Tuesday, January 31

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Tuesday

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.  “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.  I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.  And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.     – John 5:21-30

Jesus said, “All who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth.” No exceptions!  What a staggering claim! Of all the billions who have ever lived, Jesus says that all will come out of the grave at the sound of His voice.  This includes everyone who lived before Christ and those who have lived since.  It includes all Asians, Europeans, Africans, Australians, Scandanavians, North and South Americans, everyone! None will be missing at this great roll call.  There is not a Muslim judgment day, or a Buddhist judgment day, there will be one judgment day for the whole world and Jesus will be the Judge!  You and I could go into cemeteries and shout at the top of our voices until they hauled us away to the mental hospital, and not one body would arise. But Jesus will one day speak and all the dead will be raised from the tombs!

Jesus also says that both the wicked and the righteous will be raised on judgment day.  Jesus describes these categories as, “those who did the good deeds,” and “those who committed the evil deeds.” Most of us would be more comfortable if Jesus had said, “Those who were pretty good” and “those who weren’t so good.” I could then compare myself with murderers, thieves, child molesters, and other wicked people and conclude, “I’m in the pretty good group, because I’ve never done those evil things!”  But Jesus didn’t say that. He divided everyone into two opposite groups: those who did the good deeds, and those who did evil deeds. There is no group for those who were pretty good, with an occasional slip up; or, those who were pretty bad, although once in a while, they did good things.

The only deeds that are truly good in God’s sight are those that come from Him. The Bible testifies concerning the human race apart from Jesus Christ, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one” (Rom. 3:10- 12). Even the good deeds of the believer are tainted by sin, because who can say, “I love God with all my heart, and I love my neighbor as much as I love myself”? So there has never been an entirely pure and perfect deed.

Therefore, in order for our works to be counted as good in God’s sight, we must come as sinners to the Light and allow Him to expose the evil in our hearts. We must trust in Jesus, who bore our sin on the cross, and be clothed with His perfect righteousness. We must trust His blood to cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God (Heb. 9:14).  The only good deeds in God’s sight are those done from a heart that has been cleansed through faith in Christ. Those who believe in Christ are quick to acknowledge that He is the source of any good deeds that they may do.  God gets all the glory for our salvation, including any good deeds, because He prepared them for us beforehand (Eph. 2:10).  There are only two sides; good and evil.   There is only one who is god - Jesus Christ.  The only way for us to be considered good is to be found In Him!

Jeff Frazier

Monday, January 30

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Monday

I don’t mind watching courtroom dramas on TV, but I really don’t like actual courtrooms, they make me nervous.  A few years ago, I was asked by a friend to go with him as he stood before a judge in a custody hearing.  My role was to support my friend and to serve as a character witness on his behalf if needed.  As the court date approached, my friend grew more and more anxious and worried.  He met with his lawyer and had all of his documents in order, but he was still scared and nervous about how the judge would rule (and so was I).  I felt jumpy just walking through the metal detectors in the Courthouse lobby.  I was anxious as we waited for the judge to begin the proceedings and I wasn’t the one who was going to have to stand before him.

The Bible clearly states that there will be a day of judgment for all of us.  There is no escaping this reality; God has appointed a day when all will stand before The Judge.

For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.     – Acts 17:31

It is interesting that in Acts 17, the Apostle Paul tells us that we actually have proof of the coming judgment – the Resurrection! This is the foundation of Christianity. Paul said, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless ...”  (1 Cor. 15:17). Christianity is not built on religious speculations, but on the revelation God has given of Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. The proof that Jesus is Lord and Judge is that God raised Him from the dead.

Paul gives us three certainties (17:31) with regard to the judgment: A certain day, a certain standard, and a certain Man.

A Certain Day - God “has fixed a day” We look around and see wickedness going unpunished and think that sinners get away with their sin.  But the court date is set in heaven: God has a certain day when He will judge the world!  If we ask, “Why does God wait?” the answer is, “Because He is patient and merciful, and we should be glad that He is!  He is giving those who have sinned against Him an opportunity to repent” (2 Pet. 3:9).

A Certain Standard - “He will judge the world in righteousness.” Many think that God will grade on the curve, and that only the scum of the earth will fail.  Years ago, when poet Robert Frost taught at Amherst College, he detested semester exams and grading, but since it was mandatory, he complied.  However, he made the tests as easy as he could. Once he asked only one question: “What good did my course do you?” and requested brief replies. One student wrote, “Not a dam bit!” “Did you pass him?” asked a friend. “Yes,” said Frost, “I gave him a 90.” “Why not 100?” the friend asked.  “He left the ‘n’ off damn.”  Many think that God will be an easy grader, like Robert Frost.  Unless we’re horribly bad people, the judgment won’t be any sweat. But God’s standard is His own character, absolute righteousness!  That character is reflected in the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount.

A Certain Man - “Through a Man whom He has appointed.” That may seem strange - usually we think of God as the judge, not man.  But the final Judge is both.  Jesus Christ is both the perfect standard for judgment, in that He lived a perfectly righteous life; and, the perfect Judge, who in His divinity knows the very thoughts and intentions of our heart. Every wrong thought we’ve ever had will be exposed to His gaze!

