Light From the Dark Continent – July 20, 2011 I have been thinking about you all much this morning and recounting the blessing that it is to be in partnership with your L.I.F.E. I truly cannot think of anything better that Janice and I could, or would rather be doing with our lives other than being a part of bringing such incredible hope to so many people there, and here in Africa. We pastored a church for years, and never had the individual impact on so many that has been the result of TEAM. I have just come back from my morning run and all along the way my thoughts moved homeward. Week three is always the hardest for me on these trips. I don\’t think I will ever get used to being away from my precious bride, best friend, partner, encourager and mentor, and my family and friends. The temptation comes to question whether it\’s worth it. It is so with my run this morning. Sometimes it starts to feel good and easy, but that\’s when I know I am not improving. It would be so easy at those times to just ease up and keep that pace every time I go out…but guess what? That will never take me to my goal of a 7 minute mile! It will always just be \”doing good\”…the victory cry of the mediocre. No! It\’s at those moments I have to remember where I\’ve come, where I am, and where I want to be. I have to keep stroking! I have to keep the dream alive! It was that way this morning up a muddy, slippery, red dirt, hilly African street! My prize, my dream, was all I had to push me on.  No one watching, no one keeping time, no one cheering! Stretching every muscle, expanding every Alveolar sac in my chest until they feel like they are aflame…firing up every synapses in my cranium to mobilize those Elephant neurons… For the Prize that is set before me! The path has already been laid out for me. I don\’t have to figure that part out! All I have to do is set my mind to do it and never quit! That\’s like what we all have in our hands in TEAM. This is our challenge! We have ahead of us a race, that if we endure to the end will reward us with a prize that so few people will ever have the privilege of experiencing. So few will even get the invitation to enter yet alone qualify for what lies at the end. Here in Liberia I teach team principles as they relate to LIFE in Christ and the resulting freedom to hundreds of people, who at very best can change the way they think in terms if relationships and be set free to know the joy of forgiven sins and a new life in Christ. That is their prize! Nothing more! There is no money. There are no jobs, there is no education, there is no health care, funerals are more common than weddings, it rains almost 24 hours a day 6 months out of a year!  We don\’t know what tough is till we get around these people for a while, but their smiles can literally light up a black African night!  So what\’s this got to do with us? It has everything to do with the freedom for which, those who have gone before us and made the ultimate sacrifice have shed blood, sweat and tears. We are in a race for true freedom. The course has been set for us. It\’s been mapped out and we are surrounded by a huge crowd of witnesses that can prove to us that it can be done because they\’ve already done it! But the temptation is always there to give up at the first major struggle. It is at these times that we have to pull hard at the memory if why we got started! And if that reason was not big enough to keep us, maybe we need to find one that is big enough. I think sometimes the size of the dream, and the reason to press on to freedom will determine how small or big a struggle will cause us to quit! Or if not quit, just \”take a little time out\”… the death dirge of a loser… I love you all and sooo much want to see what you become and what you achieve at the finish line. So I challenge you to think again. Meditate on it. Picture it. Live it in your mind. And never let the voices and the doubts of the mediocre become louder and larger than the cheerleader of your soul and the belief in yourself that you can and will do anything you want!  I leave You with this thought that has really been speaking to me lately, and I will see you real soon! Hebrews 12:1 (MSG) Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we\’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we\’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he\’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Philippians 3:12,15 (MSG) I\’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don\’t get me wrong: By

\”Failures are more finely etched in our minds than triumphs, and success is an elusive, if not mythic, goal in our demanding society\” (Hugh Drummond). When I determine to advance to a new level of growth I will immediately be faced with the discomfort of new and different challenges. My old habits, thoughts and routines line up to resist change. Each obstacle seems insurmountable and creates a sense of personal defeat and despair. The easy way out would be to simply step back into the comfort zone and avoid the pain rather than struggle through this valley of despair. To rise to the next level of success I know that I must press on through regardless. To accomplish this I must resolve to: 1. Remember my God given purpose. I must realign my thinking with my vision, and remind myself of the benefits of reaching my goal. 2. Make sure I have a clear plan and stick to it, avoiding any and all distractions that come my way. Start my plan early to be sure I stay on track. 3. Stay in touch with my mentor and associate with positive influences that have the same success mindset and draw from their personal experience and positive input. 4. Listen to audio that will assist in replacing the drone of my own negative self talk with positive statements of courage and affirmation. 5. Read at least 15 minutes a day out of books that will help me redirect and reframe the thoughts that misinform me about my true potential. 6. Spend regular quality time in the Scriptures and Prayer seeking God’s face and familiarizing myself with the Makers Manual. Taking these simple steps will clear the noise of opposition in our minds that comes from past failures and experiences and make room for courage to find a home.

Perfect Mercy, Perfect Wrath. It is one thing to throwout the phrase “Jesus is the Reason for the Season”, but it’s an altogether different thing to know why. It is to this end that Romans 5 is for me one of the most exciting passages of Scripture. It reveals the chracter of God as it relates to His wrath and judgment against sin, and the provision of His grace in providing salvation from that wrath. Its not about miracles on the outside, as wonderful as they are. This is about something that is far better, far more eternal. This is a revelation of God’s heart. How you can know how to get from your address to Heaven, no matter how messed up your life may be. This is a clear expression of how to find peace with God for eternity. As we attempt to unpack this we must recognize that there is an underlying Premise  – We will find that God’s perfect Mercy is matched with, and presupposes God’s perfect wrath. Before we can understand anything of the magnitude of this great mercy we must be smitten in our hearts with some understanding of His perfect wrath. Some theologians refer to this as the “unfriendly side of God” There are some principles that will guide our understanding of this, and the first is: Principle # 1. The wrath of God is against ALL sin. It would not be perfect if it were not. It would not be complete if it were not against all sins and if there were some sins that were acceptable to Him. His wrath is perfect because it means His is angry against all sins. You may say that is not how I understand God to be. I understand God only as a forgiving God full of mercy and love. Then you need to read your bible. The happiest, most hopeful story in the Bible for most is the Nativity. But apart from the message of Calvary, the story of His birth is meaningless. The greatest message by far of God’s grace is the message of the Old rugged Cross – but to encounter the message of the cross and recognize it ONLY as a message of God’s mercy and grace is to miss the point. The message of the bloody old cross is also a message about God’s wrath. If you can pass by the cross and with a sentimental curtsy acknowledge His expression of love alone, and miss the fact that this was a message declared in the blood of the only begotten son, the only pure man that ever lived, that God is just and He judges all sin then you have missed the point.   The motivation for the Cross in the heart and mind of God was His perfect wrath and his hatred towards sin alongside His great love for you and me, measured by the fact that He substituted immediate and permanent judgment against us by placing that judgment square upon the shoulders of His Son who became our sin, so that the requirement of a just God may be satisfied.   Principle #2. Not only does God in His perfect wrath deal with all sin, but he deals with all sinners. Ch 2 & 3 declare that God is Holy, hates all sins, and He is also the judge of all sinners. Religious sinners with their marked bibles that sit in a church pew Sunday after Sunday; Pagan, rebellious, unbelieving sinners that would never darken the door of the church. All are the same in God’s eyes. If rich sinners were excluded… If smart sinners were excluded…If certain classes or colors would be exempt…if certain good works based upon initiative, will and talent and understanding could exclude one, his wrath would be imperfect and his justice unjust. So Paul says Jew and Gentile are all alike in God’s eyes. (Rom 3:9-18 NASB) What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;  as it is written, \”there is none righteous, not even one;  there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God. All have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.\” \”their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving,\” \”the poison of asps is under their lips\”; \”whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness\”;  \”their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths,  and the path of peace have they not known.\” \”there is no fear of God before their eyes.\”  (Rom 3:9-18 NASB) “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  (Rom 3:23 NASB) All sin, all sinners, and thirdly, Principle # 3 For all eternity. Luke 16:19 God’s wrath includes all eternity. Does not change his mind in the middle. There is no purgatory. (Rev 20:13-15 NASB)  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. {14} And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. {15} And if anyone\’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. If your name is not in the book you are lost for all eternity. No other options. God is perfect in his love, in his power, in his knowledge, but also in his wrath. All sinners. Religious sinners. Smart sinners, dumb ones, skinny ones and fat. All. That’s the bad news this morning. But thank God there is good news! The good news. God is not only perfect in his wrath, he is also perfect in His mercy. Perfect Wrath, but also Perfect Mercy: In the same way that

