West Coast of Ireland

While my sister and her husband were here recently we rented a car and drove straight across Ireland to the west coast to see the famous Cliffs of Moher. Here is what you will see in the slieshow: First we ran into an old castle which sat on a black rocky marshland. There was water on three sides of it that seemed to orginate right there out of the ground. Next we arrived at what is known as the Burren. The Burren is large area of limestone along the west coast that stretches on for 300 sq. km. Here we saw many sheep, stone walls, and small cliffs over the ocean. My favorite part of this trip was when Matt decided to get near the edge of one of the cliffs to photograph some sea spray. As you will see in the slideshow he snapped a shot just before the wall of water overtook him and drenched him. He was able to take the shot, turn around, and protect the camera just in time. You will then see some pics taken at a small surfing town on the coast called Lynch where we stopped for dinner at a cozy little Italian restaurant. Lastly you will see the Cliffs of Moher. This is a national park on the west coast which has a series of green rolling hills that turn into beautiful green and black jagged cliffs which drop over 600 feet into the aqua ocean. Absolutely stunning!

Serious USA Booty!

When my sister came to visit last week she brought me a whole suticase of American treats from my family and Cbass. It was like Christmas in February! Peanutbutter, salsa, chai tea, rasinets, reeces pieces, m&m's, lemonade, brownies, choc chips, flavored coffee, velveeta cheese, fritos, Modern Reformation mags, a new book, scarves knit by my mom, a new hat, Bath & Body perfume and lotions, and- drumroll please- BRUEGGERS WHOLE WHEAT BAGELS!

Thanks family and Cbass! Praise the Lord who is wildly generous!

Fish and Chips?

Congrats to my brother-in-law Steven who recently won $500 in fishing contest in Minnesota for snagging this bad boy- a 12 pound northern named "Dinner!"

2008 Ligonier Conference Draws Near!!!

I am so blessed to be able to attend the 2008 Ligonier Minstries National Conference for the 5th year in a row. This is something my mom and sister Regan began attending in 2003. We have picked up a few more ladies along the way including our friend Cbass, my mother-in-law Sandi and for the first time joining us this year my other sister Jamie! I am so excited to go with my favorite ladies and be so blessed of the Lord. The theme this year is "Evangelism According to Jesus" and here is the schedule...

Pre-Conference
The Foolishness of Preaching by Steven J. Lawson
Evangalizing Your Children by R.C. Sproul Jr.
Good News in a Fallen World by Joni Eareckson Tada
Q & A with Lawson, Sproul Jr. and Tada

Conference
The Saving Power of God by Steven J. Lawson
Who Is Jesus? by John MacArthur
Proclaiming the Gospel to All Nations by Joni Eareckson Tada
Simultaneously Righteous and a Sinner by John MacArthur
The Substitutionary Atomement of Christ by Sinclair Ferguson
The Resurrection of Jesus by C.J. Mahaney
Sola Fide by R.C. Sproul
The Nature of Saving Faith by Sinclair Ferguson
Q & A with Ferguson, Mahaney, and Sproul
Counted Righteous in Christ by R.C. Sproul

Not only is the teaching outstanding but the worship music is awesome as well. It is performed by the Westminster Brass and there is also a gigantic organ. Beautiful hymns fill the sanctuary and when they play "A Mighty Fortress" I could swear I am in the midst of the reformation! They also have a huge bookstore set up each year and it is full to the brim of the best resources you can imagine.

I CAN'T WAIT!!!

European Reading

When we moved to Ireland I brought a whole bag dedicated to just books becuase I love to read. Knowing I would only be able to bring so many due to weight restrictions I had to carefully choose. About half of the books I brought were chosen because they were biographies on the lives of amazing saints who were of Europe. I figured it would be the perfect time to read about them while I was over here since I would likely be able to visit some of the places associated with them. Over December I read what I understand to be the greatest treatment of the life of Martin Luther. It is called "Here I Stand" written by Roland Bainton. It was excellent! I came to know and love Luther in no time. I knew he was a very important figure in church history but until I read this biography I did not know that he was responsible for so many changes and developments in the church. We have so much to be thankful to him for. Praise be to God for giving the church such a gift! The book was not only on Luther the man and his theology but the author really took the time to explain Luther's Germany and what was going on in the church. Reading how he came to his understanding that the just shall live by faith was awesome. I also really enjoyed the chapter that dealt with Luther's marriage- beautiful and humerous! Reading this book while I was in Rome was priceless!

After finishing with Luther (and feeling so proud to be German) I began to read a book on Charles Spurgeon. The book I read, called "A Marvelous Ministry," was not a full treatment of Spurgeon but was a great place to start. When I first became a Christian I read a lot of Spurgeon's sermons and enjoyed them very much but it has been a while since I have read him. After reading about his life I am ready to get back into him. Two things I absolutely love about Spurgeon- how he called men most earnestly to come to Christ and how he preached most boldly the doctrines of grace. AMEN BROTHER! Sprugeon's kind of preaching is not heard today- WHAT A SHAME!!! This man was an amazing preacher with a deep love for Christ and an undying love for the lost. What a generous and loving Father to give such gifts to the church!

Excerpt from Spurgeon Biography

Spurgeon was crystal clear in teaching justification by faith and in denouncing works as a way of righteousness.

"Come to him as you are. But ah, I know that when we sit in our studies it seems a light thing to preach the gospel and to make people believe in Christ; but when we come to practice it is the hardest thing in the world. If I were to tell you to do something great you would do it,but simply when it is "Believe, wash and be clean!" you will not due it. If I said, "Give me ten thousand pounds," you would give it. You would crawl a thousand miles on your hands and knees,or drink the bitterest draught that ever was concocted, but this trusting in Christ is too hard for your proud spirit." -Spurgeon

Work like an Arminian, Sleep like a Calvinist

I was tremendously blessed by this sermon this morning by Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hills Church in Seattle, Washington. Here is a clear, bold, straightforward sermon on predestination with an intro to Calvinism and its proponents throughout church history. If you are already familiar with and rejoice in the doctrines grace listen closely as this sermon will be a sweet reminder of what you already hold true and love. If you are unfamiliar with or unconvinced that the Scriptures teach the doctrines of grace (total inability, unconditional election, particular atonement, effectual calling, and perseverance of the the saints) listen carefully as this sermon gives a good introduction to these glorious doctrines and shows how they are clearly taught in Scripture. Feast and enjoy!

Travels Through Ireland: Rock of Cashel

While Sandi was here we took a road trip to County Kerry. On the way there we stopped at a magnificent site- the great 4th century fortification of Cashel - the stone fort. This was the seat of kings and mediaeval bishops for 900 years and flourished until the early 17th century. It was known as a "Stronghold of the Faith."

Reflections on the Eternal City: The Vatican Museum

I am not an art person but going to Rome and not seeing the Sistine Chapel would be like going to Edinburgh and skipping the Edinburgh Castle- ludicrous! We waited in line two and half hours to get in to the Vatican Museum and paid 26 euro. There were thousands of people there but once inside and free to move about it was surprisingly not that crowded. The Vatican Museum holds over 4 miles of art- mostly sculptures and frescoes but there are also some maps, tapestries, and artifacts. You begin by going through several rooms of sculptured marble statues. Now at first sight these are amazing and to think of how the artist just chiseled away and made such detailed human likeness is incredible. After the first few rooms of the marble though I had enough- where was the Sistine Chapel? On to more rooms with beautiful marble pillars and floors and breathtaking ceilings and more sculptures. Then onto rooms with maps and tapestries. Most of the art is dimly lit to protect it so it is sometimes hard to see and even harder to photograph. All beautiful but where was the Sistine Chapel? I had seen many signs for it and kept entering one long room after another with increasing amounts of beautiful frescoes depicting Bible stories and Bible people. I also saw the "School of Athens" which is a famous fresco by Raphael that I had read about from Schaeffer. I was quite excited to recognize a piece of art. I didn't care that much for the marble but the frescoes I really liked. It was so fun to guess which Bible stories or people the frescoes were portraying. I really like one that depicted the Apostle Peter being liberated from prison and another that showed a marble statue of a man (possibly the David?) broken on the floor before Christ on the cross (notice these in the slide show). In the course of seeing many beautiful pieces of art you will also see a lot of Mary and the popes. Much of the art is on the ceiling and it was not long that I became dizzy from looking up so much. They should think about getting some mats for people to lie down on to look at the ceilings! Anyway after 4 miles, some bad modern religious art, and a hundred signs showing the way to the Sistine chapel I finally came to it. Let me tell you it does not disappoint. They do not allow photography in there and photos do not do it justice so I suggest you go to Rome to see it for yourself. Of course my favorite part of the Chapel is where God is reaching out to Adam. This is in the very center of the ceiling and can be easy to miss because there are so many scenes on the ceiling and walls you barely know where to begin. After seeing just the two hands in so many pictures I was stunned to see the whole scene which is so beautiful. Adam looks like he is just hanging out but God looks like he is really going out of his way, condescending, to reach Adam. A beautiful picture of the reality.

Reflections on the Eternal City: The Vatican

Upon entrance into Vatican City I was immediately struck by the size of St. Peter's Basilica and even more so by the number of people in the square. The line to get into the Basilica wrapped around the entire square. Fortunately it was fast moving and we only waited about 30 minutes to get inside. The top of the square is lined with hundreds of statues. I assume they were of popes and saints. I was surprised there was no entrance fee and I was also surprised to pass through metal detectors before admittance.
Once inside there is a definite pathway through the huge building that carries people through in a pretty efficient manner. The Basilica is chock full of marble (taken from the Colosseum), gold, paintings, statues, and to my surprise popes- it seems all the popes are buried here. You see many of their caskets with big fancy shrines over top. Some of them were very ornate. There also a number of confessionals throughout for all different languages. I wonder if you get extra absolution or merit for confession at the Vatican?
The Basilica is shaped like a cross. In the middle is a large structure made of bronze (taken from the Pantheon) which stands under Michelangelo's dome and over the altar that the current Pope performs mass on. The Basilica was built over the remains of St. Peter which were moved here by Constantine. His remains are under the altar. Speaking of mass you can attend mass at St. Peter's while 5,000 tourists are walking through. Don't be distracted though- they do put a rope between the worship service and main flow of tourists...
I felt it necessary to see the Vatican because of my faith. I am not Catholic but the Roman Catholic Church has played a large role in the history of the church. Before coming to Rome I had been studying the life of Martin Luther (because I expected to be going to Germany in Feb). How much better this made Rome!! I really enjoyed walking around Rome listening to lectures on Luther's life. The selling of indulgences provoked Luther to write the 95 Thesis. These indulgence sales were to fund the rebuilding of St. Peter's- the very one I saw. There is much more to the story and life of Luther. I suggest anyone interested read "Here I Stand" by Roland Bainton.
So, what can I say about the Vatican? What can I say about St. Peter's- deemed by many to be the greatest church on earth? I can tell you I thought much of the Grand Palace in Bangkok while I was inside the Basilica. Both are a grand spectacles of idolatry.

Amore

This one is for you, Mom!

Rome for the Christian

This is the first of a few slideshows I hope to create in order to share the INCREDIBLE city of Roma with all of you. This particular slideshow will focus on the sites I saw that meant the most to me as Christian. After the intro you will see some pics taken at my favorite site, the Colosseum. Notice the pic of Christ scultped into the wall. You will see a prison cell where martyrs and slaves were held until they entered the arena. Then I have included a fresco from the Vatican Museum. After a few more pics of the Colosseum (notice the pic with the crosses) you will see a big arch- the Arch of Constantine. He legalized Christianity in the fourth century A.D. A second arch follows which is the Arch of Titus. This arch commemorated the vitory of Emperor Titus over Jerusalem. Then you will see a few pictures taken at Mamertine Prison which is the prison that held the Apostles Peter and Paul. It is here that Paul wrote the letter of 2 Timothy just before he was martyred(see 2 Tim 4:6-22). It is possible that Peter wrote 2 Peter here as well. How amazing to see the places the inspired infallible word of God was written!! The picture in the background of the last prison pic depicts the Apostles baptizing prisoners. Then you will see a photo of a road which is the Appia Antica- one of Rome's oldest and most famous roads. This is the road you take to see the catacombes. The catacombe I visted was St. Sebastian's and it supposedly held the bodies of Peter and Paul for a number of years until Peter was moved to the Vatican and Paul was moved to a church in Rome called St. Paul Inside the Wall. Next you will see photos of the Pantheon. This place is larger than life! It was first built in about 25 A.D. and then rebuilt in about 125 A.D. after a fire. The Pantheon orignally was a pagan temple but was latered converted into a church to honor Christian martyrs and is the best preserved ancient site. Then you will see a few photos of the Roman Forum, which was the ancient city square of Rome, with a pic of me just hanging out in ancient Rome! Then there is a photo of the ruins of the ancient palaces of the emperors on Palatino Hill. Then a few more pics of the Arch of Constantine. Lastly you will see God reaching out to man in the Sistine Chapel.
I set this slideshow to the Sara Groves song I posted the lyrics to a few months back called "When the Saints." I listened to it a lot while I was there.

Year in Review

2007 has been a pretty good year filled with blessings from the LORD. The biggest of course being our move to Dublin. Its funny to think of how bad I wanted to move here and what I thought I would learn. Living overseas I thought I would be able to soberly assess American culture as well as my own faith- is my Christianity American Christianity or biblical Christianity? I think Europe in some ways is too similar to the US to see clearly on these topics. In other ways it is so different. The fact of the matter is I am impatient and it is too early to tell. But one thing I do know is that God is so faithful and has been with me every step of the way, providing all that we need.

Another big blessing this year was leaving my job at UAPD. It was bittersweet having been there 8 years, making many friends and experiencing so much in the last three years as a police officer and detective. I had so many good times there and was blessed with wonderful fellow officers, corporals, sergeants, commanders and a fantastic chief. As a patrol officer I loved pulling traffic stops and as a detective- oh where would I even begin with all the neat things I got to do?! 

Working as a police officer or detective is a stressful and demanding job but I think there are few that can compare with it's greatness. It is an especially good job to hold as a Christian because you have so many opportunities to share Christ with the endless amount of people you come in contact with, whether they be fellow officers, criminals, victims, or others. But I am not cut out for a job that owns my life as the job of a detective does and I am quite happy to be home now spending my days working on my theology classes, cooking, and taking care of the home and husband.

Well, tomorrow Matt and I leave for Rome, a place I have longed to see for quite some time. I can only think of one other city in the world I want to see more. I can't believe I will actually be there tomorrow- may it not be too overwhelming! 

A happy and safe New Year to you all with many blessings in Christ Jesus!!!

Idolatry

The other night Matt and I went to the city center to do some shopping and see the Christmas lights. One of the main shopping districts, called Grafton Street, always has performers of all kinds dotted up and down the street. At the top of Grafton is a large Christmas tree for the Christmas season. In front of the tree on this night were 4 Native Americans, dressed in costume, playing music, and burning incense. Many people were gathered around them watching. My initial reaction was surprise to see Indians in Ireland and I immediately thought of where I grew up. As I continued to watch I realized what these Native Americans were doing- worshiping. If you look closely in the picture you will see an idol on a stand under the man who has the feathered head dress on, just over the dream catcher. I watched as the man in the middle would dance up to the idol and wave the incense all around it. I was disgusted and thought, how can they do this in front of a Christmas tree, three days before Christmas?! What an abomination! And I began to pray. And I longed for Christ to return because I cannot stand for Him to be so dishonored and I want to the world to know who the true God is. And then I thought of Isaiah the prophet who said:

"This is what the Lord says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."
All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame. Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit him nothing? He and his kind will be put to shame; craftsmen are nothing but men. Let them all come together and take their stand; they will be brought down to terror and infamy. The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals; he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint. The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker; he roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses. He shapes it in the form of man, of man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine. He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow. It is man's fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, "Ah! I am warm; I see the fire." From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, "Save me; you are my god." They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand. No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, "Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?" He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, "Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?" -Isaiah 44:6-20

As I write this now I also think of the book of Romans where Paul talks about why man rejects the knowledge of God and instead embraces idolatry.

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen." -Roms. 1:18-25

Worshiping anyone or anything other than the one true God is called idolatry and it is a LIE. The truth of God is PLAIN and men are WITHOUT EXCUSE. May God be so gracious as to open blind eyes and deaf ears, and give heart transplants which lead to repentance and saving faith in the one true God, Jesus Christ.

God is Loyal, God is Redeemer

GOD IS LOYAL

Once Yahweh entered into the covenant with Israel, He was characterized by steadfast loyalty to that covenant. His loyalty in reference to both the created order and the covenant with Israel is praised in Psalm 136. The term was translated "mercy" in the King James version and rendered "lovingkindness" by the New American Standard Bible. The New International Version renders the word "love." While it is true that love, kindness, mercy all result from Yahweh's covenant with Israel (among other things; see Deut. 7), it should be recognized that the driving force behind all these qualities was his loyalty to His elect people and the agreement that He made with them.

GOD IS REDEEMER
Finally, one of the most significant attributes to surface as a result of Yahweh's election of Israel is His deliverance of them. As His revelatory people, they witnessed His salvation.

"You are My witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and My servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe Me
and understand that I am He.
Before Me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after Me.
I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from Me there is no savior.
I have revealed and saved and proclaimed-
I, and not some foreign god among you.
"You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God."
-Isaiah 43:10-12

One of the best Old Testament summary statements serves as a fitting conclusion:

"For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome... Fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name. He is your praise; He is your God," -Deuteronomy 10:17,20-21

God is a Covenant Making God

GOD IS A COVENANT MAKING GOD

The election of Israel as God's chosen people was an act of grace, not of justice. God was under no obligation to choose anyone, and there was nothing Abraham or Israel did to deserve being chosen. Once they accepted their elect status (signified by circumcision), however, they also accepted God's expectations for them.

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD'S commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?
To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the LORD set His affection on your forefathers and loved them, and He chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today.
-Deuteronomy 10:12-15

God is Righteous and Just, God is Compassionate and Gracious

GOD IS RIGHTEOUS AND JUST

The fact that God is holy and transcendent does not mean that He has made himself unaccountable. It is God's nature to be righteous and just, and therefore He reflects those attributes consistently. When at times it may appear that He is not being righteous or just, we cannot assume that He defines those terms arbitrarily to suit His own whims. Rather, such instances reflect our inability to see the larger picture. Righteousness and justice can only be absolute in the company of sovereignty. Our only boast is in the firsthand experience and knowledge of this God:

"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boast boast about this:
that he understands and knows Me,
that I am the LORD, who exercised kindness,
justice and righteousness on the earth
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD.
-Jeremiah 9:23-34


GOD IS COMPASSIONATE AND GRACIOUS

God's righteousness and justice have at times been viewed as negative attributes because they lead to the judgement of the wicked. Since no one but God can claim absolute righteousness, that puts all of humanity in jeopardy. It is therefore essential to balance God's righteousness and justice with His attributes of compassion and grace. These are the attributes that lead Him to act upon behalf of humanity by forgiving and by giving second chances, rather than imposing immediate punishment. They are evident in Nehemiah's prayer of confession on behalf of his forefathers.

"But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they put Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. So You handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and in Your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.
"But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in Your sight. Then You abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven, and in Your compassion You delivered them time after time.
"You warned them to return to Your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed Your commands. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he obeys them. Stubbornly they turned their backs on You, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. For many years You were patient with them. By Your Spirit You admonished them through Your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so You handed them over to neighboring peoples. But in Your great mercy You did not put an end to them, or abandon them, for You are a gracious and merciful God."
-Nehemiah 9:26-31

God is Holy, God is Transcendent

GOD IS HOLY

As sole God, Yahweh is distinct and separate from every other being. He is Creator, not creature. This separateness is expressed in His attribute of holiness. The holiness of God is much emphasized in the Pentateuch as laws are given concerning how God is to be approached. His holiness is the standard that is to be considered the normative basis for human conduct: "Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy" (Lev. 19:2). His holiness is evident in situations in which it is violated (Lev. 10:1-2; 1 Sam. 6:19; 2 Sam. 6:6-10) and is proclaimed continually by the seraphim in Isaiah's vision (Isa. 6:3).

GOD IS TRANSCENDENT

Am attribute similar to God's holiness is His transcendence. This focuses not so much on His distinctiveness as on the fact that He is beyond us. One might say that transcendence defines the direction of His holiness. This means that we cannot always expect to understand His purposes:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts
neither are your ways My ways,"
declares the LORD.
"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

God warns against underestimating Him:

"Am I only a God nearby,"
declares the LORD.
"And not a God far away?
Can anyone hide in secret places
so that I cannot see him?"
declares the LORD.
"Do I not fill heaven and earth?"
declares the LORD.
-Jeremiah 23:23-24

God is Creator, God is Wise

At the end of my OT Survey text book is a chapter that does a beautiful job of declaring the beauty and majesty of God in a short series of statements on His attributes. Reading it my heart was bursting forth in praise to the one, true, living, and most glorious God. I am going to do a series of posts on what was in the book so your heart can praise Him too!


GOD IS CREATOR

He who forms the mountains,
creates the wind,
and reveals His thoughts to man,
He who turns dawn to darkness,
and treads the high places of the earth-
The LORD God Almighty is His name.
-Amos 4:13

There is nothing that God did not create. As discussed in the chapter in Genesis, the point of establishing God as Creator is to establish Him as the Sovereign. There is a straight line of logic from Creation to Covenant to History to Eschatology.
Since God created everything, He is sovereign over everything. Nothing is beyond his power or knowledge; He is accountable or subordinate to no one; He shares His position with no other being. This is affirmed in the testimony of Job: "I know that You can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2). It is also foremost in God's own presentation of His credentials.

Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me.
I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please...
What I have said, that I will bring about;
what I have planned, that I will do.
-Isaiah 46:9-11

GOD IS WISE

Creation was not accomplished in a haphazard or arbitrary way. The Old Testament affirms on numerous occasions that God's wisdom is evident throughout creation. Wisdom personified speaks in Proverbs:

The LORD brought me forth as the first of His works,
before His deeds of old;
I was appointed form eternity,
from the beginning, before the world began.
When there were no oceans, I was given birth,
when there was no springs abounding with water;
before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was given birth,
before He made the earth or its fields
or any of the dust of the world.
I was there when He set the heavens in place,
when He marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
when He established the clouds above
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
when He gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep His command,
and when He marked out the foundations of the earth.
Then I was the craftsman at His side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in His presence,
rejoicing in His whole world
and delighting in mankind.
-Proverbs 8:22-31

Further expression of this is found in the great hymn to wisdom in Job:

Where then does wisdom come from?...
God understands the way to it
and He alone knows where it dwells,
for He views the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,
when He made a decree for the rain
and a path for the thunderstorm
then He looked at wisdom and appraised it;
He confirmed and tested it.
-Job 28:20, 23-27

Quote from Upward Call

There is a blog I read regularly from a very wise and godly woman who lives up in Canada. She loves Christ, theology, and books and is my kind of woman. If we lived near each other I would most certainly ask her to mentor me! Anyway I really liked what she said in a recent post and wanted to quote it. You can read the whole post (from 12/12) and check out her blog at http://www.theupwardcall.blogspot.com/

"I have been married for twenty years. Not long in comparison to some, but long enough to have learned some very valuable lessons. Here is the most valuable one I have learned: I have become a better wife and mother the more I have sought to understand doctrine. The more I have sought to understand things like the deity of Christ, the humanity of Christ, the attributes of God, regeneration, justification, salvation, etc., the more content I have become in my role of wife and mother and whatever other role God assigns me. I have learned less from those studies that comment directly on my relationships. Why is that?

It is because the Word of God is not just a book of ethical stories. It is a living revelation. It is the mind of God. How can I but change when I expose myself to that on a daily basis? The more I live in the light of His truth, the more my choices and decisions will be spirit-led."

WELL SAID!

Letter from Hell

Christmas Season Ramblings...

I love the Christmas season with all the Christmas music, lights, and goodies! A few nights ago I attended the Carols by Candlelight service at my church. Our choir is quite good and they did a beautiful rendition of one of my favorite Christmas songs, O Holy Night. I love Christmas music that is about Christ. My favorite song is probably O Come, O Come Emanuel. Yesterday God blessed me with a truly sunny day here. I am talking blue, blue sky and not a cloud to be seen! It was a treat as the weather is getting continually more dismal with more rain, wind and clouds. Tonight Matt and I made some Christmas cookies- Mexican wedding cookies, blooming peanut butter cookies, and snickerdoodles. I'm not sure if any of those really count as Christmas cookies but I never make them any other time of year. The only thing that could make them better is some eggnog!

Things I Miss in Ireland

As I attempted to make one of my favorite bread recipes today and realized I did not have the key ingredient I began to think of all the things I miss in Ireland besides the given (family, friends, and cats) and thought I should get it off my chest in a blog. So, in no particular order...

wheat bread
wheat flour to make wheat bread
non-stick pan spray that works
marshmallows incase I want to make rice crispy bars
Honey Bunches of Oats with almonds
refried beans
black beans
tortillas that are good
tortillas chips that are good
salsa that is good
ice cream that is good
fritos & doritos
chips that are good
lemonade
peanutbutter chips and chocolate chips for cookies
creamy peanutbutter
Folgers french vanilla coffee
Bruggers hazelnut coffee
any good coffee
Bruggers whole wheat bagels
American bacon
American sausage
Brueggers breakfast bagel with sausage, egg, and cheese on whole wheat bagel
Little Caesars $5 hot and ready large pepperoni pizza
Macayos Mexican food
Jason's Deli meatball po'boy on whole wheat french bread roll with strawberries and fruit dip
Petes Wicked Ale Strawberry Blond Beer
chai tea powder from Trader Joes
the smell of rain
warm breezes
mountain sunsets
driving in the car while rocking out to my ipod
Fry's Grocery Store
Fry's Grocery Store Prices
Ross & Old Navy
being able to buy books without worrying about how I was going to take them home (on plane)
watching the local news
watching Fox News
watching Samantha Brown's Passport to Europe
watching Chief Chuck forecast the weather
listening to Christian radio
peanutbutter chocolate ice cream
Baskin Robins 32 flavors
ice cream that is good
cheap fruit for making delicious desserts
graham crackers
pudding in a box
whole wheat pasta
grilling
multiple flavors of cheese blocks
velveeta cheese for grilled cheese
ranch dressing
cool whip
premade pie crusts
fridge biscuits for monkey bread
galons of milk
a two sided sink deeper tha 6 inches
dish soap that actually cuts grease
immediate hot water
businesses that run with common sense
ice cream that is good

Ok, that is enough for now. I'd better stop before I get homesick!

Mere Christianity

I recently finished reading the famous work by CS Lewis, Mere Christianity. I have a love/hate relationship with Lewis who was so brilliant in many areas and dead wrong in others. I enjoyed most of this book and could post tons of insightful quotes from it but I will limit myself to the two quotes below taken from the chapter on hope.

"Hope is one of the Theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at heaven and you will earth "thrown in": aim at earth and you will get neither."

The Christian says, "Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exist. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or to be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistaken them for something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same."

I think this book is a must read for any serious thinker or reader, Christian or not.

I snuck this picture off of my Aussie friend's facebook page so you could all see my pals here in Ireland. Going from left to right is Caterin of Wales, me, Sandra of France, Anna of Australia and Jessica of North Carolina. There is one more Anna from Italy but she was taking the pic. This pic was taken at T.G.I. Fridays in Dublin where my American friend wanted to celebrate her birthday American style. I have been trying to get back into the swing of things this week with homework and all but Matt has had most of the week off so we have been staying up late and sleeping in. This past weekend I read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and I will have to say it is probably my favorite fiction book of all time. What an excellent love story! Austen is a very talented writer and I could only wish I had not seen the movie first. If you haven't read it you should and if you have read it please tell me how much you loved it!

Sharptooth video

I received this video in an email from my McMom and my heart nearly melted as it reminded me so much of my Sharptooth. Oh, how I miss his soft fur, blue eyes, pink nose and soothing purr! He is scheduled to be here with his beautiful and perfectly sweet sister Indomitus Plexus Puffytail January 10- we can't wait! MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE VOLUME ON!

Team Polican and Team Irlanda

It has been about three weeks since my last blog as we have had the pleasure of having visitors in town. I am talking about none other than the infamous Policans from Tucson. While they were here we drug them around Dublin, spent a day in Belfast, and then took a trip to Scotland. The Policans are like our other half and we always have so much fun together traveling, playing spades, and never ceasing to give each other a hard time! Here are some pics from our recent adventures together in Europe...

When the Saints

Every so often Itunes gives away a free song that is actually good. I recently came across this one and since I downloaded it I can't get enough of it. It's the kind of song that when you listen to it it wells up inside of you and you want to cry for joy! I wish I had the blogger skills to post the song on my blog so you could hear it as the words go so well with the music. I highly recommend purchasing it and playing it over and over!

When The Saints by Sara Groves

Lord i have a heavy burden of all i've seen and know

it's more than i can handle

but your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones

and i can’t let it go

and when i'm weary and overwrought

with so many battles left unfought

i think of paul and silas in the prison yard

i hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
and when the Saints go marching in

i want to be one of them

lord it's all that i can't carry and cannot leave behind

it all can overwhelm me

but when i think of all who've gone before and lived a faithful life

their courage compels me

and when i'm weary and overwrought

with so many battles left unfought

i think of paul and silas in the prison yard

i hear their song of freedom rising to the stars

i see the shepherd moses in the pharaohs court

i hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord
and when the Saints go marching in
i want to be one of them

i see the long quiet walk along the underground railroad

i see the slave awakening to the value of her soul

i see the young missionary and the angry spear

i see his family returning with no trace of fear

i see the long hard shadows of calcutta nights

i see the sister standing by the dying man’s side

i see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor

i see the man with a passion come kicking down that door
i see the man of sorrow and his long troubled road

i see the world on his shoulders and my easy load

chorus

Changing Weather

While talking with my European friends one day they told me they can spot Americans right away because they all wear New Balance shoes and carry backpacks with their names embroidered on them. Well, I am proud to say that my name is not embroidered on my bag but as far as the rest goes- guilty as charged. In an attempt to not stick out like a sore thumb I got some sweet boots today (thanks honey!). Everyone here wears boots with fashion tights and it is very cute. My friend Yunuen had asked me if I noticed people dress differently over here and at first I said no but I think I am beginning to see the difference now. I never thought my jeans were baggy until I lived in Europe.
On a different note, the weather is starting to change here. Not as much sun with more gray setting in and crisper air. The leaves are half gone off the trees and the days are much shorter. Matt and I stayed out all day shopping just because the sun was out and we wanted to soak it up before it goes into hibernation.
We are looking forward to the weekend as those crazy Policans get here Sunday for their 12 day Irish extravaganza. Yippee!

Lesson on Anthropology:Who is Man?

Two nights ago I was again blessed to attend the Truth Project. Lesson three was, "Anthropology: Who is man?" The instructor was right in beginning with when he said the problem of evil and who man is are inextricably linked. As we lay the foundation of anthropolgy (the study of man) we shall see the answer to the problem of evil.

Who is God? Who is man? America greatestest thinker, Johnathan Edwards, said, "Of all kinds of knowledge that we can ever obtain, the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of ourselves, are the most important." Quite. The answer to these two questions form the foundation of everyone's worldview. Today we will talk about who man is. What does the world say about man? What does God say about man?

As the instructor looked at man he focused on his essence, his moral state, and his need according to the biblical worldview. The Bible teaches man was created in the image of God. The original state of man was good and innocent. The state of man changed at the Fall- when man disobeyed God. Man's state was now fallen with a propensity for evil. The Bible says "Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned (Rom. 5:12)."

How does the Bible describe fallen man?

• evil
• dead
• blind
• deaf
• lost
• rebellious
• without hope
• haters of God
• desperatelywicked
• children of the devil

As Charles Spurgeon so succinclty put it: "You cannot slander human nature; it is worse than human words can paint it."
So, man's moral state is fallen and he is is in rebellion against God. Only two things can happen here- either man will carry on in his fallen state, living in rebellion against God which will lead to separation from God for eternity in hell, or he will be redeemed. There are only two outcomes becuase of man's moral state. The only way for man's moral state to change is for him to be made alive by the Holy Spirit wherein he places his faith in Christ alone to save him from his sins. The Bible calls this redemtption and says it is what man needs above all else. We saw the Bible's description of fallen man above. Now lets look at what the Bible calls man who has been redeemed:

• saints
• priests
• called out ones
• the people of God
• a holy nation
• elect
• children of God
• Sons of God
• beloved
• born from above
• alive in Christ

So now all is great, right? Not so fast. The Bible says even though we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and made alive from our fallen and spiritually dead state we still carry our sinful nature. Man's essence is dualistic meaning he is both flesh and spirit rather than monistic which means purely material. A battle rages in the Christian between the flesh and the spirit. "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want (Gal. 5:16,17)." For further description of this battle see what Paul has to say in Rom. 7:15-25. God calls us to fight sin, in fact to kill it (though it cries to us for mercy!), and this is done with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives inside the new man.
The instructor contrasted the biblical worldview with the naturalistic worldview as follows: The Bible says that man is created in the image of God. The naturalistic worldview claims that man is a product of mindless, purposeless forces. The Bible teaches man, though created perfect, rebelled against God and is now fallen, his heart desperately wicked. The naturalistic worldview believes man is basically good. The Bible says man needs divine grace, regeneration and redemption. The naturalistic worldview says man must save himself through self-oriented pursuits.
The instructor went on to give interesting quotes from leading proponents of the naturalistic worldview. The beliefs are incredible and heartbreaking. Due to time and space I will focus on the quotes from the famous Abraham Maslow. Maslow is known for creating the hierarchy of needs where he claims that man's ultimate objective is self-actualization- following and doing your inner desires. This claim must be seen in light of Maslow's view of man:
"As far as I know we just don't have any intrinsic instincts for evil" -Maslow
"Since the inner nature is good or neutral rather than bad, it is best to bring it out and encourage it rather than to suppress it. If it is permitted to guide our life, we grow healthy, fruitful, and happy."- Maslow
"If you think in terms of basic needs; instincts, at least at their outset are all 'good'... careful study of them (instincts) will provide the value we need by which better societies can evolve." -Maslow
WOW! Is this the secret to life? Should I, as well as everyone else, follow the desires of my heart because after all, my inner nature is good or at least neutral! Will following my inner desires bring happiness, healthiness, fruitfulness and a better society? Most importantly where will this lead me in the end?
Two verses from Scripture come to mind in regard to my inner nature and where it will lead me:
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it" -Jer. 17:9
"For if you live according to the sinful nature you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the flesh, you will live." Rom. 8:13
The condition of man and the problem of evil are inextricably intertwined. When someone tries to tell you man is basically good ask him, in what world? Not the one we are living in. One of the so called major problems of Christianity is the problem of evil. People holding to a non-biblical worldview think Christianity cannot answer the problem of evil. The truth of the matter is only the biblical worldview can give a coherent, consistent and truthful answer about the problem of evil because only the biblical worldview sees man as he is: a sinner with no hope outside of Christ.