Theological and Logical

Is the Covenant God made with Abraham conditional, or unconditional? Most will answer, and rightly so, that the Abrahamic Covenant is completely unconditional. God will accomplish and fulfill His covenant apart from any works or preset conditions upon mankind. If one answers unconditional, it will have theological, and logical conclusions. Here they are.

The unconditional fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham is fulfilled in the church, as all families of the earth are blessed by the seed of Abraham...Jesus. It is literally fulfilled by people believing the gospel, people from every nation. The unconditional aspect comes right back to the question of how do people become saved? Is it their choice, or God’s choice? The answer is both theological and logical. If the fulfillment of God’s Covenant with Abraham is God’s predetermined, unconditional, sovereign will and it is fulfilled by people from every nation believing the gospel, then a person’s belief in the gospel is God’s predetermined, unconditional, sovereign will. It’s not left to chance, or to the choice of man.

This is what’s known as a syllogism. A syllogism is a formal deductive argument made up of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. If the major, or minor premise is untrue, the conclusion will be untrue. If both the major and minor premise are true, the conclusion will always be true. Here’s an example:


Major premise: All birds have feathers.
Minor premise: Penguins are birds.
Conclusion: Penguins have feathers.

Let’s look at another syllogism:
Major premise: The Abrahamic Covenant is fulfilled by God’s unconditional, predetermined, sovereign will.
Minor premise: Individual belief in the gospel results in the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Conclusion: Individual belief in the gospel is God’s unconditional, predetermined, sovereign will for the individual.

God has not left the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant into the hands of man’s choice, or into the hands of chance, or into the hands of God’s passive foreknowledge. God has not called His unconditional covenant conditional. If the fulfillment of the covenant is all His work (major premise), and the covenant is fulfilled by people being saved (minor premise), then people being saved is all His work (conclusion). Therefore, the gospel is impossible for a man, women, or child apart from a miraculous move of God’s grace to that individual.

Storms

Q. Did Jesus deliberately send His friends into that storm? YES

The excitement of this miraculous multiplication of food (Mark 6:32-44) was a lesson for the 12 disciples. The storm was the test, the exam after the lesson.

Q. How often does the Lord teach us something and then test us to see if we learned it? That has often been the case in my Christian life.

1 Peter 4:12
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;

Be discerning. Sometimes we are caught in a storm because we have disobeyed the Lord. Jonah is a good example of that. But sometimes the storm comes because we have obeyed the Lord. Because we are learning and growing in our faith.

Jesus had the 12 feed the thousands...He would supply the miraculous, they would supply the feet. Possibly up to 15,000 men, women and children were fed. He told them to get into groups of 50, and groups of 100. That would have been 75 groups of 100 people, and 150 groups of 50 people. 225 groups of people spread out over the grassy hills. The 12 disciples carried baskets full of food to each of these groups. Then they collected 12 baskets full of leftovers. It's getting late...dark...and after eating yourself, what's the last thing you want to do? Ya, row across the sea again. That's probably why the Scripture says Jesus, "made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side" (Mark 6:45).

Well, that evening, He brought the wind against His disciples, and they're struggling out there. It's after 3 am before Jesus walks by them...on the water. THEY DO NOT PASS THE TEST.

Jesus gets into the boat...calms the sea, and gives them an "F" for failure...and fear.

After they see that He calms the wind, Scripture says, "And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened" (Mark 6:51-52).

Their hearts are hard. They cannot grasp who Jesus is in their everyday life. They can't simply trust Him in the storm.

THEY MUST LEARN AND PASS THIS TEST...SO MUST WE.

Preaching, Casting, Healing

How would you feel if you were told that you had a job to do. You are to take a friend with you and begin traveling to the cities in SLO County. First you are to go to San Miguel. Your next stop...Shandon. From there you are to travel to Cambria, then to San Simeon. Then Morro Bay. Here's what you both will be doing in each town. Telling the people in that town to repent. Also, that the kingdom of God is at hand. You're going to love this one...You are also to confront demon possessed people and cast out the demons. You are also to annoint the sick with oil, pray for them and heal them. I know what you are thinking... "What???" One more little thing. You can't take any money, extra clothes, or food with you. You can only take your faith in God, trusting that He will actually take care of both of you.
By the way, if they don't appreciate your ministry, if they think you're nuts, you are to shake the dust from that city off your feet as a testimony against them. And then go to the next city.

Are you ready for this assignment? Would you be a little nervous as you and your friend take off on your way, first to San Miguel? "Preach, demons, heal...?"

You might now have a little appreciation for the 12 disciples as they were sent out in pairs just like the description above. Without Jesus walking with them (Mark 6).

Bridge Inspectors

The following is a blog article from one of my Seminary professors, Dr. John Wecks...and I actually wrote a response.

No Tolerance for Intolerant Inspectors
June 10th, 2008 http://blogs.multnomah.edu/johnwecks/

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to find a flaw in this thing.”

“A flaw? Who cares? This structure serves a greater purpose. You are too picky. Nothing is perfect. You need to loosen up and be more tolerant of flaws.”

