YOU and GOD

A New Heaven and a New Earth

The last words of Revelation 20 are “…the lake of fire.” The first words of the next verse, Rev.21:1 are “…a new heaven and a new earth.” There could not be two places that are more extremely opposite than those two places. The lake of fire will be the eternal abode of the false prophet, the beast and the Devil, (Rev.19:20; 20:10) as well as all those who, when living upon this earth, did not accept Jesus Christ as their savior thus assuring that their names would not be found written in the book of life out of which the resurrected unbelieving dead of all ages will be judged by God at the Great White Throne judgment. (Rev.20:11-15)

An eternity in a “lake of fire burning with brimstone” is too awful to think about except in snatches of time; but that is not the subject of this blog, but rather, the eternal habitation of the saved, those who, when living on this earth, did place their faith in God by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ, and confessing Him as their Lord and Savior. Theirs will be “a new heaven and new earth” for eternity. Unlike the abode of the eternally damned, one can think about heaven and never exhaust the pleasure of what awaits the redeemed of all ages there.

In fact, C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, said that the Christians who did the most for the present world were those who thought most of the next. He cites the apostles themselves, then the Reformers of the Middle Ages, followed by the English evangelicals who abolished the slave trade…all men and women who left their mark on earth, Lewis said, because their minds were occupied with heaven.

If you have read recent installments of “You and God,” you are probably aware that at least three dear friends and co-workers in our local church have gone on to be with the Lord in the past few weeks. They are not yet in that “new heaven and new earth,” but they are at Home where He is, and their final destination will be that place described in Revelation 21 and 22, a place that defies description with our limited vocabularies.

I read once of William Montague Dyke who became blind at the age of ten. Despite the handicap, he was very bright, witty and handsome. While attending graduate school in England he met the daughter of an English admiral with whom he fell in love and became engaged to be married. Though having never seen his fiancé, he loved her dearly. Just before the wedding, at the insistence of the bride’s father, William submitted to a special treatment for his eyes. Hoping against hope, William wanted the gauze from his eyes to be cut during the ceremony. He wanted the first thing he ever saw to be his wife’s face. As she came down the aisle during the wedding, William’s father started unwinding the gauze around from his head and eyes—still not knowing whether the operation was successful. With the unwrapping of the last bit of gauze, William looked into the face of his new bride for the first time. “You are more beautiful than I ever imagined,” he said. And so it is with those who die “in the Lord;” we shall behold Him who loved us so much that he was wounded and smitten in bearing our iniquities. Heaven will be indescribably beautiful—more than we ever could imagine—but, Oh, the face of our Savior who loved us and gave Himself for us; that will be what captivates us first, no doubt, in heaven!

In World War I the American 308th regiment was surrounded by enemy forces and under mortar and machine gun fire. Casualties were mounting, and the situation deteriorated when American forces began shelling the sector where the 308th had dug in. The only communication was by carrier pigeon. In a last desperate move, a sergeant released the regiment’s last bird with a note pleading for the Americans to hold their fire.

As soon as the pigeon lifted off, a stray bullet grazed the side of his head and tore his left eye out. Then a piece of shrapnel hit his chest, shattering his breastbone. But with a strong homing instinct, the bird struggled onward. Somewhere in flight another piece of shrapnel tore off his left leg, leaving the message cannister dangling from torn ligaments. The pigeon made it to his loft, however, and the order went out immediately to stop shelling. The 308th survived. When I read that story, I could not help but think of that “great cloud of witnesses” who have gone on before us; many who were battered, beaten and even beheaded, but all who having put their trust in Christ experienced a “safe landing” on heaven’s shores—in the arms of Jesus! (story copied, source unknown)

John W. Peterson, when he first started writing gospel melodies and lyrics, submitted a good many songs that were rejected by publishers. One such song was “Over the Sunset Mountain,” which went: “Over the sunset mountain, someday I’ll safely go; Into the arms of Jesus, He who has loved me so.” And the chorus goes, “Over the sunset mountain, Heaven awaits for me; over the sunset mountain, Jesus my Savior I’ll see.” An early publisher rejected this song with a note that read, “Take out the name Jesus and focus more on Heaven.” Of course Peterson reasoned that to take out the name Jesus would be unthinkable! A bit later another song came from his heart through his pen which was his response: “I have no song to sing, but that of Christ my King; to Him my praise I’ll bring forevermore! His love beyond degree, His death that ransomed me, now and eternally, I’ll sing it o’er!” Amen. There is no heaven without Jesus!

“And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.” (Rev.22:4)

Time to Teach

It’s always time for a teacher to teach, and once again mothers are watching and waving to their children as they jump into cars or onto busses and trek off to school to begin another year of studies; teachers awaiting the cars and busses to unload their precious cargo are saying, “Here they come; oh, help me, Dear God, to be a teacher that can teach and that can mold the lives of these dear students into trophies of Your grace for time and eternity.”

Teaching is an unspeakable privilege—at any level. To pour one’s self into the soil of another soul so that a character is shaped for a destiny is an opportunity that is of inestimable worth.

