What Satifies Your Soul?

"The enjoyment of [God] is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows; but God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams. But God is the ocean."

— Jonathan Edwards

Beware of the Silence of Sin

“When sin lets us alone we may let sin alone; but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still, so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times and in all”

-- John Owen

This is my Father's World

This morning we are waking up in Bremerton, WA. Once again I have the privilege of worshipping with and preaching the Word of God to the wonderful people of the Central Valley Christian Fellowship. The coffee has been started.

Our text this morning is John 1:3-5. Our subject will be the relationship of creation to the Word. As we read this text we have to ask ourselves, what relationship exists between the Word and everything that has ever been created? The passage answers this question as we examine it – everything is intimately related to the Word as a result of being directly created by the Word.

Everything that exists has passed from nothingness into being by the direct action of the Word as the agent of creation commissioned by the Father. Everything that has existence passed through the mind and the will of the creator.

John 1:3-4 says “All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”(ESV – emphasis mine)

Therefore, this is my Father’s World. Everything in this world including Christian people are to grasp the significance of the Word as creator. We are to worship him! We are to give him praise for his wonderful acts of creation. We are to appreciate the variety of colors, shapes, sizes, textures, smells, and design of all that the Word has created.

Psalm 111: 2-3 “Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.”

Praise the Lord! Amen? Amen!

Six things that seem rational to suppose;

EXPOSURE TO EDWARDS

This week’s Exposure to Edwards comes from his book The End for Which God Created the World. Edward’s book is printed in its entirety and original form in John Piper’s God’s Passion for His Glory. It is well worth picking up and working through.

This is a hard section to meditate and let rattle around the ole brain. Let me encourage you to read and re-read it and spend some time doing some hard thinking. Don’t run away from a wonderful section of his book. He really is saying that the creator is not dependent upon the creation for anything. There was nothing that the creator receives from creation.

“As to the first of these (reasons) I think the following things appear to be the dictates of reason:

God’s acting for the sake of his ultimate end implies no insufficiency in himself.

That no notion of God’s last end in the creation of the world is agreeable to reason, which would truly imply any indigence, insufficiency, and mutability in God, or any dependency of the Creator on the creature for any part of his perfection or happiness. Because it is evident, by both Scripture and reason, that God infinitely, eternally, unchangeably, and independently glorious and happy; that he cannot be profited by, or receive anything from, the creature; or be the subject of any sufferings, or diminution of his glory and felicity, from any other being.

The notion of God creating the world, in order to receive anything properly from the creature, is not only contrary to the nature of God, but inconsistent with the notion of creation; which implies a being receiving its existence, and all that belongs to it, out of nothing. And this implies the most perfect, absolute, and universal derivation and dependence. Now, if the creature received its ALL from God, entirely and perfectly, how is it possible that it should have anything to add to God to make him in any respect more than he was before, and so the Creator become dependent on the creature?

Taken from John Piper’s God’s Passion for His Glory: Living the Vision of Jonathan Edwards, (Wheaton: Crossways Books, 1998), pp 138-139

Truth from Tiger's Tragic Transgression

The events surrounding and concerning Tiger Woods this past week are tragic and sad. He has tried very hard as a public figure to guard his privacy. He has put forth and attempted to maintain an image that would justify and in no way jeopardize the millions of dollars he receives from product endorsements.

That “squeaky” clean image is now publically tarnished. The press, unfortunately, will take little pity on him or his family as it seeks to uncover every sordid detail of both his infidelities and the events related to the early morning accident. As many have said, there is now no going back for Tiger Woods.

As believers, we are not to be like the press. We have been made aware of the sin but we do not need to be hanging on for every disgusting detail of these events. Our duty is to pray for both Tiger Woods and his family. This shredding of his reputation and invasion into his privacy may be that very thing that our Sovereign God uses to draw Tiger and his wife to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We need to be praying that good not evil, glory and not gutter details win the day.

In addition to our need to pray for the supremacy of God in Tiger’s tragic sin, we as believers need to remember some things. Let me share with you at least five (5) lessons to be learned:

1. Those of us who stand stiffly resolute in our own confidence need to take heed, lest we fall into a similar sin.

I Corinthians 10:12- “Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”

James 1:14 tells us that the temptation to sin comes from within each one of us; “…each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.”

If it were not for the restraining grace of our God through the indwelling Holy Spirit, His written word, our values, the fear of consequences, the church, our families, or whatever restraint that God determines to use, we would fall into the very same sin or worse.

2. The appetites of the flesh are extremely powerful.

Ephesians 4:17-23 – “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Man is in bondage to his sin nature. We as believers who possess the Spirit of God must be always about the business of denying, mortifying, and subduing the appetites of the flesh. They are powerful. Our own heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, always luring us into be controlled by the lust of the flesh.

3. Your sin will find you out.

Numbers 32:23 says; “…if you will not do so, behold you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.”

I am sure that Tiger Woods, like every other adulterer, thought he had been very careful. He was probably sure that he had covered his tracks. It may appear that he had for quite some time been successful in hiding his immorality. You may think that also. We have a tendency to hide in the darkness and hope to sin in secret. We may go to great links in hiding our sin but we cannot hide our sin from God.

God will bring to light those hidden and secret things. I don’t have the slightest idea why God brought this hidden sin of Woods to the attention of the world. Sometimes God will not allow His glorious character to be maligned. There are times in a child of God’s life that God will gently nudge us to repentance through various forms of chastisement. Sometimes in the lives of unbelievers God works to further establish His glory. Even the wrath of man, the sin of man can be used by God to praise and magnify the glory of God.

Remember what Joseph said in Genesis 50:20? You (his brothers) by your sin in betraying me meant evil, but God used this same event for His glory to bring about His sovereign will.

I don’t know whether Tiger Woods is a believer or not. I have never heard him say anything over the years that would lead me to believe that he is, nevertheless, whether he is a believer or not, God brought his sin to light.

4. It is shameful to even speak of the things done in secret.

Ephesians 5:12 – “For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.”

The there are only three reasons why we would even mention these sins even in general:

• To reveal the ugliness of sin

• To impress upon us the necessity of producing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives

• To reprove those who are caught in sin & direct them to repentance

We should not be caught up in the details that the press will dig up. It is morbid and forbidden by God. It is forbidden because knowing such details could lead others to sin in the same manner. Immorality, adultery, and related sins are disgraceful and vile and need not be made known or discussed by those who have no need to know them.

Sin should only be exposed to the necessity of leading one to repentance and restoration in one’s walk with God. Resist the temptation to read the lurid magazine articles, to listen to the TV coverage, and filter out the internet.

5. The need for a savior is still very great.

We are constantly reminded that salvation is not addition but transformation. We don’t simply add Christ to our life as an insurance policy against the future and continue to live our lives by the dictates of our flesh. We are to be transformed by the power of God through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Romans 12:2 “And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (ASV)

Only through the Lord Jesus Christ can we mortify and put to death the deeds of the flesh. It is only through Christ that we can be freed from the bondage of sin. It is through Christ that we are freed from the penalty of sin, the power of sin –but it is only through death that we are freed from the presence of sin (or the coming rapture of the church.)

In this life we are admonished to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5.)

Book Review: Faith Undone

I was given a copy of the book Faith Undone by the pulpit committee of the Central Valley Christian Fellowship, where I am currently a candidate for the position of pastor. I was asked to read this book and state my position on the “Emerging Church.” I have read this book twice and feel compelled to review it.

Roger Oakland asks a compelling question: “the emerging church…a new reformation or an end-time deception.” As he describes the men, message, methods, and mantra of the so called “emerging church” it is easy to see that his answer is “an end time deception.”

Oakland’s purpose in his book is to show that “the theological underpinnings” of the emerging church is seriously flawed, void of biblical theology, and derived from mysticism. His purpose is to reveal to those who are involved in the movement, those who are deceived by the movement, and those who are toying with the idea of implementing or incorporating the basic teachings of the movement the destructive, dangerous, deceptive, and damaging effects of the emerging church.

The discussion is centered on both the lack of Scriptural guidelines and the grossly misinterpreted and misapplied Scripture used by those involved in the emerging church movement. Oakland demonstrates in each chapter that the emerging church’s foundational structure is in reality a mixture of mysticism, Catholicism, and eastern religion.

Oakland quotes founding guru, Brian McLaren in his first chapter entitled “A New Kind of Church?” when McLaren states: “You see, if we have a new world, we will need a new church. We won’t need a new religion per se, but a new framework for our theology. Not a new Spirit, but a new Spirituality. Not a new Christ, but a new Christian. Not a new denomination, but a new kind of church in every denomination.”

The author reminds us that just prior to Christ returning men will be given over to the influence and effects of seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. He argues throughout the rest of the book that a new form of Christianity will attempt to replace biblical faith by stating that men can find their own way to God.

Faith Undone contains thirteen chapters in two hundred and twenty nine pages. Included is a massive endnotes section and subject index. Some of the chapters are: The Birth of the Emerging Church, A new Faith for the 21st Century, Ancient-Future Worship, When East Meets West, Monks, Mystics, and the Ancient World, The Undoing of Faith, A New Reformation, Or an End-Time Deception.

This book is an easy read and well written. Even though I would agree with almost all that the Oakland writes he has a tendency to bog down at times with unneeded repetition. It is clear, straightforward, and will be a great help to those who want a better understanding of the phenomenon sweeping across all denominational lines called the Emerging Church.

On a personal note, it is my prayer that this book will be used of God to expose the demonic and destructive deception of this movement and lead those who are captivated by those who have distorted the one, true Christian faith out of these so called "churches" and back into places where the bible is truly taught and practiced.

Christian Stewardship & the Holidays

A trip into town for some incidentals reminded me that the holiday season is upon us again. The traffic is heavier and the stores are more crowded since the public has begun its relentless search for holiday bargains.

It is my prayer that the Christian mindset does not become caught up in this frenzy, really the sin of indulgence in superfluities. I am not proposing some morbid, blind, or indistinguishable blurring of the lines between necessity and luxury. Believers for the most part understand the obligation to moderation and even self-denial in our walk with Christ.

As I sat in the car while my wife shopped for some needed clothing, I thought on these things and determined to share some thoughts with you on our responsibility of stewardship. When it comes to money or possessions, where do we draw the line? The line I am referring to is the line between how much of what we “own” or have is ours and how much of what we “own” or have is God’s?

Isn’t the question really, how much of what we have does God have a right to? How much is ours, how much is His? Well, when we look to scripture we actually find that there is but one answer to this question and it is really easy to see, (although much harder to practice.)

Our property, all that we “own” is actually a trust and all that we have is to be used for the benefit and welfare of the actual owner. There is no division between what is ours and what is His. There is no line, no division, and there is certainly no percentage owed to Him or to kept by us. In other words, one hundred percent is His and is to be used for His glory.

What do you think?