2016/12/25

I would never trust man again.
“Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend;
guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms;
for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
But as for me, I will look to the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:5,6

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8

Lord, I may not be able to express my heart fully and deeply in English. But I shall try hard to express anyway because God you look on the heart of man rather than the appearances. I will trust in you oh God. I will not entrust myself to another human being. I shall love my neighbors as myself, but I shall not depend on them or trust them. They are deceivers and sinners just like me. They are to be loved than to be trusted. I shall look upon thee God of my salvation and in Jesus Christ shall I hope forever for he accomplished the redemption for me. Whether in life or in death, my only comfort is that you redeemed to be my Lord, oh Lord Jesus. In you shall I trust. Blessed is everyone who trusts in the LORD. I will fight against this sinfulness within, the world surrounding me and Satan against me. I will one day overcome. IN JESUS NAME, Amen .

Why does the John the Baptist first?

The last of the OT covenant prophet. 

1.The timing 

2.The miracle of his birth

3. His ministry

Luke 1:1-4 Sermon note

1.what did Luke attempt to write?
2 how did he seek to write it?
3. why did he write it?

1. Hitory
-Historical facts-orderly account of life death resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ (main events of Jesus Christ)
-presents Christianity as history
-not as a series of ideas or philosophy or economic political theory or way of life
-presents Christianity first and foremost as truth claims about history
–way of life is secondary
-historical facts are the basis and foundation of our faith
-great plain facts about what Jesus accomplished

2. Like a historian
-by the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit
–HS uses personalities, backgrounds, skills, educations,, of authors
-how the 1st century historian would write history with investigation, through research, literary conventions of his time.
–ex) a lot of names of places, people, times, governors, reigns…interviewing eyewitnesses(apostles)

3. verse 4
-writing to Christians
-so that we may have more certainty concerning things that we have been catechized
-for more assurance
-not only as a historian, but also as a theologian

Introducing covenant theology

We have to remember that the Sinai covenant is not simply identical to the pre-fall Adamic covenant. The very purpose of the Jewish theocracy was to point forward through types to the coming Messiah. The very purpose of the Jewish theocracy was to point forward through types to the coming Messiah. This typological kingdom could not be maintained by God, if the existence of the kingdom was dependent on perfect obedience.

There are similarities between near-eastern treaty custom and the covenant God made with Israel. However, there are definite differences between this biblical covenant and secular covenant like the Hittites’ covenant. The chapter 2 of this book briefly explores this similarity and difference between biblical and secular covenants.

The chapter 3’s main focus is on answering questions: “Are there two different covenant traditions?”
So Mosaic covenant and Abrahamic covenant are both different administration of the same covenant of grace.

“While there are more than two covenants in the Scriptures, they all can be ground around two arrangements: conditional covenants that impose obligation and unconditional covenant that announce divine promise…
In Galatians 4, Paul has two “laws” in mind which he actually calls “covenants”
A covenant of law, which promise blessing upon perfect obedience and curses for any transgression, and a covenant of promise, which promises blessing as a gift resulting from the personal performance of another.”

The precise nature of two covenants: Sinai covenant(covenant of law) and Abrahamic covenant(covenant of promise)
“It is as if, from the divine side, the covenant made with Abraham is a suzerainty treaty in which God swears unilaterally to personally perform all of the conditions and suffer all of the curses for its violation, but from the human side, the same covenant is a royal grant, an inheritance freely given and in utter graciousness on the basis of the Great King’s performance.”

12/7/2016

I read the first chapter of Galatians today. And these are some of the things I have learned. First of all, Jesus Christ gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age. One thing to note is that Jesus did this according to the will of our God the Father. This salvation I enjoy in Jesus is all planned out by God the Father, and throughout history, God accomplished all of his promises concerning our salvation in Jesus Christ. And, God the Holy Spirit applies this work of redemption within me. And, notice how God the Father is our God and Father. God the Father adopted us in Jesus Christ and we can call him as our Father and as our God.
I also learned that there is no other gospel than the one which is already preached to me through the Holy Scriptures. There always has been an attempt to distort the gospel throughout the church history. In fact, this sinful tendency of men to distort the gospel has not ceased until now. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul clearly declares that anyone who is preaching the gospel contrary to the one he preached be accursed.
He stresses out that his gospel is not man’s gospel. It is not conceived by man but rather he received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

12/5/2016

What is my hope? Where is my hope found? Everyday, I have to be thoughtful. I have to think about this gospel everyday. I have to constantly remind myself of the heavenly reality in Jesus Christ because I cannot see it with my eyes. Only through the eyes of faith, I can perceive, acknowledge, understand, accept and appreciate these spiritual blessings freely given me by God in Jesus Christ.
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
I trust in Jesus Christ, through whom God the Father will save all his elects in the Holy Spirit.