More on Free Will

Adam had a free will because God gave him a choice. He could have just as easily chosen to obey God and live forever in His presence.

When he chose to disobey, he died and became a slave to sin and so unregenerate man does not have a free will.

Therefore, he can never choose the good.

Thats why only God can save man, and only whom He chooses.

Once saved we have a free will because we are no longer slaves to sin.

We still sin because we have the old nature in our bodies, so when we get the new body, then we will never sin again. Because even now we with our mind serve God but our body fights against it.

God's Will

God's will ain't so complicated. First theres God's will for humans. - Love and serve Him with all your heart, soul, and strength.

Then theres God's will for you as a man or woman. -

man - 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

woman - Prov 31
-15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.

Gen. 2:18And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.



And if you do both of these, then God will reveal to you His specific will and calling.





And now...

Do with all your heart, as for God, what you have at hand. If you take responsibility and do what you see needs done, then God will use that to prepare you for whatever He has planned.

i.e.

My dad kept telling me "get a job, earn some money," and what was i to expect- im 18 and no serious income through me.

Well, i tried applying the usual way, at stores and such, but it just leaves a disgusting taste in my mouth, having to work for some stranger.

So i decided that God would have to provide me with a job if He wanted me to have one, but in the meantime, i would take the responsibility my dad put on me (to make sure the church cleaning got done well) seriously. I can't say i did extremly well, but i tried harder and checked after everybody did their part.

And about a month later, Vick tells me im going with him to the bay area to work for Mr. Otterstad's Oakland Hills Brush Clearing service. And now im realizing how blessed i am for this job. And that i must be faithful here too, until God calls me elsewhere. That means working hard because i must admit i have a lazy streak in me. I hate it. But im sure one of the reasons im at this is because God wants to root that out of me. Praise God!

St Patrick

-"What have you to say for yourself, Christian?" the ship's captain taunted. "You boast that your God is all powerful. We're starving to death, and we may not survive to see another soul."
Patrick answered confidently. "Nothing is impossible to God. Turn to him and he will send us food for our journey."
At that moment, a herd of pigs appeared, "seeming to block our path." Though Patrick instantly became "well regarded in their eyes," his companions offered their new-found food in sacrifice to their pagan gods.
Patrick did not partake.-

read the whole biography (not too long at all) on

http://www.ctlibrary.com/ch/1998/Issue60/60h010.html

free will

Suppose I bring up before you to-day in illustration a child. It has no past, no history. It can do what it pleases, of course; and if I say to it, “Will you do this?” it replies, “I will.” The child does just what any one wishes it to do. Now, take a man of education and of character, a man of principle, a man of convictions, a man of purpose, a man of fixed habits, and you cannot make him do this or that. What he does is already determined by the character of the man, habits which have been crystallized into character. The child is unformed — he can do anything; but the character of the man is fixed, and he cannot do what is against his conscience, and he cannot do what is improper in his mind or view. It is uncertain what the child will do, hut it is very certain what the man will do. Now, I ask you, Which is the more free? Is it the child or the man? Is the child free, or is the father free who can stand up in the most trying times, determined from within by the forces of his character and by the good habits of his life? You take a man — take a father and compare him with God: concede the father to be a man of high character, such as General Grant, and sanctified by the Spirit of God, firm as a rock. Yet, after all, the strongest human being may be tempted, may be overcome by seduction. But when you look up at Jehovah, whose character is not uncertain, whose character is eternal, who cannot do that which is foolish and who cannot do that which is wrong, which is the more free? Is Jehovah freer than man? Is the man freer than the child? Therefore, I hold that a man is free just in proportion to his convictions, just in proportion to his capability of determining his action from experience, just from his fixedness and crystallization of character. A man is free in proportion to the direction and development of his character. A holy character is the highest form of freedom.

work day 2

finished 3 lots

started early (around 8:30)

not too tired tho the hills were steep and the soil soft and crumbly

i like

Working

im down in oakland, california. vick asked me to come to work with him to earn some money. we clear brush to help prevent fires. its the kind of work i don't despise because it works, it isn't futile and pointless is what i mean. but it is hard and it does require persistence to finish one large lot in one day so im grateful to God for an opportunity to mold my character ( and for the cash of course )

but i haven't read from the Bible today so im gonna go do that right now. cya

Free Will

Suppose I bring up before you to-day in illustration a child. It has no past, no history. It can do what it pleases, of course; and if I say to it, “Will you do this?” it replies, “I will.” The child does just what any one wishes it to do. Now, take a man of education and of character, a man of principle, a man of convictions, a man of purpose, a man of fixed habits, and you cannot make him do this or that. What he does is already determined by the character of the man, habits which have been crystallized into character. The child is unformed — he can do anything; but the character of the man is fixed, and he cannot do what is against his conscience, and he cannot do what is improper in his mind or view. It is uncertain what the child will do, hut it is very certain what the man will do. Now, I ask you, Which is the more free? Is it the child or the man? Is the child free, or is the father free who can stand up in the most trying times, determined from within by the forces of his character and by the good habits of his life? You take a man — take a father and compare him with God: concede the father to be a man of high character, such as General Grant, and sanctified by the Spirit of God, firm as a rock. Yet, after all, the strongest human being may be tempted, may be overcome by seduction. But when you look up at Jehovah, whose character is not uncertain, whose character is eternal, who cannot do that which is foolish and who cannot do that which is wrong, which is the more free? Is Jehovah freer than man? Is the man freer than the child? Therefore, I hold that a man is free just in proportion to his convictions, just in proportion to his capability of determining his action from experience, just from his fixedness and crystallization of character. A man is free in proportion to the direction and development of his character. A holy character is the highest form of freedom.