Why I believe that our Christocentrism portrays an asymmetrical Trinitarianism.

I believe in being Christ-centered, which at least in the way I view it is being gospel-centered. Let me explain what I mean by "Christ-centered". I believe that there is one God, made up of three parts, the first person (or the head of the trinity) is God the father, the second person is Jesus, the third being the Holy Spirit. To be Christ-centered (or being Christ centric) means to make Christ the central theme.

If you read the scriptures they seem to point to Christ. Take for example the first death in the bible, it was a picture of Christ's blood which was to be spilt for us, and his death that would purchase us life. The theme of the bible is the gospel which (at least for me) seems to give much credit to the belief of being Christ centric.

However let us look at another aspect of this. In John 16:14 we see that the Holy Spirit's job is to glorify the Son. In John 14:13 we see that the Father is glorified through the Son. Without the Son glory is neither given nor received. You see being Christ centric does not undermine the trinity it makes it glorious.

I do not in the least bit deny the importance of the Holy Spirit, or the Father. I believe that they are vital to the trinity, and the daily Christian walk. Let me explain each time I teach, preach or witness I ask the Holy Spirit to come and speak through me, I do not deny my need of the Holy Spirit to be able to do these things. Again when I pray I pray to the Father, just as Jesus taught us to and showed us to by example.

In closing I believe that a Christ centric outlook on the trinity leads to good hermeneutics, it leads to a proper outlook on the bible, and it leads to a right view of the trinity. I do not pretend to be some great theologian, or know all sorts of doctrine. However I do want to be "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Tim 2:15)

Tuesday 11-10-09

Deuteronomy 20:3-4

3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;

4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

I love these verse and am going to commit them to memory (by God's grace). To set the scene a little bit God is telling Moses what the priest is the say when the people are going to battle against someone.

God says that he is the one who is going with me to fight for me against my enemies to save me.

So whether I am fighting lust or pride, or I'm going out to witness, or I'm teaching or preaching, I must remember that:

I need to let not my heart faint. Why? Because, the Lord my God is he that goeth with me, to fight for me against my enemies, to save me.

I need to fear not. Why? Because, the Lord my God is he that goeth with me, to fight for me against my enemies, to save me.

I need to not tremble. Why? Because, the Lord my God is he that goeth with me, to fight for me against my enemies, to save me.

I need to never be terrified of obeying what God commands me to do. Why? Because, the Lord my God is he that goeth with me, to fight for me against my enemies, to save me.

What amazing and encouraging verses!

Please pray for bro. Tony and Mrs. Stacey Howeth. God has used them mightily in my life to grow me and challenge me and I thank God for them. It is my privilege to ask you to join in praying for them and Ethan as they face this trial. Ask God to give them wisdom and clear guidance, also please pray that God would miraculously provide for their every need!

Remember no matter what the trial it is the Lord your God who goes out before you to fight for you, to bring himself glory,

Monday 11-9-09

Deuteronomy 12

Deuteronomy 12:23

for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.

My flesh wants both the pleasures of this world and the blessings of God. That isn't why Christ came to die, I mean he didn't come and die so I could get my insurance policy and go on living a sinful and wicked life. We cannot have the flesh and the blood. I honestly don't know how to communicate what is in my heart any better then I have. I pray that

Please pray for Ethan Howeth, he underwent surgery today for the gunshot wound in his lower leg. I did not get any specifics although I heard it went well, Praise God for that! Please though continue to pray for him that God would touch him and work a miracle to heal him. Also ask God to comfort and grow the Howeth family during this very difficult time. Most importantly ask God that he would receive maximum glory through all of this.

Monday 11-2-09

I was reading this afternoon in Numbers 22 where I ran into the story of Balaam and him talking to a donkey. While this did almost make me laugh it also made me do some heart digging. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Numbers 22:32-34

32. And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:

33. And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.

34. And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.

Alright to help set the scene: Balaam has been called upon by an enemy of Israel to curse them. Balaam is in route to this evil man, riding on his donkey, his donkey sees a angel of the Lord blocking the path and ends up scraping Balaam's foot against the wall. Balaam had not seen the angel of the Lord, and started beating his donkey. God opens the donkey's mouth and speaks through him to show Balaam the error of his ways. Then Balaam finally sees the angel of the Lord and starts this conversation.

Now we might be going wow how stupid does a guy have to be to sit there and talk to an animal? Shouldn't he have realized something was up with the first word the donkey spoke? Here's what it got down to for me, Balaam was so blind and set in what the angel called a perverse way that couldn't see a clear sign like a donkey talking or and angel of the Lord blocking his path.

Yes it struck me oddly that a man was talking to a donkey and the donkey was talking to him but what struck me so far beyond that was this. Am I so set in any perverse way that I could not see God's direction in my life? Also this thought plagued my mind: What will it take for God to get my attention? am I sensitive to his leading or am so blind to his calling that I couldn't see it if an angel were standing in my path?

There is so much more that this text contains that time keeps me from covering at this moment but hopefully we'll get into it a a later time.

Please pray for a young man named Andy he got saved recently and had been coming to church every service. In the past couple weeks he stopped coming to every service and wasn't there Sunday morning. My heart has been heavy for him the past week or so, please pray that God would show him the necessity of being in the fellowship of other believers, and being under Godly preaching. Ask the Lord to do a work in his heart, and that he would keep him from the evil one.

God Bless,