Can You Say Pharmakeia?

A friend of mine introduced me to Liam Scheff's blogtalk radio show recently. He deals with a few topics on his show, but lately he has done primarily medical stuff. This is an area that interests me as I am in favor of natural approaches to health. I believe that going to the doctor should be the exception and not the rule in most cases.

In this episode, Liam reviews the claims of Dr. Sanjiv Chopra about vitamins especially in his new book Doctor Chopra Says-Medical Facts & Myths Everyone Should Know which he authored along with Dr. Alan Lotvin.

 From blogtalkradio.com:

Join Liam as he tells true stories from life as it’s lived. Liam recounts a chance meeting with a certain doctor Chupacabra, (or, perhaps “Chopra”), now on the road, selling his book and the FDA-approved Nazi medicine* that we’re all supposed to love and trust…

Dr. Chupacabra wants you to hate the vitamin industry, because, he feels that all vitamins are useless! Especially Vitamin C! But he wants you to take more Lipitor, get more vaccination, and never trust anything you read online – except him!

 

Liam uses some harsh phrases (Nazi medicine) and doesn't leave anyone wondering how he feels about conventional health care. He is very funny and this is a thought-provoking study. (At least listen to the intro music for a brief journey back into the 80's.) He focuses on the denial of Dr. Chopra as to the effectiveness of vitamin C for the prevention or cure of disease. Liam reads medical studies in which high doses of IV ascorbic acid or vitamin C have been used to treat and cure the "incurable".

I will just add my personal experience here. We have used vitamin C here for years to treat colds and flu with excellent results. I highly recommend this website: DoctorYourself.com. The vitamin C dosage table , based on the studies of Dr. Fredrick Klenner, has been of great benefit to us.

On another note, please pray for Liam Scheff. He does acknowledge God on his shows, but seems to be antagonistic about black and white Biblical truth. I think he is certainly on a journey. 

The Names of God

A dear sister in Christ sent me the link to this site. It has over 600 names of God from scripture. I will surely be referencing it often.

Here's one that I always found very curious and powerful:

I AM THAT I AM

Moses is in the wilderness tending flocks after running for his life from Egypt after murdering a man. He has gotten married and is trying to live a quiet life.  He's been in the desert for many years, just working, minding his own business when he sees a bush burning.

(Sovereignty alert: He wasn't looking for God, God showed up and called him)

Exd 3:10 -12      Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. 

Moses Before the Burning Bush
Domenico Fetti, c. 1614

And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

So Moses asks why in the world anyone should listen to him. What am I going to tell them. What is your name? In Exodus 3:14, He says:

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

What more can be said? The God of the Universe calls himself  I AM THAT I AM. HE IS because HE IS. We have all probably wondered from time to time where God came from. I think this answers it, HE JUST IS.

Romans Study XXIV- The Firstfruit and The Root

Continuing in Romans 11

 ¹⁶For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 

This section is hard, and I'll admit I looked for some help a little, but here is where I think Paul is going with this.

The firstfruit I believe is Christ (the firstfruit from the dead to God-1 Cor. 15:23)  and the lump is Israel in this analogy, since that is the "lump" that Jesus descended from out of all the peoples of the Earth.

The ESV renders it thusly: If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump...

We(Gentiles) are not the lump or the branches, but are (contrary to nature) placed into the good tree. This must tie in with the Feast of Weeks offering too, but I'm not going there now.

The root is also Christ (the root of Jesse) and the branches are Israel, those who are of the same "stock" as Jesus. Jesus is The Root AND The Firstfruit. This makes me think of the Alpha and the Omega as well.

 ¹⁷And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

 Some of the branches (Israel) were broken off at the time of the rejection of Messiah Jesus by the nation as a whole. At that time the program went to one of grafting in Gentiles, but not as using the nation of Israel as kings and priests as was foretold in the prophets. Gentiles are now recipients, co-heirs along with the Jews of the New Covenant, which I believe still awaits fulfillment for Israel.

 ¹⁸Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

I will just say that even though we don't see ourselves as "boasting", some hermenutic systems take the promises made to Israel and spritualize them, saying that God is done completely with that program. I personally can't go that route. 

 ¹⁹Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

Some would say the nation of Israel was broken off and now the Church, or true Israel is grafted in. 

 ²⁰Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Israel, as a whole were broken off due to their unbelief; unbelief specifically that Jesus was the promised Messiah. There were a remnant of believing Jews upon which the body of Christ is founded.

