BeachCast.TV: Bible Exploration, Apologetics and Church History with Dr. Chase A. Thompson:

Today, millions of Christians around the world will eat bread and drink juice or wine during church. Why do Christians continue this practice - why is it important, and what is it supposed to remind us of? Also: An amazing illustration/story from Charles Spurgeon that is genuinely encouraging!

Hello everybody, and welcome into another episode of the Bible Reading Podcast with a slightly click-baity title. Is Coronavirus a sign of the END OF THE WORLD?? Stay tuned for the exciting answer!

Today's Bible passages are Exodus 18 - in which Moses learns some excellent practical wisdom from his father in law Jethro. And no, I don't mean the guy on Beverly Hillbillies. Though I will throw in a nugget of television trivia for absolutely no charge if you ORDER NOW! Jethro (that is, actor Max Baer Jr.) is still ALIVE despite the fact that the show he starred on as an adult premiered in 1962, almost 60 years ago! (What other Bible-Reading Podcast gives you nuggets of useless information like that?!) We will also be reading Job 36, 2nd Corinthians 6 and Luke 21, which will serve as our focus passage. Luke 21 is somewhat paralleled in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. and is known as the Olivet Discourse. While most fully recorded in Matthew 24, Luke still gives us a deep insight into Jesus' teaching on the Last Days and His return, including this line that is on a lot of people's minds this week:

10 Then he told them: "Nation will be raised up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be violent earthquakes, and famines and plagues in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven.

Luke 24:10-11

The keyword there, in case you missed it, is PLAGUES. As I record this podcast, the whole world is in the midst of the Coronavirus panic, and probably for good reason. When I used to be on a podcast called The Gospel Friends, we would rate news of the world in a game we called BDLD, Big Deal, Little Deal, or No Deal. My take as somebody who is not a medical doctor, nor who knows anything at all about COVIDs #1-18, is that the Coronavirus will be a Big Deal. Not a mammoth deal, but a big deal. And here's our 99 cent question: Does the coronavirus portend the end of the world and the return of Jesus? And the answer: maybe, but probably not. In the same way that the Plague of Justinian of 541-542 (25-50 million deaths), the Black Death of 1333-1353 (75-200 million), the Spanish Flu 1918-1920 (100 million), The Asian Flu of 1957-58 (2 million), Russian Flu of 1889-1890 (1 million), or the worst plague that nobody has heard of: The Cocoliztli Epidemic in Mexico of 1545-48 (5-15 million) was not portending the immediate arrival of the last days and the return of Jesus, I don't think the Coronavirus pandemic demonstrates to us that Jesus is going to immediately return. At the same time, however, it should cause Christians to raise an eyebrow at least. Sickness/plagues/pandemics are a consistent sign that Jesus says will point to His return, but the general picture we get is not of one of these types of issues in isolation, but all of them happening together - in concert - along with 'signs in the heavens, and many other things. The general picture is one of incredible upheaval - and even then, that is just the beginning of the preparation for the return of Jesus:

You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these events are the beginning of labor pains.

Matthew 24:6-8

The thing about predicting the exact time of the return of Jesus is that it is not possible to do from Scripture, as we've discussed before. The Bible does not have encoded in it the time of Jesus' return. How do I know this? Because Jesus said that He didn't know when His second return would be, ONLY the FATHER knew. So I don't want to spend a lot of time talking about the WHEN of the Last Days, but rather to focus on what Jesus focused on in regards to the Last Days, and that is on BEING AWAKE and READY.

Hypochondriacs beware!! In 1918, the world was hit with a devastating epidemic - The Spanish Flu epidemic. The bad thing about this particular flu was that it hit healthy young adults the hardest. Ultimately it killed many more people than World War 1 - About 50-100 million total. Mass graves had to be built. It was unimaginably devastating. SO bad, that the US government kept many many secrets about the spread of the illness and how many people died. According to the Stuff You Missed in History Class Podcast, telegraph operators were given codebooks that they could not understand, and used to transmit disease info to Washington.

You've probably heard of the Spanish Flu, and its scary. I don't believe the Coronavirus will hit us that hard. However, in the midst of that epidemic a much scarier epidemic took hold for over 10 years. You've probably never heard of it, because it didn't kill as many people...but it is terrifying, and not well understood, even today. Encephalitis Lethargica. The disease attacks the brain, leaving some victims in a statue-like condition, speechless and motionless.[3] Between 1915 and 1926,[4] an epidemic of encephalitis lethargica spread around the world; Encephalitis lethargica is characterized by high fever, sore throat, headache, lethargy, double vision, delayed physical and mental response, sleep inversion and catatonia.[3] In severe cases, patients may enter a coma-like state The disease can last YEARS! During the outbreak, more than a million died, and many more were left frozen inside their useless bodies, in institutions. No-one knew what had caused it, or how to treat it. Even today, the cause isn't known for sure: Probably related to strep throat, and probably treatable and prevented by antibiotics, considering there hasn't been another outbreak for over 100 years. (It does sometimes show up, but rarely) (Info above sourced from Wikipedia and other websites.)

