Pastor Rickey recorded a recap of the first 11 chapters of Revelation as we hit the halfway point of the book; watch it here!

“This the Power of the Cross”
Revelation 12:7-17
May 28th
Pastor Rickey Primrose

As you read through the text to prepare for Sunday, pray for the Holy Spirit to open your heart and keep these questions in mind:

• What does this text say about God?
• What does this text say about people?
• How can I apply this text in context?
• How is the Spirit leading me to respond?
• Did these verses raise any questions as I read?

Click on the following songs to open lyric videos:

Glory Is Yours
Steven F. & Carl Cartee

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (see “Song Highlight” section for more)
Martin Luther & Tommy Bailey

Thank You Jesus for The Blood
Charity Gayle, Ryan Kennedy, Steven Musso, David Gentiles, & Bryan McCleery

Down At The Cross (no video)
A. Hoffman

“Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.”

Romans 8:10-11

“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”

This song is filled with solid truth about God and our confident response to the evil and trouble we face. As with most songs written in that time period, some of the lyrics are somewhat antiquated and unless you know what the words mean, it can be difficult to engage your mind and heart while we sing. So, I will attempt to give some clarity to some of the words and phrases of this song to help us understand exactly what we are singing.

Charles Spurgeon wrote this song from Psalm 46. It is a psalm that reminds us that God is our protection. And in Him we don’t have to fear when the storms of life and evil rage all around us because God is our defense in times of trouble.  

“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing”

A fortress is like a military stronghold or a place that is not vulnerable to outside attacks or invasions. A bulwark is a defensive wall. So, we are singing that God is our stronghold. Our place of refuge. He is mighty and not vulnerable to attacks. He is a “wall of defense” that will never fail. In Him we are safe.

“Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:”

We live in a world that is filled with hard circumstances and evil that seeks to devour us. But God is our help and will cause us to prevail over everything that seeks to destroy us.

“For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; His craft and pow’r are great, and, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal.”

Our “ancient foe” is the Devil. He has been trying to “work us woe” or bring danger and calamity on us since the fall. His motivation is hatred for God and God’s people and we are not safe or able to oppose him on our own.

The second verse reminds us of the truth of the Gospel and how we live our lives now that we are in Christ. If we trust in our own strength, it will only lead to loss and failure. But we put our faith and trust in Christ who is the “right man on our side”. He is the “Lord of host”, meaning Jesus is the Lord of the angelic armed forces. He is the One who gives us the victory because he has ultimately won the battle.  

The 3rd verse reminds us that the world is filled with devils or demons that try to destroy us. But we know that God has willed His truth to triumph through us. All who are in Christ will triumph over the enemy. His truth will win in the end. So, we can confidently endure all the enemy’s tactics and rage because we know his doom is sure. The devil is ultimately defeated.

The last verse reminds us that God’s word is everlasting and will stand no matter who tries to stop or hinder it. His word is above all earthly powers. And since Christ is on our side, we have the Spirit of God that helps us and is our source that blesses us with all that we need. Because we have all that we need in God, we can peacefully and joyfully let go of all of the earthly processions and security that we once held on to. We may lose everything, even our lives but we have been promised eternal life with Christ in His Kingdom when He returns.

So, as we sing this song, have courage and hope that God, our protector and defense, will not lose one soul to the enemy and will safely lead us home as we journey through this world. 

– Pastor Brandon

Next date: June 11th

Here are some ways that you can prepare your hearts to sit at the Lord’s Table, which we partake in twice a month together:

Reflect – Reflect on the person and work of Christ.

Meditate on who He is and what He has done.

Examine your heart – Examine your heart and confess any sin or areas of misplaced hope.

Examine your love – Examine your relationships. Is there anyone that you need to reconcile with before taking the Lord’s Supper.

Rejoice – Come with gladness and thanksgiving that God has made you worthy to enter His presence.