Podcasts about his enemies

Welcome to episode 189 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we walk through Psalm 92.  Today, we will explore some reasons to praise God: A Resolution to Praise the Lord (vv. 1-4) The Lord's Great Works and Judgment on His Enemies (vv. 5-9) God's Provision for the Psalmist (vv. 10-11) The Fruitfulness of the Righteous (vv. 12-15)  Key takeaways: Psalm 92 contrasts the Lord's punishment of the wicked with His blessing on the righteous. The psalmist made God his refuge and the experience was so great he could not keep from singing, nor from praising the Lord. The God of the psalmist is an active God who intervenes on behalf of His worshipers. Foolish people are blind because they choose not to see. The reason they do not know and will not praise God is that they do not want to know or praise Him. They actually hate Him because He is God, and they are not.  In the midst of wickedness, God comes as judge of the wicked and savior of the righteous.  There is no “injustice” in God. Surely, such a God is worthy of our praise.  Quotable: God will have the last word, and justice will be done.  Application: Our enjoyment of God is expressed in our praise of God, and when we praise God, we do indeed enjoy Him. Belief in divine judgment and in the righteous imperative is an acknowledgment that divinely established boundaries of human conduct do exist. Do we recognize God as the giver of the temporal benefits we enjoy? Or do we just take them for granted? Worse yet, do we boast of our accomplishments, our hard work, our victories (while blaming others, maybe God Himself, for our failures and defeats)? The righteous have a fruitful future to anticipate and enjoy because, even in old age, they will continue to flourish. They do not just retire, but they continue to be productive in life. In fact, for the righteous person, old age can be the time when the long-term returns on the investment of a godly life are enjoyed.   Connect with us: Web site:  https://springbaptist.org Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/SBCKleinCampus (Klein Campus) https://www.facebook.com/SpringBaptist (Spring Campus) Need us to pray for you?  Submit your prayer request to https://springbaptist.org/prayer/  If you haven't already done so, please leave us a rating and review in your podcast provider. 

Christmas Brings Us Great Joy Because . . . I. God Offers Great News to All People, Even the Lowly and Outcast! (8-10) II. God Offers a Great Savior Who Extends Peace to His Enemies! (11-14) III. God Offers a Great Opportunity to Experience His Nearness! (15-16) IV. God Offers a Great Privilege to Joyfully Participate in the Mission of God! (17-20) Application Questions o Have you experienced the nearness of God by entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? If not, what is holding you back from believing? o What about the birth of Christ produces joy in your heart? How can you ponder those truths this Christmas? o Who in your circles needs to hear about the good news that Christ offers this Christmas season? How can you share with them what Christ has done for you?

In this episode of the Watchung Booksellers Podcast, journalist and historian Jonathan Alter discusses his latest book, American Reckoning: Inside Trump's Trial--and My Own, recorded in-store at Watchung Booksellers.Jonathan Alter is the author of three New York Times bestsellers: The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies, The Promise: President Obama, Year One, and The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, also one of the Times' “Notable Books” of the year. Alter released His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life in 2020.Since 1996, Alter has been a contributing correspondent and political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. In 2019, he co-produced and co-directed the HBO documentary, “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,” winning the 2020 Emmy for Best Historical Documentary.In 2021, Alter launched a newsletter called “OLD GOATS, Ruminating with Friends” devoted to conversations with accomplished people of wisdom and experience.Books:A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events.The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Silver Stream Studio in Montclair, NJ. The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell and Bree Testa. Special thanks to Timmy Kellenyi and Derek Mattheiss. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Art & design and social media by Evelyn Moulton. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids' Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch!Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.comSocial: @watchungbooksellersSign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

Scripture: 2 Kings 6:8-23Text: 2 Kings 6:8-20Out-Numbered!Theme: Elisha Reveals the Overwhelming Power of God over His Enemies.

In this episode of the Watchung Booksellers, authors Jonathan Alter and Stuart Reid delve into their political writing research processes.Jonathan Alter is the author of three New York Times bestsellers: The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies, The Promise: President Obama, Year One, and The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope”, also one of the Times' “Notable Books” of the year. Alter released his latest book,His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life in 2020. Since 1996, Alter has been a contributing correspondent and political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. In 2019, he co-produced and co-directed the HBO documentary, Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists winning the 2020 Emmy for Best Historical Documentary. In 2021, Alter launched a newsletter called OLD GOATS, Ruminating with Friends, devoted to conversations with accomplished people of wisdom and experience.Stuart Reid is an executive editor at Foreign Affairs magazine and the author of The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination, which was a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice. He has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg Businessweek, Politico Magazine, Slate, and other publications.  Resources:The Lumumba Plot Launch EventFOIA RequestCREST System CIA archive Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News Network Settlement Audit Trails Books:A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events.The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Silver Stream Studio in Montclair, NJ. The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell and Bree Testa. Special thanks to Timmy Kellenyi and Derek Mattheiss. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Art & design and social media by Evelyn Moulton. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids' Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch!Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.comSocial: @watchungbooksellersSign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

A new VIDEO from Coleraine Free Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Christ Will Deal with His Enemies Subtitle: Studies in the Psalms Speaker: Rev Ryan McKee Broadcaster: Coleraine Free Presbyterian Church Event: Prayer Meeting Date: 5/15/2024 Bible: Psalm 2 Length: 29 min.

To Solve Crises, Biden is Increasingly Relying on His Enemies at Home and Abroad | Biden Should Bypass Netanyahu And Go to the Israeli Public With a Peace Plan | The Disconnect Between Biden's Great Economic Numbers and How Voters Feel about the Economy Host: Ian Masters Producer: Graham FitzGibbon Assistant Producer: Evan Green

Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 700 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Check out StandUpwithPete.com to learn more Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer and radio host. Alter's most recent book is “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life.” (2020), which received uniformly favorable reviews. His earlier books include three New York Times bestsellers: “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies” (2013), “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” (2010) and “The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope” (2006), also one of the Times' “Notable Books” of the year.  A former senior editor and columnist at Newsweek, Alter is a longtime political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.  He co-produced and co-directed the HBO documentary “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,” which won the 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Historical Documentary. In 2013-2014, he was an executive producer of “Alpha House,“ a comedy on Amazon. Over the years, Alter has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Washington Monthly, the New Yorker, Bloomberg, the Daily Beast and other publications. In 2021, he launched a weekly Substack newsletter called “OLD GOATS, Ruminating with Friends,” which includes frequent columns and his conversations with accomplished people of wisdom and experience. Since 2016, he has hosted “Alter Family Politics“ each week on Sirius XM, 102 with his three adult children. Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube  Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page All things Jon Carroll  Follow and Support Pete Coe

Today's guest is legendary columnist and author Jonathan Alter !   Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 700 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Check out StandUpwithPete.com to learn more Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer and radio host. Alter's most recent book is “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life.” (2020), which received uniformly favorable reviews. His earlier books include three New York Times bestsellers: “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies” (2013), “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” (2010) and “The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope” (2006), also one of the Times' “Notable Books” of the year.  A former senior editor and columnist at Newsweek, Alter is a longtime political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.  He co-produced and co-directed the HBO documentary “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,” which won the 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Historical Documentary. In 2013-2014, he was an executive producer of “Alpha House,“ a comedy on Amazon. Over the years, Alter has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Washington Monthly, the New Yorker, Bloomberg, the Daily Beast and other publications. In 2021, he launched a weekly Substack newsletter called “OLD GOATS, Ruminating with Friends,” which includes frequent columns and his conversations with accomplished people of wisdom and experience. Since 2016, he has hosted “Alter Family Politics“ each week on Sirius XM, 102 with his three adult children Pete on Tik Tok Pete on YouTube  Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page All things Jon Carroll  Follow and Support Pete Coe

Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer, and radio host. Alter's most recent book is “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life.” (2020), which received uniformly favorable reviews. His earlier books include three New York Times bestsellers: “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies” (2013), “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” (2010) and “The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope” (2006), also one of the Times' “Notable Books” of the year.

Enemyship, 9. The Justice & Righteousness of God Dealing with His Enemies 12-22-00 0190-967 GRACE BIBLE CHURCHPASTOR ROBERT R. MCLAUGHLINGBIBLE.ORG IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO OUR EMAIL LIST FOR LIVESTREAM SLIDE NOTES – PLEASE EMAIL & INDICATE SO @: DLG@GBIBLE.ORGIf any of these links do not work for you please email us at the above email address and we will send you the details and work on fixing the links as we are informed....THE GBIBLE APP IS NOW AVAILABLE!!!Here are some instructions for anyone who may have trouble or don't know how to find our new app:If you're going to look it up on the app store - we are actually "New England Bible Doctrine Church '' that's only if you're going to search that way - btw - way too many Grace Bible Churches - so this is kind of a good thing! Also attached are 2 links - 1 for Apple IOS and the 2 for Android Google Play:Apple IOS:https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1623957291ANDROID:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplashconsulting.s_2QTST8&hl=en_US&gl=US*** If you're an apple user as stated it's going to be the first link

Today's guest is legendary columnist and author Jonathan Alter ! I am doing the stand up comedy in southeast PA on Friday Jan 13. Get tickets !    Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 700 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Check out StandUpwithPete.com to learn more Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer and radio host. Alter's most recent book is “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life.” (2020), which received uniformly favorable reviews. His earlier books include three New York Times bestsellers: “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies” (2013), “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” (2010) and “The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope” (2006), also one of the Times' “Notable Books” of the year.  A former senior editor and columnist at Newsweek, Alter is a longtime political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.  He co-produced and co-directed the HBO documentary “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,” which won the 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Historical Documentary. In 2013-2014, he was an executive producer of “Alpha House,“ a comedy on Amazon. Over the years, Alter has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Washington Monthly, the New Yorker, Bloomberg, the Daily Beast and other publications. In 2021, he launched a weekly Substack newsletter called “OLD GOATS, Ruminating with Friends,” which includes frequent columns and his conversations with accomplished people of wisdom and experience. Since 2016, he has hosted “Alter Family Politics“ each week on Sirius XM, 102 with his three adult children. Check out all things Jon Carroll Follow and Support Pete Coe Pete on YouTube Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page

Title: Pain to Praise Text: Psalm 13 I. Pain Psalm 13:1-2. A. His Seeming Abandonment 1. B. His Sorrowful Abasement 2. II. Prayer Psalm 13:3-4. A. Overwhelmed by His Emotions 3. B. Overwhelmed by His Enemies 4. III. Praise Psalm 13:5-6. A. God's Salvation 5. B. God's Sufficiency 6.

WELCOME TO EPISODE 600!   Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 800 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Check out StandUpwithPete.com to learn more Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer and radio host. Alter's most recent book is “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life.” (2020), which received uniformly favorable reviews. His earlier books include three New York Times bestsellers: “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies” (2013), “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” (2010) and “The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope” (2006), also one of the Times' “Notable Books” of the year.  A former senior editor and columnist at Newsweek, Alter is a longtime political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.  He co-produced and co-directed the HBO documentary “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,” which won the 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Historical Documentary. In 2013-2014, he was an executive producer of “Alpha House,“ a comedy on Amazon. Over the years, Alter has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Washington Monthly, the New Yorker, Bloomberg, the Daily Beast and other publications. In 2021, he launched a weekly Substack newsletter called “OLD GOATS, Ruminating with Friends,” which includes frequent columns and his conversations with accomplished people of wisdom and experience. Since 2016, he has hosted “Alter Family Politics“ each week on Sirius XM, 102 with his three adult children. Deidre Dejear has dedicated her life to serving her community and that is what she will do as Governor starting on Day One. ​Deidre was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and as a child moved with her family to Oklahoma. At eight years old, Deidre's mother passed away shortly after giving birth to her younger sister. Overcoming this adversity at such a young age and seeing her dad be present for her and her siblings shaped who Deidre is today. Having her life turned upside down taught her to value life, value people and relationships, and how to overcome any hurdle thrown her way. ​Deidre moved to Iowa to attend Drake University, where she majored in Broadcast News and Politics and graduated with a B.A. in Journalism. She fell in love with the state and chose Iowa as her home. An early social impact entrepreneur, while still a student, Deidre co-founded the nonprofit Back to School Iowa to support youth to continue in their educational endeavors. They have since given away school supplies to thousands of Des Moines students. During her time serving as a competitive coach for the East High girls basketball team, Deidre traveled the state and helped to shape the lives of the girls on her team. While traveling the state, Iowans welcomed Deidre everywhere she went.  ​“I'm here because of my family. I'm here because of Iowa's values. I'm here because Iowa has potential.” ​Deidre built her business nearly 15 years ago to support the growing need for small businesses to access affordable marketing tools and successful business strategies during the brink of the Great Recession. Deidre has helped over 1000 small businesses across Iowa. Her work continues to empower small business owners, and her passion for their success drives her to find new and innovative ways to help them grow. Her early work laid the foundation to help over 120 business owners during the pandemic gain access to much needed funding and resources. ​“While I was not born in Iowa, I started my business here, met my husband here, and found my home here. I was introduced to a community who took care of people, who wrapped their arms around me, and created  pathways of opportunity that I have been paying forward ever since. There is no other place I could have done all of this.” ​Iowans have been through a lot these past few years, but the potential and desire to make their future even better still exists. Deidre believes in Iowans, and knows that by working together, change can happen. ​“Our children are worth fighting for the best education system possible; we can put Iowa schools back on top by working with parents, teachers, and our local governments to solve our challenges and invest in our future. Small businesses, the backbone of our economy and small towns, are worth the investment and support; as I have done throughout my career, I will be a champion for their needs to get them resources to recover from the pandemic and continue to grow our economy. Too many of our rural hospitals are at risk. I will prioritize increasing access to affordable, quality healthcare and mental healthcare for all Iowans. Working families have been hit hard over the past few years. I will support them by closing our skills gap, wage gap, and keeping jobs here in Iowa.” ​Deidre knows firsthand that what Iowans want is for our government to focus on our common needs, not the small differences that divide us. But government only works well if it's led well. That is not what we are seeing in Iowa today, where our Governor foments partisanship and pits Democrats and Republicans against one another for political gain. Check out all things Jon Carroll Follow and Support Pete Coe Pete on YouTube Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page

This episode will tell of the Mighty works of Yahweh against His ENEMIES, and how He protects His people through the praises of King David. Psalms ch. 68 from an Hebraic perspective --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/navi113/message

“Luke 19:41-48 | Driving Out Money Changers and Weeping for His Enemies” from Lakeshore Baptist Church by Pastor David Green. Released: 2022. Genre: Preaching. The post Luke 19:41-48 | Driving Out Money Changers and Weeping for His Enemies appeared first on Lakeshore Baptist Church.

Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 800 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Check out StandUpwithPete.com to learn more All this month and next I will be promoting GiveWell.org and I hope you will consider sending them a donation. They will match new donors up to $250! Please go to GiveWell.org/StandUp Get your holiday gifts from one of the sponsors of the show! GetQuip.com/STANDUP Indeed.com/STANDUP and start a store or shop at Shopify.com/Standup Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer and radio host. Alter's most recent book is “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life.” (2020), which received uniformly favorable reviews. His earlier books include three New York Times bestsellers: “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies” (2013), “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” (2010) and “The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope” (2006), also one of the Times' “Notable Books” of the year.  A former senior editor and columnist at Newsweek, Alter is a longtime political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.  He co-produced and co-directed the HBO documentary “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,” which won the 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Historical Documentary. In 2013-2014, he was an executive producer of “Alpha House,“ a comedy on Amazon. Over the years, Alter has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Washington Monthly, the New Yorker, Bloomberg, the Daily Beast and other publications. In 2021, he launched a weekly Substack newsletter called “OLD GOATS, Ruminating with Friends,” which includes frequent columns and his conversations with accomplished people of wisdom and experience. Since 2016, he has hosted “Alter Family Politics“ each week on Sirius XM, 102 with his three adult children. Check out all things Jon Carroll Follow and Support Pete Coe Pete on YouTube Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page

B07-E10 | Join us as we recap the second part of Chapter 9 of Lady of the Lake, in which Geralt and Yennefer face off against Vilgefortz, reunite with Ciri, and run into Emhyr var Emreis, the White Flame dancing on the Barrows of His Enemies. Strategic incest, murder, twists – this chapter has it all![Wine talk and tangents begin at 36:24. Skip ahead to the analysis at 44:22]Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher so you never miss an episode. And if you really like us, review us on Apple Podcasts! Toss a coin to this podcast by donating to us at buymeacoffee.com/midnightpod. Follow us on Instagram.Read along with us by picking up The Lady Of The Lake by Andrzej Sapkowski.Theme song for Midnight Book Club is Everyone is Happy Here by Meavy Boy. 

The Good New is that God has Turned Us, His Enemies, Into His Friends. We Live by that Hope and if We Lose that Hope, All is Lost.

While we have many today calling themselves "grace teacher," we are lacking "ministers of reconciliation." Some teach that God will stop imputing the world's sins only when they believe the gospel, while others teach that God stopped imputing the world's sins on account of the death of His Son when the world was still His ENEMIES. Today, Trey will offer some thought provoking commentary that may help to answer some of the following questions:

Today's story collection comes from Egermeier's Bible Story Book by Elsie E Egermeier. Today's episode includes: A Sinful Woman Is Brought to Jesus, Questioned by His Enemies, and Jesus Heals a Blind Man.

Series: N/AService: Sun AMType: SermonSpeaker: David WestWhat did Jesus, His friends and His Enemies say about the character of the greatest Man who ever lived and who was also the Son of God?

Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day.  Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 800 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls. Clarence Page, the 1989 Pulitzer Prize winner for Commentary, has been a columnist and a member of the Chicago Tribune's editorial board since July 1984. His column is syndicated nationally by Tribune Media Services. He has been based in Washington, D.C. since May of 1991. Page is an occasional guest panelist on The McLaughlin Group, a monthly contributor of essays to the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and a biweekly commentator on Sunday Morning Edition on National Public Radio. He is a frequent guest on national news programs, including ABC's Nightline and Good Morning America, NBC's Today, and CNN. Page was a reporter and assistant city editor for the Chicago Tribune from 1969 to 1980. He joined WBBM-TV in August 1980 as Director of the Community Affairs Department. He was a reporter and planning editor at the station from August 1982 to July 1984. Page's awards include a 1980 Illinois UPI award for community service for an investigative series titled "The Black Tax "and the Edward Scott Beck Award for overseas reporting of a 1976 series on the changing politics of Southern Africa. Page also participated in a 1972 Chicago Tribune Task Force series on vote fraud which won the Pulitzer Prize. He has received awards from the Illinois and Wisconsin chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union for his columns on civil liberties and constitutional rights. He was inducted into the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame in 1992. As a freelance writer, he has published articles in Chicago Magazine, the Chicago Reader, Washington Monthly, New Republic, the Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, and Emerge. A 1965 graduate of Middletown High School in Middletown, Ohio, he began his journalism career as a freelance writer and photographer for the Middletown Journal and Cincinnati Enquirer at the age of 17. Page received his bachelor of science in journalism degree from Ohio University in 1969. He has received honorary doctorates from Columbia College in Chicago and Lake Forest (Illinois) College. His first book, Showing My Color: Impolite Essays on Race and Identity, was published in hardcover by Harper-Collins. Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer and radio host. Alter is the author of three New York Times bestsellers: “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies”(2013), “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” (2010) and “The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope”(2006), also one of the Times’ “Notable Books” of the year. Alter’s latest book is “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life.” (2020). A former senior editor of Newsweek, Alter is a longtime contributing correspondent and political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.  In 2019, he co-produced and co-directed the HBO documentary “Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,” winning the 2020 Emmy for Best Historical Documentary. Pete on YouTube Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page

Nahum 1-3 New King James Version (NKJV) God's Mercy and Judgment 1 The [1]burden against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. God's Wrath on His Enemies 2 God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; The Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for… The post Nahum 1:1-3:19 appeared first on Springs Lighthouse.

Psalms 119:81-88 1. A troubling Soul, but not without Hope a. His Soul b. His Eyes c. His Life d. His Enemies e. His Time 2. Questioning Spirit, But not without Answers a. When will you comfort me? b. How Many are the days of your servant? c. When will you execute Judgement on those who persecute me? 3. Trusting Servant but not without truth a. Hope b. Searching c. Dont forget d. Be Faithful e. Help me f. Did not Forsake g. Revive Me

RESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; The New American Commentary: Luke by Robert Stein; Luke For Everyone by NT Wright; Preach the Word: Luke by Kent Hughes; Preach the Word: Matthew by Douglas Sean O'Donnell; The Temper of Jesus Christ towards His Enemies, and His Grace to the Chief of Sinners (sermon) by Benjamin Grosvenor; Saving Grace: Daily Devotions from Jack Miller; Repentance that Sings (sermon) by Bryan Chapell

I. God Disciplines His People that They Might Return to Him -vv1-5--II. God Distinguishes Between His People and His Enemies -vv6-8--III. God Delivers His People When They Return to Him -vv9-12-

About HIS VERY BEST Jonathan Alter tells the epic story of an enigmatic man of faith and his improbable journey from barefoot boy to global icon. Alter paints an intimate and surprising portrait of the only president since Thomas Jefferson who can fairly be called a Renaissance Man, a complex figure—ridiculed and later revered—with a piercing intelligence, prickly intensity, and biting wit beneath the patented smile. Here is a moral exemplar for our times, a flawed but underrated president of decency and vision who was committed to telling the truth to the American people. About the Author Jonathan Alter is an award-winning historian, columnist and documentary filmmaker. An MSNBC political analyst and former senior editor at Newsweek, he is the author of three New York Times bestsellers: The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies; The Promise: President Obama, Year One; and The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/steve-richards/support

A new MP3 sermon from Sovereign Grace Reformed Presbyterian is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Jesus Is Light for the Blind and a Terror to His Enemies Subtitle: Sunday Evening Devotions Speaker: Jeffrey Carter Broadcaster: Sovereign Grace Reformed Presbyterian Event: Sunday - PM Date: 10/11/2020 Bible: Isaiah 42:5-17 Length: 23 min.

But just because we ask God to be merciful to our enemies does not mean we passively allow evil to dominate us. We are to pray for justice as well as mercy. God is merciful and just. The post Prayer for God to Turn the Tables on His Enemies first appeared on Third Peter.

. Our Saving God 19-20--II. No Escape for His Enemies 21-23--III. The Procession of God 24-27--IV. God's Power draws the nations 28-31--V. Proclaim the Power of God 32-35

Paul’s address to His Enemies in Corinth | Part 2, Paul’s boast of Apostolic Credentials | Part 1 (2Cor 10:11-11:3) from Second Corinthians by Dr. Randy White. Released: 2019. Track 20. Genre: Speech. Additional Materials: ( Outline | Website | YouTubeChannel | ZoHo ) The post Paul’s address to His Enemies in Corinth | Part 2, Paul’s boast of Apostolic Credentials | Part 1 (2Cor 10:11-11:3) appeared first on RWM Podcasts.

Paul’s address to His Enemies in Corinth | Part 1 (2Cor 10:1-10) from Second Corinthians by Dr. Randy White. Released: 2019. Track 19. Genre: Speech. Additional Materials: ( Outline | Website | YouTubeChannel | ZoHo ) The post Paul’s address to His Enemies in Corinth | Part 1 (2Cor 10:1-10) appeared first on RWM Podcasts.

Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, reporter, columnist, radio host and television producer and analyst. He is the author of three New York Times bestsellers: “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies”(2013), “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” (2010) and “The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope (2006). Since 1996, Alter has been an analyst and contributing correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC. In his documentary debut, Alter joined John Block for 'Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,' an HBO film. The story follows two swashbuckling newspaper columnists who spoke for ordinary people and brought passion, wit and literary merit to their brilliant reporting about their city and nation. Interviewees include Tom Wolfe, Robert De Niro, Spike Lee, and Shirley MacLaine, among others. It captures the charm of the old New York, while probing explosive issues of race, class and the practice of journalism that resonate powerfully in our own time. In this interview, Alter discusses the “wonderful chaos” of documentary filmmaking, what the national news taught him about story compression, the difference between important stories and interesting stories, what he has learned from interviewing eight American presidents, and how growth as a writer may not be linear. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

The Devil's Mirror and The Snow Queen. A fable for our times from Hans Christian Andersen. Setting our minds free from the MSM Mirror, from its diabolical distortions and disfigurements serving Deep State Power. Thankfully, as Christian Whiton writes, the corrupt commentariat no longer determines public opinion, as the American people increasingly tune out "their screams." Meanwhile, the American Flag takes another beating from the rudderless NFL, from multinational Nike choosing Colin Kaepernick, and from First Man -- a new movie which doesn't allow Neil Armstrong to plant the flag on the moon. Patriots Unite! Also, we sample a high-spirited essay from Conrad Black: "Trump and His Enemies." Blasting Woodward and Bernstein, knocking Mueller, and expecting big action ahead from Utah Huber. Winning indeed. Plus, No Blue Wave. Mifsud -- the Maltese Falcon -- dead? Fly Rosenstein Fly. Notes on the life's work of Thomas Jefferson. With Listener Calls & Music via Bad Company, Daft Punk, Dink and Silver Convention.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ontario government says that in the ten years, your hydro bills will increase by over 43%. This was part of the 2017 Long Term Energy Plan in the government's most recent attempt to clean up it's mistakes. Guest - Steve Aplin, Publisher of Emission Trak, which monitors C02 Carbion Dioxide emissions from energy use President Trump has released some of the remaining JFK files, however citing security concerns, some documents were held back. What do we learn from these papers? Guest - Tom Whalen, Associate professor of Social Sciences at Boston University. Presidential historian, political expert, author of Kennedy vs Lodge: The 1952 Massachusetts Senate Race and JFK and His Enemies. Target has chosen to take it ease with Christmas promotions until American citizens have had a chance to celebrate Thanksgiving. Should other retailers do the same? Guest - Elissa Freeman. Public Relations Consultant, Huffington Post, Canada.com and PR Daily

President Trump has released some of the remaining JFK files, however citing security concerns, some documents were held back. What do we learn from these papers? Guest - Tom Whalen, Associate professor of Social Sciences at Boston University. Presidential historian, political expert, author of Kennedy vs Lodge: The 1952 Massachusetts Senate Race and JFK and His Enemies

