Sermons by Bob Vincent and Others: Recent Episodes
- The Focus Is on the Return of Christ. 2. Christ Will Return Literally, Physically, Bodily. 3. What Is the Hymenaen Heresy? 4. The Cry of Revelation Is for Christ to Return. 5. The Goal of the Church Is not Political Power; it Is Spiritual Power. 6. Politics Is Deceptive and Intoxicating. 7. Whosoever Will May Come. 8. Biblical Doctrine Is Often Paradoxical. 9. Jesus Is Fully God and Fully Human in One Person. 10. God Is Both One and Three.
- Most Cultures Historically Refer to a Tree of Life. 2. Revelation 22 Reflects Ezekiel 47. 3. Nebuchadnezzar Had Dreams. 3.1. His First Dream Demanded Evidence of Supernatural Revelation. 3.2. His Second Dream Was of a Great Tree. 4. Jesus Compares his Kingdom to a Great Tree. 5. We Must Remember Vital Truths. 5.1. The Unity of John's Book Is Like a Musical Theme with Variations. 5.2. Through the Holy Spirit we Experience the Future World in the Here and Now. 6. Revelation 22 Counters the Curses of Genesis Three. 7. The Tree of Life Is Christ on the Cross.
- American Liberty Is Rooted in British Tradition. 1.1. The Magna Carter Was Sealed in 1215. 1.2. The English Civil War Laid the Precedent of Checking the Power of Kings. 1.3. King George III Was Guilty of Tyranny. 2. America Experienced a Revolution in the 1960s. 2.1. Congress Passed the Northwest Ordinance Along with the Constitution in 1787. 2.2. Earl Warren Presided over a Supreme Court that Attempted to Erase America's Christian Heritage. 3. We Are Under the Judgment of God. 4. What Hope Do I Have?
- God the Father Is the Pattern for Fatherhood. 1.1. Favoritism Destroys Children by Making them Bitter. 1.2. This Evil Pattern Has Had Historical Impact. 2. What Is the First Commandment with a Promise? 3. Benjamin Franklin Changed from a Deist to a Person who Believes in God who Actively Responds to Prayer. 4. We Have a Deeply Flawed Life. 5. We Are Called to Be Pilgrims. 6. We Are Called to Respect our Heavenly Father and our Earthly Fathers. 7. Our Earthly Fathers Are Deeply Flawed and Pass Down Traditions that Are Destructive. 8. Who Is a True Jew? 9. What Is the Foreknowledge of God the Father? 10. We Must Be Sprinkled with the Blood of Christ.
- Paradise Restored: We Must Go Back to Eden to Understand Revelation 21-22. 2. Joel Speaks About the Holy Spirit and the River of God. 3. Ezekiel Speaks About the River of God Coming from Underneath the Altar. 4. Revelation 22 Clearly Reflects Ezekiel 47. 5. The Gospel of John Points to the Holy Spirit as the Fulfillment of the River. 5.1. The Woman at the Well Wanted Living Water. 5.2 . The Feast of Tabernacles Points to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. 6. There Are Radical Differences Between the Old and New Testaments. 7. But we Must Beware of the Opposite Extreme Where we so Divide the Testaments that we Make them Two Books. 8. There Are Dead Churches and Living Churches.
- What Did Dr. Moore Leave out? 2. God Has a Strange Way of Working his Purposes out. 3. Romans 8:28-29 Is my Favorite Passage of Scripture. 4. Joseph Is a Great Example of God's Sovereignty Keeping a Person from Bitterness. 5. Beware of Bitterness. 6. Remember that you Are an Imperfect Conduit of Perfect Grace. 7. God Is Calling you to Be Like Jesus to Others.
- The Holy City Is a Gigantic Cube of 1380 Miles. 2. Its Wall Is Symbolic of All the People of God. 3. The Jewels Point to the Breastpiece of the High Priest. 4. The Holy City Is the Bride of Christ. 5. God Tabernacles with His People. 6. The Lord Jesus Fulfills the Tabernacle and Temple.
- Both Men and Women Are Created in the Image of God. 2. What Is the Structure of Genesis? 3. What Can we Glean from the First Toledoth? 4. The Divine Breath Is what Separates Humans from the Other Animals. 5. God Breathed His Divine Breath into a Creature Only Once. 6. At Creation Man and Woman Were Equal but with Different Responsibilities. 7. Several Points Can Be Made from Genesis 2:24-25. 7.1. Marriage Divorces Other Relationships to Establish a New One. 7.2. The Act of Marriage Creates a Bond that Unites Two Persons into One. 8. The Fall Changed Everything. 9. The Curses Are Still with us.
- I Read this Passage to my Father on the Night he died. 2. When we Worship, we Worship with the Whole Church in all Places and Ages. 3. Revelation Quotes Isaiah 65. 4. Isaiah 65 Begins with Judgment. 5. The Outward People of God Were Very Corrupt. 6. The True People of God Are and Always Have Been a Remnant. 7. World Leaders Serve God's Purpose. 8. Do not Ever Talk Back to God.
- My Kingdom Is not of this World. 2. My Disciples Do not Fight. 3. Weapons Are for Deterrence. 4. Jesus Cleansed the Temple, but he Did not Hit Anyone. 5. Jesus Is Like and Unlike Alexander the Great. 6. Jesus' Disciples Followed his Example. 7. Demons Are Real. 8. How Does Christ's Kingdom Come? 9. Paul and Silas Sing Praises to God. 10. Christ's Kingdom Comes Very Differently from Muhammad's. 11. What are we up against in the Middle East? 12. Jesus Conquers Rome by Loving his Enemies. 13. When the Head of a Family Is Baptized, all his Family Is Baptized, too. 14. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you Will Be Saved, you and your Family.
- What Is the Book of Ezekiel About? 2. Ezekiel's Silence Is an Omen of God's Removal of Judah from His Land. 3. Under the New Covenant, the LORD Will Restore his People to His Land. 4. When Was this Fulfilled? 5. The Old Covenant Brought the Curse; the New Brings Forgiveness and Restoration. 6. The Old Testament Is Fulfilled in the New in a "Now" and "Not Yet" Way. 7. A Divided Kingdom Would Be Reunited. 8. Remember Daniel's Prophecy of the 70th Week. 9. Who Is Gog? 10. God Delivers His People. 11. The World Has Thrown off the Lord Jesus Christ. 12. Revelation 20 Describes the End of the Christian Era. 13. There Is a Radical Difference Between Cultural Christianity and Covenanted Christianity.
- Monday Evening Is the First Day of Purim. 2. The Book of Esther Never Mentions God or Prayer. 3. Why Did Queen Vashti Refuse? 4. We Cannot Let our Wives Have Vashti as an Example. 5. Myrtle Becomes Ishtar. 6. Esther Is Crowned Queen. 7. Mordecai Discovers a Murder Plot. 8. Haman Is Descended from Abraham Through Esau. 9. Haman Instigates the First Attempt in History to Wipe out the Jewish People. 10. If I Perish, I Perish. 11. Esther Understood her Husband. 12. There Is a Jew in Haman's Gate. 13. A Sleepless King Is Under the Providence of God.
- What Are the Three Major Views About the Millennium? 2. Dispensational Premillennialism Is a Relatively New Phenomenon, Popularized in the Scofield Reference Bible. 3. How Many Returns of Christ Are There? 4. Amillennialists Tend to View much of the Book of Revelation as Symbolic. 5. The Book of Revelation Records Seven Returns of Christ. 5.1. The Seven Seals Climax with Christ's Return (Revelation 6:12-17). 5.2. The Seven Trumpets Climax with Christ's Return (Revelation 11:16-18). 5.3. The Middle Vision Climaxes with Christ's Return (Revelation 14:14-20). 5.4. The Seven Bowls Climax with Christ's Return (Revelation 16:16-21; Cf. Revelation 6:7ff.). 5.5. The Vision of the Whore, the Bride, and the Groom Climaxes with Christ's Return (Revelation 19:1-3). 5.6. The Vision of the Rider on the White Horse Climaxes with Christ's Return (Revelation 19:17). 5.7. The Post-Millennial Vision Climaxes with Christ's Return (Revelation 20:11-15). 6. When Does the Millennium Begin? 7. World History Indicates that we May Be at the End of the Millennium Because we Are in an Era of Unprecedented Deception.
- Greedy People Are Fools. 2. The Rich Tend to Think the Rules Do not Apply to Them. 3. The Super Bowl is one of the Biggest Human Trafficking Events in the United States. 4. The Rich Are Different. 5. How Are Underage Children Obtained for Commercial Sex? 6. The Epstein Files Demonstrate How the Rich and Powerful Often Exploit Others. 7. Sisera's Mother Wonders Why her Son Is Late. 8. You Can Call on the LORD for Help. 9. Barak Hid Behind Deborah's Skirts. 10. Jael Is like the Virgin Mary. 11. Sisera's Mother Illustrates the Pattern of Violence and Rape. 12. Violence Stirs People to Rape. 13. Muhammad Was a Rapist who Liked them Young. 14. What Are the Evil Things About the Super Bowl? 15. Gambling Is Addictive. 16. We Should Honor the Lord's Day. 17. What Is the Practical Application for you and me? 18. Pray for your Country. 19. Who Can Be Saved? 20. Pray for Trafficked People. 21. Pray for our Leaders.
- I Was Involuntarily Committed to a Mental Institution. 2. This Was How God Answered my Prayer. 3. What I Thought Was the Worst Day of my Life Was the Beginning of Something Wonderful. 4. Jesus Died in Order to Bear Much Fruit. 5. Jesus' Death Is the Great Crisis of World History. 6. It Is Also the Casting Down of Satan. 7. The Cross Is the Great Crisis. 8. The Cross Changes the Focus on the Subjects of Redemption. 9. Jesus Is the Light of the World, and He Has Called us to Let our Light Shine. 10. What Does it Mean to Hate our Life in this World? 11. Sandy and I Have Enjoyed Great Fruitfulness over the Past Decade. 12. What Are you Holding onto?
- Psalms One and Two Are the Key to the Whole Book. 2. Psalm One Is the Key to Individual Happiness. 3. Psalm Two Is About the Kingdom of God. 4. We Must Read the Psalms in Light of the Life-Situation of the Human Author. 5. We Must Interpret the Old Testament by the New. 6. God's Kingdom Is not a Democracy 7. Every Knee Will Bow and Worship the One True God. 8. The Herods Were Vile People. 9. They Pray for Boldness. 10. Psalm 2 Speaks About the Lord Jesus' Investiture. 11. Psalm 110 Reinforces our Understanding. 12. Psalm 2 Gives an Appeal.
- The Book of Revelation Is the Summation of the Whole Bible. 2. Its Visions Are Similar to Dreams. 3. Digression: Babies in the Womb Are Distinct from Their Mothers' Bodies. 4. The Binding of Satan Points to his no Longer Being Able to Deceive the Gentiles. 5. How Do the Saints Reign with Christ Now? 6. Our Prayers Are Sweet Incense to God. 7. We Are Kings and Priests, and the Saints Can Change History by Prayer. 8. The Saints Prayers Bring Judgment. 9. What Is the First Resurrection? 10. Modern Judaism Is Rabbinic Judaism. 11. Jesus Gives the Answer in John Five. 12. The First Resurrection Is the Holy Spirit's Calling us Through the Word. 13. The Second Resurrection Is Still Future and Is Universal.
- Each of the Seven Visions of Revelation Ends with the Judgment and Return of Christ. 2. The Book of Revelation Functions as John's Olivet Discourse. 3. The Temple Will Never Be Rebuilt for Biblical Reasons. 4. The Temple Will Never Be Rebuilt for Historical Reasons. 5. What Is the Binding of Satan? 6. It Is the Gentiles No Longer Being Blinded by Demonic Forces. 7. The Kingdom of God Is Manifested by Demons Being Cast out.
- The Lord Jesus Christ Will Return Physically, Literally, and Bodily (Acts 1:11). 2. Revelation Functions as John's Olivet Discourse. 2.1. Matthew 24-25 Points to the Destruction of the Temple (Matthew 24:15) and the Return of Christ (Matthew 24:36-25:46). 2.2. Mark 13 Points to the Destruction of the Temple (Mark 13:14) and the Return of Christ (Mark 13:32-37). 2.3. Luke 21:5-36 Points to the Destruction of the Temple (Luke 21:20-24) and the Return of Christ (Luke 21:34-36). 3. Each of the Major Visions Ends with the Second Coming of Christ in Judgment. 3.1. The Seven Seals Climax with Christ's Return (Revelation 6:12-17). 3.2. The Seven Trumpets Climax with Christ's Return (Revelation 11:16-18). 3.3. The Middle Vision Climaxes with Christ's Return (Revelation 14:14-20). 3.4. The Seven Bowls Climax with Christ's Return (Revelation 16:16-21; Cf. Revelation 6:7ff.). 3.5. The Vision of the Whore, the Bride, and the Groom Climaxes with Christ's Return (Revelation 19:1-3). 3.6. The Vision of the Rider on the White Horse Climaxes with Christ's Return (Revelation 19:17). 3.7. The Post-Millennial Vision Climaxes with Christ's Return (Revelation 20:11-15). 4. Have you Repented and Cast Yourself on God's Mercy in Christ?
- The Lord Jesus Christ Is the Rider on the White Horse of Chapter 19. 1.1. He Is Identical to the Son of Man in Chapter One. 1.2. He Is Identical to the Son of Man of Daniel Seven. 2. The Lord Jesus Christ Is not the Rider on the White Horse of Chapter Six. 2.1. This Rider Is Typical of Ambitious Leaders Throughout History. 2.2. The United States Is no Different than Other Nations. 3. The Lord Jesus Christ Is the only Ruler in History who Is Faithful and True and who Rules with True Justice. 3.1. The Lord Jesus Christ Is Absolutely Sovereign. 3.2. His Return Is Both Pre-Millennial and Post-Millennial. 4. The Pre-Millennial Return of Christ Began at Pentecost. 5. I Want you to Know and Love the Lord Jesus.
I called Muhammad's leaving Mecca for Medina the Hajj. I should have said the Hijrah. The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca every able-bodied Muslim should endeavor to take at least once in his life. 1. The Common Era Is the Christian Era. 2. There Are Two Babylons. 2.1. The Temple and her Priests Are Babylon. 2.2. Rome and her Emperors Are Babylon. 3. When God Judges the Great Harlot, Heaven Shouts "Hallelujah!" 4. The First Martyrs Were Jews Persecuted by Those who Worshipped the Temple. 5. Who Destroyed the Jewish Temple? 6. God Divorced the Jewish Temple in Order to Marry Another.
- We Must Distinguish Between Baptism and Preaching the Gospel. 2. We Must Distinguish Between External and Internal Baptism. 3. How Are we Born-Again? 4. The Most Important Thing Is the Preaching of the Gospel. 5. Jesus Personally Calls Everyone who Is Saved. 6. The Means of Grace Are Tools the Spirit Uses to Make us Like Christ. 7. What Is the Bible's Method of Apologetics?
- I Cannot Please God by my own Efforts. 2. In the Gospel God Does for me what I Cannot Do for Myself. 3. Even the Blessed Virgin Mary Needed her Sins Washed away. 4. We Are Declared Righteous by Grace Alone. 5. One of the Great Doctrines of the Reformation Is that we Are Right with God by Grace Alone. 6. We Are Right with God Through Faith in Jesus' Blood. 7. God Must Punish Sin. 8. The Gospel Is, we Are Right with God by Grace Alone, Received Through Faith Alone, in Christ Alone. 9. The Apostles' Creed Is, we Are Right with God Without the Works of the Law. 10. True Faith Is Always Demonstrated by how we Treat the Poor. 11. Luther's Ninety-Five Theses Demanded Repentance, not a Piece of Paper. 12. God Declares Wicked People Righteous. 13. The Thirty-Second Psalm Celebrates God's True Gospel. 14. This Is the Protestant Gospel.
- Revelation's Visions Overlap and Progress. 2. Revelation's Prophecies Were to Take Place Soon. 3. Here Is an Outline of Revelation. 4. Joseph ben Matthias (Josephus) Was Commander of the Armies of the Galilee. 4.1. What Started the War with Rome? 4.2. Roman Idolatry Was Always a Threat. 4.3. Roman Stones Fired from Catapults Destroyed Cities. 4.4. Jerusalem Was Split into Three Parts. 5. Jerusalem Is Sodom and Egypt. 6. Who Is the Great Harlot?
- Where There Is Smoke, There Is Fire. 2. When the Tabernacle Was Dedicated, the Divine Smoke Kept Everyone out. 3. When the Temple Was Dedicated, the Divine Smoke Kept Everyone out. 4. When the Second Temple Was Dedicated, There Was no Divine Smoke. 5. The Presence of Jesus Was the Glory of the Second Temple. 6. The Second Temple Was Destroyed When it Had Fulfilled its Purpose. 7. We Are the Living Stones of the Third Temple. 8. God Comes to Put Covenant Breakers on Trial. 9. The fear of Yahweh is the key to this treasure. 10. There Has Always Been a Godly Remnant Within an Ungodly People. 11. Our God Is a Consuming Fire. 12. Our Lord Jesus Is the King in his Beauty. 13. The King Takes away our Sin and Heals us. 14. May our Consuming Fire Consume all our Evil.
- We Come to the Glassy Sea. 2. As with Israel, we Celebrate the Defeat of God's Enemies. 3. God's Greatest Victory Is Jesus' Triumph over Death and Hell. 4. Yahweh Is a Man of War. 5. Deuteronomy 32 Records Another Song of Moses. 6. We Must Fear God. 7. Pain Alone Will not Produce Repentance. 8. I Fear God, Trusting that he Is Working Everything to Make me like the Lord Jesus. 9. When the Church on Earth Worships God, she Is United with Church in Heaven.
- Revelation's Visions Overlap and Intensify. 2. Blood Will Be Spilt. 3. Iryna Zarutska's Blood Was Spilt. 4. Charlie Kirk's Blood Was Spilt. 5. Where Does this Rage Come from? 6. Satan Has Let Loose Demonic Creatures. 7. People who Celebrate Murder Are Demonic. 8. Christians Have the Restored Image of God and Invite Special Hatred.
- What Is the Background for Zephaniah? 1.1. During the Reign of Josiah, Judah Experienced External Revival. 1.2. This Revival Did not Change the People. 1.3. God Judges Judah. 1.4. God Judges the Nations. 1.5. God Judges Jerusalem. 2. God Redeems his People. 2.1. God Purges his People from Pride. 2.2. God Causes his People to Rejoice. 2.3. God Delights in Singing. 2.4. God Experiences Emotional Love for us. 2.5. God Sings over us.
- Nineveh Was a Terrorist State. 1.1. What Is the Purpose of Terrorism? 1.2. In 722 B.C. Nineveh Conquered Israel. 1.3. The Origin of the Samaritans Was Due to Assyria's Policies of Displacing Native Populations. 1.4. God Delivered Jerusalem. 1.5. God Sent Jonah to Nineveh. 1.6. We Can Date Nahum Between 663 and 612 B.C. 2. Beware of Goofy Interpretations of Bible Prophecy. 3. Who Is Ashley Fields? 3.1. God Is Good All the Time. 3.2. The Lord Is a Refuge in Times of Trouble.
- What Is the Historical Background of the Book of Obadiah? 1.1. Why Is Esau Also Called Edom? 1.2. Jacob and Esau Were Rivals from the Womb on. 2. Obadiah Warned the Edomites About Their Pride. 2.1. The Edomites Were Noted for Their Wisdom. 2.2. The Edomites Trusted in Their Military Defenses. 3. God Brings Down the Edomites Because of Their Cruelty Toward Jacob. 4. Israel Conquered the Edomites. 5. Christ Shall Have Dominion.
- The Valley of Achor Became a Door of Hope. 2. What Happened at the Valley of Achor? 3. Israel Sang Again. 4. Her Husband Became her Leading Partner and Ceased Being her Master. 5. Ba'al Drops out of Israel's Nomenclature. 6. Hosea Courted Gomer. 7. Gomer's Children's Names Are Changed. 8. There Is a Visible People of God, But the Church that Only God Can See Has Been Chosen in Christ. 9. The True Israel Includes both Jews and Gentiles. 10. God Dealt with Israel and Gave Hosea a Pattern for Gomer. 11. What Was the Purpose of the Hedge of Thorns? 12. No Matter the Depths of your Problem, your Valley of Achor Can Become a Door of Hope.
- God Commanded Hosea to Marry a Loose Woman. 2. Effective Preaching Is Taking the Word of God and by the Power of the Holy Spirit Grinding it in the Mortar and Pestle of Life. 3. Why Was Hosea's Son Named Jezreel? 4. The Land Was Cursed. 5. Why Is Jehu Indicted? 6. Jehu Did not End Jeroboam's Idolatry. 7. Jehu Went Far Beyond the LORD's Commission. 8. It Was all About Politics for Jehu. 9. Who Is Jeroboam II? 10. When Times Are Prosperous, Beware Tisha b'Av (תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב) May Be Right Around the Corner. 11. Gomer Gave Birth to a Daughter, Lo-Ruhamah. 12. God Spared King Hezekiah and Judah. 13. Gomer Gave Birth to a Son, Lo-Ammi. 14. Hosea Bought his Wife Back from Slavery. 15. Who Is David's Son? 16. Genocide Is a Wicked Thing, Coming Under the Judgment of a Holy God. 17. Here Is some Speculation About the Mossad and Jeffrey Epstein. 18. God Loves Israel.
- What Is Heaven Like? 2. We Live in a World Under a Curse. 3. The Lord Jesus Christ Has Conquered that Curse. 4. But we Live in a Time of Suffering. 5. Our Souls Have Been Redeemed, But not Yet our Bodies. 6. How Could the Deaths of Those Little Girls Be Part of God's Plan for Good? 7. Revelation 21-22 Fulfills Isaiah's Prophecies of Heaven on Earth. 8. Heaven and Earth Will Be Purged of Corruption. The sermon explores the promise of a restored world, drawing from Revelation and Isaiah to paint a picture of ultimate consummation and liberation from suffering. Reflecting on personal experiences, including the passing of a father and the loss of a spouse, the message emphasizes the hope of a new heaven and a new earth where pain, decay, and the effects of the curse will be eradicated, and believers will experience a state of perfect health, harmony, and reunion with loved ones. Ultimately, the sermon calls for a steadfast anticipation of Christ's return and a renewed commitment to righteousness in light of the hope for a transformed world free from the burdens of this fallen existence.
This is the funeral service for Jason David Majors. On Sunday morning, March 30, 2025, Jason and Koti Majors' house and two cars burned to the ground around 4:00 in the morning. Jason was driven to the Burn Center in Plano, Texas, in an ambulance. He suffered third degree burns on two/thirds of this body, and his lungs were severely damaged. Earnest prayer was made for him, but the Lord called him home on July 3rd, after 96 days in a medically induced coma.
- The Cross Is Substitution: The Lord Jesus Dies in our Place. 2. The Cross Removes God's Wrath. 3. The Cross Declares us Righteous. 4. The Cross Brings Healing. 5. While Everything Is Under God, not Everything Is Yet Under the God-Man. 6. Jesus Died to Undo Adam's Sin and Bring in a New World Order.
- God's Ideal Government Is not Monarchy. 2. What Is the Right of Eminent Domain? 3. Government Has the Tendency to Make its People Slaves. 4. What Does Romans 13 Teach? 5. The American War of Independence Was not a Revolution. 6. Russia Had a Revolution. 7. France Had a Revolution. 8. Individuals May not Take up Arms Against Their Governments. 9. Individuals Must Respectfully Refuse to Obey Illegal Orders. 10. Lawful Authority May Take up Arms Against Other Governments. 11. How Can you Be Freed from PTSD? 12. Where Do you Look to Understand the United States of America? 13. Are you Submitted to the King?
This is the fifth sermon. It focuses on who Jesus is: truly God, truly human, in one person, distinct, yet one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He is the son of King David, and he is the one true son of Abraham. 1. Who Is the Lord Jesus Christ? 2. A Person May Be a True Christian Without Affirming Orthodoxy, but we Must not Give them Christian Recognition. 3. What Is the Biblical Basis for the Orthodox Confession? 4. Jesus Identified Himself with the God of the Burning Bush. 5. The Blessed Trinity Is Revealed in the Baptism of Jesus. 6. Jesus Is the Only Begotten Son of God, but we Are Adopted Sons. 7. Our Interpretation of Scripture Should not Be Unique; we Are Guided by what Christians Have Believed down Through the Ages. 8. Jesus Was not Simply a Good Man; he Is Almighty God. 9. Why Did his First Disciples Remain Loyal to him? 10. I Am a Jew. 11. The Physical Descendants of Abraham Are at War with each Other. 12. We Praise the LORD that we Have Been Set Free from that Inferior Covenant.
- I Miss my Father. 2. World Leaders Use our Need of a Father to Gain Power. 3. The Tower of Babel Is not a Prohibition Against Tall Things. 4. The Tower of Babel Is a Fist Raised Against God. 5. We Can Not Regain Eden. 6. Evil Is Godlessness. 7. God Will Restore Eden. 8. What About the United Nations? 9. The Building of the Tower of Babel Had Noble Goals, but Without God it Was Evil. 10. With Artificial Intelligence and Other Things, Where Are we?
- This Is a World-wide Flood. 2. Atheistic Evolution Leads to Racism. 3. We Should not Assume that our World Has Always Been as it Is Today. 4. The Forgetting the Fact of the Genesis Flood Is a Deliberate Act of the Human Will. 5. God's Rainbow Declares the World Will Never Again Be Destroyed by Water, but it Will Be Destroyed by Fire. 6. God Is Outside of Time and Space. 7. God Delays his Judgment so that You Might Be Saved. 8. God's Fire Will Disclose Everything. 9. Soon it Will Be too Late.
- We Have a Play on Words. 2. Was the Snake a Dinosaur? 3. Death Began Only After Adam Sinned. 4. God Gave Adam a Command with Absolutely Dreadful Consequences for Disobedience. 5. Human Life Began only Once. 6. What Is Headship? 7. Adam Is not only the First Male, He is the Archetype of Males. 8. Eve Was Deceived; Adam Was not. 9. By Man Came Death. 10. Part of the Bondage to Corruption Is our Inability to Stop Sinning. 11. God Loves you, and he Covered your Sin.
- What Is Creatio ex Nihilo? 2. God Was Never Lonely. Luke 22:29; John 16:35; John 17:5; John 17:24 3. What is the Difference Between Human Beings and Other Animals? 3.1. We Are Animals The Hebrew phrase that is used to describe man at his creation, (pronounced NEH fesh kha YAH, נֶ֤פֶשׁ חַיָּה֙) "living soul" (Genesis 2:7), is used of animals (Genesis 1:20, 24, 30; 2:19 ). 3.2. Only Human Beings Are Created Directly by God. Genesis 2:7 3.3. Only Human Beings Are Created in the Image of God and Endowed with the Reflective Ability to Think God's Thoughts After him. Genesis 1:27; Colossians 3:10; Ephesians 4:24; 2 Peter 2:12 3.4. Only Human Beings Are Immortal. 2 Corinthians 5:8; Ecclesiastes 3:21 with Ecclesiastes 12:7; Cf. Confession of Faith, Chapter 4, "Creation," Paragraph Two 4. God Created the World with the Appearance of Age. Genesis 2:19-25
- What Was Noah's Wife's Name? 2. Who Was Noah? 3. Noah's Wife Was a Preacher's Wife. 4. Noah and his Wife Must Have Had Other Children Besides Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 5. To Be a Parent Is to Know Pain. 6. Our World Is not Identical to the World Before the Fall and Before the Flood. 7. What Greater Pain Is There than to Know You Have Children Who Are Lost? 8. There Were Young Dinosaurs on the Ark and Prototypes of Other Animals. 9. Noah Was Likely Mocked the Way Some Street-preachers Are Today. 10. Good Parents Practice Tough Love. 11. There Is no Absolute Promise that our Children Will Be Saved. 12. Godly Fear Does Not Remove our Assurance of Salvation; Rather it Is an Awareness that There Are Consequences in this Life to Disobeying God.
- This Psalm Points to Palm Sunday. 2. The Lord Jesus Christ Is the Stone the Builders Rejected. 3. Knowing Christ Rose from the Dead and Experiencing the Power of the Holy Spirit Turned Cowards into Bold Witnesses. 4. The Builders who Rejected the Cornerstone Were the Jewish Leaders. 5. God's True Israel Repented and Believed. 6. The Leaders only Had the Scriptures, but Without the Holy Spirit, Scripture Is a Dead Letter. 7. The Jewish Leaders Knew that Jesus Had Risen from the Dead. 8. Fallen Persons Cannot Think Rationally. 9. Jesus' Destruction of the Jewish Temple and Building the Third Temple Is Another Proof of his Resurrection. 10. I Make a Thousand Dollar Offer.
I made a mistake. Phonics derives from the Greek word for "sound, tone, noise," phōnē, φωνή; whereas, Phoenician comes from Phoinikē, Φοινίκη. 1. Psalm 118 is the last part of the Great Hallel, Psalm 113-118. It is the hymn Jesus and his disciples sang (Matthew 26:30). 2. Psalm 118 Records David's Obtaining the Bride Price for Saul's Daughter. 3. What Is the Meaning of Circumcision? 4. All the Descendants of Abraham, Whether Arabic or Jewish, Practice Circumcision. 5. Who Were the Philistines? 6. Psalm 118 Is Recited as the Lord Jesus Enters Jerusalem. 7. Why Does Jesus Weep? 8. Jesus Was Cut off in Covenant Judgment When he Died on the Cross. 9. Psalm 118 Points Clearly to the Events of Holy Week. 10. Psalm 118 Points to the Lord's Supper.
- What is God's dwelling place? 2. When God's People Trusted in the Temple, they Turned it into an Idol. 3. When we Trust in Objects, Rather than our LORD, we Will Be Destroyed. 4. There Are Examples of this in Church History. 5. Several Hundred Years After the Time of Christ, People Built Buildings and then Defiled with Death. 6. Josiah Defiled the Temple of Moloch. 7. Think About the Great Cathedrals. 8. Death Defiles. 9. You Are Sacred Because God Tabernacles with us. 10. The Glory of the Second Temple Was that Jesus Walked There, and You and I Are the Final Temple.
