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Revelation Ch.9a – A New Dimension

March 5th, 2018

Revelation Part 18 – 9:1-12

A New Dimension

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

Well now, after reading these 12 verses one has to scratch their heads and ask: ‘What in the world is this all about?’

Rightly so! Locusts as big as horses; with the faces of humans; the hair of women; and tails that sting like scorpions?

Bizarre doesn’t quite cover it.

So once again our practice of majoring on the things we can be certain about, touching on what is reasonable and shying away from what is purely speculative takes on fresh importance.

And Don Carson’s reminder that Revelation is a picture book and not a puzzle book where we to try and fit the pieces together is also useful.

What we want to get at here is lifting out the concepts being communicated by the pictures and not trying to turn the pictures into detailed descriptions of objects, beings etc.

If I were to ask you to think of a baseball diamond you would not try to assign attributes to it like transparency or translucency. You wouldn’t imagine it to be a pure form of carbon, it is just a dirt figure. It doesn’t have multiple facets, can’t be worn as jewelry, won’t admit of various shapes and sizes and isn’t super valuable. We would all be aware we are simply referring to a rough shape.

Just so in many of these pictures. We cannot press each detail beyond its purpose but need to discern what chief or basic concepts are being communicated.

So when John says these things looked like locusts, had crowns etc., we more than likely are not trying to get a grip on huge, monstrous beast/insect hybrids. We’re looking at what those pictures might reasonably represent – especially to the first readers, conversant both with the Jewish Apocalyptic writing style, and especially their Bibles.

So let’s take the things that are really clear, and make some reasonable connections from there. And by God’s grace we can arrive at some practical applications .

What is certain here? And what can we reasonably make of it without going into wild speculation?

1 – John is introducing a new element or dimension in helping us understand God’s plans and purposes and the way our present world works

And remember – we’re using a very loose structure of the 7 seals being the revelation and beginning of the plan unfolded; the 7 trumpets being repeated announcements and warnings of what coming in more detail; and then the 7 bowls being the actual pouring out of final judgment in full.

Last time, we saw the 7 angels given their trumpets, the prayers of the saints as integral to Christ’s Kingdom coming and the 1^st 4 trumpets blown.

Up until now, the focus has been on two realms, Heaven – or what goes on in the presence of God, and Earth – starting with the 7 churches.

Now a 3^rd dimension gets added. It is referred to in vs. 1 as the “bottomless pit,” or the abyss.

So we’ve now got three areas of action – Heaven with God, His angels and the dead redeemed; Earth with human beings – both believing and unbelieving and some angelic presence as well; and now The Abyss – with what can only be understood as dark forces or fallen angels – the demonic. Which now also enter into the earthly scene.

In other words, while God is bringing both final judgment against His enemies, and final reward for His saints, there is more to the picture than just God/Human relations.

It takes the reader back to the Garden of Eden. That when mankind fell, we did not fall alone. Satan was an actor then. An instigator and influencer. So here, we are being reminded that this is still very much the case. Which will be teased out more in later chapters.

Human affairs and especially this present worldly system with its four pillars of: material wealth versus the Spiritual riches of Christ Himself; Man-made religion versus the Christ-centered redemption of the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross to pay for our sin and reconcile us to the Father through faith; Culturally determined morality versus Biblical holiness through the work of the Spirit; and self-governing belligerence – Personal autonomy versus the perfect rule of God in Jesus Christ – finds its roots in the suggestion and influence of Satan and his minions. There really are dark forces afoot. And this is the darkness they bring to the world. A counter or counterfeit kingdom to that of God and Christ.

Scripture will make the two concepts known this way: Colossians 1:13–14 “He [God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

No, these demonic entities aren’t imps or gremlins out to simply pester us to death – nor are they invincible ghouls. They are as Paul describes them in Ephesians 6:12 “cosmic powers over this present darkness,” and “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” These are pictured well for us in the verses that follow.

Forces as Christians we are told we “wrestle against.” Just how appears more fully in the nature of the battle.

Satan and his demonic forces are real, and must factor into how we understand God’s redemptive plan working in this world today, and why the world is the way it is today.

2 – Note how the “Star” of vs. 1 is personified. “He” was given the key to the abyss. As we’ve mentioned before, stars in this kind of literature and in the book of Revelation as a whole most often refer to angels. In this case, we don’t know if this angel is good or bad, simply that he is sent with this key and opens the pit.

Again, the first readers would have thought of passages like 2 Peter 2:4 “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;”

And Jude 6 “And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—”

In simple terms, as human history draws near to final judgment, not only is mankind judged for sin, but the wicked forces of evil are also exposed as they are nearing their final disposition too. And in that, appear to be given a season of renewed activity.

3 – (2) The immediate result of opening the pit is something like smoke – producing great darkness. This is central and most descriptive.

Drawing back again on 2 Peter and Jude, as well as a motif used throughout Scripture – we simply cannot miss this or overestimate the importance of this: The chief activity of Satan and his allies, is the obscuring of the light of God and His truth. John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Satan’s hatred of God is most manifest in his constant campaign of obscuring the light, the glory of God, both in disinformation about God Himself – think back to the lies told in the Garden that God was petty and did not have the best interest of Adam and Eve at heart – And then in the defiling and exploitation of humanity as made in God’s image.

4 – (3-4) Out of this darkness came these locust-like creatures who unlike real locusts, are restricted from harming the vegetation, but instead only afflict those who were not sealed or marked out as God’s people in the last chapter.

5 – (5) They had a period of time or a season in which they had permission to afflict unbelievers in some fashion that produces great pain. To a people like John’s 1^st readers who were familiar with plagues of locusts devastating crops, this was an apt illustration of a true plague. They would have connected the idea with how God used locusts as one of the 10 plagues used to judge the Egyptians and free the Israelites. And no doubt they would have remembered the book of Joel and the locust invasion he witnessed in Judah, used as a portent of coming judgment on God’s people for their sin. Everyone back then knew that locust season lasted about 5 months. Thus it is a graphic and simple way of saying Satan and his hoard will have their season as part of dismantling this present world system and ushering in the full reign of Christ. How long this season is precisely we do not know.

6 – (6) Those afflicted would desire to die rather than endure the affliction, but do not.

Several commentators take the same track I am convinced of as well – that this “sting” the creatures inflict is not a physical thing, but rather psychological and spiritual.

Let me cite Matthew Henry here, but Greg Beale takes a very similar approach: “The hurt they were to do them was not a bodily, but a spiritual hurt. They should not in a military way destroy all by fire and sword; the trees and the grass should be untouched, and those they hurt should not be slain; it should not be a persecution, but a secret poison and infection in their souls, which should rob them of their purity, and afterwards of their peace. Heresy is a poison in the soul, working slowly and secretly, but will be bitterness in the end.”

Unless we want to posit the idea that some form of immortality is suddenly given to some on earth – a notion the balance of the chapter shows is clearly not the case – the idea here is that in their torment, these who are afflicted would prefer death over their circumstance, but can’t find it in themselves to commit suicide to escape. We’ll come back to this before we finish.

7 – (7-10) These locust-like beings have some remarkable features which make them quite terrifying. Again, it is what these features communicate which is important.

Attempts to visualize the locusts totally misses the point.

And of all the commentators I’ve read, it is interesting that good old Matthew Henry is among the clearest and sanest. He writes: “These locusts were of a monstrous size and shape…They were equipped for their work like horses prepared to battle…They pretended to great authority, and seemed to be assured of victory: They had crowns like gold on their heads; it was not a true, but a counterfeit authority…They had the show of wisdom and sagacity, the faces of men, though the spirit of devils…They had all the allurements of seeming beauty, to ensnare and defile the minds of men—hair like women…Though they appeared with the tenderness of women, they had the teeth of lions, were really cruel creatures…They had the defense and protection of earthly powers—breastplates of iron…They made a mighty noise in the world; they flew about from one country to another, and the noise of their motion was like that of an army with chariots and horses… Though at first they soothed and flattered men with a fair appearance, there was a sting in their tails; the cup of their abominations contained that which, though luscious at first, would at length bite like a serpent and sting like an adder.”

It is the fierceness and brutality as they attack the minds and souls of the lost that jars you. These demonic spirits who defy Christ will gleefully rip every shred of decency and remainder of the image of God from everyone they can get their hands on – through deception from the truth of Jesus Christ.

No wonder then that Paul warns Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:23–26 “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”

8 – (11) The beings are not simply creatures but have a leader who is identified as Abaddon or Apollyon. Abaddon being an Old Testament word for the underworld – the habitation of the wicked dead, and Apollyon being Greek for the Destroyer – or Satan.

9 – (12) This all is once again (in keeping with the nature of the trumpets as serving to announce or proclaim) a powerful pronouncement of “woe” to those living on the earth.

Well now, what are we to do with all of this?

I think there are 4 things most worthy of our attention in it all.

1. Humanity has a very real and utterly ruthless and savage enemy who with his cohorts will stop at nothing to keep people in darkness from the God of the Bible and the salvation He offers to us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

False religions and cults are not just some societal phenomenon. They are the result of the machinations of the powers and principalities of darkness. 1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.”

2. This enemy’s chief instrument of war against God and mankind is deception and the perverting of the truth about God, your origin, your lost condition, your rebellion, your need of redemption from sin, and the only means of that redemption in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

2 Thess. 2:9–12 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

It is Satan’s strategy to keep people: Preoccupied with the pursuit and false promise of security and well-being in material prosperity –

Stupefied with a cross-less, Christ-less religion which cannot address sin –

Perpetually dissatisfied in the pursuit of ultimate sexual satisfaction through every form of immorality –

And Arrogantly self-deified in the self-deception of total, personal autonomy.

And when all of these prove to be empty, what pain!

Think of it for a moment. There is little more painful in all of life than investing your whole being into something, and then after getting it, finding it utterly empty and unfulfilling. It is true with careers, relationships, education, fame, accomplishments – you name it.

But it can be worse. What if you bought into the whole paradigm of material wealth, cultural morality, man-made religion, and personal autonomy, only then to add to it that you are nothing but a cosmic accident, with no ultimate purpose – just existing until you die?

What if the utter futility of life finally came crashing in on you, and because your mind is utterly darkened to the truth of God having created you in His image; of sin having separated you from Him – sin in the very things you’ve given your life to; darkened to the forgiveness of that sin and the cleansing and reconciliation to the God who made you through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross – blind to all of that so that you have nothing left but the pain of emptiness and meaninglessness? What do you do with THAT pain?

Recently Sarah sent me the lyrics to a 2017 song by the Canadian Indie pop group Arcade Fire. Listen to what “the sting” sounds like.

