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A tartalmat a Covenant Presbyterian Church - Harrisonburg, VA, Covenant Presbyterian Church - Harrisonburg, and VA biztosítja. Az összes podcast-tartalmat, beleértve az epizódokat, grafikákat és podcast-leírásokat, közvetlenül a Covenant Presbyterian Church - Harrisonburg, VA, Covenant Presbyterian Church - Harrisonburg, and VA vagy a podcast platform partnere tölti fel és biztosítja. Ha úgy gondolja, hogy valaki az Ön engedélye nélkül használja fel a szerzői joggal védett művét, kövesse az itt leírt folyamatot https://hu.player.fm/legal.
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Covenant Presbyterian Church
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Manage series 3605066
A tartalmat a Covenant Presbyterian Church - Harrisonburg, VA, Covenant Presbyterian Church - Harrisonburg, and VA biztosítja. Az összes podcast-tartalmat, beleértve az epizódokat, grafikákat és podcast-leírásokat, közvetlenül a Covenant Presbyterian Church - Harrisonburg, VA, Covenant Presbyterian Church - Harrisonburg, and VA vagy a podcast platform partnere tölti fel és biztosítja. Ha úgy gondolja, hogy valaki az Ön engedélye nélkül használja fel a szerzői joggal védett művét, kövesse az itt leírt folyamatot https://hu.player.fm/legal.
To welcome and worship in the Name of Christ
…
continue reading
20 epizódok
Mind megjelölése nem lejátszottként
Manage series 3605066
A tartalmat a Covenant Presbyterian Church - Harrisonburg, VA, Covenant Presbyterian Church - Harrisonburg, and VA biztosítja. Az összes podcast-tartalmat, beleértve az epizódokat, grafikákat és podcast-leírásokat, közvetlenül a Covenant Presbyterian Church - Harrisonburg, VA, Covenant Presbyterian Church - Harrisonburg, and VA vagy a podcast platform partnere tölti fel és biztosítja. Ha úgy gondolja, hogy valaki az Ön engedélye nélkül használja fel a szerzői joggal védett művét, kövesse az itt leírt folyamatot https://hu.player.fm/legal.
To welcome and worship in the Name of Christ
…
continue reading
20 epizódok
Minden epizód
×This passage once again affirms what John has already told us about the Book of Revelation, that it is “the revelation of Jesus Christ.” We take note of the double meaning in that statement. Jesus is both the subject of the revelation and the one who is responsible for giving the revelation. The Book of Revelation is the revelation from and about Jesus Christ. And in the final section of chapter one before he commences with the messages to the seven churches, the Lord offers a vision of himself which draws deeply from the Old Testament and gives the church much needed spiritual sustenance as she walks through tribulation. It can be difficult to sustain this focus on Jesus. Certainly the devil would have us focus on just about anything other than Jesus! But our own minds tend to wander in directions that promise to be more sensational or “relevant.” But the only way to read the Book of Revelation with an eye toward properly understanding it is to keep on the lookout for Jesus throughout. It is Jesus who ties the Scriptures together from Genesis to Revelation. And it is Jesus who will help us make sense of John’s visions and give shape to our understanding of history. John’s vision of Jesus in the opening chapter of Revelation reminds us that everything in all the cosmos is subordinated to Him. Everything in the Old Testament which reflected the cosmic longing for and anticipation of Christ is summed up in the vision of the One who is like a Son of Man. Jesus is not a mere religious figure to be honored along with Moses or Mohammed, the Buddha or Zoroaster. He is the Ancient of Days made man, the Alpha and the Omega who died for sinners yet lives forevermore. Jesus is the King and Priest who makes a kingdom and priests of his people.…
Following the prologue (vv. 1-3) John greets his addressees, seven of the churches in the Roman province of Asia Minor. The number seven is of particular symbolic / theological significance in the Book of Revelation. It means perfection and completeness. Given that there are seven identified addressees and considering the timeless relevance of what Jesus has to say to the seven churches, we may conclude that Jesus is addressing his church in totality throughout her generations. John begins by identifying himself as the one writing the message the churches will receive and hear read. However, he quickly acknowledges that the words he has written are from the Lord Jesus. The greeting is Trinitarian being “from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth” (vv. 4-5). It is important to understand that “the seven spirits” is a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit, highlighting the fullness of his ministry to the church. As the churches received the letter, they each were facing their own problems from the enticement of riches and the snare of false teachers to persecution and poverty. From Rome, the Emperor Domitian was turning up the heat against the church. In Asia Minor a vast array of strange beliefs and false religion offered a buffet of error to entice the church away from Christ. But among “the lampstands” stood “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth” (vs. 5). He will not allow his church to fall. He will keep the elect from every nation and throughout the ages. He loves his church and has proven so through the shedding of his blood which he did in order to make atonement for our sin. He has “made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (vs. 6).…
