God and Evil from Iron Ink

"God is not the author of evil simply because whatever God sovereignly determines to come to pass, cannot, by definition, be evil. Since God is good, all that God does is good. If God has not declared that it is evil for himself to metaphysically cause evil, then man is evil to say that it is evil for God to do so. Joseph implicitly confessed that God caused the evil that was visited upon Joseph (Genesis 50:20) but Joseph was wise enough to see that the same action that God caused and that his Brothers caused was differentiated by the reality that God’s metaphysical causation of that evil was for good while the his Brother’s temporal causation of that same evil was for evil. The difference was motive. Do not miss here that God caused the “evil” but because God caused it, it was an evil that was intended for and resulted in good.

I would contend that this is why God is not the author of evil. God is not the author of evil because it is literally impossible for a divine being to do or cause anything that is evil. God has ordained whatsoever comes to pass and because God is good whatsoever that comes to pass, is a reality for which God cannot be charged as the author of sin."

--Pastor Bret McAtee on Iron Ink

Blessed beyond comparison

Just getting around to posting this. I hope to do one of these every month, sometime. Hopefully, they'll get longer and longer. :)

Good Things 10-28-10

1. Not having to rake the leaves because the wind blew them away

2. Friends who text you in the middle of the night

3. Getting woken in the middle of the night by a text that says you are loved

4. Finally getting that chord progression right on the guitar without looking

5. A family of believers who are united by one belief

6. Someone who agrees with you in the midst of a crowd who disagrees.

7. Someone who cares for you even when you screw up

8. Siblings not blood-related

9. The smell of fresh herbs on your hands

10. Music that says exactly what you’re trying to say

11. Dancing

12. The funniest sister in the world

Reformation Day 2010

Ok, so I'm a little late, Reformation Day was October 31st. But I did want to post something anyways. Here's a bit from Wikipedia about the day.

"According to Philipp Melanchthon, writing in 1546, Luther "wrote theses on indulgences and posted them on the church of All Saints on 31 October 1517", an event now seen as sparking the Protestant Reformation."

Sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone)
Sola Fide (through faith alone)
Sola Gratia (by Grace alone)
Solus Christus (in the finished work of Christ alone)
Soli Deo Gloria (to the Glory of God alone)

"A Vagabond Song" by Bliss Carmen

There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood--
Touch of manner, hint of mood;
And my heart is like a rhyme,
With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time.

The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills.

There is something in October sets my gypsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls each vagabond by name.

Good quote

"It is the love of God for the Christian which causes them to fear Him, while for the pagan it is their hate of God which drives them to fear Him. Undoubtedly, both these fears are born of the same thing; respect for his sovereignty, yet each of the fears are born of a different verb and therefore are totally different.
The first, the fear born of love, is not the fear of punishment but the understanding of His Sovereignty and His Awesomeness. It is a fear that finds its beginning in reverence and awe, causing the Christian to praise God daily for His loving-kindness and mercy. Pouring out into every aspect of life, this fear assists the Christian to be sanctified.
The second is a fear twisted and tortured by hatred, for fear is a Godly passion. It is the fear of punishment and the recognition of the eternal damnation to come. This hate-driven fear is what causes a man to fall farther and farther into the path of darkness. Constantly bringing death and mayhem wherever it goes, this fear can only be conquered through Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit."

Visionary

Sometimes, we miss the meaning of a song when we sing it, so try reading it.

Be Thou My Vision

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord;
be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armor, be thou my true might;
be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:
be thou mine inheritance now and always;
be thou and thou only the first in my heart;
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.

So funny! This played before WALL-E in theaters

Pixar.Short.Presto.2008.BluRay FULLHD from SUNKO on Vimeo.