Diving Deep in the Sea of God’s Sovereignty, Part 5

Principle:  God not only raises up rulers and put them down; He also governs all their deeds in every age.

“The king’s heart is a stream of water in my hand, says the LORD; I turn it wherever I will.” (Proverbs 21:1)

“I will put an end to the wealth of Egypt, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. . . . I will break the yoke of Egypt, and her proud might shall come to an end. . . . I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh.” (Ezekiel 30:10, 18, 24)

“I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave.” (Jeremiah 27:6–7)

“As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand. I will break the Assyrian in my land; and his yoke shall depart from my people.” (Isaiah 14:24–25)

“I will make the nations the inheritance of my Son, and the ends of the earth will be his possession. He shall break them with a rod of iron.” (Psalm 2:8–9)

What Will Happen on September 23, 2017? Part 4

Tomorrow is Friday, September 22, 2017, just one day a way from the Rapture! Are you ready? There are some cosmic happenings in the constellations that have not occurred in 7,000 years we’re told. Once the Rapture occurs, then just days away will be the revealing of the antichrist. Who do you think it could be?  Trump? No, not him. Putin? Hmmm, no, probably not.  Someone from an Arab descent?  How about “Rocket Man” - Kim Jong Un?  Wouldn’t that be a trip! Well, whoever it is, one thing is certain, when the antichrist is revealed, we won’t be around.

In Part 3, I listed some concerns I had with those on Youtube setting the date of September 23, 2017 as the time of the Rapture.  But that’s does not bother me as half as much as when the constellations Virgo and Leo and what will be occurring on September 23, 2017 is then applied to Revelation 12.  In the context of the Book of Revelation, do we really understand what is going on in Revelation 12? 

To begin, let’s go to Revelation 1:19 and get an outline of the Book of Revelation.  John is told by Jesus to, “Write the thing which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things.”

Immediately we have from Jesus Himself an outline of the Book of Revelation. A book that John the apostle wrote, by words that were given to him from the Lord Himself (Rev. 1:1). 

Here is how the outline of the Book of Revelation would look: 

     1. “Write the things which you have seen” – Past (Ch. 1) 

     2. “The things which are” – Present (Chs. 2-3)

     3. “The things which shall take place after these things” – Future (Chs. 4-22)

Based on this outline, where would chapter 12 of Revelation fit in? It would fit in with the things which shall take place after these things – future. So immediately, we can conclude, from our perspective that Revelation 12 is future. 

Now, since Revelation 12 is still future (and of course, September 23, 2017 is till two days away – thus it too is future) so would chapters 6-11.

In Revelation chapter 6, we have the four horseman of the apocalypse.

Verses 1-2 – The first seal is broken, the rider on a white horse (the revealing of the antichrist) in which a mighty man goes about establishing peace without the use of military might.

Verses 3-4 – The second seal is open, the rider on a red horse, which represents war and “men should slay one another.”

Verses 5-6 – The third seal is open, the rider on a black horse, which represents famine and economic hardship globally.

Verses 7-8 – The fourth seal is open, the rider on an ashen horse, which represents death, which a fourth of the population of the earth is killed by the sword, famine, pestilence (diseases) and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Verses 9-11 – The fifth seal is opened which represents a systematic slaughter of Christians, not just in some isolated parts of the world, but globally.

Verses 12-17 – The sixth deal is opened which represents great physical and geological disturbances, such as a major earthquake which has a cosmic affect on how the moon appears to those on the earth since it turns red like blood. Also, the stars of the sky fall to the earth.  The sky itself or the heavens split in two, and every mountain and island is moved out of their places.

Things are so bad that we read: 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, ¹⁶ calling 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, ¹⁷ for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

So my point is this:  Have you seen any of these things mentioned above take place with the intensity in which it was written? No.  No one has. These things are still future. Just like Revelation 12.  And I only have described chapter 6. I have not described what will also occur in chapter 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. 

Therefore, what will happen on September 23, 2017 in the constellations cannot possibly be connected to Revelation 12, because in the next two days, the world has not yet experienced the future wrath of God in chapters 6-11.

Therefore, what will happen on September 23, 2017?  Nothing!

Could Jesus come on September 23, 2017? Yes, He can come at any time, even today. But if He does come (speaking of the Rapture) on September 23, 2017, it won’t be because of the signs in the constellations Virgo and Leo. It will because it fits His own time table.

Remember this. There are no signs in the Bible that point to the Rapture of the church. Signs that do point to the Second Coming of Christ, point to His coming to the earth with His saints to set up His earthly kingdom called the Millennium (Rev. 19-20).  But the Rapture has no signs pointing to it. It can occur at any time – even Paul was expecting it in his life time (1 Thess. 4:13-18), and encouraged his readers to expect it also (1 Thess. 1:9-10). 

Hey, I got an idea.  Let’s have this same discussion on September 24, 2017! How many on Youtube that have pushed for this will admit they are wrong? If I am wrong, I will admit it in heaven. But will other alarmists do the same on earth?

Here is the key to walking in light of Christ’s second coming – Simply be ready!

End of Series  

Diving Deep in the Sea of God’s Sovereignty, Part 4

Principle:  Since God is the ultimate authority, it is He who removes and installs the rulers of the world.

“Wisdom and might belong to me. I change times and seasons; I remove kings and set up kings.” (Daniel 2:20–21)

“I loose the bonds of kings and bind a waistcloth on their hips.” (Job 12:18)

“I sent my angel and struck Herod down, because he did not give me glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.” (Acts 12:23)

What Will Happen on September 23, 2017? Part 3

We are four days away from the Rapture!  According to Youtube erudite thinkers, the Rapture is to occur on Saturday, September 23, 2017.  No one is specific about the time, just the day.

In Part 1, we showed you how a rare cosmic situation will occur on September 23 – with the sun and Jupiter coming into constellation, Virgo, and the moon at her feet. We also mentioned how Mercury, Venus and Mars will come into the constellation, Leo just the right of Virgo, helping to form the crown of twelve stars on her head. All this according to Revelation 12:1-2, 5: “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. ² She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. ⁵ She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne.”

But what do astronomers tell us about the heavenly events that will occur on September 23, 2017?  

First, they tell us there is nothing particularly unusual about the sun appearing in the constellation Virgo. As we orbit the sun each year, the sun appears to move through the 12 constellations of the zodiac, spending about a month in each one.   The time the sun appears in Virgo is around the time of mid-September through late October.

Second, it is not unusual to find the moon near the feet of Virgo. The moon takes 27 1/3 days to orbit the earth with respect to the stars. Therefore, for a day or two each month, the moon appears near the feet of Virgo.  Therefore, for a day or two each September or October, the sun appears in Virgo with the moon at her feet, so this is not that remarkable.

So if this is so common, why are some people making a big deal out of it?

Because of the addition of Jupiter to the mix. Some people claim that this year Jupiter will be near what is supposed to be the womb of Virgo, so it represents the child that the woman is about to give birth to. Jupiter takes nearly 12 years to orbit the sun, so this is the period with which Jupiter moves through the zodiacal constellations, spending about a year in each one.   Therefore, the last time Jupiter was in Virgo was back in 2005.

Another reason for the popularity of September 23, concerns Youtube which started in February of 2005 -- at the time Jupiter was in Virgo.  Why wasn’t it a big deal then? Because Youtube was just getting started and was not as popular as it is now where people can post and say all kinds of things in order to get attention.

Next, Astronomers also point that it isn’t uncommon for the three planets (Venus, Mercury and Mars) to be in Virgo.  The event itself has happened many times over the past 6,000 years.  For example, Christopher M. Graney found four instances where similar conjunctions happened in the past thousand years, on September 14, 1056; September 5, 1293; September 6, 1483; and September 24, 1827.   Graney didn’t check for earlier dates, but certainly there were other examples in the previous 5,000 years. Therefore, the events of September 23, 2017, are not unique in history.

Finally, some are saying that the child that is born in Revelation 12:5 and is taken up to God and His throne represents the Rapture of the church. Therefore, the rapture will occur on September 23, 2017.

