Divorce Yourself from Your Old Life!

Christians are more distracted than ever before. We need to seriously get back to who God is. It will help keep us focused on how we enter our day and how we work through it if we keep our thoughts and actions focused on Jesus. Let's get divorced from our old life and prepare for battle. Put on the full armor of God, by letting go of our old life. Let's walk in Christ. We won't walk sinless, but if we humble ourselves especially in front of non believers, when we sin, He will establish our witness for Him. You can redeem the moment and get more mileage out of the situation. You communication that there is a God in heaven that forgives sin and it will be the unexpected that people see when you do.

Matthew 22:11-14 ~ "But when the king came to look at the guest, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, "Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?" and he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.For many are called, but few are chosen."

We need to keep our garments clean as believers in Christ. We need to have Jesus on. Put off the parts we struggle with every day.

Colossians 3:9-10 ~ "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."

Galatians 3:27 ~ "For as many of you as were baptized in Christ have put on Christ."

This is not speaking of water baptism but of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 1:7-8 ~ "So that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."

We need a spiritual baptism and be born again! When we dress up or dress down, we move and act differently. What you put on matters. It changes you. When you feel good, you act differently.

What Would Jesus Do or WWJD has been overused and made fun of, but do you really know Jesus biblically or personally?

We need to be aware of how we act and what we say! When was the last time you encouraged someone other than someone in your family? To thank people in church for their faithfulness in coming? We need one another. No man is an island.

Evil has an appointment with God and is why we need to be watching. It is the moment everyone who has ever wished for God's punishment to come upon those who do evil and seem to get away with it.

Revelation 16:16 ~ "And they assemble at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon."

The "they" this is being referred here is the nations of the world, a Christ-rejecting world that even now, still thinks they can take God on in the last and final battle on earth. Armageddon is a real place in the world today, it is the Valley of Megiddo. You can visit it today along with Solomon's stables and the cisterns of water. To the north is Syria and to the south is Jordan.

The affairs of man are before God's eyes.

Revelation 16:16-17 ~ "And they assemble at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, "It is done!"

The events of earth are in God's hands.

Revelation 16:18-21 ~ "And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there has never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain her cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people and they cursed God for the plague of the hail because the plague was so severe."

When you see the phrase "God remembered Babylon the great," doesn't mean God forgot about the city, it simply means that an appointed moment has arrived. The time of Babylon and God's dealing with it had arrived just as He had planned. Remember that Babylon is Iraq in our modern times.

So what does this mean for us today?

Simply that we should be praying and worshiping God because we, as believers in Christ, will not be here when this all happens. That is our blessed hope. We can be encouraged when we see the events being staged. It is a time to be watching.

An earthquake will be coming that the entire world will feel at the same time. It will be a cataclysmic event that the world has never seen or felt before.

Luke 21:34-36 ~ "But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares for this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man."

As believers in Christ, our citizenship is in heaven. You WILL escape the wrath of God.

Remember that the Bible promises that in the last days, people will say, "Where is the promise of His coming?" This will fulfill scripture and bring us one day closer to the coming of Jesus in the Rapture! We watch things happening in the world with our Bible open. Be encouraged by getting into your Bible!

Anyone Can Be A Christian at Church!

If someone asked you if you were a Christian, what would you tell them? How quickly would you answer them? No consider if someone were to spend the next 30 days living with you, watching you, being your shadow as it were, evaluating everything you did and said, and then told you whether you were a Christian or not. How would that report look?

This is the book of James summed up in the Bible. James in a sense was telling believers that unless their actions and words backed up their faith, that were not a Christian as they thought they were. This is the very purpose of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. He is there to judge our lives, what we watch, what we say, what we think and what we do. One day we will give an account for our lives and what will it say about us? Anyone can be a Christian for an hour and a half at church, it is who we are every other moment of the week that determines who we really are.

As we continue our Bible study through the Book of Revelation in chapter 16 today, we need to remember how important verse 15 is.

Revelation 16:15 ~ "Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!" 

These are the very words from Jesus, Himself. Blessed, in the Greek is makarios, which means to be supremely blest, happy, well off or very well situated. They are focused on every thing they do, and it is weighted in the balance of how it impacts the kingdom of God. This is the blessing for those who are watching. It doesn't mean we simply give up. We need to continue to plan for the future, but we need a plan and purpose for doing so. We need to find the life that God has engineered for us.

The word "watching" in the Greek is gregoreuo - meaning to keep awake, i.e. watch (literally or figuratively) - to be vigilant, wake, (be) watch(ful), in a spiritual sense. It means doing what the Bible says in every aspect of our life.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 ~ "and to wait for his Son from heaven, who he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come."

Hebrews 9:28 ~ "So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."

Do those scriptures apply to you? Is that you? Are you a real Christian? Does the Holy Spirit live in you?

When you look at the world around you, are you discerning the events in light of what the Bible says? If you were to die today, would you be ready?

Matthew 24:42-44 ~ "Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Matthew 26:41 ~ "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Mark 13:33, 35-37 ~ "Be on guard. Keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. Therefore stay awake - for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight, or when the rooster crows or in the morning - lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all 'Stay awake.'"

Is your life operating on the imminent return of Christ?

1 Thessalonians is all about the rapture of the church, while 2 Thessalonians is all about the Second Coming of Christ. In Paul's time, people were quitting their jobs and sitting around literally waiting for Jesus, but he had to advise them, that is not what he meant.

Even today people will ask such questions like should we have life insurance? Should you plan for the future? The answer is Yes!!! We should also be saving money for our children and grandchildren according to the Bible not blowing it on ourselves.

2 Peter 3:10 ~ "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed."

1 Thessalonians 5:1-5 ~ "Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are children of the light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness."

We, as believers in Christ, as to be discerning the times and seasons of what we see happening in the world around us. When people are saying things are going great, life could never be better. We can honestly say in looking into our future, is there hope for a better way of life for our children then it was in the past? The answer is a chilling no, things are not looking better in the future. In fact, while technology might make things easier, the way of the world in light of believers is growing darker by the day. We guard with firm assurance because it is what God's people do.

The picture is this when looking at Revelation 16:15b regarding the garments, that the Lord gives those who are His special garments! When Jacob wanted to 'visibly bless' his son Joseph, he made for him a coat of many colors, to be a sign that he was the blessed, the favored, the one to inherit all he had, he is it!

Genesis 37:3 ~ "Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors."

Romans 13:11-14~ "Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."

We are now one day closer to heaven today! Put on Jesus' coat of many colors. You're a Christian!!! Remember however, the moment people hear us say that, people will now begin to look at you differently. They will judge you based on your words and actions to see if they truly back up our faith! What will your life tell the world today?

We Have A Tendency to Exalt God's Human Elements!

Ever since Revelation 4:1, the church or believers in Christ have been raptured by this point and are now in heaven dwelling with Christ during the Tribulation Period. We haven't come back to earth yet, that happens in Revelation 19, so who is Jesus speaking to as we continue our study in Revelation 16?

Two things. He is still speaking to us, believers in Christ or even non believers as we read the Book of Revelation today. We might not know Jesus at this point and are coming across this in the Bible to help decide on our future outcome before this happens in our present time and to remind us as believers in Christ to always be watching. He knows we will be reading this after it has been written more than 2000 years ago.

He also writes this to remind Tribulation saints who are still alive at this point in the Tribulation period, believers in Christ, as a reminder to endure during this time. Their efforts will not have been in vain. Keep watching. He is coming again.

We haven't heard from Jesus in the Book of Revelation since the letters to the 7 churches. There is a reason why Jesus speaks now in the midst of the worst of all the wrath being poured out upon the earth. To give hope! It is written in red, hopefully in your Bible. We have the option of reading this before it actually happens to a Christ rejecting world. At this point in the Bible, they will NOT repent, no matter what happens.

We are benefiting from this now because it hasn't happened yet. People can reject Jesus and for now, they can still get away with it. Yet when people reject Christ for too long, there comes a time when they will be sealed in that judgment and their hearts will harden and they will lose the ability to change their hears and minds like Pharaoh, especially during the Tribulation Period.

2 Thessalonians 2 fits in perfectly with Revelation 16. There will come a time when God will give up on those and they will not have a choice to choose to follow the Gospel message and believe in Jesus. They will instead choose to believe a strong delusion and they will believe it. Why does God do this? Because while they had time to believe in Jesus, they didn't.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 ~ "and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because the refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore, God send them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Does this mean that when the Rapture happens, they won't be able to choose to believe in Jesus?

I believe they would have had to hear the true clear gospel message at some point and many times as believers, we don't always share the 100% truth with them. We offer a watered-down version so we don't scare them off. The Bible says a time is coming when after they hear the clear message of the Gospel, their hearts will harden and the door of opportunity will close, much like the door of the Ark in Noah's day when God closed it. The opportunity for them will cease.

