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Thank you, you are very kind! I pray the Lord continues to bless you through His Word!

I am in complete agreement as long as we define "free will" the same way, as in "the ability to choose and pursue whatever you desire most in the moment of choosing."

@@adamwagner6464 we definitely disagree. Why is it you think God isn’t powerful enough to create mankind and give him the ability to ordain his own will?

It has nothing to do with power and everything to do with God's purpose. God ordains all things according to His own purpose. And He IS powerful enough to grant man free will, but to do so in such a way that man's free choice always aligns with God's ordained will. This ensures that God's purpose is always accomplished and that all glory goes to God rather than to anyone else, for He will not share His glory with another.

@@adamwagner6464 All of the “ensuring that God’s purpose is always accomplished and that all glory goes to God rather than to anyone else” applies to my theology just as well, but if God ordained that he was going to give man the free will to choose on his own, without God’s decree, whether or not he would worship God, why do you protest that God can’t/won’t/didn’t do that? It’s such a strange objection that Reformed believers have. They urge the sovereignty of God so strongly but want to deny what God chose to do with his sovereignty.

How does the "ensuring God's purpose is always accomplished," etc. apply to your own theology? If man's free will is defined in such a way that they have complete autonomy, meaning that their will is unhitched from their fundamental sinful nature, as well as being free from God's ordaining decree, then man's will is sovereign in its own right and mankind can oppose the will of God in an effective way. If this is the case, God's purpose is not at all ensured. Someone has got to be on top. God and man cannot both be sovereign. As to your second point, I don't deny what God chose to do with his sovereignty at all. Nor do I think most knowledgeable Reformed folk do that. What I deny is that God in any way forces man to sin simply because He ordains it. Because "free will" is properly defined as the ability to choose and pursue what is most desired in the moment of choosing, I affirm that God raised Pharaoh up, according to His own sovereign decree, to be an evil leader of Egypt so He could in turn demonstrate His power in defeating Pharaoh. At the same time, Pharaoh, not God, is personally and morally responsible for his own evil because he chose to do each evil act according to his own free will/according to his own uncoerced desire. The whole point of Romans 9, which I address in this devotion, is that ultimately, God is responsible (though not morally culpable) for the fact that many people will go to Hell. Yes, He ordained from before the foundation of the world that many people will reject Him, that He will leave them in their state of rebellion, and that He will be glorified in expressing His just wrath against them, even as that then allows Him to show the riches of His glory in the mercy He extends to those He ordains to save. This is why Paul stresses the differences between the Creator and the created. God has the right to ordain whatsoever pleases Him regarding His own creation. And yes, ultimately that means that God is responsible for the existence of evil and sin simply because He COULD HAVE created in such a way that evil and sin were simply not possible. But the fact that God is ultimately responsible for evil's existence is not the same as saying that God has committed evil or that He forces people to sin, despite the fact that He did purposefully ordain its existence. That's what I want to preserve and teach to the glory of God. God is sovereign and ordains all that comes to pass, but man is still responsible for their own sin.

Tel him the same way there can be a God in the first place. Just like God having a son seems incomprehensible to us, but it’s a description of a relationship and a closeness that is related to us so that we can get some kind of glimpse of its truth, so too is God described to us in scripture, an incomprehensible, awesome being is explained to us in ways that give us a glimpse of the truth of his being. Ask you Muslim friend if he believes in God, and if so, how can there be a God?

I would start by explaining that God did not "have a son" in the same way that we humans do. Often this question is brought up with an incredulous attitude because the assumption is that for God to have a son, then there must be some wife-equivalent god and they'd have to have procreative relations of some sort to then produce a son-god offspring. But as I think TheRomans9Guy is getting at... that is not at all what is implied when we read that God has a son. For example, in Isaiah 9:6, titles are given to God, including "everlasting father." The only way to be an EVERLASTING father is to have an everlasting SON. Which means no, God the father did not at some particular point in time bear or produce offspring by some divine mechanism. Rather, the Triune God has existed in that state, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, from eternity. He has ALWAYS been Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And again, as TheRomans9Guy points out, the existence of God is already something many people find incredulous, so if your Muslim friend is willing to believe in God, or at least, A god, then he might be willing to admit that such a being is far beyond our comprehension in most every way. Therefore, why should we put limits on Him, that He CAN'T be triune in this way? The idea that God is three persons in one essence, while admittedly mind-bending, does not actually break any laws of logic or anything like that. There's no reason He CAN'T be such a triune being, and the simple reason that we can't comprehend HOW that works is not sufficient to say that it doesn't. After all, if we could plumb the depths of God and actually understand everything about how He works internally, then He wouldn't be a very impressive God at all. I'm not saying your Muslim friend will be convinced by these thoughts, because people will believe what they want to believe regardless of the evidence they are presented with, but I hope it is helpful to you, nonetheless.