 ²¹For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

 ²²Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Although this seems at first to be a verse that might negate the tulip "P", I think the point Paul is making here that we are not to be prideful of our position as grafted-into Israel's blessings. If we think we can't be cut off  (in general as Gentiles), we think wrongly. God could just as easily cut off the Gentiles and bring the children of Israel back in if He wanted to (more about this in the next section):

 ²³ And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

 ²⁴For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

If the Gentiles who were wild and outside of the promises of the God of Israel are now placed into them, how should we not believe that the natural branches that SHOULD be there would be grafted back in?

In the next section, he talks about the mystery of the hardening of Israel. 

Bread Tutorial - Wild Yeast Basic Directions/Master Recipe

I've been wanting to blog about my bread technique for some time. I was so super psyched to find and be able to implement this method on a regular basis. After years of failure and thinking I would never get it right, I came across a website that gave me the instructions I was looking for. It gives me consistent results, requires no mixer or machine and is basically knead-free.

The journey into my bread obsession started with pizza dough and now several years later I am making 99% of all of our bread. I do buy the occasional loaf or tortillas or buns for a party or something, but most of our bread is homemade. This method isn't so much a recipe as a skill, and once you get the hang of the technique and have regular success, you can modify or experiment.

You do need a good sourdough or "wild yeast" starter though. I really wanted to bake bread without active dry like they did in the olden days. I tried to make a wild-yeast starter several times with very dense and yucky results and figured that if this is what bread used to taste like, no thank you. I finally broke down and bought a starter and then found the instructions here to make "sourdough" bread that wasn't sour. My routine is based on those instructions, so if you want to jump in, you may want to start there first. My starter arrived in spring of 2008 and I have been using it ever since. I feel it's probably the best three dollar investment I ever made.

All of the bread whether loaves or focaccia or pizza dough all goes through the same two day journey and it starts with the starter.

STEP ONE DAY ONE: is building up the starter. In the morning, take your starter which was either in the fridge or taken from last night's builder and refresh it by taking out about half of it and putting that into the "trash jar" which will get used later. Then add about 3 tablespoons more or less of flour and about 2 tablespoons of water (I have learned over the years that exact measurements are not essential ) Mix that up and set aside until about mid-day.

The jar on the left is the builder from last night, ignore it. We are focusing on the right jar.

STEP TWO DAY ONE: At mid-day repeat step one by throwing about half out (trash jar keep for later) and refreshing with 3 TB flour, 2 TB water. Let that hang out all day and then sometime before bed it is time for the last step of day one.

STEP THREE DAY ONE: Don't take anything out at this point, but add 2/3 cup of flour and 1/3 cup of water. Stir, cover (loosely) and leave on the counter overnight.

In the morning, your starter should have at least doubled in volume or perhaps exploded...it's all good.

STEP ONE DAY TWO:              THIS IS IMPORTANT

Take approximately 2 TB of starter from your overnight jar place into clean container and refresh (see STEP ONE DAY ONE) and put it aside to start a new batch or leave on the counter for a couple of hours and then label and refrigerate. If I am not baking bread with mine, I refresh every three days. This keeps it active and from getting sour. If you want sour bread, this isn't the method for you:)

This is crucial and one of the reasons I keep more than one starter going. If you neglect this step then realize it too late, like once the bread is done, you have no more starter.

I keep three starters going just in case I do something stupid or one dies unexpectedly. I never waste any of the "trash" either. The discarded parts get mixed into the next batch.

STEP TWO DAY TWO: Take your overnight jar along with any "trash" (discarded starter from refreshing) that you have and add 2 cups of water and some oil if you wish (I use two capfuls of sunflower oil) to the starter jars and start letting it soften whilst getting your dry ingredients ready.

I have experimented with varying amounts of flour, but this makes two decent sized round loaves, two big focaccia breads, or three or so pizza crusts, so suits our needs well. You should be able to scale up or down depending on your needs. Remember, that bread freezes well and baking too much now will  come in handy on a busy day.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons salt

I have never tried this with all whole wheat flour. I find the half and half mix is the best of both worlds, healthy, but yet "white" enough for a kid's palette. Also, whole wheat flour costs about a dollar more per bag as white, so this also keeps the cost down. Maybe someday we'll have our own fresh wheat to grind.
 

Sift it all together and add the wet ingredients and mix to thoroughly incorporate. Cover it, set a timer for 20 minutes and leave it alone.  *Update #1: If you have longer than 20 minutes, say an hour or so, that is fine. It seems to make the yeasties more active:)

STEP THREE DAY TWO: After the first rest knead the dough to make sure all the flour is really worked in and there are no lumps. I usually only knead for literally a minute or two and don't even take it out of the bowl. If it is too wet to handle add a little more flour so it's workable.  Cover again and set timer for 30 minutes. *Update #2: Again, a longer rest here, if possible, seems to be making my bread rise higher.

STEP FOUR DAY TWO: After this rest, fold the dough under and form into a ball. You don't want to manhandle it or bust down any yeasties that have started to do their magic, so a gentle touch is needed. Cover again and set timer for 30 minutes.

STEP FIVE DAY TWO: Once more, fold the dough into a ball just like before...gentle now! Cover again and leave it for a couple hours or more depending on the temperature and let it double. It won't be mushrooming out of the bowl like many recipes, it will just barely double and maybe not even quite. It's okay really.

STEP SIX DAY TWO: Once it has sufficiently risen to about double, turn it out of the bowl onto a well-floured surface.

Divide into two parts and turn each part under into a ball like you did before in steps FOUR and FIVE.

I put the two balls onto a cornmeal coated pizza peel, but you could probably use a baking sheet as well. I cook right on the oven tiles, so this may need to be taken into consideration for those without tiles. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, cover your dough with a towel and place in warm area, I put mine right on top of the stove, until they rise to about double. This usually takes about a half and hour to 45 minutes.

 Once they are risen, slash both loaves a couple of times with a sharp bread knife.

STEP SEVEN DAY TWO:  TURN THE OVEN DOWN to 400 degrees and bake the bread. If the peel has been coated right, they should just slide off.  It should take anywhere from 35-45 minutes depending on your oven. Mine turns out just right at 39 minutes, so you'll have to experiment. *Update #3: My oven has gone crazy and now it has been taking 45 minutes.

Avert your gaze from the dirty oven!

Once the bread is done, I take it out, rub the crust with some butter to soften it and cover it with a towel for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

 
This is the hardest part and when little heads start popping in asking for their afternoon snack. We usually polish off one loaf as a snack in the afternoon, and if I time it right, the Mr. can come home and have a hot fresh piece of bread after work. The rest is eaten at dinner perhaps and some is saved for making sandwiches for hubby's lunch. If there is anything left that I don't plan to use the next day, I go ahead and freeze it.

Well, there it is fully documented and hopefully not too confusing. It is my hope that some poor lady obsessed with bread, but needing a tutorial like I was years ago will wander through cyberspace looking for a way to make sourdough bread that is not sour and will find these directions. I can't tell you how happy I was to find them myself!  This is the recipe I use for all my bread right now and I do have a couple of variations which I hope to post sometime in the future.

Find more great bread-making links here:)

Depression Cooking

This is so cool. My friend Susan posted this back when the Mr. and I had our forum up. I just remembered it this weekend when grocery shopping. We are attempting to eat cheaper...not that we don't eat cheap now. But I wanted to kick it up (or down) a notch. I look at it as training or preparing for what may be (probably is) ahead.

The kiddos here just love to eat plain pasta. I mean plain! But I do provide sauce and meat and urge them to moisten it with something. They also love as a meal bread sticks- homemade...recipe to follow shortly Lord willing. We do a lot of eggs and potatoes and that can be done cheaply as well. I am working on different soups as those stretch the budget and I usually bake bread every day, so that rounds out any meal.

In this video, Clara makes pasta with peas. I don't really like canned peas, but I bet this would work just as well with split peas or chick peas or any kind of bean. One thing she does that I wouldn't do, is peel the potatoes. It is my understanding that there are a lot of nutrients and fiber in the skin so I rarely peel mine. But she is in her nineties, so she may know a little more than me. ;)



Please post your favorite cheap meals. We could get a "recipe box" together.

BRRR....

I just had to catch this shot last evening. Of course, the camera doesn't capture all of the awesomeness, but one can see the twinkly light in some of the snow in the foreground.

It was bitterly, painfully cold here yesterday. I am so thankful that we have a home, heat, blankets, clothing and warm food and drinks so that we could be cozy and enjoy the beauty of the sunset on the fresh snowfall in comfort.

Proverbs 31:21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

Though I'm not a big fan of snow, it is really breathtakingly beautiful in the sun or moon light. I did a quick word search on blueletter bible for snow and was surprised at how many times snow is mentioned in the scriptures. When describing something white, nothing quite compares to fresh snowfall.

Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

If the sunlight on snow is this wondrous to see, how much more that?

