In response to
Soteriology 101: Our salvation was not free. Someone paid dearly for it.
Our salvation is free! and Yes, someone paid dearly for it.
Dr. Svigel basically denies the notion of "free", such as free food, free trip, etc. which led to such conclusion.
The First Sunday of Advent
Reflection:
From hymn:
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head. ~ William Cowper, 1774
From a poem:
God all-bounteous, all-creative, Whom no ills from good dissuade.
Is incarnate, and a native Of the very world he made. ~ Christopher Smart (1722-1771), The Nativity. A crazy poet who often fell on his knees in public and prayed. Was confined in an asylum.
Hymn:
As with Gladness Men of Old
Words by: William Chatterton Dix, 1860
Music by: Conrad Kocher, 1838
Prayer of Adoration concluded by the Lord's Prayer
Doxology (see previous note on this)
Silent Praise and Thanksgiving
Scripture Reading - Isaiah 9:2-7
Prayer of Confession:
O Lord, we have not longed for your coming and your kingdom as we ought. We have not denied ourselves, taken up the cross and followed you. Instead, clinging to the things of this world and counting them dear, we have grown callous to the needs of the poor, the lonely and the suffering. We have not cried out for justice nor cared about those who are without Christ and without hope in this world. Lord, forgive us for our offenses and grant that by the power of your Spirit, we might live in light of your coming again.
Private Confession
Song of Renewal:
Lo, How a Rose 'ere Blooming (German hymn, melody arranged by Praetorius. 16th century)
Prayers of the People
Hymn:
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Latin antiphon, 12th century
Plainsong, 13th century
The Peace of God
Announcements
Scripture Reading - Matthew 1:1-17
Sermon - The Mothers of Jesus - Dr. Timothy Keller
First sermon in series: The Messiah According to Matthew (Advent Series)
Notes:
Note "mothers" of Jesus. Plural. Not many would preach on a family tree. Keller noted that it is like a resume. However, the people of note were the women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth & Uriah's wife.
Offertory - Magnificat - M. Scot Sherman/arr. Jennings
Laura Pfortmiller, soprano
Hymn:
All Praise to Thee, Eternal Lord
Words by Martin Luther, 1524Music by Robert Schumann, 1839
Benediction
Dismissal
Postlude
He once said, if there is no best option, second best is also fine.
I have stated that the statement itself is erroneous.
Now, I have a far more late Dr. Gisbertus Voetius as perhaps my supporter or vice versa.
Dr. Voetius: Good added to good makes it a greater good, and so more desirable; and, therefore, evil as evil, or a lesser good, which is comparatively evil, cannot be the object of desire.
From Rev. Gilbert Tennent's "The Danger of an Unconverted Ministry".
I have just started reading Tennent's sermon and I have to admit a lot of resounding yes' in my head reading this while comparing to some churches and CCCNY in particular. At one point, Tennent expressed full support to seek after better preacher, better church, if there is one, for it is both "lawful and expedient to go from them[those who provides little or no benefit] to hear godly persons".
Now with internet and "rich" countries, we have crowd funding such as: http://www.gofundme.com/
This way, virtually anything from paying hospital bills to a project of any sort can globally be aided.
The idea is good and I can also see how we are getting closer to the time of the Tower of Babel.
One should self-reflect, when people start liking even the nonsense one does simply because one is famous.
孟子是整个东方世界中间良心论最靠近圣经的思想的人。-唐崇荣 （罗马书#75）
有关于性善论：
《孟子·論四端》
惻隱之心，人皆有之；羞惡之心，人皆有之；恭敬之心，人皆有之；是非之心，人皆有之。惻隱之心，仁也；羞惡之心，義也；恭敬之心，禮也；是非之心，智也。
Evolution cannot explain a lot. By mere similarities between man and ape, it derives vast theories. The fools look for the similarities, the wise look for the differences. - Paraphrase from Dr. Tong's Roman Series #75.
所以只知其同而不知其异的是笨人，能知道不同在哪里的人才是聪明人 （唐崇荣）
I've also had similar experience, but not with VCD & CD (per Tong's example). It was when I first learned of DVD and thought it was the same as VCD. Though they look similar, but they are not the same.
Although, it appears that Dr. Tong derived his conclusion from a statement from Thomas Henry Huxley & Herbert Spencer, who are both evolutionists, that said "Of moral purpose I see not a trace in nature". Although, I found that Spencer voiced the opposite, which means Huxley was against Spencer on this.
Reflection begins with Eugene Peterson's quote: ...What is essential in prayer is not that we learn to express ourselves, but that we learn to answer God. (I took only the last line).
Scripture Reading: Psalm 1:1-6
Sermon: Word: Teach Us to Pray (9th Sermon in the Series: The Prayer of Prayers: Exploring Jesus' Model, the Lord's Prayer)
"...Whatever they do prospers..." - Psalm 1. Is a key verse to "we are free to do anything, when we walk with God".
If my works reward me honor higher than that of my Lord's, I have done far worse than those who do not glorify God by their inaction.
Saying sorry simply on account of inevitable accidents, it is not sorry at all, it is not the same as apologizing out of sincere regret.
The first type of sorry is what many do today. Particularly, it is how those new atheists view apology as, I conjecture, if they ever believe in apology at all.
