We will gather
at Wesley at 9:00 AM for worship. Alice will be preaching . Mike Wingard will
be leading worship. Ruth Gent will be at the piano.
TIME magazine's Person of the
Year in 2011 was "The Protester". Protesters were the big story in Tunisia,
Egypt, Libya, Syria, Mexico, Greece, America, and Russia. The article said, "The
word protest has appeared in newspapers and online exponentially more this past
year than at any other time in history." People are fed up with the violence
and injustice. Sometimes I wonder if anything much will change. Sometimes it
seems that the world is so messed up that there's no hope.
We have been studying the prophets during our Wednesday
evening gatherings. .In Habakkuk and Jeremiah's day,
Babylon became a juggernaut. Its vast capital was seemingly impenetrable and it
was certainly lavish, as it included one of the Seven Wonders of the World,
Nebuchadnezzar's hanging gardens. However, Babylon's heyday did not last long
when the nation was suddenly crushed by the Persians less than 100 years
later.
In a very real
sense, Babylon never went away. In the Bible, Babylon is not just a country. It
is, rather, a kind of perpetual shadow kingdom. Babylon shows up again in the
Book of Revelation, where we see Babylon the Great, seated like a great queen
who is also a prostitute, seducing all the nations of the earth to their doom.
Her method is not so much warfare as the marketplace. Just as ancient
Babylonians plundered and looted wherever they went, so Babylon the Great loots
the world. What's more, she is bent on destroying the people of God. Babylon
the Great is a powerhouse in our world. She is not a country, but infects the
world with that same proud, ruthless, insatiable DNA as that ancient kingdom.
At the heart of Babylon the Great is a bloodthirsty violence bent on plundering
the wealth and life of all people on earth, but especially the people of God.
All her violence and injustice are solely intended to satisfy the ruthless
arrogance of Satan and all others who refuse God.
`We read again about the great
Babylon in the Book of Revelation where chapter 18 begins, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!" Then verse
four says, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues." In God's good time, "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the
glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." The ashes of Babylon the Great
will be swept from memory. Just as the flood in Noah's day destroyed
everything, so there is coming a deluge of the glory of God that will recreate a
new heaven and new earth where God reigns alone and supreme, where every citizen
of his kingdom is redeemed and Christ-like, where nature groans no more and the
lion lies down with the lamb, where the best of the nations is brought into the
Holy City, where every acre, every endeavor, and every soul bows gladly to the
Lord Jesus Christ, for he is "the glory of the LORD." We will not sell our
souls to Babylon. We will wait; through suffering if need be, till the earth is
flooded with the knowledge of the glory of God.
Isaiah 21:9 says, "Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!" There are no other gods. Only this is true: "The LORD is in his holy temple." He has always been there and always will be. No matter how chaotic the world might seem to be, "the Lord is in his holy temple." No matter how the righteous suffer and the wicked seem to prosper, "the Lord is in his holy temple." He is surrounded by the hosts of heaven and celebrated by the saints he has saved. "Let all the earth be silent before him." Let the wicked catch their breath in terror. Let everything in all creation fall to their knees before the Lord Jesus Christ. Babylon's shouts of triumph are stilled and their drunken celebrating has gone as silent as the grave. "The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him." Since that is true, the only safe place to be is among those who love and worship the LORD in his temple.
Babylon the Great still
sits gloating on her throne, trading in the souls of people, but rest assured
that we live by trusting God, no matter what happens. In God's good time, only
the knowledge of the glory of the LORD will flood the earth and God will
disgrace and destroy the wicked. Finally, rest assured that the LORD reigns
right now from his holy temple and soon all the world will know
it.
In Jesus our Lord,
Pastor Brown
Good Morning, Pastor Brown~
Last evening at the mall was truly a HIGHLIGHT of this Christmas for me! Watching the little 'cherubs' participating, the parents taking pictures, seeing other Christians I haven't seen in a while, listening to Yancy and his Christmas music...all of it was more than a thrill. But to be in the midst of so many Christians at the MALL (!!!!!!!!)jointly singing to our Lord almost took my breath away. I am overwhelmed with the sin in this world, the filth on TV, the language we hear when passing people on the street, etc. So to be worshiping Christ in the middle of the public mall made me think of "...every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord..." WOW, do we have something to look forward to. Then in the Daily Bread this AM I read (in part) the following:
"Every Christmas, as we celebrate Christ's first coming with glorious music, I'm reminded that God's people, like choir and orchestra members, are getting ready for the next downbeat of the conductor when Christ will come again. On that day, we will participate with Him in the final movement of God's symphony of redemption -- making all things new. In anticipation, we need to keep our eyes on the conductor and make sure we are ready." I AM SO EXCITED!
I'm sorry this is so long, but I wanted to encourage you for making last evening happen. I am so very thankful for you and your lovely wife and all that you do.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, my brother!
In Christ,
LA
Last evening at the mall was truly a HIGHLIGHT of this Christmas for me! Watching the little 'cherubs' participating, the parents taking pictures, seeing other Christians I haven't seen in a while, listening to Yancy and his Christmas music...all of it was more than a thrill. But to be in the midst of so many Christians at the MALL (!!!!!!!!)jointly singing to our Lord almost took my breath away. I am overwhelmed with the sin in this world, the filth on TV, the language we hear when passing people on the street, etc. So to be worshiping Christ in the middle of the public mall made me think of "...every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord..." WOW, do we have something to look forward to. Then in the Daily Bread this AM I read (in part) the following:
"Every Christmas, as we celebrate Christ's first coming with glorious music, I'm reminded that God's people, like choir and orchestra members, are getting ready for the next downbeat of the conductor when Christ will come again. On that day, we will participate with Him in the final movement of God's symphony of redemption -- making all things new. In anticipation, we need to keep our eyes on the conductor and make sure we are ready." I AM SO EXCITED!
I'm sorry this is so long, but I wanted to encourage you for making last evening happen. I am so very thankful for you and your lovely wife and all that you do.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, my brother!
In Christ,
LA
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