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What Do Oil and Lamps Have to do With Jesus Second Coming?

2/7/2017

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In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
​After Jesus told the disciples about the signs of the End Times and the sign that would herald the Great Tribulation, He told this parable in Matthew 25:1-12.
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Once again, Jesus advises us to be wise, to be prepared for the Bridegroom, who is Jesus Himself, when He comes. In the prophecy we read about the abomination of desolation, it is the ones who know God, the wise who will stand firm, understand, help others to understand and endure (Daniel 11:32-35).
All ten virgins fell asleep, but the wise virgins could because they were prepared. They had oil for their lamps. They knew to listen for the sound of the shofar which announced the bridegroom’s arrival and when they heard that trumpet sound, they would be awake, with lamps lit, waiting for Him to take them into the wedding feast.
The foolish virgins were not ready with oil for their lamps. They assumed that they had time to get the oil. Perhaps they didn’t look to see that their lamps needed oil. But when it came down to it and the shofar announced the bridegroom was coming, they assumed the wise virgins would give them the oil, they should have gotten for themselves. But the wise virgins couldn’t provide oil for the foolish, it was something the virgins had to purchase for themselves.
Because they waited until after the Bridegroom had announced His coming to go get their oil, they missed the wedding feast, were not allowed to enter, and were informed that He didn’t know them. Jesus ended the parable with the commendation to “watch.”
What does it mean to have oil for our lamps? First we will look at what the lamps represent.  In Revelation Jesus addressed seven actual churches which represented the world-wide church with all our attributes and our deficits. The seven lampstands representing the seven churches surrounded Jesus in John’s Heavenly vision. Revelation 1:12-20 read,
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Lamps and lampstands are the visible church. The light of the lamps (we the church) points to Jesus. The oil represents anointing, the magistracy and ministry, the power and the administration of the power of Jesus. So the oil must be present to shine and let the world see Jesus through His people. In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus said,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
We must shine before men and to shine we need oil, the anointing to glorify God by works, actions, and demonstrations of God’s love, power, and mercy.  We often use the word anointed as a description of being set aside or consecrated, but in truth anointing is oil being poured over someone or something to dedicate it doe a specific job. Isaiah 61:1-3 reads,
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
 
The Lord compares His Holy Spirit to oil. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit on Him to for the magistracy and ministry described in these verses. In Acts chapter 10 Peter preached the Gospel and in verse 38 he spoke about Jesus being anointed with the Holy Spirit, once again comparing Him to oil. Acts 10:37-38 says,
 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
 
Having oil in our lamps, being “saved” and “having” the Holy Spirit is not enough, the wise virgins trimmed their wicks, they lit their lamps so that the oil burned and the lamps shone. We have to be anointed with the Holy Spirit, (meaning baptized in Him) and manifesting His fruit and His gifts. He gave us gifts to be used in magistracy (that is power) and ministry (that is administering and using that power to glorify God). We are magistrates, administrators of power and ministers, agents of power. This idea is reflected in Peter’s encouragement to the church in 1 Peter 4:7-11
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Joel 2 talks about how the Holy Spirit will be poured out in those days. His activity, His works will be increasingly seen as we, the church light our filled lamps and use His gifts to glorify God. Joel 2:27-32 reads,
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
    and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
28 “And it shall come to pass afterward,
    that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
    your old men shall dream dreams,
    and your young men shall see visions.
29 Even on the male and female servants
    in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
We can see this beginning to happen now and His activity through His sons and daughters, old, young, male, female, poor, and rich. We are the light of the world and we are meant to shine. Shining requires the oil of the Holy Spirit.
We will study more about the increase of the Holy Spirit as He pours Himself out over this generation. Today, examine your life. Is the Holy Spirit plainly evident in your life? What is your gift and are you using it for God’s glory? If not, don’t be surprised that you don’t know God the way others do, after all if your lamp isn’t filled with oil and shining, Jesus doesn’t know you.
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Will You Recognize the Season of the End Times?

1/31/2017

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“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Matthew 24:32-35
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Matthew 24:32-35
​I am so excited to begin this series to help us each to understand the End Times more clearly and fearlessly as prophesied in the Scriptures, God’s Word. Some of us look to the end times with hope and proper fear of the LORD, others look to that time with great fear of what they do not understand. Some of us think God is taking too long and we long for it now. But remember, God has a reason for His timing and a reason He wants us to understand His plan.  2 Peter 3:1-10 reads,
This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
 
