Wow! Really?!

You've heard in real estate it's all about location, location, location!  Well in the Bible it's context, context, context!  How often (silent "t" people)  I have heard and used Psalm 46:10 out of context.  "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.". The first part of this scripture has inspired beautiful songs and words of comfort & encouragement in times of distress. If taken in context however, it's clear this is not supposed to be a comfort to God's people but a statement to the world powers who have come to battle against Israel (Rev 6:12-17 & Rev 19).  To paraphrase Dr. Ron Allen, whom I first heard correctly exegete this passage, the context is when Israel is turned on by every nation and it is what God is saying to those who have come to war against His people and Himself as he returns to save Israel, conquer the earth, and begin His millennial reign. Dr. Allen says "be still and know that I am God" is like saying "shut up and listen, I'm in charge."  Actually, to a believer this should be comforting, God in charge, but to whom it is meant for it is not meant to be comforting.

Who is this passage meant for? Rev 9 tells us the men who endured the demon creatures that ^"17 having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and" road horses who's "heads were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone...¹⁹ For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.  Rev 9:20-21 explains "and the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts."  Wow!  Really?!  ALL the grass has been burned (Rev 8:7) a flaming mountain is cast into the sea (v 8) causing a third of the sea to turn to blood because a third part of the sea life died and a third of the ships were destroyed (v 9).  Then a star falls on a third of the rivers/lakes and turns that drinkable water to poison (v 11).  Sun, moon, and stars lose a third of their light and then the crazy demon locusts all preceding the demon riders on horses with fire-breathing lion heads and serpent-headed tails come along and these men still want to commit idolatry, murder, use drugs, fornicate, and steal?  The men who (Rev 16:8-11) "blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory (v 9) and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds (v 11)."  That is who "be still and know that I am God" is meant for. The men who live through all this rejecting God the whole time, shaking their fist in the air at Him, going to war because they would rather be the authority in their own life than to serve the one who gave them life and lets them continue to have the ability to fight Him and the free will to choose to reject Him.  


If you would like to hear the sermon by Dr. Ron Allen you can find it at Bayside Community Church's (Tampa FL) website http://www.baysidecommunitychurch.net/resources.html under sermons.  It's entitled "Let's Turn That Puppy Over" from 10/17/2010 or download the sermon.net app and choose Bayside Community Church as a channel. 

Turn on the lights!

Lighting in churches really bothers me.  I know most church goers today like the dimmed lighting but I don't get it.  Who wants to feel like their in a coffee house (at best) listening to a casual poet illustrating his points with the latest movie/tv show.  It sets a certain atmosphere which, and this is for another time, plays into the music, causing such an emotional response but let's face it, who can argue with experience?  Hmm..oh, I know, lets ask what does the Bible say about light?  (1) We are the light of the world (Matt 5:14), why are we meeting in dimmed lighting?  Are we trying to hide from the authorities so they won't break up our service, like our brothers and sisters in China?  Not to mention my straining eyes, even though everything is on a screen, I still like to look at my Bible, which again isn't so readily available to our brothers and sisters in China.  (2) God is light, there won't be a need for the sun in the millennial reign of Christ because God will be the source of light (Rev 22:5).  He is very bright.  Remember Moses' encounter with Him in Ex 33:18 ff?  So while we don't want to make it so bright that it's uncomfortable, the mood lighting really gives a false sense of our future worship and experience with God.  What's wrong with natural lighting?  Or if your sanctuary doesn't have windows turn on the lights!