The True Prophet, Priest And King

The bright morning star will return with the royal scepter to rule the nations.

Numbers 24:15-19 This is the message Balaam delivered: "This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes see clearly, 16 the message of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open:

17 I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. It will crush the heads of Moab's people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.

18 Edom will be taken over, and Seir, its enemy, will be conquered, while Israel marches on in triumph. 19 A ruler will rise in Jacob who will destroy the survivors of Ir."

We have seen in the past few post about Balaam and King Balak that a false prophet, a false priest and an evil king cannot stand against the will of God. They were sure that God's people didn't deserve the promises after the way they have been behaving in the wilderness so they tried but failed to change God's mind.

There are a lot of images of Jesus seen in the Old Testament, types of Christ, but this is the only opposite type of Christ that I am aware of. Balaam and King Balak have formed an unholy alliance against God's people that looks similar to the unholy trinity that the Bible shows us in Revelation.

The Unholy Trinity

As a prophet and priest, Balaam is:

• A false prophet that is an unwilling messenger for God, he wants to prophecy that God's people are cursed in order to please the king but God is in control so he is forced to bless
• An unholy priest that used excessive sacrifices multiple times in high places the way the pagans did to manipulate their "gods" to try and get different outcomes

As a king, Balak is:

• Trying to be in control against God's will in order to protect his own interest
• Furious that his money, military threat, and religious activity are powerless (Numbers 24:10-11)

It is easy to see how Satan is using these men to imitate what is holy, these men give us a clear preview of what is going to be seen in the end times. Satan, the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet will be defeated as God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit win the ultimate battle with a permanent outcome. (Revelation 16:13)

The True Prophet, Priest And King Comes With Blessings

Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the LORD's favor has come."

Jesus came to earth on a mission to bless, he makes it obvious at the beginning of his ministry by applying the verses in Isaiah 61:1-2 to himself in Luke 4:18-19. It is interesting that Jesus stopped reading in Isaiah mid-sentence to omit the next phrase that talks about his second coming as the king that will judge the nations.

Jesus came to be Emmanuel, God with us, to be a blessing to us. Because of God's great love he came to redeem his people from slavery to the kingdom of darkness where we live still today. Scripture gave us a picture of this when God took his people out of Egypt and made them into a holy nation that would bless the world.

Jesus told us that he came to seek and save the lost to save us from the day of judgment that has been postponed until after the church age when grace and salvation will be replaced by judgment and wrath. (John 3:16-17, Luke 19:10)

Jesus is our:

• Prophet, Jesus spoke only what the Father gave Him, blessings instead of curses (John 7:16; 8:28; 12:49–50)
• Priest, Jesus blessed us by offering himself as the true sacrifice that became cursed for our sins (Galatians 3:13-14)
• King, Jesus established a new, eternal kingdom that is not of this world and he transferred our citizenship there (John 18:36, Colossians 1:13-14, Revelation 11:15)

Thankfully the prophet and priest came first, we need the true high priest to forgive us of our sins and the true prophet to help us know God so we can prepare ourselves for the arrival of the king. The same Jesus who came as the gentle shepherd to care for his sheep in this life as he prepares us will take care of us eternally as he prepares a place for us to live with him. (Revelation 19:9 21:4–5; 22:3)

The Bright Morning Star

Revelation 22:14-16 Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. 15 Outside the city are the dogs-the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie. 16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star."

The end of the story, way back in the end of our Bible in Revelation, assures us that the star that was to come from Jacob really did come! When Jesus was with us the first time he told us that he is the light of the world (John 8:12, 9:5, 12:46) and at the end of our Bible he makes it clear that he is the bright morning star.

The Bright Morning Star will return but this time he will arrive with the Royal Scepter to rule the nations. When the king returns to reign he will allow those who have washed their robes to enter the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. We will dwell with him in his kingdom where no sun or moon is needed as Jesus himself will be our everlasting light (Revelation 21:23; 22:5).

The same King who gently calls, "Come to me, all who are weary and I will give you rest" will one day say to the unrepentant, "Depart from me" (Matthew 11:28, 25:41).

This Christmas, as we celebrate the Star that rose over Bethlehem, the question remains: Will the King invite you in? 

Come to him today willing to accept him as your High Priest so that you can live with the King for eternity.

The Challenge Of The Eternal City

Heaven is my destination for eternity and it is my motivation for this life.

Revelation 22:3-5 No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship Him. 4 And they will see His face, and His name will be written on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no night there--no need for lamps or sun--for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

Titus 2:12-14 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

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At the end of the book of Revelation we see the ultimate end of our existence. We don't have to speculate or search Google to find the answer to the demise of humanity and our planet. Because we do know how it will end and we know that we will be answerable to God for this life we need to consider a few things.

First we looked at the idea that we should be excited to celebrate our final victory in Jesus and feel comfort in knowing that Heaven is in our future. We need to be encouraged to live joyfully so that other people will see the incredible hope and comfort that the world desperately needs.

Second we looked at the cause or the purpose of the eternal city and we learned that Heaven isn't supposed to be our great desire because we will get a more comfortable existence with a lot of great perks. My greatest desire should be to know God in a much more personal way.

Today I am looking at the third way that the reality of Heaven should affect our existence today. I should live a very different lifestyle with a new mindset because of wat has been done for me. I love to travel to other countries but it is always a tiny bit of anxiety while you wait to get through immigration. That anxiety is something that you don't need to have when you arrive at the eternal city.

I know that Heaven is a country where I could never get a visa without some serious help from somebody much better than myself. Since I have received such an awesome gift I should show my gratitude instead of acting like this life is all about me.

The king of the eternal city has a best selling book that tells us how to get through immigration and what is expected of the citizens of the eternal city. He wrote this book for our benefit yet there are many that have purchased the book and have never seriously thought about the author and what his intentions were for writing the book.

God's book makes it clear that the people that are looking forward to a better country are supposed to be patriotic representatives of the better country and it's King. These special people should live differently to promote our homeland and it's interest.

Romans 7:21-25 I have discovered this principle of life--that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God's law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.