Some boys hate themselves, Spend their lives resenting their fathers

Some girls hate their bodies, Stand in the mirror and wait for the feedback

Saying God, make me famous, If you can’t just make it painless

Just make it painless

Assisted suicide, She dreams about dying all the time

She told me she came so close, Filled up the bathtub and put on our first record

Saying God, make me famous, If you can’t just make it painless

Just make it painless

It goes on and on, I don’t know what I want

On and on, I don’t know if I want it – On and on, I don’t know what I want

On and on, I don’t know if I want it – (On and on I don’t know what I want)

No wonder our text calls this especially a “woe”. Woe to those who are caught in this wicked deception that keeps from the love and glory of Christ. What pain indeed.

3. That Christians have been translated out of this kingdom of darkness into God’s marvelous light and are kept from these ultimate deceptions.

We are not left without insight, protection in the sealing of God and instruction.

Matthew 24:24 “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”

But He has sealed those who are His and we are kept from this hideous darkness that plagues the World.

4. That Christians join the warfare in bringing down the kingdom of darkness through faith in the atoning work of Christ, and the proclamation of the light and truth of God’s Word to this dark world.

We know how to engage in this battle. Not by superstitiously spying out demons behind bushes, wearing crosses or carrying bigger Bibles, but: 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” TRUTH! The Truth as it is in Jesus Christ is our armament.

And so we proclaim the Gospel once more , especially to you here today who have not yet come to Christ for the forgiveness of sins through His substitutionary death on the cross – and reconciliation to the God who made you, through His blood.

This very hour you can be delivered from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. The pain can end now – and you can be born again. Look to Him.
Revelation Ch. 8 – The Power of Prayer

February 21st, 2018

Revelation Part 17 – Revelation 8

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

As I mentioned last week, Ch. 7 serves as a parallel to what had been revealed earlier.

And in some ways ch. 8 continues that parallel while also moving us on to new pictures and a deeper understanding of how the whole of God’s redemptive plan of final judgment works.

We are getting more and more insight not only on what is coming on the earth – the events and movements among the nations – but what else is involved behind the scenes or in the heavenlies as well.

Vs. 1 – So in vs. 1 we get this opening of the 7th or final seal.

And the immediate result of that is silence. Silence NOT on earth – but in heaven.

Interestingly, what stuns those in heaven at this moment, seems to have no impact upon those on earth at all.

It is a vivid reminder that – as in this case – eternally monumental things can be going on, while the world hardly takes notice at all.

This reality was driven home to me multiple times during my tenure working for Keenan’s Funeral Home.

Each time I got into the hearse to lead a procession to a graveside, I was profoundly aware that for the friends and family of those in the procession – this moment was absolutely life changing and in some ways life transforming. The burying of this loved one was for those involved catastrophic, painful and grievous. And yet for all those passing us in their cars on the way to the cemetery, and for the rest of Rochester or Monroe County, those who never even saw the procession, life was just life as usual. They were completely unaware of what was absolutely consuming and life-altering to others.

It was never more true than on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.

At that moment, the whole of the human race stood at the very edge of God’s wrath being poured out to consume all sin and sinners. But the very Son of God interposed Himself. He let that unleashing of God’s fury fall on His own back, that all who put their trust in Him might have absolute forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to the Father – and the rest of mankind would have a reprieve to hear the Gospel and repent in the years before Jesus’ return.

Collectively we stood on the brink of annihilation, and not a one of us knew it! This adds great weight to Jesus’ appeal to the Father: “Forgive them, they do not know what they are doing!”

The perpetrators knew they were murdering an innocent man. But they had no idea they were murdering the Son of God, and that in the process their very lives were being spared by His death; that salvation was being provided for in His atonement; and that reprieve was being enacted so that the Gospel might go out into all the world.

They especially had no idea what this meant to the Father.

So at this moment in the opening of the last seal: The significance is grasped in heaven, so that the heavenly host of the angels and the saints already there hold their breath in stunned silence, while the world below spins ignorantly on – almost wholly unaware of what is unfolding all around them. That the end is in process.

VS. 2 – It is at this point that 7 trumpets are then given to 7 angels. Now what is this?

To John and his 1st readers – to those familiar with the Old Testament this would not have seemed odd the way it does to us.

The use of trumpets for community announcements and especially for use in war – before the modern advent of radio communications – were the norm.

We get a rather full picture of this in Numbers 10:1-10. Once again, Scripture helps serve as its own best interpreter.

Here we see that trumpets were made for ancient Israel under God’s direction to serve a number of purposes.

(1) Summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.
(2) Calling just the chiefs or everyone to meetings.
(3) Alarms for the tribes to set out in order.
(4) At feast times.
(5) But especially when going into battle. Vs. 9.

So we most likely have much of those same things going on here.

The Church is to be warned and called to be part of the fact that we are about to move on. This world as it is, is NOT our final home.

And these trumpets are a call to the Church as a whole, and especially to the leadership to be ready before God.

It is also an announcement that the final feast – the consummation of all things is near at hand.

But most especially it is to call us to war! The program of righteous conquering that God revealed in the 1st seal is underway – and we are called to our part in it. What that looks like we’ll address shortly.

This pattern of “sounding the trumpets” in this regard is not new in Scripture either. Particularly when it comes to God being careful to warn of impending judgment over and over and over.

Think of Noah – who Scripture tells us was a preacher of righteousness for 120 years! God didn’t send the flood overnight – without more than a century of warning – both in Noah’s preaching and in the spectacle of his building the Ark.

And note 2 Chron. 24 how God reminds His people that the coming invasion of Babylon should not take them by surprise, because in His Mercy and lovingkindness He had been warning them over and over and over and calling them to repentance. So we read in 17-19: “Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.”

These warnings went on literally for hundreds of years.

So as I mentioned before, we see how the seals as a revelation of the Program, sort of give way to a call, a series of announcements and further details on the program, which in time will give way to the actual pouring out of God’s judgments in the 7 bowls.

These 7 Trumpets are God’s perfect, loud, repeated and sustained call to the World – through His Word, His preachers, the lives of His people and providential world events that His Kingdom is coming, and the Kingdoms of this world will fall and give way to it.

Now just what this call and announcement looks like to Believers gets uniquely unpacked in VSS. 3-5

VS. 3-5 – The picture is really informative. And here is the main idea. In some way, the unfolding program of God in judgment is connected to the prayers of the saints.

For now, just note the picture is of angelic involvement as an angel stands at the altar of God with a censer – a receptacle for burning incense – which the angel then mixes with the prayers of the saints.

And as the smoke of this combination rises before God – something happens on earth: “peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”

We’ll come back to this in a moment because this is the key concept to be wrestled with in this chapter.

Once this fire from the altar is hurled on the earth – then the sequence of the trumpets begins.

VS. 6-13 “Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.”

7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

With the 1st angel is the announcement that some sort of disaster will strike earth in which a huge portion of the trees and green grass will be destroyed.

8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

The 2nd angel’s announcement reveals another type of disaster all together – with the result of destroying massive numbers of marine life and even the ships in the oceans.

John is at a loss for words here. He says what happens here is something “like” a great mountain is the cause. He does not know precisely what it is and neither do we.

10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

On the 3rd trumpet blast, another ecological disaster occurs and this time there is much loss of human life as well. The star here, given Ch. 9, may well be an angel. We’ll see that later. i.e. this disaster includes direct angelic involvement.

12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.

Then with the 4th trumpet we are introduced to some sort of cosmological disturbance that blocks out sunlight and moonlight alike. Reminiscent of the way darkness covered the land for the 3 hours Jesus was on the cross. How? We don’t how it worked then and John gives us no more details here.

13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

Then at last there are more announcements of warning. WOE to those who dwell on the earth. Things are really ramping up and soon, after the last 3 trumpets, there will be no more warnings – just the actual outpouring of God’s judgments in full.

It is quite a picture isn’t it? Frightening and overwhelming.

And what are we to make of all of this? What practical use would it have been to the believers then – and what to us now?

I do believe there is a very central though which is at the heart of this portion, but let me offer two other ancillary points as well.

1. Note that God does not act without revelation and warning.

God is neither capricious nor knee jerk. He is so gracious and so kind and so patient, that we can in fact take His patience for granted as though He will never act at all. And that is a very grave mistake on our part.

Paul mentions this in Romans 2:3–4 “Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

People can easily conclude in their hearts – God is fine with their sin. There’s no PRESSING need to repent. If He hasn’t judged me yet, He must be OK with what I’m doing.

All the time unaware that God’s patience is itself meant to be a means to call us to repentance. Oh how we can presume on God’s patient lovingkindness.

But we are reminded here how that He is exceedingly forbearing – He has also still fixed a day when He WILL judge. And has been warning us for several thousand years. How much closer we are now to His return – and judgment that will fall without mercy.

How patient He is demonstrated once more today in the fact you are hearing this message and we are studying this book together.

If you don’t know Christ – if you have not yet bowed the knee to Him as Lord, if you have not come to Him for salvation as your sin bearer and redeemer – He sounds the trumpet of the Gospel in your ear one more time today. Come to Him before it is too late.

The judgment is already beginning out in some measure, and you have this moment, this opportunity to confess your sin, to run to Him and to be forgiven and born again that you might face all that is coming on the earth with joy, confidence and His mark upon you as His own.

2. Events on earth are not to be thought of in isolation from God’s eternal plans and purposes.

When we saw the program laid out or revealed in the 7 seals, the activities referred to were from an earthly or horizontal view.

War, famine, etc., are part of earthly experience.

Now, as we see in the trumpets, each is coming from above. So the picture in these things aren’t just happening down here, they have a Heavenly origin or component.

The hail and fire were THROWN down. The great mountain was thrown. The burning star, whatever it is falls from above. It is the sun and the moon that is struck – celestial. What is happening on earth isn’t disconnected from God and His actions.

Natural disasters, plagues, cosmological upsets, all have their earthly causes and effects, but they are not totally disconnected from the plan of God and the judgments He is accomplishing on the earth.

Heaven and earth are not so disconnected that we can sever these things as though they have nothing to do with each other.

Each is a sign of ultimate judgment to come. Each has a spiritual dimension to it as well as the earthly and physical. God’s hand is as visible in all of them as mere nature or even man-made aspects.

I do not know if climate change is a wholly man-made phenomenon, the mere outworking of a natural cycle, or a divine judgment. But if we are understanding God’s Word aright, it is most likely a mixture. But at the very least – not apart from God’s hand.

3. The prayers of the saints are potent and are integral to God’s plans being accomplished.

At the beginning we had a portion from the book of Daniel read. In that portion, the text notes that Daniel had discovered in reading Jeremiah that Israel’s captivity in Babylon was to be 70 years, and that time was nearly up. What was Daniel’s response? He began to order his prayers in concert with what he knew the plan of God to be.