The Prophet and His Enemies

I. An Urgent Call for Intercessors Amen. Jesus said in the Book of Revelation, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, I am the first and the last, I am the beginning and the end." And so, in saying that, He gives us a sense of a sequencing of history, a beginning, a middle, and an end. An unfolding of sequential events in history that tells a grand and glorious story. And we need to understand that story based on the Word of God. And as we come for the second week to these two chapters, Isaiah 63 and 64, I am asking a lot of you, as a congregation today, we could do the easy thing, I could go to the famous verse that says, "All our righteous acts are like filthy rags." And I could preach the Gospel of saying, "Salvation is not by works, because our works are like... " I could do that, and there's an aspect of that, but that's not all that this chapter... That these chapters are saying. So I'm want to challenge you to stay with me today, in terms of redemptive history, and understanding where Isaiah was at when he wrote these words, and what it was he was praying for and what he wanted to see happen going forward. And then step back and say, "Okay, where are we at in redemptive history? What principles can we take from these chapters that will enable us to get on board with what God is doing in our generation and the unfinished work yet to go?" So we're want to take timeless lessons from an immediate circumstance or situation in redemptive history and then move out. I'm called on, as a minister of the word, that I would study diligently 2 Timothy 2:15, that I might present myself to God as one approved, a workman who doesn't need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. And I want to do that today in Isaiah 63 and 64. So what do I think is happening? Well, let's go back a little bit in Isaiah 60, begin in Isaiah 60, and just move on just to get a running start into today's sermon. Isaiah 60 gives us an incredible vision of Zion. And it says, "Arise and shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord shines upon you. Behold, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the people, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you." And then, in the rest of that chapter, there's this river of glory flowing into Zion, this glorious city. And the language is so overwhelming and so glorious and so incredible that it just goes beyond anything that happened in the city, the physical city of Jerusalem. And so there's this prediction in Isaiah 60 of a glorious Zion. Then in Isaiah 61, it begins with these incredible words, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, and proclaim freedom for the captives, and recovery from darkness for prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God. To comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion." These words, as we know, were quoted by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself as He began His public ministry there, in His home town. And he was declaring himself to be the Anointed One, the Messiah, he said, "Today, in your hearing, this Scripture is fulfilled." And he announced the year of the Lord's favor, the year of His grace, He didn't mention, at that point, the day of vengeance of our God, but it's there in the text. Then in the Isaiah 62, at the beginning of that chapter, we have, I think, Jesus speaking, just as he does in Isaiah 61. There He says, "For Zion’s sake, I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake, I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn and her salvation like the blazing torch, and the nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory, and you will be called by a new name, that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand…. And no longer will they call you deserted or name your land desolate." So this is the vision that Jesus has, a passion in His heart, a burning passion for the final glory of Zion, whatever that means. Now Zion, usually in the Old Testament, meant the City of Jerusalem, but here again, it just goes so far beyond the physical city of Jerusalem and what God had planned for that city, to something eternally glorious. What the Book of Revelation reveals is the new Jerusalem, it's want to descend from heaven, and it's radiant and beautiful and perfect. It is the people of God redeemed from every tribe and language and people and nation, it's the bride of Christ, and there's want to be a glorious wedding, a union of God with His people through Christ forever and ever. Isaiah 62. Now in Isaiah 62:6 and 7, it says, "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem. They will never be silent day or night, you call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem, and makes her the praise of all the Earth." And this I have seen to be a call for watchmen who stand on the walls of Jerusalem and look out into the darkness and see what's coming and call on the Lord, put him in remembrance. Which is an interesting thing because our omniscient God never forgets anything. But that's what we feel like in prayer, we're reminding God of His covenant promises, we're reminding God of the circumstances and the challenges that we face and we're praying on the basis of that. And so, I think, in Isaiah 63 and 64, we have patterns of that kind of prayer, that kind of intercessory ministry in light of the coming glory of Zion, the Eternal City of God. II. The Lord’s Terrifying Day of Vengeance on His Enemies (63:1-6) Now last week, we saw the vision in Isaiah 63, at the beginning of that chapter, of a blood-soaked warrior coming off the battlefield, not in any way weakened, not in any way ashamed of the slaughter, but a picture of the final wrath of God, "Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? 'It is I speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.'" All those words are so poignant for us, there will come a Day of Wrath, a day of judgment a day of the Lord, and when he strides off the battlefield he will act in perfect righteousness and justice, and his actions will be for salvation. It is I speaking in righteousness, mighty to save or to deliver my bride from all danger. And all of our enemies will be slaughtered, and I will have protected and rescued my bride and we will come into a place of perfect peace, and joy, and prosperity forever and ever. And so then there's this calling on the Lord, you who call on the Lord that you're posted on the wall spiritually, of Jerusalem, you can see it coming, you know what's going to happen and He's calling on you to pray, to put God into remembrance to give yourself no rest and to give him no rest till he finishes this salvation plan. Now as we get to 63 and 64 the rest of the chapter I just stopped right in the middle and we're just stepping through the intercession... You know Romans chapter 8 says "We don't know what we should pray for", we don't know how to pray. And so we go to the Scripture and we know from Romans 8, the Holy Spirit teaches us what we should pray but he does it primarily through the word of God, and so we have a pattern of prayer here that we can just walk through and learn how to pray. And so he's talking about this at the end of 63, we can see the calling out that He does, Verse 15, 63:15, "Look down from heaven and see, from your holy and beautiful habitation. Where are your zeal and your might? The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion are held back from me." He is praying, verse 16, "For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name." And in verse 17, "O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. 18 Your holy people held possession for a little while; our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary. 19 We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like those who are not called by your name ." And he cries out to God and then 64:1 "oh that you would rend the heavens and come down" and he's talking and he's saying, "Oh God, we're crying out to you, we're praying". So I think it's best to just bring these two chapters together and say This is Isaiah, praying, but he's also teaching us how to pray teaching future generations of the people of God, how to pray for redemptive history for what God is doing, but there's an immediate circumstance that Isaiah has in mind. So you go to the end of Isaiah 64 and there he says, verse 9, "Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people." He's crying out. But was he talking about? Look at verse 64:10 Your sacred cities have become a desert; even Zion is a desert, Jerusalem a desolation." Verse 11, "Our holy and glorious temple, where our fathers praised you, has been burned with fire, and all that we treasured lies in ruins." Verse 12 "After all of this oh Lord, will you hold yourself back? Will, you keep silent. And will you punish us beyond measure?" So what we have to do now, this is why I'm asking a lot of you as a congregation, I want you to stick with me. Isaiah was writing at a certain moment in time. I don't know exactly when, in Isaiah's life he wrote this, but it was at a certain point I know for a fact that Jerusalem was never burned in Isaiah's lifetime, the temple was never destroyed in Isaiah's lifetime. Didn't happen. The Assyrians invaded, but they were killed at the walls of Jerusalem they didn't enter Jerusalem. So what is he talking about here? Well, he's able, by the power of the Holy Spirit of God to get up out of his circumstance and fly ahead in his mind, over a century later, when that this exact thing would happen and the Babylonians would do this. And they would do it because God was judging the Jews for their sins, and he's crying for God beyond that to show himself mighty and powerful, and restore and rebuild Jerusalem, and destroy the enemies of the people of God. So that's what Isiah, 63 and 64, about. But we're way, way beyond that. We're centuries after that, happened. After Ezra and Nehemiah came after the exile of Babylon, was done and they came in they rebuilt Jerusalem, and it wasn't that impressive honestly, and Haggai, rebuilt the temple, and it just wasn't that impressive, but they got the nation up and running again and they became the Jewish nation. But these words just seem to go far beyond anything like that. Alright, so how do we, as 21st century American Christians get anything out of this? How do we read these chapters and benefit? Do we just know it's just a moment in history? And that happened back then and Isiah is very concerned about the rebuilding of Jerusalem or is there something bigger for us and I think there is. Jerusalem the City itself and the rebuilding of the animal sacrificial system, the temple and the whole thing was a type and a shadow, a prophecy acted out in space and time for a future reality that hasn't been fulfilled yet. And we could learn how to pray about that. And some of these themes are still going today. God's wrath, His power, the seeming weakness and defeat of the people of God, our sinfulness our struggle with sin our crying out to God, for Him to build not even at that point, the physical lower earthly city of Jerusalem, but the ultimate New Jerusalem, that's coming. That's what's going on here. So now what I want to do is I want to just walk through this with you, and just from these just teach you teach us how to pray. And then try to apply it to our circumstances. Now we've already seen that the backdrop here in 63:1-6, is the overpowering vision of the coming wrath of God. And then we began, last week, to see how are we going to persistently intercede? How are we going to be watchmen on the walls, who give ourselves no rest and give Him no rest, 'til He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the Earth? For us, we need to think now... We're not worried about the physical city of Jerusalem now, which Paul says in Galatians, the Jerusalem that's below is in slavery. We're talking about the Jerusalem that's above, and she is our mother. So the desire of building the heavenly Jerusalem, the building of the Church, the work of Jesus Christ, that's why... How do we pray for that? III. Persistent Intercession and Lamentation by God’s Watchman (63:7- 64:12) And this, I think, teaches us how to do it. First, in Verses 7-9, the intercessor recounts the Lord's history of love. He goes back over Jewish history. Look with me at 63:7-9, "I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us. Yes, the many good things He has done for the house of Israel, according to His compassion and His many kindnesses." So I want to talk about how good God has been to Israel and to us. I want to go... I want to start my prayer time by remembering the goodness and kindness of God to me and to the people of God. Start there. All of his many acts, and His compassion for us, and his many kindnesses. For us as Christians, we've got the same database, the same record of God's goodness to Israel that they had. And we can praise God for The Exodus. We can praise God for the Red Sea crossing. We can praise God for how he delivered them through the desert, and how they conquered the Promised Land. We can praise God for all the same thing, but we have a lot more things we can praise God for, too. For since Christ ascended, the Gospel has been irresistibly advancing from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria into the ends of the Earth. And God's gospel now has reached you. And you've seen all the goodness of God through Christ in your life and through the Holy Spirit. And he's done all these good things in your life so you can connect in the same way. You can celebrate the same thing the Jews did, but even more now. It's not either or, but it's both and for us as Christians. So I will tell of the goodnesses, the kindnesses of God. Start there in your intercession. God, thank you for being so kind to me. Thank you for all of the ways you've shown goodness, not just to me, but to all your people throughout the generations. Verse 8, he said, "Surely, they are my people, sons who will not be false to me." That's the adoption that we know in Christ. And so He became their savior. We have been adopted. We are like His Son. God said to Egypt, "Israel is my first born son. Let them go." And how it says in Deuteronomy, How God carried them as a son, as a father carries his son all the way you went until you reached his place. So that fatherly love for God. We know that, don't we? We've been adopted as His sons and daughters in Christ. We have the indwelling Spirit. And then that indwelling Spirit cries out, "Abba, Father," within our hearts. All right. "Surely, they are my people. They are sons who will be loyal to me." And so He became their savior. Verse 9, "In all their distress, He, too, was distressed. And the angel of His presence saved them." We talked about that last week. That's Christ going forth in the pillar of cloud, in the pillar of fire. He's the Angel oh Lord. God's name was in Him. And he would not spare their rebellion. He would lead them and guide them, all the days of old. The Intercessor Confesses Sin But then next step, Verse 10, the intercessor confesses sin. "Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them." This is the regular pattern of the people of God. They consistently rebelled against the commands of God. They rebelled against God's Holy Spirit. And they didn't do all the things that God wanted them to do. And so God turned against them, to some degree, and became their enemy, and fought against them. We see this again and again in the Book of Judges where we'd have the Midianites invade, or the Philistines invade, or other Gentiles would invade. Ultimately, then, the Assyrians invaded. And they took away the northern kingdom. And then the Babylonians invaded, and they took away the rest. And this is what Isaiah is dealing with. Again, he can see ahead. He's already done with the Assyrian invasion, but the Babylonians are still to come. And he's explaining why did God let the Babylonians burn the temple? It didn't make any sense why. Verse 10, they rebelled. They turned away. He fought against them. It's not an accident. It's not like God isn't powerful anymore. It's because he was disciplining them for their sins. They rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy, and Himself fought against them. So as watchmen on the walls, we have to do the same thing. As we come into the presence of God, it's not long before the Holy Spirit's want to start convicting you of sin. And you're aware of the sin in your life, and you're want to say, "I've rebelled. I have grieved the Holy Spirit. My sin is a grief to God." It says in Ephesians 5, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you are sealed for the day of redemption." All of our sins brings God to grief. And so for us, as we're praying and you're interceding, the Holy Spirit's want to start showing you things in your lives. And you're want to have to say, "I have rebelled, and I deserve to be disciplined. I deserved to be judged." And so, that intercessory prayer goes to confession of sin. The Intercessor Prays Based on the Lord’s History Then in 63:11-14, he goes back to the Lord's history. It's a history lesson. "Then he remembered the days of old of Moses and his people. Where is he who brought them up out of the sea, with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he who put in the midst of them His Holy Spirit who caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to make for himself an everlasting name. Where is the one who led them through the depths? Like a horse in the desert, they didn't stumble like livestock that go down into the valley. The spirit of the Lord gave them rest. So you led your people to make for yourself a glorious name." Now, the intercessor is following God's own command to put him in remembrance. Remember, God, how you did that at the Exodus? Remember, where are you? Where is the God who did all that? I don't understand where you are. So as he looks back, he remembers the deliverance of God at the Exodus. And he says, "Now... " Again, he's transported himself. Isaiah has, too. He's looking at smoldering Jerusalem, the temples destroyed, everything's... He said, "What happened to the God of the Exodus? I don't... Where did you go?" And then in the 7 years that followed during the exile, "God, it seems like you're not even here." And he's crying out, and he's interceding based on God's history. And He's reminding God of all that He did. This is what Moses did with the golden calf. Remember, he said, "God, please deliver your people. Please rescue them. You're the one who brought them out of Egypt. Don't kill them now, now that they've committed this sin, because Egypt will hear about that and you will lose honor and glory." So, that's how Moses interceded. Same thing with the 12 spies, when the 10 spies led the people in rebellion. And God said, "leave me alone, leave me alone, I'm want to kill them, I'm want to kill them all. I don't want to make of you, a great nation." Moses said, "but then the Egyptians will hear of it and they'll think you weren't able to bring your people into the promised land. Where are you, O God, the mighty God who led his people out of Egypt?" Habakkuk 3:2, I love that verse. Habakkuk 3:2, says this, "Lord, I've heard of your fame…" "LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy." I love that verse, isn't that great. God, I've heard your reputation, I've heard all the great things you've done. Do it again, do it in my life. Do it in my... Let me see your mighty hand. Let me see your deliverance. Do mighty things based on your past track record." Habakkuk 3:2. So many times, we struggle with that, don't we. We wonder why don't we see the mighty arm of God now. Why not? Why don't we see God just ripping apart human history for His glory, why don't we see God just do awesome miracles. And just... I've thought about that. We... I'm a trustee with the International Mission Board. We send missionaries and there's so much effort that goes into training them and funding them and all that. And they get out on the field and they suffer and they struggle and they get there and they get into some coffee shop and they share the Gospel with some person and the person doesn't come to Christ. I'm thinking, Lord lead him to some elect person who needs to hear the gospel, after all of that effort, but God's ways are not our ways. We want to see God do mighty things, don't we? Want to see him do great things right in this community, right on the college campuses, we want to see him do incredible things. Renew those deeds in our time in wrath, remember mercy. Well, we know that if we're not seeing them now, it's not because God can't do it. God's past his prime, that was then, this is now, we all get old, we get over the hill that is not God. Our God is mighty and powerful. So that's not it. "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save nor His ear too dull hear." That's not it. Now, here, Isaiah's calling on God in light of this destruction that's going to come. Reminds me of Psalm 74. There it says, "Why have you rejected us forever O, God. Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture." And then he's talking about the Babylonians. He says, "They behave like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees. They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes, and their hatches and they burned your sanctuary to the ground, they defiled the dwelling place of your name." So its definitely talking about the destruction of the temple there. Psalm 74. Then he says, "Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment. Its like God just sitting back and watching it happen, move out your mighty right hand and do something O God. Destroy them." So, he's interceding. Look again in verse 11-13, "Where's he who brought them up out of the sea, with the shepherds of his flock. Where is He who put in the midst of them, His Holy Spirit, who caused his glorious arm to go to the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them. To make for yourself an everlasting name that led them through the depths." The God of the Exodus, the God of the Red Sea, let's see His power, let's see that happen. And look at the request, look at verse 15, "Look down from heaven and see from your holy and beautiful habitation, where are your zeal and your might, the stirring of your inner parts, and your compassion are held back from me." So he's asking God to look down and to show his zeal and his might. In verse 16, the intercessor pleads with God based on His unshakable covenant commitment, "You are our father though Abraham does not know us, or Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O, Lord, are our father, our redeemer from of old, is your name." This is the basis of our prayers, as Christians, as well, "God, our Heavenly Father, you have made an unbreakable covenant with us. You've sealed it in the blood of Your Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You have done the infinitely hard work of redeeming rebels and making us your sons and daughters, now do the easy thing, finish our salvation. Finish our salvation. Despite Satan and his demons constant assault, O God, finish our salvation, get us through. Despite the incessant assault of the corrupt world system on our souls, O God, do the easier thing, get us through this dangerous place. O God despite our own flesh, the inner lust of our heart, that connects with Satan's work and connects with the world. O God, save us. Show us your power," that's how we pray. The Intercessor Laments Over the Lord’s Disciplines In verses 17 through 19, the intercessor, laments over the Lord's disciplines. He says, "O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not. Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your inheritance. Your holy people held possession for a little while. Our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary. We have become like those over whom you've never ruled like those who are not called by your name." This is incredible." He's saying we have wandered from your ways. We have hardened our hearts against the Holy Spirit, but what's really amazing the intercessor seems to be finding ultimate, I don't know responsibility of that with God. Why do you harden our heart so that we wander from your ways. Now, this is that infinite mystery of God's sovereignty in human responsibility. I pondered this a lot, even this morning. The book of James tells us this in James 1, when tempted no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone, but each one is tempted one by his own evil desire, his own lust he is dragged away and enticed. So God's not to blame, but I think what this prayer teaches us is this. God is the only solution to a wandering hardened heart. It all comes down to what God will do. God, would you please interfere with the ways of my hardened, wandering heart and would you please turn me back to your ways? I think that's how we're praying here isn't it? We're saying, "Oh God, my ways... ", like the hymn writer put it, "are prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I Love." God, please, interfere with the workings of my heart. Please soften my heart, take out the heart of stone and give me the heart of flesh. That's what he's asking for. Now, in Verses 1-4 of 64, he's pleading with God to descend. Verse 1:64, I love, he says, "Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down." It's actually a very famous verse for those that pray for revival. Praying for revival, in the church. I love it, don't you? Oh, that you would rip apart the sky, rend the heavens, and come down. It implies that there's like this membrane between us and the spiritual realms, right? And if God would just rip it open and come out, we could see his mighty acts. The Bible speaks of God creating the heavens, plural, and the earth, it's plural in the Hebrew. So there's this Heavens in a number of verses give us some hints of what that might mean. So you got the first heaven, that's the blue sky, where the birds fly, they fly through the heavens, that's the air, the atmosphere, all of that. That's the first heavens. Second heavens, I think, is outer space. You've got the sun, the moon, and the stars. That's that. The heavenly realms. But then the third heavens, now that's the spiritual realm. You know how Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12, "I know a man in Christ was caught up to the third heavens… caught up to Paradise." You have the same thing in Revelation Chapter 4, where John in the Isle of Patmos sees a door open, standing open in heaven, and he's invited and through the spirit, goes through the door and sees a throne with someone seated on it. He's invited into the heavenly realm. So, when Isaiah is saying "Oh that you would rend the heavens" It's like "I wish that you would just rip that membrane between the physical world and the spiritual world, and come out and do something." Now he's asking here for a mighty warrior to come down. Look at Verses 1-3. It says, "Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you, as when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and make the nations quake before you, for when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down and the mountains trembled before you." I can't help but think about Mount Sinai here, remember when God descended in a cloud and lightning and fire to the top of the mountain? And the whole ground was shaking beneath their feet, and they were terrified. This image of the power of God is like, "Oh God, that You would rip apart the heavens and come down like that, like a mighty earthquake, like a fire." You want God to step in and save the day. Now, look all over the world, Christians are being persecuted. And you can imagine if you're incarcerated in North Korea. You're persecuted by the Korean government there. As a Korean Christian, you are caught by the communist government and you're being tortured every day. You can imagine, if you could remember, Isaiah 64:1, he's like, "Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down and deliver me, come down and kill my enemies and deliver me and rescue me, I'm crying out to you day and night for justice." Or you could see another persecuting nation like Iraq where Christians are persecuted from Islamic extremists or Eritrea, or Sudan and Somalia, also Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan. So many places Christians cry out and yearn for God to rend the heavens and come down to rescue them. Perhaps, this is one of the most perplexing things to us Bible believing Christians. We see God's people suffering all over the world, it's like "God, why don't you do something, why don't you rip apart the heavens and come down and make the mountains shake and deliver your people?" But you know what's interesting? You get this exact image, this exact image at Jesus's baptism. It's amazing to me, I meditate on this. In Mark chapter 1, Jesus was being baptized, and when he came up out of the water, it says in Mark 1:10 "At that moment as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw Heaven being torn open." The only one of the Gospels that uses that expression. Torn open, ripped open, only what came down wasn't a powerful overpowering image of a warrior. You don't get mighty God coming down with a sword, looking to kill. What do you get instead? A dove floating lower and lower, The Holy Spirit come down like a dove and he lands on this lamb Jesus, the Lamb of God, takes away the sins of the world and you get this voice, this peace loving voice "This is my Son, whom I love. With him I am well pleased." So this is the way I understand the rending of the heavens then. Between the first coming of Jesus, and the second coming of Jesus, that first rending is what we get. We get a ripping open and the Holy Spirit descending in peace and love and mercy. This is the year of God's grace, the year of his favor, and the enemies of God are treated very well and God is very patient with them. And his own people, their blood is poured out and the blood of martyrs is seed for the church and God withholds judgement because many of the most vicious persecutors are themselves elect. Like Saul of Tarsus, who will later be converted by the testimony of these slaughtered martyrs. And so instead of a powerful warrior coming down through the rending of the Heavens, we get this peaceful dove and this voice, God the father's voice, and we get Jesus the lamb. We get the same thing at Stephen's death. Do you remember when he was being martyred, when he's dying? They're throwing stones for telling the truth. And it says Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to Heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He saw the heavens rend, and he saw Jesus standing, and he said, "Look, I see Heaven open, and the son of man standing at the right hand of God." They didn't want to hear that, it made them even angrier. So they just are bearing down on him and killing him. And you know what he says, in a dove-like, lamb-like way, "Lord, don't hold this sin against them." And one of those consenting to his death was Saul of Tarsus. So, between the first and the second coming, we get the rending of the heaven and we get a dove, and we get grace and mercy. This is the year of the Lord's favor. So we understand 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." So we should pray and we should pray, I think it's perfectly fine to pray for revival based on this. Before the heavens are rend and he comes down and makes the ground shake like a warrior, oh God, rend the heavens and pour out your Holy Spirit that we might be transformed, that we might preach the Gospel, that we might live lives worthy of the calling that we have received. Oh God, send forth your spirit for that. God’s awesome power celebrated Verse four and five, he says, "Since ancient times, no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you. You're the only God at work in human history, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways." We are praying, like theists, not like deists. We are praying to a, if we can put it very wrongly, but I'll go ahead and put it, to an interfering God, a God who does come down and gets involved. We're not like the deists who said that God stays out of it, made the universe like a big clock and wound it up and stepped away, and just lets it run. He didn't get involved. No, we're praying. We're praying to a God who acts on behalf of those who call on His name. And then the intercessor confessed his sin once more. Versus 5-7 "You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continue to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved?" Psalm 66:18 "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." So you're giving yourself no rest in Him, no rest, and He's convicting you of sin, and you're crying out to God, and He's showing you your sin. And you're saying, "Oh God, forgive me. God, I don't want to be a sinner. I want to see my life change. I want to see the lives of those around me change." You're praying like that, confessing sin. Verse six and seven, very famous, "All of us have become like one who is unclean. All our righteous acts are like filthy rags. We all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind, our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name, no one strives to lay hold of you, for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins." How do we understand these verses? First, if I can just say to you who know yourself to be outside the Gospel, that you're lost. You cannot stand before such a holy God based on your own good works. They will look filthy. They are not acceptable, they cannot be used to pay for your sins. So I think that's valid. Come to Christ, trust in Christ. Your good works cannot save you, they cannot pay for your sins. But this is addressed to the people of God. It's like even our best works, as God's adopted people, are insufficient as a basis for us to intercede. They're not good enough, therefore we come, not in our name, but in the name of our mediator, Jesus Christ, and the basis of his perfect works, on the basis of His righteousness. He is the new and living way open for us into the presence of God. Our righteous acts are like filthy rags They're like garbage, like refuse, Paul said. Philippians 3: Even the best stuff I have to offer is not good enough. Now, believe me, that doesn't mean we Christians can't do good works that will be rewarded by God on Judgment Day, that's not true. I do say they need to be purified. Do you remember how the God puts the fire to your works and the gold, silver, costly stones make it through the fire? I think that's just a symbol of him shining them up a bit. We don't do anything perfectly righteously, you know what I'm talking about. But I don't think we should take this verse to say we have no good works at all. I'm just saying they're not the basis of our standing before God, thank God. Finally in verses 8-12, the intercessor pleads with God to act. He said, "Yet, oh Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter. We are all the work of your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, oh Lord, do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people. Your sacred cities have become a desert. Even Zion is a desert. Jerusalem, a desolation, our holy and glorious temple where our fathers praise you has been burned with fire. And all that we have treasured lies in ruins." Verse 12 "After this, after all this, oh Lord, will you hold yourself back? Will you keep silent and punish us beyond measure?" So just to sum up, this just kind of completes the whole section. He's praying like this, "Oh Lord, we, your sinful people, desperately need you to cover our sins and act on our behalf. Please, oh Lord, would you tear the heavens and come down to destroy our enemies, despite the fact that we deserve all the judgments you have wisely meted out to us. Please, oh Lord, no longer be silent or restrain your affections for us. Act, oh Lord." So the intercessor turns to God, our Father. And we have two beautiful images, God the Father, God the potter. Aren't they both beautiful? "You're our Father, you adopted us. Don't give us over. Love us, cherish us. You're the potter, we're the clay. Shape us, oh Lord. Change us, and shape us, and make us what you want us to be." It's also interesting that he asked God to have a selective memory here. "Remember all your mighty acts in the past, Oh God, please forget our sins. Would you please forget our sins, O Lord?" And that's what he's doing. He's like, "God, don't look to our sins. We know you're omniscient and you remember everything. But remember, your covenant commitments. Remember Christ, remember your mighty works in the past. Please cover our sins, do not forget our sins, do not remember our sins." That's what he's saying. And so Isaiah's prophetic vision over a century in advance moves him to teach us how to pray. He taught Daniel how to pray in Daniel 9. When he was in the exile of Babylon, he could have just taken this as a prayer manual and used it in Daniel 9. Look it up this is exactly how he prayed: "Oh, God, please forgive us, we are sinful. Please restore your people. Please rebuild the city, rebuild the Temple." But now we're past that. Now what we're saying is where are we at in redemptive history. We're your church. We're in the process of doing the Great Commission, but we're sinful, we're tangled up with the world, we're doing things that are grieving your Holy Spirit. Forgive us, O Lord. Change us, shape us. You're our father, you're the potter, work in us. Make us godly people. Transform us by your power. IV. Applications So what applications can we take from this? At first just stand in awe of the vision of God here. God is awesome. Our God is a God who can make the nations shake, he make them boil like water, he can melt them like wax. He's a mighty God. Just stand in awe of a God like this. Start there. Secondly, we need to embrace that there is a coming wrath. The heavens will be rent a second time, but there's no dove coming that time. This time there's an army led by a warrior, He's coming. And at the second coming of Christ there'll be no salvation. Not coming to save any, He's coming to deliver His church from enemies, but he's coming to bring wrath. As I said last week, embrace that doctrine. It is true. Tell people that now is the year of God's favorite. Today is the day of salvation. Tell them there's time, there's time, that they should repent and trust in Christ. And then intercede, be one of the watchmen that God has posted on the walls. Give yourself no rest. What that means is stretch yourself in prayer. I would just urge that if this afternoon you probably had plans, but instead spend an hour going through Isaiah 63 and 64 and praying for this church and for The Church to the ends of the earth, for the building of the New Jerusalem. Pray for missions, pray for lost people, pray for your own heart, repent of your sins. Whatever God's showing you is sinful take time to pray. Pray based on God's history of love toward His church. Pray with humble confession of sin. Pray based on Christ's resurrection from the dead. Pray with a deep lament for our wandering ways. Pray for God to tear open the heavens and come down in revival even. Acknowledge that even our best acts would be unclean apart from the grace of God and ask God to move out powerfully to finish His saving work in the world.

