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 End TimesMore than a thousand years ago, long before Martin Luther, the Pope is celebrating a High Mass. But this is no ordinary High Mass, if any mass could be described as ‘ordinary’. It is the most elaborate, most detailed, most majestic Mass that the Pope could manage. This Pope is Sylvester II. And Sylvester was a most impressive man. He was one of the greatest scholars of his time, a Renaissance Man five hundred years before the Renaissance. He not only knew the world was round, but he made a globe of the world to help explain his knowledge of Astronomy. He built machines that worked on hydraulic power rather than muscle power. He was no fool! And he wants this to be the most solemn, the most sacred mass of all time. Because he knows that this will be the last mass he will ever celebrate. Indeed, it will be the last mass that any Pope will ever celebrate. So he goes about it with great solemnity, great diligence to even the smallest detail, and with overwhelming joy in his heart. Because this evening was New Years Eve in the year 1,000. In only a few more hours the thousand years from Jesus’ first appearance would end, and Jesus would return. In case you’re wondering, Sylvester woke up the next morning. Disappointed but bravely doing his duty, he remained Pope until his death in 1003. So it is not only those on the fringes of religion, or gullible fools, that can be convinced that the world will end within their own lifetimes. Sylvester was the undisputed head of the entire Western Church, long before the Reformation split it. And he was one of the most learned men of his time. The same thing can happen today. Do any of you remember the Mayan Long Calendar scare? It was said that the world would end on 22 December, 2014. That was the last day of the Mayan calendar. Now, anyone who knows some astronomy is always suspicious of dates like 22 December. It just happens to be the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It is mid-winter, a time when crops don’t grow. So it’s a convenient time to end one year and start another. And that means it’s a convenient date to end one calendar and start the next. But that obvious point escaped a lot of people around the world. For example, watch this speech by Julia Gillard when she was Prime Minister of Australia. www.bing.com Apart from ridiculous theories like the Mayan Calendar, there are many who fear the end of the world on grounds that are much more reasonable. One expert group in Oxford University calculated the risk of human extinction before the year 2100, looking at only a handful of possible causes that could arise from technological failures. They said we had a one chance in five of destroying ourselves, even without the help of outside forces. And there were heaps of possible End Scenarios they didn’t even consider, like asteroid impact. Many would say that these are even more probable that the list considered by the Oxford Group. Add them together, and things look pretty grim! So it is not only the religious among us who live with the End of the World as an imminent threat. Atheists and scientists actually calculate these things. So, when will the world end? Or to put it into religious jargon, when will we enter the Last Days? One of the most significant predictions of this in modern history was by William Miller. From all accounts Miller was an honest, pious, humble and faithful man. He longed for the Kingdom to Come. So great was his thirst for God’s Kingdom that he did his research and calculated that the End would happen ‘about 1843’. This didn’t happen, so don’t panic. You haven’t missed it! This later became known as ‘the First Disappointment’. The Millerites then discovered some minor errors in their calculations, and released a revised prediction for April 1844. When that came and went, there was a third prediction for October 1844. That third date became known as ‘the Great Disappointment’. Far be it from me to scoff at these men. I mention these predictions not to scorn the men who made them, but to show how even Godly, intelligent and generally reliable people can make mistakes. I might argue against anyone who would tell me ‘the End is Nigh’ on a particular date, but not to question their intelligence, faithfulness or motives. I would only question their evidence and chain of argument. Because all these people want the same thing as we want! Every week here, we pray as part of our public worship ‘Thy Kingdom come!’ If anyone here does NOT want Jesus to return, then I’m left wondering what you think could be more important than that. So when will the Last Days really come upon us? Never mind what Popes and preachers and scientists calculate! What do the Scriptures say? Please turn back to the first reading today, John 21:22,23. Even in John’s own lifetime there were at least some who were expecting Jesus to return before John died. Why else would John go to the trouble of mentioning this, except to correct it? But nor did John say ‘That’s never going to happen!” The second reading Rev.1:3 makes that clear. The End is near, but don’t believe everything you hear. So let’s start by getting some context. Why would that first generation of Christians have thought Jesus would return within their own lifetimes? We start with Jesus immediately after the resurrection. The disciples had been expecting a Davidic Messiah, one who would re-establish the Throne of David. So they ask in Acts 1:6 ‘Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ You will notice that Jesus doesn’t give a straight answer to that. ‘It is not for you to know…’. That should settle any future questions. But it didn’t. Then came Pentecost. And under the influence of the Spirit, Peter declared that this was a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. ‘In the Last Days, says God…”. The return of Christ might not be for us to know, but the process is already under way! The Last Days have come! The Writer to the Hebrews says the same, in Heb. 1:1,2. ‘God spoke to our fathers by the prophets at various times and in various ways in times past, but in THESE LAST DAYS he has spoken to us by His Son.’ Yes, the New Testament Writers tell us clearly that the Last Days have come, and you’re standing in them! We have been for two thousand years! But there are some who say that now, and only now, have all the signs lined up. Let’s have a look at some of these typical ‘Signs of the Times’. 1. There will be earthquakes and pestilence and natural disasters. Some take the number and severity of natural disasters as a ‘Sign of the Times’. In fact, the Bible suggests a totally different perspective. Read Jesus’ own words in Matt. 24 21-23. Let’s consider the position of those who take Jesus’ words literally. He says the disasters of the End Times will be greater than any before them, even since the beginning. That would require a Flood greater than Noah’s, or a volcanic eruption greater than Santorini or Toba. Nothing since the time of Jesus has even come close! Now consider the position of those who take Jesus’ words not literally but as a metaphor, meant only to indicate disasters of an extreme number and nature. In that case there are several tests that have to be satisfied. First the recent disasters have to be shown to be extreme, compared to the average. This has not been done, and the statistics that are available suggest that fewer people died in pestilence, earthquakes and famine in the twentieth century than in the seventeenth, even though the world population back then was only a fraction of today’s figure. Beware those who cherry-pick which disasters they want to focus on, instead of the overall truth! And even when this is done, how do you know it is the worst in history? The only thing anyone could reasonably claim is that it might be the worst SO FAR. But as any Olympic athlete will tell you, records were made to be broken at the next Games. Just wait four more years and what happened last year will soon be old news. In the same way, how can anyone assert with confidence that any disaster today is the worst possible? How can they know that something even worse won’t happen next year? But even if all these tests can be satisfied, Jesus still says ‘Don’t believe it!’ 2. The Temple must be rebuilt. This is true. And I’ve got news for you. The Temple HAS BEEN rebuilt. Jesus said so himself in John 2:19. ‘Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ And He did! Paul extends this to the Church, the Body of Christ. For example, he challenges the Corinthians with ‘Do you not know that you are the Temple of God?’ as though this should be common knowledge among them. (1 Cor. 3:16) 3. Israel must be restored. And Israel has been restored! But despite claims to the contrary, this did not happen in 1948. It happened at Pentecost! Since that day the Son of David has been King over the New Israel. This consists of not only descendants of Abraham, but all who are born of water and the Spirit, as Jesus tells Nicodemus. In fact, Israel was never restricted only to those carrying the DNA of Abraham; Rahab the harlot was admitted into the People of Israel, and the prophets are rich with invitations for the gentiles to bind themselves to the God of Abraham. And the extent of this New Kingdom is not merely a repeat of David’s territorial conquests. Christ rules over the entire Universe! As the writer to the Hebrews tells us, everything in the Former Covenant was only a shadow of the reality which was to come. So look to the reality, not the shadow! Paul makes this clear in Gal. 3:28, where he says ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.’ And again in 6:15,16, where ‘For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be upon as many as walk according to this rule, the Israel of God.’ And again in Ephesians 2:15 he describes that in Christ God has acted ‘to create in Himself one man instead of two.’ It is clear from Scripture that the promises to Abraham are fulfilled in Christ. Not in ‘Israel according to the flesh’, but in Jesus, the True Israel. All who look to Israel as the world sees it, or the Temple Mount, or an earthly nation-state of Israel, or anything like that, are missing the point. As Paul says in 1 Cor. 1:20, ‘For all the promises of God are ‘Yes!’ in Him.’ The Risen Jesus says the same in Luke 24:44; ‘All things written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled concerning me.’ In other words, everything that was ever written in the Old Testament should be read in a context that points to Christ, and nothing else. For we Christians look to Jesus for God to fulfill every one of His promises. We don’t look to buildings, nor to empires, nor to genealogies nor to anything else of this world. To look outside Jesus for anything is to implicitly assert that the Work of Christ was, in itself, insufficient. But we all know that the Work of Christ was everything that would ever be needed. We need look no-where else. So what is the take-away line from today? It is this. That we are already in the Last Days. We have been ever since Pentecost. Therefore we should all live accordingly, knowing the End will come soon. How soon, no-body knows, but live your remaining days with that certainty at the core of your being. And how you are to do that will be discussed in the next two weeks. Unless the End comes first. |
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Matthew 24:36 ► “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." But it would be good for everyone to read Matthew 24: 4-51 My thoughts on this are, (and they could be wrong) One should not speculate about the end, let alone make predictions that will or have potential to distress or lead ashtray others. Or set a bad example for the non-believers. If only the father knows then anything a human says will be wrong, period! This is part of guarding against the yeast of the Pharisees. But it goes deeper than that. It tells us to keep watch and to occupy. To me this means keep a vigilant watch on ourselves that we hold to Jesus's teachings and instructions. To occupy, meaning in following these instructions and teachings the world will despise you. No servant is greater than his master and no student is greater than his teacher. If they hated him how much more so will they you? But this doesn't mean fight! Jesus said that he could have called 20 legions of angles, yet he did not. Instead he asked the father Father forgive them for they know not what they do" So IMHO it is a message to and for us. To stand firmly and keep watch and be vigilant to renewe ourselves by confessing or failings to God (In Private) and asking for forgiveness, correction and teaching. The best thing to do is work hard on your relationship with God, by alone time with God and reading the word. However without alone time and submitting your will and free will to Christ the Bible will make you more of what you already are. So choose to be a new creation in Christ. Who will renewe your spirit. I have told someone people who have been fearful about the end times. That only the Father knows. Then I tell them the only thing you need to know about the end time is this. Romans 10:13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” And to take heart.Matthew 10:28 Anything that distracts us from our relationship with God or inspires fear in you or others should be avoided. IMHO, yet I know that is easier said than done. |
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Apatzer 20:30 |
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PS If I am a master candle maker yet spend a good deal of my time telling my students all the various ways a candle will burn your house down. You should find another teacher. Matthew 23: 5-12 5“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries a wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. 8“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. This has been a very good post thank you Bob for opening up this topic. |
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PPS |
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How to live in the End Times Seven Letters Last week we looked at the whole question of the Last Days. We found that we are indeed living in those Last Days now. How much longer they go on for is unknown, but the End is coming! We live our whole lives in those few seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder. The lightning has already struck, at Pentecost; nothing can stop the thunder from overtaking us! So how are we to live in these Last Days? How does God want us to spend them? (Call for suggestions, write them up, prioritise them.) Now, let’s compare our results with what John wrote to the churches in Asia. Remember that at the time the Revelation to John was given, the churches of Asia were facing persecution. Not just being thrown out of synagogues, or casual discrimination or even an occasional hate-crime. For the first time in history, the Emperor had ordered that all Christians everywhere must be either brought to bend the knee to him, or be eliminated. This was, in our language, a World Government using the full power of the State to destroy the Church. And it was happening just as the last survivor of the original Twelve Apostles was about ninety years of age, the man of whom it had been said Jesus would return before he died. Does that sound like a ‘Last Days’ scenario? How were they being told to live in these Last Days? Ephesus was the biggest city in Asia. It was home to one of the wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Artemis. It was at the head of the best road into the heartland of Asia Minor, and on the Aegean coast opposite Athens to provide easy shipping access to Greece and the West. Paul had spent three years there in one session, and kept in contact at other times. It was the key to Asia province. So John writes to them first. What is the big issue in this letter? (Read, Rev. 2:1 - 7) Love! ‘Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember from where you have fallen; Repent!’ Next is the letter to Smyrna. This was another large city, and a seaport. It’s still a big city, called ‘Izmir’ in Turkish. What is the big issue in Smyrna? (Read Rev. 2:8-11) Endurance! Remain faithful! The third letter is to Pergamum. Not as big or as prosperous as Ephesus or Smyrna, but it was the official capital of the province and the centre of Emperor-worship. It was literally ‘where Satan dwells’. (Read Rev. 2. 12 - 18) The big issue here is false teaching. It is mentioned in verse 14 aimed at one set of false teachings and again in verse 15 against a different set of errors. And the threat is that Christ will come to ‘fight against them with the sword of my mouth’. In other words, with true preaching. The fourth letter is to Thyatira. This town was famous for its brass-working. In this letter it is noted for its brazen immorality. (Read Rev. 2:18 - 29) Now let’s look at the list John provides for us so far. What are his priorities for living in the Last Days? First priority is Love. Nothing else matters without love. Isn’t that repeating what Paul tells the Corinthians? The Gospel doesn’t change just because times get tough. Love is the essential core of the Gospel, and nothing else is of any value at all without it. How does that compare to our list? Second priority is perseverance. Jesus endured to the death. We are called to do likewise. In God’s mercy most of us will be spared a death like crucifixion or martyrdom, but we are not promised that as a right. Whatever God has lined up for us, soft or hard, we are called to endure it while retaining our love for our God. Third priority is sound teaching. Many seem to think it is first priority, even more important than Love. But no, John puts teaching where it belongs; in third place, behind Love and Perseverance. Fourth is living a morally blameless life. For a large part of Western History many have thought that a blameless life was the sum total of a Christian life. How many of you have heard people say ‘I do the right thing! I don’t kill, or steal, or do anything wrong! I live a good life.’ And they think they have God’s approval for this! And to be fair, too many genuine Christians acquiesce in this error. We have followed the pattern of the world, where the politically powerful have enforced outward obedience on those below them. And when the church had power, it did the same as those with worldly power. Even today there are groups who claim to be demanding that the State should legislate ‘Christian Standards’, as though Victorian Morality is the path to salvation! But no! John tells us that living a moral life is not the heart of the Gospel. It is only of fourth rank in importance. Remember how Jesus spoke to the ‘certain ruler’ in Luke 18. That man who claimed, and probably fairly since Jesus didn’t correct him, that ‘all these things I have done from my youth.’ In itself keeping the Law is nothing, unless it flows from a heart that is already operating on the basis of Love, Perseverance and Truth. Well, these are God’s priorities for living in the Last Days. How do they compare to the priorities we developed earlier? And how many of you can tick every box? I can’t tick every box! What am I to do? Let’s read letter five. This is to Sardis. This had once been the greatest city in the region, but its glory days were gone. So how appropriate that its church ‘have a name that you are alive, but are dead’. (Read Rev. 3:1 - 6) It would appear that quite a few of that church might have cracked under the persecution and sacrificed to the Emperor to avoid punishment. Let me explain how that system worked. The Romans were very good at organizing public administration. We all know about the census in the Christmas story. This was to make sure no-body was dodging taxes. The Romans were just as good at ensuring everyone did their public duty in Emperor-worship as well. Everyone would line up at a local Temple, commandeered for the occasion like polling places are set up in schools today. Each person would be told to take a pinch of incense as they passed the bowl, throw it onto the incense burner and say “Caesar is Lord’. Then you would give your name and identification as you would at a census. “My name is Bob Springett, born 1952, son of Bob Springett, one hundred and sixty eight centimetres tall, blue eyes, balding, scar on my upper left chest.” One scribe would fill these details onto a numbered certificate and hand it to me. A second scribe would list my name in a book to be kept as a record in that temple, against the number corresponding to my certificate. So if anyone ever accused me of not being a faithful subject of the Emperor, I could show my certificate. And if it was challenged as a forgery, the number on the certificate would be referred to the book held at the temple. So here I am. I claim to be a Christian, but I acknowledged Caesar as god. My name is in the Book in the Temple of Saturn. I have a name for being alive, but I am dead. I have failed to confess Christ’s name. What does Jesus have to say to me? Am I without hope? Jesus says ‘He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life. I will confess his name before my Father and His angels.’ Now, just think about that! I allowed my name to be entered into Caesar’s Book; but if I repent, Jesus will not blot me out of His Book! I failed to confess Christ’s name before men, but Jesus will still confess my name before the Father! All my failures, my weakness, my cowardice, my lack of trust; everything will be wiped away if only I repent. I will overcome, thanks to Jesus! Those who know me, and know some of my history, might understand why the letter to Sardis is to me the most precious letter of all. So what happens if you take the offer in the letter to Sardis? What comes next? (Read Rev. 3:7 – 13) The letter to Philadelphia, that’s what happens next! Jesus sets before them an open door that none can shut. They shall be pillars in the temple of God. And they will have written on them a new name. Not the former name, the name of someone who pretended to be alive but was dead. Not the name written in the Book in the Temple of Saturn, the name of an apostate. It will be a new name, a new identity, given directly from God himself. And finally, the letter to the Laodiceans. (Read Rev. 3:14 - 22) They are neither hot nor cold. They think they are wealthy, but they are poor. But Jesus stands at the door and knocks. They, like the church in Sardis, have failed. Will they accept the offer extended to Sardis, and follow the Philadelphians? That is the offer. It is also the offer to us, today. We are all Laodiceans. What will WE do in these Last Days? How will WE live in them? So let’s summarise what we have read today. If we are to live faithfully in the Last Days, our priorities should be Love Perseverance Truth Live according to these three principles If we fail, REPENT! When we repent, nothing can stop us living as we should, for God. And finally, open the door! ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ |
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BOB |
