It’s the Economy, Stupid!

Berean Baptist on January 26, 2015

 

…Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come. (Revelation 18:10b)

During the middle to late 1980’s our country experienced a period of great economic success under President Reagan. When George H.W. Bush was elected in 1988, we began a period of slight economic decline which enveloped the country in a period of recession. During the campaign of 1992, the buzz of people and politicians was the economy, so that all attention was paid to the different plans that would bring us out of recession and help us back to the economic success that was previously enjoyed. Bill Clinton ran for president that year and campaigned with the slogan, “It’s the economy stupid!”

Our country was in the throes of many problems and still is, but the single issue that seems to attract more attention than any other is the economy. Today we consider candidates for office without regard to their decency and morality. Their personal beliefs no longer matter. Qualifications are not really too much of a concern either. The most important position to consider is “Where do they stand on the economy?” To many American Christians, it does not matter if the candidate promises to keep abortion a viable option for birth control, it does not matter if gay marriage is a part of the platform, it does not matter if constitutional rights are trampled—the most important problem we have is money for more conveniences and nicer houses and bigger bank accounts and greater luxuries.

Revelation chapter 18 shows how our country is immersed in political and ecclesiastical Babylon. It is not difficult to see how the Antichrist will come to power when America’s agenda for the most part is the same as the Antichrist’s. He will come to power at a time of political chaos and in a time of economic distress. He will make many promises about how he can improve the economy and since this is what we are most concerned about, this one issue will dominate all other concerns so that recovering prosperity will be the ticket to worldwide support. America is immersed in Babylon. Politically and religiously Babylon is much preferred to Zion.

It may seem surprising to you but God is very much in control of what is happening. True believers need not concern themselves that we are hopeless and helpless in the face of the rising tide of immorality. God has a plan to purge the world of sin and it will come at the expense of those that have sold out to moral decadence and the love of money. Revelation 18 depicts the sudden demise of Babylon. The sorrows of destruction will envelope it as people weep and wail when they see the smoke of her burning (18:18-19).

Those that put their trust in such things will lose everything. They enter into a compact with the devil to preserve their riches and prosperity. They will discover in a most fearful manner the truth of Jesus’ words, “What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” This is a question all of us need to answer. There is nothing more valuable than your soul and God holds the destiny of yours in His hands. What will He do with your soul? Take account of your life and see where you stand. Preserving the best of the world is nothing in comparison to the riches of the inheritance of God. You cannot have both. Either you live forever with God or you die forever in Babylon.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Mystery Babylon the Great

Berean Baptist on January 19, 2015

Today’s congregational reading is from the 17th chapter of Revelation which is one of the most fascinating, intriguing portions of the book. This chapter gives a glimpse of the future of religion in the time of the Tribulation, and in many ways it mirrors the current religious climate of our world today. Described in these verses is the religion system of the Antichrist that is an integral part of his government. This religious system is a mixture of all the great religions of the world headed up by apostate Christianity.

In has never been Satan’s main tactic to convince people to be atheists. He knows that man was created with the innate knowledge of God and rather than fight against human nature he chooses to exploit to his best advantage man’s ignorance of the true God. Since the beginning of the church two thousand years ago, Satan’s greatest weapon has been to pervert the gospel by corrupting the church and creating a confusing counterfeit. Today, Christianity claims two billion adherents most of which have some affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church. Through the centuries, Roman Catholicism has proved to be a great compromiser and thus Satan’s most effective counterfeit. During the Reformation, it was common for the reformers to equate Mystery Babylon the Great (17:5) with the Roman Catholic Church. Having been part of the Catholic system themselves, they were very familiar with the rife corruption within.

It has always been the method of Catholicism to increase her numbers by compromise. In the fourth century, Constantine saw the advantages of joining Christianity with his secular government but it was difficult to convince pagans to give up their mythological gods. To diffuse the opposition, the gods of the pagans were given new names and incorporated into the worship of Catholicism. Although known by different names, their practice of worshipping Mary, the saints, and angels predates Christianity by thousands of years going all the way back to the construction of Babel in Genesis 11. In its missionary efforts through the centuries, when Catholicism wanted to embrace a different culture it was never a problem for them to incorporate the superstitions of their converts.

