REVELATION IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

REVELATION IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

Most of the struggles of attempting to interpret the book of revelation stems from a failure to understand that the Book of Revelation is a book of Prophecy.

And that prophecy has a chronological order. This is the key to unlocking the Book of Revelation.

First to what was, that is, the experience of John seeing Jesus in his glory.

What is now, the messages to the seven churches which refer to the present age, as the seven churches represent churches in this present age.

And then what will take place later, referring to that which is future.

Confusion in the interpretation of Revelation stems almost entirely from the failure to observe this divine outline.

The opening of chapter four, with the phrase “after this” is referring to the churches, makes it clear that from chapter four on the book of Revelation is dealing with future events.

After chapter four, it describes the unfolding of the future with the Revelation of Christ Jesus at the second coming, as its main theme.

One of the important conclusions in Prophecy is the concept that the church that’s saves of the present age will be in heaven.

While the great events of the seven-year tribulation and the end time takes place.

Revelation 4:1-2 King James Version (KJV)

4 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

² And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

Actually, John was on the Isle of Patmos when the revelation was given to him.

John stated at once, or immediately, I was in the Spirit.

I really don’t know whether John was physically caught up to heaven or whether simply in His vision that he was caught up to heaven.

In either case he saw the scene as he would if he had been present in heaven.

What John is seeing is a setting for events in heaven, which will take place in heaven and earth and in the period of time after the rapture.

The word church in chapters two and three does not re-occur until revelation 22: 16.

Revelation 22:16 King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

Revelation 19:7King James Version (KJV)

⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Here it is talking about the church being the bride.

After chapter four it is highly doubtful that the church could actually be here. It would put the church in the center of the activities of the seven years of tribulation.

The events of the end times follow the rapture of the church.

After the rapture of the church, there will be a time period which may be called a period of preparation.

Then will emerge a ten-nation group forming a political unit in the Middle East.

A leader will emerge who will gain control first of three nations, then all ten.

Daniel 9:27King James Version (KJV)

²⁷ And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

This event starts the seven-year countdown towards the second coming of Christ Jesus.

The first half of the seven years will be a time of peace for Israel. At midpoint of the seven years the covenant will be broken and this political leader will assume the position of ruler over the entire world.

Stay in the word
Brother Andy

OF DEMONS, DEVILS AND FALSE TEACHERS

OF DEMONS, DEVILS AND FALSE TEACHERS

The King James Bible speaks of the devil sixty-two times, devils fifty-four time and Satan fifty-two times

1 Timothy 4:1   Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, (in direct terms) that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines (or teachings) of devils;

Paul is saying here the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last days some will turn away from what we believe.

They will follow lying spirits and teachings that came from the doctrines of devils. False teachers were and are still a threat to the church.

Even today it is not enough that a teacher, minister or evangelist appears to know what they are talking about or says she or he is speaking for God.

If their words contradict what the bible says they are teaching false. These hypocrites, false teachers are lying spirits that are teaching what come from demons.

We are guided by Demonic spirits, or we are guided by the Holy Spirit.

The devil deceives people by offering a clever imitation of the real things of God. Don’t be impressed with a teacher’s style or credentials, his teaching must line up with the word of God.

Because we still live in the flesh we sometimes get weak in our thinking and that is very fertile ground. It leaves room for the devil to work on our minds.

Eph 4:23-27   ²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

²⁵ Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

²⁶ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

²⁷ Neither give place to the devil.

Your mind is what you think with, 

Your will is what you want,

Your emotions are what you act on.

We need to be careful about what we think, what we want, and what we act on.

Our old way of life before we got saved should be completely in the past. We must put on the new nature, go in a new direction and have a new way of thinking that the Holy Spirit gives us.

Don’t give place to the devil. Why, because it is his goal to deceive you. It is so important to avoid the worthless deeds of evil and darkness and stay away from evil influences. 

When things don’t work out the way we think they should or the way we want them to, that is when wrong thoughts start coming into our minds. That is when we start thinking of things. Satan fights with lies and sometimes his lies sound like truth.

Satan often attacks our heart, the very center of our emotions… self worth… and trust. He wants us to think the good news of the gospel is worthless and hopeless.

Satan wants to make us doubt God. Never doubt in the enduring power of the heavenly realm.

Did you ever have a bad habit that you actually hated, and know in your heart that it is wrong? Sinfully wrong. In your heart you would say, I am never going to do that again.

But as sure as we declare it, this nagging thought would drive you crazy, and without thinking you would do it again. The temptation was so strong that you could not stop yourself.

You are not alone, that probably describes a lot of the population. Bad thoughts lustful thoughts and thoughts of wrong desires only come from one source, the flesh way of thinking.

We all have areas where temptation is strong and habits are hard to conquer. These weaknesses give the devil a foothold. We must deal with our areas of vulnerability.

We still live in the flesh; most people struggle with a particular sin. The sin is bad enough but the big problem is when we try to justify it. 

1 Peter 5:8    ⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Your adversary, the devil, is always on the prowl, seeking someone to devour. Just like a real lion who seeks out the young and feeble (the young of spirit and the weak of spirit) to attack.

John 10:10   The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Who is the thief? The one who comes to kill, steal and destroy. How does he kill steal and destroy? He does it by deception, getting you to doubt yourself and God. He may not physically kill your body, but he does want to kill your spirit, your connection with God.

This deception does have a good ending, Jesus says I am come that you might have life and that they might have life more abundantly.

Yes, you will be tempted, Jesus was tempted, yes there will be thoughts that come to your mind, some not so good, some worse.

You need to consider the source; you know these thoughts are not of God so they must be from the adversary the devil. Or wrong thinking on your part.

