Bethel Baptist Church

Dr. Robert Cosand

5.0 (9)
CHRISTIANITY
UPDATED WEEKLY

A Ministry of Bethel Baptist Church 24600 Little Mack Avenue Saint Clair Shores, MI 48080 Service Times Sunday 9:30 am - Sunday School 10:45 am - Morning Worship 6:00 pm - Evening Praise Service Wednesday 6:45 pm - Youth Group 6:45 pm - AWANA (During School Year) 7:00 pm - Bible Study & Prayer More Information about Bethel Baptist Church Bethel Baptist Church bbcscssound@gmail.com Pastor Robert Cosand

5D AGO

Revelation: They Cursed God

Scripture Reading: Revelation 16:1-11 The Nature of the Human Heart Revelation 16 contains the third, and last, series of divine judgments on the population of the earth during the coming day of tribulation. It is a description of the seven bowl judgments. God is declared to be just because He has poured out His wrath on the wicked. "Just are you, O Holy One . . . for you have brought these judgments . . . Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments" (Rev 16:5,6). The overwhelming response of the people of the earth to these frightful, awesome acts of God will be to curse Him ... and the statement is repeated three times in this chapter (Rev 16:9,11,21). "People . . . cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds" (Rev 16:11). The Bible clearly reveals to us what the natural human heart does with the truth about God and why it responds as it does. Given clear information about God in creation, the human heart suppresses the truth. "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God" (Rom 1:18,21). This is the response of every sinful human heart before conversion. The reason for this suppression of the truth is a love for sin. ". . . people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil" (Jn 3:19). It is only the grace and power of God which can free the heart from its natural affection for the darkness of sin.

46 min
FEB 8

Revelation: The Song of the Lamb

Scripture Reading: Revelation 15:1-8 Before each of the series of divine judgments on the earth, during the tribulation time, John describes a heavenly scene. The vision of heaven in chapters 4,5 precedes the judgments of the seven seals. The heavenly scene in Revelation 8:2-5 precedes the judgments of the seven trumpets. The bowl judgments will be described in chapter 16, but now, before those final judgments, there is another description of heaven. Beside a heavenly glass-like sea, "those who had conquered the beast" are gathered and they are singing a song (Rev 15:3,4). It is called both "the song of Moses" and "the song of the Lamb." In this glorious song, they laud the character of God in very specific terms. He is the Lord God Almighty ... He is just and true ... He is King ... He is holy. The only proper response is to fear Him and glorify Him and worship Him. The news, as has ever been the case, does not mention the majesty of God in its daily focus on the day's events. Revelation describes the unfolding of a coming day when "the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day" (Isa 2:11). Let us ever fear and glorify and worship Him.

54 min
FEB 1

Revelation: The Perseverance of the Saints

Scripture Reading: Revelation 14:9-20 In the middle of a biblical text about the dreadful wrath of God is a passage designed to be a great encouragement to Christians. Following a passage declaring the God's wrath "poured full strength into the cup of his anger" (Rev 14:10), we read about the "perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus" (Rev 14:12, LSB). The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is the idea that, having been changed at the deepest level of one's being by the Spirit of God, Christians "can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved" (Westminster Confession of Faith, XVII:1). Perseverance in the Christian faith is both a wondrous encouragement and a sober test. We are able to hold fast to our faith, and will hold it fast, because we have become reconciled to God … and because of this reconciliation Christ will one day present us before God the Father as holy. This is ultimate security in Christ. The sober test is this … perseverance in the faith is evidence that someone's faith is genuine. Those who have true faith continue in the faith. Those who do not continue in the faith only show they have never been reconciled to God in the first place.

56 min
JAN 25

Revelation: The Eternal Gospel

Scripture Reading: Revelation 13:11-18 A second beast appears in Revelation 13, "exercising all the authority of the first beast . . . and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast" (Rev 13:12). This beast is called the 'false prophet' in Revelation 16:13; 19:20; 20:10. This title suggests that he will bring a religious element to the kingdom of the antichrist. He will have the power to do supernatural acts (Rev 13:13-15). The combination of a political, militaristic leader and an ecumenical religious leader will be a potent force in galvanizing the earth's population. Coercion to worship the antichrist will be used in the form of economic boycott (Rev 13:16,17) and threat of death (Rev 13:15). In the face of such global, open, rebellion against God, what happens in chapter 14 stands out as a remarkable display of God's grace. There is a description of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, who were first mentioned in chapter 7. Then there is the appearance of three angels who bring to the earth a message of warning and life. To the whole earth one angel declares, "Fear God and give Him glory . . . worship Him who made heaven and earth" (Rev 14:7). In the face of undisguised disdain for the true and living God, He patiently and mercifully holds out the gracious offer of life in Christ. People continue to refuse God's love. It is to be dying of thirst and still to refuse the outstretched hand of God, holding a cup of the water of life.

46 min
JAN 19

Revelation: A Call For Endurance

Scripture Reading: Revelation 13:1-10 Much of the focus of Revelation is on what God will doing on the earth during the time of tribulation. The holy Judge will pour out His righteous justice on the inhabitants of the earth, in a series of horrendous, global judgments. In Revelation 12-14, however, the focus is on what Satan will be doing on the earth during the tribulation. Chapter 13 introduces us to two new figures … the antichrist (Rev 13:1-10) and the false prophet (Rev 13:11-18). Along with the devil, these three form a kind of unholy 'trinity'. The antichrist and the false prophet seem to be human beings, which arise during the time of tribulation and preside over a kingdom with global influence. These figures are both described as being 'beasts' … perhaps suggesting the brute power and ravenous desires of darkness. They are agents by whom Satan carries out his war against believers and leads unbelievers into a settled rebellion against God. God grants authority to the antichrist to "make war on the saints and to conquer them" (Rev 13:7). This chapter makes clear that everything that transpires is according to a plan, laid down before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8). What is on display here is the endurance of Christians, willing to give up their lives for the honor of the name of Christ. The fury of Satan will be overcome by the King and His children.

52 min
JAN 11

Revelation: The Defeat of the Dragon

Scripture Reading; Revelation 12:1-12 To this point in the book of Revelation, much of the focus has been on what God will be doing on the earth during the time of tribulation. God will pour out His holy justice on the inhabitants of the earth, in a series of horrendous, global judgments. In Revelation 12-14, the focus is on what Satan will be doing on the earth during the tribulation. In richly symbolic language, the events and activities of this chapter center around Satan and the people of Israel. Having been cast out of heaven, Satan has opposed the Israelites of old ... through leaders like Pharaoh, Haman, and Herod ... and as well as Christians since the coming of Christ. In the tribulation many Jews will turn to Christ and Satan will seek to destroy them. In Revelation 12, Israel is seen in the symbolic image of a woman. ". . . the dragon . . . pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child [Jesus]" (Rev 12:13). God, in a display of His power and authority, protects the Jews who flee from Jerusalem (cf. Rev 12:14,16). We do not know all the reasons why God permits Satan to blind and destroy so many people, but the Bible reveals to us, in general terms, the ultimate reason. "Satan's fall and ongoing existence are for the glory of Christ. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, will be more highly honored and more deeply appreciated and loved in the end because he defeats Satan not the moment after Satan fell, but through millennia of long-suffering, patience, humility, servanthood, suffering, and decisively through his own death" (John Piper, Spectacular Sins, 49).

47 min
JAN 5

Revelation: And He Shall Reign Forever And Ever

Scripture Reading: Revelation 11:15-19 In the middle of the horrendous judgments that John is describing in Revelation, he gives his readers a glorious preview of what will take place after God's justice has been fully meted out on the inhabitants of the earth. It is a foretaste of the coming kingdom of Christ, in His reign on this earth. In John's wondrous declaration, there is a stark contrast between the present kingdom of collective humanity and the future kingdom of the King of kings. "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever" (Rev 11:15). Ever since Babel, collective humanity has sought to establish a government without God … whether it is Egypt or Babylon or Rome. John says, "The nations raged," perhaps echoing the language of Psalm 2:1. "The kings of the earth set themselves . . . against the LORD" (Psa 2:2). But one of these days, the rule of humanity on the earth will give way to the rule of the Creator of all things. This is reason for hope and joy and gratitude in our souls. "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign" (Rev 11:17).

47 min
12/28/2025

Revelation: Prophets of God's Mercy

Scripture Reading: Revelation 11:1-14 This chapter in Revelation is one of the places in the book in which the interpretive principles of the commentator show through very clearly. Over a century ago, Henry Alford, a reputable New Testament scholar and commentator, wrote that Revelation 11 is "undoubtably one of the most difficult [chapters] in the whole Apocalypse" … and "no solution has ever been given to this portion of the prophecy" (Alford, The Greek Testament, IV:655,658). The approach I have employed in our study of Revelation is to take words and phrases literally whenever it is possible to do so … of course, allowing for obvious symbolic language. With that in mind, the terms in this chapter will be taken normally. The temple is a reference to a rebuilt temple, during the time of tribulation … the 'two witnesses' are two individuals … 'great city' is Jerusalem … the 'forty-two months' are a literal three and a half year time period … the earthquake is a literal earthquake. The two witnesses are prophets (Rev 11:3,6) who have the power to do miracles to buttress their message of God's judgment and salvation, like Old Testament prophets also did. They are sent to proclaim God's message to "peoples and tribes and languages and nations" (Rev 11:9, cf. 10:11). Eventually, like the prophets of old, they will be killed by the enemies of God. This chapter is another display of God's mercy to an unbelieving world. The prophets of old were always a display of divine mercy in the face of impending judgment. God is patient and faithfully beckons rebels to receive His mercy. It is suicidal folly to love the darkness of evil more than the light of life.

44 min

5

out of 5

9 Ratings

A Ministry of Bethel Baptist Church 24600 Little Mack Avenue Saint Clair Shores, MI 48080 Service Times Sunday 9:30 am - Sunday School 10:45 am - Morning Worship 6:00 pm - Evening Praise Service Wednesday 6:45 pm - Youth Group 6:45 pm - AWANA (During School Year) 7:00 pm - Bible Study & Prayer More Information about Bethel Baptist Church Bethel Baptist Church bbcscssound@gmail.com Pastor Robert Cosand

Creator

Dr. Robert Cosand
Years Active

2018 - 2026
Episodes

480
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Dr. Robert Cosand (c) 2018
Show Website

Bethel Baptist Church