Are there some genuine concerns over these things?  Yes, and we will mention a few in Part 3

End of Part 2

Diving Deep in the Sea of God’s Sovereignty, Part 3

Principle:  The Father shares His total authority and rule completely with His Son.  Therefore, worship the Son and crown Him Lord of every area of your life.

“I have given all authority in heaven and on earth to my Son, Jesus.” (Matthew 28:18)

“I love my Son and have given all things into his hand.” (John 3:35)

“I have given my Son authority over all flesh.” (John 17:2)

“I have put all things in subjection under my Son’s feet — all things except myself.” (1 Corinthians 15:27)

“I raised my Son from the dead and seated him at my right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion. . . . I put all things under his feet.” (Ephesians 1:20–22)

“I welcomed my Son into heaven. He is at my right hand, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.” (1 Peter 3:22)

What Will Happen on September 23, 2017? Part 1

Are you ready? Jesus is coming again, more specifically, Saturday, September 23, 2017. This is the date set by those who are telling us what will occur in the constellations Virgo and Leo has not happened in the last 7,000 years. It is time. Christians, get ready for the Rapture!

Of course, we heard this two years ago regarding the rare eclipses. So, what makes September 23, 2017 so special?

Since the date of this unusual event that will bring in the Rapture of the church occurs this Saturday, I could not resist talking about it. So here we go. Let’s find out what all the fuss is about.

Not taking anything for granted, because everyone may not be too familiar with the terms being used, let’s start by defining what a “Constellation” is.

A “Constellation” is a recognizable group of stars that are considered to form imaginary outlines typically representing animals, mythological people, gods, or creatures.

Now, according to the experts on Youtube, two Constellations are in view:

First, is the Constellation Virgo (the virgin) -- On Sept. 23rd, 2017

• the sun will be in the constellation

• The moon will be near Virgo’s feet.

• Jupiter will be in the area of Virgo’s womb.

Second, is the Constellation Leo -- located to the right of Virgo. On Sept. 23rd, 2017 the planets -- Venus, Mars, and Mercury will be inside it.

So then, what makes this event or day so special?

• Some say it is a rare event only occurring once every 7,000 years.

• Some say it also ties in with Revelation 12:1-2, 5 – “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne.”

• So we have here a woman (Virgo) in the sky (heaven), along with the sun, and the moon at her feet. The child in verse 5 is seen as the church being caught up or Raptured into heaven.

Okay, so let’s bring out some key observations here:

First, the constellation Leo is said to have only nine stars in it. But Revelation 12:1 mentions twelve stars the woman is crowned with. Well, this is where the three planets play a major role-- Venus, Mars and Mercury. Although these are not stars, they have the appearance of stars from earth’s perspective and therefore are to be added to the nine stars in Leo to make a total of twelve stars. Some say this is the crown of stars mentioned in Revelation 12:1.

Second, “Houston, we got a problem” -- Leo has more than 9 stars in it depending on who maps it. Leo is said to be an outline or image of a lion. Check it out on Google and you will see various ways it is outlined or mapped -- some include the feet of Leo that makes it more than nine stars -- as high as 13. Therefore, since the constellation Leo has more than nine stars in it, and then you add the three planets to it -- Venus, Mars and Mercury, you are faced with difficulties. The crown of 12 stars that the woman is seen to have in Revelation 12 is now more.

Let’s stop here and continue tomorrow. Don’t worry, we got until Saturday before Jesus Raptures His Church! Are you ready?

End of Part 1

Diving Deep in the Sea of God’s Sovereignty, Part 2

Principle: God has the freedom to do all that He pleases and all that He plans

“Whatever I please, I do, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” (Psalm 135:6)

“I work all things according to the counsel of my will.” (Ephesians 1:11)

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’” (Isaiah 46:9–10)

Diving Deep in the Sea of God’s Sovereignty, Part 1

The Bible contains a lot of fascinating topics that can keep the student of God’s Word occupied and satisfied forever!  