Clouds X

Now these are the cloudiest clouds that I've posted yet! Yesterday I woke to just a soupy, steamy, melty, foggy world. One can barely see the usual power line backdrop to my little window of the world.

Nahum 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.

 

Romans Study XXIII- Life From The Dead

I just wanted to say before starting that I am a little conflicted about the Romans study. It is my hope that it is evident that I am just thinking out loud and not trying to teach here. I know women aren't to be elders and pastors or to teach men, but I wonder how that translates into the blogging realm.  Any thoughts, discussion or rebuke on this would be greatly appreciated, scripturally tested, and prayerfully considered. I may have to switch gears;)

Continuing in Romans 11

 ¹¹I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 

Through the fall of Israel as the elect nation of God, salvation has been opened up to the whole world. To provoke them to jealousy? That is a strange thing to imagine. God has such a place in His heart for Israel it seems and turning them aside to deal with Gentile "dogs" without the requirements of circumcision and the law would be a strong message. The idea that the Gentiles would eventually come to the knowledge of the God of Israel was not a secret, the prophets spoke of such, but in the context that all the nation would become priests to bring this knowledge to the rest of the earth.

Exd 19:5-6          Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These [are] the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

We know that they did not keep the covenant:

Jer 31:31-33 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah .Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

 ¹²Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? 

If their fall meant a chance for salvation to the whole world how much more wonderful will it be (millennium..golden age) when they are finally back in. 

 ¹³For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

 ¹⁴If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

 I never really saw this before, but what I think Paul is saying in magnifying of his office is that he is happy to be part of God's plan to provoke Israel to jealousy, to save some of his brethren in his generation. 

 ¹⁵For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

If the cutting off of Israel from the blessings of God brings reconciliation to the world (Jew and Gentile) when they are brought in again it will be as though they are raised from the dead. This immediately makes me think of this:

 ¹The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

 ²And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

 ³And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

 ⁴Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

 ⁵Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

 ⁶And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

 ⁷So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

 ⁸And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

 ⁹Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

 ¹⁰So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

 ¹¹Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

 ¹²Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

 ¹³And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,

 ¹⁴And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

 ¹⁵The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

 ¹⁶Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions:

 ¹⁷And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

 ¹⁸And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

 ¹⁹Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

 ²⁰And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

 ²¹And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:

 ²²And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.

 ²³Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.

 ²⁴And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

 ²⁵And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

 ²⁶Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

 ²⁷My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

 ²⁸And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. (Ezekiel 37, King James Version)

If we do away with allegorizing the dead bones as being just any believer who is brought from death to life by the Holy Spirit in favor of a more literal view, I think we can see what Paul is saying.  This passage in Ezekiel seems to confirm what Paul just said about the receiving of Israel being life from the dead and also fits in well with the next section.

Did Paul Quote Jesus?

I happened upon this series several weeks ago. This seemed like a good time to post them. 

"Paul never quoted Jesus" (Romans part 1)

Four Pointer gives us a multiple part series highlighting the fact that Paul did indeed teach what Jesus did. Paul, however, had further revelation of the new covenant, the mystery of the Church age and the (temporary) setting aside of Israel...things Jesus alluded to, but didn't expound upon during his earthly ministry.

Anyone who is questioning whether Paul is legit should prayerfully read it. Again, I am not trying to defend Paul so much as upholding the entire cannon of scripture.

Is the Church Spiritual Israel?

 Since I'm right in the midst of this now, I thought I'd go ahead and post what Jim McClarty had to say in a recent audio Q&A. I appreciated the exegesis on the go-to passages for a replacement model. It's well worth the listen:

Calling the Church Spiritual Israel

On the Calvinism/Arminianism Issue

Chris White has a wonderful ministry focusing on New Age deception and debunking the bible debunkers. I saw this video on his site today. I enjoy the way he makes the main thing the main thing.

Even though I am comfortable and sufficiently convinced of my own position, Chris has a good point. Infighting between the body will divide, but I do believe once things start to get really ugly, these side issues will quickly fade.

I will note, though, that the issue Chris focuses on is predestination vs. free will. He doesn't at all hit the five points in detail or anything. I heard a really good couple of sermons and teachings lately on the dreaded ***fourth point. I may highlight them here soon.


