A picture, some thoughts and a NT passage

This is the only picture I should probaby post (in this very public forum) of the birth of Levi Matthew. It is the view out the hospital window right after the birth occurred. Wow! What a skyline has downtown Toledo. Look at all those skyscrapers at sunrise! (sarcasm)

We really are a modest sized city, not "small" but not "big." It is a nice place to raise a family. Did I mention Levi was born at 6:30 am? That is the only time that I had to do all that labor through the night. It was different. It was not a bad time. It was the easiest yet.

We are home and adjusting to the new family member quite well so far. I just need to get more sleep. This is a lways a challenge when bringing home a new baby, as those of you who are parents can attest to. I am glad this only lasts for several weeks.

I wanted to post this passage which is one factor that inspired our choice of name/middle name:

Luke 5:27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. 29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 31 Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

WHO is "Levi"?
(hint: here is a a parallel passage)

Crow

There is a crow crowing very loudly from our neighbor's back yard. I can see the branch it is sitting on, but I cannot see the crow or the rodent that it is about to attack.

(I am just practicing this style for when I post over here. )

It's A Boy!

Hi all, this is J. Wendell.

I'm an honored guest blogger here at Rose's Reasonings.

I came by to announce the arrival of Levi Matthew Cole! He was born 12/20/06 @ 6:33am. His weight is 6 Lbs. 14 Oz. he is 19” long. Rose and Levi are both doing well. They will come home this weekend.

Rosie is thrilled to be a mother of four!

Love to all,
Brother John

I am "still here"

I have not finished my scrapbooking.
I did not sew the window valance.

I did make a lot of progress on my scrapbooks.
I did get the baby's room all ready - including putting all the little clothes I could get my hands on in the drawers.
I did get all the little digital discs with photos from the last year and half since I got the digital camera developed and put into chronological order, organized for each child's scrapbook. (I am very AR about things being in chronological order)

I did not write as many pregnancy inspired posts as I had wanted.
I have not made any Christmas cookies.

I did put up a tree and deck the halls.
I did get all my shopping done - presents bought.
I did not write that post for UOG about Peter's epistle that I was so inspired to do.

I did ramble a little just now.

I am going to go and lay down for a while.

Does this look comfortable?

A Little Help?

Homosexuality and the Bible.

What if a person came to you and asked you to show him specifically where the Bible says that same-sex romantic love is a sin? How would you show him?

What if this person claims to be a born-again Christian?
Would you start by showing him the Genesis account of the creation of Eve, like so:
_____________________________________

What do you think of this passage of the Bible? How does it relate to the suitability of a male "mate" for a man?

Genesis 2:18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, for she was taken out of man." 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

__________________________

What if then the person asnswered thusly:

Many people use the creation story as evidence, but is it? The theory is that as God made 2 heterosexuals that must be the ideal. Yet we are told hemade them vegan ... is veganism Gods ideal now? If Adam n Eve were both black, would being white not be Gods ideal? What if they were both redheads, would that mean all non red heads are not his ideal eather. The truth is, sexuality is not the issue here, but mans choice to sin and go against God. Don't read whats not there here.

What if then, after several more exchanges on this passage, you could see it was going nowhere, as the person was saying things like "... the bible tends to talk in heterosexual terms because most people are heterosexual..." Would you turn to a passage like this and gave these thoughts:

__________________________

What about these passages?

Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. Leviticus 18:21-23'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. Leviticus 20:13

The difference, as I see it, between this "romantic love" as you put it, and a platonic, deeply respectful relationship is that the first culminates in a physical relationship. This culmination is what is spoken against here in this passage. Heterosexual men also have desires that are frankly very unrighteous - promiscuity, sex with multitudes of women in their minds... pornography etc...We must be willing to recognize that which is not pleasing to God about our own desires. This is the first step toward putting off behaviors that are unpleasing to God and ultimately destructive to us. (I include in that all those heterosexual destructive behaviors that are not within God's design).

_____________________

What if the young man then answered you in this way:

It says if a man lays with another man into 'ebah is the sin and to 'beah is idolotry...NOT abomination or detestable. Sorry. So the real crime listed is not homosexuality (same sex attractions) but male same sex acts in idolotry. Note the start of chapter 18 of leviticus and the verse BEFORE the gay law as you see it! Its all condemning a sex act in idolotry. Nothing to do with homosexuality in general then...

Would you kinda feel like this conversation is going nowhere and the person just wants to justify what they are doing? If I were having a conversation like this, Romans 1 might come to mind ... as well as Paul's exhortations to put off all sexual immorality, but is that the right thing to bring up? This person, this hypothetical (?) person, won't even recognize that laying with another man is a sin.

