Not a lot happening.  Just chocked up another candle on the cake.  Steven and Celinda were in town and they, Teresa and Ian and Carla and I celebrated it at Cousins.

They even told the staff it was my birthday, so they brought out a cake and sang – it wasn’t just a cup cake as we expected but a slice of 6 layer CHOCOLATE (what else?) cake – enough to share with all.  I kept the ice cream to myself, though.

Garden is producing and it is nice to have homegrown veggies along with the meat from Ken’s family farm.

Romans 8:29-30 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Predestinate.  This word, this term seems to divide scholars into two groups (could be more, but for my purpose two is sufficient.)  I don’t often have a conversation concerning that term, but it did come up a couple of times, lately.

One side believes only those that have been predestined can be saved.  The second side believes that this is an acknowledgement of God’s ability to know all and see all, even centuries before they come about.

If I was asked, I would put myself in the second group.

Some heated arguments have gone on over this issue, why?

What difference does it really make?

If only predestination is a fact and only certain people can be saved, who knows who they are – besides God?

Do they wear a certain mark?  Do they have peculiarities that are tell-tale evidence that they are the ones to be saved, or they cannot be saved?

How do these verses impact our mission as Christians?  Do we somehow make an arbitrary decision and say that this person or that group of people is not worth our time or effort to share the Gospel, with, so, we just move on?

I know of no Christian, serious about sharing his faith, is going to do that.  Sure, we may have reservations about contacting certain people, not because they aren’t worthy of being saved, but because we are intimidated, or we can’t seem to find the right terms or vocabulary that will get them to respond to Christ.

Neither of which, by the way, is an excuse – but it does happen and when we forego the opportunity we should feel bad, we should ask forgiveness and at the same time pray that God will give us another opportunity or that He will send another Christian to present His salvation message.

Romans 10:13-15 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

¹⁴ How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

¹⁵ And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

So, since, I am not God.  AND He, knowing all this, still tells us to preach the Gospel to all creatures and tell others of Him.  Since I cannot tell who, no matter what you say to them they cannot be saved, ‘twould be best to not even worry about it.

Our responsibility is not to save the world, but to obey God and share Him and His Son to the world.  He will ‘worry’ about who and who will not follow Him.

Later, Art :-)