Why must he be very man, and also perfectly righteous?

Because the justice of God requires that the same human nature which has sinned, should likewise make satisfaction for sin; (a) and one, who is himself a sinner, cannot satisfy for others. (b)

(a) Ezek.18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezek.18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. Rom.5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Rom.5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. Rom.5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 1 Cor.15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. Heb.2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; Heb.2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Heb.2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. 1 Pet.3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: Isa.53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isa.53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Isa.53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isa.53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Isa.53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (b) Heb.7:26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Heb.7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. Ps.49:7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: Ps.49:8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) 1 Pet.3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.

What sort of a mediator and deliverer then must we seek for?

For one who is very man, and perfectly (a) righteous; (b) and yet more powerful than all creatures; that is, one who is also very God. (c)

(a) 1 Cor.15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. Jer.33:16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness. Isa.53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 2 Cor.5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (b) Heb.7:26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Heb.7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. (c) Isa.7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isa.9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Rom.9:5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Jer.23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. Jer.23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Luke 11:22 But when a stronger than he (a stromg man armed) shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

Can there be found anywhere, one, who is a mere creature, able to satisfy for us?

None; for, first, God will not punish any other creature for the sin which man has committed; (a) and further, no mere creature can sustain the burden of God's eternal wrath against sin, so as to deliver others from it. (b)

(a) Ezek.18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Gen.3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Heb.2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; Heb.2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Heb.2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Heb.2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. (b) Nah.1:6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. Ps.130:3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

Can we ourselves then make this satisfaction?

By no means; but on the contrary we daily increase our debt. (a)

(a) Job 9:2 I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? Job 9:3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand. Job 15:15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. Job 15:16 How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? Job 4:18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: Job 4:19 How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? Ps.130:3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? Matt.6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Matt.18:25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. Matt.16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Is there no way by which we may escape that punishment, and be again received into favour?

Since then, by the righteous judgment of God, we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, is there no way by which we may escape that punishment, and be again received into favour?

God will have his justice satisfied: (a) and therefore we must make this full satisfaction, either by ourselves, or by another. (b)

(a) Gen.2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Exod.20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; Exod.23:7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. Ezek.18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Matt.5:26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. 2 Thess.1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; Luke 16:2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. (b) Rom.8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Rom.8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Is not God then also merciful?

God is indeed merciful, (a) but also just; (b) therefore his justice requires, that sin which is committed against the most high majesty of God, be also punished with extreme, that is, with everlasting punishment of body and soul.

(a) Exod.34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Exod.34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. Exod.20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (b) Ps.7:9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. Exod.20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; Exod.23:7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. Exod.34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. Ps.5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Ps.5:6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. Nah.1:2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. Nah.1:3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

Will God suffer such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?

By no means; but is terribly displeased (a) with our original as well as actual sins; and will punish them in his just judgment temporally and eternally, (b) as he has declared, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them." (c)

(a) Gen.2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Rom.5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (b) Ps.5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Ps.50:21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Nah.1:2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. Exod.20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; Exod.34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. Rom.1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Eph.5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Heb.9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (c) Deut.27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen. Gal.3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Does not God then do injustice to man, by requiring from him in his law, that which he cannot perform?

Not at all; (a) for God made man capable of performing it; but man, by the instigation of the devil, (b) and his own wilful disobedience, (c) deprived himself and all his posterity of those divine gifts.

(a) Eph.4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Eccl.7:29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. (b) John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 2 Cor.11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Gen.3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: (c) Gen.3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. Rom.5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Gen.3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 1 Tim.2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 1 Tim.2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Tragedies of hopelessness

Remember that movie?

Sylvia

Yes. I thought Gwyneth Paltrow did an outstanding job, portraying Sylvia Plath. The depth of her personality, the intensity of feelings, the overwhelming pain she experienced in her broken marriage... Yet that was a real person behind the movie, and a tragic ending. Today this:

Poet Plath's son takes own life

May it be that when his mother left him so unrevocably when he was a baby scarred him for life? May it be that children could care less for parents' careers and fame? May it be that what God prescribed for us in the matters of family life is true?

How utterly sad, how terribly unnecessary, how tragic. Thank you, philosophy of despair, thank you, atheists, thank you, God haters. What can you offer instead? This?

Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness?

