Gone Fishin’ July 2024 Newsletter

Hi Everyone

Here’s this month’s Gone Fishin’ Newsletter.

Every month a team from our fellowship at Calvary Wellington heads out to our regular fishing holes – the Naenae Market and Hillary Court shops, or the Hutt Riverbank Fruit and Vege Market. There we share the Gospel to those in our immediate community.

Once a month I publish a simple newsletter that is distributed to the fellowship (or for anyone else who stumbles across this website), as a way of encouragement, and as a tool to equip us to be better evangelists.

You can read the last Field Report from 15/6/24 here.

Enjoy!

Gone Fishin’ Monthly Newsletter – July 2024

“Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says:

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

(James 4:1-10).

Hi Everyone

Hoping this finds you all well, and are still actively finding ways to get the good news of the Gospel out!

You can read the Gone Fishin’ Field Report from 15/6/24 here.

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It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see how quickly man will deteriorate when he turns his back on God and determines to go his own way. Chaos and conflict will inevitably ensue, because God’s perfect plans have been traded for phony, imperfect ones.

Although written by James to challenge those overtaken by pride in the church, our verses today also paint a parallel picture of the Gospel.

Let’s look at the cause, the consequence, and the cure for conflict.

The Cause for Conflict (v1-3)

Desire for pleasure

When one denies the existence of God, the focus will always be on to the next best person in the universe – the one looking back from the mirror. With no godly influence for guidance, one takes on self to be the provider and sustainer for all needs. But that creates a problem: without God, the natural inclination is to cater to the flesh (members). And the more one caters to flesh, the more lust will increase.

Directed by passion

Lust is never healthy. It is an all-consuming monster that will devour everything it is fed it and will have one craving for more. More money, more sex, more notoriety, more material things, more…everything. And when they are out of reach, selfish covetousness takes over. One is no longer that content, relaxed being, but now just another byproduct of the world – possessed and driven to get everything the selfish heart desires.

Domination through power

With lust in charge, one does anything to retain and protect; and to fight for the things not yet possessed. One is now at war with the world. The hunger for more has created a dictator over everyone, accountable to no one. The depths of greed have even clouded judgement to the point of demanding that God rush to one’s side with a click of fingers like a divine butler, to fulfil all wants and desires. Of course, these will fall on deaf ears, as He bows to no decree.

The cause for the unbeliever’s conflict is directly due to the choice of a life without God.

The Consequence for Conflict (v4-5)

“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

Vileness of Bad Company

Friendship with the world and its’ glamour gets one labelled as adulterers by God. As harsh as it may seem, there is a reason for this, in that anything that diverts one’s attention away from Him starves Him of His due glory. And that stirs His anger – much like a spouse will get angry when their partner has their attention diverted by another. This is why he compares us to adulterers. And adulterers will eventually get their come-uppance.

Villain through Bad Company

Friendship with the world makes one an enemy of God. Not only does He hate the fact that our attention is diverted from Him, but it riles His anger to the point of declaring war! One does not want God – the creator and sustainer of everything – an enemy; for there will only be one outcome, and it will always be in His favour. It would therefore be foolish pride for one to pretend that everything is fine.

Vanity of Bad Company

If God says via scripture that the drawcard of want and greed makes God jealous, then why would one foolishly continue in it? It can only be due to an over-zealous heart, one that is totally blinded and won over by the seduction of the mistress of the world, and the pleasure she brings. This is delusion at its’ finest – to be so deeply entrenched that one cannot see (or even desire) a way out. Unfortunately, this puts one directly in the crosshairs of God’s wrath.

The consequences of the unbeliever’s conflict is becoming an enemy of God.

The Cure for Conflict (v6-9)

“But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

Grace to the Remorseful

The glossy allure of all the things that were greedily fought for and won, have now lost their shine. And the realization that this was all a pointless exercise in vanity will eventually sink home. Some learn this lesson before it is too late, some never learn it. It takes a big slice of humble pie to admit that one is wrong. But this is necessary, because the incessant love of the gifts has overtaken the love of the Giver, and this Giver is a jealous God. Only a humbling and submission to God will allay any wrath from Him.

Grace to the Returning

If all it took was resisting the devil to be saved from God’s wrath, then everyone would be a child of His. But it would only last until one’s resistance stood up. There will always be a shinier diamond out there somewhere. So reconciliation also needs drawing near to God. He is the only one who can shield and protect from all the devil’s lures. And those who humble themselves and draw near to Him will be comforted in the knowledge that God is the only love and the only desire we will ever need.

Grace to the Repentant

A changing of one’s mind, turning from sin, and a turning to God amounts to true repentance. It involves coming to the end of oneself; realising that all the world can give is a selfish appetite for more, and total unfulfillment in life. Knowing also that one is in direct line of fire with a jealous and Holy God, should trigger unconditional surrender to Him. Mourning and gloom will turn to laughter and joy, all laced with God’s grace.

The cure for the unbeliever’s conflict is a turning of ones back to the world, and total submission and faith in God.

Folks, all this is all a mirror of salvation.

An unrepentant sinner who refuses to acknowledge his creator, and instead spends his whole life gathering what amounts to worthless junk in order to satisfy himself – he is storing up God’s wrath that will eventually be poured out on him on Judgement Day. But God in His mercy will bestow grace upon him if he repents and places all his faith in Christ for the forgiveness of his sins, as Christ’s sacrifice in his place will allay all of God’s anger.

All his focus will now be on Christ – and not the world – for all his needs.

Let’s use this as a springboard to share the Good News to all the world!

I’ll see you all at my place at 10am for prayer before heading down to the Naenae shops!

Blessings,

Craig.

Jesus said to go into all the world and preach the Gospel (Mark 16:15). Isn’t that scray? Yes, and no.

Calvary Wellington, in association with Operation513, are giving you an opportunity to hone your evangelistic skills at the free Tell Me Conference on 7 September, followed by a week on the streets from 9-13 September 2024 to put it into practice.

You will need to register here. Just do it!