Volume 5, Issue 9

Newsletter Date Feb 22, 2013

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Christian Worldview Weekly

Follow me and others at: www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/

THE CHRISTIAN PROLEGOMENA

The Christian Prolegomena Greggrey Cudworth Publication Date February 28, 2013 that he was far before him in rank and dignity, because the rather preferred him to all. View the world in love, Who coming after me. Here he says And I knew him not. That his testimony Gregg two things; first, that Christ was behind may not be suspected of having been him in the order of time; but, secondly, given either from friendship or favor, he anticipates such a doubt, by affirming that Quote of the Week he had no other knowledge of Christ than what he had obtained by divine inspiration. The meaning, therefore, amounts to this, that John does not speak at his own suggestion, nor for the favor of man, but by the inspiration of the Spirit and the command of God. Where dwellest thou? By this example we are taught that from the first, rudiments of the Church we ought to draw such a relish for Christ as will excite our desire to profit; and next, Continue pg 2
The Colson Corner
Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath http://www.colsoncenter.org/thecenter/columns/indepth/19272the-son-of-man-is-lord-of-thesabbath-part-imatthew-121-8mark-223-28-luke-61-5

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.
C. S. Lewis

Headline Story of the Week

Russia to outlaw 'homosexual propaganda'
Last month, the Russian parliament approved by a vote of 388-1-1 a draft law outlawing the dissemination of homosexual propaganda to minors, prompting the Obama administration to pull out of civil society dialogue. The legislation, backed by the combined efforts of the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church, also would ban public events promoting homosexual rights, charge fines of up to $16,000 for any public displays of homosexual propaganda, and block web content inappropriate for younger audiences. After two more readings, it goes to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his signature. The bill, designed to protect minors from the..
Click URL to complete story:
http://http://www.worldmag.com/2013/02/ russia_outlaws_homosexual_propaganda utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed &utm_campaign=Feed% 3A+AlbertMohlersBlog+%

Right Here; Right Now http://www.colsoncenter.org/ the-center/columns/talkingpoints/19253-right-here-rightnow Devotion of the Week Steadfast Love of the Lord
http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/

GOLF IS MORE THAN PRACTICE CONTINUED

that we ought not to be satisfied with a mere passing look, but that we ought to seek his dwelling, that he may receive us as guests. For there are very many who smell the gospel at a distance only, and thus allow Christ suddenly to disappear, and all that they have learned concerning him to pass away. And though those two persons did not at that time become his ordinary disciples, yet there can be no doubt that, during that night, he instructed them more fully, so that they soon afterwards became entirely devoted to him. Excerpts from John Calvins commentary on John Chapter 1: 19-42. The Questions Most Often Asked Pastors are often asked by newcomers and seekers, How do I become a Christian and how do I know if I am a Christian? They may go on to ask if they are supposed to see bright lights flashing, or if there will be a sudden change in their life style and behavior. Questions like these from those seeking the Lord should be taken seriously. All believers, not only as a Christian is given in the Gospel of John, chapter one verses nineteen through forty two. This is a record of a 3 day event where John the Baptist gives witness to the Christ as the One who was spoken of in the Old Testament prophecies. John, the apostle, has made some bold claims about Jesus in the preceding verses and now shares the witness of John the Baptist to back up the claims he has made. The One, Who has come John the Baptists (JTB) first proclamation is Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah whom everyone has been waiting for. This is the first step for anyone who is wondering if they are a true believer. Have you recognized Christ as the Son of God? Do you believe He is God incarnate; fully God and at the same time wholly man? The first question then for anyone is, do you have a basic understanding knowing Jesus is the Christ, the Lord and Savior of the universe? Knowing Him is to Love Him JTBs second proclamation is, Do you recognize your knowledge of saving faith as a gift coming through a calling from God? It is not enough to recognize Jesus as a good teacher, a good man, or even a great man with a provocative philosophy of life. These are important issues but the question deals with how you became cognizant of the fact that Jesus is God. This is primary to Christianity. If you question this, you question the foundation stone of justification by faith alone. JTBs is telling us in no uncertain terms his knowledge of The Christ has been given to Him by God through divine inspiration. It didnt come to him because he grew up with Jesus, it didnt come to him because he worked it out from some secret code found in the OT. It didnt come to him because he was a good guy doing the things God would want him to do. It came to him from God the Father by divine inspiration with the knowledge he is to proclaim this to the world. Faith is never by works, it is always the result of Gods divine calling. The point is knowing Him is to love Him. Follow the Leader His third and final proclamation is simply, Follow Him. It is not enough to have knowledge and great

pastors, should be prepared to give a meaningful and insightful answer from scripture. One of the better testimonies of recognizing yourself

