II Chronicles 32:24 – 33:25 (Continued)

July 22, 1014

After Manasseh suffered, "he humbled himself" before God and he begged the LORD for help. God heard his prayers and let him return to Jerusalem. IF—THEN.  II Chronicles 7:14 - IF my people who are called by name humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear their prayers and heal their land.

There is always hope, but it first requires personal submission and action on our part in order for God to do HIS part. God is ready, willing, capable, and waiting. He speaks to us through his Holy Spirit, His Word, and others. He provides the ways. We must humble ourselves → seek → and turn. When we do that, HE does the rest.

Hope. There is always hope. But there comes a time when time runs out. Don't wait. Change your heart, mind and ways—TODAY!

Amon becomes king. He does what the LORD says is wrong. Amon does not humble himself or change his ways. Instead, he sinned even more. 


Next Entry: II Chronicles 34:1–33 

Revelation 21:1 – 22:21

August 27, 2013

It is finished! Eternal heaven is about to begin. There is a new heaven and a new earth. There is a new Jerusalem that descends from heaven. There will no longer be a "cloud" of God's presence (like there was when God protected and led His people from their bondage in Egypt) because God Himself will be there with His people. Oh what a day! To be in the presence of the LORD God Almighty Himself!! 

Revelation 21:4 - "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because the old ways are gone." The One on the throne said, "Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted."

"It is finished. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give free water from the spring of the water of life to anyone who is thirsty. Those who win the victory will receive this, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. But cowards (KJV - fearful), those who refuse to believe, who do evil things, who kill, who sin sexually, who do evil magic, who worship idols, and who tell lies—all these will have a place in the lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 21:6–8

The key to knowing God is found in the word I have underlined. You have to be thirsty. His water of life is available to anyone who wants it, but you have to want it. You have to desire it as if you were in a hot dry desert and desperately needing water to survive. If you sincerely want to know God and know more about God, He WILL show you Himself. God has never turned away an honest seeker. NEVER! When you seek Him, you will find Him. It is a promise from God that cannot be broken. 

There is no need for a temple in the New Jerusalem. The Almighty God and the Lamb are the temple. The city doesn't need a sun or moon because God is the light and the Lamb is the lamp. No thing or no one else is needed. We will walk in the light of God and the Lamb. There is no darkness there. There is no sin. Revelation 21:27 - "Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will enter the city."

The river of the water of life flows through the city. It flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The tree of life is on each side of the river. Nothing that God judges guilty will be there. Evil is forever gone. Surrounding the throne of God and the Lamb is God's servants—you and me—and we are worshiping the Lord God Almighty. Songs of praise are popping into my mind: I Can Only Imagine; What a Day That Will Be; The Cross Was Enough (Jesus, Son of God); How Great Thou Art.

Jesus as Lord says:

"Listen!  I am coming soon!... Obey my words!"

And again He says:

"Listen! I am coming soon! I will bring my reward with me, and I will repay each one of you for what you have done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, the Beginning and the End. I, Jesus have sent my angel to tell you these things for the churches. I am the descendant from the family of David, and I am the bright Morning Star."

The Spirit and the bride (that's us) say,

"Come!"

Let the one who hears this say,

"Come!"

Let whoever is thirsty,

"Come!"

Revelation 22:17 - "Whoever wishes may have the water of life as a free gift."

Revelation 22:20–21 - "Jesus, the One who says these things are true says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen."

*****

There is no more to say. The Cross of Jesus is enough. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Come!


Next Entry: The Journey: Part Two 

Revelation 20:1–15

August 26, 2013

The thousand year reign of Christ begins. An angel came down from heaven. He had the key to the bottomless pit and a large chain in his hand. It was his job to grab Satan, tie him up, and throw him in the bottomless pit. Satan was now powerless and his ability to deceive and trick the people of the world was suspended until the thousand years ended.  

During the 1000 year reign of Christ, those who during the seven year tribulation refused to follow the beast and the false prophet and instead chose to follow and be faithful to the message of Christ (and therefore were put to death), came back to life. Their souls joined Christ and ruled with Him and the other believers who had died before or who had been raptured by Jesus at the first part of His second coming.

After the 1000 year reign of Christ is completed, Satan will be loosed from the bottomless pit for a brief period of time before eternity begins. During this time he sets out to do what he has always done—deceive and trick people. He gathered an army so large that they were like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the earth full of pride and arrogance. They were determined to destroy God's people. They surrounded God's people and the city (Jerusalem) God loves.

They were full of confidence and they were in control—or so they thought. But they were deceived. They only thought they were in control. God was in control! Fire came down from heaven and burned them up—which was only the beginning. Judgment was going to happen. Satan's reign was over. Satan, the beast, and the false prophet were thrown into the lake of burning sulfur to be punished day and night forever and ever.

The Great White Throne—the final judgment of all those who refused to surrender to Jesus/God.

Oh my! Whenever I hear the words "Great White Throne" I immediately picture in my mind the events of the day in April of 2007 when my husband and I met with a lawyer to seek advice on how to remove ourselves from any business connections with my sister and brother-in-law. Our lawyer had just finished explaining the convoluted meaning of the documents my brother-in-law deviously created and deceitfully had us sign. I sat across the conference table from our lawyer. My husband sat on my right (our lawyer's left). I had just asked our lawyer if he felt my sister or brother-in-law would ever be held accountable for their vile actions. He didn't say anything. Instead, he took a plain piece of paper and wrote three words. He then picked up the paper, turned it over, and held it up for me to read. In large letters it said:

GREAT

WHITE

THRONE

I knew the Great White Throne meant judgment but I didn't understand the full meaning of it. Now that I have studied end-time prophecy and understand more about the Revelation of Jesus, the reality of what it means is even more disturbing than what I realized on that eventful day in our lawyer's office. While those three words were our lawyer's opinion, I'm so grateful that God is Faithful and True; we bear no responsibility for the choices and actions of others; and we can trust Him to make His judgments according to His righteousness.

There are two end-time judgments described in Revelation.

The Judgment Seat of Christ—is for believers. It is when Christ-followers will stand before Christ and be judged for the things they have done and given crowns for the works they did while on earth. This judgment is for believers only and happens after the rapture of the Church.  

The Great White Throne—is the time when all those who have refused to confess that Jesus is Lord are judged. It is too late. There are no arguments and there is no defense. Their choice was made when they refused to change their hearts and lives, and the sentence has already been determined. Their names are not written in the Book of Life. They are judged for the things they did and the sentence is sure—eternity in hell.

I just can't imagine the horribleness of this. It is absolutely beyond human comprehension and words. But, even though it is difficult and painful to think about, it does not change this fact: IT IS TRUTH.

So, why don't we live as if we believe it is Truth? Understanding what the Bible says is going to happen should make us want to live each day as if it were our last. Do the important things—TODAY! Tell your lost family members and friends about Christ—TODAY! Live your life the way Christ would want you to live—TODAY!  

Do you believe God's Word? Do you believe Jesus could return at any time? If you believe that, then how does that belief change your life? What would you do differently? Even if Christ didn't return for another thousand years, what if you only had a few months or weeks to live? What would you do differently if you knew when your earthly life would soon end and your eternity was ready to begin?

• What is it that you are doing now that you would stop doing?
• What are you not doing now that you would start doing?

