“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Friday morning I started a conversation with you about two important things that we’ve got to understand in what Jesus says here. The first thing is that we are going to be judged someday and so need to be living like it now. Read the rest…
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
There are two ideas in Jesus’ words here that are absolutely essential to understand if we are going to do life well during our time on earth. The first reminds us that how we live now matters. The second reminds us of our desperate need for grace. We’ll tackle one this morning, and one on Monday morning. Read the rest…
“But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
This has always seemed like such an odd punishment to me. What would this have been like? Was it instant? Did she gradually start to transform from the feet up or the head down? Is there any kind of a natural explanation for this or was it entirely miraculous? Was Lot aware of it at first? Or, did he go on for some distance before realizing he couldn’t hear her trying to keep up any longer? If only they had smart phones back then! We could have gotten the whole thing on video. Imagine how many hits that would have received as a YouTube post… Read the rest…
“The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
This is the real key of this chapter and, really, one of the main themes of the entire record. There appear to be two goals of the various acts of cataclysmic judgments described in Revelation. One goal is the punishment of sin. God has been patient long enough and now it is time for judgment. It is time to let people see and experience the full weight of their sin. Just like with the nation of Israel in the days leading up to and during the conquest of Jerusalem and the exile, the time for the whole world has come up and sin is finally being judged on a large scale. Read the rest…
“So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
This is the second time now Ezekiel has been given this message. The first was in the context of a series of warnings to the people of Israel. This time it comes on the heels of a series of warning to the nations. He was called to warn the people about God’s impending judgment. If the people didn’t listen, they were going to be judged and the fault would be entirely their own. If they listened, they would be saved and Ezekiel was to thank. If, however, he didn’t warn and they received the judgment coming, their doom would rest on his head since he didn’t warn them as he was told. This is powerful stuff. What does it mean for us? Read the rest…
The Nexus 