Sovereign Grace Advent Testimony Anniversary Meeting

Conference

C H Spurgeon - The First Resurrection

C. H. Spurgeon preached on the First Resurrection on the Lord's day morning 5th May 1861 at the famous Metropolitan Tabernacle, London.

This is what he said towards the commencement of his sermon on how the reference to the first resurrection in Revelation 20:4-6 should be understood:

Before I proceed to enter into these privileges, I must remark that two  modes of understanding this verse have been proposed, both of which I think are untenable. 

I have been reading carefully through Albert Barnes. He gives it, as his opinion, that the first resurrection here spoken of is a resurrection of principles, — a resurrection of the patience, the undaunted courage, the holy boldness and constancy of the ancient martyrs. He says  these great principles have been forgotten, and, as it were, buried and that during the spiritual reign of Christ which is to come, these great principles  will have a resurrection. 

Quotable Quote - Adolph Saphir

The literal fulfilment of many prophecies has already taken place. It belongs to history. But the Christian has no more difficulty in believing the future fulfilment of prophecy than in crediting the record of history. He believes because God has spoken, because it is written. To believe that the Jews are scattered among all nations, that Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, that of the Temple not one stone was left upon another, requires no spiritual faith—it requires only common information. 

But to believe that Israel will be restored, Jerusalem rebuilt, and that all nations shall come up against the beloved city and besiege it, and that the Lord Jehovah shall appear and stand on the Mount of Olives, requires faith, for it is as yet only written in the Bible. But what difference does it make to the child of God whether the prophecy is fulfilled or not? Can he for a moment doubt it?

Understanding of the Times

It is absolutely essential that we have understanding of the times in which we live and in particular, an understanding of those times which lead up to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to this earth.

In Matthew 16:1-4* the Lord Jesus rebuked those who did not have understanding of the times. These unbelieving Pharisees and Sadducees could understand the physical signs of the days in which they lived, but not the spiritual signs. They could tell what the weather was to be by looking up into the heavens, but had no understanding of the signs of the times.

The Saviour rebuked them saying: O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? v3.

These Pharisees and the Sadducees did not understand that the time of the first coming of the Messiah had arrived. That first coming was prophesied extensively in the Old Testament Scriptures. These Pharisees and the Sadducees had the Scriptures but yet were blind to what they revealed. Others, like Simeon and Anna, knew that the season had arrived.

Further connections between the European Union and Scripture Prophecy

Historically, for some time, the European Union has been using imagery that has a very close connection with Scripture prophecy.

As far back as 1984 a postage stamp was released to mark the second election to the European Parliament. That stamp depicted a woman riding a beast.

The European Union, Prophecy & The Woman in the Ephah

The United Kingdom Referendum on continued membership of the European Union is only a week away. This post is a reminder of the nature and direction of the European Union project. It is preparing the way for the kingdom of Antichrist and the reign of the man of sin.

In 2012 when celebrating the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the euro the European Central Bank released a propaganda video.

This six minute short film commenced with a computer generated image of a woman emerging from a Greek urn before turning into a real life woman. She then proceeds to walks across a series of bridges linking the continent of Europe together. The voice over commentary speaks of the European common heritage, history, shared values and achievements, and that Europe builds bridges and inspires hope.

Here are screenshots from that film showing the woman emerging from the Greek urn. To watch the entire film click here

European Union & Scripture Prophecy Part 2

This is the second of two sermons preached on this subject in light of the upcoming Referendum

The European Union & Prophecy

This is the first of two sermons considering the European Union in the light of Scripture prophecy.

Giving their Kingdoms to the Beast - The Present and Future Course of European Nations

For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled, Revelation 17:17 

Leaving aside the particular details of what David Cameron has negotiated, or not, one overriding truth is very evident, namely, that there is a continuing desire among European nations for the centralising of power. Keeping also in mind that the reality of what has been negotiated will be somewhat different to the 'spin' that the Prime Minister and his spin doctors will present to the electorate over coming days, this desire to centralise power will not be given up easily or willingly.

Whatever the outcome of the upcoming Referendum in the United Kingdom, upon David Cameron's negotiations with these other Europeans nations, there is a general direction that European nations are travelling. It is ever onwards to centralised control, with less democracy and the rise of bureaucratic control. It is these features that will aid the rise of Antichrist in coming days!

Events in Europe, and also in the Middle East, ought ever to be of interest to the Bible believer. These two areas of the world are going to play a significant part in the events that lead up to the coming of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus, to this world a second time. 

Before that great event comes about, there will be the rise of Antichrist, the man of sin. A number of the nations of Europe will play an important role in his rise and development.

Prophetic Truth maintained from the Apostles until now

This is a synopsis of a message preached at Kilskeery Annual Conference. 

An audio recording of this message is available - click here.

Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, 

in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.           2 Timothy 1:13.

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been 

assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.    2 Timothy 3:14.  

There were ‘things’ which Paul taught Timothy which he wanted this young man to ‘hold fast’ and to ‘continue…in’. These ‘things’, which Timothy had heard preached and taught by Paul, are described as ‘sound words’ in 2 Timothy 1:13.

By ‘sound words’ are meant doctrines, namely, the great doctrinal truths which make up the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not referring to mere words, for the servants of the Lord are warned against striving about words, to no profit: Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers,” 2 Timothy 2:14. The Greek word translated ‘words’ in 2 Timothy 1:13, is translated as ‘doctrine’ in Hebrews 6:1: Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.

The Destruction of Antichrist

A sermon preached at the March Sovereign Grace Advent Testimony Meeting

Special Week of Meetings In Newtownabbey FPC

When is death destroyed?

This question arises from the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28:
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

When is the 'last enemy' death destroyed? The answer is found in observing the order set forth in these verses:

The Purpose and Success of Evangelism as the Return of Christ Draws Nearer

This topic is suggested by the different tone that we find in two types of Scripture verses. On one hand there are verses which speak of the spread of the knowledge of Christ. On the other hand there are verses which speak of the end time apostasy developing and only a remnant testimony being found in the earth when Christ returns. These types of verses would seem to be, and in reality are, incompatible with one another.

How on one hand can the Scriptures teach that: For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts, Malachi 1:11; and yet at the same time the Scriptures teach that a great apostasy will be taking place; the love of many will wax cold; professing Christendom will be like a field mixed with worthless tares; multiple false prophets will be deceiving many; evil men will wax worse and worse; there will no ear for sound doctrine, rather a believing of fables; scoffers will abound; all of professing Christianity slumbers and sleeps and the Saviour laments whether there will be faith on the earth when He returns? These verses are simply not compatible!

Spiritualising Scripture - A warning from J C Ryle

The following quotation is taken from J C Ryle's commentary on John's Gospel, chapter 12, verses 12-19:

We learn, for another thing, in these verses, how minutely the PROPHECIES concerning Christ's first coming were fulfilled. The riding into Jerusalem on an donkey, which is here recorded, might seem at first sight a simple action, and in no way remarkable. But when we turn to the Old Testament, we find that this very thing had been predicted by the Prophet Zechariah five hundred years before. (Zech. 9:9.) We find that the coming of a Redeemer some day was not the only thing which the Holy Spirit had revealed to the Fathers, but that even the least particulars of His earthly career were predicted and written down with precise accuracy.

Pre-millennialism and The Early New Testament Church

The most striking point in the eschatology of the ante-Nicene age is the prominent chiliasm, or millenarianism, that is the belief of a visible reign of Christ in glory on earth with the risen saints for a thousand years, before the general resurrection and judgement. It was indeed not the doctrine of the church embodied in any creed or form of devotion, but a widely current opinion of distinguished teachers, such as Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Methodius, and Lactantius, while Caius, Origen, Dionysius the Great, Eusebius (as afterwards Jerome and Augustine) opposed it.
Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church

Spiritualising Scripture

This article was published in the October - December, 1983 edition of Watching and Waiting, the magazine of the Sovereign Grace Advent Testimony. 

The Rise and Fall of A-Millennialism

by James Payne 

Gibbon, the Roman historian tells us that for the first three centuries of the Christian era, the assurance of the Millennial reign of our Lord Jesus Christ was the general belief of orthodox Christians. Justyn Martyr, early in the 2nd century says, “I and as many as are orthodox Christians in all respects do acknowledge that there shall be a resurrection of the body and 1000 years reign in Jerusalem”.

For the first two and a half centuries Pre-Millennialism was the universal doctrine of the Church as it had been of the Apostles. No other doctrine was so much as known, far less received. A-Millennialism was not heard of in the Church during this period.

C H Spurgeon on The Millennium

In his Morning & Evening devotions today C H Spurgeon has the following to say upon the text in Isaiah 40:5: The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

We anticipate the happy day when the whole world shall be converted to Christ; when the gods of the heathen shall be cast to the moles and the bats; when Romanism shall be exploded, and the crescent of Mohammed shall wane, never again to cast its baleful rays upon the nations; when kings shall bow down before the Prince of Peace, and all nations shall call their Redeemer blessed. 

The Literal Interpretation of Scripture

Rev William de Burgh records the following conversation between a Christian minister and a Jew in a sermon of his on the second advent of Jesus Christ: