The Coming of the LORD

 

1Thessalonians chapter 5

Previously the subject was the hope of the believers, that the Lord Himself was coming/ is coming to catch up the believers. Dead ones to be raised from death and living ones transformed. All to be forever with the Lord.

Now Paul the Apostle introduces “Times and seasons”

In Acts 1, the Apostles asked the Lord “will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He answered – “ It is not for you to know the times and seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power…..”  So which mattered most? Prophetic knowledge or power to live for Christ?

 

Verse 2   Paul does write about the Day of the LORD (Jehovah, YHWH).   Not so much the detail of that great day or the signs, but rather the effect on those who are waiting and watching for the Lord to return. The effect is godly living as described in the remainder of the chapter.

If he were writing to Jewish readers he could have referred them to the writings of Daniel, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Isaiah, Malachi etc for details. But it seems to me that he is referring them to the teaching of the Lord Jesus.  Refer to Luke 17:26

A brief summary:

The Day of the LORD will be

1      the vindication and manifestation of the LORD who revealed Himself to Moses and prophets.

2     The overt declaration that the Father sent SON to be the Saviour of the world

3     The final judgement of satan and his forces

4     The judgement of the nations – Parable of sheep and goats.

5     The great purging of Israel producing a  remnant and their restoration

It begins with a persuasive leader proclaiming ‘peace and safety’ and reaches its purpose with the full and final enthronement of the Lamb of God as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It will be a time of just judgement and none shall escape.

Much detail could be given, but Paul moves on to the effect .

Verse 4 “But you are not in the dark”

Christians are made intelligent by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Christians are invigorated to godly living as they wait for “God’s Son from heaven”.

Verse 6 “Therefore we are in the light, the day -  not stumbling in the dark. Having self control mingled with hope.

Verse 7 This world, this age, this society love the darkness so that they hide from  scrutiny. They like to live out their sinful nature as unrestrained lust, lies, licentiousness, witchcraft, idolatry.

Verse 8  The Believer in Jesus Christ has protection for heart and head:

         Faith in God, Faith in Jesus Christ.

         Love from God, to God and to others

         Understanding the great salvation of hope made real by the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesu Christ.

Verse 9-11  The real comfort is found in understanding God at work!

         God, in all His Sovereign Providence, has not destined believers in Jesus Christ to wrath (just anger against sin by God), but has appointed them to be saved out of this world and from eternal damnation. This is not wishful thinking, but has been achieved by the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Just as He rose from the dead, so all believers will be raised to live with HIM – ‘Praise the Lord”

What a blessed hope!

What an inspiration to sanctified living!

 

Verse 12   Before concluding this letter, Paul asks them to notice those who take special care for the welfare of others. Their supervisory spirit was to be respected for the sincerity of their purpose – seeking to admonish and encourage in devotion to the Lord. Appointments to overseer and servant work likely had not happened, but the work of shepherding and serving was the outworking of Paul’s example and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 14   -  the work of elders:

1               Warn the disorderly

2              Cheer up the lonely, depressed, discouraged

3              Support the weak

4              React to criticism and contention patiently

5              Restrain revenge

6              Set an example of love and grace

 

Verse 16  The  outcome of waiting, watching, working for the coming Lord

         Rejoicing

         Praying

         Thankful

Listening, learning

Teachable

Diligent for truth

Holy

Verse 23   This is not a list of commandments to be obeyed.. This is the outcome of letting God by His Holy Spirit work in our spirits, our souls , our bodies,  our lives surrendered to Him.

He can sanctify, as we let him. His love gives us free will.

Paul restates the sanctifying effect of waiting, watching for the Lord – that we might be without blame at His return.

 

Can we truly sing  “Even so come Lord Jesus

                                    Even so come today

                           Even so come Lord Jesus

                                    Catching thy bride away

                           Oh how my heart is yearning

                                    Waiting for Thy returning

                           Even so come Lord Jesus

                                    Even so come today

My Heart

 https://ashfieldpresbyterian.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/My-Heart-Christs-Home.pdf

A most beautiful illustration of Ephesians 3:17 and Revelation 3:20

Christ dwelling in our hearts

Greece

 

Bible message from Acts 17:

A university lecture?  The philosophers of Athens were interested to hear anything! So Paul was invited to deliver his point of view.

     He acknowledged their religiousness, but one of the worship alters he saw summed up the major problem among them:

  “ To the unknown god”  !!  -  was it set up just in case they had missed a god, or was it indicating God as unknowable?  In reality it expressed the fundamental issue – in all their worshipping, they didn’t know the true and living God.