There are hundreds of places I could start but after prayer I have chosen to start with Jesus teaching the disciples about those days. In Matthew 24 Jesus is speaking with the twelve. Verses 3-8 read,
“As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”
So, first Jesus warns “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.”
I pray we won’t be like the Jewish leaders, most of the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, lawyers, and priests of Jesus’ day. Though, they had and knew scripture, they missed recognizing Jesus. Though, some knew it was Him, they rejected the idea because of their pride. They worshiped the Law not the God who made the Law. We must know who Jesus is to recognize Him when He returns. We already know that when He returns it will not be as a man wandering the desert, or organizing a group to gather on a mountain as some have done and others believed. No! He will return in the clouds, in glory! He will be unmistakable. In verses 23-27 Jesus explains it,
Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Mark 13:24-27 describes it this way,
 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.”
John described Jesus’ return in Revelation 1:4-8
John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the LORD God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
When Jesus returns, there will be no mistaking Him, but it will be too late for those who have not chosen to accept His redemption; payment will be due. Each person will either pay for his sins with his own blood and eternal death where there is, as Jesus described, weeping and gnashing of teeth (Luke 13:28, Mtt 8:12, Mtt 13:42 and 50, Mtt 22:13,Mtt 24:51, Mtt 25:30) or he will have accepted Jesus blood payment and receive eternal life, where Jesus will wipe every tear and there will be no pain (Revelation 21:4). So it is important that we understand the truth, recognize the signs that will warn us that the End Times are here and that The Day of the LORD, which is the day when Jesus returns and brings judgement to the nations, is near. If we’re afraid, if we’re ignorant of the facts, or we are passive about the truth, we will miss the chance to bring people to Christ, lead them to understanding and ease their fears about what to expect.
In verses 6-8 of Matthew 24 which we are reading today Jesus gave the next signs to watch for. He said, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Wars are increasing, rumors that wars will break out are increasing. Just the other day I heard someone say that the U.S. will have to go to war against North Korea if the president passes the laws he wants to pass. That is a rumor of war. Social media, online news services, radio, and television all contribute to this increase in rumor of wars. There are many wars across the globe and that will only increase. This, Jesus says, is not the end yet, it is the beginning of the end, the birth pains. There are more signs.
Persecution of Christians will be grow, Christians will be turned in for following Christ, for speaking the truth and spreading the Gospel. Matthew 24:9-14 exhorts Christians to be aware.
Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Many Christians will let the persecution and tribulation cause them to fall away, to give in to false doctrines, follow false prophets, and false teachers. They will betray those who were once considered close friends, brothers, and sisters. Just as Jesus was betrayed by his close friend, Judas before his crucifixion(Psalm 41:9, John 13:18), many Christians will be betrayed and handed over to be imprisoned, tortured, and perhaps killed for their faith. Some will let their love, the demonstration and manifestation of Jesus through His Holy Spirit grow cold because of all the sin in the world. I’ve seen this beginning to happen. The crime, the nearly daily mass shootings such as The Pulse club in Orlando and the Bataclan Theatre in Paris, sex trafficking and drugs cause people to lose their passion for Christ, to look to the world and despair for themselves rather than look to Jesus and cry out for justice for the lost and the victims. When that happens they start considering the doubts the thief puts in their minds, “Why would God do this?” Oh, Dear Mourning Friend, God didn’t do it, broken and sinful man did it. But it’s not all doom and gloom; look at Jesus’ encouragement to us. First, if we persevere, if we do not fall away from faith and give into the pressures of persecution, betrayal, and despair we will be saved. On the Day of the LORD, we will be taken up with Jesus and resurrected if we are sleeping (physically dead but not eternally), and be united with our Bridegroom, Christ Jesus.
What a joy that day will be for us! It is the hope that keeps us able to endure and empowers us to be patient. But my lovely family, we cannot merely consider ourselves, there are so many who are lost, who can’t see the love of God because no one has shown them the love of Christ, helped them hear the call of the Father, or demonstrated to them the beauty of the Holy Spirit. He loves them. And so he also encourages us in Matthew 24:14 as a result of our endurance, salvation, and hope,
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
On the Day of the LORD, every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus is Lord. But not everyone will be bent and confessing in awe-filled worship; some will be bent in terror and confessing too late as they realize their fate. Listen to the way that the LORD-God describes it to Isaiah in Isaiah 45:22-25.
“Turn to me and be saved,
    all the ends of the earth!
    For I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn;
    from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
    a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
    every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
24 “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
    are righteousness and strength;
to him shall come and be ashamed
    all who were incensed against him.
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
    shall be justified and shall glory.”
 
In the fourteenth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, verses 7-12 he exhorted them to unity, edification, and support of one another and said,
“For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
    and every tongue shall confess[to God.”
12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
 
You are responsible for the life you lead. You are responsible for living a life worthy of the high price Jesus paid for it. But you aren’t alone in the world. There are lost waiting to hear the good news of Jesus. There are brothers falling away. There are sisters whose love is growing cold. Is your life a testimony to Jesus? Are you collaborating with God and fulfilling His will that none should perish? We will answer for what we did and what we did not do.
 
There are more warning signs we should learn so that we will recognize the season of the End Times. Though Jesus said, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). We are commanded to know the season by the signs we have been told about throughout the Bible.  In Matthew 24:32-35 Jesus said,
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
 
 
We are starting to see the signs come to pass, though not every one of them has yet, it may be that we are the generation or our children or grandchildren, but people, get ready, Jesus is coming!
Matthew 24 includes more signs we will look at tomorrow. Some of these signs are increasing on the earth, some are coming soon. But it is imperative that we understand without fear of the enemy but fear of the LORD as He so lovingly lets us in on His great plan. And Brothers and Sisters, the end is a happy one. Even if the narrative has its ups and downs, the story one of steady hope and enduring love. Do not be afraid, The LORD your God is with you.
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1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 The Encouragement of Jesus’ Return

7/22/2016

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Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed! Revelation 16:15 Photo by Lani Campbell
Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed! Revelation 16:15 Photo by Lani Campbell
​1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Our world is becoming ever increasingly chaotic and violent. The violence, the wickedness, and the chaos are nothing new but now it is being broadcast across televisions, tablets, computers, and phones almost as it happens. We are bombarded with horrific images and sickening stories of terrible and heartbreaking events all day and every day. It seems each day we wake up to a new tragedy and by the time night falls we’ve heard about another catastrophe.
For many of us the dreadful condition of this world makes us look to the hope of Jesus Christ. We hold onto Him and our future of eternity with Him in New Jerusalem. And for many people, whether they understand the end times or only know the distorted myths of the end times we believe that The Day of the Lord is near. The church in Thessalonica believed that Jesus was coming back any day. That is for the most part a great attitude for us to have. We should be ready and living as if he is coming back any minute, because we don’t know the time, we only know the seasons and the signs.  While the Thessalonians should have been living with the expectation of Jesus’ return, Paul wanted to clarify some things for them. So he wrote to them to elucidate the truth about Jesus second coming. Verses 13-15 reads,
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
 
