Christmas Interlude - 2010.12.25

“…when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

Galatians 4:4-5

Someone has effectively paraphrased this text, “When the time was right…” When the time was right from the divine perspective, centuries, indeed millennia of waiting, anticipation and wondering were rewarded by the incarnation of the Son of God. When the time was right, He came to redeem.

Before He left with His mission accomplished He promised, “I will come again, and receive you unto myself…” And when the time is right, He will come again to receive His own into their everlasting habitation. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end" (1 Cor 15:58; Heb 3:14)

That is what Christmas is all about.

__________________

Dear Friends:

An annual greeting in the Savior’s name! For me it has been a pretty routine year. I am still working part time in the produce department of a local supermarket two or three days a week on average and 4-5 hours at a stretch. It gets me out and gives me needed exercise. My health remains good, given the number of years this body has served me. The family is well at present, with Dave and Linda living about twenty minutes from me and Sue and Doug in Littleton, MA. And, I hear from son-in-law Ange in France regularly, as well. The Lord is good. It was my privilege to fill the pulpit again for a friend in Clermont, FL for three prayer meetings and two Sundays, October 19-November 4. Then over Thanksgiving, I travelled with David and Linda to spend the holiday from Wednesday through Sunday with Sue and Doug. We had a fine trip in good weather and it was a great joy to be with the whole family again. They came over last Saturday to be with me through Christmas, and will leave Sunday morning to return home. We were having a snowstorm here as I wrote this letter and ultimately we got about two feet! So, we are having a “white Christmas.” We get “lake effect” snow from Lake Erie, and can get a lot of it in storms that occur before the lake freezes over. Now I trust your Christmas holiday has been filled with the joy of the Lord, and that the new year will be blessed with His tender mercies.

Sincerely in Christ,

“Pastor” Frasier

Revelation 13 - 2010.12.18

READY? OR NOT!

“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” —Rev.13:11-17

The chapter from which our “nugget” for today is taken, considered by some to be one of the most difficult in all the Book of Revelation to interpret, predicts the emergence at the end of the age of universal world government under the joint control of two personalities called “the beast” and “the false prophet.” Behind that government is the invisible “power behind the throne,” the dragon (v.2) which is Satan (Rev.12:9).

These two nefarious personalities will combine their talents to exercise absolute control over the political and spiritual life of all mankind. The objective will be to obtain for Satan the authority and worship that belong to the Creator alone, which he coveted before the world began (see Isa. 14:12-14) and which he attempted to obtain by the seduction of Adam in the Garden of Eden.

The leverage in this last campaign will be twofold. First, a remarkable idol will be manufactured, “the image of the beast (v.14),” which will be invested with life and the power to speak (v.15). A decree will be issued, “worship this image, or pay with your life.” As improbable as this may seem, it happened once before on a smaller and less remarkable scale, when king Nebuchadnezzar made “an image of gold” and commanded that “all people, nations and languages” should “fall down and worship the image that Nebuchadnezzar…had set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace [Cf Dan. 3:1-7ff].” Worship or die!

The second demand will be in the political/economic realm. A requirement will be imposed upon all, at at every level and in every category of society that they receive a mark of identification with the satanic ruler either in hand or forehead, in order to buy or sell (v. 17). This mark will imply allegiance to the government and its self exalting head, and without it no commerce can be engaged. Without it one will be unable to buy groceries or other necessities of life, travel any significant distance nor obtain medical assistance, for example. To refuse it will be to sign one’s death warrant by starvation and disease.

If you read commentaries written more than fifty years ago, there will be no conjecture how this decree could be executed or enforced, but today with the UPC, credit cards, and computer chips implanted in our pets carrying their identification and medical history, the awesome possibility of some form of universal control is no longer science fiction. The first universal credit card was introduced in the 1950’s, and that technology alone has mushroomed since. What if you could not buy or sell without one?! And what if the only one you could use was issued by the government and subject to its conditions? And what if it was literally “under your skin?” Friend, that day is coming.

Now in the “what if” department, what if you were confronted with the dictum, “accept the mark and bow the knee to the image of the beast, or die.” Would you submit for survival’s sake, or suffer for Christ’s sake? Most Christians whose doctrinal views include the “pre-tribulational rapture” of the church will not think it important to face the question, because we are sure we will not be here in that awful day. For us, we think, it is a non-issue.

However, there is a contemporary parallel. What are we willing to suffer for Christ’s sake? The Lord Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels [Luke 9:23-26].” And there was a time earlier in the history of the church when those who declared for Christ did so literally at the risk of their lives. That is still true in some parts of the world today.

It would be well for us to ask ourselves from time to time, “What is the real nature of my worship of Christ? What is really more important to me: my self-gratification, or His glory?” And who knows whether, even before the rapture, the cost of being a real Christian may rise dramatically! Would we be willing to pay the price? How we are living for Him today will give a clue!

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 12 - 2010.12.11

OVERCOMERS

“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” —Rev. 12:10-11

The Spirit of God informs the believer that we are facing a spiritual battle, “Not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,” or, as another translation renders it, “in the heavenlies.” The head of this campaign is identified in v. 9 as “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan.” Many professing Christians, I fear, give little thought to this adversary, and some regard him as a fiction. Scripture clearly identifies both the commander and the campaign, warns us of the struggle and designates our equipment for victory in the inevitable battle, assuring us that “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds [II Cor. 10:4].” God has equipped us for victory.

The struggle faced by believers on earth is a reflection of a great spiritual conflict in heaven (Cf. Rev. 12:7), in the account of which the resources for the believer’s victory are outlined. This disclosure constitutes our nugget for today. Three basic elements are delineated.

The first is the blood of the Lamb. The blood of Jesus Christ is foundational to our victory over sin and death, both in general and in the particular conflicts we encounter after conversion. It delivers us from the judgment of God and from the subsequent harassments of Satan. When God announced His judgment of Egypt in the death of the firstborn, in the book of Exodus, He instructed the Israelites to slay a lamb for every household and to strike the blood upon the doorway of their houses to mark them as His own. Then He gave them the remarkable promise, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you [Ex. 12:13].” Israel emerged from the plague unscathed, not by might nor by merit but, by simple faith in “the blood of the lamb.” So it is with the New Testament believer; distinguished by the blood of “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world,” we triumph not by any stratagem of ours, but by the sacrifice of the Son of God. The songwriter was right; “There is wonderful power in the blood.”

For this conflict, however, there is more. “And by the word of their testimony.” That word is the believer’s agreement with, conformity to and employment of the Word of God. Instructing the Ephesians in this solemn matter, the apostle Paul describes the Christian’s armor for the conflict, which includes only one offensive weapon: “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God [Eph. 6:17].” Believers who neglect the scriptures are defeated already, and are no threat to Satan’s purposes. They have little or no significant testimony for Christ. They may, by grace, be saved, but are bound to be “ashamed before Him” when He comes.

And there is yet a third element here. “They loved not their lives unto death.” They are not necessarily literally slain for His cause, but their relationship to Him is such that if His will requires it, they are ready. This equates with a theme often heard in preaching campaigns years ago, but not so often now, “full surrender.” Most of us are, sadly, not only unprepared to die for Him, but little inclined to live for Him. “All that is in the world” allures us far more than the cause of Christ, and the progress of the gospel suffers for it.

Those whose relationship to Christ incorporates a functioning faith in His blood, a vibrant biblically based testimony for Christ and who love Him more than life itself are identified as “overcomers.” Recall the use of that term in the letters to the seven churches at the beginning of this book. “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God [2:7].” “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death [2:11].” “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it [2:17].” “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations… [2:26].” “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life… [3:5].” “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out…and I will write upon him my new name [3:12].” “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne [3:21].” Clearly, to be an overcomer can be costly but, it pays eternal dividends!

“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” —Rev. 21:7

Food for thought,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 11 - 2010.12.04

ONE DOOR, AND ONLY ONE

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” —Rev. 11:15-18

The sounding of the seventh trumpet anticipates the regency of the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Lord Jesus Christ. When His redemptive work was finished He “…sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified [Heb. 10:12-14].” From that day till the day prophesied in our “nugget,” history has been preparing the world for His millennial reign. “The day of His appearing will come at last.”

In anticipation of that great day, the senate of heaven engages in an act of worship, giving thanks to “the Lord God almighty,” the Lord of heaven and earth, for the exhibition of His power and the exercise of His authority. What is now anticipated by faith will soon be confirmed by sight. For now “we see not yet all things put under Him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man [Heb. 2:8b-9].”

For now that “glory and honor” which affirms His right to reign as Lord of all is hidden from the sight of those who are clouded by unbelief, but it gives assurance of the great day coming to those who by the eye of faith anticipate the time of His coronation described in our nugget for today. And, as it generates worship by the twenty four elders in heaven, so should it do now in the part of every redeemed soul on earth.

Several things follow which confirm great truths that are prominent in the scriptures. For example, the incorrigibility of the willfully unregenerate, the eternal reward of the redeemed and the final judgment of the unrepentant.

“”The nations were angry,” and God’s wrath is come and “the time of the dead, that they should be judged…” When that day arrives, the sin hardened majority of mankind will receive the tragic and terrible reward of unbelief, corporately and individually, and carry their outrage into the hell initially prepared for the devil and his angels. Even death itself will provide no refuge from the final judgment. The Savior said, “God sent not His Sin into the world to

condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God [John 3:17-18].” Here is the greatest tragedy in the history of mankind; not that man sinned, but that a remedy having been provided for that original transgression and its awful consequences, men should continue in sin rebellious and unrepentant until the end.

Today even some professing Christians seem to entertain the vain hope that God will make some kind of exception for some, if not all, of those who have rejected the Savior. Not so, our text affirms, and in so doing confirms the declaration of the Son of God, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me [John 14:6]”

Happily (for those not yet converted,) the day anticipated in our text has not yet arrived, and our day remains a “day of salvation,” offering hope to all the lost who will “repent and believe the gospel.” For those who will, there is a glorious alternative. The King will “give reward to [His] servants the prophets, and to [His] saints, and to them that fear [His] name, small and great.”

There are none so insignificant that He will not reward their faith, and no one so great as not to need and benefit by it. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” To continue in stubborn unbelief is to invite everlasting destruction, and that without excuse.

For the believer, serve the King until He comes, so that you may rejoice with Him when He comes!

For Him Who is “the Truth”,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 10 - 2010.11.27

FINISHED

“And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” — Rev. 10:5-6

God finishes what He starts. With respect to His grand work of creation we read, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made [Gen. 1:31; 2:1-3].” When He finished the work, He rested.

When God, the Son came into the world to rescue the sin fractured creation, He finished what He started. In His great prayer to the Father He declared, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” Thus from the sacrificial altar of the cross He cried, “It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. [John 17:4].”

Concerning the consummation of the Divine plan of the ages, Daniel the prophet said, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy [Dan. 9:24, my italics].” And the apostle Paul echoes, “For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth [Rom. 9:28]. To this we might add the prophetic words of the Lord Jesus, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened [Mt. 24:21-22].” In other words, God will not only finish His work of redemption and judgment, but He will finish it in timely fashion, affording deliverance for those who have trusted the Savior and everlasting destruction for those who reject Him. Then, and not until then, when the “mystery of God” is finished, God will rest again.

Two things emerge from this in my mind. First, if you are a believer, but sometimes bewildered and perplexed by the course of the age and tempted to doubt, fear not. “Be…confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ [Phjil. 1:6].” He will finish His work in you even as He finished His work for you. All the redeemed are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls [I Pet. 1:5-9].” He will finish the work!

Second, we must aspire to finish our work for Him. God has a purpose for every believer in the body of Christ, and our daily plea should be, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do.?” In general, we are to “shine as lights,” even as the apostle counseled the Philippian believers, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life [Phil. 2:12-16a].”

