Reflection on Psalm 118
Scripture
The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?
Reflection
My dear child, I love you and everything I do in your life is for your thriving.
Your destiny is with me. Your destiny is eternal. You will live with me for ever.
My love runs deep. You can never escape from it, or from me, even if you run to the farthest corner of the Earth.
My love for you is eternal and unconditional. Do not be afraid of losing me. Don’t think there is anything you can do that will cause me to stop loving you.
Even the biggest sin that you can imagine will not stop the flow of my love. Fear that you might step outside of my love or turn me away from you.
Whatever you go through in this life, I will be with you. You may face challenges. You may face human enemies that are out to destroy you. But I will walk with you.
What can people do to you? Mere people. All they can do is break your body. They cannot kill your spirit. They cannot take the Holy Spirit from you.
Rejoice and be glad.
Let the joy of my presence transform your daily life.
Prayer
Thank you Lord for this knowledge that you are always with me. People cannot hurt me because you are my strength and shield. Amen.
Stephen McAlpine: Planting Flowers in Wartime
People are planting flowers in Kyiv. Spring is coming.
In the midst of all the chaos, horror and death that the Russian invasion has inflicted on Kyiv, there is something beautiful about people planting flowers in wartorn Kyiv.
As The Times reports, in the light of the Russian withdrawal from the city, the city’s mayor, former world heavyweight boxing champion, Vitaly Klitschko declared:
The municipal services have started spring cleaning. Parks, green areas are being arranged and trees and flowers are being planted.
The war isn’t finished of course. Far from it. Half of the city’s population is still missing, some dead, many in other countries. The devastation and pain will continue for some time yet.
But the normal process of planting seedlings in the flowerbeds, much the same as in my suburb on a seasonal basis, has recommenced. Spring in the air. Easter Resurrection in the air.
Planting flowers in wartime? It could be construed as denial. It could be misdiagnosed as futility or nihilism. Or it could be seen for what it is: Hope sprouting from the ground again.
And it’s a lesson too. A lesson for so many things, but a lesson, I think, for the church. I’ve written much about the straitened times that the church of God finds itself in in the West, either due to its own folly, or because of the turn against the Gospel in the hard secular age. There is much to be sober about. And let’s not get too shy about calling the Christian life a battle, or the spiritual work of the Church a warfare, for the sake of not offending, or for fear of being labelled seditious. If we were to jettison that language we’d have to cut large swathes out of the New Testament documents.
But in the midst of that, let’s remember the better story, the truer narrative of human flourishing, the light to the world, salt of the earth, shining like stars in the dark, sorta stuff that the New Testament speaks of as well. Let’s not forget the new citizens of a heavenly kingdom, the people who have a hope beyond the hope of this age.
In other words, the church gets to plant flowers in wartime. We have a hope that what springs from the ground in our midst, and as we do good to the world and in the world, will not be wasted. Our Resurrection Day is coming. Not Easter Sunday, that was the proto-type, the first-fruits springing from the ground, of which our resurrection will be the full planter bed, blossoming into eternity.
And that should encourage us as we approach what I believe could well be darker and harsher times ahead, both geo-politically and for the church.
The always brilliant Anglican rector and UK journalist Giles Fraser, pointed out recently in UnHerd, that in response to the Ukraine war, the Christian hope leaves the humanist hope quite literally for dead. Humanists have no way of explaining evil away, other than it being a good opportunity for humanity to glint through the darkest body count.
And while I think that humanists could look at the flower-planting in Kyiv and say “See? There’s humanity in all its glory!”, they are unable to counter that glory with any sense of the true horror of humanity that makes such a photograph as the one I posted above, truly memorable.
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Gary DeMar: The Beast of Revelation
Gary DeMar writes:
The following is the Foreword I wrote for J.D. King’s book The Beast of Revelation: Unraveling the Mystery. There’s a major shift taking place in eschatology in the broader Christian community. If the shift takes hold, we could see a major change in the way Christians understand eschatology. The Beast of Revelation will help get the message out to those often unreached by Reformed Theology. –Gary DeMar
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If there’s one thing we can count on it’s predictions about end-time events. The second thing we can count on is that most of them (maybe all of them) have not stood the test of time. There is a long history of prophetic speculation. Some prophecy writers were very specific by pointing out the year when Jesus would return to wrap up things in a spectacular way. Edgar C. Whisenant claimed he had found 88 reasons why the “rapture” would be in September of 1988. When I debated him in early September of 1988, he told me that if he was wrong it meant the Bible was wrong. Ouch!
As a result of an admitted “miscalculation,” Whisenant revised his prophetic calendar by one year. His new book assured us that the “rapture” would take place in 1989. The fact that you are reading The Beast of Revelation: Unraveling the Mystery by J.D. King is prima facie evidence that Mr. Whisenant was very wrong.
Harold Camping assured us that some form of an eschatological end would take place in 1994. Hal Lindsey described the 1980s as the “terminal generation.” He argued in his 1970 bestseller The Late Great Planet Earth that the “rapture” would take place within 40 years of Israel becoming a nation again in 1948. The late Chuck Smith held a similar view.