Listen to a world-renowned teacher speak admirably in memory of a teacher– who made an indelible mark upon his mind and heart– in memorializing Dr. Howard Hendricks, who for sixty years taught pastors-in-training at Dallas Theological Seminary: “To us he was a hero we looked up to, a model we watched and studied. While none of us would say he was flawless, all of us would say he was authentic, and, in addition to that, he was a lot of fun to spend time with…we learned his unique secrets on how to mine the soil of the scriptures, which enabled us to discover the golden nuggets and the silver strands of truth, and then to mint all of that into valuable coins of communication that we could spend on others for the rest of our lives in order to reach out to those who were hungry, and to win the souls of those who had lost their way. There simply aren’t many people on this planet like Howie Hendricks.” (Part of the memorial service for Howard Hendricks, delivered by Chuck Swindoll, Chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary, March 2, 2013)

The legacy of this man who was mostly known simply as “Prof:” “For more than sixty years Prof served on the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary, where he taught more than ten thousand students. He also ministered in person in more than eighty countries. Through speaking engagements, radio, tapes, films, the sixteen books he authored, his service on numerous boards, and his work as chaplain to the Dallas Cowboys, (1976-84), his reach was worldwide. Holding large audiences enthralled at venues…or…stadium rallies, Prof would confide, ‘It’s wonderful to be here with you, but I have a group of delicious students waiting for me back at the seminary.’”

Had anyone noticed Howard Hendricks as a youngster on the inner-city streets of Philadelphia where he grew up, it would probably have been unimaginable that “the kid” would grow up to be a teacher of teachers. Listen to how he got “hooked” in his own words: “Walt found me playing marbles on the street. That Sunday School teacher got involved with me and beat me in every game we played. I lost my marbles early in life: but when we were through, I wanted to follow him anywhere he went! He found eleven of us on the street. Nine of us are in full-time Christian service today. He never got past the sixth grade. I couldn’t tell you one thing he said. But I know this: he loved me!”

This Sunday School teacher who never made it past the sixth grade so touched the life of a child’s soul that the child would go on to become a teacher of ten thousand students most of whom would become pastors and teachers who would, in turn, touch the lives of untold numbers of souls, many of whom would become teachers of teachers. (This writer was privileged to sit under the teaching of Prof in the early 70’s at DTS, and I in turn for 50 years have tried to implement the principles he taught our class in the course “Advanced Methods of Teaching,” in teaching other teachers—I still have his class notes in my files!) And “the beat goes on!”

Speaking of teachers who have mentored and molded disciples to serve the Master Teacher, I know some who read this article could testify how the late Dr. Lee Roberson, founder of Tennessee Temple University and pastor of Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, when that church and college/seminary was one of the 20^th century’s eminent strongholds for the propagation of the gospel, missionary ministries and the planting of Bible peaching churches–both at home and abroad–had a very simple outline that he shared with students and pastors who were desirous of learning what made this great teacher tick. He called them “7 Essentials for Building a Great_______.” (often the blank was filled in with the words “Sunday School,” but Dr. Roberson would also fill it in with “Church,” “Class,” or other endeavor for Christ. Here is his simple outline: 1. Faith in the Word of God; 2. A Burden for Souls; 3. Standards for teachers; 4. Weekly Teachers and Officers Meetings; 5. A Weekly Visitation Program; 6. A Consistent Teaching Program; 7. Goals!

I have just been thinking about schools starting up again, teachers sharpening up their teaching tools, and students whose lives will be touched for greatness, goodness and hopefully for God through the faithful ministry of the teacher. I suppose almost every person who is reading this is at some level a “teacher,” one who is, as Dr. Hendricks defined the teacher, consumed with the “art of teaching (which) is the art of getting excited about the right thing.” So, teachers, get excited about making the art of teaching your passion for His Kingdom’s sake!

“And the things that thou hast learned of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim.2:2)

Brenda Harris (1944-2024)

As a church, we have been gathered here today to mark the passing of a loved one and co-laborer for the third time just in recent weeks: First, Mrs. Betty Blythe; then Richard Hall, and now, Brenda Harris, all who have been for decades “pillars” of Thompson Road Baptist Church.

Though this is a day and meeting we would not have chosen just now; we acknowledge it has been ordained in God’s wise providences; and, though we grieve the sudden departure from our midst of this dear family member and member of the family of the faithful here at TRBC for the past half-century, we rejoice that on Thursday last (July 25, 2024) Brenda was released from her earthly tabernacle, so wracked with pain, and graduated to her abode above, instantly– when the breathe of life departed from her—as Paul the Apostle put it: “absent from the body, present with the Lord.” (2 Cor.5:8)

What I am going to say about Brenda in this brief eulogy is going to be said as one who was her pastor for 40 years. Each of us who knew Brenda related to her from different perspectives; mine is from the perspective of a dear friend that she always was to Ellen, myself and our family; and a faithful, exemplary member of the local church to which she had attached herself early in her adulthood and to which she remained steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord.

