Friday, June 09, 2006
Salvation in God's Way
God, offering His grace through Noah to the world, offered His way of salvation. He ofered Noah a plan for the ark. He assisted Noah in his building and gathering of supplies and animals. He commissioned Noah to preach the coming judgment of God. God was making Himself very clear. One of the most obvious things about Scripture that we fail to see so often in the fact that God has a tremendous missionary heart. He wants to reveal Himself to emn and He does just that. That is the basic point of the Bible. In this passage, God's free gift of salvation was offered not only to Noah, who found grace in the eyes of the Lord, but also to the entire world, which was concious of Noah's faith, ministry, and plan, and concious of God through the creation around them. In spite of all this, they mocked God, Noah, and the way of salvation.
This is a tremendously important point to note. God always offers salvation when the time comes for judgment. That salvation is offered freely to all, and is gracious. However, it is very exclusive. Just like Adam and Eve could not cover their sins with the leaf garments or hiding in the Garden of Eden, and just like Cain could not access God's blessing with his offerings contrary to God's will, and just like Noah and his family could only be saved through the ark, we can only be saved in God's way. We, just like all of these people and the people who died in chapter five on Genesis, and the people who rejected the salvation of God in the time of Noah, need God's salvation. We are sinners, children of Adam, needing that promised Seed. Just as Noah had to follow God's plan for the ark, we have to follow the message God gives us as our Missionary and find God's way of salvation. At the same time, being children of Adam, and sinners by birth, we naturally reject God's message.
This is a tremendously important point to note. God always offers salvation when the time comes for judgment. That salvation is offered freely to all, and is gracious. However, it is very exclusive. Just like Adam and Eve could not cover their sins with the leaf garments or hiding in the Garden of Eden, and just like Cain could not access God's blessing with his offerings contrary to God's will, and just like Noah and his family could only be saved through the ark, we can only be saved in God's way. We, just like all of these people and the people who died in chapter five on Genesis, and the people who rejected the salvation of God in the time of Noah, need God's salvation. We are sinners, children of Adam, needing that promised Seed. Just as Noah had to follow God's plan for the ark, we have to follow the message God gives us as our Missionary and find God's way of salvation. At the same time, being children of Adam, and sinners by birth, we naturally reject God's message.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
On To the Next Thing
The term is over, but the exams continue. I am not still taking exams at the University of Coimbra, but I am having exams of a different sort. For example, last week, I played Taboo in Portuguese with some Portuguese friends. It was really challenging to stretch the vocabulary around the most common words. I am going to miss this time and place, I am also going to miss the new friends that I have made along the way, but I am glad to be on to the next level and step toward Mozambique.
Please pray for the final preparations before I head back to the States.
Please pray for my summer plans and support raising.
Please pray for the team in Mozambique as they continue to make progress in the language study.
Praise God for the time learning and new friends.
Praise God for the provision of this course.
Please pray for the final preparations before I head back to the States.
Please pray for my summer plans and support raising.
Please pray for the team in Mozambique as they continue to make progress in the language study.
Praise God for the time learning and new friends.
Praise God for the provision of this course.