Paul uses the word asleep to refer to those who have physically died. This language though confusing to us now, was clear to the people in the church of that day, it was early Christianese and described that for the Christian physical death is a temporary state similar to falling asleep. We will wake up one day and we will rise with Christ to eternal life. All of those of us who are still alive, won’t miss out either, we’ll be right behind our brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and ancestors going to spend eternity united with one another and Christ in the paradise of New Jerusalem. As we all rise up together, Jesus will descend to meet us in the air. Can you picture it? Try as I might, I don’t think my imagination can capture anything close to what it will be like. Verses 16-18 describe it,
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
At the voice of an archangel and the blast of the shofar Christ will descend and the dead in Christ will rise first, all those we love and miss, all those we never knew, all those we’ve heard about and would love to know will rise first and then we will be caught up with them in the clouds. We’ll meet the Lord together and from then on we will be perfectly united with Him. Truly I cannot even fathom what it will be like, but I know it will be wonderful. There is a reason we have named this event the rapture. Who could imagine a more blissful, ecstatic, joyful happening?
When we are tired, when we suffer, when we don’t know why we keep going on this earth, we are to encourage each other with the description of this day. That means we have to love and trust each other enough to share when we are hurting, suffering, and tired. I know so many of you are exhausted and not sure how you will go on even one more day. I know so many of you are hurting and need some hope. My beloved brothers and sisters, consider this day. We may still be alive when Jesus comes to take us home, or we may have passed on by then. But it is coming. It is not a fairytale. It is not something any man made up to make himself rich. In fact the men who wrote these scriptures all were imprisoned and tortured for writing them. Many were martyred for declaring these words to be true. They wrote what the Holy Spirit told them to write and they were glad to lay down their lives for the sake of the Gospel. That is how we know this is real. Different men in different locations all were told the same things. The many visions they were given coincide with one another. That is how we know it’s true.
When is He coming? Will it be today? Tomorrow? Next year? In three years? Or in three thousand years? Jesus said He would come back but He didn’t say when. In John 14:1-3 Jesus encouraged the disciples with this promise,
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
 
He told them how to get there by following Him. John 14:6-7 reads,
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
 
But He could not say when. Matthew 24:36 reads,
But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
 
Matthew 24 does give us many signs to help know when the time is coming close and I suggest you read it. When you do, it may sound a lot like the world we live in today. Don’t let that frighten you. Don’t let it make you believe every false prophet who stands up. Let it inspire more research so you will be more aware of the signs, the times, and the events, so you will be ready and can help get others ready as well. This is what Paul had to say about it in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5 verses 1-3.
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
 
This gives a very scary and dark scenario but the Christian has nothing to be afraid of. We want to be aware for those who are not saved that their fate is not only dark it is terrifying. But while The Day of the Lord will terrible for the lost it will be heaven, literal Heaven for believers. For the lost the day will come on so suddenly they won’t know up from down. For Christians we are aware of what’s happening, we have the signs, we are aware of what season we are in. Like a pregnant woman going into labor should not be shocked that her pregnancy has reached its end, so we should not be surprised that our days on earth have reached their terminus. Verses 4-8 encourages believers to be aware and ready.
But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
 
A pregnant woman prepares. She makes a place for her baby to sleep. She packs a bag for the birthing center and talks with professionals about her birth plan. She makes sure every knows what to do when the time comes. Though she does not know the exact day or hour, she has an idea of the week and she is ready in case it is earlier than she thought. So we don’t know exactly when Jesus is coming but we stay prepared, ready, and alert.
What does it mean to be ready? We are practicing righteousness, we are exercising faith and love. We are walking in salvation. In Matthew 25 Jesus tells a couple of parables. One is known as the Ten Virgins. They are brides waiting for their bridegroom to come and take them to the wedding feast. Some stay awake with their lamps ready, wicks trimmed, bowls full of oil, and lit. Some fall asleep and run short of oil, while they are gone buying more, the Bridegroom comes and they miss Him (Matthew 25:1-12). That story is about being dressed properly in salvation and walking in the fullness of the Holy Spirit (the oil and light of the lamp).
Later in Matthew 25 Jesus talks about the final judgement and explains to us what it is we ought to be doing do be ready for Him. Matthew 25:31-46 in The Message reads,
31-33 “When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
34-36 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’
37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’
41-43 “Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because--
I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’
44 “Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’
45 “He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’
46 “Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”
 
The Lord has great plans for us both on this earth and on the New Earth. His plans for us now involve feeding His sheep. But His plans for us then involve something totally different! Luke 12:35-40 reads,
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
 
Read verses 37-38 again,
Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 
 
Can you imagine it? Jesus doing that for us? Of course you can if you know who Jesus is. He did it for the Disciples before His last Passover with them as He taught them what love really is. John 13:3-5 reads,
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
 
We have so much joy awaiting us. Jesus will comfort us, He will wipe away every tear, there will be no more death, and no more grieving (Revelation21:14). We are intended, designed, and ordained for eternal union with the Lord. Verses 9-11 read,
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
 
So I will leave you with that today. Be awake, be ready. Be about your Father’s business. Encourage one another and one another up, just as you are doing. 
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2 Peter 3 The Day of the Lord is at Hand; It’s Reality not Fantasy