EVEN MORE TERRIFYING THAN THAT...Is Spiritual Encephalitis Lethargica. Much more common...much more dangerous.

9 So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. 10 Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead.

Isaiah 59: 9-10

The Church at Sardis had spiritual Encephalitis Lethargica

Revelation 3 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars."'I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

Jesus, in love, stings the church at Sardis in a way that makes a lot of sense to them. It had been a boom city many years before, but by the time of Jesus' letter, the city was not doing nearly so well. Sort of like Detroit. The church was like that even more - good reputation...impressive works. Probably big and successful...but dying. As Dick Lucas says, these letters are like iodine put on a cut...Not meant to harm...meant to heal...but the truth will sting a bit. There is NO indication in the letter of Jesus to the church at Sardis that it had deviated from sound biblical teaching. Based on the other churches, and Jesus' challenge to them, I suspect Sardis had solid, Biblical theology, and WAS ASLEEP. WE CAN TOO!!

Not only that - but Sardis was known for its works and good deeds. Not a dead looking church. Good, solid teaching, and lots of works to point to. And yet, despite the fact that the teaching is solid, and that the works are happening...Jesus looks at Sardis and says - you are dead...WAKE UP!

Right now in Turkey, there is approximately 1 Bible believing Christian for every 21000 citizens. THIS WAS THE CRADLE OF CHRISTIANITY. All 7 letters were written to churches in Turkey/Anatolia. The locus of Christianity has moved dozens of times over the years. For the last couple of hundred, it has largely been in America...that is shifting. The Holy Spirit does not appear to breathe very frequently on institutionalized believers or churches..instead, the Eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth, looking for those whose hearts are fully His, that He might strengthen them. (2 Chron 16:9) Parents - this means that we should not be concerned about introducing our children to our religion….our traditions...but to our God and to His son. Not our ways of walking out our religion, but the person of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus and the teachings of the Bible. Methods change….truth doesn't.

The main thrust of the letter: WAKE UP!! (It is presented as a command and a threat.) Studying this through this week, I was astounded to find out how important the call of Jesus to His church to wake up and stay awake is.

1. Matthew 24: 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
2. Mark 13: 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake."
3. Luke 21: 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
4. 1 Thess. 5 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
5. 1 cor 15: 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
6. Romans 13: 11 The hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
7. Revelation 16: 15 ("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!")

   Brothers and sisters - in the face of a looming and scary pandemic, let us look to Jesus - the beautiful author and finisher of our salvation - fearing only God, and trusting only Jesus to save us. Let us be wise and shrewd and prudent, and most especially, considering all of the passages we've just read today - LET US BE AWAKE AND READY WHENEVER THE MASTER CHOOSES TO RETURN!

What is everybody talking about now? The Coronavirus!! Could such a disease be a sign of Jesus' soon coming? Probably not, but on today's episode we will discuss what the signs of Jesus return are, and will also dive into a terrifying disease that almost nobody has heard of (and yet killed over a million people in the 1900s) and also an even more terrifying spiritual malady that Jesus warns about in the Bible over and over and over again. Wake up!

Good news - tonight's topic is super-fun! I can't imagine anything funner than talking about what happens when we die. Okay, I guess I am being a little tongue in cheek, but stay with me - I think you will be encouraged. Our Bible passages for tonight include Exodus 17, Job 35, Luke 20, and our focus passage, 2 Corinthians 5.

In answering this question - which is incredibly important - let's start by discussing the issue of how we do BIBLICAL theology in the first place. In other words, how do we answer hard questions like this from the Bible?

Most people have a theology - a certain way they think about God and the things of God. But how to we approach these big questions? Maybe we've heard things from our parents. Maybe we apply our own logic to things. (MY God would never do that…) Maybe our church or pastor has told us their take. When engaging in biblical theology, one passage to keep at the front of our thinking is:

Isaiah 55: 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,and your ways are not My ways."This is the Lord's declaration.9 "For as heaven is higher than earth,so My ways are higher than your ways,and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Three steps to a Biblical theology:

1. Start with the Bible - what does the Bible say about a particular subject. Not just ONE verse, but many. (For instance - to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord is just a small part of what the Bible has to say about what happens after death, or the intermediate state)
2. Account for the difference between Old Covenant passages and New Covenant passages. The New Testament must take precedence over the Old Testament, and it must interpret it.

