The Sunday Sabbath

Berean Baptist on May 20, 2019

There are many who believe the Old Testament law of the Sabbath was done away with in the anti-typical fulfillment of Christ’s death. However, this law was given immediately upon the completion of the creation which tells us God intended it as a perpetual law given to all nations to remind us of His power and sovereignty.

            Recently, I listened to a sermon by someone who offers a different opinion. He claimed the idea of a Christian sabbath is not very old but is mostly of English Puritan descent and was not believed by Christians other than the Puritans. One of his arguments said that Baptists are wrong, and we ought to reject the historic confessions of faith that teach Sunday is a sabbath that replaced the Old Testament seventh day sabbath. The argument goes that our most popular confessions do not use the term “Christian Sabbath.” It is true the New Hampshire Confession of 1833 to which we closely adhere in our own statement of faith does not use the term “Christian Sabbath” in the 15th article entitled The Observance of the First Day of the Week. However, the language is very clear a sabbath is meant by the exclusions and duties that are put upon the day. In addition, the last phrase says the day is to be used for “preparation for that rest that remains to the people of God.” This reference is to Hebrews 4:3-11 in which the author says in verse 9: “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” Rest in this verse is the Greek word sabbatismos which is derived from the word that means sabbath. The Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 in its article on the Sabbath begins, “The light of nature shows that there is a God…” This confession begins by connecting the sabbath to laws that are written on the human heart. It ends by using the word sabbath: “The sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord.”

            The man who preached this message is a Southern Baptist who referred to the Southern Baptist Abstract of Principles which is their confession of faith. He noted the Abstract of Principles does not use the word sabbath. And yet the language in the Abstract uses the same concepts as are found in others that do. James Petigru Boyce, one of the founders of the Southern Baptist Convention asked in his catechism: “Why do Christians keep Sunday as the sabbath?” Answer: “Because it was on that day of the week that Christ rose from the dead.” Further: “What name is given to it on this account?” Answer: “The Lord’s Day.” Likewise, Spurgeon’s catechism emphasis the same point even more extensively in positively declaring the first day of the week is the Christian sabbath.

            It is interesting to note that the Reformers did not regard a Sunday sabbath. Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Knox, Beza, and others argued against it. However, their opinions were fashioned against the background of the abuses of Roman Catholicism in making Sundays festival days, and of course to their Sacramentarian views of salvation regarding it. Their opinions prevailed over their churches for less than a century when the practice overwhelmingly returned to a Sunday sabbath. Calvin’s arguments notwithstanding that the change to a Sunday sabbath happened about A.D. 60 instead of upon Christ’s resurrection, proves to be only an argument, whereas the law written on the human heart continues to prevail.

            It is therefore disingenuous to assert the Sunday sabbath is a fairly recent invention. It appears the Sunday sabbath did not prevail as practice among Bible believing Christians for only a short interval in the late 16th century. It only seems to hold sway today among those who are bent on returning to the enlightenment of the Reformation, which in most cases is good except when it is not.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

VIOLATING THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT – Exodus 20:8-11

Berean Baptist on May 13, 2019

            The fourth commandment may well be one of the most neglected and least convicting of all the commandments in the Decalogue. This is not because of lack of seriousness in what God demands, but because the modern Christian has become so complacent about reserving time for God. I also believe the modern pulpit holds much culpability for this unhappy phenomenon. The interpretation that the fourth commandment is not a part of the moral law written on the heart is the major contributor to the problem. Many preachers who are otherwise stellar in their interpretation of scripture tell us this command is not binding on Christians today. They teach there is no such thing as a Christian sabbath which seems from my research of historical positions not to be the consistent teaching of Baptists or others.

            To be fair, these preachers do not teach you are not obligated to give time to God, but rather they say there is no special day to for it. Sunday is more of a convenience based on Christian agreement that it is a good easy time for us to get together. It is by mutual consent rather than a commanded time. I fear that when the observance is taught this way it is much easier for the individual to say Sunday is not convenient for them, and since there is no command there is no need to concern themselves. We see the convenience card played too much as churches offer Friday night services for those whose weekend plans are too much encumbered to accommodate what they don’t much like doing anyway. It is not exaggeration that many Christians treat church as if they need only a light dose to assuage their conscience. After all, they do claim to be Christians, don’t they? They go to church for the minimum time to put in their appearance, and while they are there it is not worship they think of. Boating, fishing, football, shopping or a hundred other plans run through their minds. In all fairness, most of the time the Friday night churches are not giving anything worth thinking about anyway.

