with purpose read this thing.