Monthly Archives: April 2011

If God Wills Disease Why Should We Try to Eradicate It?

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I read this short article by Dr. John Piper today and thought it was well worth passing on:

This question arises from the biblical teaching that all things are ultimately under God’s control. “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose” (Isaiah 46:10). “Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps” (Psalm 135:6). “He does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?'” (Daniel 4:35). “[He] works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11).

This means that God governs all calamity and all disease. Satan is real and has a hand in it, but he is not ultimate and can do nothing but what God permits (Job 1:12-2:10). And God does not permit things willy-nilly. He permits things for a reason. There is infinite wisdom in all he does and all he permits. So what he permits is part of his plan just as much as what he does more directly.

Therefore this raises the question: If God wills disease why should we try to eradicate it? This is a crucial question for me because I have heard Christians say recently that believing in the sovereignty of God hinders Christians from working hard to eradicate diseases like malaria and tuberculosis and cancer and AIDS. They think the logic goes like this: If God sovereignly wills all things, including malaria, then we would be striving against God to invest millions of dollars to find a way to wipe it out.
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If you love somebody…

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In the context of business dealings and financial transactions, Jesus said, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.” (Luke 16:8) I think this principle of shrewd insight extends to many areas of life as the world stumbles upon truth. Man is made in the image of God and although much has been marred by the Fall, he is still able to think and come up with sound reasoning on many matters.

The people of the world may not be able to comprehend the amazing facets of the gospel, or see the wisdom and power of God in the cross of Christ (1 Cor 1:18-25), but they can make statements which are entirely accurate and true on a whole host of issues. For example, the unbelieving car mechanic may know a whole lot more about cars than you or I do. That is why, when my car is not working properly, I take it to him rather than a pastor. In fact, I dont even ask the mechanic if he is Baptist, Presbyterean or charismatic; nor do I ask for his views on end time events in the book of Revelation. His personal beliefs are immaterial to me. I simply ask him if he can find out what is wrong with the car and if he can fix it. Now after he finishes the job, along with my payment, I may well enclose a thank you note and a Christian tract sharing the gospel. I do care about his soul. However my point is that his personal beliefs play no role at all in determing whether or not I hire him to fix my car.

There is a phrase, “If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, its yours forever. If it does not, then it was never yours anyway.” I think that’s true. When it comes to parents with a wayward adult child, the sincere offer of friendship, or even matters of the heart and romance, I believe as the song says below, “you can’t control an independent heart.” While expressing your continued love and affection for the person, its very important to free them from any sense or feeling of imprisonment. Let them feel as if they can fly like a bird in the sky – and maybe one day, in the providence of God, they will fly back to you.

The singer Sting is no Christian, but I think he hit the nail on the head, so to speak, in this song (below). Concerning it, he once wrote, “This song was… an antidote to the brooding issues of control and surveilance that haunted ‘Every Breath You Take.’ Perhaps the highest compliment you can pay to a partner is ‘I don’t own you–you’re free.’ If you were to try to possess them in the obvious way, you could never appreciate them in the way that really counts. There are too many prisons in the world already.”

Here’s “If you love somebody… set them free”:

Miscellaneous Quotes (13)

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Martyn Lloyd-Jones was one of the most influential preachers of the century. A few weeks before he died, someone asked him how, after decades of fruitful ministry and extraordinary activity, he was coping now he was suffering such serious weakness it took much of his energy to move from his bed to his armchair and back. He replied in the words of Luke 10:20: ‘Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’ In other words, do not tie your joy, your sense of wellbeing, to power in ministry. Your ministry can be taken from you. Tie your joy to the fact that you are known and loved by God; tie it to your salvation; tie it to the sublime truth that your name is written in heaven. That can never be taken from you. Lloyd-Jones added: ‘I am perfectly content.’ – From A Call to Spiritual Reformation by D.A. Carson

“You will never make yourself feel that you are a sinner, because there is a mechanism in you as a result of sin that will always be defending you against every accusation. We are all on very good terms with ourselves, and we can always put up a good case for ourselves. Even if we try to make ourselves feel that we are sinners, we will never do it. There is only one way to know that we are sinners, and that is to have some dim, glimmering conception of God.” – Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Seeking the Face of God: Nine Reflections on the Psalms (Crossway, 2005), 34

John Owen on the earnestness required of those who intend to kill sin and walk happily with God:

“Get up, watch, pray, fast, meditate, offer violence to your lusts and corruptions; fear not, startle not at their crying or importunities to be spared; press unto the throne of grace by prayers, supplications, importunities, restless requests. This is the way to take the kingdom of heaven. These things are not peace, they are not assurance; but they are part of the means God hath appointed for the attainment of them.” – Works, 6.567-68; quoted in Sinclair Ferguson, John Owen on the Christian Life (Banner of Truth, 1987), 111
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Love is Selfless

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1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Lust is consumed with self and self satisfaction; love, on the other hand, desires the care, welfare and happiness of the other person. Love is honest and true, enduring (the exact opposite of fragile or fickle), faithful at all times and under all circumstances. The person in lust may or may not be there for you in crisis time, perhaps only showing up if it coincides with their own agenda and purposes; but the person who loves you is always there for you, even at cost to himself. He will do whatever it takes to show his love is real. He is dependable and trustworthy, when in sight, and when no one can see him.

The song below always touches my heart when I hear it. It seems to portray a very proud man struggling to vocalize the fact that he would do all in his power, even to the point of laying down his very life, to care for and protect the one he loves. Here, Eric Clapton (on guitar) and Sting (on vocals) team up together to produce the perfect musical blend. The song is called “It’s Probably Me.”

If the night turned cold
And the stars looked down
And you hug yourself
On the cold cold ground
You wake the morning
In a stranger’s coat
No-one would you see
You ask yourself, ‘Who’d watch for me?’
My only friend, who could it be?
It’s hard to say it
I hate to say it
But it’s probably me

When your belly’s empty
And the hunger’s so real
And you’re too proud to beg
And too dumb to steal
You search the city
For your only friend
No-one would you see
You ask yourself, Who’ll Watch For Me?’
A solitary voice to speak out and set me free
I hate to say it
I hate to say it
But it’s probably me

You’re not the easiest person I ever got to know
And it’s hard for us both to let our feelings show
Some would say
I should let you go your way
You’ll only make me cry
If there’s one guy, just one guy
Who’d lay down his life for you and die
I hate to say it
I hate to say it
But it’s probably me

When the world’s gone crazy, and it makes no sense
And there’s only one voice that comes to your defence
And the jury’s out
And your eyes search the room
And one friendly face is all you need to see
If there’s one guy, just one guy
Who’d lay down his life for you and die
I hate to say it
I hate to say it
But it’s probably me

I hate to say it
I hate to say
But it’s probably me
I hate to say it
I hate to say
But it’s probably me
I hate to say it
I hate to say
But it’s probably me

Friday Round Up

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(1) BIBLE TRANSLATION: Our generation is so blessed. In contrast to former periods in history where access to the word of God was very rare, there are many good Bible translations available to us in the English language today. How we thank God for this. It is simply a fact of history to say that many have paid the ultimate price (forfeiting their very lives) so that we would have access to the word of God in our native tongue.

I like the English Standard Version both for its diligent effort to be true to the original text (Hebrew in the Old Testament and koine Greek in the New) and for its great readability. Usually one of these things suffers in Bible translation, but this is not the case with the ESV. It is both highly accurate and easy to read, and these features make it a remarkable translation.

EXPLANATORY STUDY NOTES: Of course, it is the text of the Bible that is inspired not the notes we might find in the margins. This is an extremely important distinction that should always be remembered. However, it can be so helpful to have something of the historical background available to us at our fingertips, as well as useful and practical explanatory notes. Yet not every study Bible out there can be recommended. Some show very poor scholarship or else they have an agenda to articulate extreme views.

It is a high and holy calling to lead people in the things of God and great care is needed to help guide God’s people in the way of truth. This is certainly the case when it comes to providing study notes in a Bible. Because of this, for many years, I would never recommend a Bible with study notes. It is better to have no notes at all, than to be steered in the wrong direction. However, in recent years, the publishing of the Reformation Study Bible has excited me greatly and I would like to see it in the hands of every English speaking Christian. In terms of the two things that I believe to be most important features of a Study Bible – accurate translation and helpful and reliable (sure guide) study notes – in my opinion, this is the best. Its also the Bible I use in my preaching.

Here’s a short 8 minute video by Dr. R.C. Sproul, outlining the historical background, scholarship and features of the Reformation Study Bible.

Right now Ligonier Ministries has a 40% off sale on this Bible here!.

(2) There’s also some EXCELLENT material available at the $5 Friday Ligonier sale today starting at 8 a.m. EST. See here.

(3) CONQUERING SIN: Changing topics, I found these two quotes very probing. How easy it is to deceive ourselves concerning sin:
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The Shepherd and the Sheep

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“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” – John 10:14-16, 26-28

“I have other sheep not of this fold…” (v. 16).

There are many people in the world besides those who have already become Jewish converts (“this fold”), who are referred to as His sheep. There are numerous motives for reaching out in evangelism, and for preaching and praying for lost people everywhere. One of them is the confidence that the Shepherd has other sheep, and they will respond to the Gospel. It was precisely this truth that encouraged the apostle Paul when he was downcast in Corinth. “And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18:9-10)

In John 11:51-52, Caiaphas, the high priest, had given a prophecy which John now interprets this way:

“He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.”

These scattered children are identical with the “other sheep that are not of this fold.” World evangelization is the ingathering of the children of God – that is the finding and saving of the “other sheep” that are not of this (Jewish) fold.

John 11:52 says Jesus died to gather into one the scattered children of God. John 10:15 says, Jesus laid down his life for the sheep. So the evangelistic mission of the Church can no more fail than the death of Christ can fail.

“They will hear My voice” – Through You! We have the promise that our evangelistic efforts will not be in vain because the Lord Himself will bring His lost sheep home. He promises to do it. In John 17:20, Jesus said, “I do not pray for these [His disciples] only but also for those who believe in Me through their word.” Jesus uses us today to call His sheep. Just as Jesus called His sheep with His own lips, so He still calls them today using our lips, and in the gospel they hear His voice and follow Him.

From John’s Gospel, we can make the following scriptural statements: All that the Father has chosen to be His from eternity, He has given to the Son (John 6:37); and all whom He has given to the Son, the Son knows (10:3); and calls (10:3-5); and all whom He calls, know Him (10:14) and recognize His voice (10:4-5) and they come to Him (6:37) and follow Him (10:4, 27); and the Son lays down His life for His sheep (10:11); and He gives them eternal life (10:28) and keeps them in the Father’s word (17:6), so that not even one of them is lost (6:39), to glorify the Son forever (17:10). This is the indestructible foundation for an infallible salvation that resounds in the end to the glory of both the Father and the Son.

None of Christ’s sheep finally reject His word. Though He allows some of His sheep to resist the word for a long time, never do they reject it finally. Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me.” (John 6:37). What a promise! And what a privilege we have in sharing the Gospel with people, as we witness the Good Shepherd rounding up His sheep.

Is this the world’s worst song?

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Answer: Not by a long shot. I heard songs in Mongolia that sounded like a cat screaming in a rusty tin can muffled by a sick and flea ridden donkey sitting on the can.

What does that sound like exactly? Very hard to explain.. except to say that this song (above) is absolutely heavenly by comparison.

I have to say though – the singer in the video has a talent that the Lord would not mind him burying! 🙂

but will he bury it?

No! 44 years after the song was first introduced to the world, he wants you to come up with some lyrics.

If I was Jewish I would say, “oy vey!!!”