Creation - A Mars Hill Sermon

I really enjoyed this sermon and clear explaination of the different theological views of creation. Something came up that made me go watch it again so I wanted to share. Enjoy!

Sermon Notes: Creation: God Makes, by Pastor Mark Driscoll on Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

Video (audio below):
Audio:

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Redoubt Example: Rehoboam

Husbands, Fathers, heads of households, it is time to Redoubt, to return to your tents, to focus on getting your house in order in preparation for what may come!

Re·doubt: noun \ri-ˈdau̇t\ 1b : A defended position : Protective barrier 2: A secure retreat : STRONGHOLD)
-- Merriam-Webster

The back story...
King Solomon has died and his son, Rehoboam, is taking over.

The people assemble to lodge complaints of a "heavy yoke," described by The Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown and published in 1871 as "a system of heavy taxation... [and] civil oppressions."
3 And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, 4 “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So the people went away.

But Rehoboam refused the wise counsel...
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” 13 And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, 14 he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

So the people revolt and return to their tents, they redoubt...
16 And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So Israel went to their tents. 17 But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. 20 And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only.
1 Kings 12:12-20

I liken the call "To your tents, O Isreal!" to voting with your feet. As explained, they peacefully redoubted to their homes, no longer accepting the authority of the king, "The revolt was accomplished, and yet so quietly, that Rehoboam remained in Shechem, fancying himself the sovereign of a united kingdom, until his chief tax gatherer, who had been most imprudently sent to treat with the people, had been stoned to death. This opened his eyes, and he fled for security to Jerusalem." (Jamieson)

I don't want to read anything into the Scriptures, this exchange was all part of God's plan and providence as noted in earlier chapters, but I do want to read out of the Scriptures the timeless principles we can apply to our situation today.

1. Peacefully assemble and bring your complaints to the authorities.
If right and legitimate complaints are turned into greater oppressions...
2. Peacefully redoubt, take care of your own households, prepare for what may come.

Sounds like the process leading to the American Declaration of Independence!

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness...

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The Declaration of Independence

The state of America is bad and getting worse. Our government is spending our posterity, our children and children's children, into oblivion. Peaceful means of complaint and the political process have thus far done nothing to stop this out of control socialist oppression.

Husbands, Fathers, heads of households, it is time to Redoubt, to return to your tents, to focus on getting your house in order in preparation for what may come!

1. Get your spiritual house in order!
2. Get your financial house in order.
3. Pray about all areas of your household, spiritual, economic, educational, health and wellness, safety and security, etc... Determine God's will for your family. This may mean voting with your feet, uprooting your family, whatever, be obedient to God's call on your life.

Choose this day whom you will serve. "But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
Joshua 24:14-14

A follow-up to When is it time to "flee"? and to A Call to Discipleship

More information about The American Redoubt here.

More information about our national debt here...
USADebtClock.com

That means "the federal debt equals approximately $197,579 for each American family."
US Debt Over 15 TRILLION and Counting!!!

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Tea Party - December 16, 1773 - 2011

"On December 16, 2007 - the anniversary of the 1773 Boston Tea Party - Ron Paul supporters shocked the political world by raising over $6 million in one single day."

Pledge to support Ron Paul on Tea Party Day, December 16, 2011!!



RonPaul2012.com

More Ron Paul posts...

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Parental Rights: Mandatory Mental Health Screening

Two recent incidents highlight the need to stand in defiance of tyrannical government persecution of families in America. (read: State Takes Big Bite Out of Parental Rights)

It is very scary trend, and very scary when the use of dangerous mental health drugs in foster care children sky rockets, and then the government starts calling for Mandatory Mental Health Screening of ALL children. Very scary indeed. Below is the weekly update from Congressman, Presidential Candidate, and Dr. Ron Paul. Listen as he relates how a SWAT team was called out to take a child from her family!


Ron Paul is a true Parental Rights Freedom Fighter!

Learn more:

Oath Keepers » Oldie But Goodie: Ron Paul On Parental Rights
"Parents must do everything possible to retain responsibility and control over their children’s well-being. There is no end to the bureaucratic appetite to rule every aspect of our lives, including how we raise our children. Forced mental health screening is just the latest of many state usurpations of parental authority: compulsory education laws, politically-correct school curricula, mandatory vaccines, and interference with discipline through phony “social services” agencies all represent assaults on families. The political right has now joined the political left in seeking the de facto nationalization of children, and only informed resistance by parents can stop it. The federal government is slowly but surely destroying real families, but it is hardly a benevolent surrogate parent."
Dr. Ron Paul, 2004

Prayer Forum: "The Child" Documentary, U.N. CRC, and Parental Rights

Wake Up Call: What if the Constitution no longer applied? What if?

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Newspeak, Hate Speech, Offensive Speech, what about Free Speech?

Many recent headlines the last few years have concerned the attempts at government to control speech. Special interest groups and classes of people that want a special status in society are pressuring the government to control, deny, and even punish speech that they find hateful or offensive. But what about free speech?

In his book When a Nation Forgets God, Dr. Erwin Lutzer describes George Orwell's concept of Newspeak, "In Oceania, George Orwell’s chilling totalitarian state in the novel 1984, we have a compelling description of how the so-called Ministry of Truth used a subtle, sinister language, 'Newspeak,' to brainwash the people. The slogan of Oceania, was 'War is peace; freedom is slavery; ignorance is strength.' The New Thought Police were able to control the ideas that determined the political and moral views of the culture."

He goes on to describe how Hilter and the National Socialists (Nazis) used Newspeak and Thought Police (in much greater detail than quoted here), "When Hitler starved children, he called it putting them on a 'low-calorie diet.' And the extermination of Jews was called 'cleansing the land.' Euthanasia was referred to as 'the best of modern therapy.' Children were put to death in 'Children’s Specialty Centers.' Hitler’s cronies seldom said they were going to kill people; even when plans were made to exterminate millions, the leaders spoke only in abstract slogans such as 'the final solution.'"

He then notes the parallels to Politically Correct Newspeak in America today (in much greater detail than quoted here), "No one speaks of killing pre-born infants. Rather, pregnant women are only removing 'a product of conception' or a woman is simply 'terminating a pregnancy.' Politicians speak of being in favor of 'a woman’s right to choose …' but they seldom complete the sentence. Somehow to say they are in favor of a woman’s right to choose to kill her preborn infant, is too honest, too clear—we might add, and too chilling."

Free speech and open debate are essential to a healthy society. The alternative is very ugly.

Watch this 33 minute documentary.

When a Nation Forgets God by Dr. Erwin Lutzer

abortion | pro-choice

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A Call to Discipleship

It is important that we are equipped for ministry. We all have a ministry, and we are all responsible to be equipped.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
(Ephesians 4:11-14 ESV)

Erwin Lutzer in his book When a Nation Forgets God says, "Today in America we need an army of ordinary heroes to stand against the gathering darkness in our land. We need people who will stand for truth courageously, consistently, and with humility and grace. We need to enlist people who know what they believe, why they believe it, and how to live out their convictions in diverse situations. We need those who are willing to pay the price of discipleship and obedience and to do so with joy. A tall order, but possible."

I just wanted to encourage church members, saints, to get equipped. Take responsibility and get the teaching and shepherding you need. If you can't get it in your local church, pray about finding one that can teach and equip you. Find ministries and resources. Get equipped! There is a gathering darkness, be prepared to humbly but boldly proclaim the truth. Contact me if you need help finding resources or if you just need guidance on getting started.

If we take care to be equipped we may stop the next dark period in history. "If every pastor would have been a Bonhoeffer or a Niemoller, Hitler could not have accomplished his agenda. The pastors and their congregations would have simply said, 'No' to the Nazi [National Socialist] doctrine of the superiority of the Aryan race and its frightful implications."

"'WHEN GOD CALLS a man, he bids him come and die,' wrote Dietrich Bonhoeffer during the dark days when the church in Germany was being Nazified. And at the age of thirty-nine, he practiced what he preached; he was hanged on the gallows and died."

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
(1 John 3:16 ESV)

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Love One Another Family Devotional

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
John 15:12

This is an outline and some notes I used recently for a family devotional on Love. I hope it can help you and your family. Blessings. (My children are 6, 3 1/2, and 4 months)

Jesus commands us to love one another:

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
John 15:12

So what is love? How do we love? Here is Saint Paul's definition:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Here are three big ways of loving....

Love is Patient.
Able to wait on one another without becoming angry.

Love is Kind.
Being friendly, generous, and considerate to one another. Generous means we are willing to give to one another. Considerate means we are careful not to hurt one another, and think of the other first.

Love always Protects.
We keep one another safe from harm and hurt.

And here is how Jesus showed His love for us...

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

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When is it time to "flee"?

Christmas, the birth of Immanuel, God with us.

Reflecting on the Christmas story made me wonder, when is it time to flee?

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt...
(Matthew 2:13-14 ESV)

The profound erosion of God given and Constitutionally protected liberties lately begs the question, when is it time to flee?

From the Government take over of public schools, to the usurpation of parental rights, to the NDAA detention provision which will give the military under orders by the President to detain American citizens with out warrant, trial, or oversight for as long as they want. Seriously!

What happens if we just wait?

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
“A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
(Matthew 2:16-18 ESV)

Lord, is it for me to stay and be bold in the Gospel, or to "flee" and raise up the remnant?

A Great Threat To American Civil Liberties

Wake Up Call: What if the Constitution no longer applied? What if? Judge Nepolitano issues a very serious wake up call!

Prayer Forum: "The Child" Documentary, U.N. CRC, and Parental Rights

unreasonable searches and seizures [Updated] New World Order is Upon Us - We need a constitutional freedom fighter

Big Brother Watch [updated!]

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