It was in 1926 that Oswald J. Smith wrote Is the Antichrist at Hand? The following copy appeared on the cover: “The fact that this book has run swiftly into a number of large editions bears convincing testimony to its intrinsic worth. There are here portrayed startling indications of the approaching end of the present age from the spheres of demonology, politics, and religion. No one can read this book without being impressed with the importance of the momentous days in which we are living.”
Remember, this was 1926 and the prophesied antichrist was Benito Mussolini. Mussolini was later captured, tried, and executed by firing squad with his mistress, Clara Petacci on April 28, 1945. There has been a parade of antichrist candidates before and after Smith wrote his book all claiming the Bible for their certainty. This has worked to keep Christians on the edge of prophetic anticipation. Like so many before him, history had proved Smith wrong. But Smith did something few prophecy writers ever do. He admitted he was wrong. John Warwick Montgomery writes that “Smith himself tried to buy up all the remaining copies of the book to destroy them.”[1]
William Edgar, a professor of apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary, recounts the time in the 1960s he spent studying in L’Abri, Switzerland, under the tutelage of Christian apologist Francis A. Schaeffer (1912–1984):[2]
I can remember coming down the mountain from L’Abri and expecting the stock market to cave in, a priestly elite to take over American government, and enemies to poison the drinking water. I was almost disappointed when these things did not happen.[3]
I could recount hundreds of examples of well-intentioned Bible teachers through the centuries whose articles and books no longer hold up given the passage of time. Unfortunately, many Christians aren’t aware of this history. Those who are aware of prophetic speculation often argue that “this time it’s different.”
When trying to interpret the Bible, the first principle to follow is a simple one: What does the text say? J.D. King makes this point by listing the verses that use the term “antichrist.” Reading these four passages is an eye-opener for many people. For many, it’s the first time they encountered the biblical definition of “antichrist,” that there were many of them alive in John’s day, and their existence was evidence that it was the “last hour” of John’s time, most likely the lead up to the destruction of the temple and judgment of Jerusalem that took place before their generation passed away (see Matt. 24:1–3, 34; Luke 21:20, 24; 17:22–37).
When I speak on the topic of Bible prophecy, I often ask the audience this question: Which book of the Bible uses the word “antichrist” more than any other New Testament book? Most people say, “the book of Revelation.” While Revelation does not use the word “antichrist,” John points out that there were antichrists persecuting Christians of that time (Rev. 2:9; 3:9).
There were also beast-like beings. Often the description of a “beast” in the Bible is related to power, either religious or political, and most often a combination of both. Daniel mentions “four great beasts” (7:1–8). Following the description of these beasts, the reign of the Ancient of Days is described (7:9–28). This shows that these beasts were nothing when compared to the overruling authority and power of God. These conquered beasts and their kingdoms no longer exist. God’s kingdom is “forever” (Ps. 145:13; Dan. 4:3; 7:14, 27).
The apostle Paul mentions “savage wolves” (Acts 20:29) that would enter the church at Ephesus. These were beaten back by faithful church leaders who were “to shepherd the church of God” (21:28). This approach is no different for today’s churches. The beasts of Revelation 13 were neutralized by “the lamb” who was “standing on Mount Zion” (14:1). It’s time we stop fixing our attention on antichrists and beasts and place our faith in “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Yes, the lowly lamb defeats all beasts!
Are there beasts today? Most certainly. What’s the remedy? Certainly not cowering in the corner and waiting for an eschatological rescue. We should always be on the lookout for religious and political beasts and act accordingly. James writes, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Such resisting requires an active faith and confidence that God is in the Satan-crushing, beast-busting business (Rom. 16:20), and that includes any beast that might be roaming around today. Today’s beasts—religious and civil—must be confronted in obedience to God’s revealed will and the application of God’s Word to every area of life.
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Today’s Bike Ride
Another cloudy day. No wind so pleasant riding.
Quote for the Day
True riches are His holy presence and anointing. Those who are wise value the oil of His presence and do not squander it. With His anointing the impossible becomes possible for every believer. Keith Miller
How To Hear God
Many christians struggle with the issue of hearing the voice of God. Some have been wrongly taught that God doesn’t speak to us. Others believe that He does speak to us but still seem unable to hear.Whole books have been written on the topic whether it is framed in terms of “Hearing God” or “Guidance” (The latter term is often used by christians who don’t believe that God speaks to His people but still want to know how to discern the will of God.)
In the 1980’s I came across this little book and it revolutionised my spiritual walk. Mark Virkler simplifies the whole business of hearing God’s voice to a few easy steps and an important concept.
The concept is this: God speaks to us in the flow of our thoughts more often than through an audible voice.
The steps to hearing God are simple
- Still your mind. When our brains are racing away with our own thoughts it is very hard to hear what God might want to say to us. Some people like to use the “Jesus Prayer” to help this process.Settle your breathing into a regular rhythm. As you breathe in say slowly “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God” and as you breathe out say “Have mercy on me, a sinner.”
- Ask God a question. “What do you want to say to me?””What should I do about …?”