The truth is ALL of our lives are terminal. Whatever it is you would change—DO IT NOW! 

Philippians 2:10–11 says every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus is Lord. DO IT NOW—while there is still time. Change your hearts and lives and surrender your life to the King of kings and Lord of lords. Surrender your life to Master Jesus—TODAY!  


Next Entry: Revelation 21:1 – 22:21

Revelation 19:1–21

August 23, 2013

The human part of me reads about these judgments and my heart just breaks for those who are being judged guilty for refusing to surrender their wills to God's will.   

A couple of days ago, while I was out and about running errands, I caught a few minutes of a sermon on the car radio. The Pastor was talking about Isaiah 54:17 which I referenced in my Revelation 17 journal entry. One of the comments he made shocked me. This Pastor said that at the end time judgment we, as Christ followers, will personally condemn those who wrongly condemned us if they do not repent and change their hearts and lives. My mouth literally dropped open and I heard myself shout—NO! The thought of being the one to pronounce condemnation on those who wrongfully condemned us is a horrible sickening thought and incomprehensible to me. It felt as if I had been punched in the gut.

It was the first time I had ever heard that preached and I really had to process and think about this brand new (to me) thought. What is this Pastor saying? More importantly, what does God say about this? So, I started asking, "What does this mean Lord?" I went back to Isaiah and re-read the verse (Isaiah 54:17) and its context in different versions to try and understand the TRUTH of what God is saying.

This is what I've learned.

During our life on this earth we are not to judge, condemn, seek revenge, or avenge what others do to us. That is for God to do and we should have no part of it. However, as part of the righteousness of God at the end time judgment, God gives us a voice and we will refute, expose, condemn, and be victorious from their false accusations. God gives us the voice to vindicate ourselves, expose the truth, and pronounce their condemnation. It will not be an "I got you" moment. Not at all. It will be a holy moment where the righteousness of God is revealed and proclaimed. It will be a God moment, and it will bring HIM honor and glory. It is His plan.

" 'This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and is their vindication from me,' declares the Lord." Isaiah 54:17b

As much as the thought of pronouncing their guilt makes me want to say—NO! I won't do it!—that response is an earthly answer. In the heavenly realm we will recognize it as just, fair, and right.

Blessed be the name of the LORD. It is not about us, it is ALL about HIM.


Next Entry: Revelation 19:1–21 (Continued)

Revelation 17:1–18

August 21, 2013

God made us in His image. His plan was for us to live in fellowship with Him, but the sin of Adam and Eve changed all of that. Because of Jesus' sacrifice for our sins we have each been given a choice. We can choose to live in fellowship with Him—OR—we can choose to prostitute ourselves and align our life and actions with the evil one that is against God.

If we aren't in fellowship with God, we are aligned with what is against God. There is no middle ground. It really is one or the other. 

Revelation 17 describes an evil world system which is hostile towards God. This system had prostituted itself away from Truth and appeared to be in control. However, while evil may appear to be in control, the "control" is only temporary. God is in control and the final victory is His. Revelation 17:14 - "They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. He will defeat them with his called, chosen, and faithful followers."

This is referring to the final battle, but it is truth in ALL areas and ALL times. People will battle against us, but Isaiah 54:17 says:

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their righteousness is from Me,"
Says the LORD.

The Message says it this way (Isaiah 54:11–17)

"Afflicted city, storm-battered, unpitied: I'm about to rebuild you with stones of turquoise, lay your foundations with sapphires, construct your towers with rubies, your gates with jewels, and all your walls with precious stones. All your children will have God for their teacher—what a mentor for your children! You'll be built solid, grounded in righteousness, far from any trouble—nothing to fear! Far from terror—it won't even come close! If anyone attacks you, don't for a moment suppose that I sent them, And if any should attack, nothing will come of it. I create the blacksmith who fires up his forge and makes a weapon designed to kill. I also create the destroyer—but no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what God servants can expect. I'll see to it that everything works out for the best." God's Decree.

God is in charge. He used wicked kings in the Old Testament to accomplish His will. He can take any situation, even what appears to be disastrous, and make the end result His will. Revelation 17:17 - "God made the ten horns want to carry out his purpose by agreeing to give the beast power to rule, until what God has said comes about." (Emphasis mine)

Until! Evil thinks it is in control, but that is only until God says enough is enough. In the end ALL will know that Christ alone is King of kings and LORD of all lords.

"We should not be surprised when the righteous suffer.  It conforms us to the image of Christ. It gives us power in witness. It instills the valuable strength of God-sufficiency and reduces the risk in our ministry for God. It refines us to make us capable and usable. It catches the attention of a watching world so that God's glory may be seen as He becomes credible and visible through our suffering. It may even be used in a sphere far beyond ourselves to glorify God in the universe. 

Don't pity the righteous who suffer. They have a divine edge. Their resource in pain is the reality that God is there and they only experience what He permits. And all that he permits is guaranteed by the kind of God He is. The righteous suffer with the knowledge that Christ has conquered and gives grace, growth, and glory in the midst of pain." ~ From The Upside of Down by Joseph M. Stowell 

Powerful, powerful, words that we can absolutely attest to from personal experience. Suffering should not be avoided, denied, or ignored. It should instead be embraced. It is during times of suffering that God molds us into becoming more like Him.


Next Entry: Revelation 18:1–24

Revelation 16:1–21 (Continued)

August 20, 2013

The seventh angel and bowl—The bowl was poured out into the air, then a loud voice came out from the throne in the temple, saying, "It is finished!" When Jesus was crucified and the Plan for Salvation was completed, Jesus said "It is finished" and the ground shook. Now the time for salvation is over, and this time God said, "It is finished!" and flashes of lightning, noises, thunder, and the worst earthquake ever experienced by man, happened on the earth. The cup of God's anger was forced upon those who refused to surrender to His Lordship. Cities were destroyed, mountains and islands disappeared, and giant hailstones weighing about 100 pounds each fell from the sky upon the people. And still—people cursed God, because this disaster was so terrible. Yet all these horrible disasters combined, pales in comparison with the eternal punishment awaiting those who refuse to change their hearts and lives. 

Revelation is full of so much imagery. Imagery that often times just gets lost, glossed over, or ignored. People are accustomed to watching fictional graphic movies on TV or going to the theaters and seeing 3-D movies of horrific events. When the show is over they either just switch the channel or leave the theater and return to their normal daily routines without thinking anything about it. The imagery of Revelations is often treated the same way. Read it (if it's read at all), put it aside, and then forgot about it. But the events John saw in the Revelation of Jesus are not part of a fictional horror movie. It is Truth. It will happen. And it should cause us to change our hearts and lives.

Don't read it and go back to your normal daily routine. 

Read it—and change your hearts and lives.
Read it—and reach out to the lost and dying.
Read it—and praise the name of the One who is, was, and is to come. 


Next entry: Revelation 17:1–18

Revelation 16:1–21

August 19, 2013

The seven bowls/vials of God's anger are poured out on the earth.

The first angel and bowl—horrible, painful, and ugly sores came upon all those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his idol.

The second angel and bowl—all the water in the sea became like decaying blood and every living thing in the sea died.

