December 18, 2010

2 Chronicles 21

One of the saddest experiences of my life was the first funeral that I was asked to perform. It was the funeral of the mother of a man whose little girls had attended our VBS. They had no church home. So when his mother passed away, he had no one to turn to but me. I had never met the woman before and had only met him on a couple of occasions. Before the funeral I met with him to try to learn about the life of his mother. He could not come up with one good memory concerning his mother. The best that I could ascertain, she did not know the Lord. The man had siblings but they refused to come to the funeral. It was a graveside funeral. It rained. He, his wife and two daughters and myself were the only ones that showed up. No tears were shed. What happens when we radically reject the glory of the Lord? Ask Jehoram. He died from his intestines gradually falling out day-by-day. When he died, it was to, “no one’s sorrow.” He wasn’t even buried with the other kings of Jerusalem. How does this show the glory of the Lord? It only shows the ultimate result of not pursuing Him. His glory is that which changes us from a life like Jehoram’s to one that is worth living. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Revelation 9
Somehow the justice and judgment of the Lamb is intermingled with the prayers of the saints. It is when the censer, which was used to bring the prayers of the saints to God, is thrown to the earth that the trumpets of judgment begin to blow. When the sixth trumpet sounds, a voice speaks from the golden altar which is before God. It is upon the golden altar that the prayers of the saints are offered and rise up before God. The voice from the golden altar commands the release of the 4 angels. The people of the Lamb are participating with Him in His judgment of those who will not repent. It is the glory of the Lamb that they should work with Him from heaven to bring just retribution to those who will not repent. It is not our place to gain vengeance now. Now is the time to pray and intercede. The time that we participate with Him in judgment will be after we have died. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John