Matthew 24:6-8 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. NKJV
The Beginning of Sorrows - The Arrival of Joy
Erected at a time when it was possible to be born in this small island and then choose the whole wide world to die in, at the bottom of Regency Square in Hove stands an old Royal Sussex regimental war memorial. A bronze bugler surrounded by four artillery shells gazes over the English Channel and blows a long forgotten sound regarding the loss of local men in the first South African Boer War. The majority of people walking past this now unknown memorial to unknown conflict in unknown countries on continents long since changed; this green and weathered testament to the fact that wars, kingdoms and empires, all come and all go, are mostly from other countries and like the locals, are completely ignorant of the losses and battles this bugle blowing bronze, tries to recall, tries to remember, tries to commemorate. Thus the moving collage of this changing world, runs its colours into one another, as one kingdom overlays another with acquisitions and aspirations and like dirty frothed water spiralling down an emptying plughole, slowly but surely circling themselves like black vultures over the land of Israel.
In our text for tonight, Jesus clearly tells us that toward the time of the end, like a woman in labour, the Kingdoms of this world will begin to heave and pant as the baby, prepared for long time now, is at last called into the revelation.It is my delight to tell you tonight that amidst all the coming sweat and trouble of giving birth, it is all God's clear and good purpose for the miraculous nation of Israel that shall pop itself out from between the open legs of lady history, and with that birth of that further establishment and that further blessing, shall not only come great trouble, but with it, an ever greater redemption. Truly like never before, we need to look up and listen up, for the bugle sounds and our redemption draweth nigh. KNOW THIS.
Erected at a time when it was possible to be born in this small island and then choose the whole wide world to die in, at the bottom of Regency Square in Hove stands an old Royal Sussex regimental war memorial. A bronze bugler surrounded by four artillery shells gazes over the English Channel and blows a long forgotten sound regarding the loss of local men in the first South African Boer War. The majority of people walking past this now unknown memorial to unknown conflict in unknown countries on continents long since changed; this green and weathered testament to the fact that wars, kingdoms and empires, all come and all go, are mostly from other countries and like the locals, are completely ignorant of the losses and battles this bugle blowing bronze, tries to recall, tries to remember, tries to commemorate. Thus the moving collage of this changing world, runs its colours into one another, as one kingdom overlays another with acquisitions and aspirations and like dirty frothed water spiralling down an emptying plughole, slowly but surely circling themselves like black vultures over the land of Israel.In our text for tonight, Jesus clearly tells us that toward the time of the end, like a woman in labour, the Kingdoms of this world will begin to heave and pant as the baby, prepared for long time now, is at last called into the revelation.It is my delight to tell you tonight that amidst all the coming sweat and trouble of giving birth, it is all God's clear and good purpose for the miraculous nation of Israel that shall pop itself out from between the open legs of lady history, and with that birth of that further establishment and that further blessing, shall not only come great trouble, but with it, an ever greater redemption. Truly like never before, we need to look up and listen up, for the bugle sounds and our redemption draweth nigh. KNOW THIS.Listen: - For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Romans 8:19-25 NKJV
Pray:- Help us O Lord in this time of increasing wars to proclaim the Gospel of peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment