a collection of verses

I have not been posting lately because I am in the process of transitioning this blog to another platform.

In the meantime, I thought I would share the verses that came up in my devotions the other day. This is KJV.

When you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, "We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do." Luke 17:10

    Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Romans 3:27. What do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as though you had not received it? 1 Corinthians 4:7. By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10.

    By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10. For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Romans 11:36. All things come from You, and of Your own we have given You. 1 Chronicles 29:14.

    Do not enter into judgement with your servant, for in your sight no one living is righteous. Psalm 143:2.

Katie

"Song Theology"

So I've overheard the TNMT attendees talking about their "film theology" ...things.

And I wanted to open the floor to all, mimes or not, to discuss a song I found.

It's by (who else) Regina Spektor, who says,

"Sometimes I'm really positive about religion, but, you know, sometimes I'm really sarcastic about it, too. Hey, that's God, that's life!"

Listen to it a few times. Tell me what you think.

Lyrics:

You know that statue
That statue of baby Jesus
In the window
In the window of the 99 cent store
Last night I saw the owner kiss it
And whisper in its ear
I was walking home from Walgreen's
and he did not hear me see him
And on the
Very very next morning
All the subway cars were hallelu-leluing
Welcome back the baby king, the baby king
All the believers they were smiling
and winking at each other
I could honestly say I was scared for my life

They said, all the non-believers they get to eat dirt
And the believers get to spit on their graves...

You know that statue
That statue of baby Jesus
In the window
In the window of the 99 cent store
They've been showing it on the news
It was thirty times its size
With a megaphone and a heart-shaped bruise
It was hovering in the skies
And all the
subway cars were hallelu-lelu-leluing, hallejuah
Welcome back the baby king, the baby king
All the believers they were smiling
and winking at each other
I could honestly say I was scared for my life

They said, all the non-believers they get to eat dirt
And the believers get to spit on their graves...
believe!...

You know that statue
That statue of baby Jesus
In the window
In the window of the 99 cent store
When I woke up I ran and bought it
and locked it in my closet
with a little bread and water
and a flashlight and a first aid kit til he grows

By the way, if this song doesn't make you a little bit angry at first, I applaud you.

What think you?

Katie

I give up.

I've been kinda-sorta sick all weekend. But then...

I woke up today with zero voice. Zip. By the time I got to school, I could talk a little, but there was no way I could sing... unfortunately, I am in a group of 6 girls that was supposed to sing tonight at a school event. We were going to sing Come Thou Fount in 4 parts, and then Revelation Song.

Problem: I had considered myself pretty much indispensable in that group.

Solution: I'm not. And it took a case of laryngitis to prove it to me.

I got the flu/laryngitis at the Awards Ceremony last year (in which I was supposed to sing, again, with my other chorus). I got my mini-lesson then. I wasn't indispensable in that chorus either.

Both of these times, I ended up playing piano. Both times, I only was playing piano for the groups in the first place because I was the only one who could sing and play.

Problem #1: I didn't end up singing.

Problem #2: I don't play piano in the first place!!!

Solution: none in sight.

Both times, I missed chords, was not all that interesting, etc. Nobody looked at me. My name was in the program, but all the lights were off and the spotlight was not on me... literally and figuratively.

I've never been one to pretend that I was humble. I struggle with pride, yes. So... I guess God sees it fit to take away what I do think I do well, and put me in a position to do something I know I do badly.

He gives and takes away, but blessed be His name.

Silver Lining: my parents didn't feel it necessary to come!

Just look at the verse that was in my devotional today (irony? yes)~

2 Corinthians 3:5

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.

I concede. fold. surrender. whatever. YOU WIN.

Katie

Tulips are pretty. Tuips are not.

I just spent 3.5 hours reading and writing about Limited Atonement.

My perspective:

I am not a Calvinist.

If you are going to be something, be it all the way. If you want to call yourself a Calvinist, I think you have to be a 5-point Calvinist... a TULIP.

For you uneducated, that's-

• Total Depravity
• Unconditional Election
• Limited Atonement
• Irresistible Grace
• Perseverance of the Saints.

Some "Calvinists," or "4-point Calvinists" do not believe in Limited Atonement. It scares a lot of people away. It scares me, although I can't say it's scared me away, since I'm still here.

Problem: 4-point Calvinism = TUIP. Pronounced "twip." And that's just not attractive.

Here's the problem... a lot of Calvinist theology is built on Limited Atonement. I can't tell you how many arguments in my Manual for Christian Doctrine book are built off of the assumption of Limited Atonement. How can you, then, call yourself Calvinist when you don't believe the middle of the 5 main points? It's still okay... just find yourself a different name. I do not call myself a Calvinist because I cannot adhere with certainty to their doctrine.

Now, for you who are wondering, "Uhhhh, what is this limited atonement thing?"

Copied and pasted from a wonderful website Google found me...

Jesus died only for the elect. Though Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient for all, it was not efficacious for all. Jesus only bore the sins of the elect. Support for this position is drawn from such scriptures as Matt. 26:28 where Jesus died for ‘many'; John 10:11, 15 which say that Jesus died for the sheep (not the goats, per Matt. 25:32-33); John 17:9 where Jesus in prayer interceded for the ones given Him, not those of the entire world; Acts 20:28 and Eph. 5:25-27 which state that the Church was purchased by Christ, not all people; and Isaiah 53:12 which is a prophecy of Jesus’ crucifixion where he would bore the sins of many (not all).

...I kind of think they might be starting to convert me. Scary thought, right? We'll save that talk for later.

Katie