Covenant Hearts’ Blog

Nix baptismal regeneration. Nix the idea that children are just simply heathen being raised inside the church. The question is, what is the state of the soul of Covenant Children. Why do children leave the faith of their parents? The trend in the Reformed denominations is that the children raised in these circles go astray. Today we have several ministries responding to this crisis. Focus on the Family, Vision Forum, and No Greater Joy ministries place great emphasis on the family and their role in bringing up children in the way they should go. Baptists in general place great emphasis on the family unit and personal piety. What are the Reformed Presbyterians doing wrong?

It is a world and life view issue that needs to be dealt with. Reformed Christian parents believe in the sovereignty of God. But how does this belief affect the way they live and think? I like the quote “Pray as if it all depends upon God, but live as if it all depends upon you”. Now I may have slightly misquoted Mr Unknown Source but the idea is there. Now this quote as I understand it is not trying to pervade autonomy of man. But in light of the truth that God is sovereign and works through man, we must take action and if consistent with the Law-Word of God our actions are guided by God. We cannot sit idly by and allow our children to casually meander down the expressway to hell. Understanding that God turns the heart, we must do all we can do to steer our children towards God and a God-ward outlook. For in doing this God may use these actions to draw them unto himself. There will be more to follow on this subject, especially since I have my first baby on the way. Most of my current knowledge of children is based upon the Bible, my parents, other parents, observation, experience in aiding my parents with younger siblings and books that I have read. Very soon I shall add to the litany of sources: personal experience with my own children.

The reason I am cringing at this moment is that I am saddened by reports I hear of young men whom I once called “friend”. One particular young man was raised in a reformed church (OPC, in fact), by parents who love the LORD, and was taught “critical thinking” through his homeschooling experience. His parents did not see the folly in sending him to a school halfway across the country with no one to be his taskmaster. This is an amended version of a conversation I had with a Christian friend about our old friend:

my Christian friend: you talk to [old friend's first name] recently?
groceryguy19: no
groceryguy19: how is he?
my Christian friend: i dont talk to him any more
groceryguy19: oh
my Christian friend: hes wasting his computer talents…thinking he has a future being in a band
my Christian friend: and hes a heavy stoner
groceryguy19: [old friend's first name] who?
my Christian friend: [old friend's full name]
groceryguy19: aw…thats a shame
my Christian friend: yeaah
groceryguy19: thats why kids shouldn’t leave their parents for college…
my Christian friend: yeah….
groceryguy19: for this reason shall a man leave father and mother
groceryguy19: to cleave unto his wife

It pains me to hear this. Even if this were not true about my old friend it serves as an anecdote about what really goes on with covenant children who go astray.

Another young man whom I considered to be a good friend for a long time even after we fell out of contact is another example of “something missing” in the life of covenant children. He is also a rock band type and is certainly living it up. He apparently drinks alcohol to oblivion and cusses with no reticence or reservation.

Is that “something missing” God? I don’t know. By all appearances the answer is yes. But God’s election is sure and if they are of the elect God will one day call them from out of their sinful wickedness back into the light of his glorious grace. They will rejoin the covenant community of God but this time as heirs and not as followers of Jesus who were part of the multitudes hungry for the bread he would feed them with.

I hope and pray that they would seek God in sincerity and humility; and that God would show his love towards them and cleanse them with the blood of his son Jesus Christ our Lord whose blood was shed for the remission of sin. Amen.

The truth shall set you free, not lies. Where is truth to be found? In Scripture to be sure. Is Scripture accredited? Not by any secular agency. The Bible however has been accredited. It is self-accredited, accredited by the Holy Spirit and the spirit which is man and in man.

So the Bible tells us everything? No. You will need extra-Biblical education if you want to know more. So then, I should go to a secularly accredited institution of un-truth? No. To suggest that that is your only option for education versus non-education is a false dilemma.

Here are the options:

1. You choose to attend a secular school.

There are many reasons for this choice. The premier reason is usually lack of knowing a better way. For shame, it is too bad that many Christians send their children to be indoctrinated in institutions that hate God and will remove God from every area of life. The children may not lose their faith but that is all they will be left with when the school gets through with them. They will lose a God-centered perspective of history. They will forget why God created the heavens and the earth. They will accede far too much territory to the enemy to stay below the radar and get good grades. This is not a criticism. They have no choice; the teacher “knows” more than the student.