By His grace and for His glory may we able able to say in that day, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing [II Tim. 4:7-8].”

For His glory and our eternal good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 9 - 2010.11.20

HARDENED IN SIN

“And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” — Rev. 9:20-21

In the gospel of Luke the Savior gives the account of “The rich man and (the beggar) Lazarus.” The rich man, you may recall, ended up in hell (not because he was rich, but because he was a self centered unbeliever,) and in hell, among other things he became a would-be evangelist. Communing with Abraham and assured that there was no relief and no reprieve for him, he cried, “I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” “Nay, father Abraham: but if one went to them from the dead, they will repent. And [Abraham] said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they he be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Luke 16:19-31)

That this judgment is correct has been proved ever since “One rose from the dead.” Confronted with the testimony of the risen Christ the vast majority of mankind continue to reject the gospel and its awesome testimony. The principle is that the heart of man is conditioned from within, and not from without. That principle applies with reference to our “nugget” for today, which anticipates the condition of the human heart till the very end of the age.

We are often tempted to think that if men will not repent when confronted with the testimony of the unconditional love of God, they may be more responsive if confronted with His judgments. Though now and then there may be exceptions, this passage proves, in general, the opposite.

Here, in context, we are given prophetic insight into the tribulation period. The sixth of the seven angels sounds his trumpet of judgment and a holocaust is unleashed which results in the annihilation of one third of the world’s population at that time. Think of it! One in every three persons on the face of the whole earth will die in a brief space of time. If it happened today, according to “the world population clock,” two billion three hundred million souls would die! Surely that will send the world to its knees!

In fact, the stunning reaction is just the opposite. Just two categories are outlined for us, but they are enough to reveal how the human heart is confirmed in sin.

The first is the persistence of pagan religion. “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk [v.20]. The living Lord, risen from the dead after having borne our sins in His own body on the cross is consistently rejected in favor of idols associated with the occult and the demonic. We are seeing those trends in our own culture today as Bible based Christianity is rejected by many in favor of religious fantasy, if not overt idolatry.

The second, and parallel category is moral degeneracy. Despite staggering circumstances, there is no moral re-direction in our society as a whole. Murder, sorcery (drug use), fornication (which is the Bible’s general term for sexual corruption,) and thievery will continue to be dominant in the world until the curtain rings down on this dispensation and Christ returns to take center stage.

What does it mean for you and me? For one thing, it means that Christians who entertain the vain hope that spiritual and moral reformation can come to any society through its political process are deluded and either ignorant of the scriptures or not convinced of their veracity.

Second, we should take note that “now is the day of salvation.” If we would see our friends, loved ones, neighbors escape the endless torments of hell, now is now is the time to warn them, and we are the ones who should carry the message to them—from the word of God. While we have the scriptures, and the Holy Spirit present to invest them with power, there is hope for the lost. After the rapture of the church there will be little hope, and those who may be persuaded will have to make their decision under terrible circumstances. Surely, “now is the accepted time.”

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 8 - 2010.11.13

FRAGRANCE or FIRE?

“And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense,which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.” —Rev. 8:3-5

One of the fascinating things in scripture is the revelation of God’s power to use the same instrument to accomplish blessing on the one hand, or judgment on the other. The “two edged sword” of the Spirit, which is the word of God, is a prime example. One edge of the sword is surgical, so to speak, suited to cutting away the cancer of sin and introducing the convicted sinner to the healing power of Christ. But that same word will be the instrument of judgment when men who have ignored or rejected it stand before Christ in the last day.

Much in nature illustrates the same principle. Fire can melt ore and make for the removal of impurities, refining gold and silver, for example, or it can destroy and consume. Water is the same; it is essential to life, but when it comes as a flood, it can destroy life, and everything in its path. Many other examples could be cited, but these serve to illustrate the point. In the text before us there is a striking illustration in the censer in the hand of the angel in v. 3.

A quick review in the Old Testament book of Leviticus will disclose the divinely ordained use of the censer in worship. Aaron was instructed to use it in conjunction with the sin offering on the Day of Atonement: “And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not [Lev. 16:12-13].” Thus engaged, the censer was an instrument of worship and of life.

In our text for today, it is in this sense that the censer is employed at first, when it ignited the incense and gave a divinely ordained fragrance and significance to the prayers of the saints. It was an agent of worship and blessing in the presence of God. But immediately the same instrument becomes an accessory to the outpouring of God’s wrath upon a prayerless and godless world. Filled with fire from the golden altar which is before the throne of God and cast into the earth, it initiates “voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake,” preface to the awful judgments of the “seven trumpets” of the tribulation period.

A series of convulsions follow, employing the forces of nature on earth and elements in the heavens to bring chaos to the planet and incredible misery to its inhabitants. The Lord Jesus anticipated these things when He said, “Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved…[Mat. 24:21-22].”

Man ignores the fact, too often also ignored by many a professing Christian, that the God who made the world and its environs has unlimited control over it. A man who identifies himself as a Christian told me today how it took millions of years to carve the canyon at Watkins Glen in Vermont. That kind of thinking comes from faith—faith in the philosophical scientists who, having rejected the idea of an omnipotent God as creator of all, cannot explain earth phenomena without interposing vast reaches of time, vague and unverifiable, to “explain” the undiscoverable. The simple fact is that should He choose to do so, the God of creation could carve Watkins Glen—or the Grand Canyon, for that matter, with His little finger in less time than it has taken to write this sentence. The instruments of His power are “two edged,” and men will experience either their deliverance or their destruction depending on what they have done with the Gospel of His dear Son.

Add your prayers to those of these tribulation saints whose worship will rise as a fragrance to God. Not prayers limited to pleas for physical welfare and temporal concerns, but prayers that incorporate worship and rise for His glory.

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Apologizes

I want to apologize for not having post the last few newsletters from Pastor Frasier.

I have gotten overly consumed in my own world and have neglected to post what has been sent my way.

My plan is to post the past newsletters and and get caught up todate tonight.

Sorry for letting you and your readers down Pastor.

Godspeed,

Wesley

Revelation 7 -2010.10.30

THEREFORE…

“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.” — Rev. 7:13-15

In a certain place the Lord Jesus told the story of two debtors, in which He asked an interesting question.

“There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged [Luke 7:41-43].”

Meditating upon the seventh chapter of Revelation from which our text for today has been chosen, this passage came to mind. Our “nugget” relates to “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,” standing before the throne of God and of the Lamb of God, “clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands” (v.9), who are engaged in an unending service of praise to God.

A hasty reading of the passage might leave one thinking these are “the redeemed of all ages,” won to Christ through the missionary efforts of the church fulfilling the “great Commission.” In fact, that is not the case. The church has been sluggish in its pursuit of its God-given task, slipshod and half hearted in its testimony before the watching world and miserly in its service and worship before God.

These, in fact, are “tribulation saints,” converted to Christ after the rapture of the church. They were not privileged to escape the tribulation, as we so earnestly hope to be, but were brought through it. In and through their suffering they were truly sanctified—”washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Now they are solaced in His presence and “serve [God] day and night in His temple.” Theirs is not a weekend ministry, it is continual and unwearied. His praise is their supreme motive and highest joy. They understand the magnitude of their deliverance and are moved to everlasting gratitude, not in word only.

When I reflect on this, I am ashamed at the superficiality of my worship and service for Christ. In terms of physical suffering, their deliverance is far greater than mine. Perhaps that is the reason why they seem to “love Him more.” But in terms of spiritual reality our deliverance is the same. In a great passage the Psalmist caught the significance and prayed, “Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth: unite my heart to fear Thy Name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell [Ps. 86:11-13, italics mine].”

Because we are comfortable in this world, surrounded by creature comforts and having access to ‘all its pleasures,’ our minds and our hearts are distracted from the true business of the redeemed, the cause of Christ suffers and the Commission remains unfulfilled.

Recently I happened on a reporter interviewing one of the world’s wealthiest women about her philanthropy. In the course of the interview he remarked on the fact that she was simply attired and not “wearing jewelry and cosmetics.” She replied, “I am not really interesting in things; I am interested in people.” The thought crossed my mind, with tears, that should be the testimony of every true believer—but it isn’t.

Though we have suffered little, we have been forgiven much. Oh that we might love Him more!

Take the world, but give me Jesus, All its joys are but a name;

But His love abideth ever, Through eternal years the same.

(chorus)

Oh, the height and depth of mercy! Oh, the length and breadth of love!

Oh, the fullness of redemption, Pledge of endless life above!

—Fanny Crosby

Saved by His matchless grace,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 6 - 2010.10.23

NO PLACE TO HIDE?

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” — Rev. 6:15-17

The Revelation anticipates “the wrath to come” (see I Thess. 1:10) and the initiation of that wrath, in its earth history at the end of the age is introduced in this sixth chapter of the book under the opening of the sixth seal. It is the infliction of God’s temporal judgments on a rebellious planet bringing “…great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved [Matt. 24:21-22].” All of earth’s natural disasters (except the flood of Noah) pale to insignificance by comparison. Three awesome things are to be noted here.

First, there will be no exception. Neither power, prestige, prosperity or position will insulate men from the coming judgment, nor will any “class” distinction. The world that rejects the Savior will be leveled in the day of His fierce anger. In a striking parallel passage, written prophetically long before our “nugget,” He declared:

“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. (Isa. 13:9-13)

Second, is the surprising evidence that the damned will recognize at once the source of the judgment that befalls them. “Him that sitteth on the throne…the wrath of the Lamb.” Is it not amazing that those who have had no recognition of the Lord Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God,” will instinctively recognize Him in that awful hour? Men may ignore Him, deny Him, “dismiss” Him, but they cannot effectively exclude Him from their final hour.

And that leads to the third sobering thought implied in this short passage. There will be no place to hide. In the day of His wrath, being buried by an earthquake will be deemed better than facing His judgment, and the dens and the rocks of the mountains will be as transparent as window glass and provide less security! None will be able to stand before Him.

The lesson is obvious: the time to hide is now, and the place to hide from the wrath of the Lamb is in the shelter of the blessed “Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world [John 1:29].”

How well did the poet put it:

Oh, safe to the Rock that is higher than I,

My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly,

So sinful, so weary, Thine, Thine would I be,

Thou blest Rock of Ages, I'm hiding in Thee.

Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,

Thou blest Rock of Ages, I'm hiding in Thee.

—W.O.Cushing

“Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”

For eternal welfare,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 5 - 2010.10.16

WORTHY IS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN

“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” — Rev. 5:9-10

Our selected text for last week celebrates the glory of God the Father as creator and ruler of all. This verse, for this week, celebrates the glory of the Son of God as Redeemer. “Thou art worthy” is the identical cry to both, and surely hints at the co-equality of the Father and the Son. The Son shares the glory of the Father as creator, because of His cooperation in creation: “All things were made by Him: and without Him was not anything made that was made [Jn. 1:3].” The Father shares the glory of the Son in redemption, because “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world [I Jn. 4:14].”

John, author of the gospel, the epistle and this book of the Revelation, transported in spirit to heaven to behold these things, “wept much” (tears in heaven!) “because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon (v.3).” Finally, the Lion-Lamb, the God-man emerges as the only One qualified to open the book and initiate the advancement of the final stages of God’s redemptive enterprise. How well spoke the Savior when He said, “without Me ye can do nothing [Jn. 15:5].” (Pastors and churches, take note!) He has no peers.

What qualifies Him is His work as redeemer, and though there is so much else here worthy of consideration, we must focus on this, without which man would have no future and no hope and scorning of which leaves men no alternative but to experience the wrath of God and eternal punishment. Let us consider then:

The price of redemption. “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us by Thy blood…” We are so familiar with it that I fear its magnitude eludes us. The only One in the entire universe below or heaven above who is identified as “worthy,” other than God the Father, “humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,” by an incredible process and at an incomprehensible price, to effect our salvation. Nothing more fully measures the devastation of sin; sin we so often take so lightly, and the world has nearly purged from its vocabulary. And nothing more fully measures the love of God that we also incline to take for granted, who have been “washed from our sins in His own blood [Rev. 1:5].”