- Patsy Barnes Went to Be with the Lord this Week. 2. The Harvest of Verses 14 Through 16 Is Different from that of 17 Through 20. 3. The Lord Jesus Christ Is the Son of Man. 4. False Israel Is an Adulterous Wife. 5. God's True People Are the First Fruits. 6. There Are Two Harvests, One in the Spring, the Other in the Fall. 7. The First Harvest Is for Blessing. 8. What Is Apocalyptic Language? 9. An Apocalypse Shows us the Reality Behind what our Eyes Can See. 10. The 144,000 Represent the Fulness of God's People. 11. God's True People Are Sealed in Order to Be Protected from his Wrath. 12. Do you Want to Be Part of that Blessed Harvest, Where we Will all Be Changed?
- It Is Difficult to Separate Fact from Legend. 2. Both Patrick and Paul Had a Godly Upbringing. 3. Both Patrick and Paul saw themselves as sinners; indeed, as the chief of sinners. 4. Though Guided by a Thoroughgoing Knowledge of Holy Scripture and Trust in its Infallibility, both Patrick and Paul Experienced Guidance Through Dreams. 5. Both Patrick and Paul Faced Powerful Opposition. 6. Both Patrick and Paul Were Friends to many and Deeply Loved. 7. Both Patrick and Paul Had a Fanatical Commitment to Proclaim the Gospel.
- This Is the Last Part of the Middle Vision. 2. What Is Fundamental Christian Doctrine? 3. The Lord Jesus Is the Son of Man of Revelation 14, but There Is Another Supernatural Figure Here. 4. The Land Will Be Reaped as Babylon Was Reaped. 5. The Reaping of the Olivet Discourse Focuses on First Century Judea. 6. God's Kingdom Contains Wheat and Tares. 7. I Don't Want a Pure Church at the Expense of Removing the Weak. 8. Church Discipline Begins with Faithful Bible Preaching, Earnest Prayer, and Patient Love. 9. Judea and Jerusalem Were Taken over by Fanatics who Killed Other Jews.
Because of a computer glitch only the last half of this sermon was captured on video. Please listen to "The Rest we Need, Part One for the audio and the transcript. 1. Let us Focus on Rest Today. 2. How Does this Passage Focus on the First Century of the Christian Era? 3. As with the Olivet Discourse, There is an Initial Fulfillment in the First Century. 4. The Mark of the Beast Contrasts with the Mark of the Lamb. 5. There Is no Rest for the Wicked. 6. Who Made me a Judge or an Arbiter Between you? 7. Take your Rest. 8. There Is Labor that Is Restful. 9. Take your Burdens and Give them to Jesus; then Find Rest in Worshipping God.
- Who Is Babylon in the Book of Revelation? 2. Babylon Is Connected to the Tower of Babel and Adam's Raised Hand. 3. Babylon Is the Fountainhead of Corrupt Worship. 4. I Changed my Mind About the Beast. 5. I Believe that Nero Is the Initial Fulfillment of the Beast. 6. Asia Minor Was a Center of Emperor Worship. 7. The Book of Revelation Recapitulates its Visions. 8. Nero and Rome Do not Exhaust the Prophecies About the Beast. 9. The Lord Jesus Christ Has not Yet Returned. 10. America in 2025 Is in Great Danger. 11. Jesus Is the Only Hero in History.
- The Gospel Includes the Fear of God. 2. What is the Fear of God? 3. To Fear God Is to Stand in Awe of him. 4. God Created All that Is. 5. When we Walk with the LORD, we no Longer Are Terrified of him. 6. What Is the Evidence that I Am Saved? 7. There Is Another Aspect of the Fear of God. 8. Every Human Knows God Exists and Knows Right from Wrong. 9. What Do you Do if You Are Same-Sex Attracted?
- Elisha Fulfilled his Commission Regarding Hazael.2. There Are Two Jorams (Jehorams).3. Jezreel Is the Place Where Naboth Was Murdered.4. The Law Protected the Poor from Generational Poverty.5. Jezebel Believed in the Divine Right of Kings.6. It Is the Year 841 B.C.7. Jezebel Was Cursed.8. God Uses Wicked People as his Rods of Chastisement.9. Believers Are Never Under God's Curse.
I corrected a couple of mistakes I made, attributing things to Elijah that were done by Elisha and to Martin Luther a statement by Matthew Henry.1. Elisha Is Carrying out Elijah's Assignment.2. God Had Used Elisha to Heal Ben-Hadad's General, Naaman.3. Did Elisha Tell Hazael to Lie?4. War Is a Foretaste of Hell.5. Waterboarding Is a Form of Torture and Can Cause Death, Leaving no Evidence.6. I Am Grateful we Live in a Democratic Republic Constrained by a Constitution.7. Hazael Was a Brutal King, Raised up by God to Chasten Israel.8. Aging Is Part of the Process of Dying.9. Did Elisha Lie?10. Please Look at the Handout.
- This Passage Leaves us with Many Questions.2. How Do we Know Biblical Dates?3. Elisha Is in the Background.4. Make Friends with People who Walk with God.5. Tell me the Stories of what God Has Done.6. God's Providence Is our Provision.7. What Is the Good?
- This Horrible Account Reflects the Curses of Leviticus and Deuteronomy.2. These Events Show us True Human Nature.3. This Curse Has Been Visited on the Jewish People Throughout History.4. What Situations Should Cause us to Seek the LORD in Desperation?5. Much of the Structure of the Old Testament Reflects the LORD's Lawsuit Against his People.6. People Often Blame the Preacher.7. Wait on the LORD.8. God Uses Four Lepers to Bring Deliverance.9. Death, Destruction, and Division May Lie Ahead in 2025, but the LORD Will Turn all These Things into a Blessing for Those who Look to him.
This sermon explores the significance of the first blessing Jacob gives to his 12 sons. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi receive curses from their father, but Judah receives a great blessing in Genesis 49:8-12.He is a lion, and he is promised authority over his brothers, and ultimately over the nations.We explore the significance of the Hebrew word Shiloh, šiylōh (שִׁיֹלה) in verse 10.Shiloh is also the name of the location of the Tabernacle once Israel entered Canaan, šiylōh (שִׁיֹלה).This reminds us of John 1:14, where the Word (logos, λόγος) is said to have tabernacled (skēnóō, σκηνόω) among us.
- The King of Syria Tried to Capture Elisha.2. Elisha's Servant Was Terrified Until the LORD Opened his Eyes.3. May the LORD Open our Eyes as we Examine the Christmas Story.4. Matthew's Account Focuses on the Dangers from Herod and Jesus Legal Genealogy.5. Luke's Account Focuses on the Events that Took Place at the Time of Jesus' Birth and on his Literal, Biological Descent from Adam, Abraham, and King David.6. Did Everyone See and Hear the Heavenly Host?7. Have you Ever Entertained Angels Without Knowing it?8. Authentic Christianity Is Committed to Right Doctrine and Right Practice.9. Had the Lord Jesus Died as an Infant, There Would Be no Redemption.10. You Don't Have to Be Afraid.11. According to the Power of the Holy Spirit, he Lifts us up to Where he Is.
- Under the New Testament, we Are Free to Eat what we Choose.2. Legalists Use the Law to Break the Law.3. What Foods Are Unclean?4. Dietary Laws Had a Special Purpose for the Jews.5. God Wants the Church to Be Full of People from Every Background and Culture.6. Every law of the Old Testament Passes over into the New Testament, but they Are all Radically Transformed.7. America Was once a Christian Nation, but it no Longer Is.
- Elisha Points us to the Lord Jesus.2. Naaman Is a Veteran.3. Naaman Illustrates God's Sovereignty.4. Jesus Is Both David's Legal and Biological Son.5. The Lord Jesus Christ Is Still the Pivot on Which History Turns.6. History Can Be Chastisement.7. May we all Become Jesus' Slaves.8. You and I Have the Same Disease as Naaman.9. People who Really Love us Will Tell us the Truth.10. God Still Does Miracles Today.11. Freely you Have Received, Freely Give (Matthew 10:8).12. Naaman Became a True Follower of the LORD.13. Jesus Will not Lay on you a Burden for Which he Does not Equip you.14. What Will you Do with Jesus?
- God Is Near.2. The World Is Flat.3. The World Is a Spinning Sphere.4. In Times of Cultural Collapse, God Is Near.5. Do not Lift up Your Horns.6. What Is my Encouragement About the Upcoming Election?7. God Raises up one and Puts Down Another.8. I Don't Want Justice.9. Jesus Drank that Bitter Cup for us.
- There Is Supernatural Opposition to the Gospel.2. Christ on the Cross Is Revealed in Preaching.3. There Are no Good People.4. What Is the Circumcision Group?5. What Does Justification Mean?6. Who Was Martin Luther?7. How Can You Be Right with God?8. Martin Luther, Billy Graham, and you, and I Desperately Need God's Grace.9. Luther Was a Great Man, But he Came Very Short of God's Glory.
- Prophets Can Neglect Profits and Their Families.2. Christian Economics Should Balance Freedom, Law, and Compassion.3. God Will Provide of his own.4. This Rich Woman Was Very Needy.5. Why Would God Be Good to me?6. Prophets Do Not Know Everything.7. Real Praying Is Hard and Requires Focus.8. We Need to Be Optimists.9. This Promise Is for you.10. We Can Use Political Leaders.11. Christians Must Extend a Hand to Help Others.
- These Three Kings Are Cousins.2. God's Sovereignty Does not Rule out Human Action.3. The Holocaust Is a Burnt Offering.4. Killing our Children Is Demonic. 5. The Right to Abortion Is a Demonic Right.6. Who Was Chemosh?7. God Limits Himself by Conformity to His own Character.8. Demonic Spirits Have the Power to Resist God's Servants.9. The Wrath Against Israel Was from Hell.10. The Lord's Supper Points us to what Can Change the World.
- This was a war between cousins.-2. Why is there war---3. What about Elisha---4. War brings a cacophony of confusion out of which we must come into the presence of God.-5. God guides us by Scripture and by the Holy Spirit's applying the Scripture to our everyday circumstances.-6. We must sing God's praises in order to be delivered from the cacophony of confusion that surrounds us.-7. What is a Psalm---8. What is a hymn---9. What is a song---10. Redemption has been accomplished, and our songs must explicitly glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.-11. Some Psalms express despair and doubt about life after death.-12. The Law made nothing perfect, and the Old Covenant is obsolete.-13. Consider the worship of the book of Revelation- it is Trinitarian and focuses on the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.-14. We must use music to get into the presence of God.-15. We must love our enemies.
- These are youth, not small children.-2. Bethel was the center of false religion and apostasy from God.-3. The double portion was for the successor of the father.-4. Elisha's Ministry Begins with Blessing, not Cursing.-5. The power of life and death is in the tongue.-6. As with Jericho, Bethel was a wicked city.-7. Young males need men in their lives.-8. If our nation does not experience the fear of God, it will devolve into chaos.-9. Pray for our nation.-10. Hell is the destiny of everyone who does not repent and cast himself on God's mercy in Jesus Christ.
- What are the good deeds of James 2---2. Neither the Roman Church nor Muhammad got it correct.-3. Good deeds focus on giving to the poor.-4. James the Just was Jesus' half-brother.-5. It is not always easy to help the poor.-6. The poor are God's elect.-7. We are either 100- righteous or 100- guilty.-8. We are justified by faith alone, but our faith is justified by our works alone.-9. I am a privileged man, and I must answer for what I have done with what God has given me.
- What is the difference between empathy and sympathy---2. I prayed for President Biden with sympathy.-3. Jesus was tempted in all the ways you are.-4. Jesus prayed with deep emotion and tears.-5. Prayer must end in submission.-6. Jesus matured through suffering.-7. Jesus understands you- he's been through what you're going through.-8. Are you afraid to die---9. Are you sure you are on your way to heaven---10. The devil has real power.-11. God desires to bless you.-12. Why did God become a man---13. Why don't you pray with me--
If we continue in the faith, we have been saved.--You can be part of the church and be lost.--Real Christians still sin.--Real Christians cannot live in sin.--God will not allow a real Christian to live in sin.--There are two errors- one is that people can never have assurance they are saved.--There is another error- believing you are saved based on a past decision that has no effect on you today.--The Lord chastens his own.--Paul serves as an example.--The book of Hebrews connects apostasy with abandoning the church.--Hebrews warned Jewish Christians if they turned their backs on Christ, the Old Testament system no longer exists.--There is a place where we can go from which there is no turning back.--It's never too late to come to the Lord Jesus Christ.
This sermon explores the significance of the rite of circumcision and why the Jewish people were so angry when they thought had brought an uncircumcised Greek into the Temple -Acts 21-27-29-.--The purpose of circumcision was to be a sign and seal of having been born again -Romans 2-28-29- and of being declared righteous by means of faith -Romans 4-9-12-.--Circumcision was the first step in a life-long commitment to observe the laws of the Old Testament. That is why Paul warned Gentile believers that if they were circumcised, they were cutting themselves off from Christ and salvation under the New Covenant -Galatians 5-2-6- Jeremiah 31-31-34- Ezekiel 36-24-27-.--Paul circumcised Timothy in Acts 16-1-3 for pragmatic reasons.
Historical Context of Acts 16--Pragmatism in Ministry--Introduction to the Regulative Principle--Christ is All-Sufficient--Warnings Against Deception--Christ's Triumph Over Principalities--Freedom from Legalism--Living in Christ's Victory--Misunderstandings of the Sabbath--Shadows and Substance in Christ--The Regulative Principle Explained--Call to Faith
CONFUSING GENEALOGIES--PHOENICIA -I made a huge mistake---WICKED INFLUENCE--EVIL LEADERS LEAD PEOPLE ASTRAY--THE GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW--A MOTHER'S INFLUENCE--A MOTHER'S GREATEST DUTY--ACCURSED MOTHERS AND AN ACCURSED FAMILY--A GODLY AUNT AS A GODLY MOTHER--ARRANGED MARRIAGES--A MURDERING GRANDMOTHER--PLACES OF SAFETY- THE TEMPLE AND THE CHURCH--THE LORD JESUS IS BOTH THE LEGAL AND BIOLOGICAL SON OF DAVID
Ahab represents a dreadful apostasy in Israel- Unlike those who have gone before with their turning away from divinely ordained worship, Ahab openly worships Baal.--Terrible things take place during his reign, such as Hiel of Bethel rebuilding the accursed city of Jericho.--However, along with Jehu, Ahab is the most important character in the Old Testament in helping us date when things happened.--Where are we now--
Great leaders such as King Omri are negatively evaluated by God in 1 Kings 16-21-28.--God usually appoints lazy, good for nothing people as world leaders -sh-ph-l, Daniel 4-17.---God does this so people would seek him -Acts 17-26-27-.
I had an April Fool's prank played on me and that led me to preach on the importance of sticking to the Bible for teachers -James 3-1-.--We live in an era of nonsense and wild speculations. Consider the eclipse scheduled for tomorrow, April 8, 2024.--We must remember that the signs recorded in Matthew 24-4-8 take place throughout history, but there was one sign that told people to do something -Matthew 24-15-16- Luke 21-17-21-.--That event took place within 40 years of Jesus message -Luke 21-21-24-.--We who teach are warned we will give an account -James 3-1- Hebrews 13-17, 9---These signs are signs THAT the Lord is going to return- they do not tell us WHEN he will return.
We can prove that the Lord Jesus rose from the dead.--The guards and the Sanhedrin KNEW that he rose. All of these people worshipped money and would not repent of their lust for money in spite of Jesus' resurrection -Luke 16-31-.--No matter what tortures the followers of Christ underwent, the issue was -Keep your mouths shut.- It was never, -Where is his body.---Those who have experienced the Holy Spirit's power have the internal witness that Jesus arose.--As Jesus predicted, the Jewish Temple was left a -wind swept house- when the veil was torn from top to bottom -Matthew 27-51-. And as Jesus predicted that generation witnessed its destruction in AD 70 -Matthew 23-34-39-.--It will never be rebuilt.
This message focuses on the events of Holy Week, looking at them from different perspectives.--In the purely natural realm, Jesus was crucified because he offended virtually everyone- the wealthy class of the Sadducees who profited from the Temple, the party of the Pharisees whom he told were deserving of hell, and his own followers who were disappointed because he did not drive out the Romans and because he was too radical for them.--In the realm of ancient conflict between the LORD and Satan, the activity of Satan is clear in entering Judas and stirring people to call down curses on themselves and their children. It was a week from hell.--However, all of these things were ordained by God before the foundation of the world and fell out exactly according to his divine plan. It was a week from heaven.
I. What's in a name---King David's great grandson's name was changed to -My Father is Yahweh- --abiyy-h--abiy-h-, ------------------- in 2 Chronicles 13-1 from -My Father is Yam- --abiyy-m, --------- in 1 Kings 15-1. --II. We must not underestimate the impact of King Solomon's apostasy on his son Rehoboam and grandson Abijam -1 Kings 11-1-11-.--III. Yam was the mythical sea-god known from Ugaritic literature, as can be illustrated from Psalm 74-13-14- -It was you who split open the sea -y-m, ---- by your power- you broke the heads of the monster -tanniyn, -------- in the waters. It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan -liwy-t-n, ---------- and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert.- --III. We do not know whether Abijam truly changed in his heart, but he does take a stand for the LORD -2 Chronicles 13-10-12-, and God delivered his enemies into his hand against overwhelming odds -because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers- -2 Chronicles 13-18-.--IV. God may use people to serve him, and even perform miracles, but that is not proof that the LORD knows that person -Matthew 7-21-23-.--Does the LORD know you-- You can answer this question with another- Do you know the LORD--
Rehoboam enjoyed prosperity for three years -2 Chronicles 11-13-17-.--Then he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD -2 Chronicles 12-1-.--Because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, he authorized Shishak king of Egypt to attack Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam -2 Chronicles 12-2-. And God stated, -You have abandoned me- therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.-' -2 Chronicles 12-5---The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, 'The LORD is just' -2 Chronicles 12-6-. That is the beginning of getting things right.--However, the Lord wanted them to learn the difference between serving him and serving the kings of other lands -2 Chronicles 12-7-8-.--Because the LORD was to be Israel's King, asking for a worldly king was rejecting the LORD -1 Samuel 8-7-9-. --After Shishak took the gold shields, Rehoboam replaced them with bronze -2 Chronicles 12-10-11-, maintaining the appearance of prosperity for most people. --Do you know about the Coinage Act of 1965, or what happened when President Nixon disconnected the dollar from the price of gold in 1971, when gold was valued at -35 an ounce and the American dollar was the world's reserve currency----Consider how denominations that once were solidly committed to the gospel and the Bible have traded their gold for brass.--Is there any area in your life where you are maintaining an appearance of spiritual prosperity, but your gold has been replaced with brass--
Ahijah was a blind man who could see -1 Kings 14-4-5-.--Only the good die young -1 Kings 14-13-.--Why does God himself use crude language, and why do modern translations attempt to wash out God's mouth-- -1 Kings 14-10- Cf. 1 Samuel 25-22, 34- 1 Kings 16-11- 21-21- 2 Kings 9-8-.--Jeroboam's wife is given a horrible burden -1 Kings 14-12-.--Ahijah announces the curse sanctions of God's covenant with Israel in 1 Kings 14-11 -Deuteronomy 28-26-.--How does God visit our iniquity on our children-- -Exodus 20-4-6---Can we stop such a curse-- -Proverbs 26-2- Galatians 3-13-14- 1 John 1-8-10-
Today's message, Journey into Apostasy, focuses on five kings of Judah--David -1010 to 970-,-Solomon -970 to 931-,-Rehoboam -931 to 913-,-Abijam -or, Abijah- -913 to 911-, and-Asa -911-870-.--Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done -1 Kings 15-11-. In other words, three kings did evil- Solomon, Rehoboam, and Abijah.--Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD- he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done -1 Kings 11-6-. --The godly King Asa forgot what the LORD had done for him and trusted in his wealth and a foreign alliance -2 Chronicles 16-1-3, 7-9-.--When he is rebuked -2 Chronicles 16-9-, he turns his back on the LORD and on his prophet -2 Chronicles 16-10-.--When the LORD chastens him in order to get him to repent, he hardens his heart -2 Chronicles 16-11-14-.--Are you being tortured today -Matthew 18-34--- Turn to the Lord Jesus and beg him for the grace to deal with what is blocking you from getting relief.
King Rehoboam foolishly rejects the counsel of the old men who served his father and follows the advice of the young men who had grown up with him --1 Kings 12-5-11-.--This results in a political division in 931 BC, and while King Jeroboam I had divine authority to secede from the House of David -1 Kings 11-29-36-, he did not have authority to start his own religion -1 Kings 12-26-29-.--The result was that the priests and Levites and people who sought the LORD left Israel for Judah -2 Chronicles 11-13, 16-17-.--God sends a prophet from Judah to warn Jeroboam of his sin and predict the coming of King Josiah some three centuries later who would burn bones on Jeroboam's altar -1 Kings 13-2-6-.--The LORD had warned the Man of God from Judah explicitly not to eat or drink until he had returned home -1 Kings 13-7-10-, and he obeyed. But then an old prophet finds him, and tells him an angel had revealed that he could eat with him -1 Kings 13-11-19- Galatians 1-8-9-. As soon as he does so, the old prophet responds with a true word from the LORD that he was going to die, then he meets a lion on the way who kills him -1 Kings 13-20-26-.--What are the strengths and weaknesses of youth and old age--
When King Jehoshaphat was confronted by Jehu the prophet, he repented and demonstrated that repentance in changes he made as king of Judah -2 Chronicles 19-1-3-.--So that the nation would not relapse in his absence again, he educated the people in God's word and appointed judges who would rule in -the fear of the LORD- -2 Chronicles 19-4-7-.--Today we looked at the division he made in the administration of justice -2 Chronicles 19-8-11-.--He appointed Amariah the High Priest over matters pertaining to the LORD, and Zebadiah in matters pertaining to the king -2 Chronicles 19-11-.--In its context, it is clear that both men are to rule under the LORD himself -2 Chronicles 19-9-10-, with Amariah the High Priest overseeing the Temple and its worship, and Zebadiah overseeing matters not related to worship, i.e. civil law -2 Chronicles 19-11- cf. Exodus 18-26, 19- Deuteronomy 17-8-13-.--The foundation of the United States of America reflects a similar structure where the civil government is under God -see the handout-.--Many people misunderstand what our Lord Jesus Christ taught in Matthew 22-15-22- Mark 12-13-17- Luke 20-20-26. He is in no way stating that civil government should be atheistic. He is simply stepping out of the net, these flatterers had spread for him -Proverbs 29-5-.--In asking for the Roman coin with which one paid the Roman poll tax, he was asking for something with the image of Caesar and these words- -TI CAESAR DIVI AUG F AUGUSTUS- -Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus-.--This coin led many Jews, particularly those living in the Galilee, to refuse to pay the Roman tax, contrary to the supporters of the dynasty of Herod the Great.
Jehu the prophet showed great boldness in confronting King Jehoshaphat as he returned from joining with King Ahab of Israel -2 Chronicles 19-1-2-. --Jehu has the boldness of Nathan who declared, -You are the man-- to David in response to David's rage against a rich man who stole and slaughtered a poor man's lamb that -was like a daughter to him- -2 Samuel 12-1-7-.--As with David who repented -Psalm 32-1-7- Psalm 51-10-12-, so King Jehoshaphat demonstrates true repentance as he sets his heart on seeking God -2 Chronicles 19-3-.--Jehoshaphat not only repents, but he moved among the people and -turned them back to the God of their fathers- -2 Chronicles 19-4-.--He appoints godly judges, admonishing them to -let the fear of the LORD be upon you- -2 Chronicles 19-5-6-.--In the Gospel of Luke, the Lord Jesus cites an example of an unjust judge who -neither feared God nor cared -entr-p-- -------- -Have regard for, respect-- about men- -Luke 18-2-. But this cynical and calloused politician responded to a poor widow who kept harassing him -Luke 18-3-5-.
As I worked on my manuscript, I caught a couple of mistakes, so I would encourage you to read the transcript.--As we continue our message from two weeks ago, we see that the book of Revelation is not only a book on worship- it is a book about worship as warfare.--As we sing the New Song that names the name of the Lord Jesus explicitly -Revelation 5-9-10, 11-14-, the heavenly hosts wage war on our behalf -Revelation 8-6ff.-.--Numbers 10-1-10 describes the purpose of the silver trumpets, and the walls of Jericho fell down with the blowing of the ram's horns and the shout of praise -Joshua 6-16-20- Hebrews 11-30-.--The battles of King Jehoshaphat -872-848 BC- illustrate the principles of praise and warfare.--When he allies himself with the wicked King Ahab of Israel, he almost loses his life in 853 BC -2 Chronicles 18-28-34-. --When Jehoshaphat joins in an alliance with Ahab's son, King Jehoram of Israel, and the king of Edom, he is defeated by King Mesha of Moab after he sacrifices his son to Chemosh, the demonic god of Moab -2 Kings 3-6-27-.--But when Jehoshaphat has no one to depend on but the LORD, he acknowledges he doesn't know what to do, but he puts his eyes on Yahweh -2 Chronicles 20-12-.--He follows the LORD's instructions through his prophet and arranges for loud praise to God. ---As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.- -2 Chronicles 20-22-
First of all, as always, I made a couple of mistakes, such as referring to the first century of the Christian Era as Before Christ, and I also got a couple of dates wrong- 1690 instead of 1688. And I failed to acknowledge that Queen Mary who was married to William of Orange was the daughter of King James II.- -People misread the Book of Revelation and can come up with some absurd ideas. But we need to remember that Revelation was written for people living in the first century of the Christian Era, even though the prophecies recapitulate into our own time.- -Also, Revelation is a book of worship, as we can see in the handout in this morning's bulletin. Consider all those words that point us back to the Tabernacle and the Temple, with their music and offerings. That's because the True Tabernacle and Temple are in heaven, as is the True Jerusalem. One day that Dwelling Place of God will come to earth -Revelation 21-22-.- -Who are the 144,000-- What does it mean that they are virgins-- Why is the Tribe of Dan missing from the list-- What is the Mark of the Beast and how is it related to the Mark on Believers-- How do we sing a new song--
As we examine Revelation 14-8-12, we discover an immediate fulfillment in the first century of the Christian Era, when the Romans burned the city of Jerusalem and destroyed the Second Temple with fire on the 9th day of the Jewish month Ab, 656 years after the Babylonians had destroyed the First Temple on that same day in 586 Before the Christian Era.--The Jewish commander of the armies of the Galilee became convinced that continuing the war against the Romans was futile and suicidal. --Suicide is always a sinful act, but it does not keep a believer out of heaven. --Josephus' writings give us the only comprehensive and accurate account of what took place in the wake of the Jewish war with the Romans.--However, as we have seen throughout these studies, prophecies recapitulate, and so the ultimate fulfillment of verses 8-13 is found in the Lake of Fire, where all those whose names are not in the Lamb's Book of Life will suffer eternally -Revelation 20-11-15-.--As we reflect on the theme of Fire for 2024, we must consider 1 Peter 1-6-9. --What is more precious than gold-- It is that wonderful gift of God, faith -Ephesians 2-8-9-. As gold is refined by fire, so our faith is purified in the fiery trials that are coming -1 Peter 4-12-14-.--That is why we can be joyful as we enter 2024. Our blessed Lord is going to purge out of us things that detract from our witness. That purging will result in praise, glory, and honor at his return--indeed, joy unspeakable -1 Peter 1-7-8-.--I want more and more to be a sweet aroma of the Lord Jesus Christ in 2024 -2 Corinthians 2-14-16-. Don't you-- --That sweat aroma comes as we endure the trials of life without bitterness.
Jesus' parables about the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price -Matthew 13-44-46-, echo some of what people experience in the modern American Christmas.--You are the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price- The Lord Jesus Christ left the glory of heaven -Philippians 2-5-8- John 17, especially verses 5-6, 9, 20-24- 2 Corinthians 8-9- because he valued you above his own comfort and pleasure.--Salvation is a free gift. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone -Romans 3-21-5-21- Ephesians 2-8-9-. But true faith is never alone -Ephesians 2-10-. We must surrender everything at the feet of Jesus, because he is the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price -Matthew 13-44-46- Luke 14-25-27-.--Without laying everything at his feet, we can NEVER be happy, because material things, even other people, cannot satisfy our deepest longings, only God can.--Happiness is a choice, as can be seen in Deuteronomy 28-47-48-.--Why do people get so depressed during holidays-- Why do so many people commit suicide during Christmas--
The Star of Bethlehem was a supernatural phenomenon, and it is of no use in dating the birth of Christ.--The death of Herod the Great in 4 Before the Christian Era is very valuable, along with the time frame of his murdering the male children in the area around Bethlehem before his death. That means that the Lord Jesus was born five or six years Before the Christian Era.--No one brought Jesus gifts the night he was born.--The Wise Men made preparations and set out for Jerusalem shortly after they observed the Star of Bethlehem. By the time they worshipped the Lord Jesus and gave him gifts, his family was back in Nazareth and it was probably five years Before the Christian Era.--Santa Claus is Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra -270-343 Christian Era-. He was famous for giving gifts to the poor and for slapping Arius, a heretic who denied that the Lord Jesus is God, at the time of the Council of Nicaea. --We need to follow the example of Martha's sister Mary -Luke 10-38-42-, and focus on sitting at the feet of the Lord Jesus, instead of getting in a frenzy of debt and business at Christmas.
Revelation 12-13-17 describes Satan's attacks on two groups of Christians, the Jewish believers who fled Jerusalem before it was destroyed and the gentile believers.--The themes are taken from the exodus- Eagle's Wings and Flooding Torrents of Water.--the abomination of desolation has its initial fulfillment in the time of Antiochus Epiphanies, but it also has a fulfillment in the time of the Romans when they destroyed the city of Jerusalem and destroyed the temple so that not one stone of the temple was left standing on another. The only thing that was left were the foundation stones that were there to reinforce it. --So in 70 AD, the Roman armies, and remember that the symbol of the Romans that they carried was a buzzard, an eagle- the words are indistinguishable in Greek ------, Matthew 24-28- Luke 17-37 -Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures
Who is the woman of Revelation 12-1-6----Genesis 37-9-11 describes Israel this way as Joseph reveals his dream.--But Genesis 3-1-5 gives us the two main characters of Revelation 12-1-6- Eve and the Serpent -Hebrew- n----, ------- Greek- -phis, -----. --Revelation 12-9 reveals who the Serpent really is- -The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent --phis, ----- called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.--Original sin is described in Genesis 3-5- -You'll be as gods knowing, determining for yourselves good and evil, and you'll experience it -y-da-, -----, K-B, pp. 390-392-.--Genesis 3-7 gives us a description of what happens when our eyes are opened, and Genesis 3-8-13 is a crash course in ego defense mechanisms of modern psychology with its table turning and blame shifting. --What is the role of Adam and of Eve in our fall and in our redemption-- The Son of Eve will crush the head of the Serpent -Genesis 3-15-. As with the woman of Revelation 12-2, Eve now will experience agony in giving birth -Genesis 3-16-.--But it is through Eve and all her female descendants, including the Virgin Mary, that we are saved -1 Timothy 2-15-. Without woman there would be no incarnation- God without ceasing to be God, became a true human being in the womb of the Woman. And because of that, the death of the Lord Jesus secures our salvation.--The Lord Jesus Christ has his heal bitten by Satan as he dies on the Cross. But the Lord Jesus crushes Satan's head by his death, burial, and resurrection. The Lord Jesus, the son of Mary, the son of Israel, the son of Eve.
Today we concluded the passage on the Seven Trumpets.--The Seventh Trumpet corresponds to the Last Trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15-51-53.--Our souls do not sleep -2 Corinthians 5-8- Philippians 1-23- Hebrews 12-23- Revelation 6-9-, but our bodies do, awaiting their resurrection -1 Corinthians 15-51-55-.--Adam rebelled against God, and Satan seized control -John 12-31- 14-30- 2 Corinthians 4-4- Ephesians 2-1-3- Matthew 4-8-10- Luke 4-5-8-. --But the Lord Jesus defeated Satan, sin, and death on the mountain where Jerusalem sits, as Isaiah foretold some 700 years before -Isaiah 25-7-8-.--Because the Lord Jesus put others ahead of himself -Philippians 2-5-7-, when he fulfilled the task of the first Adam, he gave it all up to the Father -1 Corinthians 15-20-29-.--The return of Christ is still future for us. The Seventh Trumpet has not yet blown. However, there is a foreshadowing of this in the universal preaching of the gospel to all nations following the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple in AD 70 -Matthew 24-29-31-.
The Seventh Trumpet of Revelation 11-15 picks up on a theme from the book of Joel.--Joel 2-1 calls for blowing the trumpet and sounding the alarm because it is the Day of the LORD. A mighty army is coming to destroy Jerusalem. Joel 2-10-11 describes this Day as accompanied by shaking in heaven and on earth, and the lights of the heavens no longer shining.--This army is the LORD's own army, and it is an army of locusts -Joel 2-4-7-. God sends his army so that Judah would repent, rending their hearts and not content merely with going through outward actions -Joel 2-12-14-. If the people of Judah will repent, God will drive his mighty army of locusts into the seas -Joel 2-20- and restore what the locusts had devoured -Joel 2-25-.--These prophecies were fulfilled before the birth of Christ, but Joel 2-28-32 was fulfilled in AD 30 when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church -Acts 2-14-21-.--Revelation 11-16-17 begins to be fulfilled following the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, as he himself stated in Matthew 28-18-19. It is when God begins his conquest of the nations -Revelation 11-15-.--Revelation 11-18 declares unequivocally that there is only one return of Christ. It is when believers are rewarded and the wicked are judged.--If your doctrine of last things makes you believe that the Lord Jesus could not return for his own today, your eschatology is wrong. There are mysteries in how things happen because the Bible teaches that large numbers of Jews and Gentiles will embrace the Lord before he returns -Romans 11-25-36-, along with a great falling away and persecution -2 Thessalonians 2-.--Do you know the Lord--
As we go through the book of Revelation, I am attempting to show the evidence for the major interpretations- Preterist, Historicist, Futurist, and Idealist. I am doing this because I see some truth in all four schools of thought.--While Full Preterism is heretical because it denies the future Second Coming of Christ and our physical resurrection -2 Timothy 2-16-18-, Partial Preterism interprets much of the book of Revelation as having been fulfilled in the first Christian century in the destruction of Jerusalem, while holding fast to our Lord's future return.--Historicism understands the book as the unfolding of history from the First to the Second Comings of Christ.--Futurism sees most of the book as future for us. And Idealism focuses on the conflict between Christ and Satan throughout the ages. --John's eating the scroll as sweet as honey -Revelation 10-9-10- picks up on Ezekiel 3-1-3, where the sweet scroll leaves Ezekiel bitter and angry -Ezekiel 3-14-, just as does the scroll of Revelation for John.--God has two books- the book of nature, Natural Revelation -Psalm 19-1-4-, and the book of Scripture, Special Revelation -Psalm 19-7-11-.--God's Word is sweet as honey -Psalm 19-10- 119-103-, but when it convicts us of sin, it can be bitter in our souls until we confess and repent -Psalm 19-12-13-.
Until the 20th century, historicism was the dominant understanding of the book of Revelation, and Muhammad -570-632- was identified as being foretold in the 9th chapter, going back to English commentator Bede -672-735-.- -This is the link to the handout for today's sermon- https---www.rbvincent.com-muh.pdf -- it is useful to have as you listen.- -The contrast between the Lord Jesus and Muhammad could not be greater. - -While having encouraged his disciples to have a sword as a deterrent -Luke 22-36-38-, the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to Peter and told him to put his sword up -Luke 22-51- Matthew 26-52-. He declared he could ask his Father, and he would send 12 legions of angels to protect him -Matthew 26-53-. But that was not his purpose. His purpose was to die in our place -Matthew 26-54- 2 Corinthians 5-21-.- -Jesus' kingdom was not of this world -John 18-36-, and his disciples did not spread his kingdom by the literal sword -2 Corinthians 10-3-5-, but by God's Word and prayer -Ephesians 6-10-20-.
Revelation 9-11 tells us that Satan is that fallen star of Revelation 9-1.--The abyss is where our Lord descended and from where he led captivity captive -Psalm 16-10- 68-18- Ephesians 4-8-10- Romans 10-7-.--Judges 7-12 helps us understand Revelation 9-13-16. The Midianites, the Amalekites, and the others gathered against Israel are all children of Abraham. They are like locusts, and their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore -more than 200,000,000- -Judges 7-12- .--Ezekiel 9-1-11 precedes the LORD's abandoning his Temple, Jerusalem, and his people, with only those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it, being spared -Ezekiel 9-4- 10-1-2, 4, 6-8, 18-19-. This sealing foreshadows the sealing of Revelation 9-4.--The commander of the Jewish armies of the Galilee, who surrendered to the Romans, witnessed the destruction of the Jewish temple in AD 70, on the exact same day of the exact same month of the Jewish calendar that the Babylonians had destroyed the temple of Solomon, Tisha B'Av, --------- ------. --Not only were both Temples destroyed on that day with over a million Jewish people slaughtered, but in the second century of the Christian Era, when the Jewish people returned to their homeland under Simon bar Kokhba, over a half million more Jewish people were slaughtered by the Romans on that day, corresponding to our July-August.--When is peace going to happen between Abraham's warring children-- When the world embraces the Prince of Peace, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is still reigning at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again, and he will take us to himself.
When we examine Revelation 8-3-5, we are reminded of Exodus 19-16-19, when the LORD came down on Mount Sinai.--Numbers 10-9 informs us one purpose of the Silver trumpets was calling on the LORD when Israel went into battle.--The First Trumpet of Revelation 8-7 reflects the Plague of Hail -- 7- recorded in Exodus 9-22-26.--The Second Trumpet of Revelation 8-8-9 picks up on the Plague of Blood --1- found in Exodus 7-14-25, as does the Third Trumpet of Revelation 8-10-11 where the water cannot be drunk. --And Revelation 8-12 takes us back to the Plague of Darkness --9- recorded in Exodus 10-21-23.--Picking up on last week's message, we see that Jerusalem is not only identified as Sodom, but also as Egypt in Revelation 11-7-8.--The trampling of the Holy City by the Gentiles takes us back to Luke 21-20-24, which in turn takes us back to Daniel 9-20-27 and Antiochus Epiphanes.--Who are these two witnesses from Zechariah 4-11-14-- --Consider what miracles they perform in Revelation 11-2-6. Who was with the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17-1-5-- Who do Moses and Elijah represent-- The Law and the Prophets. In other words the entire Hebrew Bible is a witness to the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, and the witnesses proclaim the truth from the Scriptures about Jesus.--Daniel's prophecy is reflected in the whole- three and a half years, 42 months, 1260, and the three and a half days are the intense time of persecution just before the Rapture -Revelation 11-11-12-.
I made a verbal slip in my sermon when I referred to the Second Temple as having been built by Solomon. It wasn't, and I corrected that in the transcript.--Where was Jesus crucified-- --He was crucified in Jerusalem, figuratively called Sodom and Egypt -Revelation 11-7-8-. --Isaiah said, -Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom- listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah-- -Isaiah 1-10---Ezekiel 16-46-52 is addressed to Judah.--The Lord Jesus warned his Jewish audience- -It will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for Sodom than for you-- -Matthew 10-15- 11-23- Luke 10-12- --Matthew 23-37 concerns the religious leaders who rejected Jesus, and Matthew 27-15-25 shows how they infected the people.--People are fighting over a piece of real estate today, but what really matters is the heavenly Jerusalem. My citizenship is there, and it'll never be taken away from me -Galatians 3-26-29- 4-25-31- Hebrews 12-22-24-. --Where is yours--
The non-canonical book of Enoch, names these seven angels of Revelation 8-2.--We note the parallel between Revelation 8-3-7 and Revelation 6-9-12.--What are Preterism, Futurism, and Historicism----These judgments find partial fulfillment in the life time of those who were alive when Jesus preached.--A core message of the prophets is a lawsuit against Israel and Judah for their violating the covenant made at Mount Sinai -Deuteronomy 28-53-57- Leviticus 26-29- 2 Kings 6-28-29- Jeremiah 19-9- Lamentations 2-20- 4-10- Ezekiel 5-10-.--Consider 1 Thessalonians 2-13-16 with Acts 13-34-35 and Acts 14-19-20.--Galatians 4-25-31 and Galatians 3-26-29 teach us who Abraham's true children are.--Romans 11-28 teaches us how to pray for Israel, especially in the present crisis.
Revelation 8-3-5 recapitulates the cries of God's people for justice in Revelation 6-9-11.---The unity of John's book . . . is . . . like that of a musical theme with variations, each variation adding something new to the significance of the whole composition . . . Each new series of visions both recapitulates and develops the themes already stated in what has gone before.- -G. B. Caird---In the middle of this magnificent symphony, we suddenly have a 30 intermission of complete silence.--Revelation 10-4- Deuteronomy 29-29- and 2 Corinthians 12-4 teach us that there are things God does not want us to know. If we knew these secret things, we would be tempted to violate God's revealed will in Scripture.--Habakkuk 2-20 and Zechariah 2-13 declare that God's presence demands complete and silent stillness. That silence is a summons to the entire world to shut its mouth at his judgment.--Revelation 20-11-14 teaches that everyone will be condemned to hell, and each mouth will be silenced before God -Romans 3-19-. The only ones who will escape are those whose names are written in the book of life -Revelation 20-15-.--Do you know if your name is written there-- Holy Communion is a good time to repent and put our trust in the finished work of Christ.
God's people's prayers in Revelation 6-9-11 produce the judgments that follow, beginning in verse Revelation 6-12-17. Those judgments parallel the judgments in Revelation 16-20, demonstrating that these visions overlap one another, covering the same material but advancing a little bit each time.--Revelation 7-3 parallels Ezekiel 9-4, where true believers receive a seal protecting them from the judgment being poured out on those around them.--The tribe of Dan is missing from the twelve tribes that comprise the 144,000 of Revelation 7-4-8. This appears to be an ideal number, the Jewish people squared -12X12- and then multiplied by the cube of the Holy of holies -10X10X10, Exodus 26-15-30- - 144,000.--But what is of great significance is the expansion of God's kingdom beyond the fulness of Israel's 144,000 to a vast number that no one can count, made up of people from all over the world in Revelation 7-9.---We've a story to tell to the nations- during this time when God holds back his hand of judgment. Why does he delay-- Peter tells us- God's delay, God's patience is salvation -2 Peter 3-9-.--Then at the return of Christ all our tears will be wiped away by a nail-pierced hand -Revelation 7-17-.
What is heaven like----Is it like Muhammad's desire to use women whose virginity was constantly being restored day-by-day----Is it about having a gold mansion that's silver-lined just over the hilltop----Is it Joseph Smith's fantasy to become a god himself, creating worlds for his children by his many wives----Is it a carnival with roller coasters that zoom out into outer space, where people can eat their fill with junk food, as Kat Kerr describes----Revelation 6-9-11 describes heaven as a place of worship and prayer, warfare prayer.--John 14-2 is best understood by John 14-23, because the old English word -mansion- simply means a -place to stay.- It translates the Greek word mon-, ----, found only in these two verses.--Hebrews 12-22-24 also describes heaven, and we can understand--For most people who go to church, heaven would be hell.--God-willing, next we will explore how their prayers will be answered.
Jeremiah wrote to Israel in exile that they should pray for the peace and prosperity of Babylon -Jeremiah 29-4-7-, quite in contrast to the feelings of the Jewish people in Psalm 137.--However, now that God's purpose for the violent, hateful Babylonian empire is about to be fulfilled, in 597 BC Jeremiah sends a scroll with an official of Judah's last king, Zedekiah -Jeremiah 51-59-61-. That scroll is a curse on Babylon- it was not only to be spoken out loud, it was also accompanied by a curse ritual -Jeremiah 51-62-63-.--The angry cravings for revenge of Psalm 137 are also a prayer. God uses that prayer and Jeremiah's curse to destroy Babylon by the Medes and Persians in 539 BC.--Living as pilgrims from our true homeland -Hebrews 12-22- Galatians 4-24-31-, we must follow the counsel of Deuteronomy 32-35 as it is fleshed out in the New Testament in Romans 12-14-20.--We must be kind to our enemies -Proverbs 25-21-22-, trusting our sovereign God to right all wrongs -2 Thessalonians 1-5-10---As we await our Lord's return, we are confident he will always be with us and bless us because he died for our sins -1 Corinthians 15-3- Hebrews 13-5-.
Jeremiah 29-4-8 reveals profound truths.- -Jeremiah 29-4 teaches that these bad things were under God's overarching sovereignty.- -Jeremiah 29-7 gives a radically different focus to Judah in exile than what had existed in the past when Israel became a nation, from Exodus on, as well as in Judges and Samuel. We seek the peace -sh-l-m, -------- of the nation that rules us.- -We settle down and have children -Jeremiah 29-5-6-.- -We obey its lawful commands. When God's word compels us to disobey, we do so respectfully, and we never take up arms against those who are over us -Daniel 1-8ff.- Daniel 3-13-18- Daniel 6-10-12, 16-24-.- -When we look at the New Testament, we find this is the exact same pattern -Acts 4-19-20- 5-17-20, 28-32, 40-42-.- -This pattern fits the explicit teaching of the Apostles -Romans 13-1-7- 1 Peter 2-13-17-. 1 Peter 2-18-20 makes plan that this qualified obedience is to every authority, good or evil.
Psalm 110 is the most cited Scripture by the authors of the New Testament. As such it forms the core passage for how the Lord Jesus and his apostles interpreted Scripture.--In Luke 20-41, the Lord Jesus pointed out that David's Son is also David's Lord, citing Psalm 110-1.--He is also a priest whose priesthood is superior to the Levitical priesthood, as Psalm 110-4 teaches. Abraham was blessed by Melchizedek -Genesis 14-18-20-. And Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek through his ancestor Abraham, and so therefore the priesthood of Melchizedek absorbs the Levitical priesthood in itself as a superior priesthood -Genesis 14-20- Hebrews 7-4-10-. --Peter quotes Psalm 110-1 in Acts 2-29-35, proclaiming that Jesus is now sitting on David's throne at the right hand of the Father in heaven, because the true Zion is at the right hand of the Father -Hebrews 1-3, 13- 8-1- 10-12- 12-2-. --Paul says the same thing in Galatians 4-26, and one day the heavenly Jerusalem will come down on earth -Hebrews 12-22-24- Revelation 21-2, 10-11-.--1 Corinthians 15-24-26 quotes from Psalm 110 and teaches that Christ's reign climaxes in the death of death.
This is a question and answer message. --The video began recording before I was ready, and I also told a few corny jokes along the way. I also made a few mistakes in the presentation, but in the transcription, I have corrected those as well as documented what I stated.--The first question was not related to -Scandalous Texts,- but had to do with women elders, something my denomination permits, but something about which I have reservations in light of the structure of the family.--However, as we look at Scripture, we see that Deborah was both a prophet and a ruler -Judges 4-4-6-, in effect, she is both a -teaching elder- and a -ruling elder- to speak in terms of Presbyterian polity.--Throughout Biblical and Church History, we discover God sometimes raised up godly women when men failed to do their duty. This was situation in the book of Judges. Both Deborah and Huldah operated under the covering of their husbands -Judges 4-4- 2 Kings 22-14- 2 Chronicles 34-22-.--After dealing we that, we had questions related to Old Testament civil law, slavery, and the standards for officers.
Romans 1-18-20 and Romans 2-14-15 teach what may be called -Natural Law.- It is the foundation for good government for all nations.--God's law is known to all, but human nature chaffs against his law because it is powerless to keep it.--In the wake of Israel's failure to keep God's covenant, she incurred God's judgment and exile. But God made a new covenant -Jeremiah 31-31-34-. --This covenant was established by the Lord Jesus Christ -Hebrews 7-17-28-.--Thus the Old Testament, compared with the New is useless and obsolete. The problem does not lie with the Old Testament, but with people -Hebrews 8-7-8-.--The New Testament is adapted to the needs of sinners -Hebrews 7-25-28-.--It is obvious that large numbers of people did not have a personal relationship with the Lord under the Old Testament. That situation changes under the New -Jeremiah 31-34- Hebrews 8-11-. --Do you know the Lord Jesus--
In Matthew 5-17-20, the Lord Jesus teaches us to hold to the plenary, verbal inspiration of Scripture, even down to the Hebrew letters themselves.--Jewish people would never refer to the Hebrew Bible as the Old Testament. They call it the Tanakh from its three major divisions- the Torah -T-r-, --------, the Nevi'im -N-v---m, ----------, and the Ketuvim -Ktuvim, ------------, as in Luke 24-44. But sometimes as simply, the Law and the Prophets, as Jesus does here in Matthew 5-17.--Even when we dislike something in the Bible, we are bound to hold to it and teach it.--Beware of those who evade speaking the truth. Obfuscation means bringing darkness rather than light. I must preach the Bible, and I must preach it clearly.--God has two books- the Bible and nature. The book of nature, or Natural Law, reveals that all people everywhere, at some level, know the true God -Romans 1-18-21-, and they also know the essence of the Ten Commandments -Romans 2-14-15-.--John the Baptist was depressed and stricken with doubt -Matthew 11-3-. So he sent his disciples to Jesus who demonstrated that he was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy -Matthew 11-5- Isaiah 61-1-3- 53-7- Psalm 110-1-3-.--Jesus then informs his disciples that John the Baptist is the fulfillment of Malachi 3-1 and Malachi 4-5.--This is not teaching reincarnation. --When the New Testament interprets the Old Testament, we have an infallible guide of interpretation.
I believe I misrepresented the position of another Christian denomination in this sermon -Please read the transcript-.--A major goal in raising children is to teach them that Christians are engaged in an ongoing fight with the world, the flesh, and the devil -James 3-15-.--The culture of our world has changed profoundly, so that we now reject the standards of Christendom. Romans 1-21-32 teaches that when people reject God and his truth, dire consequences follow.--In Matthew 19-4-6, the Lord Jesus Christ himself quoted Genesis 1-27 and Genesis 2-24, and affirmed that marriage can only be between a male and a female. --1 Corinthians 6-9-11 gives us both a warning about those who continue in sexual sins and great hope by affirming there is power to change.
Elijah had been taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. Now Elisha receives a double portion of the power of the Spirit of God -2 Kings 2-9-14-. --Elijah had met King Ahab and the prophets of Baal, and God answered with fire, proving himself to be the true God -1 Kings 18-24-. --The prophets of Baal are killed and God sends rain -1 Kings 18-40-46-.--Then Jezebel threatens Elijah -1 Kings 19-2-, and he flees in fear, a man just like us -James 5-13-18-. --The LORD releases Elijah and sends Elisha in his place. As Elisha returns to Bethel from the Jordan, 42 boys come out, mocking him, and he called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD -2 Kings 2-23-25-. --The power of life and death is in the tongue -Proverbs 18-21-.--These young men are under the curse of Deuteronomy 21-18-23.--The Old and New Covenants are contrasted in 2 Corinthians 3-3-11.--Condemnation and death mark the Old Covenant, from the man who was stoned for picking up sticks on the Sabbath -Numbers 15-32-36-, to the rebellious son of Deuteronomy 21-18-23-.--Leviticus 20-10-11 mandates death by stoning, especially in the case of incest, yet 1 Corinthians 5-1-5 instructs he be disfellowshipped from the Church, -so that the sinful nature may be destroyed, and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.---When the man repented, 2 Corinthians 2-5-6 instructed that he be restored to full fellowship in the church.--In John 8-7, the Lord Jesus ordered that only someone who had never sinned could stone this woman.
As we look at the issue of slavery, several things stand out.--While slavery was permitted in both the Old and New Testaments, it was very different from the kind of slavery that existed in the United States of America from 1619 until 1865.--Under Old Testament law, slaves who ran away were protected and not to be returned to their masters -Deuteronomy 23-15-16-, and man-stealing was a death penalty offense -Exodus 21-16-.--When people became Christians, they were not commanded to release their slaves, as 1 Timothy 6-1-2 makes clear. But the seeds for the complete destruction of slavery are sown in Paul's letter to Onesimus' owner in Philemon 1-16-17.--Under both Israel's slavery and that of the Romans, slaves were taught to read and write, and they could marry.--Under Southern slavery those things were illegal, and we live with the terrible consequences of that wicked system to this day.--What are things that we can do to remedy that--
If we carefully examine the New Testament, we must conclude that all elders are bishops, and all bishops are elders.--In Titus 1-5, Paul instructs Titus to ordain elders -------------, plural of -----------, presbuteros- in every town. These elders are all bishops according to Titus 1-7 ----------, singular of ---------, episkopos-.--In 1 Timothy 3-2 we see a fundamental requirement for an elder that is not required of a deacon- -Able to teach.- This ties back to Titus 1-9--In Acts 14-23, we read that Paul and Barnabas appointed elders -------------, plural of -----------, presbuteros- for them for EVERY church.--The Apostle Peter refers to himself as an elder in 1 Peter 5-1, -As your fellow elder ---------------, --------------, sumpresbuteros-,- and teaches that elders do the work of bishops --------------, participle of ---------, episkope-- and shepherds ----------, infinitive of --------, poimain-- -1 Peter 5-1-4-. We get the word pastor for the Latin word for a shepherd -pastor-.--In Acts 20-17 we read -Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church ----- ------------ --- ----------.---Notice in Acts 20-28, all these elders are called bishops- -Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers -----------, plural of----------, episkopos-.- --All these leaders are called pastors in the next sentence- -Be shepherds -----------, present infinitive of --------,-poimain-- of the church of God- -Acts 20-28-.--Acts 6-2 the Twelve state that they should not -neglect the word of God in order to serve tables- and so the congregation chose the Seven, so -We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word- -Acts 6-4-.
What we have in 2 Samuel 21-1-14 is the curse that the Gibeonites had put on Israel because King Saul had violated the covenant Israel made with them under Joshua roughly 400 years before -Joshua 9-18-20-.--Curses are real and have real consequences -2 Samuel 21-1, 2, 14- Leviticus 19-14-. --Joshua pronounced a curse regarding the rebuilding of Jericho around 1400 BC -Joshua 6-26-. Over five centuries later the conditions of that curse were met, and it was literally fulfilled -1 Kings 16-34-.--Curses go out in time but do not become effective until the conditions are met -Zechariah 5-1-4- Proverbs 26-2-.--The Lord Jesus Christ has taken our curses on himself and replaced them with his blessing -Galatians 3-10-13- Revelation 22-3-.
After looking at the demand the unbelieving pagans made to King David -2 Samuel 21-1-14-, we explored why it is important to address passages in the Bible that distress people.--1 Peter 3-15 commands us to put the Lord Jesus first and always to be prepared to give the reason for the Hope we have.--Most people have no hope, we must manifest the joy and peace that comes from walking with Jesus in such a way that people will ask why we are as we are.--We must answer them with gentleness. The Greek word that's translated -gentleness- is a word that means not really being hung up on your own importance -praut-s, -------- -the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one's self-importance,- BDAG, p. 861-.--We must answer them with respect. The Greek word there is the word for fear -ph-bos, -----, -b. reverence, respect, -. toward God . . . -. toward humans, respect,- BDAG, p. 1062-, and what does he mean to fear people-- It's not really fearing people, it's what the Christian has towards God- great respect.--We must not try to defend what people who claimed to follow Jesus did from AD 325 on, because it is apparent that most leaders did not follow the example and teachings of the Lord Jesus.--But it is important to be able to defend the Lord Jesus and his Word.
2 Samuel 21-1-2 records the cause of a great famine in Israel.--In order to understand this passage, we must consider God's command in Deuteronomy 7-1-6- 20-16-18 and how it differs from Deuteronomy 20-10-15.--The Gibeonites had learned of this distinction -Joshua 9-24-, so they tricked Joshua and Israel's leaders into swearing an oath based on Deuteronomy 20-10-15, as recorded in Joshua 9-14-15. --This oath was made in the name of the LORD and was inviolable -Joshua 9-18-20-.--During King Saul's reign, this self-righteous, legalistic fanatic violated the ancient oath and attempted genocide on them -2 Samuel 21-1, 5-8-.--Saul brought Israel under a curse that resulted in three years of famine and many deaths. David sought to replace this curse with a blessing -2 Samuel 21-2-3-.--God willing we will look at what King David did in two weeks.
God's command in Numbers 31-14-18 is explicit, and this is nothing less than divinely sanctioned genocide.--Numbers 31-15-16 records what happened under the leadership of Balaam. Numbers 25-3-5 warns demonic idolatry is contagious. 1 Corinthians 10-20 warns us -the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons,- and cultic prostitution was part of their worship as can be seen in Deuteronomy 23-17-18. People believed they were having intercourse with gods. This coupling led to 24,000 Israelite deaths -Numbers 25-9-.--We are warned in Romans 9-20, -But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God-----The law, morals, and ethics are an expression of God's own character. God's character is refracted as a prism in his laws. Without God, there is no such thing as right or wrong, as can be demonstrated throughout history by tyrannical regimes, such as those led by Mao, Stalin, Hitler, and Pol Pot.--While such a practice is barbaric by the standards of Christianity, it was necessary in order to prevent people from rising up and destroying Israel in the future- -Numbers 33-55- Cf. Joshua 23-13- Judges 2-3- 2 Timothy 2-26-. Supernatural evil pulls people down to hell.--Lastly, ancient Israel was the only nation ever commissioned to commit genocide. God had promised Abraham the land, but only after the inhabitants had completed their sinfulness to the point there would be no mercy- -The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full- -Genesis 15-16-.--Such a genocidal annihilation under divine authority will not take place again until the return of Christ -Revelation 19-1-3-. The conquest of wicked Canaan is a type and foreshadowing of God's final judgment.
Is there a connection between the Day of Pentecost and God's judgment on the Tower of Babel----God judged the nations because they sought unity and prosperity WITHOUT HIM, so he rewired people's brains so that they could no longer understand each other -Genesis 11-7-.--Though human bloodshed began with Cain's killing his brother thousands of years before -Genesis 4-8-10- and the earth had been filled with violence before the flood -Genesis 6-11-, the judgment at Babel gave us cruel kingdoms and empires that viewed other people groups as worthy of destruction.--Without the Tower of Babel, we would not be having Memorial Days.--At Pentecost, God enabled people from all over the known world to understand in their own languages what the first Christians were saying as they spoke so joyously the praises of God in words they themselves did not know -Acts 2-5-7-.--The attempt at the Tower of Babel failed because it was not under God. But Pentecost is about the whole world uniting under God's authority. --We get the word -pentecost,- meaning fifty, from the Greek translation of Leviticus 23-16. The Feast of Weeks was a joyful celebration, where leavened bread was commanded -Leviticus 23-17-.--How appropriate this joyful feast should be when the Lord Jesus, having received the gift of the Holy Spirit from his Father, should pour out the Spirit on his people -Acts 2-33-. --Every Christian has been baptized with the Holy Spirit -1 Corinthians 12-13-, but we all need a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit -Ephesians 5-18, note the present tense, and how New Testament believers are filled with the Holy Spirit more than once- Acts 4-8, 31- 13-9-.
Solomon confesses- -The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built-- -2 Chronicles 6-18- God is present everywhere, yet he is distinct from his creation. The Bible does not teach pantheism.--Also, there is a special presence of God. We see this throughout the 18th chapter of Genesis. The LORD -God's proper name, Yahweh- comes with two angels to visit with Abraham. The LORD and his two angels eat and drink what Abraham has provided -Genesis 18-8-.--The LORD also spoke mouth to mouth to Moses, and Moses saw his form ---------- t-m-n-h-, which the Greek Septuagint renders as his glory ------doxa- -Numbers 12-8-.--That does not mean the Moses saw God in all his glory, as is clear in Exodus 33-20-23 and in 1 Timothy 6-16.--What did Stephen see-- -I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God- -Acts 7-56-.
St. Augustine was a -Son of Tears.- When this brilliant profligate wandered the world, his mother, St. Monica prayed for him.--I, too, was a -son of tears,- with a mother who knelt by her bed and prayed for me with tears.--Luke 18-1-7 describes a poor widow who constantly seeks help from an unjust judge, who finally gives her what she asks for because she never quits hounding him.--Why does Jesus tell us to pray that way-- It isn't because God is unjust or doesn't love us, but we need to remember that God can never violate his own character.--Murder, stealing, lying and other things are wrong for only one reason- They are contrary to God's own character.--Like the widow, we have an adversary -1 Peter 5-8- who accuses us -Zechariah 3-1-2-, so we must confess our sins- -If I regard iniquity in my life, the Lord will not hear me,- But God does hear us -Psalm 66-18-19-. --When we come to God in prayer, we must believe that -he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.- -Hebrews 11-6- Without faith and without persistence in -hounding- heaven, we will not see our prayers answered.--Our Lord Jesus Christ is our example as Hebrews 5-7-8 make clear. Though he is and always has been fully God, yet he became a true human being. He had a human body -John 1-14-. He had a human soul -Mark 14-34-. He had a human spirit -John 11-33-. He had a human mind -Mark 13-32-. He was tempted in all the ways you and I are tempted, but he never sinned -Hebrews 4-15-. --Jesus matured through suffering, and so do we.