We also had read for us the portion of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus instructs us how to pray. Unfortunately in our day, that prayer has been looked at as either simply be prayed as rote, or virtually ignored for all of our own prayers. I think this is an error on both parts.

Yes, Scripture is clear that we are to bring everything which concerns us to God, and because of the entrance Christ has made for us to the throne, to have confidence in the Father’s wise and loving response to those needs.
But there is certainly more to this – and I think this chapter demonstrates that for us. It has to do both with being in concert with what God is doing, and in arranging our priorities.

Jesus not only delivered this prayer in this sermon, He did again later when His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. And in doing so, He gave a most intimate look into His own heart and mind. For it is as if He said in answer to their question – do you want to know what the greatest burden on MY heart is? What moves ME most in prayer? What are the things which I deem of supreme importance to be pleading with God for?

First that reverence for my Father’s name be restored in the universe.
And secondly – that His Kingdom – MY Kingdom would come in its fullness. That everything that opposes My perfect, all wise, all holy, all just and wondrous rule would be put down and crushed forever – that I might rule and reign in My glory – which is the ultimate good of the universe!

So what is it that is part and parcel of the beginning of judgment being poured out on the earth? It is the prayers of the saints being heard, and those judgments then beginning to be unfolded.

So here is the question beloved – do WE, you and I – do we make it a priority in our prayers that sin and all that goes with it be overthrown on the earth, and Christ’s absolute rule come into full power?

Does it even cross our minds from day to day? For it sure is represented as being an absolutely integral part of the judgments being delivered as we see it in this passage.

Let’s make it even more personal. Do we pray for that overthrow in our own hearts and minds? Do we want our skewed value system destroyed? Our twisted morality forever stamped out? Any religious notion not fully in concert with God’s revelation in Christ and His sovereign government to have absolute authority within us?

Do we plead for the coming of His Kingdom IN us, no matter what the cost, even as we pray for His kingdom to come in this world no matter what the cost?

So that after we see what it takes to destroy the kingdoms of this world and usher His in – we can pray with John at the end of this book – Even so – no matter what it takes – come quickly Lord Jesus.

Part of what is involved in the tearing down of these world systems that surround us is the vital role our prayers play in seeing it accomplished. It will produce the rumblings, thunders and earthquakes of an entirely new world system.

The destruction won’t be pretty. But the end will be glorious.

And so we join with the saints in Heaven and say Father YOUR KINGDOM COME – so that YOUR will is done on this earth – IN this earth, even as it is in Heaven. Overthrow everything in me that might still oppose that, even as I pray for it in the world at large.
God’s Provision for His People – Revelation Part 16

February 13th, 2018

Revelation Part 16

Chapter 7

Ezekiel 9:1-6

God’s Provision for His People

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

One of my favorite vacation pastimes is reading science fiction. And over the years I’ve grown to be quite a fan of one particular writer: Orson Scott Card.

Arguably, Card’s most popular book by far is Ender’s Game. A futuristic story of a young man named Ender. Having sold over 7 million copies, I’m not alone in appreciating Card’s writing.

This Christmas, Sky purchased another book by Card for me, titled Ender’s Shadow. And it was lauded as highly innovative and a breakthrough in literature. It wasn’t a sequel or a prequel, but it covered the exact same time and events, but from the perspective of one of the other characters in the original book – a diminutive little boy/genius named Bean.

And if one hadn’t read the book of Revelation, this concept of covering the same time and events from a wholly different perspective would seem radically new and innovative.

But here we are in our study of Chapter 7 of the Revelation, and we are in fact confronted with the very same literary device Card is so lauded for. He’s just late to it by about 2,000 years.

For ch. 7 isn’t giving us a look at some sequential material down the road from what we’ve just seen in 6 and the opening of the seals – it is simply shifting point of view, from what’s happening on earth during the opening of the seals, to what’s happening in Heaven.

And from this point of view, the idea is to bring perspective, comfort and confidence to Christians after having rattled our cages with the things we saw earlier.

Last time we examined the opening of the 7 seals which we were told seal the scroll which was in the right hand of God as He sat upon His throne.

No one in all the universe was found worthy to break those seals and open the scroll until the Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah, Jesus the Messiah steps up, takes the scroll and begins to open it. He was worthy to do this because: Revelation 5:9–10 “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

This scroll, which we’ve said is nothing less than the eternal plan of God both to ultimately judge all sin and to reward His saints is both revealed, and enacted by Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Son of God. He is, for lack of a better term, the executor of the Father’s will. And His action puts all of His will into motion.

Because Jesus resisted all sin in His life; paid the penalty for sin in His death; rose from the dead overcoming sin’s ultimate outcome in His resurrection – securing the salvation of all who will trust in His atoning work on Calvary – He alone is worthy to vanquish all sin and its effects, and to reward those who by faith are in Him. To bring about the glorious, eternal end the Father has promised.

That plan, as we saw last time, entails the crushing of all human governments and institutions and trust in anything but God Himself – ushering in His own Kingdom in its fullness. A Kingdom which will also get unpacked for us before this book is done.

More, it requires the complete undoing of this present world system which is based upon material economics, human/and or demonically inspired religion, culturally defined morality and autonomous human authority. Those 4 things must be overthrown.

Christ must finally rule and reign as the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords on earth. Holiness must permeate our beings in that we walk in holiness as thoroughly and naturally as God Himself does. All things of value are measured by God’s standard of what is most valuable to the soul in Christ. And all worship is the constant, joyful outflow of being blessed beyond our comprehension in the unending revelation of God in all of His magnificence and glory. For as we’ve said so often He can bless us with nothing greater than Himself, since nothing greater exists.

What we are seeing unfold then in the following chapters, is the road to get there.

Yes, there will be judgment and destruction, but it will give way to eternal glory and wonder and goodness and perfection.

[XXXX] So as we saw last week – the opening of the 6 seals so far have laid out the basic plan.

It is a program of:

Righteous conquering, by means of

Human warfare

Famine

Massive loss of life

Widespread Christian martyrdom

Earthquakes and eco-cataclysm

Walking through those last week certainly wasn’t pleasant, nor was it pleasant for the first readers.

But our God knows how unsettling this picture is for us.

And so it is, He quickly gives us glimpse of something to settle our hearts and minds, when we know full well all of these things are coming on the world – and the world as we now know it, will cease to be.

Outline of Ch. 7

Vss. 1-3 / Restraining the wind until…

Vss. 4-8 / The 144,000

Vss. 9-10 / The Great Multitude

Vss. 11-12 / The Angelic Response

Vss. 13-14 / Explanation of the Multitude

Vss. 15-17 / The Promises

Vss. 1-3 / Restraining the wind until…

Yes judgment is coming, but God also has mercy and provision for those who are His – which all benefit from. The winds which will eventually bring great destruction, are restrained. And that, for a very specific purpose.

Fortunately, this picture of sealing or marking God’s people in their foreheads is not new in Scripture. We can go back and see how it was used before to get a handle on what is meant here. This will also inform us as to what is most likely meant later in the book with the mark of the Beast as a counter symbol.

We get a view of this in Ezekiel Ch. 9. The setting is another vision. This time, one given to the Prophet Ezekiel when he is exiled along with the rest of the Jews in Babylon.

Since Ezekiel’s mission was to preach to the Jews in captivity, a major part of that mission was to make them understand exactly why it was they were in exile. Why Jerusalem was destroyed.

The bottom line was, they had become an idolatrous and unrighteous society governed by greed, self-interest, oppression and sexual immorality.

Now for Ezekiel and many of his contemporaries, all of whom had gone into exile, the question was: Were their NO righteous people in Judah at all? And if so, how could God let the righteous go into exile along with those who were unrighteous?

And God uses this vision to say “I haven’t forgotten about those who didn’t give in to this sinful lifestyle like the rest.”

So God gives Ezekiel a look back at what was happening from God’s point of view BEFORE the Babylonians arrived to sack the city – Ezekiel 9:4 [The Lord sent an angel] And the LORD said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”

And then in the following verses He begins to strike down the wicked.

The very same sort of thing is being communicated in Rev. 7. Yes, judgment will fall and when it does, there will be both righteous and unrighteous people on the earth – but the Lord knows, the Lord marks out and takes special note and care for those who are His even though they will endure much discomfort in it.

So the seal in their foreheads is probably not literal, but signifies something like what is said in 2 Timothy 2:19 “But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

The picture is simply and beautifully that no matter what happens on the earth as God is carrying out His judgments, these things will not be indiscriminate – God knows and will always regard those who are His, no matter how difficult things become.

If you press me, I would say that the most likely explanation here is that the mark is faith itself. Believing that what God has said is true, and ordering our lives accordingly is always the mark of God’s people in every generation. Even as Hebrews 11:1 notes it is faith which is the conviction or evidence of what is unseen. A regenerate soul cannot be observed with the eye. The evidence of the unseen work of regeneration of the soul is that one by faith grasps the Gospel and trusts God by taking Him at His word.

Go back to the 10 plagues in Egypt. Remember how the first plagues affected everyone and not just the Egyptians?

The Nile turning to blood impacted Jews and Egyptians alike.

Same with the swarming frogs, and the gnats. But when it came to the flies next, God said: Exodus 8:22 “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.”

And from thereout, the Israelites were spared.

Go back to Noah. Noah and his family went THROUGH the flood, but they were not harmed by the flood. They were in fact “sealed” inside the Ark.

We see this same picture over and over, and it always testifies to God’s marking out His faithful ones to Himself, even when they must go through things that are judgments upon the wicked – they are not judgments upon them!

Vss. 4-8 / The 144,000

This number has been the source of endless speculation. The number is just too neat not to be symbolic. There are a couple of features that demonstrate this.

No census of Israel ever produced numbers like these.

The unique squaring off numbers is itself a hint as to its being symbolic. It is a common feature in Jewish apocalyptic literature.

Then there is the strange grouping – Judah first instead of Reuben the actual firstborn. Perhaps because the list is being impacted by the fact Messiah comes out of Juda? But then, there is the missing tribe of Dan and the insertion of Manasseh. All very odd.

In fact, there are no sacred records of genealogies of the Jews after 70 AD and the destruction of the Temple. Once the records were destroyed, attempts to keep tribal purity were abandoned as well. The lines are all mixed. There is no one who can say my lineage is just from Judah, or Gad, or Naphtali, etc. It just doesn’t exist.

No, something else is afoot here. Israel the people group which went into Canaan, is not comprised of the same individuals as came out of Egypt – even though it is still the same nation.

And so we see a transition in the New Covenant as well.