Then there is the power of redemption: “Thou…hast redeemed us to God.” We who were once “dead in trespasses and sins,” and “having no hope, and without God in the world” are “made near by the blood of Christ.” Sin left us on the precipice of the lowest hell; He has lifted us to the highest heights to stand before and enjoy the fellowship of our glorious Creator, unafraid and unashamed. And this with not a finger raised on our part to merit it! “Jesus paid it all!”

Again, there is reference to the province of redemption: “Out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation.” No prejudice on His part excludes anyone from all the benefits of this glorious deliverance. Those who are excluded are those who exclude themselves by spurning God’s love and grace, discrediting His word, preferring “the pleasures of sin for a moment” to the glory that follows the reproach of Christ.

Finally there is a hint of the prospect of redemption for those who become followers of the Lamb. By His grace alone we are now “kings and priests” in our relation to God, combining in one the two greatest offices which were forever separate in the old economy. As kings we will be involved in His administrative work, and as priests take the lead in His worship in the ages to come. What Adam lost has been restored, and we shall reign with Him on a redeemed earth through the millennium to come, in a world free from sin, sickness, suffering, sorrow—and death.

With all this, the representatives in glory, the twenty four elders and the four mystical beasts in an ecstasy of praise “sung a new song,” a song never heard and never equalled here on earth; a song of praise to “the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!!” It should set our hearts singing His praises now!

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 4 -2010.10.9

TO GOD BE THE GLORY

“And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” — Rev. 4:10,11

The book of Revelation is readily recognized as prophetic in nature, but it is remarkable how much there is in it of practical and devotional worth. It is from that perspective, primarily, that these “nuggets” are chosen and explored. This somewhat extended passage is a good example.

The challenge is often issued to the believer, “Where did God come from?” It springs from a kind of innate sense of cause and effect, but its real intent is to throw us off guard as an unanswerable query betraying our intellectual deficiency. Before we go on, observe that the current “scientific” explanation of the origin of everything is “the big bang theory,” or a “primordial sea of scum.” Deftly set aside is the fact that these alternatives to God as the origin of existence leave their proponents with the same intellectual challenge: Where did the “bang” or the “sea of scum” come from?

There is no escaping the conclusion that somewhere there is an uncaused First Cause. If we are ever to know what that First Cause is, it must be either forever left a mystery or be revealed to us by the Cause Itself. It cannot be by investigation, because whenever we put our finger on what we perceive as the point of origin the relentless question arises again, “Where did It come from!” So, the Christian need never be embarrassed that he cannot explain where God came from. His detractors posit their origin to an irrational, mindless, impersonal source. That is unreasonable. The believer traces his to a personal intelligent Being. That at least makes our ‘being’ significant and gives reason validity.

The question of divine origin is answered in the word of God as here. God did not come from anywhere; He is eternal. He “was and, and is, and is to come,” and “lives for ever and forever [v. 8-9].” Uncreated, He is intelligent, personal, and powerful beyond compare.

The second affirmation in our text for today is that this God is the source of everything that can be defined as “created.” “Thou hast created all things.” Given what we can confirm about man, the world and the universe (“the heavens and the earth”), that makes Him one awesome Being! DNA is His invention, as are the stars, the planets and the vast reaches of space that appear to contain it all.

There is a third phrase of great significance in this passage: “…and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” The NIV renders it, “…and by Your will they were created and have their being.” In other words, God is sovereign in creation. That is true as respects origin, maintenance and destiny.

So this remarkable “nugget” sets before us in sublime simplicity three great theological truths: God is; and He is eternal, creator and sovereign.

That is the practical part. Interwoven is the devotional. In this chapter we are transported from earth to heaven (cf. v.1-2) and given, in language suited to our understanding, a glimpse of God’s dwelling place. There we are introduced to “twenty four elders sitting, arrayed in white garments; and on their heads crowns of gold,” and “four living creatures” of extraordinary nature before His throne. The function of the living creatures is to worship, day and night crying “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,” and rendering “glory, honor and thanks” to the eternal God. The twenty four elders prostrate themselves before Him in adoration and worship, giving praise to God and “cast their crowns before Him.” From elsewhere in scripture we know that the crowns are indicative of reward for faithful service. This action evidences on their part the recognition that every commendable thing a believer is and does traces its origin to God Himself, and the glory belongs to Him. That is worship.

The creature is dependent upon the Creator for everything. If that is true, now is a time for rehearsing our worship!

For His glory, ‘for He alone is worthy,’

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 3 - 2010.10.02

YOU MAKE ME SICK!

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” —Rev. 3:15-16

Anyone familiar with the “seven churches” of Revelation should find no surprise in the “change and decay” apparent in the church and churches of today. What is important for our purpose here is to realize that the character of the church is formed by those who are its members. As one reads these brief, but telling letters we ought to ask ourselves, do any of these charges apply to me, personally?

Our text for today is taken from the letter to the church of the Laodiceans, and it is in many ways the most pathetic of the seven. It is also quite likely the most representative of contemporary Christianity in the developed world. Of the seven, it is the only one for which the Savior has no word of commendation.

Our passage can not be fully appreciated without its context, and the reader is encouraged to review it to get the whole picture. It is a church that nauseates the Savior, and those believes who are characterized by it must do the same. The lessons to be learned are easily discovered.

First, “I know…” Whatever we may appear to be to others, or, for that matter, to ourselves, the Lord knows our real condition. Of the Savior it is written, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do [Heb. 4:13].” Moreover Jesus Himself said in another place, “The LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart [I Sam. 16:7b].”

