Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Bible Study: Predestination Vs. Free Will



"It would be hard to fit together a predestination to judgement and the operation of human free will and our responsibility. The failure to find the salvation offered to humankind by a gracious and loving God seems more wisely assigned to the way men and women "reject God's purpose for themselves" (Luke 12:30) rather than to a prior, unalterable rejection by God."Source: http://www.biblestudytools.comSo how can we have free will and God still being all-knowing (omniscient)? Are we predestined or do we have free will? I have collected many possibilities from my research and here they are.
1.  God knowing everything chose those who would do His will and predestined them to be saved.Ephesians 1:11  In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.

2. God knew who would respond to Him and chose them. (Not necessarily those who would do his will but those who would find him).
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye into the straight gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat; because straight is the gate and narroe is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that FIND it. I emphasize find it because this tells me that God has not chosen for us what our end will be, we still have a chance to find him.

3.God chooses who to call and when. But we choose wether or not we are going to following him; everyone will have the chance to know God.
John 6:65 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
*Note: Nowhere in the bible does it say that those who are not chosen are automatically doomed, he still gives us a chance to follow him.

4. God chose us from the begining and all things will happen as he chose.
5.God knows what paths each of us will choose of our own free will. We are still responsible for our decision but God knows the outcome of the decisions we make ahead of time.

6.We have no free will because we are not free; we are all slaves to sin.
7. God had the book of life and he checked one box for eternal life for some and one box for eternal death for others. Then he did something very unsual. He blotted out the names of those whose "eternal death" box was checked, meaning those who would die while in a state of rebellion against God.
Exodus 32:
31 So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
33 The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. 34 Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin

source: http://www.robertwells.tripod.com

8. Probably one of the most commonly know views known as Calvanism which basically states that:
humans are conditioned to be sinful, through God's free sovereignty he chose some before the world was made to be saved by grace and no conditions are required (what is the purpose of the bible then?), Jesus' sacrifice is not effective for all humans and the grace God gives those who are predestined can not be resisted.
I see lots of flaws in this one but maybe you do not. If you want more information on this google calvanism and lots of information will come up but it is a lot to cover.



9. All have a chance to be saved but those who say "yes," are chosen. The chosen are the predestined.Matthew 22:14 "For many are called but few are chosen."

10. God has predestined our eternal salvation and everything that goes along with it.
This also means everyone has a chance at going to Heaven but unlike number 9, it is saying that God predestined everything (not anyone) that needed to happen for our eternal salvation.


 His predestination of us covers every step of our salvation history. When He predestined us, He insured that (1) Christ would shed His blood in death as ransom for the sins of the world (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2); (2) we would be called by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel; (3) we would be moved to repentance and converted through faith in Jesus; (4) we would use the Word and Sacrament and persevere in the Christian faith in this life; (5) we would be finally saved and glorified forever in the life to come. God's predestination of us insured that everything that needed to happen for out eternal salvation would happen (See Romans 8:29-30 on the previous page).


This source also says that it should be a comfort to Christians:

At the risk of redundancy: the teaching of predestination is in the Bible for one reason: to bring comfort and joy to Christians. It is a teaching that says to Christians, "Do you want to know how much God loves you? This is how much He loves you. He loves you so much that long before you were born, before the foundation of the world, He predestined you in Christ to be eternally saved! Did He do this because you deserved or earned it? You weren't even born yet! You had done nothing to deserve it - nor could you have! He chose you to be saved by His free grace. And by His choice of you He insured that everything that needed to happen for your salvation would happen: that you would be called by the Gospel, justified by faith, continue to believe in Jesus to the end, and finally be glorified forevermore. That is how much your God loves you in Christ Jesus!"
source: http://www.orlutheran.com/html/trelect.html

Questions to ask yourself: (Some may be answered by the different beliefs in predestination I have listed above!)
  •  The bible says we will judged by our works but why if he already decided what choice we were going to make would this be necessary?
  • If God has our fate already known and our life planned out than what was the purpose of Him sending His only Son to die on the cross for us?
  • If God is all powerful and can predestine someone to be saved why not predestine all of us to be saved? Would he still be all loving only choosing some?
  • Would a loving God create us knowing some will go to hell?
I hope you found out something helpful while reading this... I personally like 9 and 10 best because I feel it matches best with the loving God that I know I have!







Monday, April 16, 2012

my home management binder and meal planner

I used scrapbook paper to make it look spiffy. I made my orginal home made binder into two so here are the sections I currently have: to do, finances, housekeeping and contacts.

Here is my homemade daily page... I have a Sunday-Saturday. A page for each day of the week so that I can have my weekly chores listed on their proper day. I also have dinner; a daily checklist for time with God, excercise and water count; appointments and numbers to call; daily to do list (which does not include my duhs like sweep and dishes); something to pray about; scripture to memorize, kids daily activity (education and fun with kids); a personal, financial, relational and ministry line to place items I want or need to do for the following and a grateful section because God has given me a lot to be grateful for!

Here is my weekly budget (also homemade) where I put out income for the week and take off all of the bills and other debits Then I see how much we have leftover to spend and I can note anything else we might need or want to spend money on at the time. I also have a monthly budget and financial goal pages in there.

Another homemade page. It is my important contact list.

Here is a stain removal guide I got via tipjunkie.com (which rocks!!). I also have homemade cleaners which I got from the internet and from all you magazine.

Now onto my MEAL planning binder! I have to pockets [made from scrapbook paper] one for sales ads and another for coupons I am going to be using for the week.

