Links to the "Understanding God's Will" series (with Calvinism notes)

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For reference, here are all the posts in the "Understanding God's Will" series on my other blog, the one with the added notes on Calvinism:

Introduction part 1 and part 2

1.  Our Impact on God's Will

2.  Cause vs Allow

3.  God's Will is a Verb

4.  Taking Our Responsibility Seriously

5.  Prayer Matters

6.  But God Can Read Minds

7.  But God Knows What We Need

8.  Advice About Prayer

9a.  "Name It and Claim It" Nonsense

9b.  Help for the Journey

9c.  Considering Other Prayer Verses

9d.  Idolatrous Prayers

9e.  Unanswered Prayer

9f.  Maybe God's Not Listening

9g.  Other Convicting Verses

9h.  Summing Up Effective Prayer

9i.  Still Waiting for an Answer

10.  Why Do Bad Things Happen?

11.  Does Everything Happen for a Reason?

12.  God Works All Things for Good

13.  Limiting God's Power?

14.  Does God Cause Nations to Sin?

15.  Is God Sovereign?

16.  Can We Change God's Mind?

17.  But God Can't Change His Mind

18.  Our Responsibilities Regarding God's Will

19.  Praying for the Wrong Things

20.  Missing the Path

21.  Will God Lead Me to Where I Don't Want to Go?

22.  So What, Ultimately, Is God's Will?

Most Popular Posts of the Week:

A Fresh Start

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I have several other blogs, all with a different purpose and target audience:             1.  Love, Heal Me and My Impressionistic Life (contains many posts about the struggles we encounter on our walks with God - written for the hurting Christian who wants raw honesty and deep thinking)             2.  The Sweetly Broken Journey (includes my life story, a Bible Study for mature Christians, and a "self-help" journaling guide-book to help people grow in their faith and through the trials)             3.  Heather's Garden and Home (includes recipes, posts on gardening and family life and faith, and some social and political thoughts - written for the average person, not just Christians)             4.  Iron Sharpens Iron Bible Study (contains only the Bible study I wrote for mature Christians)           ...
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Spiritual Warfare: Sword of the Spirit 2 (the bedrock)

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It was hard to watch my friend struggle through her deep emotional pain (see previous post ), and I couldn't really do anything to stop her difficult trial or make it all better for her, especially since the battle was mostly in her head.  And I know what that's like: Anxiety is a bully who doesn't play by the rules.  Unfair, unruly, and aggressive.  Running roughshod over you, your mind, your life. I couldn't fix it for her because she was in a battle she was forced to fight herself.  But I could at least try to encourage her by letting her know that I understood, that I got through something similar and that I know she can too... but that she has to want to get through it, to fight it and not give in.  She has to refuse to succumb to the Enemy's lies and destructive tactics. And to help her do this, I shared with her one of the things that helped me get through my hardest times: My "sword of the Spirit," my own personal list of favorite verses that I wou...
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List of Calvinist Preachers, Authors, Theologians, Websites, etc.

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I  found a lot more names to add to my list of known Calvinists (found in my various  "How to Tell if a Church, Pastor, or Website is Calvinist"  posts).  But instead of adding this huge list to all those posts, I am going to put it here, and I'll just provide a link on those posts to this one.  [FYI: I added a note at the bottom of this post on May 5, 2021.] So here it is, a "master list" of known Calvinists to help you be careful and discerning about who you listen to and where you get your theology from.  There are plenty more Calvinists out there, but these are just the names that I ran across the most.   These are either definite, self-professed Calvinists or "most likely Calvinist," in my estimation.  (I haven't heard of most of them, but it's good to know their theology before I do.)   After finding these names in various places online, I looked up each person to see if they are Calvinist.  If they did not self-identify ...
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Spiritual Warfare: Sword of the Spirit 1

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[I intended to do a post like this later in a Spiritual Warfare series, but since it's relevant right now to someone I know ... and since it's been so long since I've added to this series... I'll publish it now.   Previous posts in this series are "My Story" ...  "Be strong in the Lord" ...  Spiritual Warfare sermons by Tony Evans ... "Stay on the Path" ... "Underestimating ourselves/overestimating Satan" ... "Overestimating ourselves/underestimating Satan" ...  #1 Satan's Schemes (unbelief, sin, fear) ... #2 (fear, psychics, prayer) ... #3 (vulnerable in good times) ... Spiritual Warfare: Resources ... #4 (vulnerable in bad times )... #5 (innocence, naivete) ... #6 (half-truths) ... #7 (bad theology) ... #8 (deserts) ... #9 (bitterness, unforgiveness) ... and (for fun)  "Scariest Halloween decoration ever?" I'll break this post up into several parts over the next several weeks.  Much of these posts wil...
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Spiritual Warfare: Stay on the Path (Eph. 6:11)

