Why Read Jeremiah 48?

Well in my study today I came to Jeremiah 48, which is the prophecy against Moab. In reading through John Calvin's commentary on this chapter, I have found out that the Moabites were the children of Lot. Thus, they had some blood relation to the Israelites. They knew of Abraham and how they were related to him through their father Lot. Because of this knowledge, they were in a different camp that that of say the Egyptians or the Babylonians. There is always a stark difference between God's response to those who know better and those who are ignorant of the truth.

Not only did the Moabites know that the Israelites were related to them through the blood of their father Lot, but in spite of that, they were guilty of three things: (1) they were spared from the destruction and purging that God commanded the Israelites as they entered into the promise land (Canaan), (2) they were constantly plotting against the nation of Israel, and (3) they just sat back and watched the nation of Israel fall apart at the seems.

It is interesting that as I went through and read at least Calvin's stuff that it was apparent that God will punish those who do and those who do not. God is looking for obedience from His children. For those who do things against God with a full knowledge of what God wants, there is coming a time when He will punish them (and it will probably come with embarrassment, Jeremiah 48:26). In the same manner, for those who sit back and do nothing when God's name and character is at stake, knowing full well that they should do something, God will punish them. There are no fence sitters on God's kingdom.

So where does this leave me then today. Here I know that there have been times when I have do things (lot of things, lots of times) that I know God has said, "Don't do that, Ben." What does that mean for me? In the same manner, there have been times when I have sat by and not done or said anything when God's name was at stake.

I don't want to sound like a broken record and I don't want to read into Christianity something that is not there. But isn't this where the Gospel of Jesus Christ comes into play in my life one more time. Here Moab, knowing full well who they are, who the Israelites are, and how they are connected, yet are treating the people of God (which means really God Himself) like garbage. God says that because of their pride and arrogance he is going to destroy them. That is my lot in life as well. I can't even begin to say that strong enough. I have know the things of God and have chosen either to go against them many times in my life or I have chosen to remain quiet (leave my pride in tact) when I should have spoke up. My reward for that should the same as that of the Moabites. I should be made a laughingstock. I should wallow in my vomit...because of my arrogance towards the Lord. I have presumed upon His grace, I have exulted me above Him so many times (all the times where I in effect through my actions have said, "I know what you want God, but I will do what I want this time.") Ahhhhh! Do you hear how horrible that sounds?

So what is it that has kept God from doing to me what He did to the Moabites (and He would be so just and right in doing that to me, no doubt about it)? I want to say that His love, patience, mercy, perseverance, grace, and long suffering are the attributes that allow Him or cause Him to have mercy on me and not destroy me. However, I don't think that is true. Because while all of that is absolutely true, the other attributes are right there as well. His wrath, justice, jealousy, sovereignty, holiness and righteousness are sitting there in perfect harmony with the other attributes that I mentioned. The first set do not negate the second set. God is in perfect harmony and unity with Himself. His love does not negate his anger. His justice is not negated by his mercy. And so on it goes.

So why is it that I have not been treated like the Moabites were treated for their arrogant actions and arrogant silence? I can experience God's love because Christ experienced God's wrath. I can experience God's mercy because Christ experienced God's anger. I can sit here and read God's Word, understand it, be convicted of it, be changed by it because Christ and Christ alone has satisfied all that God would want to pour out on me.

I deserve a whole lot more than what I have been given. That is a fact. It isn't that all of what I have deserved has gone away, been forgotten about, or ignored. That's a fact. All of what I have deserved was handed over to Christ, and He bore that in my place. Why study the Moabites and care about this chapter in Jeremiah...it's because it leads me back to the Gospel and makes me that much more thankful for what Christ has done.

Is Doctrine Really Important?

So I am reading through lots of different books right now, many of which are steeped in the emergent movement. I have also been part of different groups in which their mantra was "No one can really know the truth so why argue over it". But I just got done reading a paragraph that ended with this statement, "...but why quibble about fine points of doctrine when the important thing was his sobriety". The book that I am reading deals with the issue of addictions and where the come from and so on. But this raised the question that I seem to stumble into time and time again...is doctrine important. I mean with the postmodern world that we live in, does it really matter if I am right or wrong in what I believe?