***Update: I don't mean the fourth point, but the third. I confused point 4 with 4-pointers. Elizabeth pointed this out in the comments section..Thanks Elizabeth:)

Romans Study XXII - God Hath Not Cast Away His People

Romans 11

 How Providential that we come to this passage of Romans after the sermon that I recently posted as well as a teaching that Jim McClarty has recently recorded on this website that I plan to highlight within the week, Lord willing. There is so much in this chapter and I want to work through it slowly, so it will be at least a two-parter;)

 ¹I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 

In light of what he was previously saying in Romans 10 about the vast majority of the nation of Israel not believing the gospel he now asks, has God therefore cast them away? He says no, and follows with the information that he is in fact an Israelite himself.

 ²God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,

 ³Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

 ⁴But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

 ⁵Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 

Not all of Israel had at the time been cast off, there was a believing remnant (according to election you see) much like that of the time of Elijah. 

 ⁶And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Those whom were the election, the believing children of Israel during the time of Jesus, were chosen by grace. They were not at all the best and brightest of the knowledge of the Law. For Peter says when encountering Jesus at the first:

Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

 From Raphael's The Miraculous Draught of Fishes

 ⁷What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for;

 Well, what then he asks? Israel had awaited the Messiah and the kingdom all these hundreds of years and now it was not going to happen due to their unbelief?

 but the election hath obtained it, 

The elect has obtained it (salvation and all that entails including I argue the fulfillment of future land and kingdom promises.)

and the rest were blinded.

The rest, unbelieving Jews were blinded. Did they refuse to believe? Yes. Did God blind them? Yes.


 ⁸(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.


In Deuteronomy 29 Moses says:

 ⁴Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

 ⁹And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
 ¹⁰Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

David said this in Psalm 69, a clearly Messianic psalm.

The unbelieving, non-elect of that day were blinded, and the gift of salvation opened to all (Jew and Gentile) but God is not finished with the specific promises to Israel .  A future, believing generation will inherit the land and receive the promises made to Israel specifically. I hope to flesh this out better in the next section.

Clouds IX

And nothing but.

There haven't been any really interesting clouds around here lately. I tried to get a good picture of the heavy snow that fell earilier but my camera doesn't do action shots. We're up to about 4 inches since last night, a minor dusting here in the heartland, but pretty impressive nonetheless. 

Job 38: 22 -23 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

That last verse is interesting, the treasures of hail. It reminds me of what is promised in Revelation:

Rev 16:21     And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, [every stone] about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Things are getting curiouser and curiouser out there, just read the last few stories at The End Time.

MARANATHA!

Jehovah Jireh 2

I hesitated to post this at first, but thought it a good way to remind myself of His blessings when I get discouraged. And I know that He is glorified in our Praises!

It's not a big thing, but in a way it is.

Cheese.

When I went grocery shopping for the week recently, I neglected to check out our cheese stash and didn't buy accordingly. I was preoccupied afterward for the next day or so (I know I'm weird) if we'd have enough to get through the week. This was not so much a money thing, but a not-wishing-to-drag-everyone-out-just-to-buy-cheese thing.

So yesterday in our adult Sunday School class, we had our monthly birthday snacks. It seems that the dear sister whose turn it was to provide the spread had over bought and urged me to take home the leftovers...and there was cheese! Just about the exact amount I was "short". Can you imagine that?:)

And also some lovely fruit that the kids enjoyed for lunch as well.

I've been discouraged lately, no life-or-death matters, just some household inconveniences that are dragging me down. The gift of the cheese was just what I needed to know that He hasn't forgotten us, and although we have some struggles with the house, He is still in control and loves us. 

Sermon Sunday- Saying What Is Right About God

Job and his friends

I always enjoy Jim McClarty's messages. He has just been back in the pulpit after some medical issues, and he was really missed.

This sermon is an introduction to a study on 1Timothy, but I don't think he ever got there. What I love about Pastor Jim is that he can get up and say what is on his mind and whether edifying or convicting, you always come away with something.

An issue that has been on his mind lately has been the frustration he has with  hermeneutic systems and eschataological and Church/Israel issues in the reformed community. He certainly gives us some thought-provoking points in this sermon.

Saying What Is Right About God

Have a blessed Sunday!

The Millennium, The Gospel, The Kingdom, Where are We?

My good friend Shamar has posted this great resource in the comments section several weeks ago:

http://examiningamillenialism.blogspot.com/

Reformed Voices is an excellent site and I have used it quite a bit since coming over to Reformed theology. It is so refreshing to see reformed thinkers being more literal with eschatological passages.


I was never amillennial, meaning that the one thousand year reign of Christ on earth spoken of in Revelation 20 is to be interpreted figuratively. I was always excited about a literal earthly kingdom, bring it on! When I was first saved I dove head first into eschatology, it just fascinated me. It has only been in the last couple of years, though, that the doctrines of God's holiness and absolute sovereign grace have been shown to me as well. I love it when these two worlds can collide.

