Monthly Archives: September 2008

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The "L" part of TULIP..."Limited Atonenent".

Also known as "definite atonement" or "particular redemption".

Now...I'm going to take this post in an entirely different and political course.

On another blog, I'm hearing about our "Christian" Bible calling Jews "children of the devil" and I'm hearing about the sinful history of the persecution of Jews by Christians.

Yes.  It happened.  Yes.  It was sin.

The popular epitaph is "Christ-killer".

Who took Christ's life?

John 10:17-18 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

My first question:  if Christ had not been crucified, where would we be?  The "religious Jews" were instruments of God, prophecied.   Jesus' death was the necessary sacrifice, ordained by the Father from the beginning of time.  If God had demanded the sacrifice, are the people who brought that sacrifice about to blame?

Now...on to "the L".

From a Reformed perspective, who is responsible for the death of Christ?   When I was an Arminian, my answer would have been "all of us".

But if I buy into the "L", that is not the right answer.

The short definition of "limited atonement" is: Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them.

If Christ's redeeming work was intended to save only those who would believe on Christ the Saviour, His blood in not on the hands of the Jews, it is not on the hands of unbelievers.

The blood of Christ is on my hands.  My hands...the hands of a believer.

Romans 5:8-11  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!  For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

That is the "L".   The "L" lays the blame of Christ's death on me.

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I know the campaign protestations.

I know that Barack Obama says that he has always supported health care for infants.

This is "inaccurate".

2001:  SB 1095

(...) Amends the Statute on Statutes. Defines "born-alive infant" to

   include  every  infant  member of the species homo sapiens who is born
   alive at any stage of development.  Defines "born alive" to  mean  the
   complete  expulsion or extraction from the mother of an infant, at any
   stage of development, who after that expulsion or extraction  breathes
   or  has  a beating heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite
   movement of voluntary muscles, regardless  of  whether  the  umbilical
   cord  has  been  cut  and  regardless  of  whether  the  expulsion  or
   extraction  occurs  as  a result of natural or induced labor, cesarean
   section, or induced abortion....

Obama voted "no" on even letting the bill pass out of committee, so that it could be voted on by the Senate

Obama's comments are on pages 84 on.

2002 - Next verse, same as the first...SB 1662.

and 2003...SB 1082...

And Obama said...

"They have not been telling the truth," Mr. Obama said. "And I hate to say that people are lying, but here's a situation where folks are lying."

He added that it was "ridiculous" to suggest he had ever supported withholding lifesaving treatment for an infant. "It defies common sense and it defies imagination, and for people to keep on pushing this is offensive," he said in the CBN interview.

Here's the problem...the Illinois Senate keeps minutes.

Obama lies, calls his opposition liars and his followers say..."ok".

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It is said:  "There are two kinds of cyclists.  Those who have fallen and those who have not fallen...yet."

Today I joined the ranks of those who have fallen.  My elbow is messed up and I just noticed the bruise and scrape on my shoulder.  There is also a scrape and bruise on my knee (all on the left side).

My bike:  the handlebars are twisted a little bit.  In the fall the chain came off and that's the bright side!

I am getting more mechanically independent.  I put the thing back on by myself.

I am very glad that nobody was around to see me.  Especially the part where I got my shoe lace wrapped around the brake lever and was laying face down on the bridge, not able to get loose from my bike...

Miles logged...37.

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I rode 50 miles (plus a few feet) yesterday and 21.1 today.

This morning I didn't feel sore at all, but after the 21 miles my legs are a little weak...but it's my upper arms that are like rubber.

I have serious bike lust.

This is a very feminine bike...flowers and all.  Women's "geometry"- shorter crank arms, different saddle, greater "seat to peddle"vs. "seat to handlebar" ratio.  Road tires, beautiful bike...and it could be in my future.

How so?  It's a reward.  What do I have to do?  Ride from my house to Big Rapids, MI (+/- 54 miles) and back as far as Riverside Park (so I don't have to climb the rather large hill at the end of a 100 mile+ ride.)

My goal?  On or before the first weekend of November.

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I've been in a very weird spot (all around).  I (think I am) back on track, at least this morning I think so.

On my "to do" list for today was a 50 mile bike ride...oh well, that ain't gonna happen today.  I took my car (bike on the rack) to the park where the "flat ride" starts.  Five feet away from the car, the chain broke.  So I came back home.

This evening I'm going to a retirement dinner for the lead teacher I worked with last year.  I miss her.  My year with her taught me a lot - most specifically that (whatever you might hear from other people) you should let each person prove themselves.  Before I got moved into Mary's classroom, I had heard a few things about her that were not very nice.  They were wrong.

I have also learned over the years that sometimes the moves that I think are going to be disasters - or moves that I've been forced into making - are the best ones for me.

I cringed when I saw my room assignment for this year.  Mostly I just wanted to stay put for a year.  But...it's going to be a good year.  Really.  Again, what made me cringe is most likely the best thing for me.  The things that I think are going to be "bad" are just...different.  The hardest things (like moving from a more non-structured room to a room that has more structure) is actually good for me, yet an adjustment.

We're attending a CRC again.  I don't know how long it will last, but I told the kids I'd give it a try.

And I've lost 6 1/2 pounds in the month of August (first Friday to first Friday).  More of a lower-carb diet.  Not very low carb, but definately more sensible.  I also let my exercise level for the day add to the grams of carbs I eat.

Politically...It's all about Palin.  And relating Palin to the common woman.

Spiritually...it seems like a wash.  Listened to Driscoll on spiritual warfare.  Talked with a friend about "The Shack" and some things she's going through.