The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare. The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake.  --Isaiah 24:18

Where I live, we have had one of the rainiest months on record.  There is widespread flooding.  Area lakes are full for the first time in years, and some are overflowing into nearby neighborhoods.  The Trinity River is straining at the levees that just last year were twenty feet from the river banks. Sinkholes have been discovered at DFW airport, so that a runway had to be completely shut down.  There was even news about a local dam that was on the verge of collapse, which would have caused millions of dollars in damage to homes and property.

I started thinking about dams.  I have walked across a dam on the Blanco River, which is nothing more than a cinder block and concrete wall.  When the river is up, the water spills over the wall, and continues downstream.  Larger dams, however, are constructed to not only hold back immense amounts of water, but also to generate power.  When the lakes or rivers are at flood stage, the engineers open floodgates to regulate the water levels and to relieve the pressure.  If there is a power generator within the dam, the water released by the opening of the floodgates will generate an excess of electricity.

Power.  Pressure.  Purpose.

These are spiritual concepts that one can learn from floods, dams, and electric generators.

In the verse quoted above, the prophet Isaiah describes the great and terrible day of the Lord.

The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake.  The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken.  The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls--never to rise again.  In that days the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.  They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days.  The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the Lord Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously. --Isaiah 24:18b-25

This is a pretty scary picture that the prophet paints here.  Those who were in charge of life, rulers in the earthly realm, will meet the awesome power of the Almighty.  They will be cast down in that day, and the Lord will show Himself as ruler over all.  Any who have seen movies with an apocalyptic theme have seen scenes on the screen with frightening special effects.  But those who live out the prophecies of this book will not be up on a silver screen; they will live it out for real, and see real suffering, real shame.

However, we don't all have to fear the great and terrible day of the Lord.  There is a chorus that we sing in church that goes like this:

We've waited for this day
We're gathered in your name
Calling out to you
Your glory like a fire
Awakening desire
Will burn our hearts with truth

You're the reason we're here
You're the reason we're singing

Open up the heavens
We want to see you
Open up the floodgates
A mighty river
Flowing from your heart
Filling every part of our praise

Your presence in this place
Your glory on our face
We're looking to the sky
Descending like a cloud
You're standing with us now
Lord, unveil our eyes

You're the reason we're here
You're the reason we're singing

Open up the heavens
We want to see you
Open up the floodgates
A mighty river
Flowing from your heart
Filling every part of our praise

Show us, show us your glory
Show us, show us your power
Show us, show us your glory, Lord

Open up the heavens
We want to see you
Open up the floodgates
A mighty river
Flowing from your heart
Filling every part of our praise

For those of us with a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe, we do not fear death.  We do not dread the coming judgment.  We see the potential outcome of the Lord Almighty sitting on the throne in Zion, and we see the judgments as a necessary evil, a small thing compared to the coming of our King.  "Consider it pure joy," James said, "whenever you face trials of many kinds." (James 1:2).

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. --1 Peter 1:3-7

Many dread the great and terrible day of the Lord.  But we say, "Bring it on!" We see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We know that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).  So we endure a little darkness, a little terror, a little persecution to enjoy the fullness of His presence in the end.

That's why we sing hopeful songs about opening the floodgates of heaven--not out of fear of drowning or judgment, but in anticipation of the power of God that will be released in the last days.  There is electricity in the air!  We see it in the lightning, we hear it in the thunder, and our hearts are filled with praise.  Even now, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

The Birth of the Bride

Many years ago, I was asked to sing at a wedding.  Looking back on it now, I feel very sorry for the bride.  You see, up until the day of the wedding, I had not met the young woman who was being married.  I worked with her mother, and the bride's mom had heard me singing as I went about my work.  She thought that I had a good voice, and invited me to sing at her daughter's wedding.

When we arrived at the Sanctuary that Saturday afternoon, we found that it had already been decorated for the Sunday service.  So not only did the bride not get to choose who sang at her wedding, but she did not get to place flowers, candles and other wedding frou-frou in the Sanctuary.  

No, the decorations were of balloons and streamers.  Many of the wedding guests, including members of the congregation, all wondered aloud why there would be what appeared to be birthday decorations in the church.  Then it dawned on me.  I asked, "Is tomorrow Pentecost Sunday?"  Someone said yes, and I immediately knew the answer to the puzzle.  "It is the birthday of the church!" I exclaimed.

