2010 11 28

Why Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh? Reverend Anthony R. Locke November 28th, 2010  www.FirstPresTucker.org at the First Presbyterian Church of Tucker Matthew 2:9-11 1st Sunday of Advent with Baptism English Standard Version 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before…

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2010 11 21

Behold the Beauty of the Christ! Reverend Anthony R. Locke November 21st, 2010  www.FirstPresTucker.org at the First Presbyterian Church of Tucker Daniel 7:9-14 Christ the King Day English Standard Version 9 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of…

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God Doesn’t Do Anything Random, Because He CAN'T — John 6:37-44

Election should steal from you the idea that you saved yourself with an act of faith. You don’t get the glory for being saved. God gets the glory. Your faith isn’t salvific – a good work.

Election doesn’t diminish the “Whosoever will may come!” part of the Bible. Our part is believing. We still have to confess faith in Jesus or we are not obeying the command to believe.

Election doesn’t paint God as mean by sending people to Hell. Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!

Election doesn’t diminish the power of grace. God family isn’t a exclusive club of saved people. Election creates a large inclusive family like the sands in the sea and stars in the night sky.

Why does election save more people than sin damns?  Because grace is greater than sin. Sin bruises the heel, grace crushes the head. Sin brings people to hell on a wide path, like a group event, or like a city wide revolt away from God into Hell.

Going to heaven is a narrow path for the few who find it. This means that faith is a one on one encounter with Jesus. Going to Hell is a group event. This does not mean that more people are in Hell than in Heaven. I believe grace will get the upper hand numerically too. God’s magnanimous love is proven by election. There will be more people in Heaven than Hell. It is God’s doing.

Let me wrap this up. Don’t begrudge the role God plays in your salvation. Trust God to be good in the use of that mighty power. Absolute power corrupts absolutely . . . for humans, but not God.

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Can We Feel Predestination? — Romans 8:28-9:33

There is an amazing Bible topic called Predestination. It answers some pretty important questions about God and our salvation. Specifically, predestination is suppose to make us feel certain things in our heart and in our faith about God and about our salvation.

I know most people think of predestination as a painful journey in Calvinistic theology, but, God doesn’t handle it that way in the Bible. God doesn’t think this doctrine is hard. To God this doctrine is meant to be a huge blessing. We aren’t suppose to think it first; we are to feel it.

So what are we suppose to feel?

First, we are to feel wrapped up in the everlasting arms of our heavenly Father who is in complete control of everything. Romans 8:28 reminds us that the roller-coaster ride we call life never catches God by surprise. Even sad events are used by God to build our character, return us to prayer and test our submission to the will of God. Predestination means that we can be at peace with our tomorrow because God controls our yesterday, today and tomorrow. Can you feel that? It’s the steady hands of the Lord leading you forward.

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2010 10 31

Tyndale’s Legacy Reverend Anthony R. Locke October 31st, 2010  www.FirstPresTucker.org at the First Presbyterian Church of Tucker Psalm 56:1-13 Reformation Sunday English Standard Version 1 To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples…

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