tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post5654451621931829210..comments2024-03-27T17:15:37.606-04:00Comments on Triablogue: Has the Comforter come?Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17809283662428917799noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-70745416828391004572015-08-26T18:20:34.513-04:002015-08-26T18:20:34.513-04:00In Torrey's biography of D.L. Moody (Why God U...In Torrey's biography of D.L. Moody (Why God Used D.L. Moody), he lists 7 reasons. Reason #7 recounts Moody's supernatural experience of God.<br /><br />It's the last section (#7) at the bottom of this page <a href="http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biomoody6.html" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>.ANNOYED PINOYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00714774340084597206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-86221114092860392872015-08-26T18:11:33.410-04:002015-08-26T18:11:33.410-04:00Sometimes the reason why some professing Christian...Sometimes the reason why some professing Christians don't sense God's presence (or even have supernatural experiences) is because, in general, we Christians don't sincerely and earnestly seek God. We don't take seriously the following promises:<br /><br />And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.- Heb. 11:6<br /><br />12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD...- Jer. 29:12-14a<br /><br />I could cite testimonies from many Christian denominations where a Christian sincerely sought God and found Him. <b>I'll just cite just a few. Two from Arminians, one from a Pentecostal, one from a Catholic and one from a Calvinist.</b> [<i>sic</i>]<br /><br />Here's a link to Charles Finney's autobiographical testimony of an apparent encounter with God. Finney's theology wasn't always fully orthodox, but I'm personally convinced he was a genuine Christian whom God used to bring revival.<br /><a href="http://www.revival-library.org/leadership/ra_holyspirit.php" rel="nofollow">http://www.revival-library.org/leadership/ra_holyspirit.php</a><br /><br />Here's a link to a biography of D.L. Moody by R.A. Torrey. Torrey describes Moody's supernatural encounter with God.<br /><a href="http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biomoody6.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biomoody6.html</a><br /><br />Here's a link to Pentecostal John G. Lake's apparent encounter with God. The articles are on a Universalist website, but I have no reason to think they intentionally distorted Lake's testimony (though, it is edited from two sermons).<br /><a href="http://www.tentmaker.org/holy-spirit/baptism1.htm" rel="nofollow"><b>PART ONE</b> http://www.tentmaker.org/holy-spirit/baptism1.htm"></a><br /><a href="http://www.tentmaker.org/holy-spirit/baptism2.htm" rel="nofollow"><b>PART TWO</b> http://www.tentmaker.org/holy-spirit/baptism2.htm</a><br /><br />Blaise Pascal, a Catholic, apparently had an encounter with God that changed him for the rest of his life.<br /><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/thank-you-blaise-pascal" rel="nofollow">http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/thank-you-blaise-pascal</a><br /><br />Calvinist Paul Washer shares his encounter with God here:<br />Six Minute Clip Here <a href="https://youtu.be/8LgnbOMZ4Vw" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/8LgnbOMZ4Vw</a><br /><br />Washer's full sermons can be listened to:<br />here <a href="https://youtu.be/1EXP2NgsQ3g" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/1EXP2NgsQ3g</a><br />or here <a href="http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=88071449" rel="nofollow">http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=88071449</a><br />or here <a href="http://ia800307.us.archive.org/27/items/SERMONINDEX_SID14504/SID14504.mp3" rel="nofollow">http://ia800307.us.archive.org/27/items/SERMONINDEX_SID14504/SID14504.mp3</a><br /><br />I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Paul Washer's sermon.<br />ANNOYED PINOYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00714774340084597206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-5322772810261275822015-08-25T13:58:18.304-04:002015-08-25T13:58:18.304-04:00agency makes a good point to which I'll add a ...agency makes a good point to which I'll add a second.<br /><br />Firstly, Remaining a Christian gives meaning to one's suffering. Even if Christianity were false, remaining a Christian would give one hope that his/her suffering will be redeemed. That it's not wasted. That it's working out for the greater good of others, oneself and the greater glory of God even if we can't see it at present. Even if one weren't a Van Tillian who believes that everything is (to some degree or another) evidence for God's existence (as I do), there's still enough evidence for Christianity that one can apply <b>INDIRECT</b> doxastic voluntarism to bring themselves to believe (or continue to believe) in Christianity. Given a choice between suffering to no purpose and suffering that will bring about greater good/glory for oneself and others (including God), the <b><i>rational</i></b> choice is the latter. Leaving Christianity would be an irrational (and probably an emotion based) decision.<br /><br />For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.- Rom. 8:18 NASB<br />For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.- Rom. 8:18 ESV<br />For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.- Rom. 8:18 NKJV<br /><br />Secondly, so long as one remains a Christian there's hope in this world and not just the next. For the sick, there's always hope that God may heal. Abandoning Christianity is abandoning such a possibility of healing. Other forms of theism have lesser cases of divine healing. Again, even if one isn't healed, and discovers at the end of their life that their hope for healing was denied, at least they can have the comfort that their suffering was not in vain. Along with the comfort and joy that God was pleased by their attempts through faith and prayer to receive healing from God's merciful hands.<br /><br />To throw away Christianity is throw away hope in the next world (and possibly in this world too). Clearly, that's NOT a rational decision. It's a case of means-ends irrationality.<br /><br />BTW, Here's my blogpost on <a href="http://charismatamatters.blogspot.com/2013/07/recommended-resources-on-healing.html" rel="nofollow">Recommended Resources on Divine Healing</a> (caveat lector; use discernment)ANNOYED PINOYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00714774340084597206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-40005450193965343602015-08-24T19:41:33.417-04:002015-08-24T19:41:33.417-04:00"Truly to love someone is to desire their wel..."Truly to love someone is to desire their well being and to promote their true flourishing as much as you can."<br /><br />It's certainly an odd consequence of Arminianism that, apparently, the Father cannot love the Son or the spirit...or even himself.Maul P.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15227129983621069565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-19628545427701298602015-08-24T17:19:34.089-04:002015-08-24T17:19:34.089-04:00I certainly appreciated the dying grace that Dr. R...I certainly appreciated the dying grace that Dr. Rodney Decker exhibited. He wrote <a href="http://ntresources.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/LifeAndMeaning4.pdf" rel="nofollow"> THIS </a> about meaning and suffering a short few weeks before dying from cancer.varietyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04197587758094541983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-60270837926609682652015-08-24T16:25:08.021-04:002015-08-24T16:25:08.021-04:00typo corrections:
"joyless apath of spirit.&...typo corrections:<br /><br />"joyless apath of spirit." ["apath" should be "apathy"]<br /><br />"int he womb" [obviously should be "in the womb"]ANNOYED PINOYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00714774340084597206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-24265554231191282662015-08-24T16:07:36.150-04:002015-08-24T16:07:36.150-04:00QUOTE:
For not only are we caught up with the '...QUOTE:<br />For not only are we caught up with the 'York-signal-box' conception, or misconception, of what wisdom is; we feel that, for the honour of God (and also, though we do not say this, for the sake of our own reputation as spiritual Christians), it is necessary for us to claim that we are, so to speak, already in the signal-box, here and now enjoying inside information as to the why and wherefore of God's doings. This comforting pretence becomes part of us: we feel sure that God has enabled us to understand all His ways with us and our circle thus far, and we take it for granted that we shall be able to see at once the reason for anything that may happen to us in the future. And then something very painful and quite inexplicable comes along, and our cheerful illusion of being in God's secret councils is shattered. Our pride is wounded; we feel that God has slighted us; and unless at this point we repent, and humble ourselves very thoroughly for our former presumption, our whole subsequent spiritual life may be blighted. <br /><br />Among the seven deadly sins of medieval lore was sloth (accidie)—a state of hard-bitten, joyless apath of spirit. There is a lot of it around today in Christian circles; the symptoms are personal spiritual inertia combined with critical cynicism about the churches and supercilious resentment of other Christians' initiative and enterprise. Behind this morbid and deadening condition often lies the wounded pride of one who thought he knew all about the ways of God in providence and then was made to learn by bitter and bewildering experience that he didn't. This is what happens when we do not heed the message of Ecclesiastes. For the truth is that God in His wisdom, to make and keep us humble and to teach us to walk by faith, has hidden from us almost everything that we should like to know about the providential purposes which He is working out in the churches and in our own lives. 'As thou knowest not what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones do grow int he womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the work of God who doeth all' (II: 5 RV). - J.I. Packer, Knowing God, chapter 10 [pp. 95-96 in my copy].ANNOYED PINOYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00714774340084597206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-77928098743631316232015-08-24T16:06:51.917-04:002015-08-24T16:06:51.917-04:00Sometimes we need to be reminded that God doesn...Sometimes we need to be reminded that God doesn't only comfort us directly, but often indirectly. Often through fellow Christians. We're to be God's "hands and feet" to others just as other Christians are to be for us. Sometimes in our pride we only want to be the givers and not the receivers. In our pride we sometimes don't want to look weak or be in need of help or comfort and so we seek it only from God directly. By so doing we deny the truth of His sovereignty by limiting the ways He <b><i>may</i></b> help us. If God doesn't respond in the way we expect, or insist, then that can set us up for a "root of bitterness" which can hurt our faith or even shipwreck it. This is especially true if we become jealous of how God works in the lives of other Christians. I know this by personal experience. Twenty years ago I almost lost my faith on account of this. <br /><br />I'm reminded of what J.I. Packer wrote in his classic book, <i>Knowing God</i>.<br /><br /><b>Cont.</b><br /><br />ANNOYED PINOYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00714774340084597206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-85996775706536860812015-08-24T14:44:10.131-04:002015-08-24T14:44:10.131-04:00Actually, I learned about it from SEA::
A blogge...<i> Actually, I learned about it from SEA::<br /><br /><br />A blogger from A Remonstrant’s Ramblings (whose abandonment from traditional Christian faith is regretful) presents a devastating critique of Calvinist Derek Rishmawy’s comments regarding why God would unconditionally elect some and not others in the former’s post: “To Tu Quoque or Not to Tu Quoque?“</i><br /><br />It's very telling to see where the SEA's priorities lie - they'll favorably quote and link to apostates in their crusade against all things Calvinist. And this isn't the first time.<br /><br />The enemy of my enemy is my friend.CRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03231394164372721485noreply@blogger.com