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The Hallowed Eve decorations are all up, so it would be good to think about the “holidays.” Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy (ERH), a German-American Christian thinker who ended up in the Harvard Divinity school since he talked a lot about God, has some great observations about the “holidays” worthy of consideration.

ERH argued that holidays are “time-bettering days” — days that improve time by furthering communities, helping to form a group with something “common.” He said, “On a holiday, we share one time and one space although we are divided by self-interest, by age, by wealth, by occupation, by climate, by language, by race, by history; we carry on as though we were one and the same man, regardless of birth, unafraid of death…unperturbed by fear.” He noted that “even the apparent idleness of a Puritan town was productive because it was a matter of being idle together. Puritans labored “for being idle together. The gathering of the idle was primary.”

He further notes that “on holidays, a community triumphs over tragedy…” The power of a holiday consists in the ascendancy over tragedy. Holidays “…place us at the center of existence where death becomes the gate to life.” He means that …“holidays commemorate the great moments, often the great crises, of a community’s history.” (quotes from Peter J. Leithart, I Respond, Though I Shall Be Changed)

Of course, that’s exactly the Christian Church Year of holidays — remembering and celebrating, by being together as a community, the life we have in Christ, having been saved by the great tragedy of Christ on the Cross.

So during this season of holidays, take time to be “idle” with the body of Christ, relaxing and celebrating and being together in the Sunshine of Christ’s love!

“As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them…And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed…It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold” (Dan 2.34, 44b-45a).

Twice Daniel mentions to King Nebuchadnezzar that the statue he saw will be destroyed by a stone “cut out by no human hand.” Why is he told that? Why are you told that? What are you, in your bible reading, supposed to be connecting?

In the scriptures, uncut stones, stones no iron tool is used on, are “altar stones” (Ex. 20:25; Dt. 27:5–6: Josh 8:31). So this is an “altar stone” that destroys the statue in the days of the iron and clay feet (Roman oikumene/empire). Say what?

Since the “stone” grows to be a “great mountain that fills the whole earth” and a “kingdom that shall never be destroyed” (vv. 35, 44), we can surmise that this kingdom is built upon worship, since worship took place at the altar, where the sacrificial offerings were placed. Particularly the worship of the stone, the rock of God, Jesus himself, the Son of Man, who receives the kingdom later on in chapter 7. Jesus appears during the Roman iron/clay era, is worshipped, and then the Apostles expand the worship of Jesus by planting churches, places of singing, praying, fellowshipping, feasting and teaching, all “altar” associated activities in the temple, where altars are normally found. So the kingdom expands, filling the world; and it does so through the worship of the gathered body of Christ!

If you do any reading on the assassin of Charlie Kirk, it’s not long before you start reading about the markings on the bullet casings, his dark web subculture, The Groyper Army, Black Pill culture, etc. He is surely a representative of an angry, lonely, and anchor-less subculture that believes there is no future for men, mankind, or the world, and that cultures and institutions are irreformable. Hence, their focus is tearing down and destroying because that is all there is to do; there is no hope for the future. If you hate God, you love death and destruction.

This is where you come in! You are a bright light of hope for these lonely, dislocated and disillusioned people! In Jesus, you have hope, having been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” In Jesus you have joy, because “by God’s power your are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed…” You have community, being united to other believers through God’s word, worship, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and fellowship where all are fed by his grace and kindness. Having your eyes fixed on Jesus the Lord of America and the world, you have purpose and peace.

That’s what Charlie’s assassin and all his friends, associates, and fellow unbelievers need, but desperately lack. This is not a conflict between left and right, liberal and conservative, generation X versus generation XX; it is a conflict between believers in Christ and believers in self or Satan or nothing at all.

So as you enjoy the life of a Christian that has hope and joy and love and family, look around and invite these unbelievers into your life and home, and especially to worship. Listen and speak the truth, with kindness and boldness, for you alone, of all the peoples on the planet, have the soul-satisfying answers!