- Listen to the thoughts that go through your mind in response to the question. Write them down in a notebook or journal- this process of writing your thoughts is vital, because often we start to analyse what is being revealed, but that breaks the flow.
- When you finish, look back over what you have written and check if it agrees with Scripture, with the things happening in your life, with other things the Lord has shown you, and so on.
This is a wonderful method to help us hear God’s voice. Like many things in life, it may seem difficult at first but with practice the process of discerning God’s voice becomes more fluent.
The Guy Who Decides Cycling
The Question That May Not Be Answered
It seems that nobody knows what a woman is any more.Despite calls for “equality” and respect for women, nobody can tell us what a woman is- not a US Supreme Court judge, not political leaders, not even the Australian Department of Health.
Remember when we were promised that the redefinition of marriage was not a slippery slope, the thin end of a woke wedge? Well here we are in 2022 in a crazy world where people dare not answer the queston, “What is a woman?”
From the Canberra Declaration
Senator Alex Antic Asked ‘What is a Woman?’ and the Department of Health Couldn’t Answer
With one simple question, Senator Alex Antic this week revealed just how real the ‘slippery slope’ is. Five years ago we undefined marriage. Now Australia’s top medical minds can’t define a woman.
Can Australia’s Department of Health define what a woman is? This was the burning question that Liberal Senator for South Australia Alex Antic took to Senate estimates in Canberra this week.
The response given by the department’s head revealed just how far Australia has drifted from reality since the undefinition of marriage took place in 2017.
“I can’t seem to get a bureaucrat in this building to define what is a woman,” Senator Antic explained to his followers on social media soon after the exchange. “Today, I took it right to the top, straight to the Department of Health, and [received] one of the most extraordinary responses I’ve seen to date.”
Defining a Woman: ’Pretty Basic Stuff’
In a short one-minute video that has had over 150,000 views on Twitter since Wednesday, Senator Antic asks a panel of five of Australia’s top medical experts:
I’m going to finish up … with a very simple question for the department, and that is one which has troubled me for a great deal of time with the bureaucracy here. Can someone please provide me with a definition of what a woman is?
After a period of silence and blank stares, Antic probes further. “Department of Health,” he says incredulously. “Definition of a man. Definition of a woman. Anyone?”
“It’s pretty basic,” someone off camera can be heard saying. “Basic stuff,” Antic adds.
Professor Brendan Murphy, the Secretary of the Department of Health, begins moving uncomfortably in his chair, realising that he is the most senior figure in the room.
“There, look, I think there are a variety of definitions, and I think… Perhaps to give a more fulsome answer we should take that on notice,” he tells the Senator.
Antic is taken aback, asking, “You’re going to take on notice the question of what a woman is?”
“No, well there are a variety of… it’s a very, it’s a very, ah… it’s a very contested space at the moment Senator,” Professor Murphy continues. “There are definitions in terms of how people identify themselves so we’re happy to provide our working definition on that.”
Antic’s response couldn’t have been more appropriate. “I’ve only been here two years,” he remarks. “That’s the best thing I’ve seen thus far. Thank you so much.”
The Slippery Slope is Real
For thousands of years and until very recently, it was universally understood that a woman is an adult human female. The definition of “female” was also set in stone: the sex that can give birth to young or produce eggs.
These definitions were present across cultures, but in the West they were grounded in Scripture. The Bible sheds immense light on the dignity, value and calling of men and women. The foundational text is Genesis 1:27, which declares, “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
Bible-believing Christians and other conservatives warned that by introducing same-sex “marriage”, Western nations would de-gender marriage and lay the groundwork for the abolition of gender altogether.
Within just years, this “slippery slope argument”, once mocked by progressives, turns out to have been entirely accurate. Gender is now widely seen as a mere social construct, not grounded in objectivity.
Unmoored from a biblical understanding of reality, the West is losing its moral and intellectual compass.
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Reflection on Philippians 2:5-11
Scripture
Instead he gave up his divine privileges;
He took the humble position of a slave and was born a human being.
Reflection
When I became flesh it was with a purpose in view. There is nothing remarkable in this; men and women give up the privileges of being in the comfort of home for the purpose of defending their nation.
The highest form of this self giving is when a missionary serves me by leaving all that is familiar to take the gospel to a foreign land.
My heart is blessed whenever anyone gives of themselves for my sake. It is in doing this that you take on my attitude.
At the heart of this is absolute surrender to me. I desire that you learn to trust me in all things.
For my Son the pain was horrendous, the spiritual agony and abandonment of the Cross almost infinite. But the payoff in honour was also commensurate.
Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Every human being, every spirit being, every part of creation will give worship and praise to my Son.
Surrender and submission bring honour in my Kingdom.
Even in battle, when it feels like the pressure is intense, that every demon in creation is focused on you, stand firm. Trust me and know this: those same evil beings that torment you today will eventually praise me because of your steadfastness.
Prayer
Thank you Lord for this revelation. As I surrender myself to you, you will force even the enemy to honour me, and to worship you because of me. Please help me to stand firm in you in all things. Amen.