Below you can see my tabs for cookbooks F-J, ect. which are basically "Recipes I want to try" from my cookbooks categorized by name of cookbook.
Below you can my tabs organized by category...they are basically recipes I have printed out from the internet or torn out of magazines. I have them all together in a clear page. I just look through them when I am looking for a meal. To put them all in a clear page would mean a bigger binder and more clear pages. (I love magazines!)


Now onto my personal binder which I do not have the cover of but my tabs are: faith, goals, challenges (you can see three examples below and this includes my random acts of kindness ideas) and other which includes blog ideas and kid activities (as seen in the last picture). I love pinterest and I was glad I was able to collect all the kid activities/crafts and put them in a binder so I can implement them into my family's daily life.




In my faith section I have prayer request page to track what I requested of God and how or when it was answered. I have scripture memorization page and bible study logs.

Soon I will show you my project binder and my dream home binder (which is not yet done) and I can show you some more organizing for my kitchen and toys! Thanks for looking!



Thursday, April 12, 2012

Bible Study: Tithing

So I am excited to start my first bible study! Now don't expect all of these to be bible studies that tells you what to believe because I don't intend to do that. I want you pray for God to open your heart and speak to you about what this bible study means. I will give you scriptures from the bible and let you make your own decisions. So please pray before reading this.

Last night before I went to bed I was working on making a new budget with more expensive health insurance involved. After taking away all of our bills, the health insurance and tithing we were left with practically nothing. I kept thinking how can we do this we need diapers and household products, too but we also need to tithe. I felt like I was told to go look up scriptures of tithing on the internet and this is how this study came about... I learned that I don't have to give 10%, that I give what I can out of the kindness of my heart. Now I will let you make your own decision.

WHERE DID TITHING COME FROM?
In Genesis 14, after the kings were slaughtered, Abraham returned to Palestine with Lot and with a large amount of soil that was taken from the kings. Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoil; the remainder was given to the king of Sodom.
If you read the story you will see that Abraham's tenth was not forced, he chose to offer thankskiving to God for the deliverance of his people. In fact, God does not speak of a law to tithing until Leviticus.
Not until Moses was there an actual law and many believe the law to be an old convenant that was used to help the Levits and priest at the time (like a taxation).

Here is something I found that I liked quite well...

If one decides to tithe under the law, he must:

 1. Give ALL the tithes required by the law. Some count 3-4 different tithes under the law of Moses. One tithe will not satisfy the law. (Remember, no human can change God’s law.)



2. Give your tithes to a Levitical priest. The problem here is that there is no more Levitical priesthood. Modern pastors are not Levitical priests. (Remember, no human can change God’s law.)



3. Give tithes in the form of agricultural produce and livestock. This will not work for urban dwellers -- unless you have a very big garden! (Remember, no human can change God’s law.) As to Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees that they tithe mint, dill and cummin (Matthew 23:23), remember that the New Covenant did not begin until the cross.



4. Bring your tithes to the storehouse, or temple. You will have to go to Jerusalem, but when you get there you will not find the temple. The problem here is that there has been no temple since A.D. 70. Modern church buildings are not the temple. Individual believers are God’s temple. (Remember, no human can change God’s law.)

[source: http://www.choicesforliving.com/spirit/part4/tithing.htm]

SCRIPTURES:
Does God want you to give 10% if it will cause you to not be able to pay a bill or take care of your family??
1 Timothy 5:8
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever
2 Cor 8:8-15
8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

10 And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; 11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. 12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”[b]




How does God want you to give?

2 Corinthians 9:7
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 
 Matthew 23:23

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

And to end this study... FOOD was always the tithe:

Leviticus 27:30
And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.

2 Chronicles 31:4-6Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of the Lord.

5 As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. 6 And the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, brought the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the Lord their God they laid in heaps.

If you want more references google scriptures on tithing and you will see it alway spices or some type of food that is tithed, never money. I pray this has been helpful to some out there who question their tithing.


I used biblegateway.com to look these scriptures up and used the New King James version.


Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Why my marriage rocks!

So I discovered the wonderfulness of Ball Freezer Jars... I have used them to freeze leftover chicken broth (or homemade) and I was able to make extra portion of homemade cream of mushroom soup which I found the recipe on pinterest. So now I don't have to use the canned stuff which makes me feel better about feeding it to my family; not only that but it was cheaper to make then buying the canned soup! I also made some homemade biscuits, cut them with a biscuit cutter, froze them on a cookie sheet and then put them in these feezer jars for Saturday morning breakfast.




So I have seen quite a few blog posts about happy marriages and I must say mine is great so I thought I would share some tips on why or how my marriage is great!

  1.  We show each other respect. In our 5 years of marriage we have never called each other names or put each other down during an argument.
  2. We leave each other love notes randomly. I love waking up to a note on the fridge saying, "Have a great day," or on the mirror after he takes a shower saying he loves me.
  3. We appreciate each other and say so. My husband tells me he appreciates how I take care of the house and the kids. I tell him I am grateful that he goes to work everyday to take care of his family and he is a great daddy.
  4. We trust each other. We have always been honest with each other and don't have a problem logging into each other's emails and phone messages.
  5. We show affection to each other with hugs and pecks in front of our family and in public.
  6. We compromise. There is no one in charge of our relationship, we talk over things and then decide how it is going to go. He usually leaves it up to me but if we can not decide I go with his decision since this is how God wants it.
  7. Even when we are upset with each other we still say, "I love you.
So what makes your marriage great? Maybe I should make a post on what we need to work on...

Thursday, April 5, 2012

A Tough Message, HELL, by Robert Morris - 1 of 4.avi



This is a great sermon on hell... highly recommend you watch it!
 

Blog Template by BloggerCandy.com