![]() For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.Īs a pastor, I do not think it is my job to entertain you during such days or help you have superficially cheerful feelings. Understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. Third, the Bible itself tells us that in the last days things will be difficult and severe. Does any of this have anything to do with the risen Jesus Christ who said, “All authority in heaven and earth belongs to me” (Matthew 28:18)? That is the second impulse that gave rise to this series. ![]() And while we groan over our losses here, on the other side of the world, scarcely in the news, twenty million people have been displaced in the last two weeks in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal from the worst flooding in years. ![]() And in the heartland of Minnesota, day by day the full extent of the collapse of the 35W bridge grows. In Utah, six miners have been trapped 1,800 feet underground since Monday with no signs of life. In Newark, New Jersey, the murder rate is up fifty percent since 1998, and a week ago an execution-style murder killed four teenagers. The second impulse behind this series is that whatever month of the year you choose, heart-rending calamities fill the news from coast to coast and around the world. God wants us to know this and there are reasons. Why does God think this is good for us to know this? Why does God tell us repeatedly in the Bible that, in some unfathomable way, he governs the sinful acts of men without himself ever sinning or doing anything evil or unholy? That’s the first impulse that gave rise to this series. But Amaziah refused to listen, and the inspired writer says, “But Amaziah would not listen, for it was of God, in order that he might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the gods of Edom” (2 Chronicles 25:20). Then Joash, King of Israel, gave wise counsel to Amaziah, king of Judah, not to go out to battle against his own people. The Lord has declared disaster concerning you” (2 Chronicles 18:22). Then king Ahab is enticed by false prophets to fight against the Syrians, and Micaiah, the true prophet of the Lord, says, “Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets. Rehoboam rejected the wisdom of the old men and said to the people: “My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” Then the inspired writer says, “The king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the Lord might fulfill his word” (2 Chronicles 10:15). As in every year when I get to this portion of Scripture, I am hit between the eyes by the repeated stories of fateful human sins under the sovereign control of God. God’s Sovereignty over Sinįirst, on a porch in Asheville, North Carolina, I was reading during the last half of July the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles. Lord willing, we will be on this theme until September 23. Amen.This is the first of a series of messages titled Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Cæsar's household. The brethren which are with me greet you. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
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