Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

God convicts our hearts daily of what is most important to us.  John’s next passage reveals the heart of the matter; turning symbolism into clarifying judgment of what we have chosen in life that motivates our behavior. 

You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.” Psalm 139:1-6

Seriously, what or who do we place all our hope, now and for future days?  Do we count on our accumulated wealth, small or large, to save us?  Are we relying on our kids and maybe our grandkids to save us and take care of all our needs—as we see them?  Do we rely on people in authority in our government to watch over us and keep us happy in the “manner to which we are accustomed”?  Do we make demands in business that hurt others in their business to get ahead and win the prize of more business?  What an illusion of self-interest and self-preservation!  It’s like running beside a merry-go-round that gets faster and faster.  You jump on and hang on for dear life—but you end up going nowhere!  When it comes to a stop, everyone who joined you is still hanging on with you and suddenly you realize; we are all still in the same place.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.” Psalm 139:7-12

The most riveting question above all is; Do we really believe all that God says really real—or not? 

What is our final answer?  Is what we believe about God and His Son, Jesus who  saved us demonstrated with passionate humble gratitude in our daily lives?  God knows our hearts. Are we falling for the lie, “fake it ‘til you make it”? We cannot hide what is within us from God. We are God’s masterpiece.  We are made in the image of God.  We were created to praise our Creator!

“For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.” Psalm 139:13-18

John pointed out that although society was built around the economy, only what was built on God would last forever. Greed and materialism will be judged and crushed. Believers committed to following Jesus’s ways seek security from their faith in Him.  Do not put your “hope in wealth, which is so uncertain,” Paul teaches Timothy.  Money is an untrustworthy foundation. 

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1Timothy 6:17-19, NIV)

Revelation 18, The Message

Doom to the City of Darkness

18 ^1-8 Following this I saw another Angel descend from Heaven. His authority was immense, his glory flooded earth with brightness, his voice thunderous:

Ruined, ruined, Great Babylon, ruined!
    A ghost town for demons is all that’s left!
A garrison of carrion spirits,
    garrison of loathsome, carrion birds.
All nations drank the wild wine of her whoring;
    kings of the earth went whoring with her;
    entrepreneurs made millions exploiting her.

Just then I heard another shout out of Heaven:

Get out, my people, as fast as you can,
    so you don’t get mixed up in her sins,
    so you don’t get caught in her doom.
Her sins stink to high Heaven;
    God has remembered every evil she’s done.
Give her back what she’s given,
    double what she’s doubled in her works,
    double the recipe in the cup she mixed;
Bring her flaunting and wild ways
    to torment and tears.
Because she gloated, “I’m queen over all,
    and no widow, never a tear on my face,”
In one day, disasters will crush her—
    death, heartbreak, and famine—
Then she’ll be burned by fire, because God,
    the Strong God who judges her,
    has had enough.

^9-10 “The kings of the earth will see the smoke of her burning, and they’ll cry and carry on, the kings who went night after night to her brothel. They’ll keep their distance for fear they’ll get burned, and they’ll cry their lament:

Doom, doom, the great city doomed!
    City of Babylon, strong city!
In one hour it’s over, your judgment come!

^11-17 “The traders will cry and carry on because the bottom dropped out of business, no more market for their goods: gold, silver, precious gems, pearls; fabrics of fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet; perfumed wood and vessels of ivory, precious woods, bronze, iron, and marble; cinnamon and spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine and oil, flour and wheat; cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots. And slaves—their terrible traffic in human lives.

Everything you’ve lived for, gone!
    All delicate and delectable luxury, lost!
    Not a scrap, not a thread to be found!

“The traders who made millions off her kept their distance for fear of getting burned, and cried and carried on all the more:

Doom, doom, the great city doomed!
    Dressed in the latest fashions,
    adorned with the finest jewels,
    in one hour such wealth wiped out!

^17-19 “All the ship captains and travelers by sea, sailors and toilers of the sea, stood off at a distance and cried their lament when they saw the smoke from her burning: ‘Oh, what a city! There was never a city like her!’ They threw dust on their heads and cried as if the world had come to an end:

Doom, doom, the great city doomed!
    All who owned ships or did business by sea
Got rich on her getting and spending.
    And now it’s over—wiped out in one hour!

²⁰ “O Heaven, celebrate! And join in, saints, apostles, and prophets! God has judged her; every wrong you suffered from her has been judged.”

^21-24 A strong Angel reached for a boulder—huge, like a millstone—and heaved it into the sea, saying,

Heaved and sunk, the great city Babylon,
    sunk in the sea, not a sign of her ever again.
Silent the music of harpists and singers—
    you’ll never hear flutes and trumpets again.
Artisans of every kind—gone;
    you’ll never see their likes again.
The voice of a millstone grinding falls dumb;
    you’ll never hear that sound again.
The light from lamps, never again;
    never again laughter of bride and groom.
Her traders robbed the whole earth blind,
    and by black-magic arts deceived the nations.
The only thing left of Babylon is blood—
    the blood of saints and prophets,
    the murdered and the martyred.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn to put all our hope, faith, and trust in Jesus! 

Max Lucado writes;

“Those who trust money are foolish. They are setting themselves up to be duped and dumped into a dystopia of unhappiness. Have you ever noticed that the word miser is just one letter short of the word misery?

God owns everything and gives us all things to enjoy. He is a good shepherd to us, his little flock. Trust him, not stuff. Move from the fear of scarcity to the comfort of provision. Less hoarding, more sharing. “Do good . . . be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” (1Timothy 6:18).

And, most of all, replace fear of the coming winter with faith in the living God. After all, it’s just Monopoly money. It all goes back in the box when the game is over.

Try listening with greater discernment to commercials on all forms of media. Note how their values differ from God’s.” –Lucado, Encouraging Word Bible

If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
    Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.
Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:19-24

Lord,

Cleanse my heart.  Remove all that is not You.  Renew my mind, transform my behaviors. Refresh my soul with your tender mercies.  Fill me with Your Holy Spirit of love that drives out fear and anxious thoughts.  Restore the joy of your salvation at work with me daily.  You are my confidence.  You are my life!

In Jesus Name, Amen

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:5-11

“On his robe and on his thigh, he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS 

Revelation 19:16

Revelation 17, The Message

Great Babylon, Mother of Whores

17 ^1-2 One of the Seven Angels who carried the seven bowls came and invited me, “Come, I’ll show you the judgment of the great Whore who sits enthroned over many waters, the Whore with whom the kings of the earth have gone whoring, show you the judgment on earth dwellers drunk on her whorish lust.”

^3-6 In the Spirit he carried me out in the desert. I saw a woman mounted on a Scarlet Beast. Stuffed with blasphemies, the Beast had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, festooned with gold and gems and pearls. She held a gold chalice in her hand, brimming with defiling obscenities, her foul fornications. A riddle-name was branded on her forehead: great babylon, mother of whores and abominations of the earth. I could see that the woman was drunk, drunk on the blood of God’s holy people, drunk on the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

^6-8 Astonished, I rubbed my eyes. I shook my head in wonder. The Angel said, “Does this surprise you? Let me tell you the riddle of the woman and the Beast she rides, the Beast with seven heads and ten horns. The Beast you saw once was, is no longer, and is about to ascend from the Abyss and head straight for Hell. Earth dwellers whose names weren’t written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will be dazzled when they see the Beast that once was, is no longer, and is to come.

^9-11 “But don’t drop your guard. Use your head. The seven heads are seven hills; they are where the woman sits. They are also seven kings: five dead, one living, the other not yet here—and when he does come his time will be brief. The Beast that once was and is no longer is both an eighth and one of the seven—and headed for Hell.

^12-14 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings, but they’re not yet in power. They will come to power with the Scarlet Beast, but won’t last long—a very brief reign. These kings will agree to turn over their power and authority to the Beast. They will go to war against the Lamb but the Lamb will defeat them, proof that he is Lord over all lords, King over all kings, and those with him will be the called, chosen, and faithful.”

^15-18 The Angel continued, “The waters you saw on which the Whore was enthroned are peoples and crowds, nations and languages. And the ten horns you saw, together with the Beast, will turn on the Whore—they’ll hate her, violate her, strip her naked, rip her apart with their teeth, then set fire to her. It was God who put the idea in their heads to turn over their rule to the Beast until the words of God are completed. The woman you saw is the great city, tyrannizing the kings of the earth.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”  Matthew 16:21

Just as He said would happen—happened:

• Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, IS proven to be who He said He was, is and is to come:  KING of kings and LORD of lords.  –God said.
• Jesus defeated death.  –Just as He said He would.
• When Jesus returns, He will defeat evil and all who follow evil.  –Just as He promised.
• But, “those with him will be the called, chosen, and faithful.” –Just as we hope He will because He said!

Our relationship with God has been reconciled by Jesus, His Son who saved us from our sins by willingly laying down His life for ours. 

The “great prostitute” referred to Babylon. John’s readers probably equated it with the Roman Empire, but it also symbolized any system hostile to God.  Using symbolic language, John described the destruction of evil and systems energized by Satan. God triumphs over evil.

How do we respond?  Paul’s charge to Timothy perfectly describes our walk with God:

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you we’re called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:11-16

Lord,

You are King of kings, LORD of lords, you always were and will be the King of my life.  You are God and I am not.  You love me with unfailing love even when I fail you.  I am redeemed.  I am your child, joint heirs with you, dear Jesus, who saved us and set us free from our sins forever. Thank you, thank you, thank you!  To you be the glory, honor, and praise forever and ever, Amen!

In Jesus Name, Amen, I believe.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” –Jesus, John 14:1-3

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” –Jesus, John 14:6

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” –Jesus, John 14:15-17

“I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me…” –Jesus, John 14:30

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”   –Jesus, John 15:1-13

Revelation 16, The Message

Pouring Out the Seven Disasters

16 I heard a shout of command from the Temple to the Seven Angels: “Begin! Pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on earth!”

² The first Angel stepped up and poured his bowl out on earth: Loathsome, stinking sores erupted on all who had taken the mark of the Beast and worshiped its image.

³ The second Angel poured his bowl on the sea: The sea coagulated into blood, and everything in it died.

^4-7 The third Angel poured his bowl on rivers and springs: The waters turned to blood. I heard the Angel of Waters say,

Righteous you are, and your judgments are righteous,
    The Is, The Was, The Holy.
They poured out the blood of saints and prophets
    so you’ve given them blood to drink—
    they’ve gotten what they deserve!

Just then I heard the Altar chime in,

Yes, O God, the Sovereign-Strong!
Your judgments are true and just!

^8-9 The fourth Angel poured his bowl on the sun: Fire blazed from the sun and scorched men and women. Burned and blistered, they cursed God’s Name, the God behind these disasters. They refused to repent, refused to honor God.

^10-11 The fifth Angel poured his bowl on the throne of the Beast: Its kingdom fell into sudden eclipse. Mad with pain, men and women bit and chewed their tongues, cursed the God-of-Heaven for their torment and sores, and refused to repent and change their ways.

^12-14 The sixth Angel poured his bowl on the great Euphrates River: It dried up to nothing. The dry riverbed became a fine roadbed for the kings from the East. From the mouths of the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet I saw three foul demons crawl out—they looked like frogs. These are demon spirits performing signs. They’re after the kings of the whole world to get them gathered for battle on the Great Day of God, the Sovereign-Strong.

¹⁵ “Keep watch! I come unannounced, like a thief. You’re blessed if, awake and dressed, you’re ready for me. Too bad if you’re found running through the streets, naked and ashamed.”

¹⁶ The frog-demons gathered the kings together at the place called in Hebrew Armageddon.

^17-21 The seventh Angel poured his bowl into the air: From the Throne in the Temple came a shout, “Done!” followed by lightning flashes and shouts, thunder crashes and a colossal earthquake—a huge and devastating earthquake, never an earthquake like it since time began. The Great City split three ways, the cities of the nations toppled to ruin. Great Babylon had to drink the wine of God’s raging anger—God remembered to give her the cup! Every island fled and not a mountain was to be found. Hailstones weighing close to a hundred pounds plummeted, crushing and smashing men and women as they cursed God for the hail, the epic disaster of hail.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  John 3:16-17

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

To “perish” is defined as suffering a torturous death. 

We learn that those who do not believe Jesus died for our sins and rose again to give us the gift eternal life—will perish.  Those who do not believe and repent of their sins in Jesus Name will forever be in bondage to evil—and will perish.   To those who mock and curse God will be put through the flames—and will perish. 

Those who refuse to believe in Jesus will never be reconciled to God—even though created in his image—and will perish.   

However, if we believe Jesus, repent of our sins to Jesus, build our faith on Jesus as the rock of our salvation who provided the way to reconcile with God who was, is and is to come, we will “be blessed” with His protection through it all.  It is up to us to, “Keep watch! I come unannounced, like a thief. You’re blessed if, awake and dressed, you’re ready for me.”

Satan’s entire system of manipulation, distraction, deceiving, destruction, with efforts to destroy God’s created from having a relationship with Him is about to be judged by God in the final “Day of the Lord”.  Are we ready for the “pouring”?

Respond by believing and following Jesus, the One who demonstrated God’s love perfectly.  Revel in Jesus who has prepared a place for us with Him in heaven!  Believe and be saved for eternity.  Stand firm on the promises of God.  Remain attached to the Vine that nourishes our souls.  Keep the Light burning brightly within us so others be drawn to the Light and  find the Way through the darkness of the Deceiver to the Truth who gives Eternal Life!

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” –Jesus, John 14:6

There is no one like our God!  Why trust anyone else?  Why live unattached to Jesus, the Vine who gives life to the branches now and forever? 

Lord,

After all you have done for me, how could it believe in anyone or anything else?  I do not know.  But I do know whom I’ve believed and I will follow you all the days of my life. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins.  Continue to restore the joy of your salvation within me daily.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen.  I believe!