@@adamwagner6464 Your comment drives right at the heart of the issue. I completely agree. It’s like marriage. Human marriage is a gift God has given us on Earth to be the deepest, most fulfilling relationship we can have. But it pales in comparison to how our relationships will be in eternal life, with everyone. Marriage here is a picture of relationships then. It’s given to us to help us get a glimpse of how much better things will be in the afterlife.

@@adamwagner6464 Thank you I told him I didn’t know and he started to judge me because I didn’t know he said he believed in one god simple putting it he believes Jesus and allah is one god.

I'm sorry that your Muslim friend was not willing to consider the Christian position at a deeper level, but I pray your faith is not weakened on account of that. His judgment of you falls perfectly in line with Christ's warning that people will speak all sorts of evil against us falsely on His account. It's not our job to convince people. It's our job to declare the truth firmly but lovingly and leave the heart-changing to the Holy Spirit.

This is an excellent question! And there are two parts to the answer. First off, God's general will for ALL His people is that they be sanctified. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5) In other words, God desires His people to live holy and godly lives, relying on His strength to think, speak, and act in a righteous manner. Christians often discount this as being "too generic," but it is the foundation of how we live our lives! What does it matter the specific "calling" or "ministry" we have if we aren't passionate for living holy no matter what the situation is? Second, we have that "special calling" that you were probably originally intending to ask about. How do we know what God specifically wants us to do, whether it's for a profession or a ministry or in regard to having a family or whatever it may be? Well, the answer here is pretty simple, too. What do you WANT to do? What do you feel PASSIONATE about? Whatever that is, ask yourself, does it bring glory to God or is it opposed to God? If it's something that can bring glory to God, whether because you want to be a pastor preaching His Word, are you want to be a farmer demonstrating dominion over the earth and providing food so that people can live... well, both those options and so many things in between absolutely do bring glory to God when we do them in reliance upon His strength and for His honor! So, go for it! Set your mind first on Christ in reliance upon Him and His righteousness, and so strive to be sanctified, to be holy. And as a result, your DESIRES will become sanctified. And then, when you know your desires are in keeping with God's holiness and goodness, in all seriousness, just do that, whatever it may be. And if that's not what God has for you, He will direct your path. But the first step of figuring out that "particular thing" is to start from the foundation of seeking His righteousness... and then DO SOMETHING. Because THAT is when He will direct your path. A boat that's not moving can't be steered. God rarely lays out our whole path before we even start, so don't wait for Him to. Start moving and then let Him steer you as you go. I hope this helps, friend. Our God is good!

@@adamwagner6464 thanks so much.

You're most welcome!

Amen, sister!

So glad the Lord has blessed you!

It is my pleasure to provide them! Many prayers for peace and comfort for your sake!

The point of Romans 1 isn't that people can be saved by what is seen in creation. The point of Romans 1 is that no one can claim ignorance due to what is seen in creation; they are without excuse. This is why evangelism is mandated by God. Because general revelation (what can be seen in nature) is enough to leave people without excuse and therefore justifiably condemned, but special revelation (the Gospel) is required for people to be saved. Therefore, God commands us to go into every nation and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey Christ. Because, in fact, God does love people from "every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages." [Revelation 7:9-12]

A fool thinks he's going to live forever Yikes!

Does it not stand to reason that a fool is someone who thinks that something can come from nothing all on its own? Despite the trappings of "modern education," the current mainstream beliefs concerning the origin of life, actually the origin of anything at all, are nonsensical. They defy logic entirely. The belief in God's existence and creative power, yes even through His voice, is actually in keeping with proper logic. There must be a first cause and that cause cannot come from within the material universe itself. With great desire for your liberation and life, I pray the Lord brings you to your senses such that you can come to actual knowledge and escape the snare of the devil who has you doing his bidding.

@@adamwagner6464 Science does not believe that something came from nothing that is the purview of religion.