Whether the church or the individual, the Lord knows not only what we appear to be, but what we really are, and HUe will deal with us accordingly. Impressive in its manifest material prosperity, the Laodicean church did not impress her Head. All her measurements were made in the horizontal; His were made in the vertical. She said, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing (v.17).” He said, “You are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” That pathetic condition He attributes to the fact that they were “neither cold nor hot [but] lukewarm.” The lesson is obvious lukewarm Christians may be materially impressive and self assured, but they are spiritually bankrupt.

So distressing is this condition to the heart of God that the Savior says, “I would” that you were either frozen or on fire. Consider it well in this day of “cultural Christianity.” The Head of the church would prefer a church—or a believer—stone cold rather than “lukewarm!” Those who are “cold” make no impression on the watching world. Those who are lukewarm leave a false impression, implying that faith in Christ is “no big deal.” The fire may be stirred a bit in our luxurious facility on a Sunday, but it is allowed to die down between weekends. “Don’t be a fanatic.” At least not about the things of God.

Should the condition continue, His devastating word is, “I will spew thee out of My mouth.” The literal rendering of the Greek word is “vomit.” It ‘s root is the word from which our English word “emetic” rises. Lukewarm Christianity nauseates the Son of God! “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” is literally saying to this church, “You make Me sick!” His response to nominal Christianity in the life of the individual will be no different.

What is striking in the context is to note where the Savior finds Himself in relation to the lukewarm church. Pleading with them to repent, He declares, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” Christ is on the outside, trying to gain admittance. The church bears His name, but does not host His presence. Yet there is hope. “If any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, an d will suip with him, and he with Me (v.20).” The church may not be revived, but the responding believer can be. After all, revival comes one soul at a time.

Assess your church. The assess your relationship to Christ. Are you “lukewarm” in your devotion to and service for Christ? Are you part of the problem? Are you willing to be part of the solution? Open the door and let Him in!

‘What shall I give Thee, Master? Thou hast giv'n all for me;

Not just a part or half of my heart, I will give all to Thee. ‘

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 2 - 2010.09.25

DO YOU HEAR?

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” —Rev. 2:7

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1) is addressed to “the seven churches which are in Asia,” seven representative churches of that time. Each church is addressed and evaluated by name in chapters two and three, and each of the seven addresses conclude with a plea and a promise. The promise varies from church to church, but the plea is identical in each case: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” And it is important to note that while the addresses are presented to the church in general, the appeal is made to individuals within the church. As with preaching today, the message goes out to everyone in the assembly, but it must be heard and heeded individually. Given a sound message, its impact will be made only if someone is listening.

The messenger here is the Holy Spirit of God. No greater preacher ever addressed the church. And what is true of this message (to the church of Ephesus) is true of the whole Word of God to the church in general, throughout the ages of church history. We are instructed through the apostle Paul that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works [II Tim 3:16-17].” And through the apostle Peter that “no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost [II Peter 1:20-21].” Wherever the word of God is preached, however gifted the speaker may or may not be, the Spirit of God has something to say to the church. When the Bible speaks, God speaks!

The implication here is that not all in the “churches” are going to hear what is really being said. “He that hath an ear, let him hear…” Certainly all the members of the church had “ears.” But not all had hearing ears. The problem is reflected in the best of churches, to say nothing of the world at large. God is speaking, but not all are listening. Jesus said of His congregation on one occasion, “…this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them [Matt. 13:15].”

God’s ultimate message to the world and the church is His Son. This is confirmed in the first chapter of Hebrews: “God, Who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son…” More precisely the ASV renders the last clause, “In His Son.” When Christ the Savior came, He brought a message. On the occasion of His transfiguration “there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him [Mt. 17:5].” That is important, and Jesus said often, in conjunction with His teaching, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” But larger even than the message He spoke is the message He is.

If you want to know what God is like, watch Jesus Christ. He said, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the father.” If you want to understand holiness, watch the Lord Jesus. He Himself said, “I do always those things that please [the Father.]” Pilate, the Roman governor said three times during His trial, “I find no fault in Him.” (See John 18:38, 19:4, 19:6) If you want to know the price and power of sin, behold Christ on the cross where He became “sin for us.” The price of sin is seen in His suffering and death, and the awful power of sin is revealed in His anguished cry, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” The message? Sin brings eternal anguish and eventuates in separation from God. If you want to know the power of God’s deliverance, witness the resurrection of the Son of God and His eventual return to the right hand of the Majesty on high. He is the message!

Here, if I may so speak reverently, is God’s great audio-visual of the gospel. It is not a sermon to be delivered in abbreviated form on Sunday morning, then hid between the covers for the next seven days. It is a Life to be received by faith and lived out “twenty-four seven times three sixty five” through those who “have ears to hear.” It is not a creed to be recited, but a great drama to be displayed on the stage of life for all to hear and see, so they may understand the Message of God; and this in the church, which is His body. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches!” Do you have an ear for God!?

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 1 - 2010.09.18

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” —Rev. 1:7

My mother used to say, “There are two sides to every story.” Whatever that may mean for stories in general, it is certainly true with reference to the return of the Lord. An old letter came my way some time ago, written in 1994. The writer remarked in one place, “It just seems as if the Lord must come soon with all the tragic events [that are] taking place.” That sentiment I hear again and again these days from Christians sensitive to the times. But when Christians make such remarks, they are usually thinking in terms of relief from distressing circumstances. That is one side of the story, but it pertains primarily to the Lord’s coming for His church. Then there is the dark side that pertains to His coming with His church. This is the side we often forget, or overlook.

He is coming! “Behold, He cometh with clouds.” It is affirmed here not as a possibility, but as a certainty. I must confess that in times past I have translated that into a vision of soft, white “summer day” cumulus clouds, a comfortable sight, perhaps like the cloud that “received Him out of their sight” when the Savior returned to glory after His resurrection. But a careful consideration of the verse will reveal that is not the case here. These are storm clouds; thick, dark, ferocious. These are angry clouds accompanying the return of an angry God coming to judge the earth. These foretoken not the rapture, but the revelation, an event that will be fulfilled at the close and consummation of the Great Tribulation that marks the terrible climax of this dispensation, when Christ will return to set up His millennial kingdom on earth. (See Rev. 19:11-21)

It will be an event universal in scope. “Every eye will see Him.” I have heard it said that TV may make it possible for this prophecy to be fulfilled. Nonsense! The Almighty will not need our technology to display His coming to the world; He is able to do “exceeding abundantly above all that we…think.” As the Creator of everything we are dependent upon for our technology, God will have His own means of advertising His presence to a rebellious world. The prophecy embraces the whole scope of His return, including His millennial reign and final conquest, because the next clause declares, that “they who pierced Him” will also be witnesses of it. The implication is that the “the rest of the dead” (i.e., the unsaved multitudes) will finally be released from their spiritual imprisonment to witness His final conquest. Death and hell will provide no exemption from the wrath of a holy God. (See Rev. 20:5ff)

That this is the correct understanding of this terse text is made unmistakably evident by the next clause, “and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” This “coming” involves His ultimate triumph, and man’s final tragedy. Herein is the echo of a prophecy written long before:

“The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath… [Zephaniah 1:14-18].”

The “tragic events” that are taking place on our planet today, many of them, certainly are tragic. The violence of man and the calamities of nature wreak havoc on many. But these are nothing compared to the scope and severity of that which is here foretold. And there is no way out, except through the Son of God, “Whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus” Who is able to deliver us “from the wrath to come.” (Cf. I Thess. 1:10) If you have never trusted Him as your personal Savior and Lord, it is not too late, but tomorrow might be. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Far too many have accepted the hedonistic false philosophy, “Let us eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” There should, in fact be no period after that clause. The biblical counterpoint is, “It is appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judgment.” [Heb. 9:27].” Those who ignore His word “treasure up [to themselves] wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God [Rom. 2:5].”

“Behold, He cometh with clouds.” The clouds are storm clouds. Trust the Savior before they break upon this rebellious race!

Sounding the alarm,

"Pastor" Frasier

Matthew 5 - 2010.09.11

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” - Matthew 5:16

Our text for today follows hard on the Beatitudes and seems an appropriate appendix to them. It is my judgment that the beatitudes are representative of the character of the incarnate Son of God and His approbation of those who manifest these qualities, “Blessed are ye…” - favored of God - indicates God’s great pleasure when He sees the character of His Son reproduced in those who are fellow members of the family of God.

The Savior was meek and poor in spirit; “I am meek and lowly in heart” (Mat. 11:29). He mourned; “A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). He hungered and thirsted after righteousness; “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His work” (John 4:34). He was merciful; “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Heb. 2:17). He was pure in heart; He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15b). He is the ultimate peacemaker; “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven” (Col. 1:19-20). And that He was “persecuted for righteousness’ sake” needs no verification; the cross is the ultimate proof, conjoined to Pilate’s remark, “I find in Him no fault at all” (Cf. John 18:38, 19:4, 6).

Certainly these are visible characteristics of “the man Christ Jesus.” And that He was blessed of God the Father is evident in the voice that came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased [Matthew 3:17].” And just as certainly they are qualities God longs to see reproduced in us and constitute the Divine intention for “the today of our experience” while we remain on earth. We have noted before that this is the present objective of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer,”For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to to be conformed to the image of His Son… [Rom. 8:29].” It formed an exhortation on the part of the apostle Paul who wrote to the Roman Christians, “…put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ…” and to the Ephesians, “…put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness [Rom. 13:4, Eph. 4:24].’ And it was part of the apostle’s agony for his flock when he said, “My little children, for whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you [Gal. 4:19, italics mine.].”

The Savior said, “As my Father hath sent Me, even so send I you [John 20:21b].” He was sent as “God manifest in the flesh,”and could say to the inquirer “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” It is obviously God’s intention that those who are in Christ should so cultivate His characteristics that those who want to know what God is like can see the family resemblance in us. This side of heaven we will never attain any of these qualities to His level, but that is not the issue; the issue is, are we aspiring to display His likeness before the watching world? Are we making any progress in that direction?

A dear friend of mine is in the habit of saying, we are still here because God has something for us to do. May I alter that just a bit and suggest that more than something for us to do, God has something for us to be. As we make progress in being what God wants us to be, whatever we do will reflect His glory, and that will align us with the Savior Who said to His Father, “I have glorified Thee on the earth… [Jn. 17:4].” That was His aim, and it should be ours.

O to be like Thee! blessed Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Refrain: O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee,

Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

T. O. Chisholm - 1897

For our good—for His glory,

"Pastor" Frasier

Matthew 5:10-12 - 2010.09.04

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against youfalsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” —Matthew 5:10-12

In its inception Christianity came with a high price tag. Those who considered a “decision for Christ” had to decide whether they were willing, if necessary, to suffer for His name’s sake. It does not come easy to see a “blessing” in being persecuted, reviled, lied about as a direct result of identifying with the Lord Jesus Christ. A “paper Christ” will never suffice for that. Those who will accept Him with this prospect confronting them must be convinced in heart that “He is, and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

Yet, this is the crowning beatitude, and the most elaborately developed. And, many of the early believers, including some of the apostles, experienced such hostility even to the point of death. Paul counseled, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution [II Tim. 3:12].” Peter instructed his readers, “But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing [I Pet. 3:14-17].” And Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica, “…we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer [II Thess. 1:4-5].”

It is not persecution in general that assures divine favor, but that which is unjustified and specifically connected with faith in Christ. We are not encouraged to seek it, or to behave ourselves in such a way as to justify it, but to experience it as a result of a life springing from faith in Christ and bringing with it the virtues set forth in the preceding beatitudes. The Spirit of God referred to it again through the apostle Peter when he said, “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God [I Pet. 2:20 and context].”

Perhaps the most striking thing in this text is the attitude that is commended when suffering for Christ’s sake: “Rejoice and be exceeding glad.” It is not grim endurance of suffering for the faith of Christ that is here encouraged, but an exultant spirit. We are afforded a real life illustration in the experience of the apostles who were arrested and imprisoned, supernaturally released, then re-apprehended for continuing to publicly preach the testimony of Christ in Jerusalem. Charged, admonished and threatened, they affirmed their faith in the presence of the council and were beaten. Nevertheless, “… they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ [Acts 5:41-42].” These are among those who “esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches” than the transient treasures and pleasures of this present evil world. No earth bound faith will enable for this.

