My Story For His Glory

The purpose of this post is to serve as a more specific introduction to the series that I am starting. As I mentioned in my last post, this series will deal with salvation, theology, and doctrine, and the importance of knowing what God says in His Word.

Before I go further in this post, let me mention one thing that I forgot in the previous, general introduction. My purpose for this series is not a response to any person or idea, nor is it because I want to be divisive or contentious. This is something that I have been studying for quite a while now and I have a strong desire to share what I have seen in the Holy Scriptures. Nothing I say is directed to specific people or to attack others for their beliefs. The things that I will mention are the culmination of my studies, conversations, Biblical understandings, and other things that I felt were relevant to address as they pertain to this discussion. As I said, nothing is directed to or against any person. My purpose for this post is to portray truth and glorify Christ Jesus. Now, for the rest of the intro...

I know that many people today question the relevance of doctrinal discussions. After all, if we are all Christians serving the same God and striving to live holy lives, then what difference does it make whether we believe differently about theology? It makes a tremendous difference. The way that we live, act, and think is directly impacted by the way we believe about God and His Word. Think about it. The decisions that we as Christians make are determined by what we believe about God and what He requires of man. At the end of the day, if theological differences can't be resolved between brothers and sisters who believe differently, the best thing to do is agree to disagree and not let the issue cause contention in the body of Christ. Satan likes to use those kinds of things to hinder believers in their walk with Christ. We must constantly be on our guard and strive to live at peace with all men. However, that does not and will not change the fact that theology is vitally important to the believer. We must be firmly grounded in Biblical truth, rooted in the doctrines of Scripture.

The topics of this series certainly are "hot buttons" in Christianity today. When believers begin to discuss things such as salvation, election, atonement, eternal security, and things of that nature, they seem to automatically draw swords and begin to duel in an earnest attempt to disprove the opposing view by their knowledge of the Scriptures. I know this all too well; I have engaged in many a "duel" such as this and some have had desirable results, others not so desirable. This series will address these controversial topics. I have decided to call this series, "Salvation and the Sovereignty of God." We will examine appropriate views of God and man as it pertains to salvation, the nature of salvation, the work of salvation, and what it implies for those who have received salvation and those who will receive salvation. We will also examine what these beliefs imply as far as evangelism. I also hope to examine some of the common arguments made against the doctrines I will be presenting and how they are based on misconceptions of the doctrines I believe.

As I go through the series, don't just take anything just because I say it. Search the Scriptures and examine what I have to say. God's Word is clear and there are no contradictions. When topics such as these are discussed, people automatically go to certain Scriptures that seem to indicate otherwise than what someone else may be saying. There may be those who would disagree with what I have to say, and if you do, that's fine by me! It's not my goal to change your heart; my goal is to present truth. As I said in my previous post, I won't ignore comments from those who disagree, but before we revert to those favorite verses we all have, might we consider something? If there is something wrong with what I say about the verses I use for these posts, search God's Word and show me how the verses I use are wrong. Examine the contexts, study the Greek/Hebrew, and show me, from God's Word, how what I say is in contradiction to the Scriptures used. If you do that and I am found to be in error, I will be the first to admit that I am wrong. If you disagree and want explanations to certain passages, I will be more than glad to explain them. We all must be faithful to diligently search out that which is being taught to ensure that it is sound. I pray that you will find much truth in this series.

God bless,

Joshua

Hello readers and brothers and sisters in Christ!

I will be beginning another series of posts about a very, very important issue: the issue of salvation. This will be unlike my other series, a big reason being the great importance of this topic. This series will deal with doctrine and the truths of the Bible.

I’m now going to lay down some groundwork for this series. Let me say first of all that I realize that I probably won’t please everybody by the stipulations I give for this series. Some of the precautions I will be taking are for the protection of those that will be involved in this discussion. That having been said, I will be moderating each comment that comes through before it can be seen on my blog. In previous years I have personally witnessed how these issues can quickly get out of hand and how our argumentative natures can quickly get the better of us in a negative way. I want to avoid that at all costs. I will not disregard comments that I disagree with, but they must be spoken in a manner that brings glory and honor to the name of Christ. Feel free to express your opinions, but remember to do so in a humble way. If there is a particular issue that is being discussed and things begin to get a little too heated, I will stop that discussion and not allow further comments. I may be coming across as way too strict, but let me explain a couple of the reasons why I’m taking these precautions. The first is because many of us are friends on this blog, and I don’t want anything to come between any of us that would damage or hinder friendships. The second reason is because this blog can be seen by anyone (Christian and unbeliever) and we have a responsibility to bring glory to Christ and to be careful in the way we act. We want our lights to shine for Christ and to walk and talk in a way that points others to Christ. If we come across as just a bunch of bickering, religious people, we may turn others away from Jesus, and that is the opposite of one of the reasons I have this blog.

Let me also say that I will strive to be humble in the way that I present these doctrinal truths. I realize that I am not perfect and that I don’t know everything (and I never will because I am not omniscient), but there are certain things that by much study and meditation, I have come to believe. My beliefs are my own; I don’t hold to them because my parents told me to, some other instruction of man told me to, or because any other books or materials told me to. I believe what I believe because of the undeniable evidence for these truths that is in the Holy Bible. I am aware of those who would oppose my doctrinal stance, but differing views do not shake my faith. As I said before, I don’t propose in the least to know everything, and if someone says something that I don’t have an answer to, I can guarantee you that I will study diligently for an answer! Whether or not that answer is accepted, I can’t control. It’s not my responsibility to change your mind; God is the one Who works in the hearts of men.

And, on a less important note, I will be posting the parts of this series as I have time. As a full-time college student, worship leader, guitar instructor, piano accompanist, etc., my schedule is quite full and there may be times when I am unable to post for several weeks. Just know that I will be continuing as I have time! ;-)

Here is some additional instruction about the way I will be handling comments and questions. If you have a comment about a specific verse or have a specific question, I will be holding onto those and when things seem to quiet down as far as commenting, I will compose a question-and-answer follow-up post. If you would like to ask a question but wouldn’t feel comfortable knowing that others will see that you asked it, please know that I won’t be revealing names. I will simply answer the questions. If you would still feel more comfortable leaving an anonymous question/comment, that is fine as well. Please know that comments and additional insights are welcome!

By the way, this post is just to serve as an introduction for the overall series, but hopefully soon I will be able to give a more specific “intro” to the actual information of this series.

My prayer is that God alone would be glorified and that each of you will be blessed in the weeks to come!

Joshua

Hey y'all!



This past Sunday, our family went on a camping trip to Inks Lake State Park which is located about an hour north of Austin. We stayed Sunday through Wednesday, and we had an awesome time!!! We have a family tradition of going camping at Inks Lake every couple of years or so, and we like to go the beginning of October to celebrate my sisters' birthdays (Leah's is the 4th and Rachel's is the 6th). So, that was the occasion, and here are some pictures! :)

**Most of the photos were taken by my sister Leah, so the photography credit goes to her! :)**

Things didn't start out too promising...One of our trailer tires blew out and of course it would be a mere 15 minutes away from our campsite!!! :O Oh well... My mom and I sat on the side of the road with the trailer for over two hours while my dad went to a Wal-Mart to get a tire (no other place was open on Sunday) Thankfully, we got everything fixed and that was pretty much all the excitement we had on our trip! :-P

This was our set-up. Leah and Rachel were in the small tent and dad, mom and the boys were in the big tent.

The next day, we went to Longhorn Cavern and got a tour of the cave. It was really cool! Below are the stone steps leading down to the cavern.

This is a naturally carved rock figure called the Queen's Watchdog.

Here are all us kiddos! :)

Here is another natural formation. Kinda looks like a frog, or an iguana! :-)

After coming back from the cavern tour, we went fishing. Nobody caught any keepers, just a few small perch and a bass. And yes, I am completely aware of the fact that I don't match in the least and am wearing 3 or 4 different styles!!! lol!

I got stuck on dish duty one morning... :-/

Some of my family...(Dad, Jared, and Rachel)

I LOVE this picture!!! My sister took it and the angle makes it look like I'm way up in the air, but I'm only like 5 or 6 feet off the ground.

I like to jump if you can't tell! ;-)

My bro Jadon got stuck in a bucket!

No, I did NOT text the whole time...just part of it...ahem...

I took this pic of Leah. It was a perfect, natural setting.

The last day we were there we went on a hike.

Some of the scenery near the lake.

Jadon, the daring rock climber. :)

After awhile of looking at the creek feeding into the lake, we just couldn't resist...lol!

My pretty sister Rachel!

Leah and I

No, this was really an accident! I slipped on some algae-covered rocks and everyone got a big kick out of it for some reason...I can't imagine why! ;)

We went upstream and found a natural slide, so what do you think we did?

Try it out of course!

Even Leah did, although it kinda looks like she's trying to stay as dry as possible! :)

And the perfect conclusion to our water adventure was Devil's Waterhole, a very deep section of the lake. I don't know how many feet deep that part of the lake is, but we never touched the bottom! Anyway, the cliff is 15-20 feet high, and I just couldn't resist...

Both Leah and I jumped several times. I wanted to jump off the boulder (you can see it in the above pic) that was sitting on top of the cliff, but mom wouldn't go for that! ;-)

Another fishing pic

...or two

And, on our way out, we stopped by the park and let the little boys play awhile.

So, there's a glimpse of our camping trip! Hope y'all enjoyed it!

Joshua

Hey everyone,

Well, it's been well over a month since I've posted last, and just in case you were wondering, I am still alive! ;-) Hopefully I will be able to post soon...there's been a lot going on recently and my blog has kinda moved to the bottom of my priority list, but I'm hoping that I will be back a little more consistently in the next couple of weeks or so. Anyway, hope everyone is doing well!

God bless!

Joshua

We have talked a lot about dating, courtship, marriage, keeping your heart pure, and saving yourself for your future spouse. Well, in part four of the series, I’m going to talk about some of the things that we, as Christians, need to look for in a godly spouse. I’m going to mention certain things that we need to be thinking about concerning possible future life mates. Now before you jump all over me and say that I’m contradicting everything I already said because I’m now advocating thinking about those of the opposite sex, listen carefully to what I’m about to say: In no way do I think that we should spend our days pining for that “special someone” that we think might be the one to marry (see part three). What I’m saying is we need to think about some of the Biblical requirements and things that are important to have firm standards on when it comes to considering a future spouse.


Growing up, I was your typical American boy. If it flew, I tried to catch it; if it ran, I tried to beat it; if there was a puddle, I was in it. And as all typical boys quite adamantly profess in the foolishness of youth, I also had absolutely no intention of EVER getting married! No sir! I thought it was gross, grown-up nonsense (even though I was quite content to be living on the earth as a result of my parent’s marriage! :-P A bit ironic, eh?) But as I grew a bit older, girls didn’t seem quite so weird. Okay well yeah, they did, but not like “you’re-a-girl-you-must-be-an-alien” kind of weird. I’m sure I was probably still just as weird to girls though; I have to admit, I was quite obnoxious back in my earlier years…okay that’s not for now! ;-) So, they weren’t quite as alien-like as I first imagined them to be. As I got older and entered my early teen years, things REALLY changed! No longer was I adamantly opposed to getting married. Actually, I sort of wanted to someday! I couldn’t figure this out. I started noticing young ladies and seeing things I had never seen before. There were actually a few that were kinda pretty! They didn’t seem so bad, even though they still weren’t all that interested in snake hunting, getting dirty, or having burping contests (okay, sorry for the graphic details!).


So why do I include that detailed account from my past love life? Well, because I want to make a very crucial point. Most people, male and female, have a desire within them to be married someday, to have someone to be there for them, someone special. It hit me like I bullet! I didn’t know when it started, but all of a sudden it was just there. Most of us have that desire! It’s natural, God put it there, and Lord willing each of us will one day have a wonderful spouse and a nice family. But before you have the spouse, you sort of have to…well, find one! So this is what I will address in part four.


What do you look for in a godly spouse and what things should you keep in mind? Well based upon God’s Word, I believe there are several things that you should take into careful consideration when pondering what you should look for in a possible future spouse. Unfortunately, I have spent in years past a great deal of time focusing on the outward beauty rather than the inward character, so hopefully this post can help some of you avoid that tendency.


The first thing that I believe one must require for a possible spouse is that he/she be a Christian. This is a MUST. Let me say that again: THIS IS A MUST!!! There is absolutely no room for compromise in this area. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” But what if I really love him and I want to marry him so that I can win him to Christ? Absolutely not!!! There are so many people that use this excuse, only to find themselves involved in a messy, devastating divorce and filled with heartache in the end. Christ commands us to not be joined together with unbelievers and it is of the utmost necessity that a spouse be a Christian.


Second, the future spouse needs to be someone who will meet the Biblical requirements for a husband or a wife. They need to know what those requirements are and be committed to instilling them into their lives. Ephesians chapter five, continuing into chapter 6, greatly describes the Biblical roles of man and wife. Scripture clearly defines that the man is to be the leader of the home, the provider, and the protector. He is the spiritual head of the family (1 Cor. 11:3). Not a lord-it-over dictator, but a servant leader. One who loves his wife as much as he loves himself, one who nourishes her and cherishes her (Eph. 5:28) He is to provide spiritually and physically for his family; he is to be the spiritual teacher for his wife and children; he is to care for his children and train them in the ways of the Lord. The wife is to be a helpmeet for her husband. She is to be submissive to her husband and honor his God-given authority in the home. No, I don’t think that the wife is a slave. I believe that God gave each the husband and wife specific roles and instructions and when they are followed, the husband and wife join together in harmony to accomplish God’s purpose for their lives and their marriage (read Ephesians 5 for more on that). The wife, likewise, is to teach and train her children along with the husband. I believe from Scripture that the place for this is the home (Deuteronomy 6). There is so much to be said in the regard of Biblical roles, but for time’s sake I will stop here. This can give an idea, however, of some of the things Scripture says of a Biblical husband and wife. Again, Ephesians five is a wonderful passage for examination in regards to the Biblical roles and responsibilities of a godly husband and wife.


Next, I believe that when thinking about what you need to look for in a spouse, you should look for someone that shares the same vision. What I mean by vision is having a Biblically based plan for your life, which continues on into the marriage relationship. I have a vision for my life and ultimately it is to glorify, obey, and honor Christ with my life and to give Him all adoration and praise for what He has done in my life. As far as a future wife and family are concerned, my vision is to find a godly, virtuous woman that will come together with me to raise our children who not only will honor Christ, but also desire to raise their own future families to do the same. Unfortunately, so many people have such short-sighted goals for their lives and the lives of their children. Many families are content to simply make sure their own children are saved and walking with the Lord when we ought to be striving to instill in children the desire to have their own families and pass on the faith from generation to generation. Where there is no vision, the people perish (Prov. 29:18). We wonder why the church and Christianity are perishing. The family has lost its vision.


Another important thing to look for is similarity in convictions and doctrine. Now I think there is a little bit of room here for discussion because you are never going to find someone that you absolutely, one hundred percent agree with on every single issue there is to agree on. There are some things that there will be differences of opinion. Does that mean that the one little difference should keep a possible courtship from occurring? Here is what I believe about this. I believe that there are certain things that can be talked about and examined when it comes to possible differences; others can’t. For me, one thing that is an no-compromise issue is homeschooling. If there is a wonderful young lady that I agree with on everything else, but she doesn’t want to homeschool and won’t even consider the possibility, then that would be a show-stopper. If there are some minor differences, I believe that things like that can be worked out as the two individuals search the Scriptures together, as long as the two are willing to look at God’s Word with an open mind and be sensitive to the Lord’s leading. If there are conflicting opinions with apparent Scripture to back both convictions, then they can examine God’s Word together and see if they can come to an agreement. However, I will say this in regards to how much should be looked at together between a young man and a young lady. A lot of the doctrinal discussion should take place first between the young man and the lady’s father. The father will know whether or not any possible differences can be resolved or whether or not they can’t. The father will know (and if he doesn’t he should!) what his family and his daughter believes so that he could know whether or not a courtship would even work. If there are things that aren’t major and can be worked out between the two, then I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t enter into a courtship if they feel the Lord leading in that direction. Once again, courtship is the time of determining whether or not a guy and a girl are right for each other, keeping in mind the fact that they don’t know for sure whether or not that particular person will end up being their spouse. They are still guarding their hearts.


Those are some of the things that we need to contemplate when it comes to thinking about what we should look for in a spouse. As I mentioned before, the first thing I used to look at was the outward appearance. If I saw a pretty girl and she was a Christian, I thought, “Hey, there’s a good one!” But, I didn’t think a thing about such things as doctrine, homeschooling, music, and any other number of standards that are important to think about in regards to a possible future spouse. Now I can thankfully say that things are much different! Just to clarify, I DON’T want to give the impression that every time I meet a girl or see one that I know I immediately start “evaluating” them. It’s not like I’m always worried about whether or not any particular person that I know will make me a good spouse! I don’t feel that it is the time yet for me to seriously start thinking about any one special person, so I do my best not to think about it. What I DO think about is what I need to look for in a future spouse, not who I need to look for. The Lord will bring that special person into my life in His perfect timing, and until that day, my desire and focus needs to be on God and on Him alone. Ultimately it is all in the Lord’s hands and I know that He has a perfect plan for my life, and as I trust Him, He will lead me to that wonderful woman that He has for me!


*Some ideas and information for this post came from Voddie Baucham's book What He Must Be If He Wants To Marry My Daughter. This is a wonderful book about the Biblical qualifications for young men. I highly recommend that book!