If they resist intellectually they will live and work in turmoil knowing that lies are being spewed forth daily and few of them will ever be contested in class; there is simply no time for debate. Memorize the “facts” (deny Him once), write it all down on the test (deny Him twice) and pass the course (deny Him thrice); get a good grade and move on to the next course in humanism. Make no mistake they will be influenced. Even for those who resist the lies will be influenced.
The only way to counteract the intellectual atheism of “higher” education is to train your mind in the opposing arguments.

If you are in chemistry or biology, in addition to your course load, read “Darwin’s Black Box” or similar books. If you are taking history you may want to get books/audio by Rushdoony or Wilkins or the like. Math is fairly “neutral,” just don’t listen to what your teacher says about things other than math. Science; know that the modern science is man’s present day mythology. Science is savior. Secular humanism is the religion. Modern science is based not on absolutes but on relativity. Quantum theory has stood rational science on its head.

The pitfalls are many and the benefits are few. Think about why you choose this path. There are many wrong reasons for choosing this kind of school.

Get Informed (Required Reading):
Must Your Children Run the Collegiate Gauntlet?
The Dorm-Key Ritual
Running the Collegiate Gauntlet at Age 17
Thought Reform 101

2. You choose to attend a “Christian” school.

This school, while apparently the safe alternative, far too often proves the more dangerous option. Many “Christian” schools simply teach a “baptized” secularism. They concede the point to the secularists removing God from education everywhere it would be important to keep Him. They acknowledge His existence merely as an unproven and crudely held belief. Losing one’s faith in a Bible College is no uncommon tragedy. As with anything, evaluate the school yourself. There are good “Christian” schools but they are few. Christ College is one example of a school I would trust to send my children. No others really come to mind (they may be out there though…Geneva College?).

3. You decide not to go to school.

This is a safe decision. You may not be educated to the world’s standards, but that is a good thing. Education in America means giving up God and becoming “enlightened.” For those who are educated and Christians, they are often stigmatized as being biased and not a respectable authority/source. A Ph.D. is a waste of time and money.

True education doesn’t need to be expensive. It will cost something though; motivation. There are public libraries, school libraries, internet, and educational organizations. There are conferences, lectures and simple networking that can be done to garner an above average education. It is there if you want it.

4. You decide to get an education the cheapest way you know how.

Not going to school for the first two years is the first suggestion. CLEP’s or AP credits are highly recommended. You may be able to get life experience credit. If you know a lot about the subject from high school or your own studies you may be able to test out of the class. Minor fees are involved in getting college credit for any of these but you will save some money and a lot of time.

Then “attend” class by taking online courses. Behold the power of the internet. You can work from home in your pajamas. You do school work around your own schedule. Again motivation is needed in order to save time and money. With less motivation you will at least save some money. Young people can pay for their own education this way, thereby taking ownership of it. There are hundreds of accredited online schools. The secular learning without the secular influence and pressure of conformity.

I would also suggest Whitefield College. It is non-accredited. You can go at your own pace or you can follow the semester time-line. I am currently registering for my first class at Whitefield. (Note: This is a small educational ministry with few people involved in administration. It took two months for me to get accepted and to begin the process. Don’t get impatient if you decide on this school. If you do decide on this school, email me for a phone number you may want. michaelsei@hotmail.com)

Conclusion: I have mentioned nothing about financial aid. That is something you must work out with the school you choose. There are many options. Working to pay your way through college is one of them. In addition there may be other schooling options than those I have mentioned…If so, then they help make my case. You do not have to send your children to a godless institution. If you want them to learn something, have them read a good book. If you want them to learn the arts of the enemy they could even buy a textbook out of a school’s bookstore. Do they know how to read and write? Good. Can they write a college level paper? There are books that teach it. Can they write an objective research paper? It is not that difficult to learn. Seriously if you have questions on education email me. michaelsei@hotmail.com I am in school and dealing with all of the humanist propaganda passing for education. I take this issue personal. Don’t do it to your children without a clear understanding of what it is that you’re trying to accomplish.