Oftentimes a document’s opening words tell us what we are about to read. The words “once upon a time,” signal that we are about to read a fairy tale. Or “Four score and seven years ago,” tell us we are about to read Lincoln’s famous speech. “Step one in assembling your new table…,” is a clue that we’re looking at a manual. The very first words of the Book of Revelation tell us that it is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” It is not a code for predicting the return of Jesus. It is an unveiling by and about the Lord Jesus. So if our study of Revelation leads us to spend more time speculating about a rapture or an antichrist then we are missing what Revelation was given to us for. Though it is not to be read as a linear chronology of history or of final few years before Christ’s return, it the Book of Revelation certainly does tell us of specific events that will happen at the end of the age. Though it is not a secret code, it certainly does make use of a great deal of symbolic language. But ultimately, the Book of Revelation is about King Jesus, the Lamb at the center of the throne who glory and holiness and eternal authority are firmly established. The Book of Revelation reminds us that, no matter how wicked the devil gets and how broken the world becomes and how much suffering sin inflicts, the truth remains that “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he will reign forever and ever” (11:15). The church needs this unveiling in every generation. The message of Revelation is better by far than vain speculations and failed predictions. It is the unveiling of the truth that in the ongoing conflict between God and the old dragon, the Lamb wins.…
The Book of Revelation is perhaps the most enigmatic book of the Bible. Understandably, many Christians feel overwhelmed when reading the Book of Revelation given its seemingly opaque metaphors, symbolic references, and strange visions. Indeed, no book of the Bible presents interpretive challenges so great as the Book of Revelation. Sadly, much of the contemporary preaching and writing on the Book of Revelation has done more to cloud the picture than grant clarity. As a result, there remains the common misconception that Revelation operates as a sort of secret code for unlocking future events meant almost exclusively for 20 th or 21 st century Christians. But what if the Book of Revelation was written not to hide the truth in codes but in order to illuminate truth for every generation of Christians? This is precisely the position that the church ought to take when reading Revelation. God did not give us the Book of Revelation to satisfy all our curiosity or to provide a linear chronology of history but in order that our faith might be strengthened. As one contemporary theologian puts it: “God gave us Revelation not to tickle our fancy, but to strengthen our hearts.” The central theme of the Book of Revelation is that God is the Ruler of history and in Christ is bringing about the consummation of the age according to his perfect plan of redemption. The Book of Revelation is a book of prophetic patterns set forth in such a way as to highlight the movement of the Lamb and his redeemed from warfare to final victory. The victors are the Lamb and all those who have been washed in his shed blood. Revelation was written to a church increasingly suffering under the heavy hand of persecution, a reality for the church in every generation. So John marshals vivid word pictures for the purpose of unveiling the ongoing conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. As one commentator observes: “Revelation is for a church under attack. Its purpose is to awaken us to the dimensions of the battle and the strategies of the enemy, so that we will respond to the attacks with faithful perseverance and purity, overcoming by the blood of the Lamb…We read this book to hear the King’s call to courage and to fall down in adoring worship before him.”…
Once again Solomon employs the warmth of fatherly instruction to encourage the determined quest to attain wisdom. He tells his son, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight (vs. 7). Wisdom and insight are used synonymously here to indicate the practical application of God’s Word. That is the heart of wisdom. It does not terminate in the realm of ideas. Biblically speaking, wisdom is godliness. It is “boots on the ground” Christianity. Solomon draws upon his care for his son in order to persuade his readers to go after and cherish wisdom at all costs. He personifies wisdom in order to awaken our affection and encourage our pursuit: “Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.” (vs. 6). This matter of desire is of great importance. Unless we desire the right thing then we will inevitably desire what is wrong. Thomas Chalmers, the great Scottish Presbyterian coined the phrase “the expulsive power of a new affection.” He meant it to illustrate the power of true affection for Christ to drive out sinful affections. Solomon warns against the destructive power of sin. The wicked, he says, cannot even sleep at night unless they’ve convinced others to join them in their sin. But wisdom is a safeguard against sin’s destruction. The way that leads to life is clearly marked by the instruction of God’s Word. It is a pathway of uprightness and justice. Just as the apostle Paul used the language of holy striving when it came to following Jesus, so does Solomon appeal to the same kind of determination to describe the pursuit of Godly wisdom. “Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” (vv. 26-27)…
Proverbs was written down as a record of wisdom to be passed on to the next generation. So very often the Bible commands us to “remember” and “not forget.” Humans are quite forgetful. Solomon offers his words as a corrective, highlighting God’s wisdom in contrast to the world’s. Due to sin we are quick to forget the wisdom of God and replace it with the wisdom of self or the wisdom of the world. This was true for Adam and Eve, the Israelites, the disciples, and for us. The consequences are grave. In Chapter 3 God’s people are called to write God’s wisdom on the tablets of their hearts (vs.3). They are to put their full trust in the LORD and abandon self-trust and self-help (vs. 5-6). This is the daily work of the faithful disciple, laboring for God’s glory, for their own good, and the good of their neighbor (vs. 26-32). The way of wisdom leads to success, security, and hope (vs. 4, 23). God’s wisdom is more precious than gold and recognition (vs .14). Christian, do not lose sight of this - keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul (vs. 21). Believe on the Lord Jesus, find salvation, and live the most blessed and abundant life, now and forever more (vs 13, 35).…