By the power of the Holy Spirit who unites us with the Lord Jesus Christ, every Christian is already seated in the heavenly places -Ephesians 2-6- 1-19-20- 1-3-.--But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there -Philippians 3-19-20---According to Hebrews 12-22-24, when we worship the Lord on earth, we are transported to heaven and join with angels and believers who have died in one great assembly that transcends time and space.--Therefore, down here we are pilgrims and strangers -Hebrews 11-13- 1 Peter 2-11-, and we seek a better country, the heavenly city -Hebrews 13-14-.--If God opened our eyes as he did Elisha's servant's in 2 Kings 6-17, we would be overwhelmed with the unseen hosts who surround us now.--2 Timothy 2-4 reminds us that we are in Lord's army and nothing must be allowed to come between us and our ability to share the Lord Jesus Christ with others.--Believers may serve in the military of whatever nation they may find themselves -Luke 3-14-, but our ultimate allegiance is to Christ alone.
God's purpose is to take people who hate each other and combine them as one in the Body of Christ.--Think about why the Greeks and Jews hated each other. Go back to the events surrounding Hanukkah, when the Greeks offered a pig to Zeus inside God's holy Temple.--God is building both the Temple of the New Covenant and the Body of Christ. Ephesians 4-1-16 speaks about that maturity and informs us that the role of the pastor-teacher is to equip -ordinary believers- to do the work of the ministry.--1 Corinthians 12-12-14 speaks of the unity of all believers in the one Body of Christ.--1 Corinthians 12-15-18 warns us against feeling we are useless and inferior because we think our gifts are unimportant.--1 Corinthians 12-19-24 warns us against looking down on other believers because we think their gifts are inferior to ours.--1 Corinthians 12-25-27 affirms our unity and need for entering into the joys and sorrows of others.--1 Corinthians 12-28-31 lays out the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how they are to be used to serve one another.--Why don't you ask God to show you his purpose for your life-- What are the gifts you've given me----We need each other.
Ephesians 2-13 informs us that the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ destroys the barriers between a holy God and sinful humans as well as the barriers that divide us from one another.--Had the Lord Jesus been killed without shedding his blood, we would not have our sins washed away.--People are forbidden to eat blood -Genesis 9-4- Leviticus 3-17- 7-26- 17-10-14- 19-26- Deuteronomy 12-16, 23- 1 Samuel 14-34-, and this prohibition is singled out at the Council of Jerusalem as something binding on the new Gentile believers -Acts 15-20, 29- 21-25-.--It was part of pagan worship, as were the other actions they were warned against. 1 Kings 18-28 records the custom of pagan worship- humans cutting themselves.--Cultic prostitution was also part of their worship as can be seen in Deuteronomy 23-17-18, with the kadoshah -q-d---, ---------- and the kadosh -q-d--, --------. People believed they were having intercourse with gods who would give them prosperity.--1 Corinthians 10-20 warns us that -the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons.---But it is the BLOOD of the Lord Jesus Christ that washes away sin, breaks down barriers and defeats Satan -Revelation 12-11-.
Ephesians 2-14 speaks about a dividing wall of hostility. This was a barrier that warned non-Jews they would be killed if they went beyond this point in the Temple.--Hostility is part of human history going back to Cain's murdering his brother Able in Genesis 4-8. He resented Able and was jealous of him -Genesis 4-4-7-.--Alexander the Great and his four successors sought to create a world without conflict, so that everyone would speak a common language with a common culture and religion. But he spread this through violence, and the Greeks became the most brutal persecutors of the Jews in the Ancient world -2 Maccabees 6-10 with 2 Maccabees 7-3-7-. --That is why the accusation that Paul brought Greeks into the temple was so serious -Acts 21-27-29-. --Jesus sought unity, too, but he did so by allowing himself to be tortured, taking on himself the hatred and jealousy of depraved humanity -Ephesians 2-13-16-.--As we look at Christianity in the first century, we discover that the Jews did not want non-Jews to become their equals, and so they became very jealous when they were included in the Gospel invitation -Acts 13-44-48- 1 Thessalonians 2-14-16-. We also find great opposition from the pagans -Acts 14-8-18-.--But even after having been stoned, Paul pressed on so that people would know the Lord -Acts 14-19-20-.--Do we love our neighbors that way--
Death Cannot Hold Him focused on the Lord Jesus' victory over hell and death as laid out in Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2-22-28. --Peter quotes from Psalm 16-10, and we explored the question- Did Jesus descend into hell----We discovered that Jesus descended into Sheol, --------Hades, ----, which contained both the righteous and unrighteous dead, as can be demonstrated in Jesus' parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus -Luke 16-22-25-. --The righteous dead did not suffer in this place, that is also called Paradise -Luke 23-42-43-. --The unrighteous dead suffered there without their bodies, awaiting their bodies and to be cast into the Lake of Fire, Gehenna -g-enna, -------, the Valley of the sons of Hinnom ------ ------------ that became the garbage dump of Jerusalem in the time Jesus. --Jesus used Gehenna to describe eternal hell -Mark 9-42-48-, a place of unending torment for both body and soul -Revelation 14-9-11-.--The Lord Jesus did not descend into Gehenna.
The Garden of Eden was on top of a mountain, and human beings have attempted to recreate paradise without God ever since- The Tower of Babel, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Ziggurats, Pyramids. --God met with Moses on Mount Sinai, and the Tabernacle was were Israel could meet God as they moved from Sinai -Exodus 25-22-. At its dedication, the Shekinah Glory of God that had been on Mount Sinai, now filled the Tabernacle -Exodus 19-18-20- 40-34-35-.--When Solomon dedicated the Temple in 959 B.C., the Shekinah Glory of God filled the Temple -1 Kings 8-10-11- 2 Chronicles 7-1-3-. --Jesus weeps because he knows that the curse sanctions of Leviticus 26-14-39 and Deuteronomy 28-15-68 are about to be fulfilled again -Luke 19-42-44- 23-27-31-.--God meets with us as we worship and as we celebrated Holy Communion.
I made a couple of mistakes in my sermon and corrected them in the transcript.--The scorpion is cited as an animal under the control of Satan to inflict pain on human beings in Revelation 9-3, 5, 10. The sting of the scorpion is cited in Deuteronomy 8-15 and 1 Kings 12-11-14.--1 Corinthians 15-53-54 describes our resurrection body as something put on top of our mortal, corruptible bodies, like a coat made out of incorruption and immortality.--Paul then cites Isaiah 25-7-8, where he tells us that the LORD himself would swallow up death. --The Canaanites believed in death as a literal monster whose mouth reached from under the earth up into the skies. Their god Mot ----- was going to swallow up everything they valued. But Isaiah foretold that God himself would swallow up Mot.--Isaiah looked forward to the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ who would defeat death in Jerusalem, -on this mountain.---Paul then alludes to Hosea 13-14 in 1 Corinthians 15-54-55 and tells us that sin is the stinger death uses -1 Corinthians 15-56-, taking us back to Genesis 2-25- 3-8-12.--The Lord Jesus took the stinger into himself as he was beaten and crucified in our place and defeated death by his resurrection. Our Westminster Confession of Faith speaks about Christ having purchased for us liberty from certain things, including, it says, -the sting of death- and -the victory of the grave.- --Hebrews 2-14-15 tell us that Satan holds people in bondage to the fear of death. To be free of the fear of death is true Christian liberty.
Today marks the 41st anniversary of a powerful event in my life. I had fallen into the trap that many pastors fall into, I had neglected my own personal, edifying Bible study for professional Bible study. And I was pumping out of a dry well as well as being defeated by old sins. God has ordained his word as the means of our cleansing -Ephesians 5-26- John 17-17-18-.--On March 19, 1982, I began an aggressive Bible reading plan for my personal, devotional reading, seeking the Lord Jesus and not merely Bible knowledge -John 5-39-40-.--Without the word of God, baptism and the Lord's Supper are empty rituals -Ephesians 5-26- John 6-54, 63, 35 -.--God fills us with his Spirit as we are full of his word -Ephesians 5-18- Colossians 3-16-. While every Christian has been baptized into the Holy Spirit -1 Corinthians 12-12-13-, we are not always full of the Spirit -Acts 2-4- 4-8, 31- 9-17- 13-9-.
In our study of Christian Liberty, we come to this statement in the WCF, XX, i, regarding Christ's giving us the ability to yield obedience unto God, -not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love, and willing mind.---Our focus was on 1 John 4-18.--We looked at Ephesians 5-21, where we are instructed to submit to one another out of fear of Christ, and Ephesians 5-33, where wives are instructed to fear their husbands. In their contexts, these verses are not talking about fear the way that 1 John 4-18 does, even though the Greek words are the same -phobos-phobe-- ------------. That word is rightly translated in Ephesians as -respect-- whereas, John is thinking about -fear- involving punishment.--We also looked at Romans 8-14-15 and thought about the example of Joe D. Norward's love for his father.--We also contrasted the celebration of vengeance in Esther 8-16-17- 9-4-15, 18, with the Lord Jesus' cry from the cross -Luke 23-34-. What a picture of 2 Corinthians 3-6-9---Our sins were laid on Jesus -2 Corinthians 5-21-. The veil of the Temple has been ripped open once and for all -Matthew 27-51- Mark 15-38-. And now all genders and ethnicities may enter the presence of God with boldness -Hebrews 9-11-14- 10-9-22-.--That freedom from fear causes us to serve the Lord joyfully.
Do you realize how rare it is to hear the gospel preached at a funeral----Even preachers who believe the gospel often leave people with the impression that people are saved because they lived a good life or did the best they could.--We must remember that no one will ever be right with God by keeping the law, but through the Law comes the knowledge of sin -Romans 3-20-. The law of God, as it is expounded in the life of Jesus and in his teachings, nails every single one of us to the wall.--This takes us to the next section, Romans 3-21-26.--What does it mean to be justified----Luke 10-29 points us in the right direction. This man did not want to change his way of living- he wanted Jesus to let him off the hook. He follows the pattern of our first parents who shift the blame in order to excuse themselves--justify themselves -Genesis 3-12-13-.--Women's sins are often very subtle compared to men's -Matthew 5-21-22, 27-28-, so a sign of spiritual maturity in a woman is a growing sense of the depravity of her own heart.--What is expiation-- What is propitiation----The essence of modernism is- -You're a good person, and you can be better- follow the example of Jesus.- --But the biblical gospel deals with humans as totally depraved creatures and centers on the gospel that the Lord Jesus Christ died as our substitute, shedding his own blood for our sins.
As we continued our study on Christian Liberty -Part six-, we focused on, -The liberty which Christ has purchased for believers ... consists in their being delivered from ... the evil of afflictions.- -WCF, XX, i---Afflictions will continue to come to believers until the Lord Jesus has finished his work as our Mediator King. While God is absolutely sovereign over everything -Ephesians 1-11-, when it comes to the Mediatorial Reign of the Lord Jesus as our King, -We do not yet see all things subjected to him- -Hebrews 2-8-.--In the here and now, afflictions come to us all, but for the believer THE EVIL has been removed, so that ALL things work together for our good -Romans 8-28-29-.--This awareness and growing conviction in Joseph enabled him to maintain a cheerful spirit in spite of all the terrible things people did to him and forgive them- -As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to do what has happened on this day, to keep many people alive.- -Genesis 50-20---As with the most despicable act in human history, the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, when Man killed God in his human nature, wicked sinners freely chose to sin by their own -free will,- yet what they did was -Whatever -God's- hand and -God's- purpose predestined to occur- -Acts 4-28-.
This is the interment service for Joe Norwood, a World War II navy veteran. It was on his 76th wedding anniversary.--I wish that the sermon had been recorded. Jared Billups is Joe's great-nephew-in-law and a Baptist minister. He actually preached the gospel and explained how people can be saved--something that is rare if funeral services.
As we continued our look at -Christian Liberty,- we considered how the Lord Jesus has delivered us from -the evil of afflictions- -WCF, XX.i-. While the Bible teaches that one day we will be fully delivered from all afflictions, in the present time we still experience them- -the sufferings of the present time- -Romans 8-18-.--But the Lord Jesus Christ has delivered believers from the EVIL of afflictions, and no chapter in Scripture addresses this better than the eighth chapter of Romans.--The present time is a time of groaning and travailing, but our comfort is the Comforter, the indwelling Holy Spirit, who groans within us as we pray -Romans 8-26-.--As we reflect on what is happening at Asbury University, we ought to cry out for God to move this way everywhere. America is dying, and our churches are dying. The greatest need in America is for churches to gather in prayer where people expect that God will do what they ask him, especially as that asking lines up with God's written Word. --The lack of united, believing, expectant prayer is a cancer in our churches and our nation. But what appears to be happening at Asbury should encourage us all to beg God for this youth led, repentant, believing, praying and praising movement to spread everywhere.
Galatians 5-13 teaches that we should use our liberty in Christ as a means of serving others and not as an excuse to indulge evil desires. The Westminster Confession of Faith expounds on this truth in XX, iii.--When we think about a summary of the law in Galatians 5-14, we must look to the Lord Jesus Christ himself, because his life is THE perfect exposition of God's moral law, as illustrated in the second chapter of Philippians. --Adam reached out to become equal with God -Genesis 3-4-6-. The Lord Jesus Christ has always been God, equal to God the Father and the Holy Spirit. --Adam reached out to grasp something he did not have and to which he was not entitled- the Lord Jesus let go of what he had always had, full equality with God. --But because he put you ahead of himself -Philippians 2-3-4-, the Lord Jesus gave up his prerogatives, honor, and comfort by leaving heaven and becoming a servant for us -Philippians 2-5-9-. That was the path to his exaltation as the God-man -Philippians 2-10-11-. --His slavery purchased our liberty. We are free people, the sons and daughters of the King. Our citizenship is in heaven -Philippians 3-20-, and we enjoy exemption from the rules and regulations of this world and its fading order.--This is profoundly illustrated in Jesus' reaction to the temple maintenance tax built on Exodus 30-11-16. We are exempt because we are children of the King -Matthew 17-25-26-, but we must not put a stumbling block before others, and so we pay it -Matthew 17-27-. Nothing is more important than reaching the lost with the gospel.
As we looked at the topic of Christian Liberty today, we reflected on how the Lord Jesus has -delivered from this present evil world- and -bondage to Satan- -WCF XX.i.-.--We looked at Galatians 1-4 and then focused on the conversion of the Apostle Paul, who vehemently hated the Lord Jesus and everyone who followed him -Acts 26-9-11-. --While engaged in his murderous mission, he was intercepted by the Lord himself -Acts 26-12-15-, who sent him to the pagans, -to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God- -Acts 26-18-.--We pondered how we are confronted by three great enemies- the world, the flesh, and the devil -James 3-15-. We asked the question how to deal with obsessive thoughts and reflected on the importance of taking charge of our minds -Matthew 4-1-11- 8-16- Luke 8-28-29- 9-42- Acts 16-16-18- 19-13-16-, as we resist the devil -James 4-7- and overcome him -Revelation 12-11-.
-God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his word, or beside it, in matters of faith or worship.- -WCF, XX, ii---We must obey God even when it means disobeying authorities -Acts 4-19- 5-29-.--But we are never obligated to obey any authority when it comes to faith and worship, no matter how venerable that authority is.--Isaiah 29-13-14 labels worship as false when it is not based on the Bible.--Jesus expands on this in dealing with human traditions in Matthew 15-7-9,14-.--Paul applies Isaiah and warns about people who would impose their ideas on others, stating that they are severing themselves from Christ when they issue commands that are not based squarely on the Bible -Colossians 2-16-23-.--People should always ask, -Where is that in the Bible---
Forty days after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Simeon gives his prophecies -Luke 2-22-24- Leviticus 12-. After this, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph return home to Nazareth in the Galilee -Luke 2-39-.--The Wise Men came sometime after that and before the Lord was two-years old -Cf. Matthew 2-7, 16-17-.--In his person, the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of all God's prophecies to Israel -Galatians 3-16- 2 Corinthians 1-20-. Thus Simeon prophesies that the Lord Jesus would be -a light, for revelation to the Gentiles- -Luke 2-29-32-, in fulfillment of Isaiah 42-6- 60-1-3.--Jesus was -appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel- -Luke 2-34-. Many who were thought of as the righteous would be rejected, while many who were rejected would be accepted, because before a person can be accepted by God, he must be humbled -Luke 18-9-14-.--Simeon foretells Mary's witnessing the agonizing death of her Son -Luke 2-35- John 19-25-26-, and points to God's Word as a piercing sword -Hebrews 4-12-13-.
1 Corinthians 13-12 states- -Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror- then we shall see face to face.- Corinth was famous for its polished metal mirrors, but they did not reflect an image very well. --The NIV uses the word -poor- to translate the interesting Greek word, a--nigma ---------, from which we get the English word, -enigma.- --It is only found twice in the Greek Bible- Here and where God confronted Aaron and Miriam about the uniqueness of Moses- -With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles -a--nigma, --------- -Numbers 12-8-.--In light of Numbers 12-8, what 1 Corinthians 13-12 affirms is that only at the Lord's return will we see him face to face and no longer live with the sense that the future is an enigma. This is affirmed in 1 John 3-2.--In the present, enigmatic world, believers must trust the Lord that he is working everything to make us more and more like the Lord Jesus -Romans 8-28-29-. When our goal is to be fully like him -2 Corinthians 3-17-18-, we can be cheerful and regard our troubles as -light and momentary- -2 Corinthians 4-16-18-. Proverbs 4-18 expresses the same thought.--But Proverbs 4-19 speaks about deep darkness and the wicked not knowing what makes them stumble.--What does 2023 hold for the wicked-- --On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.- -Luke 21-25-26- That was fulfilled in A.D. 70, but terrifying events are still ahead. As lost people experience the coming destruction they will -Rage, rage against the dying of the light.-
Who was Mary-- --According to Elizabeth's song of praise, Mary is the mother of her Lord -Luke 1-43-. Mary is the Theotokos, --------, the -God bearer,- the Mother of God, Mater Dei-not of Jesus' divine nature, of course, but only of his human nature. --Jesus is 100- God and 100- Human, but he is not 200-, only 100- because he is ONE person, distinct from the persons of the Father and the Spirit-but with them, One God.--In spite of all the miracles she experienced, Mary still struggled with doubts and was influenced by her unbelieving children, who did not yet believe in their half-brother Jesus -John 7-3-5-. --We see this so clearly in her coming with her children to -rescue- Jesus from himself- -He is out of his mind- -Mark 3-20-21-. That neither she nor her children are disciples yet is clear when Jesus excludes them from the circle of believers, stating- -Here are my mother and my brothers- Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.- -Mark 3-31-35- --That's why, as our Lord was dying, he entrusted his mother to his closest disciple, John, rather than to his unbelieving family -John 19-25-27-. --The result is that both she and her other children became committed disciples awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit -Acts 1-14-.--What does Mary's song tell us about her----She is a poor woman who is the happiest of women because she is pregnant with the Messiah -Luke 1-48-. She foretells the turning upside down of the value system of our world -Luke 1-51-53-, and the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant -Luke 1-54-.
Have you ever been in a bus station at Christmas-- There are lots of lonely people there. Some are young women who have left home.--How old was the Virgin Mary when she conceived our Lord----My ninth great grandmother was married on June 27th, 1647, in Paris, France. She was 12-years-old, and her husband was 27. Her father was Sir Richard Browne, King Charles I's ambassador to France.--My assumption is that the Virgin Mary was 12 or 13. --The Pope declared in 1854 that Mary's parents, St. Anne and St. Joachim, produced Mary without ever having sexual intercourse--that Mary's conception was immaculate.--Were that the case, why did Mary leave home to travel such a distance-- Luke 1-39 states that she left home with haste.--Gabriel spoke to her about her cousin Elizabeth's being six months pregnant -Luke 1-36-.--Undoubtedly, she was guided as she made this long and dangerous journey alone. Mary needed counsel from a woman who was full of the Holy Spirit, and Elizabeth was such a woman -Luke 1-41-45-.
As with truthful eyewitnesses of the same event who stand in different places, so when we compare Matthew's and Luke's accounts of the genealogy and birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, we note several striking differences. Matthew is very specific and uses the word -beget, become the father of, sire- ------- genn--- throughout his narrative- whereas, Luke uses the genitive of relationship, without telling us what that relationship is. It could be that of a father or a father-in-law. --The two genealogies also differ about which son of King David is the ancestor of the Lord Jesus. Matthew is giving the legal line of descent through the kings of Judah, and he names Solomon -Matthew 1-6-- whereas, Luke cites David's son Nathan -Luke 3-31-.--Tamar was the Canaanite daughter-in-law of Judah. She posed as a cult prostitute in order to make sure that she became pregnant through levirate marriage to her late husband's next of kin -Matthew 1-3- Genesis 38-.--Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute who plied her trade in Jericho, and who having protected the Israelite spies, then married into the tribe of Judah -Matthew 1-5- Joshua 2- 6-22-25-.--Ruth was a Moabitess, a cursed people -Matthew 1-5- Deuteronomy 23-3-.--The last woman is alluded to in Matthew 1-6, Bathsheba, who was either a gentile or an Israelite married to a gentile, Uriah the Hittite. She and David committed adultery -2 Samuel 11-, and David had her husband murdered in order to cover up the adultery, a death penalty offense under God's law -Leviticus 20-10-.--The practical truth of this list is that God not only blesses people, he makes them a blessing, no matter their wicked past or ancestry.
The actions of Herod the Great in executing all the male children under the age of two in and around Bethlehem certainly fit this paranoid, megalomaniacal ruler -Matthew 2-16-. Herod's father was an Idumean, a descendent of Esau, but he courted favor with the Roman leaders. The Roman empire was interested in two things from their client kings- maintaining order and keeping the money flowing to Rome. Herod the Great fit the bill, but he was terribly paranoid.--After giving Herod permission to execute his two sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, and knowing his Jewish dietary concerns, Octavian -Caesar Augustus- made a pun on the Greek words pig and son- -Better to be Herod's pig --- h-s- than Herod's son ----- hui-s-.---What do you do when dealing with someone like Herod the Great-- The Lord sent his angel to speak to Joseph in a dream four times in the Gospel of Matthew -Matthew 1-20- 2-13- 2-19- 2-22-. He must leave.--Over and over again, we are warned to avoid conflicts. 1 Thessalonians 4-11-12 presses us to mind our own business and avoid anything that might be construed as disturbance of public order.--Peter writes the same thing to citizens and slaves in 1 Peter 2-13-18, stressing we are to be obedient -not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are perverse.---He cites the example of the Lord Jesus Christ who suffered without complaint -1 Peter 2-21-23-.
When Jesus says, -Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,- we are taken back to the birth of Christ, because his name would be Immanuel, God with us -Matthew 1-23-. --Both Joseph and Mary name him Jesus, the same name was Joshua the son of Nun, -Yahweh is Salvation,- because Yahweh would save his people from their sins -Matthew 1-21- Luke 1-31-.--Jesus does not ascend to heaven right after the last verse of Matthew because this takes place in the Galilee -Matthew 28-10, 16-. Whereas, his ascension to heaven took place near Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem, where a cloud received him -Acts 1-9-11-.--Daniel 7-9-10 describes the Ancient of Days, God the Father- whereas, Daniel 7-13-14 foretells the Kingdom being given to the Son of Man. In Luke 22-66-71, Jesus reveals who he really is to the Jewish Sanhedrin- Israel's Messiah, the Son of God. But they reject him.--All three persons of the Godhead are involved in the conception of Jesus. The Father sends his Son, and the Holy Spirit creates the human nature of Jesus from the substance of the virgin Mary by an act of parthenogenesis, and the Son unites himself with that true human nature at the moment of conception -John 1-1-3, 14-.--All three persons of the Godhead are present at Jesus' baptism- The Father speaks from heaven, the Spirit comes down, and the Son is baptized -Matthew 3-16-17- Mark 1-10-11- Luke 3-21-22- John 1-29-33-.--And all three persons of the Godhead are at work at the end of Matthew- The Father has given the Holy Spirit in power to the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God IN POWER -Matthew 28-18-19- Romans 1-4-. And he sends out his army, the church.
God the Father offers the Lord Jesus exactly what Satan offered him -Luke 4-5-7- Psalm 2-8-. But Satan is a liar, and God cannot lie. God could and did make good on his promise. --Rightly to understand who Jesus is, we must consider that he is both truly and fully God and truly and fully human, as Philippians 2-6-8 makes clear.--In Jesus Christ, God became something he had never been before- God became Man. --God's name is Yahweh and has never been Jesus. When the eternal Son of the eternal God became a man, he was given a new name, Jesus -Philippians 2-9-10-.--Romans 1-4 declares that Jesus was -appointed the Son-of-God-in-power by his resurrection from the dead- -NET-. This is reflected in Matthew 28-18.--God the Father covenanted with the Lord Jesus Christ, David's son and Lord in Psalm 110-1, -Yahweh says to my Lord- -Matthew 22-41-46-.--Psalm 2 spells out the blessings for those who will submit to the Son and the curses for those who will not.
When Satan shows the Lord Jesus all the kingdoms of this world -in a moment in time,- he is attempting to cast a -glamour- over him -Luke 4-5-6-. In John 8-44, our Lord informs us that Satan is both a murderer and a liar, -for he is a liar and the father of lies.---Satan's claim contains at least two lies. Nobody gave him the authority and glory over the kingdoms of this world- he simply moved in when Adam and Eve were forced to leave. And he cannot do anything without God's authority.--One of Satan's greatest lies is that God should not have anything to do with civil government. The devil has cast a glamour over people to believe such nonsense based on a misunderstanding of Matthew 22-21. Jesus is not setting forth a doctrine to keep God out of civil government there- he is simply demolishing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Herodians with their trick question about paying taxes to Rome.--The Constitution of the United States does not contain the expression, -A wall of separation between church and state.- Rather, it creates a wall between the Federal and state governments- -In matters of religion I have considered that its free exercise is placed by the Constitution independent of the powers of the General Government. I have therefore undertaken on no occasion to prescribe the religious exercises suited to it, but have left them, as the Constitution found them, under the direction and discipline of the church or state authorities acknowledged by the several religious societies.---That is in keeping with the Northwest Ordinance, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1787, the same year the Constitution was sent down for ratification by the states.
Paul instructs Timothy to be willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, specifically using military terms -2 Timothy 2-3-4-. His warning about not getting entangled in worldly affairs is similar to his admonitions about marriage in 1 Corinthians 7-32-35. The day you say, -I do,- is the day you give up certain rights -1 Corinthians 7-3-5-.--As with soldiers in a worldly military, God wants us to be able to do what he calls us to do without hesitation. --We must never forget that we are in a war. But our war is different at several levels. --Consider the dialogue between the Lord Jesus and leading politician of his place and time, Pontius Pilate -John 18-33-38-. --Politics is the art of deception as can be seen in Pontius Pilate's cynical question in John 18-38, -What is truth------Politics is the art of appearing candid and completely open, while concealing as much as possible- -Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson -2001-, -The States- Bene Gesserit View,- -Dune- House Corrino-, -New York- Bantam Books-, p. 267-. --But the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is a transparent kingdom, whose weapons differ radically from those of the kingdoms of this world -2 Corinthians 10-3-5-.
What is our stance as we consider those who have power over us, particularly when they are wicked----Nebuchadnezzar is a classic example of a megalomanical tyrant. How do we pray for such wicked people----1 Timothy 2-1-8 guides us. While the Bible makes plain that God has an elect people -1 Corinthians 1-26-31- Romans 9-. --How do we reconcile 1Timothy 2-4 with that and with 2 Timothy 2-10-- --How do we understand 1 Timothy 2-5-- The death of Jesus is SUFFICIENT for all men and women and children everywhere, even though it is only EFFICIENT for believers.--Nebuchadnezzar was a low-life, and God struck him with insanity in order to humble him and bring him to confess that great confession in Daniel 4-34-38. --1 Timothy 2-1-8 encourages us to view others as elect -- in a judgment of charity of course. How can we effectively witness, or how can we effectively pray when we look at others as under the decree of reprobation-- They may be, but only God knows that.--How should we sing the imprecatory Psalms in the time between the First and Second Comings of Christ-- -Father, forgive them- -Luke 23-34-.--I believe we will meet Nebuchadnezzar in heaven.
As we consider the fate of Nebuchadnezzar's soldiers -Daniel 3-22-, we must consider several truths.--According to Ephesians 1-22, the big players in world history are merely the backdrop for the drama of redemption. Because the Lord Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords on behalf of his people, history is really about saving that people.--Luke 3-14 makes plain that believers can serve in the military, even under perverted tyrants such as the Herod dynasty and Tiberius Caesar, but soldiers can never park their consciences at the door. --Nebuchadnezzar's soldiers should have respectfully declined to obey his wicked order. They would have been killed either way, but in their case, the fires of the furnace continued on in the fires of hell -Revelation 20-15-. --As soon as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into the fire, they are unharmed. It is as if the laws of Newtonian physics do not apply- -The fire had no power over the bodies of these men, nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them- -Daniel 3-27-. --The only thing they lost were the ropes that bound them -Daniel 3-25-. --Nebuchadnezzar and his advisors are astounded because they saw a fourth person walking around in the fire with them, one like a son of the gods -------- ---------------- -Daniel 3-25-.--Was that an angel or the Lord Jesus Christ-- I don't know, but I do know that when the church on earth worships, she worships with the all the hosts of heaven -Hebrews 12-22-24-.
This is the tenth teaching in a series of round table discussions on Church History with a focus on the Presbyterians.--This excerpt deals with the different views of Christians on the Lord Supper and Baptism.
Nebuchadnezzar is an example of the kind of foolish people God sometimes places over us. He acted on the dream God had given him in chapter two about his being the head of gold -Daniel 2-37-38-, and made an entire obelisk of gold -Daniel 3-1-.--In his arrogance, he demanded that everyone bow down and worship it or face being burned alive in a fiery furnace -Daniel 3-6, 11, 15-.- -Jealousy is innate in human nature, and so the three Jewish men whom Nebuchadnezzar had appointed over Babylon were reported by others for their failure to do what the king had commanded -Daniel 3-8-12-.- -When confronted, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to obey the king -Daniel 3-16-18-.- -But they did not do this in an arrogant or rebellious way. That is because God demands that we always respect and obey the authorities whom he has placed over us. Not even the Archangel Michael was willing to insult the devil, but called on the LORD himself to do it -Jude 8-10-.--The only exceptions to obedience are when we are commanded to sin or to deny the LORD -Daniel 3-18- Acts 5-29-.--Faith must be absolute when it comes to affirming God's ability to do anything, but it cannot be so absolute regarding what He chooses to do -Daniel 3-17-18-.
In 1 Samuel 8-1-3, we discover that the godly Samuel's two sons did not follow in their father's footsteps. Heredity is not a good criterion for determining a good leader. --God informs Samuel that Israel's demand for a king was their rejection of Him as their king -1 Samuel 8-7-9, 19-20-.--God commanded Samuel to warn the people of what a king would do. He would have a standing army to enforce his will, and he would draft their sons to carry out his decisions -1 Samuel 8-11-12-. Their daughters would be seized to work for him -1 Samuel 8-13-. He would take their best property for his own and give it to his cronies, he would tax them, and they would become his slaves -1 Samuel 8-14-17-.--If we survey this history of Israel from the time of Joshua, we discover that God himself was their King, and he ruled through their elders and judges, whom He Himself raised up as needed. This aristocracy was not hereditary- it was God's raising up leaders and providing the military strength to defend the nation ad hoc. Israel's government was a loose confederacy, not centralized.--This kind of government is reflected in the New Testament, where every local congregation had at least two bishops -i.e. elders, shepherds, or pastors, and where the people elected their own leaders -Acts 6-5- Acts 14-23- Titus 1-3, 5- Philippians 1-1-.--The Lord Jesus proclaimed the radical equality of his followers and taught them to eschew a hierarchy of superiors, because they are all brothers. -Matthew 24-8-12- The priesthood of the believer is foundational to good government. Thus the people elect their equals, who in turn do exercise authority over the church -Galatians 2-11-14- 1 Peter 5-1-3-.
John 13-2 shows that Judas came to worship with a wicked heart. After Jesus washed his feet and give him the bread, Satan himself entered into Judas -John 13-27-.--1 Corinthians 10-16 declares that we share in the body and blood of Christ when we observe the Lord's Supper. We get the word Communion from that Greek word, koin-nia ----------. After Jesus -gave thanks- -euchariste-------------, he gave the bread to his disciples. So we may refer to what began with the Last Supper as the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper or Table, or Holy Communion.--Conversely, when people participate in pagan worship, they have communion with demons -1 Corinthians 10-20-21-.--The Lord's Supper is a Memorial because it displays what the Lord Jesus did for us, once for all time -1 Corinthians 11-24-26- Hebrews 10-12-. But 1 Corinthians 11-27-29 makes clear that the Supper is more than a Memorial. That's why we should partake with self-examination, lest we partake in an unworthy way. That's why people who partook as Judas did became weak, sick, and died -1 Corinthians 11-30-.- -Many in the ancient church believed that the bread and wine were replaced with Christ himself. Aquinas used Aristotle to explain this- whereas, the Orthodox maintained it as a mystery.--At the other end of the spectrum is the belief that the Supper is only a memorial, bringing to mind what Jesus did similarly to a flannelgraph.--In between are Martin Luther and John Calvin. Luther taught that the human nature of Jesus took on divine attributes, so Jesus' actual body and blood could be present everywhere. Calvin taught that the Holy Spirit himself feeds us with Christ by seating us with him in heaven.
Acts 6-1 describes division in a church, a division rooted in cultural differences.--The solution was to create a new office, the office of deacon.--Just as -The Twelve- are the beginning of the office of elder -1 Peter 5-1-, so -The Seven- are the model of the office of deacon.--Scripture makes it plain that these two offices should exist in each local congregation -Philippians 1-1-, and Romans 16-1 points to Phoebe being a deaconess of the congregation at Cenchrea.--Scripture knows nothing of one-man rule- Each local congregation was to have at least two elders -Acts 14-23-.--Paul left Titus in Crete to put things in order, and this involved appointing elders over every local church. As Titus 1-3, 5 make clear, All Elders are Bishops, and all Bishops are Elders.--When we look at Acts 6-2, 4, we see that the work of elders or bishops is identical to what we call a pastor. When I sign a marriage license, I sign it as a Minister of the Gospel. This is confirmed in 1 Timothy 3-1-15 and Acts 20-17, 28.--We also see in Acts 6-2-4 that the work of deacons is handling the -business- side of the church, making sure that people's physical needs are met.--The result was a vibrant, unified church that expanded by evangelism and witnessed the conversion of many Jewish priests -Acts 6-7-.
In Matthew 25-31 Jesus is clearly speaking about his second coming. When he refers to himself as the Son of Man, he is taking us back to Daniel 7-13-14.--He divides people into two categories- the sheep and the goats. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who dies in place of his sheep -John 10-11-, and his sheep include not only his current disciples, but also people who had not yet been born -John 10-16-. Not everyone is one of Christ's sheep -John 10-26-30-. --The rest of humankind are the goats -Matthew 25-41-46-. Hell was not prepared for humans, but for Satan and his angels, and the goats send themselves there -Matthew 25-41-46-.--Unlike the goats who get what they deserve, the Lord's sheep do not get what they deserve. The salvation of the sheep is due solely to God's grace in Christ, and God's kingdom was prepared for them before the world began -Matthew 25-34-.--We receive salvation by means of faith alone, but by a faith that is never alone, and the deeds described in the last part of the Olivet Discourse are the evidence of the New Birth. The sheep are doing what comes naturally -- supernaturally. They are not attempting to earn salvation and are surprised by our Lord's words -Matthew 25-37-39-.--The standard of Christian living involves much more than the Ten Commandments- the standard is the life of Christ himself, who lived out the Ten Commandments in a life of risk, submission, and self-sacrifice -Philippians 2-5-8-.--We are called to serve Christ's sheep, his sisters and brothers, and we must be guided by Galatians 6-9-10.
As we read the Olivet Discourse, we see a change in Matthew 25-36. Up until that point, the Lord has been dealing with the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70.- -Two things stand out-- -The time of his return is unknown -Matthew 24-36-41, 42-44, 50- 25-5, 19-.- -There will be a delay -Matthew 24-48- 25-5, 19-.
The Lord Jesus quotes from Isaiah 13-10 in Matthew 24-29. This gives us insight into what he is speaking about. He is using apocalyptic language, pulling back the curtain to show us what is really going on.--Isaiah 13-6 speaks about -The Day of the Lord,- and as we read Isaiah 13-9-10, we get a picture of the end of the world, climaxing in Isaiah 13-13 with the violent shaking of the world. However, as we read further in the chapter, it is very clear that what is in view is the END OF THE WORLD FOR BABYLON. Isaiah 13-17-19 describes the fall of the great city to the Medes and Persians in 539 B.C. --When the Lord Jesus describes the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple with these words, what he is telling us is that A.D. 70 would not only mark the complete destruction of the Temple, it would begin the Jewish Dark Ages. Millions of Jews would die or be taken as slaves. It was the end of the world as they had known it.--When Israel returned from Babylonian Captivity, she set about to rebuild the destroyed Temple. When the foundation was laid, there was a great celebration, but there was also great lamentation on the part of those who remembered Solomon's magnificent Temple -Ezra 3-10-13-. --God's glory had filled the Tabernacle -Exodus 40-34- and Solomon's Temple -1 Kings 8-10-11-, but there is no record of this happening with the Second Temple.--However, the Second Temple would be far grander than Solomon's -Haggai 2-6-9-, and the reason for this is that the Lord himself would come to this Temple -Malachi 3-1-. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself walked there. He is the substance, and what a privilege is ours -Hebrews 13-10-.
In our study of the Olivet Discourse, we took a -rabbit trail- this morning, focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ's being a true human being according to the Definition of the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451.--God is one being, eternally existing in three distinct Persons- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.--The eternal Son of God is one Person with two natures, one fully divine, the other fully human.--As a human being he experienced weakness, temptation, ignorance, and growth. Luke 2-52 states- -And Jesus was advancing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.---Though morally perfect, he grew in physical, mental, and spiritual perfection. -Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.- -Hebrews 5-8-9---Jesus' reference to the -Days of Noah- was not given as a sign of the types of things happening just before his return -Matthew 24-37-39-, but focuses on the utterly unexpected nature of his return to the world, as over against the signs for the destruction of Jerusalem that people could take action in response to -Matthew 24-15-22-. --As a true human being, the Lord Jesus did not know the time of his return -Matthew 24-36- Mark 13-32-.
The Lord Jesus' first sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, began with his sitting on a mountain -Matthew 5-1-, so did his last sermon -Matthew 24-3-.--What prompted this sermon was his disciples' threefold question- -When will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age--- -Matthew 24-3---For them, the end of the Temple would be the end of the world as they knew it.--While God cannot be contained in an earthly house, the Tabernacle-Temple was a kind of embassy of heaven.---Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You- how much less this house which I have built-- -1 Kings 8-27- ---Night and day may you watch over this temple, the place where you promised you would live. May you answer your servant's prayer for this place.- -1 Kings 8-29---Over this very Mount of Olives, the glory of the Lord had passed when he abandoned Solomon's Temple -Ezekiel 10-18-19- 11-22-23-. --It was not unlike the time the Philistines had captured God's throne, the Ark of the Covenant -1 Samuel 4-21-, and the glory had departed from the Tabernacle, Ichabod.--Matthew 24-3-8 describes events that have happened throughout history, and Matthew 24-9-14 foretells the suffering believers will suffer before the end. --The end in view is the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans at the climax of the Jewish war against Rome in A.D. 66-70. When one compares Matthew 24-15-28 with Luke 21-20-24, it becomes clear that Rome's armies are in view because believers could take action- whereas, the only action we can take with regard to his second coming is repentance and faith.--The Glory of the Lord is present with believers -Matthew 18-20-.
What prompts the Olivet Discourse is the disciples' response to Jesus' words about the Temple in Matthew 23-38, -Your house is left to you desolate.---In this chapter, as in Mark 3-5, we see that our Lord experienced rage. What infuriated the Lord Jesus--'--Jesus was grieved in the core of his being at hard-hearted people who were so trapped in legalism they refused to help people in desperate need -Mark 3-6-.--Legalism includes people who believe they are good and look down on others -Luke 18-10-14-. Belief that people who -do the best they can- will go to heaven is deeply embedded in much of the Christian church. It's why I often cite how good a person was at the funeral and then add, -But he was not good enough to go to heaven.- Then I proclaim the good news of salvation received through grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone.---But legalism also includes a focus on externals to the neglect of religion of the heart. We see that so clearly in Jesus' scathing denunciations in such places as Matthew 23-23, regarding silly observances of tithing- Matthew 23-25-28, regarding outward goodness as a mask for gross wickedness- and above all in Matthew 23-13, hindering people from connecting with God. --Such people can be very evangelistic, but they make their converts, -Twice as much a son of hell as yourselves- -Matthew 23-15-. --Jesus warned that all the innocent blood shed from the beginning of the Hebrew Bible until its end would be required of those who were hearing his voice -Matthew 23-32-36-.
In light of Daniel 9-24, I interpret the remaining verses to center in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.----This is why I understand the Lord Jesus to be the subject of Daniel 9-27, -He -the Messiah- shall confirm the covenant with many- ------------- -------- ----------, --- ----------- - ------- --- --------.----Therefore, I interpret the -many- as referring to the Jewish remnant, in keeping with Isaiah 53-11-12, fulfilled on the cross -Matthew 20-28-, and anticipated in the cup of the Lord's Supper -Matthew 26-27-28- Mark 14-23-24- Luke 22-20-.----The Lord Jesus made strong God's covenant with Abraham by suffering the curse of that covenant -Genesis 15-18-, because God had called down damnation on his own head if the promise to Abram failed -Genesis 15-8-17 with Jeremiah 34-18-20-.----The whole context of the Lord's Supper is the eternal covenant, initially inaugurated with Abraham, confirmed in the cross, and sealed in the cup -Luke 22-29-.----In light of Matthew 24-15-16, Mark 13-14, and Luke 21-20 , we must understand the last part of Daniel 9-26-27 as pointing to the Roman prince Titus who accomplished this in A.D. 70, within the lifetime of those who witnessed the Messiah's being cut off by his crucifixion.
What does it mean for the Messiah to be cut off ----- after Daniel's 69th -week- -Daniel 9-26-------This takes us back to Genesis 15-18 when God cut ----- a covenant --------- with Abram, where the LORD himself passes between the slaughtered animals, calling down a curse on himself if the covenant is not confirmed -Genesis 15-17-.----It also points to how the covenant was sealed with an external token, circumcision- -It shall be the sign of the covenant --------- between me and you- -Genesis 17-11- .----However, when someone refused to submit to circumcision, -That person shall be cut off ----- from his people- he has broken my covenant ---------- -Genesis 17-14-.----The Lord Jesus' ultimate baptism did not take place in A.D. 26, when he was baptized by John in the Jordan River- it was in A.D. 30 when the wrath of God was poured out on him on the cross, and he was immersed under divine judgment -Matthew 20-22-. His baptism is our baptism -Romans 6-2-11-.----Jesus true circumcision did not take place when was eight days old, but when he was cut off in covenant judgment on the cross. Because all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily in the Lord Jesus Christ, his circumcision is our circumcision and his baptism is our baptism -Colossians 2-9-12-
This is the memorial for Joseph L. Appalucci.----Joe was born in a poor, Polish-Italian neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 1, 1930.----But he climbed the ladder of success and became the Partner and Creative Director of Lieberman-Appalucci, the largest advertising agency in Northeast Pennsylvania.----He was a syndicated cartoonist and artist, and he designed his own home.----He served as a U.S. Marine for two years during the Korean Conflict within 1949-52 and was awarded the Korean Service Medal with one star and the United Nations Service Medal.----He loved his wife of almost 60 years, Eileen, and their three daughters.----Due to his knowledge of history and his experiences in Korea, Joe was a deeply cynical man. He despised hypocrisy and that carried over to political and religious leaders. But he and I became very close friends, and one day he asked if he could paint me. That painting is linked as a PDF.----The Holy Spirit pursued Joe, and on Thursday evening, July 16, 2021, he laid Joe bare.----His memorial service was attended by a wide spectrum of people, and I used his painting of me to explain the gospel. I spoke about his placing me inside the cross as my only hope. A bright Muslim woman came up to me afterwards and said, -I think he painted you as carrying the cross.- I thanked her for her insight and I also see that as part of the meaning as well.
John 2-20 informs us that Herod the Great's remodeling program had been going on for 46 years, from 19 B.C., putting Jesus' first cleansing of the Temple around A.D. 26-27, at the beginning of his ministry.--The Lord Jesus refers to his own physical body -John 2-21- when he declares- -Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up- -John 2-19-. Yet as is often the case, Jesus' words are a double entendre- He is talking about his human body, but there is a deeper meaning- By his death and resurrection, he replaces the shadow of the Old Covenant Temple with the substance of the Temple of the New Covenant -Hebrews 8-1-5- 9-1-10-22.--Peter declares that the LORD Jesus Christ is the living Stone -1 Peter 2-4-. Jesus is the Rock who traveled with Israel in the Wilderness -1 Corinthians 10-4-. We, too, are built on this solid foundation -Ephesians 2-19-22-. We, too, are living stones of the Temple that God is continuing to build -1 Peter 2-5-.--Individual believers are living stones in the Temple of the New Covenant -1 Corinthians 3-9-17-. These stones are not lying here and there along the road- they are being fitted into the ever increasing Temple of the New Covenant -1 Corinthians 3-16- Ephesians 2-20-22- Revelation 21-16, where this structure is a cube over 1,300 miles on each side-.--Believers cannot be lost, but they can lose rewards -1 Corinthians 3-12-15-. --First Corinthians 3-16-17 is not about taking care of our bodies- it is about people who destroy God's Temple by false doctrine. Jim Jones of the so-called Peoples' Temple destroyed God's Church and is in hell -1 Corinthians 3-16-17-.
The fifth thing that would be accomplished during Daniel's 70th week was -to seal up vision and prophecy- -Daniel 9-24-.--Hebrews 1-1-2 makes very plain that God has fulfilled this by sending his Son. -In these last days,- should be translated- -At the end of these days,- referring to the completion of the Old Testament, i.e. -to seal up vision and prophecy.----The faith,- the whole body of Apostolic Truth, has been -once for all entrusted to the saints- -Jude 3-.--And we need nothing else by which to measure truth from falsehood. --However, we must remember two truths.--First, the Holy Spirit speaks most frequently through the preaching of the Word of God. He is the one who gives unique, personal application within the general application by a preacher's spoken words.--Secondly, the Bible does us no real good unless we come to the Lord Jesus Christ- -You diligently study the Scriptures because you think -imagine- that by them you possess eternal life,- said the Lord Jesus and added, -These are the Scriptures that testify about me.---The whole Bible should be in -Red Letters,- because the whole Bible is about the Lord Jesus Christ.--But Jesus reminds us that the Bible itself is designed to bring us into a relationship with him- -Yet you refuse to come to me to have life- -John 5-39-40-.--Without that, everything is dead and worthless. Walking with the Lord Jesus Christ, moment by moment, is the secret of happiness.
The heart of the Daniel's prophecy is given in the very first verse- -70 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.- -Daniel 9-24- Of the six things mentioned in Daniel 9-24, the first three have to do with the problem of sin- -to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness.- This problem was effectively dealt with, once and for all, by our Lord when he died on the cross- -But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself- -Hebrews 9-26-.----Jesus came into this world to do more than remove the guilt of our sins- He perfectly obeyed the law of God that his righteousness might be credited to our account. He came that -God's righteousness- might be given -to all who believe- -Romans 3-22- cf. 2 Corinthians 5-21-. This, too, had been revealed to Daniel- The Messiah would come in the seventieth seven -to bring in everlasting righteousness- -Daniel 9-24-. Our Lord finished the work his Father gave him, -having obtained eternal redemption- -Hebrews 9-12-.
WHAT WOMEN KNOW----Luke 1-42-44 teaches us that babies in the womb experience emotion.----THE NATURE OF THE MALE----Mark 6-17-24 describes what might be called a stag party, where the incestuous, lascivious Herod Antipas, along with his prominent men, becomes excited by the dance of his young niece and step-daughter.----THE NATURE OF THE FEMALE----The gentlest and most nurturing of our species can become the most deadly -Isaiah 49-15- Proverbs 30-20- Mark 6-17-20-.----TWO RESPONSES----By God's grace, when we are convicted of our sin, we can choose to respond in repentance and faith. If we do that we will experience peace.----If we do not do that, we will experience growing depression, bitterness, anger, and murderous rage, as exhibited by Herodias.----THE MESSAGE OF THE CHURCH----True Christianity does not point fingers in heartless condemnation at those who have had abortions- rather, it extends an open hand of help.----If you are anti-abortion, you must be committed to help mothers in need. If not, you're a hypocrite.----The message of the Church should not be simply- -We're going to outlaw abortion so that you will have to bare a child you don't want.-----The Message of the Church must be- -Choose Life, and we'll help you.-
Godly King Hezekiah's pride and selfishness brought judgment on his descendants, yet his response to this was self-centered, -Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime- -2 Kings 20-19-.--In fulfillment of God's judgement regarding some of Hezekiah's descendants becoming eunuchs ------------ plural of ------- in the Babylonian court, almost a century later Daniel is placed under the authority of Ashpenaz, the master of Nebuchadnezzar's eunuchs ------------, Daniel 1-3-.--Yet Daniel who never had children proved to be a father to many people, fulfilling the role of protector and provider. He is the one God chose to be a father to the people of Israel by giving him the prophecy of the 70 weeks.--A far worse example of bad fathers is found in the dreadful words of Matthew 27-25, -His blood be on us and on our children----Sometimes a good father allows his child to feel abandoned. When the Lord Jesus hung on the cross, he cried out- -My God, my God, why have you forsaken me--- -Matthew 27-46 in fulfillment of Psalm 22-1---The Lord Jesus was cut off from the Father when he took our sins on himself. Yet he was not utterly cut off, so as he died, 'Jesus called out with a loud voice, -FATHER, into your hands I commit my spirit.- When he had said this, he breathed his last.' -Luke 23-46 referencing Psalm 31-5-.
The rich man was buried, but there is no record that Lazarus was buried -Luke 16-22-.---Hell- in Luke 16-23 is not the Lake of Fire, Gehenna --------, but Hades ------. It corresponds to Sheol --------- in Hebrew, the intermediate state of the dead. --Prior to Christ's victory over death, the saved and the lost were in Sheol, separated by a great gulf -Luke 16-26-.--This parable is part of a larger context where the Lord Jesus teaches what -is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God- -Luke 16-15-. It includes Jesus' ironical, sarcastic comment about the unrighteous steward being welcomed into hell along with his fellow cheats -Luke 16-1-9-. ---Abraham's bosom- reflects the supreme honor of Lazarus- He who was unrecognized in this world is next to Abraham in the Paradise side of Sheol -Luke 16-19-.--Salvation does not come by being poor, nor damnation by being rich -Luke 18-24-27-. It is always a matter of yielding our hearts to God. When we do that, we acknowledge we own nothing- we are mere stewards of HIS property. Salvation is by grace alone, received through faith alone, in Christ alone, but by a faith that is never alone -Ephesians 2-8-10-. Kindness to the poor and helpless is the focus of true faith -James 2-1-10-.--The rich man finally cares about others -Luke 16-27-28-. If our focus is our cemetery instead of the lost all around us, this church will die. --Jesus' resurrection is the proof of Luke 16-31.
We began with an explanation of recapitulation, pointing out that before the three Charles- Charles Lyell, Charles Darwin, and Karl Marx, most educated people accepted the Bible's accounts of Creation and the Flood as literally true.--Charles Darwin came up with the idea that a human embryo -recapitulates- the earlier life forms going back to the first life, long before humans.--We also pointed out that modern secularist scholars reject the concept of miracles altogether, and therefore reject God's having revealed future events to Isaiah. --That is why many modern scholars divide the book into First and Second Isaiah.--But comparing chapter 39 with chapter 40 can be understood in light of the truth that the Neo-Assyrian Empire dealt with Babylon similarly to Queen Elizabeth and her son, Charles. Charles is the Prince of Wales, and the next in line to the Assyrian crown, was the King of Babylon.--We then looked at the warning omen of Deuteronomy 28-49-50, as cited in Isaiah 28-9-13, and saw how the Apostle Paul applied it in 1 Corinthians 14-20-25, as he affirmed the superiority of known languages in public worship. --We saw how this curse omen took place during the days of Elisha, as well as at the conquest of Samaria in 722 B.C., Jerusalem in 586, and in A.D. 70 when Jerusalem fell to the Romans. --We speculated about its possible connection with the establishment of Israel on May 14, 1948.
The historical context of Isaiah is the Neo-Assyrian Empire of the eighth and seventh centuries before Christ.--In keeping with the prophecies regarding the threats out of Samaria and Damascus in Isaiah chapters 7 and 8, the Assyrian Empire had invaded Syria and Israel, destroying Israel's capital, Samaria in 722, under King Sargon II.--Now, the ungodly king of Judah, Ahaz, has been succeeded by his godly son, Hezekiah, and the new ruler of Assyria, Sennacherib was on the move against Judah.--When Sennacherib's representatives communicate with the representatives of Hezekiah, they shout out in Hebrew to the men on the wall in order to terrorize them -Isaiah 36-11-20-. --In keeping with the curse section in Deuteronomy, whenever God's people had been surrounded by enemy armies, they experienced the omen that the curses recorded there were about to happen- -The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away . . . a nation whose language you will not understand- -Deuteronomy 28-49-.--Isaiah has this in mind as he responds to the unbelievers in Jerusalem by repeating infantile gibberish twice- -Sav lasav, sav lasav, Kav lakav, kav lakav, Ze' er sham, ze' er sham- -Isaiah 28-10, 13-. As with his earlier words to King Ahaz, Isaiah is warning the unbelievers they were about to hear people speaking in languages they could not understand, languages that sounded like baby-talk.--Reading what follows this omen is chilling -Deuteronomy 28-53-57-.
Peter informs us that the Old Testament authors did not always fully comprehend their prophecies -1 Peter 1-10-13-.--As I read through the Psalms, I often identify with the Psalmists' experiences. Then in the course of reading further, I realize that the Psalm is Messianic. Some Psalms, such as 22 and 110, so clearly point to the events in Jesus' life that we cannot miss that the Psalm was about Jesus. Others clearly are about David but contain Messianic elements embedded within them -Psalm 40-6-7, 12-.--So, the Psalms point to the original authors' experiences. But all Scripture is written by the Spirit of Christ -1 Peter 1-11-, and so we discover the Lord Jesus throughout. And because you and I are -in Christ,- we find 2 Corinthians 1-20 to be true for us- They are about us, too.--Isaiah had at least two sons, Shear-jashub and Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Both these boys' names had symbolic value -Isaiah 8-18-. Shear-jashub roughly translates as -A remnant will return- -Isaiah 7-3-, while Maher-shalal-hash-baz's name is -Swift is the spoil, speedy is the plunder- -Isaiah 8-3-. --These sons were given to Isaiah as object lessons to the apostate king of Israel, Ahaz, who didn't trust in the Lord but in the king of Assyria to rescue him from Rezin and Pekah. The boys' early childhood pointed to the very short span of time until these kings were removed.--Maher-shalal-hash-baz is also called Immanuel by Isaiah's new virgin wife -Isaiah 7-14- 8-8-, an event of great significance -Isaiah 8-1-5-.--However, Matthew makes absolutely clear that Isaiah's second child points beyond himself to the Lord Jesus Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy -Matthew 1-18-25-.
As we compare Scripture with Scripture, we observe that prophecies often have multiple fulfillments. --Notice the events of Revelation 6-14 and Revelation 16-20- It is very clear that the islands and mountains that have been removed in chapter six are removed again in chapter 16. That is to say, these chapters are describing the same events.--We also note the use of the number seven in Revelation. Why---Leviticus 26-18, 21, 24, 28 give us part of the answer. It has to do with Israel's failure to observe the Sabbath system and the resulting curse sanctions with increasing severity leading to the 70 year captivity under Babylon.--Note, in particular, Leviticus 26-28-29, and how that curse is repeated in Deuteronomy 28-53-57.--That curse was fulfilled many times in the history of Israel. Take the incident of the two women who ate a child in 2 Kings 6-24-31, or how this was repeated in the events leading up to 722 B.C., when the Assyrians conquered Israel, and in what preceded 586, when Babylon conquered Jerusalem, as well as A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem.
Numbers contains lots of lists, one of the most -boring- of which is chapter 7 because of its 12 repetitious, identical lists, recording what each tribe gave. --As I read this chapter on Saturday morning and meditated on it, I concluded that God not only records the acts of individuals but also of groups. God was recording the contributions of each of the tribes. --In a New Testament application, the Lord is taking note of congregations as they contribute to his work in the world.--Inasmuch as I am turning 75 and some of you are older than I, what can Trinity Presbyterian do about the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine---Pray- --But that is the last thing most Christians do- instead, they pontificate on social media about what they know virtually nothing. Then they get angry and afraid and are unable to pray with faith and a pure heart.--We must consider Satan's greatest weapon- FEAR -Hebrews 2-14-15-.--Satan uses other people to drive us into fear, especially civil governments, and the media--commercial and particularly social media. He distracts us and divides us and causes us to hunker down at home instead of assembling together in the only place where we can do something about the world -Hebrews 10-19-27-.--Where do we begin---Jesus shows us in Luke 13-1-5. Repent and remember until he returns, every disaster is a signpost of his soon return.
Having looked at 2 Corinthians 3-16-18, we saw that sanctification is progressive and not complete in this life. This truth is brought home absolutely in 1 John 1-8-10. People who believe they no sin are insane to some decree.--When is sanctification completed- It is at death for the individual, as Hebrews 12-23 makes clear. 2 Corinthians 4-16-18 teaches that life is difficult and a struggle, but for those who look to Jesus our struggles are brief and sweet.--Final sanctification for the whole church takes place when the Lord returns, as 2 Corinthians 5-1-10 makes clear. Until then, there are no perfect churches.
When we look in a mirror, we have a mental image of how we want to look. We use that idea to shape what we will eventually see in the mirror as we brush our hair and groom ourselves.--That is the image Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 3-18. With no veil over our eyes, we can see the Lord Jesus as we read the Bible and listen to preaching. --The Bible is God's inerrant, infallible Word, but without the liberating work of the Holy Spirit enabling us to find Jesus, the living Word, in the written Word, it will do us not Spiritual good. That's what Jesus himself taught in John 5-39-41.--When we come to Jesus and are saved, it isn't because we said a prayer- Everyone who is truly saved sought the Lord Jesus until he found him.--What is true of the written Word is also true of the Visible Word, the Lord's Supper. Eating the bread and drinking from the cup do not do us good in and of themselves- We must find the Lord Jesus there.
The two divisions in our Bible should be labeled The Old Covenant and the New Covenant, not the Old and New Testament. --When the Jewish rabbis translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek roughly 200 years before Jesus, they had two Greek words from which to choose in translating the Hebrew word for covenant, -------, -briyth-- -------, -suntheke-, and -------,-diatheke-. --In Luke 22-5, the haggling negotiation between Judas and the Temple leadership is rightly referred to as -They agreed -covenanted- to give him money,- using the verbal form of -suntheke-. -Suntheke- implies a negotiation, debating back and forth in order to come to an agreement. --But the Hebrew word for covenant does not involve negotiation. God does not negotiate- he imposes the terms of salvation. That's why the rabbis chose the Greek word -------, -Diatheke- for -------, -briyth-.--Luke 22-29 contrasts the negotiated covenant with Judas by using the verbal form of -diatheke-, where it is used twice and should be translated- -And I covenant -verbal form of -diatheke-- to you a kingdom, as my Father has covenanted to me.---The Father's covenant with the Son takes place in eternity, but it points in time first to God's having made a covenant with Abram in Genesis 15-18, where God called down damnation on his own head if the promise to Abram failed -Genesis 15-8-17-. --God fulfilled this promise when the Lord Jesus hung on the cross -Psalm 22-1- Matthew 27-46- Galatians 3-10-14-.--Why do Abraham's natural children, those who are of the Islamic and Jewish faiths not understand this- 2 Corinthians 3-14-17 makes it very clear.