In the course of 40 years, a church is bound to be called to navigate some choppy waters. Jesus Christ is the Head, but He has as members of His body, the redeemed–yet not fully sanctified– to serve as His hands and feet, advancing the work of His kingdom. There is, in His body, no perfect church and certainly no perfect pastor. I wanted to preface my following remarks with that introductory statement: “In all the years that I served TRBC, there was not a single instance when Brenda Harris ever called me to reprimand me, to lecture me, to scold me, or to even say that she differed with me on anything that I can remember. I know she no doubt did not agree with every decision I made or every message I preached; but I honestly never heard the first word out of her mouth that suggested so. She was totally loyal to her Lord, to His Church, to the pastor of the flock that God had sent this way. I hasten to say that in this world today—a world of flux, fuming, fighting and too often fleeing, that is a church member extraordinaire!”

Brenda was a devoted wife, and her spiritual gift was teaching. She taught hundreds of students in the Baptist Academy, students who would praise her for her patience and persistence in teaching them reading, writing (but NOT arithmetic—which she left to the math teacher). She was a consummate teacher, both in the classroom and out. At church, for many years she had a women’s Sunday School class that she taught. Before we built the multi-purpose building in the year 2000, her class was stuck into about any smaller space available; I think for a long time the class met in my office; no complaints were heard, but it was a joy when, at long last, Brenda and her class finally enjoyed a spacious, beautiful new room in which she continued to teach for many years until her failing health finally forced her to give that assignment up.

I think Brenda Harris can best be described by what and whom she loved. Anyone that knew her would agree without hesitation that her first love was her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: His Word and His Church. She loved her family unequivocally; she loved teaching; she loved missions and missionaries; she loved to cook and was an excellent cook; she worked—up till just the last few weeks—at canning fruits and vegetables which she could lay up for the winter months. She loved to read and she loved to hear the preaching and teaching of God’s Word.

She was first a loving and devoted wife; a grandmother that always gave good counsel replete with assurances of her love; a keeper of a home that was a welcoming place where visitors were encouraged to sit a spell and share some conversation.

Well, I think I have given you a fairly complete view of Brenda Harris from the perspective of her pastor and one of her many friends. I know each of you share a special insight and view into her life and labors of love. I do not mean to suggest that Brenda was in any way perfect; she was still in the body and no doubt struggled every day with the world, the flesh and the Devil. But in spite of great trials–with emotional and physical and spiritual times of agonizing pain—Brenda’s life was a life of overcoming through faith all that was thrown at her from a world at war with God. She lived and she died with her faith in tact, with her love abounding, and with her labors following her: “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.”(Rev. 14:13) Read some of the many tributes from former students of Brenda Harris:

“I have such wonderful memories of her—she really impacted my life during the most influential time of my youth.” (Missionary to Dubai)

“She was a wonderful lady and a great teacher. I will never forget the things she taught us.” (Factory worker)

“Her consistency in teaching me and expecting excellence is one of the reasons I am (able) to do what I do today in ministry.” (Sr. Pastor)

Rehoboam, Son of Solomon (2nd in a series on Kings and Priests, Then and Now)

It would be impossible for anyone to realistically imagine what it must have been like to have been the son of Solomon, King of Israel. Solomon’s wealth was beyond the ability to compute; his wisdom excelled the wisdom of anyone living before or after him; his dominion was world-wide and his influence incalculable. So, to have been reared in Solomon’s palace would have afforded one a “privileged place,” never duplicated before or after.

Rehoboam was in line to become king after the death of his father, Solomon. But because Solomon “loved” many strange women; and because Solomon took to himself many of the idols of his foreign wives, God said to Solomon before he died, “Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou has not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.” (I Kings 11:11) In fact, through the prophet Ahijah, God revealed that Jeroboam, “…a mighty man of valor,”–and young and industrious–(I Kings 11:28) would rule over ten tribes and Rehoboam would be king over Judah and Benjamin, for the sake of David so that a light would always be in Jerusalem. (I Kings 11:36)

I Kings 12 relates how the division of the kingdom came about after Solomon’s death. Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, went to Shechem where all Israel had gone to make him king. Enter Jeroboam, who, having been in exile, came to Shechem, and with “all the congregation,” approached Rehoboam to enquire of him whether he would continue the grievous reign of his father, which had become a heavy yoke, or whether he would lighten up their burdens a bit. Rehoboam said he would have an answer in three days, and during that span of time he sought counsel from a group of older men who advised Rehoboam to “be a servant unto this people…and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will serve thee well.” (I Kings 12:7) Rehoboam also sought counsel from a group of younger men that were his age and they counselled, “…Thus shalt thou speak unto this people…My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” (I Kings 12:10,11)

Upon hearing Rehoboam’s answer, most of the people followed Jeroboam in his split away from Rehoboam, leaving only Judah and Benjamin for Rehoboam to reign over from Jerusalem. Jeroboam eventually made Samaria the capital of the northern ten-tribe confederacy, setting up golden calves for the people to worship, calling them their gods.