Indeed we are; (a) except we are regenerated by the Spirit of God. (b)

(a) Gen.8:21 The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Gen.6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Job 15:14 What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Job 15:16 How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? Job 15:35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit. Isa.53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (b) John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 1 Cor.12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 2 Cor.3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.

Lite humor i vardagen trots allt

Folk är konstiga i detta land. De har det för bra, helt enkelt. Vi skrattade så vi kiknade, men det är faktiskt allvarligt att människor har en så barnslig inställning till livet...

"Stranden för sandig"
Publicerat 2009-03-20 16:59

För mycket curry i Indien. För många spanjorer i Spanien. DN har samlat något av turistens klagan, hemmavid och internationellt. De flesta citaten kommer från brittiska ”Telegraph” som i sin tur fått materialet från resebyrån Thomas Cook och branschorganisationen ABTA.

Naturen:
"Jag kände mig otillräcklig. Min smekmånad blev förstörd."
Klagomål från en turist boende på en safarilodge i Afrika, med utsikt över en synbart upphetsad elefanthannes parningsakt.
"Ingen talade om att havet var fullt av fisk. Barnen blev vettskrämda"
"Jag blev biten av en mygga - ingen talade om att de kunde bitas"

Hotellet:
"Jag tänkte ringa polisen. Hotellpersonalen låste in mig"
Klagomål från en kvinna som inte vågat lämna sitt hotellrum. Hon hade missuppfattat "Do not disturb"-skylten på insidan av dörren som en varning för att gå ut.
”Min fästman och jag bokade ett rum med två sängar, men placerades i ett rum med dubbelsäng. Jag håller er nu ansvariga för att jag är gravid, vilket inte skulle ha hänt om vi fått det rum vi bokat"
"Jag jämförde vår enrumslägenhet med våra vänners trerumslägenhet och vår var betydligt mindre"
"Det är er plikt som resebyrå att förvarna oss om störande och högljudda gäster före resan"

Teknik:
"Vi var tvungna att köa utomhus utan luftkonditionering"

Bad & sol:
"Stranden var för sandig"
"Topless-solande på stranden borde förbjudas. Semestern blev förstörd av min mans ständiga stirrande på andra kvinnor"
"Stranden såg inte ut som den gjorde i broschyren. I er broschyr var den gul, men i verkligheten var den vit"
"Vi bokade en utflykt till en vattenpark, men ingen talade om att vi skulle ta med våra badkläder och handdukar"
"Tidvattnet gjorde att vi förlorade flera timmars badtid."

Shopping:
"Vi köpte ett par Ray Ban-solglasögon för fem euro från en gatuförsäljare, bara för att senare upptäcka att de var kopior"
"De lokala affärsinnehavarna är lata som stänger på eftermiddagarna. Jag behövde ofta köpa saker under siestan - den borde förbjudas"

Språkförbistring:
"Det är för många spanjorer. Receptionisten pratar spanska. Maten är spansk. För många utlänningar"

Föda:
"Jag tycker att det bör förklaras i broschyren att den lokala butiken inte säljer samma kex som hemma."
"På min semester i Goa upptäckte jag till min förfäran att nästan varenda restaurang serverade curry. Jag tycker inte alls om kryddstark mat"

Everyday right now

A life period I want to become a parenthesis. Right now, very non parenthetical, unfortunately.
So, the Heidelberg Catechism in all its glory, but the life is going on as usual, and sometimes cries to be written down and remembered. How it is to obey God and get in conflict with people, and then how it is to try to compromise in order not to be deprived of those you have close to you...
Sometimes this pressure is too much, and when you add this world-wide crisis and its influence on your own tiny economy, you disintegrate every single day.
What I can see around me these days are demands and expectations that suffocate me entirely. Everybody wants something from me, giving nothing back. My own miserable existence is getting less and less important, and what is left is pushing me into a hole, in order to protect what little is left of me. My whole being right now is set into the survival mode, bordering to emotional and social hibernation. I'd rather not dwell on it, because when I do, I fall into tiny pieces of ash.

Whence then proceeds this depravity of human nature?

From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise; (a) hence our nature is become so corrupt, that we are all conceived and born in sin. (b)

(a) Genesis 3. Rom.5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Rom.5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Rom.5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (b) Ps.51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Gen.5:3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth.

A good friend recommended...

Did God then create man so wicked and perverse?