Since the resurrection is true, judgment is a certainty.  And if you say, “All I ask is that God be fair with me,” you don’t realize what you’re saying! If God is fair, you will go straight to hell, because you have violated His righteous standard many times over. If you went into a court of law, even in our lenient justice system, with thousands of counts against you, how do you think you would fare? Never ask God for fairness – cry out to Jesus for mercy!


Jeff Frazier

January 27

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John 14:1-3

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

Years ago I heard a preacher tell the following story. I’m not sure whether the story is historical or more of a “parable”, but I have never forgotten it.

In 1989 an earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale virtually flattened the tiny country of Armenia. Within 4 minutes, some 30,000 men, women and children were dead.

In the aftermath of the quake, scores of towns and villages were left in chaos and shock.

Out of the tragedy came the story of one man – a father who ran to the site of the school house where just that morning he had dropped his son off with the words, “I’ll come back to get you after school.”

With those words ringing in his ears and heart, he ran around the collapsed building trying to find an entrance. There he found an already growing group of parents and rescue workers digging through the rubble hoping against hope to find signs of life.

Everyone joined in, lifting slabs of concrete and dragging chunks of roofing off the pile. Hours went by and some began to lose hope. Still this one father worked on. Eventually, as night fell, others came alongside and suggested gently that it was time to stop and go home to get some rest. Some said, “It’s no use…they’re all gone. Don’t make it worse than it already is.”

But he refused to give up. “I have a promise to keep,” was all he would say.

And he worked thought the night. Eight hours became 12 hours; and then 24 hours; and then 36 hours; and still he worked on.

And then, in the 38^th hour, with his hands raw and bleeding, he pulled of one final piece of concrete and heard faint voices.

“Armand! Armand!” he called his son’s name with desperate hope. “Are you there?”

Then in the silence, a boy’s small voice came back, “Dad, I’m here!”

And just after that, the boy’s voice was heard again, this time directed to the other children buried alive with him. And he said, “See, I told you my Dad would come. He promised!”

In John 14, Jesus made a promise.

“I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

If you are a Christian today, you must know that Jesus promised to return, not in general, not in a metaphorical sense, but personally, and for you!

We don’t know when he will return. Jesus, himself, only says his return will be soon. So we don’t know when we will see him – but we can be prepared!

And, as the Apostle Paul reminds us, we can encourage each other with these words. I hope and pray you find great encouragement in the promise of Jesus’ second coming! And I hope you find daily encouragement in spending “10 Minutes with God!”

Pastor Brian Coffey

January 26

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Revelation 19:11-16 (selected)

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns…

On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

I don’t have a good history with horses. They are beautiful and powerful creatures, of course, but I just like them more from a distance! When I was about 8 years old or so my father had a friend at church who had a small farm or ranch in Ohio. One Sunday this friend invited our whole family over for the afternoon. After dinner he offered to take us boys for a ride on one of his horses. That sounded like great fun so off we went. But when my turn came, because I was the oldest boy I guess, he put me on the horse by myself. So there I was, perched precariously on the saddle, and the horse just started trotting off on his own. I had no idea how to steer the animal, so I just held on for dear life. That worked out for about 10 seconds. Then the saddle I was sitting on began to slip. Somehow it had come loose and as the horse bounced me along, the saddle was slipping and I was sliding over sideways until – plop – I dropped right out of the now upside-down saddle onto the ground.

So I have always been very aware of the strength and power of horses. Interestingly, a horse, of all things, is a powerful symbolic element of Biblical teaching on the second coming of Christ.

In the great book of Revelation, the Apostle John is given a vision into heaven itself. 

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns…

On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

What is John saying? Who is the rider on the white horse and what does it mean?

Historians tell us that, in the ancient world, when a king or emperor came into a city riding on a donkey, he was coming in peace.

But if that same king or emperor came riding on a white horse, it meant he was coming to conquer, to destroy and to lay waste!

The first time Jesus came, he came riding on a donkey. 

The prophet Zechariah said,

See, your king comes to you, humble and riding on a donkey... Zechariah 9:9

The prophet was talking about what we refer to as “Palm Sunday” – when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as children lined the way singing “Hosanna! Hosanna!” And Jesus rode on a donkey because he was coming as the one who would bring peace through his sacrificial death on the cross!

But the next time we see him, the Bible says, Jesus will not be riding on a donkey, but, symbolically speaking, on a white horse, because he will be coming to conquer and to judge!

On that day Jesus will come with unimaginable power, authority and glory. He will come to judge all sin and wickedness; every wrong will be made right and his enemies will be completely destroyed. The Bible indicates that on that day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, because there will no longer be any doubt; there will no longer be any choice about who he is!

C.S. Lewis said it this way:

“God is going to invade…something so overwhelming that will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late to choose your side…Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side…”

From “Mere Christianity” – courtesy of Pastor Jeff Frazier

But, notice, that day does not have to be met with fear and trepidation! Those who have freely chosen Christ as savior and king will face that day with great comfort, peace and celebration! But those who have rejected him, who have refused his offer of forgiveness and grace, they will face that day with fear and regret, for they will face the judgment of the one who is KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS.

Are you spiritually prepared for that day? As C.S. Lewis so eloquently put it, “Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side.”

I pray that you have chosen, perhaps even today, to receive Jesus into your heart as savior and king!

Pastor Brian Coffey

January 25

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1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
"According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." 

In 1942, during the some of the darkest days of WW2 in the Pacific, President Roosevelt ordered General Douglas McArthur to retreat from the Philippine islands before the troops surrendered to the invading Japanese forces. McArthur was not at all happy with this order, and so as he left he uttered perhaps the most famous words of the war – “I shall return.”

History tells us General McArthur did return in 1944 to lead a series of brilliant victories that turned the tide of the war.

Notice a couple of things scripture says about Jesus’ second coming.

First: Jesus’ return will be physical.

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven …”

Just as General McArthur didn’t send a memo or a photograph of himself to inspire the troops, but returned in person to lead the battle, the return of Jesus is not some kind of metaphorical idea intended to inspire. His return will be real; he, himself, will return from heaven!

Second: the return of Jesus will be both visible and public.

There is a small but very important word in this passage from 1 Thessalonians; a word so common in our language that we can miss its significance altogether.

The word in English is “come.” But the greek word Paul uses here is parousia, and this word had a very specific meaning in the culture and history of the time.

The word parousia referred to the glorious coming of a deity or the official visit of a sovereign ruler – a king or an emperor to a city.

An imperial visit was always a big deal – accompanied by awestruck crowds of common people, by pomp and majesty, banquets, music and sacrifices. A parousia was a magnificent celebration that was quite possibly a once in a lifetime event.

Imagine an inaugural parade in Washington, only bigger!

Imagine a royal wedding in London, only bigger!

Imagine the parade that would take place in Chicago if the Cubs ever won a World Series! Nothing could be bigger than that! But the parousia Paul is talking about dwarfs everything that has come before!

People of the day would have immediately known what Paul was saying! This parousia will be more glorious, more magnificent, more overwhelming than any parousia you have ever witnessed because this king, this ruler is not just a human emperor, but the sovereign Creator of the universe, the Lord of history, the Redeemer of all things!

And when he comes, he will come with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God – you can’t miss it!

I also noticed one more word in this text. Paul says we should encourage each other with these words. That’s an interesting word to use when you are talking about the end of the world as we know it! Why would he use that word?

Remember that the early Christians who were reading Paul’s letters were starting to face both persecution and death. Some of them had believed that Jesus would return within their lifetime, and they were probably beginning to wonder what was happening. So God gives Paul this powerful word of hope to pass on to his people. The message is simply this: “I know you are suffering; I know some have already died; but hang on, I am coming soon!”

As followers of Jesus, we are to take great comfort in knowing that this earthly life, while a precious gift, is only temporary. Jesus wants us to know that we were created for an eternity with him and that on the day of his coming – his parousia – we will know the joy and glory of his own presence!

Therefore, encourage each other with these words!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Tuesday, January 24

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Matthew 24:26-44
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man, Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

The Bible is very clear in teaching that the second coming of Jesus will be surprising. We simply cannot and will not know the day or the hour of his return. But throughout history many, many people have sought to remove the surprise from the return of Christ.

In the second century A.D. a self-proclaimed prophet named Montanus rose to prominence in Asia Minor. Montanus prophesied that Christ’s second coming was so near that all true believers should quit everything, even marriage, to prepare for his return.

He was wrong.

In the year 999, at the end of the first millennium, when the world was caught up in a kind of “millennial fever” Pope Sylvester II delivered what he claimed would be the “last mass of history” on New Year’s Eve.

He was wrong.

In the 1840’s a Baptist preacher from Vermont named William Miller used what he called “millennial arithmetic” to calculate that Christ would return on October 22, 1844. His movement grew to well over a million followers and some people actually sold their farms or let their fields go unharvested that year in expectation of the Lord’s return and the end of history. But October 22 came and went and William Miller was wrong.

And it goes on still today!

Harpers Magazine reported a few years ago that since 1914 the Jehovah’s Witnesses have predicted 7 different specific dates for the coming of the apocalypse – and it hasn’t happened.

Then there was that guy with all the billboards last year…

But what did Jesus actually say?

Matthew 24:26-44

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come."

So what is the correct, Biblically informed answer to the question, “When will Jesus return?”

All together now: “We don’t know!” 

But Jesus does give us some information!. In Matthew 24 he seems to offer several conditions for his return.

Matthew 24:2
“I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Here Jesus is referring to the great Temple of Jerusalem, the very center of Jewish religious life. It was absolutely unimaginable that the Temple would ever, ever be torn down. But historians tell us that in 70 AD (Jesus was speaking in about 30 AD) the Roman army sacked Jerusalem and utterly destroyed the Temple. Many believe, therefore, that this condition has already been met.

Matthew 24:9
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear…”

Jesus seems to say that before he returns that his followers will face persecution because of their faith. Furthermore he says that many false prophets will come and will confuse many people. We know that within just a few years of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, his followers began to face severe persecution and that persecution has continued throughout the 2000 years since that time. Even today followers of Jesus are being persecuted in various parts of the world. Many believe, therefore, that this condition has been met.

Matthew 24:14
“And the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Jesus says that, before he returns, the gospel must be preached to the gentile world. Within 30 years of his death and resurrection the Apostle Paul took the gospel into the gentile world, and in Colossians 1:23 writes,

"This is a gospel that you have heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven…" 

There are many who believe that this condition has already been met.

Now, it is also true that some believe that while each of these conditions has been met in the past, that there are still events that must take place in the future before Jesus returns. Many, many books have been written on subjects like the “great tribulation,” the “rapture of the church,” and the “millennial kingdom of Christ,” seeking to understand and explain what will take place and when.

But it seems to me that the thrust of Jesus’ own words is simply this: “I am coming soon, so hang on and be prepared!”

My parents are fond of beginning the day by reminding each other of the nearness of Jesus’ return. At some point after breakfast, one will say to the other, “Today could be the day!”

How would it change your perspective to begin each day with that expectation and hope?

Today could be the day!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Monday, January 23

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Matthew 24:36-39
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left."

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." 

Like most Moms, my wife rarely gets a “day off” from being a Mom. About once a year or so she gets away for a conference or a visit to family and leaves me at home with our boys.

Now I am no longer the complete slob I was in college or in my mid-twenties single years! Twenty-five years of marriage has produced at least a little growth in the area of domestic hygiene. But, as much as I hate to admit it, when Lorene leaves me home alone it doesn’t take very long for the “law of entropy” to take over.

The “law of entropy”, for all you non-science majors like me, is the second law of thermodynamics, which, loosely translated, states that “everything in the universe moves from order to disorder unless energy is introduced into the system.”

So within a few hours of her departure, our home degenerates into a state of primordial chaos. Dishes pile up in the sink; empty Portillo’s boxes lie strewn around the family room and dirty clothes litter the floor.

This is not because of me, mind you, but because of the “second law of thermodynamics.” The law of entropy simply takes over. Who am I to fight against the very laws of the universe?

But as the hour of my wife’s return draws near an amazing transformation takes place! It happens first in me – then in our home! Over the years I have developed a kind of formula for this process. For each day she is gone it takes me about 30 minutes to clean up. One day away means 30 minutes of getting dishes into the dishwasher; Portillo’s boxes into the garbage and dirty clothes into the washer. Two days means an hour – and so forth.

The point is, the nearness of her return transforms my behavior and my priorities because I want to be fully prepared for her arrival! That’s what Jesus is trying to teach us in regard to his own return!

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." 

We don’t talk a great deal about the return of Jesus Christ to earth, but the Bible has a great deal to say about the certainty of his coming. The New Testament makes 300 references to the second coming of Christ; and Jesus’ return is mentioned in 23 of the 27 New Testament books. But in all those references, Jesus never tells us when he will return! Why is that? Why would God keep that bit of information from us?

Think about it this way. If my wife tells me she will be gone for the weekend and will return home at 7:30 pm Sunday evening; when will I start to prepare for her return? Right! I will begin to clean up at about 7:00 pm – depending on how long she has been gone! But what if she were to say that she would be home “sometime over the weekend.” What would I do then? I would be in a state of “continual preparedness!”

I think God has chosen to keep the exact time of Jesus’ return from us because he knows our very nature. He knows we would be tempted to ignore his word and his will until the last possible moment – and that’s not the way he wants us to live! That’s not the way to experience all that he wants to give us. Rather, God wants us to live in a constant state of preparedness – because that’s how we will know the blessing, peace and joy that he has for us!

Are you living in that kind of spiritual preparedness? Or have you been ignoring the dishes piling up in the sink?

Ask God to help you increasingly live as if Jesus were coming back today!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Friday, January 20

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Friday

There is a lot of speculation inside and outside of the church these days about the end of the world.  For Christians the debate always seems to come back to the question “when” it is all going to happen?

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.  His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.  He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.  The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.  Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.  On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

   KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS  - Revelation 19:11-16

This passage is a vivid description of what it will be like when Christ returns at the end of the world.  Far too many Christians are more concerned about when He will come than they are about the impact His coming should have on their daily lives.  Listen to what Jesus Himself had to say about this kind of speculation about the Last Day.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  – Matthew 24:36

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.  - Matthew 24:42-44

I think C.S. Lewis captures well our present situation in regards to the End Times in a letter he wrote to an Italian friend…

The times we live in are, as you say, grave:  whether “graver than all others in history” I do not know.  But the evil that is closest always seems to be the most serious: for as with the eye so with the heart, it is a matter of one’s own perspective.  However, if our times are indeed the worst, if That Day is indeed now approaching, what remains but that we should rejoice because our redemption is now nearer and say with St. John:  “Amen; come quickly, Lord Jesus.”  Meanwhile, our only security is that The Day may find us working each one in his own station and especially (giving up dissensions) fulfilling that supreme command that we love each other. 