Biblically, wisdom is not an interior experience of detachment or inner calm (as much as we may like inner calm!). Biblically understood, wisdom always terminates on how we live, the choices we make. Indeed, there is really no difference between wisdom and godliness. To be wise is to grow in conformity to Christ. It is to love what God loves and to guard one’s life against the destructiveness of sin. Wisdom is not acquired through chanting mantras or other mystical practices. Wisdom is the gift of God: “For the Lord gives wisdom” (vs. 6). But that gift must be pursued like the treasure that it is: “…if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures” (vs. 4). Proverbs two applies an array of verbs to the search for godly wisdom. In this way, it is an enormously helpful passage of Scripture because it tells us what is required to gain wisdom, to grow in godliness. In Proverbs one, we’re told that “the complacency of fools destroys them” (vs. 32). The verbs in Proverbs two are meant to evacuate our lives of complacency and put a holy striving in its place. In the final verses of Proverbs two, it is recognized that all is not well in the world. Indeed, the world is a veritable toybox of lies, wickedness, and perversion. Twisted by sin’s deceitfulness, mankind has an enormous capacity for immorality and injustice. But wisdom holds a treasure of benefits for the one who walks in its ways. With wisdom, there is “every good path” (vs. 9). God uses Christlike wisdom as a means to grant protection, “delivering you from the way of evil…” (vs. 12). While growing in godliness (wisdom) is no guarantee of perpetual pleasantness in this world, Scripture is clear that blessings are attached to the obedient application of God’s Word: So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it… (vv. 20-21)…
Starting this Sunday, we will spend four weeks looking at the first four chapters of Proverbs and the implications of the way of wisdom and the way of folly. Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, primarily written by King Solomon. 1 Kings 4 tells us that “God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people…He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005…And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon…” Chapter 1 introduces this entire collection of wise sayings. Verses 1-7 give us an overview of wisdom. Chapters 1:8 through 9:18 make up the first major section of Proverbs, which is characterized by a father’s invitation to his son to follow the way of wisdom, demonstrating that walking in the way of wisdom is far better than the way of folly. Not only that, but for God’s covenant people, walking in the way of wisdom is a natural response to his love for us. We know that the wisdom bestowed on Solomon was wisdom from God. And in Matthew, Jesus tells us that in him, something greater than Solomon is here. We see in Jesus, the prototypical wise man who lives according to the will of the Father. And, it is in Jesus that we are able to live, act, and think for the glory of God. It is ultimately Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, who enables us to say yes to wisdom and no to folly.…
The passage before us is often referred to as The Magnificat . It is the Latin word for “magnify” which is how Mary begins her song: “My soul magnifies the Lord.” And what a song it is! It is a song of truth for an age of deception. It is a song of hope for an age of cynicism. In reading the words carefully we come to notice that Mary’s song is, as one scholar puts it, “a virtual collage of biblical texts.” Every line is drawn either directly or indirectly from the Scriptures which Mary had learned at home and in the synagogue. It bears certain resemblances to the songs of Miriam (Ex. 15:19-21), Deborah (Judg. 5:1-31), and especially of Hannah (1 Sam. 2:1-10), all of which Mary would have known. The central theme of the Magnificat is that through the Son that Mary bears in her womb, God will bring about a great reversal of the world’s sinful order. The proud will be brought low and the lowly will be lifted up. But these are not political categories nor do they belong to mere social status. The gospel of Mary’s Son will be about the salvation of sinners and the dawning of a new creation. These themes will be echoed in Jesus’ sermon on the Mount, particularly the beatitudes where He pronounces blessing upon those who are “poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” In contrast to the values of the world, Jesus tells us that the way to blessedness and joy and peace is through humility, a lowliness in which the sin-weary flee to the Savior. We sing this song as those who are able to look back on Jesus’ ministry, his life of perfect obedience, his atoning death and victorious resurrection. We are able to see that the great reversal of which Mary sang has been purchased and is already underway. Sinners and scoffers still dismiss it. Such is the way of those who are wise in the world’s eyes. But for the humble ones who are poor and spirit, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the message is clear. God saves those who have come to realize that they have no hope of saving themselves. He keeps his gracious covenant. “And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation” (vs. 50).…
What is recorded by Luke in these verses is historically referred to as the Annunciation, that is, the Announcement. It is The Announcement of all announcements! Some of the world’s greatest composers and artists and poets have sought to capture the marvelous wonder of the scene Luke describes. What was announced to Mary on that fateful day was the answer to all of creation’s groaning. It was the answer to all of humanity’s sin and brokenness. In Galilee, in the town of Nazareth lived a young virgin betrothed in marriage to an upright man named Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary and the Lord bestowed remarkable grace upon her as the one who would carry the Consolation of God’s people, the Messiah, within her womb. Never before or since would such a miracle be repeated. What the angel announces to Mary is the mystery of mysteries, the incarnation of God Almighty in human nature. It is understandable that this extraordinary announcement troubled Mary. She knew as well as any one of us that virgins do not conceive. And of course she was right. For this to happen, God would act directly in space and time. By the power of the Holy Spirit, apart from any physical union, Mary would conceive within her womb the One who would “be called holy – the Son of God.” And just as in the days of Joseph and Mary, the doctrine of the virgin conception of Jesus is a stumbling block. To allow for the miraculous conception of Jesus then one must allow for the incarnation itself. Not only that, the miraculous conception of Jesus also makes way for his sinless life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection. Indeed, the whole gospel leans upon the virgin conceived Messiah. Perhaps that is why it is so maligned. The hope for sinners rests upon the truth of what was announced to the young virgin in Nazareth.…
The prophets Isaiah and Micah were contemporaries, laboring to proclaim the word of the LORD to a stubborn people. Micah is known as a prophet zealous for justice, having witnessed the downstream effects of the blatant violations of Israel and Judah’s rulers, false prophets, and corrupt priests. We know little about Micah’s background, but his message points to the obvious work of the Lord to use him in preaching God’s judgment and blessing. We will see a formidable prophecy that the LORD will cast his people into exile because of their grievous sins. However much God is just, exacting consequences for sin, we will see in chapters 4-5 that God is also abundant in mercy. In the end, his judgment against his people is light compared to the overwhelming mercy that will be revealed in the latter days.…
The ministry of Isaiah the Prophet was during a time of great pressure and chaos for the people of God. The kingdom was divided. Israel to the north was being decimated by the fierce Assyrians. Meanwhile, to the south, Judah, the home of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, was being threatened by the Babylonians. Isaiah came to warn Judah that the Lord was going to judge her for her many years of sin and idolatry. As part of that judgment, the people would be taken captive by foreign enemies much as they had been nearly a thousand years earlier by Egypt. The Lord spoke through Isaiah, not only to pronounce judgment but also to announce the coming salvation through a Servant who would atone for the sins of God’s people by his own suffering. The first 39 chapters of Isaiah are largely comprised of the prophet’s pronouncements against Judah for her sins and warnings of the judgment to come. But through it all we learn of both the holiness of God and the gravity of sin. And then chapter 40 opens with a message of comfort made all the more extraordinary because of what precedes it. In God’s dealings with his people throughout the ages, grace will have the final word. In this section of chapter 40 we hear promises that will be fulfilled in the Lord Jesus. The comfort of God will be a Person. The consolation of Zion will be the virgin born descendent of David. He will be a Shepherd who will gather his people to himself and take them to his heart. It is a prophesy of a Messiah who will be both the Sovereign Lord and the Good Shepherd. In Jesus “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh will see it together…The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (vv. 5, 8).…
Psalm two is a Psalm of David the king (Acts 4:25). Portions of this Psalm are quoted often in the New Testament particularly in reference to its high view of God’s Anointed (the Christ) and for its compelling vision of God’s kingdom. It begins with the Almighty’s derision of those who in their pride seek to break the bonds of God’s law. But God will have the final word, a warning of judgement and a call to salvation. Psalm two is “unsurpassed for its buoyant, fierce delight in God’s dominion and His promise to His King” (Kidner, 50). Like so much of the Old Testament, Psalm two operates on two levels. On one level, it has a direct application to the times in which it was originally composed. Psalm two is fulfilled in part during David’s reign. He was the Lord’s anointed king. He did sit upon a throne in Jerusalem on Mount Zion. He did have great victory over enemy nations. But Psalm two also points to a greater, ultimate fulfillment in the Lord’s Christ, the King whose Kingdom is universal and forever. He is the Son of God whose Sonship is by way of an eternal divine begotteness. In this Psalm we recall the language spoken at Jesus’ baptism and transfiguration. We find the same language applied to Jesus elsewhere (Acts 4:25-27; 13:33; Heb 1:5; 5:5; Rev 12:5). Psalm two is the only passage in the Old Testament which uses the three titles “Son of God,” Messiah,” (anointed one), and “God’s King” appear together. Ultimately, the earthly kingdom of David was a shadow of the everlasting kingdom of his greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.…
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