The Doctrine of Revelation and Its Implications on Evangelism

Here is an essay I wrote earlier this year..

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0ByH-45su4eeRY2ZhMDcyNjktNzkyNC00YjA5LTgzMmUtOTNmM2Q0NTk2OGVh&hl=en&authkey=CNCyqvoO

many thanks to Leon for all the Karl Barth quotes... =)

comments are welcome!

Inviting the Lamb in

another fantastic sermon from Leon:

http://www.emmanuelplymouth.co.uk/
- Look for the one he does on Luke 19

the website seems to be down at the moment.. i suspect from the thousands of requests to download his sermons =)

Chalcedon

Ok.. this will really show my ignorance...

but someone please explain to me these things...

So in Chalcedon it was proposed that Christ is 1 person (proposon), 2 natures (homostasis), consubstantial with the Father and with humanity

i.e. trying to get 2 different 'models' of the incarnate Logos to agree with one another

then the monophysites are not happy with the 2 natures - and end up with 1 nature, mixed but not mixed!?

then the nestorians are not happy with the 1 person - and want to say 2 persons, but not really.. it's 1 person?!

now... in terms of how the Logos (Word) and Sarx (flesh) come together

the 2 views were... 1, the Logos is clothed with the sarx.... and 2, the Logos and sarx are 'side by side'

the reason for all this is they don't want the Logos to be 'changed' by the sarx - i.e. God cannot change

Now another question... is the idea of changing in the Logos because we have a wrong view of what it means to be Spirit and unchangeable?

would it be too wrong to say the resurrected Christ is the Spirit of God going through the Logos, into the sarx,  forming a new 'way' a new creation..

basically in an eschatological sense - how are we eventually united with the divine nature, if the Logos and sarx never interpenetrate???

or am i off track?

The Benefits about Studying in Asia

Is you get to hear Asian Christianity..

This is from China - 7th Century AD

There was a true stillness, a natural constant, and primordial void of the Most High from which the Spirit of the void emerged, the Most High Lord. He enlightened the Holy Ones. He is Yahweh who embodies the three subtle and wondrous bodies and was condemned to the cross to save the people of the four directions. From the beaten up primordial winds he created two vapours and from the grey emptiness came the sky and the earth. The sun and the moon were set and night and day arrived. He created myriad things and then people. They had the original nature of goodness and were appointed as guardians of creation. Their minds were empty, their hearts were simple and innocent and they were content. They had no desire but Satan influenced them towards glitter and gold. They fell into death and lies and the 365 forms of sin. They put themselves inside their own web of retribution. There is material gain, some think they gain blssings from prayers, and some are treacherous. They get nowhere and within the wheel of fire they find themselves burnt and obliterated, unable to return [to goodness].

Ye Su, from the three subtle bodies, became human and came on behalf of the Lord of Heaven giving the good teachings. A virgin gave birth in the Da Qin Empire [the West]. The message was given to the Persians who followed the bright light with gifts. The 24 holy Ones have given the teachings, and heaven decreed that the "Three in One Purity that cannot be spoken of" (226) should be proclaimed. The teachings can restore goodness to believers, restore dust to truth, reveal the gate of the three constants, lead to life, destroy death and destroy evil forever. He set afloat the raft of salvation and compassion so we can ascend to the palace of light and unite with the spirit. He carried out deliverence and when done ascended to immortality in daylight. He left 27 books of scriptures, revealed the workings of the Origin and gave the method of purification by water. He gathered the four radiances to be united with the void.

"The Eastern facing rites can give you the path of life. Those who choose to grow beards, shave their heads, travel on the open roads, renounce desire, have neither male nor female slaves, see all people as equal, and do not hoard material goods, are followers of My rites of purification." (226) ________________- What do you think? Good?

Salvation and Swallowing

Following a thought from here:
http://youarethechrist.blogspot.com/2010/07/more-scaffolding.html

Salvation seems to come from both inside - i.e. work within the heart
and outside - clothed with righteousness

what i suspect is the outer clothing is a corporate covering
i.e. the covenant that embraces the whole family

so Immortality clothes the church, then the Spirit penetrates the swallowed deathly flesh
and begins to crucify and transform it into a Spirit-fused flesh
(think digestion)

then what is not filled with the Spirit is spewed out of the Immortal Body - immortal as well, but in the outer darkness forever (think Adam and Eve if they were not clothed sent out of the garden)

The rest is now Spiritual Flesh - the new man/thing/creation that lives the new life for eternity

Salvation (3)

Regarding the post below...

Think about it this way..

If you are a father, are you not in someways almost totally in control of your children?

therefore if you are a good father - do you not cultivate freedom in your children to be who they should be

How much more then how Father, who will set us free to be who He made us to be
"love God and do whatever you want"

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Tim Chester etc.. all talk about the person who must be free to be a person

The orphan is forced to live a stereotypical orphan life - and we can predict his behaviour - selfishness, greed, cynicism, etc..

The child is free to do anything... anything within the love and power of his Father

Salvation (2)

here's another thing i've been thinking about

we tend to debate the Sovereign God vs Free Will

but realistically - one can only have Free Will if you have a Sovereign God
it is when we work 'outside' the will of God (i.e. outside of Christ) - you are  a slave,
for all your actions are controlled by a tyrant
so you are a puppet

this is not impaired free will - but total predictability of actions - based on the nature of the slave-driver

When we are under the total control of God - initiated by His saving grace,
then we are free - free to choose, free to act, free to love, free to serve, free to make legitimate choices

i think the early NT church understood this -  especially some of the early Fathers..

so there is no tension - but it is a logical conclusion

and it happens in our families too
only when we know the total security and safety of our father, husband etc..
are we not then free?
if we are not secure, we are predictable, enslaved, controlled - and we can diagnose with pinpoint accuracy what actions we will take based on our situation
(which has many pastoral implications)

Come to the Son, let Him save you, then you are free indeed... that is the truth

Salvation

Great comments from Dave Bish here:

http://thebluefish.org/2010/11/calvinism-arminianism-and-fathers-heart.html

currently i have this theology of salvation:

Jonah 2:8-9 - paraphrased - "Those that cling on to foolish idols forsake the steadfast love (grace) that is already theirs..." "Salvation belongs to the Lord"