In the Tribulation, history will repeat itself as Roman Catholicism will be the head of the Antichrist’s apostate religion. Compromises will be abundant in order to mix all of the world’s religions into one satanic concoction that will help the Antichrist rise to power and control the world. Today, we see the movement has already begun. When the ECT (Evangelicals and Catholics Together) was signed in 1994, many big name Protestant and Catholic leaders agreed to cooperate in their efforts to propagate the gospel. This was done notwithstanding Rome’s gross perversion of the doctrine of justification. The chief battle in the Reformation was the correction of Rome’s false gospel which doomed the souls of its adherents to hell. This was laid aside in the ECT as being inconsequential, which makes the ecumenicism of the agreement nothing less than the affirmation of the Antichrist’s agenda.

In 2015, it is hard to find a religious leader that still identifies the Great Whore of Revelation with the Roman Catholic Church. Satan’s deception goes on as one world church and religion become more of a reality every day. When the leaders of our country, which claim to be Christians, cover up the atrocities of Islam and approve them as seekers finding their own path to God they are setting us up for the convergence of all religions. As the president and congress give up national sovereignty, they pave the way for the one world government of the Antichrist. Mix these two together, apostate Christianity and one world government, and the result is Mystery Babylon the Great, the wickedest vilest enemy of God that ever inhabited earth.

Revelation 17 is the worst of the world’s history looking backwards or forwards. Thank God for chapters 18 and 19! Mystery Babylon will fall and the King of kings will rule supreme! We pray daily for God’s Kingdom to come to earth. Until it comes, we oppose religious dualism. We cannot and will not join any ecumenical efforts that promote unity by compromise. We are not ashamed to name names and warn everyone against current and coming apostasy. There is still a church and pastor that sees Roman Catholicism painted all over Revelation 17.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

God’s Presence and Power

Berean Baptist on January 9, 2015

Since April of 2013, our scripture reading on Sunday mornings has been from the Psalms. Sometimes choosing a topic for a brief article is difficult and I struggle until I find something to discuss. This psalm is not a problem. My real problem is how can I not write multiple articles on the vivid themes expressed in this psalm? There are many to choose from and before I could get out of the first verse the decision was made. In less than five seconds, my eyes were riveted to this phrase, “thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.”

Those of you that know me well understand why I gravitated towards this phrase. It is a tabernacle or temple reference which has long been one of my favorite subjects. What is the stunning beauty of this statement? It is the promise God made to dwell in fellowship with His people in tabernacle worship. The special place of God’s presence was in the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant stood. The Ark was a small rectangular box made of wood overlaid with pure gold. Though very small, a little less than four feet long and a little less than two feet wide and tall, the Ark was a powerful symbol of the presence of God.

On top of the Ark forming a lid, was the mercy seat which is the place of the sprinkling of blood by the high priest on the Day of Atonement. Above it stood two cherubs with wings outstretched and touching at the wing tips. It was a beautifully constructed box, but nothing could match the beauty of the intangible between those two cherubs. This is the reference in Psalms 80 verse 1. “Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.” The intangible was a bright shining light of the glory of God that showed He was in residence.

An interesting point in this psalm is the absence of the temple, the absence of the Holy of Holies, the absence of the Ark of the Covenant, and thus the absence of the bright shining light known as the Shekinah Glory. The temple and all of its furnishings had been destroyed as the result of Israel’s sin. The psalmist is in the midst of a sad bitter wail asking God to return. Three times he prayed, ”Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.”

Again, interestingly, the figure switches from the physical light of God’s glory in verse one to the spiritual expression of His presence displayed in blessing Israel again. I believe this is what is sorely needed in our churches today. We have never had manifestations of God’s glory in shining lights, but there have been plenty of them in demonstrations of the Holy Spirit’s power. The power today is not present in old time gifts of the Spirit such as tongues, prophecy, and healing. The presence of God is manifested in the power of His word spoken from pulpits by His preachers.

We need more power in the pulpit. I do not mean shouting, screaming and pounding—I mean sermons with depth that feed the souls of God’s people. We ask God to keep supplying messages that pierce the heart and pique the understanding. It is not the preacher’s work—it is the presence and power of the Holy Spirit that make it happen. “Please God—cause your face to shine in the preaching of the word. Hide your preachers behind the cross that your glory may be seen.”

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith