Gospel Dynamite with J. Allen Mashburn

Reaching Out to the Dead | Ezekiel 37:1-14 | J. Allen Mashburn

Ezekiel, a 25 year old priest from the family of Zadok, when he, along with the king and 10,000 Jews were taken to Babylon in  598 BC. Five years later, in 593 BC, Ezekiel was third when he was called into the ministry. Ezekiel’s name means “Strengthened By God,” and there can be little doubt that the visions he was given during his 20 plus years of faithful ministry were used to challenge and strengthen his fellow exiles.
 
The ministry of Ezekiel was marked by a series of visions. One of those visions will be the focus of our time together today.
 
The “Vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones,” is a very familiar passage of Scripture. I have heard it used to preach about the need for revival in the church. That is a valid use of this passage. Yet, we need to remember that God is not speaking to the church in those verses. He is speaking to the nation of Israel, v. 11. He sees them as a dead nation. He promises this dead nation that a day will come when He will raise them from the dead and use them again for His glory.
 
When Ezekiel received this vision, he found himself surrounded by the bones of the dead. Everywhere he looked he saw dead people. He was commanded to preach to them. And, he was commanded to pray over them. When he obeyed the Lord’s command, Ezekiel saw those dead bodies brought back to life. He saw the Lord’s grave on display in that graveyard, and that is the thought I want to magnify for a while today.
 
Like Ezekiel, we are surrounded by the dead. Everywhere we look there is evidence of the spiritual death that dominates our world. And, like Ezekiel, we have been given sent out to tell the dead that they can live.
 
From where Ezekiel stood that day, his task must have seemed impossible. Yet, he obeyed God and the Lord blessed his efforts. From where we stand today, the task of reaching those who are dead in sin also seems like and impossible task. If we will do as the Lord has commanded us, we will also see Him bless our efforts.

The Invitation to Completion | Revelation 22:20 | J. Allen Mashburn

While this precious verse may be short in length, it is long in content. It serves as a worthy rearguard to the book of Revelation and to the entire Word of God. This verse contains within its sixteen verses both the last promise and the last prayer in the Bible.
In these words, we have our Lord’s clear, powerful promise that He will come again. We also have the prayer of John the Beloved disciple as he invites the Lord to do just that. In John’s words, we can hear the echo of the heart cry of every saint of God down through the ages. There is a desire within the heart of every child of God to leave this world to be with the Lord Jesus. There is a hunger within our hearts for the Lord Jesus to come again, so that we can leave this world of tears, death, sickness and pain to go to Heaven where none of those things will ever be found.
Before I was saved, I used to hear people and preachers talk about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. In those days, thinking about His return filled my heart with fear. I knew I was lost and I knew that I would be in serious trouble if the Lord came with me in that condition. Then, one day, the Lord saved my soul. When He did, He changed my thinking regarding His return. Instead of dreading it, I began to anticipate it. Instead of it filling my heart with fear, it fills my heart with joy. Now, I do not look upon His return with fear, I look upon His return with great excitement! I know that when He returns to this world I will be leaving with Him. I know that Heaven will be my destination and I am excited about that!
Apparently, John was excited about that thought as well. When Jesus Christ makes His promise to come again, John immediately extends and invitation to the Lord to come. John says, “Amen!” John says, “Even so”, which means “Yes!” John is looking and longing for Jesus to return. So am I! If you are saved, I sure you are too.

The Invitation of Conversion | Revelation 22:17 | J. Allen Mashburn

Beginning in Genesis 7:1 with God’s invitation for Noah and his family to “come” in to the Ark, the Bible is literally filled with invitations for people to come to God. It would seem from this evidence that God is interested in calling people to come to Him.
Even on the last page of the last chapter in the last book of the Bible, God is still inviting men, women, boys and girls to come to Him. In this verse the Spirit of God takes one last opportunity to swing open the door of salvation so that He might invite lost people to enter.
You see, God is interested in your salvation. He cares about you and where you will spend eternity. How do we know God cares? We know God cares because of His Words – John 3:16. We also know God cares because of His Works – Rom. 5:8. God proved His love for you and me when He sent His Son Jesus into this world to die for us on the cross.
But, God knows that just because He cares does not mean that you will be saved. He knows that you must respond to Him by repenting of your sins and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross to pay for man’s sin. He rose from the dead to guarantee us everlasting life. He even went back to Heaven to pray for you. But, if you refuse the Lord’s invitation to come to God, you will still not be saved.
This invitation is vitally important. In the words of our text we have one of the clearest calls to salvation that can be found anywhere in the word of God. I would like to take the time today to look into the words of this text and point out a few details of The Invitation Of Conversion.

The Conclusion of the Book | Revelation 22:6-21 | J. Allen Mashburn

Our study of the book of the Revelation has taken us from the days of the early church in the past all the way into eternity in the future. John has been faithfully fulfilling the divine purpose he shared in the first verse of the book, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John,” Rev. 1:1.
John has been used of the Lord to reveal to God’s people the God’s plan for the future. We have seen the words of Rev. 1:19, where it says, “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter,” fulfilled in the pages of this amazing book.
The Lord has shown us how the church age will end. It will end with the church in apostasy, cold and dead, with Jesus on the outside. We are steadily moving in that direction today.
He has shown us what will follow after the church is removed from the world. There will be a terrible tribulation period that will engulf the world. Billions will die from war, disease and the tragedy of divine judgment. This age will also end with the Antichrist and Satan judged and sentenced to an eternity in the Lake of Fire.
We have even been given a glimpse of our own future. We have seen a place called Heaven, where death, disease, sin and Satan will be prohibited. We have been given a small foretaste of that wonderful place we will call home some day.
In our text today, we have arrived at the end of the book. The verses we have read today serve as the Lord’s conclusion to the book of Revelation. So, let’s move through these verses together and bring to a close our study of the book of Revelation.

Some Call It Heaven, But I Call It Home | Revelation 21:5–22:5 | J. Allen Mashburn

In our last study we began a survey of a place called Heaven. Of course, we all know that Heaven is more than just a place. Heaven is the home of Almighty God. It is the home of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the glorious land where the redeemed of the ages spend eternity. It is the place where we all long to go.
        Of course, if you listen to most folks talk, you will find that we aren’t as anxious to get to Heaven as we sometimes claim. When sickness comes, we try everything we can to stay here as long as we can. We call on the doctor. We call on the church to pray. We call on the Lord to help us get better. We love this life and we want to stay here. That is understandable but Heaven will be beyond our wildest dreams!

Our Future Home & Things That Can’t Follow Us There | Revelation 21:1-8 | J. Allen Mashburn

Join us as we explore our future home and the things that can never invade that glorious place!

The Great White Throne Judgment | Revelation 20:11-15 | J. Allen Mashburn

Some time ago there was a young foreign student who flunked out at the University of Michigan. In shame he decided to disappear. For the next four years he hid in the unused attic of an Ann Arbor church. Taking great pains to conceal himself, he quietly prowled around only at night, living off food and water from the kitchen. He never left the building or spoke to a soul. No one ever suspected he was there. Then one day a slight mistake gave him away. Accidentally the young recluse made some noise, the police were called, and he was finally discovered.
How foolish this young man was to try to hide from his failure. Still, he is not as foolish as that person who thinks they can hide from God! The world is filled with people who live as though they have no sin. They live as though God did not exist. They live as though they will never face God in judgment.
What they hope for will never come to pass. These verses tell us about judgment day. They speak about that terrible day when every lost sinner will face the Lord in judgment. There will be nowhere to hide on that day. No one will hide behind excuses, ignorance, false professions, etc. Everyone will face Jesus Christ as Lord and Judge and they will all receive a just sentence for their sins.
Today, I want to examine the facts concerning an event that is known as The Great White Throne Judgment. Before I begin, I want you to know that there will not be one single born again individual that will stand in judgment here.
This is a judgment seat for the lost.

