Luke: Mary's Song - The Majesty of God
Bethel Baptist Church
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:46-55 To a wide-eyed 5-year-old, the celebration of the birth of Christ means lights and toys and brightly-wrapped boxes under a living room tree. To a retailer it means increased sales and profits. To a busy housewife Christmas is a fatiguing schedule of shopping, decorating, and cooking. But to Mary, Jesus' mother, the promised birth of the Messiah was an occasion for an impassioned declaration of unbridled joy. Her joy is firmly founded on the character and works of God. In her prayers of thanksgiving, Mary unashamedly proclaims what He is...
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Luke: The Child Will Be Called The Son Of God
Bethel Baptist Church
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:34-38 One of the foundational things to be said about Jesus is that He was/is the Son of God. The angel declared this wonder to Mary. "And the angel answered her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy - the Son of God'" (Lk 1:35). Simon Peter declared this wonder when Jesus asked what the disciples thought about His identity. "Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'" (Mt 16:16). The ramifications of this...
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Luke: The Virgin's Name Was Mary
Bethel Baptist Church
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26-38 Matthew and Luke both record that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus, but only Luke writes about the conversation between the angel Gabriel and Mary. This account parallels, in many ways, the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist. Among other significant truths revealed in this passage, is the staggering fact that Mary would give birth to a son without a human father. Though many would discount the importance of the doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ, it is not a peripheral doctrine. Why is the doctrine of the virgin birth of...
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Luke: Yahweh Remembers
Bethel Baptist Church
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:5-25 In his recounting the life of Christ, Luke begins with the announcement, not of the birth of Christ, but of John the Baptist. John would be the prophesied herald of the Messiah. In the first two chapters of his gospel, Luke draws a connection between John and Christ, by means of alternating accounts of each man. This literary devise emphasizes the wonder of the coming of the Son of God into the world. First, there is the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist ... then there is the announcement of the birth of Christ. Next, there is...
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Missionary Dale Kellar: The Son Lifted Up, the Dragon Cast Down, the Church Sent Out
Bethel Baptist Church
Bethel Baptist Church is delighted to host visiting missionaries from Iceland Dale and Linnea Kellar.
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Luke: That You May Have Certainty
Bethel Baptist Church
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:1-4 The Holy Spirit has chosen to give us four accounts of the life of Christ, and not just one account. Like four men standing around a great mountain, each writing what he sees, the gospel writers each wrote from a different viewpoint what he 'saw' when he looked at Christ. Matthew and John were apostles and so they were eyewitnesses of Christ's life. Mark seems to have seen Christ as well, though he was not an apostle. Luke, however, places himself outside of the group of eyewitnesses (Lk 1:2). Luke, whom Paul calls "the beloved physician"...
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Revelation: Behold, I Am Coming Quickly
Bethel Baptist Church
Scripture Reading: Revelation 22:6-21 The epilogue of the book of Revelation highlights two final themes ... the authenticity of the book and the approaching wonder of the return of Christ. As Christ is called "faithful and true" in Revelation 3:14 and 19;11, so His words are "faithful and true" in Revelation 21:5 and 22:6. There is a marked emphasis in Revelation on what John has written (Rev 1:3,11,19; 14:13; 19:9). Now, there is a stern warning to anyone who might deliberately change what is written, distorting what God has revealed (Rev 22:18,19). What a grace from God that He...
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Revelation: We Will See His Face
Bethel Baptist Church
Scripture Reading: Revelation 22:1-15 John ends his glorious book by describing heaven to his readers. Here we have a final description of the population of heaven ... and the pleasure of heaven. The people who will enjoy the presence of God will be His servants who will reign with Him (Rev 22:3,5). They are the righteous and holy, who have washed their robes (Rev 22:11,14). The people who will not be in heaven are also mentioned in this final passage, one last time. They are the unrighteous and the filthy ... immoral, murderers, idolaters, liars (Rev 22:11,15). ...
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Revelation: New Jerusalem
Bethel Baptist Church
Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:9-27 Revelation 21 and 22 usher us into the eternal state of blessedness for those who belong to Christ and sorrow for those who have rejected Christ. The everlasting home for believers is the new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem. The eternal city is gloriously described in this passage. This wondrous, and enormous, city descends from heaven and is called "the Bride, the wife of the Lamb" (Rev 21:9,10). The people of God are called "the Bride" of Christ in Revelation 19:7. The city takes on the character of the people who dwell...
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Revelation: All Things New
Bethel Baptist Church
Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:1-8 In this glorious section of Revelation, God draws back the curtain of heaven and bids us to behold the wonders and pleasures that await those who belong to Him. He says, "Behold, I am making all things new" (Rev 21:5). There are several ways in which God will make things new. First, He will make a new universe. "I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth has passed away (Rev 21:1). If this earth is stunningly beautiful, how breathtaking will the new earth be?! Second, He will give to His people...
info_outlineScripture Reading: Revelation 16:1-11
The Nature of the Human Heart
Revelation 16 contains the third, and last, series of divine judgments on the population of the earth during the coming day of tribulation. It is a description of the seven bowl judgments. God is declared to be just because He has poured out His wrath on the wicked. "Just are you, O Holy One . . . for you have brought these judgments . . . Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments" (Rev 16:5,6).
The overwhelming response of the people of the earth to these frightful, awesome acts of God will be to curse Him ... and the statement is repeated three times in this chapter (Rev 16:9,11,21). "People . . . cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds" (Rev 16:11).
The Bible clearly reveals to us what the natural human heart does with the truth about God and why it responds as it does. Given clear information about God in creation, the human heart suppresses the truth. "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God" (Rom 1:18,21). This is the response of every sinful human heart before conversion.
The reason for this suppression of the truth is a love for sin. ". . . people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil" (Jn 3:19). It is only the grace and power of God which can free the heart from its natural affection for the darkness of sin.