God Wanted to, but He Could NOT Stop 128,000 Deaths! "Devil's too Powerful.:(" [China+Myanmar]

s all of you know, numerous tragedies are occurring all over the world. The Cyclone in Myanmar --- a death toll of 78,000 people. The Earthquake in China --- a death toll of 8,700 at present. It is believed that the casualties in the recent earthquake could top 50,000 deaths. Now, what do we say in all that? What do we say about our God, about our faith? More than 128,000 people died. People are asking questions, legitimate questions. Questions like, "Why God?? Why???" Then your common evangelical pastor/televangelist would say something around the lines of: "God wanted to, but He just couldn't. It's not His fault that over a hundred thousand people died. He's just in the business of saving the rest." What about the ones that died? Why did they die? Was it because they didn't pray hard enough? Why? What are we to say in all that?

This post is basically a repost of the previous article. I strongly believe that this message must get out to those overcome by despair, sorrow and brokenness in the world today.

How Sovereign is your God?

[I would also like to point you to a post I made last month. It has been a great balm to my soul since I myself lost four people in my life over in the past year. It is a message that I will never ever forget. An immense cry in my heart, and a joy to my soul it is to hear such a message. "Higher and Grander."]

As usual Philip@ReformedVoices' never lets down the quality of the stuff he posts. Here we have a very perceptive quote from John Piper concerning the Sovereignty of God. A quote that reminded me of a certain cutting message from Jim McClarty. [Quote and Video below]

John Piper

"God is not like a firefighter who gets calls to show up at calamities when the damage is already happening. He is more like a surgeon who plans the cutting he must do and plans it for good purposes. Without the confidence that God rules over the beginning of our troubles, it is hard to believe that He could rule over their end. If we deny God His power and wisdom to govern the arrival of our pain, why should we think we can trust Him with its departure?"

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How Sovereign is Your God?? "Well He is... He Just Doesn't Choose to Sometimes."

As usual Philip@ReformedVoices' never lets down the quality of the stuff he posts. Here we have a very perceptive quote from John Piper concerning the Sovereignty of God. A quote that reminded me of a certain cutting message from Jim McClarty. [Quote and Video below]

John Piper

"God is not like a firefighter who gets calls to show up at calamities when the damage is already happening. He is more like a surgeon who plans the cutting he must do and plans it for good purposes. Without the confidence that God rules over the beginning of our troubles, it is hard to believe that He could rule over their end. If we deny God His power and wisdom to govern the arrival of our pain, why should we think we can trust Him with its departure?"

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"As He 'Feeleth' in His Heart, so is He?" ...Feel Right, Live Right Dawg.

I think I had too much fun with the title of the post this time. Anyway, to make things clear, I want first to make known that I stand, as many of you are too, on Pauline theology. Saying that, I also believe, as Paul taught, that all things are permissible but not all things are expedient (1 Cor 6:12). To expound a little, it means that we, as Christians, are not bound to any law nor any form of legalistic obligation, but in the entirety of the Christian Life, we are singularly bound by the Spirit of God, being infinitely indebted to the Gospel that saved us, we just cannot help but to live otherwise, to live in such a way that pleases our Lord, in living and preaching alike.

With that in mind, the only way to live as stated, I believe, is first to live true to God. Secondly, to live true to Scripture. Thirdly, live true to conscience. Lastly, to live true to self and others. I wonder what would happen if the church of the Lord Jesus Christ today would take into serious account what it means to live true to God and Scripture.

To me it seems that our culture today gives first importance to living true to oneself rather than living true to the God he professes to believe.

...Feel Right, Live Right Dawg?

A.W. Pink

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim 3:16-17).

"Doctrine" means "teaching," and it is by doctrine or teaching that the great realities of God and of our relation to Him—of Christ, the Spirit, salvation, grace, glory, are made known to us. It is by doctrine (through the power of the Spirit) that believers are nourished and edified, and where doctrine is neglected, growth in grace and effective witnessing for Christ necessarily cease. How sad then that doctrine is now decried as "unpractical" when, in fact, doctrine is the very base of the practical life. There is an inseparable connection between belief and practice—"As he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Pro 23:7). The relation between Divine truth and Christian character is that of cause to effect—"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32)—free from ignorance, free from prejudice, free from error, free from the wiles of Satan, free from the power of evil; and if the truth is not "known" then such freedom will not be enjoyed. Observe the order of mention in the passage with which we have opened. All Scripture is profitable first for "doctrine"! The same order is observed throughout the Epistles, particularly in the great doctrinal treatises of the apostle Paul. Read the Epistle of "Romans" and it will be found that there is not a single admonition in the first five chapters. In the Epistle of "Ephesians" there are no exhortations till the fourth chapter is reached. The order is first doctrinal exposition and then admonition or exhortation for the regulation of the daily walk.

- A.W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God

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"The Rising Tide of Infidelity."

Here we have a brief excerpt of how important doctrine is, an orthodox belief, proper Biblical belief and teaching is in the Christian life. What arrogance is there for the pursuit of truth? Ah, indeed true Orthodoxy, one that is centered in God and the Cross is one that is truly humble.