I love to study end time events (eschatology) and how they may relate to our current situations. I love to study about the Holy Spirit (pneumatology) and how the Holy Spirit works in my life and in the life and organization of the church. I love to study salvation (soteriology), its past form (Jesus saved me from the penalty of sin - Justification), its present form (Jesus is saving from the power of sin – Sanctification), and its future form (Jesus will save me from the presence of sin – Glorification).  But there is one topic I keep coming back to time and time again – God’s absolute sovereignty.  God rules all things, at all times, and there is no such thing as one maverick molecule in the universe.  I am so fascinated by my Father’s rule.

I receive great comfort, knowledge and stability in knowing this. There is so much going on that I cannot control, yet knowing that God is in full control, gives me great peace and stability.  There is no much that occurs that I do not understand, but knowing God is orchestrating all things according to His divine purpose and goals, gives me comfort and hope.

Let’s do this – will you go deep with me into the sea of God’s sovereignty?  Let’s plunge the depths together. I am just going to state a principle and then give the bible passages to support it.  The depth that you will occur will be based on how much you spend the time meditating on the principle and passages found in the Bible. Throughout your day, think about it, meditate on it, and by all means pray it back to God in thanksgiving and holy reverence. If you do, you will find yourself swimming in deep waters that very few ever go.  You will also come to see things that very few ever see.

Enjoy the dive!

Principle #1: God is the final authority in the universe and there is no authority higher or more powerful than His, and He gives a portion of His authority to whomsoever He wills.  

 “There is no authority except from me, and those that exist have been instituted by Me.” (Romans 13:1)

“You, Pilate, would have no authority over my Son at all unless it had been given you from Me.” (John 19:11)

End of Part 1

Whom Did Christ Die For - Us or God? Part 2

“Did Jesus die for God or for us?” is the question we’re asking in this series.

In Part 1, we said that the place we need to begin is to have a biblical mindset that starts with God and not a secular mindset that begins with man.

What the biblical mindset sees as basic problems in the universe are usually not the same problems that the secular mindset sees.

The reason for this is that what makes a problem is not, first, that something doesn’t fit the rights and needs of man, but that it doesn’t fit the rights and goals of God. If you start with man and his rights and wants, rather than starting with the God and his rights and goals, the problems you see in the universe will be very different.

Is the basic issue of the universe how to preserve man’s rights and solve his problems (i.e. the right of self-determination, and the problem of suffering)? Or is the basic issue of the universe how an infinitely worthy God in complete freedom can display the full range of his perfections — what Paul calls “the riches of his glory” (Romans 9:23) — his holiness and power and wisdom and justice and wrath and goodness and truth and grace, or in other words, the totality of His presence?

How you answer that question will profoundly affect the way you understand the central event of human history — the death of Jesus. Did Jesus die for God or for us?

In Part 1, I showed the passage in Romans 3:25-26: “Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

Because we are so inundated by the secular mindset, the very thought of Jesus dying for God seems unnatural, let alone, cherished.

So let’s do this: Let’s go beneath the issue of justification, reconciliation and forgiveness and go right to the bottom or foundation of it all -- to the innermost meaning of the cross.

Now as we do, this is what you need to be looking for as you read again the passage from Romans 3:25-26. There is a huge problem in the universe that needs solving. How we solve it will be based on whether we use the secular mindset or the biblical one. It is a problem that must be solved by God Himself. And God does so with the death of His Son.

God put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (Romans 3:25)

According to the above passage, God gave up His Son (sent him to die) in order to demonstrate His righteousness (or justice).

Okay, so the problem that needed solving was that God, for some reason, seemed to be unrighteous, and wanted to vindicate himself and clear his name. That is the basic problem in the universe. God’s righteousness is at stake. His name or reputation or honor must be vindicated. Before the cross can be for our sake, it must be for God’s sake.

Let me say it again, “Before the cross of Christ can be for our sake (i.e. before it benefits us), it must be for God’s benefit. You say, “If that’s the case, Pastor Rich, then you are making God’s needs more important than man’s needs.” Exactly!

So what was the reason God needed vindication? Look at the last phrase in verse 25: “because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”

Now what does that mean? It means for centuries, God was passing over the sins of people who repented. For centuries God was long-suffering toward sinners. For centuries God was doing what it is stated in Psalm 103:10: “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” He has been passing over thousands of sins. He has been forgiving them and letting them go and not punishing them.

That is a major problem. How so? Where in the world is His justice? Where is His righteous indignation? Since God is a righteous judge, how can He just pass over the sins of sinners and not wipe them all out and send each one to hell as they deserve?

Remember the story of Nathan the prophet confronting king David about his sin with Bathsheba and the killing of her husband?

Nathan said to David, “Why have you despised the word of the Lord?” (2 Samuel 12:9). David feels the rebuke of Nathan, and in 2 Samuel 12:13 he says, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Then Nathan makes this startling response: “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.” Just like that! Adultery and murder are “passed over.” It is almost incredible. Our sense of justice screams out, “No! You can’t just let it go like that. He deserves to die or be imprisoned for life!” But Nathan does not say that. He says, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

What was true of David was also true of countless others in the Bible. And while you’re at it -- add your name to the list of people to whom God has forgiven. How can this be? Where is the justice of God?

So, going back to the problem in the universe, God’s righteousness is being questioned. His lack of justice is being called to account, or as Paul said in Romans 3:25, “because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”

So why is that a problem? Is it seen and felt as a problem by the secular mindset — that God is kind to sinners? How many people outside the scope of biblical influence wrestle with the problem that a holy and righteous God doesn’t seem to punish the wicked and the evil they commit? How can God be so lenient to sinners?

How many Christians wrestle with the fact that their own forgiveness is a threat to the righteousness of God?

So our secular mindset starts with our rights and wants -- “How can God be like this?” The issue starts then with us and our need for an answer. But the biblical mindset starts the issue with God and His right to uphold and display the infinite worth of his righteousness and glory.

End of Part 2

Whom Did Christ Die For - Us or God? Part 1

If you were asked this question: Did Jesus die for you or for God, how could you answer it? Most would say that Jesus died for me? But the very thought of Jesus dying for God is mysterious at best.

A big reason why we might trip up on this is because we often in our secular mindset begin with us rather than with God. What I mean by the secular mindset is not necessarily a mindset that rules God out or denies in principle that the Bible is true. It’s a mindset that begins with man as the basic given reality in the universe. All of its thinking starts with the assumption that man has basic rights and basic needs and basic expectations. Then the secular mind moves out from this center and interprets the world, with man and his rights and needs as the measure of all things.

What the secular mindset sees as problems are seen as problems because of how things fit or don’t fit with man being at the center -- his rights and needs and expectations. And what this mindset sees as successes are seen as successes because they fit with man and his rights and needs and expectations.

This is the mindset we were born with and that our secular society reinforces virtually every hour of the day in our lives. The apostle Paul calls this mindset “the mind that is set on the flesh” (Romans 8:6–7), and says that it is the way the “natural person” thinks (1 Corinthians 2:14). It is so much a part of us that we hardly even know it’s there. We just take it for granted — until it collides with another mindset; namely, the one in the Bible.

We should avoid starting with man as the center at all cost when it comes to the death of Christ on the cross. Here is a bible passage I want to point out. Look carefully at it.

“Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:25–26)

Now notice the phrase, “to show God’s righteousness” (v. 25). Notice in verse 26: “It (the death of Christ) was to show God’s righteousness at the present time.”

You see, the biblical mindset does not begin with man as the center of the universe, but with God. The Lord is the basic given reality in the universe. He was there before we were in existence — or before anything was in existence. He is simply the most absolute reality there is. Therefore, this biblical mindset starts with the assumption that God is the center of reality. All thinking starts with the assumption that God has basic rights as the Creator of all things. He has goals that fit with his nature and perfect character. Then the biblical mindset moves out from this center and interprets the world, with God and his rights and goals as the measure of all things.

Having said this, it is no wonder Paul said that the death of Christ was first and foremost “to show God’s righteousness.” Or in other words, Jesus’ death on the cross was to show that He first and foremost died for God, not for us.

End of Part 1