Pastors' Blog

Has anybody on this side of the Pond (Atlantic) been able to figure out this United Kingdom brouhaha called Brexit? Since the mission of this Fourth Watch blog is to track the headlines in order to examine events or trends confirming time running out for our civilization, let’s see if the big story preoccupying Europe these days is an indicator of the diminishing times.

The European Union (EU) is a group of 28 countries that operates as a cohesive economic and political block, with nineteen of the countries using the euro as their official currency (www.investopedia.com/terms/e/europeanunion.asp). That much we know. For years the United Kingdom has been a card-carrying member of the EU. But three years ago, bemoaning the political, currency and economic bonds that EU membership required and nostalgic for the days when Britain stood alone as a nation empire, a majority of the British electorate voted to exit the EU (hence the moniker Brexit).

But trouble boiled over when the members of the British Parliament could not agree on just how that exit would best be accomplished. And the ensuing three years under Prime Minister Theresa May have been an unfolding saga of national deadlock.

A deadlock painfully evidenced this March in the repeated attempts of the Prime Minister to negotiate an orderly exit and the repeated rejections of Parliament to those efforts. But the onus now apparently is on the House of Commons which while rejecting the PM’s proposals has been unable to offer a majority-supported alternative. Deadlock.

And the clock is ticking down on April 12’s deadline for a decision. Google the story for the details—the bottom line is wincingly clear: confusion. Nobody in the UK, nobody in the EU, no government leader or political hack has been able to resolve the confusion and rather chaotic uncertainty (not in the press, the financial markets, or the electorate—nobody).

But speaking of the Fourth Watch (in the Roman reckoning, the darkest hour before night’s end), should followers of the soon-coming Christ be surprised? The ancient Babel narrative is a morality tale writ large for this civilization today: "But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, 'If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other’" (Genesis 11:5-7).

The European Union arguably is a throwback to what some consider the halcyon days of the Holy Roman Empire, the Dark and Middle Ages union of European nations under the rulership of Rome. But the story of Babel and the towering image of Daniel 2 are biblical evidence of the divine "check" God has placed upon human/government unification. "Thus far and no further." The history of earth heretofore is one of the repeated attempts at global unification and repeated failures. "Thus far and no further."

The American writer Ellen White observed: "Henceforth in our day, the nations are to be in a very uncertain state. Kings and rulers [prime ministers and presidents] will be involved in greater perplexities than they ever thought possible." Sound familiar? Babel, Brexit. Chaos, confusion. Why? She goes on: ". . . this is because they are disobedient to the Word of the Lord and work entirely contrary to His principles" (Letter 12, 1897).

It is the lesson King Nebuchadnezzar had to learn, a lesson so few rulers over the millennia have ever learned: "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever" (Daniel 2:44).

As for Brexit and the EU, there is one power quietly waiting for the vacuum of leadership to become so strong that its offer to lead the nations once again will be heartily accepted. One day.

And thus we live—all of us—in "the fourth watch" of history. And we know how the story ends.

Can you believe it! We are counting down at the same time for both Renovate projects––Heart and House.

(1) Renovate: House. Let's start with the most immediately obvious renovation. In a few days, we will witness scaffolding begin to surround our sanctuary, as workers prepare to replace nearly an acre of roofing. They begin earlier than we'd anticipated because our electricians now calculate needing more time to lay the electrical conduits beneath the roof for our new sanctuary light fixtures. Which also means that at some point before May graduation temporary lights will need to replace our chandelier lighting—but we'll be fine, knowing what we'll have once the project is through.

Monday, May 6, the day after university graduation, we will bid our many pews farewell. Latest plans are to ship the pews to a church in Africa that has requested them.

And Sabbath, May 11, will find us worshiping—thanks to the generous kindness of the university—in the Howard Performing Arts Center until our renovation project is completed in August. What a season awaits us! Thank you for your own generosity with our $2 million Renovate: Heart & House campaign. We're just over halfway there—praise God and thank you.

That's the word on the House, but how about the Heart?

(2) Renovate: Heart. I've been surprised (maybe it's not so surprising) that I've been hearing from people who are suggesting the next pulpit series after this one on Laodicea needs to be one on the second coming (or soon coming) of Jesus. No question that would be a valuable and heart-stirring theme for us to journey through in a worship series.

But the truth is "The Last Letter" has been very much a series on the second-coming of Christ. After all, Laodicea means "people judged," and scholars agree this letter describes the seventh and final period of church history before the return of Jesus—a people living in the great pre-advent judgment hour of human history. That's why Jesus depicts Himself in "The Last Letter" as standing "at the door"—a motif He used in the gospels to describe the nearness of His return (see Mark 13:29 et al).

But more critical than enumerating the signs of our Lord's return is the need for the signs of our Lord's reviving to be demonstrated in our daily living. Renovate: Heart. "By this will all people know you are My disciples" Jesus taught us (John 13:34-35). "Those who abide in Me and I in them will bring forth much fruit," He admonished us (John 15:5).

That's the point of "The Last Letter." And we got it, we get it. And we're embarrassed for Laodicea that considers herself to be fit as a fiddle and "in need of nothing," when it turns out she is in quite the opposite state and in need of profound spiritual renovation. Poor Laodicea—mouthing her hope in Jesus' soon return, all the while living untransformed lives that belie that hope—celebrating the overcoming Jesus achieved on the cross two thousand years ago while ignoring or even rejecting the overcoming Jesus longs to achieve in their own personal lives right now.

But all is not lost for Laodicea! The Desire of Ages promises: "The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning." But it gets even better. "Christ reaches us where we are. He took our nature and overcame, that we through taking His nature might overcome." Did you catch that? So that we might overcome—what a promise for Laodicea! "Made 'in the likeness of sinful flesh' (Romans 8:3), [Christ] lived a sinless life. Now by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of heaven, while by His humanity He reaches us. He bids us by faith in Him attain to the glory of the character of God" (311-312).

Wow! "The glory of the character of God" in the likes of you and me. No question—the intent of "The Last Letter" is: "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17). Talking about renovating our hearts—that's it.

Which is why our biggest move is not exiting our church for the summer—our biggest move is to open the door of our hearts to the Lord Jesus and with grateful humility invite Him to take up residence within us right now. In fact, the Lord's Supper we share with Him today is the fulfillment of His promise, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and sup [KJV] with him, with her, and they with me" (Revelation 3:20). Sup—the first three letters of supper. Supper—the joyful privilege Laodicea can share with the Lord of Laodicea right now. Does it get any better than that?

What's not to like about the leaders of the United States and North Korea sitting down to dinner together, in of all places the century-old French hotel Metropole in Hanoi, Vietnam? Leaving the political optics out of the picture, shouldn't the followers of Jesus find reason to rejoice in the amazing gospel potential represented by these news-making photos seen globally?

What are the gospel optics? Thinking broadly, here are three Asian communist nations (North Korea, Vietnam and China) tacitly sitting together at the table of dialogue in Hanoi with the de facto political leader of the "free world" in order to explore the profound possibilities of a new openness with the Hermit Kingdom and the surrounding region. But it makes you wonder—could this precipitate a divinely engineered opening for the gospel in ways heretofore not possible, not imagined?

Psalm 67 opens with the stunning prayer: "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations" (vv 1-2). Robert Alter, in his new translation The Hebrew Bible, comments: "The shining of the face is a sign of favor just as the hiding of the face is its opposite" (3:160). Thus this prayer calls upon the Creator God of the universe to show favor to His people by opening the door for His way and His salvation "among all nations."

The American writer Ellen White quotes this line from Psalms with this question: "Are you using all your powers in an effort to bring the lost sheep back to the fold? There are thousands upon thousands in ignorance who might be warned. Pray as you have never prayed before for the power of Christ. Pray for the inspiration of His Spirit, that you may be filled with a desire to save those who are perishing. Let the prayer ascend to heaven, 'God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations' (Psalm 67:1, 2)" (In Heavenly Places 338).

"Thousands upon thousands"—think of what could happen were the gospel door to open to North Korea! Already in Vietnam, and in China to an even greater degree, that door is opening (and in some instances closing again). But "thousands upon thousands" is reason enough to intercede before God on behalf of all nations, on behalf of these three nations catapulted to our attention this week.

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations."

Let's agree to let this prayer from our lips ascend to heaven—so that the distance from Hanoi to Heaven, from Pyongyang to Heaven, from Beijing to Heaven, from Washington to Heaven might be radically reduced—so that thousands upon thousands might yet hear the very good news of Jesus' salvation and soon return.

"Let Your face shine upon us, O God—and send us to these millions who must know Jesus, too. Amen."

Some have attributed to Confucius the proverb, "A picture is worth a thousand words." So let's share a 5000-word history (five pictures) that ends with the birth of the Pioneer Memorial Church exactly sixty years ago right now—captured in five black and white photographs, mounted on the back wall of our sanctuary, each with a gold plaque of explanation—all of them a gift of the Emmanuel Missionary College Class of 1953. Take a look:

Photograph #1—the old Berrien County Courthouse. The plaque reads:

On October 31, 1901, the faculty and students organized the Emmanuel Missionary College Church. The charter listed forty-one members, the organizers being Sutherland and Haughey [two faculty members]. Religious services were first held in the vacant Berrien County Courthouse the first school year of Emmanuel Missionary College in 1901 through 1902. On December 5 the church opened a church school for sixteen pupils, using the first floor of the courthouse [still standing in the middle of our village today].

Photograph #2—the original EMC Administration Building (1903-24):

This building was the fourth structure to be built on the campus. It held primarily administrative offices and was the only building kept warm enough for student study. [Wonder how they would have fared with the recent polar vortex!] The chapel room served as the home of the EMC campus church. The onion dome [see the photograph] housed the campus bell used at Battle Creek College [now in Nethery Hall]. The building was razed in 1953—the same year the Student Association initiated a campaign for a new campus church.

Photograph #3—Auditorium Basement (1924-26):

Beginning in early 1924, the basement of the unfinished Auditorium building served as the next home of the church. There was seating for 600 people in this room. . . . Nature spurred completion of the Auditorium. A February-Sabbath thaw almost disrupted the church service when the "entire north side of the chapel was flooded within two rows of the front." Umbrellas shielded the worshipers from the dripping water [is this beginning to sound familiar—some things never change!] during the rest of the service.

Photograph #4—Auditorium (1926-1959):

"The wooden chapel will be in keeping with the faith of the denomination, looking forward to the near coming of our Lord and Master, and at the same time providing seating capacity with galleries for about 850 people. The student capacity will be provided on the main floor for 500 only, and it is hoped the school will not grow beyond this number," commented Board Chairman William Guthrie [ninety-three years later we ruefully smile at his awkward hope and prediction, while recognizing his passion must yet be our passion, too]. Not exclusively dedicated to worship services, secular gatherings were also held in the Auditorium. For 20 years the basement was used as a recreation hall for games and receptions.

Photograph #5—Pioneer Memorial Church "An House of Prayer for All People" (1959- ):

The Student Association of 1953 spearheaded a fund-raising campaign for what would become the only campus building dedicated solely to divine worship. Bake sales along U.S. 31 benefited the fund, as did the systematic giving of hundreds of people. When the work on the church was ordered stopped temporarily for lack of funds, a number of plant service men donated full weeks of time to prepare the church for the opening service Sabbath, February 14, 1959. By May 21, 1960 everything except the pipe organ was ready for dedication. On March 12 and 13 of 1966 the Casavant organ, with its 4,233 pipes, was unveiled. The name, Pioneer Memorial Church, bears witness to the educational talents of illustrious instructors or lecturers in our past.

Five photographs, one history—and it's your history and mine as members of this now sixty-year-old church family. A history with God's fingerprints all over it. Which is why we must keep singing the Doxology and telling the story, "so the next generation will know [God's mighty acts], even the children yet to be born, and they in turn will tell their children. Then they will put their trust in God and will not forget His deeds but will keep His commandments" (see Psalm 78:6-7).

When history is His story—pass it on!