Monthly Archives: December 2010
Don’t let anyone or anything come before God. He must come first – every time.
The Gospel turns the world’s values upside down – the ‘poor in the world’ are ‘rich in faith’ (James 2:5). We are to live according to the Gospel. We are not to be controlled by the world’s way of thinking. If we ‘show favouritism’, we place ourselves in a dangerous position – ‘judgment without mercy’. Even where there is the threat of judgment, there is the promise of mercy – ‘mercy triumphs over judgment’ (James 2:9,13). God is calling us back from the brink. He is saying, ‘It’s not too late’. Even at ‘the eleventh hour’, God is calling us to receive His mercy (Matthew 20:6-9). He wants to change us. He wants us to put Him first. For Abraham and Rahab, God came first – not Abraham’s son, not Rahab’s country (James 2:20-26; Genesis 22:12; Joshua 2:9). Don’t let anyone or anything come before Him. He must come first – every time.
The Battle May Be ‘Fierce.’ The ‘Victory Is Secure.’
Numbers 31:21-54
If we are to be ‘soldiers of Christ’, we need to be ‘purified’, made ‘clean’. There is purification by ‘fire’ and ‘water’. Purification may be painful, but we have the promise of God’s protective presence. He says, ‘I will be with you’. He assures us, ‘the waters… shall not overwhelm you… and the flame shall not shall not consume you’(22-24; Isaiah 43:2). From the Old Testament wars, we learn important spiritual principles: Enter the war, Destroy the sins, Possess the land. This is what we must do throughout life. Looking beyond Israel’s triumphs to Christ’s victory over Satan (Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8), we thank God for His victory and we claim this victory by faith (1 Corinthians 15:57; 1 John 5:4-5). The battle may be ‘fierce’. The ‘victory is secure’(Church Hymnary, 479). Praise God!
Revelation 4-5
‘In heaven’, there’s ‘an open door’ – This is the great declaration with which Revelation 4 begins.
This ‘open door in heaven’ speaks to us of the great love God has for us. We sing about the opening of heaven’s door when we sing the well-known hymns, There is a green hill and Jesus loves me.
In the hymn, There is a green hill, we sing of Jesus Christ our Saviour:
‘There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate of heaven, and let us in.’
In the hymn, Jesus loves me, we sing of the wonderful love our Saviour has for us:
‘Jesus loves me! He who died heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin, let His little child come in.’
From heaven’s door, we hear the voice of love. It is the voice of our Saviour calling to us. He says to us, ‘Come up here’. What a gracious and glorious invitation this is! From heaven’s open door, Jesus Christ, the risen Lord, calls out to us, ‘Come up here’.
What happens to us when we respond to Christ’s call? John tells us in verse 2 – ‘At once I was in the Spirit’. To all who come to Christ in faith, God gives the gift of His Holy Spirit.
When we think of the opening of heaven’s door and the sending of the Spirit into our hearts, we can only bow before God in worship and say,
‘This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvellous in our eyes’ (Ps. 118:23).
As we worship, we catch a glimpse of the glory of God. He is the eternal God. He is God the Creator. He is God the Redeemer. This threefold revelation of God as the eternal God, the God of creation and the God of redemption is found in 4:8, 4:11 & 5:12.
In 4:8, we catch a glimpse of the glory of the eternal God:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is
to come.’
In 4:11, we catch a glimpse of the glory of God the Creator:
‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour
and power, for You have created all things, and by Your will they
were created and have their being.’
In 5:12, we catch a glimpse of the glory of God the Redeemer:
‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!’
Looking through heaven’s open door, catching a glimpse of the glory of God. This is the heavenly and eternal context within which our worship takes place. We have gathered for worship as those who have heard the gracious call of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have heard His voice of love, calling us to worship. He still says to us, as He said to John, ‘Come up here’.
Humanly speaking, we have come down to the valley. Our place of worship is set in a valley surrounded by hills. Spiritually speaking, we have come up to the mountaintop – the high place of heaven itself. Here, in the low place that we call the valley, we lift up our eyes beyond the hills to the Maker of the hills, the eternal God, the God of creation, the God of redemption. We catch a glimpse of His glory, His heavenly glory, His eternal glory.
In our worship, we focus attention on three glimpses of God’s glory – the glory of the eternal God, the glory of God the Creator, the glory of God the Redeemer.
For our first glimpse of glory, we look at God as the eternal God. He is the God ‘who was’, the God ‘who is’, the God ‘who is to come’. The Bible begins with the eternal God. Before the world is even mentioned, we have the words, ‘In the beginning, God’. Before the world was created, there was God. Before He became God the Creator and God the Redeemer, He was the eternal God. The Bible ends with the eternal God. In the Bible’s final chapter, the eternal God gives us this majestic description of Himself:
‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the
Beginning and the End’ (v.13).
The eternal God calls us to put our trust in Him:
‘Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord God is the eternal (or
everlasting) Rock’ (Isaiah 26:4).
