Sermon Snippets

This article is an incredibly well-written piece on ISIS that will be fascinating to those who are into world politics. 

It is doubly intriguing to me as a Christian pastor who is preaching through Revelation. 

It will probably take you 30-45 minutes but it is worth your time. I cannot comment on its entirety, but I would like to offer one insight as it relates to end times and the book of Revelation.

My insight is this: Koran-based Islam and Biblical Christianity have polar opposite perspectives on the end times. Yes, both share visions of victory for their faithful constituents. Yes, both involve the city of Jerusalem and Jesus. 

But this branch of Islam is unmistakable in its belief that their victory will come through the military triumph of its people.

Biblical Christianity's view, though delivered in the opaque language of the apocalyptic, boldly asserts that God's vindication will come through the suffering and martyrdom of His people. 

Yes, Revelation 19 describes a military conquest of God. But that's a one-man show. 

Try studying what comes before that (more-or-less) in Revelation 6, and then Revelation 7, and then skip ahead to Revelation 11. What do they all have in common? 

You can strip away all the various eschatological systems we've come up with - Pre-mill/A-Mill, Pre-trib rapture/Post-trib rapture - and still plain as day, those passages describe followers of Christ suffering and dying for their faith and God responding with overwhelming justice to vindicate them.

This stark contrast really stood out to me this evening, maybe because I never fully understood Islam's theology. I can't say for sure we're living in the last days...but we're getting closer and I can't help but sit back and marvel at God's providential hand and be inspired to share the message of sacrifice leading to victory that is perfectly described in Revelation and with the Cross.

Music Mondays

Often, my selections for Music Mondays are songs I enjoy and find entertaining. 

This week I cannot do so. 

Yesterday, I preached on Revelation 6-7 which contains shocking descriptions of the persecution of believers in the end times. The fifth seal in 6:9-11 is a picture of those who are/were/will be slain for their commitment to Christ. They ask God "how long?" until he avenges their deaths and he responds by honoring them and telling them to wait "until the number of their fellow servants who were to be killed as they had been was completed."

It is astonishing and humbling, but also hard to swallow - that God's plan would involve his saints being killed for their faith. But that's how it works. His terrifying and overwhelming judgment will only be a fair judgment if the depravity of humanity has reached a certain point (see 6:1-8).

And while these martyrs have their lives taken from them, they are abundantly repaid with honor and peace and their ultimate salvation (6:11, 7:1-17).

I preached on that complex and awe-inspiring passage, and then came home to read of this:

ISIL left no doubt why they were killed, announcing this was "A Message signed with blood to the nation of the cross".  As Hebrews 11:38 says, "the world was not worthy of them".

In honor of them, I present this Music Monday selection - may all followers of Jesus embrace a greater commitment to Him:

 

Music Mondays

A couple years ago, my wife and I visited "Hitsville U.S.A." the house-turned-recording studio-turned-museum that celebrates the Motown Records legacy of the 50's and 60's.

It was a sentimental trip for me because I remember by Dad, a native Michagander with musical gifts of his own, really liking those classic Detroit hits of that era. From "Please Mister Postman" to "Shop Around" to "Where Did Our Love Go", the hit songs were numerous as the number of groups and artists who sang them.


It was those songs and that era that immediately came to mind when I heard Ed Sheerhan's latest hit:

What a great, pure, and soulful love song.

This one's in memory of you dad, and dedicated to you Stephanie, by loving and beautiful wife.