“For which cause I suffer also these things: yet I am not ashamed; for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed unto him against that day.” 1 Timothy 1:12

There are some days that are harder than others. On those hard days when we think we are doing what God wants us to be and do but are slandered unmercifully by loved ones and/or by those within our church family for not doing enough; it breaks our hearts.   Some days we are even blamed for why they are having troubles in their lives.  It’s on these days, that we pray all the harder as we ask God to change our hearts and transform our thinking.  We seek to know God and His love more as others seek to judge us more critically. 

Troublesome relationships can lead us to God or to retribution of seeking others to listen to our “side” of things.  Can we figure out now the best path to take but is often not taken?  Are we beginning to understand why Jesus came to save us from ourselves?  As fallen humans, we can be so immature when offended or misunderstood.  If we don’t love like God loves us, all relationships will suffer because of our own selfishness.

Selfish love expects and sometimes demands that love be returned in even greater ways and quantities than it was given.  When it is not, we stop loving.  Selfish love is only for those who admire us and want to be like us.  We really love those who do what we say with high expectations of their loving performance to us without question.  Immature love serves others expecting others pay it back or pay it forward while feeling superior to those we serve. 

Worse yet, we arrogantly love God with a love that has conditions; expecting life to be without trouble or pain.  When troubles arise to be dealt with, our love for God begins to fade, doubts creep in, and we wonder where God is?  We then bargain with God with I do this and love you more if you, God, will fix our problem—or else!  Or else, what?  It doesn’t often occur to selfish love that God, our Father who loves us deeply might be using our current troubles to build our faith in Him as He pours His wisdom over us as the best way to teach us. In this teaching, we in turn can give glory to God in ways that point others to his loving care and compassion!

Do we really think God doesn’t know what is going on around us?  Do we realize that God knows exactly what’s on the inside and is more concerned about the spiritual health of our hearts, minds, and souls?  Is it any wonder, that God’s wrath against evil that plagues all of us must be finally wrapped up for eternity?

As we read the next passage, take notice of what the “saved ones” do.  They worship.  They worship God for who He is and what He does.  Their song lyrics give the Lamb of God, Jesus, all the glory, honor, and praise as the King of kings, LORD of lords.  Only the Lamb can be the judge—the One without sin—who is filled with the love of God—the love God wants us to know, have and act upon by loving Him and each other like He loves us—without conditions.  We are saved from sin and self to love like He loves us.  We need to remove ourselves from the judgement temptation.

Revelation 15, The Message

The Song of Moses, the Song of the Lamb

15 I saw another Sign in Heaven, huge and breathtaking: seven Angels with seven disasters. These are the final disasters, the wrap-up of God’s wrath.

^2-4 I saw something like a sea made of glass, the glass all shot through with fire. Carrying harps of God, triumphant over the Beast, its image, and the number of its name, the saved ones stood on the sea of glass. They sang the Song of Moses, servant of God; they sang the Song of the Lamb:

Mighty your acts and marvelous,
    O God, the Sovereign-Strong!
Righteous your ways and true,
    King of the nations!
Who can fail to fear you, God,
    give glory to your Name?
Because you and you only are holy,
    all nations will come and worship you,
    because they see your judgments are right.

^5-8 Then I saw the doors of the Temple, the Tent of Witness in Heaven, open wide. The Seven Angels carrying the seven disasters came out of the Temple. They were dressed in clean, bright linen and wore gold vests. One of the Four Animals handed the Seven Angels seven gold bowls, brimming with the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. Smoke from God’s glory and power poured out of the Temple. No one was permitted to enter the Temple until the seven disasters of the Seven Angels were finished.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 1 John 4:7-12, NIV

The most common question asked by those who don’t yet know God—

How could a loving God send sinners to hell?

He doesn’t. They volunteer. Hell is reserved, not for those souls who seek God yet struggle, but for those who defy God and rebel.  Max Lucado writes; “Hell is not a correctional facility or reform school. Its members hear no admonishing parents, candid sermons, or Spirit of God, no voice of God, no voice of God’s people. Spend a lifetime telling God to be quiet, and he’ll do just that. God honors our request for silence.”

Hell is the chosen home of those who defy God and want nothing to do with His love, care, correction, or comfort.  God honors their decision. It is not God’s will or desire that any should perish, but the fact that some do highlights God’s justice. God must punish sin.

In later passages, God reveals His truth once more; “Nothing impure will ever enter [heaven], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27). God, inherently holy, must exclude evil from his new heaven.  God, eternally gracious, never forces his will. He urges all to stand firm but never forces them to stay with Him. God’s will is given when we yield our will to Him and trust Him. “May your will be done…”—Jesus taught us to pray.

Once the rebellious defiers reside in hell; they don’t want to leave. Hearts never soften nor do their minds change at this point.  “They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him” (Revelation 16:9). Contrary to the idea that hell prompts remorse, it doesn’t. It intensifies blasphemy and hate against God.

So, to wrap up, we are given two choices.  God or Evil?  Perfectly Holy or Intensely Hateful?  The choices are in direct opposition of each other.  Choose this day between real love or hate; help through troubles or resentment for troubles; protection against evil or the promotion of evil; spiritual provision to nurture a healthy spiritual heart, mind, and soul or no provision—only bondage that destroys all relationships. 

Lord,

Thank you for convicting me of selfish love expecting others to be who I wish them to be instead of simply loving like you love us.  Thank you from comforting me from the slander that breaks my heart. Thank you for correcting me with Christ like behaviors that transform me to be more like you.  Thank you for compelling me to stand firm in my faith of what you say is the Truth.  I trust you, dear Jesus.  I trust you to teach me, show me the path to take that leads to you, and to be with me always as I pursue You.  I love you, Lord.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen  

The beans and corn are ready to be harvested here in Indiana.  As we drove through the countryside on our way to our grandson’s tennis match, Randy and I noticed how dry and brittle the bean and corn stalks are becoming—signs of harvest!  We noticed some of the farmers opening the barn doors to begin pulling out all the equipment necessary to sweep over the fields—ripe for harvest.

Because Randy pastored a church with many farmers in the congregation, we learned their habits and moods during each season.  Harvest was like Christmas for farmers!  This was the time to finally reap what they eagerly sowed last spring with anticipation and promise.  Yes, it is fascinating to observe the work of farmers who tirelessly care for their crops through spring and summer; making sure the weeds do not overtake what was planted so that the harvest is greater still.  Those who are in it for life do not grow weary of the work.  They will grow tired in the work; but most do not give up. This is their life.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  Galatians 6:7-10

Revelation 14, The Message

A Perfect Offering

14 ^1-2 I saw—it took my breath away!—the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, 144,000 standing there with him, his Name and the Name of his Father inscribed on their foreheads. And I heard a voice out of Heaven, the sound like rapids, like the crash of thunder.

^2-5 And then I heard music, harp music and the harpists singing a new song before the Throne and the Four Animals and the Elders. Only the 144,000 could learn to sing the song. They were bought from earth, lived without compromise, virgin-fresh before God. Wherever the Lamb went, they followed. They were bought from humankind, firstfruits of the harvest for God and the Lamb. Not a false word in their mouths. A perfect offering.