11 Now if perfection came through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the law), what further need was there for another priest to appear, said to be according to the order of Melchizedek and not according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must be a change of law as well. 13 For the one these things are spoken about belonged to a different tribe. No one from it has served at the altar. 14 Now it is evident that our Lord came from Judah, and Moses said nothing about that tribe concerning priests.15 And this becomes clearer if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 who did not become a priest based on a legal regulation about physical descent but based on the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it has been testified:

You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.18 So the previous command is annulled because it was weak and unprofitable 19 (for the law perfected nothing), but a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

Hebrews 7:11-18

3. With humility, prayer, and the leadership of the Spirit -keep returning to the Word of God.

3 Biblical Truths about Death:

1. Death is here because of sin. We do NOT take this seriously enough. Romans 6:23, "23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
2. Death is an ENEMY. 1 Corinthians 15: "24 Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He abolishes all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He puts all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy to be abolished is death."
3. Death will END one day. Revelation 21, "3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God's dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away."

10 Bible Verses/Passages on What happens after Death:

1. Genesis 3:19 You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust." Hebrews 9:27 " 27 It is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment" MEANING: YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE! BUT: John 3:16 "For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son,so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." Perish = Rot, ruin, be utterly destroyed. Cease. Come to ruin. We WILL die - almost all of us. We will NOT Perish.
2. 2nd Samuel 12: 19 When David saw that his servants were whispering to each other, he guessed that the baby was dead. So he asked his servants, "Is the baby dead?" "He is dead," they replied. 20 Then David got up from the ground. He washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went to the Lord's house, and worshiped. Then he went home and requested something to eat. So they served him food, and he ate. 21 His servants asked him, "What did you just do? While the baby was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate food." 22 He answered, "While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, 'Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let him live.' 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I'll go to him, but he will never return to me." MEANING: IN THE OT, THERE WAS AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT A PLACE OF THE DEAD.

3. Daniel 12:1-3 and 13 "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever... "13 But as for you, go on your way to the end; you will rest, then rise to your destiny at the end of the days." A RESURRECTION!

4. Luke 16 "19 "There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day. 20 But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was left at his gate. 21 He longed to be filled with what fell from the rich man's table, but instead the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torment in Hades, he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side. 24 'Father Abraham!' he called out, 'Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame!'25 "'Son,' Abraham said, 'remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony. 26 Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.'" NOTE: NOT SAID TO BE A PARABLE. HADES IS THE PLACE OF THE DEAD. SOME INDICATION OF AN INTERMEDIATE STATE HERE.

Intro to this story, Luke 16:15 "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly admired by people is revolting in God's sight."

5. 2 Corinthians 5, "5 For we know that if our temporary, earthly dwelling is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. 2 Indeed, we groan in this body, desiring to put on our dwelling from heaven, 3 since, when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 And the One who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. 6 So, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.

6. 1 Corinthians 15:35 35 But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?" 36 Foolish one! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And as for what you sow—you are not sowing the future body, but only a seed, perhaps of wheat or another grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He wants, and to each of the seeds its own body. ... 42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; 43 sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; 44 sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. This is vivid imagery here - A dead body is planted in the ground like a seed. And like a seed, it blooms into something completely vibrant and different.

7. 1 Corinthians 15:50 Brothers, I tell you this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption. 51 Listen! I am telling you a mystery:We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet.For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.53 For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality. 54 When this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality,then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory.55 Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? 56 Now the sting of death is sin,and the power of sin is the law.57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

8. 1st Thessalonians 4, "13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. 15 For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words."

9. Revelation 20: .11 Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.13 Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.15 And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire

10. Revelation 21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed.2 I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God's dwelling is with humanity and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.

Boil it down: What do we learn about death and the intermediate state according to the Bible?