…….same problem today.

The creator God is greater than man made idols, greater than temples or cathedrals. The LORD God does not depend on priests or philanthropists.  He is the maker, the giver of life, the sovereign who personally interacts and interrupts in the affairs of humanity.

Besides coming to us in various ways, He invites us to “seek after God and perhaps feel our way toward Him and find Him – though He is not far from anyone of us.”  (Acts 17:27).

 

God is spirit not stone, and is able to respond to our spiritual quest seeking the ‘higher power’.

 

God is just and good – all the time. But that includes judgement. Each of us are accountable to Him.

 

God has appointed a special judge. It is the man Christ Jesus who as man understands humanity and as Son of God has the official right to judge the world.

 

God raised Jesus from death, and in His rising there is both forgiveness for all who truly believe in Him, and punishment for all who do not obey the Gospel.

 

That day some believed, some procrastinated, some laughed!

 

Where are you today?

johnmckee@internode.on.net

Citizenship

 

In the last week I have been to two citizenship ceremonies- --one for an Iraq friend, and in Brisbane for Iranian family. Both were a delight to attend.

 Things I notice – almost all the migrants choose to speak the pledge aloud which includes “under God”. Many don’t quite understand the meaning, but it is good most recognise God.

    “under God”  is not the imposing of religion or church. Rather it is the acknowledging of God as the greatest authority.  At every ceremony is a photograph of the King along with the Australian flag  and the Australian coat of arms. Then at the end we all stood to sing the Australian anthem.

    But above all these symbols of authority, “under God” means that we are all responsible to the higher authority of God.  In the Christian context that also implies the authority of His word – the Bible. Much of this was evident at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth 11  and King Charles 111 , viewable on youtube.

    This principle intrudes into democracy (the will of the people),  so that God is the final judge and His word the moral law. Democracy has at times tried to push God away, but His Word remains to activate the consciences of all people. (Romans 2  ‘their own consciences either accuse them, or tell them they are doing right’).

There was one statement made by the government representative I disagreed with- “we welcome you all with all you have to bring”. As I have discovered some of the sad , sinister details of migrant backgrounds, this statement needs to be qualified  by “under God”. We don’t need people to bring caste systems, multiple wives, atheism, violent attitudes, racism  etc

     It is the conquering of these  cultural/religious distortions that has made Australia the land of great opportunity .  Culture /religion is not as innocent as many politicians make out.

 

It has been a great privilege and learning cuvre for my wife and I to interact closely with many migrants over the last seven years. Best of all when people turn to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

 

Praise be to the LORD.

johnmckee@internode.on.net

Gospel for all

 

Gospel message from Bible book of Acts chapter 13

This message is so important in the history of the Bible. Paul and Barnabus were speaking to both Jews and Gentiles.

The true God is identified as the God of Israel, the Creator of all.

According to the promise given to Abraham, the Israelites were privileged to represent God to the world. Sadly their history has been marred by failure and rebellion. God, who knows all hearts, did find David with  a surrendered heart. Through his ancestral line, Jesus the Saviour was to come.

Paul, who had been a strict Pharisee, then points out the ministry of John the Baptiser as a significant announcement, -- that the promised Messiah was Jesus. John also preached that the people should repent of sin and turn to God.

      The people who listened to Jesus teach, were so religious that they didn’t understand their need to repent. The leaders objected to the teaching of the Lord Jesus and so rejected Him when He claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God. (Mark 14). But God had actually prophesied about these sufferings for the Servant of the LORD. (Isaiah 53). The cross seemed a cruel reward for someone who had always done good and always spoken truth.

    This message emphasises that the Jesus they crucified , God raised Him to endless life. This was and is the Good news! In keeping with other prophecies, God vindicated Jesus as His unique Son. Not only so, but God has exalted Him in heaven as the Saviour for all people. Now the great and precious promises given in the Old Testament and the New Testament can be fulfilled for all people!

Please carefully read the conclusion:

“In this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in HIM is freed from all guilt and declared right with God – something the Jewish law could never do.” (Acts 13;39 NLT)

Many believed and millions more have since. By believing in the Lord Jesus Christ they received the gift of eternal life. This gift is available to all.