I. An Urgent Call for Intercessors I like to ask that you turn in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 63. We're beginning a two-part look at these two chapters Isaiah 63 and 64. As we resume a study through the Book of Isaiah, which is nearing an end, we're coming to an end of this incredible journey that we've been on as a church, for many years now. Not unbroken but we've had opportunity to look at almost all the Book of Isaiah. Now we're studying Isaiah 63 and 64, somewhat in conjunction but just having the first part today. And I believe that it's helpful to look at these two chapters in light of intercessory prayer. Really a call to intercession that God is calling on us to pray. This is a marvelous gift, it's a vast privilege that's blood-bought for us. We have the privilege of coming into the presence of God. Apart from the blood of Christ, we would not be welcome, but now through Christ's atoning work we have open for us into the Holy of Holies, a new and living way. To the throne of power, the throne of grace, the throne of the universe. And not only do we have an invitation, but we really have a command to draw near to God, and to pray. It's a responsibility that we have, to pray for the church, to pray for the work of God among the nations, to pray for the unsaved around us who do not understand their peril. But we do, we who have been biblically instructed. And if you don't understand it as you should, this sermon today, I think will help make even more acute, the kind of peril that lost people are in. And the kind of peril we have been delivered from by the blood of Christ. So why do I think that we are called on to intercessory prayer? Well you could see, even though I'm preaching on Isaiah 63, I had this scripture reading go back to chapter 62, which is the last chapter that I had the chance to preach on. So, look with me if you would at Isaiah 62:6 and 7, you heard the reading there, I'm going to read it in a different translation, but this is what it says, in Isaiah 62: 6 and 7, "I have posted watchman on your walls O Jerusalem. They will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest and give him no rest till he establishes his Jerusalem and makes her the praise of all the earth." So what does he mean watchmen on the walls? What's he talking about here? Well, watchmen are those who deprive themselves of sleep, so they can stand on the city walls and look out, peer out into the darkness through the long watches of the night, and see if there's any encroaching danger, any enemy that might come on the city unawares. And they are to deprive themselves of sleep. And the idea of Jerusalem and Zion, I think is best seen not as the physical city of Jerusalem, but we have learned through these many chapters in Isaiah, to see the word Zion to be ultimately the people of God, the place where God dwells with His people, the heavenly Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the church of Jesus Christ, that work of God. And so I think that God has summoned us to the walls spiritually, to be watchmen on the walls, and to, the ESV says, "Put the Lord in remembrance." Can I tell you, God doesn't need to remember anything? But that's what we do, that's the human way of talking about prayer. Or another translation has, "You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest." So this is the urgent call to intercessory prayer, until God has established the new Jerusalem, the church of Jesus Christ. And he's calling people who are dead in their transgressions and sins, out of darkness into this marvelous light, that's the work going on in the world and we're called on to put Him in remembrance about that. And to pray and to plead with Him to establish His kingdom to establish the church Jerusalem. Now in Isaiah 63 and 64, we have a valuable pattern, I think on how to do this and in light of what we should do this intercession. So for two weeks, we're going to go to God School in fervent intercessory prayer. Now, why do I think these two chapters together should be seen in that light? Well, obviously we have 62:6 and 7, but if you look at 63 and Verse 15, which I will not cover today, we'll do it next week, God willing. But look what it says. 63:15 says, "Look down from heaven and see from your lofty throne holy and glorious." So that's a cry up from Earth to heaven, for God to look down from His throne. That's prayer friends, that's what that is, calling on God to look down on Earth. And again, verse 16, "You who are our Father", this is addressing God in prayer. And then again, Verse 17, "Why oh Lord?" He cries out, to the Lord, that's all prayer, verse 15, 16, 17. Then in 64:1. "Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you." That's the fervent prayer for God to descend. And then in 64:7, he talks about prayer, he says, "No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins." So the striving to lay hold of God, we do that in prayer. There's no other way to do it. So I think it's best to just couple of these chapters together for these two weeks, and talk about intercessory prayer. Isaiah is talking to us about calling on God to descend in power. But our tendency is to not do that, to give ourselves rest and give Him rest, and to cease from praying. That's our problem, in 64:7, we don't do it, we don't pray. We don't know why we should pray, we don't want to pray, we don't know what to pray for, Romans 8 tells us. And so, these are great chapters to answer those questions and tell us why we should pray, and how we should pray and intercede. So that's the approach I'm going to take, and we begin by understanding the terrifying danger of the wrath of God. This is a really overwhelming picture of God, here in Isaiah 63:1-4. Look at it with me, look down at the text Isaiah 63:1-4, didn't get read this morning. We're going to read it now. Look at it. "Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save. Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come." That's awesome. God is pictured as striding off the battlefields, after the battle is done. And his garments are spattered in blood. That's the picture here in Isaiah 63, this is the vengeance of the Lord, this is the day of God's wrath. It's approaching inevitably. And the danger here is just incalculable for the human race. We can't even conceive of this. We wouldn't know it's coming, if the word didn't tell us. Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, rather be afraid of the one who has the power to destroy both soul and body in hell. Yes, I tell you fear him." So the people of God are called on to fervent intercession for the good of all people, in the light of this image, this picture of the coming wrath of God. That's the issue that we're dealing with here in intercession. Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, most persistently. He gave himself no rest and he gave God no rest, as he interceded and pleaded that God would not sweep away the righteous with the wicked. Moses passionately interceded for Israel at Mount Sinai, at the time of the golden calf. When God said, "Now leave Me alone, and I'm going to wipe them out and I'm going to make of you Moses a great nation." And Moses plead with God in Exodus 32:12, "Turn from your fierce anger, relent and do not bring disaster upon your people." David interceded for Jerusalem, when his own sin, and the sinful senses, brought a terrifying plague on Jerusalem, and the angel of the Lord was between heaven and earth, and the sword was unsheathed, and he was slaughtering, he was literally killing Jews, and he interceded for the plague to stop. Ezekiel interceded when God gave him a vision of angels that were commanded to go through the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of everyone that grieved and mourned over the wickedness and sins of the city. And they came back after a short time because it didn't take long. And then the angel, the avenging angel was send out to kill everyone that didn't have the mark. And at that point Ezekiel fell down before God. Ezekiel 9:8, "While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell face down crying out, 'Oh sovereign Lord, are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?'" So those are four different examples, when the godly see the wrath of God about to be poured out they fall down before God and intercede, they pray. More than that, we are to warn slumbering people that are surrounding us here in Durham, of the eminence of their danger. We're supposed to warn them, we know they don't. We know what's coming, and they don't know. John the Baptist did this when he was baptizing and it says when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees, coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath." Produce fruit in keeping with repentance and do not begin to save yourselves, we have Abraham as our father. But I tell you that, out of these stones, God can raise up children for Abraham. The act is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So, a life of fervent intercession and light of the coming wrath of God, should lead inevitably to a life of faithful evangelism of warning people of the wrath that's coming, that they should flee to Christ. Those things are healthy for us as Christians, and that's what I think these chapters are. These chapters are a wake-up call first to the church, first to the church, and then through the church to the surrounding world. Judgment day is coming. This chapter gives us a clear picture of it, we're going to see it in detail in a moment. It begins first with us to feel the weight of this vision to understand what these words are talking about, to feel it. As we search our hearts and our lives, and repent from sin in our lives, and be certain we're ready for the coming day of God's wrath, to prepare through Christ and then through us, we're called on to pray for the world that doesn't know the wrath that's coming. 1 Peter 4:17 and 18, gives that rhythm of first us then them. First us then them. 1 Peter 4:17 and 18 says, "For it's time for judgment to begin with the house of God. And if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" II. The Lord’s Terrifying Day of Vengeance on His Enemies (63:1-6) So these two chapters teach us how to pray in light of God's coming wrath. He will teach us the elements of intercessory prayer as watchmen on the walls and we have to begin by walking carefully through the terrifying image of the wrath of God in Verses 1-6. So walk with me through these verses. I didn't write them, but I stand under them like all of you. I want to know the truth. I want to be ready for what's really coming, I want you to be as well. Doctrine of the wrath of God is hard for sinners to accept. We don't like that picture, picture of God as a universally loving, universally accepting, patient, tolerant of all sin, ready to love, ready to welcome us at any time, that picture can become a partial truth which masquerades as the whole truth, becoming a complete untruth. That's J.I Packer in knowing God. If you take that partial truth of the acceptance and mercy and grace and love of God and say that's the whole story, that is a complete on truth. I've said before, I'll keep saying it. I think it's vital for us to keep these two seemingly contradictory images of God alive in our minds. First Hebrews 12:29, "Our God is a consuming fire." Secondly, in Luke 15, our God is the father of the prodigal son. We have to keep them together, they we don't do it easily, we think it's one or the other, but we must keep them together. And the church becomes corrupt and hardened. If we emphasize one and not the other, emphasize the other and not one. We have to keep them together. Father of the Prodigal Son, it says, "while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him, and he ran to his son, and threw his arms around him, and kissed him." So the image of God as a consuming fire, shows Him as infinitely powerful, a God who dwells in unapproachable light, a God who will by no means clear the guilty, who's commitment to righteousness is like the immeasurable heat of the raging sun, He will do whatever is needed to purify this universe of all evil, all things in the universe belonged to Him because He made them and He will not overlook wickedness or sin. That's our God as a consuming fire. The image of God is the father of the prodigal son shows His grace and His mercy and His tender love and His kindness, His incredible patience to sinners like you and me. Culminating ultimately in the gift of His Son Jesus who died in our place under the consuming fire that we might be delivered. Just the idea of this holy righteous God embracing a son who stinks with pig filth it just never leaves me, thank God for His mercy Thank God. But we can't thereby say because that's the God we love that He isn't also a consuming fire. Now, this passage Verses 1-6 pictures God as a mighty warrior, striding victoriously from a bloody battle field, it's terrifying, these verses are simply terrifying. They should cause all faith build readers who believe that this is true to tremble, to tremble at His word, for when the great day of God's wrath comes who is able to stand. So, the passage begins in verse 10, with the word who, who is this? "Who is it coming from [the battlefield of] Edom, from Bozrah…" Now Edom are the descendants of Esau, the ultimate picture of the reprobate in the Bible, both Jews and Gentiles, Romans 9 says, Jew and Gentile alike can be Edom, Esau. Esau was the reprobate son that traded his birthright for a bowl of stew, remember? And he then becomes a symbol of all the godless people in this world that live for their immediate appetites, and have no concern for the things of God. Bozrah is the capital city of Edom, that's all. So the image is of the wicked who live for their stomachs. You know how Philippians 3, Paul says, "For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ, their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame, their mind, is on earthly things." That's Edom, that's Esau. We're surrounded by people like that. Every day. The Year of the Lord’s Favor Ends in Judgement Now, here we have picture the year of the Lord's favor, or grace coming to an end and now it comes the day of vengeance of our God. You remember how we talked in Isaiah 61, how that predicted the ministry of Jesus, which He began in his home town of Nazareth, the synagogue there, and he rolled to this place, Isaiah 61, "The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He sent me to bind up the broken hearted, and to heal the captives... Set liberty to the captives, heal the broken hearted, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor…" stops there. But Isaiah said, "And the day of vengeance of our God," he didn't read it. And many scholars had commented that basically Jesus' first coming opened the year of God's favor. But now this is picturing the day of vengeance of our God, which is certainly coming. So now is the time of God's favor. I tell you today is the day of salvation, today. Now, is the opportunity, this is the year of God's favor, but it will come to an end. It's coming to an end at some point, and this is picturing it, the day of vengeance of our God. So who is this? Who is this person coming from Edom, with his garments spattered in blood, he is robed in splendor, he is striding forth in the greatness of His strength? Back in those days when there was a battle, a big battle, it was a vicious hand to hand thing. How did one soldier kill another soldier back then? There weren't weapons of mass destruction, they didn't exist. It was generally by the sword. So, you're spilling the other man's blood and it's spilled down on the ground, and just one after another... So when that enemy is dead the next one comes on you, and if you go on with that for an hour or whatever, the field is a bloodbath. It's just disgusting and it's covered with gore, but even more you look at the soldiers that survive and they are utterly exhausted. There's nothing left, they have nothing left to give, they've come to the edge, the limit of their physical strength. You remember how Samson killed a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey, and at the end of it, he cried out that God would open up water because he thought he was about to die of thirst. It was not a minor thing. He really thought he was about to die, just from exhaustion and thirst. But this warrior, he's not like that at all. He's not like that at all. He has just slaughtered all of these people and he's striding off the battlefield every bit as energetically as he entered it, it didn't drain him at all. Who is this Warier? It is Jesus! Who is this? Who is this warrior striding forth in undiminished strength, robed in glory, with a robe spattered in blood? Who is this? Well, the answer in verse one comes out bold and strong, "It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save." Who? Well, the approach I've taken in Isaiah 61 and then again in Isaiah 62, I'm going to carry over here to Isaiah 63. Isaiah 61, "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me," first person, "because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor," it's Jesus. And then I preached the last time we were in Isaiah in December, Isaiah 62 verse 1, "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet till her righteousness shines forth like the dawn." Who is it that's not going to be quiet until Zion is radiant? I think it's Jesus. Zeal for the bride once so beautiful and radiant. That's how I preached it. Now we get to 63, who is this coming off the battlefield soaked in blood? "It is I," it's the same person, it's Jesus. And this is confirmed for me, this image is confirmed in Revelation 19, with the second coming of Christ depicted there in the book of Revelation. Don't turn there but just listen, you've heard this before, Revelation 19:11-16, "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called faithful and true. With justice He judges and makes war." Isaiah says, "It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save." Speaking in righteousness, justice. Right? So Revelation, "With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but He, himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the word of God. The armies of heaven were following him riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean." Listen to this, Revelation 19:15, "Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty." So, treading a winepress is you're in a big vat there's all these grapes and you're just walking on them until they're all squished, and you get all of this slurry of grapes and all that up to however deep, and then you come out of that and you're just soaked in that. Here in Revelation 19:15, it says, "He treads the winepress with the fury of the wrath of God Almighty, and on His robe and on His thigh, He has this name written, 'King of kings and Lord of lords.'" So note plainly two things about Jesus Christ in Revelation 19, first, He wore a robe, stained in blood, which came from trampling the winepress of the fierce anger of God Almighty. And secondly, He destroys His enemies without mercy by a sword that comes from His mouth, that is from His word. Now, if you look at Isaiah 63, he says, "It is I speaking in righteousness, mighty to save," and notice that He speaks in righteousness. This is essential to the teaching of the day of God's wrath. It is perfectly just, there's no unrighteousness here at all. This is perfectly righteous what God is doing, what Jesus is doing. He's not in any way ashamed of this slaughter. He's not sheepish about it, he's not pulling back from it. He wants us to know about it before it happens. He's not hiding it from us. Note also that this bloody conquest is a form of salvation, "It is I," he says, "Speaking in righteousness, mighty to save." So, "By this slaughter I am working salvation," that's what he's saying, by this righteous slaughter. I think the only way I can really understand this, is this is Jesus rescuing His bride from all of her enemies. She's going to live in a world where there are no enemies at all. The world, the flesh, and the devil will be gone forever and the only way that's going to happen is by this bloodbath, that's what the Bible is teaching us here. But it is a work of justice and of salvation, that's what it says, "It is I speaking in righteousness, mighty to save." Why are Jesus’ Garments Soaked in Blood? Verse two, "Why are your garments red like those of one treading the winepress?" Answer, "I have trodden the winepress alone. From the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath, their blood spattered my garments and I stand all my clothing." Verse four, "For the day of vengeance was in my heart and the year of my redemption has come." So Christ is splattered with the blood of His enemies because the time has come to exact justice. He does this to work the vengeance of God. You know how God says, "Vengeance is mine. I will repay"? This is the repayment. And He does it to work redemption for His people. He is unashamed of His actions. There's no squeamishness at all about this, there's no embarrassment, no sense of shame. This is the just action of God on sinners whose time has run out, the day of salvation has ended. The year of God's grace has come to an end. It's the day of vengeance of God. So also for eternity, God will in no way be ashamed of the fact that a vast multitude of people that He created are suffering in hell. He's not ashamed of that, He's warning us now, it's going to come, but when it comes, it will be perfectly just. Now, Christ alone can work salvation at the cross. Christ alone can work vengeance at the second coming. He's the only one that can do this. I was talking to my kids about this as we drove in this morning. It's the same reason why God alone could shut Noah's ark, the door. Only God has the authority to end the opportunity of salvation for the Earth. And so He's the only one that has the right to effect this slaughter. Look at verse 3-6, "I have trodden the winepress alone, from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath, and their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come. I looked, but there was no one to help. I was appalled that no one gave support, so my own arm worked salvation for me and my own wrath sustained me. I trampled the nations in my anger, in my wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground." So Jesus treads the winepress alone, no one from the nations could join Him in this action. He looked for anyone righteous enough to join him and the text says He was amazed or appalled, filled with wonder at the fact of the universality of sin, the whole human race, there's no one righteous, not even one. No one can join Him from the nations. Ultimately, Jesus alone could address the issue of God's wrath, and that He does in the bible in two ways. He does it at the cross by dying under the wrath of God for His people on the cross. He's the only one that could do that. He was alone on the cross, the only one that could redeem. Secondly, He's the only one that can bring about this slaughter at the end of the world, He alone. Jonathan Edwards in his sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, meditates on just how overwhelming this image is. He's meditating there on Revelation 19, but Revelation 19:15 comes from this image, from Isaiah 63. This is what Edward said, "We read of the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. The words are exceeding terrible. If it had only been said the wrath of God, the words would have implied that which is infinitely dreadful, but it is the fierceness and wrath of God, the fury of God, the fierceness of Jehovah, oh how dreadful must that be. Who can utter or conceive what such expressions carry in them? But it is also the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, as though there would be a very great manifestation of His almighty power, and what the fierceness of his wrath should inflict, as though omnipotence should be as it were enraged, and exerted, as men are want to exert their strength and the fierceness of their wrath. Oh, then what will be the consequence? What will become of the poor worms that shall suffer it? Whose hands can be strong in that day and whose heart can endure? To what a dreadful inexpressible, inconceivable depth of misery must the poor creature be sunk who shall be the subject of this!" Just words. It's all I can do right now is just words, that's what this text is, it's words, but there's a reality coming behind the words, and by faith alone will we take these words seriously. Why All This Wrath? Why is this wrath coming? Verse four, "The day of vengeance was in my heart. God had stored up His wrath against the sinners, not forgetting any of their wicked acts, especially those done to harm His chosen people." The meticulous record keeping of God is behind the justice of this action. It says in Romans 2:5-6, "But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you're storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed. God will give to each person according to what he has done." Well, immediate application right in the middle of this, I just want to plead with you to flee the wrath to come, flee, find refuge in Christ now by faith. You don't see any of this now, not with the eyes, but you hear what these words say, you can get an image in your mind then you'll either believe or you won't. If you believe this is coming then that's a gift of the Holy Spirit to you, to take this seriously. To flee. To not live like Esau, like Edom, not live for your stomach, not live for your passions, your earthly passions, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die, don't do that. Flee by faith to Christ, come to Christ. He alone can avert the wrath of God. He has done so at the cross for any who call on His name. So this is it, the day of salvation is still here, this is the day. This is the time of God's mercy and grace, this is the window of opportunity we have, come to Christ. Now, to the Christian, if you know you've already done this, understand the wrath you deserved to experience, you should be humbled by this, it's very humbling. Grow in your estimation of the incredible grace of God and the love of God that He has shown to you, how God has forgiven you so richly. Meditate on the truth of what is coming and let it affect how you're living. Embrace the fact that God will have His day of vengeance. Don't minimize this, but feel the weight of it. Now, let's transition, pray in light of this coming wrath, pray. III. Persistent Intercession and Lamentation by God’s Watchman (63:7- 64:12) Now, the first thing the intercessor does here in verses 7-9, is recount God's history of love. Look at verses 7-9, "I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised according to all that the Lord has done for us. Yes, the many good things He has done for the house of Israel, according to His compassion and His many kindnesses. He said surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me, and so He became their savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the Angel of His presence saved them. In His love and mercy He redeemed them, He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old." Now, right away do you see the movement from verse six to verse seven? I mean this is kind of hard to follow, but there it is. Look at verse six, "I trampled the nations in my anger, in my wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground." Verse seven, "I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised." Wow, but I'm just saying, you have to see the goodness and mercy of God in light of this averted wrath. That's how we celebrate what God's done for us. We have been saved. If you say, "Saved from what?" Saved from this, saved from hell, saved from justice, what we deserved. So, we deserved as much as anyone else to be trampled as any of these wicked and their destruction was to benefit us, so that they wouldn't trouble us anymore. We don't know much about the persecution the way that our brothers and sisters in Christ do, but it's been a bloody 20 centuries. It's been persecution by the devil and his people against the true people of God for 20 centuries. And in the end, it's going to get much worse when anti-Christ comes and when there's all this organized persecution and beheading and martyrdom and all that. When all that comes, He's going to come to deliver his bride and rescue her from all of her enemies. So we should just be thankful for that. And so, He begins by telling of the kindnesses, plural, of the Lord, the many acts of kindness. And so as we begin to pray, start with this, in light of God's justice, thank you God for saving me. Thank you for my salvation. Thank you that I can call you Father. And so he goes over all of God's covenant love, Hebrew is hessed covenant love, and His praiseworthy acts on behalf of Israel. And they flowed from God's compassions. And look at the basis of all of these kind acts, the deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt, when God destroyed Egypt and her gods and destroyed Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea. The basis of it is verse eight. He said, "Surely, they are my people, sons who will not be false to me and so He became their savior." So the foundation here is the adoptive love of God. He has become their adoptive father and they have become his sons and daughters. The adoptive love of God. Remember how God said to Pharaoh, "Israel is my firstborn son… let my son go," that adoptive love. And for us as Christians, now we understand the fullness of that adoptive love. Ephesians one, it says, "In love he predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with His pleasure and will, to the praise of His glorious grace." We have been adopted into His family, and so that's His commitment to us, as our loving Father, He protects us. And He suffers with us, look at verse nine, "In all their distress He too was distressed," that's incredible. Do you know how happy God is being God? He's happy all the time. He's not troubled. Psalm 115:3 says, "Our God is in heaven He does whatever pleases Him," He's a happy God because He has within himself the seeds of all of His own, His self-sufficiency, His happiness, His contentment comes from being God, and God is enough for Him. But His sadness, His sorrow, His pain comes from compassion because He links His heart with His suffering people on earth. Isn't that incredible? So God chooses to hurt, He chooses to suffer, like the Jews when they were in bondage in Egypt. It says in Exodus 2:24, and 25, "God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them." He cared about them. So we should see the outpouring of wrath on the enemies of God as a form of His loving protection for the people of God. And He sends the angel of his presence, look at verse nine, "In all their distress he too was distressed and the angel of His presence saved them. In His love and mercy He redeemed them, he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old." Oh, this dear friends is none other than the Angel of the Lord who rescued Israel from bondage to Egypt and led them out, symbolized by a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire, led them through the Red Sea, led them for 40 years, and then into the promised land. This is the angel of the Lord. The very one that appeared in the flames of the burning bush, to Moses. I believe it's the pre-incarnate Christ, why? Because Exodus 23, this angel was described. Exodus 23:20-22, "Behold I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to him, and do what he says. Do not rebel against him for he will not forgive your rebellion. Listen, since my name is in Him." It's Jesus friends, that's Jesus. This is the angel of his presence, who lifted up the people of Israel and brought them out of bondage through the Red Sea, through the desert wanderings and into the Promised Land. And Jesus is going to come back in the end and this bloodbath is the final act of His protection and deliverance for His bride, the church. That's how we see it, that's what we understand it. Thank you God for loving me, thank you God for saving me. The Intercessor Confesses Sin But, tragically, and in confession we have to go to it, look at verse 10, you have to confess that you have grieved Him. Look at verse 10, "Yet they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit, so he turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them." Israel consistently rebelled against God, from the desert after the Red Sea crossing through the history and through Joshua, judges, and the kings, their rebellion was deeply grievous to God, and the Lord mourned over the sins of His people, just as he suffered because of their afflictions in Egypt. Because of Israel's rebellion God turned and became their enemy, and dealt with them as an enemy almost as pagans. In verse 10, "They rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit, so He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them." By the way that one verse, verse 10 is one of the three references in the old testament to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God mentioned many times, but the Holy Spirit mentioned twice, in this one verse, one other time in another place. So this is God's Holy Spirit and He delights in the purity of His people, but He also grieves. He's an emotional being and when we sin, He's grieved by our sins. So as we're beginning intercession first verses 1-6, we think about the wrath of God, verse 7-9, we give thanks for the deliverance we have received from God through the cross of Jesus Christ, and then verse 10, you confess your sins. You ask for forgiveness for the way that you have grieved the Holy Spirit of God. That's how we intercede, we grieve and mourn and wail and change your laughter to mourning and our joy to gloom. We humble ourselves before the Lord and He lifts us up. Now, we're not going to suffer God's wrath. But when we sin, God in some other sort of way turns and somewhat acts like our enemy. He isn't our enemy, He loves us, but He will discipline us. And so it says in Hebrews 12, "Do not make light of the Lord's discipline or lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines or smites everyone that he receives as His son." So it could be that because of your sins, He's going to discipline you, because of that grief, but He's never going to cast you off because he has set his adoptive love on you. So, in this chapter, we have seen the powerful striding of the Lord in wrath after slaughtering His enemies represented by Edom, by Bozrah the capital city. We have seen how this wrath is righteous and holy, and that it is a terrifying slaughter. We have seen how no one but Christ could address God's wrath at the cross, no one but Christ will have the right to pour out God's final wrath at his second coming, he trod the winepress alone. We also have acted out for us, the attitudes and words of a watchman on the walls. And we've begun that intercession by recounting the goodness of God to us, thanking God for our salvation, for His love for us in Christ. And we've begun to see how we can give ourselves no rest and give Him no rest, until He establishes Jerusalem as the praise of the earth. Now, next week, we're going to finish the lessons of these two chapters step-by-step. IV. Applications Just a couple of words of application and we'll be done. I think I've already said it, but I say it again, just immerse yourself in these verses, and stand in awe of the coming wrath of God. Don't shrink back. This is the truth, I would be tickling your ears if I didn't preach this, if I skipped Isaiah 63, or got to the happy things and didn't tell you the truth. You know this is true, if you're a Christian, you know this is true. So tremble at it, God esteems, He'll say later in Isaiah those who tremble at his word. Tremble at this, this is serious. And don't shrink back from it yourself. Don't be ashamed of it as though it's something ugly or shameful, this is true, warn people about it, plead with sinners to repent in light of these things. Plead with them while there's still time. At the end of his Pentecost sermon, Peter, it says in Acts 2:40, "With many other words he warned them and pleaded with them, 'save yourselves from this corrupt generation." We should plead with people. Or Isaiah 55:6 and 7, I love this, say to people this, "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake His way and the evil man His thoughts. Let Him turn to the Lord and He will have mercy on Him, and to our God, and he will abundantly pardon Him." Plead with people in light of that. And then, begin, maybe even this afternoon interceding. Give yourself no rest, give Him no rest, intercede in light of these things. Intercede for people you know that are lost in light of the things that we've learned here. Take up this challenge. You say, "Lord, I don't know what to pray for." Next week, we're going to go line by line and see what we can pay for, but begin even this afternoon and say, "I want to spend some time interceding for God to establish the new Jerusalem for His glory." Close with me in prayer.

