ENDTIMES Chat: Recent Episodes
GJ and DAN
Where did we go?What happened that we were not on Feb 21, 2023?Satan's attacks are no joke.But Got's attention-getters are even more serious.How is God trying to get your attention?Are we listening? Are we watching the signs? How are we paying attention? What are we willing to give to God to fulfill our purpose on this earth?We will pick up again in Revelation in the coming weeks, but today we take a detour to share from our hearts what God is doing and what He has called us to.PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
Who is the Rider on the Pale Horse, and what does the horse represent?What is the identity of this pale horse?What is the impact of this horse and its rider on world conditions?There are TWO MAJOR IMPACTS of this horse and its rider.1. The scope of this impact affects one fourth of the world's population.2. The sources by which this mass extermination will occur.Is there any hope for this earth and its people?Unequivocally YES! But that hope is found in ONE PERSON, the person of Jesus Christ. Tune in today to find out more and hear what is happening in the world and how it may relate to the ENDTIMES.PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
What is the significance of the BLACK HORSE?So far, we have seen that the rider on the white horse brings seeming peace. The Rider on the red horse is bent on conquest and will remove peace from the earth.What tragic condition will the rider on the black horse bring?Is he the same rider as the first two horses?There are four after-effects of the rider on this black horse:1. Prices are going to change.2. Food prices will rise dramatically.3. The quality of the food will change drastically.4. Some items will not be impacted at all.What does all this potentially mean?Tune in to find out!PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
A Rider on a Red Horse (Revelation 6:3-4)The symbolism of a “fiery red” horse was traditionally a portrait of war and bloodshed. It is possible the rider is the same as the first seal judgment. The coming world ruler will arise in an atmosphere proclaiming peace, but he will soon take it from the earth.Wars will increase before the end of human history as we now know it (Matthew 24:6-7). It appears that just before the return of Jesus Christ, wars among the peoples of the world will intensify, along with the cries for peace.The horse is “fiery red,” and we cannot help relating this to the description of Satan as “an enormous red dragon” (Revelation 12:3).What happens when the red horse appears?What could this refer to? Is it the second half of the Tribulation being ushered in? What power does this rider have over the world?What are the effects of this rider on the red horse?What is the “great sword”? The text says, “To him was given a large sword.”You won't want to miss this broadcast! With news from around the world that are signposts of the end of days as we know them, hang out with GJ and DAN and share this video with as many as will listen.PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
The moment the Lamb (Jesus) opens the first seal of the scroll that no one else but Him could open, one of the four living creatures speaks with "a voice like thunder." Throughout Revelation, we read of "loud voices in heaven" that sounds like thunder.Who is the rider on the white horse?Does it represent Jesus?You might be surprised when you dive into this passage about what the white rider represents.What could this rider on the white horse represent? Who could it be? What will be manifested when this rider shows his face?YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS this broadcast!
THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSEThe opening chapters of Revelation Jesus Christ is presented as the LORD of the Churches. He appeals to the churches through letters sent to those seven churches of Asia. To those who merely profess faith but do not demonstrate that they are true overcomers, His message and challenge is to repent. To the true overcomers, He gives continual encouragement by His promises of eternal blessing and reward.In Revelation 5, the scroll with the seven seals in the hand of the One Who sits on the throne, the Heavenly Father, is given to the only One worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals - the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, the Lamb Who was slain, JESUS. All heaven breaks forth in praise, adoration and worship of Jesus because He is the Only Way, Truth, and Life that allows us to come to God in relationship.Pronouncements of JudgmentThe scene now shifts in Revelation 6 from the wonderful praise of heaven to the tragic judgments on earth. Many Bible teachers believe chapters 6-19 are describing the great tribulation to which Daniel the prophet and Jesus Christ referred.How should we understand these events?When will these events occur?How and why do the judgments happen as they do?What do the seven seals on the scroll represent?What do the seven trumpets represent?What do the seven bowls represent?In the coming weeks we will address the Four Horsemen which are the first four seals of the scroll.No matter what happens, the biggest question is, “Are You Ready?” Are you ready to make the decision to have a relationship with Jesus that will bring you to a life of strength and joy?Tune in this week!PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
There are so many ways to be deceived in these uncertain times. There are not many people that want to admit they were duped.Mark Twain once said, "it is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled."So how can we see beyond all the FALSE in the world? One word, Wisdom.When we ask for wisdom, God listens! Day to day, we face so many challenges and questions, decisions that we must make. Some choices are small, and others have a significant impact on our lives and others around us. We all operate out of our free will to make decisions based on many factors that can influence our choices. However, we imagine there have been times in your life when you either did not have the understanding, information, or insight to make the best decisions.The Bible says that when we ask for wisdom, God responds generously, without reproach. The Holy Spirit is our helper and advantage, giving us insight and guidance in our daily choices and interactions. Today, we ask the Lord for wisdom. We believe there is power in prayer and power in linking our faith to cover our Pastors, Staff, Partners, and our Community. We sit in expectancy for how God will generously respond to these prayers giving us wisdom and direction!“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”James 1:5 NLT“For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.”Proverbs 2:6-7 NLT“How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver!”Proverbs 16:16 NLTPRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
CREATION'S RESPONSEThen I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:"Worthy is the lamb who was slaughtered — to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”And then I heard every creation heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:“Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever And ever.”And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.”Revelation 11:11-14This is a heavenly praise gathering, a worship service par excellence. May we never forget the marvelous scene depicted for us in these verses. How we need to understand the ultimate objective of God for all of His creation.The great multitude involved. Imagine the joy that must have filled the apostle John when he saw and heard this marvelous display of worship and praise to God the Father and the Lamb of God! The number of angels indicated here is not to be taken as an exact mathematical calculation. Rather, this multitude of angels is innumerable - too many to count.The message which all creation proclaims. The ascription of praise to the Lamb Who was slain contains seven characteristics-power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing-indicating the fullness of worship that He deserves. Everything you can think of in terms of adoration should be given to Him. Four of these seven characteristics are repeated in verse 13 and ascribed to the One Who sits on the throne as well as to the Lamb.The manner in which the living creatures and the twenty-four elders respond. The four living creatures who serve as worship leaders in heaven are also the “Amen corner” of heaven. They keep saying the word that speaks of agreement and affirmation of all that is being sung and said. The twenty-four elders (the church in heaven) respond as they did previously (Revelation 4:10) - they “fell down and worshiped” Him who lives forever and ever.Can there be any doubt as to the grand and ultimate objective for the believer? Is not the worship and praise of Almighty God our primary goal? We will one day participate in that heavenly scene, but even now we can enjoy the privilege of exalting Him. As Paul exhorts us, whatever we do, let us do it to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
It's the end of the year ALREADY?Yes. We have reached the end of 2022. Two years ago, I believed many things would have happened differently than how they turned out. We have faithfully come to you every week to bring news from around the world for 112 episodes straight. We will continue as long as God allows.Why? There are two commands that we will follow until the day we die or when Jesus comes back. They are Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength; and Love your neighbor as yourself.These two commands are the rules by which we live, breath, and have our being.It is the end of another year. But with God's grace we will begin the new one with the same resolve by which we ended this one. We will continue to bring you stories from around the world that we believe are sign posts pointing us to the beginning of the end.Luke 21:8-11 says, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’ But don’t believe them. And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.” Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven."Then Jesus tells of the persecution that took place of the newly born church. Jesus then continues in Luke 21:25-28, “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man[e] coming on a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”Keep Watch. Do not forget that the TWO COMMANDS that matter most are LOVE GOD and LOVE OTHERS.PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
So many religious leaders missed the Christmas miracle that was and IS Jesus 2000 years ago.There is so much you can say about the story of the birth of Jesus. Although I believe at times, we have made much of the story a grand production losing a lot of the significance this actual event holds.It is part of the foundational beliefs we hold to. It is more than a “Christmas production” or a “light-hearted story” we tell our children. What about the pain Mary went through while giving birth? What of the 9 months did she spend in tiredness, sickness, and her joints loosening to prepare for the birth? What of the fact that she didn’t go to a hospital and one doctor and five nurses to help her give birth? She just had a man – her husband a carpenter – and some animals as her cheering section.Well, we are not going to focus on the story of Jesus’ birth today. What we are going to focus on is what we are called to do with this story.In Luke 1:39-45, Mary visits her relative Elizabeth, who is also giving birth to a son, John; or as we know him – John the Baptist. Inside the womb, Elizabeth’s baby leaps for joy when Mary says hello. Why? Jesus is in her womb.She gives Mary encouragement and ends with this statement, “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.”At this moment, for us that statement would read, “Blessed is the one who has believed that what the Lord has said WAS accomplished.”Many people think that in order to believe in God and go to church, you need to raise your life to a high standard, and if you don’t, God will not accept you, or the church will not invite you in. God will accept you at any stage in your life, but the church, unfortunately, is not as gracious.So people stay away and come only on the days of the year they feel obligated to come to. I wish for all those around us to understand that we are not exclusive. We are not a club in which you must pass certain tests in order to be a part. You don’t even have to believe in Jesus in order to come here! All we ask you to do is listen to the message and allow God to help you see that He is who He says He is. Jesus is the Son of God who desires to have a friendship and lasting relationship with you.He wouldn’t have died for you and I if that were not true! You will be blessed for believing without having seen with your own eyes. I urge you to look into your heart today and let God show Himself to you. All you have to do to be part of God’s family is believe and call on the Name of the Lord and you will be saved. That is a confession of Faith in Him.We are here to help you in your decision and to help you grow in Faith and understanding of God and what He desires of you.Now, to those of us who believe and have already called on His name. We are called upon to do something I feel we too often do NOT do.In Luke 1:76-79 it says, “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide or feet into the path of peace.”Although we are not John the Baptist, we are also called to do the same thing. Even though Jesus has already come once, He is going to come again. This is why our message is a message of Hope. There will be a time when He will come again to take all who believe in Him to be with Him. For us, that is heaven. That is the hope – that our life has a purpose.PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
A NEW SONGWhen it was discovered in Revelation 5 that Jesus was the ONLY ONE who could open the scroll in heaven to reveal what was to come, Worship erupted.They reacted by singing, recognizing His salvation. The twenty-four elders have the harps and the golden bowls of incense; they also are the ones who sing the new song. This new song speaks of redemption, something the angels desire to understand but do not experience (1 Peter 1:10-12).What is the “new song”? The Greek word used here for “new” does not mean new from the standpoint of time but new in quality, fresh, and unique. The Psalms often speak of singing a “new song” to the Lord (Psalm 33:3; Psalm 96:1; Psalm 98:1; Psalm 144:9; Psalm 149:1). Isaiah 42:10 also says, “Sing to the LORD a new song, / And His praise from the ends of the earth.” The 144,000 Jewish believers from the tribulation period sing a “new song” that no one else could learn (Revelation 14:3).The words of this “new song” are recorded for us, and we learn some wonderful things from this song to the Lamb:1. It tells us why the Lamb is worthy of taking the scroll and opening its seals.2. His worthiness is based on His death.3. His blood was the price of our redemption.4. The twenty-four elders represent every tribe and tongue and people and nation.5. Our relationship to God as kings and priests has been made possible by His redemption and guarantees that we shall reign on the earth.PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