Perfect Mercy, Perfect Wrath. It is one thing to throwout the phrase “Jesus is the Reason for the Season”, but it’s an altogether different thing to know why. It is to this end that Romans 5 is for me one of the most exciting passages of Scripture. It reveals the chracter of God as it relates to His wrath and judgment against sin, and the provision of His grace in providing salvation from that wrath. Its not about miracles on the outside, as wonderful as they are. This is about something that is far better, far more eternal. This is a revelation of God’s heart. How you can know how to get from your address to Heaven, no matter how messed up your life may be. This is a clear expression of how to find peace with God for eternity. As we attempt to unpack this we must recognize that there is an underlying Premise  – We will find that God’s perfect Mercy is matched with, and presupposes God’s perfect wrath. Before we can understand anything of the magnitude of this great mercy we must be smitten in our hearts with some understanding of His perfect wrath. Some theologians refer to this as the “unfriendly side of God” There are some principles that will guide our understanding of this, and the first is: Principle # 1. The wrath of God is against ALL sin. It would not be perfect if it were not. It would not be complete if it were not against all sins and if there were some sins that were acceptable to Him. His wrath is perfect because it means His is angry against all sins. You may say that is not how I understand God to be. I understand God only as a forgiving God full of mercy and love. Then you need to read your bible. The happiest, most hopeful story in the Bible for most is the Nativity. But apart from the message of Calvary, the story of His birth is meaningless. The greatest message by far of God’s grace is the message of the Old rugged Cross – but to encounter the message of the cross and recognize it ONLY as a message of God’s mercy and grace is to miss the point. The message of the bloody old cross is also a message about God’s wrath. If you can pass by the cross and with a sentimental curtsy acknowledge His expression of love alone, and miss the fact that this was a message declared in the blood of the only begotten son, the only pure man that ever lived, that God is just and He judges all sin then you have missed the point.   The motivation for the Cross in the heart and mind of God was His perfect wrath and his hatred towards sin alongside His great love for you and me, measured by the fact that He substituted immediate and permanent judgment against us by placing that judgment square upon the shoulders of His Son who became our sin, so that the requirement of a just God may be satisfied.   Principle #2. Not only does God in His perfect wrath deal with all sin, but he deals with all sinners. Ch 2 & 3 declare that God is Holy, hates all sins, and He is also the judge of all sinners. Religious sinners with their marked bibles that sit in a church pew Sunday after Sunday; Pagan, rebellious, unbelieving sinners that would never darken the door of the church. All are the same in God’s eyes. If rich sinners were excluded… If smart sinners were excluded…If certain classes or colors would be exempt…if certain good works based upon initiative, will and talent and understanding could exclude one, his wrath would be imperfect and his justice unjust. So Paul says Jew and Gentile are all alike in God’s eyes. (Rom 3:9-18 NASB) What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;  as it is written, \”there is none righteous, not even one;  there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God. All have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.\” \”their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving,\” \”the poison of asps is under their lips\”; \”whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness\”;  \”their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths,  and the path of peace have they not known.\” \”there is no fear of God before their eyes.\”  (Rom 3:9-18 NASB) “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  (Rom 3:23 NASB) All sin, all sinners, and thirdly, Principle # 3 For all eternity. Luke 16:19 God’s wrath includes all eternity. Does not change his mind in the middle. There is no purgatory. (Rev 20:13-15 NASB)  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. {14} And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. {15} And if anyone\’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. If your name is not in the book you are lost for all eternity. No other options. God is perfect in his love, in his power, in his knowledge, but also in his wrath. All sinners. Religious sinners. Smart sinners, dumb ones, skinny ones and fat. All. That’s the bad news this morning. But thank God there is good news! The good news. God is not only perfect in his wrath, he is also perfect in His mercy. Perfect Wrath, but also Perfect Mercy: In the same way that