A.W. Pink

It is ignorance of doctrine that has rendered the professing church helpless to cope with the rising tide of infidelity. It is ignorance of doctrine which is mainly responsible for thousands of professing Christians being captivated by the numerous fallacies of the day. It is because the time has now arrived when the bulk of our churches "will not endure sound doctrine" (2 Tim. 4:3) that they so readily receive false doctrines. Of course it is true that doctrine, like anything else in Scripture, may be studied from a merely cold intellectual viewpoint, and thus approached, doctrinal teaching and doctrinal study will leave the heart untouched, and will naturally be "dry" and profitless. But, doctrine properly received, doctrine studied with an exercised heart, will ever lead into a deeper knowledge of God and of the unsearchable riches of Christ.

- A.W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God

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Deathbed Comfort with the (Emerging) Church

This video just blew me away. There's really not that much to say since it addresses the very problem of the Church, uncertainty. Very few will you find, Christians who firmly know what they believe, and when presented with a situation as this, a dying man who killed a person who is looking for answers, will be able to provide the truth of God's Word. How many of us can look at such a man in the eyes and say with complete conviction:

You know what you have done. You have sinned against God. God is Holy, Just and Righteous. Because of your sin, not just the murder you have committed, but the very way you have lived your life, God will bring justice upon your soul. You cannot possibly imagine the infinite Holiness of God, therefore you cannot possibly imagine of how dreadful your sins are in His holy eyes that the consequence of which will be nothing less than torment in Hell for all eternity. You loved your sins and you hated God, only against Him have you sinned, and you did it willingly and joyfully. But if right now there is a genuine contrition in your heart, a conviction of hopelessness crying out for mercy to the God you have once hated. If there is a change in your heart that the sin that you once loved you now hate, and the God you once hated and rebelled against you now love... then there is hope for you. Because in spite of your sin, apathy and rebellion against God, instead of bringing down His wrath upon you, He took it upon Himself to make that work of repentance in you, that you may see the crimes you have done and the weight of those horrors that you have committed against Him! And in all that, as you seek to repent and seek a Savior... there is a promise... that God so loved you... in spite your evil He gave His only Son to die for you that you may be clean. Instead of the Hell you deserve He gave His Son.

Here are the videos from Way of the Master and Way of the Master Radio:

Way of the Master
A number of people called our attention to this clip from the popular TV series ER. It really is amazing for secular television.
The "Fair Use" law allowed us to teach from it, without violating copyright laws. It has wonderful evangelistic potential, so please use it all over the Internet.

Way of the Master Radio
Who would have thought that an episode of ER would shed some light on the dangers of the emerging church?

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Theology Talk: Is Calvinism Dangerous?

Calvinism or "Reformed Theology", for those of you who do not know, is a form of systematic theology that finds it's roots from the Reformation (Augustine, John Calvin, Martin Luther and others.) The Doctrines of Grace (The 5 Principal Doctrines of the Reformed Faith) are best expressed by the acronym TULIP.

TULIP then if broken down to it's individual letters, brings us the 5 Doctrines of the Reformed Faith, namely:

• Total Depravity
• Unconditional Election
• Limited Atonement or Particular Redemption
• Irresistible Grace
• Perseverance of the Saints

The Theological and Biblical treatises of the Reformed faith has been contested and adamantly opposed to by denominations and categories of religious faith, quite specifically those who adhere to Arminianism (An anti-theses to Calvinism).

They simply would not accept what Reformed Theology teaches:

• Total Depravity
  Man is dead and trespasses and sins, therefore, he has neither the will (free will) nor the want to be saved. He is dead, totally depraved.
• Unconditional Election
  God saves men, not by virtue of anything "foreseen" by God of the life of a man, but by virtue of His own Sovereign choice.
• Particular Redemption
  The Lord Jesus Christ died for those who God has given Him, the elect, His people. Christ did not die for the whole world, each and every person that ever lived.
• Irresistible Grace
  When God determines to save you, you cannot escape His saving Grace. You will be saved.
• Perseverance of the Saints
  Once saved, always saved. Nothing can ever snatch you(the elect) from the Hand of God.

I'm sure reading these brief explanations has already raised some questions in your mind. Most of you realize that these clearly opposes what you believe and what has been taught to you. And as the Arminians would usually say, you might be thinking that Calvinism/Reformed theology is dangerous.

In such a premise, Jim McClarty and Jeff Young of Grace Christian Assembly has graced us with a defense to why the Reformed Faith is actually genuine and Biblical. I am forced to conclude that the anti-theses of such is in fact the dangerous theology, a heresy if you will, and ultimately, a trampling underfoot of the Saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Theology Talk

In our inaugural Theology Talk, Jim is joined by Jeff Young, GCA president, to discuss a recent anti-Calvinist message, preached by Pastor Brady Cooper at the New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, TN. Jim and Jeff carefully and respectfully point out the assumptions, misrepresentations, and "straw man arguments" that are typical of the Arminian approach to Scripture. It is our intention to utilize this informal discussion format to produce other Theology Talk programs in the future covering a wide variety of topics.

For a complete mp3 download visit the GCA Archives.

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