5/30/2016

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Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed! Revelation 16:15 On Photo of Amber Sky by Lani Campbell
Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed! Revelation 16:15 On Photo of Amber Sky by Lani Campbell
​2 Peter 3
God is so wonderful to us. He has warned us from the times of Daniel and Isaiah about the end times. He has let us know about the end of this earth so we can prepare for the beginning of the new earth and eternity united with Him as His Bride.
Many people like to point out to us that we sound crazy, always touting the same message, “Jesus is coming back” and “The Day of the LORD is at hand.” We’ve been saying it for thousands of years. We’ve been waiting for Jesus’ imminent return for nearly two millennia with just as much hope as the first Christians did.
The world doesn’t believe it. It has been turned into a horror movie or a myth that only the superstitious, naïve, and foolish believe is real. But it is real. For the believer there is nothing to fear in that Day, but the lost will experience the consequence of their sin, the wrath of God. They will suffer the consequence of sin in the world which is death.
Peter wrote this letter to remind Christians that the day was coming and encourage them to be patient, not focusing on that one Day but on the lives they were living now. He urged them not to fall for lies but cling to the truth. Verses 1-4 read,
This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
 
I’ve heard the scoffers. I’ve seen the depiction of Christians in films carrying signs which read “The End is Near!” The Christian is almost always made to look crazy and obsessed so that the world will continue to mock and twist the prophecies and not take them seriously. The only hope Satan has is that he can keep as many people from knowing and believing the truth as possible.
Did you know that nearly every culture in the world has a story about a flood destroying the earth? We all come from Noah and his sons. The tale of what happened was told from generation to generation and made its way to the chronicle of nearly every society that has existed. But many people use this fact as a reason to discount the flood, instead of understand it as an undisputable fact of world history. If they believe the flood, then they have to believe the rest of scripture and that includes the countless prophecies about Jesus Christ, His return, and the Day of the Lord. They’ve heard The Day of Fire is coming but they dismiss it. Peter discusses this in verses 5-7.
For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
 
The world laughs at the idea of the Day of Judgment. But you and I know it is real and nothing to be laughed at. But sometimes the ridicule and the constant re-making of prophecy into a scary story can lead us to lose heart and begin to doubt. Sometimes the long wait can lead to despondency. But God is so good. Do you see that our wonderful wedding day is their doomsday? God loves them just as much as He loves us and He wants them to have every chance to repent and know Him before they are forced to their knees in defeat on the Day of His return. We are that chance! We are the ones who can show them the love of Jesus so that they might not have to suffer the Wrath of God. God loves them! He wants to gather them in His arms when He gathers us into His arms. Verses 8-10 read,
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed
 
It may seem like it’s taking forever to get here to us, but it will be at exactly the right time. Israel felt as if they had waited an eternity for the Messiah to come, but Jesus came at exactly the right time (Galatians 4:4). He died at exactly the right time (Romans 5:6). People were so sure they had interpreted the Scriptures and Prophecies properly that many of them missed Him and still wait for the Messiah they imagined rather than the Savior who was promised. That is how it will be with Jesus’ return. So many people have interpreted scripture using their own minds and logic rather than The Holy Spirit that they are missing the truth. They do complicated math, find “secrets” hidden in scripture, pick dates and they tell the world what they think will happen, they make films and write books with their own understanding and version of events that they and billions will not see it until it happens and is too late. We feel as if it is taking forever to arrive, but it will be at the exact right time and it when it happens people will either be prepared and know it because of the prophecies or it will be sudden because they didn’t recognize the signs and events. Verses 11-13 say it like this,
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
 
Knowing that for many people the Day of the Lord will happen with such abruptness, we ought to be living in a manner that not only prepares us for our eternity but gives the lost a chance to know the awesome power and love of Jesus. Our lives lived in faith, walking in the Spirit and letting Him transform us speak volumes to the world. They may scoff at the complicated myths false teachers, false prophets, and pseudo-Christians tell, but they can’t mock the sincerity and the concrete evidence of the power of God at work in our lives. Verses 14-18 read,
Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
 
Your life and my life lived in the Spirit are the chance for the lost to know God. But we have to know God in order for that to happen. We have to be certain of the truth, not flailing around listening to and believing every stray myth, story, and lie that false teachers propagate. So as Peter encouraged us, I encourage us as well to study the scripture with the Holy Spirit and grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our lives should be consistently moving closer to the image of Christ and we should be consistently learning more and more about who God is, not by the words of whoever, but by the Word of God.
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Revelation 6:12 -7:17 The Sixth Seal, the Great Earthquake, and the Day of Wrath

12/18/2015

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But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 2 Peter 3:10-12
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 2 Peter 3:10-12
Revelation 6:12 -7:17 The Sixth Seal
When Jesus opens the sixth seal on the scroll, it brings an earthquake so great that the entire earth and even the sun, moon, and stars are effected.
“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.”
This is clearly not a natural earthquake. It is massive, so massive that islands and mountains are moved.  It is an event so huge that meteors fall to earth like figs falling from a tree. Verses 15-17 read,
“Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
The Great Day of Wrath has come. The survivors regardless of who they are, rich, poor, Muslim, Jewish, Bhuddist, old, or young, king or slave will be terrified. They will try to hide. They’ll beg for quick death rather than face the wrath about to face them.  Who can stand? No one. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Terror at the realization that they were wrong will compel them to their collapse to their knees. Ezekiel 21:5-10 puts it this way,
“And all flesh shall know that I am the Lord. I have drawn my sword from its sheath; it shall not be sheathed again.
6 “As for you, son of man, groan; with breaking heart and bitter grief, groan before their eyes. 7 And when they say to you, ‘Why do you groan?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that it is coming. Every heart will melt, and all hands will be feeble; every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming, and it will be fulfilled,’” declares the Lord God.
8 And the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, say:
“A sword, a sword is sharpened
    and also polished,
10 sharpened for slaughter,
    polished to flash like lightning!
(Or shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, with everything of wood.)
Jesus describes the day in Mark 13:24-25,
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”
What John did not see or at least write in his vision was what Jesus described next in Mark 13:26-27
“And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.”
Chapter 7 verses 1-4 continue the description of the sixth seal.
“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
The angels held back the destruction long enough for another angel to seal the servants of God. I do not believe John is referring to current believers in these verses, we are already sealed. I think he is referring to the Jewish remnant who will come to salvation at that time (Romans 9:27-28). But he could be talking about all of us who are servant of God. I remind you, I do not know.
Verses 5-8 list those who were sealed.
“12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
6 12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
7 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
8 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.”
This is a unique list of the tribes of Israel both for its order and for who it includes and does not include. The twelve tribes are traditionally, Jacob's twelve sons Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, and Joseph’s two son’s Manasseh and Ephraim who are together one tribe. The list in Revelation begins with Judah the tribe of Jesus from whom salvation comes. It includes Joseph and Manasseh. It includes Joseph because his actions were a foreshadowing of Christ. The list lifts Manasseh up to a full tribe and not a “half-tribe” as they are often referred to in scripture. It hints at completion. The list leaves out Dan, just as the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1-9 leave out his descendants. Why does it leave out the tribe of Dan? That was the tribe that brought idolatry to Israel and they rejected true worship of the One Living God (Judges 18). Dan will be saved when all of Israel is saved. (Romans 11:25-27, Ezekiel 48).
After John heard this he saw something wonderful. Verses 9-13 read,
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation, these are the believers who Jesus gathered on The Great Day of Wrath. So many John couldn’t count them, he could only describe them as a great multitude. Immediately they worshipped God and they were joined by the elders and the angels. Notice too, twice the white robes are mentioned. Twice the fact that the believers came prepared, dressed in grace and washed by Jesus’ blood is declared by speaking about their robes. No matter how many rules we follow, how many commandments we keep, or how moral we are, we will not be among those in Heaven if we have not accepted Jesus’ grace and forgiveness.
Why will we worship? Why do we adore Him? We will finally be the sanctified perfect priests He made us to be. Verses 15-17 read,
““Therefore they are before the throne of God,
    and serve him day and night in his temple;
    and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
    the sun shall not strike them,
    nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
    and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
The sixth seal will be pretty wonderful for believers. There will be no more tears or discomfort, no need or fear. The Lamb will be our shepherd. Consider that. The one who knows best who we are and what we are have gone through will be our pastor and guide.
But just as wonderful as it will be for believers, it will be horrible for the lost. Remember the terror they will experience at the wrath of the Lamb. They will fall to their knees, they will melt with dread and they will have to admit Jesus is Lord. But wouldn’t it please God more, wouldn’t it be better for them and for us if they professed Jesus as Christ now? How can they do that if we don’t tell them? Romans 10:9-17 says,
“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 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? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
​
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Revelation Chapter 1: Who What and Why is Revelation Revealing?

12/5/2015

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“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
Revelation 1
The first chapter of revelation tells us what the book is, its purpose, who it was written for and who it is from. Verses 1-2 tells us what this epistle is,
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.”
It is the revelation of Jesus Christ. A revelation is the revealing, the disclosure, the uncovering and the making known of something or someone, in this case it is unveiling Jesus Christ which will tell us about things that are to happen soon. Since this book was written somewhere in the years of 80-96 AD we can guess that some of the things revealed in the letter have already happened, but not all of them.  Verses 3-6 tell us who the letter is written to and who it is from and one expectation for it.
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. .”
 
John, wrote the letter but he tells the seven churches in Asia at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea (Verse 11) that the grace and peace he wishes for them is also from Jesus and the seven spirits who are before His throne. Who or what are the seven spirits? I personally can’t offer an answer that I can say is absolutely correct. Some scholars say that John is referring to The Holy Spirit in a seven-fold manifestation of His person. Further along in the chapter, (Verses 16 and 19) Jesus holds seven stars in His hand which He explains are the seven angels to the seven churches the letter is written to. I believe that the seven spirits are possibly the angels or the Holy Spirit or some other celestial being bringing the incense of the prayers and worship of the seven churches to God’s throne.
John reveals Jesus as regal but also as the Compassionate One who is not removed from us. He is the Faithful Witness, ever constant in knowing what we go through, what we do, and who we are. He is the Firstborn of the Dead, He experienced life and everything about being human. And He is God, the King of kings who freed us from our sins by His blood. Because Jesus was the firstborn of the dead and the King of kings, and because He lived and died and rose from the dead, we are saved, sin has no hold on us nor power over us.  Because Jesus saved us, because Jesus is who He is, we are not just people, we are a kingdom. We follow King Jesus. He is our sovereign King. His authority usurps every earthly authority, government, and monarchy.
Verses 7-8 further reveal Jesus Christ to us.
“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
John tells us the point to everything. Creation, history, the Law, the Bible, salvation, suffering, everything is for our eternal hope. And that hope is established and displayed when Jesus comes in the clouds and every eye, believer or non-believer, follower or enemy, child of God or child of wrath will see Him. The cries will be either filled with joy at the culmination of faith or wails of mourning and terror at the realization of rejected truth. Philippians 2:5-11 describe Jesus and refers to that moment as well.
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
John then goes on to describe how He received this revelation in verses 9-11.
“I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
John was being punished for Christ’s sake. But he didn’t wallow in pity or let that stop him from worshipping The Lord. He was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day when he heard that loud voice. He was chosen for this revelation specifically. And he had been chosen for it from the beginning. He was the only Apostle alive at the point this letter was written, every other Apostle had been martyred by now. It is probable that the majority of people who had been alive, seen Jesus, and were old enough to remember Him were dead since Jesus’ ministry had been at least sixty years before this letter was written. John alone was left to receive this vision. And though he was at least in his mid-seventies, he still actively shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ so much that he had been sent to Patmos as punishment. He didn’t let punishment stop him, he was in the Spirit when he received the revelation.
If you want God to use you, if you want God to reveal Himself to you, are you sitting waiting for Him to pluck you up and do it or are you actively serving Him and following Him? God might pick you up from your church pew or your living room couch, but He is more likely to give to those who are already actively demonstrating their faith. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 25:29,
“For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
John describes what he saw in verses 12-16,
“Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.”
Can you imagine it? Picture who John described. It is not a kindly looking man, it is not Morgan Freeman or George Burns. Jesus is fierce, fiery, shining, and pure. His voice is louder and stronger than a voice could be and His words were a double-edged sword. They had purpose and they cut straight to the heart separating the trash from the treasure. (Hebrews 4:12, Proverbs 25:3-5). And He was not separated and far from the people He had this message for, He was in the midst of them. (Verse 20). Imagine it, how would you react? John, one of Jesus closest friends, the Disciple whom Jesus loved saw Him in all His glory and in His complete unveiled truth, he fell out flat. Verses 17-18 read,
“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
John was so awed by the sight of Jesus, The Son of God in all His glory that he fell at His feet like he was dead. But John had nothing to fear, John was freed from sin by Jesus’ blood. Jesus reminded John, by exclaiming who He is. He is the first and the last, the Creator and Completer of our faith. He is alive, even though He died for us, He is alive forever. He overcame death and Hell and freed us from them. There is no condemnation (disapproval, punishment, or death sentence) for those who are in Christ. (Romans 8:1). We have nothing to fear. But the lost do. They will wail in terror when they see Him. And they have reason to fall to their knees in horror at the sight of Jesus. But Jesus doesn’t want them to die. (2 Peter 3:9). So He gave John this vision to reveal Himself, His plan, and His judgement to the churches and to in turn to the world. Verses 19-20 read,
“Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”
The things of Revelation are not meant to be kept secret. This letter, these prophecies, promises, and this revelation of Jesus Christ are meant to be shared, studied, told, and followed. Verse 3 reads,
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”
​
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Malachi 4 Jesus The Son of Righteousness is Coming Back

11/20/2015

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But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. Malachi 4:2
But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. Malachi 4:2
​Malachi 4
One of our greatest joys as followers of Christ is looking forward to New Jerusalem, The City of God which will be our home after The Day of the LORD. The same day we expectantly anticipate, is a day of terror and wrath for the lost. Our day of Justice will be their day of Judgement. God’s vengeance will give us all our retribution. Verses 1-3 read,
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.”
While I look forward to that day, I can’t help but feel for the lost who will suffer eternally for their rejection of Christ. They need a chance to hear about Jesus, His awesome Love, and His beautiful Salvation. The very same thing, Jesus riding a white stallion leading the vast angel armies which will bring me absolution, joy and bliss will bring the lost terror and damnation. We will go to our marriage supper with Christ to live in perfect peace and union with God for eternity. (Revelation 19:6-9). They will suffer and be destroyed by the warring avenging army of God. (Revelation 14:20). Jesus is our Bridegroom, our Husband, and the Lover of our souls. But He is Vengeance, Judgement, and Wrath to them. Righteousness is our perfecter and healer. Righteousness is their incinerating fire. Revelation 19:11-16 describes that Day this way,
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
That Day will not come suddenly for us. We know it about. God has told us about it for thousands of years. He gave us signs to look for. He gave us prophets, teachers, sages, and scripture. We can and must pay attention. But the world mocks them and us. They reject Christ and foolishness. God loves them so much! He keeps sending them prophets, teachers, and sages. He sent Abel, Moses, Elijah, and He sends us. 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 says,
“The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.”
The Lord doesn’t want a single person to die in the wrath of The Day of the LORD. He has been patiently waiting. (2 Peter 3:9). But at some point, He will say, “Enough is enough, these people have rejected me and will not change. Vengeance is mine, now.” We have to be diligent ourselves and remember we are His messengers. We are the church, we have Jesus, God’s Word and God’s Spirit. We are sanctioned for a job. Verses 4-6 read,
“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
Believer, do you understand the reality of The Day of the LORD? The world does not. I personally seek God’s heart as my own. His heart loves those people who will die and suffer eternally without Him. So many reject Christ, not because they are evil, but because they do not know any better. They are not aware of the choice they can make and have made. Remember these things, Believer and take seriously the will of the Lord.
In Mark 12:29-31,
“Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
In John 15:12 Jesus said,
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
And in Matthew 28:18-20,
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
 
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Joel 3 Why will God Judge the Nations?

11/15/2015

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Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. Revelation 19:11
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:11-16
​Joel 3
We are in the end times. The signs are all around us. Since the day Jesus ascended to Heaven and gave us His Holy Spirit, we have begun preparing for His Return, for the Day of The LORD. It is becoming clearer and clearer that the world is getting closer to that Terrific Day. Why will The Lord take His retribution? Why will He judge the nations? Because He is a God of Love and He will not let His people, His children be attacked, hurt, and enslaved forever. He is Love and so He is our Justice and our vengeance. Verses 1-8 describe the crimes against God’s people.
“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, 3 and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it.
4 “What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily.5 For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples. 6 You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border. 7 Behold, I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will return your payment on your own head. 8 I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the Lord has spoken.”
People either war against God or are at peace with Him, there is no other choice, there is no middle ground. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as savior, you are at war with God. Romans 5:9-11 says it this way,
“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
 In verses 9-12 Joel tells those enemies of the Lord to prepare for the battle on the Day of The LORD.
“Proclaim this among the nations:
Consecrate for war;
    stir up the mighty men.
Let all the men of war draw near;
    let them come up.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords,
    and your pruning hooks into spears;
    let the weak say, “I am a warrior.”
11 Hasten and come,
    all you surrounding nations,
    and gather yourselves there.
Bring down your warriors, O Lord.
12 Let the nations stir themselves up
    and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
for there I will sit to judge
    all the surrounding nations.”
 
As believers we have something else to look forward to. We’ve been fighting the enemy all along. And after that Day when everyone is judged we will no longer have to fight. Jesus, our Righteousness and Justice is our Peace and war will no longer be necessary. Isaiah 2:4 says,
“He shall judge between the nations,
    and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war anymore.”
The lost have been living it up getting a much pleasure and money in this temporary life, proclaiming YOLO as excuse for hedonism. That Day will come as a surprise to them and they will suddenly be faced with a war bigger than they can fathom. They will take the tools they used to get rich and indulge themselves and try and fight and they will die. But believers have been prepared, we’ve been fighting a war since we were re-born as God’s sons and daughters. We will take those weapons of prayer, the Sword of the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit, and fellowship with God and we will use them to live well with Him in eternity.
The signs are clear. Even for the person who has never read the Bible it is obvious that the world is decaying faster and faster. Yes, we have always had wars and terrible ones, worse than we now fight. Yes, we have had evil throughout the ages. But now the world is one where evil is promulgated faster than even news reporters can tell it. It propagates quickly and it affects the entire world, not only a community, a city, or a nation. These tragedies we see so very often, the Holocaust, 9/11, Boston Marathon, Paris, and the many others that come to mind, though perpetrated by evil men are calling people to repentance and reconciliation with God. The natural disasters the earthquakes, tsunamis, and super storms are crying out to lead people to God. Are people paying attention? Verses 13-16 read,
“Put in the sickle,
    for the harvest is ripe.
Go in, tread,
    for the winepress is full.
The vats overflow,
    for their evil is great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes,
    in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near
    in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and the moon are darkened,
    and the stars withdraw their shining.
16 The Lord roars from Zion,
    and utters his voice from Jerusalem,
    and the heavens and the earth quake.
But the Lord is a refuge to his people,
    a stronghold to the people of Israel.”
Will people seek the refuge of The Lord? It is not just a haven for now, but a peace for eternity. Verses 17-21 read,
“So you shall know that I am the Lord your God,
    who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain.
And Jerusalem shall be holy,
    and strangers shall never again pass through it.
18 “And in that day
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
    and the hills shall flow with milk,
and all the streambeds of Judah
    shall flow with water;
and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord
    and water the Valley of Shittim.
19 “Egypt shall become a desolation
    and Edom a desolate wilderness,
for the violence done to the people of Judah,
    because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
20 But Judah shall be inhabited forever,
    and Jerusalem to all generations.
21 I will avenge their blood,
    blood I have not avenged,
    for the Lord dwells in Zion.”
Why will God release His wrath? Because He loves us. He adores us! He will not let this evil continue forever. One Day soon He will come riding triumphantly leading the angel armies. (Revelation 19:11-16). One Day soon He will come judge the nations and take His children home.
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2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 Trust Mr. Chaos Inciter or Trust The Lord About The Apocalypse

9/2/2015

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Matthew 24:29-31 On photo of Sun Breaking through Storm Clouds by Donna Campbell
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:29-31 On photo of Sun Breaking through Storm Clouds by Donna Campbell
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

End times hysteria has a way of hanging around causing chaos and generally scaring people. People are fascinated by it, even if they don’t believe it will happen. There are numerous books and movies that make a lot of money by twisting biblical truth out of context. The confusion and commotion do not lead people to the Truth, instead it leads people to a god of their on making and away from Jesus. The church at Thessalonica was hearing rumors and they were frightened. But Paul reminded them they already knew that the rumors were unfounded, they had the prophecies, the scriptures and the teaching to understand the truth. Verses 1-5 read,

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?”

Jesus described it this way in Matthew 24:15-18,

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.”

As believers, we don’t have to freak out when we hear the hearsay or the heresy. We know the truth, we have access to the Word of God, and we have communication with God Himself. The current uproar about the apocalypse being about to start is based on what John Hagee calls The Four Blood Moons. I have not read this book, but I have read the Bible. The tetrad of blood moons is not Biblically based.

First let me give a quick explanation of a blood moon. A blood moon is a lunar eclipse. It is called a blood moon because as the shadow of the earth covers the moon, it turns a coppery red color, the color of blood. A tetrad of blood moons means four lunar eclipses separated by 6 lunar months each. The final blood moon of the current tetrad will take place on September 27th-28th 2015. The first three of these moons were not visible in Israel. I would think that when God shows us a sign it will be seen by all His people and especially in Israel. Since the first century there have been 62 tetrads of blood moons.

People like John Hagee who sold a lot of books about it want to frighten people and say that this is a sign of “The End” They have misconstrued scripture and trust that we will trust them enough to not read the Word for ourselves. What does the Bible say about the moon turning to blood? Joel 2:30-32 reads,

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.”

And Revelation 6:12-14 says,

“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.”

Clearly it is more than the moon looking red for a couple of nights. But there are many people out there who are agitated about Armageddon, the day of reckoning. We should be provoked by it, but we shouldn’t incite fear or extremism. We have to know the facts, we have to study for ourselves.

Did the antichrist set himself up as god to the world yet? Nope. Did he desecrate God’s Temple yet and put himself in God’s place? No. People have come and will continue to come saying things like, “The world will end October 21st 2015!” or “Jesus came back!” This is a sign of that the end is coming but it is not a sign of the end. In Matthew 24:23-27 Jesus said,

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

We will know when Jesus comes back! We will see it! There are many things be ought to know and keep in mind about the end times. I strongly urge you to read Matthew 24 and the other prophecies about the end times for yourself.

The times are becoming more and more evil. Christianity is being marginalized and one world religion is gaining popularity. These are signs that the end is nearing, but it is not the end. These things have been happening since Jesus ascended to Heaven. They will continue until He comes back. The Lord is holding the antichrist back. He has Satan in check until the right time. Ad we trust The Lord to do it in His time, not ours. Verses 6-8 read,

“And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.”

As followers of Christ we look forward to The Day of Judgement, but remember that many many people will enter eternal damnation on that day. Many people will be lost forever. Our Father doesn’t want that. 2 Peter 3:8-10 says,

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed”

Some things have to happen in order for God to say “The time is now.” All peoples have to have heard the Gospel. (Mathew 24:14). Everyone has to have a chance to accept or reject Christ. And when they reject Him, God will let them believe in the antichrist. They won’t see his evil, which will be obvious to believers, they’ll see him as great and powerful, a unifier of nations and just what and who they’ve been seeking right up until they see Jesus leading His angel armies. Then they’ll fall to their knees in devastating realization of the Truth. Satan thinks he’s in charge right now and up to that moment, most of the world will gladly follow the father of lies. Verses 9-12 read,

“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Believer, do not feed lies and chaos. Know the Truth, trust the Truth, and teach the Truth. The people who spread fear, lies, and bedlam will pay for their sins. The people who glorify Jesus will bless the earth and reap rewards they do not deserve.

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Psalm 21 You are a New Creation, Not Your Old Self. You are a Child of The Most High.

6/11/2015

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Psalm 21

Believer, God has made you into more than who you were before. David was a young shepherd boy but God made him into a hero and a king. You were a pauper, spiritually indigent, but The Lord has made you a king, a priest, and richly blessed as His heir. David recognized the many facets of his life that had been elevated by his faith and joy in God and he praised Him for it. We can read this Psalm and see that everything David praised God for, we can too. Verse 1 reads,

“O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices,
    and in your salvation how greatly he exults!”

It is The Lord’s strength and not our own that saves us, changes us, and keeps us. We are incapable of righteousness without Jesus. We are powerless to do good without The Spirit. We are helpless to have faith without The Father. And so we do not gloat about our virtue, our power, nor our gifts. We boast in Christ, we revel in The Holy Spirit, and we glory in the greatness of The Father. No matter what we did before we were saved, nothing compares to the miracle of our new birth through Jesus. It is all garbage, because Jesus was not glorified. Paul had a lot he could brag about himself. His achievements were truly amazing. But they were nothing compared to God. 1 Corinthians 1:28-31 says,

“God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

He doesn’t just save us and leave us. He gives us good things, He is our Abba, our Papa God, The King of kings, and Lord of lords. Our Father in Heaven bestows good things on us. He blesses us. He grants our requests, and He gives us abundant and eternal life. In Matthew 7:7-11 Jesus explains it this way,

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

Psalm 20 Verses 2-7 reads,

“You have given him his heart's desire
    and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
3 For you meet him with rich blessings;
    you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him,
    length of days forever and ever.
5 His glory is great through your salvation;
    splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
6 For you make him most blessed forever;
    you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord,
    and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.”

Look at those verses and see the awesomeness of what God grants His beloved children, His bride the church. He made us royal when He placed that crown on our heads. For us this will happen physically when we are in Heaven, to God and so to us it has already happened. His promises are so sure that we can refer to them in past tense, even if like receiving the crowns in Heaven we have not tangibly experienced them. It is the same with eternal life. We asked and God granted us eternity.

In His redemption and our continuous and enduring transformation our lives become a testimony, a living sacrifice that glorifies God. We become His image and His ambassadors. We bring Him glory by exulting and exalting Him. And He lifts us up, He makes us more and more like Him. His Spirit shines out from us. Just as the Father looks at us and sees Jesus righteousness, so should the world look at us and see Jesus. His Holy Spirit is not meant to sit inactive and unmoving within us. He is meant to flow out of us in greatness and goodness.

We are blessed, happy and filled with joy forever, even through the worst because God is always with us, always. We can trust in the Lord. He loves us persistently, consistently, and stalwartly. He is the Most High and in our humble submission to Him, He lifts us up to a relationship with Him.

Although we should remain aware of the enemy who prowls like a hungry lion, we have nothing to fear from him. The Lord God Almighty has triumphed over him. We are in God’s loving shelter. The enemy will pay the price for his hate of us and our Lord. Verses 8-12 describe it like this,

“Your hand will find out all your enemies;
    your right hand will find out those who hate you.
9 You will make them as a blazing oven
    when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and fire will consume them.
10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    and their offspring from among the children of man.
11 Though they plan evil against you,
    though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
12 For you will put them to flight;
    you will aim at their faces with your bows.”

Satan, his minions, and his followers, and those who ignorantly follow him will be burned up with the earth when Jesus returns. They will be cast into the eternal fires of Hell because they hated Holy God and His beloved. We are safe. We are triumphant because God will avenge us. Remember though the prisoners of war, held captive by the enemy need The Deliverer, just as we needed Him.

Consider all the Lord has saved you from. He not only saved you from Hell. He delivered you from captivity to freedom. He delivered you from who you used to be to be as He meant you to be, His royal cherished beloved child, His heir. Praise Him as David praised Him. Verse 13 reads,

“Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
    We will sing and praise your power.”

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    Donna Campbell

    As I read the Bible every day, I take what God teaches me, what He says, and write it out. I then share that with you. It gives me a deeper understanding of the Word and I hope that it will encourage you as it does me, to put your love and faith into action.

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