Thesis 01/36: God the Father

Some people have made the observation that I tend to be a critical person. To me, that is simply them being critical. (I'm just kidding, Shannon.) Anyway, I am going to open myself up to criticism here in the next seven weeks, and I am actually asking for some criticism (criticism is just the result of a 'critique'; ignore the negative connotation). As I mentioned in my Declaration, I have to write my thesis some time before graduation on May 14th. The NSBI thesis is a compilation of summaries of 36 different doctrines. I will be posting each of the doctrinal summaries here on my blog once they are completed. I am open to criticism in, but not limited to, the following areas:

• Logical thought processes
• Grammar and spelling
• Major doctrinal issues that have been overlooked

So, here's your chance to constructively criticize me. I may or may not take your advice and apply to my thesis, but I will consider it all. (On a side note, this is also a great way to 'backup' my thesis as I go!)

"The purpose of your Thesis is to show, through a scholarly work, that you have a full and complete understanding of the basic doctrines adhered to by both First Bible Baptist Church and the North Star Bible Institute."

DOCTRINES OF GOD -
Doctrine 1 / 36: God the Father

"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen" (I Timothy 1:17). This verse, describing God, happens to be the verse on which Jonathan Edwards was meditating when he truly awoke to spiritual things. Included in this verse are a few of the communicable and incommunicable attributes of God. There are characteristics about God that He shares with His creation, and there are characteristics about God in which His creatures are unable to partake. There are many characteristics which can be spoken about God, but this is a great place to start.

Eternal: The Bible teaches that God is outside of the domain of time to which His creatures are subject. Isaiah 57:15 says that God inhabits (present tense) eternity. To God, all of the time in eternity is in front of Him, as the present time is in front of any person at that time. He does not learn things that will happen in the future, as He already knows what the future holds. He is able to write down the events that are coming, as they are constantly before Him. He does not have to guess what will happen, nor does He even need to cause or make them to happen for Him to accurately predict what things will come to pass. As a result of God being eternal, He is also omniscient.

Immortal: Because God is not subject to time, He also is not subject to the law of entropy. God will never die, and His nature will never deteriorate at all. As He is today, He was yesterday and will be for all of eternity. There is nothing that has the power to cause harm or injury to God, and as He is the source and sustainer of all life, no creation could ever remove His life from Him. He is the ultimate power in the universe; He is omnipotent. He is immortal.

Invisible: Unlike God the Son Jesus, God the Father is a spirit. No man has seen the Father at any time (John 1:18). God is not able to be seen by eyes of flesh. However, when mortal bodies are changed in a moment, at the return of Christ, then the Father shall be visible to humans. Because God is invisible, He requires that man looks towards Him through faith. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. In Genesis 1:26-27, God says that He made man in the image of God. A part of this image is that man is a three part being, just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Man has a soul, and has his spirit quickened when he goes to God in faith. The invisible world is more real than the visible (2 Corinthians 4:18).

The only wise God: In this phrase is found the omniscience of God. God is infinitely wise and good. His counsel shall stand, and what He determines to be the best course of action is, without doubt, the best course of action. Man shows his exceeding pride when he questions the actions of God and suggests that man's counsel and wisdom is greater than God's. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). He works in ways that man does not understand, sometimes with affliction, sometimes with grace. The best way for man to respond to God's actions towards him is to submit to the infinitely wise counsel of God.

Be honour and glory for ever and ever: God created the universe, and all that is in it, for His own pleasure (Revelation 4:11). Everything that a man does in this life is supposed to be done for His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). He is worthy of man giving all to Him because of His grace, mercy and love that He has shown towards man, even in his sinful state. "What is man that thou art mindful of him?" That is the question that man ought to ask, and when viewed with the right eyes, the result will be to do everything for the glory of God.

When Moses asked God to show him His glory, the ensuing account was God's declaration of Himself. Exodus 34:5-7 says, "And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 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]." These verses contain God's proper name, which in the Hebrews is the tetragrammaton YVHV, and which in the Authorized Version is mostly translated, "The LORD." The English transliteration of God's proper name is Jehovah. That verse contains some of God's qualities: merciful, gracious, longsuffering, good, true, yet righteous. He has demonstrated His grace and mercy towards man through sending His Son Jesus, yet those that despise His Son, are those guilty to whom the Lord will not clear, but will rather visit iniquity on them.

"Be still and know that I am God."