If you know me and/or have read any of my blogs, you will know that my unapologetic answer to that question is "yes". It does matter what we believe. What we believe determines how we live day in and day out. Hitler did not wake up one morning and decide that he was going to go around and murder millions of Jews simply because he thought that was a good thing to do. He belief that they should be exterminated started somewhere. What he believed led him to do the things that he did. Do does it matter what people say about the Bible, God, Jesus, etc....you bet it does because it will determine how they live.

Now I want to get away from the big scenarios like Hitler and other like him to things that would affect most of the people reading this blog. Things like: the songs we sing in worship, the books we endorse on websites, sentences said from the pulpit, and other "small" things like that. Is it worth quibbling over issues like that or should love cover those things as well? In the past I have been criticised for being to critical over issues like that. Is it worth it? Is it best to let people say what they want and just hope that no one heads down the wrong path. Or how about the saying "don't throw the baby out with the bath water." Is is best to read through a book that I disagree with doctrinally and look for bits and pieces that are good? What about songs that are sung on Sunday morning? Do I sing along even if I disagree doctrinally? And on and on it goes? The big question is "Does Doctrine Matter?"

Well according to 1 Timothy 4:16 it does. Paul tells Timothy to watch his life and DOCTRINE closely. The reason why is because the two are intertwined with one another. I never do anything that is out of line with what I truly honestly believe. And I never believe those things which I do not do. Now you might be thinking about sin and the Christian. Does that mean that if a Christian sins that he wants to sin...and what I am saying is yes...at that moment he wants to sin. Nothing ever makes me sin...I either want to or I don't. What I believe dictates what I do.

For instance...if I am on my computer and I am surfing and I am tempted to look at pornography...my doctrine will either lead me away from that sin or it will lead me into that sin. What I believe about God, His Son, His Word, His promises, and everything everything else will show up and become evidences in my actions. In the same manner, what I believe about God and His Word will lead me to either read it every day realizing that strength for the day comes from It or what I believe about it will lead me to make it an option in my day. Either which way, what I believe (doctrine) dictates what I do.

Do does doctrine matter? Yes it does, in more ways that we can imagine. Check yourself to see what you believe (how you live) not just what you say you believe.

Guard Your Heart...

Thomas Watson in his article entitled "The Spiritual Watch" breaks Proverbs 4:23 down like this:

• "Keep" means to arm or to fence off something from danger of something else. It can also mean to take care of a piece of precious metal so that it is not lost. With that in mind keep your heart locked up safely so that it is ready for God when He calls for it.
• "Your Heart" is that portion of who you are that includes your soul, mind, conscience, will, and affections. It is that part of you that is the deposit or charge that God entrusts every man with.
• "With all diligence" means that a Christian is to set a continual guard around this heart that he has been entrusted with. "A Christian's heart must ever be in his eye" says Watson.
• "For out of it are the issues of life" gives the reason why a man is to keep his heart with all diligence. Out of a man's heart flows streams of damnation or salvation. Those are sobering words for anyone who calls himself a Christian.

This idea of guarding one's heart with all diligence in the world that we currently live in brings out so many different applications that it is almost impossible to get the all down at any one moment in time. However, here are a few different applications that readily come to mind.

1. The world's attacks on the Christian's heart are constant and relentless. The world knows full well that if they can control a person's heart, that person will say and do anything that is asked of them almost without thinking. If one is convinced that the TV that they have is not what they deserve, they will go out and buy a new one with the promise that they will be more fulfilled. If one is convinced that his marriage is not what it could be if he were to marry someone else, then he is seconds away from finding a new wife either through mental adultery or physical adultery. Once the world has broken through the gateway of the mind and convinced the affections, the acting out is only seconds away. Guarding the heart is infinitely more important that any other action aside from worshiping the One True God.
2. The sinful stain that is still left on one's heart from original sin acts like a sledgehammer the moment he ceases to keep watch. In some ways, this is more dangerous than all the powers of the world combined together. The heart is one's own worst enemy in that it knows best when it can attack with a certain amount of certainty that success will happen. The traitor knows how best to bring down the kingdom and when to bring it down. And that is exactly what the human heart is to the Christian...a traitor.