Today we welcome Leonard Lee of 4Gen Network, www.leonardlee.com , to talk about the six movements of Revelation.You do NOT want to miss this broadcast. Not only will we break down the most recent news and chat about how it relates to the End times, but we will also open up the Scriptures to discuss how we could be in the times filled with signposts pointing to what could be the Tribulation."Jesus answered: “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 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." Matthew 24:4-8.Tune in for more and Listen as Leonard Lee discusses the six movements of Revelation.PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
THE LAMBHis centrality - in the middle of the seven lampstands (churches)His condition - as if it had been slainHis Characteristics - "Having seven horns and seven eyes”“Horns” are symbols of authority and power, sometimes representing individual rulers and at other times representing nations (Daniel 7). It is possible that the seven horns represent the fullness of the slain Lamb’s power and authority to rule and reign.The “seven eyes” of the Lamb of God are said to be “the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” These “seven Spirits” were mentioned in Revelation 3:1. They were compared with “seven stars,” which represent angels (Revelation 1:20). It seems that these “seven Spirits” are the seven angels who often appear in the book and carry out the wishes of Jesus Christ.According to Zechariah 4:10, the “seven eyes” represent the Lord’s knowledge of what transpires on earth:“Who despises the day of small things?Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.(These seven are the eyes of the Lord which range throughout the earth.)”Nothing happens on earth that is not known by the Lord. He sees it all and is controlling all events and circumstances. His sovereign will is being executed through the seven angels who stand before Him, ready to do what He wants. They are the instruments through whom His message to the seven churches was given, and they are the ones who blow the trumpets and pour out the plagues, announcing His judgments upon planet earth.John simply declares: “He came and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne” (Revelation 5:7). The Song to the Lamb (Revelation 5:8-14)John speaks of Jesus Christ in this book with many wonderful titles given to him by Jesus Himself. But the key title is the one John uses twenty-eight times: “Lamb.” Jesus is the Lamb of God!The Reaction to the Taking of the Scroll (Revelation 5:8-10)Two things happened immediately-the four living creatures, and the twenty-four elders “fell down before the Lamb,” and “they sang a new song.” The first was an act of humility and submission; the second an act of praise and worship.They reacted by singing, recognizing His salvation. The twenty-four elders have the harps and the golden bowls of incense; they also are the ones who sing the new song. This new song speaks of redemption, something the angels desire to understand but, in fact, do not experience (1 Peter 1:10-12).PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
The Introduction of the Worthy One (Revelation 5:5-7)One of the elders urges John not to cry because there is one worthy who can open the seven seals. The elders-these representatives of the completed body of believers in heaven, the church-know of Him. It is the church in heaven (Hebrews 12:23-24) who know full well that Jesus is the only “Mediator of the new covenant.”He is the Lion.While in some cases, the lions are described as those which devour people (Daniel 6; 2 Timothy 4:17) and prey (Numbers 23:24), they are also seen as symbols of strength (Judges 14:18) and boldness (Proverbs 28:1). The Lord describes Himself as a lion who devours his prey (Hosea 5:14).The One to Whom the “scepter” belongs will come out of the line of Judah (the name means “praise”). The Messiah comes from Judah and is described as a lion, the animal we call “the king of the jungle.” Jesus Christ is the Messianic Lion who will rule and reign over all the earth.The phrase “Root of David” reminds us that it is a special son of Judah from which the Messiah will come.The mother of Jesus came from the line of David through his son Nathan. Jesus fulfilled the promise that the Messiah would be “the fruit” of the body of David (Psalm 132:11).He is the Lamb. What a paradox-lion and lamb! The symbol of a lamb is powerful when applied to our Savior Jesus Christ. Obviously, the picture here is symbolic-in the midst of this throne room setting stood “a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes.” This is an unusual-looking lamb, to say the least. It refers to...1. His centrality (“in the midst of’).2. His condition (“as if it had been slain”).3. His characteristics (“having seven horns and seven eyes”).Nothing happens on earth that is not known by the Lord. He sees it all and is controlling all events and circumstances. His sovereign will is being executed through the seven angels who stand before Him, ready to do what He wants. They are the instruments through whom His message to the seven churches was given, and they are the ones who blow the trumpets and pour out the plagues, announcing His judgments upon planet earth.John declares: “He came and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne” (Revelation 5:7). In great symbolism, we are reminded that the kingdom of the Messiah is given to Him by the heavenly Father. The Son is to be honored and worshiped as the Father, and that comes with the Father’s approval and blessing.PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
The worship of Revelation 4 centers on the One Who sits on the throne-God the Father; the worship of Revelation 5 focuses on the One Who sits at the right hand of the Father, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
John is still in heaven and begins this section with the familiar words “I saw.” In verses 2, 6, and 11, he repeats those words. The passage also says that he “heard” the voices of heavenly creatures.
The Scroll with Seven Seals (Revelation 5:1-7)
A certain degree of drama is connected with this scroll. There is an apparent emphasis here on the importance of this scroll as it relates to the total message of the book. The scroll unravels the events of the tribulation period and appears to be a summary of what God intends to do in bringing world history to a grand finale.
The Identity of the Scroll (Revelation 5:1)
Its location. Its design. Roman law required that a will was to be sealed seven times. The wills of Caesar Augustus and Emperor Vespasian were sealed in this way. Some see this scroll as the “last testament” of the One Who died for us, containing the terms of His wrath upon those who reject His love and sacrificial death.
It is of great interest to prophecy students that the book of Daniel predicts much of what is recorded in Revelation. In Daniel 12:4 we read that Daniel was instructed to “close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end.” Daniel 12:9 repeats, “the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.��� Here in Revelation, the scroll with seven seals is unrolled, each of the seven seals being broken and revealing a special message of what God will do to planet earth in “the time of the end.”
The Importance of the Scroll (Revelation 5:2-4) The scroll contains much more than what is said in Revelation 6. The seventh seal that is broken reveals seven trumpet judgments of which the last one announces seven last plagues to be poured out upon the earth. It is implied that the seven-sealed scroll contains everything that is depicted in chapters 6 through 22.
The proclamation by a strong angel. The word “strong” or “mighty”(NIV) could emphasize the importance of the angel and his message, but it could also be a clue as to which angel is involved. The text uses a Greek word for “proclaiming” that speaks of a herald, one who simply proclaimed a message without added commentary or explanation. A herald spoke with urgency and was under orders to proclaim it on behalf of a higher authority.
When the Bible says, the angel spoke in a “loud voice,” we are reminded that this message is one of great concern and urgency. Loud voices are mentioned frequently in Revelation to denote the importance of what is being said. A person who is “worthy” is sought to break the seals and open the scroll.
The problem John faced. Combining the importance of the scroll with the fact that no one in God’s universe was “worthy” to open the scroll caused John many tears.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
Worship God as a Habit of Life
The continual response of the four living creatures. Verse 8 says that “they do not rest day or night” in their praise and worship of the Lord. It is a continual response.
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What these creatures say. “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
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Why do these creatures say what they do?
That suggests a second motive-to reveal to us what we should do. The twenty-four elders represent the completed church in heaven, and their actions help all of us to know how we should respond as believers. We are to worship the Lord and give Him honor, glory, and thanks as a habit of life. Whenever the four living creatures give worship to God, the twenty-four elders respond.
The immediate reaction of the elders. Taking their cue from the four living creatures who serve as the worship leaders of heaven, the twenty-four elders react immediately with worship and praise to God the Father on His throne.
The way they react. When they “fall down before Him,” they give recognition to His authority and position. It is a lesson to all believers; we need to submit to His authority as a daily principle in our lives. That’s why it is a good thing to kneel when we pray to indicate our submission to the Lord.
When they “worship Him,” they display reverence and love for Him and His attributes. In the New Testament, and particularly in the Revelation of John, the word worship denotes a prayer of adoration for God and His works. It is a royal acclamation of His worth. Do we love and adore Him for Who He is?
When they “cast their crowns before the throne,” they show a deep realization of His worthiness when compared with their accomplishments (for which we shall all be rewarded by the Lord). While we are motivated in the New Testament to be faithful to the Lord based on future reward, it is good for us to pause and realize that the worthiness of the Lord Himself causes our rewards to seem quite insignificant by comparison.
The words they repeat. Their words speak of what He deserves ”glory and honor and power”-as well as why He deserves it - “for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” God the Father is worthy of praise and worship because of two basic things we should always remember: It was His power that created all things, and it is His purpose (will) that brought everything into existence and gives meaning to it all. If we refuse to acknowledge the power and purpose of God in creation, then, as Paul so graphically portrays, we deserve His judgment (Romans 1:18-23).
God the Father, the Creator of everything, desires and deserves our worship and praise. We should honor, glorify, and give Him thanks every day of our lives because He created all things and has a Divine purpose for it all.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
Can you imagine what it will be like to actually stand IN the THRONE ROOM of GOD Himself? Think about it!
What surrounds the throne of God?
There are seven lamps of fire. There is also a "sea of glass." What does this mean?
Revelation 4 is the THRONE chapter of the Bible. It centers in the exaltation of God the Father and climaxes with the worship of God by all the heavenly creatures. Can you also imagine what it must sound like to hear the worship of all those in heaven?
The four living creatures have a continual response. They do not rest day or night in the praise and worship of God.
What do these creatures say? Why do these creatures say what they do? What is the immediate reaction of the 24 elders? How do the 24 elders react? What are the words the 24 elders repeat?
With this amazing picture of the THRONE of GOD, we start to see how infinitesimally small we are. We also become humbled that the same God that we worship, is the One who came down to earth to die on a criminal's cross, so that we can have a relationship with the One True God.
Why are we here on this earth? What is the real meaning of our lives? Do we feel frustrated at times trying to put the pieces together? Do we wonder why things happen as they do? What are our goals and objectives? What are we really trying to accomplish?
Revelation 4 is a clear testimony of what heaven is going to be like and gives us fresh and concise information on WHO and what is behind all the events and circumstances of our lives. God the Father, through Jesus the Creator of Everything, desires and deserves our worship and praise.
This same God wants you and I to be in a close personal friendship with Him. You can make that a reality today. Are you ready?
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
The Wonder of the Throne of God (Revelation 4:2-7)
What a spectacular sight this must have been! As we read it today, we are still amazed at the description of this throne of God in heaven. Human words are inadequate, but they will have to do. They are our only means of understanding what God wants to convey to us about heaven. The word “behold” suggests the need to pay special heed to what is being said and described. It deserves our alertness and attention.
These verses are organized around four prepositional phrases concerning the throne of God: “on the throne” (v. 2); “around the throne” (vv. 3, 4, 6); “from the throne” (v. 5); and “before the throne” (vv. 5 and 6).
Who is on the throne? The One on the throne is the “Lord God Almighty” (v. 8, the Lord Who “created all things” (v. 11). John is immediately affected by His appearance, which was “like a jasper and a sardius stone.” The word “like” signals a simile- likeness in appearance, but not the same as. God is not a stone, obviously; His appearance to John was like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. The “sardius” stone is named after the city of Sardis, where beautiful red stones have been found. Most liken this stone to a blood-red ruby. Together, and in conjunction with the rainbow around the throne, they create a dazzling impression of transcendent glory.
What was around the throne? Three things are depicted “around the throne”: a rainbow, twenty-four elders, and four living creatures. 1. Why a rainbow? 2. Who are the twenty-four elders? 3. What about the four living creatures?
Tune in to find out more!
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The Throne of God
No chapters of the Bible are so inviting, thrilling, and worshipful as chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation. The Lord welcomes us to heaven itself, giving us a brief look at what takes place there and what we can anticipate for ourselves in the future.
In chapter 4, the primary focus is on God the Father, sitting upon His throne, enjoying the worship of His creatures. In chapter 5, the focus is on God the Son, the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is also the One Whom all heaven adores and worships. What tremendous insights are to be found in these two chapters about the unique relationship of the Father and the Son!
The central feature of chapter 4 is the throne of God. Forty-five times Revelation refers to thrones and only fifteen times in the rest of the New Testament. Here is the throne book of the Bible!
The Second Vision of John (Revelation 4:1-2) The first vision John received began with his words, “And having turned I saw…” (Revelation 1:12), and continued until the end of chapter 3. It included a glorious revelation of the Person of Jesus Christ, and a message from the lips of Jesus to be sent to seven churches in Asia Minor.
According to Revelation 1:19, John was to write what he saw about the risen Christ and about “the things which are,” a phrase dealing with the seven churches. After the messages to the seven churches, John was to write about “the things which will take place after this.” The words “after this” or “after these things” refer to everything John saw from Revelation 4:1 until the end of the book.
Revelation 4:1 begins with the same prepositional phrase as the end of Revelation 1:19 - “After these things.” The verse also ends with that phrase. John is making sure that we understand where this fits in his outline. All that follows comes after the message to “the churches.” The word church is not even mentioned again. The book refers to “saints” and “brethren,” and to the children of Israel and a great multitude of believers in the tribulation period; but, there will be no further reference to a church or group of churches.
The phrase “after these things” is used eleven times in the book in connection with the words “I saw.” It implies an order or sequence of events, but not necessarily chronological order. Rather, it suggests the order in which visions of the future were given to John-first vision, second vision, third vision, and so on. It does not necessarily imply that what was said in each vision takes place chronologically.
John mentions three things we can hover on here: "the door in heaven," "the voice in heaven," and that he "was in the Spirit." Tune in today to find out more!
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Character, Condition, Counsel, Challenge, Consequence. Conclusion.
The Character of Jesus is Behind this Message:
He is "the Amen." When 'Amen" is said it indicates assent or agreement; it is confirmation of something said or done. The main point of this unique title of Jesus Christ (used only here) is that what He says to this church is totally reliable.
He is "the Beginning of the creation of God." Revelation 1:8 calls Him "the Beginning," which is the same as saying that He is the Originator of all things-the Creator Himself (Colossians 1:15-18; John 1:3). It is a clear statement of His pre-existence (before His birth in Bethlehem) and power.
The CONDITION of this Church Made Him Sick
They were indifferent to the work of the Lord. They were insensitive to their spiritual need. They came to the tragic conclusion that they had "need of nothing." Our Lord said they "do not know" their true condition. That's how self-confidence and material prosperity can blind our eyes. We don't see our true condition before God. Material prosperity seems like a blessing, but it often becomes a curse and blinds our minds to our real spiritual needs.
His Counsel Must Be Heeded (Revelation 3:18-19)
Jesus Christ urges these Laodiceans to do three things: (1) They must recognize their spiritual need, (2) they must realize why He rebukes and disciplines them, and (3) they must respond with repentance.
Do we recognize our spiritual need? These Laodiceans were "poor, blind, and naked." Now Christ urges them to acknowledge their need and to do something about it.
To solve their spiritual poverty, they need to "buy" from the Lord "gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich." The Lord is urging a group of people known for their material prosperity to buy that which cannot be bought with money. Gold that is "refined in the fire" is pure; the dross has been removed. The reference here is to a purified faith, not a mere profession that was not genuine.
His Challenge to Open the Door (Revelation 3:20)
Flowing out of the motive of love (Revelation 3:19) comes this beautiful picture of our Lord urging individuals to respond to His invitation. The "door" could represent: (1) The door of the church in Laodicea, (2) the door of an unbeliever's heart, (3) the door of a believer's heart, or (4) the door through which Jesus Christ will come again. (How many more can we think of?)
The wonderful promise is to all true believers. We shall one day rule and reign with Jesus Christ in His kingdom on earth. This identification with Jesus Christ by believers is like the position and relationship which Jesus has to His Father's throne. We do not sit on that throne, the position of the sovereign God ruling the universe, but Jesus was granted that privilege to sit down with His Father on His throne when He had finished His work on the cross in dying for our sins.
A Thought-Provoking Conclusion (Revelation 3:22)
There is a message to mere professing Christians, who do not really walk with the Lord - "repent," before it is too late. God's patience and love are being demonstrated by the appeals of these letters. But one day there will no longer be "an open door" for us. Now is the day of salvation; now is the time to get right with the Lord! Are we ready for the second coming of Jesus Christ? Have we settled our personal commitment to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? If not, why not stop reading at this point and make that decision to commit your life and future to Him?
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
Can you believe we are broadcasting our 100TH episode?
Our message today is simple. Use your voice.
Your voice can be through speaking to others, writing, your actions, and anyway you communicate with others. You just need to be reminded that you have one!
There are FOUR powerful ways that you can use your voice. 1. Comfort - use your voice to comfort others.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 says, "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen [b]asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who [c]sleep in Jesus.
For this, we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are [d]asleep. For the Lord, Himself, will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."
- Encouragement - use your voice to be an encourager. There is so much bad news that we have no trouble filling our minds with discouragement. The NUMBER ONE thing you can do to be effective is to be encouraged. Then you can go an encourage others!
Let your life and your voice speak out loud and make some noise that will bring LIGHT and LIFE to those in your influence. Speak life.
TUNE IN TO THE SHOW TODAY for the other two and celebrate our 100th broadcast!!
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
Laodicea was the ancient capital of the province of Phrygia. It was a part of a tri-city metropolitan area that included the cities of Hierapolis and Colossae. Located in the Lycus Valley on a major highway, the city was surrounded by mountains, and its location made it an excellent fortress to guard the main road and the greater metropolitan area. It was located about forty miles southeast of Philadelphia.
In addition to being the judicial seat of the province, it was a center for the banking industry and included a prosperous economy with the manufacturing of cloth as one of its primary assets. Beautiful garments and carpets were designed from the wool of the black sheep of this region. The wool was known to be extremely soft in texture and glossy black in color, making it highly desirable around the empire. The medical school was quite famous, and its physicians claimed success in mixing medicines for certain diseases. They produced an ointment for the ears as well as a powder for the eyes. Aristotle called it "Phrygian powder." The physicians demonstrated allegiance to the serpent god Asklepios, which dominated the medical school of Pergamos.
Laodicea was a center of emperor worship, as one might expect after seeing its strategic location. Although destroyed by an earthquake in A.D. 60, the city was rebuilt without any financial help from Rome. It proudly refused imperial financial assistance in rebuilding. – They were people who liked to do things on their own…- WHICH can lead people into living in default mode. The church there had become complacent, trusting in the wealth and riches of the area. They hit default mode. When we hit a crisis, and even in no crisis, it’s easy to live in the DEFAULT mode. That’s where you just go along day to day and do what you did last week. Not real stretch goals. And you’re worried that we will end up like the church of Laodicea – neither hot nor cold – essentially COMPLACENT.
So what can we do to get out in front and become HOT? This broadcast today is about understanding that as long as we have breath, there is something God wants us to accomplish. When we accomplish one thing, there is another, and another, and another thing we need to accomplish. The idea is that we cannot accomplish it on our own. We need God, and we need others to get it done.
How can we build momentum and not slip into the complacency of Laodicea?
Complacency is one of the most dangerous places we can live. Complacency says, “There is nothing I can do to change what is going on around me. Therefore, I will just continue to do what I have always done and not strive to make a difference.
We will dive more into Laodicea in the coming weeks. What we need is the FIRE of God’s Spirit to ignite, or re-ignite a passion in us to live like Jesus lived, activate the supernatural through our obedience to Jesus, and follow his example as He lived it out.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
THE PROTECTION OF JESUS
The Church of Philadelphia is commended for their dependence on the Lord’s strength, their dedication to God’s Word, and their Devotion to the Lord Himself. He promises protection to the church there for their faithfulness to Him.
There are two areas of protection we can receive because of the level of faithfulness the church in Philadelphia had:
Jesus will honor us in the eyes of non-believers who have been hostile to us.
These are such wonderful words to a believing heart, especially for the one who has endured a great deal of pressure and hostility from unbelievers. No matter how extensive the verbal and even physical abuse some believers have experienced, the Lord will one day show them how much He loves them.
Jesus will keep us from the hour of trial which shall come on the whole world.
The reason for this promise is the perseverance of the believers under persecution and pressure from the society in which they lived. God has a wonderful reward for all who stand firm in their faith and remain dedicated to the Word of God no matter what trials they face.
Jesus then tells the church, “I am coming soon.” Then he gives them (and us) a challenge.
The challenge. The challenge is to "Hold on to what you have." This was stated before in these letters (Revelation 2:13, Revelation 2:25; Revelation 3:3). Dedication and loyalty are being urged. Today we might emphasize this message with the word commitment. How committed are you to the message of God's Word? What do you do when pressured to deny Him or to remain silent when you should speak? John wrote elsewhere: 'And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming" (1 John 2:28).
The consequence. Jesus Christ urged us to be faithful and loyal "that no one will take your crown." He did not say "crowns," but used the singular form. It is the "crown of life" (Revelation 2:10) to which He is referring. It is the symbol of final victory-living forever with the Lord. Those who deny the Lord and do not hold fast to their commitment will be lost forever. There will be no crown for them.
Then come the PROMISES to those who overcome!
Jesus promises to do two things: He will make the over-comer a pillar, and He will write on him some wonderful names. These are issues of permanence, security, and identity.
It is the promise of a permanent place. The Lord will make this happen; we can't. “A pillar in the temple of My God" is, of course, not to be taken literally but figuratively. According to Revelation 21:22, there is no literal temple in the eternal city. The "temple of My God" refers to the dwelling place of God, and the fact that we are described as "a pillar" indicates that we have a permanent place with the Lord forever and ever.
It is the promise of a special identity. In three ways, we are assured of a special identity and relationship with the Lord forever. The Lord will write three things on us: (1) "The name of My God," (2) "the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem," and (3) "My new name.” Our relationship to God the Father, the Son, and the eternal city, the New Jerusalem, are all secure by this wonderful promise. It's like one giant summary statement- we belong to the Lord-nothing can ever change that fact! This wonderful letter of encouragement to the faithful and the overcomers is a reminder that one day it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
Jesus says, “Write this to the angel of the church of Philadelphia.” “This is the message from the one who is holy and true.” Rev.3:7
These two attributes, holy and true, are used to describe the Lord in Revelation 6:10 by the martyrs who appeal to God regarding His revenge on those who killed them and thought they would get away with it. God’s holiness demands justice be done, and the fact that He is true (genuine/faithful) demonstrates that His character can be relied upon. Justice will come in God’s timing.
The POWER of Jesus Christ has already won. He has the ultimate authority and control over heaven and the treasures there. Because God is holy (will not lie) and because He is true (totally reliable), we can trust Him to reward us wonderfully when we respond to Him.
Rev 3:7 goes on, “the One who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open.”
The “Key of David” is referred to in Isaiah 22:20-25. A man called Eliakim, who was the manager in King Hezekiah’s household, was able to open and shut the doors that led into the treasures of the King. Jesus is the one who holds the Key of David, and opens and shuts the door into His Messianic Kingdom. If the “door” is the symbol of opportunity and entrance, then the “key” is the symbol of authority and control.
Revelation 3:8 continues, "“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.”
Jesus knows all of the things that we do that are in obedience to Him and he also knows all the things that we do that are not. This is seen in his words, “I know all the things you do.” The city of Philadelphia and the church there were located in a strategic city — a gateway to many areas of the ancient world. This was a city dedicated to the spread of Greek language and culture. What made this group of believers in Philadelphia so special that they would receive such a wonderful encouragement from Jesus? Three reasons are given, and they can be strong recommendations for us today.
Dependence on the Lord’s strength. They were not the strongest Christians in the empire nor the most influential. They did not have great numbers of people, nor outstanding leaders or unusual talents. But their “little strength” brought encouragement from Jesus himself.
