“These are But Streams…God is the Ocean”

Jonathan Edwards is in my top 3 of favorite preachers/writers because he was so clear in his articulation of the superior pleasures of the Gospel:

“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.”

Hajj 2009

November 27th marked the beginning of 2009’s Eid al-Adha, the Muslim “Festival of Sacrifice”, commemorating the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son to God. Muslims around the world celebrate by slaughtering animals to commemorate God’s gift of a ram to substitute for Abraham’s son, distributing the meat amongst family, friends and the poor. Eid al-Adha also takes place immediately after the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca that is a pillar of Islamic Faith. Some 2.5 million Muslim faithful from all over the world descended on Mecca this year

Click here to browse through a collection of beautiful photos of a most tragic religion.

“The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few; therefore, pray that the Lord of the harvest would send out laborers.” (Matthew 9:36-37)

Lord raise up laborers and launch them into the heart of the Islamic world

Missions

I’m down on the south island of New Zealand this week with the family preaching at a missions base on “Global Missions and the Glory of God.” Pray that ‘the word of the Lord would run swiftly and be glorified’ (2 Thess. 3:1-2).

As I’ve been prepping for the week I’ve been immersing myself in biographies of frontier missionaries and their incredible stories. Read the letter that Adoniram Judson wrote to his future father-in-law:

“I have now to ask whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure for a heathen land, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death? Can you consent to all this for the sake of Him who left his heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing immortal souls; for the sake of Zion and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with a crown of righteousness brightened by the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Saviour from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?”

Ann did die. She died in Burma (now Myanmar) where she and Adoniram had labored so hard at such a high cost. So did Judson’s next wife. And the third (the third however died of Tuberculosis two years after Judson died when she returned home from Burma). Judson himself died off the coast and was buried in the sea.

Preachers Shape History, Not Politicians

Charles Silverstone Horne delivered a series of lectures at Yale in 1914 on the monumental role of preaching in history. Once a member of the British Parliament, Horne, the Congregational preacher who Asquith described as having “a fire in his belly,” made these poignant observations about the power of the preacher over that of politicians (a reality that will be made manifest in unparalleled force in coming days):

The preacher, who is a messenger of God, is the real master of society; not elected by society to be its ruler but elect of God to form its ideals and through them to guide and rule its life. Show me the man who, in the midst of a community however secularized in manners, can compel it to think with him, can kindle its enthusiasm, revive its faith, cleanse its passions, purify it ambitions, and give steadfastness to its will, and I will show you the real master of society, no matter what party may nominally hold the reins of government, no matter what figurehead may occupy the ostensible place of authority.

And in

Why God’s Delight in His Own Self-Exaltation Potentially Poses the Greatest Moral Problem for the Future of the Christianity

Addressing the Moral Sanity of a God who Demands to be Worshiped and a Faith that Proclaims It

In the last decade there’s been an explosion of protest over the alleged moral flaws of Judaism and Christianity. Men like Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens make a pretty penny ‘exposing’ the ethical blunders of the Bible and arguing that “Christianity is bad for the world.” They appeal to a host of examples of the Bible’s moral insanity; like the ethnic cleansing of the days of Joshua or the stoning of apostates under Mosaic Law (all of which are eclipsed in magnitude by the unparalleled bloodbath described at the second coming when Jesus personally executes untold masses by His physical appearing; see Rev. 19:11-19; Is. 63:1-5; Hab. 3; etc.).

For many, these puddles of blood in the Hebrew Bible constitute the greatest moral hindrance to faith. But for me,  it’s not the copious amount of bloodshed that poses the greatest moral dilemma  but something much more complicated. When something like justice is brought into the equation (something that men like Richard Dawkins deny the existence of entirely anyway; Out of Eden pg.133) Biblical bloodshed and judgment is seen in a different light; especially when divine patience, kindness and mercy bleeds into the consideration and is juxtaposed with that divine justice.

In my mind, the greatest moral problem for those who have embraced the Gospel or who consider embracing the Gospel shouldn’t be bloodshed – it should be God’s unapologetic delight in His own self-exaltation. Dawkins and his cronies would have far more ammo to fire at the church if they’d address the self-centeredness of Yahweh before the bloodshed of the Mosaic Law.

I can’t think of anything more immoral, debased or egotistical than someone’s passion for their own praise (faces of arrogant dictators and cultural icons now flood my mind’s eye). Who of us isn’t repelled and offended when someone seeks to elicit our adoration? It’s repulsive to us as moral beings.

When I say “God delights in His own self-exaltation” I

The Manhattan Declaration

The last paragraph of the “Manhattan Declaration:”

“Because we honor justice and the common good, we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family. We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.”

Effective Preaching

Effective preaching:

And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die!” (Jeremiah 26:8)

Coming soon to a theater near you.

Why I Believe God Wills and Works Before We Do

Here are a few thoughts behind why I see divine grace as being the decisive “first cause” of all our willing and doing:

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13).

Note the word “for” that joins the two propositions together. God’s willing and working is the ground clause (or ‘reason’) for ours. Yes, we work. Yes, we will. But our willing and our working is not first or decisive. God’s is.

The word “works” in the phrase “…God who works in you…” literally means “to exert overwhelming force” or “to act effectively.” Thus Paul could say:

“I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

If we understand God’s commands as being “the activity to which we are expected to obey through individual willing and working,” we are confused. And if we do not trace our willing and working back to God’s willing and working, we are confused.  And if we believe that we are as free or more free than God in our willing and working, we are confused.

“Turn [grk: "shub"] us unto Thee O Lord and we shall be turned [grk: shub]…” (Lamentation 5:21)

A Must Read Article on the Abortion Industry and the “3rd Wave” of Black and Latino Resistance

Here’s the source of the article over at LifeLines. Pass it around.

Calling out the abortion Goliath

The abortion industry giant, Planned Parenthood, is mighty in power from every angle. Last year, income topped one billion dollars. This Goliath was fed one million dollars each day in tax payer-supplied federal funds. It fattened itself selling abortion to 305,310 frightened women in difficult circumstances. Yet, God is called Almighty for good reason! The question then is not, “How big is the giant?” It is, “Who will call him out in God’s name?”

The downfall of the abortion business is in sight when the Black and Latino Christian communities not only join the pro-life movement but lead it. We call this anticipated surge, the Third Wave.

The first wave of the pregnancy help movement was primarily a Catholic effort arising in the late 60’s. As abortion “rights” emerged, Catholic doctors, ethicists, and lay people opened educational offices to explain fetal development. Soon they also provided “emergency pregnancy services” to those at risk for abortion.

In the early 80’s, the second wave rushed in as Evangelical Christians flooded the cause. One tributary formed in the late 70’s when Francis Shaeffer and C. Everett Koop introduced to the Evangelical community a book and film series called Whatever Happened to the Human Race? Evangelicals awakened to abortion as the diminution of human life. They rushed in to write, preach, and start “crisis pregnancy centers.”

In the convergence,

Weakness, Suffering and the Weight of Apostolic Preaching PART II: SUFFERING

Click here to read the Introduction of the series and Part I: The Weakness of Timothy and the Kindness of God

PART II: SUFFERING BY THE POWER OF GOD

Some call these letters (I and II Timothy, Titus) “Pastoral Epistles.” But to call them “Pastoral Epistles” undermines the primary burden of the books; especially II Timothy. II Timothy is a call to courage in the midst of weakness within and in the face of pressures without. Without doubt the core message of the book is 1:6-8 where Paul says:

6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God…

It’s not so much a pastoral letter as it is an apostolic letter. I’ll deal with a few exegetical issues to introduce the text and its primary message first (“suffering for the Gospel by the power of God”) and then I’ll explain why this is such an important message for young missionaries, ministers and laborers to hear and embrace.

I take

Weakness, Suffering and the Weight of Apostolic Preaching PART I: WEAKNESS

PART I: THE WEAKNESS OF TIMOTHY AND THE KINDNESS OF GOD

The first thematic strand of three that runs through the book of II Timothy is the subject of Timothy’s weakness and immaturity. In this installment we’ll look at how Paul speaks into a young man’s brokenness and calls him forth into maturity. It’s an extremely relevant subject (again, especially for those who, like Timothy, have been called to the ministry).

This subject gets the most ‘airtime’ in 1:3-2:26. This is the section we’ll be dealing with here (which is essentially the first two chapters). The way we’ll look at this section and this subject is by observing 3 of Paul’s statements over Timothy’s life in God and then one command that is calculated to get Timothy from where he is to where he’s called to be. And all of this is meant to serve as a sign post for us who have been called into the ministry but have backed off from the level of consecration and focus to which He has called us.

THREE OF PAUL’S AFFIRMATIONS OVER TIMOTHY’S LIFE IN GOD

In light of Timothy’s profound weakness, timidity and shame,

Providential Poverty and the Power of Pleasure in the Person of Christ

For all those who are currently in desperate need of miraculous provision to live:

“God sent Elijah to the brook and it dried up. It did not prove equal to the need of the prophet. It failed; God knew it would; He made it to fail. “The brook dried up.” This is an aspect of the Divine providence that sorely perplexes our minds and tries our faith. God knows that there are heavenly whispers that men cannot hear until the drought of trouble and perhaps weariness has silenced the babbling brooks of joy. And He is not satisfied until we have learned to depend, not upon His gifts, but upon He Himself.” – Percy Ainsworth

Weakness, Suffering and the Weight of Apostolic Preaching

II Timothy is an incredibly important book – especially for young adults who’ve been called to the ministry. This letter to Timothy is the last letter that Paul wrote. He penned it from a prison cell as a man forsaken by all (4:16) awaiting his execution. Soon after Timothy received this final labor of love from one of the greatest men that has ever lived, Paul was beheaded by a Roman blade. This is his legacy.

Three burdens bleed through every sentence of the book. And each are deeply significant and relevant for young adults who feel called and set apart for ministry:

1. The fact that weakness and brokenness doesn’t disqualify those who have been called to the ministry; and that grace and power is available for those who have the courage to receive it.
2. The fact that suffering is to be prominent in the lives of those who are called to the ministry; and that it should be endured with boldness and joy in light of the unblushing promises of God in Jesus.
3. The fact that preaching is to have primacy in the lives of those who have been called to ministry; and that it should be looked upon with holy reverence as it is the primary means through which the church is established, nourished and matured.

In three posts over the next few days I’ll be expounding on these three subjects within Paul’s final letter: Weakness, Suffering and the Weight of Apostolic Preaching.

Freedom from the Things We Like

Listen to Augustine explain how original sin impacts our volition (‘wills’):

“We are free to do what we like, but we are not free to like what we ought to like.”

Therefore, let us pray fervently with David:

Incline my heart to Your testimonies. (Psalm 119:36)

Wading Through the Mire of the Free-Will Debate in Our Pursuit of Jesus

Whenever I publicly mention that I don’t believe in free-will, I always receive a lot of emails from people with questions. So here are 6 statements I’ve written to help those who are wading through the opinionated mire of the free-will debate.

(1) We see 3 conditions of the human will in history and Scripture:

1. Humanity was free/capable to choose obedience or disobedience before the Fall because sin had not influenced them
2. Humanity was free/capable to choose only disobedience after the Fall because sin had so pervasively influenced them
3. Humanity was free/capable to choose obedience after the new birth once the sin that had influenced them had been subdued

Before sin polluted our minds, wills, emotions and bodies, we were free to obey God and experienced no hindrance to do so. After sin polluted our minds, wills, emotions and bodies we were hindered from obeying God by virtue of our sin-contaminated souls which held our wills captive to its lusts. But, in the new birth, when we receive the Holy Spirit, when we are regenerated, we are, for the first time, able to freely obey God from a loving heart. We cannot ignore these distinctions. And we cannot ignore the reality of man’s depravity or the power of the new birth. When these two subjects are settled and clearly in view, confusion concerning the nature of the will dissipates.

(2) The

How the Idea of “Free-Will” Undermines Evangelism and Cripples Evangelists

The title could be less inflammatory; but it couldn’t be any less true.

One of the reasons why I abhor the idea that man possesses an autonomous free-will is because it does so much damage to the way we understand and do evangelism. The free-will Gospel elevates decision over desire and duty over delight. And this cripples our evangelistic efforts. Evangelism is about moving men to make radical lifestyle decisions – but the way we go about seeking to move them is critical. Is our aim to provoke decisions or provoke desire? Or to say it another way: Does the will govern the heart or does the heart govern the will? The way we answer these questions will determine the way in which we see and do evangelism.

Decisions are the Products of Desire

The free-will Gospel suggests that all men are equally capable of deciding to submit to Christ despite the fact that those men do not in any way desire Christ. So my question is: How do men who do not desire Christ decide to follow Christ? By an act of free-will whereby they grit their teeth and begrudgingly submit? No! Who of us came to salvation by grace through faith with our arms twisted and our hearts unsatisfied? Who of us first clung to Christ with no affection for Him? Who of us decided to forsake all and follow Christ because of anything other than desire for Him? Without the creation of desire for Christ within the heart of a man, a decision to follow Him is the greatest of impossibilities. Anyone who has attempted to share the Gospel with an unbeliever will know this well. Thus the aim of the evangelist is to awaken desire – not coerce a decision. A decision is not the first cause – desire is. Decisions are the products of desires.

The Best “How To” Advice I Have to Give in Regards to Bible Study

In Luke 24 the disciples said “Did not our hearts burn when He opened up the Word to us?” I take two things away from that statement: First, Jesus intends for me to live with a burning heart. And second, the way in which a burning heart is cultivated is by Spirit illumined truths from the Word of God penetrating our mind, will and emotions so that all resistance to those realities are overcome and we come into agreement with them on an intellectual, emotion, volitional and experiential level.

This is how I view Bible study: as the gateway into living with a burning heart. It’s not about just attaining information and acquiring facts; it’s about encountering God as the Spirit is commissioned to escort us into the riches that are offered to us in Christ. In Luke 24 we read of Jesus “opening” three things: (1) the “word, “(2) the “minds” of the disciples to understand the Word and (3) the “eyes” of the disciples to see Jesus. We need the Lord to do the same three things for us. In other words, we need to approach the Scriptures with Luke 24 clearly in view so that we don’t end up puffed up with information and incapable of burning. We need the Lord to come to us to open the Word, our minds and our eyes.

Now in light of that a good question to ask is “How do you do it?” How do you pursue a burning heart through the Word? Those boys had the resurrected Christ opening up the Word to them. What do we do?

Here is the best advice I have for anyone approaching the Scripture; or more appropriately, a specific passage of Scripture. (I would answer the question differently if I were speaking about approaching a book. For those interested, feel free to click here to download the message “Eat the Scroll”). The advice is two-fold:

Look for PROPOSITIONS and CONJUNCTIONS and discover the relationship between the two.

Now you might ask “What does that mean?” And “How do you do it?”

A PROPOSITION is a truth, or a fact, or a statement, or a reality (examples: “God so loved the world…”, “to live is Christ, to die is gain,” “In the beginning was the Word….”).

A CONJUNCTION that connects propositions (examples: “therefore,” “so that,” “and,” “for”)

I’ll give an example

A Quote That Has Changed My Life More Than Any Other

In the Fall of 2003 the Lord interrupted my life. It was a glorious and disruptive year. A few months after my initial encounter with the Lord that set the trajectory for the next few years (and I’m sure, decades to come) I was with some friends in a “Sam’s Club” buying some food. Sam’s Club is a massive bulk warehouse (similar to a WallMart). As I was standing in the check out line, to my right, stacked chest high, was a pile of green books entitled “The Works of C.S. Lewis.” I still remember the big neon sticker that had “$9.99″ stamped on it. The name looked familiar so I bought it.

After it

New Message Available: “Withstanding the Onslaughts of Satan in Our Pursuit of Depth in God”

Some Good News in the Midst of Lies, Cowardice and Bloodshed

On Monday Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak said something shocking:

“I will continue whipping my colleagues to oppose bringing the bill to the floor for a vote until a clean vote against public funding for abortion is allowed.”

What’s more, last week Stupak said he had 40 other Democrats (yes 40, and yes Democrats) ready to stand with him against the bill if the issue wasn’t settled. This tells me two things:

1.   Obama is a liar (when his own party is voting against something he and his cronies say doesn’t exist – i.e. government funding of abortion)

2.   And, the tide is turning in America in regards to how abortion is understood (when 40 Democrats are opposing funding it).

For the