            If we have a hard time keeping Christians on track when we have a command, what happens when there is none? Evidently church attendance has been a problem from the beginning. Scripture in Hebrews warned early Christians not to forsake the assembly. No doubt some of this was advice for Christians who were fearful of persecution and thus would not come, but surely there has to be at least a modicum of instruction for Christians who were lax and lazy about attending. Some of them did what many of us do—seek other venues to spend our Sunday time.

            We are determined to get the exposition right, and so we will follow the historical interpretation that God has not changed the principle of the sabbath. The New Testament did nothing other than change the day. If we argue there must have been some change because we don’t follow the rigid requirements of the Jews and that Jesus chastised the Pharisees for their abuses, we only need concede their practices were wrong. This does not mean there isn’t a sabbath and a right way to keep it.

            The important point to realize is its status as a command. Arguably because it comes at the end of the first table of the law, it stands in a special place of importance. There should be more conviction over its violation. We will not tolerate repeat offending adulterers nor repeat thieves and certainly not mass murderers. Where is the censure of Christians over repeat violations of this command? Baptists surely need more contrition because of it.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

Intentions

Berean Baptist on May 6, 2019

Exodus 20:7

             “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain.” In the exposition of the third commandment we learn there is more to taking the Lord’s name in vain than using it as a swear word. However, I would like to expand on the common usage of God’s name as “filler speech.” For want of some other expression, God’s name is inserted as an exclamation of surprise, of disgust, or some other emotion. The expression “Oh my God” is so common it is spoken without thought. Since most people do not actually talk to one another any longer, the expression shows up in texts, tweets, and emails as “OMG.” I would think to type this out surely requires a little bit of thought—more so than in spoken language because many are indeed so foolish as to speak without thinking.

            The problem of determining whether this is sinful relates to intent. Is this intentionally disrespecting God’s name? Does intent rule, or is it overridden by the clearness of the command? In other words, if you do not intend to act wrongly are your wrong actions sinful? If you speak God’s name without intentionally disgracing Him, is it still sin? We only need to compare it with other things we do without intent. Consider the second commandment. If we hang a picture of Jesus on the wall without the intent of worshipping it, is it still wrong? Need we ask? If you offend someone unintentionally, is it still wrong? Ask government officials if you use a private email server for national security conversations, is it wrong if you had no intent to put this country in harm’s way? Wait, don’t answer that—apparently it is okay. Usually, however, the government is not concerned with your intent. When the law is broken, consequences must be faced. Most people have no intent to run over people on the sidewalk, but it could happen if you text while driving.

            Likewise, with this command. We do not expect the world to get this, but Christians are definitely obligated to get it. We are supposed to think about what we say. We are supposed to be deliberate in our speech. Jesus said, “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36). We can very well take this as His exposition of the third commandment: “The LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” There is no argument left to excuse the careless speech of those who say, “Oh my God,” “Oh, Jesus Christ,” “geez” and so on. They are clearly in violation of the command. The Christian should work overtime completely expunging these expressions from his vocabulary. Every word we speak has meaning whether said with intent. Our conscious thought should be as Paul advised: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17).

            Pay attention to this and the other ways the Lord’s name is used wrongly. God allows no excuses. This is not the preacher’s opinion; it is the word of God. As the end of the message encourages, go to the Lord in repentance and contrition. He will forgive this sin as He does all others. The key is to recognize that you have offended the precious Saviour with or without intent, and to come with a promise to change your ways. I promise He will give great thought to intentional forgiveness.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

Terrifying Fear vs. Respectful Fear

Berean Baptist on February 4, 2019


            After our year-long study of the Ten Commandments, many comments were made about the value of the study. Perhaps the best is in this vein— “this has been convicting.” One person told me, and I paraphrase, “I was doing well until the tenth commandment. One through nine, I felt I was okay, but the tenth was very convicting.” I was pleased with this comment because it demonstrated what I tried to prove in the exposition of the last. None of us do very well at all because the tenth exposes the root of all sin—the heart. None of the commandments mention the heart, but the last has everything do with it. Covetousness is not seen. It is the attitude of the heart exposed in the act. It is not the act, but the exposure of evil desire.

            In the final message, the intent was to elicit the same reaction as the Israelites had after hearing God speak in a thunderous voice from the mountain. The sights and sounds were stunning. The voice of God was accompanied by earthquakes and thunder and lightning. Fear was the expected result. Fear of God who judges and will not clear the one who violates His law. God got what He wanted. The people were so afraid they retreated and asked Moses to stand in for them. They asked him to speak with God because they were too terrified to hear His voice.

