Welcome to Pilgrim Talk Radio. I'm Reverend Lee Johnson. You know, everybody, just so people know, he had to go in his wallet and look at his driver's license to find out who he was. That's why there was that delay there. We weren't going to tell him who he was. No, no, not helping me out at all. No, we were in suspense. I appreciate that. And with me today, see if I can remember who you guys are, the Dynamite Kid, Darryl Kingswood, I think. That's right. And the British Bulldog, Scott Henry. Welcome. Yeah. It's a tag team. It is. It's a tag team. And I just wanted to give a shout out to somebody who used to be with us. Reverend Ron Morse. Ron? Yeah, Ron. May he rest in peace. He's just not here. He's not really dead. That's right. just for those who are all of a sudden in a panic because Daryl said that. Going to their phones, looking at them, what happened to Ron Morris? You can't find him on Wikipedia. As well. I'll make an entry in Wikipedia later. As well though, Nick, we've got to welcome Nick again because without him, what are we? We're just three cartoon figures that Chuck Mather has on his website. That's right, because you can hear us not only here on AM 660 KCR, but also on Be Thou My Vision radio, on the internet. And good cartoon there, there, Brother Chuck. Yeah, there's a shadow team. Did we welcome Nick? We did welcome Nick. How are you doing, Nick? There's no cartoon of you. No. I mean, he's animated, though. He's very animated. You can tell just the way he responded to you. Okay, so we have done all our shoutouts now, so let's get down to some business. Because this is the show. Business. Business. I've been in your business. Yeah. Taking care of business. I think that should be our intro music on this one. The BTO, a little taking care of business. Working overtime. So what are we going to talk about today? I mean, that's why people are tuned in if anybody is. They do not want to... It's kind of like Pink Floyd. Is anybody out there? Hello. All right. This is the show that everybody's tuned in because this is what they want to hear. This one is the one where we discuss what's the comfort to you that Christ shall come to judge the living and the dead. Now we're getting into everybody's favorite topic. of eschatology, what happens at the end. Are we really or is it still tying back in there? Well, it all ties back in. Because the last broadcast we were talking about the reality of suffering, of persecution, as it's revealed to us clearly throughout Scripture, particularly as we see it in Romans chapter 8, Paul faces it face on. And then the answer to the question, what is your only comfort, or what is it What comfort is it to you that Christ shall come to judge the living and the dead? It starts out that in all my sorrows and persecutions. So again, there's that biblical realism, that honesty about life in this world. So what you're saying is that what we believe about the end affects the way we live now. Exactly. That's an important point to make. Exactly. And the reality of judgment. Well, for most people, I mean, that's really the fear of death that's driving people pointed for man wants to die and then the judgment. And that's the ultimate suffering, the ultimate threat to us that we all want to avoid. Deny it. Yes. Live in a delusion that it's not going to happen. So you get books that are popular and just speak to the natural man, like Rob Bell's book, Love Always Wins, or Love Wins. Love Wins. Love Wins. And there is no hell. And there is no judgment for anybody. It's just justification by death. And it's not the death of Jesus. It's just your own death. And so that caters to the natural understanding. And that's what we were talking about last broadcast, really, a naturalized, earthly, worldly communication of a religious kind of worldview that then they tag on the name of Christian. And that's what we're talking about when we're dealing with guys like Joel Osteen, a guy who's popularized, mainstreamed the health wealth gospel. And then you have the guys like Kenneth Copeland, and Creflo Dollar, and who else? Freddie Price. Freddie Price, and you just go on and on. Kenneth Hagen. Rod Parsley. I mean, all of them. They're just catering to the fallen, sinful, worldly desires and longings of people. And they baptize in the name of Jesus, it makes it okay. Because if you're greedy in Jesus, they're not wrong with that. Greedy in Jesus. I'm going to steal that in my next sermon, I think. You know what? You've got to start doing your own service. No. I don't know. Nobody wants that. That's why I never go listen to Lee when he preaches. It's just like, poof. I could have said that better myself. Wait a second. I did say that. About six months ago. Oh, man. So now I've said what I've got to say for a bit. Well, you didn't finish reading the question. Why don't you go ahead and finish reading the answer. Okay, the answer to the question with regards to what comfort is it to you that Christ shall come to judge the living and the dead? that in all my sorrows and persecutions I with uplifted head look for the very one who offered himself for me to the judgment of God and removed all curse from me to come as judge from heaven. who shall cast all his and my enemies into everlasting condemnation, but shall take me with all his chosen ones to himself into heavenly joy and glory." And notice there, heavenly joy and glory delivered from this world. of suffering, of pain, of heartache, of difficulty, of trials and tribulation. And we go on and on that the Bible deals with realistically. So we come back to it now. I guess I'm taking over the show. I want to hear Scott make some solid biblical comments, insights with regards to this comfort that is ours. This reality that judgment now and Christ coming in judgment to judge the living and dead, to come as judge, can be a comfort now. This can be an encouragement that strengthens us to face the battle, the warfare. This is something that the Holy Spirit uses to preserve and strengthen us to make firm stand against our deadly enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. Have I set it up for you now, Scott? You did. Okay, good. Well, I'm done for this broadcast. I guess I'll go. Nick, you want to go out for coffee now? Yeah, all right. Nick said yes. I like how the catechism addresses often the comfort. What comfort is it to you? Right. Right off the bat in the first question and answer, what is your only comfort? And that's a question of each individual believer. I mean, when you're going through the trials and when you're going through it in this life, the difficulties, what comfort is it to you? What comfort to you that Christ shall come again to judge the living and the dead? What joy is when Job was going through the trial that he did? What comfort? Notice the comfort that he had, that he believed, that he trusted, that his life was in the hands of his maker. And though he slay me, still I trust in him. And he says, shall we receive good from the hands of the Lord and not receive evil also? It's the Lord who gave, the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Job was prepared. He told his wife, you know, curse God and die. You're like a fool. You're a foolish old woman. In other words, shut up, lady. That's what he was saying. Be quiet. You don't know what you're talking about. You're talking out of turn. That's like Job's three friends, the three blind mice at the end of the story. What does he tell them? Puts their hand over their mouth, why they spoke too soon. And the Lord said, you have not spoken of me what is proper. I just want to interject something here. Job's three friends, three counselors, were excellent counselors. When they had their mouths shut. Exactly. For one week. You've been reading my mail. You've been listening to my sermons too, Scott. What's going on here? I can't even quote stuff without you guys finishing it. Why am I even here? You're the highly coveted man, right? Oh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, for that week, just sit and be quiet and say nothing. I mean, that was a comfort to them. They did more good for him in that time than they did when they opened up their mouth. Right. Because when they opened up their mouth, they tried to moralize, minimalize, and they tried to fix Job. Yeah. They thought they understood the complexities of God's You know, they were basically, in my mind, they were the first Word of Faith teachers. Because you know what? If you had enough faith, if you weren't thinking those thoughts, it wouldn't be about you. And in the first couple of chapters, it says that in all these things, Job did not sin with his lips and the things that he spoke. It's a great comfort. People in this world, I think there is so much focus upon the injustice that goes on in this life that people forget about it's not all that there is. It's not the end of the story. Nobody gets away with murder. Nobody. Nobody. The end of the story is you stand before the true and living God. I mean, people talk about O.J. O.J. got away with murder. He didn't get away with anything. Because the ultimate judge of all things, of every person that has lived or will live, will stand before the true and living God and give an account, as Hebrews 4 says, to the eyes of Him upon whom all things are open and manifest and clear, we will give an account to Him. It's a great joy that in my persecutions and sorrows I know that they're not for nothing. I know that there is a particular purpose, there is a reason, there is exactly what God has ordained in all things that I go through the sorrows. And notice it says that there is going to be sorrows. Right. There are going to be sorrows, there's going to be persecution, and understanding that because Christ has bore in His body our sin, our judgment, See, that's the moralizing of suffering. You know, Scott, if you're suffering, you must have been doing something bad. So you're suffering and you're being judged and punished for it. And yet here, I can go through sorrow and persecution and know, first of all, this is not God's judgment coming down upon me. Christ has already endured that judgment. So this affliction, it may be for discipline, it may be for chastisement. I mean, if it's humbling me, that's a good thing. Conforming me into the image of Christ. More and more to Christ for His glory. But there's comfort, and that's what the catechism is saying. First of all, there's comfort in knowing that This is not God's judgment. This is not punishment coming down on me. And for the believer, there's comfort in knowing that our Father chastens His children. He loves us enough to spank us. To spank us. To chasten us. And we can say this on the radio. If he doesn't, you're a bastard. Yeah, you're illegitimate because you're not a child. The King James Version says that, so we can say it on the radio, on Christian radio. Nick's giving us the thumbs up. We can use a naughty word like that. Are you doing your children a favor to let them play out on the freeway? I mean, to them, they feel this constraint. Dad doesn't love me. You never let me do anything. And that's when we come up with this kind of nonsense. You never let me do anything. But those whom the Lord loves, He chastens, and we are the same way as parents. We care for our children. That's a great blessing. It's a great blessing to know that the Lord cares for us and will not let us go to the broad road that leads to destruction, will never let us jump out of His hand, will never let anyone snatch us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Uplifted head. What kind of a head is that? an uplifted head. It's one that's not bowed down. It's not downcast. It's not beaten down. It's not be groveling. Yeah, exactly. It's not beaten down and groveling. It's uplifted because He has bowed our head down towards His authority. It's one of hope. It's one of hope. Exactly. It reminds me of a minister one time in Scotland. He went up to preach, and he was a young guy. His first sermon, and he went up there, and he had his sermon, and all of his notes and everything, and boy, he was marching up those stairs, and his head was held high, and he tripped on the last step and fell, and all of his sermon notes went everywhere. Then he gathered them all up, and he preached his sermon, and he bowed his head when he came down, and he walked away, and one of the older ministers said, If that man would have went up the way he came down, he would have came down the way he went up. And that's us. I mean, it's perspective. It's recognizing what Christ has done for us. And the first half of the broadcast is flowing by. Absolutely. We'll be right back to talk some more. Welcome back to Pilgrim Talk Radio. With me, the president of the Denzel Washington fan club, Scott Henry. And then Darryl Kingswood, who is the president of the Colin Montgomery fan club. I don't even know who Colin Montgomery is. He's Canadian. I figured you knew him. Colin Mockery, that's who I meant. I don't know who he is either. He's Canadian. You're supposed to know him. Either. I don't. So let's get back to our discussions, because that's really – if anybody's listening, this is what they want to hear. They don't want to hear about – No, they don't want to hear you rambling on incoherently about whatever you're – Colin Montgomery. Who is Colin Montgomery? I don't know. I don't know. I'm sure we'll get a letter from him. I'm Colin Montgomery. All right. We've been talking about the question and answer and the part of the Apostles' Creed about Christ coming to judge the living and the dead, and so let's talk about that truth one more time, that Christ is coming back. And when he comes back, it's not like the first time that he came. This time will be coming to bring judgment. Right. As the catechism summarizes the teaching of God's word, he's going to cast all his, my enemies, his enemies first and foremost, into everlasting condemnation. That's what he's going to do. Is that true because the confession, the catechism says it, or is the catechism simply summarizing a very disturbing, disruptive, offensive truth to most people? They want to domesticate Jesus. We want to get them on a leash. This is meek and mild Jesus, Scott. We want Christmas cards with Jesus in the manger. Let me read a passage of Scripture. Are you all right if I read a passage of Scripture, Scott? It's manageable in the manger, you see. It's manageable, but do you mind if I read a passage of Scripture? No, I don't mind. Go ahead. All right. And Revelation 19, and let me say here, you know – Darrell Bock I thought you were going to read it past your script. Robert Chisholm I'm going to read it, but I've got to make a comment here, because you know what? You've got all of this fog of war and confusion around the book of Revelation, everybody getting uptight about all the symbolism and the visions and all that stuff, and to miss the point first and foremost that this book is about the Lord Jesus Christ. This is about the king on his throne. Darrell Bock What book isn't? But revelation, I'm saying, in particular here. I'm talking about the fact that, you know, it's a revelation of Jesus Christ. John sees the Lord God on his throne. He sees the Lion of Judah, the Lamb who was slain, who is worthy to open the seals to rule and reign, who is worthy to receive all glory, honor, and power. That's what it's about. It contains the reality of the warfare of the seed of the woman, the seed of the serpent, so on and so forth. But here Christ Jesus, the seed of the woman, is the victor. And he rules and reigns in triumph and in honor. In Revelation 19, this is what John says, I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and makes war. I mean, is that the Jesus we hear about often? The one who judges and make war? Because that's who he's describing here. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations. And he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. These words. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Our day and age, average person sitting in the pew, average person who claims to be a believer, they've got to come to grips. with Jesus for who he really is. Not some domesticated, not some picture on a wall, not some statue sitting over the fireplace or whatever, not some idea we conjure up because Jesus to me is who Jesus is. And we can go back to the book of Thessalonians that talks about this to establish for our listeners that the scriptures are clear on this. Clear with regards to the coming of Christ in judgment. I'm looking for 1 Thessalonians. That's what I'm looking for, right? What am I looking for here? 2 Thessalonians. Why can't I find it? There we go. My pages are stuck together. We're talking about Christ and He's going to return and reveal from heaven with His mighty angels, this is 2 Thessalonians 1, end of verse 7, inflaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God. and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And let me add here, a lot of those upon whom he'll take vengeance are those who think they know God, and they think that they are obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and let Christ himself warns that there are many who don't know God, and even though they think they're obeying the gospel, they're not, right? So there's judgment for those. Judgment, and this is the scary thing, who think maybe they're getting comfort from what the catechism is teaching in the question and answer we're considering, but won't. Many who will say, Lord, Lord, didn't we in your name do this, that, or another thing? And Christ says to them, I never knew you. And so it goes on that the Lord Jesus Christ, as he pours out this vengeance, these shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. This is biblical Christianity. This is the Christ of Scripture. This is the Christ who's returning. It's a scary thought to think of the return of Christ as it is depicted for us clearly in Scripture, unless the Christ who's returning is a Christ who has already bore himself the wrath of God. That wine press. Right, exactly. He himself went through that wine press. He is Himself. His blood was crushed out of Him, wasn't it? And here's the thing. It wasn't spilled. It was poured out. It wasn't an accident. It was delivered. And it's by His blood that we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. But His blood must cover us or our blood is going to be spilled by him, isn't it? Darrell Bock Yeah, that's exactly what the children of Israel said. Let his blood be upon us and our children. And it's exactly what happened. His blood was upon them. Their blood was upon them. Darrell Bock I got a technical word for that I use as a pastor. It's called uh-oh. Darrell Bock Yeah. Jesus also says, you talk about the Jesus that people believe in our society. Darrell Bock That's an understatement. Even the evangelical church world about the Jesus that people believe in. Jesus said in John chapter 12 verse 48, He who rejects me and does not receive my word has that which judges him. The word which I have spoken will judge him in the last day. for I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me gave me a command that I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His commandment is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father told me so, so I speak." Another one we read in Matthew chapter 25 where Jesus speaks about separating the sheep from the goats and he tells the goats to go to his left and into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. We don't hear much about that as Jesus sends them into outer darkness. We don't hear much about the parable of the ten virgins where the five wise, five foolish, five foolish come to Jesus and knock on the door saying, open to us too. And Jesus says, I never knew you, depart you workers of iniquity. into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Darrell Bock The weeping and gnashing of teeth. Gary Barnes Well, there's weeping and there's gnashing of teeth. And who sends them there? Jesus sends them away. Go away from me. I don't know you. I'm not in union with you. And we have demasculated the Bible. We have brought it into feministic terms. We have made everything soft and Mamby-pamby and gentle and niceties and all these other, like I said, trying to keep Jesus in the manger, you see, because then he's controllable, and that's a God of your own imagination. Jesus sits in yonder heaven ruling the universe with the word of his power. He is the King of the kings. He is the Lord of the lords. He is the ruler of the nations. He is the one to whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord for what purpose? To the glory of God the Father. And God has set his seal upon him. He is the king who reigns in Zion. The Father has set his holy king and his holy hill of Zion, Psalm 2. That's where I turn to. Oh yeah, and turn to the last two verses where the psalm says, Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son lest he be angry. And you perish in the way. And you perish in the way when his wrath is kindled But a little. Yeah, and so when the lion, what's that song, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, and when the lion awakes, this is what the people cry out, and they cry out for the mountains to fall upon him. To somehow cover them. Yeah, cover us from the wrath of the lamb. So now we know that when you introduce us, it seems that Scott has brought attention to the Lion King. We can call him Pumbaa. Darrell Bock Speaking of movies, I mean if you want to just transition back. Gary Barnes We don't. We want to transition forward. Darrell Bock We don't. But I wanted to read this last phrase. Gary Barnes Fine, go ahead. Darrell Bock Blessed are those who put their trust in Him. Now if you look at Psalms 1 and 2, Psalm 1 begins with blessed is the man, and that blessed man is the one who puts his trust in Christ. Gary Barnes I've got to reel back a little bit. You saw his face. It was like a It was like a kid who opens a present at Christmas and it wasn't what he wanted. It was pathetic. Go ahead, brother. Real bad. I don't know what he's talking about. I was just going to mention about, you mentioned The Manger. This is not a very good movie, I don't recommend anybody to see it, but the Talladega Knights. There's a scene in Talladega Nights where the guy is praying, and he says, I'm going to pray to the little eight-inch, six-pound, or whatever baby Jesus. And it's so ridiculous, but really that's what – Darrell Bock For a hot wife. He thanks him for a hot wife. John Dickerson Yeah. It's an unbelievably horrible scene, but it's really what a lot of people do. Like you're saying, we've completely changed who Jesus is, and now we can feel comfortable going and praying to him. Darrell Bock Yeah, we don't want him to grow up. We don't want the Jesus that it's talking about here, the judge, like you were saying, the one who's Lord of lords, the king of kings. Darrell Bock And we have to understand this one who is the judge is our prophet. He is our priest, our compassionate priest. But that's when the knee is bent and the tongue is confessing that he is Lord. And there is the crying out. So we don't take seriously – and here's the problem with this. We don't take seriously – I don't think there will be any disagreement with this. We don't take seriously the wonder and the reality, the glory and the majesty of who Christ is and his judgment and the wrath of God against sin because we don't take seriously our sin. We don't see sin for sin. We don't see, as the Puritans would write, evil, the evil of evil, the sinfulness of sin. You know, and we just don't understand just how vulgar, how offensive our sinfulness really is against a thrice holy God. And you see, but when Isaiah has a vision of God on his throne, woe is me. I am undone. I'm unraveled. But I think that that goes one step further. Not only do we not see sin as sin, but we refuse to see God who He is. We've depersonalized Him. We've made Him into this ether thing. And if we sin against the ether and this idea that nobody knows, it's not that big a deal. We're not like Peter and the boat, right? Get away from me for I'm a sinful man. I'm a sinful man. And once Isaiah sees God, Now he can see his sin for what it really is. Even with the disciples when they're in the boat and the wind and the waves are all about them and they're terrified and Jesus stands up and he says, peace be still. And it says now they are extremely terrified. Now they understand what manner of man is this. He's a greater threat to their well-being than that storm was. And Peter got it. Peter figured it out. Lord, you see to the depths of my being. You know what kind of a wretch I truly am. Darrell Bock Right. And what a place to end. Peter Jennings That is. So let's end instead with an invitation. Scott, quickly tell them where they can come worship at Heritage Reform Church. Heritage Reformed Church, 2202 Washington Street in Bellevue. You can look us up online at heritagercus.com. You can see us on Facebook, like us on Facebook, and come worship with us. We worship Sunday mornings at 10 o'clock. We have Sunday school for all ages at 9 o'clock, and we meet in the auditorium of Mission Middle School. Also, if you would like to donate to this program, Pilgrim Talk. Go on the Heritage Reform Church, heritagercus.com, and there's a donate button. And you can do it through PayPal, and you can contribute to this program if you are profited from this program. We would be blessed with your donations. And we, Lord willing, will be back next week on AM 660 KCR.