Dedication to God’s Word. They guarded the Word of God in such a way as to bring a commendation from Jesus. They were loyal to God, proving the validity of their faith. Obedience to God’s Word is still proof of our love for Jesus (John 14:21, James 1:22-25).
Devotion to the Lord Himself. They were loyal to the name and character of Jesus as they did not deny His name. They believed that Jesus is God in human flesh and that to deny His true nature means that you are not a believer and that you have the spirit of antichrist.
The Church in Philadelphia was the only one out of seven that did not receive a rebuke. As a matter of fact, they received and will receive divine protection. This is a security that no one can take away. But as we will see in a few weeks in part 2 of the Church of Philadelphia, the church had directions on how to keep this security.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
The spiritual condition of a church is not easily known. We THINK we know what a church is like. Some of us even think we know all about a church with just one visit.
Someone who may have visited the church in Sardis (John's fifth letter written by him from Jesus in Revelation 3:1-6) would have seen a church that had a good reputation. In most people's eyes, the church there was "spiritually alive." The caution is not to be too quick to judge the outward appearance or performance of a church or a person. The important questions deal with the inward person, the realm of the unseen, the heart of the individual.
Our reputation is no guarantee of inward character. Many of us major in a good reputation. We want people to think well of us and to say nice things about us. But our reputation is only what people think we are; our character is who God knows us to be. The church in Sardis had a "name", a profession, a reputation, but it was not the truth about their spiritual condition.
Jesus said this church was unconcerned about their spiritual condition. They were "asleep."
Jesus said they were unaware of how serious their condition was. They needed to "strengthen the things that remain."
Jesus said they were unresponsive to what the Lord wanted when He said "I have not found your works perfect before God."
He also told this church (and our churches)to remember what the Bible teaches, re-establish our loyalty and obedience to what God teaches in His Word, and to repent of our wrong attitudes and practices.
Jesus also promises that if we do these things, there are three wonderful promises that await us:
- Perfection - as we will walk with Him in white, clothed in white garments.
- Security - Jesus will NOT blot out our names from the Book of Life.
- Acceptance - Jesus will confess our name before His Father and before His angels.
Tune in to find out more!
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
EXPLANATION OF GOD’S JUDGMENT
The Lord Himself is very patient. To the church of Thyatira, he says, “I have given her time to repent.” How wonderful is God's long-suffering toward us. He gives us time to get right with Him, but we should never assume that He will not judge us. (1 Corinthians 11:31-32 says, “But if we would examine ourselves, , we would not be judged by God in this way. Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.”
God’s judgment is pronounced on those who do not repent in Thyatira (and maybe on the church in our day that follows the same patterns).
- Physical disease for Jezebel
- Great distress for her followers
- Coming death for her children
God's judgment should affect the attitudes of all the churches. Verse 23 says, “Then all the churches will know that I am He who searches hearts and minds." The simple point here is that we cannot escape the judgment of God. We cannot tolerate what went on in Thyatira and expect to avoid the coming judgment of God. God knows what we are doing. Nothing is hidden from His knowledge and presence (Hebrews 4:13)-and we are accountable to Him.
God's judgment will come to every one of us. Verse 23 adds a final note: and I will repay each of you according to your deeds." This truth is presented in the Bible over and over again (Romans 14:10, Romans 14:12; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10). There is no escape. This is a strong admonition to every church and every believer to resist teachings and insinuations by professing Christians that tolerate sexual sin and approve of carnal involvements with unbelievers. God's Word emphasizes separation from sinful practices as the standard for Christian conduct and ministry.
The Exhortation to the Faithful (Revelation 2:24-25)
The Encouragement to the Overcomer (Revelation 2:26-28)
The overcomer is the true believer. He demonstrates his faith by obedience ("does my will to the end") throughout all his days. It does not mean that he never makes a mistake or has his moments of defeat. It means he is characterized by obedience to God's will. I would love to be characterized by obedience to God’s will.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
What would it look like if Jesus came to your church, or into your home? What would He see? What would He say? What would He hear? What would He sense?
This is what it was like for John to write the letters he wrote to the seven churches in Revelation. We are on letter and church #4. What would Jesus say to your church? What would Jesus see? What would Jesus hear? What would Jesus sense?
These are very sobering thoughts. In our lives, we can sense the blazing eyes of Jesus watching the things we do that are pleasing to Him, and guiding us away from the things that are not. This is the same for these seven churches in Revelation.
Revelation 2:18-29, Jesus writes a letter to the church in Thyatira. In this passage, this is the only time we see John refer to Jesus as "The Son of God," although he frequently used this phrase in his work, The Gospel of John. I believe it is because this church in Thyatira needed a re-establishment in the minds of the believers of the sovereignty and authority of Jesus. It is not our own authority that roots out evils, but our submission to His will.
Revelation 2:23 affirms for us why Jesus has eyes like fire when it says, "I am He who searches hearts and minds. We must remember Who examines our spiritual condition. We need to remember His authority, deity, and sovereignty over all. We need to acknowledge that His role is one of peace, forgiveness, and love, but also of righteousness, justice, and truth.
Is it possible to have a growing and maturing church and yet be compromising with sin? It would seem so here in this letter to the fourth church. Jesus examined this church and mentioned four basic things worth of commendation - their love, their service, their faith, and their patience.
The church in Thyatira: 1. had the proper motivation (love) 2. demonstrated an effective ministry (service) 3. were committed to the right message (faith), and 4. endured with a tough mentality (patience).
Their spiritual development had even grown since the church began there.
BUT... We can remember, that just because we are being blessed and we are active in the ministry, motivated properly, and committed to the message of God's Word in our lives, does not mean that everything is okay, or that God is pleased with everything we do or say. There is something that we often today shy away from discussing. It is Moral Decay.
Moral decay is that which chips away from the inside out. You may not see the unhealthy nature of the church until you go beneath the surface to see what is happening.
Are we doing inwardly what we portray we are doing outwardly? This is the message to the church in Thyatira. Tune in to find out more...
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
THE MOST POWERFUL DESCRIPTION...
Revelation 2:12 provides one simple but powerful description of Jesus: “He who has the sharp two-edged sword.” Then in Revelation 2:16, we see again that it is “the sword of My mouth.”
The sword of His mouth symbolizes the judgment which can come when He speaks the word. This is a church in Pergamos facing severe judgment if they do not repent. Christians in Pergamos were trying to coexist, which led to the result of religious compromise and sinful practices in the church.
The church in Pergamos was situated in a dangerous environment. Jesus says to the church there, “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city.” This is probably a reference to the giant altar to Zeus in Pergamos. It could also refer to all that was dominating and controlling the life and culture of this city; it was truly a seat of satanic power. The serpent god, Asklepios, would also serve as a symbolic picture of Satan and his power. The symbol for Asklepios was a serpent. Satan wants to make his throne global. We see symbols all over the place that creep into our subliminal passageways, continuing to desensitize us to what is happening around us.
After Jesus lets the church at Pergamos know what they are up against and encourages them in their faithful following of Jesus, He then goes into a serious evaluation. Two issues were confronted by the Lord when He says to the church, “Nevertheless, I have a few things against you.” Revelation 2:14.
Jesus says, “you tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel.” Revelation 2:14.
Balaam was a prophet in Israel. You can read about him in Numbers 22-25. Even though he talked like he was upright and would not curse the people of God, he advised the people in Israel to commit immorality and participate in pagan rituals. Numbers 31:16.
The doctrine of Balaam walks softly on immorality and encourages immoral behavior and compromise with pagan worship. In other words, The way of Balaam is a religious compromise for a few coins.
What a message this is to the culture of our day! Religious leaders have fallen for a few coins or pleasure. Attitudes of holiness and godly living have become mere words as leaders have adopted immoral practices and succumbed to the secular attitudes and beliefs of society around them. But God's standards have not changed. The doctrine of Balaam is still condemned by the One to Whom we must all give account.
I have seen and heard many seasoned pastors say to younger pastors something like, “When you are just starting off in the ministry, you will have to take whatever you can be given and don’t expect much in the way of money. But when you have been in the ministry as long as I have, you will see the increase of the finances.”
I ask you, what is the heart of God? Is it for pastors to seek the ministry for financial profit wherever He can get it or is it for the lost? When seeking a church for ministry, are pastors seeking the benefits and the compensation, or are they following the heart of God and desiring to see lost people come to know Him?
Jesus doesn’t stop there. He gives a strong exhortation in Revelation 2:16. Jesus commands the church to “repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” How do we battle Satanic influences and religious compromise? It is not by condemning the lost to hell, it is by living in a way that draws people to WHO Jesus is, Why he died and rose again for them, How he can turn life from darkness to light, change them from the inside out, and give them a life of promise and purpose.
Will you accept Jesus today? I pray you will. Are you ready?
If you are a believer in Jesus, you have faced, you are facing, or you will face satanic opposition in your life. 2 Timothy 3:12 says, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."
Satan is our accuser. He spends his time and effort trying to remind us of how UNWORTHY we are, how DISCREDITED we are, how much we have FALLEN from the purpose God has for us. Keep in mind that Jesus is not surprised by this onslaught of the enemy in our lives. He even predicted it would happen.
"For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. " (1 Peter 2:19-23).
Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. As it is you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also" (John 15:18-20).
The second letter to the churches in Revelation was sent to Smyrna who was reminded by Jesus of the opposition they faced from Satan for their faith in Jesus. This letter emphasizes Who Jesus is, what He knows, what He commands, and what He promises.
He promises two things to Smyrna and all who face satanic opposition and overcome it. Jesus promises He will give them a "crown of life" and that those who overcome will not be hurt at all by the "second death." The second death is the final separation between GOD and those who will never believe in Him. It is the final consequence for unbelief.
Are we listening to what the Spirit is saying to the churches? May our ears be open to hear what Jesus is saying. May our eyes be open to see what he wants us to see. May our hearts be receptive to what he commands us to do May we have boldness to carry out His purposes and plan for our lives!
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
GOD NEVER INTENDED THERE TO BE ANYONE IN BETWEEN US AND HIM!
Even when Samuel the prophet anointed Saul as King over the Israelites, God only allowed it because the people were crying out to Him. When He gave them what they wanted, there were only 2-3 kings out of 39 total for Israel and Judah that were considered Kings that did what God desired.
There was one high priest that came on the scene called Melchizedek. He was not connected to the line of Levi - where all the priests would come from. He honored God and was a spiritual leader to none other than Abraham.
After the Exodus, Moses set up the Ten Commandments and the sacrificial system because sins cannot be forgiven without a payment, a sacrifice.
Enter Jesus: Hebrews 7:15-28
This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
"Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
"This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath, but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, “The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow: ‘You are a priest forever.’”
“Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God. There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.”
Do you see?
Jesus is the ONLY way to obtain a relationship with God through the purity of His willing sacrifice.
He has created THE WAY to Heaven. He has removed any need for any man or woman to communicate through. We can go directly to Jesus and be in a relationship with Him.
Have you accepted the forgiveness Jesus offers?
Are you ready?
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
What is a "first love?"
In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus instructs us, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment.
The first love we should have is for God Himself and His Son, Jesus. Most of our problems center around that central issue. When our love for God diminishes, many problems develop that have no solution except a return to that first love.
In Revelation 2:1-7, the church of Ephesus was dealing with neglected priorities. They had lost their first love, the one they had for God which was replaced with other things. The church in Ephesus had tried to substitute that first love for their own efforts.
Jesus had many wonderful things to say about the church in Ephesus. He even said, "I know your works." He also said, "You have patiently suffered for me without quitting." The church in Ephesus was even focused on doctrinal purity. They did not tolerate sin and wicked people.
We can be tireless in what we do FOR God, but if we do not focus our priorities on Loving God and Loving others, then we have lost what the message of the Gospel is all about. It is quite amazing how we can rationalize our lack of love by emphasizing our works. Churches can appear outwardly to be all God wants them to be and do, but inwardly be cold and indifferent toward the Lord Himself.
The first love is the love we should have for the Lord Himself. Everything else flows from that. Therefore, the most serious and often neglected priority of the church is a sincere and intense love for the Lord. All else is secondary.
You won't want to miss this conversation. Along with last week's news and how these signposts point us toward the end times, we will discuss how we can get back to our "first love."
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
Dan is LIVE FROM ICELAND!
Yes, the place where people played volleyball by the volcanos!
The news has been HOT for the last few days. Join us for news and more in connection with the ENDTIMES.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
This week, Dan is live from Dublin, Ireland.
GJ and Dan welcome a pastor from Ireland, John Gamble to discuss the news of the day that could be signposts of the end times. Tune in to hear more!
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
What troubles the church today?
The same thing that troubled the churches 2000 years ago. In Revelation 2-3 are found seven letters from Jesus to the churches in seven cities.
Jesus Christ is described in the Bible as the Lord of the churches. A particular title is given to Him to impress deeply upon our minds sovereign authority and power. The church, composed of all believers in this age, is described as the body of Jesus Christ of which He is the head (Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 4:15-16; Colossians 1:18; Colossians 1:24; Colossians 2:9-10). As head of the church, He has the right to tell us what is wrong and what we should do about it. His headship is clearly depicted as He addresses each of the seven churches portrayed in Revelation, beginning with the church at Ephesus.
What Is the Significance of Seven Churches? To some, the number "seven" indicates perfection or completed action. Seven churches would, therefore, represent the total church throughout history. While we must remember that there were seven actual churches by these names existing in John's day, what the Lord says to these seven churches is what He would say to any of us living at any period of time.
Many Bible teachers have concluded that all of church history is being pictured between chapter one and chapter four. They relate these churches to the outline that the writer John gave to us in Revelation 1:19
"Write the things which you have seen" (Revelation 1) "and the things which are" (Revelation 2-3) "and the things which will take place after this" (Revelation 4-22)
This outline may suggest that the seven churches, while a part of the events of John's day include everything which characterizes the church age until the future events start unfolding, beginning with Revelation 4. Some teachers have even placed these churches within given historical time periods, such as Sardis representing the period of the Reformation. While interesting, such a formula cannot be conclusive.
Church history has been marked by periods of revival and growth as well as periods of corruption, decline, and apostasy. The lessons of these seven churches in Revelation must be carefully observed by Christians in every age, regardless of the brand name on our church door or the repute of our religious tradition.
What Troubles the Church?
When we examine carefully the churches to which John wrote, we see the following things that can trouble the church: Ephesus: neglected priorities Smyrna: satanic opposition Pergamos: religious compromise Thyatira: immoral practices Sardis: spiritual apathy Philadelphia: lost opportunities Laodicea: material prosperity
These troubles affect all Christians and churches, not only when such matters specifically begin to influence us, but also when a given period of time is generally characterized by these problems. We need to continue to pray that God keeps us all, as His church, on the right track with Him, so we will not MISS His return.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
Something to Think About
If you have come this far, you are already aware that this book of Revelation presents a unique picture of Jesus Christ. He is much more than a mere human being. He is much more than a good person who was executed two thousand years ago by wicked hands. Jesus Christ arose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and now sits at the right hand of the throne of God the Father. The picture we have in Revelation is of a Person with tremendous power and control over all that takes place in heaven and on earth. He is the One Who will come back to this earth and set up a kingdom that shall never end-perfect in every way and filled with every conceivable blessing that a loving God would provide for the creatures He made.
But where do you stand in all of this? Does it seem too incredible? How close or far away are you from allegiance and commitment to Jesus Christ? What do you really understand the Bible to be saying about Him? Do you understand that He deserves your worship and praise? Have you placed your complete faith and confidence in him as your Lord and only Savior from sin? Time is running out. As you continue to read, please evaluate carefully your commitment to Him. Your eternal destiny depends on it.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
Jesus is I AM WHO I AM.
When we think of Jesus, we still picture him as Jesus who is God in the form of humanity.
In REVELATION, a noticeable change has taken place from what the four gospels describe when they speak of Jesus Christ. This is a picture of what He is like now that He has risen from the dead. He is not pictured in the robe of humanity, but in the garments of royalty and deity. He is no longer the humble, suffering Servant, willing to endure the agony and death of a Roman cross - He is now the King of kings and Lord of lords! He has risen from the dead, and the glory He had before He came into the world in a manger in Bethlehem is now brilliantly displayed. It is a picture of glory and greatness.
When Jesus came into the world in the form of a baby, His true glory was hidden in the shape of humanity. While on the earth, people had only a small glimpse of His glory through His ministry. John is seeing the clothing of humanity unveiled here and it is too much for him to physically handle.
There are seven things we can learn about Jesus in this vision of glory and greatness. 1. His exalted position 2. His eternal humanity 3. His unique appearance 4. His majesty 5. His purity 6. His authority 7. His centrality
Majesty, purity, authority, and centrality - what a glorious picture of Jesus Christ, and how wonderfully unique from what we learn about Him in the four Gospels. The glory He had before He came into the world, that glory which He lovingly and willingly set aside so that He might know human life by personal experience and identify with us in our need, has been fully restored. He stands as our King of kings and Lord of lords.
This is the JESUS we will see coming again on the clouds of the heavens. This time, He will not come as a humble servant. He will come with authority, unveiled.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
WHAT IF YOU KNEW HOW MUCH TIME YOU HAD LEFT ON THIS EARTH...
What if you knew that you had 15 years left on this earth to live? What would you do with your time? What would you do differently? How would you prepare your family, friends, and new people that you meet? What if you knew that after that 15 years an event would take place that would impact everyone you know in life in a negative way if they did not accept Jesus? What would you tell them? How would you show them to prepare them for what is coming?
This is exactly what happened to King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20. King Hezekiah was someone that faithfully followed God as leader of Israel. The only thing he did NOT do was tear down the high places set up to worship another god other than the One True God. He didn't worship there, but he allowed it to stay.
He got really sick with a boil and the prophet Isaiah was sent to give him the message that he would not survive this illness and that he would die. After Isaiah left, King Hezekiah got up and facing the wall prayed, "God, you know that I have been faithful... please spare me." God sent Isaiah back to the King and told him that he would now recover and God was giving him 15 more years to live.
Then Hezekiah did something interesting. He invited a contingent of officials from Babylon to come and visit. He showed them everything: the treasury, the temple gold and silver, and his entire palace. He was quite proud. When Isaiah asked him who was there and what they wanted, Hezekiah told him. Isaiah's reply was that after King Hezekiah dies, Babylon will invade Israel, steal all of what Hezekiah showed them, and even capture the King's sons, taking them into exile and making them eunuchs. Hezekiah's response was, "This is great news." In King Hezekiah's mind, he thought, "at least it won't happen in my lifetime."
He had 15 years to prepare Israel. But he didn't do it. Israel was captured, many were killed, Israel was left in ruins, and Hezekiah's sons were exiled and made eunuchs.
If you had 15 years and you knew that the Tribulation was coming... How would you prepare those in your life? Your family, friends, and people that you meet? Hopefully, you won't do what Hezekiah did and leave the problems coming to the next generation. Hopefully, we spend time preparing those in our lives for what is coming... Hopefully, we can lead them to Jesus.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. PREPARE OTHERS AS BEST YOU CAN.
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
What does this mean? When will this happen? Christians have been talking about this for centuries! Let's take a deeper look into this... "Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. and everyone will see him -- even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen!" Revelation 1:7
So much in that one verse! We see great anticipation for the event. We see there is significance regarding the clouds. Clouds are some of the most fascinating things to watch. They are even more fascinating to learn about.
Looking back to Revelation 1:4-6, we understand that Jesus has a plan, a plan of redemption. "All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us." v. 5b. Notice the use of the present tense and past tense. Jesus "LOVES" us and has "FREED" us from our sins.
"For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God." 1 Peter 1:18-19.
We are FREED from our sin, and Jesus (present tense) LOVES us. Not only that, but he has a purpose for all Believers! We can see it clearly in 1 Peter 2:9, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light!" Then, we are to PRAISE God for ALL Eternity!
But one of the culminating events that we see distinguishing the time is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
What is the significance of clouds? Tune in today to find out - as well as Earth News, Wars and Rumors of Wars, News Leading Up to the Tribulation, and Things that Make You Go Hmmmm...
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
THE SEVEN SPIRITS - Place, Plan, Purpose, Praise
“I, John, am writing this to the seven churches in Asia province: All the best to you from the God Who Is, the God Who Was, and the God about to arrive, and from the seven spirits assembled before His throne, and from Jesus Christ—Loyal witness, firstborn from the dead, Ruler of all earthly kings. Glory and strength to Christ, who loves us, who blood-washed our sins from our lives, who made us a Kingdom, Priests for his Father, forever—and yes, he’s on his way! Riding the clouds, he’ll be seen by every eye, those who mocked and killed him will see him, People from all nations and all times will tear their clothes in lament. Oh, Yes. [AMEN] The Master declares, “I’m A to Z. I’m the God Who Is, the God Who Was, and the God about to arrive. I’m the Sovereign-Strong.” REVELATION 1:4-7
Remember, the book of Revelation is “the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus had three titles given to Him in these verses above, and there are four very distinct things to remember about this revelation: Jesus’s Place of Authority Jesus’s Plan of Redemption Jesus’s Purpose for the Believer Jesus’s Praise for All Eternity
Jesus IS coming again. There IS an end to this age coming. The question IS…
Are you ready?
We want you to be ready. Every week we offer a chance for you to accept Who Jesus is, what Jesus desires for you, how you can fulfill your purpose, and then praise Him for what He has done in your life. Don’t hesitate. Today is the day.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
LOVE, FORGIVE, PRAY
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7
But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. Mark 11:25
You cannot be a product of heaven being a product of contemporary culture.
Three ways to become a product of Heaven: 1. Love Am I loving God the way He wants to be loved? Loving from my uniqueness. Who I am. Being authentic. Am I pursuing the power to love or the love of power?
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Forgive Forgive 7 x 70 You can never move far enough away for God to forgive.
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Prayer Prayer may not be answered because of a lack of forgiveness. You do not have to allow your heart to be trampled. You are unable to live life fully when you are wounded. You are able to live life scarred. Scar tissue is 7 times stronger. Come from your scars instead of your wounds. Give your heart to Him. God is the great I Am and healer.
REVELATION - The Time Is Near
Revelation 1:3 is the first of seven beatitudes in the book. It says, "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it because the time is near.”
There are several things at work here in this verse. The word blessed is more than just being happy. It is not an emotion, it is a state of BEING. The only truly blessed person is one who humbles himself before the Lord. So the blessed people here are the believers who take to heart the things written in it.
There is a great emphasis in Revelation on the church’s response to Jesus and to the prophecy. We are to not only read it but to hear it and take it to heart.
Take note that this book is called prophecy (1:3, 22:7,10,18, and 19). This prophecy is straight from the heart of God to His church, the body of Christ. What is one test of true proph ecy? One test is whether it holds true to Scripture or not. You’ll be interested to know that there are over 400 allusions to the Old Testament in this book.
