.JPG)
This is a partial view of the Valley of Ben Hinnom. It is taken from atop the edge of the road that runs South of the Old City walls. The valley runs downhill to the left where it eventually joins the Tyropean and Kidron Valleys. Somewhere in this valley, Manasseh sacrificed some of his sons in the fire to a pagan God. This earned it the nick name of Topheth, a place to be spit upon or abhorred. The cliffs have numerous caves and tombs dating to the first century A.D. For a while, it was used as a garbage dump. As a result, it burned and smoldered constantly. During times of siege and warfare around Jerusalem, it is thought that the valley was also used to burn the corpses of the war casualties. Because it was a burial place, and because of the fires, it became known as Gehenna (a corruption of the pronunciation of Ben Hinnom). It is also thought that the potter’s field or Aceldama (the place where Judas hung himself) was also located at the lower end of this valley. What a geographical contrast between two places of judgment! The valley represents irreparable destruction where Manasseh and other kings sacrificed their sons, where massive numbers of corpses were burned after times of warfare, where Judas went and hung himself after betraying the Son of God, where numbers of people were buried upon their deaths. Just up the hill near the top of Mount Moriah, the Son of God laid down His life at the request of His Father. There He experienced the judgment and wrath of the Father against our sin. The Father sacrificed His Son in our place to pay the penalty of our sin. There He raised the Son back to life again. He now offers eternal life to all who will repent of their trust in their own sacrifice and way of life and trust in His eternal sacrifice. What a contrast of the two locations nestled against each other! Downhill is Gehenna—judgment leading to irreparable loss. Uphill is Moriah—judgment leading to eternal life. The choice is ours!
Proverbs 28
Yesterday I sat at dinner with a longtime friend. He mentioned how he was torn concerning the upcoming election. We have three candidates and none are that great of a choice. Obama is an abomination because of his ardent support of abortion and gay marriage. He did not feel that Romney could be trusted any farther than he could throw him. Paul wants to abandon Israel; that is indeed dangerous. Verse 28 says, “When the wicked gain pre-eminence, other men hide; but at their fall the just flourish.”
This chapter covers a number of proverbs that all deal with rulers, the law, the people and the relationships that exist between all of them. But how does this all relate to the glory of the Lord Jesus? The issue of history is, “How will humans respond to the rule and reign of God.” We have been in rebellion since Adam and Eve. The theme of the Bible is the restoration of the Kingdom of God. One day Jesus will return, and He will be the supreme ruler of all the earth. He will in practice and not just title be King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the one who will rule in righteousness. He will properly define the beginning of human life and destroy those who take it wrongfully. He will be trusted in all of his rulings. Providing good paying jobs won’t be a difficult task. As for the nation of Israel, Jerusalem will be His throne and the descendants of Israel will inhabit the land surrounding it. He will bring peace to the city of Jerusalem. How could He possibly bring peace to such a troubled area? He is the One full of all understanding. He will hate the covetousness that drives the instability of the land and this earth (verse 16). As the all-wise, all-powerful ruler, He will know how to eliminate it. He will have the power to eliminate it. Now that is glory that far exceeds an Obama, a Romney, or a Paul. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 19
When the whore is destroyed, the bride is revealed. Who is the bride? We are His bride. We, who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, are His bride. Finally, the bride in all her resplendent glory comes forth! And what is foremost on her mind when she comes forth? It is declaring the glory of her husband the Lamb! The declaration of her praise for Him is so magnificent that John can only describe it as the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! . . .”
Then in the midst of her praise, He, the Lamb, is revealed. His glory is indeed awesome. He rides into the world as the King of kings and Lord of lords, with a description that captures the imagination, slaying those who oppose Him with a sword coming from His mouth. No one and no thing can resist His advance. And we, His bride, ride with Him. Dressed in white linen, we ride unassailed by the foe. The foe are all destroyed and the Beast and False Prophet are captured. He does it all effortlessly and simply by coming in His presence. This is our hope. This is what we look forward to. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Saturday, December 28, 2013
December 28
2 Chronicles 33
I am amazed at the mercy of our Lord! No one was ever as wicked as Manasseh. He even made his own son pass through the fire, i.e. sacrificed him on a pagan altar. Not only was he personally wicked, but he also seduced “Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.” How could a man who had such a great father go so far astray? But obviously he went astray. But God disciplined him greatly. The king of Assyria came and took Manasseh into captivity. There he was disciplined. As the passage says:
12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.