There is little such persecution in our country today, so our blessedness in this respect is little evident. However, as it was in the beginning, so it may be more and more as we near the end of the church age. May God give us the grace to stand should the day require it.

*****

Someone has likened these beatitudes to the Decalogue; the Ten Commandments. They are more than that. They are not qualities to be pursued to obtain salvation, but as a result of having received eternal life as a gift of God’s grace and so “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Cf. Rom. 13:14) They are vibrant threads in the fabric of the “robe of righteousness” that distinguishes the true Christian from the world. May our love for Christ enable the Spirit of God to make them more and more evident in our daily walk with Him.

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Matthew 5:9 - 2010.08.28

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” — Matthew 5:9

The current issue of the quarterly periodical of a certain “Christian college” is focused on the subject of “peacemaking” in the world. The institution has but recently developed “two new projects: the Initiative for the Study and Practice of Peace, and a new academic minor in peace and conflict transformation.” In the course of a number of articles on this subject, at least one reference is made to this beatitude as providing some biblical justification for their endeavor. Another line of justification is offered: When we “try to achieve peace in this broken world of ours…we find there are millions of others from other faith traditions—and even from no faith tradition—with whom we share common cause.”

In this beatitude the Savior certainly commends “the peacemakers.” (The word incidentally, in this form, occurs only this once in the entire New Testament.) But is this academic, interfaith collaboration the method He has in mind and the objective He would have us pursue?

Consider His remarks elsewhere: “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law [Luke 12:51-53].” Again, in His significant dissertation on the “sign of [His] coming, and of the end of the world,” He instructed His disciples, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows [Mt. 24:3-8].” International and interracial strife and natural disasters are endemic until the end of the age. In The Revelation the rider on the red horse has “power given to him…to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.” It is a fantasy to assume that our best efforts will bring order to this present chaos apart from the return of Christ.

Given our confidence that the Savior was sane and His teaching coherent, these passages alone make it obvious that a negotiated “peace on earth” was not in His mind when He pronounced His blessing on the “peacemakers.” It is in a different realm and in a different way, and with different weapons that the enlightened Christian is to pursue peace.

First there must be peace between the individual and God. Long ago the Holy Spirit laid out the principle, “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked [Isa. 57:21].” Peace, real, deep and lasting can come to the human heart only through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ [Rom. 5:1].” We must be reconciled to God before we can be effectively reconciled to one another.

Second, there must be recognition of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit as the prerequisite to practical peace in “this present evil world.” “The fruit of the Spirit is…peace…” (Gal. 5:22) The want of peace in the world is due to to the condition of the human heart. Unless there is a fundamental inward change, there will be no significant change in the condition of the family, the neighborhood or the state, to say nothing of the nations.

Third, the communal peace intended is to be demonstrated in the family of God as a glorious illustration of the power of Christ to accomplish it. If the church has failed in the task of “peacemaking” at that level, it is an exercise in futility to suppose it can be a accomplished in “a broken world” by academia and socio-political conferences and negotiations. It is in the kingdom of God that there is to found “righteousness and peace and joy in he Holy Ghost.”

The peacemakers must begin at home. Let us discover how to experience peace between husbands and wives, parents and children. Having accomplished that, let us learn how to establish peace in the church. “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another [Rom. 14:19]. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful [Col. 3:15].” And there is much more in the New Testament on this profound subject, but this must suffice for this short article. When we have accomplished this within the family of God, then we may be in a position to say something to a lost and dying world about the way of peace.

In your home; in your church—are you a peacemaker, or a troublemaker? It is the peacemakers, at “street level” that are called the children of God!

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Matthew 5:8 - 2010.08.21

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” —Matthew 5:8

In uttering this beatitude the Savior echoes the Psalmist when he says, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation [Ps. 24:3-5].”

Of all the virtues that confront us in the Beatitudes, none is more immediately challenging than this one. It seems undermined at the outset by the sweeping denunciation of the prophet Jeremiah, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it [Jer. 17:9]?” This alone, reinforced by many other scriptures which inform us of the present condition of the human heart, rules out all hope of receiving God’s approval by works. In fact, taken at face value and overlooking the grace of God, this would destroy all hope of our ever “see(ing) God.” For, “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin [Prov. 20:9]?”

The first work of this text, then, is to inform us of our bankruptcy. The great spiritual killer is heart trouble and, recognizing this, one should be driven to seek help from the Great Physician of the soul. We need a heart transplant, or all is lost. Happily, that is just what the gospel offers us through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. What God through the prophet Ezekiel promised broken Israel has become through Christ the legacy of every sinner who turns to the Savior: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. [Ezek. 36:26, 27].”

The first requirement, then, for everyone who aspires to “see God” in a favorable context, is to receive Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, “And be found in him, not having (one’s) own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith [Phil. 3:9].” Happily, all who put their trust in Him can know that He “loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood [Rev. 1:5].”

That is where a pure heart begins, but it does not stop there. Having our hearts purified by the imputed righteousness of Christ, we are then to proceed in developing practical purity in the here and now world through cooperation with the Holy Spirit Who becomes our heavenly Resident when we receive Christ by faith. The purified heart is to eventuate in the “clean hands” enjoined by the psalmist. And, I think, this is what the Savior has in mind when He utters this word. It is an affirmation of divine favor toward those who cultivate personal holiness in “this present evil world.”

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever [I Pet. 1:15-23, emphasis mine].”

Salvation is not a ticket we hold for admission to heaven. It is a new life we receive from God through faith in Christ to be lived out for His glory here and now. And, as we make progress in the journey we can not only anticipate seeing God ‘someday,’ but we will enjoy an ever clearer vision of His glory along the way.

*********

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. —Phil. 4:8

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier