MESSAGE BY PASTOR ROB INRIG
FROM BETHANY BAPTIST IN RICHMOND, BC.
I invite you to pray with me, Father God hear our prayer, and we humbly cry to you as it is written in your word, Lucas 11:9:” I tell you Keep asking, and it will given to you, Keep seeking, and you will find, Keep knocking, and it will be open to you)” We are requesting healing for our dear members of our family and also dear friends who are suffering from illnesses in their lives fighting and suffering under a lot of pain, You know them by their names; (Gaby P, Vicky O, Nancy R, Tere G, Liz N, Stevie A, Les N, Miguel A H, Socrates D, Sara's mom H, Sergei B, Margarita G, Fega G. Manuel D, Marlen C. Rosy Ch, Richard H,) Also, some of them are tired of spiritual struggles, losing their faith in you, Strengthening their trust in you with a miracle in their lives, oh! Father God, hear our prayer, and we also pray for all the people around the world, especially the children who are suffering from wars, devastation, hunger, pain, hate and disbelieving in you also, bless the ones who are reading this message and their families. Heal the Land of those Countries at war; you love them so much, oh Father God, hear our prayer, we ask you in the name of Our Lord of Lords and King of Kings, your beloved son Jesus Christ. AMEN!
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Thank you, Father God, for your answer to the news
that some from our list names they are doing good,
One of them is already in remission from cancer,
another recovering slowly but well,
another full recovery starting in doing normal life
Thank you, Father God, in the name of Jesus our Lord
Praise be your name always and forever AMEN.
Over the last number of days, events in the Middle East have taken yet another turn with the overthrow of Syria’s tyrannical dictator, Assad. Trained as an ophthalmologist, his eyes oriented to power not healing, the brutality of his regime unimaginable. This man’s cruelty even using chemical weaponry on his citizens not caring whether his victims were young or old. Countless numbers killed horrifically while he luxuriated in immense, self-indulgent wealth.
And then a coup and Assad’s day was done. Most believing what’s coming could not possibly be worse than what has been. By first appearance, this change a good and necessary thing.
This coup just one of many witnessed over the years - many coups initially fueled by justifiable cause but all too soon, noble intention getting hijacked by those driven by a greater power - the desire to control rather than be controlled; to rule rather than be ruled; to dictate the terms rather than live by them.
That grab for power was the driving force behind the first coup ever seen. It playing out in heaven not on earth. This coup not because things were bad, actually the opposite. Life could not have been better. Perfection in all things. No need unmet. No joy unfulfilled.
But Lucifer didn’t see it that way because he wanted more. As he saw it, he deserved more. He had the attributes – the splendour, the wisdom, the position, the appearance Ez 28, Is 14. And so his first actions in rebellion against God and then incomprehensibly, convincing 1/3 of the angels to join in Rev 12:4. Outside of heaven, his coup moving to earth, his next attack in a garden where life had also been perfect.
That garden eventually leading to the scene we visit this morning where other angels are in view, these who years before had, in disbelief, witnessed first rebellion. These angels gathered as a multitude of the heavenly host, doing what the others wouldn’t, they praising God saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men Lk 2:13,14.
Their actions in stark contrast to Lucifer’s. In the kingdom he had in mind, he’d be front and center. After all, who better? The prophet Ezekiel describes him as, The seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty... every precious stone was his covering. He was perfect in his ways from the day he was created Ez 28:12-15. As he saw it, looking into his self-congratulatory mirror day after day, he would rule. He made no secret of that, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation ...I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High Is 14:13,14. He seeing himself on the same level as His Creator.
These events bringing us into what’s truly the focus this time of year, the story about a promise and a war – the promise of a Saviour who has come and a war with an enemy who would fall. God speaking this to Lucifer at the beginning, I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel Gen 3:15.
