Jesus' kingdom will be fully realized when He comes again

“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14

Daniel was given a vision of things to come.  The vision was of four consecutive world empires that would all come and go.  The end of the fourth empire would exist when Jesus came the first time.  From Daniels’ perspective that was distant future.  From our perspective it is distant past.

That God’s fulfilled prophecies of the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans all happened was not merely history written in advance.  It was to establish God’s 100% accuracy regarding the world empires to verify that what He had to say about the coming of Christ was indeed trustworthy.  And it was.

Even though the world is still running amuck, Jesus rules now.

When Jesus comes again, as He said He would, the fullness of His kingdom will be seen, on into and throughout eternity.

In this in between time (when Jesus rules, but sin yet prevails) we are to trust Him, and worship Him as the King of kings and the Lord of lords, (a) because He is!  And (b) when He comes again, He will deal decisively and finally with all that oppose Him.

God is looking. Who will He find?

So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads," says the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 22:30-31

In Ezekiel 22, God was “looking” for a person to pray.  Just one.  He wasn’t looking for a powerful or a popular person, or even a person mighty in prayer who could pray powerfully.  He was simply looking for a person to pray.

What was this person to pray for?  The person God was looking for was to pray to God for His people so that God’s much deserved wrath would be averted.

Who did God find?  No one.

Was no one was found because the qualifications were too demanding?  No.  The only thing needed was a willingness to pray.

What was the result of God’s search coming up empty?  God’s judgment—judgment that could have been averted, had there been just one willing to pray.

In light of the sins of our nation (including sins in the Church), which cry out for God’s just judgment, what if God is looking for people to pray in our day?  Who would He find?  

Disobedience regarding evangelism

Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
Ezekiel 3:19

 This is but one verse of five (v.17-21) in which God spells out a principle regarding evangelism and the responsibility of the evangelist.  The principle is that if we tell people the gospel (believe and repent), if they refuse, they will be judged for rejecting the message, but we will have fulfilled our responsibility and will be free from judgment.  If we do not tell them, we will incur God’s judgment for our disobedience.

First what this does not mean:  Our failure to tell people about Christ and the gospel will not cost us our salvation.  That was secured by Christ’s obedience not ours!

What it does mean is that our disobedience is not without consequence.  One consequence is displeasing God.  Another consequence is loss of reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:9-10).

If we are saved, we do not want to displease God, nor do we want to lose rewards for obedience since our rewards are not ultimately for us but for Christ’s glory.

People need to know the Lord.  The way God has ordained people who do not know the Lord to receive Christ is that we (who know Him) are called to make Christ and the gospel known.

Let us pray to be more evangelistically minded, and that the Lord will convert people with whom we share the good news!

In whom are you trusting?

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust... Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.   Isaiah 40:15 & 17

Much of the history of the world is the history of people and nations warring against each other.  The drive to exert one’s power and authority by attacking and defeating others seems virtually insatiable.

But the day is coming when every person and nation will be conquered by God almighty.  Where will boasting be then?

The message of Daniel involves prophecies of world empires rising and falling in succession, each boasting that they are bigger and more powerful than those that came before.

But that is not the main point of the book of Daniel.  The main point of Daniel is that, though world empires come and go, in the end, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Jesus, will defeat them all and establish His Kingdom that can never fail and will never end.

While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.  Daniel 2:34

In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.  Daniel 2:44

So let us not trust in the nations or in the people who purport to rule them.  Instead, let us trust only in, and give our praise only to, King Jesus!

Spotting false prophets / teachers

Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Hear now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the LORD.’”
Jeremiah 28:15-16

Jeremiah was surrounded by false prophets who told the people what they wanted to hear instead of what God wanted to say.  Hananiah was one of those false prophets.  God (through Jeremiah) condemned Hananiah for prophesying lies.

There have always been false prophets, as there are today, who tell people what they want to hear instead of what God says. 

Since we do not have a Jeremiah to identify false prophets, how do we know who to listen to and who not to?  We do not need a Jeremiah to sort this out for us.  We have the Bible!  As Isaiah said:

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20

Those whose message is not accurately true to God’s Word, the Bible, are not to be listened to—at all! 

This requires us to be diligent to know God’s Word so we can discern what is accurate and what is not.  We receive help in this from respected teachers and preachers—but even their words must be measured by the Word of God, as did the Bereans who scrutinized even Paul’s preaching by comparing it to the rest of scripture:

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Acts 17:11

Let us be discerning to “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”  (1 John 4:1)

Have we have forgotten how to blush?