So they left the primary support for the huge bridge like it was. Traffic was heavy on the bridge because it worked. After all, this bridge was doing something useful and helpful, such as connecting people.

This kind of thinking that produces sloppy inspection of a physical bridge that puts lives in physical danger would not be tolerated.

How much more should we be careful of the ways we carry the precious cargo of the gospel to reach out and connect with people’s souls and eternal destinies?

Careful inspection of a personal bridge that might put souls in eternal danger should not only be tolerated, but encouraged.

Gal. 1:6-9; Acts 20:29-31; 1 Cor. 6:13; 1 Pet. 5:8

One Response to “No Tolerance for Intolerant Inspectors — UHD 14:6”
By David Rusco on Jun 19, 2008

Dr. Wecks, you certainly don’t have to publish this, but I have a concern with the purity of the gospel and how it’s presented. I’m (trying) to write a book. It begins with, “What I’m about to say will be impossible for any human being to understand. Not only will you not understand, you will think it foolishness to varying degrees.” Why? Scriptural truth can only be understood by the human mind and intellect through the miraculous work of God’s Holy Spirit. In other words, the Word of Truth is so supernatural, only the Holy Spirit can make it understandable to the human mind. This has profound implications for the church in our era.

1 Corinthians 2:12-14
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,

The things freely given to us by God are revealed in the Word of God. And there is only one way to know what these things are.

13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

In other words, without the Spirit of God the unbeliever cannot understand the Bible. It’s foolishness. How is it made understandable? Many in our era attempt to remove certain theological words to make the gospel easier to understand. Or they add to the gospel making it more attractive…ug!

Only by Divine grace is it understood. Only by the miraculous work of God’s Holy Spirit can His Word be understood.

I believe it is here that many in the church have minimized. The gospel is impossible for the natural man to understand (1 Cor. 1:18). If the gospel could be understood by natural human ability, then preachers would use, as Paul writes, “cleverness of speech.” Sadly, many are doing just that. But God sent Paul to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void (1 Cor. 1:17).

This is a partial result of my "bridge inspection." I certainly agree with Dr. Wecks. Where are the bridge inspectors in our day?

Let me finish my sermon!

Time constraints prevented me from finishing my teaching Sunday morning on Fathers Day. Let me review...If you remember, I finished with the text from Mark 5:42. Jesus raised the twelve year old daughter of Jairus from death. Luke writes, 8:55 And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat. I finished by talking about our spirit. God has given every man, woman, and child an eternal spirit. It's the real you. And your spirit will live forever somewhere. Either eternal hell, or Heaven. How important it is that we all die as a believer in Jesus.

My sermon would have continued a little later with a question. Why do you think Paul devotes twice as much writing to the husbands obligations as to the wives? Husbands, you are the God appointed leader of your household, even though you and your wife are equals in God's eyes.
Scripture says,
1 Corinthians 7:3-4
3 Let the husband fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does;

Of course, this is referring to the marriage bed. How often have I heard this passage quoted without looking at the rest of verse 4. Here it is.

and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

The wife has authority over your body men. And you know what the topic is.


Men! Here's the key word for your wife...Romance

Women! Here's the key word for your husband...It's a three letter word that begins with the letter...well, you know.

I was going to tell a story about Darren and Jennifer Rusco. They just celebrated their wedding anniversary. While at the restaurant, they noticed another couple. They didn't know them, but knew they had been married for quite a while. Well, this other couple were sitting on the same side of the booth. They were talking, and laughing. The husband had his arm around his wife... hugging, talking...you get the picture. Well Jennifer and Darren were watching all this. Then Jennifer spoke across the table and asked Darren, "Honey, why don't you ever do that?" Darren replies, "Honey, I don't know that lady!"

Bible Study on Heaven

Summer Sunday nights in July (6 - 7:15 pm) we will ask and answer several questions on the subject of Heaven. Where will we spend eternity? Will we have bodies? What age will we appear to be? Will we eat in heaven? Will we work? Will we know each other? Will there be animals? How about our pets? Will there be marriage? You all are invited and encouraged to attend. Child care available. Bible study by Pastor Dave.

Week 1: "Heaven - Is there really life beyond the grave?"

Week 2: "Why should we think about heaven?"

Week 3: "What will heaven be like?"

Week 4: "Heaven and the rest of your life."

Dave's New Book; Click here for link

Well, it finally happened. I actually published a book. No, it won't be on the best seller list. No, I won't be featured on the 700 Club, or Fox News. Frankly, it's not for everyone. It's teaching on the doctrine of Last Days, complete with charts. It will challenge the typical teaching on this subject in the church in our era...long overdue.
Needless to say, I was excited today when Donna brought the book to the church office. I had a smile beeming from ear to ear. I felt like George Macfly when Biff brought Georges long-awaited book into his house, in "Back to the Future."
Click the link above the cover photo if you want to know more about the book and possibly buy it. I'm still not too sure how it works. The publisher is Wordclay.com. They will ask you to register to buy a copy.
The issues I'm teaching on are stated on the book cover.
Israel; The Church; The Rapture; The Tribulation; The Second Coming of Christ; The Kingdom of God, among other issues...And yes, I'll actually sign it! That is, if you don't burn it first.