Our New Blog Pictures

Last Sunday we took some pictures at the church and we wanted to share some with you guys.

These last pictures we actually took Thursday night, but we had some problems and I like the next ones.

Having fun looking dumb! I have no clue what we were doing or trying to acomplish by scratching our chins!

Nick thought it would be funny to be different! Everyone was laughing when we found out what he did!

Everyone liked the position of this pic so we took a couple of them on the stairs, including the following.

There was some confusion on that picture in where to face.

I like this picture because it looks as though Luke is trying to kick me and I'm just looking at his foot.

This (above) I think we would say was our favorite, and it looks rather band-e like a picture you would find in a cd cover.

And this last picture right below is a "thank you" to all the readers who read our blog!

Thanks and enjoy!

-Kole (and the other Our Life Savior members)

Grace will Lead Me Home

I'd like to share some thoughts from and about Morning and Evening (Charles Spurgeon) for September 22 Morning.  It struck me the other day, so I wanted to share it with you now.

"When my heart is faint...lead me to the Rock that is higher than I."

- Psalm 61:2

The central focus of Spurgeon here was on Christ "leading" us to Himself, the "harbor of weather-beaten sails."  He comments that "the helm does not answer to our puny hand; [God] alone can steer us over the bar between the sunken rocks and safe into the fair haven."

That made me think about something that comes up a lot in my godly conversations--the fact that man, on his own, cannot choose or come to God.  Along with what Kole was just talking about in the last post!  Man is incapable--he has a "puny hand."  Man needs God to lead him heavenward.

This is true in the sense that man needs God to call him to Himself initially (salvation), but it is also true for people who have already been saved.  Christians still need God to lead them toward heaven--without Him, our "puny hand" would allow the sea of the world to pull us into the rocks and drown us in its depths.

Just a few profound thoughts from Spurgeon.  I recommend his writing, especially the twice-a-day devotional Morning and Evening.  It is thought-provoking and is well worth the read for the Spiritual benefits it provides by pointing to God and His word.

On the non-spiritual side of things, I'm having computer problems that will end today by me sending my computer to HP.  This is nice because my computer problems will go away.  This is bad because I will be without a computer for two weeks.

What is a guy like me to do?  I do school on the computer, I entertain myself on the computer, I make money with the computer (making websites and Flash applications/games), I make music on the computer, I even exercise on the computer (I run Dance Dance Revolution through the computer).  Pray for me.  This is God's way of saying "stop relying on the computer, you geek."

I might have small windows of time at least every other day to check my email and reply to comments, but nothing beyond that.

Well, that's all I've got.  Comment!

Luke

By Faith

For the last couple of days I have been talking with someone about predestination and how only those who have been chosen will be saved. Instead of just writing a comment I thought it might be good if I posted on the subject and address this persons position. If I misrepresent your position comment and tell me.

First, this person said, "He offered the gift of life and salvation to everyone (or you might say He chose all of us)." I believe it is offered to all, but only the elect (those who God has chosen to save) will be saved.

This person then said, "(Romans 6:23) He offers it to us, and then it is up to us whether we except or not. He puts the ball in our court, per say. God gives us the choice to choose between Him and Satan, just as we have a choice to choose between doing right and wrong. When Jesus said, in John 3:16, “For God so Loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life”, do you think He would have said “whoever believes” if it was not their decision alone (Same thing in Romans 10:9-10 & 13)?" God give everyone a general call to repent and believe; but the elect recieve a effectual calling which cannot be denied!

John Piper says this, "Finally, believing (Faith) is a work of God, not mere human initiative.
This does not nullify what we have said already—that believing is a human act of the mind agreeing with truth and a human act of the heart being satisfied with Christ. That is true. But the Bible teaches that the human mind is blind to spiritual truth; and the human heart is hard to spiritual pleasures. So how shall anyone be saved?

The answer of Jesus is given in John 6:44, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." In John 6:37 he says, "All the Father gives to me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out." In John 6:65 he says, "No one can come to me unless it has been granted him from the Father." (Cross references. 1:12–13; 8:47; 10:26; 18:37.)

Here are other verses that show that we do not have the will to chose Christ: Romans 8:7-8, Job 14:4, Jeremiah 13:23, and 2 Corinthians 3:5. Eph 2:8 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God least anyone should boast." Great verse! God gives us faith! It's not even ours!

Please, if there are any questions and I will try to address them.

All For His Son's Glory!
-Kole

P.S. Kade passed the US History II Clep test today!

A Hard Lesson Learned

Well, today Kole and I learned a hard lesson.

We we're going to paint our room later this afternoon, when I got a "brilliant" idea... Why don't we draw in permanent marker all over the place and later we would cover it up with the paint? Not good. We realized when we started painting that the marker was still showing through! We went into a long task of scrubbin' rubbin' alcohol to get some of it off.

But over-all I learned my lesson, I'll never draw on a wall again. :) Boy does that make me sound childish.

You can kind of tie this in with life. We all make mistakes, yep even me but every time we do, it's a time to learn and grow.
~Kade

p.s. I put up a new song on the side-bar on Rush of Fools' new album.

Free Will

Some people say that we have a "free will" that is not enslaved to sin. I believe differently and I wanted to post on the subject. Just a few verses that would contradict this belief are: Ecclesiastes 9:3, Titus 1:15, and 2 Timothy 2:25-26. These are all really good but my personal favorite is John 8:44 which says, "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires." It is so simple. This is great because it shows not only the depravity of man, but it also makes you realize how the act of salvation is all about God doing the work. It makes the gospel that much more amazing, and all the more glorious!

All For His Son's Glory!
-Kole

Masculine Women - Feminine Men

One thing that I hate in our culture today is how women are acting more like men, and men are acting more like women! God made two different genders, for two different reasons! Men have a different role then women, and women are supposed to help them do that! I think that our society today is getting a little confused!


Here's an old song from the 1920s:

Masculine women, Feminine men
Which is the rooster, which is the hen?
Girls were girls and boys were boys when I was a tot,
Now we don't know who is who, or even what's what!
Knickers and trousers, baggy and wide,
Nobody knows who's walking inside,
Those masculine women and feminine men

And just think how much worse it has gotten since then!

-By the way that we act and dress, that we show who we are and what God has made us.
And if God has made us for one purpose, who are we to say different?!

~So my encouragement to you men is to, "Be a man."
~And to the ladies, "Be a woman."
Simple.

Anything to add?

Kade

Aliens? UFOs?

Hey guys! Sorry I have not posted in a long time (and this is not really a post, but a question), but I am curious, do you think that aliens contradict the Bible? Please leave comments and tell us, and I will tell you all what I think later in a comment.

Nick