Last week in our study we saw that Jesus in His grace and mercy not only has forgiven us of our sins, but He has bestowed on all of us the majesty of a prince and the ministry of a priest. We are important to God. Jesus has given us power with men and power with God. What more could we want? This is grace that accrues to us in our relationship with Jesus. This has been a week of great mourning for the world. First the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Then the sudden, though expected death of Mother Theresa. The contrasting lifestyles of these two famous individuals bring and incredible truth home to us. This truth has been emphasized over and over again as Elton John has sung the words of one of his greatest hits, “Candle in the Wind”. This is the truth. No matter what your status is in life. Whether you are young or old. Whether you have lived a life of splendor or simplicity. Whether you are royal or rascal, Prince or peasant. Life is like a candle in the wind. And when that candle is snuffed out, every option is reduced to one simple equation. You are either lost, or saved.  No other status matters anymore. It matter to those left behind, but to the person in the coffin it is irrelevant. But for those who are in Christ, the glory does not end there. The Bible says that there will come a day when we shall see Him face to face, and we shall be like Him! And that glory will never be snuffed out. His is the glory that will outshine the sun. The glory of Jesus\’ right to rule and reign forever. His coming is immanent. Every prophecy has been fulfilled. Every event that was to precede His coming has already taken place. The Bible tells us that when this has happened He could return at any moment. 1 Thes. 4:16-5:3  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  [17]After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.  [18] Therefore encourage each other with these words. [5:1] Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,  [2] for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  [3] While people are saying, \”Peace and safety,\” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. This old world will grind on as before. The plans that men have set in motion to cure all the ills of mankind will continue. Nations will continue to fight against nation, as ambassadors for peace present their solution around the conference table of the United Nations. Politicians will continue to campaign. Business men will continue to build their empires. The orbit will continue to spin.  Students will still burn the midnight oil. When all of a sudden. With a unified shout by Jesus and the Archangel and a blast from Gabriel’s trumpet, the heavens will open and it will all be over as we know it. One of the greatest hopes of the believer is the second coming of Christ. As awful as it will be for the unbeliever, so it will be a blessed event for the Christian. Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  [12] It teaches us to say \”No\” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,  [13] while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,  [14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. This will be the beginning of Christ’s future glory. As we continue our study in Revelation we will look at this aspect of His reign as the King of Kings. The moment in history when He will return and every eye shall see Him. Rev. 1:7-8  Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. [8] \”I am the Alpha and the Omega,\” says the Lord God, \”who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.\” Several things that we notice in these few short verses. Firstly we see that: I. His Coming Is Personal “…Look, He is coming with the clouds I am reminded of the words of  the angel when they appeared to the followers of Jesus at His ascension. They were amazed as they gazed after Him ascending into the clouds, when two angels appeared. Acts 1:10-11 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.  [11] \”Men of Galilee,\” they said, \”why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.\” Jesus will be visible. He will come in His personal, physical form. In ancient times, God wrapped himself in a cloud, when Israel pitched the tabernacle in the wilderness, he came in a cloud, when Jesus comes back He will not be shrouded. Every eye will be able to see exactly who He is and everyone will know. He will be no different to the way He was when