Isn’t that amazing? God would forgive a man who was such a low life! Indeed our God is a marvelous king! He forgives Manasseh and He forgives me! Wow! But I should never forget that even though Manasseh repented, it was too late. The people had been seduced, and the people did not repent.
Oh Lord, You are so kind and merciful to forgive me of my sin. You are so gracious to enable me to turn from my sin. Let me never presume upon Your mercy and grace! Rather whenever your Holy Spirit convicts me of sin, let me repent immediately turning to You. Indeed You are a merciful God! . Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
.JPG)
This is a partial view of the Valley of Ben Hinnom. It is taken from atop the edge of the road that runs South of the Old City walls. The valley runs downhill to the left where it eventually joins the Tyropean and Kidron Valleys. Somewhere in this valley, Manasseh sacrificed some of his sons in the fire to a pagan God. This earned it the nick name of Topheth, a place to be spit upon or abhorred. The cliffs have numerous caves and tombs dating to the first century A.D. For a while, it was used as a garbage dump. As a result, it burned and smoldered constantly. During times of siege and warfare around Jerusalem, it is thought that the valley was also used to burn the corpses of the war casualties. Because it was a burial place, and because of the fires, it became known as Gehenna (a corruption of the pronunciation of Ben Hinnom). It is also thought that the potter’s field or Aceldama (the place where Judas hung himself) was also located at the lower end of this valley. What a geographical contrast between two places of judgment! The valley represents irreparable destruction where Manasseh and other kings sacrificed their sons, where massive numbers of corpses were burned after times of warfare, where Judas went and hung himself after betraying the Son of God, where numbers of people were buried upon their deaths. Just up the hill near the top of Mount Moriah, the Son of God laid down His life at the request of His Father. There He experienced the judgment and wrath of the Father against our sin. The Father sacrificed His Son in our place to pay the penalty of our sin. There He raised the Son back to life again. He now offers eternal life to all who will repent of their trust in their own sacrifice and way of life and trust in His eternal sacrifice. What a contrast of the two locations nestled against each other! Downhill is Gehenna—judgment leading to irreparable loss. Uphill is Moriah—judgment leading to eternal life. The choice is ours!
Proverbs 28
Yesterday I sat at dinner with a longtime friend. He mentioned how he was torn concerning the upcoming election. We have three candidates and none are that great of a choice. Obama is an abomination because of his ardent support of abortion and gay marriage. He did not feel that Romney could be trusted any farther than he could throw him. Paul wants to abandon Israel; that is indeed dangerous. Verse 28 says, “When the wicked gain pre-eminence, other men hide; but at their fall the just flourish.”
This chapter covers a number of proverbs that all deal with rulers, the law, the people and the relationships that exist between all of them. But how does this all relate to the glory of the Lord Jesus? The issue of history is, “How will humans respond to the rule and reign of God.” We have been in rebellion since Adam and Eve. The theme of the Bible is the restoration of the Kingdom of God. One day Jesus will return, and He will be the supreme ruler of all the earth. He will in practice and not just title be King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the one who will rule in righteousness. He will properly define the beginning of human life and destroy those who take it wrongfully. He will be trusted in all of his rulings. Providing good paying jobs won’t be a difficult task. As for the nation of Israel, Jerusalem will be His throne and the descendants of Israel will inhabit the land surrounding it. He will bring peace to the city of Jerusalem. How could He possibly bring peace to such a troubled area? He is the One full of all understanding. He will hate the covetousness that drives the instability of the land and this earth (verse 16). As the all-wise, all-powerful ruler, He will know how to eliminate it. He will have the power to eliminate it. Now that is glory that far exceeds an Obama, a Romney, or a Paul. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 19
When the whore is destroyed, the bride is revealed. Who is the bride? We are His bride. We, who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, are His bride. Finally, the bride in all her resplendent glory comes forth! And what is foremost on her mind when she comes forth? It is declaring the glory of her husband the Lamb! The declaration of her praise for Him is so magnificent that John can only describe it as the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! . . .”