In October 2017, final documents pertaining to the JFK assassination will be made public. What could be found and what could happen that would prevent their release? Tom Whalen, Associate professor of Social Sciences at Boston University. Presidential historian, political expert, author of Kennedy vs Lodge: The 1952 Massachusetts Senate Race and JFK and His Enemies. 

Cap and Trade program begins this Sunday and is expected to raise the cost of gasoline and home heating. What should we expect? Marvin Ryder. Business Professor, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University. Is the “widowhood effect” real? This week, we saw Debbie Reynolds pass away less than a day after her daughter Carrie Fisher. How can grief affect us? Theo Selles, Registered Family Therapist, President of Integrity Works. In October 2017, final documents pertaining to the JFK assassination will be made public. What could be found and what could happen that would prevent their release? Tom Whalen, Associate professor of Social Sciences at Boston University. Presidential historian, political expert, author of Kennedy vs Lodge: The 1952 Massachusetts Senate Race and JFK and His Enemies

07.13.16

Bishop Creek Community Church 7-26-15 “God is ALWAYS Victorious” is #7 in a series entitled Isaiah 54:1-17; Romans 8:31-39 God ALWAYS Wins. Precision Victory over His Enemies. Joshua 10:1-11 ALWAYS True Point #7: We are forever...

musical guests, SPOTTISWOODE AND HIS ENEMIES: (:59) 40 Story Public Service Announcement, Christopher Wolfe (4:18) A 40 Story Radio Tower, there are aliens out there. by. j. ferronhiatt and Bill Lance (15:47) Effeminate Road Trip! Real men let their hair down when they’re alone, Keith Barrett Shron, Lynn Highland, Bill Lance Helen Van Pelt, Christopher Wolfe, Marissa Miller by. j. ferronhiatt inspired by Jimmy Luxury  (26:55) Poet Lynn Highland (33:50) 20 Questions for Spottiswoode and His Enemies (49:00) Poet Anne Krajnak (56:20)  Shitmouthtown! New dentist Mariska finds despair in Shitmouthtown until she meets Hubert! Marissa Miller, Christopher Wolfe, Lynn Highland, by Michael Newton (1:08:20) Styrofoam. Keith Barrett Shron, by Michael Newton (1:17:43) Crosspital! It’s a bloody mess! Really! Mr. Crumbel attempts escape only to become an organ donor! Christopher Wolfe, Christian Gould, Lynn Highland, Marissa Miller, Bill Lance, Keith Barrett Schron, Helen Van Pelt, Mary M. Malmquist,based on the stageplay by j. ferronhiatt (1:36:22) A Pitiful and Invigorating Thing, j. ferronhiatt   This evening’s players include, Lynn Highland, Christopher Wolfe, Marissa Miller, Helen Van Pelt, Bill Lance, Keith Barrett Schron and Christian Gould Foley soundscape created by Mary M. Malmquist Word product by J. Ferron Hiatt, Michael Newton, Lynn Highland and Anne Krajnak,    Created and hosted by Joe Hiatt (ferronhiatt451.com) Stage and sound manager, Mary M. Malmquist Produced by Vince DeGiosio and Christie McGorry and Jim Thorpe Artists and Music (mcohjt.com) and Purple Audio (purpleaudio.com) engineered by Michael Fisher for Purple Audio original 40 Story PSA, Crosspital, Shitmouthtown scores and opening theme by Keith Barrett Schron headtower logo design by William Lance (williamlance.com) ferroniatt’s photo by Tom Storm (tomstorm.net)     This show continues due to the contributions of many many more volunteers and artists to count and we thank every one of you!

It’s no secret that trust in government and politicians continues to chill. From a recent Harvard poll of Millennials to earlier surveys of older voters, the question for Midterms 2014 may not be whom do we trust, but do we trust at all?But as our trust in real life politics may fall, our delight in fictional politics – hit television shows and other video programming – continues to rise. Is there a connection? And if so, what might that connection – and the role of trust – play not just for Midterms this year, but as our voting focus soon turns to 2016.Few think, write, speak and executive produce more about these issues – and in more forms of media – than Jonathan Alter. He has been an Award-winning author, reporter, columnist and television analyst. Three of those books became New York Times bestsellers, most recently: "The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies.” And now he is an executive producer of "Alpha House," a political comedy created by Garry Trudeau and starring John Goodman and others and available through Amazon.

Few people understand president Obama better than Jonathan Alter. He has covered Obama since his days in Chicago. He wrote an early Newsweek cover story that help bring Obama to national prominence and has been one of the preeminent chroniclers of Obama's campaigns and more importantly, it’s connection to the Obama Presidency. Over the years there have been several books central to changing our view of politics. Theodore White’s, Making of the President, F. Clifton White’s Suite 3505, Joe McGinniss’ Selling of the President 1968, and Hunter Thompson’s Fear and Loathing on the 1972 campaign. Now Jonathan Alter, award winning reporter, columnist, former senior for Newsweek, adds his new book The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies to that list. My conversation with Jonathan Alter: var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-6296941-2"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}

Jonathan Alter will discuss his second book about the Obama presidency, The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies, with Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Tom Oliphant.

In Search of Perfection Andrew M. Davis: So on to focus your mind this morning, immediately on Pivotal text in our section of scripture today, I want you to look at Hebrews 10:14. I really do mean for you to look there if you have copies of the Bible. It's just helpful to look at the text as I'm preaching because all I'm going to do is go phrase by phrase, as usual, and explain it, and you'll be able to track. And my desire is that you would take the teaching that the spirit gives you during this time and marry it or link it together with phrases or text, or words that are in the text, so that you can remember it later and you go back and as you read Hebrews 10:11-18, you'll be able to call to mind again the things that are unfolded for us today. But I want to focus immediately on verse 14. It's just one of those sterling verses those glittering verses that you can just remember for years to come. It says, "Because or for by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." It's an Incredible verse. And it brings our mind immediately to consider the topic of perfection that we think about the issue of perfection or being perfect. What does it mean to be perfect? We use that word from time to time, maybe not every day, But we think about the topic of perfection. It's been in front of philosophers, and religionist for since time immemorial, Greek philosophers worked on the concept of perfection Aristotle said there are three elements or aspects, perhaps to perfection, something is said to be perfect, if it's complete having all of the necessary parts. He used the word perfect in that way, or something secondly, so good that it cannot be in any way, improved upon. Or thirdly, he said something which absolutely or finely in every way attains its purpose. That's what Aristotle thought about Perfect. I think it's probably valid. Those insights do link up with the concept of perfection. We use it in various realms of experience like in mathematics. There's something called a perfect number, Something like that. In science, there are perfect... There's a perfect gas, or a perfect crystal, something like that. We use that word. Gems, people always looking for the perfect diamond, I think that that's probably behind the pearl of great price, the parable that Jesus told of an expert in pearls, who spent his whole life looking for... We would have to just stick the word in there. The perfect pearl. He had in mind what it would look like the size of it. Its shape, its color etcetera. He knew what he was looking for, a connoisseur of pearls spent his whole life and finally found one worth more than anything he'd ever seen in his life. You have to say, "Is this the perfect pearl?" He would say "Yes, as far as I can understand a perfect pearl this is it." In baseball there such a thing as a perfect game I'm such a purist, I just think a perfect game is 81 pitches, all of them strikes. And the batter didn't even need to bring his bat, okay? Because he's not touching the ball. That's never happened. Probably never will, but that's my idea of a perfectly pitched baseball game. Alright, but basically the pitcher gets every 27 all 27 men out, They don't succeed to get on base. That's a perfect game. There's just not many of them. You know in everyday life, we probably hear the word, most frequently in this expression. No one's perfect. And here we come to the real issue, and that is that as we look around this world, as it says in Psalm 119:96, "To all perfection, I see a limit, But your testimonies are boundless." So, he's comparing what he sees in the physical realm around us with the pure, the perfect word of God, there Psalm 119, the testimony, the greatness of the scripture. And he says, I just see flaws everywhere when it comes to us as human beings, we know that we are not perfect, we're not physically perfect. We know that as you look in the mirror, you can see flaws. You have, in your mind, an image of what a perfect man or a perfect woman would look like, 'cause you look in the mirror and you see flaws and deficiencies just physically as you get older, as your body doesn't work as well as it used to. You can see, you're not perfect, physically, you're actually heading toward death and you know that your body systems are falling apart, to some level. But none of that troubles us Christians anywhere near as much as the fact that we are sinners, and that we do not line up with the perfect standard of the Law of God, that we are morally imperfect that we are morally impure. That's what causes us grief and we have a sense through the Word of God that we must be morally pure, perfect to be in the presence of God. Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, "You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." Other verses teach it without using the word perfect. "Be holy because I am holy." Be perfectly separated and pure from sin. "God is light, and in Him, there's no darkness at all." We can't bring any contagion of sin into His presence, if we hope to be with him and live with him, we must be perfect and the glorious good news of the gospel. Look again in verse 14, if you are a Christian, this verse declares that you are perfect right now. You are already perfect, by one sacrifice Jesus has already made you perfect. It's an incredible teaching. The past tense is there by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever etcetera. And so this is a declaration that we are perfect in some sense, and I want to unfold what that means to try to understand the nature of that perfection. And then to try to understand the yearning that we have inside us stated, I think, very plainly for in 2 Corinthians Chapter 13, "Aim for perfection." That we have within ourselves, a sense of what the perfect Christian life looks like, That we would wake up tomorrow morning and say, "I want God today the perfect Monday. I want to live in perfect obedience to your laws today. I yearn for it." And how do we put those together? That's what's in front of us in this one text Hebrews 10:14. The Context But let's get the context for it, as we try to understand how it fits in and try not to go astray, we want to interpret everything in context, and try to get it properly. And so we're right in the middle of Hebrews 10:1-18, and this is the doctrinal pinnacle of the book. Really from 10:19, I think to the end of the book, more or less, all the author's doing is telling you how we should live based on the doctrines we've learned in the first 10 chapters, so we're going to get, we're turning a corner as of next week, and we're going to leave the doctrinal considerations of the atonement, and the blood, Jesus' priestly sacrifice, these things that have been occupying our minds for months now, really in Hebrews, And we're going to start asking the question, "Okay, now how shall we live?" We'll start that very thing next week. But here we come to the culmination, the pinnacle of the doctrinal section of the Book of Hebrews, the book of Hebrews was written I believe, to Jewish people who had made a profession of faith in Christ, in the first century there. But under tremendous pressure, various pressures, they're being tempted to turn their backs on their profession and to go astray from Christ, and to go specifically back to the Old Covenant back to the Old Testament, sacrificial system back to the animals, analytical priest, all of that. So the author gives us just magnificent 10 chapters of the greatness of Jesus Christ, His glory. How much greater He is than the Old Testament prophets and the angels greater than Moses, greater than Aaron and Levi and Abraham and all the heroes of old. And then, specifically, as he zeros in on what the Old Covenant did greater as a high priest to offer a greater sacrifice that is effective for removing sin. And praise God for the book of Hebrews. That's all I can say. I think without this what I would call a linchpin book here. We really would wonder what the Old Covenant was all about. I think without Hebrews, we just didn't have it. We had 65 books in the Bible we just didn't have Hebrews. I would personally be wondering what was all that about? Maybe there's enough in other places to try to understand it, but there's just so many insights that come to us by studying Hebrews that we wouldn't have, I think, any other way. And so, in a magnificent way this book of Hebrews just pulls together the old covenant and the new and explains it, It explains why did God institute, the animal sacrificial system and Why do we need it no longer. The Book of Hebrew stands in the gap between the two and explains it so beautifully. And so, in this chapter, already we've had Hebrews 10:1-10, we're assured in verse 4 that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away human sin. It's impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away human sin. We have pitted against the blood of bulls and goats, the Body of Christ, the physical body. "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me." And so we have the Doctrine of the Incarnation. Talked about it last week, how God the Father knit Jesus's body together, inside the womb, of His mother, Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit and so Jesus was fashioned a normal ordinary human body, He was truly man, and He also was fully and truly God. And so He came to die. And so we have these things, compared, the blood of bulls and goats ineffective with the body of Jesus, which was given for us. And so in verse 10, we have by that will, the will of God, to establish this New Covenant, "By that will we have been made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all." So that's where we ended it last time. I. The Superiority of Christ’s Priestly Ministry (vs. 11-12) Now, we go on into verses 11-18. And so he immediately talks about the superiority of Christ priestly ministry look at verses 11 and 12, "Day after day, every priest stands and performs his religious duties. Again and again, he offers the same sacrifices which can never take away sins, but when this priest had offered for all time, one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God." So here, one last time, we have declared for us very plainly the superiority of Christ's priestly ministry. Five Points of Superiority Final summary of this doctrinal section. And so he's going to compare Christ to the Levitical priest at five quickly, just five ways. This is really by way of repetition. We've already had these kinds of things, but just very quickly, he compares Christ with the Levitical priest in the issue of time, the issue of person, the issue of His physical posture, His sacrifice, and His effectiveness. These five things. So because it's review I can go through it quickly. We have the issue of time, day after day in verse 11, and also, again and again, do you see that. Day after day and again and again, compared with in Verse 12, one sacrifice. This priest had offered for all time, one sacrifice for sin. So the endless repetition is compared with the once for all nature. We've already seen that before, don't need belabor the point. Secondly, the person. Day after day, every priest stands. Etcetera. So we have the sense of a plurality of priest. There were many of those priests. The author has told us. We've already been through this before again, by way of review. There were lots of those Levitical priests, many of them, all of them sinners. But again, contrast in verse 12, but when this priest had offered etcetera. So we have a clear contrast of the actual person, we have the sublime person of Jesus Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, He is the radiance of God's glory, He is the Son of God, took on a human body, compared with these sinful descendants of Aaron of Levi. That's who we have. So we have person then we have His posture. I'm going to talk more about this in a moment, but it says every day or day after day, every priest stands to perform his religious duties. "But when this priest had offered for all time, one sacrifice for sins, He sat down." So we have a contrast of the standing priests plural with the seated priest singular. Again, the author is saying that those priests had to continually offer their sacrifice their works are never done. It's always more animal bloodshed because it's ineffective. And they were under the law, to keep doing it. There were no days off. It's like, "Hey, Israelites if we can just take one day off from sinning I'd like to take a day off from offering the blood." But there won't be any days off. And so they're continually needing to offer these sacrifices. Jesus doesn't need to do that. And so He sits down, it says. We'll talk more about that in a moment. And so we also see the sacrifice day after day, every priest stands and performs his religious duties again and again. He offers, what does it say, the same sacrifices. Here we go again. The same things. Bulls and lambs and sheep, goats and pigeons and doves, it's the same thing over and over, it's just animals. But when this priest had offered for all time, one sacrifice, that body which we just referred to in the first 10 verses, referred to a predicted in Psalm 40, "A body you prepared for me." That was the one perfect final sacrifice, we talked about last week. And then the final point of comparison, the effectiveness. Day after day, every priest stands and performs his religious duties, again and again, he offers the same sacrifices which can never take away sins, they're ineffective. They were just types, shadows, pictures, they were not the reality, they couldn't do anything. But Jesus's blood can. And we have this incredible picture of the effectiveness of Jesus, and so we come to this question of just the total ineffectiveness of human devices for making sinful people like us right in the side of God. There's nothing we can contrive to do that. Two great categories of contrivances, false religions, and human moral striving, and effort. Those are the two great things that we try to do. I had the opportunity, earlier this summer to see first hand Tibetan Buddhism. It's remarkable to me to see the number of Westerners that were there, and we would talk to some of them from Germany or Russia, or America who came to Kathmandu, thinking that they would find spiritual enlightenment there. And what they found at the center of that Tibetan Buddhist system was this big stupa, this huge kind of round building with whitewashed steps that led nowhere. You go up to this kind of portico area, and you can just walk around the thing, that's it, it doesn't go anywhere, it doesn't do anything. You can't get inside it. There are these weird human eyes painted at the top, there are these long ropes going up to the pinnacle, there are these prayer flags fluttering in the stiff breeze and that's it, and they walk around and around thinking to reduce their karma and to be enlightened, and they spin these prayer wheels and that's it, that's a human contrivance, God didn't command these things to be done. They can't make a sinner right in the side of a holy God, they can't take away our conscience of wickedness, they can't clean a defiled conscience, it's ineffective. So also, every other human religion. The same also with that human moral striving, the turning over a new leaf-ism. Taking care of the alcohol problem or the sexual addiction or the problem with anger, anger management, whatever it is you try to do, you may actually see some improvements in specific areas in your life. All that's going to do is stoke your pride to make you think you don't need Jesus. It's not effective for appeasing the wrath of God or making you righteous in God's sight, and it really can't cleanse your guilty conscience. It's ineffective. Friends, if even the animal sacrificial system that came down from on high established by the Word of God is ineffective how much more these human contrivances that God never commanded nor did they enter His mind. Ineffective. But there is something praise God that is effective. For reconciling sinners like us and making us according to the verse, perfect and in God's sight. Oh, how sweet is that truth. There is one way, there is only one way, and it's Jesus. By this one sacrifice and that's what we have. Is it effective, is it enough? Is it enough? I was thinking about that is the blood of Jesus enough for me? So I pictured in my mind. I don't know why I was picturing this a young boy, maybe not little boy, but he may be an adolescent in the colonial days and he's left by some uncle in some inn somewhere. And he's left with a little wooden box. And this is a rustic lad, he doesn't have much education and worldly wisdom or in currency or any of these sort of things. He just says that his uncle told them that everything he needs is going to be in that box. Well, he brings the box of the Innkeeper and sets it up on the platform and says, "Is this enough for my room and board for the week?" The Innkeeper, a scrupulously honest man opens up the box and finds inside dozens and dozens and dozens of gold coins. Is this enough? One of these coins would be enough for a month of room and board here. This is more than enough. Friends, I tell you the blood of Jesus is more than enough for your sins, infinitely so. It is a treasury of merits that is infinite, in value. And I know that that word was used by medieval Catholic theologians to speak of the acts of the saints, the extra credit that they had gotten by being more righteous than God, needed in this world. How do you do that? I don't think you can, it's not possible to do more than God's will. You can certainly do less. I've done that before, so have you. But how do you do more? It's impossible. They had this idea of a box, a treasury of merits and the Pope could dispense these merits. Forget all that. I'm just taking the language. Treasury of merit. Yet the real treasury of merit is Jesus and out of the box of what He has achieved on the cross, come all the good things in your life, including full forgiveness of sins. It's more than enough it's effective. II. Christ Seated at the Right Hand of God... and Waiting (vs. 12-13) And so it says, When He had offered this sacrifice, He sat down at the right hand of God and He is there waiting, it says, look at verses 12-13, "When this priest had offered for all time, one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God and since that time, He waits for His enemies, to be made His foot stool." So there He is, at the right hand of God, the Scripture says that He is seated. Four times in the Book of Hebrews, that doctrine is given to us, it's there right at the beginning in Hebrews 1:3, "Son is a radiance of God's glory, the exact representation of His being, and sustaining all things by His powerful word, and after He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in Heaven." And so that's a picture of Jesus, seated on a throne of divine glory as the Son of God. So there's a sense in aura of divine radiance, around that being seated. In Hebrews 8:1-2, it's a seed of priestly glory, it says, "We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary. The true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man." And so, the picture there is of His accomplished priestly work, which we pick up here again in Chapter 10, but also of His ongoing ministry. He's seated and He serves. So the sacrifice has been offered, once for all, but the ongoing intercessory ministry He continues to pray for us at the right hand of God. Here we have a seed of perfect sacrificial achievement. He sits down. Because there's no more work to do, it's done. And then in chapter 12, we'll see it one more time. It says there in 12:2, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." And so there is a picture of the victor, the champion, He has run His race with endurance, He has received the victor's wreath and He sits down in triumph and glory, having achieved our salvation for us. Four times we have this image of Jesus seated at the right hand of God. It's a position of access to God. And it's a position of power over the world, I think those are the two reasons that we're told this. He's at the right hand of God, so He can speak to his father on our behalf, and He does. He talks about you a lot. Some days you need more talking about than others, but He's interceding for you, as we've already talked about, He is interceding and praying for you, for your faith that it will not fail, no matter what Satan throws at you, no matter what your flesh is doing and how it acts up, He is praying for you that your faith will not fail, He is at the right hand of God so has access to the Father. He's praying for you. But I think that the Scripture also presents the right hand as a place of power from which He rules the universe on your behalf, isn't that marvelous? Christ Waiting for His Enemies to be Made a Footstool Jesus is running, He's King Jesus, and He's running the universe to benefit you and finish your salvation. It's beautiful. Get that at the end of the Ephesians at Chapter 1 and there it says that "God [the Father[ raised him [Christ] from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all ruling authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come and God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the Church." The word for there to me means to benefit the church or on behalf of the church, He appointed Jesus sovereign King of kings to benefit you and me. So that our salvation will be completed in this life. Beautiful, so there is Jesus seated at the right hand of God, and also the scripture presents Him as waiting, He's at the right hand of God, He's seated and He's waiting for his enemies, to be made His foot stool. So it pictures Jesus waiting. Now behind all of this is the zeal of God, the father to glorify God, the Son for what He did at the cross. What a rich theme that is. The Father says in Hebrews 1:13, "Sit at my right hand." Father is speaking to son, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a foot stool for your feet." This is the activity of the Father. And He's zealous for the glory of His son. And because in Philippians 2 Jesus "obeyed even to the point of death, even death on a cross, God exalted Him to the highest place and He gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." That is the Father's zeal to exalt Jesus and get every knee to bow, it is to His glory, it is, His zeal to do that. Teaching on Wednesday nights, and we've talked about this in John Chapter 8, how Jesus in every chapter in John's Gospel is pictured arguing with His enemies. In every single account, there's division, and argument and conflict. At one point, Jesus's enemies get extremely disrespectful to Him. In John Chapter 8, they come and say, "Aren't we right in saying, that you're a Samaritan and demon possessed." In other words, that He is born of illegitimacy, He's a bastard son, His mother had relations with some Samaritan man. "Aren't we right in saying that, and that you're demon-possessed?" Oh, it's disgusting as you read it, it's just disgusting what this pure holy Son of God had to endure. Jesus said this, "I am not possessed by a demon, but I honor My Father and you dishonor Me. I'm not seeking glory for Myself, but there is One who seeks it, and He is the judge." Do you realize the power of those words? He said, "I'm not going to do it, I'm just going to sit at God's right hand, the Father will do it, He'll see to it that I'm honored, He'll see to it that I'm glorified, He'll see to it." And the father is zealous, He burns like the sun to see that thing done. Psalm 2, talks about it. "Why do the nations rage and the people's plot in vain, the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His anointed one. 'Let us break their chains, they say let us throw off their fetters.' The one and throne in Heaven, laughs, the Lord scorns of them. Then He terrifies them and rebukes them in His anger saying, 'I have installed my king on Zion, my Holy Hill.'" The end of that Psalm, Psalm 2 he says, "You better be warned, don't fight the son. Don't oppose the son because that'll make Almighty God your enemy." It's a terrifying thing. And so Jesus in this text is pictured as seated and waiting, He's waiting for His enemies to be made His foot stool. And He is waiting with the same patience that God the Father exhibits toward those wicked people and He's very patient, it's amazing how patient God is to wicked people. You know it says in Romans chapter 9, "What if God choosing to show His wrath and make His power known bore with great patience, the objects of wrath prepared for destruction." Oh, He's patient toward wicked people who are fighting His Son, He doesn't kill them in an instant, He's patient. Christ Waiting in Expectation And Jesus is waiting patiently too, He's waiting. The Greek word here implies a patient waiting for the Father to do this work. So he's there at the right hand of God, He's waiting patiently for His father to subdue His enemies. He's waiting in submission and in dependence, total dependence on the father, whatever the Father wills, is fine, He's submitting to the will of the Father. And His father will make His enemies a foot stool, and so also the church has to learn to wait patiently for that too. John writes about this in Revelation 1, and verse 9, he says, "I John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours and Jesus, was on the island of Patmos, because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus," he was in exile. And you know what you get as a Christian? That's what John says. He said, "You get a kingdom, you also get patient endurance." You've got to endure patiently, because the enemies are still there and they're powerful. In the Book of Revelation, later Chapter 6, after the fifth seal is broken. John saw vision of martyrs, people who have been beheaded, up in heaven waiting and they're crying out for vengeance, for what was done to them while they were on earth. "How long Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" And they're told the wait patiently until the full number of martyrs has come in. So we have to wait patiently. Jesus is waiting patiently, the father's waiting patiently, but be assured, Christ enemies will be a foot stool under His feet. So what is the Father waiting for? Well God's patience means salvation, some of the elect begin as enemies. I tell you, all of them did. Doesn't the same Colossians at one time we were enemies in our minds as shown by our evil behavior? We were enemies, we were in opposition. God worked our salvation and God's patience means salvation for the elect, and we can't tell the difference between the weed and the terrorist, can we? Saul of Tarsus that morning of his conversion sure, looked like a weed to me, he sure looked like an enemy, sure, looked like a persecutor breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples, murderous threats. In one sense you could say he should have been killed God said, "No, he should be converted." We'll convert him not kill him. Thanks be to God. And so, all of Jesus' enemies are either going to be converted or condemned, that's how it is and Jesus is waiting patiently for whatever the Lord wills. III. By One Sacrifice We Are Made Holy Forever (vs. 14) Now we come to the verse, look at Verse 14, again, "Because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Now, what's the link between verse 13 and 14? We know that there is a link because verse 14 begins with the word for or because. Well, it's really not that complex here. Jesus is seated because there's no more work to be done on the issue of sacrifice. That's the link. And so, He is seated in verse 13, because by that one, sacrifice He's made us perfect. The work is perfect. And you know what's so magnificent about this? Jesus in John's gospel, His final words before He dies were, "It is finished." The Greek word for finished, it literally could be translated. It is perfect. There is your perfection dear friends, that is your perfection, Jesus dead on the cross, His blood shed there is your perfection. There's nothing more that can be added nothing more needs to be done. It's perfect, what an awesome thing and so it says by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever. Those who are being made holy. Now, why does this verse glitter for me so much? Well, I look on it. I don't mean in any way to be irreverent, but as your one-stop-shopping verse for the doctrine of salvation, in one verse you can get both justification and sanctification. In just one small verse you can just memorize this because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever, those who are being made holy, and you get both justification and sanctification in one Verse. Now, what do I mean by that? First, I don't think that Hebrews was written by the Apostle Paul. And so I don't think that the author speaks about the doctrine of justification with the same type of language that Paul uses in Romans or in other places. What is the doctrine of justification? It is that by the blood of Jesus, by the sacrifice of Jesus we are forgiven of all of our sins, simply by faith if you just trust in Jesus, there is a beautiful exchange between you and God, you and Christ your wickedness and sins imputed to Him, and He dies justly under the wrath of God for them, His righteousness imputed to you and God justly receives you as righteous on the basis of that, that transfer happening only by faith. As you trust in Jesus, you are seen to be righteous. Well, the author here uses different language with the same concept, by the one sacrifice of Jesus, He has past tense, made you perfect forever. Oh what a thought that is? You can't be any more righteous in God's sight than you are right now, you can't do any better you can't be any more positionally acceptable to God than you are, and the word forever means it's never going to change. It will survive whatever it is you do this week, whatever it is that happens between now and the day you die, you'll be seen day after day after day after day, as perfect in Jesus. Isn't that awesome? Perfectly righteous. Can't improve on it. That's what the word "perfect" means. And through Judgment Day, God on Judgment Day, when the Cortes see that the books are open, and everything is rolled out from your life. Every careless word that you've ever spoken, every intention of your heart all of it rolled out, God will declare you perfect on that day as well, perfect forever and beyond on into the new Heaven, the new Earth, into the eternal state, every day in that beautiful place. You will be morally perfect, in God's sight. And it's past tense here because it already happened to you if you're a Christian, whenever that is, whenever that happened for me coming on 30 years ago. For 30 years, god seen me as perfect in Jesus. That's my position. That's your position. Doesn't matter what you did today, yesterday, if you're genuinely Christian, you have genuine faith in Christ, you are perfect seen to be perfect by faith alone, that's justification, beautiful. Those Who Are Being Sanctified Now here's the tricky part, is the rest of the verse talking about progressive sanctification. Most scholars say no. I say yes, just because I love it. It's just, it's so convenient to have it all in one place. I'll do my best to persuade you, if you're not convinced it's okay because both of the options are good ones and it all comes down to the use of this word "sanctified" or made holy trying to understand that. Okay, let's dig in and try to understand what the second half of the verse may be saying. "For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever, those who are sanctified." Most of the translations just say those who are sanctified. The problem with that grammar is it gives you the sense that that is past as well, but that's not what the Greek grammar says. It's a present tense. The NIV gives a sense of present progressive activity, something that's going on right now that is accurate to the Greek, it's passive, something is happening to these people, by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever. Those who are presently at the present time being sanctified, that's true grammar, everybody sees that. Well, what could it mean? Well there are two options two responsible options. One of them, which I'm not choosing this morning, but which is the majority choice, has to do it the way the word is usually used and the word usually means set apart unto God as His sacred holy possession. It's sanctified in that it's His, it belongs to Him, it's His, He puts His name on it, a stamp of ownership, and it's His holy possession, that's it. There's no progressive-ness there, there's no improvement on that you're just set apart and you are God's. That is true, that happens in Jesus at justification that happens, and so that is a once for all instantaneous sanctification. You see what I'm saying? And that is the way the word is usually used not as a gradual improvement getting better and better every day, with Jesus, that's progressive sanctification. So in John 17, Jesus prays, He says, "Father, for their sake I sanctify myself that they too may be truly sanctified." Now listen, do you think Jesus is getting better and better in every way, growing in grace in the knowledge of Christ? Friends he is not He is setting Himself apart unto God at the cross to die for us, that's what it is. So there's no improvement there. Or again in 1 Timothy 4, he talks about the food you eat, I hope you pray before you eat. I hope you at least do that. Friends, you should do so much more than that when it comes to prayer. But it says in 1 Timothy 4, that the food as you are praying for it and receiving it thankfully, is sanctified by the Word of God and by the prayers of the saints. Look that food is not getting holier and holier, it's not improving every day. No, it needs to be eaten right now or it's going to go bad. It's set apart for God's sacred use namely to feed the saints and to make them strong. That's the way the word is usually used. So how would this work? Well, how is that once for all, thing happening a lot right now? Well, it has to do with the elect, God has chosen people, and as the Gospel spreads people are hearing the gospel and they're repenting and coming over into the kingdom, and are being sanctified, instantaneously all over the world. That's a valid interpretation. So as by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are getting saved, all over the world. See? You understand it? Okay, let's set aside. It's not as exciting as this version, okay? This version says that by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever, those who are little by little by little getting to be more and more like Jesus. And why is that so sweet? Because we know we're not perfect, you know you're not. And what grieves you the most in your life, are your imperfections morally, the ways that you stumble over temptations and sins, and so in one verse, it's saying you're already perfect, now live perfect, and God is working that perfection in you, little by little, gradually He's working perfection in you. And frankly, if that second piece isn't going on the first piece, never happened friends. If you're not growing in grace in the knowledge of Christ, if you're not seeing by the power of the Spirit sin put to death in your life, if you don't have, let's just go to the heart of the matter, the heart of the matter. IV. The Holy Spirit Also Testifies to Us (vs. 15-18) If you don't have a heart yearning after God's laws, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, that's exactly where He goes, the rest of the verse, He says (quoting Jeremiah 31) "The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 'This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.' Then he adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.'" Interesting order. Transformation of the heart, then you know your sins are forgiven that's the order. So as you see your changed life as you yearn for righteousness, as you yearn to be a holy man, or a holy woman, as you grieve over the sin in your life, as you feel written inside your heart, the laws of God, though you can't seem to live them like you'd like to, but yet by the spirit putting to death and misdeeds of the body, growing in grace then you know you're already positionally perfect. I think that's what the verse is giving us. Now I've got other proof we'll get to it and do time. I don't want to give it to you, I do tell you the book of Hebrews does have a vision for progressive holiness. Chapter 12 is very, very clear, we're told in chapter 12 that we're to set our eyes on Jesus who is the author, and perfecter of our faith, our faith isn't perfected yet, so we've got to run with endurance, we need to lay aside the sin that so easily entangles and run this race with endurance, that's sanctification language. Then it goes into discipline and says, the father disciplines us that we may share in His holiness, and that the discipline helps those that are trained by it, a training in holiness is sanctification, right? Or look again at 12:14, it says, "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy, without holiness no one will see the Lord." That's a holiness that comes by efforts, by striving by putting sin to death without that holiness, you will not see God. We'll get to that in due time. I say to you even to the end chapter 13, he says, "May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant, brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus the Great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will listen and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him." That's sanctification language. In one verse, you have the beauty of justification and sanctification. And the very next verse testifies it has to do with God writing His laws in your minds, in your hearts. That's what He's doing. This is a glorious salvation, isn't it? To be declared right at the beginning of the Christian life. Perfect, and then to be challenged every day of your life, to be perfect, like Jesus, it's a beautiful salvation. If you are running that race right now, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, grieving, when you sin, but knowing that Jesus is enough for you, trusting leaning on the Holy Spirit running that race, you're perfect, perfect right now, you'd be perfect tomorrow, you'd perfect the rest of eternity. And He is standing over you calling you upward, to live more and more like Jesus and some day, again Hebrews 12, you'll be among it says, "the spirits of righteous men made perfect." Instantaneously at death, they are made perfect by God, glorified and in the presence of God. How beautiful is that? V. Applications Application is plain, come to Christ, believe in Jesus, trust in Him. I've already called out to you, if you were invited here today as a friend or a guest, if you don't understand what I'm talking about, ask the person who invited you, ask someone else, don't leave this room in a Christ-less state, you don't know that you'll survive the day. I'm pleading with you to believe in Jesus while you have time and just know what I'm calling you to. Look with eyes of faith to Jesus dead on the cross, say "He is my Savior. That death was my death, I deserved it, I'm a sinner, I deserved it, but Jesus died for me it is more than enough for me." And then run that race with endurance. Know that He is sanctifying you, remember at the passive for by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever, those who are listening, being made holy. It's not primarily your work though, you must work. It is God's work in you by the power of the spirit through faith. Close with me in prayer.

Our Lord is Living (Hebrews 1:3)Pastor Tony FelichApril 11, 2004 ----more---- Jesus rose again from the dead and is living today! The Gospel is not complete without the exaltation of Christ. Christ's Exaltation consists of:1. His Resurrection2. His Ascension3. His Session at God's Right Hand4. His Physical Return I. Where is Christ now?A. "God's right hand"B. "seated" II. What is Christ doing now and why does it matter?A. He is rulingB. He is subduing His Enemies (with His Father)C. He is receiving WorshipD. He is interceding for us Hebrews 1:33 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,