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| EPrata photo |
Where is wisdom?
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| EPrata photo |
Some look for wisdom in philosophy. But God’s word says philosophy is empty.
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8)
Some look for wisdom in psychology. But God’s word says psychology is empty. Solomon said the wise dies just like the fool! (Ecclesiastes 2:16b). Man’s wisdom is vanity. God’s word is sufficient.
Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Some look for wisdom in the heart. But the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
Some look for wisdom in the world. But God says the world is in the hand of the evil one.
We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (1 John 5:19)
It is only God’s word where we can find the knowledge we need for living in a way that pleases Him. David was declared by God to be a man after His own heart. One reason is that David relied on His word, reveled in His word, and walked in His word. See all the ways David describes God’s word:
Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me! (Psalm 119:1-8)
The Hebrew meaning of each of these different ways David described his delight in God’s word:
way: road, distance, journey, (bespeaks a journey from justification to glorification, not just one instance of obedience)
testimonies: spoken word (bespeaks the legal aspect of the LORD’s commands for His people)
precepts: A mandate of God; collectively when plural, for the Law, commandment (bespeaks His authority and our obedience)
statutes: something prescribed or owed, a statute, limit or boundary (bespeaks do not go beyond but stay within)
commandments: obligation, terms. (commandments are not suggestions)
rules: ordinance promulgated by, law of Kings (bespeaks the origin of the Law)
Do you read your Bible every day? Are you a woman after God’s heart? A man after God’s heart?
Where is wisdom? In God and His word.
List-o-mania: best books, journalists, movies, sermons, and cancelled tv shows
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| EPrata photo |
From I Die Daily (IDD)
This person did a yeoman’s job, but a pleasant and edifying one, listening to over 650 MacArthur sermons in order to make his determination.
TOP 13 JOHN MACARTHUR SERMONS OF ALL TIME
A friend asked me to tell him the best MacArthur sermons of all time, and since it took me a while to put it together, I figure I’ll share with everyone! I have listened to over 650 different MacArthur sermons, and these are “the best” imho.
“The best” depends on what you want to know. For instance, for doctrine there are essential sermons on regeneration, absolute inability, Scripture, premillennialism, perseverance of the saints, saving faith, atonement, salvation assurance, inspiration, repentance, election, effectual call, deliverance, … you name it. Those are CORE and all very, very nice.
But if you’re looking for the rare-jewels, the KABOOM sermons that you gotta dig out and find through long hours of listening…if you wanna know the sermons that I particularly hold dear… well, I can only hope they also trigger something within you as well! Here they are…
IDD made his list in 2013 but I’d add several recent ones to it, plus my own older favorites.
The first two sermons were a response to cultural goings-on during the US Election cycle in 2012. These sermons made a deep impression on me. It was by then obvious that God was rendering wrath on this nation in terms of lifting His hand and allowing sin to flood in unrestrained.
Abortion and the Campaign for Immorality
Homosexuality and the Campaign for Immorality
These next two are similar tot he above. They were delivered this summer 2015 and the first was a going-away address MacArthur preached in advance of his long summer vacation. He provided his flock with a biblical template for dealing with whatever events occur while he was away. The events that did unfold were shocking and upsetting in the extreme, giving his going-away address an almost prescient or prophetic aura. The Supreme Court decided that homosexuals in all the land have a right to marry, there were shootings on military bases, churches, and movie theaters, and the Planned Parenthood videos were released.
As a result, when MacArthur returned from vacation, he preached this sermon, which has become a battlecry:
My personal favorite sermons are from a series preached in 1999, a Creation Series from Genesis 1. These sermons astounded and thrilled me. They also made me love the Creator all the more. This first sermon in the series has a code of 90-208 and the series continues with sermon code 90-209 through to 221.
Creation: Believe it or Not Part 1
Tony Reinke lists the The 50 Best Books of 2015 (So Far)
2015 is 60% over, and that means all the books for the year have either been released or announced. In the summer months I begin to compile a rough list of about 50 of the potentially best Christian (non-fiction) books of the year into a list that I will use to pick my top choices in November.
On his list are the solid authors from whom we have come to expect good scholarship, Mark Dever, Iain Murray, Os Guinness, Donald Whitney, Douglas Moo, etc. Check it out.
Of my own favorite books, I strongly recommend:
John MacArthur’s ESV Study Bible,
Pilgrim’s Progress,
Valley Of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers.
Every Christian should have those on their shelves.
I also recommend John MacArthur’s Because the Time is Near, (exposition of Revelation) and Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis, a fictional and devastating portrayal of hypocrisy and opportunism among the Evangelical clergy of the early 20th Century.
Journalists
Oy, what can we say about the state of the media. In America where I live, it is deplorable, no other word can describe what passes for alerting and educating the American public tot he news and events of the day. It’s biased, sloppy, inaccurate, and on broadcasts, loud. All sturm and no drang. With the opening of the US election cycle for voting in November 2016, it’s more important than ever to find media one can trust. Twitter helps here.
I trust Steve Herman, @W7VOA Voice Of America correspondent in Asia, where he has lived for 25 years.
I enjoy Jake Tapper, @jaketapper, CNN Anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent.
Uh, that’s it.
List of most under-appreciated/underrated ‘Christian’ movies. It’s from Relevant Magazine and I have not seen any of these except End of the Spear, which I already recommended in another blog essay movie review. Take note that oftentimes when a magazine recommends a Christian movie it also includes Catholic movies as part of faith, and this list is no exception. There is one immediately identifiable Catholic film, a documentary about monks in the French Alps. Anyway, several of these look intriguing, especially Believe Me, which reminds me of the book Elmer Gantry.
I’ll list them here but the link contains synopses plus trailers.
8 Underrated ‘Christian Movies
Believe Me
Amazing Grace
Blue Like Jazz
Into Great Silence
The Mission
Linsanity
End of the Spear
Book of Eli
List of best shows ever (in my opinion) that were cancelled after one season. This list burns my bacon every time I look at it.
Terriers
Firefly
Hope Island
Enlisted
The Finder
The Cafe (two seasons, but being British, the seasons were short)
OK this is all I can manage today. I threw out my back somehow and it hurts to sit for to long. Till next time!
Re-post: The enduring comfort of prophecy
I posted this one year ago.
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God said in Genesis 3:15, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Adam in Genesis 3:20, “…named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. (NIV)
Jesus tells us things in advance for many reasons. (to foretell). One reason is so that we may be on guard, be warned. (Matthew 24:25). Another is to show His holiness at judgment. (Ezekiel 2:5).
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| “Eye of God” Helix nebula, source Hubble Telescope |
Prophetic declarations of future events also serve to comfort. Adam seemed to be comforted by God’s promise of a future redeemer. Perhaps Adam wondered as they faced God, if He would smite them on the spot. Instead, Adam clung to the knowledge that there would be offspring. Adam was so trusting in God’s word that Adam named his wife Eve, “because she would be the mother of all the living”. Bearing a son was still in the future, (Genesis 4:1), so Adam took comfort in God’s forthtelling, clung to His word, and took action because of it it.
We don’t have new prophecies today that forthtell new information because the canon is closed, but we still are built up when a person reiterates them and preaches truth, which is today’s prophesying. Prophesying includes referring to prophecies, as well as the bible’s poetry, truths, doctrines, and history.
On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. (1 Corinthians 14:3). In this case prophesying means forthtelling.
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| Helix Nebula a different view, NASA |
God told the first prophecy in the bible, in Genesis 3:15. Adam re-iterated that prophesy in Genesis 3:20. But who was the bible’s first human prophet? Enoch.
Enoch was the 7th person born from Adam.
Genealogy from Adam, Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth. (1 Chronicles 1:1-4)
Enoch lived prior to the Flood. At the Institute for Creation Research, Dr. John Morris writes,
One of the favorite characters in the Old Testament is Methuselah, who lived 969 years (Genesis 5:27), longer than anyone else recorded. His father was Enoch, of whom it is said he “walked with God” (5:24) but who was taken to heaven without dying at 365 years. Methuselah’s son Lamech died a few years before the Flood at 777 years (5:31) after bearing Noah.
When Methuselah was born, his godly father must have prophetically known of coming things, for his son’s name means “when he dies, judgment,” and interestingly enough, Methuselah died in the same year God judged the sinful world with the great Flood of Noah’s day.
God took Enoch alive in a snatching away that is a typology of the rapture. Enoch was taken in Genesis 5:24. (Hebrews 11:5)
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| William Blake’s only known lithograph (lithography was rather new and experimental in 1807), illustrating Genesis 5:24 “Enoch walked with God; then was no more, because God took him away”.) |
Genesis 5 records a genealogy. The repetitive language forms a pattern … until you get to Enoch
Genesis 5:5, “Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.”
Genesis 5:8, “Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died.”
Genesis 5:11, “Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.”
Genesis 5:14, “Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died.”
Genesis 5:17, “Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.”
Genesis 5:20, “Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died.”
Genesis 5:23, “Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.”
Genesis 5:24, “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.”
Who didn’t die?