This is why it is so critical if you are reading this and you haven't accepted Jesus. You might not have another chance.

Revelation 16:15-21 ~ "(Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there has never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city (Jerusalem), was split into three parts, and the cities of the nation fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain her cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plagues of the hail, because the plague was so severe."

The difference between some believers and non believers is that when people hear about Jesus coming back at any time, most believers are joyful and filled with expectation, while non believers and some believers are afraid. Why is that? Why are some believers afraid?

Because they are not ready for a couple of reasons. Why are you not ready?

1. The Spirit is convicting you that you're doing things you shouldn't be doing, so you're not ready if Jesus should come back today and see what you're up to. Fix that today.

2. You could be one who loves being around Christians and the church, trafficking in and out, but you don't feel accepted. You need to deal with that now with the Lord and ask God to show you what is going on in your life so you can fix that.

3. You have regrets about what you should have been doing and what you shouldn't have been doing but are humbled that you know you are saved only by the grace of Jesus, even though you haven't walked as close to God as you should have. You find yourself facing conviction when these questions are posed.

How many people have you led to the Lord?

How many times have you blown money on stupid stuff for yourself instead of helping God's kingdom grow?

How many of us are wishing we would have spent more time in God's Word instead of living for ourselves doing what we wanted?

Yet in the midst of these questions we can still answer that we realize all that God has done for us. Our salvation is not based on what we have done for Jesus but what He has done for us by dying for us, for our sins, as sinners. We have a tendency sometimes to exalt God's human elements.

We need to remember, they all struggle with sin like we do. That's why so many struggle with teaching from a pulpit. It puts something between them and us. Jesus didn't use one. The prophets and apostles didn't use one. Some say that preaching from a pulpit is like preaching from inside a coffin, all people see are knuckles and a head peering out. It's like a barrier. People like that distance between pastors and Christian leaders. They want to see them as sinless and pure. But that is so far from being true. Jesus is the only one who can do that. We are ALL earthen vessels.

Hebrews 9:27-28 ~ "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly awaiting for him."

When Jesus comes again it will be apart from dealing with the issue of sin. It's already been dealt with. It's over! Now He will come to get us and take us to heaven!

People have often wondered why the reference to Jesus as a thief in the night. Why not something else? When you think about a thief, if you are watching out for them, they can't catch you off guard, and unaware. Those that don't believe he is coming, will be caught completely surprised and off guard. It will be unexpected and they will regret not being prepared for it. It is frightening for non believers because Jesus is coming to steal His believers away from the coming wrath of God, that will commence once the church is removed. These believers have been watching and discerning the times and seasons and are ready!

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 ~ "Now concerning the times and seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."

Does Your Life Need Motivation?

As long as we still have breath in our lungs, we need to still be learning. That is why it is important to read and study the Bible. It is precisely why after having read through it from cover to cover now twice, I can't give up reading it. I am working on my third time, this time with my husband along for the ride. Why? Why not simply give up now that I have already read it? It's because there is always something to learn. Each day offers new insights into what I am dealing with and God's voice is the only one I want to hear giving me advice. Today is not the same place where I was a year or even two from today.

This is why attending a firm Bible teaching church is so critical as we begin to enter into these final days on earth. Christians don't worry about what happens when we die. We already know what is going to happen and we live in joyful expectation of that so we simply move on to better things. We know heaven awaits when this life ends or when we hear the sound of the trumpet and we are caught up in the air to meet the Lord in the rapture of His church. We have that confidence! We don't doubt it will happen.

Jesus reminds us hear in Revelation 16:15 to be watching and in doing so we will be blessed.

Revelation 16:15a ~ "Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake."

We need to understand that this is not a contradiction in the Bible due to the word "like" and not "the" when Jesus makes the statement that He is coming like a thief. Not that He is one. He will be like one to those who are not watching.

If you are watching, can a thief break into your home? No, because you are watching. As believers in Christ, we have nothing to fear because we are walking in the light of being a believer of Christ. We can't be caught off guard or surprised by anything that happens. It is merely a confirmation that the things we read about in the Bible are true. However, those who are not believers in Christ, who are not walking in the light, can be easily surprised when a thief comes. Why? Because they weren't watching. They simply didn't believe it would happen as predicted.

Now don't get me wrong, the Bible is clear that no believers or non believers will know the day or the hour of Christ's return, but the Bible did say we would know the time or the seasons. Just like now, it's the beginning of Spring, but how do you know? Because new growth is beginning in our trees, our plants, the birds are back from hibernation, everything is turning green again. We don't need anyone to tell us, we can see the signs.

That is just what the Bible is saying about being vigilant  and in watching for the return of Jesus. It can happen at anytime, but there are indicators or signs that it is getting closer. Just like looking in the mirror, you don't need to see it to know you are growing a year older. Every single day, we are one day closer than yesterday to Christ's return. We are watching and looking for the signs. A time to be watching because its what God's people do. We watch in joyful expectation.

The Bible warns us that in the last days there will be those who will lead us astray, whether political leaders or spiritual ones. Jesus warned us.

Matthew 16:12 ~ "They understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."

The apostle Paul issued a warning.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 ~ "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars who consciences are seared,"

The Bible even warns us.

Matthew 7:15 ~ "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."

The world out there is seen as those who are not urgent about Christ's return. They are preoccupied, burdened, distracted, and self righteous. The Christian on the other hand is seen as one who is very excited about Christ's return and so by nature is watching and waiting. That is why the Bible says "blessed are they that watch."

Are you toying with God? Do you play with sin thinking you still have plenty of time to change your ways? If you really believe in Christ's imminent return that could happen at any time, it would make you reconsider what you choose to do today.

If missionaries need help, spend the money to help them get the word out. Don't allow them to live in less than ideal situations while churches pile the money in their bank accounts. We need to ensure they have everything they need. Money is simply tools. We need to change the way we look at it.

We need to watch with joyful expectations and stay busy doing all we can for the glory of God in the time we have left. It might be til the end of today or it might be ten years from now. The entire book of 1 Thessalonians is all about the church waiting for the imminent return of Christ.

The world will mock us for doing just that. Waiting and watching for God. I am sure you have already received your own dose of ridicule when you speak of Christ's return for His church. People mock and ask, "Well where is He then?" They will argue that what we read in the Bible is not what it really means. Don't let them cast doubt on what the Bible is clear about. All the apostles said to stay alert and be watching. It will be a warning sign in the last days that people will simply give up hope and that is just what Satan wants them to do.

We already see signs that even churches are giving up hope and growing apathetic in light of what is happening in the world. People are simply throwing in the towel because it seems easier to go with the flow that stand firm in what you believe especially when we watch our leaders do what is right in their own eyes. Who would have ever thought we would ever see the day when our own political leaders would put their own needs above that of the country and offices they lead. Is there any wonder that being a Christian is becoming increasingly more hostile and difficult as we enter into the last days?

Keep your joy.

Keep your hope!

For the believer when we die, we enter into heaven. If we hear a trumpet blast today, we will enter heaven. For us, it's a win/win situation. It we are watching, we will not be caught off guard.

Their Hearts Grow Hard!

It's hard to imagine a time in this world when things get so bad, that people will shake their fists at God in unbelief despite what is happening all around them. Great judgment and wrath being dispensed from God upon a Christ-rejecting world. But when you look around today, the one religious group that is facing the most hostility and persecution is those that believe in Jesus Christ. During the 7-year Tribulation Period that is coming to this world we live in today, some day in the very near future, God will begin to dispense the judgment He has been holding back on those doing just these horrific things today.

Some people I have heard, said that when they see these things happen, then they know God is real and will turn back to Him. They may not have a chance. Why would anyone want to put all their future eternal security in waiting when you can be assured of our eternal destination today?

As we continue in our Bible study through the Book of Revelation in chapter 16, we find ourselves watching the final moments of God's wrath being poured out on a Christ rejecting world. These bowl, pan or vial judgments are truly the worst of the worst. Yet those who rejected Christ all the way up to this point will be 100% committed in their unbelief, while those that are what we call Tribulation Saints, believers living during this horrific time, are also 100% committed in their faith in Christ. This is based on the testimony of the 144,000, the angels in the sky proclaiming the gospel and the two witnesses. The number of these saints will be so great in multitude that no man can number them. Yet these are the saints that will die for their faith in Christ on a much bigger global scale than what we are seeing today. These believers by this time will never bow to the image or take the mark of the best. They can no longer be tempted in that fashion. They belong to God.

Revelation 16:2 ~ "So the first angel went and poured out his bowl onto the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image."

These are foul and evil sores. Probably a plague of ulcers and boils. The brief descriptions of these last seven judgments may suggest that they occur in rapid succession upon a world already badly battered and bloodied.

Revelation 16:3 ~ "The second angel poured his bowl into the sea, and it become like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea."

We all know that when blood is taken from a living person it is red, but this is blood from a corpse so it would be rust colored and smelling horrible. This happened once in Egypt in the Old Testament with Moses and Pharaoh, but it was a local event. This time it will be globally. It will devastate all the seas and oceans. Have you ever smelled a dead sea creature? Can you image the smell of this one event. It's toxic. You will not be able to clean or purify this water. Imagine the stench and disease that will accompany this event.

Revelation 16:4 ~ "The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood."

This angel's bowl now turns all the fresh water into blood. ALL of it. Though drinking bloody salt water would be toxic, drinking bloody fresh water, even though disgusting, would not be.

Revelation 16:5-7 ~ "And I heard an angel in charge of the waters say, "Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of the saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve! And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!"

The angel knows this judgment is righteous and fair. Because the world has shed the blood of God's saints and prophets, He is just in dispensing His judgment upon the world. They deserve to dringk the blood because they shed the blood of saints and prophets.

Revelation 16:8-9 ~ "The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory."

When you consider this judgment you have to think, where are people going to go to attempt to cool themselves off from heat? They can't go jump into a swimming pool, lake, shower or go to the beach any longer. ALL the water in the world at this point is blood. Yet in the midst of even all of this, they are still rejecting God and cursing Him for what is happening.

Revelation 16:10-11 ~ "The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds."

When pressures come in your life as a believer, what will you do? If you haven't had the ultimate test yet of your faith, it will come. What will you do? Quit. Flee from God. Blame Him. Or will you stand firm with God even though you don't understand it? It will either make us bitter or better when these trials come in our life. There is no place we can run from God. A faith that can't be tested is a faith that can't be trusted. Here in what we are reading, these people placed their trust in the world, the global leaders and it has left them with false hope and security. I have seen and know people that when the worst kind of adversity comes in their life, they simply shake their fists at God, blame Him, reject Him and walk away. It's sad, because God never walks away from them. I pray that one day, they will find God again. In fact most atheists were former believers in Christ, but gave up their faith because God chose not to answer their prayers the way they wanted. We need to cry out to God when adversity comes and trust that He will bring us through it.

We need, as believers, to be watching, because the world is being prepared even now.

Revelation 16:12 ~ "The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east."

Interesting to note here the rise of Asia, or the Kings of the East, and the focus of the world on the great river Euphrates. We are seeing this even now all the time, Babylon is the modern day nation of Iraq and the Euphrates River still exists in our world today, even though these scriptures were written more than 2000 years ago. Do these still exist today? Yes!!!

In ancient cultures today, the Euphrates River divides the east from the west and one day will be dried up. There will also come a day when 200 million soldiers from various nations in Asia will make preparations for war against God. Literally these are the kings of the rising of the son. The armies of the nations of the Orient will be aided in their march toward Armageddon by the supernatural drying up of the Euphrates River. We know who is responsible for that!

If you remember reading in Revelation 9:14, that there are four fallen angels bound in chains beneath the Euphrates River waiting to be released upon the world. They are truly the worst of the worst.

Revelation 16:13-14 ~ "And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon (Satan), and out of the mouth of the beast (the Anti-Christ), and out of the mouth of the false prophet (global religious leader), three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty."

This is the ungodly trinity, Satan, the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet. The kings of the world are the worlds political leaders. There is a great spirit of the Anti-Christ working in the world today. The anti-God agenda is everywhere and it is pure evil and wicked in its intent and purposes in the hearts of people today. If you want to see what is happening in the world today, read the entire Book of 1 John. It is the atmosphere that is being manifested in the world today and will only increase in the last days. The war will consist of several battles, beginning with the Antichrist's campaign in Egypt (Daniel 11:40-45) and including a siege of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2) as well as the final battle at Armageddon.

The only way out of this is through faith in Jesus Christ. It is a great time to be encouraged if you know where to look. Jesus has given us His promise. 

God Does Not Bring Wrath Upon Believers

We begin today an entirely new chapter in the Book of Revelation and before we begin I want you to write down three specific questions you need to look at while we study this chapter.