- From a letter to Don Giovanni Calabria, July 14, 1952

Jeff Frazier

Thursday, January 19

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Thursday

When my children were much younger, they used to enjoy it when my wife or I would read stories to them before bed.  We read all kinds of wonderful stories; “The Wind in the Willows”, “Winnie the Pooh”, “The Velveteen Rabbit”, “The Indian in the Cupboard”, “The Legend of King Arthur”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “The Hobbit”, and of course “The Chronicles of Narnia”.  As my children began to learn to read, I would ask them to read a sentence or two from each page as we went along.  Whenever we would reach the end of the last chapter, my youngest son would always look for those two little words that signify the end of a story – “The End”.  I don’t know why, but he always wanted to be the one to read those words.  If the book we were reading did not actually have them printed at the end of the last chapter, he would say them anyway.  I think it was just his way of stating that the story is over.

When we come to the book of Revelation, in a sense, it is God’s way of telling us the story is over.  Yet, in another sense, it is also God’s way of telling us that “The End” is really not an end at all, but a new beginning into a great and glorious story that will go on for all eternity.  Revelation tells us how the story of this world and this life will eventually come to an end, and how that ending will open the door to a new beginning of life with Christ.  This is why we must read Revelation (The End) through the lenses of Genesis (The Beginning).  Revelation is the culmination of what God started way back in the Genesis.  It is the story of God making good on all of his promises and redeeming all that He created.

Genesis	Revelation
Creation	Recreation
Satan’s Rebellion	Satan’s Defeat & Judgment
Darkness & Night	No more Darkness or Night
The Curse Pronounced	The Curse Removed
Shame & Hiding From God	We Will See Him Face to Face
Death Enters	No more Death or Dying
Marriage of First Adam	Marriage of Last Adam (Christ)
Man’s City – Babylon	God’s City – New Jerusalem
First Judgment	Final Judgment

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.  Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.  By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.  – Genesis 1:1, 31, 2:1-3

 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  - Revelation 21:1-4

We may argue and speculate about the middle of the story, but we can all at least agree that in the beginning, God created it…and in the end, God redeems it!


Jeff Frazier

Wednesday, January 18

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Wednesday

I recently listened to a two and a half hour debate between 4 New Testament scholars called “An Evening of Eschatology”.  (sounds like a pretty exciting way to spend an evening right?))  Each of the four scholars held a different view of what the events described in the book of Revelation mean and how they will eventually play out. 

Let’s take a moment to sketch out the four basic approaches to interpreting the complex imagery in the book of Revelation.

Preterist View - from the Latin praeter meaning "past" holds that through the use of symbols and allegory, the Revelation deals with events that were fulfilled in John's time and that it was written primarily to provide hope and comfort to the first century church persecuted by Rome.  For example, this view interprets the Beast of Rev. 12-13 as the Roman emperor Nero in the first century A.D.

Historicist View - The historicist approach views the Revelation as a symbolic or allegorical prophetic survey of church history from the first century up to the Second Coming of Christ. This was the view espoused by most of the "reformers" and thus dominated Protestant eschatological teaching for centuries.

Idealist View - This approach argues that the symbols in the Revelation do not relate to historical events but rather to timeless spiritual truths. Idealists feel that Revelation relates primarily to the church between the first and second coming of Christ. They feel Revelation relates to the battle between God and evil and between the church and the world at all times in church history.

Futurist View - A strictly literal reading of prophecy will generally lead to a "futurist" interpretation. Thus futurists interpret Revelation as predictive of future end time historical events preceding, during and after the return of Jesus Christ.  This view is the one that leads often to the debates about when the rapture will occur and when the millennium will begin.

Now let’s take a look at a particular text from the book of Revelation and try to make sense of it from some of these different perspectives.

A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.  She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.  Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.  His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.  She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.

–      Revelation 12:1-5

Now what in the world is all of this about?

There are three images in this passage; a woman, a Dragon, and a Child.  One of the things we have to ask ourselves in order to understand the meaning of this text is what do the images represent?

Just about all of the commentators agree that the Child represents Christ, and if you read far enough into Revelation you discover that the Dragon is Satan.  Well then, who or what is the Woman?  Some scholars have understood the woman to represent the Church and the struggle between the woman and the Dragon represents the war between God’s Church and the forces of evil in the world.  But if the Child is Christ, then it does not make sense to think of Jesus Christ coming from the Church?  No, the Church came from Christ, not the other way around.  Other Bible scholars have understood the Woman to a figurative representation of Mary, the mother of God.  This makes sense in terms of the birth of Jesus, but it does not fit with any of the rest of the imagery in Revelation 12.  The best interpretation is that the Woman represents Israel.  It was through Israel that God brought His Son Jesus into our world.  And Satan tried to devour Jesus as a babe (through Herod murdering all of the male children 2 years and under), he tried to destroy Him at Calvary, and he (Satan has been warring against the Christ’s Church ever since!