There is always a fair amount of discussion at this point from various groups, especially over what is sometimes labeled “replacement theology.” The idea being that some systems say that the Church replaces Israel in God’s program, and then there is no future place for ethnic Jews in God’s program.

We can’t unpack that whole debate here but what we CAN say is that at least in some sense, Israel was a type or a shadow. But of what? Of the Church? In some ways. But more precisely, of Christ Himself.

The language of the Old Testament about Israel is that she is represented by the figure of a “vine”. It is all through the Scriptures. An example would be: Ezekiel 19:10 “Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water.”

When we come to Jesus, He deliberately appropriates this imagery to Himself. So in John 15:1–2 Jesus says: “I am the TRUE vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in ME that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

JESUS is the new or better, the fulfillment of Israel and all who are grafted into Him are considered such.

So it is that Paul argues at length how believing Gentiles are “grafted” in which makes us heirs of Abraham by faith, and breaks down the wall between Jews and Gentiles because we are one in Christ.

It makes more sense then to see the 144,000 as symbolic of the whole of Believers – from the 12 tribes, and from the fruit of the 12 apostles.

This is in keeping with how we would understand Ephesians 2:14–15 “For he himself [Jesus] is our peace, who has made us both [believing Jews and Gentiles] one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself ONE NEW MAN in place of the two, so making peace”

Which figure then is expanded or further explained by seeing the great multitude in the following verses.

Vss. 9-10 / The Great Multitude

The same group from 2 different vantage points. All of the redeemed, fulfilling Israel’s type and putting all things in Christ – where, as we read in Revelation 5:9–10 “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Using here, the very same language of Ch. 5 of a “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Vss. 11-12 / The Angelic Response

The angelic host around God’s throne, are tremendously moved by the display of God’s goodness to His people.

And seeing how God in His providence will mark out and keep His own no matter what else unfolds on that earth, they cry: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Vss. 13-14 / Explanation of the Multitude

This then accords with the angel’s explanation. Who are these? Those whose sins have been washed away by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary.

Let me make one quick comment here on the words “great tribulation.” If you come to the book with a particular scheme in mind, you might impose on these words more than is in the text. Some see a “great tribulation” of 7 years before the end. But that is a construct of the system. A 7 year tribulation is not spoken of in those terms directly. More likely, and we’ll address this later in more detail, the “tribulation” extends from Christ’s ascension and the death of Stephen the first martyr, all the way until Jesus returns. At certain times and certain places this tribulation is more intense than in others.

So as Jesus told us plainly: John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Which then was part and parcel of the early Church preaching from the beginning: Acts 14:21–22 When they [Paul and Barnabas] had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Vss. 15-17 / The Promises

Now the promises outlined here make themselves the application of what we are reading in this part of the vision. This is our takeaway.

What will keep our souls when we find ourselves in the very midst of this world coming apart at the seams in God’s judgment?

Because they have “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb: Revelation 7:15–17

15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God,

Unending union with God in His unveiled presence.

and serve him day and night in his temple;

Service life built around responding to the unspeakable experience of His presence and glory.

and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

Perpetual, personal protection from all ills of any kind.

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;

Absolute, unvacillating satisfaction.

the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.

No good ever distorted into harm.

17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The end of all sorrow, and the tender, personal comfort of the God of all comfort for ever and ever amen.

All this, for we who were once Christ hating sinners, but who have found forgiveness, adoption, eternal life and reward, through faith in the substitutionary, atoning death of Jesus on the Cross.

Now let us join with hearts and tongues,

And emulate the angels’ songs;

Yea, sinners may address their King

In songs that angels cannot sing.

2 They praise the Lamb who once was slain;

But we can add a higher strain;

Not only say, “He suffer’d thus,

“But that he suffer’d all for us.”

3 When angels by transgression fell,

Justice consign’d them all to hell;

But Mercy form’d a wondrous plan,

To save and honour fallen man.

4 Jesus, who pass’d the angels by,

Assum’d our flesh to bleed and die;

And still he makes it his abode;

As man he fills the throne of God.

5 Our next of kin, our Brother now,

Is he to whom the angels bow;

They join with us to praise his name,

But we the nearest int’rest claim.

6 But, ah! how faint our praises rise!

Sure, ’tis the wonder of the skies,

That we, who share his richest love,

So cold and unconcern’d should prove.

7 Oh, glorious hour, it comes with speed!

When we, from sin and darkness freed,

Shall see the God who died for man,

And praise him more than angels can. John Newton
Opening the 7 Seals – Sermon notes on Revelation Ch. 6

January 30th, 2018
Revelation part 15

Opening the Seals

Chapters 6 & 8:1-2

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

It is no understatement to say we are now entering into deep and mysterious territory in our study of this amazing book.

So far, most of what we’ve looked at has been fairly easy to grasp.

Ch. 1 set the stage in telling us how the book came about – John’s commission to write it while he was in exile on the island of Patmos for the crime of preaching the Gospel. And we get an account of the glorious vision of Christ that he saw.

Chs. 2 & 3 contain the letters Jesus dictated to John to be sent to the 7 churches in Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

Ch. 4 took us right into the very throne room of God to see Him in His glory and reassuring all that He is truly ruling and reigning and carrying out His divine plan for the ages – even if we can’t sense that here and now.

Ch. 5 introduced us to the scroll with 7 seals – A representation of the unfolding and enactment of God’s final judgment upon sin, and His justification and reward of Believers – all in the hands of the only one worthy to open the scroll and accomplish its contents – The Lamb of God, The Lion of Judah – Jesus the risen Christ. Let’s look at that briefly again.

Revelation 5:1–10 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

From this point on, the bulk of the book follows what one writer calls “three cycles of God’s judgment on his enemies—( 1) seven seals (Rev 6: 1– 8: 5); (2) seven trumpets (Rev 8: 6– 11: 19); and (3) seven plagues or bowls (Rev 15 and 16).¹¹Emerson, Matthew Y.. Between the Cross and the Throne: The Book of Revelation (Kindle Locations 62-63). Lexham Press. Kindle Edition.

The question of how the 7 seals relate to the 7 trumpets and both of them to the 7 bowls is not an easy one to answer.

Are they simultaneous? Are they sequential? Some mixture? Opinions abound. What seems most useful to me, is to think of them in this way:

The opening of the seals is the first step in enacting the contents, and is a revealing of the PROGRAM of God’s judgments.

The Trumpets are then a PROCLAMATION of the judgments in more detail. Urgent and graphic warnings of what has begun. What is now in process and how it will end.

And the bowls are the actual POURING OUT of the Judgments.

I use this cycle type of format because each of these groups of 7 ends the same way – in final judgment. And when you think about it, there can only be one “final” judgment.

So you compare Revelation 6:15–17 Which records the end of the opening of the 6^th seal. “Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

So these clearly understand that this is the wrath of the Lamb being inflicted on them.

With Revelation 9:20–21 This again is at the end of the 6^th trumpet being blown. “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”

The “rest of mankind”is mentioned here, and their unrepentance, even though as we saw in the 6^th seal, they know this is the wrath of the Lamb!

And Revelation 18:9–10 This scene comes at the end of the last bowl being poured out. And no more judgments take place after these events until the war at the end of the millennium. “And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

Each section has a final judgment element. But there aren’t 3 final judgments, just one. So it would make sense that some kind of layering of one sort or another is going on.

Now whether or not that is THE actual scheme, won’t be as important to us as making sure we get the thrust of what is being revealed in each scenario. Fortunately, we can get to that without speculating on the way the interconnectedness might work.

So let’s take a broader look at what we can take away solidly from what we read in this portion.

1^st SEAL: 6:1–2 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

Lots of speculation surrounds trying to identify who this rider on the white horse is.

The 2 most popular theories are that it is either Jesus, or the Antichrist.

In truth, if the identity of the rider were that important to what God is keen on us needing to know, I think it would have been spelled out.

Since he isn’t identified – what CAN we know?

That God’s ultimate PROGRAM is one of righteous conquering of all that which has been in rebellion against God.

This rebellion will be characterized later as a kingdom that stands in opposition to God’s kingdom.

White nearly always represents righteousness in this book, and in other apocalyptic literature. Whether the rider is Jesus, or the antichrist or someone else – God’s program for judging sin and rewarding His saints is a righteous one which involves conquering that which needs to be put down in opposition to Him.

2^nd SEAL: 6:3–4 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.”

The Program Of conquering sin, evil and the kingdom of this world system will incorporate a great escalation in human warfare.

The phrase “slay one another” may be an allusion to civil war versus just war in general. Either way, an escalation in warfare is clearly indicated.

3^rd SEAL: 6:5–6 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”

This judgment results directly from the wars which dreadfully reduce food and produces famine. Though it IS controlled. These too are part of the program. Part of dismantling human self-dependence.

4^th SEAL: 6:7–8 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

The judgment will be characterized by massive numbers of death finalizing the sentence for masses.

5^th SEAL: 6:9–11 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

This judgment will include great persecution against the saints including martyrdom.

6^th SEAL: 6:12–17 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

The judgment will incorporate global, cataclysmic upheaval.

7^th SEAL: 8:1-5

The program WILL have an absolute final judgment upon all sin. God’s judgment will give way to the fulfillment of all His promises to His people.

But first will come vivid, graphic, repeated warnings to all in the time of the 7 trumpets.

As a sort of preview – I will tell you now that Chapter 7 is a pageant of how God will preserve His own throughout all the trials and tribulations which come upon the earth as a result of sin – and even through the Great Tribulation. God will not lose His own, no matter how bad it gets. We’ll see that next time.

Then Ch. 8 will see the 7^th seal opened and the 7 trumpets begin to sound the last warnings in urgent, and graphic pictures to the Church and to the World. No one need be caught unaware if the Church is doing her job in preaching and teaching. For this IS what is coming. And our evangelistic zeal needs to be fueled by a clear and overwhelming sense of how God is not playing around, that He will not remain patient forever, and that His wrath is far more terrible than anyone imagines.

But what about this portion before us today? What is it we need to take away from this for our lives here and now?
1. God isn’t winging it, and human history isn’t flying blind or undirected. Wars, rumors of wars, false prophets, false Christs, persecutions of the saints, global geo-political upheavals, natural and ecological disasters, and the like: Jesus Himself told us in Matt. 24 and elsewhere these are part of the Program and are not “the end” in and of themselves.
Christian – be heartened.

This would have been the immediate application to those the book was initially written to as they were undergoing their trials under Roman rule.

And it is meant to inform and comfort Christians in EVERY era when facing all of the things listed in their own context.