Precious in the sight of Yahweh is the death of his saints. — Psalm 116:15

This past Wednesday, God called one of His saints to be a witness with his life—with his last breath. Yet, the bullet that struck Charlie Kirk had no real power because everything in creation is under the direct control and supervision of our great God. It is God who called him to this final task.

Charlie died as he lived—he was amidst discussion and debate on a public college campus surrounded by a mixed multitude of people on all sides of the debate when he was fatally struck. One would have been blind if they did not see his desire for open, honest, and respectful dialogue with all those with whom he disagreed. And further, there’s scarcely a clip of him in any medium or place where Jesus and the gospel did not fall easily from his lips. His faith poured out of him at every opportunity. Life sprang forth from his mouth—as it should from every Christ follower—and many enemies of Christ hated him for it. For those enemies, Charlie was a proxy for their real hate. This is exactly what Jesus speaks of in John 14, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.”

Jesus walked the path before Charlie. That’s why he was able to boldly enter the lion’s den time and again and witness for Christ against degeneracy, trans ideology, abortion, and many more evils.

Ultimately, Charlie’s light cannot be put out, for it was the light of Jesus that shone through him. He was but a vessel, and the extinguishing of his life only flames Christ’s light to brighter glory in each of us. May we be as bold in whatever station we are called, in whatever duty God has for us. This week, as you remember Charlie Kirk, proclaim the gospel boldly through your words and through your deeds as you give all praise and glory to Christ, our King!

Every chapter of the Bible is encouraging, of course, but Revelation 13 has to rank up there as one of the tops. That might sound funny, since it isn’t a psalm or a chapter from Song of Solomon or even from the book of Romans!

But several features stand out. From heaven to earth, from sky to land, Satan the Dragon is defeated by our Lord, by our brother and sisterly martyrs, by the godly Eves/Mary’s of biblical history, by our Father who gives the woman wings to fly away. In other words, Satan is no match for God and his followers. Though he was the greatest of angels, rebellion has wasted him, rendering him but a fly in the ointment of historical disappointment. He will reign over no one, will have no kingdom at all, when he is eventually thrown in the eternal lake of fire (Revelation 20). But not you! You can resist him now, extinguish his darts, and overcome him daily in union with Jesus. You, united with Jesus, rule over angels. They are but your ministering servants! You by your prayers and perseverance, keeping your eyes on Jesus, are overcomers who cannot be mastered by Satan or his angels. What a glorious position to be in; what a glorious inheritance you have now and will have forever! Is this not the hope and demonstration of Revelation 13?

Joy to the world!

The Holy Spirit is always “hovering around” when a new creation is being built in the scriptures, and that’s important for us to meditate on every once in a while.

The Spirit hovers over the creation in Genesis 1, when the world is first made. Later, with Noah on the ark, the Spirit shows up in the form of the dove (later on we see the dove imaging the Spirit at Jesus’ baptism) hovering over the new world. When Israel comes out of Egypt, the Spirit is hovering over them in the cloud as they are made a new creation, a new nation. The Spirit fills the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle upon completion, signifying that the Spirit fills Israel as his new creation. The same thing happens upon the completion of the Temple: the Spirit-Cloud fills the Temple sanctuary, bonding with Israel as his sanctuary. Gabriel promises Mary that the Spirit will “overshadow” her at the conception of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit alights on Jesus in the form of a dove at his baptism, anointing him as the Messiah. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit shows up in rushing wind with tongues of fire on the saints, symbolizing them as living temples.

Which brings us to you, your baptized children, and your baptized brethren: you all are “overshadowed” in the Holy Spirit, and we are personal temple dwellings of the Spirit, continuing the apostolic line of Pentecost! Filled with the Spirit, we live to glorify God in our bodies, because we are glorified beings as his temple!

Remember Paul’s admonition? “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19–20).

“He pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD” (Psalm 107:40-43).

Pastor Joe’s sermon on this Psalm was illuminating on how it applied to Israel in the wilderness, fleeing Egypt. But a little reflection and one can see how the church today appears to be in the wilderness as well, as we are torn asunder from within and without. Our princes certainly have had contempt poured on them, and seem continual candidates for it because of their wickedness, which is unending with greed and covetousness and false worship. Yet in the midst, God blesses the church and its families.

So what should we do? Verse 43 encourages us to act wisely and attend to these things, and consider God’s steadfast love. So, let us pray for our princes and their repentance and their submission to Jesus and his law—all of it. But let us also pray for all those other leaders in our society between the rulers and families, such as local police, city leaders, business leaders (retail and commercial), media and social media leaders, charity leaders, NGO leaders, and the myriad volunteer leaders that shape our society, at this point, mostly for evil. Too often we tend to focus on the political leaders, and so continue the lie that life is mostly political. But that is to worship the state, and we don’t believe in that. We believe in worshipping the one who is above the state, who exhibits steadfast love.

Pastor Joe just finished the book of Exodus, the crowning story of the construction of a house, made up of his people, for Yahweh to dwell in as he dwells among them. This theme of “victory-housebuilding” is prominent in the scriptures, with this story of God defeating Pharaoh and his Egyptian gods and then commanding his people to build His house with the spoils of victory, coming in at “second” place in the scriptures.

What comes in “first” place? Obviously, the victory of Jesus over Satan and then the building of His house/church, with the spoils of victory, all the former slaves of Satan, now his worshippers, in whom Jesus dwells by the Spirit: Colossians 1:13: “He…delivered us from…darkness and transferred us to…his beloved Son.”

In between, look for this pattern over and over. For example, after the wicked are destroyed in the flood and God gives Noah a new world, he erects an altar for worship and plants a garden/vineyard; this is the new Eden. After Abram is delivered out of Ur, he moves to the promised land and erects altars throughout the land, marking the land as a house of God out of Canaan. When David defeats all his enemies and has rest, he desires to build the Lord a permanent house, which Solomon is tasked to do. In the meantime, David erects a tent for the Ark in Jerusalem, which he and Israel and the converted Gentiles gather around for times of worship, a foretaste of Jesus’ house in the Great Commission. In the history of Kings of Judah, several “rebuild” the temple after rest from their enemies. But “third” place is Israel rebuilding the temple from Babylon’s spoils!

So each Sunday, be grateful you are the house of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that he dwells in you as part of the church, his victory spoils!

How do we best understand Jesus’ statement when he declares at the Last Supper, “This is my body, which is given for you; do this as my memorial”? His mentioning of “memorial” takes us back to the sacrifices instituted by the Lord in the Old Covenant and how the appointed animals were substitutes for men and their sins until the Messiah, the Savior, should come. So, Jesus is saying that he is that sacrifice that all the animal sacrifices pointed to.

Jesus strengthens this sacrificial tie by further stating in John 6 that “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Jesus is declaring that “man could only partake of his humanity by accepting His sacrifice; that is, eat His flesh and blood and accept the sacrifice of His humanity for their sins (John 6:30–63). Man’s membership in the body of Jesus Christ, His Church, as set forth in the sacrament of the Lord’s Table, can thus be only a membership in His perfect humanity!” (Rushdoony, World History Notes, p. 49).

What Rushdoony is saying is that in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, we are incorporated into the humanity of Christ; we become glorified humanity, but not divine. There is no bridging of the human-divine gap by man, an affront to all pagan religions seeking to be divine or on the totem pole to divinity. As the Chalcedon Creed says, there is “no confusion of the two natures.”

The Satanic lie was that man could “be as God,” but the grace of the Gospel is to be glorified man, living in the presence of God, without sin and arrogance.

So, rejoice when you eat the Supper! By feasting on the body and blood of Jesus, you are being united to the true glorified man and so share in his glory. Through his humanity you come into the fellowship of the glorious Trinity!

Your interpretive antenna should go up every time you hear or read a repeated word or phrase in the Scriptures. Why? Because God is connecting story to story as he reveals himself to us, teaching how his great love and promises fit together.

For example, we are told in Genesis 1:2 that “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” at creation. Well, guess who is hovering over Jesus at his baptism, his new “creation” as the anointed Christ? The dove, representing the Holy Spirit. In Jesus a new creation is beginning. But then you remember the dove that hovered over Noah’s waters in Genesis 9 until she found new ground and new growth, an olive branch? Noah was in a new creation. Deuteronomy 32:11 also speaks of the Lord “hovering” over the children of Israel at the time of the Exodus, teaching you that Israel was a new creation being formed by the Spirit of God. Gabriel draws on this imagery when he announces Jesus’ birth to Mary, saying that the Holy Spirit will “overshadow you, therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” The Holy Spirit brought about a new creation in Jesus! Very similar to John’s gospel language of “in the beginning was the Word, …” Jesus is the beginning of a new creation!

Are there more “hoverings” that signal a new creation? Sure, but I’ll just tell you of one more: Saul on the road to Damascus had Jesus speak to him out of a blinding light, but also had the Holy Spirit hover over him as Ananias laid hands on him to receive his sight. He was a new creation as scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. He was no longer a serpent, but now a Spirit-filled man!

Now, you think of some more!

Recent news has seen 3 prominent deaths: Ozzy Osborne, Hulk Hogan, and Dr. John MacArthur. A diverse group, but they do share some commonalities.

The first is that they were all born to Adam’s linage as sinners in the sight of God (Rom. 3:23). However far apart their earthly lives seemed, they were yet essentially the same. The second thing they share in common is they now stand before God and must give an account to the creator of the cosmos (2 Cor. 5:10).

But here commonality diverges. To our knowledge, Ozzy, whose songs often glorified the occult and the devil, did not possess faith in Christ. So when he stands before the judgment, he has nothing but his sinful deeds to present to God.

Hulk Hogan, known for his WWE career, professed Christ when young, wandered from the faith, but returned later in life. He had many scandals during the wandering, including sex tapes and racist remarks. Yet before God, he stands justified (Rom. 5). When he gives account, he points to Jesus’ work on the cross, where his sins have been atoned for (Heb. 9, Rev. 5, etc.)

Dr. MacArthur finished his race well. He never compromised and he was used by God for the proclamation of the gospel and the care of the sheep. Yet, just like Hulk Hogan, he stands before God (2 Cor. 5:8), not based on his works, but by the grace of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2). Were he still here, he would no doubt rejoice greatly in the testimony of Hulk Hogan, and lament for Ozzy.

Saints, your faith is a great gift of God. Give thanks that on your judgement day, you stand, not upon your own righteousness like Ozzy, righteousness which does not exist, but upon the righteousness and grace of your great Savior and King, Jesus Christ, just like Hulk Hogan and John MacArthur. The miracle of Jesus atonement for sins is the reason Hulk Hogan and John MacArthur can share space in the same article, and even eternity together in the presence of God. So rejoice in the mercy of Jesus!

Some Christians might be tempted to think that the details Pastor Joe covered from Exodus 37 last Sunday are unnecessary for Christians today. After all, we don’t have Levites carrying around the ark and other furniture. Yet those articles are steeped in symbolism vital to our understanding of our faith and of Jesus.

For example, the ark had two hammered cherubim on top of it, looking down at the top, which was the mercy seat, or covering, or pure gold. From each end the cherubim are guarding the mercy seat between them, which was also Yahweh’s footstool. It’s where heaven and earth meet, and Yahweh rules from there.

When you get to Solomon’s temple, there are four cherubim in the Holy of Holies: the two on the ark, and two more with their wings spread across the whole room, over the ark. But why four guardian angels? Well, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” so when John goes into heaven in Revelation 4, how many guardian angels does he see around God’s throne? That’s right: four!

But it gets better! When Mary shows up at the tomb on Resurrection morning, what she sees (John 20:11ff) is two angels, “sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.” So here’s a table/burial ledge, with angels on either end of where Jesus had lain. What’s that mean? Well, the two angels were guarding the mercy seat between them, with the tomb being a new “holy of holies.” Additionally, the mercy seat was now Jesus, the covering for our sins. Since the mercy seat is where Yahweh’s feet are set on earth, Jesus is now pictured as Yahweh in the flesh, the now resurrected ruler of the world! Heaven and earth meet in and through him!