Choose Your Predestined Path

I've been listening to podcasts by Scott J. Norvell over the last three weeks.  Hours and hours and hours of sink-your-teeth-into-this-meaty-stuff teachings.  So many points to talk about.  So many things to share.  But I'll settle on this point. 

Choice and Predestination.

In the "Christian community" there is so much debate about what the Bible means when it's talking about predestination.  You have various and diverse thoughts on the subject.  You have Calvinism (God has predestined who will be saved, so we really have no choice at all) and Arminianism (We chose to accept Jesus, therefore we are predestined) and varying shades of in-betweenism and a lot of people who simply say "I have NO idea."  I have always leaned more toward Arminianism because I believe that we have free will.  Adam and Eve in the garden displays that will to choose.  Life in Eden was perfect, and yet Eve was deceived and Adam (with his wife) chose rebellion.  That one point right there always sealed it for me.  I have never doubted God's sovereignty or His omnipotence, and I dare not shorten his arm by saying He couldn't or wouldn't be sovereign in certain situations.  And I most certainly will not argue that when Jesus says, "you did not choose me, but I have chosen you," He wasn't talking about the fact that the disciples were hand-picked by Him.  Nor will I say that He did not also choose me.  That would be presumptuous and erroneous...not to mention egotistical.

So, how do you balance THIS:  "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." Romans 8:29-30.

with THIS:  "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;"

Deuteronomy 30:19

These two verses seem to contradict themselves.  In Deuteronomy, we are told "YOU CHOOSE."  In Romans were told "GOD CHOSE."  I have very good friends who believe that we have absolutely no say in the matter of our salvation, and that if we're going to be saved it's because God chose for us to be saved and only us.  As though we are an elite society or something.  As though God lined us up in gym class, looked at us in a row, and picked his buddies to be on His dodge ball team. 

But that can't be true.

James tells us "but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors." James 2:9.  So if it is sin to be partial, obviously, God can't be partial.  Because He CANNOT sin.

And Paul tells us "for this is good and acceptable in the sight of our God and Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:3-4.

So how in the world can choice and predestination go hand in hand?  As I was listening to one of Mr. Norvell's podcasts, he spoke of predestination and perfectly expressed predestination and free will work together in the kingdom.  This is what he said:  "Our callings are predestined.  Our choices are not."

And my skullcap went flying.  The statement literally blew my mind.  It was this fantastic light bulb moment.  Everything that we argue about in "predestination versus free will" is solved by those two little sentences. 

Romans 11:29 says that the gifts of God and the calling of God are irrevocable.  If God gifts a man named Jimmy with the ability to write books, then Jimmy will always have that gifting.  God is not an Indian giver.  If Jimmy does something stupid or selfish with that gift, God will not take it back.  His gifts are free and eternal.

If God calls Jimmy to write Christian novels and books, that call is always there.  BUT Jimmy has the right and the ability to say "yes" or to say "no."  If Jimmy says yes, everything is fantastic and he is fulfilling the calling God has for his life and seeing the fruit of the labor.  If Jimmy says "no," the call doesn't go away...but the blessings and the fruit do, and Jimmy will (perhaps) spend the rest of his life running away from the call.

Look at the story of Jonah.  In Chapter One God called Jonah to go to Nineveh.  Jonah said, "no" and ran away from the call.  He ended up in the belly of a great fish, where he finally repented and accepted the call.  The call never went away.  God didn't renege or change His mind. In chapter three, Jonah stepped into the calling that had always been there.  The gift and the call endured, even though Jonah fought tooth and nail to keep from having to do it.

So, you see, there is no reason to argue about predestination anymore.  We are all predestined to have talents and abilities and callings.  But we still have the free will to be rebellious and say "NO" if we so choose, or to be obedient and say "YES" if we so choose. 

If you look at the scripture in Deuteronomy 30:19 again, with this revelation, you'll see that God has predestined the life and the death.  "I have set before you this day life and death, blessing and cursing."  Both paths are laid out.  There is the path of life and blessing, and there is the path of death and cursing.  "Life and Blessings" is a narrow path that leads to salvation through Christ.  "Death and Cursing" is a wide path that leads to outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

The courses are marked, the finish line determined, the mode of transportation set.  At the starting line Jesus calls out to everyone, "Take the narrow path, heed the call which I am calling you to, use your gifts to glorify the Father, and receive salvation through the Son."

Both paths are made available.  Both paths lead to real and legitimate finish lines.  Both paths are predestined.

But we must choose which path we take.

And our CHOICE determines our destiny.

There Are Some Things God Can't Do

There are some things God just flat out can't do.  Before you guys shoot me, or gather up a mob for a lynching, let me clarify myself.  I am not disputing His sovereignty.  I'm not saying that He is incapable.  I'm not saying He's smaller than He claims to be or less powerful than His Word tells us He is.  I believe God is able to do much more than we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  Our God is not an impotent faceless blob floating in outer space.  He is not a man who lived and died and was deified by friends.  He is not an old man with a beard, sitting on a throne who looks down with disdain at us meager humans.  He is not an uncaring or inactive God.

He does all good things.  He loves.  He saves.  He heals.  He restores.  He redeems.  He rescues.  He corrects.  He chastises.  He gives mercy and grace.  He leads, guides, directs, teaches, comforts, and instructs.  James 1:17 tells us that "Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation and shadow of turning."  This scripture tells us that all good things come from God.  So if it is good, He can do it.  But this scripture also tells us something God CANNOT do. 

1.  God cannot change.
the second half of James 1:17 says "with whom there is NO VARIATION and SHADOW OF TURNING."  So...if there is no variation in God, that means that he CANNOT CHANGE.  Malachi 3:6a demonstrates this further: "For I am the Lord, I do not change."  I dont' know about you, but I'm convinced.  I mean, this is coming from the Lord's mouth, through the prophet Malachi.  Pretty sure that makes this an inarguable truth.

What else, then, can God NOT do?  If James 1:17 displays that all good things are from God, then we can infer that all BAD things are not from God.  And, all bad things are SIN.  So, it's not a stretch, by any means, to say that God CANNOT sin.  But that is a broad statement, so I'll break it down.

2.  God cannot lie. 
"Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us."  Hebrews 6; 17-18.  Now, that's pretty straightforward.  It is impossible for God to lie.  There's no arguing the black and white of that statement.


3.  God cannot relent without intercession or repentance. 
"And also the Strength of Israel will not lie and relent.  For He is not a man that He should relent." 1 Sam 15:29.  Now, this scripture also says that God will not relent...and this is true when there is no intercession.  However, we see several times in scripture where men of God intereceded when the Lord was angry at a nation because of sin, and God relented.  (See Exodus 32:15-35; Jonah 1:1-3, 3:1-10).  But, without repentance or intercession, God will not relent.

4.  God cannot fail.
"Behold this day I am going the way of all the earth.  and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you.  All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed."  Joshua 23:14.  In fact, God is so completely unable to fail, that He has already succeeded in all things to which He set His hand.  "Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."  Romans 8:37.  And how can we be conquerors unless our God has already succeeded and won?

5. God cannot renege on His promises.
"Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised.  There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses." 1 Kings 8:56.  If that's not enough, here's another scripture: "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." 1 Cor 1:20

6.  God cannot renege on the giftings He gives us.
"For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."  Romans 11:29.  His gifts are freely given.  Our talents are ours to use as we so decide.  There are hundreds of thousands of musicians on earth.  They were gifted with the ability to play a chosen intrument.  Some play for the Lord.  Many do not.  But God gave those abilities to each man, and has not and cannot revoke those gifts because we have chosen in our free will to use those gifts for things other than His glory.

7.  God cannot be tempted, and cannot tempt.
"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone." James 1:13.  Pretty self-explanatory.  So, the next time you're tempted to do something wrong, or you're in the middle of wanting to do the wrong thing.  Remember, this might be a test to see what you'll choose, but God is not tempting you to do the wrong thing.  He's testing you in an attempt to help you learn to do the right thing.

8.  God cannot be mocked.
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."  Gal 6:9.  I read that as meaning that God will not put up with people who mock him.  Time and time again in the Word and even in modern society, there are stories of people who mock the Lord receiving the recompense of their mocking.  Bon Scott, the deceased lead singer of AC/DC, is a prime example of that.  Just look at two of the group's most famous songs: "Highway to Hell" and "Hell's Bells."  Scott died at age 33, shortly after recording "Highway to Hell."

So...you see, there really are some things that God flat out CANNOT do.  And, I for one, and very glad He cannot do them.  If He could do them, He wouldn't be a God worth serving or believing in, would He?  Because what would make Him any different from any other God...or any other human being that walked the earth?  And I don't want to serve or worship a man who will disappoint or become petty or lie or cheat or change his mind.  I want to worship an unchanging, loving, infallible God whose promises are true and gifts are free.

Thank God there are some things He cannot do.

Contentment vs. Satisfaction

So, this idea has been rolling through my mind the last couple of days: that there is a difference between satisfaction and contentment.  I think most people tend to lump the two words together as absolute synonyms.  Generally speaking, that's usually okay, but though they have similar meanings, they are also obviously different.  Here are the definitions of the two words found on dictionary.com.

Contentment:
1. the state of being contented; satisfaction; ease of mind
2. the act of making contentedly satisfied.

Satisfaction:
1. an act of satisfying; fulfillment; gratification.

2. the state of being satisfied; contentment.

3. the cause or means of being satisfied.

4. confident acceptance of something as satisfactory, dependable, true, etc.

5. reparation or compensation, as for a wrong or injury.

6. the opportunity to redress or right a wrong, as by a duel.

7. payment or discharge, as of a debt or obligation.

So, you see the words are very similar.  But when I think about them, what sets them apart from each other is a division of state of soul and spirit versus state of body and mind. 

I see satisfaction as a state of body and mind.  If someone steals from me, I could take them to court and receive satisfactino through monetary recompense.  If I want to learn more about a particular subject, I can satisfy my curiosity by reading books or listening to lectures or watching historical footage.  If my stomach is growling, I can satisfy my hunger by eating a sandwich.  Eventually, though, I become hungry again, and must reach for a snack or make another meal.  Likewise, learning is a life-long process that can and will never be completely fulfilled.  And the money I was repaid might be adequate restitution, but isn't life-changing.  We can satisfy ourselves for a moment, but because of human nature, our satisfaction is fleeting and must constantly be addressed.

I see contentment as a state of soul and spirit.  I can be hungry, unable to satisfy my hunger, but still be content in my life.  I can be destitute of money, unable to get enough to adequately provide for my needs, but still be content in my soul.  I can lack knowledge or experience, etc. but still be content in my spirit.

The primary and distinguishing difference is simple.  Satisfaction is for the flesh.  Contentment is for the Spirit.  I can lack earthly things, but be content in the Lord.  I doubt I will ever be fully satisfied with where I am in the Lord.  I always want to know more about Him, be more in tune with Him, have a closer relationship with Him.  But I am and have always been content in Him, lacking no good thing.  And the truth of the matter is that you can't satisfy your flesh, or fleshly desires, (or carnal man) and also satisfy your spirit.  The two are at war with one another.  But if you are content in the Lord, the satisfaction of the flesh doesn't mean quite as much as it used to.

My goal in life is to always be content in the Lord.  If I am content in the Lord, I know that he is providing all my earthly needs.  My flesh (the carnal man) may not receive satisfaction, but my soul will be content.  And the soul is much more important then the flesh. 

"Therefore do not worry, saying "what shall we eat?" or "what shall we drink?" or "what shall we wear?"  for after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."  Matthew 6:31-33

"Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out.  And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition."  1 Timothy 6:6-8

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."  James 1:17

Hannity and Hasselbeck - about freedom of speech

Love this interview about all the backlash and blame Sarah Palin has received because of the Tuscon tragedy.  (Ignore the end where they talk about the gluten-free protein bar).  Everything else hits the mark.  (and I use that language intentionally.)

Again, this doesn't like to embed.  So watch the video HERE.

Are You Walking In Authority?

I'm thinking a lot today about the Authority we as believers have in Christ.  So often in the churchy, sit-in-the-pew-because-it's-Sunday life people skip over the amazing power and authority we have in Christ.  We're taught that this gift or that gift were only imparted to the Apostles, and that they weren't given to the body as a whole.  Or we're taught that, "that which is perfect" (1 Cor 13:10) has actually come, thus doing away with the gifts of the Spirit, such as tongues or prophecy, etc.  But I don't believe it.  I don't believe that the church or the world or the universe within time has entered perfection.  Jesus hasn't returned yet.  The devil is not bound, nor has he been cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:1-3, 7-10). 

The Bride of Christ is not PURE.  There are still spots in our love feast (Jude 1:12).  Don't agree or believe with me?  Have you read about the awful people claiming to be Christians who picket at the funerals of dead soldiers?  Have you seen the pictures of people claiming to be Christians holding signs that say "God hates faggots"?  Have you heard and seen videos of people claiming to be Christians lined up outside abortion clinics, screaming, yelling, sometimes throwing things at the lost and misguided women who go there for appointments?  Does that sound like "THAT WHICH IS PERFECT" to you?   God forbid we claim perfection when these atrocities still occur!

What we can claim is this:  Our Lord, Jesus Christ, has commissioned us to go out into the world and make disciples. (Matt 28:18-20).  Everyone who knows the Lord knows this.  But, it doesn't end there.  That is not the completion of our commission.  Here is the next portion:  "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My Name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:16-18

Now, I don't know if you caught this or not, but Jesus ISN'T talking about the disciples or the apostles doing these things.  He's talking about ALL who are saved.  Look, he says, "THESE SIGNS WILL FOLLOW THOSE WHO BELIEVE."  He doesn't say "these signs will follow you eleven apostles."  He doesn't say, "these signs will follow the church for only the first hundred years."  Jesus clearly and distinctly says that those signs listed will follow EVERYONE who believes.  It's all-inclusive, people.  The MOMENT you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, you were enabled to do all the things listed above in bold.  You have the ability to cast out demons, to speak in tongues, to lay hands on and heal the sick.  You are divinely protected from accidentally taking in poisons and being killed or permanently injured by them.  (By the way, that doesn't mean we should go around drinking arsenic or playing with King Cobras for kicks and grins.  The Word tells us in Deut 6:16 "Do not to test the Lord, your God .)

If you need further proof, I submit this to you:  Jesus is talking to his disciples in John 14:12-14, and He tells them this:  "Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  And whatever you ask in My Name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in my Name, I will do it."

Do I need to clarify any further?  Jesus is saying, point blank, flat out, that any person who believes in Him will not only perform the same works Jesus performed, but will perform works that surpass those He performed.  How can we misinterpret that?  After reading that, how can we say that the time for those gifts in in 1Corinthians 12-14 are past?  Do we dare contradict our Lord?  These are His words.  He didn't use a parable here.  He wasn't teaching a precept here.  He wasn't being vague.  He wasn't trying to make a point to the Pharisees or scribes here.  He was stating a TRUTH about those who will accept and believe in Him.  And Jesus' statement here gives us ALL the power and authority to perform those things stated in Mark 16.

But I'll take this one step beyond that.  Jesus prays in John 17:1-2 "Father, the hour has come.  Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify you, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him."  Later in v 20-22, He prays this: "I do not pray for these alone [speaking of the 11 remaining disciples] but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one."

So, if God the Father gave Jesus authority over all flesh, and if by believing in Him, we are ONE WITH HIM, then we, also, have that same authority.  This is so simple.  By believing in Jesus, we are made sons of God and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:14-17).  As such, we are entitled to the same inheritance (eternal life in the presence of the Father) and authority that Jesus has.  It is this authority He gives us here in John 17.  And if Jesus was able, through the Spirit and authority of God, to heal the sick, cast out demons, restore sight, and perform all the countless miracles he performed, then, because of our adoption into sonship, we are able to do the same!

And yet, we don't live like it.  And I'm preaching at myself here.  Here we have this amazing gift: power and authority greater than humankind can comprehend.  The power of God to do great and mighty things.  The authority over the enemy of our souls to BIND him and CAST HIM OUT in the Name of Jesus.  We are Kings and Priests (Rev 1:5-6).  Kings have the highest authority in the land, and priests have the highest authority in church.  He has given us sonship through Jesus, and we received a join inheritance.  What is that inheritance?  It is title, power, authority.  Yahweh, God the Father, is the richest, most powerful, highest authority in existence.  He has given His power and authority to Jesus, His Son.  And Jesus has given it to ALL WHO BELIEVE.

Now do you see how awesome this is?  Now do you understand what we've been given?  Now do you realize who you are? 

If you believe that we live in a perfect world, where we see clearly and there is no need for prophecy or supernatural healings or tongues, I don't believe you live on the same planet as I do.  Because the world I see is riddled with sin and corruption.  The world I see is full of heartache and loss and suffering.  If you believe that the church as it is now, is pristine and unwrinkled and unspotted, I don't believe you are a member of the same body as I am.  Because the church I see is full of judgment and gossip, division and deception and compromise.  The church I see is full of false teachers and money-changers. 

I'm not saying that every pastor or every local church is full of liars and compromisers.  I'm not even saying that there are more false teachers than true ones.  But I am saying this: that if there is even ONE pastor or teacher or church member in the ENTIRE world who believes and promotes false doctrine in the body, then we CANNOT be in this time of perfection where the gifts of the Spirit have passed away.  Because the only time and place where the body of Christ will be completely perfect is when Satan has been cast into the lake of fire and those of us who are saved are in the presence of the Lord for all eternity.

So, while we live in this time of imperfection, waiting for the Return of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we ought to live, move, and act with the AUTHORITY and POWER the Christ gave us.  It is the ONLY hope we have in fulfilling the commission the Lord gave us in Matthew 28.  It is the ONLY way the lost will ever be found, or the blind will ever see, or the sick will ever be healed.

Setting Up the Pins

there's this really fantastic song called "Setting up the Pins" by Sara Groves.  In it she talks about finding joy in the mundane things in life, like doing laundry.  In the CD sleeve she says she wrote the song while she was at the sink doing dishes.  And this idea struck a chord with me because I LOATHE housework.  It's never finished.  You just get everything done and then have to come back and do it again the next day or the next weekend because it's not one of those "once and done" things.  it's perpetual and it take discipline.  Discipline, i'm sad to say, that I often lack.  Of course I can get away with it because I live by myself and I don't particularly care that my laundry is piled on my sofa.  (I never sit on it, anyway).  And eventually when run out of spoons or bowls, I'll get around to the dishes out of pure necessity.  but I rarely find joy in it.  and this song really encourages me and convicts me to try a little harder to find joy in the mundane tasks.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31 "...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."  The passage it comes from is talking about freedom in Christ - about not being bound by dietary restrictions, etc.  But this part of the verse is really applicable to anything that we, as Christians, might do.

And he also tells us in Colossians 3:23-24 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

I tried to embed this, but for some reason it won't work.  so... Watch the Video Here 

Are You Well?

i woke up yesterday with a pretty sore throat and one of those achy, far-away headaches that gets progressively worse as the day goes on.  My brother is down with strep again, and immediately i have this fear-driven reaction that I've got strep throat.  then i calm myself down and speak some sense to myself.  okay...you're over-reacting.  you probably just slept funny, with your mouth open all night long, and the cold air irritated your throat.  quit jumping to the worst conclusion.  by the end of the day, though, I was pretty miserable.  so miserable that i went to bed at 10:30 on New Years' Eve.  i woke up today feeling marginally better, after a very sporadic night's sleep.  I'm a tummy sleeper, but because i was congested i had to sleep on my back...so I didn't sleep very well. 

and i was afraid that today, my first real day back at work in two weeks, i wouldn't be able to function because i felt so crappy.  fortunately, I'm feeling better.  I'm not at 100%, but i feel a lot better than i did yesterday.  (which is good because I'm at work until midnight). 

so, despite feeling a little under the weather, I'm pushing through.  and I'm thinking about health.  not necessarily physical health.  just health.  being health, living health, loving health, speaking health.  no...this is not some new age, eat-only-hummus-and-tofu-and-put-special-crystals-on-your-pressure-points business.  this is about living well.  it's about being in that River in Ezekiel 47:1-12 that heals.  because the fact is that our health is a promise if we are saved.  i know that's not something a lot of people walk around claiming.  and i'm not saying that if you know Jesus, you're not ever going to get sick.  but, what i am saying is that the word tells us in Mark 2:1-12 that our healing and our salvation are both taken care of through our belief in Christ.  When Jesus healed that paralytic, he didn't just say "get up and walk."  he said, "your sins are forgiven" and then when everyone threw a fit about him claiming to have the power to forgive sins, he said, "take up your bed and walk."  doing this, he demonstrated that through him healing and forgiveness of sins are one and the same.

our physical, mental, and spiritual health are guaranteed in Christ.  humanity is spiritually sick, and it is only through Jesus that we are made well, that we are SAVED from the sickness of selfishness, or sin, of flesh.  and because of that we are granted the promise of physical and mental and emotional well-being.  this doesn't mean we won't struggle.  this doesn't mean we won't have sickness.  what it does mean is that we are not mastered by the struggles or the sicknesses.

so, my question to you all today, as we embark on this new year is this:  Are you well?  Have you been made well by accepting the health that is found in Christ Jesus?  And if you are, are you living like you're well, and are you taking that wellness to those around you who are unwell?