As we will see later in the book, every society, every people group, every “kingdom” has 4 common elements:
1. A RELIGIOUS perspective.
2. A POLITICAL structure.
3. An ECONOMIC system.
4. A MORAL framework.
And in this book we will see that every society which does not have a religious foundation of the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ; a political structure where Christ is the absolute monarch; an economic system which trades on spiritual values not materially based ones; and a moral framework established in Biblical holiness – will not only fall – it MUST fall when crushed by the coming of Christ to establish His Kingdom.

This includes fascist, communistic, democratic, autocratic, theocratic, anarchic and yes – even western representative republics like our own.

Western culture and society WILL perish. If not by virtue of its own inner corruption before Jesus comes, then by His judgment of it when He comes, if, it still exists at all.

Put no trust in man’s invented religious notions, political and governmental systems, financial prosperity or humanly defined morality. It all must give way.

It IS giving way.

Their dissolution is all in God’s program. Christ has ascended, and as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:25 “he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.”

Christian – take heart.
1. Note that it is Christ our Savior who is the executor of God’s will in all of this.
He opens the seals. He sets the timing, directs the events and guides them to completion.

For those who belong to Him – this is supreme comfort in all trials and difficulties.

For those who are His enemies – who simply live life unto themselves and not under His rule – this is terrifying.

And so it is again a call to be reconciled to God through Jesus – through faith in His atoning work on Calvary.
1. Look at the patience and grace of God even in this.
Jesus comes and preaches the Gospel and dies for our sins.

The Disciples begin to preach the Gospel.

The Gospel spreads all over the world – transforming men and nations.

The Bible is written, preserved, published and distributed everywhere for generations.

The Church is established in worshiping communities all over the globe.

Missionaries travel to the remotest of unreached regions and people groups.

The Gospel is preached in pulpits, print, the radio, television, the internet and person to person.

The promise of Jesus’ return and the final judgment upon sin and wickedness is proclaimed generation after generation by every means possible.

Mankind is given millennia to hear, repent, turn to Christ in saving faith and be delivered from the wrath to come.

Every war, every earthquake, every famine, tornado, tsunami , and ecological disaster screams out God’s warning message that final judgment is on the way and demonstrates it in miniature.

And even as the seals of God’s program are broken open and enacted by Christ – still time is given to the 7 trumpets to herald Jesus’ return and the coming judgment. Once again people are called to forsake their sin and flee to Christ for forgiveness, eternal life and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And so it is the trumpets are already sounding in our ears even today aren’t they? And still some of you refuse to hear, refuse to repent of your sin, refuse to bend the knee to Christ to be reconciled to God by faith in His substitutionary atonement. Refuse to serve Him as Lord.

Your eyes are still on human governments and western culture.

You believe a gospel of your own invention while refusing His.

You trust in your wages, 401K, and seek safety and well-being in investments and bank accounts. Seeking financial prosperity over seeking the face of God.

And what is right or wrong, moral or immoral changes at your own personal whim, or the current of popular culture.

Beloved – now is the time to call upon the Lord – before all of this gives way to pouring out of the 7 final bowls of His wrath, and it truly is – too late.

Today is still a day of grace. He calls out to you one more time to come to Him for mercy and forgiveness and transformation.

I do not know about tomorrow, only now. Won’t you come?
Light for The New Year – Sermon on 1 John 1:5

January 15th, 2018
1 John 1:1-5

James 1:16-17

Revelation 22:16

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

What I would like to address this morning is truly nothing new. We’ve spent some time on it before. But it is so essential, both in terms of our current study in the Book of Revelation, and in the Christian’s everyday life and thought process – that I thought it would be very fitting for the start of this new year of 2018.

Of all the damage done to the human soul in the Fall, nothing is so pervasive and must be so continually resisted as is the inward suspicion of God. The recurring thought that when things go wrong, or are hard, painful and difficult to understand, that God’s love or power or both, are somehow defective. Or that He harbors some dark or secret agenda which does not have the good of the Believer at heart.

This would have been at the forefront of those first readers of the Book of Revelation as they see the coming persecutions and the outpouring of God’s judgment on the world.

First you have those in the 7 churches each facing their challenges.

And one might ask – where is God in this?

Then as one reads on in Ch. 6, you read of global conquest, civil war, famine and death. One scene has the martyrs, those who have already died for the cause of Christ under the altar and the text reads: Revelation 6:10 “They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And God responding that such a day is coming, but more yet need to be killed as they were.” Where is God?

Chs. 8 & 9 detail global disasters of all kinds, and even more brutal wars.

In one place a ¼ of mankind perishes and then in another 1/3 more perish. And there is persecution and mayhem as God pours out His wrath. And from what I can read, the saints will be here for these extraordinary and terrifying events – the same way the Israelites were present when Egypt was judged, and Noah and his family went through the flood. Unharmed, but not unaffected. And again we might ask – where is God?

All the way through Revelation John is taken from these very troubling scenes to scenes in Heaven where we see God sitting on His throne, ruling all, and of countless men and angels worshiping in unspeakable joy – and one could wonder – how can these two things co-exist?

How can a God who the Bible paints unequivocally as Holy and just and good allow sin to wreak its ravages on the human race?

Perhaps this has entered into your own thinking as you’ve wrestled with the disappointments, pain, suffering, and unexplained difficulties you’ve endured or are even enduring now?

Maybe you haven’t formalized the thought or said it out loud, but is there a nagging shadow in the back of your heart and mind – is God secretly angry with me? Punishing me for what – I don’t know? Is there some dark place in Him that leads me not to believe He is ALL good in all ways?

Does the combination of physical weakness, the way life hasn’t turned out the way you thought it would – the stresses and the circumstances of job and family and the nation and the world – find you casting some slight shadow of suspicion on God?

It is for just such a purpose that John reminds the readers in his little letter of 1^st John: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Bound up with the message of the Gospel and all of its glory, this message must be heard and heard again and again and again by God’s people – or we will fail to have true fellowship with The Father, the Son Jesus Christ and with each other: God is light. And in Him is NO darkness at all!

For you cannot draw close to anyone you suspect as having some dark ulterior motives in their relationship with you. You cannot live in faith with someone you don’t trust. It is true on the human level, and especially true in the Spiritual life with God.

It is a very common phenomenon among believers, that when we go through hard times, especially those with unexplained or seemingly senseless suffering attached – to grow inwardly suspicious of the purity of God’s love toward us.

Mentally, theologically we say to ourselves, I KNOW God is good and loves me – but in truth, we don’t feel it, and begin to question His wisdom in what He allows us to suffer, but more fundamentally, His secret attitude toward us.

And so it is many who suffer, instead of drawing closer to the Lord in their trials, actually grow farther from Him – for as I said above, you do not, can not, WILL NOT draw close to someone you suspect harbors ill toward you. If you cannot trust them, you cannot, you WILL NOT draw close to them.

So it is, when the Holy Spirit of God is the very Comforter of our souls, and we reject Him in suspicion, we rob ourselves of the comfort that may be ours in the midst of our trial.

Beloved this is so vitally important to the health of our spiritual lives and to having any growth in the depth of our relationship to Him.

These cannot be separated.

So it is I want to unpack just 3 ways we need to understand this indispensably foundational truth, that God is LIGHT, and in Him is NO darkness at all.
1. There is no darkness in His CHARACTER.
There is no flaw of any kind, no even slight tendency toward sin in Him. He is altogether – HOLY.

Remember how we saw that in such detail in chapter 4 of Revelation – that amazing scene where the Revelation 4:8 [Where] “the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

That isn’t for show. It isn’t some vain pageantry – it is the declaration of who He is at the very core of His being. And as Holy – He cannot sin. He cannot plot wrong or evil or anything less than the very best for His own and still be God.

Certainly there are times when we do not understand what He is doing, or be able to directly discern how it is some events, experiences and circumstances can possibly be redeemed for our good – but because He is absolutely and undefilably holy – it must be so!

God is no more constitutionally capable of sinning than you and I are of capable of blowing out the sun like a match.

So it is, even when God is rebuking Israel for its sin He reminds them: Malachi 3:6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

And we are reminded in Hebrews 6:13–18 “For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”

It is not that God WILL NOT lie, the appeal to our faith in His promises is based upon the fact that “it is impossible for God to lie.”

Child of god, no matter how mysterious your circumstances might be; No matter how strangely the world around us might seem; no matter how dire, unchangeable or dark the things you are facing might be – if you are in Christ – God is FOR you, and is constitutionally unable to act in any other way toward you but in perfect, uninterrupted holy love.

When Adam and Eve fell, they did so because they believed the suggestion that God was not entirely good in what He had provided for them, and forbidden from them. They believed He could do them wrong.

And it is inevitably where we fall as well – even today.

God is light, and in Him is NO DARKNESS AT ALL.
1. There is no darkness in His MOTIVES.
While this idea is closely related to the first, it differs some.

A person might be paralyzed and for that reason, unable to harm someone else physically. But that does not mean they might not have ill-will toward them.

So God might be constitutionally unable to DO wrong, because He must act in holy ways at all times. He cannot pervert justice.

So when Abraham is bargaining with God over the fate of Sodom he argues: Genesis 18:25 “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

But mere actions and motivations may differ.

There is an old story told about Clyde the farmer. One day Clyde was out in his field plowing, when lightening struck, tipping the tractor over pinning Clyde underneath with his legs broken. The fuel spilled out of the gas tank, which when ignited by another lightening strike, burned his entire crop to the ground, spread to the house and burned it down too. Soon Clyde’s wife appeared, berated him for being such an idiot and a loser and announced she was leaving him with his farm hand.

As hail began to fall and Clyde remained pinned under his tractor, in pain, confusion and anguish Clyde looked up into the heavens and cried: “Lord! Why me?” And in a moment, the clouds parted and a voice boomed back: “I don’t know Clyde, something about you just bugs me!”

I dare say there are some even here today who have imagined that to be the case between themselves and the Lord. That He just seems to have it out for you. Nothing goes right. Everything you try fails. No matter how you try to pick up the pieces and do right, it just seems that everything falls apart over and over. And deep down you suspect God just has some undefined thing against you.

So while you would never accuse God of actually doing you wrong, you do suspect He has it in for you in some way. You doubt that His motives toward you are completely and wholly loving and good.

No, He cannot DO us wrong, but do we really know His heart? Might there still be dark motives in Him somewhere? Might He not have the best interest of His children in view even if He cannot actually sin against them – might He just let evil roll over us?

And the answer is – NO! No!

We could spend the rest of our lives plundering God’s Word for all of the expressions of His unfailing, unerring, perfect love toward His own.

But if there is one passage that to me transcends them all it is the one captured in the midst of Jesus’ High Priestly prayer for Believers in John 17: John 17:22–23 “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

Did you hear that? Jesus prays that the world might come to understand that God the Father loves the Redeemed, even as He loves Jesus Himself.