The Book of Revelation is a revelation of Jesus Christ Himself. This can refer to the following three things: 1. Things to know about Jesus Christ Himself; 2. The event in which He comes to this earth; 3. The information He gives to John and to us about what is going to take place in the future.
The book of Daniel is very closely related to the events in Revelation. However, in Daniel 12:8-9 it says, “Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”
Yet in Revelation 22:10 we read: “And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.” The time is Near. Are you ready?
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
REVELATION - Fact, not Fiction
The Book of Revelation in the Bible is not a fairytale , although for those who believe in Jesus, it does have a happy ending.
In the first three verses, there are seven things we can learn about the book to help us with a better perspective about the book.
- It PRESENTS Jesus Christ in all His glory – 1:1
- It PROCLAIMS the glorious return of Christ to the earth!
- It PROPHESIES events in the future that will take place within a short period of time.
- It PICTURES future events with unique symbolism.
- It PUTS heavy emphasis on the role and ministry of angels
- It PLACES great emphasis upon the church and its response to Christ – 1:1
- It POURS great blessing to believers – 1:3
It is a book that “reveals” the power and nature of Jesus from the one who was the closest to Him while on earth - John, the Beloved. It is also a book that describes the Trials and Tribulations that will ensue before the devil - our enemy - will give up. What do we do while we are awaiting Jesus’ return? We can see that in Romans 13: 8-14... 8 Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. 9 For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.”[a] These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 10 Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. 11 This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. 13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. Romans 13:8-14
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
PERSEVERING THROUGH TRIAL The Bible makes this very clear. In Scripture, God gave us seven specific promises about how He helps us persevere through trials. (This excerpt was taken from an email from Jimmy Evans and his Tipping Point email.)
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He rewards courage Rewards will be yours when you stand strong and do not let your faith waver: “But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”—2 Chronicles 15:7
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He elevates us Paul wrote to Timothy that the ability to withstand hardship earns the promise of ruling with the Lord, including during the coming Millennium: If we endure hardship, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us.—2 Timothy 2:12
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He perfects us According to the psalmist, God promises to fulfill His purpose in you, to cover you with his steadfast love, and to never abandon you: The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.— Psalm 138:8
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He gives us strength Paul encouraged the Church at Philippi by telling them that the Lord will empower His people to handle every circumstance: Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.—Philippians 4:12-13
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He fills us with power and joy We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.—Colossians 1:11-12 (NLT)
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He keeps us safe And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!—2 Timothy 4:18
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He helps us grow And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.—Romans 5:3-5
The Power to Withstand If you have given your life to Jesus, He promises to rescue you. He has prepared for you an eternity of joy, pleasure and happiness. He wants better for you than you even want for yourself. He wants to help you with anything and everything. He will always be with you and He is listening to your prayers.
Jesus Christ loves you more than anyone has ever loved you, and you can always ask Him for help.
Remember: The Lord is with you. He will always be with you. He will never leave you. He is gracious and patient and will never give up on you. On your worst day, He will be your best friend.
And regardless of what is going on in the world or what evil people are doing, God is above it all. He is always in control. He exists outside of time, so He is already in the future! He is also with you right now, in the present.
All-knowing and all-powerful, God is bigger than any problem or enemy. Depend on Him and He will be faithful to you!
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
We believe in God, so we speak.
“Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.
If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from those who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good news. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. … But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and Good will receive more and more glory.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:1-10,13-18 NLT
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
DON’T BE AFRAID. SPEAK OUT!
Over the last few years, maybe decades, we have been conditioned that we should not speak the truth in the workplace, in schools, at home, with our neighbors, or even with our friends.
It is frowned upon to pray in the Name of Jesus. You cannot mention God in a school speech. We have become fearful that we will lose our job, lose our friends, be ridiculed, or even lose our families.
Paul, in the Bible, was in the city of Corinth one night when Jesus spoke to Paul in a vision and told him this, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” ACTS 18:9-10
I believe this is what God is saying especially to us in the United States. We will leave it up to other countries what God is saying to you there.
However, remember Ephesians 5:10-17 “Carefully determine what pleases the LORD. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, Rise up from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the LORD wants you to do.” Don’t be afraid to speak out. The world may even try to take your life and livelihood. But your eternity with God can never be taken away, when you love God and are called according to His purpose, living for him daily.
Stay Strong. Speak Out. Fear Not.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
EXEMPLIFY THE WORD OF GOD…
When everyone around you is doing one thing, it can be difficult to stand up and say, “I will not do that.” You know you may face ridicule or even lose so-called friends.
But that is what it means to be an example to others.
Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 NLT
Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. 1 Peter 2:12 NLT
Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. John 13:35 NLT
In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father. Matthew 5:15 NLT
And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 1 John 2:3-6 NLT
KNOW THE WORD, DO THE WORD, EXEMPLIFY THE WORD. PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
KNOW the WORD, and DO the WORD…
Reasons God’s Word and Commands are for Our Best:
Differentiates between Good and Evil The Old Testament Scriptures and the New Testament Scriptures present to us the total and complete opposite nature of Good and Evil. It is the reason why the Bible says, “What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever. Isaiah 5:20-21
Guides Us God’s word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119.105) My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. (Psalm 17:5) He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3)
Keep us from Harm The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm. (Proverbs 19:23)
God is good. The devil is evil. Period. Dark cannot exist where the Light has taken residence. Is the Light of Jesus in your heart? Are you filling your mind and heart with the Word of God?
KNOW the WORD, and DO the WORD...
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
HOW TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN TIMES OF CRISIS
The same God in the green pastures is the one who disciplines, directs, and defends you.
Notice how the “right paths” He guides us along can bring us through the darkest valleys. But that is why we know that we need not be afraid because He is close by our side.
Even when our enemies are there, he provides.
Goodness and His unfailing Love pursue us all the days of our lives. We can have confidence in times of crisis, in these end times, because we KNOW that His plan and purpose will prevail. And He walks with us even through the darkness of the valley.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23 NLT
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
BUILD YOUR FAITH DAILY
FF Bosworth said, "Most Christians feed their body three hot meals a day, and their spirit one cold snack a week., and they wonder why they are so weak in faith."
NO one's faith grows accidentally. You need INTENTION.
What kind of lifestyle are you growing? Are you growing a lifestyle of reading the Word of God? Are you growing a lifestyle of seeking the kingdom of God? Are you growing a lifestyle of chasing peace with all men and holiness?
Are you growing a lifestyle of meditating on the Word of God? Day and night?
You cannot grow something you don't plant within you. Seed the Word of God into your spirit by reading God's Word, the Bible.
If you are looking for God, read your Bible. If you are looking for God in your situation, read your Bible. If you want to find God, read your Bible. If you want a closer relationship with God, read your Bible.
"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." 2 Timothy 3.16-17
"But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." James 1.22-25
Many of us are surprised at what is happening in the world today. For those of us who are not just consulting the Word of God, but reading it and allowing it to change us from the inside out - we are not surprised. We are anticipating what God says is the beginning of the end.
READ the Bible. Grow your Faith. Meditate on God's Word, day and night. It WILL bring Peace and it WILL Build Your Faith.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
FOCUS and the FOUR HORSEMEN
“And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts [FOCUS] on what is true, and honorable, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” PHIL4.8NLT
That is JESUS! FOCUS on HIM! Perfect love in Jesus casts out ALL fear!
WHITE HORSE He that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer.
RED HORSE And power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
BLACK HORSE And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay.[b] And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.
PALE GREEN HORSE I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.
What should we do? FOCUS.
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Snap Up So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 1 Thess5.6
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Sober Up But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love… 1 Thess5.8a
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Suit Up ...and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 1 Thess5.8b
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
WATCH OUT! KEEP ALERT! PRAY FOR STRENGTH!
We shouldn't be surprised when things happen like what is going on in eastern Europe, China, the Middle East, and even in our own country. The Bible warned us and continues to be as true today as it was when it was penned.
Instead, seek the Truth of the Word of God and prepare for what is to come. That means, accept Jesus into your heart, making right with God, living for Him, being strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit to live and love, have courage and strength, and be mindful of the signs of the times.
And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Luke 21:25-26 NLT
Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21:34-36 NLT
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
FEAR Cripples, FAITH in God strengthens even in the trial.
"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." James 1.12 NIV
"This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1.9 NLT
"So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you." Deuteronomy 31.6 NLT
"Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41.10 NLT
"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16.33
FEAR is crippling. There is only one FEAR in the Bible that we should have.
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." PR1.7
"All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech." PR8.13
“Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave." Revelation 1.17b-18 NLT
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
UN-BECOME to BECOME, OUR NORMAL v. GOD'S NORMAL
"Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13.8 NLT
Un-become to become! I must be in my Father's house.
- Connection Stay connected to Gods heart
- Obedience Stay connected to God’s instruction
- Growth Stay connected to God’s plan
- Wisdom Stay connected to God’s Word
- Stature Stay connected to God’s strength A natural growth. Increase our activity spiritually.
- Favor Stay connected to God's grace, God's anointing, and God's love! Give glory to God.
- Rest Stay connected to God’s rest. Take the weight off... A rhythm of connection with God. Recharge. Peace. Un-become to become!
Our normal is the opposite of all of these. We would sometimes rather do things on our own rather than be connected, be obedient, grow. We look to our own understanding, our own strength. We live according to our own truth, and we work hard to stay on top. Our normal is not good enough We need to UN-BECOME in order to BECOME what God’s normal is - staying connected to God through obedience, His plan, His Word, His Strength, His Grace, anointing, and love, and resting in His presence.
The word in 1 Corinthians 13.8 for "fails" is pepto, meaning "falls." Love will be the last thing standing. It will never fall or be crushed under the weight of hate and sin.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. POWER UP with GOD.
LIGHT OF THE WORLD
“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.” Matthew 4:16 NLT
"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 'I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.’" John 8:12 NLT
“So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:6-7 NLT
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:1-5 NLT
“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV
65 times in the Bible Jesus is referred to as the Light of the World. In the Old Testament Scriptures (specifically, the Torah), Moses and the people of Israel were not allowed to look at the face of God. We need the Light of Jesus in this world more now than ever before. It is a dark, dark world.
Today’s broadcast is brought to you by ZIVAH SUNGLASSES, where every pair of sunglasses we buy, someone in the world is given the gift of light. Go to zivah.com/endtimeschat and use promo code ENDTIMES to receive $20 off.
Gift the gift of light and THE Gift of Light to someone in the world today.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. PUT ON YOUR SUNGLASSES.
BELIEVE and TAKE THE NEXT STEP
So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can. "What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:20-24 NLT
When the Lord heard your complaining, he became very angry. So he solemnly swore, ‘Not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the good land I swore to give your ancestors,” Deuteronomy 1:34-35 NLT
“Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in.” Joshua 6:1 NLT
Take the next step. What if we quit taking the next step? What if you’ve fallen and just stay down? How do we keep from being overwhelmed? How do we access supernatural strength?
Next steps: 1. Obey - be bold. Be courageous. 2. Trust God - be ok not having all the details. God is always faithful. 3. Keep silent. Don’t say a word. 4. To shout. Shout for the Lord! Declare the word of God over everything you do. What is the walk God is telling you to take? Declare what it is that you desire. Be encouraged even in silence. Be a next-stepper. Decide to take the next step.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
Double-down on the Word of God, the Bible. Teach it to your children. Read it every day. Live its wisdom every day. Follow its instructions every day. One thing you will not regret is following the wisdom in the word of God.
“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9
“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11 NIV
"You word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 NLT
The Bible has transformed the world!
People are willing to die for this book, and because of a relationship with Jesus.
This book is the most accurate book of antiquity.
The Bible has the life-changing message of Freedom!
The Bible connects you to Jesus, who is the culmination of this book - what He did, Who He is, How He has provided for you and I, and Why. If you are looking for wisdom, instructions on how to make it through this world, how to make it through the issues this world has brought, there is only one place to look. The Word of God, which will transform your life because of the message of Jesus.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
NEVER STOP PRAYING! REMEMBER WHO SAVED YOU!
“Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, ‘Everything is peaceful and secure,’ then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. “But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. “For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. …
“Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. “See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. “Always be joyful. NEVER STOP PRAYING. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. “Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, 14-22.
On the seventh day you must explain to your children, ‘I am celebrating what the Lord did for me when I left Egypt.’ This annual festival will be a visible sign to you, like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. Let it remind you always to recite this teaching of the Lord: ‘With a strong hand, the Lord rescued you from Egypt.’ Exodus 13:8-9 NLT
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
EVIL SURROUNDS US.
It may look like we’re surrounded, but we’re surrounded by YOU. This is how WE fight OUR battles.
Nothing is as strong as the blood of Jesus.
"I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey — whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth. My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. They have dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen into it.” Psalm 57:4-6
30“Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.” 31Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32“Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. John 16:30-33
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they [a]did not prevail, nor was a place found for [b]them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” Revelation 12:7-12
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP. POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
Are we picking the Bible apart or are we allowing the Bible to pick us apart?
"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
If we choose not to believe the Bible is the Word of God given to us through the Holy Spirit, then anything goes. Our societies are breaking down because of the lack of believing in right and wrong. Or shall we say right is wrong and wrong is right. Good is now called evil and evil is now called good.
If we look to the Bible, we will know right from wrong. What is good comes from God and what is evil comes from the evil one. If we turn away from the Bible, God’s word, we lose our compass and find ourselves not knowing what our purpose is or what direction we are headed.
Turn BACK to the Word of God, the Bible. Read it. Allow it to pick your life apart for the sole desire of becoming more like Jesus every day.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP! POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION.
Living a Year in Surrender
“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” — Colossians 3:13-15
The beginning of the year is the perfect time to pause and reflect—not only to recognize all the reasons we have to be grateful, but also to heal and grow in the year ahead.
While reflecting, we may be reminded of hurt feelings. Rather than sweep those feelings under the rug or let them create bitterness, we can choose the freedom of forgiveness. And the first step toward forgiveness is surrender.
“Surrender” can be one of those words that makes people squeamish, especially when it comes to forgiveness. We tend to equate it with losing a battle—waving a white flag and allowing the enemy to overtake us. But when we surrender to God, we can view it differently. With God, surrender means being open handed with our lives—even our hurt and pain so that God can heal us from it. He is full of love, mercy, and compassion for each of us. We don’t have to be afraid to give our pain to God because we can trust Him to be tender, and handle our hearts with care.
We can also trust God to be fair. It’s natural for us to want to see someone pay the consequences for their actions. Even God has a righteous anger toward sin and injustice. But we have to accept that only God can judge a person’s heart. We don’t get to decide whether someone receives punishment or grace, and holding on to our need for vengeance will only leave us with bitterness.
If we want to live in peace this year, we have to give our anger and pride over to God and focus on our own hearts. We must make the conscious choice to lay our pain and desire for control at His feet and ask God to do a work in us. We have to acknowledge that we need His help.
As Christ-followers, forgiveness is something we do daily—even when we don’t want to do it. Sometimes when we’re working through forgiveness, we have to surrender the same pain to God multiple times. When old feelings stir up, we forgive again and again until it no longer upsets us. With God’s grace, all things are forgivable. Now, forgiveness doesn’t mean what happened is ok. It doesn’t mean we let people continue to hurt us. And it doesn’t necessarily mean having a face-to-face conversation—the person doesn’t even have to still be alive for us to forgive them because it’s not about them. It’s an acknowledgement in a moment that is just between us and God. It’s about inviting Him in so He can heal our hearts.
Don’t take the offenses and hurts from last year into this next year. If there’s something you need to forgive, take a moment to pray and surrender it to God. Tell Him you need His help and that you trust Him with the results.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP! POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION.
DECEPTION.
Charles Baudelaire once said, “The devil’s finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist.”
Alfred Tennyson once said, “A lie that is a half-truth is the darkest of all lies.”
“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth.” Proverbs 12:22
"16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another." Galatians 5:16-26
Deception is from our enemy, the devil. His desire is to take everything God has created or said, and to deceive us into thinking it is NOT what he created or said. Deception will be the way the devil will draw masses and multitudes away from God and turn them against God.
“But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15
“They will say, ‘See how our enemies have been destroyed. The last of them have been consumed in the fire.’ “Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you. Listen to his instructions, and store them in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored— so clean up your life. If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river, the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver! “Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up to God. You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to him. You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you. If people are in trouble and you say, ‘Help them,’ God will save them. Even sinners will be rescued; they will be rescued because your hands are pure.”” Job 22:20-30 NLT
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP! POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION.
The time is short. You may have heard this so many times in the past that it just rolls off your ears like a marble from a table. I mean, is Jesus really coming back? Is this really the end times? We believe it is. The signs are pointing us to the fact we are close.
““However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.” Matthew 24:36-39 NLT
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”” John 16:33 NLT
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 NLT “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:23-25 NLT
“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”” James 4:14-15 NLT
Keep the faith! Stay true to Jesus! Do not quit. Do not back down from loving God and loving others.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP! POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION.
LOVE and JUDGMENT
Both of these are so important to acknowledge. God's great love for us in creating us and giving us an opportunity to be in the right relationship with Him, AND if we do not, there will be a judgment for all who REFUSE to accept Jesus as the ONE Who reconciled the broken relationship between God and us.
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other[b] because he loved us first. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer,[c] that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. 1 JOHN 4:7-21 NLT
And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth— blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible[a] day of the Lord arrives. JOEL 2:30-32 NLT
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP! POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION.
WHO DO YOU TRUST? WHO DO YOU WALK WITH?
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:1-5 NLT
“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.” Proverbs 13:20 NLT
“A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” Proverbs 17:17 NLT
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NLT
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in the is dark world, and against evil spirits in heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 NLT
The only way to truly overcome the evil in this world is to believe in Jesus as the Son of God. Period. God promises that he will be WITH you, to STRENGTHEN you, to HELP you, and to HOLD YOU UP with his victorious right hand.
TODAY IS YOUR DAY to accept Jesus...
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP! POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION.
REMEMBER
"Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days, scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created. They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment when ungodly people will be destroyed. But you must NOT forget this ONE THING, dear friends: a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment." 2PT3.3-10
"...And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for 'God opposed the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are." 1PT5.5-9
"Then another angel followed him through the sky, shouting, 'Babylon is fallen -- that great city is fallen -- because she has made all the nations of the world drink the wine of her passionate immorality..'" REV14.8
Speaking of the Great Mystery Babylon Falling: "The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your SORCERIES." REV18.23
So much to share today! Update on La Palma, earth news, wars and rumors of wars, things that lead up to the tribulation, and especially things that make you go hmmmmm...
But most importantly, we need to stay humble and remember God is never late and WILL carry out His plan of redemption.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP! POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 NLT
What is your reality? 80% of the time your potential problems will not happen.
- Your thoughts about God will determine how you walk with Him.
- Where you sit determines what you see.
- What you see determines what you say.
- What you say determines where you step.
Thoughts control your words. Your words determine your actions. Your actions determine your outcome What are you going to choose to think? Where do you choose to sit? What do you choose to see? Where do you choose to step?
“From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn. O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord, there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.” Psalms 130:1-8 NLT
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP! POSITION PROPERLY. PAY ATTENTION.
“The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names: Daniel was Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called Abednego.” Daniel 1:7
“This is what the LORD says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” JER29.10-11
“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 2TIM3.1-5
“Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created… The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.” 2PET3.3-4,9-10
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP! POSITION PROPERLY.
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"Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it.’ Now give them this new proverb to replace the old one: ‘The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!’ “There will be no more false visions and flattering predictions in Israel. For I am the Lord! If I say it, it will happen. There will be no more delays, you rebels of Israel. I will fulfill my threat of destruction in your own lifetime. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” Then this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, ‘He’s talking about the distant future. His visions won’t come true for a long, long time.’ Therefore, tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No more delay! I will now do everything I have threatened. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’” EZ12.23-28 NLT
Is this the time? We don’t know, but what we do know is that when God says something will happen, IT WILL HAPPEN.
“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.[k] Only the Father knows.
“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. MT24.36-42 NLT
Keep Watch. Be alert. Pay attention. Be expectant. PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP!
SPECIAL INTERVIEW with ENDTIMES Author Kevin J Kurtz! The first 20 minutes are available here on FB, but the rest of the interview can only be found at www.ENDTIMES.CHAT
Kevin’s 30 years in ministry have given him a platform to preach and teach on the authority of God’s Word. His children’s trilogy books deliver a message of the Father’s plan for our life. His novel, The Coming, won the Gold Seal of Literary Excellence, weaving a suspenseful story focusing on end-times prophecies. Book II in the series, Imminent Return, prepares the reader for the coming man of destruction. Reviewers are calling it a must-read page-turner. Kevin can be contacted through his website www.kevinjkurtz.com
“If the godly give in to the wicked, it’s like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring.” PR25.26
“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.” EPH6.14
“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith, we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.” HB11.1-3
Where is your faith? Who do you count on when you cannot see how things will turn out? Who have you built your faith foundation on? There is only ONE Truth, ONE Way, ONE Life that leads to God and it is through Jesus. HE is the One the entire foundation of the universe is built on. He is the strongest foundation in good times and in times of despair and trouble.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP!
“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” MT22.37-40
“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking — it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. … "But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. MT10.16-22,21-22
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ACTS1.8
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. POWER UP!
"And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world." REV 17:18
What do Solar superstorms, flooding, dust, credit cards, persecution, and the great city have in common?
FIND OUT TUESDAY, Sept 28, 2021 on our broadcast! We were unable to go live today due to technical issues, but we are BACK on TUESDAY 09.28.21!!!
"After all this, I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor. He gave a mighty shout:
Babylon is fallen -- that great city is fallen!
She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal.
For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality. The kings of the world have committed adulter with her. Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich."
Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, "Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her." REV 18:1-4
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PASS IT ON. PRAY AGAIN. PERSEVERE. PERSIST. PRAISE HIM!
"In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song: Our city is strong! We are surrounded by the walls of God's salvation. Open the gates to all who are righteous; allow the faithful to enter. You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal ROCK. He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to the dust. The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot, and the needy walk all over it. But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a GOD who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them. LORD, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart's desire is to glorify Your name. In the night I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek you. For only when you come to judge the earth will people learn what is right. Your kindness to the wicked does not make them do good. Although others do right, the wicked keep doing wrong and take no notice of the LORD's majesty. O LORD, they pay no attention to your upraised fist. Show them your eagerness to defend your people. Then they will be ashamed. Let your fire consume your enemies. LORD, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from you. O LORD our GOD, others have ruled us, but you alone are the one we worship." ISAIAH 26:1-13
Tune in today to discover what it means to be BLESSABLE and find out a bit more on Mystery Babylon and what it could be.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON.
"Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the LORD and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else." 1 THESSALONIANS 5:12-15
What is this MYSTERY BABYLON we read about in Revelations 17-18? How is it connected to the original city of Babylon? How can we connect history with the present and future events foretold in the Bible?
TUNE IN TODAY and watch to the end as GJ and Dan discuss the signs and signposts we are seeing today and share their thoughts about who/what this MYSTERY BABYLON could be...
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PRAY AGAIN. PERSEVERE. PASS IT ON. PERSIST. AND PUSH THROUGH.