“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5)
Before Enoch was taken up, Enoch prophesied. His prophecy is recorded in Jude.
“It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 1:14-15)
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| CC, Wikipedia |
This is an extremely precious prophecy. It is an heirloom seed. Why? the Flood.
FLOOD
Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. (Genesis 7:6-7)
Enoch’s prophecy was given before the Flood. Everyone on earth died. After the Flood, only 8 people knew the prophecy. For Jude to record it, it means the prophecy was carried through the Flood in the heart and mind of Noah and his family.
What comfort it must have been for Noah to have heard Enoch prophesy before the Flood that the Lord will return with ten thousand of His holy ones to execute judgment. What torture it must have been for righteous Noah, (Genesis 6:9), one of the three declared most righteous men on earth, (Ezekiel 14:14) to live among such evil. Enoch’s prophecy was a light and a pure hope amid the darkest days on earth!
When the waters receded and the family emerged onto a new earth, one where continents were split and only mud existed, Noah knew the prophecy. He told the prophecy. It was told and retold, until it became ingrained in the tradition of the Jews. Jude knew it, and the Holy Spirit inspired Jude to mention it. Though Enoch’s prophecy is not recorded by Enoch in the bible, it is recorded by Jude.
In these dark days, prophecy performs the same function. The Lord WILL RETURN to execute judgment and vindicate His holy name! While we do not take delight in the death of the ungodly, we do delight in knowing Jesus will rectify all wrongs, judge the wicked, and institute peace on earth. This is ultimate comfort. The ark carried 8 precious souls. It carried every kind of animal. And it carried with it the knowledge of the One True God, and His promises to all generations: holiness in the end.
Our Lord’s tenderness toward women: Sarai
I’ve written before about how tender our Lord is. There are many scenes in particular when He is tender with women. His quiet leading of the sinful Woman at the Well…his gentle chiding of Martha … His dawn appearing to Mary in the garden after His resurrection…all beautiful and tender.
I especially love His care of Hagar in the wilderness. Badly used, cast off, alone and about to die, the Lord incarnated and appeared to her, and personally reassured her. I wrote about that twice.
Hagar in the Wilderness Drinking from the Living Waters of Life
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| Harem bed in Istanbul |
Here is another example of our Lord’s amazing care and tenderness toward His people. Sarai. See the passage in Genesis 12:10-16,
Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
The Bible is great because it shows us the sins of the sinful people the Lord with which the Lord is building His bride. We are all flawed and sinful, and here Abram was no exception. Counted as righteous, a great man, and a Patriarch of the faith, Abram was still a human…and we know what that means. Sometimes we stumble. Badly.
He lied and a worse, didn’t have a thought for Sarai, knowing likely she would end up in a harem. He knew her beauty would attract the attention of the harem keeper and this would be reported to Pharaoh. That is exactly what happened.
But did God say ‘Because Abram will be my Patriarch, I will fix this.” ? Or, “Because of Abram who is great in my sight, I will fix this.”? No. What did God say?
But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. (Genesis 12:17)
Because of Sarai.
God personally intervened. His rescue of the situation focused on the protection of Sarai. Calvin’s Commentary says,
And here we have a remarkable instance of the solicitude with which God protects his servants, by undertaking their cause against the most powerful monarchs;
If you are feeling lonely tonight, marginalized, overlooked, or downtrodden, remember the Lord’s intervention with the Woman at the Well, His tenderness to Martha and Mary, and His descent from heaven itself to comfort Hagar in the desert. He protected Sarai and restored her marriage.
Hagar praised Him, saying
So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” (Genesis 16:13)
We have a good and gracious God. Lord Jesus is in control and whatever is happening is for your good and His glory. What a comfort.
Scripture photo
Freedom from Sin, 10 Things about Southern Baptists, Heart problems, But God…
It is said that a flippant young man remarked to a preacher in mocking fashion, “You say that unsaved people carry a great weight of sin. Frankly, I feel nothing. How heavy is sin? Ten pounds? Fifty pounds? Eighty pounds? A hundred pounds?”
The preacher thought for a moment, then replied, “If you laid a four hundred pound weight on a corpse, would it feel the load?”
The young man was quick to say, “Of course not; it’s dead” Driving home his point the preacher said, “The person who doesn’t know Christ is equally dead. And though the load is great, he feels none of it”
The Christian, unlike the average non-Christian, is not indifferent to the weight of sin. He is actually hypersensitive to it. Having come to Jesus Christ, his senses are awakened to the reality of sin. His sensitivity to sin intensifies as he matures spiritually. Such sensitivity prompted a saint as great as Chrysostom, the fourth century church father, to say he feared nothing but sin (Second Homily on Eutropius).
More at link
10 Things I Wish Southern Baptists Knew About Southern Baptists
Yes, there is a lot of ignorance about Southern Baptists out there among those who aren’t part of our denomination. However, there’s also a lot of ignorance inside the SBC about what’s really going on in our denomination, our doctrine, practices, leadership, and so on. These are ten SBC realities I wish the average Southern Baptist church member were more aware of.
The Lord is stunningly graceful. Read this from Sunny Shell and see if you don’t weep.
My Flesh and My Heart May Fail, But God…
This past Friday, my Cardiac Electrophysiologist confirmed that I have an uncommon heart arrhythmia called sick sinus syndrome (SSS). What this means is that my heart can no longer keep a steady rhythm because it’s “sick”.
But God… such powerful words. We read in Ephesians 2:4
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
Here is a devotional from Our Daily Bread on “But God…”
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8
Howard Sugden, my pastor when I was in college, preached many memorable sermons. After all these years, the one titled “But God . . .” still makes me stop whenever I come to those words in the Bible. Here are a few examples of verses that encourage me with the reminder of God’s righteous intervention in human affairs:
“You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to . . . save many people alive” (Gen. 50:20).
“Their beauty shall be consumed in the grave . . . . But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave” (Ps. 49:14-15).
“My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:26).
“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:7-8).
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard . . . the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:9-10).
Whenever you feel discouraged, look up some “but God” verses and be reassured of God’s involvement in the lives of those who love Him.
Creator of the universe
Who reigns in awesome majesty:
How can it be that You’re involved
With such a one as me? —Sper
God’s involvement in our lives should reassure us of His love.
"My Sister in the faith is reading a heretical book/studying heretical material. How do I tell her?"
A sister in the faith asked me that question in the title the other day. I responded in the comments but now I’m making a stand-alone piece. These are my experiences and advice, but are based on my understanding of scripture. I it helps any sister. If you have had experience in helping a sister in the faith turn away from using poor, unedifying materials, please chime in. This essay isn’t the be-all and end-all, just a starting point.
I know that when I go to church and see a sister in the faith carrying a book by Ann Voskamp, or attending a Beth Moore study, my stomach clenches and my heart drops. Then, I worry. I know that heretical materials have just enough truth to seem good but so much heresy it will soon pollute my sister’s thinking. False teaching is meant to destroy, and my sister is in its cross-hairs. This is not something we can ignore.
But how to tell her? It’s uncomfortable and difficult to do. We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings yet it must be done because false teaching is a blight on the name of Jesus. In addition, we will have to answer for our failure to act in love. James 4:17 says,
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”
We also know that in these dark days where the truth is not exalted, that we will more than likely be labeled as a troublemaker. I have had this experience myself. Of course we seek to be diplomatic in these kind of conversations, so take care that we are speaking the truth gently and not roughly. But no matter how gentle and diplomatic you are, there is a good chance the person will take offense. Since there are so many false converts these days, there’s also a good chance they will subsequently label you as critical, intolerant, and trouble with a capital T.
In addition, we have the problem of deception by investment. (Term coined by Glenn Chatfield). This means that people who follow false teachers are invested in them. They have spent money on their books or devotionals, they have perhaps attended a meeting or conference. Thus, they are invested financially, emotionally, and time-wise. They’ve been seen and heard letting their chips fall in the side of what you’re telling them is a false teacher. Puncturing that will pierce pride because you’re piercing their very selves. They will want to be defensive. No one likes a conversation like that.
So with these things in mind, here is a teaching called The Gentle Art of Correction based on 2 Timothy 2:23-26. It is aimed at pastors and leaders but its principles are good for ladies too. 🙂
So, how? I take two examples from the bible. In the first example, Priscilla and Aquila took Apollos aside to instruct him (Acts 18:24-28). Apollos was a believer, hadn’t sinned, but needed to have the full counsel of God given to him before he went too much further in preaching like he’d been doing. The duo did not embarrass him by correcting him in public, but took him aside and to Apollos’ credit, he sat at their feet and learned.
Secondly, in Matthew 18:15-20 it describes what to do when someone in church sins against you. And isn’t following a false teacher a sin? There is flesh involved. So in the case of Mt 18:15, even though the verse says ‘if a brother sins against you’ and technically they have not sinned against you personally but against Jesus as the Head of the Church, the restoration began in private.
I think that the spirit of the Acts and Matthew verses tell us that the first step is to go to the sister you want to talk with quietly in private. So that is what I do.