Voices from Heaven

^6-7 I saw another Angel soaring in Middle-Heaven. He had an Eternal Message to preach to all who were still on earth, every nation and tribe, every tongue and people. He preached in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory! His hour of judgment has come! Worship the Maker of Heaven and earth, salt sea and fresh water!”

⁸ A second Angel followed, calling out, “Ruined, ruined, Great Babylon ruined! She made all the nations drunk on the wine of her whoring!”

^9-11 A third Angel followed, shouting, warning, “If anyone worships the Beast and its image and takes the mark on forehead or hand, that person will drink the wine of God’s wrath, prepared unmixed in his chalice of anger, and suffer torment from fire and brimstone in the presence of Holy Angels, in the presence of the Lamb. Smoke from their torment will rise age after age. No respite for those who worship the Beast and its image, who take the mark of its name.”

¹² Meanwhile, the saints stand passionately patient, keeping God’s commands, staying faithful to Jesus.

¹³ I heard a voice out of Heaven, “Write this: Blessed are those who die in the Master from now on; how blessed to die that way!”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “and blessed rest from their hard, hard work. None of what they’ve done is wasted; God blesses them for it all in the end.”

Harvest Time

^14-16 I looked up, I caught my breath!—a white cloud and one like the Son of Man sitting on it. He wore a gold crown and held a sharp sickle. Another Angel came out of the Temple, shouting to the Cloud-Enthroned, “Swing your sickle and reap. It’s harvest time. Earth’s harvest is ripe for reaping.” The Cloud-Enthroned gave a mighty sweep of his sickle, began harvesting earth in a stroke.

^17-18 Then another Angel came out of the Temple in Heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. Yet another Angel, the one in charge of tending the fire, came from the Altar. He thundered to the Angel who held the sharp sickle, “Swing your sharp sickle. Harvest earth’s vineyard. The grapes are bursting with ripeness.”

^19-20 The Angel swung his sickle, harvested earth’s vintage, and heaved it into the winepress, the giant winepress of God’s wrath. The winepress was outside the City. As the vintage was trodden, blood poured from the winepress as high as a horse’s bridle, a river of blood for two hundred miles.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, is revealed in full, majestic view before John, His beloved disciple.  When we pause to take it all in, doesn’t this image take our breath away, too?  Imagine Jesus with His beloved who never gave up in doing good, standing with Him!  The 144,000 who never compromised their faith in God for anyone or anything else became an offering unto God.  Their worship was reserved only for God. “Wherever the Lamb went, they followed. They were bought from humankind, firstfruits of the harvest for God and the Lamb. Not a false word in their mouths. A perfect offering,” John writes.

I am reminded of what God told his prophet, Micah and later to Paul, a committed, compelling, uncompromising convert of Christ. Paul, daily gave himself as an offering to God as his new way of life with God. 

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”—Micah 6:8, NIV

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2, NIV

Walking humble with God is key to knowing God’s will for us.

Though beaten by officials in the towns he preached; Paul worked tirelessly to tell others of Jesus’ saving grace. Being imprisoned for spreading the salvation message didn’t stop him.  He used his jail time to tell the message of Jesus to all who would listen among those who guarded him.  He wrote letters of encouragement and sent them to all the churches in the “field” for the purpose to keep out the “weeds” of evil behaviors among the people.  He encouraged all to “make the most of every opportunity” to freely spread the message of Jesus who freely gave Himself to us so we could be saved and set free!  (See Colossians 4)

The Message:  Jesus, Son of God, suffered and died so our sins could be forgiven, removed, and forgotten by almighty God. With resurrection power, God brought His Son back to life in full view of his followers on earth.  Do not forget, this same power is available to us!  This is Hope that we, too, will be resurrected has been given to us by Jesus.

Redemption is possible by humbly repenting our sins to Jesus His Son. As soon as we repent to Jesus believing He has set us free from our sins; our new life begins.  We sing a new song!  We are daily being changed and transformed from the inside out!  We revel in our new intimate, growing, loving relationship with God knowing that it will last forever—all because of His great love planted in the fertile soil of our yielded hearts, minds, and souls.  We love Him with all that is within us because He first loved us.  His love is unchanging and unfailing.  His love will outlast all our changing moods and the troubles of this world.  His love never quits and never gives up on us.  Wow.

We learn that we will become more and more like Jesus if we do not grow weary and give up, offer ourselves daily to Him, and keep a close watch on the weeds. When weeds of evil appear, we will call on the Name of Jesus who, by the power of His Holy Spirit living in us, will eradicate what does not belong in our field of grace that will soon be harvested.  This is the blessed assurance that give us confidence to keep walking humbly with our God!

Lord,

Wow, how you love it when we really believe what you say as the whole Truth.  Thank you for saving us as we call on your Name to forgive us and help us live this new life.  Continue to weed out what is not of you.  Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls, and restore the joy of your salvation at work within us.  Fill us with all you know we need to produce your goodness in our lives.  I’m yours. I’m listening.  I’m waiting for your return.

In Jesus Name, Amen

“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. –Jesus, Matthew 24:4-14

The war between God who is good and Satan the fallen angel who is evil still rages on.  Who do we choose daily and stand beside when pressed for an answer?  Our decision is a matter of life or death.  Our behaviors will reflect our belief and commitment to our decision in every day life.  Our decision affects others who are confused and looking for answers for life, too. Who do we obviously worship?  Who is paramount in all we think, say, and do—even if our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, aunts and uncles, husbands or wives, mothers and fathers do not agree?  Do we worship the beast of gossip, assumptions and preconceived judgements?  Are we fooled into living a life that craves the applause of others so much that we will say and do nothing to get it?  Will we allow the beast of self-worship fill us with arrogance, envy, pride, and jealousy for what others have while believing the lies told to us?  Will we be led by the beast who is the author of hate and confusion who teaches us to spew false teachings about God that destroy relationships with our loved ones?  It can and will happen if we do not stand firm in complete devotion and worship of Jesus Christ, our Savior AND our Lord.

Jesus knows what we are going through now and what we will face later and He promises to be with us “unto the end of the age.”  Do we really believe Him—or not?  Our faith is tested in trials each day to make us strong, says James.  James and the other disciples went through trials that seem unthinkable to us today as most of us hide out in the “comfort zones” of our homes, churches, and community.  In the days now and in the days to come we must take an honest, sincere stand for who we really believe because our behaviors are already being critically judged by our loved ones, friends, and our enemies.  (Nation against nation, brother against brother, etc.)

Who will that be? What will we say?  How will our lives be lived?

Revelation 13, The Message

The Beast from the Sea

13 ^1-2 And the Dragon stood on the shore of the sea. I saw a Beast rising from the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads—on each horn a crown, and each head inscribed with a blasphemous name. The Beast I saw looked like a leopard with bear paws and a lion’s mouth. The Dragon turned over its power to it, its throne and great authority.

