Protection

The safest place in the world is the will of God!

After I preach this morning, I’m leaving on a ministry endeavor in another country today, so I will not be able to blog again until November 11. I, along with a couple of other men, will be ministering to pastors and conducting evangelistic crusades. Please pray for us when we come to mind, that the Lord will direct our steps, that we will be protected from harm, that the Word of God will penetrate the hearts of the pastors and encourage them, and that many will be born again during the evangelistic meetings.

Let me encourage you to go back and read my posts from October 24^th through October 28^th where I discuss the sequence of events before the return of Christ. These events may be happening sooner rather than later, and to be forewarned is to be forearmed!

I’ll leave you with God’s promise of protection:

Psalm 91-NLT

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (2) This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. (3) For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. (4) He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. (5) Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. (6) Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. (7) Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. (8) Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. (9) If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, (10) no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. (11) For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. (12) They will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone. (13) You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! (14) The Lord says, "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. (15) When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. (16) I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation."

Expect Long Life!

Any thought in your mind that you may not live a long life is just wrong! When I was young, a palm reader at a church Halloween carnival (go figure) told me that my lifeline was short and that I would die young. The ensuing fear lasted through my teen years until I became a dedicated believer.

 

I did a study on longevity in the scriptures and found that it was the will of God for us to live a long life and be satisfied with its length. This may be shocking, but there’s not a “set” time by God for you to die. As you study the Word you’ll find that there are things you can do to lengthen your life, and there’s some things that you can get involved in that will shorten your life. We have more to do with it than we realize.

I’ll leave you with a list of scriptures that deal with long life today. They have boosted my personal faith and they have quenched the fear the enemy planted in my life when I was young! Let’s grow old loving and serving God!

  

You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess (Deuteronomy 5:33). That your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth (Deuteronomy 11:21). So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days (1 Kings 3:14). You shall come to the grave at a full age, as a sheaf of grain ripens in its season (Job 5:26). With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation (Psalm 91:16). My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you (Proverbs 3:1-2). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you (Proverbs 9:10-11). The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened (Proverbs 10:27). They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands (Isaiah 65:22). For He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it (1 Peter 3:10-11). Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you (Isaiah 46:4). The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness (Proverbs 16:31).

Radical Islam and Jesus' Return

A few weeks ago on a Sunday morning, I addressed some current events that may give a glimmer of light to us as to how the sequence of events may practically play out in the return of Jesus in the Rapture and in His second Coming.

Last year I had Walid Shoebat minister at our church. Walid is a form Muslim turned Christian and has written and excellent book, God’s War on Terror in which he reveals a belief that Islam and its Jihad ideology may be a key player in bringing the events spoken of in Revelation to fruition.

I also read a book entitled The Islamic Anti-Christ by Joel Richardson which again reveals an eerie parallel between the coming Islamic leader called the Mahdi and the Anti-Christ reveal as the arch-enemy of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God. I encourage your reading of both of these books.

As I was studying in the spring of 2010, I saw some things that I had not seen before. I saw that the book of Daniel mentions a “reviving” of the old Roman Empire prior to Jesus return. Most Eschatology (the study of end-times) teachers believe strongly that the Western Roman Empire will “revive” before the return of Jesus, and that the Anti-Christ will come from that region of the world.

But as I studied and refreshed myself in world history, some things began to change for me. I saw that the Western Roman Empire lost its power just prior to 500 AD. But the Roman Empire continued as the Byzantine Roman Empire through Constantinople in modern Turkey for almost a thousand years.  

Now follow me here for just a moment in a short history lesson. Islam was founded by the prophet Mohammed in the 600 A.D.’s and shortly afterwards was pushing through the Middle East and Europe in a world conquest. The Ottoman Empire (Islamic) toppled the Byzantine Roman Empire in Constantinople by 1453 A.D., and changed the city’s name to Istanbul.

The former Catholic cathedrals in Constantinople (now Istanbul) were transformed into mosques and for almost 500 years Islam and the Islamic Caliphate (rule) dominated the Middle East. After World War II, the Ottoman Empire lost its control of the Middle East to other nations. Its’ Islamic influence ruled Israel and the Middle East, and was a force to be reckoned with by other nations. One stanza of our Marine Hymn reads: From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, we will fight our country’s battles, on the land and on the sea, and is actually speaking of the battles engaged by Marines from the newly formed USA in the early 1800’s against the Muslim pirate ships of the coast of Northern Africa that hindered free trade.

The Islamic Caliphate dissolved in Turkey in the 1920’s and was replaced by a secular government. No longer did Islam play a major role in the governing of that nation, until recently! The current government of Turkey has been turning towards to re-emergence of a combination of Islamic rule with the government of that nation. There is a striking and possible parallel with this development found in Revelation 17.

Notice Revelation 17:8-11 :The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. (9) "Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. (10) There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.  (11) The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.

In short, here’s what the above verses from Revelation reveal: The woman mentioned is a false religious system that will be utterly defeated at Jesus’ Second Coming (Islam?). The Anti-Christ will be affiliated with this false religion. The seven heads are kings or leaders, and the seven mountains are seven empires that have ruled over Israel since its inception as a nation. From history, we know that the first six of these empires that ruled over Israel are Egyptian Empire, the Assyrian Empire, the Babylonian Empire, the Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, and the Roman Empire.

The Empire mentioned as the seventh (the one in verse 10 which has not yet come) was not yet an empire at the time of the writing of the New Testament. But notice that if you follow history, the next Empire to rule over Israel and the Middle East after the Byzantine Roman Empire is the Ottoman Empire, an Islamic Empire. That could easily be the seventh Empire mentioned!

Then, notice that verse 11 states: The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.  The beast is the anti-Christ and his kingdom. This verse says that the eighth kingdom to rule over Israel is from the seventh kingdom, and will be destroyed by Jesus (is going to perdition) at His return.

Let simply state it again. The last empire to rule over Israel before the Second Coming of Christ will come from the Seventh kingdom that ruled over Israel. The exact match from history is the Ottoman (Islamic) empire that ceased to exist in the 1920’s after World War II. That empire is now re-emerging as a huge player in the Middle East through Turkey, where the seat of Middle Eastern power was for almost 500 years. Could it be that the emerging of Turkey as a strong Middle Eastern influence with its increasing Islamic lean be the emerging of an eighth empire, an Islamic Empire, that will eventually rule over Israel? Time will tell, but it is very possible!

Now let’s talk about the most interesting part of this whole scenario. Recep Erdogen, the Turkish Prime Minister, is becoming a huge player in rallying the Arabic nations into a political unity. He is involved in talks with the leader of the Palestinians, Mahmoud Abbas, and is encouraging him to make peace with Israel. Turkey carries a lot of political clout in the Middle East and is the one nation that may be able to bring the different factions of Muslims together reaching for a common goal of unity among the Islamic nations in the Middle East and Northern Africa, then complete domination of Israel.

Turkey has the 2^nd largest army in NATO, and is re-emerging as a key player in the Middle East. Keep watching as this nation is mentioned more and more.

The turmoil in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and other nations there will eventuate into radical Islam being integrated and Sharia law being integrated into the fabric of these nation’s governments. The eventual end of this will be these nations uniting under the rule of the anti-Christ and attacking Israel.

Jesus will come back in His blazing Glory to defeat these nations at the battle of Armageddon (Ezekiel 38-39, Revelation 19). I’m sharing these things to show you that world conditions are ripening to the soon return of Jesus.

Joel prophesied that a huge revival with encompass the earth at the same time that the anti-Christ comes to power (see Joel 2:28-32). This is a day for you and me to really get serious about Jesus in our lives. It’s time to be through with compromise and lukewarm living. The day of Jesus return is shorter than you may realize. It’s time to wake up! World condition are quickly lining up with prophetic revelation from the Bible!

I’ll leave you with Paul’s comments on the day:

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 13:11-14 –NLT).

The Day of the Lord

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this (Isaiah 9:6-9 –NKJV).

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (23) But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. (24)

Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power (1 Corinthians 15:22-24-NKJV).

Today I am continuing my teaching about the sequence of events in the return of Christ. My goal is to bring clarity to what I see in scripture concerning what is to come as the world is prepared for Christ’s return and reign.

The last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, is about Jesus Christ coming as rightful owner of the earth to defeat His enemies, to judge the un-repentant wickedness of men and nations, to judge Satan, and to reclaim the earth for the Kingdom of Heaven, cleanse it, and make it a beautiful place for God and man to have fellowship once again throughout eternity.

Jesus came almost 2000 years as a baby, in humility, taking upon Himself our suffering and sin, and providing a way for His Grace to purify us from our sin and restore our personal relationship and fellowship with God.

Notice John 1:17: For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Notice again that the law came though Moses. The Old Covenant, with its emphasis on the 10 commandments, showed us that we cannot please God with self-effort. The law revealed our sin. We call that era the dispensation of law.

During the last 2000 years we’ve been living in the church age, the dispensation of Grace. The long-suffering of God has been emphasized to show that He loves mankind, and wants all of us to have the opportunity to respond to His Grace.

Grace is God dealing lovingly and tenderly with us and with our sin. Grace is God opening up His love nature to willingly forgive and cleanse our disobedience, and to welcome us freely into relationship with Him through Christ.

But also notice that Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t come only to cleanse our sin, He also came to show us how to live a life that pleases God. That comes through truth. Jesus, within Himself and His sacrifice for us, wed Grace and Truth together.

To receive only Grace is to live a life of bondage to sin. But when you allow His Grace and Truth to flood your life, only then does true freedom manifests in you.

When Jesus returns in His Second Coming, He will be emphasizing Truth. He will come as a judge to His enemies, for they have spurned His Love, rejected His Grace, and have refused His Truth. The only thing left for those who refuse God’s dealings of Grace, Love, and Truth is Judgment. And that is what is coming next on the earth.

The Day of the Lord  is a period of time, not just a 24 hour day. The Day of the Lord starts after the Cosmic Disturbances I mentioned yesterday with the breaking of the 6^th seal on the scroll in God’s right hand (see Revelation 6:12-17), and immediately after the rapture of the church to heaven (see Revelation 7:9-17).

The Day of the Lord is mentioned frequently in the Old Testament, and is mentioned by Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and the Apostle Peter. The Day of the Lord  begins after God withdraws His  earth ambassadors (the church!) to heaven. The Day of the Lord is God declaring war on His enemies. The Day of the Lord  encompasses the period of time after the rapture of the church where the 7 trumpet judgments and 7 bowl judgments occur in Revelation 8 through 19.

The scroll in God’s right hand that we’ve discussed in previous days (Revelation 5:1) contains the events of the Day of the Lord. Once the 7 seals on the scroll are broken open, the scroll can be unrolled, and then the events on the scroll come to pass.

Notice Revelation 8:1: When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Heaven became silent when Jesus broke the last seal on the scroll in God’s right hand. For half an hour, heaven paused, realizing that the prayers of the saints for God’s kingdom to come, and for His will to be accomplished on earth, were about to be answered. Heaven became silent for that half hour, knowing that the awesome judgment of the Holy God of the universe was about to explode on this evil, corrupt planet. Finally, all wrongs, all lies, all rebellion, all deceit, and all evil would receive its just rewards. The trumpet judgments and bowl judgments were about to unleash the fierce wrath of God against all of His enemies.

The church of the Lord Jesus will not be here to experience this time of the wrath of God. Jesus sacrifice on the cross delivered us from the wrath to come (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). The first 3½ years of the 70^th week of Daniel are the wrath of man, the anti-Christ. The time of great tribulation spoken of by Jesus, when the anti-Christ breaks his 7 year covenant with Israel and martyrdom occurs with the breaking of the 6^5th seal on the scroll, is the wrath of man.

You and I as believer are immune from the wrath of God. We will not be here during this awful time when 1/3 of the vegetation will die, the fresh and salt waters become polluted, when over 2 billion people die from the effects of the intense wrath of God.

I close this article today with the scriptures that reveal this dark period of judgment coming to earth called The Day of the Lord. Praise God that Jesus has delivered us from the wrath to come…

Scriptures revealing The Day of the Lord…

 The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled), (13) for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan, (14) for all the towering mountains and all the high hills, (15) for every lofty tower and every fortified wall, (16) for every trading ship   and every stately vessel. (17) The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, (18) and the idols will totally disappear. (19) Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from dread of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. (20) In that day men will throw away to the rodents and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship. (21) They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from dread of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth (Isaiah 2:12-21 –NIV).

Hail, for the day of the Lord is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.

(7) Therefore all hands will be limp, every man's heart will melt, (8) And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; they will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; they will be amazed at one another; their faces will be like flames. (9) Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it. (10) For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine. (11) "I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. (12) I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, a man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. (13) Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the Lord of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger (Isaiah 13:6-13 –NKJV).

All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; all their host shall fall down as the leaf falls from the vine, and as fruit falling from a fig tree. (8) For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion (Isaiah 34:4,8 –NKJV).

Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as destruction from the Almighty. (16) Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? (17) The seed shrivels under the clods, storehouses are in shambles; Barns are broken down, for the grain has withered. (18) How the animals groan! The herds of cattle are restless, because they have no pasture; even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment. (19) O Lord, to You I cry out; for fire has devoured the open pastures, and a flame has burned all the trees of the field. (20) The beasts of the field also cry out to You, for the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the open pastures (Joel 1:15-20 –NKJV).

The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness. (11) The Lord gives voice before His army, for His camp is very great; for strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; who can endure it? (Joel 2:10-11 –NKJV).

And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.  (31) The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. (32) And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls (Joel 2:30-32 – NKJV).

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. (15) The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness.  (16) The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; but the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel (Joel 3:14-16 –NKJV).

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light. (19) It will be as though a man fled from a lion, And a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, Leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him! (20) Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it? (Amos 5:18-20 NKJV).

The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; there the mighty men shall cry out. (15) That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, (16) a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers. (17) "I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like refuse." (18) Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land. (2:1) Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, (2) Before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord's fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes upon you! (3) Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger (Zephaniah 1:14-2:3 –NKJV).

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (11) Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, (12) looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? (13) Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:10-13 –NKJV).

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. (2) For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.  (3) For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. (4) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 – NKJV).

Cosmic Disturbances and the Rapture of the Church

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (30) Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matthew 24:29-31-NKJV).

For the last two days, I’ve been discussing the sequence of events in the return of Christ to earth. I encourage you to go back and my blog for Monday and Tuesday if you haven’t done so. Each day will build on the previous days’ teaching.

I’m continuing here with our looking at the opening of 7 seals on a scroll in God’s right hand in Revelation 6. In Revelation 5, God, as Creator and owner of all that is, is seated on His Throne with a scroll in His right hand. That scroll is His title deed to earth, by which He is preparing to regain earth’s control from Satan and his emissaries.

The scroll contains the contents of the book of Revelation starting with the breaking of the 7^th seal in Revelation chapter 8 and continuing through the rest of the book of Revelation. In the scroll are 7 trumpet judgments and 7 bowl judgments which occur after the scroll is opened, during what the Bible calls the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is a period of time when the wrath of God is displayed in full force against Satan, and the nations and men who are working with his scheme of darkness to completely overtake and rule this planet for good. The church will not be here during the Day of the Lord.

None of the events beginning with Revelation 8 can begin until the scroll is opened. In Revelation 6, Jesus, the resurrected Lamb, has taken the scroll from God’s right hand and is breaking each seal one at a time. As each seal is broken, events occur.

Yesterday we look at the first five seals. The first seal when broken revealed a rider on a white horse, which denoted false Christ’s appearing, most notably the anti-Christ.  The breaking of this seal begins the time period frequently called the tribulation, or better called Daniel’s 70^th week (see Daniel 9:27), which lasts for 7 years.

The second seal when broken revealed a rider on a red horse, denoting war breaking out. The third seal when broken revealed a rider on a black horse which denoted famine and hyperinflation. The forth seal when broken revealed a rider on a pale green horse which denoted disease spreading as a result of war. The fifth seal when broken began a period of martyrdom of Jews and Christians under the reign of the anti-Christ.  This is three and a half years into the seven year peace treaty he oversees between Israel and their enemies. The breaking of this seal begins what Jesus termed the great tribulation : For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. (22) And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:21-22-NKJV).

It looks as though believers will be here to see the rise of the anti-Christ and the breaking of the seals around the scroll. Believers will see the anti-Christ break His covenant with Israel and begin a massive campaign of killing Jews and Christians.

Then suddenly, sometime after the anti-Christ begin this mass slaughter three and one half years into his reign, the sixth seal is broken. I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. (13) And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. (14) Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. (15) And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, (16) and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! (17) For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"( Revelation 6:12-17-NKJV)

These cosmic disturbances occur with the breaking of the sixth seal, and are a sign to the world that Jesus Christ is returning to withdraw His ambassadors to heaven before the Day of the Lord begins. It looks as though we will be here to see this event.

When you get up one morning, and the sun is dark, and then at night the moon and stars don’t give light, you know then that Jesus is about to return to get you! In Revelation 7, between the breaking of the sixth and seventh seal around the scroll, two things happen. First, Jews that will actually go through the terrible judgments during the day of the Lord will be sealed so that they will be protected from harm during that terrible time (Revelation 7:1-8).

Then, in Revelation 7:9-17, a multitude which I believe is the raptured saints of God are found in heaven before God’s throne : After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, (10) and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"(Revelation 7:9-10-NKJV)

I’ll end this article with the scripture found at the beginning. Jesus also talks about what happens after the breaking of the sixth seal in Matthew 24. The sign of His return for us is these cosmic disturbances. The way the world events are rapidly transpiring, we could see the fulfillment of these scriptures in the not too distant future! Once the peace treaty is signed, figure 4 to 5 years (we just can’t know for sure the time length between anti-Christ breaking covenant and the rapture) of significant change and degrees of hardship before this cosmic disturbance event occurs. But, during that time, expect a tremendous moving of the Holy Spirit worldwide!

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (30) Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matthew 24:29-31-NKJV).

And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. (29) And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. (30) "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. (31) The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. (32) And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls (Joel 2:28-32-NKJV).

Opening the Seals on the Scroll

You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:11-NKJV).

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals (Revelation 5:1-NKJV).

In yesterday’s blog, I begin talking about the sequence of events in the return of Christ. If you haven’t read yesterday’s blog, please do so, for I will continue today with that theme. Over the last year 18 months or so, the Lord has given me a new understanding of the sequence of events regarding the rapture of the church and the time period immediately following. I submit what the Lord has given me to you to consider and pray over, and for you to search the scriptures yourself to gain understanding of Jesus’ soon return.

In Revelation 4, God is shown as the Creator, owner and sustainer of all things. In Revelation 5, God is holding a scroll in His right hand as He is seated on His throne. The scroll is God’s title deed to planet earth. The scroll is sealed with seven seals, and can only be opened by a person with the authority and credentials to oversee the events that transpire when it is opened. Jesus Christ, depicted as the risen Lamb, is the only person in the universe found worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. He stands and takes the scroll out of God’s right hand.

In Revelation 6, Jesus begins the process of breaking the seven seals that keep the contents of the scroll from being known and coming to pass. As the title deed to planet earth, this scroll contains the sequence of events that will occur to purge the earth of rebellion, sin, and the contamination of the darkness brought on it by the Lucifer during his reign of stealing, killing, and destroying. It contains the plans God has to renovate this planet made for human life, so that it will once again be a place of purity, and a place where God and man can fellowship together eternally.

As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, "Come!" (2) I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory (Revelation 6:1-2 –NLT).

The breaking of this first seal on the scroll brings forth a rider on a white horse. The rider represents false Christ’s. This rider depicts a warrior as he is carrying a bow and wearing a crown. This is none other than the anti-Christ, who is everything opposite of our Lord Jesus! He will come as a man of peace, but later his heart will be revealed and he will take peace away from the earth.

The breaking of this first seal sets in motion Daniel’s 70^th week. We read in Daniel 9:27 - The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him."

Daniel 9 reveals 490 years of Israel’s history from the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the Jews’ captivity to Babylon until the second coming of Christ. 483 of those years have already come to pass, and 7 years of those 490 years remain to be fulfilled. We call this Daniel’s 70^th week because each week is actually a week of years, or 7 years. There are 7 years of Jewish history yet in our future.

According to Daniel 9:27, this last 7 year period will begin with the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and their surrounding enemies. That’s the next current event we should look for. Once that treaty is signed, there will be 7 years before Jesus returns in His second coming!

I have believed for all of my Christian life that we believers would be raptured to heaven when this treaty is signed and the 7 years of Daniel 9:27 begin. But I have seen new light from the scriptures, as I will explain in detail as we move through this teaching. I hope we are raptured at that time, but if this treaty is signed and we are still here, I want to show you what the Bible clearly reveals that will transpire.

This first seal being opened begins the reign of the anti-Christ, who will be a political leaders hailed as finally bringing peace to the Middle East by bringing Israel into a peace agreement with its hostile Arab neighbors. This may or may not revolve around the creation of a Palestinian State. Time will tell. This peace agreement could be reached in the next few months or it may be a few years in the making.

When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, "Come!"

(4) Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere (Revelation 6:3-4).

The breaking of the second seal on the scroll reveals a rider on a red horse, which depicts war coming to the earth. Under the rule of this peace treaty creating leader we call anti-Christ, war will break out on earth. It may be contained to the Middle East, or it may spread to other continents. Keep in mind that the Bible is an Eastern book, and these events are dealing with Israel and the surrounding nations. It remains to be seen whether or not or how much these events affect the USA.

With the interconnectedness of the world in the 21^st century, we in America could certainly be affected financially, politically, and militarily by the war that occurs.

When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, "Come!" I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.

(6) 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. And don't waste the olive oil and wine." (Revelation 6:5-6).

When Jesus breaks the 3^rd seal, a rider on a black horse appears. This depicts famine and inflation due to scarcity of food. Olives and Grapes (olive oil and wine) are staple goods in the Middle East, so verse 6 reveals that staple goods will be available.

This famine and subsequent price inflation are a result of war breaking out under the rule of this leader called anti-Christ. This may be more prominent in the Middle East or it may spread to affect other areas of the world. Again, we may watch this play out in real time.

When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, "Come!"

(8) 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 (Revelation 6:7-8-NLT).

The breaking of the 4^th seal reveals a rider on a pale green horse, which depicts disease and death spread due to war and the sepsis coming from dead bodies. Notice that this scripture says that these riders are given authority over ¼ of the earth. It doesn’t say that ¼ of the people on earth died. This ¼ of the earth could be the Middle East and surround area only. Again, we may see this play out in our lifetime.

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. (10) They shouted to the Lord and said, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?" (11) Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them (Revelation 6:9-11-NLT).

The breaking of the fifth seal is actually 3½ years into this 7 year period.  This is when the anti-Christ shows his true motives, turns against Israel, desecrates their rebuilt temple (Jesus calls this the Abomination of Desolation in Matthew 24), and begins to martyr Christians and Jews.

This could easily be linked to radical Islam and its Jihad – holy war against the infidel(unbeliever) . Radical elements of Islam are gaining power in many Middle East and European nations today. Their Koran inspired mandate to kill those who refuse their religion and its Sharia law could easily be the fulfillment of this widespread martyrdom that occurs with the breaking of the fifth seal.

Don’t miss my blog tomorrow. There I will discuss the major sign of the impending rapture of the church! These events should inspire us to pray and prepare for a drastically different world prior to Jesus’ return. He’s coming for a prepared people! 

The Scroll in God's Right Hand

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." (9) After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. (10) As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. (11) "Men of Galilee," they said, "why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!" (Acts 1:8-11-NLT)

Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. (2) There is more than enough room in My Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? (3) When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. (John 14:1-6-NLT)

During the month of October, I’ve dedicated my Sunday morning ministry to talking about the sequence of events in the coming of Jesus Christ back to earth. Over the last year and a half, I’ve done some fairly intensive study on this subject that I’ve studied for over 25 years. Things have changed in my belief system with respect to the timing of the rapture and the events that will culminate in the second coming of Christ to the earth to set up His millennial reign. Over the next few days, my goal is to provide a synopsis of the major points that I’ve taught on Sundays.

To introduce my revised thinking, I’m going to look at four chapters (4,5,6,and 7) primarily in the book of Revelation to form a backdrop for what I believe the Lord has shown me. And let me say here with a bit of chagrin that for the first time in my life, the events of Jesus’ return fit together for me like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle creating a clear image of what is to come.

In the latter part of the first century A.D., the aged Apostle John was banish to the isle of Patmos off the coast of Greece in the Aegean Sea because of His faith in Jesus Christ. There he received the vision of the future found in the book of Revelation (Greek- apokalupsis, and unveiling). Because God is Omniscient, all knowing, and because God is also Eternal, He sees everything past, present, and future as right now! So God gave John a part of His all-knowing about future things and we are privileged that the Father added this to the Word of God for our comfort and instruction.

After revealing Himself to John in chapter 1 of The Revelation, Jesus addresses the churches of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) in chapters 2 and 3 about their condition before Him, and the things that they need to adjust to be fully pleasing to Him.

Then, in chapter 4, John in his vision is taken to heaven and sees the throne of God, with its rainbow of colors, and the huge, magnificent angels before Him crying out Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty…Chapter 4 ends with the emphasis of this chapter being God’s ownership of all things: You are worthy, O Lord,  To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." (Rev 4:11-NKJV).

Then, in Revelation 5, it is revealed that God has a scroll in His right hand as He is seated on His throne.  I submit to you that this scroll is God’s title deed to planet earth!

Remember that God gave mankind authority under His all authority to rule over planet earth and to take care of it (Genesis 1:26-27). When Adam and Eve sinned, this authority was immediately transferred to Satan, who at that time became the legal controller of things on the earth. Adam, in essence, committed high treason against God when He disobeyed his Creator, and his God-bequeathed authority over the earth was by default given to Satan. It was a treasonous act! Satan’s reign of stealing, killing, and destroying on earth has created a history of turmoil and suffering that will one day end when God comes to legally stop Satan in his tracks, judge him and all the men and nations that yield to his darkened ways, and cleanse the earth from all moral and physical blemishes.

The book of Revelation is God coming to repossess the earth that rightfully belongs to Him by judging nations, men, and the demonic hosts of hell that work with Lucifer to hold the earth in bondage to darkness and rebellion. The book of Revelation is God cleansing the earth of all contamination resulting from the fall of man and bringing it back to its pristine condition enjoyed before Adam’s sin.

This scroll in God’s right hand has writing on both sides, and is secured with 7 seals (Revelation 5:1). Codex books, like we read today with multiple pages, did not appear until around the second century AD. So to understand the significance of this scroll, some basic history of scrolls in John’s day is necessary.

A normal scroll in John’s days was up to eighteen inches in length, and was made of papyrus and only one side was used for writing. However, the scroll in God’s hand has writing on both sides. Some scrolls were also made of animal skins (like antelope) and were specially prepared so that both sides of the skin could be written on. These skins were then sewn together. Some of these scrolls could become lengthy, as was the one in God’s right hand.

Scrolls in the first century were secured with seals made of soft wax or clay. A piece of twine was wrapped around the scroll and imbedded in the soft wax or clay, and then the wax or clay was imprinted with the signet of the owner. The dried wax or clay secured the twine around the scroll, and tampering would become obvious. The more seals the scroll had, the more secure and important it was. A scroll could only be opened by the person to whom it was sent. It was a capital offence to open a sealed scroll that was not sent to you!

Scrolls that were sealed in the first century were often deeds to parcels of land, deeds declaring the ownership of a certain slave, or they could have been military documents.

There more seals the document had, the more important it was. It was very rare to find a scroll with seven seals. This was an important document!

In Revelation 5, Jesus, the Lamb of God, was the only one found worthy in the entire universe to open this scroll in God’s right hand. The person who opened this scroll had to have authority over the seals on the scroll and what would happen when they were opened. He also had to have authority over the contents of the scroll as it was opened.

In Revelation 5:6, John sees a blood stained Lamb standing up, with seven horns and seven eyes. The Lamb is standing, denoting that He is ready for action. He’s ready to get busy breaking the seals around the scroll.

The standing  lamb had seven horns. The number seven in scripture denotes perfection. The horn of an animal in Bible days stood for its strength, so this lamb had perfect strength, enough to bring to pass what would happen when the seals were broken and the scroll was unrolled.

This lamb had seven eyes. The seven eyes stand for God’s all seeing eyes. God knows all and sees all. So this Lamb has perfect knowledge of the future and what would occur when the scroll was unsealed and opened!

Tomorrow, we will talk about what happen when the seals are opened around the scroll.

 Revelation 5 - NKJV

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. (2) Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" (3) And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. (4) So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. (5) But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals." (6) And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. (7) Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. (8) Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (9) And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, (10) And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." (11) Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, (12) saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" (13) And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (14) Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

168 Hours Each Week

Teach us to use wisely all the time we have (Psalm 90:12 – Contemporary English Version). Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16 – Amplified). My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you (Proverbs 3:1-2).

  

Time is life measured out. What I do with my time determines who I am and determines what I allow the Father to do in me and through me.

   

All of us have 168 hours a week to accomplish what we value in life. I’m thinking about this a lot now that my associate Joe has officially left my staff and returns to the mission field this month. I have not yet chosen his replacement, but everything must continue in the life of our church.

  

I must have time for ministry, for organizational and managerial tasks, and time for personal ministry and staff relations. I must also make time each day for my relationship with the Father and with Jesus through the Word and in prayer. I must also spend time with my wife and children, as well as have time for leisure and hobbies, relaxation and rest.

 

Time is a commodity that I can’t reclaim once it is wasted. I must take full advantage of each minute of each day. And I must do this in a way that honors God and doesn’t violate His kingdom principles of love, faith, trust, and rest.

  

To use wisely all the time I have, I start by tithing a portion of my day to the Father for time in the Word and in prayer. He’s promised me length of days if I’ll honor the Word! I can extract more out of each minute, each hour, and each day, and have time to spare if I’ll allow Him to be my wisdom through the Word.

  

Making a list of necessary priorities for the day keeps me focused on the important, so that the urgent doesn’t move it out of sight. Keeping that list before me is essential to keep my focus on what must be accomplished.

  

In doing this, I also make room for the providence of God to override any plans I make. That causes me to see interruptions to my plans as the plan of God for my life, and that keep my attitude joyful and expectant when what I planned doesn’t happen. Father knows best.

  

He will show us how to best use our minutes. Phone calls can often be return in the car on the way to an event. I can listen to a CD series in the car as I commute. Wonderful times of meditation and prayer can accompany a long commute to work or an appointment. A chapter in a book can be read during lunch. Ask the Father how you can seize each minute and extract blessing out of it!

 

Let’s give God our best efforts to work with today. Let’s make the most of our 168 hours this week. Let’s carve out of each day the purpose of God for our tomorrows.

My Jehovah God

The Father’s Covenant names reveal His attitude towards us. Jehovah means the self-existent One Who reveals Himself. In His Jehovah names, God reveals His covenant care for His own. I mentioned Jehovah Jireh the Lord our provider yesterday. He has promised to take great care of us as we trust and obey Him. I also mentioned Jehovah Raah the Lord our Shepherd. We are in His care as sheep are watched by the careful eye of a wise shepherd.

 

Jehovah Nissi (Genesis 17:15) means the Lord our banner and refers to the Father as our strength and victory in tough circumstances. He is the One who provides the promised victory in every test and difficult battle that life brings our way.

  

Jehovah Tsidkenu (Jeremiah 23:5-6) refers to the Father as the Lord our righteousness. When you feel guilty and condemned because of present failure or by remembrance of your past, keep in mind that the Father has given you the same standing before Him that His Son Jesus has! You’ve been made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our sins have not just been covered, but they have been completely obliterated. The legal term is expunged! Every record of our wrongdoing in the library of heaven has been destroyed. So when you miss it, confess your sin. He is faithful and just. You are righteous in His sight.

 

Jehovah Rapha (Exodus 15:26) means the Lord our healer or the Lord who heals. When you are attacked by sickness or disease, reach up in faith to your covenant God and appropriate faith for Him to heal you completely. He is faithful that promised. Believe that you receive healing for your body the moment symptoms appear. He forgive all of our sins, and heals all of our diseases (Psalm 103:3).

 

Jehovah Shalom means the Lord our Peace. Happiness comes from happenings, our surrounding circumstances. But peace comes from within. Your world can be falling apart around you yet the peace of God can buoy you up and help you in the crisis moment. Peace with God is available through the forgiveness that Jesus offers by His blood. The peace of God is ours as we walk in obedience and honor the precious Holy Spirit in our lives.

 

Jehovah Shammah means the Lord is present. This is the presence of God that floods our lives when the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us. We are never alone. When loneliness rises up in you, remind yourself that the Lord is present. He has promised that He will never leave or forsake His own. He is not a feeling. He is a Spirit. He’s still around when you feel nothing.

 

Our God never changes. What he was, He is! Take advantage of the covenant names of God in your daily life. See Him as your victory in tough times, your righteousness when you feel guilty, your healer when the enemy attacks with sickness, your peace in times of turmoil, and the Ever Present One when you feel alone. He’s just the best!

 

Our Caring God

Thorough the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23).

The Father is absolutely committed to our care. He calls Himself the Shepherd, Jehovah Raah in Psalm 23:1. We are His sheep. He has loved us enough to make an eternal covenant with Abraham and include us in it! His covenant care for us is guaranteed by God’s own integrity.

 

One of His covenant care names is Jehovah-Jireh (found in Genesis 22:14) which means the Lord our provider. God provided the lamb of sacrifice in the place of Abraham’s son Isaac as Abraham walked up the mountain in obedience to God’s request of Abraham to give Him his only son. God’s provides what He requests from us.

    

God’s nature is wrapped up in His name El-Shaddai (found in Genesis 17:1; 28:1-4; Psalm 91:1), the giver and sustainer of life. This term has wrapped in it the idea of a mother who is the all sustaining force in a newborn baby’s life. She provides all the nourishment and care for that little child. The child is always safe and secure in the love of the mother. That’s how our Father God is to us!

 

The Father has revealed Himself to us as El-Elyon (found in Genesis 14: 18-23; Daniel 5:18; Psalm 83;18), the possessor of heaven and earth. It means that He is the Most High God! When things look bad and the enemy seems to be winning, don’t forget that our never changing God is El-Elyon, the MOST HIGH! We always win. Winning is our destiny!

  

The Father has revealed Himself as El-Roi, the One who sees. This is found in Genesis 16: 13-14. God saw Hagar, Abraham’s handmaid’s needs, and met her needs as she was alone in the desert after being kicked out of Abraham’s house. The Father sees everything about us and knows intimately every detail of our lives; the good, the bad, and the ugly. He know why we do what we do, and know how to minister to us in minute detail. He is El-Roi, the one who sees. Pour out your heart to Him and expect Him to help you. He cares!

The Father is Our Shepherd, our Provider, our Life Sustainer, the MOST HIGH, and He is the One who sees and knows all about us. Pour your heart out to Him today, and expect Him to meet you in today’s life details! I’ll continue this tomorrow.

  

 

  

 

Goodness

Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! (Psalm 31:19) He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord (Psalm 33:5).

 

Goodness is one of the attributes of our Father God. One of the definitions that I found for goodness is moral excellence that reaches out to meet others’ needs. Our God is a God of Goodness. He is morally excellent. His heart of compassion reaches out to all of creation. You can see the goodness of God in splashes of color displayed during the fall season. You can see the goodness of God displayed in varieties of smells, tastes, and colors that we experience every day of our lives. He thrives on blessing His creation. God is good. All the time!

 

When we’re born again, a measure of this goodness is placed within us by the Holy Spirit. One of the spiritual fruit is goodness. This goodness enables us also to display moral excellence that reaches out to meet the needs of others.

 Goodness is manifested as salt and light in the believer. Jesus said that salt is good (Mark 9:50). Salt protects, flavors, and hinders.

  

Jesus told us to have salt within ourselves. Salt enhances flavor. That means that we are to allow this goodness to season our lives. The influence of the Spirit of God within us changes the atmosphere wherever we go. A room full of people is affected by your presence. Let the salt called goodness loose within you and allow it to influence others for God and for good.

 

Salt also protects. Meats can be preserved with salt, needing no refrigeration. Bacteria have a difficult time growing in the atmosphere of salt. So does sin.

 

Salt also hinders. Armies in antiquity would sow the fields of conquered nations with salt. Salt will allow nothing to grow in the soil. While the church is on earth, we hinder the growth of evil. It’s our job!

 

Goodness is also expressed as light in the New Testament. Notice Matthew 5:16 (Amplified): Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.

Our works display the goodness of God to others. When they see our works, they should be drawn to our Savior. Listen to Paul elevating the importance of our after salvation works: This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men (Titus 3:8). And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful (Titus 3:14).

 

Our works don’t save us, but they should show others how wonderful and Holy our God is.

 

Let the fruit of the spirit called goodness exude from your life today. Allow the salt and light of Jesus to manifest in your words, attitudes, and actions. Others are watching you. Let it shine!

Money

For the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many acute mental pangs (1 Timothy 6:10 –Amplified) And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24).

Someone has said that money is a true test of character. What a person thinks and does with his money shows his heart motives. Money itself is not evil. Some misquote this verse to read money is the root of all evil. Greed, the love of money, not money itself, is what is decried here. God wants to bless us financially and materially. But He doesn’t want the things that He blesses us with to rule our lives.

Prosperity can be a much greater test than poverty. A person who has nothing is desperate and will cry out to God for relief. A person who is sated with money can become apathetic to the Lord. He feels that He doesn’t need Him. He thinks his money can provide whatever he desires. Over the years I’ve seen so many come to church, receive Jesus, get stirred up in the Word, and slowly drift away when their needs are met.

A wealthy young man came to Jesus one day and asked him what he must do to go to heaven. He told Jesus that he kept the Ten Commandments and obeyed the law as well as he knew how (they were still living under the Old Covenant at the time). Jesus told him that he only lacked one thing. He told Him to go and sell his possessions and give the money to the poor.

Notice the young man’s response: But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions (Matthew 19:22). Actually, great possessions had him! Greed controlled his life.

Those who are blessed must be willing to go through the eye of the needle as Jesus mentioned in the above scripture. The eye of the needle was a small door in the mammoth city gate in eastern countries in Bible times. The gates were very large, and it took several people and a good bit of sweat to open them. When they were closed, it was a lot of effort to open them for only one person.

So they added a small door within the gates, called the eye of the needle that could easily allow a person through. Often the person had a camel with them that carried their goods. The camel would be loaded down with the person’s possessions, and would not fit through the small needle’s eye opening. The camel had to be unloaded, taken through the opening, and then the packages had to be placed on the animal again afterwards. It took a lot of time! The camel would just barely fit though the needle’s eye. Loaded, it could never make it.

Those who come to Jesus must be willing to give up everything to follow Him. The wealthy young man didn’t realize that God would bless him if he only entrusted his wealth to Jesus. He would more than likely have gotten it back. But his greed became a curse. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. You’ll be more blessed in the long run following Jesus if you’ll surrender everything to him. Be willing to go through the eye of the needle. The end result will be great blessing.

Use the Gift!

Do not neglect the gift which is in you, that special inward endowment which was directly imparted to you by the Holy Spirit by prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands upon you at your ordination. Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry], so that your progress may be evident to everybody (1Tim 4:14-15 –Amplified).

Each of us has been given a special gift, talent, or ability by the Father. It’s just an embryo within us at first. Sometimes it manifests as a faint desire that glimmers faintly in the background of our thoughts.

This special ability won’t develop on its own. In fact in many people it lies dormant year after year, longing to be activated, but never given opportunity. Paul’s admonition to Timothy shows the practical way the gifts of God develop in us. You must practice, cultivate, meditate upon, and throw yourself wholly into them.

I was eighteen years old when I first sensed the call of God on my life to preach the Word. It came as an embryo of desire to begin with. I changed the course of my life from pursuing a career to pursuing this call. It was a general call to ministry at first, and following that desire I enrolled in Bible College.

Then I began to notice a strong desire to help people understand who they are in Christ and to help them apply the scriptures to their own lives. It was faint at first, but as I began to talk with people, it seemed like a “switch” would turn on inside and I found words pouring out of me with passion. That was the gift God placed in me seeking to manifest.

A while later I was asked to speak in the morning devotions for our large church staff. I was petrified by fear! But I said yes, and spent weeks studying, praying, and preparing. That “switch” cut on again as I spoke for the few minutes each day that week and the words just poured out. Later I ministered in hospitals, taught Bible studies, ministered to people one on one, and said yes anytime a need arose for someone to minister in a small meeting. The gift kept growing, until today, it dominates me!

The Father has placed a gift in you. Develop it. Allow it to grow by giving in to it. It may be only a faint desire, but go after it! Pursue your passion. Give yourself to the godly desire that rises from within. This desire will “tickle” your thoughts over and over again until you yield to it. Fear will seek to override it and keep you from acting, but go ahead and do it scared!

It may be a spiritual or natural desire, but give yourself to it. Some have a gift to make money and finance the kingdom of God in earth. Others yearn to stay in the background and be a support for those called into full time ministry. Some have a strong desire to teach and mentor children. Still other have a desire to reach out to the lonely, the down and out and provide practical relief. Some yearn to pray. Whatever the desire, you must give in to it and allow it to develop. It will not until you act.

With practice, the gift from the Father in you will make room for itself. Make room in your life for it, and watch what the Father will accomplish with it. He’s waiting on you to faithfully act!

Walk With a Limp

A man came and fought with Jacob until just before daybreak. When the man saw that he could not win, he struck Jacob on the hip and threw it out of joint.

They kept on wrestling until the man said, "Let go of me! It's almost daylight." "You can't go until you bless me," Jacob replied. Then the man asked, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. The man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob. You have wrestled with God and with men, and you have won. That's why your name will be Israel."(Genesis 32:24-28 - Contemporary English Version)

Even before birth, Jacob, whose name means deceiver, was in a struggle. Since birth, he had pushed his way through life, doing whatever was necessary to make it. He took advantage of others, and thought nothing of deceiving to get his way.

One night of wrestling with an angel (the angel was possibly Jesus Himself!) changed Jacob from deceiver to Israel, prince with God. After that night of struggle, He walked with a limp. He was never the same again. His character was transformed.

Don’t ever give up on yourself. No matter how long you’re struggled with issues in your life, keep going forward! The Lord can transform you. It usually requires that you come to the end of yourself just like Jacob. When his best human efforts failed, Jacob finally realized his need to yield to God’s plan for his life, and he changed. His walking with a limp was an outward sign of his inward submission.

Moses was transformed at the burning bush. David was transformed from a shepherd to mighty warrior when he faced Goliath. Peter was transformed after denying Jesus and being filled with shame. The power of God’s mercy created within him a pastor’s heart. Saul was converted on the Damascus Road and was transformed into Paul, one of the greatest men of the church age.

In my own life, I was an extreme introvert, ruled by fear and rejection thinking. My only sense of value was through accomplishment. When I came to the end of my own ability, I found God’s grace to change. He replaced the fear with genuine love, the rejection with a knowing that I am fully accepted by God, and the goodness by works attitude with a knowing that it’s not my deeds, but His grace that make me acceptable to God.

Take your personal frustrations with yourself and your failures to the foot of the cross. Lay them by faith at the feet of Jesus. Humble yourself to Him and like Jacob, he will change your name! He’ll create in you the ability to be what He has called you to be.

At the end of your self-striving to accomplish, to be something, or to succeed, you’ll find the power of God to transform. But you must be willing like Jacob to walk with a limp.

Don’t Despise Your Birthright!

Jacob then gave Esau some bread and some of the bean stew, and when Esau had finished eating and drinking, he just got up and left, showing how little he thought of his rights as the first-born (Genesis 25:34 - Contemporary English Version).

The story of Esau despising his first-born birthright is an excellent example to us of how yielding to the flesh can cost us the blessings of God.

Esau was born struggling. Before he and his brother were born, they were wrestling in the womb. When He was born, his twin brother Jacob had grasped his heel. Jacob means deceiver, schemer. These brothers were frequently disagreeing and fighting. Their personalities were opposite extremes. Jacob was a shepherd and stayed close to home. Esau was a hunter and loved the open field.

Esau came in from hunting one day and was overcome with hungry. He asked Jacob for a bowl of the soup he had made. The aroma had filled the house. Jacob was only willing to give Esau the soup if he would trade his firstborn birthright to him. Esau so little regarded his birthright that he gave it away for a simple bowl of soup!

The firstborn birthright meant that when his father died, he received 2/3 of the inheritance. The 1/3 left was divided among all of the rest of the siblings! This birthright was both an honor and a great responsibility! And Esau gave it away for next to nothing. He despised it.

As believers, we have a great heritage. We are heirs of God, and equal heirs with Jesus! We have inherited every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). We have God’s delegated authority, His favor, His nature. The Greater One lives within us. The gifts of the Spirit are available to us. Healing belongs to us. The Father has promised to prosper us as we honor Him. We have such a rich heritage!

But if we yield to the flesh and refuse to walk in the spirit, we stand to lose it all. It’s just like Esau giving away his inheritance!

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).

It’s just not worth yielding to the flesh to stand losing all that Jesus made available to us. Don’t allow Satan to dangle the carrot of the flesh in any area before your eyes! Just like the forbidden fruit, it may look good and taste good to your flesh, but it’s not worth the end result! Let’s respect our God given inheritance and walk in the spirit today!