When is a star not a star--When it disappears and reappears, and then moves directly over a house -Matthew 2-9-10-.--Who was Herod the Great--He was a descendant of Esau and the son of Antipater, the friend of Julius Caesar. Herod was declared -King of the Jews- by the Roman Senate in 40 B.C. He backed Mark Antony, but after the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C., Herod switched his support to Octavian -Caesar Augustus-.--Herod was a megalomaniacal, paranoid madman who was so addicted to power, he murdered his own wife and some of his sons. He was the quintessential politician -Matthew 2-7-8-.---Politics is the art of appearing candid and completely open, while concealing as much as possible- -Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson -2001-. -States- The Bene Gesserit View,- -Dune- House Corrino- -New York- Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc.-.- -The story of kingship is rooted in rejecting God's protection as the Divine King. It stretches from Saul and to the dynasty of Herod -1 Samuel 8-6-9-.--The seeds of justifying murder are in all of us, as we see in King David's justification for the murder of Uriah -2 Samuel 11-14-25-.--Jesus is the only just king is history, the truly honest political leader who puts other people above himself -Mark 10-42-45-.
God gives us his law because---I. We need to know how to live -Deuteronomy 6-1-.--We have upended G. K. Chesterton's statement --Trust God and doubt yourself- and replaced it with, -Trust yourself and doubt God.---II. We need to know what or whom to fear -Deuteronomy 6-2-.--II. A. This fear is not the same as terror -1 John 4-18-. Terror is only for unrepentant sinners.--II. B. This is similar to the time I -Bryan Rhodes- was invited to eat at the High Table at Oxford University.--II. C. This is similar to when I got married this past year.--III. We need to know who is watching us, because we pass on our faith to others by how we live -Deuteronomy 6-2-.--IV. Our lives depend on it -Deuteronomy 6-3-.--Hear God's Word, speak God's Word to others, and walk in God's Word. His perfect law gives us liberty -James 1-23-25-.
The elderly Simeon recognized the 40-day-old baby as Israel's Messiah when the Lord Jesus was presented in the Temple -Luke 2-25-26-. Because he knew the Lord and knew where he was going when he died -cf. 2 Timothy 1-12-, Simeon looked forward to his -dismissal- -Luke 2-29-.----But he had a penetrating prophecy regarding the division this child would bring among those who professed to be the Lord's people -Luke 2-34-35-. He spoke of a sword in words similar to Hebrews 4-12-13.----But he spoke in particular to Mary, whose heart would be pierced over and over again.----How stinging the Lord Jesus' actions -Luke 2-41-48- and words must have been when his parents returned to Jerusalem- -Luke 2-49-----Or consider his response to his mother's loving concern, in effect rebuking her for not being a true follower -Luke 8-19-21-.----But the greatest sword thrust of all came at the foot of his cross, when Mary witnessed the torture of Rome on her first child.----Mary was not yet a true disciple, nor were Jesus' half-brothers, so Jesus lovingly commits her care and nurture to his most compassionate and loyal disciple, the Apostle John -John 19-25-27-.----The end result is that she and her other children became disciples after Jesus' resurrection and ascension and awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit along with the 120 -Acts 1-12-14-.
This is a meditation for our Christmas Eve Service.--I am indebted to my friend, Will Varner, for some of the ideas expressed in this message, particularly his chapter, -A Not so Silent Night,- in his -Anticipating the Advent- Looking for Messiah in All the Right Places-. Dr. Varner and I studied Greek together beginning in 1965, and he was a groomsman in my wedding.--'Suddenly a vast, heavenly army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, -Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased--' -Luke 2-13-14, NET Bible-.--Dr. Varner comments- 'In the Garden, He acknowledged that He had a spiritual army ready to be called to active duty- -Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels-- -Matt 26-53-. In other words, Satan had his legions and Jesus had His legions. Is it a stretch to think that the legions of angels ready to do the bidding of their Commander in Matthew 26 are identical to the legions of the heavenly host --stratia-- that evening outside Bethlehem- To borrow a modern expression, I think that the song sung to the shepherds the night of Jesus' birth was the celestial version of -Hail to the Chief.- In other words, that so-called -Silent Night- was the beginning of war-' -William Varner, -Anticipating the Advent- -Dallas, TX- Fontes Press-, pp. 63-64.-
Anna was an old woman. Was she 84, or had she been a widow for 84 years- There is ambiguity in the Greek text because the Holy Spirit wanted us not to know for sure.--Unlike most people, she had not grown increasingly bitter as she aged. Instead of becoming a defiling root of bitterness -Hebrews 12-15-, in her old age, Anna became pregnant with expectation and contagious thankfulness -Luke 2-38-. She was an evangelist and one of the great women prophets.--She was a widow, but instead of being a bitter old woman, she bubbled over with life and was devoted to serving God and his people -Luke 2-36-38-.--Providing for the genuinely needy is a fundamental Christian virtue. Charity begins at home. Though your church is absolutely essential, your family is even more important -1 Timothy 5-3-8-.
This is the first lecture given at the Nursing School of Louisiana Christian University -formerly Louisiana College- in Pineville, Louisiana.----It is part of a symposium for future nurses entitled- -Understanding Demon Possession in the Context of Religion and Mental Health.-
The Blessed Virgin Mary was a remarkable person. She is an early teen determined to obey God's messenger, the Archangel Gabriel, no matter the cost, no matter the risk.----Twice in Luke, she is called -Blessed among women- -Luke 1-28, 42-, an ascription found of only one other woman in the Bible, Jael, who -nailed- Sisera, the enemy of God's people -Judges 5-24-. How happy and prosperous are these two women who were used by God to deliver his people from their enemies-----Mary's cousin, Elizabeth, exclaims that Mary is the mother of her Lord -Luke 1-43-. Mary is the Theotokos, the -God bearer,- the Mother of God, Mater Dei, not of Jesus' divine nature, of course, but only of his human nature.----Because the Holy Spirit came upon Mary as the Shekinah Glory of God just as he had the Tabernacle -Exodus 40-34-35-, the Lord Jesus can be called the Son of God -Luke 1-35-.----But in his human nature, the Lord Jesus is legally the Son of David through his legal father Joseph -Luke 1-27-, and biologically through his mother, he is both descended from King David -1-32- and the High Priest Aaron -Luke 1-5, 36-.
Luke's Gospel is an orderly account, grounded in historical events such as the priestly division of Abijah and the death of Herod the Great -Luke 1-1-5-. This led the former archbishop of Constantinople, St. John Chrysostom, to calculate the birth of the Lord Jesus as taking place on December 25, 5 B.C.----Zechariah was an old man when the lot was cast for his once-in-a-lifetime experience- to offer incense before the veil connecting the Holy Place to the Holy of Holies -Luke 1-8-10-. Both he and his wife Elizabeth were direct descendants from Israel's first high priest, Aaron -Luke 1-5-.----He and Elizabeth had begged God for a child for many years, but their prayers had not yet been answered, and so he no longer prayed with expectation his prayers would be heard. This can be demonstrated by his questioning the Archangel Gabriel -Luke 1-18-20-.----If we would ever see our prayers answered- -1- We must believe God exists, and -2- we must believe that he rewards those who diligently seek him -Hebrews 11-6-.----Zechariah believed in God, but he no longer expected his prayers would be answered, so when he asked for a sign, Gabriel struck his mouth- Zechariah could not speak until after he named his son -Luke 1-18-22-.----Inasmuch as the Virgin Mary was a relative of Elizabeth's -Luke 1-36-, it means that she was a direct descendent of Aaron, too, along with being a direct descendent of King David -Luke 1-32-.----Her response to Gabriel's announcement was couched in humility and submission, not unbelief, as can be seen in Gabriel's response to her -Luke 1-34-35-.----As we pray, may we be like Mary and not like Zechariah.
Continuing our look at the interceding martyrs in heaven -Revelation 6-9-10-, we considered how different their prayers in heaven are from when they prayed on earth -Acts 7-60-.----We focused on the Lord Jesus' response as he stands at the right hand of the Father -Acts 7-55-56-.----When his people suffer, the Lord Jesus suffers with them. The Apostle Paul understood that his own suffering was part of the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ.----While in no way denying the sufficiency of the Lord's substitutionary, once-for-all death on the cross -Hebrews 9-24-27-, the suffering of the Body of Christ is completing Christ's own suffering -Colossians 1-24-.----That is why Paul cheerfully endured suffering- His suffering was a means God used to save his own elect -2 Timothy 2-10-.----Now is the time to intercede for loved ones. Now is the day of salvation -2 Corinthians 6-2-.
The opening of the fifth seal reveals the souls of the martyrs underneath the altar. In the heavenly temple, this is not the brazen altar of burnt offerings, because the Lord Jesus has already paid the price for our sins once for all time by his death on the cross -Revelation 5-9-10- Hebrews 10-12-14-. This is the golden altar of incense, and the prayers of the saints ascend before God as pure incense.--When we contrast the dying prayers of Jesus -Luke 23-34- and his first martyr Stephen -Acts 7-60- with these prayers, we note the change from pleading for mercy for sinners to pleading for justice. The martyrs cry out for God to right the wrongs of this world- they cry out for justice.--The Lord's prayers were answered with the thousands of people who repented of their sins and cast themselves on God's mercy in the first century. --Stephen's prayer was answered in the case of the young man, Saul of Tarsus, who was converted to Christ on the road to Damascus -Acts 7-58- 9-3-6-.--The world does not hate good, moral people- it hates Jesus, and it hates people who bear witness to Jesus -Acts 7-54-57-. --While we live on this earth, we must plead for mercy for those around us, not justice. That will come in God's good time.
We looked again at the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Revelation 6-1-8, and we considered the reason behind all conflicts in James 4-1-4.--It is discontent with our circumstances. If we are unhappy this morning, we should ask why. What is it we believe we need to be happy- Whatever it is, is an idol we must put on God's altar. Without doing that, we can never pray effectively. Effective prayer is what is needed at the present hour as the Four Horsemen ride. --What follows ambition and envy is war, and what follows war is famine, plague and eventually death and hell on earth. Union general, William Tecumseh Sherman observed, -War is hell.- That sentiment is in keeping with Confederate general, Robert E. Lee's reflection to Gen. James Longstreet- -It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.-- -It really is. Read Psalm 137 for a description of what war is like. Babylonian soldiers really did slam Jewish babies heads against walls -Psalm 137-8-9-.
Who is the first of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse- He is a conqueror -Revelation 6-2-.--The other Rider on a white horse mentioned in Revelation is clearly the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the WORD of God. The blood on his garment represents his own vicarious death. In the wake of the sin of our first parents, he is the only Faithful and True person to have lived on earth. He is the only truly just judge, and he is the only one who has ever fought a completely just war. -Revelation 19-11-13- --Nor is the rider on the white horse of Revelation 6-2 one of the angelic spirits of Zechariah 6-1-8. Rather this rider is an ambitious person, hell-bent on conquering and controlling others by physical force.--How different the Lord Jesus is from all other conquerors in history. Consider Muhammad whose life is revealed in the Quran and in the hadith written down by his favorite wife, Aisha, whom he married when she was nine. Muhammad and his followers spread Islam by the literal sword.--The Lord Jesus spread Christianity by the sword of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God. Neither our Lord nor his followers used physical force to spread the Faith until after Christianity was adopted by the Roman Empire.--November 7, 2021 is the 104th of the Bolshevik Revolution, Red October. Think of the madness that led to that revolution- World War I was fought by in-bred cousins, none of whom was able to see the terrible events that would follow. It was madness for the United States to be pulled into that war. Indeed, World War I made World War II necessary. But not even a necessary war is a war without sin, sins that often destroy the souls of the victors as well as those of the vanquished.
Continuing our study in the book of Revelation, we come to this glorious anthem sung to the Father and the Son- The Lord Jesus is the Lamb of God who was slaughtered to redeem us from the guilt and consequences of all our sins -Revelation 5-9-10-.--In words reflecting Peter's -1 Peter 2-9- and echoing God's prophetic ideal for Israel at Mount Sinai -Exodus 19-6-, we are told that we are a kingdom of priests. We are priests--all of us--and we reign on the earth through our prayers -Revelation 5-8-.--The priesthood of every believer is a key New Testament teaching- Every believer has the right and responsibility to read and interpret Scripture and to intercede for others. --We are all pontiffs--bridge-builders between God and other people -to use the ancient title of the priests of pagan Rome-. When the first Roman emperor, Caesar August began to reign, he took the title Pontifex Maximus, the supreme bridge-builder between the Roman gods and the people of Rome. When the last Roman Emperor in the West, Romulus Augustus, was deposed in A.D. 476, the bishop of Rome took over his title as Pontifex Maximus, and became the de facto Roman Emperor of the West.--Satan is the great enemy of the Bible and the gospel and used the Roman Pontiff to obscure these things. Replacing the merits of Christ alone with a treasury of merit that he had the keys to distribute, keeping professing Christians in fear of damnation.--When Martin Luther studied the book of Romans, all he could see in the righteousness of God was a fearful thing, but when God opened his eyes to this righteousness of God as something to be received by faith alone, his chains fell off -Romans 3-21-26-.
We have already examined the connection between the four living creatures of Revelation 4-7-8 and the four banners of the tribes of Reuben, Judah, Ephraim, and Dan in Numbers 2, along with Ezekiel 1-4-11.----Today we inquire into the identity of the 24 elders. Twenty-four points to the heads of God's people in both the Old and New Testaments- the 12 sons of Jacob and the 12 apostles. But are these humans or the elect -1 Timothy 5-21- principalities and powers through whom God protects his people-----Before the Lord Jesus defeated Satan by his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, Satan and his minions had full access to God's Throne Room. Zechariah 3-1-5 records Satan's vicious attack on Joshua the post-exilic high priest, while Job 1-6-12 and Job 2-1-3 show that Satan is the great adversary and accuser of God's people. However, Job 42-11 declares plainly that this cosmic war is under the absolute sovereignty of God.----Job 38-4-7 reveals that all the hosts of heaven celebrated the creation of the world. Sadly, in the course of time, some of those angels rebelled. Yet, notwithstanding, they still had access to the Throne Room, as can be seen in 1 Kings 22-19-23.----The most ancient Hebrew manuscripts reveal that God entrusted the nations of the world to Principalities and Powers, but kept Israel for himself -Deuteronomy 32-8-9-, appointing certain elect archangels as his special agents, such as Gabriel and Michael, in caring for his own -Daniel 10-21- Luke 1-19-.
This sermon was preached at the installation of Jack M. Owens, III, as pastor of River Community Church in Prairieville, Louisiana.--Peter demonstrates great humility when he speaks to the elders of the Church and refers to himself as a fellow elder -1 Peter 5-1-.--Furthermore in 1 Peter 5-3 he warns church leaders not to -lord it over- those for whom they are responsible. All elders -1 Peter 5-1- are bishops -1 Peter 5-2-, and all bishops are elders. As we can see when we survey the rest of the New Testament- There is no office higher than that of elder because all elders are bishops and all bishops are elders -Titus 1-5, 7- Acts 20-17, 28-. --Furthermore, we never find an example of one person rule. Every congregation has more than one bishop, as does every city.--The authority of the bishop or elder is collegial and never individually exercised. That is, decisions are made by the group after prayer and consulting Scripture.
This message continues the theme found in Jesus' letter to the Church of Laodicea, -Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline- -Revelation 3-19-.--What is the difference between how the Lord corrects believers and how he deals with the world- The answer is found in 1 Corinthians 5, where we see the purpose of Church disciple- Salvation and restoration -1 Corinthians 5-5-. Whereas, the world is left alone -1 Corinthians 5-12-13-.--Psalm 73 profoundly illustrates this truth.
Jesus said to the Church at Laodicea, -Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline.- How do I know that Jesus loves me- Revelation 3-19 gives the answer. That's the same answer given to us in Hebrews 12-4-8. Those who are left alone in their sin and unbelief until it is too late are not God's children -Hebrews 12-8-- God's children are harassed to the point they cannot live on and on in sin -Hebrews 12-5-7-.--Laodicea was a self-satisfied church. Yet any member had the privilege of fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ -Revelation 3-20-. Think of it- No matter how imperfect a church, any earnest Christian can be used of God to see renewal and revival.--Where did the greatest prophet of the Old Testament, Elijah who represented all the prophets on the Mount of Transfiguration alongside Moses witnessing the Lord Jesus' transformation -Matthew 17-1-3- serve- He served in the apostate northern kingdom of Israel, not in the more biblically based southern kingdom of Judah -1 Kings 17-1-.--We are also struck with the LORD's disregard for the ceremonial law in how he provided for Elijah, because he fed him by means of unclean, carrion eating birds -1 Kings 17-2-4- Leviticus 11-15- Deuteronomy 14-14-.
This is the funeral service for a very dear friend.--When I accepted the call to come to Alexandria in 1975, I met the first Randy. He was a very difficult man. He had been in the Special Forces and hunted Che Guevara in South America. Later he owned a store in the African-American community, where he was always well armed. He resented it when his wife took their three children to church.--Then Randy put his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and he became a zealous evangelist and a bold witness for Christ. He began a prison ministry, he started Wednesday night suppers that boosted our attendance at prayer meeting. He was one cog in the machine of God's providence that led to the founding of Grace Christian School and so many other things.--The third Randy is an example of a Christian who puts God to the test -Matthew 4-5-7- and discovers that we cannot make God do what he does not want to do. His desire to become rich led to his losing almost everything because he became bitter and angry with God -1 Timothy 6-9-10-.--But Randy never lost his connection with the Lord Jesus Christ -2 Timothy 1-12- because the Lord Jesus keeps his own, and they shall never be lost -John 6-37- John 10-27-30-.--What Randy lost was his enjoyment of God. The joy of his salvation -Revelation 2-5-.--Have you lost your joy- Are you happy- If not, why not-
Laodicea was an extremely wealthy city, famous for medicine, clothing, and commerce. It had everything it needed including water, but by the time that water from the nearby hot springs reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm and nauseating to drink. It was so wealthy, it declined the help of the Roman emperor in rebuilding after it was destroyed by a massive earthquake around AD 60.--It was very close to Colosse, and they exchanged Paul's letters -Colossians 2-1- 4-16-. --Colossians 1-15-18 sheds light on Revelation 3-14. Christ is the head over creation, not the first creature. He is the firstborn in the sense of the heir of all things. We can see this in Colossians 3-18, when our Lord is called the -firstborn- from the dead. This cannot be about chronology because many people were raised from the dead before the Lord Jesus, both by him and by Elijah and Elisha.--This refers to rank- the blessing of the firstborn, as in the case of Jacob over Esau, and Ephraim over Manasseh. In effect, the younger sons, Jacob and Ephraim, succeed their fathers, Isaac and Joseph.--As God, Jesus is the eternal Creator- as a human being, Jesus a creature, but not just any creature- He is the heir of the whole world, its sovereign.
In Isaiah 10-5-6, we are told that God raised up the Assyrian Empire as the rod of his anger to chasten and correct Israel, God's chosen people. That was never Assyria's intention -Isaiah 10-7-- indeed, the Assyrians are only acting within their own evil intentions, boasting in their ignorance against the God who uses them as his ax -Isaiah 10-15-.--In a clear example of predictive prophecy, Isaiah looks roughly a century and a half into the future, past the falls of both the Assyrian and Babylonian empires, and names the Persian who will allow the Jewish people to return to their homeland, Cyrus the Great -Isaiah 45-1-4-.--Steeped in the ancient thought of Zarathustra -Zoroaster-, Cyrus, the founder of the Persian empire, -Apprehended Ahura Mazda as God, the one eternal uncreated Being, wholly good, wise, and beneficient- but coexisting with him he saw another Being, the Evil Spirit, Angra Mainyu -Pahlavi Ahriman-, who was wholly evil, ignorant, and malign, likewise uncreated.- -Mary Boyce. in David Noel Freedman, ed. -2008- -The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary-. -New Haven- Yale University Press-, p. 1170---Against Cyrus' dualism, the God of the Bible affirms that He and He alone, -Forms the light and creates darkness, brings prosperity and creates disaster- -Isaiah 45-7-.--This absolutely sovereign God will raise up rulers to shape the world for the good of his own people, whether or not those rulers are good or evil, and without their knowledge that it is the God of the Bible directing their wills to His.
This message addresses two dangerous doctrines that are widely held by Christians today.----The first is that once a person prayers the sinner's prayer, he should never doubt that he is saved, regardless of his current state. 1 John 1-8-10 makes it very plain that Christians do fall into sin, but 1 John 3-4-10 clearly teaches that people who can live in sin, on and on, without repentance were never saved.----King David's sin involving Uriah makes it plain a true believer can fall into sin, and his response to the prophet Nathan's confrontation demonstrates that he truly knew the Lord -2 Samuel 12-13-.----There is another evil doctrine, and that is Christians will escape the demonic persecution that precedes our Lord's return. It is true we will be raptured before God pours out his final fiery wrath on our rebellious planet, but nowhere does the Bible teach that Christians will not come under the fierce persecution of antichrists and the final antichrist, the man of sin -2 Thessalonians 2-1-12-.----Consider the current situation in Afghanistan- Doesn't the Taliban represent the Islam of Muhammad-
The Church of Ephesus is one of only two churches in Revelation who are commended by the Lord- yet even here, negative words are embedded -Revelation 3-11-, just as a positive word is found for individuals in Laodicea -Revelation 3-19-.--What is the Key of David- Shebna, a power-hungry, greedy steward had used his office to promote and enrich himself -Isaiah 22-15-19-, and now he is going to be replaced with the godly Eliakim who will be given -the key to the house of David,- so that -what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.- -Isaiah 22-22---Godly -public servants,- like Eliakim are rare, but they do exist. However, as Revelation 3-7-8 makes clear, there is a better -public servant- than Eliakim, for Eliakim was imperfect. This -public servant- is the -Suffering Servant,- the Lord Jesus Christ, who laid down his life for his people.
Nowhere does the Bible threaten to erase people's names from the book of life. --The idea that Revelation 22-19 teaches this is based on a scribal error in some copies of Jerome's Latin Bible -A.D. 382-405-. In 1516, with pressure to beat others into print and lacking a complete Greek manuscript of the book of Revelation, Desiderius Erasmus simply made up his own Greek text by translating this erring Latin manuscript into Greek. Pope Clement VIII made an erring Latin text the official Bible of the Catholic Church in 1592, until it was corrected following Vatican II.--But Revelation 3-5 promises that true Christians will never have their names blotted out of the Book of Life. The powerful Greek double negative Jesus uses there is the same one he used in John 6-37, when he promised he would never cast out anyone who came to him.--Revelation 17-8 states that our names were written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world. In other words, we do not write our names there, God the Father did that before the worlds began.--Revelation 20-11-15 mentions the Book of Life twice. From there we learn that no one is good enough to escape hell. People's thoughts, words, and deeds are recorded against them -Revelation 20-12-, and everyone will be cast into the Lake of Fire, except for those whose names are recorded in the Book of Life -Revelation 20-15-.--Revelation 21-27 states clearly that the only people who will enter heaven are those whose names are in that book.
Sardis was a dead church -Revelation 3-1-. The city was fabulously wealthy and enormously secure, being built on a hill with steep sides.--Sardis' most famous ruler was the legendary King Croesus, who mastered the art of separating gold from silver and produced the first genuine gold and silver coins in history. He ruled Sardis until 546 B.C., when Cyrus the Great defeated him. That is the same Persian ruler who allowed the Jewish people to return from their Babylonian captivity in 539.--As we reflect on dead churches, we see that there are two kinds. The first is unorthodox and rejects the message of the New Testament -2 Timothy 3-1-7-.--James describes another kind of dead church, one that appears to be sound doctrinally, but its faith is dead -James 2-17-.--Such a church shows favoritism to the rich and humiliates the poor -James 2-1-3-. --God demands absolute perfection -James 2-10-11-, so none of us can ever measure up. We need the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ to be put to our account.--We receive that righteousness by faith in Christ alone, but true faith is never alone. Mere intellectual assent to truth is the faith of demons -James 2-19-.--We are declared righteous by faith alone, but our faith is declared genuine by means of our actions alone. In effect, We are justified by faith alone, but our faith is justified by our works alone -James 2-14-18-.
Each of the seven letters ends with a blessing to those who respond to the Lord's warnings with repentance and faith -Revelation 2-7, 11, 17, 26- 3-3, 12, 21-.--What is the greatest of all gifts--- It is the Morning Star, because the Morning Star is the Lord Jesus Christ himself -Revelation 2-28- 22-16-.
The Lord Jesus promises to give authority over the nations to the overcomers -Revelation 2-26- and declares they will join him in fulfilling Psalm 2-9 -Revelation 2-27- 12-5-.--Clearly, there is a future fulfillment of this promise, as we can see in 1 Corinthians 6-2-3- --Do you not know that the Lord's people will judge the world----Do you not know that we will judge angels-- --But because we have been given the Holy Spirit as the first installment or down-payment on the future kingdom -2 Corinthians 1-22- 2 Corinthians 5-5- Ephesians 1-14-, there is also a present fulfilment.--We may attempt to call a political leader and never get through, but when we pray, trusting that Someone is on the other end of the line, listening and responding, we can be said to be judging the world in the here and now, too -Luke 18-7- 1 Corinthians 6-2-. Rulers' hearts are in the hands of the Lord, and he turns them where he chooses -Proverbs 21-1-. God responds to the anguished cries of his people, and changes other people's hearts.--Also, these anguished cries do not cease when believers leave their bodies and go to be with the Lord -2 Corinthians 5-6-8- Hebrews 12-22-24-. --When we read Revelation 6-9-11, we discover that departed believers are aware of what is happening on earth, and they intercede on our behalf by begging the Lord to send relief by hastening his return. And their prayers have concrete results on earth -Revelation 8-3-5-.
Thyatira was the home of Lydia, the wealthy merchant whom Paul led to Christ by the river in Philippi -Acts 16-14-15-.--Thyatira was famous throughout the empire for its exquisite fabrics, but to earn a living there one had to belong to one of its guilds. This immediately put the Christians in a situation similar to that in Corinth regarding food sacrificed to the pagan gods -1 Corinthians 8-1-13- 10-14-22-.--How were they to handle a situation that required them to belong to a guild, when the parties of the guilds involved drunkenness, worship of the demonic gods, and sexual immorality---The wicked answer of the prophetess -Jezebel- was all these things were permitted -Revelation 2-20-23-.--Where do we draw the line in the sand-
On March 4, 1841, Daniel McCorvey, an elder in the Philadelphus Presbyterian Church in Robeson County, NC, asked for his and his mother's church letters before they headed west. Annabella Buie McCorvey was born in Scotland in 1775 and is buried in our cemetery. They immediately began meeting for worship in their home until Presbytery organized this congregation in 1845, 176 years ago- --The material part of us is important- If we look at the Bible, we see that God's people have always treated the human body with respect after death. --Following the examples of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob -Genesis 49-29-33-, and as an expression of his own faith -Hebrews 11-22-, Joseph made his family swear to bring his body back with them -Genesis 50-24-25-. Moses and Joshua fulfilled that oath -Exodus 13-19- Joshua 24-32-. --When Moses died, Satan did not want him to be buried, but God sent the archangel Gabriel to deal with the devil -Jude 8-10-, and God himself oversaw Moses' burial -Deuteronomy 34-5-8-.--Because death contaminates people under the Ceremonial Law -Numbers 19-11-13-, a place of worship can be defiled by placing human remains there, particularly their ashes -1 Kings 13-2- 2 Kings 23-16-19-.--When we walk in this cemetery, we get three messages.--1. DEATH- Until Jesus comes, every single one of us will die -Hebrews 9-27-.--2. PROVIDENCE- Read some of those inscriptions, and you will see monuments to God's faithfulness -Romans 8-28-29-.--3. RESURRECTION- At the moment of death, the souls of believers are instantly with the Lord -2 Corinthians 5-8-, while their bodies sleep in their graves, awaiting the Lord's return -1 Thessalonians 4-13-18-.
Our text was taken from Revelation 2-12-17, which lent itself to a fresh look at the Lord's Supper and other tools God has ordained to help us in our Christian journey.--Jesus speaks of himself as having -the sharp, double-edged sword- -Revelation 2-12-. This is how he is revealed in Revelation 1-16- -Coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.---It reflects the truth of Hebrews 4-12-13. -The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching, of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation.- -SC - 89-.--Preaching is the central means of grace. Without it, the other means are generally ineffective. What do we mean by the means of grace- They are tools God uses to draw us to Jesus and help us in our Christian journey. They are pathways to Jesus.--In Revelation 2-17 Jesus promises to give the believers who seek him the hidden manna, reflecting Exodus 16-31-34 and Hebrews 9-4, and taking us to John 6-31. Jesus himself is the manna- he is the bread of life- to come to him is to eat him- to believe in him is to drink him -John 6-32-35-.--But the ability to come to Jesus and put our trust in him is a sovereign work of God -John 6-37, 44-. The white stone is the Father's positive vote as over against the black stone of rejection and death. God not only casts the white stone for you, he has engraved that stone with your name -Revelation 2-7-.
What is the Second Death-- -Revelation 2-11---That phrase is found two other times in this book- in Revelation 21-8 and Revelation 20-14. Both passages make clear that the Second Death involves being cast into the Lake of Fire. --How did Jesus describe hell- It is like the garbage dump of Jerusalem, a place where the gnawing worm of regret and agony never dies and the fire never goes out -Mark 9-47-48-. If we realized how terrible it is, we would do whatever it takes not to go there. --Sadly, we discover that we are all liable to hell because the books have recorded everything we have ever done or said, and every tempting thought we have embraced and enjoyed. All liars are there -Revelation 20-13- 21-8-. All the great and good people of history will stand before that Great White Throne, guilty and humiliated, liable to the eternal fire -Revelation 20-11-12-.--There is only one exception- The Book of Life -Revelation 20-15-. Is your name written in the Book of Life- How can we know- Have we turned from our sins and cast ourselves on God's mercy in Jesus Christ- No matter how imperfect and inconsistent our repentance may be, if we have repented and put our trust in the Lord Jesus, then we can know for sure that our names are in the Book of Life.--The Second Death is so terrible that nothing in this life matters by comparison. That's why we are comforted in the face of virulent persecution and suffering -Revelation 2-10-. Where does the idea come from that there will be a secret rapture to keep Christians from the terrible persecutions and sufferings that characterize the history of Christians- -ALL who will live godly in Christ Jesus WILL BE PERSECUTED -2 Timothy 3-12-.