Gospel to Gentiles

 

Peter perplexed, propelled, perception, preaching, praising

     God’s most important plan – to include Gentiles in the blessings of the Gospel. Some non-Jews like Cornelius were continuing with prayer to the God of the Bible. The angel appeared and instead of telling the Gospel to him, Cornelius is referred to Peter, for Peter is to learn much about this special purpose of God.

Peter’s prayer time was interrupted by a heavenly vision of unclean animals for food. A voice pronounced an astounding new arrangement “What God has made clean, do not call common.” Perplexed Peter was then invited, commanded to go to the house of the Roman Centurion, Cornelius – what should Peter do as an observant Jew? Mixing with Gentiles was forbidden.

       But propelled by the Holy Spirit, he set out for Caesarea, taking witnesses with him. At the hose of Cornelius, he asked, “why have you sent for me?”

   Peter perceived that God was at work, teaching him the wide embrace of God’s GRACE. “In every nation God accepts those who fear Him and do what is right”.

  Peter immediately preaches Jesus Christ as LORD of all ( all people) without any introduction of Torah, temple or Judaism.

The message about Jesus Christ is most important  especially the conclusion in verse 43  - “Everyone who believes in HIM, will have  their sins forgiven through HIS Name.”

Peter explained about John the baptiser, followed by Jesus the one anointed by the Holy Spirit to do great and good things. Peter then identifies himself with others who were witnesses of Jesus dying and rising again from death. Jesus Himself had commanded them to preach the Gospel of forgiveness to the whole world in His Name.(Luke 24)   Also that He would be the final judge of the living and the dead.

    The message might have continued, but enough said, enough to believe and God who knows the hearts, interrupted by the giving of the Holy Spirit to these new believers!  Just like it had been given to believing Jews in Acts 2, so these Gentiles were able to speak in various languages (maybe Hebrew) and to praise God.

     So Peter joined in the praise of God for putting this plan together to include the Gentiles . He then authorized them to be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, as was done for the Jews. Peters later presentation to the Jerusalem conference summed it up well –( Acts 15:8) 

   “ ……. God made no distinction between us and them……….we are all saved the same way, by the favour of the Lord Jesus Christ”

   “God has also given the Gentiles the opportunity to repent and receive eternal life”  (Acts 11:18)

 

I with Peter praise the LORD for His providence and grace!

Many relevant issues flow from this incident, but chiefly it shows God at work taking this Gospel beyond Jewish boundaries to include the whole world.

Amazing grace and the final accountability of all to the Lord God.

Gopel to the Jews

 

Peter’s second message to a privileged people.

Please read Acts chapter 3 for the full response.

This chapter begins with a serious contradiction. The extravagantly adorned temple had at its gates people begging for money!  So today, a world of billionaires and religious wealth, while so many are starving!

But once again in our Bible record, God takes the initiative to turn a bad thing into something good. And so the crippled man was the means to the glory of God. He was miraculously healed and the crowd were excited.

Peter’s response is important. Way beyond the healing was the significance. This was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at work. This was done in the Name of ‘Jesus of Nazareth’. So Peter describes this Jesus: - the Holy and righteous one, the author of life, raised from the dead. By His name the lame man was made whole!

But I missed something – the guilt of the people.

V14  - the Jewish people denied any loyalty to Jesus before Pilate

-      They chose the release of a murderer for festival celebration

-      They killed the true source of life

Peter was not preaching a feel good gospel – no – he exposes the significant sin, particularly the sin of rejecting Jesus the Christ.

Peter commands – ‘repent’, and then gives a beautiful description of God at work.

God foretold the sufferings of Christ. (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53 etc).

God can blot out sins and send times of restoration, refreshing and hope. It can only be valid as it comes from the presence of the Lord.

Verse 21 indicates that there was still an opportunity for all Israel as nation to be saved. God is the God of a second chance!

So Peter outlines the means of their restoration:

1           V13 – Relational connection to Abraham, Issaac and Jacob

2           V18 – Revelation of prophecy about Messiah

3           V22 – Raising up of the Prophet to speak again for God

4           V23 – Retribution for deaf  ears

5           V25 – Remembrance of the covenant

6            V26 – Real possibility of recovery from past wickedness by Him whom God raised up to bless instead of curse.

Then would be fulfilled the ancient purpose of God to Abraham –  ‘ through your descendants all the families of the earth will be blessed.’  Oh such a God of mercy and grace to such an underserving people!

 

And the rest of that story??? Keep reading the Bible book of Acts, or read the newspaper to see a nation largely far away from God.