The Glory that Excels in II Cor

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BULLETIN FIFTY ONE

EXPOSITION March 5, 12, 2017

THE AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN BIBLE CHURCH

IN AGREEMENT WITH THE THRUST OF THE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA CONSTITUTION, 1901

The Glory that Excels in II Cor. 3:7-18 (10)

and the Flower that Fades (I Peter 1:24) or falls away.

Laws, Lore and the LORD

Vagrancy or Victory for Australia ? other religions ...

PART I

I THE FLOWER THAT FADES

How can so many Western civilisations which have seen something of Jesus Christ the Liberator, the source of love, the height of mercy, the prince of power, the scion of the supernatural, the Son of God, the incarnation of God Almighty, the tender-hearted who would not even send home His following students without food, possibly be willing even to think of such things.

What things ?

	The thought of having indebted (common failing) subservience to what has side-tracked or ignored Jesus Christ,
	the tired glamour of the carnal and
	the sickly spoor of disobedience, self-gratification and self-indulgence which now looks for some kind of a flag!

With the loving patriotism of many poured out in agony amid mud and blood in World War I, to preserve freedom and security, as the nation was officially billed as depending on God, and in many ways acted like it, and the desperations of World War II where enslavement to tyrannies and empty superiorities were held contemptible, and rejected with spirit and thrust, is this land now to let sin rule its weakened flesh, and various weak heraldries flap their specious flags or tap their demands! whether secular, or increasingly a danger, religious.

Do you hear even talk of Sharia Law. What does it resemble or portend in part, this approach ? It is as if the Nazis or the Communists had asked us, just to be sure, you know, if we would really like to start negotiations on their Teutonic superiority and become servile, second rate citizens of their friendly rule, just a matter of a culture change really ? or to be under billowing Communist commissars, inflated with air and airiness as the masses inherited not land but law and disorder, amounting in that case even to the physical death of tens of millions ?

Are we indeed content even to TALK of the subordinations and the laws of those who come, seeking mercy, to our land ? or act as if it was only natural and certainly desirable for the inheritance for their pleasure, of what this people has done, their part in making the land so attractive, to become their own, is routine ? Is this some kind of madness ? Are the emplaced bases quite forgotten in unconscionable history classes ?

To achieve capitulation status, what a vision! Such talk is subversive, now internal, and this from such religious entities as Islam, with its capital talk of submission, sometimes of women to the most UN-partnership extreme, of other religions, at times with a death option for you, of other nations, to be rendered something MOST submissive, whether in tone, treatment of Islamic lords, finance or threat of death if any seek to annul any victory in force, or escape continuing submission status.

This is merely an example, with centuries of aggressive invasion linked, as are those words to the deeds we witness from many militant missions, some endorsed by current nations, as they seek to dominate over others. It is NOT personal, since many may be far different; it is statistical, since comparatively this is the action spot that most resembles Kim's brouhaha, as he tries to make himself god.

Are those who seek to immigrate from wherever, some kind of lords ? Are some of them to tell us, though a tiny percentage of our population, on what conditions they will consent to be with us ? while millions are poured from the tax-payer for some reason, to help the culturally distinct schools of some, with their facility to bow for their part, to the impartation of violence! What does it matter if many have some idea of taking over a country with their at best archaic rules and female humiliation, where one woman even in the Quran, can count for half a man! and male 'rights' can be so one-sided as to cause a blushing sense of shame and even horror to inform one's eyes!

On such matters, see the following from the Koran and closely related and revered collections.

http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/articles/sharia.aspx

http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/quran/women-worth-less.aspx

See with this, the extensive Chapter 4: More Marvels ... and the especially informative Divine Agenda Chapter 6.

See also Robert Spencer's work, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades). Being dizzily deemed inflammatory
through watchful exposure of trends, is one thing, however woeful;
yet seeking to enforce a submissive attitude to crucial matters
is like pouring oil on the current blaze.

Courage somewhere other than when it is needed, has not been an Australian custom. It is not good to begin it now.

Then there is the little matter of the payment of a poll-tax, mentioned in Reliance of the Traveller (o9.7) and of course when imposed, as when "the caliph makes war upon Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians until they become Muslim or pay the non-Muslim poll tax" and this, "in accordance with the word of Allah Most High", it is all one - kind of thing. It points to a currency hand-over to the intimidated, beaten, flouted and clouted, subordinated and subject.

Indeed, one direction found is in their chief book: "Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and forbid not what Allah and His messenger have forbidden, - who do not practice the religion of truth ... until they pay the poll tax out of hand and are humbled" (Quran 9:29).

So blood, which often follows fighting, is not so much sacrificial to God, as an animal sacrifice, as sacrificial of man, as a victory prelude. There is a significant difference.

2. CORRUPTION TO DUST

The emphasis on SUBSERVIENCE of other religions under threat of the alternative of being killed is irrelevant to logic, reason and the making of man. Force is always irrelevant to conviction; for it moves objects; conviction moves hearts.

	These
	are not available to crudities but may well be the more alienated by their boorish presence and application. This is so, whether from Nazis, Communists, Islam or other religions, philosophies or parades of human power, using whatever names, since only Christianity of the Bible and the Christ of the Bible have the stunning record of standing unmoved over millenia against all rational challenge (cf. SMR, TMR). Indeed, the Holy Bible
	mocks the use of force as a course for any genuine knowledge of God (Isaiah 38, Ezekiel 28:9).

On the other hand, the eagerness of religions that have no warrant,
what Deuteronomy effectually deems (32:19-32) new boy religions,
with some not even visibly articulated for nearly or more than a thousand years later,
and none other with the sin confrontation in justice
through sacrifice covered in peace, is notorious.
Such have moreover sprung up
with no rationally confirmable testimony, to resolve
the constant clash with God as Creator, with grossly sinning man,
right from the creation, that would visibly stand to cover the prior centuries.

Muhammad could not tack on his message to theirs, as he sought to do,
declaring the Jewish prophets to have been of God, since in this he contradicted himself. In fact, he contradicted the divine declaration that there is ONE CONTINUING GOD and that He is the One who spoke to Israel and covenanted with Jacob for so long, and that there is NO OTHER, who can so act and has so acted; and you see the importance of so long and extended an emphasis on this very fact in Isaiah 44-45. Consult Isaiah 43:8-10ff., 44:6-8 and 45:5,15-18, 46:2,3-4, Genesis 28:3-4,. Consider this is for the descendants of Jacob, those whose long history in Jerusalem defines them, for no other nation stayed there so long and predicted the Messiah and His sacrificial work so extensively in so many situations, in such testable detail, written realism, starkly bald attention to multitudes of surrounding data, and divine actions to rebuke, rejoice, restore and exhort.

Indeed, how often He makes it clear that what He gives in this covenant to Israel is not terminable (Genesis 17:7-8), and in and to the end, he who would effectually separate Israel from this ONE GOD with His inviolable word would need the power of God to contest this with God. It is HIS decision that it be so, wholly and only His. There shall not lack of the house of David, the Messiah to come and to stay and to rule while this very earth remains (Psalm 45, Jeremiah 31:35ff., 33:15-18). That this is so, Iraq and Iran and Egypt and Lebanon, with the extended arms in Hamas and Hezbollah, are finding out. Experimenting with God is like a child playing with an atomic bomb switch with his toes.

One creator, one Saviour (Isaiah 43:8-10), and NO OTHER GOD will arise! such as the Allah or any other whose credentials not only lack in this testimony, but utterly oppose it, people who were not even born when these decisions were uttered, and who when born could only contradict and oppose this God, even as with the Muslim case.

That particular prophet, Muhammad, changed their declarations, prophets who faced even death if necessary, and he utterly contradicted the message of sheer mercy and covenanted peace through ONE ONLY UNCHANGEABLE GOD with His Messiah to come and to conquer when the time came (Psalm 2, 40, 110), whose word does not alter. The date and career of His ONLY and Davidic Messiah (Isaiah 11) were outlined in Daniel in advance, both for information and for testing (Christ the Citadel Ch.2) and glorying purposes.

THAT Messiah was no arrested sinner, as Muhammad himself claimed in effect himself to be, but both sinless and eternal (Isaiah 53), Deity (Psalm 45, Micah 5:1-3) and in passion, He insisted on bearing the sins' judgment of all who believed in Him, whose word is accordingly fulfilled at every turn (cf. SMR 8 - 9). That is why Jerusalem is restored as predicted by the Messiah (Luke 21:24), His ONLY death site; and Israel His ONLY site for incarnation, continues to outface any god or man or religion which dares to contradict Him, His method salvation and the security of each of His steps (cf. Jeremiah 31:36, 48:2). Much He suffered to expiate sin with justice, and in other ways, showing the continuing love of God (Colossians 1:24), many more will suffer (cf. Revelation 12:11).

Meanwhile murderous marauders kill hordes before being forced to move from their tyrannous occupancy in seething spiritual intoxication. Such is the history of many, not only recently, without God Almighty or holiness, like dead bones in fleshly format, daring us to distinguish them from devils. But God has another call, in the spirit of holiness - as in Romans 6:5-11. Here His greatness touches His care, and His care our hearts and spirits.

PART II

3. GETTING RID OF THE EVIDENCE (now it is the Muslim turn)

God is not impressed with these futile frauds, for every time a part of His long stated plans (cf. Romans 11) comes, the flow goes just as He said. They can think what they will; their reward will be near annihilatory response (Micah 7, Ezekiel 37-39) and their much loved sojourn in the Holy City of Jerusalem, will end like Summer. God has other plans for it (Isaiah 2, Micah 4). You cannot successfully then, by God's own long standing word of the ages, put other words into His mouth, misuse His name, delete the Gospel message clear from Genesis 1, for God had and stated His plans from the first, to Isaiah 53-55, to the New Testament, given absolute immutability (Galatians 1) whatever newcomers seek in stealth, militancy, murder or mayhem, as now; and He keeps them (Isaiah 14:27). ). On this redemption base error, see His Wounds ... Ch. 4, and *4 in Ch. 3 of the same work. What is central with Israel is shown incidental with Islam, as if to cut off the right hand, and all but the little finger of the left.

Christ came as the often announced Messiah, and they got rid of Him. Now it is matter with many to get rid of Christians as predicted (John 16, Revelation 11), and the Middle East is a swamp with their blood from Egypt to Syria, Iraq to Iran, and the red flood proceeds to Pakistan, incessantly robbing houses from Christians, killing their young, slaughtering their bodies is deemed high religion. It certainly pays; but then God pays back (Deuteronomy 32:35, Isaiah 63:4), all as indicated so clearly, so that there is no excuse. The matter mounts to a crescendo as in Micah 7. It all so happens, from Cross to Return, that this attempt to replace and displace Him continues, as what He predicted happens, and will happen, for it never ceases, first to overcome in love with patience, then with the restoration of the rule of the crucified.

It is this enduring and testable word, the written one preceding the incarnation of
the living One (Isaiah 40, 49-55) freely designating what is not the God of the Bible,
which designates other options sought, to be idols, with all the vigour of unchanging truth,
exclusive of any other, not only in form, message, salvation by grace,
but the suffering Messiah and the testimony that love drove the way, not mere power,
nor does inscrutable power loom, without explanation.
Notorious is the divine proclamation on gods of other kind, description, or mutable gods,.
It is just as Romans 1-3 makes it clear that embarkation on journeys from the Trinity
(Isaiah 48:16ff.), is a wrestling with God, a strangulation-by-sin program,
a folly which God in mercy is prepared on repentance,
in tender-heartedness to break and in mercy,
to dismiss and pardon (Isaiah 55).

To be subservient to man instead of a friend of God (James 2:23),
not only to the heartless seeming rules to which sharia subjects,
requiring SUBMISSION and various mutilations, but

	to be in subjection to all manner of rigours and oversights;
	to have women in rank and clear degradation, often not far differentiated from possessions, to the heartless seeming MEN who have such disproportionate power over their servant bodies (adding others at their pleasure) and testimony and inheritance and so on ? at what do we arrive!
	To designate women who are often referred to even in revered texts, in the most demeaning of terms, as if not entirely equal to man but more to lower orders, as if submission to their god who makes no sacrifice for man, who has no remedy in this world, to man's waywardness but laws and punishments, as if love were some specious thing and fidelity to one another, a sham:

What is this ?

It is a reminder of Hosea 8:7: sow the wind and reap the whirl-wind!

it has a dimension of surrender and contempt for the strangling, stripped down
substitute for Jesus Christ and His work, which needs to be seen to be believed even possible.
as one finds it in the Quran. But then, the Bible has so much to disclose of almost incredible departures from the Lord (as for example in Isaiah 1, 59, II Kings 17 and II Chronicles 36, Amos 4:7ff.) that the practice of subordination to sin instead of victory OVER it, in the Saviour's presence, becomes almost a norm.

Here in extreme, it is like moving from a private cold to an international pneumonia epidemic.
It is far more than any cartoon: it is a re-creation, in the Quran, almost a type of spoof concerning
Jesus Christ.

Narrow indeed is the way to eternal life (Matthew 7:13ff.), and for it; and broad are the options for any enslavement to whatever defines, defiles and deludes, so that good is called evil and evil good (Isaiah 5): and whole nations dive downwards as if passionate for extinction or overthrow, for many reasons and in many ways, as the Bible predicts, into oblivion or worse.

Again,

that sharia law should even be named
in any serious conversation on the development
of this blessed nation,
one now acting in so many fields
with a seemingly reckless abandon and harum-scarum unholiness,
so that drugs of mind or spirit or body
are becoming as now often symptoms of
what is perilously and provocatively thankless in contempt
for what has been a major principle in the foundation of this country,
by a formally Protestant country which for all its faults,
(it still is a Christian nation, PM Cameron noted earlier)
has been used in great matters!
What of this then basic British approach ? it showed under duress often
a courage, character and as at Dunkirk,
a willingness nationally to pray to the God who hears and acts,
and knows faith in Him when He sees it:
moreover, He delivered them indeed THEN!

That such decline should so sharply occur, is the more staggering to this Australian people
than the atomic bomb, and more dangerous than this, to its continuing welfare. God is patient,
but He but He can act very swiftly, especially when folly rejoices,
and we remember Zephaniah 2:15, where as judgment moved closer towards Jerusalem,
the warning and rebuke came, for then in Jerusalem was to the found
"the rejoicing city which dwelt carelessly, who said in her heart, I am,
and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation,"
said the prophet in graphic preview.

It is always graphic when it happens, and sighing meets cinders.

What of Israel ? They suffered, but again warring on God, they killed the Christ, but now are back again, and permanently while this world lasts (Jeremiah 31-33).
Love like that, destruction breathing down your neck,
then supernatural power raising you from oblivion,
it provides the comfort of His patience, the product of His sacrificial death,
and the power of His resurrection.

The Moslem account of the matter of His death, incidentally,
is varied, the one account differing in substance from the other
(cf. Dancers, Prancers, Lancers and Answers Ch. 3, *1A ),
almost as if the matter were too hot to handle; but the murderous trample over Europe
that followed in its would-be masterful menace, ended in defeat,
similar to the failure to exterminate Israel now;
on the part of many from many nations,. Now they rush at it like a rebellion;
but they are held back by the God who acts.

Jerusalem itself went to be trodden by these Gentiles, the non-Jacob lot,
the non-covenantal bulk, as Christ indicated,
and Leviticus warned; but now that the nation is back in place,
the end of the scenario is "near" as Luke 21 tells us.
The plans work to perfection, each point.
It does not mean that man is not in some aspects free, but that God
is freer, and knows what He will do at each time, even revealing plans to the enemies.

4. THE GLORY THAT EXCELS

But why move toward all of such things, that came only to go ? Why seek them out for ever, not just one nation, astray, but all nations ? They tend to bend like light rays entering a prism, and break up, but without any grand display of colour, the main one red. Why not seek the Lord where He MAY be
found! (Isaiah 55).

The Bible itself, these thousands of years, assuredly soars to Christ the Redeemer, and compares even the Old Testament preludes, preliminaries and pageantry to the fulfilment in Him, who envelops all of this preparation in Himself (cf. Isaiah 22:22-25, Hebrews 8) confining it to the status of lesser glory because of what ? It is so not only less in its setting, but rendered obsolete, the word of God declares, because of the "GLORY THAT EXCELS" (II Cor. 3:10). It is like a rocket which excels not only some preliminary firing, but actually GETS to its destination and performs magnificently all that had been held in mind. If the former was preparation, this is consummation.

Moses' face shone after he had been with the Lord in the holy place, and a veil was then needed to cover his face, to prevent dazzlement with the glory residual. That veil alas, says Paul, is still figuratively in place for those who have failed to turn to the Lord. But for those who do, there is a liberation in the human heart, in the spirit, in the part and essence which matters more than any force or power or bombast. It is a liberation that politics and philosophy, idolatry and imagination have long sought to duplicate His wisdom, power and purity elsewhere, but failing, have come unstuck and fragmentary, always warring among themselves. For says Paul, "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

Not only so - but together with liberty to think, meditate, realise, refine, attain, it is a glorious thing, the more so when you have the divine assistance which clarifies thought and inspires the spirit. To have the Lord working WITH you, as your Saviour, in matters of His desire, is not only a thrust of great confidence, a solution to problems arising, but a kind of companionable joy which is of vast happiness. When you find the Lord of creation and redemption, who died that we might live, you have what is like taking the veil away from the face, and seeing Christ as in a glass, you become by His presence and action within you, always creative, by His work to and through you, subject to a change in you that goes "from glory to glory", moving towards His image.

That is liberty: such love with liberty and the wisdom of the Lord with cherishing closeness. No wonder He, the Son of God, has a name which is above all names (Philippians 2). Be not downcast therefore, but look up freely to the prospect of His coming, when the last quarter is over, and resolution replacing rebellion, the abysmal deceits of the devil operate no more, on the nations, or the populace.