That the world might know it? That BELIEVER’S might know it! And believe it. And rest in it!

Oh if we could only grasp it for a moment.

If you are a Christian here today, know that the purity, the holiness, the perfect of God the Father’s love for His only Begotten, incarnate Son, in no way surpasses the love He has for you as in Christ today.

What possible ill-will could the Father have toward Christ? What possible dark or nefarious motives against Him? How could He have anything but the very highest regard, love and desire for His Son?

So much so then is it true for all of us who are in Christ by faith.

Believer, He loves you even as He loves the Son. And His motives toward you are all wrapped up in making you one with the Son and with Himself in eternal, unimaginable bliss having perfected that which He has begun in you.

God is LIGHT! And in Him is no darkness at all.
1. There is no darkness in His KNOWLEDGE.
Satan is a skilled adversary. And if he cannot win the day by convincing us that there is no darkness in God’s character, and no darkness in His motives toward us – but perhaps there is something lacking in His knowledge. In other words, maybe He just doesn’t know how badly I am suffering right now, how hard I am struggling.

Yes He is good. Yes He loves me. But if He only knew what was really going on in my life and in my heart – surly He would intervene and change things.

But of course, that is simply because we have forgotten His word to us. Remember David’s Psalm 139:1–24 “O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.”

Oh Believer, He knows you. He knows your every care and concern – no matter how slight or how dire.

And He is holy in His sovereign appointments in your life.

He is unspeakably loving toward you in all of His providences.

And He knows you infinitely better than you even know yourself.

You can trust Him. And as you do, the more you do, the more you will find your relationship with Him deepening and comforting.

For He is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all.

And Unbeliever today, because these things are true, because God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, then know too this means He cannot overlook, excuse or condone your sin either.

Because He is holy and just, and cannot change – He MUST judge sin. And everyone will stand before Him to give an account even of our secret thoughts one day.

His holiness will not allow Him to ignore your sin. You will either stand before Him robed in the righteousness of Christ, cleansed by His blood and purged of your guilt in bowing the knee to Christ Jesus as your Savior, substitute and Lord, or you will stand on your own, to suffer the just wrath of God against your sin. And in the Light that He is, no dark spot in you will be missed.

The bad news is, God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

But the good news too is: God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

Come to Him who knows your every sin, and be forgiven, cleansed and made a new creature in Christ – to know Him as He is.

Child of God – trust Him. More and more and more. And you will know Him more and more and more. And your joy and comfort will have no end.
A Brief Defense Of Believers only Baptism

January 6th, 2018

The brilliant 18th century theologian and preacher Jonathan Edwards wrote: “There is perhaps no part of divinity attended with so much intricacy, and wherein orthodox divines do so much differ as stating the precise agreement and difference between the two dispensations of Moses and Christ.”

He wasn’t kidding. And the debate between “orthodox” believers and theologians over whether or not to baptize the infants of believing parents or believers only hinges on this very point.

In this debate over whether infant baptism is to be practiced in the New Covenant Church, or Believers’ baptism only, we are in the final analysis dealing with two fundamentally different views of the Church. Each view grounded in a difference in understanding the “precise agreement and difference between the two dispensations of Moses and Christ.”

I want to stress here that this is an “in house” debate The Church of Jesus Christ has discussed and debated this topic nearly since its inception. And many of those who hold the opposite opinion of the one expressed and defended here are towering giants of holiness and devotion to Christ. Scholars and saints of the highest order. I disagree with their view on this topic – but we lock arms as fellow believers, lovers of Christ, defenders of the faith and those with whom we will spend eternity around the throne with our mutual Savior.

That said, I respectfully submit the following 5 positive arguments for believer’s only baptism, and 4 negative arguments against the baptism of the infants of believing parents. I qualify that last statement so as not to mischaracterize the orthodox, who would not approve of baptizing any infant but those of believers.

5 Positive arguments:

1. Believer’s Baptism is the Unbroken NT pattern

2. Entrance into the New Covenant is expressly by the Holy Spirit

3. The Scripture descriptions of & denominations for The Church all incorporate terms of faith, belief & regeneration

4. Baptism inherently testifies to a completed work

5. The Promise in Acts2:39 is of the gift of the Holy Spirit – which is restricted to those whom

God shall call in every generation.

4 Negative Arguments:

1. Familial Solidarity – Evident under the Old Covenant, is expressly denied under the New Covenant

2. The so-called “Household” argument proves too much

3. Holy children in 1 Cor.7:14 has no reference to baptism

4. There is no mention of it in the New Testament – period

5 POSITIVE ARGUMENTS:

1. Believer’s Baptism is the Unbroken NT pattern: People believed, and were baptized. No other pattern is ever given anywhere in the New Testament. The old pattern perished with the Old Covenant.

A survey of all the pertinent passages leaves this without reasonable doubt, even when beginning with the b

Matt. 3:5-6 / 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Acts 2:41 / So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Acts 8:12 / But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 8:36-37 / And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And Phillip said, “if you believe with all your heart, you may. “ And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

Acts 9:17–18 / So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;

Acts 10:44–48 / While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Acts 16:14–15 / One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Acts 16:32–34 / “And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.”

Acts 18:8 / “Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.”

In every case recorded, without exception, baptism was linked to understanding and faith in those being baptized. They understood their sin and the message regarding how it must be dealt with prior to their baptism. By knitting the passages together, we see that it was the Gospel, God, the Word of the Lord, etc. which was believed. Even in the case of John’s baptism, his work reaches its zenith in proclaiming to those he is baptizing that it is Jesus Christ who is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. Nowhere do we ever find a single mention of anyone being baptized who was not believing themselves. Such then certainly is the case with infants who cannot yet believe.

2. The means of entrance into the New Covenant is expressly by the Spirit: No other way into the Church – properly denominated Christ’s body (“baptized into one body”) is ever alluded to in Scripture.

Galatians 3:25–29 “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

This passage in Galatians helps us understand the nature of the one-bodiedness of those “in Christ.” What is to be noticed is:

a. All “in Christ Jesus” are “sons of God through faith”.

b. All who were baptized into Christ have “put on Christ.”

c. This oneness is due to being “in Christ Jesus”.

d. As such, those in Christ are Abraham’s offspring – or “heirs” according to the promise”.

All of which Paul says in vs. 25 is the result of “faith” having come, and therefore no longer being under a guardian (in this place, the “guardian” being the Mosaic law).

Note how faith is the essential to being “in Christ Jesus” and therefore a part of the one Body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12–13 “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”

Here again we see the foundational concept of the Body of Christ being “one” – by virtue of each member being baptized into the Body by the Spirit. The Spirit alone brings us into union with Christ and one another.

Hebrews 8:10–11 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.”

Repeating the terms of the New Covenant (from Jeremiah 31), the writer to the Hebrews reminds us that all those within the Covenant have God’s laws put into their minds and written upon their hearts, and that they each “know the Lord”. This is central to our understanding of who is in covenant with God and who is not, from the vantage point of the New Covenant terms laid out in Scripture.

The Scripture simply does not describe anyone as being in the New Covenant apart from being a partaker of the Holy Spirit – who it is that baptizes us into Christ and into union with one another. New Covenant membership is utterly dependent upon the work of the Spirit in the individual. Nowhere in the Bible is anyone ever designated as a participant in the New Covenant apart from the Spirit of Christ.

3. The Scripture descriptions of and denominations for, The New Testament Church, all incorporate terms of faith, belief and regeneration, and never anything less.

a. Hebrews 12:22–23 “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.”

b. Galatians 3:23–27 “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

c. Ephesians 2:17–19 “And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

d. Romans 5:1–2 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

e. Romans 8:9 “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

There is no Scriptural support anywhere in the New Testament for denominating someone as in the Church, apart from personal belief, a confession of faith and sharing of the Holy Spirit. This does not mean the Church does not care for those who are not yet believers, especially our children. But it is our first task to evangelize them, not to treat them as though they are already in union with Christ. Union with Christ is only by the Spirit of Christ.

4. Baptism inherently testifies to a completed work and the promise fulfilled, whereas Circumcision only points to a future promise yet to be fulfilled.

This is not to say there is NO future concept expressed in baptism. Resurrection is also pre-figured as established above. However baptism is PRIMARILY looking backward to the already accomplished death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Our salvation is dependent upon a finished work in Christ at Calvary, not a work yet to be accomplished. Even the fulfillment of the resurrection is dependent upon the promises already fulfilled in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

Romans 6:3 “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”

In contrast, circumcision was specifically given regarding a promise yet to be fulfilled, not, in regard to a promise already fulfilled. It was appropriate under the Mosaic Covenant, but not under the New Covenant.

Genesis 17:7–10 “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” 9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.”

Deuteronomy 30:6 “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

Note too, how circumcision is related directly to the inheritance promised to the Israelites. In their case, that promise was of land, which was meant to typify spiritual realities, not to be the final reality – something Abraham fully understood. (Heb. 11:10)

In the case of the New Covenant, the spiritual inheritance is the focus, and that, received by the giving of the Spirit. So we read in Ephesians 2:11-19: “Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,”

We see clearly here that access to the Father, and the Covenant, is through the blood of Christ (already shed) and the Holy Spirit presently poured out (vss. 18-19). This is in stark contrast to the forward looking emphasis of circumcision under the Old Covenant.

5. The” Promise” referred to in Acts 2:39 is of the Holy Spirit, not the Covenant, and is restricted to those whom God shall call in every generation.

While it is often argued that Acts 2:39 supports the baptism of infants by stating: “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” It seems that perhaps 2 critical mistakes are made in that interpretation.

a. One must first determine what “promise” is being referred to here in the context of the passage. And there can be no exegetical doubt, the promise referred to is that of the giving of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the “promise” is not that children may have a part of the covenant through baptism – for baptism is not the subject of Peter’s preaching. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit is Peter’s topic, required by both the unusual phenomena of the day, and by Peter’s express reference to the phenomena being directly related to the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32.

b. In addition, Peter’s application is that the promise of the Holy Spirit is “for everyone whom the Lord God calls to Himself.” The qualifying factor is having been called by God to Himself, not, simply being the children of believers. Yes, this promise is for all who believe, even the following generations and not that unique generation alone – but children or no, it is for those who are called by God to Himself.

This interpretation is confirmed by observing whom it was that manifested the Spirit on that day – the believers gathered and not the unbelievers. The Spirit was not indiscriminately poured out upon all the circumcised present. The Spirit is not given due to familial solidarity with the “covenant people” bearing the sign of circumcision, but to those among them who believed.

Verse 39 is prefaced by verse 38 – “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Those who repented and believed would receive the gift of the Spirit, and none else. The “promise” is of the Holy Spirit, and it is made to those who repent and believe. None other.