The eternal God gives great promises to those who put their trust in Him:
‘The eternal God is your Refuge, and underneath are the everlasting
arms’ (Deuteronomy 33:27).
‘The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no-one can
fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of
the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men
stumble and fall; but those who wait on the Lord will renew their
strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not
grow weary, they will walk and not be faint’ (Isaiah 40:28-31).
In this precious promise concerning the renewal of our strength, we have a description of God which leads us on to our second glimpse of glory – ‘The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth’.
For our second glimpse of glory, we turn our attention to God the Creator. He is the God who ‘created all things’. The first half of the Bible’s opening verse speaks to us of the eternal God – ‘In the beginning, God’. Before everything else, there is God. In the second half of the verse, we learn that the eternal God has become God the Creator – ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth’. Here is love, the love of the eternal God. By creating the heavens and the earth, the eternal God pours out the love that is in His heart. This love – His love – is everlasting love.
When we speak of God as the God of perfect love, we will be challenged by unbelieving critics of the Christian Faith. They will say to us, ‘How can you believe in a God of love if He created a world like this?’ How are we to answer this kind of criticism? We must go back to the first three chapters of Genesis. There, we will learn about the world God created. We will learn that the world created by God is very different from the world as it is today. In the final verse of Chapter 1, we have a description of the world as it was created by God:
‘God saw all that He had made, and it was very good’.
We look at the world today, and we say, ‘What’s the world coming to?’ Why is there such a difference between the world as it is now and the world as it was created by God? The answer to this question is found in the third chapter of Genesis. The Bible’s answer to this question can be summed up in one word: sin. It is our sin which has spoiled the good world created by the God of perfect love.
As we read of Adam and Eve disobeying God, we must see ourselves in their story. We must see our sin, our rebellion against God. We have disobeyed Him. We have gone our own sinful way rather than walking in His perfect way. We have done what we wanted rather than walking in the centre of God’s perfect will for us. This is not only the story of Adam and Eve. It’s the story of every one of us – ‘All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory’ (Romans 3:23).
Sin – This is the reason why the world as we know it is so very different from the ‘very good’ world that was created by God.
The loving God created a ‘very good’ world. The sinful creature – that’s every one of us – has spoiled God’s world. That’s the basic message contained in the first three chapters of Genesis. From here, we now move on to our third glimpse of the glory of God: the eternal God, God the Creator, has become God the Redeemer.
Our third glimpse of the glory of God brings us to the very heart of the Christian Gospel. ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain …’ (5:11) – These marvellous words direct our attention to God the Redeemer.
In the opening chapter of the Gospel of John, we have profound teaching concerning our Saviour, Jesus Christ. This teaching, in verses 1-3 & 14 brings together our three glimpses of God’s glory – the eternal God, God the Creator, God the Redeemer.
‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all
things were made … The Word became flesh and lived for a while
among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth’.
Why did the eternal God take on human flesh? Why did the Creator of all things live for a while among us? The answer becomes clear as we read on in the Fourth Gospel.
In Revelation 4 & 5, we are invited to enter more deeply into the worship of God – the eternal God, God the Creator, God the Redeemer.
The words of John’s Gospel will help us to do this. In 3:16, John speaks to us of the love God has for all of us:
‘God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life’.
This is the eternal God, the God of eternal love, reaching out to guilty sinners, providing a way for us to share in eternal life with Him. In 1:29, John points us to our Saviour:
‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’
Twenty-nine times in the book of Revelation, Jesus Christ is described as ‘the Lamb of God’. ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!’ By praising our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ in such wonderful words of worship, the book of Revelation teaches us to pay special attention to the love of Christ.
We must not think only of the greatness of the power of God without also thinking of the greatness of the love of Christ. The power of God and the love of Christ belong together. We must not think of God only as the eternal God, the God of creation. We must think of Him also as the God of redemption.
We will focus on the God of redemption, when we ‘turn our eyes upon Jesus’. As we ‘look full in His wonderful face’, ‘the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glorious grace.’
May God, the eternal God, the God of creation ‘who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, make His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ’ (2 Cor. 4:6).
Conflict, Victory, Glory: Praise God (Revelation 19)
The great God is the great King. “The Lord is great.” He is “the great King” (Psalm 48:1-2).
In Psalm 48, we catch a glimpse of the future.
* There will be conflict – “The kings gathered together and came to attack Mount Zion” (v. 4).
* There will be victory – “But when they saw it, they were amazed. They were afraid. They ran away … We have heard what done and now we have seen it” (vs. 5, 8).
* Beyond the conflict and the victory, there is the glory – “the city of our God, the Lord Almighty; He will keep the city safe for ever … This God is our God for ever and ever; He will lead us for all time to come” (vs. 8, 14).
