Revelation 18 - 2011.01.29

“GONE WITH THE WIND”

“For in one hour so great riches is come to nought.” —Rev. 18:17a

Our nugget for today is drawn from the account of the destruction of Babylon. Babylon is an intriguing and somewhat mystifying (to me) concept in scripture. In Old Testament history it is certainly a great city-state that fostered one of the great empires of the ancient world. In Old Testament prophecy it appears at times to be a coalition of nations, for in Isaiah 13 the prophecy of judgment rises from tangible Babylon (v.1) to to the judgment of the “nations” in that cryptic hour, “The Day of the Lord,” (v.6,) wherein He says, “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 [Isa. 13:1]).” When Isaiah continues his prophetic account of the judgment of the king of Babylon in chapter 14, he cites “Lucifer” as the king (v.12ff), and again cryptically involves “the whole earth” and “all nations” in his sweep (v.11). Babylon, it may be suggested, seems to be emblematic of the worldly ambitions of men and nations apart from respect for God and His word. Prosperity and pleasure are its governing ambitions.

In the chapter from which our nugget is taken, the judgment is again ascribed to a “city,” but if we keep in mind the larger view, there is a lesson here brought into focus which is found often in other parts of scripture. It is the lesson of the folly of living for “the best the world has to offer.” It is simply this, as Solomon mused in his study of life “under the sun” in Ecclesiastes; in a word, all is “vanity.”

The wealth of Babylon, whether one views it as the GNP of a single entity, a world cultural and economic center to emerge (re-emerge) in the last days, or as that of the collective material world economy, is as elusive as a morning fog. In a single day recently I noted two striking items in the new. The Titanic, the invincible “greatest passenger vessel of all time” in the day of her launching not only rests as a shattered hulk and tragic tomb on the ocean floor, but some microscopic creatures are gradually eating away her remains. Scientists are worried that one day even the wreckage will be no more. The second item was with reference to a once popular “Hollywood sex symbol,” now in her nineties, who has just had a leg amputated in an effort to prolong her fading life. Material wealth, power, beauty and fame are all subject to the same relentless process of “change and decay.”

Life—real life—is not measured by how much we have, but how much we will have left when we enter eternity. The Savior said, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.[Luke 2:15-21]”

The stuff of Babylon is elusive and deceitful. It cannot guarantee happiness, it will not endure, and “in one hour” God can turn it all to dust again. And, if it does not leave us, we will soon leave it!

In the days of Joshua there was a man named Achan who brought trouble on Israel when his greed prompted him to disobey the word of God and, like Adam in the beginning, to embrace “forbidden fruit.” When Joshua confronted him and demanded a confession, Achan replied, “When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it [Joshua 7:21].” When his coveted treasure was discovered, he, his family and all his enterprise was taken away and destroyed. In “one hour” his coveted “riches” had come to nought!

“Babylon,” whether literal or figurative, will fall. Don’t make your life investment in an assured loss.

“Only one life; ‘twill soon be past.

Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

For a wise investment strategy,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 17 - 2011.01.22

BE THOU FAITHFUL

“And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” — Rev. 17:12-14

I make no pretense of understanding the fine details of this remarkable book of Revelation. However, there is much in the book that is easily understood and that should instruct us as believers now on the basis of that which is to come. One thing is remarkably clear, and a confirmation of other passages in both testaments. That is, that the world in general, until the end of the age, will resist the truth of the Word of God, not only on an individual plane, but at the political level as well. This alone should leave us with no surprise when we see our nation, founded on scriptural principles by men who, if not all born again believers, were nonetheless men who respected the Word of God, now repudiating that word. Today, as far as science, education and politics are concerned, the Bible is irrelevant. As a society we “walk on in darkness,” and that darkness is deepening. That is true not only for our nation, but for the once “christianized” world in general. This is in keeping with the trend predicted in this book, and as also prophesied by the apostle Paul in his epistle to Timothy, “…evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived [II Tim. 3:13].”

Here we are informed that at the end of the age a world ruler will emerge to whom a coalition of nations will cede their authority and power, and who will “make war with the Lamb.” The only way they can make war with Christ is by attacking His church. What is now being done more or less subtly will at last be undertaken overtly and cruelly, as was the case in the beginning under the old Roman empire. While all this is interesting, and many today are declaring that “the end is near” because of the course the world is taking, what is of particular interest to us in this meditation is the spiritual lessons our passage yields.

The first emphasis is on the position and power of Christ, to whom the title is given, “Lord of lords and King of kings.” It is an interesting title, occurring only six times in scripture. In the book of Ezra, king Artaxerxes assumed it for himself (Ezra 7:12). In the prophecies of Ezekiel and Daniel, rather strikingly, it is applied to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, but with the modifier, a king of kings, whereas in I Timothy 6:15 the Holy Spirit ascribes it to Christ as “the King of kings and Lord of lords.”

“Lord of lords” is applied in scripture only to God in the Old Testament (Deut. 10:17, Ps. 136:3) and only to Christ in the New Testament, (I Tim. 6:15, Rev. 17:14 and 19:16). The clear inference is confirmed in our nugget for today. “The Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords and King of kings.” In other words, the believer need have no fear when viewing the downward trend of this present evil world. God has seen it from the beginning, Christ is the Lord of all and He will overcome them.

The second spiritual lesson emerges in the brief description of the followers of Christ: “They that are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” That is the proper definition of a true believe in any age, whether during the tribulation or in the present. “Chosen:” “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;” “Called:” “…that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light [I Pet. 2:9].” “Faithful:” “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful [I Cor. 4:2].” These are the distinctives of true believers then, and so they are today. No matter what direction the world may take, nor what kind of campaign it may make against the truth, it behooves us be faithful to the “high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (see Phil. 3:14).

Let the following passage be our lodestar as we see the age following the trend God has prophesied:

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, ; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” [I Tim. 6:12-16, my italics]

Anchored for the storm,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 16 - 2011.01.15

DON’T BE ASHAMED!

“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” — Rev. 16:15

In every age of history, however degenerate God has had had a remnant. Our text indicates that even during the tribulation period that will be true. There will be some who will be awakened by His judgments, while others rail against Him (v.11). And, whether under pressure, as then, or in times of comparative ease, as now, the children of God will always be tempted to turn aside from “the good and the right way,” some to avoid the pressure and others to pursue the world’s pleasures.

And in every hour of history, even the darkest, God’s grace and His gracious concern for His own is evident. Here, in the midst of an account of His wrath and the rebellion of His adversaries, God manifests that grace again with this short sentence of warning to those who will hear His voice, pronouncing His blessing upon whoever is willing to listen. First there is a warning: “Behold,I come as a thief.” One careful student of the word has noted that the church will not be on earth at that time, because we are assured in I Thessalonians that the day of the Lord, under consideration in this chapter, will not overtake us as a thief; “Ye are all children of light, and children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of the darkness [I Thess. 5:4,5].”

It is interesting however to note that the same warning issued for tribulation saints is proclaimed to the church in this dispensation, for in v. 6 of the passage noted above the scripture says, “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” This echoes the exhortation of the Savior, “Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” And again, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh [Mt. 4:42, 5:13].” As I am in the habit of saying, ‘If God says a thing once, you need to remember it; if He says it twice, you need to never forget it!’

The blessing of God, now as then, rests upon those who “keep [their] garments, lest [they] walk naked…” The garments are a figure of speech for the believer’s conduct. As believers our “garment” is Christ Himself. Paul writes to the Galatians, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ [Gal. 3:26-27].” Christ is our righteousness, and when we have “put on Christ,” His character will be manifest in our conduct. Thus the apostle Paul speaking in the same vain says, “…knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof [Rom. 13:11-14, my italics].”

For the church, while we are here, we are specifically instructed,

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him [Col. 3:12-17].”

The children of God, in any era in history, are invested with the righteousness of Christ, and so to manifest Him to the watching or warring world. Our failure to do so will result in spiritual “nakedness,” and shame, individually or corporately, should He appear without warning. Thus the apostle John adds his voice, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him [II John 2:28-29].”

The hour is late, but stay awake and fully dressed, for “Ye know not what hour your Lord doth come!”

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 15 - 2011.01.08

“WHO IS ON THE LORD’S SIDE?”

“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.” — Rev. 15:3-4

Our “nugget” for today is a song, of which there are several in this remarkable book. There is the song sung by the four beasts and the twenty four elders, “Worthy Is the Lamb” [Rev. 5:9]. Then there is the unidentified song of the 144,000 redeemed, known only to them [Rev. 14:3]. This song is sung by those identified as overcomers out of the tribulation, who did not succumb to the deception or demands of the antichrist. It is a reminder that when all the songs of this world have been silenced under the wrath of God, heaven will ring with songs of praise on the part of those who are escorted into the glory of His presence. Music, real music that is, was invented by God and intended for His praise.