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Why to live that way in the End Times. These were LOVE PERSERVERANCE TRUTH RIGHTEOUS LIVING Where we fail REPENT and we are restored, with no door unlocked. But we must commit to God’s priorities for us, and not be luke-warm. But what’s the point of it all? What is God trying to achieve in these Last Days? What’s the context for us, that we are called to exercise these priorities? What is God doing that makes these priorities so important? Revelation is a complex book, with many themes woven together. Let’s pull one thread out and examine it. Read Rev. 6:9 – 11, one verse at a time 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; I expect when you read verse 9, you imagine in your own mind a mass of anonymous martyrs huddled together. But to these original readers, these martyrs were not anonymous. They would have seen faces they recognized. Husband, wife, parent, child. They might even think of a face they usually saw only in a mirror. they cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?” Was there any problem in what they were asking? Isn’t God a God of Justice? Will he allow evil to have a free hand forever? So what does God do in response? Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. In other words, “‘Don’t worry, keep quiet, there’s more gunna die before anything is done!” Is this the God we know, or is it some callous pretender? But God does act, and he acts immediately. Verses 12 to 15 show a very scary judgement, with earthquakes and stars falling to Earth and even the most powerful of men fleeing in terror. And what does this achieve? The commanders, the mighty men, say to the mountains “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the Throne!” This judgement results in men trying to hide from God. They would rather die than confront him! But that’s not all! Like a Demtel add, God has even more planned. So severe that he takes a break to seal his own, to protect them. But then it happens! Chapters eight and nine are an unbroken series of unimaginably harsh punishments. Look at 9:6. ‘In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die and death will flee from them.” And slightly later, in 9:20,21 we have the outcome. “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues did not repent.” And “They did not repent of their murders or sorceries or their immorality or their theft.” The message is clear. Even a chain of judgements of unimaginable severity will do nothing except harden sinful men. They will not repent. They will not give glory to the One who is worthy of it. Then God does something different. Rev. 11:3-6 And I will grant my two witnesses power to prophesy for one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth. And if any one would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes; if any one would harm them, thus he is doomed to be killed. They have power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. Do these powers sound familiar? Causing a drought? Think of Elijah confronting Ahab, king of Israel, and the priests of Baal. Turning water into blood, and striking the land with plagues? Think of Moses confronting Pharaoh. And these witnesses are completely protected by God, just as Elijah and Moses were. These witnesses will complete their testimony. It won’t be interrupted or cut short. And only then will they die. Rev. 11:11 - 13 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up hither!” And in the sight of their foes they went up to heaven in a cloud. Who else do we know of, who was raised from the dead and taken up into heaven in a cloud? Not three days, as for Jesus; but just half a day longer. And they will be vindicated in the sight of all. Now, let’s get back to the judgements that God has been pouring out. The first was a huge earthquake and stars falling out of the sky. That didn’t work. Then came a whole series of the most extreme punishments, too long and too severe to be recounted here. That achieved nothing. So what do you expect God to do, after his chosen witnesses have been murdered? Rev. 11:13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. Compared to the other judgements, this is a pinprick! It’s no more than ‘business as usual’ in the Roman world, where earthquakes and volcanoes destroyed cities time and again. Think Pompeii. Or even how many earthquakes have hit Italy, Greece and Turkey over the last ten years, and geology was no different a mere two thousand years ago. So you can see that this was nothing special. But because of these two witnesses, things were different. Business as usual reminded people of their own mortality, and the two witnesses reminded them who had power over life and death. Result? ‘The rest gave glory to God in heaven.’ God hasn’t been ignoring the martyrs under the altar while all this was going on. He has been answering them. He has shown that His purpose is not to destroy evil men and women, but to bring them to repentence. Destruction will not achieve this, not even destruction on an astronomical scale. But faithful witness to the very end, set in the context of the normal trials and dangers of this world, is how God will achieve his purposes. The martyrs under altar have their answer. And now they also know why God added the explanation ‘until the number of their brethren who would be killed as they were, was complete.’ So now we have the Big Picture. We know what God is doing in these Last Days. He is calling men and women to Himself. Now we have a context in which to understand what our own priorities are. Remember, they are LOVE PERSERVERANCE TRUTH RIGHTEOUS LIVING And when we fail, REPENTANCE When God’s People live like this, they are the two witnesses. They will enjoy God’s protection until their witness is complete. Then they will die, but they will be vindicated for their work. Last week, when I asked what our priorities should be, there were some answers that said exactly this, but without those words. In particular I’m thinking of one answer, ‘PROCLAIMING’. When God’s People live God’s way, they proclaim His character in everything they do. So what is God doing in these Last Days? God is drawing men and women to Himself. This will not be done by judgement and destruction, but by His faithful people being His witnesses. And they will witness to Him in their lives, by showing LOVE PERSERVERANCE TRUTH RIGHTEOUS LIVING And when they fail, by REPENTANCE. This will be our witness in these Last Days, even if these Last Days go on for another ten thousand years. It will be our witness to what our God is like. |
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Dead men tell no tale's nor do they learn lessons. I am reminded of when Jesus said. "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one." Bob, this is a very thoughtful and thought provoking post rooted in truth. A grateful Robert thanks you for sharing. |
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BOB |
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THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH The New Heavens and New Earth “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17) There is a glorious future awaiting the redeemed. Although God’s primeval creation of the heavens and the earth is eternal (note Psalm 148:6, etc.), these are now groaning in pain under the effects of sin and the curse. When the Lord returns, they will be “delivered from the bondage of corruption into...glorious liberty” (Romans 8:21), and God will make them all new again, with all the scars of sin and death burned away by His refining fires (2 Peter 3:10). There are four explicit references in the Bible to these “renewed” heavens and Earth. In addition to our text, which assures us that they will be so wonderful that this present earth and its heavens will soon be forgotten, there is the great promise of Isaiah 66:22: “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.” Thus, that heavens and Earth will remain eternally, and so will all who dwell there, with their true spiritual children. Note also that both God’s “creation” and “making” powers will be applied to the new heavens and new earth, just as they were to the first (Genesis 2:3). The third and fourth references are in the New Testament. “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). Not only will no sin be present there, neither will the results of sin and the curse. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away;...And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:1, 4). HMM Listen to todays devotional on the Days of Praise Podcast Donate today to help ICR reach others with biblical truth |
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Shirl 13:34 Isaiah 42:9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 62:2 The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will give. Isaiah 65:17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. Isaiah 66:22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, says the Lord; so shall your descendants and your name remain." The theme of 'Creation' is stronger in Isaiah than any other book, even stringer than in Genesis. This is specially so when talking about Israel being re-created. The 'New Thing' that God is doing promises not only a new heaven and a new Earth, but also a new Israel. The old will be swept away and the New will endure forever. look up and consider the number of times Israel is spoken of as a failure, followed swiftly by promises of Israel's greatness. This contrast is deliberate, a contrast of the failed 'old Israel' and the New Israel that God will create Himself. It is as St. Paul later says, this is like Ishmael, born of Sarah and Abraham doing things their way, compared to Isaac, God's special work. Which is one reason why I put no credibility in those who see the modern state of Israel has having any relevance to God's future. The cocoon remains after the butterfly has departed, but that cocoon is now lifeless. Look for the New Thing! |
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Shirl 14:30 One thing I learned there more than any other is that all our doctrine is not 'Absolute Truth'. It is only a way of talking about as much of the Truth as we can understand. 'Absolute Truth' is in God alone, and different people see different perspectives and talk about them in different ways. Some of those ways are more helpful to different folks than others. My Engineering degree is through Sydney University in 1974, in Civil and Structural Engineering. |
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Yes, I do agree with your paragraph concerning "Absolute Truth". Shirley. |
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A layman's perspective 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really know me, you will know b my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” "I am" Think back to the answer given to Moses by the burning bush. "I am, that I am" which is a perfect answer. If God said I am this, than anything that wasn't what he labeled wouldn't be God. I often think that God is everything. "The way" Which has been made known to us. Jesus is the narrow path and the small gate. He lead by example and showed us the way it is up to us to deny ourselves and pick up our cross to follow him. No man is greater than his teacher/ master. Jesus also proclaimed that he was the truth. Not just the idea of Jesus but "the truth" to deny what is true no matter how much we may not like it IMHO is to deny Jesus. Of course there is way more to this statement and on many different levels. God is the absolute truth. "And the life" all life but again there is much more to this statement also. |
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Apatzer 16:03 As Aquinas taught, for anyone to say 'God is LITERALLY XYZ' is to imply that XYZ exists logically prior to God Himself. That of course is a nonsense, because XYZ doesn't exist except as created by God. The only completely accurate answer God could have given Moses is 'I am'. The rest follows as logical consequences. |
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I don't know why Life has been hectic for me these days. |