4 NEGATIVE ARGUMENTS:

1. Familial Solidarity –Evident under the Old Covenant, is expressly denied under the New Covenant.

The case is often made by our brothers and sisters who insist on infant baptism, that paedobaptism ought to be practiced as an expression of “familial solidarity” – a principle established by God in the giving of circumcision, establishing a lineage of promise and blessing.

Put simply, the idea is that God established a covenant with Abraham. God also gave a sign or a token of that covenant, which was circumcision. This sign was to be conferred upon all of Abraham’s generations, marking them out as God’s covenant people.

Based upon this solidarity which existed between all of the generations which issued from Abraham, the thought is that such a sign should still continue when we enter the New Covenant era. That since “God’s people” (all the descendants of Abraham under the Abrahamic covenant) were to have the “sign” of that covenant, all the descendants of those in the New Covenant should have the “sign” of that covenant conferred upon them as well. We simply follow the pattern already established.

And before going any further, we must agree that the logic of the position is sound on the face of it. It makes sense. However, the question isn’t whether or not the reasoning makes sense, but whether or not this connection between baptism and circumcision taken in this way is what the Bible teaches.

Two issues arise here which bear investigation in answering that question.

a. Does baptism in fact replace circumcision as the sign of the covenant? Did God institute water baptism as the sign of the New Covenant, in the same way that He established circumcision as the sign of the Old Covenant?

b. Does the Bible teach that the same principle of familial solidarity of passing the sign of the covenant on to natural offspring still apply under the terms of the New Covenant?

To the first question, we have to answer in the negative.

As noted in the first section of this book, Colossians 2:11 indicates that the “circumcision” of the New Covenant believer is one made “without hands”, having been buried with Christ in baptism. Since the baptism referred to there is one made “without hands” we see that it cannot be water baptism which is being discussed but rather that baptism of the Spirit whereby we are placed into Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). The text itself clarifies that interpretation by adding that we were “raised with Him through faith”. Faith is the operative agent here, not baptism as an act, which would be made “by” hands, as opposed to “without hands”. In other words it is not a physical act which is being referred to. And water baptism is certainly a physical act.

To the second question we must also answer in the negative.

It appears that under the New Covenant, the familial solidarity evident under the Old Covenant and as manifested in circumcision is removed. We see evidence for this shift right from the very beginning of the New Testament.

So it is John Baptizer warns those coming to his baptism to be sure that they are not depending solely upon their familial connection with Abraham to be in full covenantal relationship with God: Luke 3:8 “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.”

Family lineage – while it once carried the types and shadows of union with Christ, is seen to be set aside in favor of the fulfillment which had been typified. So John 1 marks out that being “children of God” is located in having believed in Christ’s name and not somewhere else.

John 1:12-13 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Galatians 3 locates our familial connection to the family of believers in faith – not in circumcision or water baptism. Galatians 3:26–29 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

1 Corinthians reminds us that the patterns in the Old Testament are types and shadows of the spiritual realities, and not the substance themselves. Therefore we are to expect a progression and transition in the forms to those more representative of the realities. We start with physical things, but move on to spiritual things.

1 Corinthians 15:45–47 “Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.”

2. The “Household” argument proves too much.

The substance of this argument is that the Greek word oikos (“household” – used in such passages as Acts 16;15 where Lydia was baptized, “and her household as well”) implies the entire household – including all family members, regardless of age. As such (those who take this position argue) there certainly might have been – if not MUST have been infants included in those numbers.

On the surface, the argument seems sound. But we must also bear in mind that the term oikos / household also went beyond that of spouses and progeny. As one resource defines it, oikos is defined as: “family, kin by blood or marriage, including slaves and workers ”

If (as proponents of infant baptism sometimes argue) one is required to assume that there were infants in the “household” references related to baptism in the New Testament, then we must also (if we are to remain consistent in our exegetical method) require that the slaves and workers in those households were also baptized – irrespective of age and/or profession of faith.

With all due respect, we find this neither tenable nor desirable.

That it was “possible” that there were infants who must have been baptized is not a solid approach. Possibility is neither proof nor safe. It is possible that Balaam’s ass spoke with Cajun accent. And according to the very same logic, it was possible that there were adult, unbelieving slaves or workers baptized as well. But there can be no proof and therefore it ultimately has no bearing whatever on the reality of how baptism is to be practiced.

3. Holy children in 1 Cor.7:14 has no reference to baptism.

1 Corinthians 7:14 “For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.”

Three things are worthy of note here.

a. Whatever it is that is being said in this passage, this much is true – it is being said (at least contextually) irrespective of baptism. There is no reference to baptism in the passage, and therefore there can be no conclusion in regard to baptism drawn from it. Whatever happens here has no relation to baptism at all, but is only speaking of the relationships between a redeemed parent and their children, and their unredeemed spouse.

b. Whatever it is that is being said of the child of the believing parent, is also being said concerning the unbelieving spouse.

c. The main point appears to be: Just because you have come to the saving knowledge of Christ, do not imagine that you must separate either from your unconverted spouse nor your children. Believers are not defiled on their account, and the unconverted are in fact are benefitted by their connection to the saved.

For a believing Jew familiar with the account given in Ezra 10 and those Jews returning from the Babylonian exile and their marriages to gentiles – this could have raised significant issues in this regard. Paul quells them in this passage.

4. There simply is NO mention of infant baptism it in the New Testament. Period.

In fact, New Testament arguments are made which would be contradictory to infant baptism mindset. For example:

Galatians 6:15 “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”

If water baptism replaced circumcision, then what is said here about circumcision considered by itself must also be applied to baptism considered by itself. And what is said is – it does not count for anything. What DOES count? “A new creation.”

Ephesians 2:11–13 “Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what I called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Circumcision was once the marker which separated the Jews from all the other races. As a result, Gentiles were “separated from Christ,” “alienated from the commonwealth of Israel”, “strangers to the covenants of promise”, “having no hope”, “and without God in the world.” What changed that? Baptism? No. “You who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Philippians 3:3 “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—“

The Believer’s “circumcision” is not by virtue of baptism, but is located in worshiping by the Spirit of God, glorying in Jesus Christ and putting NO confidence in the flesh.

Recap:

Believer’s Baptism is the Unbroken New Testament pattern.

Entrance into the New Covenant is expressly by the Spirit.

The Scripture descriptions of and denominations for “The Church” all incorporate terms of faith, belief and regeneration.

Baptism inherently testifies to a completed work.

The “Promise” in Acts2:39 is of the Spirit – is restricted to those whom God shall call in every generation.

Familial Solidarity – a principle evident under the Old Covenant, is expressly denied under the New.

The “Household” argument proves too much.

“Holy children” in 1 Cor.7:14 simply has no reference to baptism.

There is no mention of it in the New Testament. Period. Infant baptism simply is not taught in the New Testament, while Believer’s Baptism clearly is.

We conclude then that the practice of infant baptism is one that is not taught in the Bible. And though there maybe be some reasonable and logical constructs which can be made to justify the practice, such constructs actually run counter to the way in which circumcision was abolished, by virtue of a circumcision made “without hands” – and not by water baptism.
A New Year’s Prayer for Blessing by John Newton

December 31st, 2017

Newton often preached especially for young people on the occasion of New Years. This is one of those prayers as included in the Olney Hymns.

Now, gracious Lord, thine arm reveal,

And make thy glory known;

Now let us all thy presence feel,

And soften hearts of stone!

2 Help us to venture near thy throne,

And plead a Saviour’s name;

For all that we can call our own,

Is vanity and shame.

3 From all the guilt of former sin

May mercy set us free;

And let the year we now begin,

Begin and end with thee.

4 Send down thy Spirit from above,

That saints may love thee more;

And sinners now may learn to love,

Who never lov’d before.

5 And when before thee we appear,

In our eternal home,

May growing numbers worship here,

And praise thee in our room.
Natural Law – A Book Review

December 30th, 2017

If you’re not familiar with them, the Davenant Institute says of their purpose that they support “the renewal of Christian wisdom for the contemporary church.” The Institute “seeks to sponsor historical scholarship at the intersection of the church and academy, build networks of friendship and collaboration within the Reformed and evangelical world, and equip the saints with time-tested resources for faithful public witness.”

Lofty and practical goals. Goals that clearly undergird the publication of their Davenant Guides series. Guides like their newly released “Natural Law: A Brief Introduction and Biblical Defense.” And it is well worth the read.

As this short but packed volume by David Haines and Andrew A. Fulford demonstrates – Natural Law theory not only has a place in Biblical theology and New Covenant ethics but also can profoundly inform missiology and public discourse.

In short, the authors define Natural Law as: “an order or rule of human conduct which is based upon the divinely created human nature and which is normative for all human beings.” As such, it predates and in some ways transcends the Mosaic law covenant, and extends into all phases of the New Covenant era. Now that is something to consider deeply for Christians today, and for discussing moral issues with the public outside of the church as well.

The book is arranged in 10 short chapters organized under 2 heads: Part I – The Philosophical Foundations of Natural Law. I.e. Natural Law’s intellectual validity and coherence. Part II – An Exegetical Case for Natural Law. The idea that the Bible itself addresses and endorses Natural Law concepts.

My best digest of it all is simply this – It is obvious to all, that human beings (indeed all of creation) possess certain individual properties, and that each has its best opportunity to flourish when it lives within those properties, and interacts with others according to theirs. In other words use a screwdriver according to what it was designed to do. Don’t use it as a heat source to cook your food, or as a surgical tool. Use a hammer for what it was designed to do. Don’t use your cell phone to hammer nails. And given the way human beings exist, live according what best provides for physical, psychological and spiritual health. Seems so obvious. But in a world where common sense seems to have little if any sway any more – and human beings try to impose their wills behind the bounds of how we come into this world and exist (e.g. not living within the constraints of physical sex assignment) – we imagine we can re-create anything for any reason.

Surveying various historical statements from philosophers and theologians regarding Natural Law theory and then establishing how the Bible makes reference to such ideas – the authors go on to press the need for recovering Natural Law and its implications.

For me personally, this has its first impact in terms of ethics for the New Covenant Believer. I meet regularly with a group of pastors who are discontent with the typical Reformed concept of the 3-uses of the (Mosaic) Law, and Christian ethics. For some, this question is resolved in a simple appeal to the 10 commandments. As though we in the New Covenant era are still bound by them. And to reject that idea invites immediate charges of antinomianism or licentiousness or both. For others, they try to construct a new written code of conduct – a new set of rules extracted from the New Testament. But perhaps, the better answer may be found in recovering Natural Law. A “law” that is not a code per se, but a law which made the murder of Abel by Cain for instance, morally wrong, long before the 10 commandments were ever given. And law which operates by the nature of things as created, rather than a code. A law which then transcends the Mosaic law (while containing commonalities and/or parallels) and which has special import now that the New Covenant Believer is a new creature in Christ – indwelt by the Holy Spirit and beginning to live in accordance with that new nature – even as we will in the resurrection, where a written code would be most unnecessary. And yeah, that’s a heck of a compound sentence. Sorry.