^3-4 One of the Beast’s heads looked as if it had been struck a deathblow, and then healed. The whole earth was agog, gaping at the Beast. They worshiped the Dragon who gave the Beast authority, and they worshiped the Beast, exclaiming, “There’s never been anything like the Beast! No one would dare go to war with the Beast!”

^5-8 The Beast had a loud mouth, boastful and blasphemous. It could do anything it wanted for forty-two months. It yelled blasphemies against God, blasphemed his Name, blasphemed his Church, especially those already dwelling with God in Heaven. It was permitted to make war on God’s holy people and conquer them. It held absolute sway over all tribes and peoples, tongues and races. Everyone on earth whose name was not written from the world’s foundation in the slaughtered Lamb’s Book of Life will worship the Beast.

^9-10 Are you listening to this? They’ve made their bed; now they must lie in it. Anyone marked for prison goes straight to prison; anyone pulling a sword goes down by the sword. Meanwhile, God’s holy people passionately and faithfully stand their ground.

The Beast from Under the Ground

^11-12 I saw another Beast rising out of the ground. It had two horns like a lamb but sounded like a dragon when it spoke. It was a puppet of the first Beast, made earth and everyone in it worship the first Beast, which had been healed of its deathblow.

^13-17 This second Beast worked magical signs, dazzling people by making fire come down from Heaven. It used the magic it got from the Beast to dupe earth dwellers, getting them to make an image of the Beast that received the deathblow and lived. It was able to animate the image of the Beast so that it talked, and then arrange that anyone not worshiping the Beast would be killed. It forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a mark on the right hand or forehead. Without the mark of the name of the Beast or the number of its name, it was impossible to buy or sell anything.

Solve a riddle: Put your heads together and figure out the meaning of the number of the Beast. It’s a human number: 666.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus warned his disciples who left everything behind to follow Him, “Beware of false teachers.”  Before the final battle, Believers of Jesus will be challenged. God promised, though, that no spiritual harm will come to believers, although they might have to endure persecution and pain.  We must discern false prophets who claim to perform miracles and exercise authority from God.  God’s Holy Spirit was sent to help us by leading us to all Truth.  Listen to Him!

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:13

If we are amazed, distracted, and influenced by the “beast;” signs of beastly behaviors will begin to appear in our lives such as slander, gossip, envy, pride, arrogance, sarcasm, self-edification, and pride while comparing ourselves to each other—all traits of the beast who worships the Dragon, namely Satan, the fallen angel.  In the end, it won’t go well for us.  We must evaluate and ask ourselves; Is it really going well for us now to carry these traits?

These questions of resolve must be asked daily;

Have I been claimed and tattooed by the beast as being on his team OR have I offered by whole “created in God’s image” being back to God as an offering of holy worship to Him? 

Is my name written in the palm of God’s hand as His child?  Is Jesus my Savior and Lord—or not? 

Without looking inside my heart, will others know to Whom I belong?

Lord,

Thank you for revealing the “end of the age” to John so that we may evaluate our lives lived for you now in preparation to see you face to face. We are not perfect but we are, without a doubt, perfectly forgiven when we repent of all our sins to you.  Thank you for teaching us your ways. Thank you for helping us know you more each day as the Holy Spirit reveals Truth to us.  Thank you for clearly showing us the traits to acquire and those to avoid. Help us to accept your discipline as a Loving Father to a precious child would be—all for our good and Your glory.

In Jesus Name, Amen

We imagine heaven to be the place of peace and tranquility, beauty and perfection.  It is now, but there was a time of rebellion that rose up, led by an arrogant, powerfully pride filled angel who wanted to be God.  He wanted to be in charge.  He wanted all that God had created to be his own so he could control all.  He wanted all of God’s heavenly realm so badly that he decided to gather other angels, deceive them into thinking they needed to overcome God with him so they could share in the bounty!  He wanted the worship meant for God to be given to him.  He still wants that. 

Imagine forming an army in heaven to rise up and go to war against God!  It seems ludicrous to us, right?  Would we be a part of that?  Would we join the rebellion and fight with the Destroyer?  Or would we remain firmly planted in our faith in God who ultimately wins over evil?  Do we stand firm, in awe of God, with assurance of deliverance, knowing we have protection from God as we call on His Name? Will we choose unending, relentless love or the hate and anger of evil? Mindblowning.

No, we cannot imagine falling for the hate filled deceit that spews from this angel who was so full of himself that he thought he could replace God—but sometimes we do.  We all fall for him when we take our eyes off Jesus and rely only on self and “follow our hearts” which is yet another lie of Satan.

John’s vision reveals the whole story of the “Fallen Angel” who went to war against God and the Son of God, Jesus—and was thrown out of the Kingdom and banished to earth.    

Revelation 12, The Message

The Woman, Her Son, and the Dragon

^1-2 A great Sign appeared in Heaven: a Woman dressed all in sunlight, standing on the moon, and crowned with Twelve Stars. She was giving birth to a Child and cried out in the pain of childbirth.

^3-4 And then another Sign alongside the first: a huge and fiery Dragon! It had seven heads and ten horns, a crown on each of the seven heads. With one flick of its tail it knocked a third of the Stars from the sky and dumped them on earth. The Dragon crouched before the Woman in childbirth, poised to eat up the Child when it came.

^5-6 The Woman gave birth to a Son who will shepherd all nations with an iron rod. Her Son was seized and placed safely before God on his Throne. The Woman herself escaped to the desert to a place of safety prepared by God, all comforts provided her for 1,260 days.

^7-12 War broke out in Heaven. Michael and his Angels fought the Dragon. The Dragon and his Angels fought back, but were no match for Michael. They were cleared out of Heaven, not a sign of them left. The great Dragon—ancient Serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, the one who led the whole earth astray—thrown out, and all his Angels thrown out with him, thrown down to earth. Then I heard a strong voice out of Heaven saying,

Salvation and power are established!
    Kingdom of our God, authority of his Messiah!
The Accuser of our brothers and sisters thrown out,
    who accused them day and night before God.
They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb
    and the bold word of their witness.
They weren’t in love with themselves;
    they were willing to die for Christ.
So rejoice, O Heavens, and all who live there,
    but doom to earth and sea,
For the Devil’s come down on you with both feet;
    he’s had a great fall;
He’s wild and raging with anger;
    he hasn’t much time and he knows it.

^13-17 When the Dragon saw he’d been thrown to earth, he went after the Woman who had given birth to the Man-Child. The Woman was given wings of a great eagle to fly to a place in the desert to be kept in safety and comfort for a time and times and half a time, safe and sound from the Serpent. The Serpent vomited a river of water to swamp and drown her, but earth came to her help, swallowing the water the Dragon spewed from its mouth. Helpless with rage, the Dragon raged at the Woman, then went off to make war with the rest of her children, the children who keep God’s commands and hold firm to the witness of Jesus.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We are given real, specific reasons why Satan hates believers of God and His Son, Jesus.  Satan hates God so much he will do anything and everything to distract people from God.  He will deceive us with lies that tell us we “deserve” more than God.  He does all things opposite of God’s character. 