What I’ve done is something like this: “I see you are carrying a new Joyce Meyer book. I have learned some things about her that I think are important for you know. Are you open to me putting my thoughts down on paper and sharing it with you later?” That way they do not feel sandbagged or cornered. If they say “No, thanks, I really like Joyce Meyer,” then pray for them. The Spirit might help them change their mind, and they might return to you later and ask for that information. Sometimes a nudge takes a while.
In another case the opportunity just seemed right and presented itself when it came up in a conversation. I gently and with tears, pleaded for the woman to turn from her false doctrine. She was a good listener and at the end asked me to offer her some biblical advice on it. I did so the next time we were together, I gave her a paper. I believe the 2nd situation came about because I had been praying over the issue and asked the Lord to make a way for me to bring it up. Prayer is always an important component of these conversations, before, during and after.
Since emotions run high in these situations I’ve found it helpful to have written the bible verses and issues down on paper so they can look at it later. It also guards against being misquoted. Third, it helps me maintain my focus. In these kinds of talks with sisters, since women are emotional, we tend to stray to the emotional side of the conversation. Having the verses written down helps keep the focus on Jesus. It is the Word that changes minds, not our tears, and not our persuasion.
Other pastors I listen to said they have asked to person to coffee at a later time some they could discuss it. This works too.
If you are considering approaching a sister who has strayed into false territory in lockstep with a false teacher, I encourage you to read the Bible.org link above, and to pray. Ultimately the battle is the Lord’s and the battle is spiritual. The dear sister we wish to approach is not the enemy but the spirit behind her favored book or curriculum is the enemy.
As you pray, the Lord will open your mind as to what He wants you to do in any given situation. And don’t be startled if the person gets huffy or angry. The more genuine a sister is, the more they may get embarrassed thinking that they have been spotted doing something wrong by carrying this book or touting that teacher, because they truly love the Lord. If they do indeed truly love the Lord, they will calm down and thank you for it later.
If they don’t, then you have a clean conscience before Jesus because you tried. Continuing to pray for them will help soften any disharmony in your own heart you may feel after the encounter. 🙂
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Further Reading
The voice of mighty rushing waters
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. (Ezekiel 43:2)
His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. (Revelation 1:15)
And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. (Revelation 14:2)
When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings. (Ezekiel 1:24)
When you’re canoeing or kayaking on a silent river, the only sounds you can hear are birds, whisper of wind in the trees, and the drip of water rolling off the paddle as it comes out of the water.
The sound of rapids can be heard a distance off. The tumult of rushing water is distinctive and signals a major change in the status of the river. Once calm and nearly still, the closer you approach to the rapidly rushing water, the louder it is, and the faster it goes. When you’re right on top of the rapids, that’s all you can hear. One must shout to be heard.
When the prophets were given a glimpse of the throne room and heard the sound like of “many waters”, I don’t pretend to understand what that means or how it sounded in real life to their ears. It’s hard to describe something so supernaturally incomprehensible as the voice of God translated to mere human words. One can only imagine what the sound of His voice is like at full, glorified throttle.
I do know two things though. The sound of Niagara Falls is about 95 decibels, roughly equal to a rock concert. That’s loud.
Second, the voice of Jesus when He returns is a voice that will drown out all other voices. The Mighty Rushing Waters will drown out all voices that deny Him. The Many Waters will drown out all voices that blaspheme Him. The roar of the Rushing Waters will drown out all voices that proclaim a different god.
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| Albert Bierstad (1830–1902) oil painting, Niagara Falls |
In Revelation 6:15-17 it says
Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
On His Day, when He speaks with a voice like Many Waters, who can hear another voice? NO ONE. The voice of Jesus in power and strength will be the first, the last, and the only voice of holiness and glory, proclaiming His father the Almighty God! All those that dwell on the earth, the great and the small, the mighty and the lowly, will hear His voice, and who can hear another?
Each day that passes is a day we are in that kayak paddling downstream to the rapids, or on that boat Maid of the Mist approaching Niagara, getting closer to the day when the mighty rushing voice of God will be heard throughout the land. And what a day that will be.
The first worship in the Land
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. (Genesis 12:7)
“By this act, Abram made an open confession of his religion, established worship of the true God, and declared his faith in God’s promise. This was the first true place of worship ever erected in the Promised Land.” ~MacArthur Commentary
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| “The March of Abraham” József Molnár – 1880 |
The first true worship in the Land… a worship of a worthy Lord which will never end. We are privileged to proclaim His excellencies forever and ever, in that marvelous Light of the eternal heavens.
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Peter 2:9)
the-end-time.org 