As we continue our look at the seven churches of Asia, we focus on ancient Smyrna, where persecution came in the form of the requirement that everyone must sacrifice to the deity of the Roman emperor. All one needed do was burn a piece of paper before the emperor's bust, declaring Caesar is Lord.--Smyrna was the home of the Christian martyr Polycarp, who knew the Apostle John and who, being offered an easy way of escape from being burned alive, famously responded- -Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury- how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior----Ancient Smyrna is modern Izmir, where EPC missionary, Andrew Brunson, served the Izmir Resurrection Church before he was arrested under the authority of the Islamicist Turkish leader, Erdo-an.--This persecution in Asia minor near the end of the first century also involved an intensification of the conflict among the Jewish people, with those who rejected Jesus as Messiah stirring up persecution against believers -Acts 13-50- 14-2, 5, 19- 17-5- 1 Thessalonians 2-14-16-.--As we look at places such as Romans 2-28-29, we understand what it is to be a true Jew. Galatians 4-25 underscores the basic truth that those who do not trust in Jesus Christ are -Ishmaels- rather than -Isaacs.---The current conflict in Israel is between two groups of -Ishmaels- fighting over a shadow of the true Jerusalem in heaven that will soon come to earth -Revelation 21-9-10-. She is the mother of all believers -Galatians 4-26-.--In Jesus Christ, as with the poor believers at Smyrna, we must confess, -I am rich- -Revelation 2-9-, because we belong to him and are heirs of all God's promises -Galatians 3-26-29-.
Continuing our study of the book of Revelation, we glanced at the Nicolaitans -Revelation 2-6- 2-15-. They may have claimed to be followers of the early deacon, Nicolaus -Acts 6-5-. --Whatever else may be true of them, there appears to be a connection with their beliefs and practices and those of two Old Testament villains- Balaam -Revelation 2-14- and Jezebel -Revelation 2-20-. --Balaam had been unsuccessful in cursing Israel -Numbers 22-5- Deuteronomy 23-4-5- until he persuaded Balak to use the Moabite women to seduce the Israelite men with sexual immorality and worship of Baal -Numbers 25-1-4-.--The same practices are said to be true of Jezebel -Revelation 2-20-22- 1 Kings 16-31-. She was a murderer of godly people -1 Kings 21-7-14-. She did not believe Samuel Rutherford's book, -Lex Rex-, The Law is King. She believed -Rex Rex-, that rulers answer to no one- she was a wicked influence on her husband -1 Kings 21-15-.--Jezebel also is a powerful picture of the influence of a mother- -The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Is the Hand That Rules the World.- -2 Kings 8-18, 27-. Queen Athaliah follows her mother's training. When her son dies, this queen from Israel annihilates the royal family of Judah -2 Kings 11-1-. As with Jezebel, Athaliah is an autocrat who believes she has absolute power -2 Kings 11-14-.--What a contrast between her and my dear, praying mother. Had it not been for my mother, I would likely be dead and in hell.
The church of Ephesus reminds me of Trinity Presbyterian in some ways. We, too, have taken a stand and separated from wicked people and false teachers -Revelation 2-2-. Our congregation paid a terrible price to separate from a denomination that does not demand their leaders be sound in the faith or in their lives.--Virtually any Christian can be a member of a Presbyterian congregation, but our leaders must affirm the fundamentals of Christian truth and be committed to living an exemplary life. When that was no longer possible to maintain, we separated.--Trinity Presbyterian is also a hard-working fellowship, reaching out to others with such things as Heroes' Pantry, helping Texarkana's veterans with the needs of the body and the soul. We have stuck it out through thick and thin, knowing that God requires faithfulness -Revelation 2-3-.--But there is one glaring negative about the church in Ephesus, a quality that is so bad that the very survival of that church was threatened- They had lost their first love -Revelation 2-5-.---1- We must remember what it was like in our honeymoon period shortly after we were saved -Revelation 2-5-.---2- We must repent, changing our mind and our way of life -Revelation 2-5-.---3- We must return to the practices of our early devotion to the Lord Jesus. What did we do back then when we looked forward to getting into the Word, times of prayer and praise, and fellowship with other believers- Return to those practices, begging the Holy Spirit to fan into flame the dying embers of a lost love -Revelation 2-5-.--Though the text is not about dead marriage, but a stale relationship with the Lord Jesus, these same principle apply.
The book of Revelation must be read with several things in mind.-----1- As in Revelation 1-20 where the seven golden candlesticks are the seven actual churches to whom the book is addressed, usually the meaning of the symbols are found within the passage itself.-----2- While dreams may arise from labors and anxieties -Ecclesiastes 5-3-, God may also give dreams to guide and protect us -Job 33-14-18-.----The visions that the Apostle John is given are very similar to our dreams, except in Revelation both the dreams and their interpretations are infallibly guided by the Holy Spirit.----What is the essence of the vision of chapter one- The Lord Jesus Christ is truly God and truly human. He is the Son of Man of Daniel 7-13-14.----But where is the Lord Jesus- He is right there in the middle of the suffering, persecuted believers of Asia Minor. Against the backdrop of the worship of the Roman emperor, the Lord Jesus is right there with them in their trials.
What are the natural divisions of the book of Revelation-----If we take the clusters of sevens -Churches, Seals, Trumpets, Bowls- and examine what is left, we can structure Revelation around seven major visions -Please see the attached handout-.----Taking a moment to look at the end of the vision of the Seven Trumpets, we notice a connection between the blowing of the Seventh Trumpet -Revelation 11-15- and the blowing of the Last Trumpet -1 Corinthians 15-52-.----The Last Trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15-52 is connected with the defeat of the Last Enemy, Death itself -1 Corinthians 15-26- 1 Corinthians 15-51-54-.----The blowing of the Last Trumpet marks the completion of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in subduing all things under God the Father -1 Corinthians 15-23-28- Revelation 11-15-18-.
How many strange phenomena happened when Jesus died on the cross-- -The veil of the Temple was ripped in two from top to bottom. There was a great earthquake and the tombs broke open, with the result that many of God's saints were raised from the dead -Matthew 27-51-52-, though they did not walk out and appear to people until after Jesus' resurrection -Matthew 27-53-.- -Jesus rose on the day after the Sabbath, the eighth day, the first day, not simply of the week, but the first day of the new creation -2 Corinthians 5-17-, a day that marks the end of one world order and the beginning of a new -Hebrews 9-8-18- Colossians 2-9-12- Genesis 17-12-.- -Jesus had obtained full forgiveness for all our sins when he cried out, -It is finished- -John 19-30- Hebrews 9-11-14-. But he did not complete his rescue of his people until he ascended to the Father -Hebrews 10-12-14-, and brought Old Testament saints into their heavenly possession -Hebrews 11-39-40-.--That's why he tells Mary Magdalene, -Don't cling to me- -John 20-17-. --It wasn't that he could not be touched- he wasn't a ghost. Though he could do things in his glorified human body that he could never do before, such as disappearing at will -Luke 24-31-, he ate and drank with his disciples and invited them to touch him -Luke 24-38-43- John 20-27-.--As with Elisha's command to Gehazi -2 Kings 4-29- and our Lord's instructions to the seventy -Luke 10-4-, the urgency of Jesus' mission does not allow him to delay with Mary Magdalene.
Palm Sunday demonstrates how fickle popularity can be. The Lord Jesus is welcomed as a hero, the crowds shouting that he is the long-awaited Messiah of Israel -Luke 19-37-38-. - -Not all are happy -Luke 19-39-, particularly the worldly profiteers of the Temple, the family of the High Priest -Matthew 21-15- Mark 11-18- Mark 15-10-11-.- -But the least happy person that day is the Lord Jesus Christ himself. In fact, he weeps over Jerusalem -Luke 19-41-42-, warning that the city is going to be under siege and destroyed -Luke 19-43-44-. - -God ordained the fulfilment of the curses of Leviticus 26-27-33 and Deuteronomy 28-52-57 at least three times in Israel's history- Samaria by Assyria in 722, Jerusalem by Babylon in 586, and rebuilt Jerusalem in A.D 70 by the Romans. Curiously, the first and second Jewish temples were destroyed centuries apart, but on the same day of the same month, Tisha B'Av -the ninth day of the Jewish month Av that falls between July and August-.- -Jesus also warned that what had happened under the Babylonians -Psalm 137-8-9- would happen again- Infants heads will be smashed against walls because war unleashes human savagery as nothing else -Luke 19-44-.- -The crowd is fickle- Within a few days, those who shouted -Hosanna- will be shouting -Let his blood be on us and on our children-- Matthew 27-25-- -What can break a blood curse- Only the blood of Jesus -Galatians 3-10-14- Romans 3-25-27-.
As we continue to study what the Bible says about the Abyss, we consider that the Bible indicates that heaven is -up,- and hell is -down,- as we saw when we looked at Romans 10-6-7.--While we speak of heaven as up, and hell as down, the Bible hints that those who have died are aware of what is going on here on earth -Revelation 6-9-10-, and part of the torment of hell is that it is not unlike walking on a dark street and observing through an open curtain a joyous celebration from which we are forever locked away -Matthew 8-12- 22-13- 25-30- Luke 16-27-28-.--When God judged the rebels Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, he caused the earth to open its mouth like the maw of a great beast and swallow them alive into the Pit, not simply a burial, but into Sheol -------- itself -Numbers 16-26-34-.--While the Lord Jesus' body lay on a stone slab within a rock-hewn grave, he himself descended into -the heart of the earth- -Matthew 12-40-. And after he conquered death, he ascended into heaven eclipsed from sight by a cloud -Acts 1-9-.--Where are these places- The Lord Jesus is with us when we gather in his name -Matthew 18-20-, and when we worship on earth, we are surrounded by an innumerable company of angels and the spirits of believers who have died and gone on to heaven -Hebrews 12-1, 22-24-.--Some of the theories of quantum physics such as -wormholes- -Einstein-Rosen bridges- illustrate how it is possible to pull the Biblical data together.
David composed Psalm 68 to celebrate the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant in Zion. --Psalm 68-1 quotes Numbers 10-35, citing the very words proclaimed when the Ark set out. While God is omnipresent -Psalm 139-7-12-, there are places of his special presence -Psalm 16-11-. And the Ark not only symbolized God's special presence- it was where God communed with his people -Exodus 25-22-.--That is why carelessly handling the Ark was deadly -2 Samuel 6-6-9-. But when David followed the divine instructions -2 Samuel 6-13-15- 1 Chronicles 15-1-2, 25-28-, he had success and celebrated with great exuberance. This emotional display embarrassed and angered some people -2 Samuel 6-16, 20-23- 1 Chronicles 15-29-.--Thus this Psalm celebrates the coming of Israel's God to Jerusalem -- from Sinai to Zion -- accompanied by the armies of heaven -Psalm 68-7-17-. But Psalm 68-18 looks beyond David's bringing the Ark- it clearly points to the victory of David's greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who descended into Sheol in order to defeat Satan and the hosts of hell -Hebrews 2-14-15- Ephesians 4-8-10-.--The Lord Jesus has plundered the forces of evil and has imparted gifts to his Church -Ephesians 4-11-13-, and at the moment of death we now experience what Old Testament believers did not- -Absent from the body, present with the Lord- -2 Corinthians 5-6-8-.
Following his death on the cross, the Lord Jesus in his spirit proclaimed his victory over Satan and his minions -1 Peter 3-22-. This proclamation was not an offer of salvation or some kind of second chance for salvation- rather, it was a declaration of defeat to spiritual forces of wickedness -1 Peter 3-18-21-.----These imprisoned spirits are those -who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling.- They are the -angels -who- sinned- and were -cast into hell- --------- to cast into Tartarus-. God -committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment- -2 Peter 2-4- Jude 1-6-7-.----Not all fallen angels are currently imprisoned awaiting final judgment- some are free to roam the earth and greatly dread being sent to that dungeon -Luke 8-30-31-.----Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch -Jude 1-14-15, see the attachment for a photocopy of a fragment of this Pseudepigraphal book recognized as canonical by Coptic Christians-.----Evidently, these imprisoned spirits are the B'nai Elohim -------------------- of Genesis 6-2. -This expression always refers to angels in the rest of the Hebrew Bible.-----Their union with human females produced bizarre offspring- the heroes, giants ----------, nephilim ----------- of Genesis 6-4.----Though it is contrary to their estate to marry, the Bible does not indicate that angels are genderless. Why is it that the two angels who ate with Abraham were objects of lust to the male population of Sodom- -Genesis 19-4-7-----But God determined to save the only creatures made in his image. That's why Noah's family is preserved -1 Peter 3-20-, and the Lord Jesus came -Hebrews 2-14-18-.
Continuing our study of Bible prophecy, we returned to look at the Abyss again.----In Romans 10-7, the Lord Jesus is mentioned as coming up from the Abyss ---------. This is the place that the -free-range- demons begged the Lord not to send them to join their imprisoned compatriots -Luke 8-31-.----It is the Pit, Sheol --------- that the pre-Christian rabbis translated as Hades ------, and English translators sometimes translate as the grave and other times by hell -Isaiah 14-9-.----The abode of the dead is a murky and mysterious place until the resurrection of the Lord Jesus -2 Timothy 1-10-. It is a place of compartments -2 Peter 2-4- Jude 1-6-. In his parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus uses the Old Testament picture of Sheol, the Underworld with at least two compartments, one for the righteous -Luke 16-22-, the other for the lost -Luke 16-23-26-.----The eternal Son of God, without ceasing to be God, became a real and true human being -Hebrews 2-14-15, 17-18- 4-14-15-. He experienced birth, life, and death. He not only died, he experienced what it was like to be dead, and having done so, he conquered death. This helps us understand John 11-26 in light of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus- No New Testament believer will ever experience what it is to be dead.----It also illustrates that a cosmic change took place when Jesus joined the dead -Matthew 27-50-53-.----For some of these insights, I am indebted to my son's pastor, Gerrit Dawson, of First Presbyterian Baton Rouge, gleaned from his book, -Raising Adam-.
What is the abyss of Revelation 20-1-----Why are some spirits currently confined in the abyss and some not- -Luke 8-31-----In 2 Peter 2-4 some fallen spirits are confined to Tartarus, being -kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day- -Jude 6-.----Before the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus -2 Timothy 1-10-, people sometimes thought of life after death as a kind of hibernation.-----Again, as in 7-7-10, Job expresses the standard OT view, shared by his friends. There is no afterlife worthy of the name. The torpor of the shades in the netherworld cannot be regarded as life.- -Pope, Marvin H. -1974-, -Job. The Anchor Yale Bible-. -New Haven- Yale University Press-, p. 108-----Death was terrifying---'The Canaanites understood death as a god with one lip touching the earth and the other touching the heavens so that he swallowed up everything. According to Bildad, -the firstborn of death,- following in the footsteps of his father, eats away the skin and devours the limbs of the wicked. According to Is. 25-8, the Lord will -swallow up death forever.-' -Sproul, R.C., eds. -1995- -The New Geneva Study Bible- -Nashville- Thomas Nelson, Inc.-, p. 721-----How should we view death and the grave in light of Job 14-10-14 and Job 18-13-14-----Death is our last enemy -1 Corinthians 15-26-.----Do the concepts of the Ancient Near East throw light on 1 Corinthians 15-54 and Isaiah 25-6-8-
After healing the lame man on the Sabbath, Jesus is hatefully attacked -John 5-5-16-.--As he loosens the tightness of the Sabbath, he affirms that he is the Son of God -John 5-17-18-.--He then points to the divine pattern of life -John 5-19-23- and affirms that the believer's Day of Judgment has come and gone -John 5-24-.--He shows the similarities and differences between his work of raising the dead and that of the Father's.--Jesus' work of raising the dead is both future and here and now- -AND NOW IS- --John 5-25-. The Father's work of raising the dead is only future- the words -AND NOW IS- are missing -John 5-28-.--The resurrection Jesus performs is not universal, but only for those who hear his voice -John 5-21, 25-.--The Father raises everyone- -ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES- -John 5-28-. This includes both the saved and the lost -John 5-29-.--How wonderful to know your Day of Judgment has come and gone on the Cross- -John 5-24---How dreadful to stand before a sovereign God for a resurrection of damnation- -John 5-24-
What was Satan's status before the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ-----He continued to have access to the throne room of God -Job 1-2- Zechariah 3-1-5-, and he had moved in to replace Adam when Adam sinned -Luke 4-6- 2 Corinthians 4-4-.----What happens when Satan is cast out of heaven-----The Bailiff removes him from the Court because he no longer has standing there and an eviction notice is served on his occupying property that never belonged to him -Luke 10-18- Revelation 12-1-9- 20-1-3-.----He is progressively bound as the Kingdom expands. This may be understood as his being put into the Abyss, where some other fallen angels are -Luke 8-31- 2 Peter 2-4- Jude 6, 13-15, reference to the book of Enoch- Job 38-7-.----What happens shortly before the return of Christ-----He is released from the Abyss and rages against the people of God -Revelation 12-13-17- 6-12-17- 16-12-21- 20-7-9- 2 Thessalonians 2-1-12-.
Until the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, Satan appears to have had unhindered access to the throne room of God.--We see that in Job 1-6 and Job 2-1, where Satan stands among the sons of God, the ben' Elohim -------- --------------Earth's golden age could only begin when Satan is cast out.
Total depravity does not mean that people are as bad as they can possibly be- it means that every part of a human being is affected by sin. Apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, no human being is fully rational or completely sane. Adam lost more than a gift of super added grace- he lost his ability to reason accurately and to be fully in touch with reality -Acts 26-18- Romans 1-18-28-.--In addition to natural blindness, humanity is in bondage to Satan- he is the strongman to whom they are enslaved -Matthew 12-28-29- Acts 26-18-.--But our Lord Jesus Christ has defeated and bound Satan -Matthew 12-28-29-. The Kingdom of Light has penetrated the Dark Kingdom and is setting Satan's prisoners free -Acts 26-17-18-.--This is our task in an increasingly angry, divided world- We must demonstrate God's glory by means of our cheerful confidence -Philippians 2-15-.
Where is David's throne---Why does Hebrews 2-8 tell us that everything is not yet under Jesus' feet-
Holy Scripture is the only rule of faith and life. The word -rule- takes us back to the Greek word, -canon- -------, meaning a -straight rod.- It corresponds to a ruler or yardstick, a standard for measuring things. In other words, in Christianity we have a yardstick by which to measure ideas- Holy Scripture. We believe in a completed or closed canon, and that canon is infallible.--But what happens when godly Christians disagree on a course of action that is not spelled out in Holy Scripture---Such was the case with the Apostle Paul who was called by the Holy Spirit to travel to Jerusalem -Acts 20-22-, as over against others who through the Spirit warned him not to go -Acts 21-4- 20-23- -- the Prophet Agabus even warning- -The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles'- -Acts 21-11-.--In spite of knowing trouble was coming, Paul was a cheerful man, stating, -But none of these things move me- -Acts 20-24-. The reason is that he did not value his life in and of itself- -Nor do I count my life dear to myself- -Acts 20-24-. Rather, he affirmed- -For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain- -Philippians 1-21-. --His goal was to finish the race that God had set before him, and to finish it with joy- -So that I may finish my race with joy- -Acts 20-24-. His ambition was to complete his service, -the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God- -Acts 20-24-.--What is God going to do in 2021- --He is manipulating world events so that people -should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for him and find him- -Acts 17-26-27-.
The context of Isaiah's prophecy of the Prince of Peace takes us back to the trials of God's people under the Midianites. --There was no rejoicing over the harvest, and those rejoicing over the spoils were the Midianites and Amalekites, not Israel -Isaiah 9-3- Judges 6-2-5, 11-.--All that changed when God raised up Gideon, a most unlikely deliverer, constantly in need of signs and confirmations. Yet it was through this weak and frail man, God brought Israel to rejoice again in prosperity -Isaiah 9-3-5-- Judges 8-23-26-.--So it is that the tiny babe, born in Bethlehem, weak and helpless in his humanity, is at the same time, the mighty God. He is the one who will bring peace -Isaiah 9-6-.
Galilee was the place where the Assyrian Empire had repopulated the Holy Land with pagan gentiles. It was the site of the Via Maris, the great highway connecting Mesopotamia with Egypt -Isaiah 9-1-2-.--It was a place of occult practices and necromancy -Isaiah 8-19-, where people had rejected God's written Word for nonsense -Isaiah 8-20-, and where they had experiences the consequences of their behavior -Isaiah 8-21-22-.--Yet, it was in Galilee of the gentiles where the Light of the world first shone -Isaiah 9-1-2-.--This was where Jesus performed his first miracle -John 2-1-11-.
The Virgin Mary ceased to be a virgin in the technical sense when she gave birth to the Lord Jesus Christ.----After her 40 days of purification, she and Joseph consummated their marriage and had children together.----Mary was probably 12-years-old or so when she entered into the marriage covenant with Joseph, but they did not consummate their marriage until 40 days after the birth of her first born son.----In spite of the miracles she had experienced, she did not become a true disciple until after Jesus' resurrection.
Every scribe discipled in the kingdom of heaven has the key to understanding the Scriptures- the LORD Jesus Christ himself.- -Sadly, without that key, the Tanakh is a closed book, and people cannot see the Hebrew Bible's ultimate redemptive theme -Luke 24-25-27- 2 Corinthians 3-14-16-.- -The scribe trained in the kingdom of heaven is also able to bring out new things. - -In the Hebrew Bible some things are not explicitly revealed. For example, there are passages in Job, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes that leave a person with impression that there is no life after death. - -However, with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the darkness of the grave is dispelled, because he has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel -2 Timothy 1-10-.- -Other doctrines that are only implicitly revealed in the Old Testament are made explicit in the New, as for example, the Trinity -Matthew 3-16-17- 28-18-20- 2 Corinthians 13-14- 1 Peter 1-2-3-.
In the parable of the dragnet, the Lord Jesus teaches us to cast a very big, broad net to bring in as many people as possible -Matthew 13-47-.----Evangelism is the calling of every Christian, and as we meet people we should judge each of them as -elect- in a judgment of charity, even though many of those brought into the kingdom will finally be exposed as reprobates. They will be plucked out of God's kingdom just as the rotten fish are thrown away once on the shore -Matthew 13-48-50-.----As we meet people, we must deal with them as the Lord Jesus did with Zacchaeus, a -reprobate- if ever there were one. Zacchaeus was a crook and a traitor to his own people, serving the terrorist Roman empire -Luke 19-2-. Yet Zacchaeus is singled out by our Lord and shown special favor -Luke 19-5-. As with the prostitutes, Zacchaeus and other tax collectors entered into the kingdom -Matthew 21-31-.----God's amazing grace melted Zacchaeus' hard heart -Luke 19-6, 8-10-. But the self-righteous, religious people were outraged -Luke 19-7-.----Jesus' Word is a two-edged sword- It draws the elect and repulses the reprobate -2 Corinthians 2-15-16-. His -hard sayings- are offensive to the natural man, either breaking him in humility or purging him out of God's kingdom -John 6-44, 53-56, 60-66-.----Why has God not heard the cries of his people to heal our land- -2 Chronicles 7-14- It is God who has authorized the angel of death to send COVID-19 and the dreadful economic troubles we are witnessing world-wide -1 Chronicles 21-1, 12, 14-16, 27- 2 Chronicles 7-13-.----What is missing is a broken, humbled church, instead of a repulsive arrogant church, demanding its rights.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great price. He calls us to sell all and follow him.--But the Lord Jesus Christ gave up everything to purchase you and me- We, too, are the pearl of great price and the treasure hidden in the field.
Our Lord gives two parables about the progress of the kingdom.--In Matthew 13-33, the kingdom is compared to the way leaven works in a huge amount of flour- It works by quietly transforming the dough.--In Matthew 13-31-32, the progress of the gospel is also illustrated. It begins very small and grows into something really big. --We must never forget that before the time of Christ, the mass of humanity was lost and without hope. Except for a small piece of land on the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea and synagogues scattered here and there, the world was in utter darkness.--But following our Lord's instructions, his first disciples took the gospel throughout the nations, not only within the Roman Empire, but into India and China as well.-- Jesus's words about the birds in the branches of the mustard plant demonstrate that his kingdom is an empire, not unlike those of the Assyrians and Egyptians -Ezekiel 31-2-6-.--Nebuchadnezzar's dream -Daniel 4-10-12, 14- reveals the Babylonian Empire as providing shelter to the birds and beasts.--Ezekiel also prophesied that following the restoration of the Jewish people from their Babylonian Captivity, she would one day become an empire providing shelter to the birds of the air -Ezekiel 17-22-23-. This is the empire about which Jesus speaks in Matthew 13-32.--The preaching of the gospel produces two results- the conversion of individuals and the transformation of society. The one secures heaven- the other makes the world of healthier and happier place.--Christians conquered Rome within less than three centuries, not by killing those who refused to repent, but by being willing to die for their faith.
The parable of the wheat and tares contains many truths.--The Church as we see it is different from the Church as God sees it. The -Visible- Church contains both true Christians and false.--The false believers are compared to tares that an enemy has sown among the wheat -Matthew 13-25-28-. They are not the children of God but the children of the devil -Matthew 13-38- 1 John 3-6-10-.--They are planted in the Church by Satan to bring troubles, divisions, and scandals -Matthew 13-41-. These false believers are not easily detected and therefore, in order to protect fragile believers, they are allowed to remain among true Christians until the Lord's return when he will send his angels to gather them out of his Kingdom.--These tares can cause great misery. --One tactic is to shame leaders into acting harshly with others in order to make the Church appear righteous in the eyes of the world. But it is only after the angels have removed the tares at the end of the age, that the Church will shine without spot or blemish -Matthew 13-43- Ephesians 5-27-.--Another tactic is to ensnare believers, especially Christian leaders, into a trap that will bring shame on the Bride of Christ. One very effective way to do this is to appeal to people's insecurities and pride -Proverbs 29-5-.--Never in human history has this danger been as widespread as today with the Internet and Social Media. --People are not who they present themselves as being. What is real- What is illusion- Is the person someone in law enforcement setting a trap-
In the parable of the sower, it is very clear that the first two types of soil represent people who never truly believed -Matthew 13-19-21-, while the fourth type of soil illustrates healthy, growing believers -Matthew 13-23-.--The third type of soil represents something else -- in my opinion a true believer who allows anxiety over money and other things to rob him of his peace and joy.
Continuing our look at last things, we turned our attention to the Lord's parables about the Kingdom of Heaven.--We began by examining the context of these parables- in a house, on a boat, and back in the house, as well as Jesus' comments regarding his family.--We looked at the purpose of parables- hiding truth from all but Jesus' disciples.--Finally, we focused on the parable of the sower, and considered the first two types of soil.
Jewish believers had been bedeviled with strange teachings obsessed with the dietary rules of the ceremonial law. But the heart is to be established by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ -Hebrews 13-9-. He is the sum and substance of the whole of Scripture, never changing and always reliable -Hebrews 13-8-. We are right with God by his blood, not by what we eat or drink -Hebrews 13-11-12-.--No Old Testament person, not even the High Priest, experienced communion with Christ in the same way we do -Hebrews 13-10-. Christ's once-for-all sacrifice has taken away all our sins -Hebrews 10-10-18-.--Yet there are sacrifices that please God today- being kind to others and praising God no matter how we feel -Hebrews 13-15-16-.--And as an antidote to false teaching, we are instructed to submit to the Word of God as it has been preached to us -Hebrews 13-7, 17-.--Being pastor-teachers is a profound responsibility for those set apart to lead the people of God -Hebrews 13-17-. --The dishonest steward had to give an accounting to his dishonest master for what he did with his unrighteous treasure -Luke 16-1-15-. How much more responsible are those who have been entrusted with the true treasure.
As we continued our study about the Beast and his number, we considered the idea that the book finds a partial fulfillment in the church at the time John wrote the book and in the waves of Roman persecution that continued on until the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313. --We considered Polycarp who refused to offer incense to the Roman emperor. Before he was burned alive, he said- -For eighty-six years I have served -Christ-, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my king who saved me----We also realized that what is in the book continues to happen throughout history, but these things will intensify near the return of Christ.--There are several keys to understanding the mark of the Beast. --Were we to continue on and read Revelation 14-1 instead of stopping at Revelation 13-18, we would see that the mark of the Beast is a Satanic counterfeit of the mark God puts on the foreheads of those who belong to his Son.--Just as we find a counterfeit trinity in the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet, so we have a counterfeit sealing. --God seals his own in Revelation 7-1-4. If we analyze the 144,000, we understand that they do not exclude the tribe of Dan -Revelation 7-5-8-, nor are women excluded, nor people who have lost their virginity -Revelation 14-4-. The number, with its multiples of 12 and 10, represents the fullness of the Jewish people, accompanied by an innumerable multitude of saved gentiles -Revelation 7-9-.--Then we looked at Revelation 13-8, and concluded that no believer will be able to take the mark. Revelation 17-8- Revelation 20-12- Revelation 20-15- and Revelation 21-27 conclusively teach this.--Are you a believer- Do not fear-
Revelation 12-14 is the central vision of the book. It begins with the birth of the Lord Jesus and ends with his return in glory.--Satan is the Dragon of Revelation 12-9, and it is he who manipulates the megalomaniacal Herod the Great to try to kill the Lord Jesus Christ at his birth. --The Lord ascends to heaven. Satan is thrown out, a defeated, raging foe who seeks to destroy the people of God.--This takes us to chapter 13 and the Beast from the book of Daniel. We are introduced to a diabolical trinity- the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet.--We are told that the Dragon gave the Beast his power and authority -Revelation 13-2-, and this takes us to Satan's temptation of Christ and his claim that he has been given authority over the earth and that he gives political power to whom he chooses -Luke 4-6-.--Do people have to sell their souls in order to obtain political office- Surveying history indicates that this is the rule rather than the exception, even if people are unaware they have done this.
This message demonstrates that Antiochus Epiphanes is the little horn of Daniel 8-9-11. --In Daniel 2-32, 37-38, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is represented as the head of gold- in Daniel 7-4, he is a lion with a human heart.--In Daniel 2-32, 39, The empire of the Medes and Persian is represented as the chest and arms of silver- in Daniel 7-5, it is a bear. --In Daniel 2-32, 39, Greece is represented as the belly and thighs of brass- in Daniel 7-6, it is a leopard with four wings.--In Daniel 2-33, 40-43, Rome is represented as legs of iron with feet of iron and clay- in Daniel 7-7, it is a terrifying beast with iron teeth and ten horns. A little horn comes up out of one of these horns. This is the Man of Sin -Daniel 7-8- 2 Thessalonians 2-1-4-.--Two of these empires are singled out for a closer look in Daniel 8. The empire of the Medes and Persians is revealed as a two-horned ram -Daniel 8-3-4, 20-, and Greece is a goat -Daniel 8-4-8, 21-25-. The goat has one horn, Alexander the Great- he dies in 323 B.C. and is replaced by four of this generals- Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. Out of the dynasty of Seleucus arises the little horn, Antiochus Epiphanes -Daniel 8-9-14, 21-25-.--Antiochus sacrifices a pig to Zeus and stops the Jewish sacrifices for several years until he is defeated by the Hasmoneans and then dies mysteriously -Daniel 8-25-.--Hanukkah celebrates the cleansing of the Jewish temple -John 10-22-.--As one studies the persecutions of the Jewish people under Antiochus Epiphanes, it become very apparent that he is the greatest foreshadowing of the Man of Sin.
The Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2-3-4 is not identical to the Beast of Revelation 13-1-2.----The Beast out of the Sea is an amalgam of the world empires foretold in Daniel chapters 2 and 7. The Man of Sin is an individual who comes out of that system of empires, as is evident in Daniel 7-8, but he is not identical to it.----As we attempt to identify the beast from Revelation 13-1-2, we go back to Daniel 7-1-7. Once there, it is easy to identify which beast represents which empire.----The first empire is Babylon -Daniel 7-40- because Nebuchadnezzar stands out as a world ruler who is given a new heart -Daniel 4-34-37-. Before he looked up to God, Nebuchadnezzar was insane. Insanity in varying degrees is the characteristic of political leaders from the dawn of civilization.----Before he is humbled by God, Nebuchadnezzar is a picture of virtually all political leaders in all ages. He is told that God has put him in power, not because he was a noble person, but for God's own ends. Indeed, God puts over humankind, the basest of people ------- shef-al-- -wretched, humble, lazy,- Daniel 4-17-.----It should never surprise us when faced with the evil choice of two lessers, such is the story of history.
The Man of Sin has had many forerunners in history, from Antiochus Epiphanes to Gaius and Nero.----Gaius, -Caligula- --Little Boots-- had ordered the commander of all Rome's armies in greater Syria to install a statue of himself in God's holy Temple in Jerusalem. When he delayed, Caligula ordered him to commit suicide. However, Caligula was assassinated and word reached this Roman commander first.----These are people who did not only want offerings, they wanted to be worshipped as gods.----There is a final figure who stands in line with them, one who demands to be worshipped exclusively.
As we begin a study of Bible prophecy, it is essential that we take an approach that rejects unproven speculation. The Bible is the only ruler for measuring truth, and we must be skeptical about everything else -2 Timothy 3-16-17- Matthew 15-7-9-.--Furthermore, the Bible is not a piece of abstract art, where everyone's opinion about its meaning is valid. Difficult passages must be understood by those that are clear and simple -2 Peter 3-15-16- 1 Corinthians 2-12-14-.--A classic example of imposing an interpretation on a passage of Scripture is how St. Augustine of Hippo -proved- from Ezekiel 44-1-4 that the Virgin Mary remained a virgin after giving birth to the Lord Jesus----It is written -Ezekiel 44, 2-- 'This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall pass through it. Because the Lord the God of Israel hath entered in by it-' What means this closed gate in the house of the Lord, except that Mary is to be ever inviolate- What does it mean that 'no man shall pass through it,' save that Joseph shall not know her- . . . And what means this - 'It shall be shut for evermore,' but that Mary is a Virgin before His birth, a Virgin in His birth, and a Virgin after His birth.---We must adopt a skeptical approach to such statements by asking, -What does this passage actually teach-- Indeed, the -Fathers'- statements are contradicted by Matthew's affirmation regarding Joseph and Mary -Matthew 1-24-25- 12-46-50-.--Another example of someone imposing their ideas onto a text is found in the interpretations of Seventh Day Adventist -prophetess,- Ellen G. White who declared that the Mark of the Beast is worship on Sunday.
Once again we looked at the brief creedal statement in 1 Timothy 3-16.----We reflected on Jesus' baptism with water when his Father spoke from heaven and the Holy Spirit baptized him with power -Matthew 3-16-17-.----God's name was never Jesus. Jesus was the name that God took when he became a real human being. It is identical to Joshua.----The baptism of the Lord Jesus was not a case of his being a ventriloquist, as an anti-Trinitarian preacher friend once told me. The baptism of the Lord Jesus illustrates that there are three distinct persons who are God.----Jesus never did a miracle until after his anointing with the Holy Spirit, leaving us an example.----We then considered the third statement, -He was seen of angels- -1 Timothy 3-16-, and we began to think about the role of angels in our lives today.----For a variety of reasons, we are surrounded by angels, and 1 Peter 1-10-12 gives us one of those.----According to Acts 12-6-16, angels are sent to protect us. And the Lord Jesus told us regarding little ones- -Their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. -Matthew 18-10-.
This sermon explores the importance of short summaries of the Christian faith as found, for example, in 1 Timothy 3-16, a verse is part of a larger context dealing with how we are to act in God's house -- not the building in which people meet, but God's people and how we are to conduct ourselves as we worship -1 Timothy 3-14-15-.--Paul is quoting a familiar saying in 1 Timothy 3-16. Whether it was sung, chanted, or simply recited, we may call it a creed.--As we dealt with the first point, we took up the issue of the text of the New Testament. Did Paul write, -Who ---, hos- was manifest in the flesh,- or -God -----, theos- was manifest in the flesh----I shared the story of German-born, Russian count, Tischendorf, who -obtained- the very oldest complete Greek Testament, now called Codex Sinaiticus. He claimed that the monks at Saint Catherine's Monastery were using old manuscripts to start fires.--If his story is correct, it would point to the likelihood the reason this 4th century document survived is that it had been put on the shelf and unused because it was not as accurate as other constantly used manuscripts.--I then shared why I believe that the oldest manuscripts do not necessarily point to the original writings, because those upon which the vast majority of existing Greek manuscripts are based were worn out over the centuries.--We then looked at the first statement in light of John 1-1-3, 14. --Then we considered how the whole life of our incarnate God was through the ministry of the Holy Spirit -Matthew 1-18- 3-16-17- Romans 1-4-.
As we continued our look at the relationships people were to have with each other in early Christianity, we turned to the relationship of children and their parents -Ephesians 6-1-4- Colossians 3-20-21-.--The fifth commandment is the first commandment with a promise -Exodus 20-12- Deuteronomy 5-16- Ephesians 6-2-3-.--As we ponder why this is so, we can see how it is the first commandment that we must instill in children. Children learn to respect and obey God by learning to respect and obey their parents.--Whether we are teaching our children the first four commandments -Exodus 20-3-11- or the last five -Exodus 20-13-17-, they all begin with our instilling in them respect for divinely established authority.--The promise of a blessed life is set against the curse that is promised for those who disrespect their parents -Proverbs 30-17-. Indeed, parents who love their children train them to obey -Proverbs 23-13-14-, and those who do not train their children to do this hate their children -Proverbs 13-24-.--In times of difficulty, some people think that it is better not to bring children into the world. But such thinking is utterly contrary to God's Word. The uncertainties of life during the things related to COVID-19 are nothing to compare with the persecutions believers faced under the Roman emperors of the first century. Yet the Apostle Paul instructed Timothy to encourage young widows to remarry and bring more children into the world -1 Timothy 5-14-.--How can this be- --God has given wonderful promises to us regarding children -Acts 2-38-39- Acts 16-31-, promises that continue those given to Abraham -Genesis 17-7-.
Living as we do in a fallen world, we look to the example of how the church of the first century served God in a hostile environment.----We continued our examination of the relationship of men and women from the week before in 1 Peter 3-1-7 and Ephesians 5-18-26, and turned out attention to 1 Corinthians 11-3.----There we discovered the absolute equality of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -what theologians call the Ontological Trinity, referring to what God is in himself- that is expressed in unique roles -the Economical Trinity-, where the Son submits himself to the Father in order to win salvation for us.----This helps us understand biblical authority- The Father is the head of the Son, the Son is the head of the man, and the man is the head of the woman.----When a woman is under proper male authority, and expresses that symbolically -1 Corinthians 11-4-6-, she is permitted to pray and -prophesy- in public worship.----Acts 21-9 mentions Deacon Philip, the Evangelist, as having four virgin daughters who exercised this gift.----And the Prophetess Huldah, the wife of Shallum -2 Kings 22-14-20-, was the person to whom the greatest king of Judah turned for guidance when he read the curses recorded against God people -Deuteronomy 28-.----This prophetess was so honored by the Jewish people that they named a gate after her when they rebuilt the Temple after returning from Babylonian captivity.
Why has God not sent relief from the contagion, chaos, and crimes related to COVID-19-----Are the prayers of huge numbers of professing Christians being hindered as we continue to live under this pandemic- -1Peter 3-7-----As we continued to reflect on how the first century church coped in dealing with the often hostile authorities under whom they lived, we began a look at the differences between males and females.----Peter describes women as delicate vases as over against old clay pots -1Peter 3-7-.----Peter's words are similar to Paul's in Ephesians 5-22, where he describes believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit as those who regularly submit to one another.----Wives are to submit to their own husbands, and husbands are to submit to their own wives- mutual submission. But they submit differently.----Wives are to submit to their husbands' desires, unless such submission would force them to sin against Christ -Ephesians 5-22-24-.----But husbands are to submit to their wives' needs, and this calling is modeled on Jesus Christ who made himself nothing for the sake of his bride, the Church -Ephesians 5-25-.
Civil authority has been established by God for two purposes- To restrain evil by means of force, including deadly force -1 Peter 2-14- Romans 13-4-, and to create a climate where law-abiding people receive a measure of the fruit of their labors -1 Peter 2-14- Romans 13-3-4-.----We must always obey authority whether that authority is just or unjust -1 Peter 2-13-14- 1 Peter 2-18- Romans 13-1-2-.----But there are two exceptions.----As private citizens, we must always disobey civil authority when it requires us to sin, but we must always do so respectfully -Acts 4-19-20- Acts 5-29- 1 Peter 2-17- Romans 13-7-.----It is the duty of those who hold office to protect those under their care. They -bear the sword- against those who are under them, but they may also use that deadly force against those who are over them. In both cases they are to do this in order to protect those for whom they are responsible.----This is ONLY for those who hold office- it is never for private citizens.----It is why one must not call the American War for Independence from England a revolution. It was not a revolution- it was the representatives of the people protecting those people from tyranny.----What happened in France when the common people beheaded Louis XVI and in Russia under the Bolsheviks were revolutions.----In the United States, the Continental Congress authorized the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, not private citizens.-----Following John Calvin, -Institutes of the Christian Religion-, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, vol. 2, The Library of Christian Classics -Louisville, KY- Westminster John Knox Press, 2011-, 4.20.29-32- pp. 1517-23-.
The church of the first century had to grapple with a harsh and unjust world, where believers often suffered under the oppressive authority of cruel and unjust people.----Nowhere was this truer than in the case of slaves and their masters, some of whom were crooked and cruel.----Yet Peter teaches slaves to submit both to kind and cruel masters -1 Peter 2-18-.----And St. Paul admonished slaves not to allow their lack of liberty to ruin their walk with the Lord -1 Corinthians 7-21-. He also sent the fugitive slave, Onesimus back to his earthly master, Philemon -Philemon 10-.----Such admonitions and actions are not an endorsement of slavery. On the contrary, they are the only healthy response living in an unjust world.----Paul commands Philemon to receive Onesimus back no longer as a slave, but as a brother -- as if he were Paul himself -Philemon 15-17-.----And Paul encourages slaves to seek their freedom -1 Corinthians 7-21-23-.----The seeds of the destruction of slavery are here in the New Testament, not in a radical and violent way, but by winning individuals to Christ through the gospel.
The Lord Jesus Christ forbad the use of exalted titles such as -reverend,- -vicar,- and -father- because all believers are brothers and equal before God.--But he did establish gifts and functions to serve the body of Christ.--In taking care of those who could not take care of themselves, those who were charged with the responsibility of teaching the Scriptures and prayer were being hindered in their work because division was developing in the church.--The problem arose, not from deliberate sin, but from oversight- it was systemic, and a group of widows were being neglected.--In order to solve this problem, a Spiritual work was established- the beginning of deacons.
This is a continuation of the study of the communion of the saints and the kinds of problems the first Christians faced in administering their resources.
In this message we explore the duty of the Church to take care of her own people in 1 Timothy 5-3 and following. But believers are warned to take care of the material needs of their own families first so the church can take care of those who are truly in need- -If anyone does not provide for his own relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.- -1 Timothy 5-8- - -Giving time, money, and other resources to those in need should not encourage laziness- 'For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule- -If a man will not work, he shall not eat-' -2 Thessalonians 3-10-. - -An idle mind truly is the devil's workshop- -We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy- they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.- -2 Thessalonians 3-11-12-- -How did the Church conquer the Roman Empire over the course of three centuries- It was not by forcing other people to believe as they did nor by attempting to make others do what is right- it was by being willing to sacrifice one's own rights and resources to do good for others. Indeed, according to Galatians 6-10, -Let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.---In a time of national crisis, we need to remember that Job's three friends were effective when they kept their mouths shut and simply sat with him in his grief. It was when the opened their mouths to explain things, that Job stated, -Miserable comforters are you all-- -Job 16-2-3-.
We pick up where we left off last Lord's Day with the two commands of Ephesians 5-18, the one negative -- Do not be drunk -- the other positive -- Be filled with the Spirit.--Both are present tense imperatives, implying regular action. --We examine how being filled with the Spirit is unlike being under the influence of alcohol and yet also similar. And we reflect on being filled with the Spirit is one side of the coin with letting Christ's Word dwell in us richly -Colossians 3-16-.--Then we ponder how this command of Ephesians 5-18 is expressed in the five participles that follow--1. Speaking to yourselves -Ephesians 5-19-,-2. Singing, and -3. Making melody in your heart,-4. Giving thanks always for all things -Ephesians 5-20-, and-5. Submitting yourselves one to another -Ephesians 5-21-.--The focus then turns to the obligation of ALL believers to share their faith with others and do the work of the ministry and never to leave that work to their pastors alone.--As we survey the gifted offices the Lord Jesus granted to his Church in Ephesians 4-11, we discover an office called pastor and teacher, ------- with -----------. The Latin for these plural nouns is -pastores et doctores- -from which we get our words, pastor and doctor-. --The purpose of this office is given in the next verse, -To prepare God's people for works of service- -Ephesians 4-12-.--Do you know how to share the gospel with others- This is a time of golden opportunities.
We continue to look at Early Christianity, focusing today on how the first Christians worshipped.--We looked at the roots of Christian worship in the Jewish synagogue, looking at Luke 4-16-21 and Acts 13-14-16. Then we compared Ephesians 5-18-21 with Colossians 3-16-17.--We compared and contrasted being filled with the Spirit with being filled with wine, and we discussed how being filled with the Holy Spirit and letting the Word of Christ dwell in us richly are two sides of one coin.
This sermon examines what it means to be outside of the fellowship of the church, by which we do not mean the building, but the people of God.--When people are saved, God the Father delivers them from Satan's dominion of darkness and places them in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus -Colossians 1-13-.--When people commit grievous sin and refuse to repent, believers must place them outside -- outside where Satan has the power to destroy their flesh -1 Corinthians 5-5-.--The purpose is to break them so they will repent and return to the place of safety and protection -- inside the fellowship of the church, and this is exactly what happened to this individual -2 Corinthians 2-6-11-.--When this present crisis is over, there will likely be many people who do not return to the assemblies where they once worshipped. But to stay away is to place oneself outside the ark, in the place of extreme danger.--Are you suffering today- Not all suffering is due to sin, but some suffering clearly is because -whom the Lord loves, he chastens- -Hebrews 12-5-8-.--Whenever we are in difficulty, we should begin by asking our Father why things are happening as they are.
In Romans 16-1-15, Paul sends greetings to various Christians living in Rome. There are a surprising number of women in his list, two of whom stand out- Priscilla -Romans 16-3- and the mother of Rufus -Romans 16-13-.--This Rufus is most likely the son of Simon from Cyrene, who was compelled by the Romans to carry Christ's cross -Mark 15-21-.--Paul states that this anonymous woman was a mother to him. --What he means can be seen in his relationship with Aquila and Priscilla because he lived in their home while in Corinth -Acts 18-2-3-. We may say, then, that Priscilla was like a mother to Paul as she took care of all those who lived in her home.--But Priscilla was more than a homemaker- she was a teacher. When Aquila and Priscilla encountered the gifted and learned Apollos, they realized that he was not yet a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, so they both instructed him in the way of the Lord -Acts 18-24-26-. --As we think about mothers, we must remember that Scripture teaches us that the Church is our mother -Galatians 4-24-31-.--Reflecting on the truth of Hebrews 10-24-27, one can understand why the teachers of the past, including Cyprian, Augustine, Calvin and others, taught that those to whom God is -a Father, the Church must also be a mother- -Calvin, Institutes, Book IV, Chapter I, Section i-.--Born again people desire fellowship, they want to hear God's Word proclaimed, they want to assemble together.--While we may be providentially hindered from assembling in large groups now, when this is over, we must examine ourselves if we choose to stay away, on and on. Can such a person ever have been born again-
We must hold fast to the -regulative principle- as understood by the New Testament. This is the foundation of Christian Liberty, because only the Bible can bind a person's conscience. If what the preacher says doesn't flow out of the biblical text, he has no right to impose it on other people, and it has no place in the pulpit. --It isn't enough that a position doesn't contradict Scripture- the teaching must itself be Scriptural, that is, based on Scripture. The Church doesn't have the authority to dictate to the people of God what the Scripture itself doesn't teach.--It is no light thing to add to the Word of God, as can be seen in 1 Timothy 4-1-5. To forbid what God allows is perverted -1 Timothy 4-3-- indeed, it is a doctrine of demons -1 Timothy 4-1-.--While civil governments may require us to obey and their authority is only limited by their not being able to command us to sin -Romans 13-1-2- 1 Peter 2-13-14- Acts 5-29-, church authority is strictly limited to what the Bible itself requires, so that believers have the right and responsibility to demand that church leaders show them the biblical basis for their teachings and commands -Colossians 2-20-23-.
Looking again at Peter's words, we focused on 1 Peter 5-3, where church leaders are warned not to -lord it over- those for whom they are responsible. All elders -1 Peter 5-1- are bishops -1 Peter 5-2-, and all bishops are elders.--We looked at the example of Diotrephes -3 John 9-10-, a wicked tyrant, accountable to no one, who used church discipline for his own need to wield power.--The power of church leaders is radically different from worldly power -2 Corinthians 10-3-6-. For the first three centuries of Christianity, Christians used prayer and proclamation to win the Roman Empire. They were willing to be killed for the Lord Jesus but never willing to kill for him.--According to Peter those who hold authority in the church, wield it by example -1 Peter 5-3-. Indeed, church leaders are to follow the example of the Chief Shepherd, who made himself of no account and put -his congregation- above himself -Philippians 2-3-7-. --Power and money are very seductive -1 Peter 5-2-, and because all of us have a potential Diotrephes in us, local congregations are always led by more than one individual. Leaders' authority is collegial rather than individual because everyone needs to be accountable to others. --God's people are set free from promises they were manipulated into making regarding money, because biblical giving should be done willingly and cheerfully, not under coercion due to human imposed guilt -2 Corinthians 9-7-.--We do not know exactly how the Church will be transformed during this world-wide crisis, but the Lord is transforming the Church, likely making it more like that of the first century.--Are you a Christian-
Peter demonstrates great humility when he speaks to the elders of the Church and refers to himself as a fellow elder -1 Peter 5-1-.--After all, he had been the first to confess the Lord Jesus as the Messiah at Caesarea Philippi, the remains of the temple of Pan, the very gates of hell -Matthew 16-13-18-.--That is why Peter was granted the privilege of being the first to preach on the Day of Pentecost -Acts 2-14-. --And along with the Apostle John, of being the first to bring the Samaritans into the Church -Acts 8-14-17-. --And it was Peter who baptized the first Gentiles, thereby admitting them into full membership in the Body of Christ -Acts 10-44-48-.--The Lord Jesus Christ is the Rock, but Peter and the other apostles are the foundation rocks built on that Rock -Ephesians 2-19-22-.--Peter had been full of pride -Matthew 22-33-34-. But he learned great humility when Satan was granted permission to sift him as wheat -Luke 22-31-.--That hard learned humility is one reason why he humbly accepted the rebuke of the new apostle, Paul -Galatians 2-11-14-.--Because the Lord Jesus prayed for Peter, he did not lose his faith, even though he committed a great sin -Matthew 22-32-. The result was that he would be mightily used by God to strengthen others -Matthew 22-33-. --That is why he presses us to submit to others and to cast all our worries on the Lord -1 Peter 5-5-7-, and why he warns the elders about the devil -1 Peter 5-8-9-.--What worries are overwhelming you now-
Using John 2-18-21, this sermon seeks to establish that the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead sometime between sunset on Saturday, April 8th, and sunrise on Sunday, April 9th in the year AD 30. Please read the pdf as you listen.----In reflecting on that truth, we discover this is the ONLY event in the life of our Lord we can know precisely.----We do not know the exact date when Jesus was born, even though it is possible but highly unlikely he was born on December 25, 5 BC.----If we analyze the data of the New Testament in light of the Jewish calendar regarding the Passover in AD 30, we discover we cannot know with absolutely certainty the exact day the Lord Jesus was crucified.----Nisan 14 and 15, the time of the sacrifice of the Passover lamb and the celebration of the Passover meal, took place on Wednesday and Thursday, not Friday, Nisan 16.----That leaves us with one conclusion- If we limit ourselves ONLY to the New Testament data, we are left with only one clearly revealed holy day, the Lord's Day.----That should not surprise us because there is no New Testament book like Leviticus, where we have explicit commands and dates, including what kind of underwear the High Priest had to wear -Leviticus 16-4-.----But we can know with absolute certainty that the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead, as we analyze Matthew 28-2-6 and Matthew 28-11-15 in light of Acts 5-29-32 and Acts 5-40. The Jewish leadership tortured the first followers of the Lord Jesus, but they never demanded they tell them where Jesus body was- they KNEW he had risen from the dead.----How can you and I KNOW for certain that this historical event it true- The answer lies in the new birth.
Many denominations, including the Presbyterian Church in America -PCA-, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church -EPC-, and the Anglican Church in North America -ACNA-, have called for today, Good Friday, April 10, 2020 to be a Day of Prayer and Fasting over the COVID-29 virus.--In this Good Friday message, we consider God's solution to the poisonous snake bites he inflicted on his people in response to their grumbling and griping -Numbers 21-4-6-.--Many years ago as I began to read through Numbers, when I reached chapter 11, I had to grapple with the harshness of God's judgments. --As I pondered these things, I reflected on the final judgment -Revelation 20-11-15-. None of the things recorded in Numbers can compare to hell.--This led me to preach a sermon in July 1982 entitled, -God Is as Mean as Hell.- --Of course, I was using the word -mean- in the modern, American colloquial sense of -unkind- and -aggressive-. --It is not unlike what the Apostle Paul states- -Consider therefore the kindness and sternness ---------- of God- sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness- -Romans 11-22- cf. also 2 Corinthians 3-7-11-.--Upon their repentance, Moses intercedes for them -Numbers 21-7-, and God instructed him to hang a brass snake on a pole- Whoever looked at that uplifted object in faith was healed -Numbers 21-8-9-.--The Hebrew word found in Numbers 21-6, 8 is the same word used of the seraphim in Isaiah 6-2, 6- ------ --r-p.--This event is a foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus' being lifted up on the cross, so that everyone who looks to him in faith will live -John 3-13-18-.
Luke 19-41-44 illustrates the true meaning of Palm Sunday. The Lord Jesus weeps over the terrible destruction that is coming on Jerusalem within the lifetime of those who heard him.--Humanity is fickle, but the Lord Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. --What is about to happen is part of a divine plan and a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 25-7-8.--The Second Temple was more glorious than Solomon's -Haggai 2-6-9- because the Lord himself visited it. --Haggai's prophesied a great shaking of the world -Hebrews 12-25-29-.
This message continues a theme we have been on for 22 weeks, Bitter Fruit.----The focus of today's message is forgiving other people.----We began in Luke 6-37-38 and saw that how we deal with others will come back on us in an amplified way.----We then travelled over to Matthew 18-32-35 -the reference that slipped my mind- and reflected on the Lord Jesus' statement about his Father turning people over to the tormentors in Matthew 18-35, unless they forgive other people FROM our HEARTS.----We pondered what it means to say, -I forgive you,- and then faced the present day reality that when we hold onto hurts in our hearts, we are subject to mental torture in this life, to say nothing of the world to come.----We remembered the words that the Lord taught us to pray in Matthew 6-12, -And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.-----Finally, we examined the Apostle Paul's word in 1 Corinthians 4-3, where he speaks about not caring about being judged by others or by any human DAY, referring to 1 Corinthians 4-5 when the Lord Jesus will come for his own and reveal ever secret thing, including not only what we have done and said, but also the thoughts that we have entertained.----At the Judgment Seat of Christ, the whole world will know what we REALLY are.----We will be weeping and sobbing over what we have done, said, and entertained in our minds. BUT so will everybody else.----That's when we can know more than superficial reconciliation because we will truly see our role in every conflict -Matthew 7-3-5-.----AND our Attorney will stand on our behalf -1 John 2-1-.
As we continued our study about the LORD and the so-called gods of the pagan nations, we looked at how Israel had lost her covering, her protection -Numbers 14-9- 1 Kings 11-4-9-.----That is why the king of Moab could appeal to Chemosh, the principality over that nation. The Moabite king slaughtered the heir to his throne in blood sacrifice, and Chemosh responded -2 Kings 3-26-27-.----There are some places that are harder to reach with the gospel than others, and this may be with the Holy Spirit would not let Paul go east -Acts 16-6-10-. God's plan was to convert the Roman empire by proclamation and prayer.----We also reflected on why participation in a gathering of believers is so essential to the believer. Outside the church, people have no covering of protection. To be put out of the church is to land in the domain of Satan -1 Corinthians 5-1-5-.----We are not thinking of buildings. Christianity was an underground, outlaw religion for its first 300 years, until Constantine the Great made Christianity legal in 313, and then the established religion of the Roman Empire in 325.----Today we have an incredible opportunity to see the LORD awaken his people.
WE ARE OBSERVING A NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER----Because of Adam's sin, the world in which we now live is not identical to the good and beautiful world God created. Instead, the devil is now called -the god of this world -----, aion, age, structure, world order-- -2 Corinthians 4-4-.----When we compare the account in Samuel with that in Chronicles, we discover many truths.----The first of these is that Satan -1 Chronicles 21-1-, is the LORD's unwitting servant -2 Samuel 24-1-.----We also discover that God sent something like bubonic plague -------, deber- -2 Samuel 24-13, 15- 1 Chronicles 21-12,14-, and that the LORD's instrument, his sword -1 Chronicles 21-12-, was an angel of death -1 Chronicles 21-15-.----But then we discover that when the leaders of God's people humbled themselves and begged God, he regretted what he had done. In keeping with God's absolute sovereignty and immutable decree, he changed his mind ------, n--am- -1 Chronicles 21-15-. The Bible is a both-and book, rather than an either-or volume.----The LORD used this dreadful tragedy to reveal the place for his temple -1 Chronicles 21-24-30- 22-1-5-.----After I finished my sermon, we stayed and prayed and are committing to continuing to pray.
Why does the Bible call the devil -the god of this world -----, aion, age, structure, world order--- -2 Corinthians 4-4-----Through the sin of Adam, the male who knew what he was doing -1 Timothy 2-14-, sin and death entered into our perfect and beautiful world -Romans 5-12-14- 1 Corinthians 15-21-.----Death is an alien and an enemy -1 Corinthians 15-26-, but death is a legal alien -Genesis 2-15-17- 3-1-7- Romans 6-23-.----Under the absolute sovereignty of God, Satan obtained administrative control of the world, and that is how he could state a half-truth to the Lord Jesus regarding political power -Matthew 4-8-9-.
As we continue our look at King Solomon as a prime example of a bitter root, we look at the destructive force that a pagan spouse will prove. Under the influence of his pagan wives, Solomon became a pagan himself- He built temples for supernatural creatures, such as Moloch and Chemosh and worshipped them himself -1 Kings 11-1-8-.----While we must not be superstitious about contact with material objects associated with pagan -gods- -1 Corinthians 8-4-7-, we must never knowingly become involved with such objects as an act of worship because if we do, we may -catch- something -1 Corinthians 10-16-22-.----There is a profound parallel between knowingly eating food sacrificed to an idol and partaking of the LORD's supper.----Both acts involve communion -based on forms of the Greek word, --------, koin-nia, a word that means -participation, sharing, communion, fellowship--.----We connect with the Lord Jesus Christ when we partake of the bread and wine in Holy Communion- Scripture teaches us THAT he is present, not HOW he is present.----But this is also true when people knowingly participate in pagan worship because, -The sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants ---------, koin-nos- with demons- -1 Corinthians 10-20-.----The life of Solomon demonstrates that he did repent near the end of his life and wrote a book about his having become an old fool -Ecclesiastes 1-1- Ecclesiastes 4-13- to warn us about life lived -under the sun,- without the divine perspective.
The book of Judges tells us how not to please God.----In the book we have the strange words of Jephthah regarding other gods, the so-called gods of the nations.----In utter disregard of the warnings of Deuteronomy 29-18-19, Solomon built houses of worship for these demonic beings.
This message continues with the account of Naaman's healing and focuses on Elisha's servant's actions.----In Gehazi's outrage that Elisha did not accept the gifts that the Syrian general, Naaman had brought, he determined to get them for himself and swears an oath to that end----As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him- -2 Kings 5-20-.----By invoking the LORD's name, Gehazi was calling down a curse on himself.----Amazingly, he DID get -something from him- -2 Kings 5-20-, but it was not what he wanted. What Gehazi got was Naaman's leprosy for himself and his descendants -2 Kings 5-27-.----Deuteronomy 29-18-19 reminds us that we cannot counter a curse by mouthing words without repentance.----Galatians 3-13 ff. teaches us that the Lord Jesus took our curses on his own head as he hung on the cross. Galatians 3 goes on to tell us that he did this so that the blessings of Abraham would come to all who are -in Christ.-
This message continues with the warnings of Deuteronomy 29-18-19 and focuses on the account of the Syrian general, Naaman.----Naaman's true problem was not the leprosy on his body- it was the leprosy of his proud, idolatrous heart.----That proud heart was broken by means of Elisha's dealing with him and by the appeal of his servants.----Elisha does not accept Naaman's gifts. But in spite of Naaman's little understanding of his new found faith, Elisha blesses this new believer as he heads back to Damascus.----But Elisha's servant, Gehazi, is distressed by the loss of all that wealth and goes after Naaman.