Amen❤❤❤

Incredible - what a gift you all have giving praise to the King! Thank you for sharing it with the world

Amen 🙏🏾

Amen brother. Love to hear this.

Amen

🙏🏽Amen🙏🏽

Lovely story but not many details on the scripture itself. Happy that God worked everything out for the family ❤

I’m glad you did a talk about disability. There is much much more to say of course : ). I am disabled. I was born with Spina Bifida and I was born with the worst degree of it. Most of kids born in 1971 when I was born died, or were crippled. That was expected of me, also. But I lived. Doctors said I wouldn’t. Then I walked. Doctors said I wouldn’t. Then my braces fell off (Run Forrest Run!). Doctors said they would never come off. What I know about disability is that God gave me my story to tell. I am only ever in pain. I have had many surgeries. I walk funny and every step hurts. But I walk. God told me to be faithful in walking. I ride RAGBRAI because though I am missing a right-side hamstring, do not have calf-muscles, cannot feel my feet, cannot wiggle my toes, am missing part of my spine at L3-S2, have Chiari Malformation which is a split between my skull and my brain stem causing constant headaches, cannot feel my bottom, have a Spina Bifida related learning disability, have struggles that are more personal, I can ride a bike. God said “use your big muscles.” So I do. I struggle to balance on my feet, but I’m great on a bike. I climb mountains though I use two climbing sticks and the help of my bride. But God said Climb. Why? Because my story is God’s glory. I get to do things many didn’t think was possible for me so that others might be strong and courageous and do things that others didn’t think was possible for them so that God’s glory can shine in them and through them for others. We talk about disability, and accessibility. I have talked about accessibility to groups in places like a conference in Hawaii. Accessibility is less about being able to get through a store without running into something with my wheelchair. Accessibility is having the mind of Christ so that I can live well by God’s will and teach others to grow in compassion, hope, empathy, knowledge, wisdom, kindness, goodness, and skill. Empathy is huge because disability teaches us to have compassion for others. If you have never experienced pain in your life than stubbing your toe will be the worst pain ever. And though for me that is not bad pain at all, I can empathize with you easily saying things like, “man that pain myst be really hard, I’m sorry you’re having to go through that.” That is God’s story in disability. It is a story of love and discipline, and strength and courage. Having a disability means I get to see many ways that God bends the bow, and fights for his people (Psalm 46) and teaches me to be still with the confidence that God is God (v. 10) and he will not let me go but will instead work through my story. Disability need not be a fearful sermon but one full of amazement about how many ways God finds to build his children up. He creates calamity sometimes (Isaiah 45:7) and in doing so his glory and love roars with power, grace, and mercy. I am thankful every day that I have a story to tell.

The point I think needs to be stated is that depravity has nothing to do with God seeing us as hated, ugly people. Depravity states that we do not have the mind of Christ until we are given the mind of Christ - Genesis 6:5 states, “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” We will not see God of our own because the things of God are foolishness for those who are not spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14). God loves us completely, and depravity does not, nor can it stop God from loving his people. Genesis 8:21 shows God saying, And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.” Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?” Mark 7:21-23 says, Mark 7:21-23 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” It is only by God’s name and word that we can be drawn to him (John 6:44), and it is only God who writes his word on our heart before faith can grow in us (Jeremiah 34:31, Ezekiel 36:26). We cannot and do not choose God because of this depravity (John 15:16). Other supporting scripture comes from “Romans 9-11, John 6:44, 63-65, & Ephesians 1-2. Scripture further says in Romans 3:10-19 “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit; The poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” Romans 8:7-8 says, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” I could go on and on, but I will end the point with Paul’s own words who said he is not above these people in saying “I am the worst of sinners“ (I Timothy 1:15) and also in saying that he does what he does not want to do, and does not do what he wants to do (Romans 7:19-25). Depravity says nothing about us being despicable to God. Depravity isn’t even close to what was stated. Depravity after Lucifer deceived Adam and Eve is the principle that God will save a world that cannot see him because he is Good and he is Holy. “I am the only good shepherd and I will perfectly draw, tend and defend my sheep "(John 6:44). Depravity is about God’s saving grace. What was stated by God at the beginning of time might be fulfilled in him only. Genesis 15 at the Covenant of God shows Abraham being put into a deep sleep, and God making His covenant unto himself, by himself, to his glory, for his people, by his own power, will, word, and love. God says that before they were even born, Jacob was loved by God, and Esau was hated (Romans 9:9-13). This is strong language, but we cannot help that it is a true word of God. God is truly holy and by his Covenant fulfilled in Christ for the Covenant he made in Genesis 15 for his people, and his holiness is mighty, terrible, amazing, awesome, and absolutely good, holy, and faithful. Therefore God’s work in us is our privilege and will not fail. John 3 carries a conversation with Nicodemus. Jesus Christ tells him that the Holy Spirit goes out as he wills, and it does not return to him empty, again as he wills. He later goes on to say that those whom he calls his own cannot be snatched from his hand (John 10), meaning not even I can choose to be snatched out of God’s hand. This point is reestablished in multiple places, including in Hebrews and John (Hebrews 10:16-26; John 6:44-45). So those who are his can be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9) to the degree that when we stand in front of our persecutors we need not worry about what we will say, or be afraid of how we will say it for God will give us the words we must say at the exact time we must say it (Luke 12:11, Matthew 6:25, Acts 4). When Peter was asked to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, Peter boldly stated that he will continue to speak in Jesus’ name (4:18-20). To be depraved is not taught by Reformed/Presbyterian traditions that the Lord has created disgusting people. But it does mean that a loving God will turn the hearts of people who can’t see him, and won’t be able to see him until he causes our eyes to see and our ears to hear because he loves them and sees them. Romans 11 says that God closed their eyes, and ears so that they cannot understand or see of their own fruition. Of course there is more. Bottom line is that we have to allow scripture to interpret scripture, and we cannot simply make quick statements like what was said about depravity because it is a form of proof texting and cannot withstand the actual context. We do ask God daily to open our eyes to wisdom and knowledge, and to grow faith in us, for certain. But faith came to man in Christ (Galatians 2) and then we believe and continue to ask God to grow faith in us as we are going so that we can make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, teaching them to believe (through discipleship and time) all that God has commanded. Furthermore, he will be faithful to his people to the end of time as we know it (Matthew 28). You and I may certainly not see eye to eye on this, and that is ok. I do not write because of disgust. I hope for useful dialogue and not to argue over useless things. I think about these kinds of things all the time and I hope you know that I love you all, and I love God’s church throughout its denominations. Sadly, I do wish denominations were not necessary. Alas, perhaps I have proven why they happen with my alternate opinion. But we love Northpoint, and will continue to love you all and grow with you. I simply wanted to show you that depravity as you described it is not taught by other traditions in the way you described, especially throughout most Christian Reformed, Reformed, and Presbyterian congregations. I just figured I would give my own opinion on this, hoping it is received with grace, and with a heart of open dialogue. - Rick Elgersma -

john!!

Great discussion

This has been a great sermon study.

Loved this! Thank you!

I was listening to your sermon, and you mentioned that Adam and Eve died spiritually. Could share one scripture from Bible that uses the phrase spiritual death? You also mentioned that Adam and Eve became like God after partaking in the Knowledge of good and evil. Are you saying they sinned and then became like? Many people use the phrase spiritual death to explain how Adam and Eve died after partaking of the fruit from the forbidden tree. Many believe that God said Adam would die the day he ate from the forbidden tree. This phrase Spiritual Death does not exist anywhere in the Bible, and the phrase physical death does not appear anywhere in the Bible as well. Many have argued that the word separation from God means spiritual death as well. The Oxford dictionary defines death as ”the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism ”. Most definitions speak in physical terms of death and for obvious reasons. It is something we see and experience every day. We know that death means the end of life as we know it on earth. The person who dies no longer exists in the physical world. If we were to take this exact definition and apply it to spiritual death, it would read as such. ”the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of a person's spiritual life. They would no longer exist in the spiritual world or the unseen world. Separated and spiritual death are not interchangeable. Do a search of the Bible for the word separate or separated. Now every time you see the word separate, exchange it with the phrase spiritual death. Then do the same with the phrase spiritual death or just the word spirit. Exchange the separate with spirit or spiritual death. You find that it does make sense in any language. There are only two types of death seen in the Bible, physical death and second death. The words of the Bible are very important and have been placed in the Bible by the Holy Spirit. If we change words to suit our doctrine we lose what God is saying to us in His unchangeable word. Let me give an example of the importance of word placement. I often introduce my wife to people as my first wife. As you can imagine, people are dumbfounded and confused. Namely, those who know me from a distance and not personally. They will often say I didn't know you were divorced, to which I reply, I have never been divorced. She is truly my first and only wife, her reply is, and last wife over MY dead body. Lol My point is if you have a 1st of something this would indicate you have a 2nd one of the same. But if you have a 2nd one, by no means does this indicate there is a 3rd one.. We know there is a 1st Corinthians therefore we know there is 2nd Corinthians, but by no means does this imply there is a 3rd book of Corinthians. This works backward as well. Take the 1st, 2nd and 3rd books of John. We know there is a 3rd book so by simple deduction, we know there is a 2nd and 1st book. But in no way does the 3rd book indicate there is a 4th book. Conclusion: The Bible only references two types of deaths. Physical death (this phrase is not used in the bible) but is seen throughout the Bible and in daily living. The Second death which is the Lake of Fire, seen in the following scriptures. Revelation 2:11, 20:6, 20:14 and 21:18 Another example of the importance of words is as follows. The created Adam is called the first Adam. People often refer to Jesus as the second Adam, but the Bible does not mention a second Adam. Notice 1 Corinthians 15:45 So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. Jesus is the Last Adam. There is no second Adam. There is a reason for this, not explained in this book. I look forward in hearing from you.