Before you write me off, please take the time to watch these. DO NOT form an opinion on what I believe until you have watched these or read the books I've read OR diligently searched the text. Seek the truth, and ALWAYS start at the cross. John Piper will tell you to do the same in a video below.
I'm being challenged on all fronts and it is forcing me to get on my face. A family member called me yesterday and spoke these words. "You are going to be mad and not like what I have to say, but God told me to say this to you. You need to really pray about your church. I don't think you are getting true doctrine." At first I was ticked off. The person had not researched. Instead, he/she decided to google one word to form an opinion. He/she googled "Calvanism". Later, I laughed. We all know what googling will get us! I am thankful for the phone call because it made me search even harder. The more I seek truth, the more I want to shout! I am excited!
Keep seeking truth my friends!
3 comments:
When I began teaching the Protestant Reformation for the first time I had to really come face to face with this topic. As a born and raised Baptist it flew in the face of every single thing I thought I knew.
As I read and implored God to explain this to me, 1 passage changed my heart completely.
Romans 9 says
God told Rebecca, "The firstborn of your twins will take second place." Later that was turned into a stark epigram: "I loved Jacob; I hated Esau."
14-18Is that grounds for complaining that God is unfair? Not so fast, please. God told Moses, "I'm in charge of mercy. I'm in charge of compassion." Compassion doesn't originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God's mercy.
Whether I understand it or not (Calvinism) or whether I subscribe to it or not. It is GODs. He has it under control. It gave me such a peace about this topic which had caused many tears and nights of anguish for me in the year or so I studied the Calvins and the Armenians.
The largest part of my growth in Christ has come from the realizatio that I cannot understand or control it all. I have to rely on HIM. And wow what a peace that brings.
Keep on growing Mandi.
Becca, thank you so much for your response. It helps me even more. That passage was also one that changed everything for me. I think it is often not taught in churches because pastors haven't taken the time to wrestle with it.
Jeremy and I have talked about the verse regarding Esau a lot over the last week. It's so harsh!
I also studied the differences between arminians and calvinists. Actually, the researching I have done has been a lot of fun. I think I know more about History NOW than I ever did before. This year our History will touch on a lot of Church History. I thought about you the other day. Since you are a History teacher, I knew you would be proud of my research. I now love watching the History channel because I love being able to talk about it with Jeremy. He has always been a History lover. Until now, I havent studied like this before.
Some of what I have learned, I have rally struggled with. As much freedom as I have found in this, I have grieved. A lot.
It is hard to think about suffering. This week has dished out a lot of suffering. It's been harsh. But, I am learning that the pain in the offering is what keeps me so close to my shepherd.
Thank you for commenting, friend.
I plan on watching all the videos you posted, but I REALLY resonated with the last one with Piper's view on the prosperity gospel. The majority of American churches are speaking the "crap gospel" and it truly IS effecting people here AND abroad.
"God is enough. God is enough and He is good."
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