24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

The challenge to live to please the king of our new country should create a tension between the new country and the country of birth. The new creation that I am in Jesus demands my loyalty but the fact that I am still stuck in this fallen world in my old carnal body is a conflict that I must deal with for now.

Titus 3:5-8 He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of His grace He declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life."

8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.

Thankfully I do not have to master this conflict alone! Besides the best selling book that the king wrote I also have unbelievable power to live above the standards of this world because he also gave me the Holy Spirit. When I utilize the power found in the Bible and the Holy Spirit's power I can rise up to the challenge and live in victory.

Jesus knows that the citizens of his eternal city that take his instructions seriously will struggle against the culture and it's attitudes. That is why he gives us good news at the end of the book: “My reward is with Me.”

Will you be ready for great gain or will you suffer great loss? (! Corinthians 3:13-17)

The Cause Of The Eternal City

How exciting does being with God for eternity sound to you?

Revelation 22:1-5 Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.

3 No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship Him. 4 And they will see His face, and His name will be written on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no night there--no need for lamps or sun--for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

Psalms 68:3-4 But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God's presence. Let them be filled with joy. 4 Sing praises to God and to His name! Sing loud praises to Him who rides the clouds. His name is the LORD--rejoice in His presence!

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There are many reasons to take comfort in knowing that you are going to Heaven when you die. Most of us would list reasons such as seeing a loved one, getting a new body that isn't worn out and everybody's favorite, escaping Hell.

Heaven is going to be amazing. The eternal city won't have a temple, no more night (yet there won't be any lighting from the sun and no light bulbs) no disease or death and no more closed gates to keep our enemies out. Paradise lost has been restored!

But it is wise to see Heaven as more than just our destination. If you are just looking for a better place to live with a prosperous lifestyle then you are missing the point of going to heaven. My desire to go to Heaven should be much more than escaping Hell, enjoying the abundant life or desiring to be rid of the troubles that we have here on earth.

Jesus promised us that the pure in heart will be blessed to see God but how much do we really long to see God? I see how much some of the characters in the Bible desired to see God and be with him and I see a huge difference in my life. The lack of passion for him on my part is embarrassing to admit. (Matthew 5:8, Romans 8:18-30)

Exodus 33:16-18 How will anyone know that You look favorably on me--on me and on Your people--if You don't go with us? For Your presence among us sets Your people and me apart from all other people on the earth."

17 The LORD replied to Moses, "I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name." 18 Moses responded, "Then show me Your glorious presence."

God has promised Moses that he would be with him and take his people to an awesome land full of many wonderful things but that isn't what Moses longs for the most. Moses used to live in the household of the richest man around but he already gave up all of that stuff. Moses wasn't looking for the abundant life here on earth.

All of this stuff excites most of us more than spending time in God's presence and knowing him intimately. It is so wrong that the idea of spending eternity with God doesn't excite me as much as it should.

We don't really appreciate what we have! In our sin filled minds we cannot love him, worship him or desire to be with him as much as we should. This song by Natalie Grant comes to mind and helps me question my motivation for desiring Heaven:

More Than Anything - Natalie Grant
Help me want the Healer more than the healing Help me want the Savior more than the saving Help me want the Giver more than the giving Help me want you Jesus more than anything

If I desire the things that Jesus can do for me more than I desire to know him then something is wrong with my desires. Jesus doesn't want to be accepted because of all of the things that he can do for me.

There are a lot of perks that come with going to Heaven but being with God and enjoying his presence for eternity should be our ultimate goal and our greatest satisfaction. It is absurd that we don't react to this awesome news and desire God more than we do.

My desires need to be checked regularly. It is too easy to begin to lose my first love and become more passionate for the things of this world. None of those other things are going to satisfy my deepest longings.

Lord help me to long for and keep my focus on you!

The Comfort Of The Eternal City

There is no greater comfort than knowing that Heaven is in your future.

Revelation 22:1-5 Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.

3 No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship Him. 4 And they will see His face, and His name will be written on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no night there--no need for lamps or sun--for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

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The book of Revelation is such an encouragement for God's children, that may be a very surprising statement to you, very few people look at the book from that point of view but God's children really should. It is the greatest story ever told that should affect our lives for today and for eternity.

Instead we get too busy analyzing the culture that we live in and the characters that can be found in the news stories from around the world and we attempt to make our times be the end times. We study everything in the book and try to make a literal interpretation of it all that is based on current world events so that we can figure out God's timetable.

We fail to acknowledge that the writer was severely hindered in trying to describe things that are too great to communicate to humans so that they can comprehend and we forget that God didn't allow John to write down everything. (Revelation 10:4)

God didn’t give us the book of Revelation so that we could analyze our culture, so that we could pinpoint social and political analyses of current events. He wrote it so that we might catch the spirit of the coming of Jesus Christ and live in the light of it.

-John MacArthur

How can we think that we are so well informed that we can piece all of this together and figure out the details of Jesus return?

Satan likes us for us to look at the negative aspects of the book of Revelation, he will use anything to get us down, even the best news that God has ever revealed can be used against us.

Reasons to see this book as a source of comfort and encouragement:

✔ Revelation gives us an awesome view of Jesus that you don't get to see very often in scripture. Seeing the glorified Savior as he is today should give me great hope. ✔ Revelation shows me that God is on the throne and Jesus is at his side. The picture of God on the throne throughout the book of Revelation should be reassuring to us as we witness the chaos of this world around us everyday. (Revelation 4:2-10, 5:1-13, 6:16) ✔ I get to witness the final defeat of Satan, God's kingdom comes and the prayers of the saints throughout the ages has been answered. Jesus assures us three times in the last chapter of Revelation that he is coming back to take us to this glorious scene. (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20)

Satan loves for God's children to be deceived into worrying about future events and focusing on bad news. The bad news that you see in today's world will only get worse, don't fret about it, today's bad news is a part of God's timetable.

I need to celebrate the eternal city and my victory in Jesus! I need to be encouraged to live joyfully and let my light shine so that other people will see the incredible hope and comfort that the world cannot explain apart from Jesus.