The third angel and bowl—the water in the river and springs became like blood. Then the angel of the waters said:

  "Holy One, you are the One who is and who was.
       You are right to decide to punish these evil people.
  They have poured out the blood of your holy people and
       your prophets.
  So now you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."
And then a voice came from the altar saying:
  "Yes, Lord God Almighty,
       the way you punish evil people is right and fair." Revelation 16:5–7                (emphasis mine)

It had to be difficult for the angel who had the authority over the water to watch all the waters of the world destroyed. Yet, he knew what God was doing was right, even if it meant destroying what he loved. Vengeance and punishment is the Lord's.

My husband has often said (and I agree) that God's punishment is far worse than any punishment man could ever give. That's why accountability that brings repentance, while there is still time for change, cannot be something we avoid or regret even if it is hard to watch someone we love experience it. 

The fourth angel and bowl—the sun increases in heat and people are burned with the fire from it. Instead of repenting, the people cursed the name of God and refused to change their hearts and lives, and they refused to acknowledge God as Lord of all and give Him the glory that is due Him.

The fifth angel and bowl—darkness covers the kingdom of the beast. People were in incredible pain without relief. They gnawed their tongues, causing pain to try and block out their even greater pain. And still—they refused to change their hearts and turn away from the evil things they did. Instead, they cursed the God of heaven because of their pain and their sores.

The sixth angel and bowl—the water of the Euphrates completely dries up. This prepares the way for the final battle of Armageddon. The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet send out evil spirits who have the power to do miracles and they go out to gather the kings and get them ready for the final battle—but it won't be their victory. It will be "...the great day of God Almighty." (Revelation 16:14)

God says, "Listen!  I will come as a thief comes!" (Revelation 16:15) Be watching and ready!

The scene is set. All the participants are in place. 


Next Entry: Revelation 16:1–21 (Continued)

Revelation 14:1 – 15:8 (Continued)

August 16, 2013

This passage is also a prophetic description of a battle that will take place at the end of the tribulation. The battle is so violent that blood will flow as high as a horse's bridle for a distance of about one hundred eighty miles. Horrible, horrible destruction and violence for those who refused to be a servant of Master Jesus and instead insisted on following their own selfish ways. They realize they are no longer in control of their choices. Their attempt to ride the fence and fool others into thinking they were "religious" while they were actually unbelievers is exposed and they are forced into being what they were all along—a slave to Satan himself. 

Then John looked again—and he saw seven angels bringing seven disasters. Revelation 15:1 - "These are the last disasters, because after them, God's anger is finished." When Jesus was crucified (John 19:30) He said, "It is finished." The Plan for Salvation was completed with Christ's death and resurrection. Now the plan for destruction and God's anger will soon be finished.

But before the final seven disasters began, John saw something else. He saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. All of those who had won the victory over the beast and his idol and of the Antichrist were standing there. They had harps that God himself had given them. Revelation 15:3–4 - "They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

"You do great and wonderful things, (Psalm 111:2)
    Lord God Almighty. (Amos 3:13)
Everything the Lord does is right and true, (Psalm 145:17)
     King of the nations.
Everyone will respect you, Lord (Jeremiah 10:7)
     and will honor you.
Only you are holy.
All the nations will come
     and worship you, (Psalm 86:9–10)
because the right things you have done,
     are now made known." (Deuteronomy 32:4)

After John saw the redeemed and heard this song, the temple in heaven was opened and the seven angels bringing the seven disasters came out. They were given seven golden bowls "filled with the anger of God, who lives forever and ever." The temple filled with smoke from the power and glory of God, "and no one could enter the temple until the seven disasters of the seven angels were finished."

The final destruction is about to begin.


Next Entry: Revelation 16:1–21

Revelation 14:1 – 15:8

August 15, 2013

God's judgment arrives. The time has come; the time for patiently waiting (as in the time of Noah) is over; and the time for judgment is here. Only those who are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb are protected from God's anger. 

John looked—and before him was the Lamb and 144,000 of the redeemed who were saved out of the tribulation. They were singing a new song of praise to the Lamb. Then John saw three angels.

The first angel proclaimed the Gospel of Christ. This happens right at the end of the tribulation and immediately before the judgment of the nations. This message is not about grace and salvation—it is about judgment. The only people it is "Good News" for is Israel and the 144,000.

The second angel announced the destruction of Babylon—false worship. (Revelation 17 & 18 tells us more about Babylon.)

The third angel—accountability happens! Anyone who went along with, followed, and/or worshiped the beast (this boils down to everyone who does not obey and worship Christ as Master) "will drink the wine of God's anger which is prepared with all its strength in the cup of His anger. And that person will be put in pain with burning sulfur before the holy angels and the Lamb. And the smoke from their burning pain will rise forever and ever." (Revelation 14:10–11) There will be no rest, day or night, for those who worship the beast and his idol or who get the mark of his name.

I'm sure there will be plenty of people who think they would never worship the beast so they think none of this applies to them. But wait! Let's examine what the Truth is. 

As a true believer (one who has surrendered their will to God's authority and accepted His free gift of Salvation) your body is a temple of the Lord. Temple—the one and only place where sacrifices were performed. Jesus Christ was the sacrifice for our sins. When we accept His sacrifice and receive Him as our personal Savior our bodies literally become the temple of the Lord. As a repentant believer, your actions show there has been a change in your life.

BUT! There are "religious" unbelievers (people who say they believe but their actions show otherwise) whose bodies are synagogues of Satan. Synagogue—a building, a gathering place, a "town hall" of sorts. It is ran by people, financed by people, and is a place of worship and study. As "religious" unbelievers, one's body cannot be a temple of the Lord. Instead, because there has been no true repentance and change of life, their bodies become a synagogue and gathering place of Satan. 

Unless you are surrendered by word and deed to Master Jesus, and your body is the temple of the Lord because He lives in you as the sacrifice for your sins—you are living in the "synagogue of Satan" (Revelation 2:9; 3:9) and John's message does apply to you!

John says, "This means God's holy people must be patient. They must obey God's commands and keep their faith in Jesus."(Revelation 14:12) Then John heard a voice from heaven saying, "Happy are the dead who die from now on in the Lord... they will rest from their hard work, and the reward for all they have done stays with them." (Revelation 14:13)

Rest and reward—verses—the cup of God's anger that never ends. Psalm 75:8 - "The Lord holds a cup of anger in his hand; it is full of wine mixed with spices. He pours it out even to the last drop and the wicked drink it all." (For other verses that speak of the Lord's cup of anger see: Jeremiah 25:13–15; Isaiah 51:23; Jeremiah 49:12; Ezekiel 23:32; and Luke 22:42–43.)

Then John looked—another angel came out of the temple and said to the One who looked like the Son of Man, "Take you sickle and harvest from the earth, because the time to harvest has come, and the fruit of the earth is ripe." (Revelation 14:15) So, the earth was harvested by the One. The final believers are now removed from the earth.

Then another angel came out of the temple and he also had a sharp sickle. And then from the altar came a third angel who had power over fire, and he told the second angel, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the bunches of grapes from the earth's vines, because its grapes are ripe." This isn't a harvest of redemption. This is a harvest for destruction. The angel swung his sickle and harvested the grapes, "and he threw them into the great winepress of God's anger."

Total. Violent. Destruction.

Addendum: 3/7/2017 ~ Revelation 14:10–11 - "...will drink the wine of God's anger which is prepared with all its strength in the cup of his anger. And that person will be put in pain with burning sulfur before the holy angels and the Lamb. And the smoke from their burning pain will rise forever and ever."

What a horrible, horrific thought. I don't think I ever thought specifically about the source of the smoke from Hades/Hell before. But this verse says the smoke comes from "their burning pain." Oh. my. goodness. An eternity of pain, “their burning pain," evidenced by the smoke that arises from the pit of hell!!

This just became very personal. "THEIR burning pain..." Who is the "their" in your life? Who do you know that is at risk for being part of this group of people whose burning pain will create the smoke that arises from Hell? There IS eternal accountability!    

Do we believe this or not? Because if we believe this then we CANNOT remain the same. We first need to make sure we are living our own lives surrendered to Master Jesus. And then we need to make sure we are doing everything possible to lead others in our sphere of influence to the Path to Salvation.

There is nothing more important. NOTHING!! Eternal accountability is at stake. 


Next Entry: Revelation 14:1 – 15:8 (Continued)

Revelation 13:1–18 (Continued)

August 09, 2013

In Jane's KJV Bible, Scofield lists the cosmic principles of Satan.

• Force
• Greed
• Selfishness
• Ambition
• Pleasure

They all boil down to one thing: The love of self above the love of God and a violation of God's very first commandment. Self = Master instead of Jesus = Master. 

The love of self and the promotion of self ALL end in naught. Those who refuse to surrender to Christ are in the end forced to surrender to the beast/Satan. Jesus won't force us to surrender to Him. Christ offered Himself as the final sacrificial Lamb and He offers us full forgiveness and undeserved grace. Offers, but does not force. He gives us every opportunity to accept His free gift of salvation, but He will not force us to accept it.

Satan on the other hand will throw everything in your path to keep you from surrendering to Christ. He will appear to be the answer, but later the truth will be exposed and he will FORCE you to become his slave and worship him.

TODAY, while there is still time, change your hearts and lives and surrender your love of self to Master Jesus.


Next Entry: Revelation 14:1 – 15:8

Revelation 13:1–18

August 08, 2013

The Holy Trinity       
God the Father                
Jesus the Son                  
Holy Spirit

The Unholy Trinity     
The Dragon—Satan
The Beast—The Antichrist
2nd Beast—False Prophet

The dragon stood on the seashore and a beast came up out of the sea. On it was a name against God. The Dragon/Satan gave the Beast/Antichrist all his power, his throne, and great authority.

Satan is a counterfeiter. He always attempts to counterfeit the real thing—God and the Holy Trinity. To counterfeit THE Christ, the Antichrist had a mortal wound that was healed. The whole world was amazed by this and they followed after him and worshiped the beast and the dragon.

Revelation 13:5 - "The beast was allowed to say proud words and words against God, and it was allowed to use its power for forty-two months."  It used its mouth to:

• Speak against God
• Speak against God's name
• Speak against the place where God lives
• Speak against all those who live in heaven

The beast had the power to war against God's people and to defeat them. He controlled every tribe, people, language, and nation. All the people whose name was not written in the Lamb's Book of Life worshiped him. BUT! The Lamb is the One who died for our salvation. The beast could/can only do what he is allowed to do, and his power is only allowed for a set period of time. God's will is God's will. Try as he might, there is nothing Satan can do to circumvent it.

Revelation 13:9 - "Anyone who has ears should listen." Now is the time to listen. 

"If you are to be a prisoner,
     then you will be a prisoner.
If you are to be killed with the sword, 
     then you will be killed with the sword.
This means that God's holy people must have patience and faith." 

Then a second beast came. This time it came from the earth. It looked like a lamb (again, trying to look like and counterfeit the Holy Trinity) but it spoke like a dragon. It had the same power as the first beast. Its purpose is to have people worship the beast/dragon. It/he performs miracles, even calling fire down from heaven to earth while people watched. (This time trying to counterfeit what Elijah did.) Revelation 13:14 - "It fools those who live on earth by the miracles it has been given the power to do."

Imagine how easy it will be for people to be fooled. Most people have heard "the stories" in the Bible. The world goes through tremendous tribulations, wars, disasters, and chaos. Now what is happening sounds vaguely familiar. Is this what I heard about as a child? Is this God? You can see how people will be easily fooled.

The whole purpose of the second beast/false prophet is not to just promote the Antichrist, but to force all people to worship the Antichrist/Satan. If anyone refused to worship the beast he had the authority to have them killed. The false prophet also forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free or slave, ALL people to have a mark on their right hand or forehead. Without that mark you cannot buy or sell anything. Total dominance. Total control.

All the people who were unwilling to surrender to Master Jesus and accept his free gift of salvation are now forced to be a slave and worship the false Antichrist. Forced! What deep sadness I feel when I think about those who chose to reject God's lamb and refused to surrender their lives. Because of their choice they are now slaves to Satan and they subjected to cruelty and a nightmare that is only beginning. It makes me want to do ALL I can do to make sure the sphere of people within my influence have ALL the knowledge and every opportunity to accept Christ's free gift. There is just nothing more important than that. Nothing.

It used to be hard to fathom how the logistics of what John says the false prophet would have the power to do could possibly happen. How could people be forced to have a mark? How could the buying and selling process possibly be controlled? But now, with the advancement of technology, you can see how this could so easily happen. Almost no one uses cash any more. We drive under the toll road entrances and it automatically "reads" our information. The world economic system could be taken over so easily, and it probably won't even look like a hostile take over.

Oh LORD, the Church needs to wake up!! We as believers need to wake up! Whether Christ's return is today, tomorrow, or hundreds of years from now—time is short. Surrender to Master Jesus today!!

Addendum: 11/1/23 ~ 2020 showed us what we couldn’t have imagined. The world wide reaction and COVID rules and shutdowns revealed how total control could be forced upon us all. 


Next Entry: Revelation 13:1–18 (Continued)

Revelation 12:1–18

August 07, 2013

Revelation 12 symbolizes the conflict between God and Satan. It's a conflict that Satan doesn't and cannot win, but that does not stop him from trying to create havoc along the way.

God reveals (and John describes) a battle between a woman and a giant red dragon. The woman represents God's plan for man's salvation through the birth and death of Jesus. The red dragon represents Satan. Satan was determined to stop God's plan for salvation before it even began. The dragon "stood in front of the woman who was ready to give birth so he could eat her baby as soon as it was born." His plan to destroy God's plan failed, and the child and the mother were protected by God.

I have a whole new appreciation for what Mary must have endured before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. I'd never really given much thought to how Mary's life was impacted by Satan's desire to thwart God's plan for salvation. Stopping God's plan for man's salvation was/is the driving force behind all of Satan's actions. Understanding this also gives us more perspective on how Jesus as God/man was the target of Satan's attacks. Jesus was God's Son and His plan for the salvation of man. It wasn't "just" the temptations in the desert, it would have been daily attacks. Satan would have been relentless and would have stopped at nothing—all to try and circumvent and prevent God's plan. He thought he was successful when Jesus was nailed to the cross, but Satan (praise the Lord) can never stop God's power. Since he couldn't thwart God's plan through Mary or Jesus, he has turned his attention to "man."

This should not bring us fear. When we are surrendered to Jesus we are protected by Him and Satan has no power over us. But, it sure does explain why Satan works so hard at keeping people blinded and ignorant to Truth. He knows God's Truth is what will set them free. Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life..." (John 10:10)

Revelation 12:7 - "Then there was a war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back." The dragon and his angels cannot be a victor over God's angels, and the dragon and his angels lost their place in heaven and were thrown out—down to earth. Then John heard a loud voice in heaven say:

"The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God
     and the authority of his Christ have now come.
The accuser of our brothers and sisters,
     who accused them day and night before our God,
     has been thrown down.
And our brothers and sisters defeated him
     by the blood of the Lamb's death (First and most important)
     and by the message they preached.(and by the testimonies of His followers)
They did not love their lives so much  
     that they were afraid of death. (They were totally surrendered)
So rejoice, you heavens
     and all who live there!
But it will be terrible for the earth and the sea,
     because the devil has come down to you!
He is filled with anger,
     because he knows he does not have much time."
     (Revelation 12:10–12 ~ Emphasis and comments mine)

When the dragon/Satan realized he was thrown out of heaven he was angry and full of vengeance. He sought (seeks) to destroy anyone who is a follower of God, starting with the woman who gave birth to the Son. God prepared a place of safety for her, but still Satan did not give up. He poured water out of his mouth like a river to carry her away, "But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that came from the mouth of the dragon."

Satan doesn't take defeat lightly. He was very angry, "and he went off to make war against all her other children—those who obey God's commands and who have the message Jesus taught."

Obviously there is a lot of symbolism and deeper meanings here which I don't understand. But the bottom line is this:

• God is more powerful than Satan
• We know who wins the final battle
• God provides protection for His people
• To have that protection we must obey His commands (not just know them, we must OBEY them) and we must have the message that Jesus taught (not just head knowledge of Christ, we must HAVE a personal relationship with Christ).

Satan is defeated by the blood of Christ's death and (incredibly) by our testimonies. Our testimonies of God's salvation plays a role in defeating Satan's plan. What an incredible thought.

God is in control. Satan may try to wreck havoc, but he is not in control. We can depend on God for our strength, courage, and victory.

Addendum: 3/4/17 ~ I was thinking this morning about the length of time between Satan's success in getting Adam and Eve to believe they could assert their self-sufficiency over God's authority in the Garden of Eden to when God's plan of salvation culminated in the virgin birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Thousands of years passed between the downfall of man and the birth of Jesus. No wonder Satan was so adamant at trying to prevent the fulfillment of God's plan of salvation. He thought his plan was working. Thousands of years had passed. 

Time is of NO importance. God's will—WILL happen and nothing can stop it. Now, thousands of more years have passed since the resurrection of Christ, and Satan is still trying to prevent as many people as possible from accepting God's plan of salvation.

The blood of Jesus defeated Satan's plans and our testimonies bear witness to his defeat. Satan has spent thousands and thousands of years trying to thwart God's plan of salvation and trying to prevent humanity from accepting it. No wonder there is such a battle. He wants God's position. He doesn't have the power to come up with his own creation so he tries to counterfeit God's position. He's relentless. He's determined. But no matter what he does, his ultimate defeat is guaranteed.

The end of the story is already written. The outcome is certain.

Revelation describes the battle. For a period of time Satan will have what he thinks is full control. He doesn't understand that God allows him only so much time and power. I take that back. I think he does know that God is in control, and it makes him angry and he fights back even more. BUT! There is coming a day when his rule of terror will permanently end and his eternity of punishment will begin.

On that day, on that planned day, all of creation will rejoice. God's will—WILL be done.

There is coming a day! Oh what a day that will be.  


Next Entry: Revelation 13:1–18

Revelation 11:1–19

August 06, 2013

John was given a measuring stick to measure the temple of God, the altar, and to count the people who were worshiping there. The people inside the temple were protected but those outside the temple, "are not God's people." Then God gave power to "my two witnesses" to prophecy for three and one half years, "and they will be dressed in rough cloth to show their sadness."

For three and one half years they testify to God's message. They have God-given power, and they have complete control over their enemies. Revelation 11:5 - "... if anyone tried to hurt them in whatever way, in that same way that person will die." These two witnesses have the power to stop the rain from falling from the sky; they have the power to turn the waters into blood; and they have the power to send whatever trouble they want to the earth, whenever they want, and as often as they want.

Revelation 11:7 - "WHEN the two witness have finished telling their message" (My emphasis. It will happen at exactly the right time, not a day before or a day after.) the beast (Satan) wages battle against the two witnesses, and as part of God's plan, Satan defeats them and kills them. Their bodies lie in the street of the same city where the Lord was killed. The spiritual meaning of the name of the city is Sodom (city destroyed by God because the people were evil) and Egypt (the country where God's people were held captive). People from every nation, tribe, race, and language will be able to see them.

I used to wonder how this could possibly happen. Obviously, God has supernatural abilities and He doesn't require "man's" capabilities in order to accomplish His plan, but with the advancement of technology (which already exists and is available worldwide), it isn't difficult at all to understand how literally everyone around the world could see them using man-made technology. I'm not saying that is how it will happen because it may very well be a super-natural event orchestrated entirely by God, but it's just interesting to be able to see how what seemed impossible a few years ago could now happen. 

For three and one half days their bodies will lie in the streets. The people of the earth rejoice at their destruction and celebrate because of it. They don't "get it." They don't understand that the message they rejected could have saved them. After three and one half days God put the breath of life back into the prophets once again. They stood to their feet, and all who were watching them became very afraid. They went from being thrilled that their enemies were dead to being terrified because they were alive once again.

The two prophets heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Come up here!" And they "went up into heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched." They ascended into heaven just as Jesus did. During this same time there was a great earthquake and thousands died. Terror upon terror.

7th Trumpet—Now it is time. The angel blows the trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven, saying:

"The power to rule the world
     now belongs to our Lord and his Christ,
and he will rule forever and ever."

Then the twenty four elders bowed down and worshiped God saying:

"We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty
     who is and who was,
because you have used your great power
     and have begun to rule!
The people of the world were angry,
     but your anger has come.
The time has come to judge the dead,
     and to reward your servants the prophets
and your holy people
     all who respect you, great and small.
The time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth."

The time has come, and the heavens are opened, the ark can be seen, and flashes of lightning, noises, earthquakes, and a great hailstorm begins.

Addendum: 2/28/07 ~ The time has come!! The time has come!!

Just over two weeks ago I wrote about the importance of changing your heart and life and The Path to Salvation. While the importance of changing your heart and salvation is woven throughout my entire journals, I didn't know my journals would become public and there wasn't a separate journal entry devoted to explaining The Path to Salvation. It's the most important message of the Bible and the most important message of my journals.   

So, for the last several weeks I have went back through my journal entries and added links to The Path to Salvation wherever I'd written about "change your heart and lives" and "salvation." I've finished adding the links and am ready to begin adding the rest of my entries for Revelation. There are only eleven chapters left before I am finished and God clearly let me know "the time has come." Make sure everyone knows. There is ONE path to Salvation. Make sure it is clear. It is the ONLY thing that matters!! 

Isn't it time? Isn't it time you surrender your ALL to Master Jesus? Why wait? It's the most important decision you will ever make. It literally is a matter of life or death. In this life there are two paths. One is wide and leads to eternal damnation. The other is narrow and leads to eternal salvation. Only you can make the decision on which path to take.

Think about it. Isn't it time?


Next Entry: Revelation 12:1–18

Revelation 10:1–11

August 06, 2013

Then John saw a powerful angel come down from heaven. He held a small scroll in his hand. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. He shouted like a roaring lion and the voices of seven thunders began to speak.

John began to write down what he heard when a voice from heaven interrupted him and said, "Keep hidden what the seven thunders said, and do not write them down." Then the angel raised his right hand to heaven and he made a promise by the power of the One who lives forever and and ever; the One who made the skies and all that is in it; the One who made the earth and all that is in it; and the One who made the seas and all that is in it.

The angel promised: "There will be no more waiting!"

7th Trumpet—When the angel is ready to blow this last and final trumpet—it will be finished. God's secret of His Good News will be realized and Jesus will return for the final battle on earth and then eternal heaven will begin.

We have a choice. We are either:

• Entering through the small gate or the wide gate (Matthew 7:13–14)
• Traveling the narrow road or the wide road (Matthew 7:13–14)
• Building on the rock or sand (Matthew 7:24–27)
• Wise or foolish (Matthew 25:2)
• Prepared or unprepared (Matthew 24:45–51)
• Fruitful or fruitless (Matthew 25:14–27)
• Heaven called or hell bound (Mark 16:15–16)

~ From Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado.

Next Entry: Revelation 11:1–19 

The Path to Salvation

February 10, 2017

All throughout scripture there is a recurring theme: Change your heart and life. But what exactly does that mean?

Our hearts are sinful by nature. Sin entered this world because of the actions of Adam and Eve. Eve chose to believe Satan's lie and she chose to go against the authority of God. Adam chose to follow her example and by doing so he also chose to disregard God's authority. They both chose to not listen to TRUTH and instead chose to listen to the lie. Because of their choices, all of mankind is now born with a bent towards sin.

You don't have to teach a child to lie, to take from others, or to say MINE! Mine—the original sin and the cause of most (if not all) other sin. I will be in control; I will get what I want; I will do what I want; and I want it so I will have it. Pride. It's all about "I."

P

R

S I N

D

E

Notice what letter intersects pride and sin. The letter "I." Notice also the shape created when pride and sin intersect. It is the shape of a cross.

In the Old Testament, God's very first commandment laid the foundation for all the others. Exodus 20:3 - "You shall have no other gods beside me." Nothing! Not ourselves, not others, not things—NOTHING. The first four commandments all deal with our relationship with God. The rest of the commandments all deal with our relationship with fellow man. Vertical commands: how we relate to God. Horizontal commands: how we relate to our fellow man. When you put a vertical line (｜) and a horizontal line ( ─ ) together you once again get the shape of a cross.

In the New Testament, Jesus gives us the Great Commandment. Matthew 22:37-38 - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." Jesus teaches that it requires a change of heart and life to obey the Great Commandment. When our hearts are surrendered and when the sin which pride produces is confessed and repented of, we can then live the second part of the Great Commandment. Matthew 22:39 - "And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

P.r.I.d.e is what keeps us from obeying God's commandments and surrendering ourselves to His authority. Obedience requires a change of heart and life.

To change your heart and life doesn't mean you take a self-improvement course in an effort to become a better person. We can't do it on our own. No self-effort will ever be enough. The only remedy is the cross. God gave his Son Jesus to take the penalty for our sins. He lived, died, and was raised from the dead so that we might have eternal life.

To change your heart and life means:

• you understand you are a sinner;
• you admit you need a Savior;
• you repent of your sins and seek forgiveness; and 
• you surrender your life to Master Jesus. 

It's all about surrendering your life and being willing to follow HIS footpath wherever it leads. Salvation cannot be obtained through good works or by being or becoming a good person. There is only one path to Salvation, and that is through the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus paid the price with His death on the cross. Because of His Grace, salvation is a free gift available to all mankind.

 

 

 

God's amazing gift of Grace can be yours. You don't have to change yourself. When you accept Jesus Christ as God's free gift of Salvation, HE will change your heart and life. HE will free you from the bondage of sin (which leads to eternal death); HE will give you the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only path to salvation. When you follow the path God provided, you can be absolutely assured of your salvation.

Here is how you follow HIS footpath which leads to Salvation:

ADMIT you are a sinner and because of man's sinful nature you deserve eternal separation from God.  Romans 3:23 - "All have sinned and are not good enough for God's glory."

ACKNOWLEDGE it is only by His sacrificial Grace that you have been offered the free gift of Salvation.  Romans 5:8 - "But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners."  

BELIEVE by faith that God took on human form in the virgin birth of Jesus, and that although He was innocent of any sin, Jesus took on your sin and accepted death on a cross so you could choose eternal life.  John 3:16 - "God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but have eternal life."

ACCEPT by faith that God provided the final sacrificial lamb and that He raised that Lamb—His Son, Jesus Christ—from the dead.  HE has the ability to save you from a life of sin and eternal death when you believe and call upon Him.  Romans 10:13 - "Anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved."   

CONFESS that Jesus is Lord.  Confess your sins and believe by faith that you are indeed saved.  Because of your confession, Christ Jesus through His Spirit now lives in you.  Romans 10:9-10 - "If you use your mouth to say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.  We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God.  And we use our mouths to say that we believe, and so we are saved."  

LIVE your new position. You are a child of the King. You are no longer guilty of the sins in your past. You are free from the penalty of sin. You are saved.  Romans 8:1 - "So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not judged guilty."  

If you have never followed God's footpath to salvation, why not do it now?  You simply follow the path. Here is a prayer of confession. Read it. Think about it. If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior, consider sincerely praying this prayer. Make it your own.

Lord, I admit I am a sinner. I acknowledge it is only by Your Grace that Salvation is available to me. I believe You sent your Son Jesus Christ to be born of a virgin. I accept that Jesus died for my sins and that He arose three days later so that I might have eternal life. Lord, I confess to you my sins and I repent of them. Please forgive me by the blood you shed on the cross. Please change my heart and mind. Give me a new way of thinking through your Holy Spirit. With the Spirit's guiding, help me live my life in a way that is pleasing to you. I surrender ALL to you. I will follow you on Your footpath wherever it leads. Thank you, Jesus, for your promise of Salvation. Thank you, Jesus, for giving your life for me.  Amen.

If you've prayed this as your prayer of confession then Hallelujah! By faith, you have accepted God's free gift of Salvation. Praise the LORD!! I John 1:9 - "But if we confess our sins, He will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done." God is a promise keeping God. When He says He will—HE WILL!!

Now what?   

REMAIN in Him. Read His Word. Continue to grow. Obey His commands. Continue to surrender your will to His will. Get plugged in to a local church where a body of Believers will encourage you and hold you accountable. Tell others. Do what His Word says. At some point you will want to follow God's instructions on baptism as a symbol of your new faith. Doing all these things is not what brings you salvation because we cannot earn our salvation. You do these things because of your salvation.

RESULT: You have a changed heart and your life changes. You are not who you once were. You have a new way of thinking. Your desire is to follow the Master and not your own selfish pride. You choose to turn from the sinful nature you were born with and instead make decisions which are God-honoring. If you fall, you pick yourself back up and confess your failure. You repent of it and make amends if necessary. Your changed heart produces a changed life.

The only way to salvation is by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. If you have any questions or would like help in any way please contact me. I would love to help you. If you have prayed a prayer of repentance for the first time, please let me know. I would love to pray for you as you begin your own personal journey of:

 Walking on His Footpath (Following the Master's Lead) 

Still on the fence? Still deciding? Why? What on earth is worth risking your destiny for all of eternity? Don't wait any longer. Do it today while there is still time. A day of accountability IS coming. There IS a heaven and there IS a hell. Eternity IS at stake. Nothing on this temporary earth is worth holding onto at the risk of your eternal soul.

Pride keeps us from wanting to surrender. But while you are deciding understand this: You WILL be a servant or a slave to something. You will either be a servant to Master Jesus—a kind, loving, faithful, generous Savior, OR, you will be a slave to Satan—a conniving, lying thief, and destroyer. There is no middle ground. It IS one or the other.

There are only two paths with two very different end results. The path you choose to take determines your eternal destination. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but the truth is the TRUTH. What would be harsh is for me not to tell you the truth and to stand aside while knowing you were following a path that WILL lead to your destruction.

It is a decision only you can make. Jesus is waiting—but time is of the essence. There is a year, a month, a day, and an hour planned for when accountability WILL happen. No one will escape it. There is coming a day when our lives on this earth will be over and eternity will begin.

Change your heart and life. Surrender your will to HIS will. Follow the Path to Salvation. Do it today. The reward is eternal life. Obedience is a decision you will NEVER regret!

If you have any questions please contact me: walkingonhisfootpath@gmail.com


Next Entry: Revelation 10:1–11

Revelation 8:1 – 9:21 (Continued)

August 02, 2013

6th Trumpet—Destruction was unleashed. One-third of all the people on earth were killed by fire, smoke, and sulfur. Revelation 9:15 - "And they let loose the four angels who had been kept ready for this hour and day and month and year so they could kill a third of all people on the earth."

There is an hour, day, month, and year planned and already determined for this judgment to occur. Judgment WILL happen. There is no avoiding it. One-third of ALL people were killed by fire, smoke, and sulfur—and their hell was just beginning.

INCREDIBLY, the "people who were not killed by these terrible disasters still did not change their hearts and turn away" from their own selfish ways. Revelation 9:21 - "These people did not change their hearts and turn away from murder or evil magic, from their sexual sins or stealing."

I want to scream WAKE UP!! Now, before it is too late, CHANGE YOUR HEARTS AND LIVES!!!  Please!! There is an hour, day, month, and year planned. I Peter 3:20 says that God waited patiently for Noah to finish building the boat before His judgment happened. Just because judgment hasn't happened yet doesn't mean that judgment it isn't going to happen. God waited patiently for Noah to finish the boat, and THEN judgment happened.

God is waiting patiently. He wants you to surrender and repent. But there comes a time when the waiting is over and accountability happens. Do it now. Change your hearts and lives TODAY while there is still time. 

Addendum: 2/10/17 ~ Today, while reviewing and editing Revelation 8, I suddenly realized I need to explain what I mean when I talk about "change your heart and life." When my journals were written they were for my (and my family's) personal use so no explanation of what I meant was needed. But now that God has revealed His plan for how He wants HIS Story told, and my private writings are going to be made public, I suddenly realized not everyone will understand what "change your heart and life" means; who the message is for; why it is such a prevalent theme all throughout scripture; and how you go about changing your heart and life.

Change your heart and life is not referring to the need for a personal self-improvement course so you can become a better person. It's not about what we change—it is about who changes us. It's about accepting God's free gift of Salvation given for all mankind. The gift is free and available, but it is something each one of us must accept for ourselves. It's the only way to change your heart and life. 

Read about The Path to Salvation here or click on the next journal entry.


Next Entry: The Path to Salvation

Revelation 7:1–17

July 31, 2013

Yesterday I wrote about the six seals that were opened and the terrible things that were unleashed upon the earth. Today I write about the opposite, people being rescued and sealed for protection by God.

Destruction by wind was going to happen, but God had four angels prevent it from happening until the seal of the living God was put on the 144,000 who were to be protected and saved. The 144,000 came from every tribe of Israel. 12,000 from each of the twelve sons of Jacob.

After this, John looked again and he saw a large group of people who were too many to count. They were from every nation, every tribe, people and language of the earth. They were all standing before the throne wearing white robes and holding palm branches. They were shouting in a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." The angels, elders, and four living creatures all bowed down and worshiped God, saying;

"Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength belong to our God, forever and ever. Amen!" Revelation 7:12

One of the elders turned to John and asked him where these people came from. John said, "You know sir." And the elder replied, these are the people who came out of the tribulation. They believed in Jesus so their sins were forgiven by his blood and His presence is with them. They will never be hungry or thirsty again. Jesus is their shepherd. The sun or heat cannot hurt them. Like Psalm 23, they will be led to the springs of water, every tear will be wiped away, and they will worship God before His throne.

Only Jesus, the Lamb of God, could open the seals that began the destruction. And only Jesus, the final sacrificed Lamb, can put the seal of salvation on His people. His people—the people who believe and trust Him no matter what—even if it means their physical death.

God's Protection

Psalm 17:8 - Protect me as you would your own eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 18:2–3 - The Lord is my rock, my protection, my Savior. My God is my rock. I can run to him for safety. He is my shield and my saving strength, my defender. I will call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise and I will be saved from my enemies.

Proverbs 2:8 - He makes sure that justice is done, and he protects those who are loyal to him.

II Thessalonians 3:3 - But the Lord is faithful and will give you strength and will protect you from the evil one.

It most likely meant physical death to those who came out of the tribulation. It takes dying to self for all of us if we are to gain eternal life with the One and the Lamb.


Next Entry: Revelation 8:1 – 9:21 

Revelation 4:1 – 6:17

July 29, 2013

The visions continued. John looked and there before him was an open door in heaven. The same voice that spoke to him earlier said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this." (Revelation 4:1) Immediately, John was in the Spirit and he was before a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. The person sitting on the throne was The One, God Himself. With beauty, imagery, and details that we cannot fathom and are beyond human comprehension, John begins to describe what he saw—the Majesty of God as He is surrounded by elders, spirits, and creatures.

Day and night the creatures never stop saying:

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty. 
     He was, he is, and he is coming."

"These living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the One who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever." (Revelation 4:8,9)

Then the 24 elders bow down before the One on the throne and they worship Him who lives forever and ever.  They lay their crowns down before him and say:

"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
     to receive glory and honor and power,
because you made all things.
     Everything existed and was made,
     because you wanted it."

It brings tears to my eyes to even imagine what it is going to be like to bow down before the presence of my Lord and God and to have the privilege of laying my crown down before Him and to worship The One who is worthy to receive ALL glory, ALL honor, ALL power, and ALL praise. No words will ever be enough to thank HIM for ALL He has done for us.  Oh, to be able to join with the throng saying:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.  He was, He is, and He is coming."

What an honor it will be to bow before King Jesus as He sits on His throne; to lay our crown down before Him unashamed; to know you were obedient to His voice on earth; knowing you sought to honor Him and please Him with your life and actions; and knowing you gave Him your all. Oh, what a day that will be. Memories of singing old hymns flood my mind.  O, That Will be Glory and What A Day That Will Be.

Then John saw a scroll in the right hand of The One sitting on the throne. The scroll had writing on both sides and was kept closed with seven seals. An angel asked, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" (Revelation 5:2) But there was no one (small "o") anywhere that was worthy. No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth who could open it or look in it. John cried—hard— because there was no one who was worthy to open it.

Why would John have been so upset? I believe it was because he keenly felt the shortcomings of "man." We are not worthy—but JESUS is. The only one who is worthy is The One. One of the elders told John not to cry. Revelation 5:5 - "The Lion from the tribe of Judah, David's descendant, has won the victory so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

JESUS IS WORTHY!  He is worthy of ALL honor, ALL glory, ALL power, and ALL praise!


Next Entry: Revelation 4:1 – 6:17 (Continued)

Revelation 1:1–20

July 24, 2013

"This is the revelation (Truth) of Jesus Christ which God gave to him, to show his servants what must soon happen. And Jesus sent his angel to show it to his servant John, who has told everything he has seen. It is the word of God: it is the message from Jesus Christ." Revelation 1:1-2 (Emphasis and comments mine.)

God revealed truth to Jesus; Jesus sent His angel to tell his servant John; John wrote down everything he saw; and now the truth has been revealed to those who are the servants of Christ.

"Happy is the one who reads the words of God's message, and happy are the people who hear this message and do what is written in it. The time is near when all of this will happen." Revelation 1:3  

Happy is the person who reads the words of God's message; happy is the person who hears the message from Jesus Christ; and happy is the person who does what is written in it. Happy and blessed. Yet so many people do not read this message from Jesus because it seems daunting to them. God doesn't send His message of truth to us without also sending His Holy Spirit to explain it to us. While not everyone will understand all the symbolism (I certainly don't), Revelation is the message of Jesus and there is much we can all understand. Revelation is God's Word. It is the message of Jesus Christ. It is Truth. And it is for each one of His servants.

John records Jesus' message to the seven churches in Asia. John makes it clear this is not just him writing another letter. This message is from the LORD God Himself. Revelation 1:4b–5a - "The One who is (present) and was (past) and is coming (future)... and from Jesus Christ."

Jesus is the "faithful witness." He is the fulfillment of God's plan for redemption; He was the first among those raised from the dead; He is the ruler over the kings of the earth; and He is coming again. Revelation 1:5–6 - "He is the One who loves us, who made us free from our sins with the blood of his death." He is the One! It is because of Him that we can be servants of God. "To Jesus Christ be glory and power forever and ever! Amen." (Revelation 1:5–6)

This isn't John's message. This is the message of Jesus. John was chosen to tell it because he was a faithful servant. He knew what it was to suffer for doing what was right. He was punished and sent in exile to the island of Patmos because he was preaching the word of God and spreading the message of Jesus.

It wasn't in spite of all that happened to John that God could use him. No. It was because of all that happened to him that God could use him. He was a faithful servant to God, and he was faithfully telling God's message. Because of that John was exiled on the island of Patmos. He was being punished, but he wasn't being punished by God. He was exactly where he was supposed to be. God took what was meant for John's harm and turned it to be used for the good of all mankind. God chose to reveal His truth to him while he was alone and separated from outside interruptions. Because John was faithful he was chosen to be the recipient of a Blessed Event. Thankfully, John did not keep all he experienced to himself. He wrote down all he saw and heard and shared it with the world.  

Revelation 1:7a - "Look, Jesus is coming with the clouds, and everyone will see him."

Everyone! Even those who witnessed His first crucifixion and those who have nailed him to the cross again by their refusal to submit to His authority. (Hebrews 6) Everyone!! Saint and sinner alike.

This is the first coming of Jesus where He comes in the clouds but does not descend all the way to the earth. The Holy Spirit and all believers are removed from the earth with those who are dead in Christ rising first. For believers this is a joyous time of redemption. For the "religious" unbeliever and non-believers this is the beginning of a horrific time. Revelation 1:7b - "And all peoples of the earth will cry because of him. So shall it be. Amen."

As we await the return of Christ there should be no fear, only great expectation. There also should be a sense of urgency. What does God want me to be doing? Who can I reach for eternity? Is there something I should stop doing? LORD, what is it you want from me? How can I best serve YOU? 

"The Lord God says, "I am the Alpha (beginning) and the Omega (end). I am the One who is and was and is coming. I am the Almighty." Revelation 1:8

I AM

John's heart was the same whether he was in the midst of good times or experiencing tough times. Even though he was alone and imprisoned on Patmos, he knew what day it was. It was the Lord's day and he was worshiping in the Spirit. Difficult times did not decrease his worship. I suspect the opposite was true, and that during the worst of times his praise to his Master increased.

As he was worshiping he heard a loud voice behind him. John turned around. When God speaks, pay attention! John saw someone "like a Son of Man" and he fell at his feet like a dead man. This "man" who looked like the sun shining at its brightest time put His right hand on John and said, "Do not be afraid. I am the First and Last. I am the One who lives; I was dead, but look, I am alive forever and ever! I hold the keys to death and to the place of the dead. So write the things you see, what is now and what will happen later." Revelation 1:17–18  (Emphasis mine)

• Pay attention
• Understand His Majesty
• Listen to what He says
• Do not be afraid
• He is the great I AM
• He reveals truth
• Tell others

Addendum: 2/4/17 ~ God often uses what we think are our valley experiences to teach us what He wants us to learn. It is often during the valley times in our lives that He has our undivided attention. We have learned this first hand.

When you look back over those times in your life, He gives you perspective, and you learn that valley experiences are not something to be avoided or tolerated, but are instead an opportunity to learn and grow. And who knows, that valley experience may just turn out to be a Blessed Event.

God amazingly used the Appalachian Trail to teach us this valuable lesson. Just like a valley is beautiful when viewed from a mountain overlook, so are those tough times in our lives when we look at them from a higher perspective. 


Next Entry: Revelation 2:1–29

II John 1–13

July 22, 2013

The Truth:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."  John 14:6

"Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

You can deny it, try to ignore it, or even question it, but nothing changes the fact—the truth is the Truth—and it is the only thing that can set a person free.

I've often used the air in a beach ball as an analogy to teach this truth. The air in a beach ball represents God's Truth (the Trinity). If you try to push a beach ball down under the water it will put up a resistance and exhaust you as you fight to keep the ball (Truth) submerged. No matter how hard you try, it keeps popping up to the surface. It's a constant struggle. When you finally give up and allow the ball (Truth) to rest on the water, it goes from something you were struggling against to becoming something that saves you. As you hold on to the ball (Truth), you no longer need to work to stay afloat and it supports you and holds your head above water.   

Truth is the only thing that can set you free from the bondage of sin caused by selfish desires. 

In the Old Testament, the law commanded that we love. In the New Testament, Christ came to fulfill the law. Jesus is love and we are to love each other the way He loves us. II John 6 - "And love means living the way God commanded us to live. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is this: Live a life of love." II John 9 - "Anyone who goes beyond Christ's teaching and does not continue to follow only his teaching does not have God. But whoever continues to follow the teaching of Christ has both the Father and the Son."

"... The best way to keep the enemy out is to keep Christ in." ~ From Renewed Day by Day by A.W. Tozer

Next Entry: III John 1:1–15