The Doctrine of Election

"What satisfies my reason, and what satisfies my emotion, and what satisfies my sense of freedom is not the determiner of truth. [...] I'm not God. And while things may not make sense to my reason, my reason is fallen. And while things may not make sense to my emotion, my emotion is fallen. And while things might not seem to square up with my sense of freedom, my freedom is fallen too.
Therefore, in order for reason, and emotion, and will to function, as God wants them to function, they cannot be left to themselves. Because they're fallen. They must be brought under the authority of scripture."
---John MacArthur and the Doctrine of Election

Luke 22:31-32

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32 NIV

Satan wanted to test the disciples, hoping to bring them to spiritual ruin. (NIV text note)

How fitting to read this small passage after yesterday's devotions about the famine and how God ordains events in our lives for specific purposes. Even though it may be difficult to remember this truth during those trying circumstances, or "famines" in our lives, we are reminded of this as soon as we open our Bibles and allow the Spirit to minister to us in our hardships.

I recently felt as though I'd failed at giving my burdens to God. It has been an ongoing process, and one that I've desperately wanted to hand over to Him and trust Him with. Something happened that made me feel as though, no, I had never handed Him that burden, I've been holding on to it the entire time. I am encouraged to remember, that is exactly the tactic Satan uses in our lives. He is the king of deception. As soon as we decide to take a stand on something, Satan attacks us and makes us feel as though we never really took that stand. It is pure deception, lies, something we shouldn't feel trapped by. I know I handed that burden over to God, and He will give me the strength I need to trust Him in this. Without Him, I am nothing, and can do nothing. Satan has no real power over me. Jesus Christ conquered Him at the cross. Amen!

God has chosen us to serve Him and to live our lives for Him; therefore, it's only by His strength we can accomplish anything.

Genesis 46-47

All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and useful for training in righteousness" 2 Tim. 3:16

All Scripture, even the boring parts that seem irrelevant to our lives.
Joseph showed kindness and forgiveness toward his family and respect for his father, Jacob. Despite how horrible his brothers were to Joseph, he helped them prosper during this terrible famine. Now this famine was terrible! But God had a plan in it. If the famine had never happened, there would have been no reason for Joseph's brothers to travel to Egypt. It was because of this terrible famine that Jacob's family was reunited with Joseph and restoration was able to take place. Almost always, we can't understand God's plan or reason for allowing a hardship into our lives. We don't learn why, most often, until after and are looking back on it. It's those hardships and difficult experiences that shape our lives, draw us into a closer relationships with God, and even with our families and friends sometimes. It is by these hardships that we learn to trust in God and relinquish our hold on circumstances.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Why Did God Choose Me?

John MacArthur is doing a series on the Doctrine of Election right now on his radio show. His sermons have forced me to consider this wonderful truth that people hesitate to talk about because of its harshness... God CHOSE me! Just because He wanted to. Not because of anything I did or ever could do. He chose me before the creation of the world, that I would choose Him and desire to live my life for Him. This is such a humbling truth, and all I can do is thank Him and praise Him for choosing me.

Have you ever considered what eternity is? How long is it? Can you explain it? Absolutely NOT! In fact, I get a little nauseated trying to comprehend what eternity is. I feel the same way with election. It is uncomprehensible! Why did God choose me?

Praise the Lord

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." Ephesians 1:3-6

That We Would Be Effective In Our Circumstances

It’s pretty hard to get too carried away with praying for things for yourself after reading about the Apostle Paul and what he asked the church to pray for at the end of his letter, Ephesians.

“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” Ephesians 6:19-20

Note what the Apostle Paul didn’t ask for here. How many times do we ask God to take us out of our present circumstances? Or we ask Him to change things around us. Paul was in prison, he had been whipped, stoned and left for dead, shipwrecked! Most people would have been pleading with God to change the situation around them. Paul recognized that God was using him despite his circumstances. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 it says “But he (Jesus) said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me. “

Paul didn’t want to put himself in any position that might cause him to boast about his own strengths or accomplishments. He recognized that in his circumstances he would be kept humble and kept leaning on God’s strength to do anything! If he was going to minister, it would have to be God to get the message through. My pastor in church said something interesting yesterday regarding this passage and Paul’s experience. Effectiveness is not determined by our circumstances, but by what we do in those circumstances.

Often I wish my circumstances would change, or if I was just in a different season of life I would be more effective to minister, or just be able to do other things. This is totally and completely wrong thinking. If I am going to be an effective witness for Christ Jesus, than I need to be asking Him to use my circumstances to bring glory and honor to Him. It was God who placed me here to begin with!

Genesis 30-31

Jacob's wives, Rachael and Leah were in constant competition with each other. Rachael failed to trust God and gave Jacob a servant to have children with. Leah also gave Jacob her servant. No wonder this family became so dysfunctional to the point of trying to kill their youngest brother, Joseph!

This story shows what troubles comes when we fail to trust God and we take things into our own hands.

Jacob deceives his father-in-law to somehow get back at him for the wrong Laban did to Jacob. Yes, Jacob was prosperous in material worth, but their family relationships suffer tremendously because of their attitudes and actions.

Clearly, Jacob acted out in deception and greed. God was faithful to the covenant He'd made with Abraham. It was not because of anything Jacob did that God was faithful. It was God's divine choice to be with Jacob and to save him from Laban. Just as the Israelites later. It was not because of how good they were! No, they were pure evil! God's covenant with Abraham was what kept them in the position they were in. Only by that covenant were they God's chosen people. God sent Jesus Christ to be the atoning sacrifice for all mankind's sin. It is not by anything we could ever do to find favor with God! No, only because of the sacrifice and that covenant that god has grace and has saved us from eternal condemnation. God is faithful to keep His promises.

Praise the Lord!

Be Careful What You Pray For

So, for the past while I've been reflecting on the fact that I don't have many people, or any people, to really witness to. My circle of friends are Christian! And since I've stopped working outside the home, I no longer encounter situations to share my faith, in a verbal sense, or at all! Well, after praying that my husband would be a light in his workplace and sieze opportunities to witness, I also prayed that I would have an opportunity and recognize people who need Jesus too.......

On my walk today I encountered such an experience. Luckily I was with my sister-in-law, so I wasn't alone talking with a stranger. But this person came straight up to us and began a conversation regarding the environment, and "electric cars" specifically. He was rallying people to fight for a common cause... in this case "electric cars" and saving the environment. Anyhow, somehow our conversation deepened, and I couldn't bring myself to tell him to get lost and that we just wanted to walk by ourselves.

This man was searching, and searching hard. He thought it absolutely necessary to learn about all religions and find out which one suited him best. Interesting, since my husband and I had just finished a conversation about that the night before. We decided that besides God telling us, through Romans, that we are to stay away from all other false teachings, if we immerse ourselves in the Bible we will learn what we need to counter false teaching and religion!

It saddened me to see a man with such fervor to make a difference in the world and to bring peace among mankind was looking in all the wrong places. The answer is right under his nose, but he is determined to search out everything first.