1. In the Old Testament and New Testament, when people died...they went somewhere - the place of the dead...Sheol/Hades.
2. Death was also described as sleeping (in the dust) in both the OT and New Testament. How could death be like sleeping in the ground AND going somewhere? Acts 2:29 "Brothers, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
3. We find the answer in 1 Cor 15: 51 Listen! I am telling you a mystery:We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet.For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.53 For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality.
4. So - how does that work? We can INFER from Scripture that our Body stays in the ground and our spirit/soul goes to a temporary Heaven or place of the dead. (Bosom of Abraham?) Paul - better for him by far that he die. If you are in Christ like Paul or Lazarus - that place will be better. There is an AMAZING lack of info in the Bible about the intermediate state. 1 Cor 13: "We see through a glass darkly" 1 Thess 5:23, "23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
5. We are coming to an age, in Christ, where THERE WILL BE NO MORE DEATH. DEATH WILL BE ENDED. In Christ, believers will be welcomed into the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:1). Unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). All people will go to one of those two places, based on whether or not they were in Christ. (John 3:36).

CLOSE: ROMANS 8: 10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.

The Bible isn't completely silent on what happens between the time when a Christian dies and when Jesus comes back. So - what does the Bible teach? Is there soul sleep? Is the believer in Heaven? What happens to the believer's body when he/she dies? Will followers of Jesus get a new body in eternity? Lots of questions, but the Bible does give us some answers!

Today's Bible passages include Exodus 16 - God sends Manna!, Job 34 - Elihu continues, Luke 19 Zacchaeus meets Jesus and repents!, and our focus passage, which is 2nd Corinthians 4. One of my favorite teachings in the Bible is that we humans are clay pots/jars, but God entrusts His great light, His presence and gospel to us to live in these imperfect dwellings, and we will hear from Spurgeon on that in a moment, but that is not our focus question today. Rather, our focus question is a rather dark one, but an important truth to understand. According to the Bible, who is the 'god' of this age? Before we plumb the depths of that dark question, let us get some light first, so I'll begin with a couple of encouraging words from our dear brother Charles Spurgeon on the wonderful truth that we are jars of clay (earthen vessels, since he quoteth from the King James), with the splendor of Christ in us.

The weakness of the preacher only shows the power of God when he uses such poor means to accomplish so great an end. Never let us refuse to do good because our abilities are slender; let us the rather yield up our weakness unto the Lord that he may use it to his own glory.

C. H. Spurgeon, The Interpreter: Spurgeon's Devotional Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1964), 695.

God might have put the priceless treasure of the gospel into the golden vessels of cherubim and seraphim; and he might have sent angels, who would never suffer, who would never err, who would never sin, to preach the Word; but, instead of doing so, he has chosen to send the gospel to men by commonplace beings like themselves. "We have this treasure in earthen vessels," and this overflows much to God's glory; and, dear friends, the great object of the sending of the gospel into the world is the glory of God. He would manifest his mercy to men that his mercy might be glorified; and therefore he has committed the gospel, not to the trust of perfect men, but to the trust of poor, shallow, earthen vessels like ourselves.

C. H. Spurgeon, "Why the Gospel Is Hidden," in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 58 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1912), 70–71. slightly modernized

So - let's read 2nd Corinthians 4, and you can see if you can discern who 'the god of this age.' is.

3 But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4

Most Christians would probably think that the Bible teaches that the 'god of this age' would be God Himself - and He most certainly is the one and only, overall God of Gods and King of Kings. However, the earth is under the current dominion of Satan at the moment. He is the 'god of this age,' who, according to Paul, is warring against the gospel and blinding the minds of unbelievers so they don't hear the Word of God, or they don't understand it unto salvation. Consider these passages:

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.

1 John 5:19

13 Then he said to them: "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.

Mark 4:13-15

This should be quite alarming to us! In addition to prowling about like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5...) the Bible is telling us here that Satan is warring against the delivery of the Word of God - he steals the word when it is preached, and he prevents people from understanding it. Furthermore, he is the god of this age, and the whole world is under his sway. Not only that - but he controls a kingdom, according to Jesus.

18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?

Luke 11:18

And twice (in John 12 and John 14), Jesus notes that Satan is the ruler of this world. Let's turn to John Piper for some wisdom on what this means for us:

That is simply a stunning statement: THE WHOLE WORLD LIES IN THE [POWER] OF THE EVIL ONE. What an amazing role and status this statement gives to Satan! He holds the whole world in his power. Is this your view of the world? Do you reckon with a satanic global power that influences all the world so deeply that John says the world simply lies in its power?

This is what we are up against. Not to be aware of it, not to be stunned by it, is to be very vulnerable to it.

But what does it mean? Well, if the whole world lies in the power of the evil one, then the evil one is a ruler of this world, and this world is an evil place to live, and this time we live in is an evil time. This is what we read in other parts of the New Testament as well.

"The Present Evil Age" Take this "world" or this "age," for example. Paul says in Galatians 1:4 that "Christ gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age." The age we live in is simply called "evil." The world lies in the power of the "evil one" and so the age of this world is "evil." In Ephesians 5:16 Paul says, "Redeem the time, for the days are evil." The days are evil, the age is evil because the world and all the days of the world lie in the power of the evil one.

So Paul tells Christians (in Colossians 1:13) that what happened to them when they were converted is that they were "delivered from the dominion of darkness" and transferred into the kingdom of Christ. The implication is that this age is ruled by a "dominion of darkness." It's an "evil age" because the world lies in the power of a dark and evil master. To become a Christian is to be delivered from this dominion, or this authority and power.

"The God of This Age"You can see the same thing when you look at the New Testament descriptions of Satan. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 Paul says, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers." Note the phrase, "the god of this age." It's not surprising that if the whole world lies in the power of the evil one, then this evil one should be called the "god of this age."

Similarly in Ephesians 2:2 Paul says to the Christians who had been delivered from the dominion of darkness, "You all once walked according to the age of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience." Satan is called the "prince of the power of the air." I don't know any better way to interpret this than literally—that the air we breath, the atmosphere in which we live and move, is permeated by a personal evil power—the "power of the air." And so the whole world (as John says) lies under this evil power. And that power has a prince or a ruler called here "the prince of the power of the air." He shapes the powerful patterns of the age and seems to do this mainly by working (as Paul says) "in the sons of disobedience." He somehow fills the whole atmosphere—the air—with his power, but he is specifically at work inside those who walk in disobedience to Christ. Satan has the greatest freedom to "work" where the human will is most ready to disobey the will of God.

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/what-are-we-up-against

So - that's bad news. I suspect that some of you will be surprised by all of this information. I find that preachers, churches, and even Christian parents tend to minimize the threat of Satan, and to water down what the Bible says about his power and influence in the world. This could be due to ignorance, or it could be due to a greater focus on the power of God - I'm not sure - but I am pretty sure that we should soberly reckon with the enemy we are faced with and what the Bible teaches us about his power. It is frightening, and we can't stand against him at all in and of ourselves. But - there is good news. Plenty of it. We need to realize and rejoice that God wins in the end, and Satan will be utterly defeated:

20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

Romans 16:20

10 The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Revelation 20:10

We also have promises that God will protect us:

3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen and guard you from the evil one.

2 Thessalonians 3:3

We know that Jesus has prayed for us, and He continues to pray for us, because He ever lives for intercession:

15 I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

John 17:15

He has delivered us:

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

Colossians 1:13

And He has called us to stand, resist and conquer (and He will empower us to do so with His Word in us!):

I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, God's word remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one.

1 John 2:15

He has equipped us with armor and a weapon to resist and be shielded:

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

Ephesians 6:11-16

And he has promised us that the enemy will flee when we resist him:

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

James 4:7

3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Rev 22:3-5

The Bible describes Satan as the god of this age, the ruler of the earth, and the prince of the air. What does all of that mean, and how does he have so much power? How should Christians resist him - do we even have a chance?

I guess I should start by apologizing for the slightly click-baity title. There is a tension in doing Christian things on social media, and I've been wrestling with it for years, having begun podcasting in 2005. You want to have titles for things that are eye-catching, but you don't want to rope people in with false-promises, flash, or over-dramatizations. I suppose I could have titled today's podcast something like, 'some stuff on prayer,' but that seems like it would not be very inspiring. I could have gone to the other extreme: 'The Pope and Southern Baptist President J.D. Greear both beg you to listen to this one awe-inspiring, can't miss podcast on how to become a WaRrIoR in PRAYER!!' But that would be a lie, because I don't really know the Pope, and I doubt he and J.D. would beg you to do much of anything in unison. So, I settled on, "What is Jesus' Most Important Teaching on Prayer?" I guess that perseverance in prayer may NOT actually be His most important teaching on prayer (He never says...) but I do think it is really important, and I'm sorry if my headline pulled you in with a false promise. I'll include my attorney's name and number at the end of this post if you would like to pursue legal action.

In addition to a DRAMATIC discussion about prayer from Luke 18, we are also reading Exodus 15, which contains the first (I think) worship song in the Bible AND a beautiful instance of dancing in worship led by Moses' sister Miriam. Job 33 features young Elihu attempting to lay some wisdom down on Job and his friends and 2 Corinthians 3 shares the powerful truth that Christians are 'living letters' from God to the world. I love that illustration! ONE important thing! I left off an amazing quote by C.S. Lewis on forgiveness from yesterday's show. I want to include it today because it is a good and challenging word for us.

We say a great many things in church (and out of church too) without thinking of what we are saying. For instance, we say in the Creed "I believe in the forgiveness of sins." I had been saying it for several years before I asked myself why it was in the Creed. At first sight it seems hardly worth putting in. "If one is a Christian," I thought, "of course one believes in the forgiveness of sins. It goes without saying." But the people who compiled the Creed apparently thought that this was a part of our belief which we needed to be reminded of every time we went to church. And I have begun to see that, as far as I am concerned, they were right. To believe in the forgiveness of sins is not nearly so easy as I thought. Real belief in it is the sort of thing that very easily slips away if we don't keep on polishing it up. We believe that God forgives us our sins; but also that He will not do so unless we forgive other people their sins against us. There is no doubt about the second part of this statement. It is in the Lord's Prayer; was emphatically stated by our Lord. If you don't forgive you will not be forgiven. No part of His teaching is clearer, and there are no exceptions to it. He doesn't say that we are to forgive other people's sins provided they are not too frightful, or provided there are extenuating circumstances, or anything of that sort. We are to forgive them all, however spiteful, however mean, however often they are repeated. If we don't, we shall be forgiven none of our own.

C. S. Lewis, A Year with C. S. Lewis: Daily Readings from His Classic Works, ed. Patricia S. Klein, 1st ed. (New York: HarperOne, 2003), 262.

"My present deadness I attribute to want of sufficient time and tranquility for private devotion. Oh that I might be a man of prayer!" Henry Martyn.

"Intercessory prayer is exceedingly prevalent. What wonders it has wrought! The Word of God teems with its marvelous deeds. Believer, thou hast a mighty engine in thy hand, use it well, use it constantly, use it with faith, and thou shalt surely be a benefactor to thy brethren." – C. H. Spurgeon

"There is no way that Christians, in a private capacity, can do so much to promote the work of God and advance the kingdom of Christ as by prayer." – Jonathan Edwards

4 Key Teachings of Jesus on Prayer:

1. NEVER EVER GIVE UP! Luke 18:1-8 "One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up." Also 1 Thessalonians 5:17, " pray constantly, "

2. BE IMPUDENT!! Luke 11: 5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.' 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.' 8 But I tell you this—though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. (impudence) 9 "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Definition of IMPUDENCE : the quality or state of being impudent 1. Characterized by offensive boldness; insolent or impertinent. Synonyms: Audacious, Bold, Brash, brassy, impertinent, etc.

Isaiah 62:6-7 I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD,give yourselves no rest, 7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.

3. HAVE FAITH _ DON"T DOUBT!! Mark 11:20-25 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" 22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

Two keys to prayer here in this passage. #1 Have faith. Doubt quenches prayer. How to overcome doubt? Pray with other people and pray with the WORD - Faith comes by the WORD. MEDITATE to begin prayer

#4 FORGIVE!! Can you see one other key to prayer in Mark 11? Forgive those you have something against FIRST in prayer. Also consider Matthew 6:12-15 "This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, let your name be kept holy. Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Give us our daily bread today. Forgive us as we forgive others. Don't allow us to be tempted. Instead, rescue us from the evil one. "If you forgive the failures of others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failures "

Ten Great Quotes on Praying With Perseverance. Always Pray, Never Give Up!

"Our praying, however, needs to be pressed and pursued with an energy that never tires, a persistency which will not be denied, and a courage which never fails." E.M. Bounds

"Have you any days of fasting and prayer? Storm the throne of grace and persevere therein, and mercy will come down." – John Wesley

"O brother, pray; in spite of Satan, pray; spend hours in prayer; rather neglect friends than not pray; rather fast, and lose breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper--and sleep too--than not pray. And we must not talk about prayer, we must pray in right earnest. The Lord is near. He comes softly while the virgin slumbers." Andrew A. Bonar

"Much of our praying is like the boy who rings the door bell, but then runs away before the door is open." Quoted by Leonard Ravenhill

"It is not enough to begin to pray, nor to pray aright; nor is it enough to continue for a time to pray; but we must patiently, believingly, continue in prayer until we obtain an answer; and further we have not only to continue in prayer unto the end, but we have also to believe that God does hear us, and will answer our prayers. Most frequently we fail in not continuing in prayer until the blessing is obtained, and in not expecting the blessing." – George Müller

"Elijah was a man skilled in the art of prayer, who altered the course nature, strangled the economy of a nation, prayed and fire fell, prayed and people fell, prayed and rain fell. We need rain, rain rain! The churches are so parched that seed cannot germinate. Our altars are dry with no hot tears of penitents. Oh for an Elijah! When Israel cried for water, a man smote a rock, and that flinty fortress became a womb out of which a life-giving stream was born. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" God send us a man that can smite the rock! - Leonard Ravenhill, When Revival Tarries.

"None can believe how powerful prayer is, and what it is able to effect, but those who have learned it by experience. It is a great matter when in extreme need to take hold on prayer." – Martin Luther

"There is no power like that of prevailing prayer -- of Abraham pleading for Sodom, Jacob wrestling in the stillness of the night, Moses standing in the breach, Hannah intoxicated with sorrow, David heart-broken with remorse and grief, Jesus in sweat and blood. Add to this list from the records of the church your personal observation and experience, and always there is cost of passion unto blood. Such prayer prevails. It turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life. It brings God." Samuel Chadwick

"The Church has not yet touched the fringe of the possibilities of intercessory prayer. Her largest victories will be witnessed when individual Christians everywhere come to recognize their priesthood unto God and day by day give themselves unto prayer." John R. Mott

"The devil is aware that one hour of close fellowship, hearty converse with God in prayer, is able to pull down what he hath been contriving and building many a year." John Flavel

BONUS: "The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray." – Samuel Chadwick

In Luke 18, Jesus tells a fascinating parable about a persistent widow who wore down an unjust judge by continually coming back and asking him for justice - never giving up. Jesus told this parable to illustrate the importance of always praying, and never giving up. Is this His most important teaching on prayer?

Today's episode is all about the Coronavirus. Oh wait, that's what every other news item is about. Today we are talking about forgiveness, and - believe it or not - that is more important than #covid19! Our passages include Exodus 14, which includes God's miraculous rescue of the Israelites via the Red Sea collapse on Pharaoh's army. Job 32 introduces us to Elihu, a very enigmatic figure in Job who rebukes both Job's friends and Job, and might just be right on the money. In 2nd Corinthians 2, Paul urges forgiveness and comfort for one who had sinned, that Paul apparently had recommended church discipline on previously. Notice his gentleness here - it is good to call people to repentance, and church discipline is very biblical and very needed - but so is gentle restoration also. Our focus passage is Luke 17, in which Jesus teaches us some challenging things about forgiveness:

3 Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." 5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."

Luke 17:3-5

Forgiveness is critically important to the Christian life. Our faith is built on forgiveness through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, but our faith is also contingent on forgiveness. By that I mean, even though I wholeheartedly believe in and affirm salvation by grace through faith, I also wholeheartedly believe in and affirm the teaching of Jesus that says that we will NOT be forgiven for our sins if we do not forgive those who sin against us.

14 "For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.

Matthew 6:14-15

John Piper has a very good explanation of this dynamic:

The way I would put it is like this: If the forgiveness that we received at the cost of the blood of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is so ineffective in our hearts that we are bent on holding unforgiving grudges and bitterness against someone, we are not a good tree. We are not saved. We don't cherish this forgiveness. We don't trust in this forgiveness. We don't embrace and treasure this forgiveness.

We are hypocrites. We are just mouthing. We haven't ever felt the piercing, joyful wonder that God paid the life of his Son. I mean, how in the world could I hold a grudge against somebody when I have not been offended nearly like God has been offended — so highly that he has to pay the life of his Son in order for me to be forgiven?

That is exactly the point of Matthew 18 with the parable of the unforgiving servant — which is like a parabolic form of Matthew 6:15 — where the servant owes the king a billion dollars. It is just off the charts what he owes, and he gets forgiven freely. But then he goes out and he feels it so little; it means so little to him that he strangles his fellow servant for ten dollars. And when the king hears about it, he sends him to jail. And Jesus concludes that parable like this: "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you if you do not forgive your brother from your heart" (Matthew 18:35).

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/if-i-fail-to-forgive-others-will-god-not-forgive-me

Many of you have been hurt. Some of you have been hurt terribly - and you have lifelong wounds in your soul, spirit and emotions. Some of you have been physically abused - some sexually abused - some abandoned, and some of you have been treated in all sorts of cruel and horrible ways. The ways in which we humans hurt each other is inexcusable and gut-wrenching and yet the Lord calls us to forgive. I want to try and persuade you - using Scripture - why you must forgive those who hurt you. Why that is good for you. Why that is Christ-honoring. Why that does not mean justice won't happen. Let's read Luke 17, then look at a few more Scriptures on forgiveness, and then consider what forgiveness is, why it is necessary, and what it is not.

Five Powerful Verses on Forgiveness:

30 And don't grieve God's Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

Eph 4:30-32

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven

Luke 6:37

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing."

Mark 11:25

12 Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.

Colossians 3:12-13

21 Then Peter approached him and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?" 22 "I tell you, not as many as seven," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven.... 34 And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart."

Matthew 18:21-35 selections

I think those passages (and others like them) make it pretty clear that forgiveness is both necessary and commanded. We must forgive - there is no option. But...But...But... I hear some of your objections now in my mind - imagining your struggle. Allow me to recommend a book/resource for those for whom forgiveness is a struggle. The book Total Forgiveness by R.T. Kendall has been a tremendous blessing to me, as has Dr. Kendall himself. For those that aren't familiar, Dr. R.T. Kendall is an American pastor, who pastored Westminster Chapel (formerly pastored by Martyn Lloyd-Jones and G. Campbell Morgan) in England for 25 years. In my younger years as a minister, I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Kendall several times, and was always amazed at his kindness, graciousness, and willingness to give friendly council and advice. Total Forgiveness is the best resource I've ever encountered on forgiveness, and I've recommended it to dozens of people that have been wounded. Partially because forgiveness is commanded clearly by the Word of God but also because one of the most healing things a wounded person can do is to forgive the person that hurt them. That may not make a lot of sense, but we need to realize what forgiveness is not: (Condensed from Total Forgiveness):

1. Forgiveness is not approval nor excusing of what the person who hurt you did. God does not approve of sin - He hates sin! Jesus showed great mercy to the woman caught in sin in John 7:53-8:11, but also called her to leave her life of sin. When you forgive somebody, you are not saying that you are ok with what they did to you. Forgiveness does not excuse what a person did to you. "Just as God forgives people without approving their sin, we also must learn that forgiving people does not imply an endorsement of their evil deeds." (Total Forgiveness, p. 12)
2. Forgiveness does not justify the wrong that somebody has done. To justify something means to make it 'right,' or 'just.' Forgiveness does not handle sin that way - it is not suggesting that what somebody did that was wrong was, in fact, righteous.
3. Forgiveness is not pardoning the wrong that somebody did. A pardon releases another person from the consequences of the wrong that they did. Forgiveness does not grant a pardon for wrong deeds. Dr. Kendall gives an excellent illustration of this dynamic: A young woman in his congregation was raped by a man from another country. The police wanted the woman to testify against this man at his trial, but she was concerned, knowing that God had called her to forgive the man, and also knowing that - if this man was convicted, he would be deported to his home country, and his home country automatically executed convicted rapists. She came to Dr. Kendall for counsel, and he advised her to testify, and she did - testifying as to what the man did to her, without hate and malice in her heart. The man was found guilty and deported, but the young woman forgiving this man did not at all mean that she pardoned him. Justice rightly demanded that he pay for his actions.
4. Forgiveness is not always reconciliation. As Dr. Kendall notes, "Reconciliation implies a restoration of relationship. When a husband and wife totally forgive each other, it will usually mean a reconciliation - but not always. The bitterness and the desire to punish the other person may be gone, but the wish to restore things to the way they were may not necessarily be so strong. If your spouse is unfaithful and sleeps with your best friend, both your marriage and your friendship will probably never be the same, no matter how genuine the forgiveness that is offered. An injured person can forgive an offender without reconciliation. It is wonderful indeed if the relationship can be restored, but this must not be pressed in most cases. Some things can never be the same again. It takes two to reconcile, and there must be total willingness on both parts." (Total Forgiveness, p. 14-15)

   So - what is forgiveness? I like how John Piper breaks it down here:

I think this is a very biblical definition of forgiveness. Each of its parts comes from a passage of Scripture.

1. Resist thoughts of revenge: Romans 12:19, "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."
2. Don't seek to do them mischief: 1 Thessalonians 5:15, "See that no one repays another with evil for evil.
3. Wish well to them: Luke 6:28, "Bless those who curse you."
4. Grieve at their calamities: Proverbs 24:17, "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles."
5. Pray for them: Matthew 5:44, "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."
6. Seek reconciliation with them: Romans 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."
7. Be always willing to come to their relief: Exodus 23:4, "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him."

I note here that Kendall and Piper disagree with whether or not reconciliation is necessary in order to forgive. If you'll forgive me, allow me to take a middle position, and agree that sometimes reconciliation is necessary, but other times (sexual abuse, physical abuse, the example that Dr. Kendall used of adultery, and other similar cases) FULL reconciliation may not be possible or mandated, but forgiveness may still be offered.