More links on education:
Timely Advice to College Students
America’s Textbooks and America’s Wars
The Self-Serving System of Peer Review
Why the Job Market is Slanted in Favor of College Graduates

Psalm 78:65 Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, Like a warrior overcome by wine.

God is not like man…Oftentimes anthropomorphisms are used to characterize God’s actions. But don’t make the mistake in thinking God is like man.

Rather man ought to aspire to be like God. And what is God like? You’ll have to read His Law-Word to find out.

2 Chronicles 16:12 In
the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his
feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not
seek the LORD, but the physicians.

I don’t think that the Bible is here being antogonistic to medicine but the abuse of it. God must be first. All else comes second to Him.

Once the proper order is established, then all things are lawful, though maybe not expedient.

Deuteronomy 21:22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:

23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged [is] accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance.

Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:

Trees represent life. Especially the tree of life. But in general trees represent life. In the garden which was in Eden God gave man the fruit of every tree to eat as food save one. Trees = life.

What happens when you turn an instrument of life into an instrument of death? You are cursed. This is not some voodoo hex I’m talking about, it is simply the sanctions God imposes upon sin. Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. If you turn tools of life into tools of death you are cursed and the curse of God is upon you/your nation.

Abortion is an obvious reference. But what about hanging on a tree? If you kill/are killed by hanging on a tree this is the curse of God. The Roman nation was cursed and is no longer around today. Jesus Christ was cursed. (Sounds kind of sacrilegious to say.)

Maj. premise: Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.
Min. premise: Christ was hanged on a tree.
Concl: Christ was cursed.

But that is not to say that Christ was paying a penalty for a sin He committed…He was paying the penalty for sin. Again He was cursed.

Isaiah 53:5 But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

I Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Copied from Blue Letter Bible.

Thanks be to God for His sovereignty and providence without which none could be saved.

God created woman for man, saying “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen 2:18). In fact a man’s true wealth can be seen in his family, for his “wife shall be as a fruitful vine…and [his] children like olive plants” (Psalm 128:3). Additionally, a man that has a family is fulfilling the commission of God to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion…over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen 1:28).

Some say that the Bible teaches that it is better that man should be alone for these days are evil, for Paul the Apostle said “I wish all were as I myself am” that is single. But it is clear when it says that “some will depart from the faith…who forbid marriage” (I Timothy 4:1-3). “But if you do marry, you have not sinned” (I Cor 7:28). And that if you, well, have a sex drive then “each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband” (I Cor 7:2). The fact is most people have a sex drive that God put there. Without it, the human race would perish on the earth. The reason Paul made such a statement was that in singleness he could devote himself entirely to ministry. But the truth is that God has not called all to be an apostle/missionary church planter. “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ” (I Cor 12:12). Thus, celibacy is not for everyone. In fact, it is not for the majority to be celibate. In response to the statement “It is better not to marry” (Mt 19:10), Jesus said, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given” (Mt 19:11). So the Scripture is clear only some are given by God to be Spiritual Eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom.

Posted by Michaelsei (that’s me!) on Helium.com

God is sovereign. God is Holy, Pure, and Just. God hates sin and evildoers. God created man in His image.

Man erred from conforming to God’s attributes. Thus, sin was brought into the world. From Adam, the sin nature passed from father to son, on and on. All have sinned. God cannot stand sin to be in His presence.

Hell is real, but hell is not a place. It is being without a place. It is being away from the presence of God. Hell may be depicted as a place of fiery torment, but it is usually depicted as a place of outer darkness. A cold, dank morgue where solitude and fear reign over you. You scream and cry out for death to take you, but death has already taken your mortal body. You are experiencing what is called the second death. Your immortal soul is separated from your creator. You have been cut off from your source of life, but again not in the corporeal sense. This death is not a perishing away but an eternal perishing that ceases not. This is hell.