By no means; but God created man good, (a) and after his own image, (b) in true righteousness and holiness, that he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love him and live with him in eternal happiness to glorify and praise him. (c)

(a) Gen.1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (b) Gen.1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Gen.1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (c) Col.3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; Col.3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Eph.4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; Eph.4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 2 Cor.3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Canst thou keep all these things perfectly?

In no wise; (a) for I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbour.(b)

(a) Rom.3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: Rom.3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom.3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (b) Rom.8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Eph.2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Tit.3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. Gen.6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen.8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. Jer.17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Rom.7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

What does the law of God require of us?

Christ teaches us that briefly, Matt. 22:37-40, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and the great commandment; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (a)

(a) Deut.6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Lev.19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

Whence knowest thou thy misery?

Out of the law of God. (a)

(a) Rom.3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest live and die happily?

Three; (a) the first, how great my sins and miseries are; (b) the second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries; (c) the third, how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance. (d)

(a) Matt.11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matt.11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matt.11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Luke 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Luke 24:48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 1 Cor.6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Tit.3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. Tit.3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Tit.3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Tit.3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; Tit.3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (b) John 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. John 15:22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. (c) John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 10:43 To him (Jesus) give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (d) Eph.5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: Eph.5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Eph.5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. Eph.5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 1 Pet.2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 1 Pet.2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Rom.6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Rom.6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Rom.6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Rom.6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

What is thy only comfort in life and death?

That I with body and soul, both in life and death, (a) am not my own, (b) but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; (c) who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, (d) and delivered me from all the power of the devil; (e) and so preserves me (f) that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; (g) yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, (h) and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, (i) and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him. (j)

(a) Rom.14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. Rom.14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. (b) 1 Cor.6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (c) 1 Cor.3:23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. Tit.2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (d) 1 Pet.1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 1 Pet.1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (e) Heb.2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. John 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (f) John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 2 Thess.3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 1 Pet.1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (g) Matt.10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. Matt.10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Matt.10:31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 21:18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish. (h) Rom.8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (i) 2 Cor.1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 2 Cor.1:21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 2 Cor.1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 2 Cor.5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Eph.1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Eph.1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Rom.8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (j) Rom.8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 1 John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

'Losing My Religion' by William Lobdell

A former religion reporter for the L.A. Times writes about conversion and loss of faith.

Meanwhile, he asked with increasing urgency: Where are the holy people? Where are the men of principle? Instead of finding them, his work led him to uncover priestly abuse. As if the injury done to the children weren't enough, the cardinals were cowardly, the priests corrupt. The more he investigated, the more he found: lies, cover-ups, bishops alighting from limousines to have their rings kissed. He mentally lobbied to bring the concept of hell back, so God could send the pedophile priests there.

How sad... Click on the title to read the article.

Concord: Article VI: Of New Obedience

Also they teach that this faith is bound to bring forth good fruits, and that it is necessary to do good works commanded by God, because of God's will, but that we should not rely on those works to merit justification before God. For remission of sins and justification is apprehended by faith, as also the voice of Christ attests: When ye shall have done all these things, say: We are unprofitable servants. Luke 17, 10 . The same is also taught by the Fathers. For Ambrose says: It is ordained of God that he who believes in Christ is saved, freely receiving remission of sins, without works, by faith alone.

Concord: Article V: Of The Ministry

That we may obtain this faith, the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Ghost is given, who works faith; where and when it pleases God, in them that hear the Gospel, to wit, that God, not for our own merits, but for Christ's sake, justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ's sake.

They condemn the Anabaptists and others who think that the Holy Ghost comes to men without the external Word, through their own preparations and works.

Concord: Article IV: Of Justification

Also they teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ's sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight. Rom. 3 and 4 .

Concord: Article III: Of The Son of God

Also they teach that the Word, that is, the Son of God, did assume the human nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, so that there are two natures, the divine and the human, inseparably enjoined in one Person, one Christ, true God and true man, who was born of the Virgin Mary, truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, that He might reconcile the Father unto us, and be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of men.

He also descended into hell, and truly rose again the third day; afterward He ascended into heaven that He might sit on the right hand of the Father, and forever reign and have dominion over all creatures, and sanctify them that believe in Him, by sending the Holy Ghost into their hearts, to rule, comfort, and quicken them, and to defend them against the devil and the power of sin.

The same Christ shall openly come again to judge the quick and the dead, etc., according to the Apostles' Creed.

Concord: Article II: Of Original Sin

Also they teach that since the fall of Adam all men begotten in the natural way are born with sin, that is, without the fear of God, without trust in God, and with concupiscence; and that this disease, or vice of origin, is truly sin, even now condemning and bringing eternal death upon those not born again through Baptism and the Holy Ghost.

They condemn the Pelagians and others who deny that original depravity is sin, and who, to obscure the glory of Christ's merit and benefits, argue that man can be justified before God by his own strength and reason.

Concord: Article I: Of God

Our Churches, with common consent, do teach that the decree of the Council of Nicaea concerning the Unity of the Divine Essence and concerning the Three Persons, is true and to be believed without any doubting; that is to say, there is one Divine Essence which is called and which is God: eternal, without body, without parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, the Maker and Preserver of all things, visible and invisible; and yet there are three Persons, of the same essence and power, who also are coeternal, the Father the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And the term "person" they use as the Fathers have used it, to signify, not a part or quality in another, but that which subsists of itself.

They condemn all heresies which have sprung up against this article, as the Manichaeans, who assumed two principles, one Good and the other Evil: also the Valentinians, Arians, Eunomians, Mohammedans, and all such. They condemn also the Samosatenes, old and new, who, contending that there is but one Person, sophistically and impiously argue that the Word and the Holy Ghost are not distinct Persons, but that "Word" signifies a spoken word, and "Spirit" signifies motion created in things.

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Growing up

The Creed of Athanasius

Written against the Arians.

1 Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith.
2 Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
3 And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;
4 Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.
5 For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.
6 But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
7 Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.
8 The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate.
9 The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.
10 The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal.
11 And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal.
12 As there are not three Uncreated nor three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible.
13 So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty.
14 And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
15 So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God.
16 And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
17 So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord.
18 And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.
19 For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords.
20 The Father is made of none: neither created nor begotten.
21 The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten.
22 The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
23 So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
24 And in this Trinity none is before or after other; none is greater or less than another;
25 But the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal: so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped.
26 He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.
27 Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
28 For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man;
29 God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world;
30 Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.
31 Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood;
32 Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ:
33 One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God;
34 One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person.
35 For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ;
36 Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;
37 He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
38 At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give an account of their own works.
39 And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.
40 This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.

The Book of Concord (1580)

The Nicene Creed

1 I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

2 And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father
3 before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;
4 by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man,
5 and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures;
6 and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

7 And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets.
8 And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
9 I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins;
10 and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

The Book of Concord (1580)

The Apostle's Creed

1 I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

2 And in Jesus Christ, His only Son,
3 our Lord; who was conceived
4 by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died,
5 and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth
6 on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

7 I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints;
8 the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.

Amen.

From The Book of Concord (1580)

Well....

Ok, I gave in. But she is beautiful, right? And mine :)

The deception of disaster-driven headlines

The deception of disaster-driven headlines

	Sea ice was understated by an area the size of California. Click for a larger, updated graph.

The Apostle Paul's admonition to "test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21) applies to many "breaking news" claims of just-discovered ecological disaster. Again and again, further analysis finds poor data, poor interpretations of data, and sometimes outright fraud. Among the most famous examples is the now discredited "Hockey Stick" graph of temperatures over the last 2000 years, which falsely eliminate the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age and gave the appearance of sudden, abnormal warming in the last century. (You may recall seeing a version of it in An Inconvenient Truth--remember Al Gore on a lift, rising impossibly high above the stage?)

Two other examples just occurred. First, data behind the claims that Arctic sea ice extent was abnormally low in the last few months were mistaken because of satellite drift, causing a computer program to understate ice extent by an area the size of California. In the chart above, the red line shows the accurate reading, the blue the reading based on the faulty data.

Cooler Heads Thousands of experts question key aspects of catastrophic, human-induced global warming. Here's just one:     Patrick J. Michaels Once president of the American Association of State Climatologists and program chair for the Committee on Applied Climatology of the American Meteorological Society, Patrick Michaels is now a research professor of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia, visiting scientist with the Marshall Institute in D.C., and Senior Fellow in Environmental Studies for the Cato Institute.  Michaels has produced hundreds of publications, including many articles, some recent notables being "Our Climate Numbers Are a Big Old Mess ," "Hansen Unhinged," "The Grand Exaggerator," "Record Low for Climate Science ," "Will the U.N. Chill Out on Climate Change?" and "Inclusive Science." Michaels recently added Climate of Extremes: Global Warming Science They Don't Want You to Know to his three other books, Meltdown: The Predictable Distortion of Global Warming by Scientists, Politicians, and the Media, The Satanic Gases: Clearing the Air about Global Warming, and Sound and Fury: The Science and Politics of Global Warming.

Second, Gore is being forced to pull a slide from his presentation, one that purports to show a correlation between global warming and current disasters like the Australian wildfires. Earlier this month, Mr. Gore found himself contradicted by the researchers on whose data he had relied. According to the authors of the report, "justifying the upward trend in hydro-meteorological disaster occurrence and impacts essentially through climate change would be misleading."

So, the next time you see a dooms-day global warming headline, keep in mind that climate science is still young. Christian prudence suggests that we ought to "be cautious of claims that our planet is in peril from speculative dangers."

---

Revised "Skeptic's Handbook" summarizes the case against manmade global warming

Australian climate scientist Joanne Nova has posted a sixth revision of The Skeptic's Handbook, which briefly and clearly summarizes the major problems with manmade global warming alarmism.

On page 3, she lists "The only 4 points that matter":

1. The greenhouse signature is missing. Weather balloons have scanned the skies for years but can find no sign of the telltale "hot-spot" warming pattern that greenhouse gases would leave. There's not even a hint. Something else caused the warming.


2. The strongest evidence was the ice cores, but newer, more detailed, data turned the theory inside out. Instead of carbon pushing up temperatures, for the last half-a-million years temperatures have gone up before carbon dioxide levels. On average 800 years before.... Something else caused the warming.


3. Temperatures are not rising. Satellites circling the planet twice a day show that the world has not warmed since 2001.... While temperatures have been flat, CO2 has been rising, BUT something else has changed the trend....


4. Carbon dioxide is already doing almost all the warming it can do.... The first CO2 molecules matter a lot, but extra ones have less and less effect. In fact, carbon levels were ten times as high in the past but the world still slipped into an ice age....

The Skeptic's Handbook is an excellent resource to give to open-minded believers in manmade warming.

---

Google Earth over-simplifies CO2 science

Purdue scientists have contributed a new feature to Google Earth: depiction of carbon emissions around the United States.

"This will bring emissions information into everyone's living room as a recognizable, accessible online experience," Kevin Gurney, assistant professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at Purdue, said.

Precise, yes; but is it accurate?

Actually, this will contribute little to the climate change debate except confusion. It will create a false sense of understanding in those who look at data for a given locale and think they can infer the locale's contribution to global warming.

According NASA's David Crisp, who led the project to launch a CO2-measuring satellite called "OCO," "we don't understand the processes that are absorbing over 60% of the CO2 that we're putting out today.... We can't accurately predict how much CO2 will be in our atmosphere 50 years from now." OCO failed to launch, but had it succeeded it would only have been able to measure large areas--on the order of the State of Colorado--and could not have accurately isolated even regional sources of of CO2. (Click here to listen to NPR's coverage.) Google Earth's city- and county-specific emissions levels seem speculative.

There's a lot more we don't known. Despite contrary claims, we don't know long-past atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The physics of CO2's role in global temperature is debated (in part because CO2 follows rather than leads temperature), but it is certainly minuscule compared with water vapor, which accounts for over 95 percent of the greenhouse effect.

Of total CO2 in the atmosphere, only about 3.2 percent is manmade. Furthermore, CO2's heat absorption diminishes with every added unit, and clouds, which act as a thermostat, cool a warming planet and warm a cooling planet.

Almost makes you think God planned it that way, doesn't it?

---

Now, please forward this message to your pastor, other Christian leaders, and friends and urge them to sign the WeGetIt.org Declaration, too!

The more people sign, the stronger the message our leaders will hear that Biblical principles and factual evidence, not media hype about speculative fears like global warming, should guide our care for the environment and the poor.

Gratefully,

-- The WeGetIt.org campaign team

Psa 45:1-17

(1) To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah; a love song. My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.
(2) You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.
(3) Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty!
(4) In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!
(5) Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; the peoples fall under you.
(6) Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
(7) you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;
(8) your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;
(9) daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
(10) Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father's house,
(11) and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.
(12) The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people.
(13) All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.
(14) In many-colored robes she is led to the king, with her virgin companions following behind her.
(15) With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.
(16) In place of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth.
(17) I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.