Buckner Reunion

In obedience to Bethany, I will post something new. Sarah and I are in the middle of a Camp Buckner Reunion. I cannot tell you how fun this is. I love seeing all these camp people come in during their Christmas break and go crazy during reunion. There are lots of games being played, plenty of snacks consumed (in fact, I suffered from a "hooch hangover" this morning. It's when you feel like your stomach is one solid chunk of junk food because you ate so much the night before. It is not enticing to say the least and it will greatly influence what I eat tonight between 8 o'clock and the time I go to bed), tons of catching up with old friends and the occasional Bible study. Well, three to be exact. I was blessed with the responsibility to do all three so I thought I would let you know what I have been teaching on. The studies are on the imputation of Christ's Righteousness and they are broken down as follows.

1) Our Need for the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness
- This deals with mankind's representatives, Adam and Christ, as well as inherited or original sin. We need Christ's righteousness because God demands righteousness and we cannot provide it due to the effects of sin. I also portray why this doctrine is important and the need to understand it and apply it to your life.

2) The Imputation of Christ's Righteousness -- The Basis of our Justification
- The title pretty much says it all. I go into the specifics of Justification and Christ's righteousness: His perfect obedience (both active and passive), justification being a legal or forensic declaration by God, Christ's righteousness being an alien righteousness totally outside of ourselves. God can declare us just on the basis if Christ's righteousness alone being credited to us.

3) How This Righteousness Becomes Ours and the Benefits of Possessing it
- This is pretty straightforward. It comes as a gift, through the instrument of faith (which is NOT a work). I will spend quite a bit of time reviewing the previous Bible studies during this time as well as explaining in greater detail the practical application of understanding our position in Christ.

Those are the three studies and I will come back later and fill you in a little on each one. But for now, that's all you get because I am supposed to be putting together the last one right now. I will leave you with a few quotes that I ran across during my study that are quite a bit encouraging. Eron and Kari, if you two are in Burnet while I am giving these Bible studies I will feel really bad. I would have loved to have had Eron staring at me from the audience insuring that I am speaking the truth.

Take it easy and boast only in the righteousness that Christ provides.

John Bunyan “Our righteousness is both imperfect and short of continuance. But Christ’s righteousness will abide forever, it is a garment that will never wear out, or wax old, it is a righteousness that will last our lives, be of service at death, appear fresh at judgment, and will answer for us in a time to come, and give us an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

John Murray “Regeneration is an act of God in us; justification is a judgment of God with respect to us. The distinction is like that of a distinction between the act of a surgeon and the act of a judge. The surgeon, when he removes an inward cancer, does something in us. That is not what a judge does—he gives a verdict regarding our judicial status. If we are innocent, he declares accordingly.
The purity of the gospel is bound up with the recognition of this distinction. If justification is confused with regeneration or sanctification, then the door is opened for the perversion of the gospel at it’s center. Justification is still the article of the standing or falling of the church.”

Christmas Lights

Well, most of you know that I will dearly miss Texas when I move to good ole' Looeeville to go to seminary. I just wanted to give you guys a tast of what I will miss. Three things have really caught my eye this year as I have been driving around the Kingsland/Granite Shoals area (which is where we live for those that don't know) admiring the beautiful Christmas decorations. Let me remind you that this area is made up of Jeff Foxworthy's favorite kind of people. REDNECKS!!

 

#1 - Yesterday I was driving home from my deer blind when I saw a partial nativity scene in a front yard. I saw Mary and Joseph admiring their beautiful baby boy who was lying in a manger. Each figure lit up and it was really great. At first glance I thought their were two animals gathered around but upon a closer inspection I found that not to be true. Guess who was present at Jesus' birth! Rudolph and one other reindeer!! Yep, according to one family in Kingsland, Rudolph and a fellow reindeer were present at Jesus' birth.

 

#2 - This one just makes me laugh. Jason and I were heading home from a football game and we examined a decorated yard near my house. Jason made the comment that he didn't think that it looked very good and I have to agree. This family took the approach to Christmas decor that requires no order or planning. It looked like the house threw up Christmas lights and the trees in the fron yard caught them. Come on, take some pride in your lighting.

 

#3 - My personal favorite. Some people put figures in their yard that are outlined in Christmas lights. A very common figure is the classic white deer with white lights along every contour and curve to bring the animal to life. There are many other figures such as Santa, Christmas trees, crosses, reindeer, stars, bells and holly. One individual in Granite Shoals has really put to shame any Christmas figure this side of the Mississippi. I laugh every time I drive home and see the CEMENT TRUCK lit up in his front yard with the MIXING BUCKET spinning and CEMENT pouring out the back!! All done with red and white lights. Whos decorates their yard with a Christmas Light CEMENT TRUCK? (rednecks)

 

So anyway, I will miss Texas...but I'll be alright.

SNOWPEOPLES!

This is in honor of Kari Plevan! Thanks for the link, I LOVED making my snowman. Check her out HERE!!! And make sure to click "make her move"!!! Thanks Kari for the holiday links...I think I"m going to hang out at Better Home and Gardens TONS!