These great words of Psalm 48 point us to the great future which is described for us in the book of Revelation
In the nineteenth chapter of Revelation, we find ourselves in an atmosphere of jubilant celebration: “After this I hears what sounded like the roar of a large crowd of people in heaven, saying, ‘Praise God! Salvation, glory and power belong to our God” (v.1).
Praise God! Praise God! Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!
Four times, in Revelation 19, we read these great words.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
In verses 1, 3, 4, and 6, we have this great song of praise to the Lord our God.What a wonderful picture we have here of the great God. He is the great King.
Praise God! Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
* What is God saying to us as we read these great words?
He is calling us to praise Him: “Praise our God, all His servants and all people, both great and small, who have reverence for Him!” (v. 5).
* How are we to praise God?
We are to praise Him with joy and gladness: “Let us rejoice and be glad; let us praise His greatness! (v.7).
* Why are we to praise God?
We praise Him because He is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (v. 16).
- In the Old Testament, we read of conflict and victory. This is what we have in the story of David and Goliath.
- In the life of Jesus, there is conflict and victory. We see Jesus, put to death by His enemies. We see Jesus, raised from the dead by God the Father.
- In the book of Acts, we see conflict and victory. There is persecution. There is also blessing.
- Here, in the book of Revelation, we are taken on into the future. The conflict is over. The victory has been won.
This is the great message of encouragement which comes to us from the book of Revelation.
As we read the nineteenth chapter of Revelation, we hear the great invitation: “Come and gather together for God’s great feast” (v.17).
God’s great feast is the feast of His triumph over evil.
He is Lord! He is King! He has triumphed! He is victorious!
This is the great declaration which we hear as we gather together at God’s great feast.
We have come to this place. We have gathered together.
Why have we come to this place? Why have we gathered together?
We have gathered together to celebrate the Lord’s victory. We have come to look together at our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have gathered to remember that Jesus is our Saviour. We have gathered to remember that Jesus is our Lord. We have gathered to remember that Jesus is our King.
We do not think only of Jesus’ death on the Cross. We think also of His resurrection from the dead. We remember Him as the Lord of glory. He is in heaven now. He will return from heaven. he will come in great power and glory.
In our remembering Jesus, let us make sure that we also have the forward look. It is a good thing to look back, but we must not remain in the past. We remember. We also look forward.
As we remember Jesus Christ, crucified for us, let us affirm our faith in the words of the final verse of Psalm 48: “This God is our God for ever and ever; He will lead us for all time to come.”
The Lord’s Words To “The Seven Churches”
Here are a few thoughts from the messages to “the seven churches.”
* 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love (Revelation 2:4).
This is one of the saddest verses in the whole of the Bible. It tells the story of so many of us. Let us pray that this will not happen to us.
* 10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).
Here, we have God’s call to faithfulness. He is calling us to be faithful to the end. Let us pray that God will give us His strength so that we may remain faithful to Him throughout our earthly journey.
* 15Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth (Revelation 2:15-16).
Why is the Church in such a terrible state? The explanation is clear – Compromise. We are too busy listening to the world.
We are not busy enough, listening to God’s Word.
* 18“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze (Revelation 2:18).
As we read these words, we must pray for a fresh awareness that, in Scripture, we hear “the words of the Son of God.”
* 20Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into dah immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols (Revelation 2:20).
Here, we have the same problem. There is too much listening to the world and not enough listening to the Word of God.
* 4Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy (Revelation 3:4).A few people! – Let us pray that there will be more than just a few!* 8I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name (Revelation 3:8).
We read here of “an open door.” As we think of the open door of opportunity, let us think first of the opening of our heart to the Lord. Let us remember this. The blessing of fruitfulness is given to those who seek to maintain the obedience of faithfulness. Let us open our hearts to Christ, and let us pray that he will open for us a door of opportunity to bring blessing into the lives of others.
* 20Here 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).
As we read the Book of Revelation, let us make sure that we never overlook this very important verse. This is God’s Word to us at the beginning of the Christian life. This is God’s Word to us at every stage in the Christian life. May God give us grace, day-by-day, to open our hearts afresh to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Christ calls us to commit our whole life to Him
“Whoever acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8).
(1) The call to make a commitment of ourselves to Christ: This means more than paying lip-service to Christ. Choosing Him means choosing to live a life which shares His priorities. It is to be a whole-hearted commitment. Jesus teaches us what we are to avoid and what we are to seek.
(2) What we are to avoid – “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed” (Luke 12:15).
(3) What we are to seek – “Seek His Kingdom” (Luke 12:31).
(4) The choice we make reveals what is really important to us: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). A real confession of faith in Christ as your Saviour and Lord leads to a life lived in the light of eternity, a life which is shaped by the values of eternity, a life which the Bible calls “eternal life.” This “eternal life” is not only far away in the in the future, far away in heaven. It is life here-and-now. It is life which is being transformed by the eternal perspective which Christ brings into our life.
Christ challenges us: Will you treasure the things that are above? Or Will you place value only on the things that are below?