Thus, Rehoboam, King Solomon’s son, had a kingdom in shambles shortly after the death and burial of his father who reigned over the most glorious kingdom known to mankind!

Rehoboam’s potential was unimaginable, with a royal family, incalculable finances; as well as educational and environmental opportunities few people would ever dream of.

But arrogancy and spiritual adultery brought him and the kingdom he inherited from his father to just a shadow of the glory of Solomon’s kingdom at its zenith. Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 concubines: “And he loved many wives.” (2 Chr.11:23) And the sinful example of his singularly blessed father was likewise the ruin of Rehoboam.

To his credit, Rehoboam did listen to God’s warning to him through the prophet Shemaiah, and he led a three-year long revival, strengthening the priests and Levites in Jerusalem, and strengthening the kingdom, walking for a time in the ways of the Lord. (2 Chr.11:1-17)

Sadly though, before he died, he “forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him,” (2 Chr.12:1) and God raised up Shishak, king of Egypt, to come against Jerusalem, at which time Rehoboam and Israel repented again, humbling themselves and declaring, “The Lord is righteous,” (2 Chr.12:6-8) resulting in God saying that because they had humbled themselves He would not destroy them, but they would be under the heel of Shishak all the days of Rehoboam.

So, tragically, Rehoboam, son of the wise and wealthy Solomon, embraced the worst of his father’s sins, adultery and idolatry, adding the sins of pride and arrogancy, and lost every advantage that the heir of the greatest wealth amassed in one place at one time the world has ever known.

The epitaph of Rehoboam’s life was written into scripture for all the world to read for all of time: “And he did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.” (2 Chr.12:14)

Sin shortens lives and limits opportunities. Solomon reigned 40 years; Rehoboam reigned 17 years, and Solomon’s grandson, son of Rehoboam, reigned just three years.

Reminds me of what the humanist Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) once said, “I have lost my life in doing nothing—with great labor.”

“Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” (Solomon to his son, Provs.4:23)

Let Brotherly Love Continue

Summarizing one of the most theologically profound books in the New Testament, the writer simply says in Hebrews 13:1: “Let brotherly love continue.” He is writing primarily to Hebrew believers, some no doubt having been saved from the earliest days of the church, on Pentecost. These saints had been scattered abroad because of persecution. Many had lost everything: jobs, families, homes, and a place to worship freely. Some were contemplating what it was like before their profession of faith in Christ, and they were actually considering returning to Judaism. Thus, the stringent warnings and admonitions throughout the book: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebs. 2:3); “Let us go on to perfection” (6:1,2); “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together” (10:25); and, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (10:31)

Coupled with these warnings, the writer demonstrated, with great understanding of both Jewish Law and Christian faith, the advantages of possessing this great salvation and Savior. He argued against anyone even thinking about exchanging the freedom in Christ for the bondage of the never-once-for-all system of ordinances, sacrifices, and earthly priesthood of the Law that was but a shadow of the perfect sacrifice of the believer’s High Priest in Jesus Christ.

Having masterfully completed his apologetic, the writer wraps up his treatise in chapter 13 on another plane entirely: “Let brotherly love continue.”

The Greeks used the term “brotherly love” at first to simply mean that we ought to love our brothers and our sisters—in a filial sense. Then, in time, the term took on the meaning that our love ought to be for “blood relatives.” Next, that was expanded in the family of faith to mean “brothers and sisters” through a spiritual relationship, brothers and sisters in Christ. This latter usage is no doubt what the writer of Hebrews has in mind, while not altogether departing from the family-first concept of love.

In the first eight verses of the chapter, three groups of people are delineated as being those whom we should continue to love: (1) Other believers, including strangers and those who have been imprisoned; (2) our spouses; and (3) those who have been chosen of God to rule over us in our local church.

First, he specifies that we should let brotherly love continue for those who are strangers. This is an especially important reminder, considering that so many early Christians had become strangers after they had trusted Christ. Many were “scattered abroad throughout all the regions of Judea and Samaria” because of persecution. (Acts 8:1) Thus the book of Hebrews spoke in a special way to (and of) these scattered saints, as did James (“to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad…”); and I and II Peter (“to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia…). (James 1:1 & I Peter 1:1) It was imperative, therefore, that other believers remain sensitive to those “strangers” who were still suffering the loss of all earthly ties and treasures. No doubt, those who heard and read this exhortation thought of Abraham who, with his wife Sarah, was visited by three “strangers,” as recorded in Genesis 18, one of which Abraham recognized as being God himself, who had taken on flesh. We still, today, may just be entertaining “angels” (messengers from God) unawares when we entertain strangers, the writer said. He adds that we must not forget those who are in bonds “as bound with them,” just as Paul pleaded to the Colosse church that they “remember my bonds.” (Colossians 4:18)