Davenant’s Natural Law truly is an excellent introduction to the topic. An introduction I hope they follow up with more in-depth treatments, exploring the impact on public discourse, missions, and of course, New Covenant ethics.

This is a well written, accessible and enjoyable book that needs a wide readership to spark a very desperately needed conversation. Buy it. Read it. Think about it. Discuss it. You will be rewarded.
A Christmas Poem in 4 Movements

December 24th, 2017

Movement 1 – Gabriel before the Throne – An Imagined Conversation

Movement 2 – Gabriel and Zechariah – From Luke 1

Movement 3 – Gabriel and Mary – From Luke 1

Movement 4 – The Angel and the Shepherds – From Luke 2

AUDIO FOR THIS POEM CAN BE FOUND HERE

Movement 1 – Gabriel before the Throne

1 Gabriel, I’ve summoned you

The time at last has come

To send among the fallen

My dear beloved Son

2 My Lord and God I pray Thee

Of course, I serve Your will

And yet I beg your patience

My wanting mind to fill

3 Why these, who barely notice you?

Who walk in sin and pride

Who speak your name in blasphemy

And cast your law aside

4 Nor do I wonder all alone

‘Tis all of Heaven’s host

We marvel why you love them so

When they despise you most

5 It grieves us so to see them

Their rampant godless ways

While you propose to send them Grace

Your Son Of highest praise

6 We fear the turn this path will take

We’ve watched them through our tears

Millennia of wickedness

No light in them appears

7 We fear they will not honor Him

Heav’ns sweetest, highest crown

Who holds in every angel’s heart

Love’s highest, best renown

8 We faint to think of parting from

His glory shining bright

And seeing Him descending

Into mankind’s blackest night

9 We beg you, spare us losing Him

We truly cannot bear

To have His light hid from our eyes

His presence not to share

10 And there the mighty angel knelt

And wept, before the throne

Who from his own creation

Triune light had only known

11 Gabriel, My messenger

My wisdom you know well

You’ve served Me and been faithful

And stood when others fell

12 My Son, you know, is willing

He takes this task in love

They will not recognize Him

As sent from Heav’n above

13 In time, they will reject Him

Arrest and beat and bruise

They’ll mock and slap and slander

And dreadfully abuse

14 In unearned rage and hatred

They’ll crown His Head with thorns

Then nail and crucify Him

His body wracked and torn

15 He’ll die, as if a sinner

Though holiest of all

He’ll die in place of sinners

To save them from their Fall

16 For this is in our bosom

A love for those we made

Created in our image

Though fallen and depraved

17 Within our Triune wisdom

A mystery does abide

To pour out grace and mercy

In purchasing a Bride

18 Don’t faint my faithful angel

More glory yet, will shine

Redemption when completed

Will vindicate our mind

19 What you have never tasted

What only they can know

Grace to the undeserving

And mercy overflow

Movement 2 – Gabriel and Zechariah

1 An aged priest in Judah

The altar incense burned

Who with his wife was childless

Yet duty never spurned

2 By lot this priest was chosen

The incense, his to bring

To burn upon the altar

A holy, sacred thing

3 Outside the crowd stood praying

The Priest, his duty filled

When all at once in wonder

The air was strangely stilled

4 Beside him at the altar

God’s messenger appeared

The old Priest starting quaking

Amazed and full of fear

5 The angel spoke his message

Your long-prayed prayer is heard

And you dear Zechariah

Must hear this blessed Word

6 Elizabeth shall bear you

A son, you’ll name him John

From birth, full of the Spirit

He’ll mark Messiah’s dawn

7 The Priest was unbelieving

“I’m old”, as is my wife

Such things as you’re announcing

Can’t happen in my life

8 You’re old? – we’ll I, am Gabriel

I stand before the Lord

He sent me with this message

This boy will be your ward

9 But for your unbelieving

You’ll speak no word or sound

But on the day you hold him

Your tongue will be unbound

10 This John, just like Elijah

Will stir the hearts of men

To seek the God of Isr’el

And clear the path again

11 The mighty angel left him

His work not yet complete

For barely six months later

He’ll walk a Naz’reth street

12 The priest went home confounded

In silence and in awe

Till in God’s perfect season

John’s birth set free his jaw

13 You my child, the old Priest said

A prophet are to be

Preparing hearts of people

That Christ they might receive

14 Before the Lord Of glory

You’ll go to make the way

Announcing God’s forgiveness

Proclaiming Christ’s new day

15 Because Of God’s compassion

Dawn visits from on high

To shine on those in darkness

Our feet to peace He’ll guide

16 They’d never dreamed their sorrow

Had glory at its base

That they would be a symbol

Of overcoming grace

17 Thus in their years past bearing

Christ’s herald they would birth

Soon John would cry “Behold Him”

“The Lamb of God on earth!”

Movement 3 – Gabriel and Mary

1 In Nazareth secluded

A Virgin soon to wed

This lowly one named Mary

To her was Gabriel led

2 Appearing without warning

With greetings from God’s throne

He spoke of God’s great favor

A call for her – alone

3 The God of all Creation

Has sent me here to you

Your heart and mind preparing

What He’s about to do

4 Don’t be afraid dear Mary

This message strange to hear

You’ll be a virgin mother

Tho how – will be unclear

5 Amazed her heart was troubled

What can this greeting be?

Thus Gabriel responded

You’re favor – you must see

6 The way ahead’s not easy

You’ll bear shame unrestrained

So few will understand it

A myst’ry unexplained

7 (At first not even Joseph

Could grasp it or conceive

Without an angel’s visit

E’en he would not believe)

8 What wonder I’m announcing

The son of the Most High

The long foretold Messiah

Will in your bosom lie

9 He’ll rule o’er Israel’s Kingdom

His reign will have no end

The Son of God, most holy

The flock of God He’ll tend

10 But sir, in wide amazement

She asked, how will this be?

I’ve known no man in marriage

The means I cannot see

11 How Gabriel smiled at Mary

In gentleness spoke low

God’s Spirit will accomplish

What none can really know

12 By power none can fathom

Beyond the human mind

Creating life within you

The God/man all divine

13 And to confirm my message

That it might be believed

Elizabeth the barren

Though ag-ed, has conceived

14 God’s power is not lacking

All’s possible to Him

And though you are a Virgin

In you, life will begin

15 Submitting as a servant

To all that she had heard

She said, so let it be sir

According to Your word

16 Then rushing to the country

Elizabeth to see

She came into the house there

Amazed in Holy glee

17 Elizabeth exclaiming

For joy – how can it be?

You, the mother of my Lord

Have come to visit me

18 For when I heard your greeting

My baby stirred and leapt

For joy he could not help it

And I in gladness wept

19 Thus Mary broke out singing

To magnify her Lord

A hymn of praise and worship

For all He had outpoured

20 Returning home rejoicing

Soon after John was born

In faith she trusted fully

In Christ, would dawn God’s morn

Movement 4 – The Angel and the Shepherds

1 Upon a quiet hillside

Lay flocks of gentle sheep

As Shepherds lay their heads down

Day’s end would hasten sleep

2 No noble men among them

No poets, priests or kings

The humble and the lowly

Not giv’n to lofty things

3 Not privy to the wonders

Revealed to others, yet

No sense there was a Mary

Or aged Elizabeth

4 They’d heard no prophet’s voices

Nor Mary’s hymn of praise

They tended to their business

This one, like other days

5. There were no signs of warning

No omens in the sky

No great anticipation

To prompt a careful eye

6. Just humble, no-name shepherds

About their daily charge

Amid the bleating sheepfold

Glum duty to discharge

7. When in the sleepy silence

Broke blinding, dazzling light

The shock of God’s own glory

Brought terror at the sight

8. The angel – though astounding

Spoke quickly – do not fear!

I’ve come to bring you good news

For all the world to hear

9. Today, in David’s city

In humble Bethlehem

To you is born a Savior

What things he spoke to them!

10. Why say such things to shepherds

Whose word none would believe?

These are the least of all men

Who will their word receive?

11. And yet there in his glory

The angel spoke his word

Here, I give a sign to you

A pledge of what you’ve heard

12. In David’s town, a baby

Was born this very day

He’s lying in a manger

In swaddling cloths arrayed

13. And when the angel said this

The sky was filled with light

A great angelic army

Dispelled the dark of night

14. A martial choir of angels

With massive, deafn’ing sound

Began to sing God’s glory

And make His praise abound

15. God’s glory in the highest

And peace to you on earth

For it has pleased the Godhead

The Prince of Peace to birth

16. The Shepherds hastened quickly

To Bethlehem they ran

To find the Babe as told them

This Savior born to Man

17. They ran to find the family

To see what they’d been told

And told them of the angels

And why they left their fold

18. Then leaving, telling others

Like prophets they became

And all who heard them wondered

What news they did proclaim

19. Returning to the sheepfold

A choir now were they

In praises glorifying

What God had done that day

20. And while this first – God’s Christmas

Began, and now was done

The saving work of Jesus

Had only just begun
Wise Newton on the Inward Warfare

December 21st, 2017

The inward Warfare. Galatians Chap. 5:17

1 Strange and mysterious is my life,

What opposites I feel within!

A stable peace, a constant strife!

The rule of grace, the pow’r of sin:

Too often I am captive led,

Yet daily triumph in my head.

2 I prize the privilege of pray’r,

But, oh! what backwardness to pray!

Though on the Lord I cast my care,

I feel its burden ev’ry day;

I seek his will in all I do,

Yet find my own is working too.

3 I call the promises my own,

And prize them more than mines of gold;

Yet though their sweetness I have known,

They leave me unimpress’d and cold:

One hour upon the truth I feed,

The next I know not what I read.

4 I love the holy day of rest,

When Jesus meets his gather’d saints;

Sweet day, of all the week the best!

For its return my spirit pants:

Yet often, through my unbelief,

It proves a day of guilt and grief.

5 While on my Saviour I rely,

I know my foes shall lose their aim;

And therefore dare their pow’r defy,

Assur’d of conquest through his name:

But soon my confidence is slain,

And all my fears return again.

6 Thus diff’rent pow’rs within me strive,

And grace and sin by turns prevail;

I grieve, rejoice, decline, revive,

And vict’ry hangs in doubtful scale:

But Jesus has his promise past,

That grace shall overcome at last.