Victory Blog

Audio Sermon: Let God Be Your Satisfaction, Part 1, Ps 37:1-2

 Audio Sermon: Let God Be Your Satisfaction, Part 1 [36:17m]: Play Now | Download (55)

If The Da Vinci Code is right, then everything we know about Jesus, the Bible and much of history is wrong. A lot of people now think so. Are they correct?

History isn’t speculation in a vacuum; it is the verified record of events. Just because something might have happened doesn’t make it plausible to have happened if there is no evidence that it did happen. In other words, just because 1+1 does not equal 4 doesn’t mean it equals 5. Presented here are some fallacies claimed as fact in the Da Vinci Code for which there is absolutely no supporting evidence and for which there is ample contradicting evidence.

Fallacy 1: the world’s first dominant religions worshipped the goddess. The fact is that there is no evidence of any kind to support this theory, but proto-feminist anthropologists have proposed it for years. No archaeological or historical record places any pagan goddess at the head of any culture’s deity hierarchy.

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Dear Friends,

Just a short note: the camp is going great this week. We are in a teen week and I believe that the Gospel is not only being preached, but is being received by these young people. Thursday night we will give an invitation. Please pray that the Spirit of God will move in the hearts of the teens.

We have one major problem this week. Some of our electrical kitchen equipment short-circuited and our 15 year old Russian circuit breakers did not kick off. The result was an electrical fire which fried some of the equipment. I have known for a couple of years we needed to buy new kitchen equipment. I haven’t done it because it is just so expensive here. Pray for this additional need. Also pray for my kitchen workers as they have to work longer hours to get things done until we can purchase some new equipment.

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Audio Sermon: Let Jesus Satisfy Your Heart, Col 2:9-15

 Audio Sermon: Let Jesus Satisfy Your Heart, Col 2:9-15 [42:38m]: Play Now | Download (64)

Dear Friends, July 10, 2010

Normally I get these summer prayer letters out earlier but today I had to go to a wedding. If you know anything about Russian/Moldovan weddings these things last all day. However, I couldn’t miss this wedding. The groom was a young man who was saved here at the camp ten years ago and then worked in camp for about four years. His name is Gregory and he married a girl that he led to the Lord five years ago. We are so proud of this young man and his stand for Christ.

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Surely the saddest refrain in the Bible is this poignant lament—“My people have forgotten me.”   It’s one thing to rebel against God, but to live and plan and work as though He did not matter is to reduce Him to insignificance—which is far worse.  How does one come to forget God? 
 
Isaiah warned about fearing man who dies rather than the Lord your Maker¹.  Being slaves to the approval of men rather than the approval of God makes mankind an idol.  It also happens when we overcome some weakness in our life.  In weakness we are dependent on God, but when we regain strength we can become self-sufficient.  Someone has said that “strength is a drug that induces spiritual forgetfulness,” and they’re right.  The one I see creeping through the pews was expressed by Hosea—“But when they had fed to the full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up;  therefore they forgot God” ².  We yearn for God’s blessing, and when He does bless us, our joy turns to the gift rather than the Giver.  We revel in the blessing itself—and our very fullness causes devotion to dwindle.
 
What is the answer?  Remember grace.  Remember that God chose you and drew you to Himself and redeemed you, and He is the one who has blessed you with every good thing.  He didn’t have to do that.  You could still be in your sins.   And remember the purpose for God’s grace in you—that you might glorify Him.  It’s about Him—not you. 

- “Cogitations”, Dr. Warren Vanhetloo³

1. Isa. 51:12-13 [↩]
2. Hosea 13:6 [↩]
3. To begin subscription, ask questions, or make comments, email Dr. Van at cbsvan@sbcglobal.net [↩]