What would you say to him? He says he is a born-again Christian, remember. He should care about what the Bible really says and he would claim to want to know where it says that this is truly a sin. Presumably, if he could be shown, such a one would want to stop doing these things.

What do my children have to do to prove that they are my children?

I have been thinking about this question for months now. It first came to my mind when I got interested in this Lordship Salvation debate that keeps flying around cyberspace. It was a question that I think relates directly to the issue. I am a child of God – having been born into his family by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit through faith that was wrought by the Word of God. Must I prove to myself ... or others ... that I am His child?

My children are my children. I gave birth to them. My husband and I were married and ... through biological processes, they were brought forth to be members of our family. Must they prove that they are our children? Must they look like us? (Adopted children don’t look like their parents. Are they any less the child of their mother and father? Don’t say that!) I have thought of the implications for adopted children. People bring a child that is not theirs biologically into their family by legal means. Does such a child have to prove that he is their child in order to remain a member of the family? Do they have to exhibit certain characteristics to bear out the fact that they have truly been adopted by those parents? Behave a certain way?
Certainly they must not look like their daddy!

I see both natural birth and adoption as very useful comparisons to the status of a child of God. The Word of God itself uses this "child" illustration to tell us who we are.

12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1)

1Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten of him. (1 John 5)

I ran across this verse below and wondered why Peter uses the phrase “being born-again” as though it is something continually happening. I think he must be talking of the renewing of our minds with the Word of God.

23Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever. (1 Peter 1)

This verse below is one that is probably used by some to suggest that if we currently don’t “bear the image of the heavenly” then we can’t possible have been born of God.

48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. (1 Cor. 15)

I can’t help but notice, though, that it says “we shall.” If I knew more about tenses, I could comment on that. Either way – if it is saying that we DO currently bear the image of the heavenly – or that WE SHALL bear the image – I am convinced both are true! In fact, the Bible takes it a step further:

18We know that whoever is born of God does not sin (1 John 5)

Look in the mirror. Do you see God? Do you feel that you have arrived at Christ-likeness? I don’t. However, there is an “inward man” that is perfectly untainted by sin and the flesh. She is the real me that will go on to live in the presence of God. She is the offspring of God. The “old man” is the me that has been around since I was born of the flesh and it will finally perish completely when my body dies. I believe the Christian – the “born-again one” has two natures. We must strengthen the inward man by feeding on the Word, by fellowship with God and other Christians. I know not all Christians see it this way. Their views just don’t make sense to me, though. How else can the different things be said of the Christian all be true, unless there are two distinct natures within us? … else you would have to be able to look in the mirror and see that you have arrived at Christ-likeness. (I just added some links to posts that I did a while back on the subject of “dual natured” in my sidebar for reference to this point - and I also added some other things under "posts of note".)

So … do we have to prove that we are born into the family of God?

Does 1 John 5 provide a litmus test to the children of God? None of us may be sure that we are of our Father in heaven if it does. In fact, I would think all of us would believe we were not His children according to that verse, if it is a litmus test.

We have to face it: born-again children of God (the only kind there are) are not perfect yet. We are still dragging around a corpse. It stinketh. (Romans 7:24) The only way you can know if you are His child is by asking yourself the same thing that Jesus asked of Martha:

Do you believe this? Do I believe this?

25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (John 11)

What does she believe? Does she simply believe in God? No, she believes specific things about Christ –
She agrees with Jesus about His statement:

* That through faith, even though destined for death, those who believe IN HIM will live.
* That He is the resurrection and the life (I would like to unpack that some day)
* That He is the Christ
* That He is the Son of God
* That He is “the One” promised

Do you believe this? Then you don’t have to PROVE that you are God’s child by doing this or that. You don’t have to walk an aisle, you don’t have to say a prayer, you don’t have to “look like” God to be assured that you are His child. You don’t have to love a lot, or serve a lot or do many wonderful works in His name. You don’t have to cast out demons; you don’t have to prophecy in His name. You don’t have to attend church every Sunday. You must not necessarily like all the Christians that you meet. You must not give up this sin or that sin… You don’t have to give away all that you have to the poor to prove that you are God’s child. You don’t have to have an “experience” … or speak in tongues … or tithe. Knowing that you are a chid of God is not about doing ... it is about the non-doing of faith. Just like my new baby - when that one comes - will not do anything, but BE MY CHILD.

However, as they move along in life, children get along much better with their parents and have much more familial blessing when they do certain things in the family. My intention is to write a post about that soon.

In order to be found in the family of God you must receive Him by faith in His promise and His ability to deliver on His promise because of who He is ... just like Martha did. 12But as many as received him … (John 1:12) In this way - this "receiving - being born-again seems a little different than the passive act of a child being birthed by a mother.

I don’t think my Calvinist friends … or my Free-Grace friends …. agree with me that it is not passive.