"You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. "A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them." MT24.44-45
"As God's partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God's kindness and then ignore it. For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation." 2COR6.1-2
Today on the ENDTIMES Chat, GJ and Dan are joined by a special guest, Bryan Vignery, to discuss the 7 Jewish Festivals that correlate with the major events of history and what is to come.
Join GJ and Dan in the conversation.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PRAY AGAIN. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. PASS IT ON!
"For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the meetings of God's holy people." 1Cor14.33
Jesus said, "I am leaving you with a gift -- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe. I don't have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me so that the world will know that I love the Father." JN14.27-31
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord." 2Tim1.7-8
Chaos is NOT from God.
Everything chaotic comes from the evil one, whom Jesus called a liar, and the father of lies (Jn8.44).
BUT, there is HOPE. Jesus said, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." Jn16.33
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PRAY AGAIN. PERSIST. PERSEVERE. AND PASS IT ON!
What does it mean to be present-minded but eternally focused?
"Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. I Thessalonians 5:1-11 NLT
Most are only concerned with the here and now. We have been lulled into slumber because everything seemed to be going okay. Two years ago, we were blissfully blinded to the evils of this world, and we thought, "this could never happen to us."
Tune in to hear more today from GJ and Dan on being present-minded and eternally focused.
PRAY. PRAY. PRAY.
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26.3-4
This world is wicked. There are no two ways to look at it. The amount of evil resident in our world, the deception all around us, and the devastation can be overwhelming.
Many people have been asking where GOD is. Why does He not intervene? Where is the relief? Why can't we just have peace and why can't we all just get along?
We have been lulled as believers into thinking that GOD is no longer a GOD of justice, but only love and peace.
What we forget is that Justice creates peace and only a GOD of love would set things straight. Remember, Jesus came to the earth to die for our sins, not to take over through brute force. However, there is a day coming when He will triumph over all evil, all spiritual demonic forces in this world.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PRAY AGAIN. PERSEVERE. PROCLAIM. PERSIST. PASS IT ON. PATIENCE.
"Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirement of God's law. This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. WAKE UP, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires." RMS 13.10-14
"It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, "AWAKE, O sleeper, rise up from the dead and CHRIST will give you light." EPH5.12-14
NOW is the time to WAKE UP!
PRAY. PAY ATTENTION. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PASS IT ON. PERSEVERE. PERSIST. PRAY AGAIN.
"When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful." PR29.18
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants -- men and women alike -- and they will prophesy. And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below -- blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the LORD arrives. But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." ACTS2.17-21
"For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." EPH6.12
Are You Ready? Who is Your heart devoted to?
When crazy things are happening around you, where do you turn? When your life is going well, Who do you honor?
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSEVERE. PASS IT ON. PRAY AGAIN.
"... Should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in Baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives." Romans 6:1-4
We are possibly in the most clearly prophetic times in world history! God has sent so many to provide the Good News of Jesus. Along with that, God has sent and is sending people to warn those who will listen that we need to "LOOK UP" to God our Father as there is an end to what we now know.
How long will we test the WONDERFUL GRACE of God by continuing to live like God exists but is not involved in our lives? How long will we continue to push away the Truth of God potentially believing the lies of the enemy?
Today is YOUR day to turn your heart, your eyes, your ears, your mind, your body, and your WILL to God.
Tune in today to hear the news of what is going on around the world and how it might connect with the Scriptures that point us to what will happen in the days in which we live - the Two Minute Warning.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSEVERE. PASS IT ON. PERSIST. PRAY AGAIN!
Suppressing the truth is not a new phenomenon.
THE TRUTH - Jesus - was suppressed and they tried to kill him to do it. Paul was suppressed when he spoke the truth and it ultimately ended in his death.
Almost all of the disciples were killed for speaking the truth, except John, but he was burned with oil and sent to an island in exile.
Those in the first century spoke out and tried to silence the TRUTH of Jesus.
Prophets in the OLD TESTAMENT were ridiculed, imprisoned, and some killed for speaking out against the government of the day with God's Truth.
If you think the enemy has not been working overtime to continue to suppress the TRUTH of Jesus' imminent return, then you may be deceived.
We know that our message may one day also be suppressed, but God will always find a way to get the TRUTH of Jesus and His LOVE for US - so that we can choose a relationship with Him as opposed to an eternity without Him.
MORE ON THE BROADCAST, so TUNE IN!!
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PASS IT ON. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PERSIST.
What is Freedom?
Freedom is independence, liberty, liberation, release, emancipation, deliverance, pardoning, unbound, and the list goes on.
Sin keeps us bound to our enemy. Freedom is provided through Jesus, and can ONLY be provided through Jesus.
Freedom does not mean that we do whatever we want. It means we are free to live according to what God desires - because ultimately as our Creator, He desires us to be in a relationship with Him and in healthy relationships with each other. This means we choose a "God-Honoring" lifestyle where God is our primary relationship and our relationships are honoring to others.
What does this have to do with the End Times? EVERYTHING! We are called to live God-Honoring lifestyles after accepting Jesus as the Messiah, the One who paved the way for a reconciled relationship with God so we can escape what is coming.
More on the broadcast...
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSEVERE. PERSIST. PRAY AGAIN.
For many years, Christians have stayed silent on the issues of the day - and those that stood up were seen as fanatical and pushed aside. What should our role be as we get closer to the End Times? What is the appropriate response?
What does the Bible say about how we should respond?
Romans 12:18 says "Do all that you can to live at peace with everyone." But the same person who wrote this reasoned at the colleges, in Athens, and in front of political leaders and emperors.
What is our role?
How should we respond?
We are in a spiritual war and we know that God has already one, but we are called to that war nonetheless.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSEVERE. PASS IT ON. PRAY AGAIN.
SO MUCH is going on in the world...
GJ and DAN are LIVE from Dallas TX at the NRB Convention 2021 with special guest Betsy!
WHY?
Why would anyone want to control the world? Why would anyone want to hurt someone else? Why do people hurt others? Why? Why? Why?
Sounds like a three to four-year-old asking Why to everything you say. People want to get to the bottom of things and discover the purpose behind what happens.
GJ and Dan have been on a lifelong journey to discover WHY, and the best answer is... well, you need to tune in to find out.
As usual, we will tackle earth news, wars and rumors of wars, things that lead up to the tribulation, and things that make you go HMMMMMM... so share this link and video, create a watch party with your friends, send this video to anyone you know that has questions about what is going on in the world and how the Bible answers these questions.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSEVERE. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON.
How can you have an eternal perspective?
"But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the LORD comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and clearheaded." 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6
Many people are afraid or want to hide from the truth of what is going on in our world. There is no judgment for those of you who feel this way. Only encouragement. These things MUST take place for the end to come. Jesus said, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come." Matthew 24:4-8
We encourage you to have an eternal perspective. Be alert, YES! But understand that all these things must take place and one day we will be with Jesus and these earthly pains will be no more.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PERSEVERE. PERSIST. PRAY AGAIN. PROCLAIM. PASS IT ON.
What is PEACE?
Today, along with the Earth News, Wars and Rumors of Wars, News that leads up to the Tribulation, and Things that Make You Go Hmmmmm..., GJ, Dan, and special guest Bryan Vignery will discuss how you can experience PEACE when all around you is CHAOS.
The world is in a spiral, and the prince of this world - Satan - and his army are battling every minute of every day. It is NOT the time to be complacent.
Now is the time to do battle on our knees, share the gospel of Jesus, and be a light for the LIGHT of the world. Jesus IS the Prince of Peace. Satan is the Father of Lies.
Tune in today or in the preview Monday, May 31, 2021.
May 31 is Memorial Day here in the United States. This is the day we honor and remember all who have fought for FREEDOM and PEACE for our country and fought/advocated for FREEDOM and PEACE in countries around the world. Their memory will NOT be forgotten. There is also ONE Who gave the ultimate act of devotion for all of us to have ETERNAL FREEDOM and PEACE.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PASS IT ON. PERSEVERE. PERSIST. PRAY AGAIN.
GJ and Dan will discuss what is happening in the world and how it may connect to the ENDTIMES. PLUS, they will also discuss what it means to "walk in the favor of God" and why we believe those who believe in Jesus are in the world, but not of this world.
The enemy, Satan, is hard at work trying to deceive as many as possible. It seems at every turn there is one more thing that can discourage us, take our focus off of Jesus, and onto the troubles that surround us.
It is possible to live in this world and still have joy. It is possible to be in this world, but not allow this world to infect our spirits. It is possible to be in this world and walk in God's favor. Tune in today to find out what we mean.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PRAY AGAIN. PASS IT ON. PERSEVERE. PERSIST. PRAISE GOD.
"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do." James 1:5-8
Wisdom will lead you directly to Jesus. Jesus is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIGHT. No one comes to the Father except through Him. Wisdom will not lead you anywhere but directly to Jesus.
How can Wisdom save you from the Tribulation? How can Wisdom keep you on the right path? Tune in today to find out.
PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PASS IT ON. PRAY AGAIN. PERSEVERE. PERSIST. REPEAT.
GJ and Dan are joined by a special guest, Bryan Vignery, to chat about STRONGHOLDS. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, " “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” Strongholds are not just physical, but emotional, spiritual, relational, and many others! How can we overcome them in these last days? How MUST we overcome them? Jesus has already overcome the WORLD. We can tap into and embrace the amazing power of the Holy Spirit to crush the enemy of our souls under our feet and live in strength! Tune in and share with all your friends! PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PERSEVERE. PASS IT ON. PERSIST. PRAY AGAIN!
Our greatest enemy and our only true enemy is Lucifer, otherwise known as Abaddon, Accuser, Adversary, Apollyon, Beelzebub, Belial, the Devil, Dragon, father of lies, god of this world, king of Babylon, king of Tyrus, little horn, the man of sin, the old serpent, prince of the power of the air, the prince that shall come, prince of this world, rulers of the darkness of this world, Satan, son of perdition, the tempter, the wicked one.
It is the reason we as believers and disciples of Jesus - the Son of God, Messiah, Savior of this world, Prince of Peace, eternal, Rose of Sharon, Lily of the Valley, Lion of the tribe of Judah, King of Kings, Emmanuel, God with us, Almighty, Alpha and Omega, Author of Salvation, Beloved Son, Bread of Life, Captain of Salvation, Cornerstone, Creator, Deliverer, Faithful Witness, First and Last, Glory of the Lord, Good Shepherd, Great High Priest, Head of the Church, Heir of All Things, I AM, The Word, Judge of Israel, King of the Ages, Lamb of God, Life, Truth, Way, Light of the World, Mediator, Messenger of the Covenant, Mighty God, Only Begotten Son, Ressurection, Rock - understand our HOME is NOT OF THIS WORLD. We are strangers and heaven is our home.
But ONE DAY, Jesus will take back possession of this World and Satan will be crushed under His heal. Tune in today to find out more... PRAY. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PRAY AGAIN. PERSEVERE. PASS IT ON. PUSH AHEAD.
LOOK UP! Jesus said to look up when you see wars, rumors of wars, plagues, famines, earthquakes in many parts of the world. All these things are the beginning of the birth pains of the END. Jesus also said many false prophets will rise up to deceive many, increase of wickedness, love of most will grow cold, there will be terrifying things and great and miraculous signs from heaven...but the one who stands firm to the end will be SAVED! When all these things begin to happen, STAND and LOOK UP, for your salvation is near! Share this podcast and ... PRAY. PREPARE. PROTECT. PROCLAIM. PRAY AGAIN. PERSEVERE. PASS IT ON. Are you ready?