Satan and his demons hover over our beings with temptations as consistent as those incessant commercials that interrupt our programming or browsing!  We are programed to worship our Creator God—and only God.  Worship of anyone or anything else is giving in to the Destroyer who wants to end our relationship with God and with His people.  Take note:  Our real enemy is not each other, it is this fallen angel who is furious with God.

In this revelation of Truth, we begin to understand why Satan becomes so enraged when believers call on the Name of Jesus because they know Jesus hears and will answer.  His fury all began with Jesus.  Satan hates Jesus who he could not tempt to follow him on earth—the place where he was exiled. 

Satan had a plan for Jesus that failed miserably.  Satan thought he had gotten rid of God’s Son, who pleased His Father, God.  He stirred the minds of those who were full of pride like himself which led to having Jesus killed on a cross.  How Satan and his demons must have reveled when their rival was brought low, mocked, tortured, and then crucified to die forever.  But Jesus didn’t stay dead.

Was Satan so full of pride that he forgot his power is limited?  Did he really think his power could match the power of God who can raise His Son from death to life in victory forever?  If Satan didn’t realize it then, he knows it now and is determined to bring us down with daily attacks on all believers—especially those firmly committed to Jesus who trust and obey the will of God with resolute hearts for God. 

“Helpless with rage, the Dragon raged at the Woman, then went off to make war with the rest of her children, the children who keep God’s commands and hold firm to the witness of Jesus.” 

Does this not send chills down our spines?

God’s Word, coupled with His Holy Spirit who lives in us to lead us to Truth, gives us all we need to combat the real enemy of our hearts, minds, and souls with confidence and assurance.  Here are a few:

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:1-4 Satan power is limited.

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” –Jesus, Matthew 28:20 As we join God in His salvation work, telling others about Jesus, God/Jesus/Holy Spirit is with us.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.  Ephesians 6:10-18

Satan knows he doesn’t have much time left. 

Believers in Jesus know we have forever! 

Who do you choose?

 Lord,

Thank you for a daily cleansing of our hearts, a renewing of our minds that transform our behaviors, a refreshing of our souls with your tender mercies, and a continual restoration of the joy of your salvation at work within us as we battle your enemy and ours.  Thank you for snatching us out of the fire when we are tempted and deceived by him. Thank you for Your Word that clarifies the difference between you and all that is not you.  We need you every hour and every hour you deliver truth. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, holy, holy is He

Sing a new song to Him who sits on heaven’s mercy seat

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, holy, holy is He

Sing a new song to Him who sits on heaven’s mercy seat

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, God Almighty

Who was and is and is to come

With all creation I sing praise to the King of Kings

You are my everything and I will adore You, I will adore You

Clothed in rainbows of living color

Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder

Blessing and honor, strength and glory

And power be to You the only wise King,

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, God Almighty

Who was and is and is to come,

With all creation I sing praise to the King of Kings

You are my everything and I will adore You

Holy, holy, You are holy

Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder

At the mention of Your name

Jesus, Your name is power, breath and living water

Such a marvelous mystery…

(Revelation Song, Written by: Jennie Lee Riddle, Lyrics © Integrity Music)

Revelation 11, The Message

The Two Witnesses

^1-2 I was given a stick for a measuring rod and told, “Get up and measure God’s Temple and Altar and everyone worshiping in it. Exclude the outside court; don’t measure it. It’s been handed over to non-Jewish outsiders. They’ll desecrate the Holy City for forty-two months.

^3-6 “Meanwhile, I’ll provide my two Witnesses. Dressed in sackcloth, they’ll prophesy for 1,260 days. These are the two Olive Trees, the two Lampstands, standing at attention before God on earth. If anyone tries to hurt them, a blast of fire from their mouths will incinerate them—burn them to a crisp just like that. They’ll have power to seal the sky so that it doesn’t rain for the time of their prophesying, power to turn rivers and springs to blood, power to hit earth with any and every disaster as often as they want.

^7-10 “When they’ve completed their witness, the Beast from the Abyss will emerge and fight them, conquer and kill them, leaving their corpses exposed on the street of the Great City spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, the same City where their Master was crucified. For three and a half days they’ll be there—exposed, prevented from getting a decent burial, stared at by the curious from all over the world. Those people will cheer at the spectacle, shouting ‘Good riddance!’ and calling for a celebration, for these two prophets pricked the conscience of all the people on earth, made it impossible for them to enjoy their sins.

¹¹ “Then, after three and a half days, the Living Spirit of God will enter them—they’re on their feet!—and all those gloating spectators will be scared to death.”

^12-13 I heard a strong voice out of Heaven calling, “Come up here!” and up they went to Heaven, wrapped in a cloud, their enemies watching it all. At that moment there was a gigantic earthquake—a tenth of the city fell to ruin, seven thousand perished in the earthquake, the rest frightened to the core of their being, frightened into giving honor to the God-of-Heaven.

¹⁴ The second doom is past, the third doom coming right on its heels.

The Last Trumpet Sounds

^15-18 The seventh Angel trumpeted. A crescendo of voices in Heaven sang out,

The kingdom of the world is now
    the Kingdom of our God and his Messiah!
He will rule forever and ever!

The Twenty-four Elders seated before God on their thrones fell to their knees, worshiped, and sang,

We thank you, O God, Sovereign-Strong,
    Who Is and Who Was.
You took your great power
    and took over—reigned!
The angry nations now
    get a taste of your anger.
The time has come to judge the dead,
    to reward your servants, all prophets and saints,
Reward small and great who fear your Name,
    and destroy the destroyers of earth.

¹⁹ The doors of God’s Temple in Heaven flew open, and the Ark of his Covenant was clearly seen surrounded by flashes of lightning, loud shouts, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a fierce hailstorm.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Life will get worse before it gets better.  The place is Jerusalem, and the time is the first half of the tribulation. Israel is worshiping again at its restored temple, built under the protection of the Antichrist, whose true character has not yet been revealed. John’s measurement of the temple is a symbolic action. To measure something means to claim it for oneself. The Lord was saying through John, “I own this city and this temple, and I claim both for myself.” 

John envisions the battle between God and Evil heating up; but we must remember that this war already has a Victor.  Jesus, is our Victor over death.  John was an eye-witness to Jesus defeating death and rising to life three days later!  John has preached this Good News all his life, forming churches to believe and follow Jesus while waiting for His return.  In this passage we learn of two witnesses assigned by God to stand for God in power from God. These witnesses will demonstrate God’s Presence and Power to the outside world in need of a change of heart.  It’s almost as if they are asking sinners, is evil your final answer?

The beast of evil is released to wreak havoc in the world—with limited, allowed power from God.  We must remember that God is and always will be in control of the situation.  As we read, we must also remember that this war already has a Victor—Jesus Christ who has been named by God as King of kings and Lord of lords—whether we believe in Jesus or not.  “Every knee will bow” …  (Philippians 2)

As I read the revelation, a vision of things to come; it humbles me.  We are currently living in our world with all we need and we still whine and complain that we do not physically have enough. We are easily offended by what is said to us and appalled at what is said on social media against what we believe.  We respond from our hearts (who deceive us) without engaging our minds with the mind of Christ.  We judge the world “as going to hell in a handbasket” (I’m still not completely sure what that means) as our faith falters.  We soon give up on telling humanity the Good News, thinking what’s the use. 

As nominal, compartmentalized believers, we call on God to fix our problems, repair what is broken, and “bless us.” But we leave this form of inner worship of self-pity to complain and blame everyone and everything around the perimeter of our lives for what is going wrong…without looking within. 

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 We consistently battle the one who is opposed to God.  “Choose this day whom you will serve,” says Joshua to God’s people! (Joshua 24:14)

We huddle and draw close to those who are like us and believe what we think while staying inside the walls we build for our own protection and wonder why they soon crumble.  We live our lives with much fear and anxiety while sitting and stewing in our circumstances—sometimes created by our own lack of faith, lack of learning, lack of commitment with the lack of discipline to be and do what is right and good in the mind and heart of Jesus—who truly suffered and died on a cross to save us!  Then he rose in resurrected power to give us hope for eternal life.

So, who are we, really?  We lack Jesus if we have not given our hearts, minds, souls and bodies completely to Jesus daily as an “offering to God”!  Jesus is everything we long for and satisfies everything we desire to be whole when we give all to Him.  It is by the power of His Holy Spirit that begins to transform us from the inside out!

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:1-2, MSG

The great announcement is that the kingdom of this world belongs to Jesus Christ. Of course, Christ does not claim His royal rights until He returns, but the victory has already been won. Today, He rules over a spiritual kingdom, but in that future day, He will reign over the nations of the world. 

The focus of attention is on the ark of God’s covenant, the symbol of God’s presence with His people. This vision of the ark would have greatly encouraged God’s suffering people, to whom John sent this book. The ark would have reminded them of His presence and the faithfulness of His promises. The Ark—the seat of mercy. God is merciful to His people. Even in wrath, God remembers His mercy.  God knows what He’s doing—Trust Him.

Let us prayer the prayer of Habakkuk—a prophet of God

“Lord, I have heard of your fame;
    I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.
Repeat them in our day,
    in our time make them known;
    in wrath remember mercy.”

“Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights.” Habakkuk 3 passages

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” –Jesus, Matthew 28:19-20

The reality of judgment and hell is foreign to our current culture; but it is mentioned often in the Bible as our future realty.  Most humans want to avoid hearing it, it’s too much for our minds to wrap our heads around.  Believers tend to soft pedal the words of impending judgement for our sins, whether obvious or hidden in our hearts, with softer, more accepting words of only God’s love, joy, and peace.  When we think of God, pray in Jesus Name, we want to keep our talk “light,” expecting only the good things of God.  Yes, God embodies all these traits but there’s so much more.  God so loved all people of all the earth that He sent His Son to explain and demonstrate His love in ways that lead to His best for our good and His glory.  Suffering to save us was/is also part of the Plan.

Jesus Christ, God’s Son, was not only given the task to redeem us by suffering torture and then dying on a cross; he also provided hope of eternal life for all who decide to believe Him.  Jesus was also assigned by God to be the final judge for unconfessed, relentless sins of ignoring God, rejecting Jesus, while going our own way, doing our own thing and hurting others around us with no remorse.  Those who live only to satisfy their known needs, while trying to flee from His Presence—which is impossible—will not fair well!   People curse using the word “hell” when our self-made circumstances with consequences get harder and harder to handle, but we don’t realize that hell is a real place.  One thing is for certain; the words that completely summarizes the horror of hell is “God isn’t there.” God cannot occupy the same space as sin. 

Max Lucado helps us think through this dilemma—

“Think for a moment about this question: What if God weren’t here on earth? You think people can be cruel now, imagine us without the presence of God. You think we are brutal to each other now, imagine the world without the Holy Spirit. You think there is loneliness and despair and guilt now, imagine life without the touch of Jesus. No forgiveness. No hope. No acts of kindness. No words of love. No more food given in his name. No more songs sung to his praise. No more deeds done in his honor. If God took away his angels, his grace, his promise of eternity, and his servants, what would the world be like?”

“In a word, hell. No one to comfort you and no music to soothe you. A world where poets don’t write of love and minstrels don’t sing of hope, for love and hope were passengers on the last ship. The final vessel has departed, and the anthem of hell has only two words: if only.

According to Jesus, hell knows only one sound, the “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13). From hell comes a woeful, unending moan as its inhabitants realize the opportunity they have missed. What they would give for one more chance. But that chance is gone (see Hebrews 9:27).

Can you see now why the angels rejoice when one sinner repents? Jesus knows what awaits the saved. He also knows what awaits the condemned. Can you see why we should rejoice as well? How can we? How can our hearts be changed so we rejoice like Jesus rejoices?

Ask God to help you have his eternal view of the world. His view of humanity is starkly simple. From his perspective every person is either:

• entering through the small gate or the wide gate (see Matthew 7:13–14)
• traveling the narrow road or the wide road (see Matthew 7:13–14)
• building on rock or sand (see Matthew 7:24–27)
• wise or foolish (see Matthew 25:2)
• prepared or unprepared (see Matthew 24:45–51)
• fruitful or fruitless (see Matthew 25:14–27)
• heaven-called or hell-bound (see Mark 16:15–16)

Are you prepared to die? If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, you will be separated from God for all eternity. Don’t allow that to happen. Repent of your sins and turn to Jesus Christ for salvation today. If you are a believer, make yourself available to share the Good News of Jesus.”—Lucado, Encouraging Word Bible

Revelation 10, The Message

^1-4 I saw another powerful Angel coming down out of Heaven wrapped in a cloud. There was a rainbow over his head, his face was sun-radiant, his legs pillars of fire. He had a small book open in his hand. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on land, then called out thunderously, a lion roar. When he called out, the Seven Thunders called back. When the Seven Thunders spoke, I started to write it all down, but a voice out of Heaven stopped me, saying, “Seal with silence the Seven Thunders; don’t write a word.”

^5-7 Then the Angel I saw astride sea and land lifted his right hand to Heaven and swore by the One Living Forever and Ever, who created Heaven and everything in it, earth and everything in it, sea and everything in it, that time was up—that when the seventh Angel blew his trumpet, which he was about to do, the Mystery of God, all the plans he had revealed to his servants, the prophets, would be completed.

^8-11 The voice out of Heaven spoke to me again: “Go, take the book held open in the hand of the Angel astride sea and earth.” I went up to the Angel and said, “Give me the little book.” He said, “Take it, then eat it. It will taste sweet like honey, but turn sour in your stomach.” I took the little book from the Angel’s hand and it was sweet honey in my mouth, but when I swallowed, my stomach curdled. Then I was told, “You must go back and prophesy again over many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Two choices are presented to us daily:    

Heaven or Hell. 

With Jesus and the power of God’s Holy Spirit in us we can grow, move forward, forgiven completely and made new.  Or we follow the Deceiver and be tempted by distractions and lies while consistently tormented by the replays of our past sins and failures. 

Jesus sets us free.  The Deceiver binds in chains of guilt forever.

Eternal life or death forever. 

No more tears or forever wailing and groaning in pain.

Choose wisely.  Our lives, now and later, depend on our decision.

If you choose Jesus— “You must go back and prophesy again over many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”  It is NOT God’s desire that anyone perish in the abyss of hell. 

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

In times like these we need a Savior;
In times like these we need an anchor.
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

This Rock is Jesus, yes, He’s the One.
This Rock is Jesus, the only One!
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

Lord,

I believe.  I have decided to follow you.  No turning back.  I choose Life!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

I have been called to third world countries several times over the years to visit for a week or two to be a helper.  There was a time when we stayed for few months to volunteer teach at a school and help in various ways as God led us.  We observed what most people who lived around us lacked what we in our country sometimes take for granted—food, pure water, and shelter.  Programs that have been developed in these countries, aided by other countries, cannot seem to be sustained for those in need or be of real help because of corrupt governments whose officials steal what is given to the poor and take what is given home for their own families and friends who they want to impress. Many people in the world are disadvantaged without provisions or the means to obtain them for various reasons. 

However, I have also observed and heard the beautiful testimonies of the physically poor who are spiritually rich in Jesus in ways that humbled my whole being.  They lack nothing in Jesus.  It is not only their words and behaviors of helping others; It shows by the smile on their weary worn faces.

Let’s go back on the mountain.  Jesus looked over those gathered and began his famous “Sermon on the Mount” to mixed audience of people who were seeking to know Him, curious about Him, with minds more than ready to judge Him based on the hearsay that surrounded Him.  Jesus begins with:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  (Matthew 5)

Wait, what now?

What did that mean to this crowd?  Some were poor, sick, blind, and crippled.  Some were haughty and proud of their Jewish heritage.  Others just wanted to come and see with other onlookers as they wondered what might happen next.  But all were compelled to see and hear this man who spoke and behaved like no other man in their world. Most accepted the Message even when they didn’t understand all the details. 

However, there were those with a specific motivation to judge critically, looking for ways and means to stop the Message.  And what are the first words they hear from Jesus, who is Truth?  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  How did they receive these words?  From habit, did they immediately look left and right at the physical poor around them, looking down their noses at them, while judging how much they lacked in their lives?  (Do we do that?)

But the phrase “poor in spirit” speaks to an even deeper reality—beyond physical poverty—but to true spiritual poverty. To be poor in spirit means to daily acknowledge our deepest human need for God with a desire to humbly grow in that longing and dependence on God.  Too much?

Let’s break it down.  The Message of the first Beatitude poor in spirit conveys the unthinkable blessing of salvation with all the riches of its benefits upon the least deserving, namely the poor in spirit. And that is all of us!  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Paul will passionately write to the churches—to Jews and Gentiles alike! (A Gentile is anyone not a Jew, Romans 3:23) 

Those who are aware that they have nothing to offer God in exchange for his favor are indeed blessed with the greatness of his favor.  (Mic dropped.)  Read that again.

According to the vision given to John, by the LORD; disobedience to God, filled with hate for God and His people, who diligently succumb to evil behaviors that wreak havoc on the lives of others will not only miss out on God’s favor, they will suffer for they lack the seal of God. They lack God.  They lack redemption of unconfessed sins from Jesus.  Jesus, who paid the debt of the sins of the world by suffering through torture, humiliation, and then nailed to a cross for our sins!  Jesus is the One and Only who through His suffering can set us free and seal us from death forever! –God’s Plan.

Revelation 8, The Message

^1-2 The fifth Angel trumpeted. I saw a Star plummet from Heaven to earth. The Star was handed a key to the Well of the Abyss. He unlocked the Well of the Abyss—smoke poured out of the Well, billows and billows of smoke, sun and air in blackout from smoke pouring out of the Well.

^3-6 Then out of the smoke crawled locusts with the venom of scorpions. They were given their orders: “Don’t hurt the grass, don’t hurt anything green, don’t hurt a single tree—only men and women, and then only those who lack the seal of God on their foreheads.” They were ordered to torture but not kill, torture them for five months, the pain like a scorpion sting. When this happens, people are going to prefer death to torture, look for ways to kill themselves. But they won’t find a way—death will have gone into hiding.

^7-11 The locusts looked like horses ready for war. They had gold crowns, human faces, women’s hair, the teeth of lions, and iron breastplates. The sound of their wings was the sound of horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. Their tails were equipped with stings, like scorpion tails. With those tails they were ordered to torture the human race for five months. They had a king over them, the Angel of the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, in Greek, Apollyon— “Destroyer.”

¹² The first doom is past. Two dooms yet to come.

^13-14 The sixth Angel trumpeted. I heard a voice speaking to the sixth Angel from the horns of the Golden Altar before God: “Let the Four Angels loose, the Angels confined at the great River Euphrates.”

^15-19 The Four Angels were untied and let loose, Four Angels all prepared for the exact year, month, day, and even hour when they were to kill a third of the human race. The number of the army of horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard the count and saw both horses and riders in my vision: fiery breastplates on the riders, lion heads on the horses breathing out fire and smoke and brimstone. With these three weapons—fire and smoke and brimstone—they killed a third of the human race. The horses killed with their mouths and tails; their serpent like tails also had heads that wreaked havoc.

^20-21 The remaining men and women who weren’t killed by these weapons went on their merry way—didn’t change their way of life, didn’t quit worshiping demons, didn’t quit centering their lives around lumps of gold and silver and brass, hunks of stone and wood that couldn’t see or hear or move. There wasn’t a sign of a change of heart. They plunged right on in their murderous, occult, promiscuous, and thieving ways.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Have a change of heart!  It’s all in the last two verses of this passage:

Quit worshiping demons who distract our minds, work on our hearts with deceit, with attempts to destroy our relationship with God who loves, heals, protects, and provides all we need in Him so that we lack nothing!

Quit worshiping our bank accounts with worry over what we lack.

Stay away from those who worship anything or anyone but God.  Worship only God.

Be signed, sealed, and delivered by Jesus to God. Jesus is the One and Only Way to reconcile us to God in relationship with God! 

Repent of sins to Jesus. Accept the immediate help of His Holy Spirit, and enjoy the benefits (favor) of a loving, intimate relationship with God who loves us most! 

Blessed are those who know Who they need most and seek Him first—for they lack nothing.

Lord,

Your truly are the Way to Truth that gives Life eternal.  Hope reigns in my heart today because I know whom I have believed.  You are my everything.  Not that I am perfect but I am perfectly forgiven, approved, and cherished by you.  Thank you, Lord.  You are my Shepherd; I lack nothing.

In Jesus Name, for Your Glory, Amen! Yes, I believe.

Just in case you missed it—Be sealed for life with Jesus!

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23

Come to Jesus!