This song combines the Song of Moses— a victory song, and the song of the Lamb. The one, which is recorded for us in the Old Testament, extols His power; the other, the text of which remains to be revealed, undoubtedly extols His grace. Together these songs anticipate the day when God will reconcile both Jew and Gentile to Himself in “one body by the cross” (See Eph. 2:14-22!), and celebrate His conquest over all His enemies.

Consider, in part, the Song of Moses:

“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.” (Exodus 15:1-7)

Initially a victory song sung by Moses to celebrate the overthrow of Pharaoh, it is a template for God’s final conquest of those who are determined to oppose Him to the end of the age. The deliverance of the overcomers from the clutches of the antichrist is the antitype of which the conquest of the Egyptians was but a sample of God’s indomitable power. “Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty!”

The Song of the Lamb is yet to be published, but it, too, will celebrate God’s victory over His enemies. The story is told of a certain aspirant for a throne who vowed that when he became king he would destroy all his enemies. When his throne was finally established, some complained that he had not fulfilled that vow. “Oh,” he said; “I have turned them all into my friends!” So are many of God’s “enemies” conquered by His love and grace, and become worshippers before His throne.

The song of the Lamb undoubtedly centers in that grace of God which is summarized in a great passage in the epistle to the Romans: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement [Rom. 5:8-11 italics mine].”

Those who are not on God’s side, though they may not be openly hostile, are yet His enemies, just as in temporal war noncombatant civilians are a part of “the enemy.” Those who reject God’s grace and salvation through His Son Jesus Christ, whether their rejection be through hostility or indifference, are on the wrong side, and subject to His wrath. All will one day worship Him: “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?” But, some will worship by force, while others, like these overcomers, will worship by faith. Which side are you on?

In praise of His power and grace,

"Pastor" Frasier

Revelation 14 - 2011.01.01

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“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” — Rev. 14:6-7

In this prophetic scenario, the church is gone and the age of grace is over. The world is held in the grip of Satan’s governors and is facing the impending wrath of God. Yet in that late, dark hour God still extends His mercy to a rebellious world. An angel takes up where the church left off, inviting sinners to escape “the wrath to come.” And, that invitation is extended “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue”—as far as God intended for the gospel of His grace, but the demand is greater.

In this dispensation God is chiefly represented to us in terms of His loving Fatherhood; then it will be in terms of His position as Creator and Judge; His power and His justice. The emphasis of the gospel of the grace of God is on the love of God (Jn. 3:16, e.g.). During the tribulation period, when God’s day of grace has ended and His wrath is about to be poured out, the emphasis is on fear of God. That is the difference between the everlasting gospel and the gospel of grace. Yet, grace stands in the shadows even then, for the cry goes out, carried not by the church, but by the angel “in the midst of heaven” urging sinners to recognize the awful danger and the power of His wrath, and to pay the price, whatever it might be, to escape His everlasting judgment.

God’s love has its limits; it is restricted by His holiness, Who is “of purer eyes than can look upon sin.” In that late hour, those who have been indifferent to His love are solicited to fear Him. The world is reminded, in Old Testament terms, that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom [Prov. 9:10 + see Psalm 111:10; Prov. 10:27; 14:27 and study Prov. 1:23-33!].”

It behooves us as believers to note that love and fear are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are concomitant; they belong together. The Spirit of God commands, “”O love the Lord, all ye His saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer [Ps. 31:23].” Yet in another place He exhorts, “O fear the Lord, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him [Ps. 34:9], having declared just before, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them. A concept of divine love that turns God into a “big daddy” figure is a distortion of truth. He does not cease to be the Mighty God, and we do well to respect His majesty.

As this “nugget” goes out on this New Year’s day, may we make a fresh commitment to revere and love Him more than ever before. And may He be pleased to give us the grace to keep that resolution. To be sure, the “new year” means little to the God who is the author of time, Who knows the end from the beginning, and to Whom one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day (II Pet. 3:8). We, however, are bound by time and mark hours, days, weeks, months and years, and it is a good thing to mark a milepost now and then and pause to reflect on the past and contemplate the future.

So I say again, let us determine to love Him more and to approach Him with reverential fear and give Him glory, lest we find ourselves inadvertently “castaways” (I Cor. 9:27). His power and glory are great beyond definition, who “made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Privileged to hear and respond to the gospel of His grace, and confident because of our relationship through Him Who died for us and rose again, let us through whatever the days ahead may hold, “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing” until He calls us into the glory of His presence and love is subordinated to fear.

“…That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God…” — Col.1:10

For a prosperous new year,

"Pastor" Frasier