My Declaration of Independence

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one person to dissolve the social and spiritual bands which have connected him with another and to assume among the students of the earth, the separate yet way-behind station to which the Laws of Bible Institute and of Nature's God entitle him, a decent respect to the opinions of his blog readers requires that he should declare the causes which impel him to the separation.

I hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Institute students are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are 24 hours a day, 365.25 days a year, and the pursuit of Graduation. — That to advantage themselves of these rights, Disciplines are required among Students, deriving their just limitations from the consent of the wife and children, — That whenever any Form of Activity becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the Students to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Activities, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Accomplishment and Completion. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Activities (such as blogging) long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of hard-drive crashes and distractions, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Stress, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such unnecessary Activities, and to provide new Uses of their time for their workload. — Such has been the patient sufferance of this Student; and such is now the necessity which constrains him to alter his former System of Blogging. The history of the present Lunch-Time Thoughts is a history of repeated time-spending and even time-wasting, all having in indirect object the establishment of an absolute Stress over this Student due to the necessary Institute requirements. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

• He has a thesis that must needs be re-written by May.
• He has an Independent Study that must needs be completed on the book of Zechariah.
• He has two Institute classes by a particular Professor Curran.
• He has a third Institute Class which uses the tests and quizzes of said Professor Curran.
• He must complete a Research Paper on Jonathan Edwards, 5-7 pages long.
• He must read a book for Pastoral Counseling and write a 5-7 page book report.
• He is required and privileged to evangelize on the Streets of Rochester every Saturday morning.
• He has a class on the book of Revelation every Sunday evening.

He has combined with these tasks, commitments for other things which take up considerable time:

• For maintaining proper spiritual disciplines, drawing nigh to God so that He would draw nigh to him:
• For loving and caring for his wife and five wonderful children at home:
• For hosting a Bible study in said home every Friday night:
• For attending church in order to be fed spiritually:
• For ministering to the Junior High Sunday School.

He has attempted to perform these tasks while at the same time continuing with other areas of ministry and writing, and has endeavoured to continue throughout.

In every stage of these Oppressions I have Petitioned for Peace in the most humble terms: My repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated additional obligations. A Schedule, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free student.

Nor have I been wanting in attentions to my Christian brethren. I have warned them from time to time of attempts by their petitions of me to extend an unwarrantable pressure on me. I have reminded them of the circumstances of my situation here. I have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and I have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these petitions of me, which would inevitably interrupt our friendships. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. I must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in the Semester, after Graduation Friends.

I, therefore, the Author of Lunch-Time Thoughts, Standing alone, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of my intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the desire to finish Institute, solemnly publish and declare, That these Lunch-Time Thoughts are, and of Right ought to be Temporarily Neglected, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the Readers, and that all social and spiritual connection between them and the Readers, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as a Free and Independent Blogger, I have full Power to write infrequently, not answer every comment, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent Institute Students may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, I pledge to each of the readers, my Thanks, my Friendship, and my request for understanding. This is NOT just a thought...

Andy Hinds

Judge Me, According to My Righteousness

(So, I told you all that today's post would be better than yesterday's. I hope I don't let you down! Though, it'd be hard to be worse than yesterday's!)

Psalm 7:8: The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.

I have had a hard time with that verse in the past. God forbid that I were to be judged according to my own righteousness - which is as a filthy rag. I need the righteousness of Jesus, or else I am without hope at the judgment.

So, when I see David say "judge me according to my righteousness," I am always taken back by that. I don't perceive David as being so arrogant as to think that he has enough righteousness to ask God to judge him according to it. David is the guy that said, Behold I am shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

What then does David mean when he says that phrase or similar phrases throughout the Psalms? Well, I think it has to do with the same idea as the signers of the Declaration of Independence had. After introducing the Declaration, and listing the grievances that they had against the king of England, they have a conclusion paragraph, in which is stated:

"We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States"

They were saying, "God, we are going against the king of England for just reasons. We are separating from their power. We appeal to You, to judge if our intentions are right." They recognized that they were not only declaring independence, but also declaring war at the same time. They appealed to God to give them victory in the war if their actions were right. In a sense, they were saying, "God, judge us according to our righteousness."

Next time you read David talking about how he is just, and asking God to judge him accordingly, I think you'll find that he is not asking for God to judge his eternal life based on his own righteousness, but rather, for the temporal task and enemy at hand.

Just a thought...

News Story

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4394493&page=1

All I can say is that tomorrow's post will be better than today's, but for some reason, I couldn't resist sharing this news story.

I think this may explain some of the issues with Internet Explorer!

Just a thought...

Non-Staggering Faith

Romans 4:19: And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:
Romans 4:20: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

I love the example of Abraham and his faith. The New Testament uses him as an illustration a few times, with Romans 4 being one of the most instructive. His faith is what saved him, and he is the father of all of us that believe too. Read the chapter - it's all in there.

Well, when we get to vss. 19-20 of that chapter we are told that Abraham was not weak in faith. We are told that Abraham did not stagger at the promise of God through unbelief. The illustration being used is when God told Abraham that he was going have a child. At the time, Abraham was 99 years old! Again, Abraham was strong in faith... staggered not...

So, with that in mind, when I recently read the account in Genesis 17, the following verse stuck out to me:

Genesis 17:17: Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall [a child] be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

Ok... putting this all together: Abraham was not weak in faith; he did not stagger at the promise of God through unbelief, yet Abraham's response to God's promise: "Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed..."!

What do we learn from this? Some of what God says will be quite difficult to understand at first. That is ok. It is not a lack of faith to be surprised, or to even doubt what we believe God is doing or would have us to do. But, here's the difference between Abraham and what many others, un-believers, would do: Abraham went forward in his actions based upon the promises of God.

What do I mean by that? Well, um, Abraham was 100 (ok,99), and his wife was 90 years old. Ok? They both doubted what God was saying to them. They both laughed at it. Yet, at the same time, Abraham's faith convinced him that God was true. So, what did he do? Maybe he went to the grocery store, brought her a basket of mandrakes, a nice bouquet of lilies, (I should stop now!)...

Anyway, what's my point? God's call may sound unbelievable to us at first, but once we are sure that God is leading, then we must do what is necessary to be obedient to God's call!

Just a wrinkly thought....

High Moses

Matt sent me this link in a comment from my post from yesterday, and I went to it and thought that it would make a great post for tomorrow... then I remembered that I had not posted yet for today, so thanks, Matt!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080304/od_afp/israelreligionoffbeat;_ylt=AhXT0938PZRbqwVxbSaGo0es0NUE

That is the link to an interesting news story explaining some of the stories in the Old Testament, such as Moses receiving the 10 Commandments and Moses hearing God at the burning bush. Now, read the article before continuing, or the rest of this may ruin the article a bit.

This article brings up a couple of good thoughts, but I think the one that we really should pay closest attention to is this statement:

Moses was probably also on drugs when he saw the "burning bush," suggested
Shanon, who said he himself has dabbled with such substances.

Just a thought...

Honor Thy Mother

John 2:3: And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
John 2:4: Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
John 2:5: His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

The above account is the story of the first miracle performed by Jesus during His earthly ministry. But follow along with me in the account of those three verses. Jesus & His followers, aka disciples, were invited to a wedding. Jesus' mother was already there. They run out of wine at this wedding. It seems to me that Jesus had never before done a miracle, even in private. It could be that is not the case, but verse 11 says, "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana..." Whether that just refers to public miracles or private, I can't say for sure.

Mary knew Jesus. Mary knew Him better than any other human being on earth. IF, in fact, this is the very first miracle Jesus did on earth, then Mary was kind of stepping out by faith here. She could not have known what Jesus was going to do. I expect that it was simply a case of, Hey, Jesus can fix this problem - not expecting that a miracle was to follow.

What catches my attention today is Jesus' answer to her: "Woman, what have I to do with thee, mine hour is not yet come." First of all, when I call my wife, Sarah, Woman, I don't see why she should have a problem with it. That's what's Jesus called His mom - and we are supposed to walk in His steps, right?! Anyway, the other thing I see to this is that He essentially was telling His mom, Hey, it's not time for me to go to the cross yet, and by doing miracles, it is kind of the kick-off of this whole thing, and it won't be stopped.

But, even though Jesus said that it wasn't the best time for this, what seems to happen in the next verse, His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. She, for some reason, assumed that her Son was going to obey her wishes, even though He said it was not the best time for it. It seems to me that Mary had such confidence in the honor that Jesus had showed to her all of His life, that she had no reason to doubt that He would honor her here and solve this problem. This 30 year old man, honored His mother's wishes, even though it may not have been the best timing. And this wasn't even obedience, it was honor. The difference: Obedience is doing what somebody else says. Honor is doing what somebody else wants.

Honour thy father and thy mother. Jesus did. It seems to me that He began all of His miracles as a result of His honoring His mother.

Just a thought...