Just a few quick notes on what's going on in Australia. I don't have much time to type and so this will be brief and disorganised.
First of all, I like Australia for the most part. I am in Brisbane at Griffith Uni. on Nathan campus working with Student Life (partner with Campus Crusade for Christ). 19 other U.S. college students are with me. We are making relationships with Uni students in order to plant seeds and preach the gospel. Ausies are very relational, but many don't like to talk about deep spiritual ideas...i.e. death, salvation, sin, Jesus (the last three being words many have never heard) I've been fortunate to talk with a few people who are open to going a little deeper. I actually presented the gospel to two girls last Thursday and it looked like lights came on behind their eyes (pray that I and a Stinter are able to meet with them again). Just to end and to partially in response to a comment by James(?): I hope this doesn't read like I'm being mean or arogant, because I'm really trying not to...it's hard to write out how I want to say things...but anyhoo:
If anything I'm only a three point Calvinist. I don't believe you can take from Scripture as a whole that there are those who are chosen by God to go to Heaven and those chosen to go to Hell. I'm hoping to elaborate on what I believe after I get back to the States, I just wanted to let you know where I stand first off...I'm open to the fact that I could be wrong also..........so, the reason I do evangelism becuase I am responsible for preaching the gospel to those who have never heard, not for them choosing but for them hearing, becuase how can they choose if the have not heard, and how can the hear if no one tells them. Again, I hope this comes across as me simply letting you know where I stand. I'm looking forward to discussing this more in depth with you all later...Mike will get the brunt of it outside the cyber-world :)
Please pray for my team and I to have unity among eachother and to stay focused on what we are here to do and to have confidence in that. Especially pray that we rely on God for everything we do and want to do, because if we don't have the Holy Spirit working through us then our works are worthless.
Jordan
P.S. Mike, I miss you buddy.
praise God! He can use even a wretched, no good, fearful, untalented, stuttering, short, funny looking... He can use even one such as you to reach the lost for His glory.
ReplyDeleteAt least He had more to start out with in you than He did with me.
Predestination...hmmm....I just read this short booklet, "The Anchor of Assurance: Are You Sure You're Saved" by Ryan Habbena, that lightly touches on "predestination" and "election" in the chapter 'The Electing Love of God the Father'. It's a good read for 5 bucks. You can find it at www.twincityfellowship.com
I recently got into a "discussion" with someone about this. I argued against it because I don't understand on what basis God would chose those to save- it can't be based on anything we do.
ReplyDeleteHowever, a point was brought up. How do we become Christians when we are too spiritually dead to even acknowledge or desire God? Because before we are saved we are spiritually dead.... so if anyone has a good argument against this - let me know. I still think evangelism is essential because everyone gets to make a choice though.
anon said: "How do we become Christians when we are too spiritually dead to even acknowledge or desire God?"
ReplyDeleteI like this quote by Kirk Cameron,
"I have seen in my personal experience how the Law can awaken a person's conscience - even when it has been dead for many years due to sinful living. The Law is like a jolt of electricity powered by the Holy Spirit that shocks the conscience back into life, causing it to shine its light upon the sinner's heart."
The trouble with people who are not seeking for a Savior, and for salvation, is that they don't understand the nature of sin. The Law brings this understanding to a man's mind and conscience. (see Romans 3:20; 7:7)
Walter Chantry wrote, "The absence of God's holy law from modern preaching is perhaps as responsible as any other factor for the evangelistic impotence of our churches and missions." (Today's Gospel: Authentic or Synthetic?)
I'm sure you know, though difficult to avoid; arguing about something like predestination might be pointless, especially if you're talking with someone who is unsaved. If you're still interested in predestination/election check out the book by Ryan Habbena I mentioned above; here's an excerpt: "election is but one aspect of the saving purpose of the triune God, and must not be viewed as salvation. For the act of election itself saved no one". Ryan has good footnotes for further research. If you don't have the money then email me at dakotalacrosse@yahoo.com with your address and I'll send you a copy free. It's no guarantee you'll find what you're looking for.
For more information on the use of the Law in evangelism check out www.evangelismteam.com
www.livingwaters.com
www.wayofthemasterradio.com
or pretty much anything by Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther, John Wesley.
my project roommate and i were just talking about calvinists the other day...save that for a rainy day at the farm house- would love to chat with you about it.
ReplyDeletehope australia is good!!
happy birthday little brother. Hope every thing's going good in Brisbane. Any chance to visit with family yet?
ReplyDeleteJordan when you get home you're going to have to explain to me what a "Calvinist" is. Someone called me that last week and I don't even know what it means. At least it doesn't sound as bad as the week before when some Emergents called me a fundamentalist bigot for quoting Scripture condemning sexual immorality. I think my label status is slowly catching up with yours. I'm now a born-again, evangelical, fundamentalist, bigot, and recently added, Calvinist... oh, and can't forget judgmental homophobe.
ReplyDeleteI heard a funny joke the other day, it was about Norwegians but considering location...."What's the hardest three years of an Australian's life?" answer: "The third grade!" ...sorry, I'm easily amused, tell Graham that if you see him, he'll get a laugh.