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How Can I Find Comfort When An Unsaved Loved One Has Died? (gotquestions.org)
Billy Graham's Final Answer (billygraham.org)

Our Conqueror Will Rule

Satan defeated, unbelievers judged, God's kingdom come.

Revelation 20:10-15 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

11 And I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from His presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.

14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:1-3 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them.

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In the daily grind and weariness of life it may seem that our prayers are never going to be answered, it seems that "thy kingdom come" is never going to happen. Because of the delay there are many people that have given up on his second coming. They fail to realize that the Bible proves over and over again that God's timetable moves very slowly and it isn't a sign that his promises will not come true.

We don't like delay anymore than God's children in the Bible. Noah thought the first ever boat would never be completed, Abraham thought that he would never have an heir, God's children thought that they would never stop being ruled by various world leaders.

It is easy to think that God is late and his second coming will never happen. Jesus will return and stop the plans of Satan, the people of Satan's kingdom will be judged and the children of God's kingdom will finally be satisfied forever.

For every time the first coming of Christ is mentioned, the Second Coming is mentioned eight times. And the Lord Himself refers to His coming twenty-one times and over 50 times we are exhorted to be ready for that great event. 

-John MacArthur

This event is so important that scripture makes it clear that we can trust God to come through on the Bible's promises about the second coming. The first coming miraculously fulfilled hundreds of prophecies so we can have confidence that the second coming which is predicted much more often than the first is sure to take place.

Jesus will begin his rule by defeating all of the opposition to his kingdom. 

World leaders will fight “against the Lord and against His anointed” but they will all be defeated. Their weapons prove to be worthless against the sword of the Lord. God created by speaking and it instantly happened and by the sword of his mouth his enemies will be defeated. (Psalm 2:1-3, Hebrews 4:12)

The beast, the false prophet and Satan are all doomed, first the beast and false prophet are cast into hell, then after the thousand year millennial reign Satan will follow them to the same fate. (Revelation 20:10)

The next defeat will happen to all those whose names are not recorded in the Book of Life. The sad reality of everyone that loved their life on earth too much to be concerned about what would happen in the next life. At the great white throne, there will be a Judge but no jury, a prosecution but no defense, a sentence but no appeal. God's answer will be final! (John 12:25, Revelation 20:15)

The prayers of God's children throughout the ages will finally be answered. The longing for "they kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven" will be fulfilled! All of the earthly kingdoms, no matter how good some of them are, will all be gone.

Jesus has told us how to avoid defeat as a citizen of his kingdom.

You don't have to go down in defeat. if you make the wise choice and you are ready for the king that is coming then you will be a citizen of the new kingdom with the only perfect king. There will not be any illegal immigration into God's kingdom.

The Bible is the story of God restoring the kingdom that was lost back when God walked with man in the Garden of Eden. The story continued as God abides with Israel in the tabernacle and later in the temple. Jesus came to earth and “tabernacled” among us and now lives within us. At the end of time the kingdom will be fully restored and God's children will take their place in this better country that they have been longing to see. (John 1:14 / Hebrews 11:16 /1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

When we enter the kingdom we will enjoy God's presence even more fully than Adam and Eve did in the garden. We will finally be home enjoying the presence of our father.

Are you a friend of the conqueror? You can find peace with God.

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Our Conqueror Will Return (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)

Our Conqueror Will Return

Jesus return is mentioned in the Bible more often than his first coming.

Revelation 19:11-16 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for He judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on His head were many crowns. A name was written on Him that no one understood except Himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and His title was the Word of God.

14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. 16 On His robe at His thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

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The moment that all of Heaven and earth have been waiting for is finally here! The event that we have been waiting for ever since the consequences of sin became known. (Genesis 3:15, 2 Samuel 7:1-29, Luke 1:31-33)

The plans of Satan to destroy God's most precious creation will be stopped, Satan couldn't stand to see God enjoying time with Adam and Eve each day in the garden, he couldn't stand that they were made in God's image so he went after Adam and Eve and tempted them to make the same choice that he made.

In all 66 books of the Bible we see the story of God redeeming sinful man and the ultimate return of Jesus to restore the kingdom. Next to the subject of faith, there is no other topic mentioned more often than the return of Christ. Jesus first coming fulfilled hundreds of prophecies but that is nothing compared to the number of prophecies that will be fulfilled when he returns.

For every time the first coming of Christ is mentioned, the Second Coming is mentioned eight times. And the Lord Himself refers to His coming twenty-one times and over 50 times we are exhorted to be ready for that great event.

-John MacArthur

It is amazing that a lot of people believe in the miracle of his first coming to be with us and all of the prophecy that it fulfilled but they ignore the fact that much more is predicted about his return and the severe consequences for those that are not ready.

Revelation 19 announces the victory that God's children have longed to see. Our conqueror rides out of Heaven on a white horse to instantly obtain victory just by speaking a word. He will bring his bride with him but she will not join him in battle, we will only be spectators of this extremely short battle, our Savior will execute God's judgment quickly with just one weapon.

Our Conqueror's favorite weapon is the sharp sword of God's word, think about it, God's word spoke creation into existence, it caused a fig tree to wither away, his word spoke to a legion of demons and instantly they fled, and now He speaks a word and the war of all wars is instantly over! (Revelation 1:16, 2:12,16)

Use God's Weapons

Isaiah 11:4 He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of His word, and one breath from His mouth will destroy the wicked. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. 4 We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. Ephesians 6:17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Our Conqueror shared God's word with us and applied it to almost every situation he encountered, whether he was teaching, rebuking or doing battle with Satan, he almost always quoted the Old Testament. It is amazing that we don't have a higher regard for God's word and have more respect for its power.

We need to be digging into God's word everyday so that we will know what it says. One thing that the Bible shows us is that Satan knows God's word and he knows how to use it improperly, distorting the facts to try and trip us up. God's children need to be well acquainted with our weapon so that we will know how to use it well.

Our Conqueror is preparing a place for us, a place that we should be longing to see, a place where justice and righteousness will rule, when it is ready he will return to earth to setup his kingdom.

Is He Your Conqueror?
John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, those who listen to My message and believe in God who sent Me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life."

Don't be conquered by Satan and his deception! Don't be conquered by religion and all of it's empty rules! And don't be conquered by your self defeating thoughts and bad habits. If we view ourselves through the reality of the gospel, the fact that Jesus loves us and is preparing a place for us, then we should never feel defeated. (1 John 5:4)

Our Conqueror came the first time to offer us the opportunity to be victorious as one of God's children. We can overcome this evil world and have true peace because the battle has already been won.

Victory In Jesus

Victory is on the way so don't get discouraged.

Revelation 14:1-3 Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him were 144,000 who had His name and His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together. 3 This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

Revelation 15:3-4 And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations. 4 Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous deeds have been revealed."

Revelation 19:1 After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, “Praise the LORD! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

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A lot of people stay away from the book of Revelation because of all of the scary stuff that happens but that certainly wasn't the intention when this book was delivered to the early church. The saints that were being persecuted found these words to be encouraging as they were struggling to do church the right way.

It should be encouraging to know that the reader of this book is promised to be blessed and it should be even more uplifting to see God, Jesus and Heaven in vivid detail that is not seen very often in the rest of the Bible.

If you need to be encouraged today then check out the voices of victory that Revelation tells us about as the final triumph over evil is drawing near in the last half of the tribulation.

The first voice we hear is the combined voices of the 144,000 that lived through the tribulation. Their instruments and voices make up a huge choir that sings a wonderful new song to Jesus from Jerusalem. They don't stay on the earth much longer, their final destination is Heaven and in a little while we will see this same choir in Heaven singing the song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-27) and the song of the Lamb. (Revelation 15:1-4)

The next voices that John heard was of three angels. (Revelation 14:6-20) The first angel goes on the last mission trip that the world will experience as he goes across the sky proclaiming the gospel to everyone. The angels have never been used to share the gospel before but now there are not any believers left to share the gospel.

The next two angels announce that judgement is here and the world system is going down. If you are a child of God then you should find comfort in knowing that the burden of living in this sin filled world will not last forever. (Revelation 14:14-16)

The Son of Man comes with his harvesting tool as two angels announce that the harvest is ready to be gathered and put into the winepress. The judge is the King of kings and the Lord of lords; his tool for judgment is the Word of God. (Revelation 14:14-20, 19:11-16)

Revelation 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, "It is finished!"

"It is finished!" The same words that Jesus spoke from the cross to announce victory over death for God's children are the same words that God spoke to announce victory over Satan and the end to his rule over this world. In both instances the victory was so sure that it was announced even though it hadn't happened yet. (John 19:30)

Praise The Lord
Five reasons for their praise emerge: 1) God’s deliverance of His people from their enemies (Revelation 19:1); 2) God’s meting out of justice (Revelation 19:2); 3) God’s permanent crushing of man’s rebellion (Revelation 19:3); 4) God’s sovereignty (Revelation 19:6); 5) God’s communion with His people (Revelation 19:7). -MacArthur Study Bible

As the end draws near and the final victory is in sight there is an explosion of praise and celebration. (Revelation 19:1-10)  All of the trials and the suffering that God's children have experienced and all of the effects of sin on this world are about to be gone forever. Living without sin sounds awesome but since we have never experienced it we really cannot comprehend or fully appreciate it.

The Bible makes it clear who will be victorious at the end of time. God's children will overcome this evil world but we don't get to take credit for it. As a child of God we need to live joyfully and give the credit where it is due knowing that our victory has been guaranteed by someone far greater than ourselves! (John 16:33)

Eat God's Word

You need to make it your own before you share it with others.

Revelation 10:1-2 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. 2 And in his hand was a small scroll that had been opened. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.

Revelation 10:8-10 Then the voice from heaven spoke to me again: "Go and take the open scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. "Yes, take it and eat it," he said. "It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!" 10 So I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach.

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It is amazing how we treat the word of God as just another piece of literature. We don't really listen to ourselves and let it sink in when we say that this is the words of God. We should be in awe that God has given us the story of mankind from beginning to end so that we can know our creator and his purpose for our existence.

Our lack of interest in God's commands is absurd but it isn't anything new. From the beginning of history we have been very good at doing things our own way, instead of learning from the mistakes of the characters mentioned in the Bible, we rush to make the same mistakes as we act like we are better than them and would never do those things. (1 Corinthians 10:3-6, 11-13)

John took the word of God and ate it, he took it into his inner being so that it would influence his character, he needed to digest it and apply it to his own life before he could effectively give it to others. If you aren't consistently being influenced by the word then how will your audience take you serious when you share the word with them? (Ezekiel 3:10)

John was told to reveal the future events to let us know what God's plan is for rebellious people that do not know our Savior. The judgments that he had to warn us about were difficult to digest and were very upsetting. That's how God's word should affect us.

The sweet promises that are given to God's children are contrasted with th extreme punishment for everybody else. The Christian bears witness of both life and death, blessing and curses (2 Corinthians 2:14-17, Deuteronomy 30:15-18). If we take God's word serious we will understand how John felt.

Ezekiel 3:1-3 The voice said to me, "Son of man, eat what I am giving you--eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel." 2 So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll. 3 "Fill your stomach with this," He said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

Ezekiel was also sent to warn hard hearted, rebellious people. God warned him that the people wouldn't listen but it was still his responsibility to give them the warning so that they are responsible for their doom.

God's children are sent to the rebellious to warn them of the penalty that they must pay for rejecting the Savior. I am responsible to give the warning and they are responsible to make the wise choice and repent.

Digging into the word of God can be a great resource if we take it in and and fully digest it so that it is a part of our character and it influences us to stay in line with God's desire for our lives.

I need to take in God's word daily, meditate on it and apply it to my life. Then I can be a credible testimony of the life changing power of the gospel.

Thank you Lord for your word. Thank you for the sweetness of the promises to your children. Help me to remember the bitterness and the devastating consequences that are also found in your word so that I can sound the warning. (Ezekiel 3:16-27)

Make The Wise Choice

People without a Savior will beg to die instead of living for Him.

Revelation 9:3-6 Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were given power to sting like scorpions. 4 They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were told not to kill them but to torture them for five months with pain like the pain of a scorpion sting. 6 In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them!

Revelation 9:20 But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood--idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk!

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In the last blog post we saw the incredible amount of trouble that was reserved for the unbelievers during the Great Tribulation. So far the earth has been subjected to all kinds of catastrophic events that have affected the people, these events are similar to what happened in Egypt when Pharaoh wouldn't let God's children go.

That is about to change as the misery becomes a result of physical torture that is applied directly to the unbelievers. The first few rounds of torture were the result of events that take place on the earth. (earthquakes, famine, water becoming blood)

The agents to administer this torture are released when the key to the bottomless pit is handed over to their leader. The bottomless pit is opened and its demons receive their orders, they are released but they are restrained, they are told what they must do and they cannot do anything else.

For five months the unbelieving world will have non-stop stinging pain like a scorpion inflicts. The pain will be so extreme that the people will wish to die but God does not grant them their wish, man has always had the ability to self destruct, but in the Great Tribulation suicide will not be an option.

The seals and trumpets are a gradual start of God's judgment that allows people some more time to change their minds but instead they are still rebellious even after being constantly tortured for five months. That's 216,000 minutes of non-stop, extreme suffering without any hope of relief.

To live without hope is a very sad place to be, you would think that this misery would be enough to get them to turn from their wickedness but instead of changing their ways they prove that they love their sinful ways and just seek to die. (Proverbs 2:14, 26:11, @ Timothy 3:1-5

Instead of seeking life they seek death but how is dying without a Savior going to make things better?

After five months of torture one-third of the earth's population gets their wish. God allows another group of wicked angels to be released and there is another outbreak of demonic activity that will bring widespread death to the people that were so anxious to die.

Again, I must ask you, even if you are being tortured continuously for 216,000 minutes, how does dying without a Savior improve your sad condition?

Back in Revelation 6:8 one fourth of the earth have already died and now another one third of the population dies in Revelation 9:15. There are thousands upon thousands of bodies lying around that needed to be disposed of, there are great wars, famine and evil demonic torture. No wonder mankind's only hope is to die.

It is unnecessary to try to “spiritualize” these symbols, or to interpret them in light of modern means of warfare. John is heaping image upon image to force us to feel the horror of this judgment.

-Warren Wiersbe

Again, I must ask you, even in these terrible conditions, how does choosing to die without a Savior improve your sad condition?

There must be another option, there must be time to make the right choice and accept the Savior, otherwise why would John tell us that man refused to repent. It seems to be implied that they have a choice but they refuse to choose wisely. (Revelation 2:21, 9:20)

You know that Cain and Abel must have heard their parents tell them about life in the garden and that God judged them for sin. When Noah and his family left the Ark they all immediately run back to their sinful ways.

Deuteronomy 30:15, 17-18 Now listen! Today am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. 17 But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, 18 then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.

When you read about it in scripture it seems like the correct choice is so obvious. After everything that happened on the way to the promised land God's children should have been able to make the right choice. They suffered severe consequences that are as big as some of the events in Revelation and many of them refused to repent just like the people in the end times.

Proverbs 1:22 "How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge?

We are all just one step from stupid. We can all be known as a simpleton that enjoys his own rebellion and pride. The chances of success in this area are greatly increased when we truly love God and his book of instruction that he has given to us. 

Trouble Ahead

The day is coming when God will bring mans rebellion to an end.

Revelation 6:10-11 They shouted to the Lord and said, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before You judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?" 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters--their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred--had joined them.

Revelation 6:15-17 Then everyone--the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person--all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?"

Revelation 8:13 Then I looked, and I heard a single eagle crying loudly as it flew through the air, "Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets."

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So far most people are okay with the Book of Revelation, we have met the glorified Jesus and we have received his instruction on how to do church, then in the next chapter we see the church in Heaven where they meet the Creator and then the Redeemer.

We don't mind talking about meeting Jesus and getting our rewards but we don't like to think about the events that are about to start now that Jesus has called the church home and now he has taken the sealed scroll from God's right hand. It is now time for mans rebellion to be brought to an end.

This information about the end times isn't completely new to John, he has already heard Jesus teach about what will take place, Revelation six looks a lot like what Jesus predicted in Matthew 24 when he was teaching the disciples from the Mount of Olives.

The wrath of God begins with the opening of the seals of God's scroll:

False Christ - Matthew 24:4-5, Revelation 6:1-2
War - Matthew 24:6-8, Revelation 6:3-4
Famine - Matthew 24:7, Revelation 6:5-6
Death - Matthew 24:7-10, Revelation 6:7-8
Martys - Matthew 24:14, Revelation 6:9-11
Cosmic Changes - Matthew 24:29, Revelation 6:12-23

To the people that are subject to God's wrath it looks like complete chaos but John shows us from his perspective in Heaven that everything is in order as each seal is opened and nothing is happening without God's approval.

There are two groups of people that react to the trouble on earth. There are the martyrs that cry out for their blood to be avenged, and even though their prayers are heard in heaven, they do not bring an end to the suffering. The other group is the unbelievers that want to he hidden from all of the calamity. It is interesting to note that they know the reason for their suffering but they love their sin more that they love Jesus. (Revelation 6:9-17)

God will continue to deal with the relentless rebellion on the earth, the seventh seal brings the next round of his wrath via the seven trumpets. Each of these judgments comes with greater intensity than the six seals. (Revelation 8:1-11:19)

Revelation 9:20  But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.

It is difficult to comprehend that these people will know that their punishment is from God yet they will continue to refuse to turn to him. God is willing to accept them but instead of repentance the vast majority of the world will lash out at God's people and make more martyrs.

God's children throughout all of the ages are like those martyrs that ask "How long?" Even those of us that are not martyrs ask the same question as we long to be in a better place. Maybe the problem is that we live for the next minute, maybe the next day, but to wait for God to move may not come until generations later.

God will relieve his people of this sinful world and fulfill their longing for his righteousness kingdom to be established but until then it is my responsibility to bring his kingdom into my world. When I yield to the reign of Christ and surrender my throne to him then "thy kingdom come" happens in my life and it has an affect on the world around me.

Will you be a part of this new kingdom and escape God's judgement?

RELATED ARTICLES

The Six Seals (bible.org)
The Cross Absorbed The Wrath Of God (billygraham.org)
What Is The Kingdom Of God (desiringgod.org)

God's Books

Believe the contents of the open book or be punished by the sealed book.

Revelation 5:1 Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals.

Revelation 5:4-5 Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, "Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals."

Revelation 13:8 And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made--the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered.

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Some of the oldest books known to man are the sixty six books that make up the Bible. The Jews were meticulous about preserving God's word and making handwritten copies of it with a great deal of accuracy.

The Bible tells us about other books that God has that are even older. David says that God has a record of every tear, in Ezekiel God says that he will remove the false prophets from Israel's record books and in Malachi a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.

What a blessing it is to have the words of our creator to help us know him and have some understanding about who he is and what he expects of us. The thought that he took the time to speak to us is amazing, as small as we are and despite all of our flaws he gave us a book to let us know him.

The Bible doesn't tell us much about all of God's books but we don't need worry about their content. We don't need to try and understand more than God has made undeniably clear in the sixty six books that we have in our Bibles. God isn't going to give us a pop quiz on material that isn't covered in his word. (Deuteronomy 29:29)

We need to read God's open book so that we can know what he expects of us. The open book tells us about a day of judgment that is coming for all of mankind after God's children are safely at home with Jesus.

There is a sealed book that will finally be opened and God's wrath will be carried out as the final battle with Satan takes place. The Lamb that was found worthy to take the sealed book from God will reveal it's contents a step at a time to carry out God's plans. (Revelation 5:1-5)

There are thousands of promises from Genesis to Revelation, so many of them have come true that it is safe to assume that the promises that haven't happened yet are going to be accomplished.

Revelation 20:11-12 And I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from His presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.

The final judgment of mankind will be done with some more books, there will be the book that has a record of all of our deeds and there will be the Book of Life, the first book that God will use will find us in great need of a Savior and his second book will validate if you have one. 

John 3:3 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God."

The Book of Life is the record of all of the citizens of Heaven, everyone that is recorded in this book is a citizen by birth, there won't be any illegal immigration into this country and there won't be any discrimination based on your color or the place of your first birth.

Have you become a citizen of God's eternal kingdom? Find out how you can have peace with God that starts now and last for eternity.

FIND PEACE WITH GOD

Crowns

There are crowns in my future instead of the punishment that I deserve.

Revelation 2:10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.

Revelation 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.

Revelation 4:4 Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads.

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It would be a shame to reach the end of our time here on earth and realize that we didn't do very much that had eternal value. It is sad that few people are interested in knowing how to live for things that have eternal significance that will earn us an eternal reward.

It may sound strange to you that God's children are supposed to be working, don't be confused by this work, we aren't working to become his child, we are working because we are his child. Our work is not to achieve acceptance into Heaven but rather our work is because we are so grateful for Jesus work on the cross to give us what we could never attain on our own.

We have heard of the judgment seat of Christ but that really isn't a good translation for what is going to happen there. The children of God have already been accepted and their sins have been covered so this judgement is really an assessment of how many rewards you have gained or lost. We have no reason to fear what will happen when we meet Jesus. (John 3:18; 5:24; 6:37; 17:23 / Romans 4:7-8; 5:1; 8:1 / 1 Corinthians 1:30, 11:32)

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have--Jesus Christ. 12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials--gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

On top of the incredible privilege of eternity in the presence of God we also have the potential to earn crowns if we do not waste our life on worthless things. What a shame to build on the foundation of Jesus with building materials that are so cheap, easy to get and even easier to burn.

We need to build with gold, silver and jewels by doing the right things and by doing them with the right motives and attitudes. This is a real "paying it forward" that will last for eternity.

Five Crowns For God's Faithful And Obedient People:

The Imperishable Crown (1 Corinthians 9:24-25, 1 Peter 1:3-5) A garland or wreath that would soon fade away was the crown that was given to the winner of the early Olympic style games. It is amazing that so much extreme work went into receiving a crown that would last a short while. The Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7-8) God the Father's free gift unto his children, promised to everyone who loves the Lord and eagerly waits for His return. The Crown of Rejoicing (Luke 15:7, Philippians 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 3:9) Also known as the soul winners' crown. Will you meet people in Heaven that are there partially because of your influence? The Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4, Romans 8:18) The shepherd's crown that is reserved for those that take care of the flock. Those of us that heed Jesus' words to Peter to feed his sheep will be rewarded. The Crown of Life (James 1:12 / Revelation 2:10) This crown is for all believers, but it is especially dear to those who endure sufferings, who bravely follow Jesus to the point of death.

God's people have always been promised rewards for obedience, his guarantee of blessings can be seen throughout the Bible and while Jesus was here he repeated the promise. (Deuteronomy 28:1–14, Mark 10:29–31)

Man made crowns are used to focus our attention on the one wearing the crown but in Heaven our crowns will draw attention to the giver of the crowns and bring him greater glory. Instead of pride or envy when we see somebody with a greater crown there will only be great joy and amazement that God's son would personally reach out and give us our reward.

Can you imagine how amazing a crown must be that is created with the building materials that they have in Heaven? What will it be like to have that amazing crown given to you by Jesus instead of the eternal punishment that you deserve?

Lord help me to stay focused on the work that you have for me and not be distracted by worthless things so that you will be pleased. It  is amazing that I will receive eternal life with you and on top of that I will also be rewarded for my service to you.

Worship The Creator

We will not worship as we should before we get to Heaven.

Revelation 4:8-11 Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the One who always was, who is, and who is still to come." 9 Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the One sitting on the throne (the One who lives forever and ever), 10 the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the One sitting on the throne (the One who lives forever and ever).

And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, 11 "You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created all things, and they exist because You created what You pleased."

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The Revelation of John continues in chapter four with an invitation to step into Heaven. The Book of Revelation started with Jesus as he is today, the glorified Jesus at work among the churches, giving us instructions on how to do church.

John's vision keeps progressing and now the church age is over in chapter four and we can logically conclude that the rapture of the church has occurred. The progression of John's vision is from the Church Age on earth to the throne of God in Heaven. Combine that progression with what we know from other scriptures and you can see that God's children are safely with him when his wrath is poured out on those that are still on earth in chapter six. (1 Corinthians 15:52 / 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

John is called up to Heaven to encourage us of how wonderful our future is. What an amazing sight that John is attempting to describe for us! John's experience is much different from any of the popular accounts of people that claim that they have been to Heaven. Unlike all of those stories everything that John sees in Heaven revolves around the throne of God.

God is on His throne and around the throne are beings that represent God's people, they have been given white robes and they have received their crowns which they will give back to God as they worship him.

God is in control, which is what we should expect from the one that is on the throne of Heaven. Despite the persecution that is going on back on Earth, which John is experiencing, the persecuted Christians should never doubt his power or his wisdom.

We suffer with so much discouragement and worry because we forget that he is on the throne and he is in control despite all of the chaos around us. We should not entertain the idea that evil is going to win.

God is being worshiped, which is what we should expect from the ones that are seeing the one who is on the throne of Heaven. As good as you may think your worship is, it is nothing in comparison, in Heaven God is truly being worshiped fully and correctly.

It is impossible in our current condition, to worship God as he should be worshiped, we will not comprehend the value and worth that should be given to God and worship him properly before we get to Heaven. As long as our old sin nature is a part of who we are then we will be distracted with our thoughts, our pride and our sinfulness.

While we wait for our call to go to Heaven we should learn more about how to worship and practice doing it.

The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by treasuring God, prizing God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things.

And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ.

-John Piper

It is clear in scripture that worship is more than just singing a song at church and then going home until next Sunday. Praising God begins with preparing our heart and then honoring God with our lips but it doesn't stop there. We tend to forget that worship continues long after the church music is over. (Psalm 50:14, Isaiah 29:13, Hosea 14:2)

Our worship continues through the preaching of God's Word and through our acts of love that show the value of God by what we are willing to sacrifice to serve others. When I present myself as a living sacrifice to do good for someone else I am declaring the worth of God in my life and I am making God look more glorious to the ones that witness my good deeds. (Matthew 5:16, Romans 12:1, Philippians 4:18, Hebrews 13:15-16)

Everything that we say and do and the lifestyle that we live should draw others to "come let us adore him."

RELATED ARTICLES

Present Your Bodies As a Living Sacrifice (desiringgod.org)

Jesus Calling

This is a call that you do not want to miss.

Revelation 4:1-2 Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this." 2 And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it.

Revelation 6:15-17 Then everyone--the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person--all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?"

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We all get calls everyday that we do not want, we screen our calls, we use caller ID and even use call blocking, but there is one call that we will certainly not want to miss. The day is coming when the Lord of the church will call us home.

That trumpet like voice called John up to visit Heaven for a short time so that he could share the glorious experience with us. Jesus gives us this look into Heaven to encourage us as we continue to live in this sinful world.

The first time John saw his Savior he was in the midst of the churches mercifully letting them know how to please him. Thankfully we have seven church profiles in the Book of Revelation that are still relevant to us today if we are interested in doing church correctly.

Jesus called John up to Heaven for information but the next time he calls it will be for all of us to go for transformation. John only had a brief visit so that he could share with us what eternity is going to be like.

Sorry Sarah Young but your books "Jesus Calling" are not about Jesus calling anybody. The Bible has made it clear that Jesus next call will be his last and the call will be to the entire church.

The Next Time Jesus Calls

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

The Bible lets us know that Jesus will call the church out of this world before justice is served to those that remain. The Bible's teaching on the rapture should give us peace and comfort, Jesus doesn't want his children to have troubled hearts. (John 14:1-3 / 1 Thessalonians 4:18, Titus 2:13)

Revelation chapter six is the beginning of the wrath of God being unleashed on the earth, the events that are to follow are unsettling but this isn't going to be our fate. Thankfully in Revelation chapter four we are out of here.

John 14:1-3 "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. 2 There is more than enough room in My Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.

Suddenly this world and the burden of sin that is on us all will be gone and we will see Jesus face to face! One moment you are trapped in this world with the heartache and brokenness of sin all around and then the next moment that burden is lifted forever as we are suddenly in God's presence!

I need to live like I really believe that I am leaving, my choices and my actions should be influenced by these facts, I need to be motivated to serve him and be purified so that he can use me for his glory.

RELATED ARTICLES

Jesus Calling By Sarah Young: A False Jesus? (ses.edu)
Ten Serious Problems With Jesus Calling (challies.com)

The Lord Of The Church

Jesus instructions on how to do church.

Ephesians 1:22-23 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself.

Ephesians 4:15-16 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

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It must have been difficult for the people that lived in the Old Testament world to adapt to the teachings of the New Testament. Suddenly their world was turned upside down as they are asked to live under a new set of guidelines that came as a result of one man's teaching.

The religious burden that their temple leaders had them under was no longer necessary. The days of going to the temple to restore fellowship with God are gone forever in an  instant. The temple has been been moved from a brick and mortar location to a supernatural place within God's children.

The days of going to a building to meet a man that would come to God on your behalf was replaced by a new and perfect High Priest that lives within each of us. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:14-10:18)

There has never been a church before so their church leaders didn't know how to do it. They didn't have all of the church plant research that is available today. God chose to give the church a detailed study of what he expects of the church and what she should look like and how she should behave. Revelation chapters two and three gives us examples that are still useful today.

Seven Church Profiles To Learn From:

Ephesus, The Cold Church You can be very busy serving God but if you are doing it just to follow the rules instead of it coming from an overwhelming love for him then you are no better than the religious leaders that Jesus opposed during his ministry. Smyrna, The Suffering Church - One of two churches with no criticism. Their stand for Jesus caused them to lose everything but in reality their suffering only increased their riches. All of the potential trouble makers are already long gone from this congregation, if church isn't going to be cool and comfortable then the hypocrites are not going to stick around. Pergamum, The Compromising Church Compromised beliefs have been around from the beginning of time when mankind decided to turn away from God's rule. From that day on world history has been filled with substitutes for the truth that we find in God's Word. Thyatira, The Corrupted Church This church would have been very popular in today's culture where tolerance is expected of everybody and absolute truth and values are not allowed. What God has said is wrong in His Word, many, even in the religious community, are now calling normal and holy. Sardis, The Feeble Church What a sobering thought to know that it is possible to think that we are working for God and doing things that we think that he wants us to do and then get a message from him letting you know that you are wrong. Philadelphia, The Faithful Church - One of two churches with no criticism. The church in Philadelphia had little strength but it didn't matter because they never denied Jesus, they were true to him, they knew the source of their strength. It came from Jesus and he would protect them because they have been faithful and obedient.  Laodicea, The Foolish Church - Only criticism with no commendations It is easy to be so well blessed that you forget where the blessings come from and you start to depend on the blessings instead of the one who blesses. The church at Laodicea didn't think that they were lacking anything.

Remember, these were some of the first churches that we know about, they didn't know how to do church, in mercy Jesus warned them with these letters so they could change and be successful in his eyes.

The church today has many advantages that the first churches didn't have yet the church still has a difficult time. If you consider all of the information on how to have a successful church that is available today you could wonder how a church could possibly fail.

We need to remember that it is Jesus church and only he can build the church when he have such a powerful adversary. We must depend on Jesus commands to the church found in these letters so that we will not hear him say: "I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of My God." (Revelation 3:2)

I think there are few churches today that have a zealous desire for Jesus, there are not very many that are wanting to experience the red hot church of the Book of Acts, most of us are okay to be a member of one of the churches represented in the Book of Revelation. I pray that we won't be satisfied when we fall so short of being the church that pleases Jesus.

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The Foolish Church

Living between hot and cold is repulsive to Jesus.

Revelation 3:15-21 "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth! 17 You say, 'I am rich. I have everything I want. I don't need a thing!' And you don't realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

18 So I advise you to buy gold from Me--gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from Me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

20 "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with Me on My throne, just as I was victorious and sat with My Father on His throne.

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It is easy to be so well blessed that you forget where the blessings come from and you start to depend on the blessings instead of the one who blesses. The church at Laodicea didn't think that they were lacking anything but that is because they were using their physical eyes instead of their spiritual.

"You are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked."

They thought that their gold and their fine garments and the ointment that their city was famous for were signs that God was pleased with them. But Jesus offers us so much more than the riches and pleasures of this world. Just like the Samaritan women at the well who was offered the Living Water, just like the crowd that was offered the Bread of life, Jesus is offering a better gold, better garments and better ointment for their eyes. The things that the world has to offer are never as good as the things that Jesus has for us. (Revelation 3:18)

This church thought that they were doing a good job, they were busy building themselves up, they thought that they were rich but Jesus says that they are poor. This stands in contrast to the church at Smyrna that thought it was poor and Jesus said that they are rich. (Revelation 2:9-10)

This church reminds me of God's children in the Old Testament, most of the time they were proud of the fact that they were not too radical, they thought that they could please God while they embraced the ways of the people around them.

1 Kings 18:21 Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!" But the people were completely silent.

It seems a lot like the church today in America. We don't like to be offensive but the gospel is offensive. We don't like to be different from the rest of the world but that is exactly the way God's children are called to be. Instead of being offensive we have allowed historic beliefs of the church that have been part of our creeds and part of Biblical teaching to be watered down and contradicted.

So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

Our everyday lives lack passion for the Lord, the message to Laodicea is also to us, get hot for Jesus, be radical instead of ordinary. A zeal for the things of God will cause us to cheerfully work for him and our love for him will help us stand for truth because when we love something strongly then we will hate all that is against it.

Jesus is waiting for us to let him into our church, it sounds a little bit strange, the church has to be willing to have him for him to come in. The thing that made this church so foolish is that they were trying to do church without Jesus. Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? Yet there are plenty of "churches" today that are attempting to do just that.

Jesus has gone to extreme measures to get to the door but he will not open the door and force his way into our congregation. We often use these verses to lead lost people to Christ, but the basic application here is to the church.

The inscription on the cathedral in Lubeck, Germany:

"Ye call Me Master and obey me not,
Ye call Me Light and see Me not,
Ye call Me Way and walk not,
Ye call Me Life and desire Me not,
Ye call Me wise and follow Me not,
Ye call Me fair and love Me not,
Ye call Me rich and ask Me not,
Ye call Me eternal and seek Me not,
Ye call Me gracious and trust Me not,
Ye call Me noble and serve Me not,
Ye call Me mighty and honor Me not,
Ye call Me just and fear Me not,
If I condemn you, blame me not".

We have a tendency to stay in the lukewarm zone, very few people like to be overly hot or cold, it is natural for us to seek a comfortable temperature. As a follower of Jesus we don't get to stay comfortable if we want to please God.

I think there are few churches today that have a zealous desire for Jesus, not very many are wanting to experience the red hot church of the Book of Acts, most of us want just enough Jesus to keep us out of Hell.

It is very difficult for us to see ourselves as God sees us and view our sins as being as offensive as he does. If I agree with God about my condition, if I agree with him that I am a wretched man without him, if I view my sins as being offensive to him then I will not try to live in between hot and cold.

We should learn from the church of Laodicea:

• Seek our riches from God and reject the counterfeit riches of the world. 
• Hold onto sound doctrine despite the views of the world.
• Serve God with passion and reject halfhearted devotion to him. 
• Be sure that Jesus is welcome inside our church so we can fellowship with him.

SCRIPTURE ON ZEAL

Psalm 69:9/ John 2:17/ Romans 12:11/ 2 Corinthians 7:11/ Galatians 4:18/ Titus 2:14

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