Psalm 45 This is a Song of commitment. In a human relationship no one ever gets to the marriage alter unless there has been a solid commitment by both parties to completely surrender their lives to each other. The same is true in our union with our spiritual Groom. We cannot even begin to talk about the delights that wait beyond the veil until there has been the kind of change of heart that causes a reckless abandonment of all that we are into the trusting arms of our Groom. In the natural, this abandonment or commitment comes about as a result of the bride knowing enough about her groom that she has no hesitation about committing her allegiance to him. In the same way we make that commitment to our divine Groom because of what has been revealed to us about His nature. Dr. Spurgeon long ago challenged the church to not only believe in Christ, but to know why we believe in Him. The commitment of our allegiance to Him, is based upon the revelation of his worth. He is worthy of our allegiance. He is worthy of our worship. He is worthy of our unrestrained, unashamed abandonment to His intimacy. This is the stuff of Psalm 45. A Brief History Even the description of the Psalm sets it apart at the very outset as something unique. One of two wedding songs recorded in the psalms. A special Tune – “The Lillies” A special Choir – “Levitical – Sons of Korah” A special purpose – “Maskil” In it’s historical context it was a song for a very special bride and groom. Maschil,  An instructive poem or song. Not an idle lay, or a romantic ballad, but a Psalm of holy teaching, didactic and doctrinal. As a “Maschil” it was not only historical in it’s context, but it is also applicable to us in it’s content.  Long after the wedding in question, the psalm was used by the Israelites as one speaking of God’s relationship with His Children, Israel. Now His church is included in that relationship with Israel and  the “wasness” of the written Word of God once again becomes for us the “isness” of His applicable Word. The interpretation of this Word is for an age gone by, but the application through the Holy Spirit is very decidedly for us right here and now. The groom written of here is a reference to Christ. The Bride is a type of His church. The Psalm is unquestionably Messianic. Spurgeon: Some here see Solomon and Pharaoh\’s daughter only— they are short sighted; others see both Solomon and Christ—they are cross eyed; well focused spiritual eyes see here Jesus only, or if Solomon be present at all, it must be like those hazy shadows of by passers which cross the face of the camera, and therefore are dimly traceable upon a photographic landscape. In a day when there is such a renewed interest in the validity of scriptures relating to the authenticity of a risen Christ, this Psalm speaks to us volumes. It reminds us of the nature of our risen Lord and Bridegroom and compels us to bow down once again in wonder and awe of who He is. It reminds us again of the reason we believe in who He is and it calls us back to a place of total allegiance to Him alone. The Psalm is divided into two sections. The Majesty of the Groom The Message to the Bride The psalmist makes a case the Grooms Majesty by highlighting The Excellency of His Reputation. The Equity of His Rule. The Eternal Nature of His Reign It is upon being drawn to Him and knowing Him more intimately that we come to know The Excellency of His Reputation. 2You are fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into your lips: therefore God has blessed you forever. 8All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad (Psalm 45:2,8). The excellency of our grooms reputation is demonstrated first of all by The Majesty of His Person. We sing that beautiful praise song, “How excellent is thy name O Lord, how excellent is thy name”. And “There is none like you, no one else can touch my heart like you do, I can search through eternity long and find, there is none like you.” The writer begins by describing The Majesty of the Groom. Listen to his opening words. My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. Unusual introduction. Not commonly found in the Psalms. The word “stirred” can be more literally translated as “my heart boils”, or “my heart is bursting” or “my heart seethes”(New International Commentary: Psalms). His tongue is like the pen of a ready writer. He cannot wait to get the word out about the Groom. This is the kind of emotion that ought to be ours when we recognize the true nature of our Groom. Why? Because of who He is. Because of His majesty! There is nothing in our wildest imagination that can compare with Him. Compared to Him all that is fair becomes dark. O fair sun, and fair moon, and fair stars, and fair flowers, and fair roses, and fair lilies; but O ten thousand thousand times fairer Lord Jesus! Alas! I have wronged him in making the comparison this way. O black sun and moon! but O fair Lord Jesus! O black flowers, and black lilies, and roses! but O fair, fair, ever fair, Lord Jesus! O black heaven! but O fair Christ! O black angels! but O surpassingly fair Lord Jesus! Samuel Rutherford. It is amazing how that we can be consumed by the activities and busyness of our day, but the moment we begin to dwell on Him, He shows up. When the conversation