Second, he turns his attention to the home, exalting the marriage relationship between husband and wife. In the cities where Paul had started churches, there were pagan temples of so-called worship, in which “priestesses” were practicing prostitution as part of a “religious” ceremony. As many as a thousand of these prostitutes practiced in some temples. It was as common and as accepted as sports betting is in today’s culture. It was not uncommon for a married man, especially an unbeliever married to a Christian wife, to look at the old way of life—getting gratification in the pagan temple with a prostitute—to want to return to that practice. The writer warns that wheras it is wholesome to have one’s needs fulfilled through the sexual relationship that God has ordained through marriage; it is adultery to have that need met through sexual activity outside of the bonds of marriage. Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge, the writer warns. To the Christian partner in a relationship with a husband or wife who is unfaithful, he also admonishes that wishing you were free of this person to whom you are united, even to the point of coveting another person’s place or home—or husband or wife—is not the answer: “Let your conversation (lifestyle, way of living) be without covetousness”; and “be content with such things as you have”; (13:5) and don’t forget that, though your spouse may choose to be unfaithful, even to leave you, “He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” (13:6)

Finally, “remember them which have the rule over you. For two reasons: (1) they have spoken to you the Word of God; and (2) they have lived an example before you— “whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” (13:7) Later in the chapter, readers are exhorted to “obey them that have the rule over you.” (13:17) Both of these directives speak of our response to those who are “elders” (bishops, pastors) to whom God has given the charge to “feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof.” (I Peter 5:2) Our relationship toward, and response to, our spiritual leaders is a fundamental way in which we can “let brotherly love continue.”

Sensitive to “strangers” and those in bonds; submissive in love to one’s spouse; and subject to the guidance of our spiritual leaders—all ways, practical to be sure, that we can and must “let brotherly love continue,” even in our world today!

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (Jesus: John 13:35)

Kings and Priests, Then and Now (1st in a series)

Revelation 5:10 reads: “And hath made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” That was a revelatory peek into heaven recorded by the apostle John as he saw and heard a great throng of redeemed of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation singing a new song of victory, in which they praised God for their redemption through His being slain, but also for their reclamation for His kingdom in which they are going to serve as kings and priests on earth. (Rev. 5:8-10) If you are reading this and are one of His redeemed, blood-bought believers, this fore-glimpse of the heavenly throng before the Lamb includes you and speaks to your eternal future.

There are noteworthy contrasts between the Old Testament kingdoms of Judah and Israel, with their combined total of 39 kings, plus their myriad priests, and the kings and priests mentioned in Rev. 5:10:

In the kingdom of old, kings reigned; believers of this dispensation look forward to a kingdom in which “we shall reign on earth.” (Rev. 5:10b; Rev. 20:6)

Yet, we have already been made kings: “He hath made us unto our God kings and priests.”

Saul was anointed king before he actually wore the crown and reigned; David was made king long before he actually wore the crown and reigned as king.

Old Testament kings reigned under God and for God; we shall reign under God and with Christ: “…and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:4b) Jesus is said to have “on His vesture and on His thigh a name written— “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:16)

Old Testament kings reigned on earth and had literal thrones; we shall reign with Christ, and our domain will be literal, physical, and spiritual: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them…and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:4). “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne.” (Rev. 3:21)

What an unspeakable privilege to be called, even now, kings and priests. But, with unspeakable privileges come great responsibilities. We ought to act like kings and priests; to think like kings and priests: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Pet. 2:9) Note: it is not that we shall be a holy nation and a royal priesthood; Peter says we “are” that now!

With these thoughts as a basis, I want to look at some of the Old Testament kings, keeping in mind what Paul said: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope;” and “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (Rom. 15:4; I Cor. 10:11) So, we can and should benefit from a study of these monarchs of old—all allowed to fill their place in history through the providential working of a sovereign God—so that, by His grace, we might avoid some of their weaknesses and embrace some of their strengths, as we even now prepare for our future reign as kings on earth in the millennium, with and for the King of kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.

By way of review, the first King of Israel was Saul, followed by David and then Solomon. Following Solomon’s death, the kingdom was divided into a northern confederacy of 10 tribes; and two tribes in the southern sector, Judah and Benjamin, most often referred to as Judah, the dominant of the two. The capital of the southern kingdom was Jerusalem, and the capital of the northern kingdom, usually referred to as Israel, was Samaria. The division of the kingdom occurred about 975 B.C. with Rehoboam, son of Solomon, acceding to the throne of Judah, and Jeroboam becoming the 1^st king of the northern confederacy of Israel.

There were a total of 20 kings of the northern confederacy, beginning with Jeroboam and continuing until 722 B.C. when, because of rank apostasy and total idolatry, God allowed the kingdom of Assyria to carry Israel away captive: “For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them.” (2 Kings 17:22) “And they rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with them…and they followed vanity and went after the heathen that were round about them…and they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images.” (2 Kings 17:15,16) Every one of the 20 kings who ruled over Israel from Jeroboam to Hoshea were said to have done “evil in the sight of the Lord.”