It ought to deter evildoers. The commandments given to the nation of Israel served to conform them to God’s image. In so doing, evil was not allowed to persist. Capital crimes required capital punishments. Lesser crimes required retribution. If I was starving, I may steal to replenish my strength, but I would be required to pay back many times more than I stole. If I took a life in premeditated murder, my blood would be required; however, if I committed manslaughter in the heat of a struggle unpremeditated, then I would have refuge according to the Law. Capital crimes are deterred by capital punishments, this is God’s design. On the contrary, not every individual is unilaterally deterred from doing what they will. They will serve as examples and will be punished.

On deterrence, another example is Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan was an authoritarian ruler who went far beyond God’s perfect justice to his own form of deterrence. I use him only as an example of how punishments are deterrents. He used capital punishment even in cases of lesser crimes. He achieved a peace that would still be seen in his grandson’s lifetime. When Kublai Khan was in power, Marco Polo passed through the region, living the adventure story that he would later bring home.

Ultimately, God determines the number of the elect. However, in a society where God’s justice is utilized, the restraint of the Holy Spirit will be seen at work in that nation against evildoers. Hell can be lauded as the final punishment for evildoers, and for some, I hope and pray that it is a deterrent from evil. The only thing that he would lack is to seek after Jesus Christ and His salvation.

Posted by Me on an OAO Message Board:

joem said:…exhaustive foreknowledge…equals exhaustive predestination…

jesse said:…If God eternally foreknew all that will unavoidably occur, God could never decide what will occur…

I think these statements are mutually exclusive. And as such, one or both statements must be wrong. And if wrong, then the philosophical underpinnings of these statements must also be wrong. So which one is wrong?

I agree with foryou that in God’s perfection He could foreknow all events in time including His active role in it and not need to change anything. God is powerless to originate a current idea/action in the same way that He is powerless to sin, IE change from being perfect.

Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

In addition, God is the creator…Including being the creator of time. If you say He sovereign; He is not limited by time. There can be no “moment” for Him in eternity. To discuss sequence or moments, presupposes that He is limited by time. Is God in time or eternity? Time begins and ends. God has given us this picture in creation/natural revelation. God has no beginning and no end. If you can comprehend this, you can comprehend the incomprehensible.

I being a creature in time and space cannot fathom anything that is beyond time or space. This is why God has to reveal Himself for someone to know Him. That is why He uses Parables, analogies (heck, all knowledge is analogical), poetry, allegories, prophetic imagery and such the like. He cannot say I am like “X”. Because there is only one “x” like Him and that is the “X,” IE Himself; thus all knowledge of God is derivative and is in universal terms: the three “universal” omni’s or universal negative (versus affirmative) definitions: eternal (without time) and pure/holy (without blemish). For we know not what “eternal” or “pure” really mean since we experience neither eternity nor consummate holiness.

I agree with foryou that we must always return to scripture. We cannot start with the scripture and finish with philosophy. We must start with scripture, and be always checking our philosophy each step of the way by scriptural principles; concluding with something that does not contradict scripture or else we have erred in our surmising.

Posted on OAO Message Board, Topic: The future as both CERTAIN and CONTINGENT

I believe that God created the world, because that’s what the Bible says. I believe that God has an elect and that He will lose none of them, because that’s what the Bible teaches. But I think that we are missing something, all of us. How do we determine these ideas to be philosophically equivalent? But that is what God is calling us to. The Bible is true, it is God’s word. We are required to understand His Word comparing scripture with scripture. I don’t really have a great answer for the scripture you quoted (scriptures which seem to imply that man is a free moral agent), I can give you the textbook response:

God’s eternal decreetal [perfect] will is what must happen because God has determined that it will be so. And yet nothing happens but by the will of God, thus it is by His permissive will that He foreordains that sin will enter the world and His plan of redemption executed (no pun intended).

God doesn’t want some poor soul to be raped, murdered, mutilated, castrated or incarcerated/tortured. Except for the restraining work of the Holy Spirit, we would see quite a bit more evil in this world. It is not that he chose this person to be decimated, but that He chose you or me not to be…THIS is the grace of God…God hates sinners, while I was a sinner Christ died for me, Christ died for someone He hated. Love is a decision that God made according to His own pleasure.