GARBC Conference '09 - Day 4

This is becoming a tougher task each evening! So much to share; so little time for sharing!

Tonight’s liveblog will be legendarily short.

Go read the tweets on Dr. Bauder’s address on the New Jerusalem. I have rarely found myself enthralled

at a GARBC meeting—enthralled with God, that is. Tonight was rare. I felt and sensed my spirit being lifted into the heavens through the Word. That sounds funny coming from a Baptist. It feels funny typing it. But it’s true. Tonight, through the proclamation of the biblical text, I was brought face to face with the majestic glory of our eternal King Jesus.

If you are a bit discouraged; if the darkness will not lift; if God’s glory seems to be fading out of view, do three things before your head hits the pillow tonight. First, go read tonight’s tweets HERE. Second, go read Revelation 21-22 HERE. Third, adore and praise your King … whose glory will one day fill the earth as the sun … eternally alleviating night, darkness, and sunsets. Express your wonder and awe in anticipation of beholding Revelation 21:3-4 & 22:3-5 (ESV) :

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away … No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

Do not be discouraged, friends. Our King Reigns. And at the last day, we will be overwhelmed with His glory as He stands upon the earth.

“And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me” (Job 19:26-27 ESV).

Thank you, Dr. Bauder, for pointing us to the King.

Thank you, King Jesus, for showing us Your eternal glory. May we live today in its eternal light. Come quickly. Amen.

Discussion

Ken and Scott—your wish has been granted!

I added a page at the Baptist Bulletin site that collects all of the plenary sermons in one place. We’ll try to add several of the conference workshops later this week (but I fear the audio for some of these is pretty crummy. We’ll see).

And, a bonus item in honor of Bauder’s 5-minute histories of the regular Baptist movement: I added a clip of Robert Ketcham at Winona Lake in 1964, describing the early days of the GARBC.

2009 GARBC Conference Audio: http://www.baptistbulletin.org/?p=3952