1. What is being told?
2. Is there an Old Testament reference to this?
3. How does this affect my life?

As we look at things happening in the world today, we need to understand that one day all the things we have been studying in the Book of Revelation will one day come to pass. These are futuristic events but not in the too distant future, I believe. As believers in Christ, we will not be present when the Wrath of God is poured out on the world during the 7 year Tribulation period. We can however be looking for signs and indicators in the news that the stage is being set for this time to come. What are some things we can look for?

1. The Destruction of Damascus, Syria which is found in Isaiah 17.
2. Russia invading Israel which is found in Ezekiel 37 and 38

While the world and every single person I know of wants to know what the future holds, very few even bother to pick up the Bible, when in fact every single prophecy has been fulfilled to perfection or is yet to come. You can't argue with what has already happened. So why shrug off 100% accuracy if you want to know the future of the world. The Bible is clear, it won't be pretty for those in a Christ rejecting world.

We know all about the angels used in God's judgments. They are instruments to administer His wrath upon the world according to His purpose and plan. The hope we have in this chapter is verse 15, which I hope in your Bible is written in red, because it is Jesus! That is wonderful to see at this stage in what has been coming to the world. Yet this is still a future event coming to the world.

We have understood the Book of Revelation to signify the unveiling or revealing of Jesus Christ, which we uncovered from the very first verse in Revelation 1. He is revealed in the positive. He is the Messiah of Israel. He came to the world to be a Redeemer and Savior to every single person in it. He is the only one. The Bible told us about Jesus before He even appeared on the earth. The Bible speaks about Jesus Christ.

In the negative, we have the rejection of Jesus Christ. If we reject him, we are saying we can do this on our own and don't need Him. Jesus is God's greatest gift and when we push that away, we are in danger of becoming like Pharaoh when Moses was sent by God to ask for the release of the Israelites and ten times, Pharaoh said No, and ten times God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Moses proclaimed and Pharaoh rejected. If you reject Jesus long enough, God will one day simply give up on you and your heart will become so hard you will no longer hear that offer of salvation and redemption any longer. Don't fool yourself into thinking you have all the time in the world.

Genesis 6:3 ~ "Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh;"

As we begin to study Revelation 16 and understand the wrath of God we need to gain insight that this doesn't mean hell. It is God's indignation, His judgment, and it has nothing to do with believers in Christ. All of God's wrath is revealed during the Tribulation Period and has to do with 3 sets of 7 judgments from God each getting worse than the one preceding it. The easiest way to remember these are the acronym S.T.P.

The first sets of judgements were the seal judgments and just as the seventh is revealed it opens a new category leading to the next set of judgments. The second set was the trumpet judgments, and again as the seventh trumpet is blown the next category of judgments is opened. The third and final set of judgments is the pan or bowls judgments. I refer to them as pans because we learned that they are not like bowls we use today, but more like pans gold miners used. They are also referred to as the vial judgments and are truly the worst of the worst. The seventh bowl, pan or vial ends the Tribulation period.

We learn that each of the angels getting ready to dispense these pans, bowls or vials is given a specific geographical position in the world by God.

Revelation 16:1 ~ "Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God."

The Bible is clear in many cases that God guarantees believers will not have to go through His judgments. God removes His people from His wrath and has already proven that in numerous ways, from Noah and his family, to Abraham and Lot in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. We need to be very careful not to confuse this with discipline from God. He does not judge believers in Christ, but He does discipline them, much like a shepherd does with a wayward sheep. He will break the legs of a lamb and will continue to carry it as it heals. In doing so, the lamb learns more about the shepherd by being closer to him, than he ever would have. It develops a level of trust in the shepherd in that wayward lamb's heart. Much like what happened to Jacob in the Bible when he wrestled with God. He learned to grow in discipline and knowledge of His Creator.  Christians die in cataclysmic natural events all the time and these will only increase as God has promised for the entire world. Just because there is a significant flood or earthquake in an area, this is not God's judgment, merely a natural cataclysmic event.

A day is coming very soon, when God is coming to judge the world in His wrath. We haven't seen anything like it, nor will we ever see it again. The interesting thing is for believers in Christ, while wrath is being dispensed upon the world, we will be celebrating in the marriage feast of the Lamb. Glory in heaven and wrath on earth.

Isaiah 26:19-21 ~ "Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain."

You have a choice today, to be with us in heaven celebrating in glory or reject Jesus Christ and face the wrath of God coming to the world. Those are your only options and the choice is up to you this day. Who will you serve, Jesus or the world?