"When any danger is near, the serpent keeps his head safe, and to preserve his head he will expose his whole body to injury. In the same way, a Christian should especially keep his heart safe; he should jeopardize his skin to keep his heart from receiving one single wound"

- Thomas Watson

"Guard Your Heart With All Diligence, For From It Flows The Springs Of Life."

The Lure of Idols (Pt. 1)

Idol Worship...it's something that seems so foreign and out there for most Christians that it tends to not even appear on their radar. But do idols for the most part look like a little piece of wood or metal that has been dressed up by humans? What are the characteristics of idols that make them and idol? Do idols even need to be physical or can they be immaterial? What do idols have that make them appealing both to Christians and non-Christians alike? What do you do with an idol when you stumble upon it?

Exodus 20:4-6 says this:

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

That is a pretty strong statement to be made by God for all of His children not to pay attention. Here is a statement from God that His people are not to make, worship, and/or serve an idol. He even goes on to talk about what will happen to those people who do decide to make an idol for themselves. Their children to the third and fourth generations will be visited or struggle with their great great great grandfathers desire to serve idols. That's too huge to ignore.

But what God simply talking about physical wooden/metal idols that are commonly though to today. It would be nice if that were the only way in which the Bible speaks of idols. When Saul decides to keep out the choices bits of the Amalekit nation for himself and he is confronted by Samuel, God, through Samuel, says, "Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.” God says that rebellion is as idolatry. So there is much more to idolatry than simply making a piece of wood into something idolish.

God's the Author...

Yesterday I had the honor and privilege of bringing God's Word to my church. As always I love it. Never thought I would say that but I did and I do. It's amazing to think that the God of the universe actually cared enough to not only send His Son to die on the cross thus saving us from God' wrath, but He also gave us His Word to instruct us on all matters of life (2 Peter 1:3).

My sermon this weekend dealt with the life of Joseph and God's Sovereignty being clearly painted all throughout. In going through his life though, there is one whole chapter that at first glace seems as though it does not need to be in there. Chapter 38 of Genesis is all about Judah and Tamar. Tamar ends up being the daughter-in-law of Judah. Judah's son (Tamar's wife) ends up dying so Tamar marries the next brother and he dies. The story continues with one brother not willing to procreate with Tamar and God gets really angry with that. But the kicker is that later on, Judah is travelling and sees what he thinks is a temple prostitute sitting on the side of the road an decides to use her. It ends up being Tamar and he gets her pregnant.

What in the world...why did God seemingly get angry over the one man not procreating with Tamar but not angry (at least enough to recorded in His Word) at the man who sleeps with his daughter in law thinking she is a prostitute. In my mind, sexual sin way worse than the sin of not procreating (check out Genesis 38 if you are unsure of what I am talking about). However, God works in and through this sin in order to bring about the birth of His Son. Tamar is mentioned in Matthew 1 as being in the lineage of Christ. That is a huge mind blower for me.

However, when I read Romans 8:28 it all comes into focus and I am reminded that it doesn't matter what I want or believe. God is the One who is in control causing all things to work together for good. Who am I to tell God how things should be done. I need to keep my eyes on Him, on His Word, and being obedient. The rest is up to Him. Not a long one today...just a good reminder.

It's been a while...

So I've been busy....that's understating it just a bit. I haven't posted a blog in over a month. I'm not out of the clear yet as I have to preach this coming weekend at Canyon Hills. The sermon that I am giving is the last one that I gave while I was at Christ the Rock...The Sovereignty of God. I am fairly sure that God had me give this sermon so that I would be reminded that this move was of Him and that if He didn't want it to happen it wouldn't have happened.

My thoughts for today are really short and probably "duh" thoughts to most people. It just hit me as I was thinking through my sermon. Here it is:

God has a plan and He is faithful to plan working things in such a way as to see the smallest detail through to the very end.

There isn't one accident with God. The other day I was driving on 405 and I was in the fast lane when all of a sudden I realized that the exit I needed to take was coming up quick. I turned on my turn signal and looked for a spot to get over, but the loving people of the morning commute were not about to let me over. I ended up missing my exit, which is the last exit for many miles. I had to go all the way to I-5 and turn around. Now to say the least I was irritated. I swore that if I caught the old man in the little Chevy Aveo I was going to do something to scare him...I didn't get the chance thankfully. He probably is a member of Canyon Hills :).

