One Should Not Pay Too Much Attention to Dreams

"This is where dreams come from. Man's spirit can't rest, for Satan is there even when a man is asleep, though angels are also present. The devil can so frighten me that sweat pours from me in my sleep.

"I don't pay attention to either dreams or signs. I have the Word, and that I let suffice. I don't want an angel to come to me, I wouldn't believe him now anyway, although the time may come when I would desire it in special circumstances. I don't say that dreams and signs are of value at other times, nor do I care, for we already have everything we should have in the Scriptures. Troubled dreams are of the devil, because everything that serves death and terror and murder and lies is the devil's handiwork.

"Satan has often distracted me from prayer and has put such thoughts into my head that I ran away from it. The most severe bouts I have had with him I had when I was in bed at my Katy's side."

Martin Luther

Table Talk (Spring, 1533)

Luther's Works, Vol. 54: 90

Signs of the Times (7)

In the last forum article on the signs of Christ’s coming, we discussed part of the signs Jesus mentions in Matthew 24:6-8.  These verses speak of different kinds of signs and we discussed “wars and rumors of wars” last time.  In this article we must discuss “famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places.”

 

I want to make a few remarks before we get into these signs in particular.

 

The first thing that needs mentioning is that all the signs of Christ’s coming that are mentioned and discussed in Matthew 24, the book of Revelation and II Thessalonians 2 can be divided into three different categories.  These three categories are:

1.     Signs in history.  These include the wars and rumors of wars I wrote about last time; the rise and activity of God & Magog, and the development and final manifestation of the Antichrist.

2.     Signs in the church.  Signs in the church include the rise of false prophets (Matt. 24:5, 11:23-25), apostasy, persecution, and the rise of Antichrist, for he will be the great false prophet.

3.     Signs in the creation.  Jesus mentions only the ones I will discuss in this (and, perhaps, a following article), but the book of Revelation discusses many more.

 

The second point that needs emphasis before anything else is Jesus’ rather strange expression in verse 8: “All these are the beginning of sorrows.”  And the last part of verse 6: “All these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”  The emphasis in this expression is on the word “must;” And these things must come to pass.  So, let’s take a look at these expressions first of all.

 

The first and important statement is: “All these things are the beginning of sorrows.”  All the significance of this expression lies in the translation of the word “sorrows.”  Actually, a more literal translation would be “birth pains” – the pains a mother experiences when she is giving birth to a baby.  And that is how we must look at Jesus’ meaning here.

 

Jesus uses a powerful figure to describe famines pestilences and earthquakes – all signs that take place in the creation.  The figure is this.  The new creation that is ours when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again is like a baby that is born out of the womb of the old creation.  The new creation is “ín” the old creation from the very beginning of God’s work.  And that new creation was put there in the old creation by God when He created the heavens and the earth.

 

We must be careful that we have a correct idea of creation.  The teaching of Scripture is not that God chose to glorify Himself through the creation of Paradise I, with Adam at its head, then only to see His plan frustrated by Adam’s sin.  God did not watch from heaven the temptation of Adam wondering what Adam would do while wringing His hands as He watched first Eve and then Adam succumb to Satan’s temptation.  God did not have to fall back on Plan B because Adam had made plan A impossible, so that God decided that because Plan A was a failure, He would now have to send Christ to rescue a bad and unexpected situation.

 

God created the first creation with His purpose in mind to glorify Himself through Christ and the work of salvation in Christ.  God determined the fall of Adam and Eve so that room could be made for Christ.  Adam is only the figure of Christ (Romans 5:14-16).

 

The proof of this is abundant.  Man was created with an immune system before he needed it because of the fall.  Carnivorous animals were created with a digestive system to digest whole meat before there was death in the creation: what one poet called, “Nature red in tooth and claw.”  The first Paradise was created to pre-figure the temple: the garden of Eden = the Outer Court; Paradise = the Holy Place; the tree of life = the Most Holy Place, for it was at the tree of life that God and Adam had fellowship with each other.  And the temple, in turn, was a picture of Christ’s body (John 2).

 

More proof is that Christ was the one though Whom creation took place (Prov. 8:22-31, John 1:1-4, Heb. 1:2, Col. 1:16, 17).  This is the reason why Christ is present in the creation in many signs: Christ is the lion of Judah’s tribe, the rose of Sharon, the bright and morning star, the lily of the valley and the sun of righteousness that arises with healing in His wings.

 

More proof is found in Romans 8:20-23 where the creation itself is pictured and longing in hope for our salvation, for the creation knows that when we are saved, it shall be saved too.

 

And so, in Mathew 24 Jesus pictures the creation as pregnant with the new creation that God will give to us.  All the calamities and catastrophes that take place in the creation are the pains that are necessary for the creation to be delivered from the new creation that shall be born from it.

 

And so Jesus tells us that “these things must come to pass.”  They must come to pass first of all, for they are the fulfillment of God’s own eternal decree to glorify Himself through Christ Who rules over the whole creation from His throne in heaven. These things are the “must” of God’s own counsel.

 

They must come to pass because the new creation is inside this old one.  That means that this present creation will be destroyed.  It will not be destroyed in the sense that it will be annihilated; it will be destroyed in the sense that it will be burned with fire so that it can “get out of the way” of the new creation that will emerge from it.  There are creatures like this in God’s creation.  There are butterflies that die immediately after laying the eggs that will produce new butterflies – creatures whose only purpose it is to bring forth new creatures, and who then die to make room for the new ones.  God will make a new heavens and a new earth out of the ashes of this old creation, for the old creation is not needed any more when the new creation is “born” from it.

 

There is a remarkable difference between pain and birth pains.  If we suffer pain, it is because something is wrong in our bodies, and we hurry to the doctor.  Pain is a signal that our bodies are not functioning normally and that we need a cure, if possible.  But birth pains are a signal that all is well, that things are proceeding as they ought, that a mother is healthy.  It would be very wrong and something would be dreadfully bad if nine months came and went and the mother had no pains.  So it is with these signs of which Jesus speaks.  When catastrophes and calamities take place in the old creation, then we say, “All is well. Everything is happening according to schedule. The creation in which we now live is doing that for which God created it.”

 

No wonder that Jesus says, “See that ye be not troubled.”  Do not be troubled when tsunamis destroy thousands!  Do not be troubled when tornados wreck whole towns.  Do not be troubled when earthquakes destroy buildings, homes, businesses and hundreds of people.  All is well.  Things are taking place that “must” happen.  God is in heaven and all’s well in the world!  Christ is coming back!  The new heavens and the new earth will soon be our everlasting possession.

 

With warm regards,

Prof. Hanko

Letter to a Young Man in Waiting

DEAR SON,

I'd like to have a brief talk with you about your dating life. I know-- you haven't started dating yet. But I know that you want to, so now is probably the best time for us to have this discussion. Before we start, you should know that I think it is okay that you are not dating right now-- I don't want you to get the impression that you have to be dating at this stage in your life. Yet, you want to enjoy marriage someday, and dating is obviously the first step in that direction.

From talks that we've had before, I know that you would like to have your own family "when you get older." Scripture says that this is a good goal for you to have (Genesis 2:24, Proverbs 18:22, Psalm 127:3). As you know, this is a very serious goal-- one that has to be approached in the right way (2 Corinthians 6:14). So, I hope that you are putting some real thought into approaching this in the right way. A lot of people your age have a difficult time knowing when to start seriously thinking about and pursuing this type of goal. Maybe you feel that you are not old enough to begin planning and preparing for something like marriage, which seems like it will take place far into the future.

There are a couple of things that we can say here. First, hopefully you understand that you have already been preparing for marriage for many years. Yes, really, you have. You have heard many sermons about marriage relationships (such as how the Lord provided a wife for Isaac in Genesis 24, or how Ephesians 5 describes marriage as a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church), you have been instructed about important principles of marriage during your catechism training (for instance, the applications associated with Lord's Day 41), and during your personal worship you have been praying that god will lead you in your life according to His will. Now it is time for you to begin using the knowledge and wisdom that you have gained from these past experiences to begin pursuing your goal of marriage.

Second, you have already made confession of faith, and by that you have proclaimed before god and men that you understand and subscribe to the Reformed faith. By our public confession you have shown that, by God's grace, you possess a certain level of maturity. That's right-- your public confession of faith is evidence that you are mature enough to understand important aspects of life like dating. That is why we did not let you date before your confession of faith. I know-- many of your friends have been dating for years before they made their confession of faith, and some of them still haven't stood up to confess Christ and the Reformed faith. And yes, I understand how you think this has put you at a disadvantage in your dating life. While some of your peers have been dating for years and have become really comfortable with the dating process, you had to sit on the sidelines. Now you feel that you are jumping into the dating arena late, after many others have gained lots of dating experience. But I still do believe that until you had both the understanding and maturity publicly to confess Christ and the Reformed faith, that you did not have the proper understanding and maturity to date seriously. The purpose of dating is to find a spouse. The relationship between spouses is one that reflects the relationship of Christ and the church. How could we let you participate in a dating relationship if you were not yet mature enough to confess publicly that you understood and believed what the ultimate purpose of dating of? You are now a young man who has confessed Christ. Now it is time for you to be a man in your understanding of dating. Put away the childish idea that dating is something you do in high school for fun. Use your Christian maturity along with the wisdom and knowledge you have gained about marriage to guide you as you think about dating-- put your faith into practice in this respect!

So, what are some of the ways that you can put your faith into practice as you look towards dating? I know we already said that you have a certain level of maturity, but let's talk about that a little bit more. There is at least one way you should be looking to gain additional maturity. Don't ever pause in your own personal devotional and worship life. As a man, you know that you will be required to lead in the worship life of your marriage as you pray and study the Holy Scriptures together. Because this is such an important aspect of marriage, you should definitely be praying and searching God's word with the young woman that you date. So, you need to prepare yourself for this role now, before you start dating. Search the Scriptures now with an eye towards those passages that you think would be good to study during your dating life. For example, you can study the book of James for practical advice on living a sanctified life with the young woman that you date, or as your relationship matures you can study the many Scriptural passages that give direct advice on marriage itself. Pray for wisdom and confidence in this respect-- it is a great responsibility and one that is necessary for a healthy dating relationship.

Let;s move on to another way that you can put your faith into practice in your future dating life. As we've said a couple of times already: you have a godly desire to have a marriage and family of your own. This means that, at some point, you are going to have to approach a young woman and discuss this with her! This will take a certain amount of confidence on your part. So, you need to be confident in they type of young woman that you want to date. Obviously, you want to date a young woman, who, like you, has made it clear that she loves the Lord and is committed to the same faith as you are. You've heard this said many times before, so I won't dwell on it other than to say that this is actually pretty important. You really do need to find a young woman who is both not afraid to demonstrate her love of God and who has united herself with the same Reformed faith as you have. The young woman that exhibits these characteristics is likely mature enough to date and is likely spiritually compatible with you. Remember, when you begin to date, you are not just out to have a good time; you are instead out to enjoy a relationship with someone and at the same time find out if they are compatible with you for marriage. This means that you should look to date a young woman you have a certain level of confidence regarding what type of wife and mother she would be. Make sure you evaluate these things as you consider young women that you might consider dating. Finding this type of relationship will make the dating experience extremely enjoyable! Having said all of this, having confidence in the type of girl you want to date isn't necessarily going to take away all of the anxiety associated with asking a girl out. If you are like me, there is really no way to completely get around that anxiety. But remember, the Holy Spirit speaks many times in the Scriptures about anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Peter 5:6-8, Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 55:22). Go to your heavenly Father in prayer and cast your anxieties about approaching a girl on Him. You will find help through searching the Scriptures and in prayer-- even for nervousness about dating!

Please know that your mother and I are praying for you in this respect. We pray that you will remember those things that you have been taught about marriage as you look ahead towards dating. We pray that you will have the confidence necessary to find and approach a godly young woman. We pray that you will find much enjoyment in your future dating life. And we also pray that you will come to us and ask us for advice if and when you need it.

-DAD

Nathan Lanning

Beacon Lights, July 2014, Volume LXXIII Number 7, pp. 7-9

www.beaconlights.org 

*Nathan Lanning is a member if Trinity Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Michigan.    

Signs of the Times (6)

In my last forum article, I talked about the signs of Christ’s coming which are mentioned in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 24, in the last part of verse 7.  The signs mentioned here are all signs of Christ’s coming found in the creation.  You remember that the signs of Christ’s coming can be divided into three groups: signs in the church, signs in creation, and signs in the history of the world.

 

Jesus does not mention many signs in the creation, but speaks only of famines, pestilences and earthquakes, which Jesus calls “the beginning of sorrows.”  In our world today, all three of them are frequent.  I read only recently that every year there are over 200 earthquakes in the world.  Not all of them – not even most of them – are destructive.  But a number of them are so destructive that the results are still with us.  Think only of the earthquake in the waters off Japan’s coast that created a tsunami that, in turn, destroyed a nuclear electric-generating plant.  The Japanese are still battling radioactive water and ground.  Hundreds are killed every year, and sometimes thousands, by earthquakes  in China, South America and other parts of the world.

 

Included in such earthquakes are volcanic eruptions, tsunami waves, mudslides, fires, destroyed villages and ruined lives.  And famine and pestilences are endemic in many places.  The vast gulf between the prosperous nations (United States, Europe, Singapore) and other countries (Philippines, Africa’s countries, Myanmar, India with its starving hordes) is growing wider every year in spite of men’s best efforts to raise the economic level of the poor.

 

It is good to remind ourselves that Christ, from His throne in heaven, causes these things to happen.  They do not come about by global warming, the movement of tectonic plates deep in the earth, the exploding hot interior of our planet, etc. – although Christ may surely use these means; but they come about because Christ brings fiery lava from the heart of the earth and God says, “Behold, a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth and all nations” (Haggai 2:6, 20).  And Christ does all these things because this old world must be destroyed to make room for the new heavens and the new earth.

 

We can hide these things from our consciousness so easily: “It rained so hard in New England that there was a terrible flood;” “China had an earthquake in a northern province that killed over 1500 people;” “A hurricane swept up into Louisiana that destroyed over half of New Orleans.”  Yes, I suppose that this is all true, but we ought to be saying to one another: “Christ sent such heavy rains upon New England that He used these rains to bring destructive floods.”  “Christ sent a strong earthquake to northern China that destroyed whole villages.”  “Christ formed a hurricane in the Atlantic that He guided through the Gulf of Mexico and by which He destroyed a large part of the wicked city of New Orleans.”  And we ought to add, “Our Lord is coming in judgment on a wicked world and in salvation of His beloved church.  Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.”  That’s what we ought to be saying – to ourselves and to one another.

 

It is easy to block out of our minds the coming of our Lord by using natural law, natural events and simply giving these laws a certain power of their own: “It is raining --.”  “It” is raining?  What is “It?”  Is that some mysterious and unidentifiable something out there that does terrible things?  I do not know who or what “It” is.  But you and I know Christ, exalted on high at God’s right hand, Who holds the universe in His hands and does with it what He pleases.”  You and I know Christ, Who is our Savior and Redeemer and Who is coming again.  And Who takes with Him fierce judgments upon a wicked world (that start now already) to destroy it; but Who comes with salvation to His own for whom He shed his blood.

 

Thy church rejoices to behold

Thy judgments in the earth, O Lord . . .

[Psalter Number 260.]

 

Jesus says, “These things must come to pass.”  They “must” come to pass because they are ‘the beginning of sorrows.”  The beginning of sorrows is, more literally in the Greek, “the beginning of birth pangs.”  A mother has pain when she brings forth a new child.  The earth has birth pangs, for it is about to bring forth a new creation.  The earthquakes and pestilences are the birth pains.  Presently the old earth will bring forth the new earth, and the old heavens, when they are rolled back like a scroll, will bring forth a new heavens.

 

Pains that accompany cancer are pains that are the result of disease and death.  They are pains of the hopelessness and vanity of life.  But birth pains when they come on a mother, bring joy and hope.  A new baby is about to be born.  The pains mean that all is well; that things are moving along as they should; that soon the hurt of the pains will be forgotten in the joy of a new baby.

 

Are there earthquakes, tornados, typhoons, volcanic eruptions?  Don’t be afraid.  All is well in God’s world!  Things are moving along just as God wants them to move along.  The pains of destructive forces are good news, for Christ is coming again!

 

Let us pray earnestly, “Come, Lord Jesus; yea, come quickly.  Come quickly even though it means that we must first endure the “beginning of sorrows.”  Come to save thy people!

 

With warmest regards,

Prof. Hanko.

Got Music?

Do, re, me, fa, so , la, ti, do. Do those words mean anything to you? You may recognize these as the words that designate the eight tones of a musical scale. Are you someone who knows how to play the piano or some other musical instrument? Many of you have had the opportunity to take music lessons when you were young, and thankfully, nearly all of you have sung in classrooms, school programs, and choirs through your years in school. You also sing every week in church as part of your worship.

Music is a beautiful gift from God, created by Him and given to you to be a part of your life. With its stirring melodies and inspiring words, music is often powerful and moving, helping to build strong connections to other believers, while strengthening the faith of those who use it to express their love for their God. For as a young person, music is a unique way to give expression to your growing and maturing faith as you more and more experience the fellowship known only by those who walk close to Him as one of His own.

In the Old Testament church, some of the Levites were appointed to be professional singers, and they were "employed in that work day and night." 1 Chron. 9:33). These men were trained and instructed as singers "for song in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, psalteries (a type of stringed instrument- JS), and harps, for the service of the house of the Lord" (1 Chron. 25:6). They were also appointed unto the Lord, that they "should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army" (2 Chron. 20:21). It is worthwhile to note that these musicians were both skilled and valued, as musicians should also be today. Music is not an accessory to life, but a beautiful necessity, and the Bible is full of exhortations to praise our God both with our voices and on instruments. Google the word praise, for example, in any Bible application, and a myriad of passages from both the Old and New Testaments will come up. 

God created music with its own unique set of rules, and anyone who has taken any music theory soon realizes that our God has made the whole world of music to reflect His grace and beauty. It also becomes clear that God is God of order, as is seen in the progression of chords and harmonies. But you may not have had the opportunity to plunge into the depths of music by studying music theory. So how can you continue to use your musical abilities once you have left the classrooms, bands, and choirs of your schools?

Exposure to different kinds of music teaches you what good music can sound like. By listening to well-crafted music you quickly learn what kind of music produces a pleasing sound and what is grating and obnoxious. You then learn to recognize proper tone and balance, emotion and expression, and you also realize singing or playing louder is not always better; that a loud, chesty, abrasive voice is not nearly as pleasing as a clear, pure, head voice with well formed vowels. You also develop an ear for pleasing instrumental combinations and appealing arrangements. Wherever you live, there are opportunities to attend concerts and programs given by churches, community organizations, musical groups, bands, choirs, and symphonies. Take advantage of these and expand your musical background. You can also consider participating in some of these yourself. You will have to use discretion, since sometimes the secular used is not suitable for Christians, but do not deny yourself the opportunity to learn from other people's styles, approaches, methods, and goals. Then take what you have learned from that experience, evaluate it and see if there are ways to do something different and better, and bring improvement to your own musical opportunities. You can also take lessons to learn better technique and performance etiquette in order to enhance your singing and playing skills. As young adults, continue to grow and learn and improve.

Where can you use your musical abilities? The opportunities are as boundless as your willingness and your courage. Do you know how to play the piano? Consider learning to play the organ. Our churches always need good organists to lead the congregations in singing. Instead of surfing the web, why not haul our your old saxophone or flute and play for a little while? Instead of getting together with your friends in front of the television, why not gather some of your friends and play your instruments together? Do you know anyone who plays a guitar? Sing together. Learn some fun songs or some rounds. Try singing the harmonies of some Psalter numbers or hymns. How about going to a retirement home or a nursing home to play the piano? You don't have to be amazing to entertain some old folks and brighten their day for a little while. Maybe you can join your church choir, or if your church doesn't have a choir, see if you can possibly start one. You don't begin as a performing professional, but singing or playing an instrument is a skill, so focus on challenging yourself in rehearsal an performance to improve your musical skills, and bring glory to God by doing your best work. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might" (Eccles. 9:10). When you do spend time singing, whether in church, or in your car, or even in the shower, work on good singing techniques. When you play your instrument, whether the piano of something else, work to maintain and improve your skill level for both the Lord's sake and for your own personal growth.

Someday we will be in heaven singing and playing music perfectly. When you are able to taste even a little bit of that while you are on this earth, you will be blessed with a small glimpse of what lies ahead. While you are still here, remember the words of Psalm 150:6, "Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." Work, continue to grow, and press on.

Joy Schwarz

Beacon Lights, May 2014, Volume LXXIII Number 5, pp. 22-23

www.beaconlights.org 

*Joy is a mother and a member of Loveland Protestant Reformed Church in Loveland, Colorado. 

 

Signs of the Times (5)

I think I will quote the passage that contains the sign we are going to discuss in this article.  It is found in Matthew 24:6 (the first part) and verse 7 (the first part): “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars . . . For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”  So this sign has to do with wars as a sign of Christ’s coming.

 

Wars have always been a part of this world’s history, ever since the tower of Babel.  Some are very local, as the present war going on in Syria, and some wars have involved almost the whole known world.  But they have always been a part of history.

 

Wars that involved the entire known world were the great world wars of the Old Testament times.  These wars involved the world powers of Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.  It is striking that these nations that ruled over the whole world were all part of the development of the Antichristian kingdom yet to come.  This is taught us in Scripture in Daniel 2 where Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the image is explained; and these nations are referred to once again in Revelation 17:10-11.

 

The seven kings in this passage are: the kingdoms of Babel (with Nimrod as king), Assyria (which took God’s people captive), Babylon (with Nebuchadnezzar as king), the Medo-Persian kingdom (with Darius, Cyrus and Artaxerxes as kings), and Greece (with Alexander the Great as king).  They are the five that Revelation said were “fallen.”  The one that is refers to the Roman Empire (with the Caesars as rulers) that existed during the time Revelation was written.  And the one that is yet to come is the antichristian kingdom that shall be established at the end of the world.

 

World Wars I and II were called “world” wars because almost all nations were involved.  But there are literally hundreds of local wars that dot the pages of history.  The Bible itself speaks of many of them.  Interestingly, while writing this article I read that there were 48 local wars going on in the world at present.  So, as the Lord said, wars increase in frequency and in intensity.  This shall continue until Antichrist himself puts an end to wars and establishes a world-wide kingdom of peace and prosperity.  This time of peace will be temporary as the world shall end with another war, the great Battle of Armageddon.

 

Why and how are wars and reports (rumors) of wars signs of Christ’s coming?  To understand that, we must remember that wars began with the confusion of languages at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9).  Nimrod wanted to establish the very first antichristian kingdom that would include all the population of the earth.  He wanted to do this by building the tower of Babel that would reach to heaven.

 

Nimrod did indeed build the tower of Babel, but God created the races at Babel and divided the people into nations by confusing their speech so that each talked a different language.  There could be no unity.  For it was the beginning of a series of kingdoms that would culminate in the kingdom of Antichrist, which could not, according to God’s purpose, come before its appointed time.

 

But the dream of a universal kingdom did not die; only, now each nation wants to be the head of all the nations in what George H. W. Bush (former president of the United States) called “a new world order.”  And so the nations make war with each other in their efforts to be the head of this new world order.  The interesting part of it is that the pope has emphatically made clear that he ought to be the one to head this new world order.

 

They all, in other words, strive to be Antichrist; and so they all are part of the development of the Antichristian kingdom.  In this way, wars and rumors of wars are signs of Christ’s coming. But God is sovereign and Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings.

 

God’s purpose in history is to gather His church.  And if the antichristian kingdom would have been established at Babel or at any other time when one nation ruled, the church would have been destroyed.  In every instance that one nation ruled, the church was persecuted.  Think only of how the Roman Empire persecuted the church!

 

Since the Roman Empire fell by the force of the barbarian tribes that swept Europe there has been no world-wide kingdom.  Hitler tried it, with the aid of Japan, but it didn’t work.  During the period of time since the fall of the Roman Empire till today, there has been no one kingdom ruling over all, because the catholic church was being gathered by God – the church from every nation and tribe and tongue.  The premature realization of the antichristian kingdom would have made that impossible.

 

And so, Jesus says, kingdom shall rise up against kingdom and nation against nation, but the end is not yet.  These are only the beginning of sorrows.  More must come!

 

Yet, for a short time just before the end total peace will come.  It might come through the United Nations; it might come some other way; but it will come when God wills it.  It will come in the kingdom of Antichrist, for his kingdom will be a kingdom of peace and prosperity such as the world has never seen.  But it will be broken up and destroyed by the one great and final war, the battle of Armageddon.  But by that time, God will have finished gathering His church with the saving of the last elect.

 

With warm regards,

Prof. Hanko

Of the Sabbath and Lord's Day

THERE now remains but one thing more to be added to what has been said concerning daily meditation, namely, the meditation relating to that eminent day of God, first the seventh day of the week, now in the New Testament times changed to, and called the first day of the week, and the Lord's Day.

1. As to rise,nature, ends and advantages of the Sabbath in the Old Testament, and the Lord's Day in the New, it is the best day ever the world saw, or shall be seen on this side heaven.

2. It was and is that day wherein the infinite glories and excellences of a God have shined brighter and warmer on the spirits of men than in any other day beside- namely, His infinite wisdom, power, love, goodness, mercy, and riches of free grace.

3. The Sabbath, as some judge, hat its rise so early as in Paradise, or when man was in state of innocence: it must then be of very great antiquity, and a rarity of great worth. And,

4. Then it must be that only holy day which man in state of innocenc had- possibly , if he had stood, should ever have had afterward. 

5. After the first institution it had the most glorious and tremendous promulgation and sanction, such a delivery and ratification, as no other law (except those that were spoken at the same time) ever had, namely, by God's so wonderful and most astonishing appearance on Mount Sinai, in the sight of six hundred thousand persons. There it was one of the then words spoken by God's own mouth, by God first spoken in the ears of all that so prepared and awakened numerous multitude, and after in the mount was written with the finger of God, written on the first table of stone, before the six commandments of the second table. This commandment thus written was with the others reserved in the golden ark or chest, made purposely by Moses from God's command to keep the tables, and then by God's appointment was to be preserved in the glorious tabernacle made by Moses, and there it was to be with highest honor preferred to be kept in the holy of holies.

6. Though some yield it not, yet a vast majority judge the Sabbath had its change from the seventh to the first day of the week by the Lord of the Sabbath, Christ Himself, or at least by His apostles from His authority.

7. However it be changed, yet it is looked upon as grounded on that so amazing part of our redemption, Christ's glorious resurrection on the third day after His passion.

8. The Sabbath formerly was the Old Testament church's fixed time to behold as in a mirror the glory of God the Creator, His eternal Godhead, power, wisdom, goodness, and most glorious excellences, in the so admirable frame of heaven and earth, and the so various and curious pieces in it, all most exquisitely wrought and finished. It was the peculiar time for setting up the ladder of the creatures by contemplation to climb from earth to heaven with. But now changed into the first day of the week, it is the Christian church's time for beholding, as in a mirror, the glory more peculiarly of God the Redeemer- now not in humiliation, but in His appearing and begun exaltation in the His glorious resurrection from the dead, that His concerned people might joy with highest an most heavenly rejoicing, for this rising of the Sun of righteousness, to be under the warmest and most vivifying beams of His infinite love.

9. Let me meditate of this day, as the time afforded for largest spiritual advantages, no day being so eminent for me and my soul as this day.

10. Let me meditate of this day as that happy season wherein the ordinances of Christ do run in fuller, higher, and stronger current. More is offered me on this great soul-mart day than on other common market-days, other weekday opportunities; it is the day whereby in some respects I have far better ordinances, the public; in communion with Christ, in the midst, among those that are gathered together in His name. And then by public I have better advantages for the private, to perform them better. Private duties having a better time and better helps, I must thereby be minded of my better performance.

11. It is the eminent day of meeting with God in His upper walks of more solemn ordinances.

12. The day of days for our best speaking with our God, and of highest familiarity with Him.

13. It is the great time of our hearing from God, and having Him most eminently speak to us. There are no hearings from God like this day's hearings, no such voice, no such efficacy can be expected as on this day.

14. It is the day wherein God sits out, and is most to be seen- the great day of seeing God's goings in the sanctuary, seeing His power and His glory, Psalm 63:2. No such day for this as the Lord's own day.

15. A day of feeding more on the "feast of fat things full of marrow," Isaiah 25:6. Of being brought into the King's banqueting-house, having the banner of Christ's love spread more amply over us than at other times, it being the day wherein the highest flamings-up of His unspeakable love appeared, in that He not only died, but rose again from the dead, without which all His other labor and sufferings had been lost, and our souls been lost also.

16. It is a day dropped down from heaven, may serve to give a taste of the Sabbath and day kept there, and to set a copy for us here to write after, in our holy restings and actings, attended with heavenly refreshings. God that made all things, when He had finished His work, He then rested on the seventh day, and with His example of resting, gave the precept of sanctifying the seventh-day to the church of the New Testament, as some think, which therefore they say is called the Lord's day, Revelation 1:10, as the ordinance of the supper is called the Lord's supper, as instituted by Him.

17. It is the day of resting the body from labor, or respiting the mind from worldly thoughts and cares, and of refreshing the spirit with heavenly manna, which rains down now on this day more plentifully, and with water of life, that runs more abundantly in the pure channels of holy ordinances.

18. Meditated on it should be, as the season of the best reciprocations, mutual actings between earth and heaven, wherein the soul has the advantage of acting higher and more vigorously, to glorify and please God, and wherein God commands the blessing more, and affords assistances more usually than or any other days, as experience proves.

19. It is a time to come from sweeter and fuller communion with God in Christ (whose blessed day it is), to come with our faces shining and hearts flaming, made better to be on earth, fitter to live in heaven: and hereupon,

20. To leave upon the spirit a more eager longing fully to enjoy the Lord of the Sabbath, and have time turned wholly into eternity.

These or such-like meditations may be suitable and quickening for improving the great opportunity of this day of Christ, and we cannot think too much or too seriously for this great occasion.


Nathanael Ranew
Solitude Improved By Divine Meditation, pp. 80-83 

Beauty is Vain

Every one at one time or another has heard the cliché phrase, "It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside; it only matters what is on the inside." Whether it was heard from a parent, friend, or minister, the truth is, deep down, everyone dreams of having the flawless body and a face with no imperfections. You know who I am talking about; we all have seen her. The world we live in today injects our minds with the idea that beauty is the flawless, size zero super model cover of the latest magazine. The Bible teaches, however, that beauty is only skin deep.

As I scan through the pages of a beauty magazine at the checkout, I find myself growing more discontent with the way I was made. If only my eyes sparkled like hers or my face was as naturally beautiful, I think to myself. Maybe I just buy this product, everything will be fixed. And just like that, the world grabs hold of you.

Many young women neglect to see that the woman staring back at them in the picture has been altered beyond recognition. The photographer has digitally brightened her eyes, airbrushed her face, lengthened her legs, shrunk her waist, and enlarged her chest. This woman is plastered all over the television screen, magazine covers, and billboard advertisements. The company then uses this photoshopped picture to sell their products to the millions of desperate women striving to be her.

The world has definitely corrupted the purpose of beauty. Therefore as covenant young women, we must be careful not to get sucked into the lies of what a perfect body should look like. This means guarding against what magazines we read and television shows we watch. We already find ourselves following their fashion trends and dieting plans on Pinterest, an ever-growing source of woman's discontentment.

In the midst of all the lies and deceit, we must remember beauty is only skin deep. This is where the cliché phrase actually holds the meaning. We must take seriously the idea that "How pretty your face is matters so little in comparison to how pretty your heart is" (Pretty Heart > Pretty Face). God needs those pretty hearts in his church, not the pretty facade. This is proved in 1 Samuel 16:7, where we read, "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; but because I have refused: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."

Sometimes we can even find ourselves wondering why God created beauty in the first place. After all, beauty just creates jealousy among the members of Christ. We are so busy worrying about what we look like in comparison to this girl that we neglect our true purpose on this earth: to please and glorify God. Beauty distracts every individual from a content life devoted to our Creator, Who created every person special in his or her own way and in his image. Proverbs 31:30 says, "Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised." 

This does not mean God hates and has no need for those whom He created beautiful both externally and internally. They too have their purpose. When we see a beautiful person, we are given a small understanding of how Christ views His church (VanOverloop). He loved her so much so that He paid the ultimate price: His life. We all wish to be skinnier, have no imperfections, have this skin tone and that eye color. Truth is, if Christ finds us beautiful, and God has created us in His image, why would we want to change a thing about ourselves?

As young women, it can be a struggle to stop comparing ourselves to the girl next to us. We need to understand the flawless model on the magazine cover is not real, and she never will be. Christ's love for His church, however, is. We must strive more and more every day to glorify Him and seek His kingdom, and by doing so, we will gain a beautiful heart.

Monica Engelsma

Beacon Lights, August 2014, Volume LXXIII Number 8, pp. 24-25

www.beaconlights.org 

WORKS CITED

"Pretty Heart > Pretty Face." n.d. Modern Day Prodigal Daughter. Web. 30 October 2013.

VanOverloop, Jon. "Faith, Figure, and Food." Psychology. Covenant Christian High School. 22  October 2013 Lecture.

*Monica is a recent graduate of Covenant Christian High School in Walker, Michigan.

A Reproof to Such as are Only Pretenders to Godliness

Here is a sharp rebuke to such as are 'glittering dross' Christians, who only make a show of godliness, like Michal, who put 'an image in the bed', and so deceived Saul's messengers (1 Sam. 19:16). These our Saviour calls 'whited sepulchres (Matt. 23:27) - their beauty is all paint! In ancient times a third part of the inhabitants of this island were called Picts, which signifies 'painted.' It is to be feared that they still retain their old name. How many are painted only with the vermilion of a profession, whose seeming lustre dazzles the eyes of the beholders, but within there is nothing but putrefaction! Hypocrites are like the swan, which has white feathers, but a black skin; or like the lily, which has a fair colour, but a bad scent. 'Thou has a name that thou livest, and art dead' (Rev. 3:1). These the apostle Jude compares to 'clouds without water' (Jude 12). They claim to be full of the Spirit, but they are empty clouds; their goodness is but a religious cheat.

Question: But why do persons content themselves with a show of godliness? 

Answer: This helps to keep up their fame: "honour me now before the people' (1 Sam. 15:30). Men are ambitious of credit, and wish to gain repute in the world, therefore they will dress themselves in the garb and mode of religion, so that others may write them down for saints. But alas, what is one the better for having others commend him, and his conscience condemn him? What good will it do a man when he is in hell that others think he has gone to heaven? Oh, beware of this! Counterfeit piety is double iniquity.

1. To have only a show of godliness is a God-enraging sin

The man who is a pretender to saintship, but whose heart tells him he has nothing but the name, carries Christ in his Bible but not in his heart. Some politic design spurs him on in the ways of God; he makes religion a lackey to his carnal interest. What is this but to abuse God to His face, and to serve the devil in Christ's livery? Hypocrisy makes the fury rise up in God's face; therefore He calls such persons 'the generation of His wrath' (Isa. 10:6). God will send them to hell to do penance for their hypocrisy.

2. To make only a show of godliness is self-delusion

Ajax in his frenzy took sheep for men, but it is a worse mistake to take a show of grace for grace. This is tho cheat yourself: 'deceiving your own souls' (Jas. 1:22). He who has counterfeit gold instead of true, wrongs himself most. The hypocrite deceives others while he lives, but deceives himself when he dies.

3. To have only a name, and make a show of godliness, is odious to God and man

The hypocrite is born under a sad planet; he is abhorred by all. Wicked men hate him because he makes a show, and God hates him because he only makes a show. The wicked hate him because he has so much  as a mask of godliness, and God hates him because he has no more. 'Thou hast almost persuaded me to be a Christian' (Acts 26:28). The wicked hate the hypocrite because he is almost a Christian, and God hates him because he is only almost one. 

4. To be only comets and make a show of piety is a vain thing

Hypocrites lose all they have done. Their dissembling tears drop beside God's bottle; their prayers and fasts prove abortive. 'When ye fasted and mourned, did ye at all fast unto me, even unto me?' (Zech. 7:5). As God will not recompense a slothful servant, neither will He recompense a treacherous one. All the hypocrites' reward is in this life: 'They have their reward' (Matt. 6:5). A poor reward, the empty breath of men. The hypocrite may make his receipt and write, 'Received in full payment'. Augustus Caesar had great triumphs granted him, but the senate would not allow him to be consul, or sit in the senate house. Hypocrites may have the praise of men, but though these triumphs are granted them, they shall never have the privilege of sitting in the senate house of heaven. What acceptance can he look for from God, whose heart tells him he is no better than a mountebank in divinity?

5. To have only a pretence of godliness will yield no comfort at death

Will painted gold enrich a man? Will painted wine refresh him who is thirsty? Will the paint of godliness stand you in any stead? How were the foolish virgins better for their 'blazing lamps', when they had no oil? What is the lamp of profession without the oil of grace? He who has only a painted holiness shall have a painted happiness.

6. You who have nothing but a specious pretext and mask of piety expose yourself to Satan's scorn

You shall be brought forth at the last day, as was Samson, to make the devil sport (Judges 16:25). He will say, 'What has become of your vows, tears, and confessions? Has all your religion come to this? Did you so often defy the devil, and have you now come to dwell with me? Could you meet with no weapon to kill you, but what was made of gospel metal?

Could you not suck poison anywhere but out of ordinances? Could you find no way to hell, but by seeming godly? What a vexation this will be, to have the devil thus reproach a man! It is sad to be crowed over in this life. Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, when she saw she was reserved by the enemy for a triumph, put asps to her breasts, and died, so that she might avoid the infamy. What, then, will it be to have the devil triumph over a man at the last day!

Let us therefore take heed of this kind of pageantry or devout stage play. That which may make us fear our hearts the more is when we see tall cedars in the church worm-eaten with hypocrisy. Balaam a prophet, Jehu a king, Judas an apostle - all of them stand to this day on record as hypocrites.

It is true that there are the seeds of this sin in the best; but as it was with leprosy under the law, all who had swellings or spots in the skin of the flesh were not reputed unclean and put out of the camp (Lev. 13:6); so all who have the swellings of hypocrisy in them are not to be judged hypocrites, for these may be the spots of God's children (Deut. 32:5). But that which distinguishes a hypocrite is when hypocrisy is predominant and is like a spreading fluid in the body.

Question: When is a man under the dominion and power of hypocrisy?

Answer: There are two signs of its predominance: (i) A squint eye, when one serves God for sinister ends. (ii) A good eye, when there is some sin dear to a man, which he cannot part with. These two are clear signs of a hypocrite as any I know.

Oh, let us take David's candle and lantern, and search for this leaven, and burn it before the Lord. 

Christian, if you mourn for hypocrisy, yet find this sin so potent that you cannot get the mastery of it, go to Christ. Beg of Him that He would exercise His kingly office in your soul, that He would subdue this sin, and put it under the yoke. Beg of Christ to exercise His spiritual surgery upon you. Desire Him to lance your heart and cut out the rotten flesh, and that He would apply the medicine of His blood to heal you of your hypocrisy. Say that prayer of David often: 'Let my heart be sound in Thy statutes' (Psa. 119:80). 'Lord, let me be anything rather than a hypocrite.' Two hearts will exclude from one heaven.

Thomas Watson 

The Godly Man's Picture, Puritan Paperbacks, The Banner of Truth Trust, pp. 15-19    

Signs of the Times (4)

We are ready to begin our discussion of the actual signs of which Jesus speaks in Matthew 24.  But, just one short word before we begin.  I may find it necessary to repeat what I am now going to say: I do not want you to read these letters and study Matthew 24 as a mere intellectual exercise in which you are able to have a clearer understanding of a chapter in a Dogmatics book.  That would defeat my purpose completely.  Jesus does not do this either.  From verse 32 – 51 and in the whole of chapter 25 Jesus applies His discussion of the signs of the times to our daily life in the world.  These signs must not simply be of intellectual interest to us; they must stir our hearts to do what Jesus tells us in the end of this chapter and in chapter 25.  To sum up all this material, Jesus tells us that a certain knowledge of the signs of His coming ought to make us watch! (Matt. 24:42, 25:13)

 

When Jesus commands us to watch, He means, among other things, what is happening in the world about us.  Christ at God’s right hand rules sovereignly over all the creation and over all history.  All Jesus’ signs are events that take place in creation and in history.

 

And we ought to “watch” ourselves to be sure that our lives are characterized by our longing for Christ to come again.  Our lives are governed by our eagerness to have Christ come again, aren’t they?  You must ask yourself this question or these signs will have no practical effect in your life.

 

The reason Jesus gives is that “ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”  And if you think that the Lord cannot come yet because many things have to happen before the end of the world, remember that the Lord “doth come” when you and I die.  And when we die that is in fact the end of the world for us. Everything that belongs to this world is gone; everything that belongs to heaven or hell begins at the moment we die.  The Lord literally says that He comes again when we die.  “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3).

 

There is a saying that goes like this: “The old must die, but the young can die.”

 

But now to the first sign of which Jesus speaks.  We can find it in Matthew 24:4-5: “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”

 

This is an extremely important sign, for the Lord refers to it again in His sermon on the signs of his coming.  He speaks of this sign in verse 11, and then again in verses 23-28.  In this latter passage, He discusses in detail what He means by false prophets.  The fact that He mentions it three different times surely shows that this is an important sign.

 

It is interesting that false prophets are a sign of our Lord’s coming.  This is interesting because it has really been true that there were false prophets throughout history.  Already in the days of Ahab and Jehoshaphat’s wicked cooperation with Ahab, false prophets told these two kings to go up to battle because the Lord told them that they would have the victory (2 Chronicles 18 and 19:1-2).  The apostles warned the church in their letters about the need to be on their guard against false prophets, and John admonished the saints to try the spirits “whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (I John 4:1-2).

 

But these things are getting worse and becoming more frequent in our day.  There are the cults, as we all know, whose leaders literally claim to be the Messiah who has come to save them.  And they gather a host of followers who will do anything they say – sometimes, to our shame, with greater zeal and dedication than we have for our true Messiah.  Think of the host of followers of a cult leader of several years ago who all took poison to kill themselves because their leader told them to do so.

 

But there are others who, while not claiming literally to be the Messiah claim to have a personal relationship with him that gives them special knowledge of Christ and an inside track on what Christ will do.  Just within the last couple of years a Mr. Camping, who had his roots in the Christian Reformed Church, claimed that Christ had revealed to him the date of his coming.  He announced that date – not once, but twice.  He had thousands of followers who were often from conservative Reformed and Presbyterian churches all over the world.  These people sold all of their possessions, often giving their money to Mr. Camping, and then waited as Mr. Camping’s predicted date neared, only to be sadly disappointed.

 

And think also of the huge mega churches that attract thousands because they preach a gospel of an earthly kingdom of prosperity.

 

Nor is the gospel of these mega churches foreign to many in our day, such as the post-millennialists and the pre-millennialists who claim that Christ’s kingdom will be established in this world.  Thousands follow them.

 

The sign is very clear in history today.  And, while it was always a sign, the sign is growing in the number of false prophets and the number of those who follow them.

 

Watch!  For you do not know the hour when Christ is coming!

Prof. Hanko