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD. Jeremiah 6:15

I recently saw a man and a woman walking hand in hand in a public park.  They both wore
t-shirts with writing emblazed on their chests.  The messages of both were provocatively embarrassing.  The poor souls were not only bold enough to own and wear those shirts—in public, no less—neither of them had sense enough to blush.  

In case you haven’t noticed, we live in a crude, lewd, and rude society.  We are a society that celebrates perversion and vilifies those who refuse to join the parade.

Jeremiah wrote about the sinfulness of Judah, pointing out that their sin was so commonplace that the people had forgotten how to blush.

God promised such people that they would fall, experience God’s punishment, and be cast down.

Judah fell, and fell hard under the Lord’s displeasure.  If God does not deal with us, He may need to apologize to Judah.

Let us worship God in the beauty of His holiness, praying for a spiritual and moral revival in our land. And let us thank the Lord that there are still people who, by God’s grace, know how to blush.

God saved even him!

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. But he did evil in the sight of the LORD…  2 Chronicles 33:1-2

Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty… Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. (v.12-13)

So Manasseh rested with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. Then his son Amon reigned in his place… But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done… (v.20-22)

Manasseh was the worst of the Kings of Judah, sinning more than the pagans displaced by Israel when they entered the Land under Joshua.

God turned Manasseh over to the Assyrians, who took him as a prisoner to Babylon.  While there, Manasseh repented.  God brought him back to Jerusalem, where he sought to make reforms.  But the people were so entrenched in their wickedness, they did not follow the king’s good example as they had followed his bad example.

When Manasseh died, his son, Amon, became king.  Amon followed his father’s example in sin, but not in repentance.  He was assassinated after ruling only two years.  Lessons to learn?

• Even the worst sinner can be saved and repent.

• While sins of the repentant are forgiven, the damage done by past sin may still have lasting consequences.

• Parents’ repentance does not guarantee repentance by our offspring.

Overall, God is incredibly gracious, but sin is not without consequences.

Listen to the One who called you to Himself

“Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him.”
Isaiah 51:1-2

God wants certain people to listen to Him.  They are people who desire righteousness and who seek the Lord.  Who are these people? 

They are those God has graciously called to Himself; those He has hewn from rock; those He has dug from a hole in the ground.  In other words, those God has transformed from what we were to who we now are in Christ.  They are those—like Abraham and Sarah who were lost in the world without hope—who God called out of the world to Himself.

• Let us never forget where we were and where we were headed before God saved us. 

• Let us never cease worshiping and praising God for His incredible mercies. 

• Let us be filled with gratitude for the blessings He has poured out on us. 

• And let us “listen to Him” that we may know and do His will.

Soli deo Gloria! To God alone be glory!

"...to the ends of the earth..."

“According to Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth…”
Psalm 48:10

There are two applications of this verse.  Both are legitimate.

First, as large as the whole earth is, it is not large enough to contain the praises due God.  As He is greater than the earth, so is His praise-worthiness.  This is good to remember when the fears and anxieties that are all too common in our lives overshadow our praised to the God who is worthy of all praise all of the time.

Second, after 2,000+ years, there are still places on this planet where Christ is not known. 

• Let us be encouraged that it is God’s plan that the gospel of Christ go to every people group in the world. 

• Let us pray for and support missionary efforts that broadcast Christ and His glorious gospel. 

• And let us be reminded that in eternity, the praises of God in Heaven will rise from a choir made up of people from every tribe, tongue and nation!

Hallelujah!

Prioritize to be able to stand

“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” Isaiah 7:9 NIV

Isaiah 7:9 provides an important reminder regarding priorities in life.  Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 6:33:  “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

The first and over-arching priority in our lives must be the Lord and our relationship with Him.  If that is not right, we can scarcely be surprised when other areas of our lives are out of kilter.  As an example, why should we be surprised when our relationships with others are troubled if our relationship with the Lord is not our number one priority?

That is not to say that when we are right with the Lord, everything else in our lives will be smooth sailing.  Life is fraught with difficulties.  But let us be sure that they are not troubles of our own making as a result of neglecting our relationship with the Lord.

How do we prioritize our relationship with the Lord?  The ordinary means of grace, of course.  Let us:

Prioritize God’s Word. Read it and hear it preached. 

