Luke 6:27-39. Based on appropriating the blessings and avoiding the woes Jesus outlined in the previous verses, believers can evaluate the actions in four areas. Two are presented in this sermon. How are we to act toward our foes? How are we to act toward fellow believers?
Revelation 17:1-18. What is the key to understanding this chapter and the events that transpire? It is the identification of “Babylon.” Is it “religious” Babylon? Is it political Babylon? Or is it the literal city Babylon?
Hello Everyone!
If you were to ask me, ??Ǩ?what is your favorite Disneyland attraction?,??Ǩ I would tell you. It??Ǩ?Ѣs not what you think, in fact, you might be surprised at my choice. Are you asking? Then, I??Ǩ?Ѣll tell you! It is ??Ǩ?Fantasmic!??Ǩ
If you were to ask me ??Ǩ?what??Ǩ?Ѣs that?,??Ǩ you would be among the majority, because most people don??Ǩ?Ѣt know what it is. Fantasmic! is Disneyland??Ǩ?Ѣs night-time show involving water, mist, fireworks, fire, film, characters, orchestral score, special lighting and sound effects. It is more Disney ??Ǩ?magic??Ǩ concentrated into one attraction that you will ever experience anywhere else.
But it is not all of the techno-wonder that makes Fantasmic! spectacular, or my favorite. What makes it my favorite? It is the story. It is a simple story of good triumphing decisively over evil. Even though I??Ǩ?Ѣve seen the show many times and know the end of the story, the drama and tension that is created in telling it still makes me wonder if the mouse will actually pull it off. When he does, I breathe a sigh of relief and remember, ??Ǩ?I knew that.??Ǩ
However, life seldom imitates attractions inside the Magic Kingdom. Reality doesn??Ǩ?Ѣt guarantee that good will be victorious or that the mouse will ??Ǩ?save the day.??Ǩ Take the message from last Sunday night??Ǩ?Ѣs sermon in Revelation, for instance. It didn??Ǩ?Ѣt end the way I expected. Revelation 16 is the chapter that describes the seven bowl judgments. This is the final series of judgments God inflicts on the earth, all with the ultimate intent of purifying and restoring His creation (nature and man) back to the original design.
I know the story here. It??Ǩ?Ѣs even better than Fantasmic!. I??Ǩ?Ѣve read it myself many times. So have you. The Good God is victorious and His justice prevails. But when Pastor Rigsby read the final verse in Revelation 16 again and commented, I was startled. Here was a detail that I didn??Ǩ?Ѣt remember and it certainly did not fit my anticipated flow of the ??Ǩ?story.??Ǩ Here is the verse in its entirety to give it a slight context.
??Ǩ?And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.??Ǩ
Wait! After all of these chapters explaining the increasing intensity of God??Ǩ?Ѣs final judgment, and ??Ǩ?men??Ǩ did what? ??Ǩ?Blasphemed God??Ǩ!? I realize we are not to the finale just yet. But, are you telling me that even this close to the end (after all the horrific destruction and death has just occurred) that man will still refuse to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the true Creator and only Redeemer? Undeniably, it is true.
That man persists in rejecting, denying, and cursing God even to the very end is astounding. I should not have been surprised that even then men will blaspheme God. We have since the beginning of time. Why? It is the same reason some of the survivors of the awful tragedies we have witnessed in the last month, like Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will blaspheme God today. And, it is the same reason why the ??Ǩ?fortunate??Ǩ passengers of Jet Blue Flight 292 or ones who may live their entire life in ease and comfort will also blaspheme God.
??Ǩ?The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it???Ǩ
But, one day the last page of His Story will become reality, then we will see Paul??Ǩ?Ѣs inspiring ??Ǩ?every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord??Ǩ fulfilled, and that without the sensation of techno-wonder, Disney ??Ǩ?magic,??Ǩ or pixie-dust. Then, I??Ǩ?Ѣll breathe a real sigh of relief and remember, ??Ǩ?I knew that.??Ǩ
Revelation 16:1-21. All of the judgments come to a conclusion and climax at the same moment. But unregenerate men still refuse to repent.
Luke 6:20-26. What do most people mean by “living the good life” or “a blessed life”? When Jesus spoke about a blessed life, what did He mean? How is Luke’s version of Jesus’ teaching different from Matthew’s?
Hello Everyone!
I was reminded this week of how widespread our influence can be.
Wednesday afternoon, Eugene dropped in for a visit to venture “down memory lane,” past what is happening now, until we arrived back at the present. You know him, right? Oh, I think at that time he went by Gene, does that help? The clues continued with familiarity, but I hadn’t yet connected the dots. Eighth, ninth grade”around 1989, 1990″Korean”I was perplexed. He knew other people in that time that I knew (and know). He recalled things we did together. But, I didn’t remember him. I don’t claim total recall of every person that has walked through the doors of the church. At the same time, I don’t often draw a complete blank about someone. I scrambled for photos (after all, there is a lot of change from 15 to 30 with only a “dash” in the middle). There were no photos (must be part of those years I still haven’t archived).
Eugene’s comments were filled with appreciation for the church’s ministry during the years he was here. Simultaneously, he was amazed that Pastor Yoon and I were “still here” (I didn’t dare tell him about Pastors Rigsby and N?ɬ??ɬez who have been here longer). It is always good news to hear that when someone leaves this church they find and involve themselves in another church and fellowship somewhere else. Eugene has (and I am glad)!
A widespread influence? Yes, and I am reminded that influence seems to be most effective when I am completely ignorant of it.
However, I do not want to be unaware of this”that God is the One who “influences” this world. We label and describe it by any of several important words. Lord. Sovereign. Master. Control. Providence. Ruler. His Will.
An old Russian hymn, handed down to us, uniquely identifies His influence by beginning with the words “God the All-terrible.” That such a hymn would ever be number one on the Gospel charts in our day is as likely as selling a billion Gospel tracts entitled “God loves you and has a difficult plan for your life.” Why is it that we delight in hearing about the love, grace, and mercy of God, but we turn a deaf ear when God is described as wrathful, vengeful and judging? Here are two stanzas.
God the All-terrible! King Who ordainest
Great winds Thy clarions, lightnings Thy sword;
Show forth Thy pity on high where Thou reignest,
Give to us peace in our time, O Lord.
God the Omnipotent! Mighty Avenger,
Watching invisible, judging unheard,
Save us in mercy, O save us from danger,
Give to us peace in our time, O Lord.
The concluding lines echo the heart-cry of many people, through many troubled generations, including this one. “Give us peace in Iraq and Israel,” some say. Others crave peace in the Bayou, and closer to home, in their own backyard. But “most people” want peace without the “influence” of this “All-terrible, Omnipotent, All-merciful, All-righteous, All-wise” God.
And they say ignorance is bliss.
Luke 6:12-19. What is the difference between a disciple of Jesus Christ and an apostle? Is there any significance to the list of names given when Jesus called apostles from among His disciples? Are all Christians disciples?