Then in the midst of her praise, He, the Lamb, is revealed. His glory is indeed awesome. He rides into the world as the King of kings and Lord of lords, with a description that captures the imagination, slaying those who oppose Him with a sword coming from His mouth. No one and no thing can resist His advance. And we, His bride, ride with Him. Dressed in white linen, we ride unassailed by the foe. The foe are all destroyed and the Beast and False Prophet are captured. He does it all effortlessly and simply by coming in His presence. This is our hope. This is what we look forward to. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
This is a partial view of the Valley of Ben Hinnom. It is taken from atop the edge of the road that runs South of the Old City walls. The valley runs downhill to the left where it eventually joins the Tyropean and Kidron Valleys. Somewhere in this valley, Manasseh sacrificed some of his sons in the fire to a pagan God. This earned it the nick name of Topheth, a place to be spit upon or abhorred. The cliffs have numerous caves and tombs dating to the first century A.D. For a while, it was used as a garbage dump. As a result, it burned and smoldered constantly. During times of siege and warfare around Jerusalem, it is thought that the valley was also used to burn the corpses of the war casualties. Because it was a burial place, and because of the fires, it became known as Gehenna (a corruption of the pronunciation of Ben Hinnom). It is also thought that the potter’s field or Aceldama (the place where Judas hung himself) was also located at the lower end of this valley. What a geographical contrast between two places of judgment! The valley represents irreparable destruction where Manasseh and other kings sacrificed their sons, where massive numbers of corpses were burned after times of warfare, where Judas went and hung himself after betraying the Son of God, where numbers of people were buried upon their deaths. Just up the hill near the top of Mount Moriah, the Son of God laid down His life at the request of His Father. There He experienced the judgment and wrath of the Father against our sin. The Father sacrificed His Son in our place to pay the penalty of our sin. There He raised the Son back to life again. He now offers eternal life to all who will repent of their trust in their own sacrifice and way of life and trust in His eternal sacrifice. What a contrast of the two locations nestled against each other! Downhill is Gehenna—judgment leading to irreparable loss. Uphill is Moriah—judgment leading to eternal life. The choice is ours!
Proverbs 28
Yesterday I sat at dinner with a longtime friend. He mentioned how he was torn concerning the upcoming election. We have three candidates and none are that great of a choice. Obama is an abomination because of his ardent support of abortion and gay marriage. He did not feel that Romney could be trusted any farther than he could throw him. Paul wants to abandon Israel; that is indeed dangerous. Verse 28 says, “When the wicked gain pre-eminence, other men hide; but at their fall the just flourish.”
This chapter covers a number of proverbs that all deal with rulers, the law, the people and the relationships that exist between all of them. But how does this all relate to the glory of the Lord Jesus? The issue of history is, “How will humans respond to the rule and reign of God.” We have been in rebellion since Adam and Eve. The theme of the Bible is the restoration of the Kingdom of God. One day Jesus will return, and He will be the supreme ruler of all the earth. He will in practice and not just title be King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the one who will rule in righteousness. He will properly define the beginning of human life and destroy those who take it wrongfully. He will be trusted in all of his rulings. Providing good paying jobs won’t be a difficult task. As for the nation of Israel, Jerusalem will be His throne and the descendants of Israel will inhabit the land surrounding it. He will bring peace to the city of Jerusalem. How could He possibly bring peace to such a troubled area? He is the One full of all understanding. He will hate the covetousness that drives the instability of the land and this earth (verse 16). As the all-wise, all-powerful ruler, He will know how to eliminate it. He will have the power to eliminate it. Now that is glory that far exceeds an Obama, a Romney, or a Paul. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Revelation 19
When the whore is destroyed, the bride is revealed. Who is the bride? We are His bride. We, who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, are His bride. Finally, the bride in all her resplendent glory comes forth! And what is foremost on her mind when she comes forth? It is declaring the glory of her husband the Lamb! The declaration of her praise for Him is so magnificent that John can only describe it as the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! . . .”
Then in the midst of her praise, He, the Lamb, is revealed. His glory is indeed awesome. He rides into the world as the King of kings and Lord of lords, with a description that captures the imagination, slaying those who oppose Him with a sword coming from His mouth. No one and no thing can resist His advance. And we, His bride, ride with Him. Dressed in white linen, we ride unassailed by the foe. The foe are all destroyed and the Beast and False Prophet are captured. He does it all effortlessly and simply by coming in His presence. This is our hope. This is what we look forward to. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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