Prayer of Thanks
† Lord, I’m not sure why I am tired and have a headache right now, but I cannot focus enough to pray, so I will write this prayer to You.
Lord God of Heaven, I worship You. My King, You are sovereign over all the earth. You have taught me this year that You are God. You have taught me through Your word, through prayer, through Godly teachers like Piper and McArthur, and through people in my life. Thank You for bringing me to this place where I know You are God. Thank You.
Piper said he saw his theology fall apart in seminary – his little view of You. He said he wept everyday for six months, with elbows on either side of the Bible in his dorm room (Sermon: “What Romans 9 is All About.”) I have had no such emotional experience. Mine is one of relief. I have seen what this false perception of God can do and has done in my life. I have seen some of the effects of stripping You of Your glory and ascribing that power to man in something called “Free Will.” When God is belittled, man is inflated. Someone or something is going to be sovereign in every man’s perception. If it is not You, my Lord, it will be me. And it has been for so long.
Every time I think of Mosaic, I am in anguish. I know my anguish is no comparison to Paul’s anguish in Romans 9:1-5. But it is still a sorrow that these people, some of whom I have called friends, have rejected Your sovereignty and placed themselves at the center of their faith. I know not all have done this. But when I hear Erwin preach absolute heresy, beknown to him or not, and when no one checks him on it, there is a problem. (Did someone check him when he called Calvinism a false religion? I noticed in the sermon following that he changed the wording to “a distinct stream of Christianity.”)
And Lord, does it matter? Is my anguish unwarranted? Some say it’s just a point of disagreement. What if it’s not a big deal? What if very little hinges on this “difference of opinion” about salvation?
What hinges on it? The very meaning of salvation. Our view of God, our view of the Holy Spirit’s role is salvation. Our understanding of what we were in fact saved from. In a nutshell, our worldview is changed.
Thank You, Lord, for letting me use my spiritual gifts for edifying this group of men. You have employed my gift of teaching, a gift You have given me, for Your service once again. I love to teach, to read, to study. Help me, Lord, to apply what I learn to Your Great Commandment and Great Commission. Thank You. †
12/26/06
Lord God of Heaven, I worship You. My King, You are sovereign over all the earth. You have taught me this year that You are God. You have taught me through Your word, through prayer, through Godly teachers like Piper and McArthur, and through people in my life. Thank You for bringing me to this place where I know You are God. Thank You.
Piper said he saw his theology fall apart in seminary – his little view of You. He said he wept everyday for six months, with elbows on either side of the Bible in his dorm room (Sermon: “What Romans 9 is All About.”) I have had no such emotional experience. Mine is one of relief. I have seen what this false perception of God can do and has done in my life. I have seen some of the effects of stripping You of Your glory and ascribing that power to man in something called “Free Will.” When God is belittled, man is inflated. Someone or something is going to be sovereign in every man’s perception. If it is not You, my Lord, it will be me. And it has been for so long.
Every time I think of Mosaic, I am in anguish. I know my anguish is no comparison to Paul’s anguish in Romans 9:1-5. But it is still a sorrow that these people, some of whom I have called friends, have rejected Your sovereignty and placed themselves at the center of their faith. I know not all have done this. But when I hear Erwin preach absolute heresy, beknown to him or not, and when no one checks him on it, there is a problem. (Did someone check him when he called Calvinism a false religion? I noticed in the sermon following that he changed the wording to “a distinct stream of Christianity.”)
And Lord, does it matter? Is my anguish unwarranted? Some say it’s just a point of disagreement. What if it’s not a big deal? What if very little hinges on this “difference of opinion” about salvation?
What hinges on it? The very meaning of salvation. Our view of God, our view of the Holy Spirit’s role is salvation. Our understanding of what we were in fact saved from. In a nutshell, our worldview is changed.
Thank You, Lord, for letting me use my spiritual gifts for edifying this group of men. You have employed my gift of teaching, a gift You have given me, for Your service once again. I love to teach, to read, to study. Help me, Lord, to apply what I learn to Your Great Commandment and Great Commission. Thank You. †
12/26/06
posted by Ron | 9:44 PM
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