James 4:7   Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Resist the devil and he will run from you. Tell him as Jesus did to get behind you.

Stay in the word,

Brother Andy

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR CHOICES

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR CHOICES

My people (the believers) are being destroyed, because of lack of knowledge, and because they have rejected my knowledge, I am rejecting them and their children.

Because of spiritual darkness, which is lack of knowledge, there is no revelation of God’s word.

Hosea 4:6   ⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

When you reject Gods knowledge of the word, you also reject His heavenly laws that he has set in motion.

People are powerless today, not because there is no power available, but because the power and authority Jesus made possible for believers has not been activated by faith in Gods word.

The fullness of God, the promise of God, and the provision of God: led by the Holy Spirit will complete the purpose that God has for your life.

Whether we are believers or non-believers we are made up of Body, soul and spirit.

But until you make Jesus the Lord of your life, and accept Him as savior, the spirit of God won’t be activated in your spiritual life.

The children of Israel wandered in the desert for forty years, because they focused on their yesterday, instead of their tomorrow.

Stop thinking negative thoughts that can control your life.

Don’t let these thoughts control what God has for you. Think about Gods promise of a better tomorrow.

In God we trust is more than a statement engraved on our coins, it must be the guidance principle that governs every action of our life.

God’s word gives us a new hope, and new thoughts and a glorious new life.

One of our greatest battles is the battle of the mind.

Isaiah 55:6-9   ⁶ Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

We must give up the wicked ways of the world and our unrighteous thoughts so God will have mercy on us and we can regain His favor on us.

For His thoughts are different from our thoughts, His thoughts and His ways are higher than ours.

As long as you live in a mortal body, your carnal natural mind is the place where your fight will be won or lost.

Ephesians 6:10-12   ¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

We don’t battle against flesh and blood, but spiritual wickedness in high places.

If you are a believer, Satan can’t fight you in the spiritual realm any more. He can and will battle you in your mind.

The devil can deceive you, but deception is all he has to work with.

He is still going to try to steal, kill and destroy your life and your relationship with Christ Jesus.

He is going to try to do it by gaining control of your mind or your way of thinking.

If you’re going to take a successful stand against the devil, you will have to do it on the battlefield of your mind.

If we start looking away from Jesus, our eyes will be deceived. We must keep Jesus in our sight.

We must get beyond the physical realm.

Ephesians 1:3-7   ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

⁴ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

⁵ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

⁷ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Being chosen for salvation, adopted as His children, forgiveness of sin, insight, the gifts of the spirit, power to do Gods will, and the hope of His glory through Christ Jesus, living forever in heaven, are just some of the benefits of being saved, and making Jesus the Lord of your life.

If you are a believer of His word and you have a relationship with Jesus you can enjoy these blessings now.

Romans 8:17   ¹⁷ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

God has identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is Gods guarantee that he will give us everything he promised.

And that he has purchased us to be his own people, as Jesus is, so are we.

The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God can not keep you.

The cross of Calvary has made it possible for you to rise above and beyond the physical realm by accepting the finished work at the cross through his son Jesus Christ.

So how do we rise from the way we see ourselves into how God sees us?

Don’t allow what we experience in our physical senses or our emotions to control what we think.

The Holy Spirit confirms a higher spiritual reality, it is confirmed by us being able to understand and discern Gods word.

It is the ability to conceive of something that you can not see with your natural eyes or natural mind.

We must go beyond the physical realm. The natural or carnal thinking will lead us over into the area of doing things in our own self effort or our own strength.

God is directing your life for a purpose. Everyday is not always pretty. We must endure and win souls to Christ Jesus. Remember He will never leave us or forsake us.

Stay in the word,

Brother Andy

GODS FULLNESS IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

GODS FULLNESS IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

John 16: 5-8  ⁵ But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?

⁶ But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

⁸ And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

John 14: 25-26   ²⁵ These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

²⁶ But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

From beginning to end, Gods work is done in the power of the Holy Spirit

This power is not some impersonal energy in the universe.

The Holy Spirit is a person in quality like Jesus

The life he imparts to you by his dwelling in the Christ’s life

Jesus knew he was to be crucified.

He knew his disciples could only carry on his work effectively, if they had a deep relationship with himself thru the Holy Spirit.

He told them that he would send another comforter to take his place, when he returned to the father.

John 14: 11-12    ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

¹² Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Jesus is not speaking about an influence or a doctrine… Jesus did not worry about being politically correct he was speaking of one like himself

A real person who would fill their lives with his own presence and power.

When Jesus finished his work on earth, then the Holy Spirit was sent in power upon his church, and all that would receive him.

re-read John 14:12   ¹² Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

For this reason, today as a Christian, our privileges are greater than those of the disciples. We have radio, television, cars, planes and computers help make it all possible.

The comforter has already come, He is here now he lives and dwells in you now, if you have accepted Jesus as your savior.

Some churches believe one thing and some another, but it does not do away with the fact that God says, be filled with the Holy Spirit

People, I believe this is the greatest need of the church of Jesus Christ today.

Everywhere you go, everywhere you look, you will find that God’s people seem to be lacking something.

God’s people are hungry for something. God’s people are thirsting for something.

I keep seeing among Christians today a great need, and lack in their lives.

There is a feeling of insecurity, and that in their lives being a feeling of being defeated.

The churches of today seem to be powerless… why

If we have no power it’s because we don’t have the Holy Spirit of God impowering us. We are lacking Gods fullness in our lives

God says, be ye filled with the Holy Spirit

Having that fullness of God, the promise of God and the provision of God, led by the Holy Spirit will complete the purpose that God has for your life…