Faith Baptist Church
4258 Botetourt Road
Fincastle, Virginia 24090
(540) 473-2325
For some time we have been warned about global warming. We have been told that the polar ice caps are melting and the gases being emitted from carbon based fuels is a major part of the blame. We are told that as the earth heats up marine life is dissipating and deserts are expanding. We are told that climate change is affecting world food shortages and that these things will only get worse if we do not do something about it. This scares a lot of people, however, I see something in our text today that should be of a much greater concern and there is not one conservation plan that will change what is scheduled to happen to the earth. I too believe we should take care of our planet, but ignorance of biblical prophecy and an ever increasing desire on the part of uninformed believers to shift focus in our churches toward the agendas and platforms of the far left in this nation is distracting believers from the purpose of the local church, and that is to inform believers of the plan of God, not the plans of men.
Bowl # 4
Rev.16:8-9
This bowl is poured out upon the sun, and when it does men on earth will be scorched with fire.
Not only with fire, but as noted in v.9 they are scorched with great heat.
This word in our Greek text for sun is, helion, and it is this part that makes up the core of the sun. Helium is approximately 27% of the sun’s part with hydrogen making up 71% and another 2% of other elements.
The sun is 93 million miles from the earth, and yet this fire angel sends scorching heat to the earth in a short amount of time. “Typically the energy particles from the sun travel at a speed of 3 million miles an hour, but on Nov.12, 1960 a giant flare was noted on the sun at 2:37 P.M. This solar cloud of hydrogen gas measured 10 million miles across and headed for the earth at 4,000 miles per second. It set off violent week-long disturbances on and around the earth and precipitated an electrical and magnetic storm of enormous proportions. Compass needles wavered erratically, communications were blacked out, and the northern lights flared majestically. This would be a simple ripple compared to what the forth bowl brings.” This was a hydrogen blast that took approximately 6.45 hours to reach the earth’s atmosphere whereas under normal conditions the heat particles from the sun reach the earth in 31 hours.
Now imagine if the part that makes up the hottest part of the sun, the core, of which helium is its main component, imagine when this intense heat reaches the earth.
You know, it is amazing at how fragile life is and how fragile our planet is. It is amazing at how vulnerable we all are and how grateful we should be for the grace of God that provides and protects us. I believe it is the grace of God that protects this planet, not the O zone layer.
And on the contrary it is also mind boggling at how callused and sinful mankind is toward the grace of God. The elements are the Lords’. Ps.24:1:33:5-9 read.
The element of helium will be dispatched by God’s angel of fire and sent to the earth at blazing speed. The word scorch means extreme heat, and in this case heat from fire. This is blistering heat. The wicked will be scorched with blistering heat.
v.9 read Rather than repenting of their sinful ways they blaspheme the name of God. Blasphemy is an attack on the person and plan of God. It is more than using God’s name in vain.
Blasphemy includes doubting Jesus Christ in saying who he was as God in the flesh, Lk.22:63-65. To mock or make irreverent speech toward God the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit is a form of blatant blasphemy.
Rev.13:6 tells us it is blasphemy to ridicule God, his place of Holy Worship and even to ridicule his people.
Rom.2:23-24 tells us it is blasphemy to say your religion supports or promotes the name of God while at the same time you claim a works for salvation message. Saving the world is not the work of God or the Church, but rather witnessing to and edifying the souls of those who come to Christ is the work of God and the Church.
Titus 2:5 tells us even Christians can blaspheme the word of God by living disgraceful lives. More could be said about mankind’s arrogance and disobedience toward the authority of God. God’s authority is ignored on every front today and this includes the Church as a whole and also the local church. When the word of God is scrapped for programs and entertainment, and messages are geared to satisfy the curiosity of the restless, this too is blasphemy. It’s no wonder the wicked will blaspheme God when his judgments will rain down on them during the tribulation period.
God has the power over these bowl judgment plagues. Still they repented not to give God glory, just as they had done when the sixth trumpet judgment when one-third of lost mankind was killed and tormented by the demon horsemen in Rev.9:13-21.
The real inconvenient truth is that the world stands in opposition to Jesus Christ. Believers in other nations are being persecuted for Christ’s name sake. There is an emboldened force seeking the obliteration of Christians all over the world, II Cor.10:3-5; Eph.6:12. We often blame religious fanatics; however, they are simply Satan’s pawns.
The angelic conflict is stepping up its strategies for overthrowing the plan of God to spread the Gospel, and not only overthrowing the Gospel message of salvation in Jesus Christ, but also overthrowing the purpose of the local church. Pastors are under constant pressure to give up doctrinal teaching and take up pampering the individual requests of their members. Believers are less willing to decrease and let Christ increase in their lives. Avoiding expository churches for exciting churches is leaving tens of thousands of believers biblically illiterate, and woefully unprepared to face theirs and their Savior’s nemesis, Satan and his host, I Pet.5:8-9 [ exposit].
These spiritually anemic saints succumb to every fad and whim that has the slightest hint of being something from God. They are tossed back and forth with every wind of doctrine because they do not know enough truth to detect error, Eph.4:14. They do not know enough truth because their pastors do not take the time to edify them. Many pastors leave the edifying of their flock to Sunday school teachers and others, while they spend their time figuring out how to appease the majority of disgruntled, disinterested church members, or how to grow the size of their congregation. Somewhere along the line we have got to let the word of God and the Holy Spirit take back the leadership in the local church. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit, and for many folks entering a local church the word and the beliefs of that church are the last things they look for, and many pastors know this. As I said earlier blasphemy comes in many forms.
People need to be warned of upcoming biblical events. Saints need to be prepared to stand in the day of trial, and also be prepared to give an accounting of their testimony for the Lord. Those in the tribulation period who suffer the torments which we have covered so far will wish they would have listened to those preachers and saints who were faithful in warning them.
Here in the USA we are fortunate to have the freedom to assemble for worship and study of God’s word. And here on Mother’s Day we are fortunate to have godly mothers who know the Bible and put the glory of God in all that they do, including the rearing of their children. Their children will rise up and call them blessed, and their husbands will praise them, Prov.31:28. If I were a mother I would covet this appreciation more than anything the world has to offer; I know I do as a father. Showing appreciation for ones mother is the greatest gift she can receive today, but this appreciation has to be instilled in the child from that child’s mother and father. The greatest way to instill appreciation from your children is to give them your time and attention, even sometimes the kind of attention they do not want as you show your love to them by steering them in the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life and the blessings of God.