Lucifer learning that for his kingdom intention to succeed, he needed to destroy God’s Messianic line that would lead to a child. And if Satan were good at anything, he was good at destruction. If you’ve experienced pain; if you’ve experienced brokenness; if you’ve experienced heartache, you are aware of his skill. Because all those things come from him. That ugliness and so much more, when he introduced sin, bringing death into God’s perfect world. He stealing the perfect from Adam and Eve, earth’s rightful owners, who gave it up, blind to the destruction they stepped into. Satan claiming their kingdom not by force but by thought. He just planting a different way to think, some truth with tiny seeds of lie mixed in. Lie foreign to them. Lie they’d never known to exist. Not lies big enough to be seen, just small enough to plant doubt. Enough for thoughts to grow that perhaps God wasn’t as good as they had thought. Enough to distract from what had been given, to dwell on what had been withheld.
As significant as Lucifer’s victories were, they were only skirmishes. For victory to be truly won, there was a far greater battle that needed to be won. This battle greater than smearing the perfect, this battle to destroy the Perfect, God said would one day crush his head. That war to be fought with far more than whispers and lies. That battle to bring death.
And because Satan was the author of death, this measured up perfectly with his strengths, his plan straightforward - eliminate the seed and God’s kingdom redemption plan was done. The obvious carrier of that seed was Adam and Eve’s oldest son, Abel, his righteousness appearing to present the greatest threat. So kill Abel, kill the plan. Yet his death hadn’t killed the plan. Each time, death was delivered, God raised up others - through Enoch, Noah, Abram and Isaac and so many others. But none of these was ever intended or qualified to be the Saviour God would send. God’s kingdom Saviour had been prepared from of old - a king who would sit unrivalled and unchallenged upon eternity’s throne. Jesus, fully God who would become fully man. This Son come to us as a child, even stranger as a baby.
This Messiah who God promised must come through the line of David and the line of Judah – His promise, Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever 2 Kings 7:16.
I have no idea when Lucifer first understood Jesus was the Saviour God would send. To him that would have been both frightening and attractive. Frightening because in the heavenlies Satan was very aware of Jesus’ power and glory He possessed as God. Frightening because no matter how glorious he thought himself to be, it paled alongside this One who was far above all. But attractive because in any plan of Jesus becoming man, Lucifer was dealing with something entirely different. As man, Jesus’ glory had been put aside, His power not fully manifest. There was one more thing Satan would have found attractive and that is, knowing the plan would come through David, Satan could end things without even a head to head encounter with Jesus.
If David were killed before heirs came, God’s promise was done. Time and again, Satan came close. David outmatched before Goliath, Satan’s champion but a stone and sling, mightier than a sword and spear. Spears flung at David by an insecure and jealous king striking perilously close. Then the hardest to bear, David’s son stealing his throne, then in pursuit to take his life. And behind Goliath, Saul and Absalom? - Satan waging war to end the Messianic line running through David.
After David, there were many more times, Satan came oh so close. Perhaps the closest when it appeared the line of succession was done. This coming after King Ahaziah’s death and his mother’s decision to take the throne for herself. That meant murdering her children, grandchildren and any nieces and nephews who could claim David’s throne. Her actions appearing to end the Messianic line, the Lord’s promise was now impossible to fulfill.
EXCEPT, unknown to her, a baby hidden away, missed in the bloodbath. Who would’ve thought, the absurdity of God investing His Kingdom’s future in the weakness of a baby? A baby who, 7 years later would be revealed as rightful king, the continuation of David’s Messianic line. His name Joash meaning, “given by the Lord”, the shadow of a far greater, given by the Lord child who would sit on the Throne of David as God had planned from the beginning of time.
During times of greatest darkness, God giving hope. Despite coup’s evil, despite coup’s pain, despite coup’s brokenness, God pouring out His love to a people who continually rejected, even despised His love. Time and again, our hate and disdain met by God’s love which is the story of Christmas. God coming to us, doing the unthinkable wanting to rescue us from our failure, our pain, our addictions, from everything that’s shouts at us, ‘no hope’. Not coming as a ‘to be admired’ child but coming as our Saviour.
You would think that after so many times of reaching out to His creation only to be pushed away, God would finally say, enough! But God’s love isn’t conditional - His determination to rescue, His nature to love 1 Jn 4:8. Doing the unthinkable, allowing His Son to take off the glory that was rightfully His. Even more unthinkable? taking on what wasn’t His to take - our guilt, our sin, our depravity. Taking it all on so we could come into relationship with Him.
Jesus coming as a child but a child destined to horrifically die. Horrifically not because of the means of death – though there’s no denying that - but horrifically because of taking on our evil, our ugliness, our reprehensible. That hardly seems to fit a nice Christmas, ‘silent night’ picture but it does. The sinless One taking on sin so despicable that some of what that represents are things we don’t even want to think of and yet, He who knew no sin became sin that in Him we might become the righteousness of God 2 Cor 5:21.
Which means this, that the offer of His love demands a response, God calling us to confess our sin and repent, accepting His forgiveness offered us in Jesus. His love will not leave us where we are, allowing us to live as we choose. God’s love does not, cannot overlook sin, rather it deals with it based on our response. We are told, Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin Heb 9:22. We also need to be clear, God’s love has no sin limit, but it does have a time limit. God’s Spirit will not always strive with men I tell you; unless you repent, you will all perish Gen 6:3, Lk 13:3. Why? Because God is going to bring in a new kingdom, where everything is new, where every trace of what Satan has done, is gone. That is why, in what we see now, God is unfolding His Kingdom plan, His promises that He has also rooted in one more thing - a nation and its land, further proving to us that He is faithful to what He has said. He will do as He has said.
We have been witnesses of that nation and that land in the past year as the Deceiver has attempted to destroy the nation of Israel. On the human, there is no way to understand why such a small, seemingly insignificant plot of land should have such worldwide impact. Geopolitically it is hated. Geographically it is small. Satanically, her enemies represent it as the perpetrator of evil. These should tell us - this isn’t a political issue but a spiritual one.
Spiritual because everything about it is fulfillment of what God has promised to Israel. It’s about a King and His Kingdom. It’s about a battle and a coup. It about a baby born in Bethlehem and a King who is coming to Jerusalem. Biblically it is where God first came and where He will return. Believe it or not, this land is about Christmas that’s come and battles to end all things Christmas
As such the enemy’s intent to eliminate Israel ‘from the river to the sea’ is not just a phrase for recent times but intention driving Satan from earliest days. The prophetic reminder spoken long ago about the Jewish Arab conflict that will exist between Isaac and Ishmael, the latter who, Will live in defiance of all his brothers Gen 16:12.
It was conflict like this that motivated the Philistines, the Ammonites and many other ‘ites’ to try to destroy Israel. It’s what motivated Haman to exterminate the Jews and it continues to be in-flesh combatants playing out the designs of an ‘other’ world master.
‘But God’ which is to say, Israel will never be destroyed no matter how aggressive its enemies become. This isn’t to say Israel will be spared damage or escape suffering but it will not be destroyed. It’s also not saying Israel has always acted righteously because she hasn’t. In fact, the opposite has too often been the case which has resulted in God bringing judgment upon her. But that has not changed God’s care for Israel, In a desert land He found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; He guarded him as the apple of His eye. For thus says the LORD of hosts, After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. Deut 32:10, Zech 2:8.
Spiritual because everything about it is fulfillment of what God has promised to Israel. It’s about a King and His Kingdom. It’s about a battle and a coup. It about a baby born in To your offspring seed I will give this land... I am your God and their God. I will give you and them the land in which you are now a foreigner. I will give the whole land of Canaan TO YOUR FAMILY FOREVER, and I will be their God Gen12:1, Gen 12:7, Gen 17:7,8.
O God, do not remain quiet; do not be silent and O God, do not be still. For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, and those who hate You have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your treasured ones. They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more.” Ps 83:1-4 Do these words of destruction sound familiar?
So there’s the reality – a God-given land to a people who time and again have not been God-honoring faithful. For a time – a very long time, God removed this rebellious people from the land He had given them, but God, true to His word, doing what He promised by bringing them back. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and THEY SHALL NEVER AGAIN BE UPROOTED OUT OF THE LAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN THEM,” says the Lord your God Amos 9:14,15.
Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. For behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. Jer 30:2,3.
Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I WILL GATHER YOU. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth Is 66:8; 43:5,6
A nation disappeared from the face of the earth reborn in a day. This nation not short time gone, not even dissolved for hundreds of years then returned in a reconfigured way. No, this nation seemingly obliterated. Its citizenry taken as captives more than 2500 years ago, now returning from around the world – its momentous rebirth when on May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel, President Harry Truman recognizing the new nation the same day. Jews returning to their homeland - hearts strangely drawn - strongly drawn – spiritually drawn. A language returned to life. A history never lost, a future never truly forgotten. A greater miracle still to come that would be even greater than what would be seen, As the desert rejoicing and blossoming like a rose just as Is 35:1 had said. These things done by the hand of God not the hands of men.
Yet until Christ returns to establish His kingdom, Satan will continue to destroy and bring pain, the worst still to come when his fury will be fully unleashed. Then, his greatest anger will be reserved largely for those who, from this people will come to believe in Jesus as their promised Messiah. The intensity of Satan’s anger will be of a magnitude the world has not yet seen which given what’s already been witnessed, is almost impossible to imagine.
Until then we are to hold tight to the promises God has fulfilled. Of deliverance when rescue seemed impossible. Of hope when hope was almost gone. Of light coming when darkness appeared to have won. At first just the smallest of signs – a baby who came amidst the chaos. That coming not appearing to bring much light – but oh how it did and oh how it will!
His coming without fanfare – other than what was shown to a few. Without prominence that would cause the important to gather. Without power that would keep most away. Sort of like a baby years before being born to be king hidden from sight until his presence was made known. Or like a baby born to free captives whose delivery in a basket would lead to a palace.
But THIS child who would be born in obscurity, far greater than a Joash or a Moses.
So what does all this mean for us? First and foremost, that we stop treating this as a long ago story because it is God’s story spoken to us now – right here, right now. His story spoken directly to you, that what God promised is true. That what God has spoken will be done. That the miraculous of coming into a dark and needy world is also the miraculous that He wants to come into our dark and needy world, into the place we now find yourselves. Christ’s coming not something once done but Christ’s coming to you NOW. But make no mistake, there is an enemy who doesn’t want you to know this, who doesn’t want you to believe this.
Yet Christ’s greatness announced at His birth but His greatness truly revealed at His death. Death conveying there’s no more story to tell.
Because of that so many want to keep the Christmas story in nicer places like Bethlehem town. Of safer stories to tell. Of manger and song. Of sheep and stars. Of wise men and gifts. But God’s story was never intended to keep us at the beginning of this story.
His story to take us to a Cross which actually is where God does His beginning, where through Jesus’ death our life can start brand new, no matter how bad it has been or currently is. It’s where the enemy’s coup ends. God’s story centering on a Cross, but the finale isn’t written there. God’s Cross leading to a Crown and a Kingdom still to come. All because of what would happen in between – a garden and an empty tomb. No crowds of earthly witnesses here but not missed by a multitude of rejoicing heavenly ones. This, the story of Christmas.
The angels witnessing the first stages in spectacular fashion that the Deceiver’s defeat had been accomplished. The enemy’s ‘victory’ had been his fatal defeat. His defeat, our victory. The empty tomb proving once, for all, The gates of Hades will not prevail against Jesus and those who believe in Him Mtth 16:18. The coup has been defeated. The enemy will be no more. This story of a child, a stable actually the story of a King, His Kingdom and Christmas’ amazing joy.
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