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Do you remember the scene in  The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug  when the dwarves are about to enter Mirkwood?   Mirkwood is full of dangers, distractions, and deceptions that will try to confuse them and get them off-track, lost.  And so b efore Gandalf leaves to attend matters elsewhere, he instructs them about how to get through the evil forest successfully.  He tells them what they need to know about the dangers they'll face and the path they should take, and then he warns them,  "Stay on the path."   But while in the forest, it's up to them to do it, to be on-guard and wise, to remember and follow what Gandalf said instead of trusting themselves.   Well, life is our Mirkwood, full of spiritual dangers, distractions, and deceptions that try to get us off-track in life, away from God's best.  But God has created a way through, a path that He wants us to walk for the best life (and eternity) possible.   But w here is ...
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So Chicken Sandwiches Hurt "Queer Kids" and Red Hats Are "Scary"!?!

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So, there's this article out (an opinion piece in the Toronto Star) about how "eating at Chick-fil-A will increase the suffering of queer kids."   And I say, " What? " First off, if chicken sandwiches have the power to hurt "queer" folk, then maybe those "queer" folks need to toughen up a bit.  Life is a lot more cruel than a chicken sandwich will ever be. And secondly, if chicken sandwiches from Chick-fil-A have the power to hurt queer people, it's only because the LGBTQ-community made it that way.   Guess what Chick-fil-A sandwiches used to be - before the LGBTQ-warmongers started freaking out about Chick-fil-A, before they turned chicken sandwiches into a political statement, before they started quivering, hyperventilating, and screaming at the top of their lungs about how hateful Chick-fil-A is?   Go ahead, take a guess?   That's right ... they were just chicken sandwiches .   And they would still be c...
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A Calvinist pastor's 9-11 sermons (vs. C.S. Lewis)

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In "honor" of the anniversary of 9-11, I thought I'd share some quotes from my Calvinist ex-pastor's sermons about 9-11 or around the anniversary of 9-11.  (I've shared all these before, so skip them in you want to.)   I'm so sorry to share thes e.  Please don't read them if you were greatly hurt by 9-11, or any other tragedy.  [ And speaking of tragedy: It's absolutely horrible and heartbreaking that Charlie Kirk was assassinated.  It's just so senseless.  It's not like he was a powerful political leader who made laws or rules that people didn't like or that affected their families or anything like that.  He was just a normal guy who debated views and shared his opinions - opinions that some people didn't like.  And for that someone killed him!?!  Something isn't right here.  May God expose what it is, and bring about justice, and protect and care for his family.  My heart goes out to them!  Heartbreaking!]    B...
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"Without You"

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For King and Country is fast becoming a favorite band of mine.  They have such beautiful music and such meaningful lyrics. I just found this song ... "Without You." It came out of a time of serious physical sickness, from wanting to not die, wanting to be able to stay with those you love.  But I think the deeper meaning is not wanting to lose God, even when we are struggling with our deepest aches and trials.  It's about choosing to cling fiercely to Him, being brought to our knees in humility, even when everything is bad.  It's about saying, "No matter what, I won't leave You."  I know how that feels.  In 2016, I went through my worst year ever .  I got to a point where I didn't want to wake up in the morning because paralyzing panic flooded my mind the moment I woke up, and depression enveloped me the rest of the day.  Where I couldn't pray anything but "Please, come back, Jesus.  Just come back now and end it all."  Where I wan...
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And Yet Again - 21 More Anti-Calvinism Memes

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I giggle making these.  Helps me blow off steam. Only if you're elected ... So you're a Calvinist? Except for you ... "I love being a Calvinist" First I'll tell them ... Said Jesus Never! We Calvinists say ... The bookcase Researching John Calvin Snap Out Of It The Pro-Calvinism Meme Absolutely Sure ... Calvinist Lunatic If you want people ... Another Predestination Sermon It's called "Calvinism" Lucky Dude "All" Means "Some" God "In Control" "Total depravity" (AKA "Total Inability" - a concept NOT found in the Bible anywhere!) It's be...
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Hypocritical Liberals! A Fundamental Problem in America

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So ... when it comes to prayer in schools, we have to abide by the "separation of church and state" thing:  "Kentucky School Removes 'Prayer Locker' After Anti-Religion Group Complains"   (So it doesn't matter if the students wanted it or were helped by it, does it!?!  All that matters is that the anti-religion group gets their way!)   When someone chooses, out of love and compassion, to give their Bible to a hurting person who's at the end of their rope, the liberals cry "Separation of church and state!":  "Left-Wing Group Files Complaint Against Christian Judge Who Hugged, Gave Bible To Remorseful Killer"   (So it's not enough that the Left-Wingers lack compassion and love and would rather see broken people stay broken, but now they have to force others to be just like them too!  To stop others from showing compassion and love and from helping hurting people! ) Christians want to help tutor struggling students?  ...
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