Rehoboam led the list of kings of the southern sector of the divided kingdom, ruling from Jerusalem, after the northern ten tribes split off under Jeroboam. 18 kings would follow in procession after him until 605-586 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian armies sacked the city and carried off many of the Jews into a 70-year captivity. Of the 19 kings who ruled from Jerusalem, beginning with Rehoboam and continuing until Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:19), all but 8 were said to have “done evil in the sight of the Lord.” The “good” kings of Judah were Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah. (Most of the deeds of all of these kings are recorded in I & II Kings and II Chronicles.)

Stay tuned for future installments in this series of “Kings and Priests, Then and Now.”

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them…and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Rev.20:4) “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:6)

“I Will Come Again”

My sister and I had been staying with our grandmother in a small town in southeastern Iowa for a couple of days, having been left there by our parents, who assured us they would be back to pick us up on a certain day. That day had come, and our eyes were glued on the top of a hill that marked the edge of that little town, looking for the familiar family car to come over that hill and down the main street of the town, stopping at grandmother’s house to pick us up. Two days in this little place with our dear grandmother, who surely tried every way imaginable to make us feel at home, including a trip to the general store to get a stick or two of candy, was about all it took to make us homesick! So we longed to see our mother and father come over that yonder hill as they had promised they would.

Centuries before, Jesus, meeting with His disciples in an Upper Room somewhere in Jerusalem, promised them that though He would be separated from them for a time, He would come back to receive them unto Himself, so that they could be “Home” with Him in the Father’s house, where there were many mansions. That promise became the watchword of the early church and has remained so to this present day: “Jesus is coming again!”

A Scottish preacher spoke of the promise of His return: “The doctrine of the Lord’s second coming, as it appears in the New Testament, is like a lofty mountain that dominates the entire landscape.” Author and Baptist preacher A.J. Gordon commented on that statement: “No matter what road you take, no matter what pass you tread, you will find the mountain bursting on your vision at every turn of the way, and at every parting of the hills. What first struck me in reading the New Testament was this: Whatever doctrine I was pursuing, whatever precept I was enforcing, I found it fronting toward and terminating in the hope of the Lord’s second coming. All paths of obedience and service lead to that mountain.”

Pastor and Bible teacher John MacArthur contrasted the first and second comings of our Lord and Savior: “The first time, He came veiled in the form of a child. The next time He comes, and soon we believe it will be, He comes unveiled and it will be abundantly clear and immediately clear to all the world just who He is. The first time He came, a star marked His arrival. The next time He comes, the whole heaven will roll up like a scroll and all the stars will fall out of the sky, and He Himself will light it. The first time He came, wise men and shepherds brought Him gifts; the next time He comes, He will bring gifts, rewards for His own. The first time He came, there was no room for Him. The next time He comes, the whole world will not be able to contain His glory. The first time He came, a few attended His arrival—some shepherds and wise men. The next time He comes, every eye shall see Him. The first time He came as a baby. Soon He will come as Sovereign King and Lord.” (Sermon, “The Alpha and the Omega”)

Jesus will come for His Church—and, later, with His Church. These two are often simply referred to His second coming: phase one, the rapture or catching up of the church to be with Christ; phase two, the coming back to the earth with His church to establish His millennial reign on earth. Between the first and second phases of His coming, there will be a seven-year period of tribulation on earth (outlined in Revelation 6-18). These seven years will consist of three series of judgements levied by God upon the earth: seven seal judgements, seven trumpet judgements and, just before His return to earth in power and great glory, seven bowl judgements. It will be an unspeakably awful time to be alive on the earth. For instance, the seven bowl judgements are (1) a noisome and grievous sore inflicted upon all who have the mark of the beast and worship his image; (2) the seas turn to blood and all sea-life dies; (3) the rivers and waters turn to blood; (4) men will be scorched with great heat; (5) there will be darkness that causes people to gnaw their tongues for pain; (6) the Euphrates river will be dried up, so that the kings of the east can march through to the Middle East for war; (7) a great earthquake, unlike none other of all time, will occur, along with 100-pound hailstones falling upon men out of the heavens, resulting in men blaspheming God. (Rev. 16:1-12; 17-21)

The only way to make certain that YOU will not be alive on earth to witness any of the aforementioned universal calamities is to put your trust in Jesus Christ as Savior today. After He told the disciples in the Upper Room that He was coming back to receive them unto Himself, He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6)

Are you ready for His return? Are you looking for His return? Today is the day of salvation. Trust Christ. Take Him at His word. Believe. Receive the gift of God, which is eternal life. The Bible says that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. (Rom. 10:13) You can be one of the “whosoevers!”

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13)

Ancient Wisdom For Today’s Nations

In a recent post, I spoke to the Biblical admonition found in Psalms 9:17: “The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

America has forgotten God. It didn’t happen overnight. Our 16^th President faithfully raised the warning when he said that a nation (1) Cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift; (2) Cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong; (3) Cannot help the small man by tearing down the big man; (4) Cannot help the poor by destroying the rich; (5) Cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer; (6) Cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than our income; (7) Cannot further brotherhood by inciting class hatred; (8) Cannot establish sound security on borrowed money; (9) Cannot build character and courage by taking away a person’s initiative; and (10) Cannot really help people by having the government tax them to do for them what they can and should do for themselves.

Those wise words from a highly esteemed leader of a nation that was at war with itself should be heard and heeded yet today.

But centuries before Lincoln penned the aforementioned principles, another wise sage wrote something that will be universally true as long as time lasts. Job, in a discourse that overflows with emotion, having lost every earthly possession by a Satanic blast; and having been ill-advised by his wife to “curse God and die”; and having been falsely accused by the three men in the world that he thought were his friends, burst out with 10 profound, timeless truths that God governs His creation by, world without end:

“He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations and straighteneth them again.” (Job 12:23) God is sovereign over all and rules with an unseen hand in all the affairs of men, nationally and personally. Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome, Italy, Germany, England—a long line of once world powers have “bitten the dust” of history. (That unseen hand spared former president Trump from certain and sudden death at a political rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, PA.)
God works powerfully and irresistibly to arrange and rearrange the stage of history. Job 12:14: “Behold, He breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: He shutteth up a man and there can be no opening.” (Example: Richard Nixon’s rise to and fall from power; elected by a landslide to a second term in 1972, he left office in disgrace in August of 1974. God tightened up the screws on a powerfully corrupt administration, and many of Nixon’s cohorts ended up in prison.)
God uses draughts, floods, and natural calamities to shake the nations. Job 12:15: “Behold, He withholdeth the waters and they dry up: also He sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.”
God uses truth or even error to accomplish His divine purposes. Job 12:16: “With Him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are His.” (For instance, the wicked shenanigans of Joseph’s brothers…”But as for you, ye thought to do evil against me, but God meant it unto good.” Gen.50:20.)
Lawyers and judges are His pawns. Job 12:17: “He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.” Who would not agree that many fools today sit on judicial benches, calling good evil and evil good?
Kings and princes are not beyond His reach. Job 12:19: “He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.”
Men of great renown will not be able turn around the nation against whom the Lord in judgement is set. Job 12:20: “He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.”
Powerful politicians and rulers are no match for His might. Job 12:21: “He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.”
God ultimately exposes all evil plots of darkness. Job 12:22: “He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.”
Men of great power will be brought low under His mighty hand. Job 12:24,25: “He taketh away the heart of the chief people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way. They grope in the dark without light, and He maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.”

Job’s message in response to His “miserable” friends is as pertinent today as it was when he first spoke it thousands of years ago. America is bleeding, and the wound could be a mortal one. But there IS HOPE!

Not, however, in social or political or economic reform, but in soul-scraping repentance! God can and will once again bless America, but only when “my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (II Chr. 7:14)

“Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.” (Psalm 9:20)

One is as Good as Another

One excuse, it has been said, is as good as another. The Duke of Wellington is credited with saying that “a person good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else.” And George Washington Carver said, “99% of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”

An inmate at the Butte County Jail in California explained his brief absence from jail to skeptical sheriff’s deputies thusly: “I was practicing pole-vaulting and got too close to the wall and fell over the wall; when I regained my senses, I ran around trying to find my way back; but being unfamiliar with the area, I got lost and the next thing I knew I was in Chico.”

That makes about as much sense as this explanation for why fire trucks are red: “Fire trucks have four wheels and eight men. Four and eight are 12 and there are 12 inches in a foot. A foot is a ruler. Queen Elizabeth is a ruler, and her ships sail the seven seas. Seas have fish and fish have fins and Finns fought the Russians, who are always red. Since fire trucks are always ‘rushin’…therefore, fire trucks are red!”

A pastor, evidently exasperated by hearing one excuse after another, wrote to an aspirin company: “Dear Sir: You manufacture aspirins that relieve sufferings, colds, and fevers. The mixture used in your tablets makes it possible for people to get out of bed and fight off headaches, bad nerves, and muscle-spasms. I have noticed these tablets work wonders on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and especially on Saturday, BUT, people who take them on Sunday seem to get no relief. They cannot get rid of their aches and pains and are not able to attend Sunday School and Church. Is it possible to put in an ingredient that will work on Sunday?”

Jesus dealt with worn-out excuses when He walked amongst His own here on earth. One of the most absurd was resorted to by Pharisees, who had excused the neglect of their aged parents by saying that the money it would cost to support them was money that they had dedicated to God; or, as they would put it, “It is corban—a gift to God.” Therefore, they had no money with which to care for their parents. Jesus cut the props out of this super-pious excuse by saying that when they said this they were “making the Word of God of none effect.” (Mark 7:13)

Does such silliness resonate with anyone in today’s world, where people, often those who consider themselves church members in good standing, never bother to support their local church financially, offering up all sorts of excuses for why they just cannot afford to part with their money to support God’s visible work on earth?

Solomon spoke of the slothful person, who—too lazy to get out of bed or out of the house to go to work—would say, “There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.” (Provs. 26:13) Again, one excuse is as good as another.

Someone compiled a list of the “10 most used excuses”: 1) I forgot; 2) No one told me to go ahead; 3) I didn’t think it was that important; 4) Wait until the boss comes back so we can ask him; 5) I didn’t know you were in a hurry for it; 6) That’s the way we’ve always done it; 7) That’s not in my department; 8) How was I to know that this was different?; 9) I’m waiting for an OK; 10) That’s his job, not mine.”

I once read: “Once upon a time there was a church staff looking for teachers for their young people, children, and preschoolers for the new Sunday School year.

And some adults said, ‘I don’t want to leave the sweet fellowship and study of my adult class,’ but the drug pusher on the street said, ‘Not even the threat of jail will keep me from working with your children.’

And some adults said, ‘We have to be out of town too often on weekends,’ but the porn dealer said, ‘We’re willing to stay in town weekends, too, to accommodate your children.’

And some adults said, ‘I’m unsuited, unable to work with children or preschoolers,’ but the movie producer said, ‘We’ll study, survey, spend millions to produce whatever turns kids on.’

And some adults said, ‘I could never give the time required to plan and to go to teachers’ meetings.’ But the pusher, the porn dealer, and movie producer said, ‘We’ll stay open whatever hours are necessary every day to win the minds of your kids.’

So the adults stayed in their classes and enjoyed the sweet fellowship and absorbed the good Bible study, and could go out of town often on the weekends, and were available to do whatever was good to do in place of teachers’ meetings.

And when Sunday came, the children came to their classes and no one was there except the church staff going from one room to the next, trying to assure the children that someone would surely come to teach them. But no one ever came, and the young children and the preschoolers soon quit coming because they had gone to listen to others who did care about the things they did and what went through their minds.” (Vero Christian Church Newsletter)

One excuse is as good as another! Selah.

“And he (Jesus) said unto them, ‘Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.’” (Mark 10:9)

Undressed and Unaware

Maybe you remember the fairy tale by Danish Author Hans Christian Andersen, published in 1837, about a vain emperor who lived only for wearing new clothes, spending every moment and much of his kingdom’s capital on a new suit of clothes for every occasion, every day. His pride and obsession were to the detriment of his subjects and soldiers—those who were taxed to pay for their emperor’s foolish, faddish fanaticism.

One day a couple of rogue “weavers” visited the emperor and convinced him that they had discovered a new method of weaving cloth into the most beautiful garments ever admired by human eyes. They also convinced the ruler that only simpletons, or those not qualified to hold any position in his administration, would not be able to visually see these clothes. The deceived emperor at once hired the “weavers” to make a new outfit for him that he would wear at an upcoming national procession.

Over the next weeks the con men, in their assigned room, with two new looms in place, began to “weave” feverishly. Occasionally, the emperor would send his trusted minister, or a court officer, into the work room to see how the new outfit was coming along. All of these “scouts,” however, not wanting to be considered unfit for the emperor’s administration or, even worse, simpletons, came back with a glowing report that the new outfit was looking very good, even though none of them saw a single woven thread. They all agreed with the weavers’ tale that the threads were the most beautiful they had ever beheld. And, they responded to the weavers’ request for more gold ribbons, which, at night, they stashed away in their knapsacks.

Finally, the day of the procession came. The weavers had the emperor take his garments off while they pretended to take his new outfit out of the bag, then “putting it piece by piece” on the stark naked emperor. All the while, the deceived despot looked at himself in the mirror, and, not wanting to be considered a simpleton or unfit for the position of emperor, he too spoke with enthusiasm about his beautiful new suit of clothes, the finest he had ever worn.

Leaving the castle, now before the crowds, people gawked with amazement and wonder (none wanting to be considered a simpleton or unfit for a position) as the bare emperor with apparent pride strode before his subjects, who ooed and awed in utter disbelief.

Finally, though, one child in the crowd hollered out, “He hasn’t got anything on!” The words were whispered, then the words swept through the throngs until, at last, all were laughing and exclaiming their emperor was naked! Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings!

Pretty much, as a nation, we have been conned into saying that what we have seen we really haven’t seen!

It was just a slow start. Or, it was a bad night. It was 90 minutes that we will not let define our “emperor.”

But, most of us saw it. With our own eyes it was undeniable. With our ears, it was at times unbelievable. But there it was. For all to see. The whole world was watching our unveiled “emperor!” National and international audiences tuned in to behold the debacle.

But, did we really see it! Did we hear what we thought we heard? No, it was just a slow start, the emperor’s handlers would proclaim in chorus the next morning. You really didn’t see an emperor totally exposed! “It was just a bad night. Trust us! We are those who are closest to him. He is sharp as a tack!”

Step down? Not on your life! He is a good emperor, one of the finest . No matter that he appeared undressed that dreaded night. He had more than a dozen “weavers” spending an entire week getting him dressed up for this big night.

What you thought you heard, you did not hear. What you thought you saw, you did not see! He was all dressed up and outfitted specially for the occasion.

“Long live our emperor!” Wait, who said, ‘He hasn’t got anything on!’ Where is that trouble maker? Don’t believe those whisperers! What! The chorus is gaining momentum? Those are just more lies. Trust us, it was a great night for the emperor!”

“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion; that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thess.2:10-12)