I would urge anyone with questions or an interest in this to check out the Reformed Voices link above. In the meantime, here is a short clip that they have put together introducing one of the aspects of amillennialism:  the scripture in Revelation 20 that says that Satan will be locked in the abyss for one thousand years during the Messianic Kingdom. Pastor Jim McClarty argues for a more face-value reading of this passage.

MARANATHA!

Lovely Thoughts on Large Families

 A fellow blogstress wrote such a nice post yesterday, I just had to post a link here. Go read it!


A Multitude of Mercies: That Mom with All Those Children

Welcome back:)

Trisha's post got me thinking about our semi-large family and how we got here. We didn't plan on having many (or any) kids. We spent the first several years of our "courtship" and marriage just having fun, partying and doing whatsoever we pleased. Children seemed like a nice idea someday, but we were not in the market for having our mellows harshed with reality and responsibility.

Well, it wasn't working. Our young marriage started to lose it's honeymoon effect and we lacked direction and discipline. One night the Mr. announced to me that he thought we should start having a family. This was quite from out of nowhere and I really wasn't too hip to it at the time. But six weeks later our first child was on the way.

I will admit that I am not a good pregnant person, and I couldn't wait for it to be over, so I could have my body back and go back to business as usual. Boy was I naive! Daughter number one was born on my birthday and our lives changed forever.

I had some pretty nasty postpartum blues after her, but when I came out of it finally, we found that we were being blessed again, so eighteen months later, here came son one.

After much praying, I got pregnant again and son two was born.

Okay,  I thought. Three is good.

Nineteen months later here came son three.

Okay, I thought. Four is fine.

Nineteen months later son four entered the world ..my first home birth!

Okay, we said. Five is wonderful.

Eighteen months later came daughter two. Alright that's it! We said.

But only HE knows if it is.

I had a pretty rough recovery after the last one, a home birth and a BIG baby (10 pounder). I was advised by many loved ones that we should probably knock it off. Lately, I've been thinking that maybe another would be nice, but then again am quite content with our bunch, too.

I don't know, maybe just baby fever.

Romans Study XXI - Who Hath Believed our Report?

Continuing in Romans 10

12For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Now that Jesus has died and risen, fulfilling the law, one has no need to convert to the Hebrew temple ordinances and laws or be initiated by circumcision into the Old Covenant. All who call upon Jesus will be saved regardless of race or linage.

14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

15And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

How is one to believe on Christ unless they hear the good news?

16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

All that hear the gospel of grace though, will not believe.

17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 I'm really not sure what this means, it seems like an odd thing to say. Faith comes by hearing the word of God? In my case, I was granted faith through the awesome fear of the Lord, but then later this faith that I believe was given me by the Spirit was confirmed in the words of scripture. 

18But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

Paul is saying everyone has heard, the Word of God had in some manner gone into the whole world. The Hebrew people had been scattered over the world and took with them the Word of God, so that Jehovah was at least known in most of the world.

19But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

Israel's current unbelief was foretold...in the Torah.

Isaiah 53 in the Great Isaiah Scroll found at Qumran

20But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.

Isaiah also foretold the same. For the most part, the Gentiles were not fearers of the God of Israel, but once the gospel went out, those who "sought Him not" were found. Whereas those who were religious Jews were unwilling to accept Jesus as the Messiah.

21But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

But How Do You Socialize Them?

I think many of you have already seen this, but I just love it. I saw it over at Mumma's Place. Since we're back to school today, it fits well.

Happy Soggy New Year

Well, our new year started with water, lots of water. All the snow that melted on Friday and the apparent large amount of rain that evening, we woke up to this Saturday:

Don't you love the way they put their toys up? Spring fever on Friday ;)

Our Swamp

This is our neighbor's yard, he's got it bad, too.

Days like this cause slow drains, muddy floors from kids in and out of the house and yelling at them to stay out of the puddles, (they think it's fun?) and to my shame, one cranky Ma. So much for starting the year off with the right attitude.

The lesson here I have to learn again and again is that it is NOT by my own power that I stay in His love. No amount of resolve or turning that frown upside down is going to get me through any hard times, even a seemingly silly hard time moderate annoyance, especially when compared to this.  I have to pray, to tell Him I need help, I have to trust and rely on His grace in everything.

I praise the Lord that He is patient with us, He knows we are but dust, and He forgives.