            God expects the same from us when we approach Him. If we come based on the law, we should be terrified because we are offenders. We will experience His wrath if our violations are still upon us. The happy news of this story is the temperance of wrath because of mediation. In like manner of the mediation of Moses for the people, we have a mediator who will speak to God for us. We need not be terrified if our confidence is in Him. We do not need to fear the judgment of God in the same respect as without Him. Our fear of judgment is turned to the fear of respect, and the awesome wonder of the God who will forgive our horrible transgressions because of the untiring, unfailing work of the mediator.

            The mediator is the Lord Jesus Christ. We dare not approach God to touch His holy mountain without His intercession. If we sidestep, if we slip around, if we circumvent His work, we approach God bare naked with the thoughts and intents of the heart exposed. The scriptures teach God is satisfied for our sins in only one way—it must be the work of Christ for us. When satisfaction is made, the terror of judgment is taken away. Justification by the merits of Christ’s righteousness is the only way God’s wrath is turned from us.

            The Ten Commandments leave no doubt as to our guilt. Perhaps we believe we do well, but we will not reach the last and announce our good spiritual health. The heart, the beginning place of all evil, will catch us. Our transgression of this commandment is enough. One violation is the heart fully exposed before the commission of the act. It is enough to condemn us forever.

            The epilogue of the law is to point us back to the first. The acts of God played out in the laws of chapter 20 must take us back to the prologue of the law in chapter 19. The prologue is grace— “Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians.” Look back to Calvary to see what God did to sin. You didn’t do it. You could not do it. Only God can. Respond to Him in faith and it is sure you understand the purpose of the law.

                                                                                                Pastor V. Mark Smith

Fires and Fears

Berean Baptist on October 16, 2017

Those of you reading from outside the immediate area have probably heard the news about the devastating wildfires that occurred in Santa Rosa and much of Sonoma County where our membership lives. While the images on television were horrifying, it is impossible to understand how deeply we are impacted unless you see it firsthand and speak with those who experienced it. Officials say that we have lost more than 5% of our housing in Santa Rosa alone. This severely exacerbates a problem we already have. There is a shortage of rental units and houses for purchase without the massive increase in demand from this tragedy. We are deeply concerned about displaced families.

Our church is small compared to such a massive problem. However, the good people of our church have pledged to do what we can to help our community. We have offered to house some transitional families until they can make suitable arrangements. We are also linked to efforts by the Santa Rosa Bible Church and their Christian school ministry to aid displaced church and school families. Offers of help have poured in from across the country. The short-term need is for cash donations for unexpected expenses. Though some of the most expensive neighborhoods in our area were burned and those families may have other resources, there are thousands more that are just like you. They struggle to meet family budgets and have no resources for sudden calamity. Each day is a struggle for survival. If you can help, we urge you to click the links on our homepage to give.

One more note. As Christians, we are not in despair. We see the good in God’s sovereign plan. Disasters are inherent in a world charged with sin. It is part of the curse of the fall. While we do not claim to know how everything works in God’s purposes, we know they are always good for His people. In this tragedy, we see opportunities for the gospel. We see the grace of God reflected in His people who have an opportunity to obey the second table of the law—“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

We also see a clear warning for repentance and a call to faith in Christ. God is gracious to send another visible sign that salvation is only in Jesus Christ. He gives time to repent and we must heed the warning. The good news is that all can escape the judgment of sin and may inherit a new home that can never be touched by a fire or disaster of any kind. This home is for those who give up self, change their minds about their goodness, and cling to the righteousness of Jesus Christ. He provides this righteousness for imperfect, sinful people by His perfect life and sacrificial death.

For anyone who reads this, especially those in our area affected by the fires, if you want to know more about faith in Christ and peace in your troubled life, please let us know. The results of the fire cannot be taken away, but the anxieties of what you will do next can be by trusting in the sovereign God.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Do You Fear God?

Berean Baptist on November 30, 2015

Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. (Psalms 33:8)

 In the past few Sunday night services, we have discussed worship and how God has mandated His whole creation to worship Him. Worship is the natural response of a heart cleansed by the blood of Christ. In salvation our minds are renewed so that we see more clearly the majesty of God. A heart compliant to God’s will always craves worship for worship is the top priority of God’s will. The Westminster Catechism states this wisely in its first question, “What is the chief end of man?” In other words, “Why was man created? Why did God make man?” The answer is, “To glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.”

In the 33rd Psalm, the psalmist reflects upon the creation God has made with the understanding that such power is to be greatly feared. It seems Old Testament reflection upon the power of God always evoked this type of response. The rest of the psalm issues a warning to nations that no counsel against God shall stand. Faith in any other power is empty because logically and experientially nothing overcomes the power of the one who created all. In this psalm, fear equates to reverence and reverence is an equivalent expression of worship.

However, we were careful to point out in our study of worship that fear is too often not our response to the power of God. Though we may sing in the words of the psalmist, “Our God is an awesome God,” there is very little understanding of what the psalmist meant by “Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” This means to back up and back down and understand your place. Know where you stand in relationship to God. Though we strive to be like Him in kindness, benevolence, justice, and even in righteousness, we will never be like Him in the breadth of His power. Though one day we shall see God and be made in His likeness and will reflect His holiness, yet we shall never cease to be awed by His power. Eternity will be bliss for believers, but never will we be equal to God.

When I say we no longer fear God, I think the reason is because of weak-kneed preaching that constantly harps such themes as “God loves you.” No matter what you have done or will do God still loves you. He accepts you just the way you are and you need not fear Him because He is a kindly, gentlemanly old codger who is all but toothless and would never hurt a fly. In other words, God is happy with anything and anybody. It sounds good for the selfish unrepentant who must have his way, but unfortunately for them, this is not the God of the Bible.

The God of the Bible has one way—His way. He is not tolerant of nor sensitive to your desires and your way. God cares little for what you think because sinful minds think sinfully. God is not happy with our ways and is only happy when we fulfill our chief end which is to glorify Him. Absolute obedience glorifies Him and anything less brings a response of wrath. You had better well learn to respect God’s wrath.

You might expect that living in fear of God would be unpleasant, but it is not. In the same psalm in which we find fear, we also read these words in verse 5: “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”  Fear does not mean that it and kindness cannot go hand in hand. After all, it was in our rebellion and disobedience that God sent His Son to die for us. So, let us see if we can learn to respect Him. Let us stand back and marvel at His wonderful works—but let us not mistake who we are and who He is.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

God’s Presence and Heaven’s Pleasures

Berean Baptist on April 15, 2015

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalms 16:11)

Psalm 16 is another of the remarkable Old Testament passages that speak of the great Messiah who was to come. There are many Old Testament prophecies that speak of the coming of Christ in ways that could not have been completely understood by the prophets. This Psalm was written one thousand years before Christ came, yet it speaks of the resurrection which is the triumphal event of Christ’s life and the hope of every Christian.

Verse 10 says, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” Though David wrote this, it is impossible for him to speak concerning himself. David’s body is still in a grave in Jerusalem and has seen the decay of the flesh. When Peter preached on Pentecost, he revealed the meaning of this Old Testament text which no one could have known unless the Holy Spirit unlocked it and showed it referred to Jesus whom the Jews had just crucified. Jesus was buried but the grave could not contain Him. As David prophesied, Christ arose from the dead and now sits on the throne in heaven. Peter said of David, “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption” (Acts 2:31).

We should note the use of the word hell in both Psalm 16:10 and Acts 2:31. This word translates the Hebrew sheol and the Greek hades. In these two scriptures, neither of these mean hell in the sense of the place of eternal torment. Neither David nor Christ were ever in the place of torment. Rather, sheol and hades in both instances refer to the grave. Christ was not left in the grave to suffer the corruption of His flesh, but rather was raised and His body was glorified. No Christian goes to a place of suffering or purging such as is taught by the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory. The soul of the Christian goes immediately into heaven to await the resurrection of the body. Every Christian may joyfully quote Psalm 16:9: “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” These sentiments of Christ expressed His immediate hope of the resurrection, while we await ours according to the sure promise of God.

The last verse of the Psalm is also sweet to the Christian. We must remember that when we came to Christ in faith we were placed “in Christ.” Everything that happens to Him happens to us. Christ was raised to return to heaven to the blessed fellowship of the Father: “In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” I am sure as David penned these words he knew they would somehow apply to him. At the moment of his death, his eyes opened to the glories of heaven and the presence of God the Father. His words that were somewhat mysterious as he wrote them became crystal clear as he received a mind that was perfectly in tune with Christ.

This is the same hope for you and me. We preach the glories of heaven and the fellowship of the Father without knowledge of the fullness of them. However, after this brief sojourn of life is over, we too shall see the full revelation of what we have so longed hoped for. Whenever you are discouraged, turn to this Psalm and think of the presence of God and the pleasures of heaven. Troubles melt away in the blessed promises of scripture.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Final Judgment and the Lake of Fire

Berean Baptist on March 8, 2015

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)

I am happy to know that many of you take time to read the articles in the bulletin each week. They do require quite a bit of effort to write and I rejoice they are of benefit to you and others that you may share them with. For today’s topic, I felt impressed to return to last week’s subject since the article got quite long and I still did not say all I wanted to say.

The subject is the final judgment that is coming, and in particular the judgment for those that have not trusted Christ as Saviour. Judgment is a repetitive theme in scripture and is expressed in different ways. Both John the Baptist and Jesus preached, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” which is the same as saying the end of all things as we know them is coming. We are told to repent because there is a day of reckoning when God will settle all our accounts as they relate to His righteous Kingdom.

Final judgment is also the meaning when Jesus said, “The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he reward every man according to his works” (Matthew 16:27). Obviously, final  judgment is the theme when Paul told the Athenians “He hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). Christ’s resurrection is the guarantee that such a judgment will take place. Revelation 20:11-15 is the record of this judgment as it respects wicked Christ rejecters.

Last week, I wrote on the criteria for this judgment, which is ALL the sins the unbeliever has committed. God has a complete record contained in “the books.” This is the basis for condemnation. In Revelation 20:15, we see the punishment that will be given. “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” The book of life contains the names of those made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ. All others are absent from the book, and these will be cast into the lake of fire.

This is another of those times when the subject is too big for the space. Let me just say if you have any doubts about the reality of eternal hell, then you also have doubts about the truthfulness of Jesus. Of the twelve times this final place of torment is spoken of in scripture using the word geenna, Jesus spoke eleven of those instances. In other words, the overwhelming proof of torment in a lake of fire is Jesus! Why is there so much preaching about who Jesus is and what He said and did and yet so little about His major topic? All of His teachings about righteousness, regeneration, redemption, salvation, holiness and entrance into His kingdom are for the purpose of avoiding eternal hell!  Surely you did not miss the big story of Jesus and the cross, did you? The cross is where Jesus died to keep you out of eternal hell. If Jesus did not tell the truth about hell, His humiliation and torturous death were a colossal waste.

We do not want you to go to hell, so we will do the same as the apostle Paul. We will reason with you “of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come” (Acts 24:25). Read Revelation 20:11-15 over and over. If you see yourself there, turn around and head straight to the cross. It is the only way you will escape the lake of fire.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

Berean Baptist on February 23, 2015

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war…And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:11, 16)

 This may well be the most magnificent passage in all of scripture. Since the awful day of disobedience in the Garden of Eden, the world has been waiting for the entrance of creation’s gracious King. He visited us before under different circumstances and for a different purpose. He did not appear as the royal King; He did not project the fierceness of a mighty warrior; He did not come with fire in His eyes to bring vengeance upon His enemies. He came as a humble, meek servant with compassion in His heart. He came to seek and save that which is lost. He came for helpless sinners doomed to suffer the wrath of Almighty God for their crimes against Him. He came to take away the guilt of sin for all that believe by satisfying the divine justice of God.

The first advent of Christ was for you and me that trust Him. He came to give us salvation. He had to come in the humiliation of human flesh in order to do it. So, He appeared the first time as Hebrews says to “put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” He was the pure innocent Lamb slain for the vile and guilty. The Second Advent is also for us. The writer of Hebrews adds to the first statement: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Hebrews 9:28)

The second time Christ comes it will not be as the sin bearer, but nonetheless it is also to bring us salvation. In this sense, salvation means our final deliverance from this sin cursed world. The Second Coming is for believers as Christ enacts His plan to rid the world of all opposition and bring us the blessedness of the new heaven and new earth. But, there is also a sense that the Second Coming is for unbelievers. They humiliated Him the first time. They despised Him and turned their backs on Him. They beat Him without mercy and then nailed Him to a rugged cross. The second time He comes He will not permit this. All will be forced to give Him the honor and glory He deserves. At the end of the 19th chapter, He destroys so many unbelievers that the fowls feast to the full upon their bodies as if it was carrion.

Revelation 19 is very unlike Luke chapter 2. There is no stable; there is no manger; there are no swaddling clothes of peasants. There is no lowly humility. This time He comes as a mighty warrior to conquer the world, to make it His kingdom, and to force His enemies to submit to His rule. This is the side of Jesus most never hear about. And yet, you must understand the wrath of God before you will ever understand the love of God. Do not take your ease because you think you are not guilty. Do not comfort yourself in the erroneous hope that God will never punish the guilty. Revelation 19 is as true as Luke 2. The KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS is coming. Are you ready? Repent of your sins, trust Jesus to save you from them, and you shall be!

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

 

 

 

 

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