Pastor’s Blog – Bunker Hill Community Church

Every four years in the United States, we have a Presidential election that decides who the next President will be. Yet, even though the next President is chosen at the beginning of November, he is not sworn into office until the third week of January.

During that time between the election and the installation of the new President, the current President is referred to as a “lame duck,” meaning that he really has little power to accomplish anything even though he still holds office.

Sometimes, as believers, we can begin to feel like lame ducks. We know from Scripture that the world is going to get worse, that Satan’s attacks are going to get stronger, and that many millions of people will reject God, even though they have easier access to God’s truth than at any other time in history. Why do we keep fighting what seems to be a losing battle?  Why don’t we just hole ourselves up in a safe little space and wait for Christ to come back?

Paul answers that question in 1 Corinthians 15:58—

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Even though it seems that we can do little for God in our current environment, even our smallest witness for Christ is worth it.  If we can keep just one more soul from going to hell, then our life is not wasted.

Don’t be a lame duck. Be“more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

Many of us have heard the tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes.  The story tells of an Emperor who thought much of himself and his clothing.

One day band of swindlers came to his kingdom, claiming to be great weavers of the finest cloth that could only be seen by the noblest and intelligent people of the land. Using the Emperor’s pride against him, they made him the grandest set of new “clothes” which would set him apart from everyone else. The Emperor’s pride kept him from admitting that he could not see the clothes, which, of course, did not exist. And so he proceeded to don the invisible clothing and walk naked in front of his subjects. In their pride, everyone else also pretended that these new clothes were splendid so that they would not be labeled as simple or stupid. In the end, it was the wisdom of a child that revealed the truth that the Emperor had nothing on at all.

In Revelation 16:15, Jesus tells us,

“Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”

Those who “watch” are those who are looking for Jesus’ return, for they know He is coming.  These are the “overcomers” who will not be ashamed when He returns, for they will be clothed in the robes of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

But all others, who resist the Truth in pride will be spiritually naked and ashamed at the day of His appearance.

Do you have your “robes” on, watching for the return of the Lord?

He is coming soon. Do not be caught off guard.

The holiday season is upon us. Everywhere you look, gift ideas and holiday specials dominate the landscape, focusing on all you can get at Christmas. Even Thanksgiving has degraded into nothing more than the start of Black Friday sales.

Although disappointed, I am not surprised that it is this way in a world full of people who put self above all else.  The “season of getting” has expanded so greatly in people’s priorities that they can no longer reserve even one day for thanking the One from Whom everything comes in the first place.

But God told us it would be that way. Romans 1:21 tells us,

“When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

A lack of true thankfulness is a symptom of a life controlled by sin rather than by God.

Paul says these kinds of people are not thankful because they are “vain in their imaginations.” In other words, the only thing that they think of is themselves. And when you think more of yourself than you do of others, or of God, thankfulness dies.

Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. used to say that “when gratitude dies on the altar of a man’s heart, that man is well-nigh hopeless.” 

May none of us find ourselves in that category of hopeless people because we have lost our heart of thankfulness to the Lord. “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Liberal environmentalists continue to “warn” us about making global warming a serious priority in government and in society.  They claim that our abuse of the environment has caused irreparable damage to the ozone layers, allowing more of the sun’s ultraviolet light to penetrate, raising temperatures around the world. Even though the average global temperature increase is less than one degree, we are all supposed to be as concerned as they are.

I am personally concerned about global warming but in a different context. Revelation 16:8 tells us about real global warming:

“The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire.”

Near the end of the Great Tribulation, God will judge sinners with a taste of hell on earth, literally. That judgment will include sores and boils, the contamination of all water on the earth, darkness, and heat so extreme that men will be “scorched.” The conditions on earth then will make today’s world seem like a utopia.

The worst part is that even as people suffer severely under God’s judgment, they will continue to reject His authority, just as many do now. But for those at the end of the Tribulation, there will be no recourse. God’s judgment will have been started on earth and will be completed when all unrepentant sinners are in hell.

The “global warming” we should be most concerned about is not what is happening on earth now, but what we will experience later if we continue to reject God.

When I was a freshman in college, my roommates and I played a prank on our hall leader one evening.

At 10:59 pm, the warning bell rang, alerting everyone that we had one minute to be in bed with lights out. During that minute, two of my roommates quickly and carefully balanced a wastebasket full of water on top of the partially closed door to our room, and then quickly turned off the lights and jumped into bed. The second bell rang, after which several minutes elapsed while we waited for the door to open, culminating in a surprise shower for our Hall Leader.

Even though we could not see the main event unfold, we finally heard the door creak open, the loud splash of water, and the resulting groan of despair and disgust.

This reminds me of the final judgments of God at the end of the Tribulation, to be poured out of seven bowls described in Revelation 15:7 —

“And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God.”

Those vials are not like the test tubes we used in high school chemistry class.  They are more like large shallow saucers or bowls, and will not be poured out slowly. They will be dumped quickly and completely, inundating all mankind on the earth with God’s judgment, much like my Hall Leader was deluged with water.

The only escape from this outpouring of wrath is to repent and surrender to Christ now so that you might escape God’s wrath later.

For once He begins to pour out His wrath, there will be no escape.

In Revelation 14:18, we read,

“And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.”

This passage is referring to the end of the Tribulation period, just before Jesus comes back to crush His enemies on the earth. The angel declares that the “clusters of the vine of the earth…are fully ripe.” He is saying that at that point in history, evil will have peaked in the hearts and lives of mankind, and it is time for Christ to execute judgment against them.

We may wonder, as we observe all the evil in the world today, how it could get any worse. Good is being called evil and evil is being called good. Sin is rampant all around us, and Christians are regularly being mocked and even being thrown in prison and killed in some places in the world. It is easy for us to think that the Rapture must be soon because it can’t get much worse in the world.

It will get worse, especially under the Antichrist in the Tribulation period. But we will be spared the worst if we are trusting Christ.

So, believers, no matter how bad things around us appear, keep looking up, for “your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28)

How big is your God?

I have asked this question to numerous people when they express doubt about God’s provision, His protection, or His control of our lives.

As believers, we shouldn’t have to struggle with doubt about God because we have His Spirit indwelling us, empowering us, teaching us and guiding us.  His Spirit is that personal assurance to each of us that God will always do what He promised He would do.

And yet, we all have those moments in our lives when things don’t seem to be working out the way we expect, and we wonder if God has forgotten about us. In those instances, we need to constantly remind ourselves of Job’s answer when God challenged him about his doubt –

“I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2, NASB).

As much as we don’t want to admit it, our doubt is the result of unbelief.  We really don’t believe the Bible is true, otherwise we would trust God’s Word as reality and not what we see around us.  If we believe that God is in control, we wouldn’t worry about our circumstances and their outcome.

If we believe that God will provide all our needs, then we wouldn’t worry about not having enough money to cover our expenses. If we really believe that God is who He says He is, then we wouldn’t doubt.

So really, how big is your God?

How much is enough?  Have you ever asked yourself that question?

When we pack for a trip or plan for a large gathering, that question becomes the focus of our preparation. But that question also applies to our finances, our house, our cars, everything we own.  How much is enough?

Unfortunately, many people never think they have enough and continue to try to add more and more to their personal inventory.

But as believers, God has already answered that question for us. Ephesians 1:3  tells us,

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”

We have ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS in Jesus Christ, Paul says. And in Colossians 2:10, he adds this note: “ And ye are complete in him.” Complete…that means enough.

All we need is found in Jesus Christ. He is the answer to every question; He is the solution to every problem; He is the substance of every need.  In Jesus, we have enough.

Jeremiah came to understand this, even through immense struggles and persecution, as he wrote in Lamentations 3:24,  “The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.”

There is nothing else that we should put our confidence or hope in other than Jesus Christ. If we have Him, we have everything that we need. And that is why Paul could confidently say in Philippians 4:19,  “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Jesus is enough.

As believers, we know that we fight an invisible enemy in Satan as he tries to distract us from being faithful to God in our lives.

He tempts us with lust, with anger, with pride and with fear.  He knows our weaknesses and he will use whatever he can to sway us from following the Lord.

The good news is that we do not have to give in. In fact, Jesus says that we are “overcomers” if we continue to trust in Him for strength and endurance.  And that is not just a theory—it is a reality.

In Revelation 12:11, John talks about those who will remain faithful through the worst temptations and persecution that Satan can dish out during the Great Tribulation:

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

The verse before this speaks about how Satan likes to accuse believers before God for all of our failings.  But Jesus pleads their case before God, claiming his blood as the payment for all of their sins. So even their actual sin cannot bring them down as overcomers by Christ’s blood.  And since they are overcomers in Christ, they will maintain a consistent testimony of Christ in their lives, even when it means almost certain death.

What does the testimony of your life say about you? Are you an overcomer in Christ? Or have you given in to the wiles of the devil to protect your own life?

Did you know that in Pennsylvania it is illegal to catch fish with your bare hands? It is also against the law to sing in the bathtub, sleep on a refrigerator outside, sell cars on Sunday, or sweep dirt under a rug. And in Pittsburgh, it is illegal to bring a mule onto a trolley car.

Those might seem like strange laws to us, but when they were passed, there was probably a very good reason for them to exist.

Sometimes, God’s laws strike us in the same way.  We may not understand why God prohibits certain things in the lives of His people or calls us to be different from others who are “of the world.”

For many people, God’s limitations on His people are way too strict.  But God knows what is best for us, and so He gives us commands that we must obey.  For those who love Him, His commands shouldn’t be a problem.

In 1 Timothy 1:9, Paul refers to people who question God’s laws—

“Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient.”

Rules and laws only bother those that want to go their own way and do their own thing.

God’s laws should be a comfort to believers, in that we can know exactly what our God expects of us and how we can please Him.  And for those who love Him, “His commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3).

So which are you—a righteous man who loves God’s laws, or someone who is lawless and disobedient?