Be sure to follow Dort Apologetics for some high-quality theological spergery.
Forwarded from Gildas’ Plea
“God wills to manifest his goodness in men, in those whom he predestines in the manner of mercy by sparing them, in those whom HE REPROBATES in the manner of justice by punishing them. This provides a key to the problem why God chooses some and rejects others...Why does he choose some to glory while others he rejects? HIS SO WILLING is the SOLE GROUND”
(Thomas Aquinas, ST, Ia,23.5)
(Thomas Aquinas, ST, Ia,23.5)
Many are familiar with the Heidelberg Catechism written primarily by the 15th century 3rd-generation reformer Zacharias Ursinus. However, fewer are aware that the great catechism was a compilation of the best of two previous catechisms authored by Ursinus, a larger and shorter one. Though the Heidelberg contains the highlihgts, the the first question of the larger catechism should give you a flavor for the depth and excellence of it:
Q1: What firm comfort
do you have in life and in death?
A1: That I was created by God
in his image
for eternal life;
and
after I willfully lost this in Adam,
God, out of infinite and free mercy,
took me into his covenant of grace
that he might give me by faith,
righteousness and eternal life
because of the obedience
and death of his Son
who was sent in the flesh.
And that he sealed his covenant in my heart
by his Spirit,
who renews me in the image of God
and cries out in me, “Abba,” Father,
by his Word
and the visible signs of this covenant.
Q1: What firm comfort
do you have in life and in death?
A1: That I was created by God
in his image
for eternal life;
and
after I willfully lost this in Adam,
God, out of infinite and free mercy,
took me into his covenant of grace
that he might give me by faith,
righteousness and eternal life
because of the obedience
and death of his Son
who was sent in the flesh.
And that he sealed his covenant in my heart
by his Spirit,
who renews me in the image of God
and cries out in me, “Abba,” Father,
by his Word
and the visible signs of this covenant.
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Those who prioritize the conversions of strangers over the salvation of their own households have denied the faith and are worse than unbelievers.
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Forwarded from Presbyterian and Reformed (Peter Ramus)
I call this "Soup Kitchen Christianity," which strains to find one convert on the margins while losing a flock of covenant children. It can be the inner city or foreign missions, but the attitude is the same.
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The idea that gas prices rising is because of Russia and Ukraine is retarded. The U.S. as of 2021 only got about 3% of oil imports from Russia. Furthermore, prices started rising much earlier, noticeably after the Biden regime cancelled the Keystone pipeline and more recently major drilling leases. This a good article going in depth on the causes of inflation: https://mises.org/wire/no-its-not-putin-price-hike-no-matter-what-joe-biden-claims
Mises Institute
No, It's Not the Putin Price Hike, No Matter What Joe Biden Claims
Last year, Joe Biden and his administration claimed that inflation was "transitory." This year, Vladimir Putin gets the blame. Next year, Biden will blame American businesses. And the beat goes on.
Forwarded from Fundamental Christianity
This meme by Calvinbot 3000 is composed in programming language with inconsistent tokens and grammar, blending elements of HTML, Python, and C++ into a freeform language designed to evoke the logic processes of a robot following programming. The code uses standard logical proof of dialectic by contradiction. In this example, Calvinbot 3000 assumes that we DO have free will and that God also has free will. This produces three possible outcomes: (1) our will and God's will coincide, in which there is no problem (this is impossible for the unregenerate.) (2) our will is different from and stronger than God's will, in which we decide and God is powerless to stop us (unbiblical), or (3) God's will is stronger than ours and we cant oppose it. In both Outcome 2 and 3, one party is imposing their free on the other against their wishes, thus negating the second party's claim to free will. The contradiction arises and the premise that both God and man can have autonomous free will is rendered logically inconsistent
What is a covenant?
A covenant is a bond in blood sovereignly administered. When God enters into a covenantal relationship, he sovreignly institutes a life and death bond. A covenant is a bond in blood, or a bond of life and death, sovereignly administered.... In its most essential aspect, a covenant is that which binds people together.... The phrase "bond in blood" or bond of life and death expresses the ultimacy of the commitment between God and man in the covenantal context.... No such thing as bargaining, bartering, or contracting characterizes the covenants of Scripture. The sovreign Lord of heaven and earth dictates the terms of his covenant.
- From "Christ of the Covenants," by O. Palmer Robertson
A covenant is a bond in blood sovereignly administered. When God enters into a covenantal relationship, he sovreignly institutes a life and death bond. A covenant is a bond in blood, or a bond of life and death, sovereignly administered.... In its most essential aspect, a covenant is that which binds people together.... The phrase "bond in blood" or bond of life and death expresses the ultimacy of the commitment between God and man in the covenantal context.... No such thing as bargaining, bartering, or contracting characterizes the covenants of Scripture. The sovreign Lord of heaven and earth dictates the terms of his covenant.
- From "Christ of the Covenants," by O. Palmer Robertson
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Forwarded from Gildas’ Plea
Today marks 458 years since the death of a great man of God, John Calvin:
“I labored at the task [writing The Institutes] especially for our Frenchmen, for I saw that many were hungering and thirsting after Christ and yet that only a few had any real knowledge of him."
During his life, Calvin played a pivotal role in Reformed thinking, so much so, that his name has become synonymous with the movement. Not only that, but Calvin authored an array of books and commentaries, 1300+ letters and preached many influential sermons. The most famous accomplishment of Calvin is the Institutes of the Christian religion, which has aided in edifying millions of saints.
We thank the Lord for blessing the world with such a godly and wise man.
Soli Deo Gloria
“I labored at the task [writing The Institutes] especially for our Frenchmen, for I saw that many were hungering and thirsting after Christ and yet that only a few had any real knowledge of him."
During his life, Calvin played a pivotal role in Reformed thinking, so much so, that his name has become synonymous with the movement. Not only that, but Calvin authored an array of books and commentaries, 1300+ letters and preached many influential sermons. The most famous accomplishment of Calvin is the Institutes of the Christian religion, which has aided in edifying millions of saints.
We thank the Lord for blessing the world with such a godly and wise man.
Soli Deo Gloria
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A quick question for anyone who has their kids in public school…
What the hell are you thinking? If your kids manage to avoid fedop school shootings, they will have to have to face daily hostile indoctrination from fat, stupid, leftist, anti-Christian, anti-white teachers and exposure to literal pornography in class. If by some means they remain Christian through this abuse coupled with deliberately distorted science and history “classes”, they will surely be scarred and far weaker for it.
There are literally zero positives to public school. They will learn nothing you couldn’t have taught them far better yourself. Inb4
>But we can’t afford it!
>If you make wise financial decisions, you can. Ask your pastor and local Christian families about ways to partner up to save time and money. If you don’t do anything to overcome this minor hurdle, you literally hate your children. You have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever.
What the hell are you thinking? If your kids manage to avoid fedop school shootings, they will have to have to face daily hostile indoctrination from fat, stupid, leftist, anti-Christian, anti-white teachers and exposure to literal pornography in class. If by some means they remain Christian through this abuse coupled with deliberately distorted science and history “classes”, they will surely be scarred and far weaker for it.
There are literally zero positives to public school. They will learn nothing you couldn’t have taught them far better yourself. Inb4
>But we can’t afford it!
>If you make wise financial decisions, you can. Ask your pastor and local Christian families about ways to partner up to save time and money. If you don’t do anything to overcome this minor hurdle, you literally hate your children. You have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever.
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A Biblical View of Inflation
First, let’s define inflation. Inflation is when prices for a constant quantity/quality of goods increases. So prices increase but without a corresponding increase in the amount or quality of the goods. Inflation generally occurs because central banks create additional money, whether by physical printing or electronically (by purchasing assets on the open market).
God’s law authorizes the government to be a punisher of evil and a rewarder of good. Nowhere is the government given control over banks and currencies. The government is given the authority to levy taxes (which are to be less than the tithe), and can require payment in certain currencies, but forbidding alternate currencies or transactions with them is definite overreach.
Most seriously, however, governments (and the central banks controlled by them), by creating ever more money and depleting the value of people’s incomes and savings, are stealing. The law is clear that theft is not limited to physically taking property but can include damaging the value of property.
I’m thinking of writing a full blog post on inflation. Let me know if you’re interested!
First, let’s define inflation. Inflation is when prices for a constant quantity/quality of goods increases. So prices increase but without a corresponding increase in the amount or quality of the goods. Inflation generally occurs because central banks create additional money, whether by physical printing or electronically (by purchasing assets on the open market).
God’s law authorizes the government to be a punisher of evil and a rewarder of good. Nowhere is the government given control over banks and currencies. The government is given the authority to levy taxes (which are to be less than the tithe), and can require payment in certain currencies, but forbidding alternate currencies or transactions with them is definite overreach.
Most seriously, however, governments (and the central banks controlled by them), by creating ever more money and depleting the value of people’s incomes and savings, are stealing. The law is clear that theft is not limited to physically taking property but can include damaging the value of property.
I’m thinking of writing a full blog post on inflation. Let me know if you’re interested!
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Forwarded from Disclose.tv
NEW - Mexico bans e-cigarettes and other vaping devices.
President Lopez Obrador said it was a "lie" to claim that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to inhaling tobacco smoke.
@disclosetv
President Lopez Obrador said it was a "lie" to claim that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to inhaling tobacco smoke.
@disclosetv
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