This was a minor incident in my life but I was reminded this morning that even that was part of God's plan. It had to be...because if it hadn't happened, then something else would have. I would have gotten to work earlier, I would have met different people in a different order, I would have gotten more work done which would have meant that I would have left work earlier, and so on and so forth. God has a plan and I cannot get outside of that plan.

That's a huge comfort to me and it's gotta be a huge frustration for those who want nothing to do with God. You know I still watch my little sheep from CRCC through the eyes of MySpace and I can see how many of them are trying their hardest to do what they want when they want. (I know that they are not mine to care for any more, but it's hard to let em go.) They are trying to get outside of God's plan not realizing that God's plan will happen and it will include them. Pharaoh tried to do the same thing to Moses, Nebuchadnezzar tried to do the same thing with the three young Israelite boys, and the Jews tried to do the same thing to Jesus. News flash though, "God is Sovereign", He has a plan and is powerful enough, omniscient enough, and God enough to see it through to the end without anyone stopping Him or stepping outside of that plan.

So....Praise God for who He is and What He is doing....after all what else can we do. We are either for Him or against Him.

A Frightening Picture...

The picture that I found for my blog today is a pretty good visual to what I went through yesterday. Just when I think I have a pretty good idea of what I look like, God graciously removes more of my "filters" and allows me to see who I am really am and what I am full of. Wiping away the layers of sin that can cover my view of myself is horrible and hard, but worth it in my quest to become more like Christ. I am so glad that God promised in Romans 8:29 that He would cause me to look more like His Son. I don't think I would willingly go down that path on my own.

So yesterday was my day that I get once a month to go off by my myself and be alone with God.
It was an experience that was very not normal for me. I went down to a local dock and stayed right there all day. I prayed, read Scripture, as well as read through a portion of a book by John Piper called "A Hunger for God". The book was all about prayer and fasting and the importance of it. As I was going through the book one overwhelming thought kept pounding in my head. It was this "Are my longings for God as strong as my longings are for food." The idea behind this day is to take a break from all that is normal and routine and focus on God. Part of that "break" is from food as well. So as my stomach got louder and louder...so did the thought that I just mentioned. The answer that kept resounding back to me is "no, no". There were some points during my day yesterday where I was willing to close up shop and go get a sandwich or something like that just to make the pain go away.

Not only did that thought pound in my head all day long, but a quote from Piper's book sunk deep into my soul as well. Here is the quote:

It is the subtle sense that grows in us, usually unconsciously, that the real effectiveness of our spiritual acts is at the horizontal level among people, not before the fact of God. In other words, if my children see me pray at meals, it will do them good. If my staff sees me fasting, they will be inspired to fast. If my roommate sees me read my Bible, he may be inspirited to read his, and so on. Now that's not all bad. Jesus' public prayers certainly inspired the disciples. But the danger is that all of our life - including our spiritual life - starts to be justified and understood simply on the horizontal level for the effects it can have because others see it happening. And so God subtly and slowly can become a secondary person in the living of our lives. We may think that He is important to us. All of these things are are things that He would want us to do. But, in fact, He Himself is falling out of the picture as the focus of it all. And this registers in the motives of our hearts so that we feel satisfied when others are watching, but feel unmotivated if no one else knows what we are doing - NO ONE BUT GOD!

And those last two lines were the lines that hurt. Is this what has been going on in my life, especially in times when I don't do what I know God would want me to do? Have I been doing much of what I am doing because I am trying to spur others on to do the same? Has my fear of man returned with a vengeance through a side door that I didn't even know about? Questions like that came flooding through my mind...as Piper said they would when someone decides to fast. It came back to the same thing over and over..."What's my motivation for what I am doing?" I have found that I need to ask myself that question time and time again day after day or else I will inevitably replace God's glory with some other motivation...usually involving me at some point.

Just a thought for today. I thought I would close though with a final thought from Piper for those of you who might be slightly interested in fasting... "The absence of fasting is the measure of our contentment with the absence of Christ." In other words, the more you fast...the more you long for Christ. The less you fast...the more content with Him Christ being gone. Piper is not infallible and he can be wrong...but on this point, I agree with Him one hundred percent. It was tough to fast yesterday... no doubt about it. I think I would gladly do it every single day though if it meant being able to focus on God as I was able to do yesterday.