Prioritize prayer. It is not how long or how beautifully we pray, it is that we do pray—everyday.

Prioritize fellowship. Share our lives with other believers by serving, encouraging, and being encouraged by one another.

Easier said than done!

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

This is one of the simplest, most straight forward verses about worship and the Christian life.

Simple, but not easy.

Because all of life, not just religious activities are what the Christian life is all about, all of our lives belong to Jesus.  He created us and redeemed us, so we are His.

Because every aspect of our lives belongs to Him, He deserves our worship in every aspect of our lives—every minute of every day.

I think we would all agree that is true.  And I am sure we all know how difficult that is to actually do, even for a day, much less every minute of every day.  So what do we do with this biblical admonition?

We cannot ignore it, but since none of us lives up to it, here are two thoughts:

Pray, confessing our failings and asking God to so captivate our hearts, minds, and affections that we would get better at glorifying the Lord in all that we do.

Praise the Lord that as our wonderful Savior, Jesus did this perfectly for us, so that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 

Independence! From What?

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,  1 Timothy 2:1-3

This week Americans celebrate the 4th of July, also known as Independence Day.  It marks the time in 1776 when the colonists declared their independence from the British Crown and King George.  It was the first time in history when a government was said to be of, for, and by the citizens.  It was a first for  government to be “limited” to what a document gave them jurisdiction over—and nothing more!  It was understood by the founders that for this experiment in freedom to succeed, the citizens have to be self-governed, and that based on the citizens’ understating their obligations to God who grants people unalienable rights.

That has changed.  America has changed, and not for the better!  Freedom, in the minds of many Americans, means the right to do anything, no matter how wrong, evil, and perverse.  Stated another way, to many Americans, freedom means freedom from all restraint—especially from God!

Government cannot address, much less right, this systemic wrong.  America’s only hope is not political, it is spiritual.  It is not a candidate, it is a King: Jesus.  It is not a cultural revolution, but a Christian revival.  What we can and must do is PRAY.  May God have mercy on us, and on this nation in spiritual decline!

What kind of leadership?

And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”
1 Kings 12:7

Solomon’s Son, Rehoboam, succeeded his father on the throne of united Israel.  Apparently, Solomon had taxed his people heavily to support his lavish government projects.  Obviously some things never change!

The young king wisely sought counsel on how to rule the great nation.  Older, wiser advisors who had worked for Solomon advised Rehoboam to serve the people, rather than continuing to make them his servants via excessive taxation.  They promised that when government serves the people (including restraint in taxation), the people would willingly serve their king.

Rehoboam then asked a group of his youthful peers what they thought.  They advised the king to lean on the people more heavily than Solomon had (1 Kings 12:8-14.)  Rehoboam foolishly followed the counsel of his naive peers.  The result: 10 of 12 tribes seceded from the nation and began a new one, calling it Israel.  Rehoboam was left ruling what was left, called Judah.

Jesus is the perfect Leader.  One of the marks of His leadership is that He serves His people.  

Matthew 20:27-28  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Life "under the sun," or "under Heaven"?

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?... To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: Ecclesiastes  1:1-2, & 3:1

Ecclesiastes, written almost certainly by King Solomon, contrasts life “under the sun” and life “under Heaven.”  Understanding this it the key to understanding the book.  The premise is simply this: If this life (under the sun) is all there is, all of life is vanity (emptiness).  Life only has ultimate meaning when lived with eternity in mind (under Heaven).

The reality is that there is a God in Heaven.  Therefore, those who live only for this life (under the sun), not only live in vanity, they will die to find that there is a life in Heaven after this life under Heaven. 

One of the sayings often repeated by R.C. Sproul was: “Right now counts forever.”  The only way to be prepared for Heaven is to live this life (“under the sun”) with eternity in mind (“under Heaven”).

The first and most essential step in living “under Heaven” is to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.  Acknowledge your sin and need for forgiveness.  Trust in Christ (His death and resurrection) as the only way anyone will ever live “under Heaven.”

The stain of violence and the Prince of Peace

…but the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.
1 Chronicles 22:8

David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22).  He earnestly desired to build a temple (a house for God’s name).  But God disallowed David to build the temple.  God’s reason?  David was a man of bloodshed.  Most of that bloodshed was in the context of war.  God sanctioned, and even led David to fight those wars.  Nevertheless, the house of worship was not to be built by the man of war and bloodshed.

