8lbs 15 oz

“Oh! So good!”

The Lord was, is and continues to be good! This has been exciting month in the Crocker home! The last two years have been an adventure in faith and in spiritual, mental, emotional, relational, and physical stamina.


The Lord was good when Toni’s dad chose an “elective” heart repair about two years ago so that he could better care for mom as she entered the middle stages of her Alzheimer’s. But the “normal” operation resulted in many weeks of being hospitalized and his real home coming a month after coming back to the ranch.


The Lord was good that fall when Toni discovered “the lump,” and when we heard those words “It is cancer, and it is aggressive.” He was good when we started 2008 with chemo treatments and doctor appointment followed by appointment, over and over again! The Lord was good when we discovered in 2009 that the herceptin treatments had to be stopped because it had caused significant loss of her heart function!


The Lord was good two weeks ago on the Friday before Mother’s Day when we heard the good news from her cardiologist that her heart was doing very well. God was so very good when we heard today from her oncologist that she is “good to go!” We all had a few weepy moments in the doctor’s office knowing that the treatment was successful with no needed visits until Toni has her “six month” check up.


So May has been a good month! David was “in his cave” that he likened to a “prison” when he cried to the Lord that he trusted and had found in his past to be “Oh! So good!” Psalm 142:7, Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.


With David we praise God and want to speak to those who have gather around us. Our Dear Lord has been good by walking with us! He has provided us with great medical care! He has called His children to pray; and they did! He asked them to surround and support us; and they did! He has been “Oh! So good!” He gave us a Shepherding Team at Cheyenne Berean that shepherded us and they were “Oh! So good!”


So forgive us if we take the time to be reminded that He has been “Oh! So good!” and if we take the time to say one more time to you that you have been “Oh! So good!”

Saved, Sanctified and Secured Grace?

Saved, sanctified and secured by grace? This is not a question for me, I strongly affirm that I am saved, sanctified and secured by God's grace alone! Recently I was asked about a doctrinal belief concerning a Wesleyan church. They are an evangelical church and we would have many points of agreement on essential doctrines. But as well there are several differences. Here is how I approached the question.

1. Local Church Statement: I check out their own statement on the web, realizing in many cases that they will have a “light” statement for the public that is non-threatening. In this case I saw that their statement about the Holy Spirit says, “That God is able and does fill entirely the believer who seeks the fullness of His Holy Spirit.” This appears to suggest a “sinless perfection” sanctification theology.

Also I note the statement that they believe “in the bodily resurrection of everyone who has lived, an everlasting blessedness and reward for those who continue in a right relationship with God.” This is apparently referring to the loss of salvation.

2. Denominational Statements: I then check out the fuller statements from the denominational headquarter, http://www.wesleyan.org/beliefs. I find that they believe in “a gradual or progressive sanctification as the believer walks with God and daily grows in grace and in a more perfect obedience to God. This prepares for the crisis of entire sanctification which is wrought instantaneously … effected by the baptism with the Holy Spirit.”

I also note that concerning the atonement, “It is unconditionally effective in the salvation of those mentally incompetent from birth, of those converted persons who have become mentally incompetent, and of children under the age of accountability.”

I have now learned that they believe that at a “crisis of entire sanctification” they can receive a second baptism of the Holy Spirit that will allow them to reach a place of complete holiness but if they fail to stay in that condition and lapse into sin they can loss their salvation, unless they have become mentally incompetent.

3. Web search: I then do a quick web search on Wesleyan Arminian Doctrine and find http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conditional_preservation_of_the_saints and note several things about their beliefs. “Wesleyan Arminianism holds that:
· Conscious, unconfessed sin (without any expression of regret) is the beginning point for the fall from grace
· Repentance (confession and change) is a necessary part of the Christian walk and restores holiness and salvation
· It is possible for long periods of backsliding to create a “shipwreck” of faith and loss of eternal life should it continue untended, but in spite of this God can radically call one back to saving grace”

In the same article I note this explanation and illustration. “The term Conditional Preservation of the Saints is used to describe the belief that a Christian’s salvation can be lost. The central tenet holds that believers are preserved from all attempts to “snatch them from the Father’s hand” but can willingly reject the Gospel after it has been accepted, thus being conditional on remaining faithful to Jesus.

Pastor and theologian David Pawson comments, “The Arminian position is accurately portrayed by someone throwing a lifeline to a drowning man and saying ‘grab hold of this and keep holding on tightly until I pull you to safety.’ I would maintain that no one rescued in this way would dream that he had saved himself or even made a ‘contribution’ which merited his rescue. He would be filled with gratitude towards his rescuer.”

Biblical Position: Paul teaches in Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption,” (NIV). Paul uses the passive “were sealed,” indicating that God did the sealing, not the believer (see Eph. 1:13). Also Paul notes that the sealing was until the “day of redemption.”

Commentaries:

UBS New Testament Handbook Series, Ephesians 4:30, This “seal” is a guarantee of the final and complete redemption.

Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, Ephesians 4:30, The Holy Spirit …is the seal, indicating that the transaction whereby the Son of God paid the penalty of human sin at the Cross is a finished transaction, and that God owns us as His property by right of purchase, also that because of the two preceding facts the saints are secure in salvation “unto the day of redemption,” that is, with a view to the day (at the Rapture) when our physical bodies will be glorified. The Holy Spirit is the seal God places upon the saints which guarantees all this.

Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, Ephesians 1:13, The word “sealed” is sphragizœ, “to set a seal upon, mark with a seal.” The papyri afford the following examples of its use: “If the fruit is sealed, then everything is in order: the sealing is the last thing that must be done prior to delivering;” “let him seal a sample,” obviously to prevent the corn from being tampered with during its transit; “I gave the letter sealed (to the messenger);” “send the ass to be branded” (Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament).

Church Position:

Salvation: We believe we are saved solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ alone. This salvation was purchased by the substitutionary death and shed blood of Jesus Christ for the sins of every person and is offered to everyone as a free gift. The person who has trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior is eternally secure, and can enjoy the assurance of salvation. We believe that at death believers enter eternal glory and that unbelievers enter eternal torment.Acts 16:31; 20:20-21; Rom 3:28; 10:9; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; John 1:12; 3:16; 10:28; Eph. 2:8-9; Phil. 1:6

Sanctification: We believe that every believer has been sanctified, set apart with a perfect standing before God. As we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit, we will experience spiritual growth in holiness, but we will not experience perfection in conduct. Future rewards are determined by our obedience to the Lord. Heb. 10:10; Phil. 3:12; Rom. 6:13-19; 1 Cor. 3:8

Quotes

Here are some favorite quotes, at least they are today.

5. "A hot dog at the ball park is better than steak at the Ritz." Humphrey Bogart

4. "Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community." Andrew Carnegie

3.” Live in such a way that every morning Satan says, ‘Oh no, he's awake!’" anonymous

2. "Our love to others is not our making much of them, but our helping them to find eternal satisfaction in making much of God." John Piper

1. "Faith is living without scheming." anonymous

Friday, March 13, 2009

I found this on a calendar I use that has various pieces of history trivia.

“In the 19th century, the British Royal Navy attempted to dispel the superstition that Friday is an unlucky day to embark on a ship. The keel of a new ship was laid on a Friday, she was named H.M.S. Friday, commanded by a Captain Friday, and finally went to sea on a Friday. Neither the ship nor her crew were ever heard of again.”

WOW! Makes you think twice about Friday the 13th doesn’t it. Even the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) had an article about it. It is a myth!

1 Timothy 4:7, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.”

Hardly a week goes by before a friend sends me a recently discovered truth or an historical fact that has been suppressed by the media. Both ancient and modern cultures have been fascinated with superstitions. Paul exhorts Timothy to “keep on refusing to get sucked into superstitious beliefs. Instead of the quick to believe syndrome we need to be good “Bereans” (Acts 17:11) and check out the facts. When Paul instructs his young friend to “train” himself in godliness, he uses a verb with athletic overtones. In fact “train” comes from the “gymnaze” were we get our English word “gymnasium.”

Who I Am in Christ

I am accepted...
John 1:12 I am God's child.
John 15:15 As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1 I have been justified.
1 Corinthians 6:17 I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.
1 Corinthians 12:27 I am a member of Christ's body.
Ephesians 1:3-8 I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.
Colossians 1:13-14 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.
Colossians 2:9-10 I am complete in Christ.
Hebrews 4:14-16 I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.

I am secure...
Romans 8:1-2 I am free from condemnation.
Romans 8:28 I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.
Romans 8:31-39 I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 I have been established, anointed and sealed by God.
Colossians 3:1-4 I am hidden with Christ in God.
Philippians 1:6 I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.
Philippians 3:20 I am a citizen of heaven.
2 Timothy 1:7 I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.
1 John 5:18 I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.


I am significant...
John 15:5 I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life.
John 15:16 I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
1 Corinthians 3:16 I am God's temple.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 I am a minister of reconciliation for God.
Ephesians 2:6 I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm.
Ephesians 2:10 I am God's workmanship.
Ephesians 3:12 I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

"The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity!" (From Victory Over the Darkness , by Dr. Neil Anderson)

Put on ... Put off

Many have noted that it takes about six weeks to actually break a habit and another six weeks to establish a good one. But this is not true of addiction! The process can and will often take longer.

Besides the time factor involved for yourself; it often takes more time to gain full trust with those around you that you have broken truth with in the past. It takes significant time and commitment to break your unhealthy thinking. Breaking a sinful habit takes prayerful thought and intentionality. Breaking a destructive habit requires honestly deciding why you find it so compelling; even when you realize it is so destructive to you and your relationships with others and with Christ. You should ask, "What am I getting from this behavior and what am I willing to lose because of it?" Also ask, "Why am I willing to trade healthy behavior for this negative one?"

You must be honest and ask are you willing to believe the truth about who you are in Christ and the power that resides within you in the person of the Holy Spirit! Paul as he writes to the Ephesians reminds them of the "put-off … put-one" principle. "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24, NIV).