Pastor’s Commentary and
Outline:
(1) Vs 12 “ Try your servants ten days” ( hour) Rev 2:10
Dan 3:6, 5/4:19,33 / 55 Mt 10:19, 24:44, John 12:27, 17:1,
Rev 3;3,10
/ 14:7 / 17:12, 18:10, 18:19 / 1John
1:18,
The book is Historic, redemptive,
and prophetic….
(2) BABYLON: Define, grammatically( gate of the gods
/ confusion) Read Gen 10:9,10- / 11:1-9 / Micah 5:4- / Isa 13:9 ( glory
of kingdoms) Ps 87:4 / 1Pet 5:13 / Prophetically Rev
14:8,17:5 / 18:2,10,21
Corresponds to the cultural
captivity of our present day Churches:
(3) Lesson (1) A new name given:
A parody of God, in Christ:
Vs3,6
- 2cor 5:17/ My new Name / My Fathers
name: Rev 3:12 / 14:1,11, Rev 17: 5 / 13:17: Principle of ownership, exercise
of authority: A slaves identity mark:
named after god’s of the land.
“He
who defines the terms, controls the mind!”
(4) Hearts fixed, trusting
in the Lord: Vs8, Ps
16:8/ Eph 4:1-4 -
Why? / Jer
32:39,40: /
John 6:37,39 /
(5) The diet of the
believer: Vs 16- / Mt 4:4 / Prov 23:1-4.
The gospel of sobriety,
temperance and truth: Vs Carnal
fleshly worldly, entertainment, rooted in a godless philosophy, designed to
conform you into the image of the beast.
(6) 5) The Kings children: Vs 4 18-20 : / Eph 1:3 / 5:24 / SosSo4:9 Yes God’s elect, are blameless before Him,
and wise in Christ Jesus. 2Tim 3:15,16
(7)
The Stage is set. The test will occur, and God will be honored!
“ Does THIS glorify
GOD?”
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or
whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1cor 10:31
Many are the stumbling and falls of the professing Christian who enters into any
matter, without this God honoring inquiry. Does it glorify God? Will this honor
our God? Rom 12:1.2
If not, it is probably best not
to do it. The likelihood, is that while that thing appears to be harmless
in itself, at last has other unintended consequences
which often prove to be far more painful, and dishonoring to God.
The power of culture; Many of you know that we address the dangers of
following the culture, here at Grace. Why? Because it is the
most powerful dictate of your life, apart from God. Culture is so
powerful, so influential, that Christians are more often found acting in
blatant contradiction to the word of God, without conscious, because of the law
of culture! This is the down fall of the
Thus saith the
LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of
heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the people are vain:
Jer 10:1-3
Every year I am asked
about Halloween and Christmas. Many a
pastor are inundated by well meaning believers with
these issues. Why? Because the inquirer really wants to honor
God. The ones who do not ask, either are clear
on Gods will, or have chosen willfully to engage the issue from their own
reason and opinions. Prov 3:5
What I see in our world,
regarding many of the things dictated by our culture, is
a real loss of ground for the Christian, in his, her or their stance for the
distinctive of the faith. Syncretism, the merging of paganism with Christianity, - continued
page 4
On the other hand, however, Christ Himself has
a loving design in our "thorn." He wants it to be a
blessing to us. He would have it keep us humble—and save us from becoming vain.
Or He means it to soften our hearts—and make us more gentle.
He would have the uncongenial things in our environment to discipline us
into heavenly-mindedness, give us greater self-control, and help us to keep our
hearts loving and sweet—amid harshness and unlovingness.
He would have our pain teach us endurance and patience; and our sorrow
and loss teach us faith.
From page 3
“Every year I am asked
about Halloween and Christmas”
-has long prevailed in
the Church. The Church either ignores pagan holidays or has sought to copy them
with alternative events. For instance, instead of devil
costumes, angels, or bible heroes, etc.
The question is, has it been
harmless, as is often the response of those who advocate it ?
Or has it made the Christian vain and useless, as God has said, it would?
Here is a good test to
apply to your walk as a called out,
set apart, distinct people redeemed by the God of the Universe: (1) If I leave off with it. Will it be a real loss to me or my
family? (2) Does the bible forbid this, or is it a neutral subject, left to my
discretion?(3) Have I really sought this issue
through, or am I simply driven by the culture?
Our series in Daniel will
help us with this life long challenge.
PASTOR’S COMMENTARY AND OUTLINE
“ THORNS ”
"Lest I should be exalted
above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a
thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should
be exalted above measure." 2 Corinthians 12:7
Paul tells us that his "thorn" was
given to him—to keep him humble, and save him from spiritual peril. Without it,
he would have been exalted above measure and would have lost his spirituality.
We do not know how much of his deep insight into the things of God, and his
power in service for his Master—Paul owed to this torturing
"thorn". It seemed to hinder him, and it caused him incessant
suffering—but it detained him in the low valley of humility, made him
ever conscious of his own weakness and insufficiency, and thus kept him near to
Christ whose home is with the humble.
There are few people who have not some
"thorn" rankling in their flesh— In one it is an infirmity of speech;
in another an infirmity of sight; in another an infirmity of hearing. Or it may
be lameness;
or a slow but incurable disease; or constitutional timidity,
or excessive nervousness; or a disfiguring bodily deformity;
or an infirmity of temper. Or it may be in one's home—which
is cold, unloving, and uncongenial; or it may be some moral failure;
or it may be a bitter personal disappointment through untrue friendship or
unrequited love. Who has not his
"thorn"?
We should never forget that in one sense,
our "thorn" is a "messenger of Satan," who desires
by it—to hurt our life, to mar our peace, to spoil the divine beauty in us, and
to break our communion with Christ.
Continued on page 4