“The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis

I just read “The Great Divorce” in one sitting last evening. I couldn’t put it down. I am amazed at how Lewis is able to capture the human condition in his writing.

Blessings,
Terry W. West

A Prayer For Today

All Mighty God all hearts are open to you, all desire are known to you, and from you no secrets are hid, cleanse the thoughts of my heart by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you and worthily magnify Your Holy Name, through Christ my Lord, Amen.

I am still Alive :)

I have been without a computer for several months, but hope to remedy this soon. God bless.

Blessings,
Terry

The Westminster Larger Catechism, Questions 1-2

Question 1:  What is the chief and highest end of man?
Answer 1:  Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God,[1] and fully to enjoy him forever.[2]

1.  Rom. 11:36; I Cor. 10:31
2.  Psa. 73:24-28

Q2:  How doth it appear that there is a God?
A2:  The very light of nature in man, and the works of God, declare plainly that there is a God;[1] but his word and Spirit only do sufficiently and effectually reveal him unto men for their salvation.[2]

1.  Rom. 1:19-20; Psa. 19:1-3; Acts 17:28
2.  I Cor. 2:9-10; II Tim. 3:15-17; Isa 59:21

Keeping Track of the Polls

The following website is a great way to keep up with polling data.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/

The Belgic Confession of Faith, Article I – There Is Only One God

We all believe with the heart and confess with the mouth that there is one only simple and spiritual Being, which we call God; and that He is eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, immutable, infinite, almighty, perfectly wise, just, good, and the overflowing fountain of all good.

The Heidelberg Catechism, Introduction – Lord’s Day 1

Question 1:  What is your only comfort in life and in death?
Answer 1:  That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death,[1] am not my own,[2] but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ,[3] who with His precious blood [4] has fully satisfied for all my sins,[5] and redeemed me from all the power of the devil;[6] and so preserves me [7] that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head;[8] indeed, that all things must work together for my salvation.[9] Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life,[10] and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live unto Him.[11]

1.  Rom. 14:7-8
2.  I Cor. 6:19
3.  I Cor. 3:23
4.  I Peter 1:18-19
5.  I John 1:7; 2:2
6.  I John 3:8
7.  John 6:39
8.  Matt. 10:29-30; Luke 21:18
9.  Rom. 8:28
10. II Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:13-14; Rom. 8:16
11. Rom. 8:1

Q2:  How many things are necessary for you to know, that in this comfort you may live and die happily?
A2:  Three things:[1] First, the greatness of my sin and misery.[2] Second, how I am redeemed from all my sins and misery.[3] Third, how I am to be thankful to God for such redemption.[4]

1.  Luke 24:46-47; I Cor. 6:11; Titus 3:3-7
2.  John 9:41; 15:22
3.  John 17:3
4.  Eph. 5:8-11; I Peter 2:9-12; Rom. 6:11-14; 7:24-25; Gal. 3:13; Col. 3:17

Scripture Meditation – John 6:33

(I posted this as a comment over on Wedgewords. I thought it would make a good addition to the Scripture Meditation category here.)

John 6:33, “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

In light of the passage above, couldn’t we say that God indeed has and does continue from moment to moment to uphold His “responsibility” as Creator and preserver of His creation and that the incarnation of the Son is the declaration of this very fact, and that it is this that shows our sin to be the most wicked? That our obligations to one another flow from the command that we imitate our heavenly Father?

Now if this is true and we bring this down to the covenantal or ecclesiastical level, we have The Father’s promise to the Son and by extension to all whom, upon condition of faith, are in union with the Son. So, that in the case of the wife needing a husband to imitate Christ she needs that husband to perform the duty that Christ himself has freely and graciously pledged to do for His church. And because Christ is indeed faithful therefore the husband “owes” this imitation of Christ to his wife.

And, also what makes our sin even greater is that God has gone beyond just mere Creator to creature preservation but He continues to love and to be good to those that hate Him and have rejected the clearest testimony of His goodness. i.e. the giving of the bread from heaven for the life of the world, the incarnate Son himself.

Just thinking out loud.

Blessings,
Terry W. West

John Davenant on the Relationship Between Predestination and the Conditions of the Gospel

In the following section John Davenant is answering the objections of the semi-pelegian to absolute predestination.

“Unto all these and the like inferences and opinions we answer briefly three things. First, That Predestination is absolute not because it intendeth the bring of any man unto eternal life without performing the conditions which God in his most gracious decree of Election doth as absolutely and certainly ordain men unto saving grace as unto everlasting glory. Secondly, That in the Divine Predestination there is always included a prescience of the faith and perseverance of all such as are elected: yet so, that this prescience is not the antecedent motive unto their Election, but this foreseen faith and perseverance is a consequent fruit or effect of the Divine Election. Lastly. That there is a decree conditional established by God concerning mans salvation, namely, That if any man repent, believe and persevere, he shall most certainly be saved. But we say it is an abuse of the Word, to call this the decree of God’s Election or Predestination. For the truth of this decree may stand good and firm though no man living should believe or attain unto eternal life. But the Divine predestination or Election is such a decree as infallibly in some men produceth faith, and bringeth unto eternal life a certain number of persons known only unto God himself.”

Source: John Davenant Animadversions p.15&16

John Davenant (A.D. 1572-1641)

The Westminster Larger Catechism – Question 1

Question 1:  What is the chief and highest end of man?
Answer 1:  Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God,[1] and fully to enjoy him forever.[2]

1.  Rom. 11:36; I Cor. 10:31
2.  Psa. 73:24-28