The point is that is that even in this one simple text, we see a Revelation of Jesus Christ in past events, in present circumstances, and in future realities.  If we were to try and understand the book of Revelation only in terms of the past or only in terms of the future, we would be misled and we would miss the incredible depth of God’s Word!


Jeff Frazier

Tuesday, January 17

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Tuesday 

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars.  He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion…Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven.  And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay…Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”  So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”  I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.  Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”  - Revelation 10:1-10 (selected)

John's role in the realization of the mystery of God is made known to him by an experience similar to one that the prophet Ezekiel had (Ezekiel 2).  The voice from heaven tells John to take the scroll from the angel's hand.  When he does so, the angel gives him further instructions: Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey (v. 9). The thought of eating the scroll instead of reading it is a little bit strange to our way of thinking.  It is a thought that would probably not have occurred to any of us had we been writing the story.  It appears that the common metaphor of a person "devouring" an good book has been taken literally!  

(As a side note; Eugene Peterson has written a wonderful book called “Eat This Book; A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading”, that deals with what it really means to meditate on the Word of God.)

We need to know Ezekiel's story from the Old Testament in order to understand what is going on here.  Ezekiel too was told to eat a scroll and "then go and speak to the house of Israel" (Ezek 3:1).  Unlike John, Ezekiel had seen the scroll actually being unrolled. "On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe".  When he ate it, "it tasted as sweet as honey" (Ezek 3:3), suggesting that Ezekiel's message would be sweet to him, though bitter to his hearers.  John's experience is more complex.  Nothing is said of what is written on the scroll, but the message is sweet as honey in John's mouth and sour in his stomach.  Even though John (and his fellow prophets) have the sweet privilege of hearing and delivering God's "good news", their prophecies will inevitably bring them sorrow and suffering.

These are questions that we would do well to reflect on…

Is the Word of God sweet to you?  Have you tasted the grace and mercy of God in His Word? 

Psalm 119:103 - How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

For those who know and trust in Jesus Christ, the Word of God is sweeter than the sweetest honey.

On the other hand, has the Word of God ever turned your stomach sour?  Have you ever felt the bitterness and sorrow of seeing people reject God and His Word?  The Word of God is indeed sweet, but it is not always easy for people to swallow.  


Jeff Frazier

Monday, January 16

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Monday

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations any more until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.   - Revelation 20-1:4

Over 100 years ago, Victor Hugo, the French novelist and author of Les Miserables, wrote these words:

In the twentieth century war will be dead. The scaffold will be dead. Hatred will be dead. Frontier boundaries will be dead. Dogmas will be dead. But man will live. He will possess something higher than all these: a great country, the whole earth, a great hope, the whole of heaven.

Here we are in the 21^st century and we have to say, "How mistaken Hugo was!" Or was he?  Those words reflect the hope that has been burning in men's hearts for centuries - the dream that there would someday, somehow, come a golden age upon the earth, a time when peace would spread throughout the whole world, a utopia, where men would live in unbroken peace and abounding prosperity.  This has been the promise of every politician since governments began, but they have never been able to bring it to pass.  It is a hope that is yet unrealized.

Three times in this passage from Revelation 20 we see the phrase "a thousand years." It actually occurs six times throughout the whole chapter.  The word "millennium" comes from the Latin mille annum, which means "a thousand years."  This is the passage that teaches about a millennium of peace yet to come upon the earth. This passage is one of the great battlefields of Scripture.  There are various competing views about what the millennium actually is and when it will occur.

Some take this passage literally and believe that there is coming a thousand-year reign of Christ upon the earth in the future.  Some believe that the millennium does not refer to a literal thousand years, but to the expanding reign of Christ and His Kingdom upon the earth throughout history.  Still others believe that the thousand-year reign of Christ is a heavenly reality and not an actual earthly reign.

This passage also talks about the binding of Satan.  Here again, sincere Christians who love the Lord disagree over the meaning of what it means and when it happens.  Some say the binding of Satan took place at the cross when Jesus overcame Satan, and he has been bound ever since throughout the history of the church.  Others, while agreeing that Jesus overcame the powers of Hell on the Cross, believe that this actually refers to a future event where Satan will be totally restricted from tempting or deceiving anyone.  I recall reading one theologian who held this view who said that if Satan is bound today it must be with a very long chain! 

When we look at the world around us, it is sometimes hard for us to see where the Kingdom of Heaven on earth is taking hold.  Regardless of the differences in our interpretive positions about when and how it will happen, all Christians can agree that the only hope we have for an end to war, poverty, corruption, oppression, etc. is the reign of Jesus Christ our King! 

Jeff Frazier

Friday, January 13

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Revelation 1:1-3

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw – that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

When my brother was in 5th or 6th grade or so – he played the tuba in the school band. He kept his horn – which was technically a sousaphone - in its case in his room, where he could practice without driving the rest of us crazy.

My brother also occasionally had trouble waking up on time for school. Whenever this would happen, my father would devise creative and somewhat devious ways to wake him up. Sometimes it was a cold wash cloth dropped onto his bare back – my brother hated that! And once, when my brother rolled over and went back to sleep, my Dad saw the sousaphone sitting in the corner of the room and couldn’t resist. He put bell of the horn right over his son’s head and blew – his own version of a “wake-up call!” That was my Dad’s idea of fun – which tells you something about my Dad! It also might explain a few things about my brother! (Just kidding in case either of you read this!)

In a sense, prophecy is like the great wake-up call of God. Biblical prophecy is not meant to scare us or confuse us – but it is meant to wake us up! Through prophecy God tells us that his word is true; that he has authority over all things; and that history is moving toward an end. Through prophecy God tells us that he will hold us accountable for our own lives and that each of our lives will also have an end. Through prophecy God tells us how we can be fully prepared for that end – even though we do not know when or how it will take place.

Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

The question is, how do we “take to heart” what Biblical prophecy is telling us?

In Revelation 3 Jesus offers us this invitation:

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

The “door” Jesus is talking about is the door of our hearts. Jesus wants to enter our hearts, to fill us with his grace and truth, to confront our sin and replace it with his forgiveness and righteousness – but he needs our permission to do so. So how do we open the door?

The preceding verse answers this question:

“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.” Revelation 3:19

We open the door of our hearts to Jesus when we recognize our sin and repent. To “repent” means to turn around – to go in a new direction. It means that when we invite Christ into our hearts he will come in – but he will also clean house!

The Apostle Paul describes this process like this:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17

So how does all this prepare us for eternity? Peter says:

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1:3-4

Can you hear the sousaphone of God - the great wake up call of his prophetic word? Each of our lives – and history itself – is rushing toward a conclusion. Most of the time we are somewhat oblivious to this truth – yet it is true. Prophecy is God’s way of telling us that the time to prepare is now.

Open your heart to Jesus today – and receive his forgiveness – and more than that – receive the promise of an eternal inheritance!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Thursday, January 12

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Matthew 24:12-14

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

The beginning of a new year is a time when most of us find it natural to think about the future. We wonder what the coming year will hold for us, for the economy, for our nation, for the world. And there is no shortage of people willing to predict the future! From the storefront “psychic readers” that dot the landscape of our small towns, to “psychic hotlines” we can call 24/7, to people like, “Rosemary the Celtic Lady” who advertises herself not only as an “Animal Communicator” but that her predictions for people are 97% accurate (I actually looked her up on the American Association of Psychics website)! In fact, “psychic consultation” is now a $2 billion industry in America every year!

Now when most of us think about the future – we think about the “near future,” We think about what might happen in the coming year – or we wonder what might happen in the next 3 years or 5 years. But we don’t usually think about the future in an ultimate sense. We don’t usually think about what happens when there is no more future to think about. We don’t usually think about the “end.”

Yet Jesus talked openly about the end of all things. In Matthew 24 Jesus tells his disciples that the day would come when the great Temple of Jerusalem would be destroyed. Incredulous, they ask him,

“Tell us…when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3

Jesus responds with nearly two chapters of teaching about coming persecution, the arrival of many false prophets, his own return to earth and other signs that will usher in the end of all things. While we will address some of these subjects in the weeks that lie ahead, for now I want to focus on what Jesus says in the middle of this long discourse.

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

He simply says there will be an end. This is extremely significant. I’m not an expert in world religions, but I do know that many religions teach that both history and life itself are cyclical. That is, many believe that both history and human beings continue to reinvent themselves continuously and indefinitely as human consciousness and civilization continues to evolve toward perfection. Jesus is saying the exact opposite. History and life itself are not cyclical, but linear. Time had a beginning and time will have an end. Life had a beginning and life will have an end. Which means on the personal level, of course, that my life had a beginning and will also have an end.

Let me try a rather clumsy sports analogy here. It’s as if the Bible is telling us that we are not playing baseball – with the endless possibility of extra-innings! Rather, we are playing football; when the clock hits zero, the game is over. (And if the game is tied, there is something wonderful called “Sudden Death”!)

As a pastor, one of the great privileges of my life is to be invited into people’s lives at moments of crisis – and in particular the crisis of death. Just last week I stood with a grieving husband beside the bed that still held the body of his dear wife – who had passed away after a long illness. I was reminded of the preciousness of the life and love God has given to us as a gift from his own image; and I was also reminded that this life will have an end.

When we think of prophecy, we often think of the spectacular and cataclysmic events that many think will precede the end of the world. We speculate about when and how the end will come. And while there is nothing wrong with such speculation, sometimes it can obscure the main point – which is that our lives will come to an end; someway, somehow, sooner or later, we will each face our own mortality. And then what?

Biblical prophecy points us to the truth that all things will have an end.

Prophecy points to the truth that each of our lives will come to an end and then we will face eternity.

Prophecy points to the truth that we can know with certainty how we will spend that eternity.

And all prophecy points to the truth of Jesus.

“Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” Revelation 22:7

Thank God that while we cannot know the day when history will end for us personally, through Jesus we can know with certainty that we will spend eternity with him!

Pastor Brian Coffey

Wednesday, January 11

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Jeremiah 26:1-6

Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: “This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’”

I was reading the paper some time ago and came across an article that described a recent study done on the state of bridges in America. Among other things, the article said that the typical bridge is engineered for a life-span of about 50 years and that the average age of all the bridges in America is 42 years. Furthermore, research indicates that of the 26,000 bridges in the state of Illinois, over 2000 are “structurally deficient” – including 16 within 10 miles of Geneva. Now, I’m not an engineer – but I do occasionally drive over bridges from time to time – and those numbers make me just a little bit nervous!

Just as a trained engineer can study a bridge and identify its structural deficiencies, and then predict when and how that bridge might fail, so also the role of prophecy is to remind us of God’s word and warn of the consequences of failure to listen and obey.

The prophet Jeremiah served during a time when Judah (the southern kingdom of Israel) had rejected the sovereignty of the Lord their God.

Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’”

God is like an engineer looking at a bridge that has fallen into disrepair. He sees the problem and warns of what will happen if repairs are not made immediately. Judah is the bridge and the “structural deficiencies” are the sins of idolatry and complete disregard for God’s law. The role of the prophet is to remind the people of God that their sin will inevitably result in destruction, and that therefore they must repent and allow God to rebuild and restore them.

In a sense, of course, we are like the people of Judah. We may not bow down to pagan idols named Baal or Marduk, gods of the Canaanites and Babylonians, but we are tempted to worship before our own cultural gods of wealth and materialism. The “structural deficiencies” of our sin may not look like the sins of those ancient Hebrews, but they are sin nonetheless.

The prophet simply reminds us that God’s word is always true. Sin is always sin – and sin destroys. First it destroys our relationship with our holy God; then it destroys relationships with others; and finally it destroys us.

But thankfully, the good news is that when we admit our “structural deficiencies” – our weakness and sin – God promises to forgive, restore and rebuild us in his grace.

Through the prophet Ezekiel, God give us this promise:

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

In the New Testament, the Apostle John says it this way:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

May we listen to the word of the Lord through his messengers; and may we surrender to his work or restoration in our lives.

Pastor Brian Coffey

Tuesday, January 10

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Daniel 4:34-35

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth.

No one can hold back his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

Years ago, when one of our sons was only about 3 years old, he suddenly developed a new wrinkle in his behavior repertoire. Where he had typically been a very compliant child, he began to explore the limits of his autonomy and independence.

We would say, “Time to turn off the T.V.,” and instead of saying, as he usually did, “O.K.” - he would respond, “I don’t want to turn off the T.V.!”

We’d say, “Eat your potatoes,” and he would say, “I don’t want to eat my potatoes!”

We’d say, “It’s not time for a cookie,” and he’s say, “But I want one!”

We were somewhat surprised that the battle of wills came so quickly, but we responded by reintroducing our little son to the fundamental concept of the “Sovereignty of Mom and Dad.” As hard as it was for him to accept, the simple truth was that at that point in his life, his Mom and I made the rules.

Biblical prophecy is best understood, perhaps, not as a blueprint for the future of human civilization, but as a reminder of the sovereignty of God.

In the book of Daniel, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar became proud and exulted in his own greatness. So God first spoke to him through a dream that contained a prophetic warning of what would take place if he continued to exalt himself. But Nebuchadnezzar ignored the dream (Daniel 4) and the word of God. God then humbled him by causing him to become insane for a time. After Nebuchadnezzar repented, and after God had restored him to his right mind, the king responded with a clear testimony to God’s sovereignty.

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
This is king Nebuchadnezzar’s way of saying, “O.K. God, I get it now! You are God and I am not!”

Nebuchadnezzar had discovered, just as a 5 year old discovers, and just as you and I must discover sooner or later, that God is sovereign.

He alone is the owner of the universe; landlord of planet earth. He makes the rules! From the law of gravity, to the laws of thermodynamics, to the biological laws of life and death, to the moral laws of right and wrong; God makes the rules because he possesses all power and authority. God has authority not only over the entire universe, which he created, but over human history as well. God has authority over nations and rulers as well as over my small, seemingly insignificant life.

Now, to say God is sovereign does not mean God is like a great puppeteer in the sky! He does not control us in that manner for he has given us the gift of free will. While we will never be able to completely fathom the relationship between God’s sovereignty and human free will, the Bible does seem to indicate that human beings can choose to love, serve and obey him; or choose to spit in his face. In his sovereignty God has even chosen to allow Satan limited authority to prowl the earth (Job 1; 1 Peter 5). But we must know, and this is the role of the prophet, that when we choose to disregard his authority; to disregard his word; to disobey him by exalting ourselves – we will sooner or later be confronted by the truth that we are not God! There will be a reckoning, a final accounting of good and evil, and every human being who has ever lived will stand before God for judgment.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books…If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:12-15 (selected)

The “book of life”, of course, is an image that refers to salvation through Jesus Christ. The “lake of fire” is an image that points to judgment of sin and separation from God. Biblical prophecy tells us that every person who ever lived is headed to one of those two eternal destinations. God is sovereign and he will make that final determination based on what we have done with Jesus.

Have you asked Jesus to write your name in the book of life?

Pastor Brian Coffey