2 Kinds of Faith

The 2 Kinds of Faith
"Unanswered prayer stands between the individual and a faith life."

That is the opening sentence of a booklet by E.W. Kenyon titled The 2 Kinds of Faith.

I have spent a considerable amount of time reflecting on that supposition. How many, I wonder, are involved enough in their Christian walk to have this kind of thought rise to the surface of their consciousness? In our society today there is such an excess of plenty that one can obtain an acceptable level of living purely by osmosis. It is easy then to say, "Praise the Lord!" because it is obvious it came from Him and, after all, they DID pray for it.

At that point life splits, however. On the one hand there are those as above who get what they are satisfied with in a reasonable amount of time and simply go on living as always. These are the same people that populate the "Success" seminars and make all the positive thinking preachers (religious or secular) rich.
The other side of the split is those who do not obtain what they want or need. Of the many, many books on the subject of unanswered prayer the overwhelming majority present the solution as some form of sin correction.

This booklet provides one of those light bulb moments in understanding the workings of faith. In it is presented the contrast between "Mental Assent" and "Faith."
To give the most basic point of relevance on these two consider the Bible teaching about Jesus. How many people give "Mental Assent" to the truth regarding Jesus, yet never exercise "Faith" into Him for their personal salvation?

ELEMENTARY THINGS ?

If we have put aside the elementary principles of the world-

See to it that no one take you captive
through philosophy and empty deception,
according to the tradition of men,
according to the elementary principles of the world,
rather than according to Christ.
Colossians 2:8


And if we are now pressing on from the elementary teaching about the Christ-

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ,
let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of
repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
of instruction about washings and laying on of hands,
and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
Hebrews 6:1,2

What are we to now teach?

Don't Kill Me, I'm Just the Messenger

Don't Kill Me, I'm Just the Messenger
The prophet Amos says:
Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? Amos 3:6

I have always liked the rhythm of calamity in this phrase: Shall there be calamity in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
Whenever I have attempted to teach it though, calamity is what happens to me. It is difficult to face a group who refuse to admit that calamity, or evil could be the meaning of this verse.

Strong's definition is very clear on this point. So many of his definitions are a few words long, but here he expounds:
From H7489; bad or (as noun) evil (naturally or morally). This includes the second (feminine) form; as adjective or noun: - adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease (-ure), distress, evil ([-favouredness], man, thing), + exceedingly, X great, grief (-vous), harm, heavy, hurt (-ful), ill (favoured), + mark, mischief, (-vous), misery, naught (-ty), noisome, + not please, sad (-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked (-ly, -ness, one), worse (-st) wretchedness, wrong.
Pretty much covers the territory.

It is difficult for me to grasp the disconnect for people who can count off the traits of God: Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent; but refuse to move on to the knowledge regarding His control of all things.
The secular teaching that it was the "primitive belief" of peoples of the Old Testament that calamities were the judgment of God for their sin has become the bedrock for the mindset of even Christians in modern times.
Add the sappy New Age and New Thought appropriation of the phrase "God is love" and you have an emasculated and miniaturized God who only does "good" things, and those according to our definition, not His.
So I am frustrated. And I am forced to hear continually how "Satan has been attacking me lately" as the simple password for virtually any difficulty or temptation that has been taking place in their life. Satan is given a huge amount of time and credit in church meetings, all of it reflecting his power.
Well, I sure won't resolve that problem here.

But I will reiterate, Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
No.

Jacob's Ladder 21st century

Genesis 28:
10And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
11And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
14And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Every once in a while I creep myself out wondering about who(?) might be around and watching all of my actions.

Hebrews 12:1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't watching me."

Music of the Spheres

Those from the tyme we sange hymns in churche may recall the old classic This Is My Father's World.
I love that song.
The first line and chorus are:

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.

Not once. Never, has anyone either questioned nor explained the meaning of that phrase in my realm of knowledge/ experience.

I love the internet. I have done many searches and read much concerning these spheres and their music. Yes, most of it is garbage.

But now, lookahere.
The Shape of Song
Doesn't explain much, but it shows something. Something at the deep level. Something like the knowledge intuitively gained from looking into the stars at night.

And look at the obvious results of the mathematical applications to Bach and Beethoven.

Re: Colorized pictures

Recently Phil Johnson has posted a colorized picture of C.H. Spurgeon at the Pyromaniacs site.

Inspired by this DRBrooker (http://drbrooker.net) has done his own of Horatius Bonar. (excellent job!)

Now to my real point.
While I have GREATLY appreciated the Phil Johnson History sites, I was sadly disappointed after marveling at the handiwork on the photo (I've done it, it's tough) to read the threatening copyright restrictions appended.

This may come from two sources.
1. My general "Antinomianism" (Unknown to me until reading the xxxxxxxxx Reform blogs)

2. My extended exposure to the "Copyleft" and Creative Commons movement. I had seen the internet as the ideal democratic equalizer. All people in all places having all access to all knowledge. I grew up anti-communist, in my adulthood I have embraced anti-fascism in every manner possible. Didn't anybody else read 1984 and Animal Farm?

Before this, going back to the 1980's I specifically marked my work as free use by any who may wish. I was under the conviction that nothing I created (especially "intellectual property") was truly my own. What God has given to me was for me to pass on, not to grasp or use as a tool for gain.

Since Mr. Johnson can freely distribute this photo for "personal use," it appears he obtained the photo as public domain. Now this copy moves it back into the copyright lockbox.
Oh, and good luck on getting the copy printed. The copyright frenzy has made it so most places won't print anything they think might possibly be "owned" by someone else. Try taking in some pictures you personally took working to make them professional.

Mal

Opening shot

I have finally decided to create this blog solely (at present) to be able to comment on other blogs I read.
I previously had a free standing website which often served effectively as a blog. I didn't continue it or create a blog after realizing that I was not that interested in the work of writing every day- since in all reality NOBODY was reading it anyway!!!

Mal