I tell this story because tomorrow is another celebration of Pentecost Sunday.  It gets its name from the Greek word for Fifty, as it occurs fifty days after the Passover.  Ancient Jewish peoples celebrated it as the completion of the harvest.  In Palestine, the grain harvest lasted seven weeks, and it was a season of gladness.  It began with the harvest of barley, around the time of Passover, and ended with the harvest of wheat, which ripens much later.  It was a time of giving the first-fruit offerings to God, after the harvest had been fully brought in.  Pentecost was thus the concluding festival of the grain harvest.  That's why in Acts 2:1 it says, "Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place."

After the Jewish Exile, the Day of Pentecost became a celebration of the giving of the Torah.  Leviticus 23:11 makes reference to the priests giving a wave offering "on the morrow after the Sabbath," which would put it on a Sunday.  The Zohar (a collection of commentaries on the Torah) calls the time between the Passover and Pentecost the "courting days of the bridegroom Israel with the bride Torah."

In Ephesians 5:22-23, Paul compares the union of husband and wife to that of Christ and the Church.  As Christians, we celebrate the Day of Pentecost as the day the Holy Spirit came and indwelt believers; that's why we call it the birthday of the Church.  Revelation 21:2 describes the New Jerusalem (the Church) in this way: "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

Let's think about that for a moment.  At the moment of Salvation we become engaged with Jesus, the Son of God.  We talk about Him, we study His life and His words, we share our experience about Him with others.  We look forward to the day of His return, when we are "caught up together with Him in the air."  We are invited to the Wedding Supper (feast) of the Lamb (Jesus).  We are not only invited to the wedding: we are the very Bride of Christ.  The celebration on that day will be the union of God's Son with the Body known as the Church.

While we look forward to that day with great hope and anticipation, we celebrate the birthday of the Bride every year on Pentecost Sunday.  We bring our firstfruits to Him as a celebration of His blessing.  Pentecost is the culmination of what happened at Passover, when Jesus gave Himself on the cross for our sins.  He bore our pain, our persecution, our punishment so that we could present ourselves to Him unblemished and undefiled.

As an old evangelist used to say, "If that don't light your fire, your wood's wet!"

Constrained by Love

I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished!  --Luke 12:50 (RSV)

con·strain

kənˈstrān/

verb

past tense: constrained; past participle: constrained

1. severely restrict the scope, extent, or activity of.

   "agricultural development is considerably constrained by climate"

   synonyms:

   restrict, limit, curb, check, restrain, contain, rein in, hold back, keep down "prices were constrained by government controls"

   • compel or force (someone) toward a particular course of action.

     "children are constrained to work in the way the book dictates"

     synonyms:

     compel, force, drive, impel, oblige, coerce, prevail on, require;

 I heard a sermon illustration last weekend about a missionary couple to Africa.  They were being interviewed by the BBC (I think), and the question posed to them was something like, "What is it you like about this environment, about being a missionary in a foreign land?"  And the answer was, "I wouldn't say we liked being out here--we so have some sense of sophistication after all.  There is nothing compelling about going into people's hut, sometimes stooping, sometimes literally crawling through goat dung.  But we do it because we are constrained by the calling of God in our lives."

Jesus Himself begged God, "If there is any way that this cup could pass from me."  He didn't want to suffer and die.  But love constrained Him.  "Nevertheless," He said, "Not My will, but yours be done."

After all that He did for us, how can we do any less for Him?

Living for Jesus who died in my place, Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace; Such love constrains me to answer His call, Follow His leading and give Him my all.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

We Shall Overcome

Had an absolutely amazing time at Bible study last night.  My wife and I meet in a small-group, in someone's home.  We share our food, our fellowship, and our fears.  We edify, testify, identify, and glorify together.  We shared how God was working in our lives, and praised Him together.  Things like my new book, and another's new car.  We shared our burdens together, and prayed over one another.  Things like sickness and sore muscles, and broken relationships.

This, I think, is what the body of Christ is meant to do.  We all know the Scriptures--

• bear one another's burdens; 
• if any among you is sick, let them pray; 
• let everything that has breath praise Him.

It is quite another thing to be present when it actually happens.

When it was all over, I felt like I had truly been in the presence of the Lord.  There were battles that had been won there last night.  There were songs of victory.  We were unified in purpose under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  It was awesome.

I came away thinking about Revelation 12:10-12

Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, "It has happened at last--the salvation and power and kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ!  For the Accuser has been thrown down to earth--the one who accused our brothers and sisters before our God day and night.  And they have defeated him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of their testimony.  And they were not afraid to die." (New Living Translation)

Now I know that this was written by John after he had been taken up into heaven and allowed to see what will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  It will be glorious, I know.  But I also think that it applies to the here and now.