insight into the workings of Christ as the Son of God. Even Satan and his demons are fully aware of Christ. They have a greater knowledge of Him then most of us ever will have. But they dont follow Him. Christ is not their leader and commander. The greatest test of faith is what are you doing with your life now that you know Christ as your Lord? This is not Lordship salvation in the sense you have to work out your salvation before you are saved. This is Lordship salvation in the sense you are now working and following the doctrines of the faith in response to your salvation. Think of this as your acts of appreciation for the greatest gift you will ever receive. Summary The Apostle Johns purpose is to change how we look at God, how we evaluate our salvation, and how we view the world in general. He is writing so we will know Jesus is the Christ. When we come to this point in our faith, we will find meaning and purpose for life. Our view of the world will be different. We will begin to understand our own depravity and inability to save ourselves to eternal life. Also note when JTBs disciples asked Jesus where He was dwelling, they did not want to know what motel He was staying, they wanted Jesus to know they believed He was the Messiah. They recognized the calling of His mission, and they were now willing and wanting to follow Him. Finally, Calvin says above we can know all of this from a distance and when we do this knowledge will soon pass away. But Calvin implies if we will hold tight to the teaching of Jesus we will with time become completely devoted to Him. Many years ago when I first believed I had been call by God and was at the same time worried about my salvation a pastor friend told me the greatest test of faith is when we are

concerned about our salvation. His point was it is people of the world who have no concern about salvation.

Question: "What should we learn from the life of John the Baptist?" Answer: Although his name implies that he baptized people (which he did), Johns life on earth was more than just baptizing. Johns adult life was characterized by blind devotion and utter surrender to Jesus Christ and His kingdom. Johns voice was a lone voice in the wilderness (John 1:23) as he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah to a people who desperately needed a Savior. He was the precursor for the modern day evangelist as he unashamedly shared the good news of Jesus Christ. He was a man filled with faith and a role model to those of us who wish to share our faith with others. Most everyone, believer and non-believer alike, has heard of John the Baptist. He is arguably one of the most significant and well-known figures in the Bible. While John was known as the Baptist, he was in fact the first prophet called by God since Malachi some 400 years before his own birth. Johns own
Continued on page 4

coming was foretold over 700 years previously by another prophet. In Isaiah 40:3-5 it states: A voice of one calling: In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." This passage illustrates Gods master plan in action as God selected John to be His special ambassador to proclaim His own coming. Little is actually known of John, although we do know that John was a Levite, one of the special tribe set aside by God to take care of all of the work associated with the temple (Numbers 1:50-53). John was the son of Zechariah, a temple priest of the lineage of Abijah, while Johns mother Elizabeth was from the lineage of Aaron (Luke 1:5). John was also related to Jesus as their mothers were cousins (Luke 1:36). John lived a rugged life in the mountainous area of Judea, between the city of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. It is written that he wore clothes made out of camels hair with a leather belt around his waist. His diet was a simple onelocusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4). John lived a simple life as he focused on the kingdom work set before him.

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IN GOD WE TRUST
A little trivia to see how much history you know or wish to guess at. If you don't know the answer make your best guess. The Answers will be published in next weeks CWW.

Who said it?

1) "We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." A. Karl Marx B. Adolph Hitler C. Joseph Stalin D. None of the above 2) "It's time for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few, and for the few...... And to replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity." A. Lenin B. Mussolini C. Idi Amin D. None of the Above

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3) "(We) .....can't just let business as usual go on, and that means something has to be taken away from some people." A. Nikita Khrushev B. Josef Goebbels C. Boris Yeltsin D. None of the above 4) "We have to build a political consensus and that requires people to give up a little bit of their own ... in order to create this common ground." A. Mao Tse Dung B. Hugo Chavez C. Kim Jong Il D. None of the above 5) "I certainly think the freemarket has failed." A. Karl Marx B. Lenin C. Molotov D. None of the above 6) "I think it's time to send a clear message to what has become the most profitable sector in (the) entire economy that they are being watched." A. Pinochet B. Milosevic C. Saddam Hussein D. None of the above

How Institutionalism Inhibits Our Expectation of the Supernatural

By reducing our conceptions of the church to an institution or organization to be managed, there often follows a decreased expectation of the supernatural in the affairs and activities of the church and, by extension, the individual Christian. Rather than seeking results beyond our human schemes and expectations, we find ourselves managing the church as an enterprise in which results can be forecast and progress measured using metrics common to modern business. The watchword becomes measurable results, without which an activity is deemed unworthy of pursuit or, if implemented, unsuccessful. Lost is the concept of faithfulness to our Lord and the principles of his kingdom, which may not always yield success in terms visible to us. This, I think, is why making disciples is often exchanged for proselytismbecause conversions are more easily measured than spiritual growth. The result can be evangelistic efforts and campaigns that are aimed at obtaining professions of faith, which as we now know are often nothing more than assent to a set of ideological propositions. This might explain why seventy-seven percent of American adults claim to be Christian and yet a mere four percent agree with the most basic tenets of the Christian faith. In the absence of true spiritual growthin which our conceptions of reality are informed by Scripturewe can remain immature in our understanding and practice of the Christian faith. Continue reading at: http://www.battlefortruth.org/ Truth_in_Culture_Weekly_Commentaries.asp

Site of the Week

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