Your statement is incorrect. Or, to clarify. Mainstream science today claims one of two options. That the material universe came into being from nothing, or else it always existed. Without God, those are the only two options, but unfortunately both options lead to logical fallacies. Something cannot create itself. And in the second case you get an infinite regression. Therefore, there must be something beyond the material universe that acts as the first cause. My point in this is not to "prove" God to you. My point is to demonstrate that the current scientific models are simply not based on logic and reason as so many claim, which is in keeping with what I've been saying in these devotional videos. Secularist/Materialists simply do not hold the intellectual highground that they claim to on this matter. But as I've also mentioned in my recent videos, I do not expect my "rational argument" to sway you. I pray the Lord opens your heart and mind to have understanding of the truth.

So? What does that have to do with resurrections and afterlives to infinity ? That's illogical.also "Did God Create the Universe From Nothing?" Jonathan MS Pearse

It's not an easy book to understand straight off the bat, I'll admit!

I am sorry, I am not aware of any such television programming... In terms of her ability to navigate technology, what about an old-style cassette player? I have one kicking around that simply has the slot for the cassette, and several big buttons for open/close, play, stop, rewind, fast forward, etc... perhaps she would be able to use something like that, depending on her condition? I know you can get the whole bible on cassette audio. I apologize that I can't offer any better solutions.

@adamwagner6464 there is a need for this. She is not the only one. You have old people, blind people, paraplegics, and just plain poor people in 3rd world country's. There are channels on TV that are Cristian or so called Christian, but we need to trust our salvation to no man. We all need to study the word of God. I read the bible to her when I see her but I live 120 miles away and my health is not great. I will see if she can remember how to work a cassette player. I will see her next week.

@@patmickler1352 I will pray for both you and your aunt, because you're right, we all need regular access to God's Word to read it or hear it for ourselves.

@adamwagner6464 thank you. God bless you and I will pray for you also.

Sounds about right! :-)

In the context of Leviticus 5:4-6, the rash oath is made, though the person making it doesn't realize its rashness at the time. But then, when they realize that it was a rash oath, such that they cannot or should not keep it, then it appears that they are "released" from the oath, but they are still commanded to give an offering on account of their sin. Therefore, with a rash oath, is there a way to escape it? It appears so. But that "way out" comes through the admission of guilt concerning the oath itself, seeking God's forgiveness probably for making the oath in the first place, or not being able/willing to fulfill it, or both. Ultimately, I think this is why we are commanded both by Christ (Matthew 5:33-37) and James (James 5:12) to not engage in this sort of oath-taking at all, but rather to live in such a way where these heightened/dramatic "oaths" are not required at all, because we simply do what we say we'll do. We keep our word in general. Our "yes" means "yes," our "no" means "no." There is forgiveness for sin. We are saved by God's grace, praise Him. So, if you have made an oath that you simply cannot carry out... yes, admit the sin of making such an oath, seek the Lord's forgiveness and restoration (1 John 1:9) and you will have it. Then bear the fruit of that repentance by committing yourself to the Lord to simply be honest and responsible in all your words, no longer resorting to "making oaths" in general. Simply yet your yes be yes, and your no be no. Above all, friend, remember that we are saved by God's grace, not our obedience. We ought to be obedient, yes! But that is the of God's grace saving us, not the to that salvation.

@@adamwagner6464 for example what if I took the nazarite vow but I find out later I regret it and I also have broke it. We know it is possible to keep and we know we can keep it without sinning, but just because I broke the vow or because I simply regret it, am I still able to cancel/nullify the vow with Leviticus 5? I know you said yes for if the vow is impossible or if the vow causes you to sin but what if both of those are out of the equation?

@@astle1995 To put it as simply as I can, if you've broken your vow, then you've broken your vow. It is no longer about trying to "cancel" the vow, as if it had never happened. It is a matter of admitting your guilt, as Leviticus 5 would indicate, and seeking forgiveness, which is available! The idea is not that we figure out a way to make it so we didn't sin... that trying to nullify a marriage, pretending like the whole thing didn't even happen. There is no such thing. Rather, we admit our sin, but we also trust in a God who is ready to abundantly pardon any who turn away from that sin and call on His name! So, to speak to your example. If you made a Nazirite vow, but clearly did so sinfully, not having any long-term intention of actually keeping it, then recognize that as the case and seek the Lord's forgiveness. In just day to day practical terms, that means that your relationship to the vow is ended, and as fruit of repentance, you aren't going to make any more spurious vows, or any more vows at all! And you continue on, trusting in God's grace through the blood of Christ for your forgiveness of that and all your other sins. Please remember, it is not your righteousness, even as a child of God, that saves you. It is righteousness credited to your account through faith that saves you.

Agreed and Amen!