• Salvation belongs to our God!
• He is powerful!
• His kingdom has come to earth through the authority of His Son, the Christ.
• The Accuser (Satan) has been dethroned, cast out of the presence of God.

How many times do we confess our sins, and know God's forgiveness and move on, when the very next day (or hour, or season), Satan accuses us in our spirit and we are brought low again for the very thing which we had confessed, and for which we had received forgiveness?  This very thing was evident in our small group setting last night.  We were able to overcome it, by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of our testimony.

I am grateful for my small group, and for the way God ministers to me through them.  If God can use me and my testimony in some small way to encourage another, to God be glory forever!  I can't tell you what the small group has meant in my life.  If you are not involved in a small group study, either through your church (you may call it Sunday School, or Bible Study, or Men's/Women's Group), or it may be like our group which is extra-congregational (that is, involving those from many churches, not affiliated with any one church).  

Shameless Self Promotion

Book Summary




Like a precious stone prepared by a master jeweler, grace is a beautiful, multi-faceted gift that God gives to all. It was available to Adam and Eve to cover their sin. It was a theme of the song of Jonah sung from the belly of the great fish. Grace was seen in the parable of the Good Samaritan, who not only saw to the needs of the traveler who fell victim to the robbers, but extended the gift to the robbers as well. It will be given to the Tribulation Saints at the end of the world as we know it.

Come explore the grace of God in ways that you had not thought of before!

Blynn Stewart is a graduate of Howard Payne University, and of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. You can follow him at blynnstewart.blogspot.com



Yes, friends, I have written a book.  The good people at Xulon Press have published it for me.  There is a link to the publisher's web site at the upper right corner of this page.  Clicking on the link will take you directly to my book's page, where you can purchase one or more copies.  Soon it will be available on Nook, Kindle and Apple iBooks.  I hope some day that it can be sold in bookstores.

That's where you come in.  If you purchase my book online, you will be charged shipping fees.  But if you take my ISBN number to your local bookstore, they will order it for you, and you may avoid the shipping fees.  If enough people request it, the bookstore may decide to stock it.

I also covet your prayers.  This is not about me.  It is all about the grace of a loving God.  He must increase, I must decrease.  It is my prayer that the person who needs this message will read the book.  It's not about my making any money at this.  If I sell enough books to cover my costs, I will be happy.  If I make any profit, I will be blessed.  It is God who gives the increase.  I do not expect to be a best-selling author, ever.  Not with this book, not with the next.  

My main purpose for this book is "for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."  (Ephesians 4:12).  If someone comes to a saving knowledge of Christ after reading Facets of Grace, to God be the glory.

I would love it if a small group Bible study, or Men's group, all read the book together, using the study questions at the end of each chapter to discuss and learn and be motivated to study more of God's word.  "Iron sharpens iron."  (Proverbs 27:17)  The ideas in this book might cause a discussion, a debate, or even a discipleship group to form.  It is only 12 chapters, so a weekly group could go through it all in 3 months.

It can also be used in personal Bible study.  It is meant for personal spiritual growth.  It is useful for any age, and it does not matter whether you are a babe in Christ or a mature Christian.  

Yes, a lot of the material has come from this very blog, which you can access for free.  But I think there is enough new material, organized in an easy-to-read format, that it can be a great tool to learn more about our Savior and His abundant grace in our lives.

April showers show God's power

He sends His command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.  He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.  He hurls down His hail like pebbles.  Who can withstand His icy blast?  He sends His word and melts them; He stirs up His breezes, and the waters flow.  --Psalm 147:15-18, NIV

We have had some violent spring weather over the last couple of weeks.  Tornadoes have blown through, hail stones the size of softballs have fallen.  Weather watchers have had to go inside for their own safety.  Television meteorologists have all issued warnings, saying "Please do not travel unless it is absolutely necessary."

Messages like this get our attention.

Most of the weather warnings involve water.  When it is raining in torrents, we slow down.  When it floods or freezes, we stop.  If the water runs swiftly, we may get swept up in it and find ourselves in a different place than when we started.  But we all know that when we travel to arid places, where there is no water, we'd better take some water with us, because we cannot live without it.

In a way, our spiritual lives are like a river.  Sometimes our lives are hectic.  Sometimes we hit obstacles in our way, bounce off them, and move on.  This is like white-water rapids.  Sometimes they are exciting, but ultimately they are shallow and move too fast to soak in.  Sometimes we go with the flow.  We are moving, not too fast, but enough to see a change.  In times like these we might get complacent.  We might get too comfortable.  Or we might want to move ahead and see what's around the next bend.

What are some ways that God can get our attention?  What are some places or situations where the water may stop for awhile?  The best instance might be when it gets deep.  When we went tubing down the river last summer, there were places in the river where the water seemed to stop.  The inner tube we were on would go no further, but only spin slowly around in circles.  This was where the water eddied, where the deepest part of the water was surrounded by sand bars or reefs.  The water was flowing just a few feet toward the opposite bank, but right here in the eddy it was time to relax and reflect.

I think God sometimes directs us to a deep place, where we can stop and meditate on His word.  The world may pass us by for a season, but we need to just stop and soak there for awhile.  God will move us in His time.

A second way that a river is stopped is by being trapped by a dam.  A dam is an unnatural impediment to a river.  It keeps the river from flowing.  The dam could be man-made, or caused by a land-slide, or by an animal such as a beaver dragging tree limbs and other debris into the river from the shore.  If the river is to flow like it was meant to flow, then the impediment needs to be removed.

I think sin sometimes builds up and impedes our walk with God.  It might make us flow a few feet in a different direction, or it might stop us altogether.  If we want to continue in the channel God made for us, sometimes we need to get out and remove the barriers of sin.  We might need to tear down a stronghold that dams up the flow of God's blessing in our lives.

A third way that a river might stop is to freeze.  There have been a couple of times in history that it got so cold in upstate New York that even the Niagra Falls froze solid.  The water gets so cold that it can't move.  Although the river can't change the air temperature, it can wait patiently until the sun comes out and warmth returns.

I think many times we get frozen.  We can't understand why.  We are ready and willing to flow for God.  There is nothing in our way, no impediment in the river bed to stop us in our tracks.  Nevertheless we are stuck until the Son comes and thaws us out.  His presence allows us to return to our normal flow.  We may never know the reason that God had us stop for a time.  Perhaps it was to protect us from a peril downstream, something we are not prepared for.

We only have to trust God, and rely on His presence to guide us, to pressure us to clean out the sin before us, or to direct us to a pool where we can delve deeper into His presence for a time.

May He be your shepherd, and may you lack nothing.  May He lead you to lie down in green pastures beside still waters.  May He restore your soul.  May He guide you in paths of His righteousness for His name's sake.

Priesthood of the Believer, Unstained by the World

If you think that you can walk in holiness without keeping up perpetual fellowship with Christ, you have made a great mistake.  If you would be holy, you must live close to Jesus.  --Charles Haddon Spurgeon

THESIS:  Priests must be holy before God and men (Leviticus 21:7).  "For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens." (Hebrews 7:26). We are all priests, called to stand between men and God.  "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9).

ANTITHESIS:  Even though we are "a royal priesthood," we are not without sin.  "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.... If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." (1 John 1:8, 10). "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

SYNTHESIS: God admonishes us to keep His word, to stay close to him.

"And now this admonition is for you, O priests.  If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name," says the Lord Almighty, "I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings.  Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me." --Malachi 2:1-2

Part of our job as priests is to give blessings to the people.  But if our blessings are cursed, then we are just snake-oil salesmen.  Our churches are no different than a civic club--worse, because we are proclaiming a lie.

"For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction--because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty.  But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi," says the Lord Almighty.  "So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law." --Malachi 2:7-9.

If we stop proclaiming the truth of God, or if we start watering it down with worldly compromise, then we will be despised among the very people to whom we are sent.  We cannot water down the message because we think it too harsh, or that people won't stomach it.

"Another thing you do: You flood the Lord's altar with tears.  You weep and wail because He no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands.  You ask, 'Why?'  It is because the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.  Has not the Lord made them one?  In flesh and spirit they are His.  And why one?  Because He was seeking godly offspring.  So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.  I hate divorce," says the Lord God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the Lord. --Malachi 2:13-16.

Sexual imagery is everywhere.  Violent images are everywhere.  It is almost impossible to escape.  We have numbed ourselves to it.  We see it all around us in the world, and in the church.  We are not shocked by it.  We even see it in the entertainment choices we make.  Is it any wonder that there are more divorced people in America than married people?

"So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith." (Malachi 2:16b).  Be the priest, the mediator between God and man, that you were created for, that is the proof of your calling.  

We sing a chorus in our Bible study group that goes like this:

Holiness, holiness..is what i long for
Holiness is what i need
Holiness, holiness 
Is what you want from me

[Chorus:]
Take my life and form it
Take my mind transform it
Take my will conform it
To yours, to yours, oh lord

Righteousness, righteousness is what i long for
Righteousness is what i need
Righteousness, righteousness
Is what you want from me

[Chorus:]
Purity, purity..is what i long for
Purity is what i need
Purity, purity 
Is what you want from me