The Millennial Reign of Christ | Revelation 20:1-10 | J. Allen Mashburn

This chapter is surrounded by controversy. The controversy swirls around the use of the words “thousand years” in verses 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The controversy concerns the 1,000 year period we call the Millennium.
      There are three dominant views concerning the nature of the Millennium.
1.)  Postmillennialism - This view says that the world will get better and better and when the world has reached the proper stage of perfection, Jesus will return and establish His kingdom on earth. This was a very popular view prior to World War II.  Nearly anyone can look at this world and all the wickedness and evil and see that the world is getting worse and not better. This is a false view of the Millennium. 
2.)  Amillennialism – There are several variations of this view. The primary version says that there is no literal millennial kingdom. The kingdom of God is spiritual in nature and we are really in the kingdom age right now. Many who hold this view believe that Satan is bound right now. The Amillennial view spiritualizes these verses. This is also a false view of the Millennium. (Ill. A branch of Amillennialism known as Preterism believes the Tribulation has already occurred and that Jesus has already returned. The Preterist believes that Jesus returned in 70 AD and established His kingdom then. Their belief system is far more complex than that, but that is the gist of it.)
3.)  Premillennialism - This view holds that humanity will continue to degenerate; the world will go through a literal Tribulation; Jesus will return and defeat the Antichrist and establish a literal kingdom on the earth and reign here for 1,000 years. This is the only view that takes these verses literally. It is my opinion that this is the only true view of the millennium. 
      It is my belief that these verses comprise the fulfillment of many great Old and New Testament promises and prophecies. It is my belief that these verses tell us about a literal 1,000 kingdom that will exist on this earth. It is my belief that these verses describe the final kingdom that will exist in time.
      Why is there even a need for the millennium? Why not just wind it all up, judge sin and sinners and let the redeemed enter into eternity? The millennium will allow the Lord to accomplish some much needed goals. Among other things, the millennium will allow the Lord to:
·         To fulfill His Old Testament promises of a kingdom to Israel.
·         To put Jesus, in all His glory, on public display.
·         To answer the prayer, “Thy Kingdom come.”
·         To fulfill the promise that the saints will reign.
·         To bring about the complete redemption of nature.
·         To give man one final test under the sovereign rule of the Lord Jesus Christ.
While there are many great truths associated with the millennial kingdom, too many to share in one message, let me share a few of the things that will be a reality then.
·         Peace – All wars will cease. (Isa.2:4; 9:4-7; 32:17-18; 33:5-6; 55:12; 60:18; Eze.28:26; 34:25, 28; Hos.2:18; Micah 4:2-3; Zech.9:10)
·         Joy – The King’s subjects will be happy. (Isa.12:3-6; 14:7-8; 25:8-9; 61:7,10; 65:18-19; 66:10-14; Jer.31:18-19; Zeph.3:14-17; Zech.10:6-7)
·         Holiness - This kingdom will be a holy kingdom. There will be rebellion, but King Jesus will rule with a rod of iron, Rev. 19:15. Capital punishment will be enforced. (Isa. 31:6-7; 35:8-9; 60:21; 61:10; Eze.36:24-31; 37:23-24; Zech.8:3; 14:20-21)
·         Glory - This kingdom will be a glorious kingdom, with the glory of God in full display. All the citizens of the world will be able to travel to Jerusalem and see the glorified Savior face to face! (Isa. 4:2; 35:2; 40:5; 60:1-9)
·         Comfort - Jesus will fully minister to every need, so that there will be no want anywhere on the earth. (Isa 12:1-2; 30:26; 40:1-2; 49:13; 51:3; 66:21-23; Jer.31:23-25; Zeph.3:18-20)
·         Justice - Perfect justice will be administered to every individual. (Isa. 9:7; 32:16; 42:1-4; 65:21-23; Jer.23:5.)
·         Fullness Of Knowledge - An increase in the teaching ministry of the Holy Ghost  will result in enhanced mental capabilities. (Isa. 11:1-2, 9; Isa. 41:19-20; *54:13*; Hab.2:14)
·         Instruction – King Jesus will instruct His people in the ways of God. (Isa. 2:2-3; 29:17-24; 32:3-4; Jer.3:14-15; Micah 4:2)
·         The Removal of the Curse - In Gen. 3:17-19, God placed a curse upon the earth. This curse will be removed; resulting in an increase in the productivity of the earth, and in wild animals will losing their ferocity and ability to injure or kill. (Isa 11:6-9; 65:25).
·         Sickness Removed - The King will be a healer, so that sickness and death will vanish from the earth. Death will only exist as a punishment for extreme sin. (Isa 33:24; Jer.30:17; 33:6)
·         Healing of the deformed - All deformity will be healed. (Isa.29:17-19; 35:3-6)
·         Protection - There will be a supernatural preservation of life during the millennium. (Isa.41:8-14; 62:8-9; Jer. 23:6; Joel 3:16-17; Amos 9:15; Zech.9:8; 14:10-11)
·         No Oppression - There will be no social, political, racial or religious oppression in that day. (Isa.14:3-6; 42:6-7; 49:8-9; Zech.9:11-12)
·         No Immaturity - It seems that there will be no mental retardation or dwarfed bodies, extreme longevity will also be restored. (Isa.65:20)
·         Reproduction by the Living People - The living Tribulation saints and believing Jews who enter the millennium will reproduce. The population of the earth will soar. Yet, all children will be born with a sin nature, and will therefore need salvation. (Jer.30:20; 31:29; Eze.47:22)
·         Labor - A perfect economic system, in which all needs will be met by the labor of men under direction of the King. It will be a fully industrialized world. (Isa. 62:8-9; 65:21-23; Jer.31:5)
·         Economic Prosperity - The perfect labor situation will produce economic abundance, so that there will be no want. (Isa.35:1-2, 7; 30:23-25; Jer.31:5; 12; Eze 34:26; 36:29-30; *Joel 2:21-27* *Amos 9:13-14*; Zech.8:11-12)
·         Increase of Light - The will be an increase in solar and lunar light, this will produce longer growing seasons, accounting for the increase in productivity. (Isa.30:26)
·         Unified Language - All language barriers will be removed. (Zeph.3:9)
·         Unified Worship - The entire world will worship God through the Lord Jesus Christ. (Isa.45:23; 66:17-23; Zeph.3:9; Zech.14:16; 8:23; Mal.1:11)
·         The fullness of the Spirit - All who are subject to the King will experience divine enablement and presence. (Isa.44:3; Eze.36:26-27; 37:14; Joel 2:28-29)
      Those are just a few of the glories of that future kingdom. Let’s take a few minutes to study these verses today.