What do we learn in the circumstances of Jesus’ birth?
“What do we learn in the circumstances of Jesus’ birth? Among other things, we learn that the Lord comes and ministers guidance to his people as they reflect upon his Word.
Furthermore, we learn that God calls us to justice and kindness, in order that we might mirror his image.
Finally we learn that trust and obedience after the manner of Joseph is the very way God intends for us to walk.“
Ligon Duncan as quoted in Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus p. 53, Emphasis and formatting mine
Read MoreConnecting Jeremiah 51 and Proverbs 11
The first sweeping statement that makes me stop to catch my breath in Jeremiah 51 is in verse 15 and stands written: “It is he who made the earthy by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.”
Connection #1 Jeremiah 51:15 and Proverbs in general
The aforementioned verse points us to “wisdom” and “understanding”
Connection #2 Jeremiah 51 overall and Proverbs 11:21
Proverbs 11:21 says, “Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.” That is what is happening in Jeremiah 51, Israel’s enemies are being judged, and Israel is being delivered. It is a wonderful ending to the book in that a time has come to judge the country that perhaps though it had no accountability for their destroying the temple. Such is the case with every human being who has rejected the Gospel, the substitutionary death of Christ, because like Babylon, they are to be judged. No person will escape accountability, even if they are used to discipline God’s children for a time.
Connection #3 Jeremiah 51:24 and Proverbs 11:31
The emphasis on these two verses is “repaid”. It is a picture of reward (nasb). The idea is that both the righteous and the wicked will be rewarded, just in totally different ways.
Back to the sweeping verse meditating on His power, His wisdom, His understanding. Obviously we can connect some things to Proverbs concerning wisdom and understanding; what about His power? I think that when we do truly make these connections we will have to make sight of His power in judgment and deliverance. In other words, his understanding, wisdom, and power can all be seen in the Wisdom literature of Proverbs. For further study one may want to look up the words concerning deliverance in Proverbs 11 and surrounding. God has a powerful hand. He is able to deliver and has indeed if you are in Christ:
Read MoreHe has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, (Colossians 1:13)
What is Hyper-Calvinism
Alot of Calvinists are accused of what is called hyper-Calvinism. It basically comes down to why do anything if God has done everything philosophy. That is how some non and anti-calvinists view calvinists today. Even so, Phil Johnson sets out a helpful list on what is a hyper-Calvinist:
A hyper-Calvinist is someone who either:1. Denies that the gospel call applies to all who hear, OR
2. Denies that faith is the duty of every sinner, OR
3. Denies that the gospel makes any “offer” of Christ, salvation, or mercy to the non-elect (or denies that the offer of divine mercy is free and universal), OR
4. Denies that there is such a thing as “common grace,” OR
5. Denies that God has any sort of love for the non-elect.
You can read Phil’s further explanation of each of these points here.
Read MoreThanksgiving Holiday Originated During Dark Times
The story is told by Ira Stoll here.
Here is an excerpt with my own emphasis in bold:
In July 1776, the American colonists declared independence from Britain. The months that followed were so bleak that there was not much to give thanks for. The Journals of the Continental Congress record no Thanksgiving in that year, only two days of “solemn fasting” and prayer.
For much of 1777, the situation was not much better. British troops controlled New York City. The Americans lost the strategic stronghold of Fort Ticonderoga, in upstate New York, to the British in July. In Delaware, on Sept. 11, troops led by Gen. George Washington lost the Battle of Brandywine, in which 200 Americans were killed, 500 wounded and 400 captured. In Pennsylvania, early in the morning of Sept. 21, another 300 American soldiers were killed or wounded and 100 captured in a British surprise attack that became known as the Paoli Massacre.
Philadelphia, America’s largest city, fell on Sept. 26. Congress, which had been meeting there, fled briefly to Lancaster, Pa., and then to York, a hundred miles west of Philadelphia. One delegate to Congress, John Adams of Massachusetts, wrote in his diary, “The prospect is chilling, on every Side: Gloomy, dark, melancholy, and dispiriting.”
His cousin, Samuel Adams, gave the other delegates — their number had dwindled to a mere 20 from the 56 who had signed the Declaration of Independence — a talk of encouragement. He predicted, “Good tidings will soon arrive. We shall never be abandoned by Heaven while we act worthy of its aid and protection.”
He turned out to have been correct, at least about the good tidings. On Oct. 31, a messenger arrived with news of the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga. The American general, Horatio Gates, had accepted the surrender of 5,800 British soldiers, and with them 27 pieces of artillery and thousands of pieces of small arms and ammunition.
Saratoga turned the tide of the war — news of the victory was decisive in bringing France into a full alliance with America. Congress responded to the event by appointing a committee of three that included Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia and Daniel Roberdeau of Pennsylvania, to draft a report and resolution. The report, adopted Nov. 1, declared Thursday, Dec. 18, as “a day of Thanksgiving” to God, so that “with one heart and one voice the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts, and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine benefactor.”
Hey, Isn’t history helpful?!
Read MoreThe President’s Thanksgiving Day 2008 Proclamation
You can read it here. Here are some quotes that stood out to me:
Read More“We recognize that all of these blessings, and life itself, come not from the hand of man but from Almighty God.”
“On this day, let us all give thanks to God who blessed our Nation’s first days and who blesses us today. May He continue to guide and watch over our families and our country always.”
“Every Thanksgiving, we remember the story of the Pilgrims who came to America in search of religious freedom and a better life. Having arrived in the New World, these early settlers gave thanks to the Author of Life for granting them safe passage to this abundant land and protecting them through a bitter winter. Our Nation’s first President, George Washington, stated in the first Thanksgiving proclamation that “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.” While in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln revived the tradition of proclaiming a day of thanksgiving, asking God to heal our wounds and restore our country.” (Emphasis mine)
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