What can we learn from this?

Even a man after God’s own heart was stained in God’s eyes by violence.

Consider the Beatitudes.  God’s blessings are on the meek, the merciful, and on the peacemakers.  No blessing is pronounced on those who defeat their enemies. In fact, a blessing is pronounced on those who bless those who persecute them.

Maybe we should be concerned about our increasingly violent culture.  Maybe we should be concerned about how much violence fills our entertainment.

Praise God that the Prince of Peace, Jesus, is building His temple, the Church!

In all your getting, get this!

Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
Proverbs 4:7

One of the principal goals common to human beings is getting stuff.  Toys.  Friends.  Money and materiel possessions.  Financial security.  The list could go on.  Truly life is about getting.

God counsels us that the principal thing to get is wisdom.  In several places in Proverbs, the Lord tells us that wisdom is more valuable than gold and silver (Proverbs 8:10-11)!  So in the midst of getting things, we are wise to make getting wisdom our principal pursuit.

God also tells us that the beginning of any true knowledge, wisdom, and understanding is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7).

It is revealing that so few are marked by any real fear of God.  It is likewise revealing that most of humanity is marked by foolishness.

Be reminded that if you fear God and have any biblical wisdom, you are not better, only more blessed.  The only reason any of us fears God, and has even a speck of His wisdom, is His grace.

God is to be praised, and why?

Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!
Psalm117:1-2

This beautiful Psalm is short.  Yes, these two verses are the whole Psalm! As short as it is, it tells us several important and wonderful things about God:

• God is to be praised by “all Gentiles.” and lauded by “all peoples.” He saves people fro every tribe tongue and nation.

• God is merciful and kind and His mercy and kindness is “great toward us!”

• God is not only truthful, He is truth (John 14:6).

• God is faithful, enduring without change forever!

What a delight it is to know, love and worship God for who He is!

From one generation to the next

One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.
Psalm 145:4

It has often been said Christianity is one generation from extinction.  Fortunately, we have Jesus’ word that His kingdom cannot fail!

Matthew 16:18 ...on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

But humanly speaking, the hypothetical idea that the faith is one generation away from extinction should urge every generation to pass our faith to the next one—and to pray fervently that God would save our children and grandchildren!

This is especially important in our day, when the largest growing religious preference among young people is “none”!

It is equally important when many young people raised in biblical churches, once free to do so, flee to “churches” that major on popularity, and entertainment, while being rather weak on the gospel and biblical preaching.

Let us do all we can to pass on our faith, praying that the Lord will save the next generation.

About the presence and glory of the Lord

LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house, And the place where Your glory dwells.
Psalm 26:8

There are three kinds of people and therefore three responses to this thought:

Some couldn’t care less.  There will be no response from these.  Let we who know the Lord pray for those we know who do not care.  Pray that the Lord will graciously change their hearts.

Others agree whole heartedly!  These are those whose hearts resonate with David’s.  They love to be in the presence of the Lord and especially to behold His glory.  These seek every opportunity, not merely to go to church, but to be in the presence of the Lord and to behold His glory when in church.

And there are those who profess to know the Lord, but whose desires for lesser things keep them from being in worship with God’s people.  If that is you, ask the Lord to change your heart as well!

We must know we are lost before we can be saved!

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good. God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Every one of them has turned aside; They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.
Psalm 53:1-3

According to the Bible, only fools disbelieve in God.  Why?  Because God has not only given ample evidence of His existence in Creation (Romans 1:18-20), He has put the basic knowledge of God in every human’s heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  Believing that God exists is not the same as “believing in God,” much less “believing God” (which is what the redeemed do).

What does God see when He surveys the human race?  Go back and read the verses to the left.

Mankind, every one of us, and all of us together, are hopelessly lost in sin.  If left to ourselves, all would perish under God’s just wrath.

The good news of Christ and the Gospel is that God has provided a way (one way) to be forgiven, cleared of all wrong doing , and declared righteous in His eyes.  That one way is trusting in and following Jesus Christ.  Jesus, who is God, became a human like us in every way except for sin.  He lived the holy life God requires of each of us (1 Peter 1:15-16), that we have all failed to live.  He died on the cross for us to pay the penalty for our sins, experiencing the full wrath of God.  And He rose for us, defeating sin, death, and Hell, opening the way for us to righteousness, eternal life, and Heaven. 

Have you trusted in Him?
Are you seeking to follow Him?