Is the Gospel in the Stars?

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, �But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn�t for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we�re called by the Divine Trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here�s our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Introducing the Book on the Zodiac

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry. My name�s Mike Abendroth, Aben-roth, I remember I was in Berlin in 1984 and I had to ask the lady at the hotel there, �How do you pronounce my last name It didn�t sound like Abendroth.

In front of me I have a book, and it�s really a pretty awful book. But you know what? Awful books make good radio. I guess they make good fires, too. In the old days, before the crazy Koran-burning so-called pastor down in Florida, before he ruined all my fun, we used to have book burners or page turners.

I think that was on Wednesdays on No Compromise Radio. But that all went out the proverbial window once crazy men started doing bad things. This book is called The Real Meaning of the Zodiac. It shows the zodiac on the front cover with a woodcut yellow-black etching.

And it is written by D. James Kennedy, Ph .D. Now of course, D. James Kennedy is in heaven now. This looks like it is a self-published book. This book also available on tape, Contact Coral Ridge Ministries, copyright Coral Ridge Ministry, compiled and edited by Nancy Britt from a series of sermons on the zodiac.

So let�s see. I need a good sermon series. What do you think? I especially need a 12-week series. Hmm. Well, how about the zodiac? The Real Meaning of the Zodiac. I guess this is true redemption, redeeming the zodiac.

It says on the back of the book, �Cataclysmic events have shaken our world. Uncertainty is on the rise, and so is interest in the occult and astrology. I�m trying to figure out how this worked with his post-millennialism.

But that�s another no-go. �Startling discoveries related by eminent theologian Dr. D. James Kennedy prove that God created the zodiac. God intended the stars to foretell the future of the world. Discover what Dr. Kennedy calls biblical astrology, or the gospel in the stars.

Reading this book, The Real Meaning of the Zodiac, just might give you an insight into your future. I�m a believer. Not. Alright. So, this book is one of the many books that are published to try to get you to think that the gospel, the good news that Jesus Christ saves sinners, people who can�t save themselves, people who have broken God�s holy and just, righteous law and laws.

And these people that do not believe God�s Word, nor do they believe His Son, by the power of Christ�s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, are regenerated, given life, justified, they�re having union with Christ.

And here we have Christ dying on behalf of sinners, being raised from the dead. And it�s hard to get from mountains, it�s hard to get from trees, it�s hard to get even when you watch a baby being born.

What does Romans chapter 1 say about natural revelation? Well, it says lots of things, but it doesn�t give you particulars about substitutionary atonement and bodily resurrection and Jesus, the God-man, dying in our place, living in our place.

It says in Romans chapter 1, �Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. That�s chapter 1, verse 17. Then it also says in verse 18, �Wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made so that they are without excuse.

And so, natural revelation preaches, it just doesn�t preach particulars. And so, I don�t know the motives for D. James Kennedy, it�s hard for me to be a motive reader. But I do know that there are some people who want to say that scriptures that would not be available to tribes and tongues and people in islands out in the middle of nowhere, they didn�t have the scriptures, and how many generations of those people lived and then died without Christ, without Romans 10 preachers who were sent to bear good news, who have beautiful feet.

So, do we just consign them all to hell? Well, maybe there�s another way that they can learn specifically about redemption and sin-bearing and Jesus, the God-man, maybe that�s through the stars. And so, I don�t know if that�s D. James Kennedy, D. James Kennedy�s reason, but it was the reason for many.

And so, there are other books that do pretty much the same thing that Kennedy has tried to do with this book. And it just, you know, it�s not trying to promote astrology. He quotes Isaiah 47, 13, that says, �Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels.

Now let the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble. The fire shall burn them. They shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame.

There shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit at. He�s not saying secular astrology is bad, but he�s trying to redeem things in a way that I just would not. It does say here on page 18, note to readers, for your convenience, there is a fold-out chart of the planisphere, P-L-A-N, planisphere of the heavens in the back of the book.

Okay, let�s find out where that is. I like planispheres. And would you not, in fact, believe that there�s a planisphere of the heavens in the back? Hmm. Reprinted with permission of Kriegel Publishing, taken from The Gospel and the Stars by Joseph Seiss, 1972.

Bullinger, I think, did the same thing, Gospel and the Stars. I don�t know if that�s the exact name of the book or not. Let�s see. E .W. Bullinger, Witness of the Stars, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Kriegel.

You�ve got Kenneth Fleming, God�s Voice in the Stars, Zodiac Signs and Bible Truth. You�ve got other books recommended here, The Heavens Declared, William Banks, Kirkwood, Missouri. And so, we don�t need this.

We serve a sovereign God, and we need to understand that God owes no man anything, right? God owes no man grace. God is not a debtor to anyone. And we believe that Adam was the federal head, and by God�s wise choosing, everyone, including people on these islands that we were talking about, were credited with Adam�s sin.

And by a consequence of that, they are born sinners. They don�t deserve any revelation. Natural are special. And while I don�t want to say it would be somehow gleeful for me to have a bunch of people on some island, none of them ever go to heaven, man, woman, and child, I don�t want to come across that way.

But I don�t need to then bend natural revelation and say natural revelation speaks of specific revelation. Page 153, Kennedy says, �Significance of the Twelve Signs from a Christian Perspective. So this is kind of a summary.

If you want to preach through the Zodiac, you need 12 special sweater vest sermons. I suggest you not preach this. Virgo. Virgo. What would Virgo mean? So you see up there the stars and with the right kind of iPhone app, stargazer, you can see it�s Virgo, virgin, it�s the seed of the woman.

Kennedy says, �Speaks of Christ as the incarnate Son of God who will be 100 divine and 100 human. Genesis 3 .15. Really? That�s what you�d get out of that? See, he even knows. There�s no way you can get there from here.

Libra. �The required price is paid, relates to Christ as Redeemer. See, I�ve been to quite a few seminaries in my life, either learning or teaching, a lot of Bible schools, a lot of conferences. I never knew about the Libra.

Scorpio. What would that mean? The mortal conflict. Hmm. Christ wounded for our transgressions. See where this all is leading us? This leads us to the fact that missionaries were sent out for a reason.

Christianity is a missionary kind of religion in the sense that we have to go out and tell people. We have to herald. We proclaim good news. It�s a boy. War�s over. Cowboys lose. Sorry, S. Lewis. Sagittarius.

It�s a final triumph. See, I did not know that. Capricornus. Capricorn, what would that mean? That�s life out of death. See, they should have told me these things. Aquarius. That is blessing out of victory.

This is the dawning of the age of blessing of victory. Blessing of victory. Blessing to victory. Pisces. That�s like when my kid was really young and they couldn�t say spicy. Like if an enchilada was too spicy chili was too spicy daddy that's spicy so this is Pisces deliverance out of bondage see how could I not know that Aries glory out of humiliation.

Taurus now see I'm after Taurus here today because I'm a Taurus. May 12th 1960 was my birthday and so how would I fit in where am I in this story where's where's Waldo where's Mike Taurus by the way if you just tuning in my name is Mike Avendroth.

I'm talking about the real meaning of the zodiac D James Kennedy's book and I'm critiquing it we don't need this this is this is not helpful when I watch D James Kennedy on the Evangelicals Catholics together ECT condemnation that he along with MacArthur and Sproul had moderated by John Ankerberg probably 1993 ish it's my guess brilliant when asked to preach the gospel at the end of every segment so Catholics and others who would watch would hear the real gospel.

I really honestly truthfully think the D James Kennedy that did the best job there there are things to admire but it's not this particular book. Taurus his glorious coming. So Jesus is going to come in judgment like a rampaging bull and see the whole time.

I just thought being born in May meant that I was stubborn. That's that's. That's what I thought. Gemini his union with his bride first. Thessalonians 417. Cancer his possessions held secure. Now what does that mean.

Okay I guess it does make sense. And finally Leo his enemies destroyed. So what we don't want to do in life and at no compromise radio is we don't want to confuse natural revelation and special revelation.

Natural Revelation and Human Accountability

So Romans chapter 2 speaks of people that see creation the handiwork of the Creator. And it says in chapter 1 verse 21. For although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. But they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened claiming to be wise.

They became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Natural revelation preaches it just doesn't preach enough. It preaches accountability.

It preaches there is a God who's a judge. Who the Creator you're a creature talks about his power and his wisdom. When you look at natural creation natural revelation that's what you'll see. But Romans goes on chapter 10 it says.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed. And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard. Look to the stars. Have a planetarium. This is very sad to me that we have to go to the stars to somehow I don't know recuse.

God says the gospel in the stars biblical astrology remarkably page 6 the stars in heaven which represent those 12 sides signs bear absolutely no resemblance to the pictures of the signs themselves. For example what we call the Big Dipper has been called Ursa Major the great bear.

One thing that it does not look like is a great bear. Neither do any of the other signs look like what they're supposed to represent. What they don't represent is Jesus dying on the cross for sinners either.

That's not what they represent. We have to send people out. How are they to hear without someone preaching. And how are they to preach unless they are sent as it is written. We're talking about people here.

We're not talking about stars as it is written. How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says Lord who has believed what he has heard from us.

So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ. People become believers as they hear the Word of God. The message of Christ. Excuse me. The message of the Messiah. And then the sovereign spirit illumines their minds so they can understand and respond.

Excuse me. And so when it comes to stars I think you should be in awe of the God who makes them. I think it's back in Genesis where it says and stars. It's almost a throwaway line isn't it. I know it's not a throwaway line but it seems like oh yeah.

And he made the stars and the stars. And so you should go outside and take a look at Yosemite go to Niagara Falls. Look at the moon and the stars in the Sun. And you should say God is powerful. God is amazing.

But it shouldn't tell you it cannot tell you that there's a message about redemption. It should make you think that God that created all these things he created me as well. And God said let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night.

And let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and for years. And let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth. And it was so. And God made the two great lights the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night.

Genesis 1 16 ends with these three English words. And the stars and the stars. Pretty amazing pretty awesome. Pretty awe inspiring. Wouldn't you say he made these things. Oh yeah. And he made the stars.

And he made the stars. But the stars don't tell us particulars. The stars don't tell us specific things. Now you might want to argue before the fall would there be enough knowledge in revelation for salvation.

Well you can argue that if you want. But there'd be no need for salvation before the fall. Right. Stars moon creation is natural revelation. It reveals something of God but not enough. And so when we use this kind of language the Genesis one language how would we ever from the stars whether you're a Taurus Capricorn or anything else make the jump bridge the gap from Genesis chapter 1 to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4.

How would we do that. How can we get there. Well I guess if you have the Bible you can trace it through and say it doesn't look like Ursa Major. It looks like Ursa Minor. And it doesn't look like this.

But he dips this in and it's come now fount of every blessing. And I don't know how you get there but it does say for what we proclaim is not ourselves second Corinthians 4 but Jesus Christ as Lord with ourselves as your servants for Christ's sake.

Or Jesus is sick for God. Verse 6. You can't get this out of the stars. You have to get this from special revelation from God's messengers. And in the Old Testament it was Moses Joshua Elijah Elisha the prophets Jesus and Apostles has to be from a messenger.

And then now we're giving the old message to a new group of people. But it's the message revealed particularly with letters and it says for God who said let light shine out of darkness has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ through the preached word God then illumines the spirit of God regenerates and renews and quickens and makes alive people to respond to the gospel first you have regeneration and it's followed immediately by faith.

If you want to think chronologically that's first John chapter 5 verse 1. So my name is Mike. No-compromise radio info and no-compromise radio dot-com. You can write me Tuesday guy at in at no-compromise radio dot-com.

We just ran Branson with worldview weekend. You can catch us at worldview weekend as well. I think some of the videos now we're online at world view tube that was called world YouTube. Brandon is that right.

World youtube .com. And so go outside tonight and look at the stars and look at the Sun and think about the greatness of God and ask yourself what can I learn about God. He just sets these things up there the moon and seasons and tide.

What can I learn about God. And praise God for that. But what can't I learn about God. There gonna be things that you can't learn about God that gonna be found in Matthew Mark Luke John things found in Romans.

How about justification. How about union with Christ. How about sanctification. How about glorification. How about mortification. How about calling effectual calling general calling. How about the Romans Road.

How about the golden chain of redemption in Romans chapter 8 verse 28. How could you look at the stars and say by the way God does cause everything to work together for good to those that are loved by him and called by him love him back.

Hmm. Yeah that's right. I think I'm gonna figure that out. No you can't figure that out with the stars. It must be from revealed religion outside of us back to the source that is special revelation found in Scripture.

So after you go sit outside tonight and look at the stars and the moon and clouds. Then go inside and then read Psalm 19 you'll see that the heavens declare the greatness of God and his glory and it preaches.

But then you're gonna see in chapter 19 of Psalms in Psalm 19 rather verse 7 and following special revelation specific revelation and how it's perfect and how it can restore the soul and how it can make wise as simple.

That's what we're after. That's what we're after. So the real meaning of the zodiac with the size book and the Bollinger Book and the D James Kennedy book. You don't need those books. There are two books as some would say the natural revelation of God and special revelation of God.

Those are God's two books. But to know him to understand him to have saving faith you need to know more than God's just powerful. You need to know more than he's a creator. You've got to know in his saving power and in his saving son.

And that's what the scriptures are about. They're about the Messiah. And you can look at John chapter 5. And you can look at Luke chapter 24 that all of scriptures they speak to the power of the beloved.

Can you imagine the father saying this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. This is my choice one my beloved one. I'm pleased in him. I have been pleased in him and I am pleased now and at the cross.

He was pleased with him in heaven. He's pleased with him on earth. He's pleased with him. And we want to read about him not in the stars cannot be done. I don't care if you're a Taurus or an Aries you have to go to scriptures.

My name is Mike Avendroth. No compromise radio info at no compromise radio dot-com. No compromise.

Radio with pastor Mike Avendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life-transforming power of God's Word through verse by verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at 6. We're right on route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at BBC church org or by phone at 508 835 3400.

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