Stop Playing With Your Soul!

It seems like this time of the year, a lot of us are approaching the end of things, like graduations, new careers, marriage and even births of new family members. It brings with it anticipation and a sense of achievement. Thus there is a sense of expectancy...That is where we find ourselves in today's Bible Study, there is an immanency to the return of Jesus Christ, even though it hasn't happened yet. I remember growing up even before high school, I truly believed I was living in the last days and that Jesus could come at any time. Yet it hasn't happened. Yet! One thing is for sure, we are closer today then we were 30 years ago.

Revelation 22:8-10 ~ "Now, I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, "See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God." And he said to me, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. "

In order to understand the book of Revelation, we have learned a few things in our study. We must have first read the books of the Old Testament, from Genesis to Malachi, and then skip on over to Revelation before it can really make sense to us. Revelation presupposes that the reader has that knowledge to understand the conclusion of God's redemption of man through Jesus Christ is the central theme of all these books.

Revelation 22:7 ~ ""Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."

Revelation 22:12 ~ "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to gie to everyone according to his work."

Revelation 22:20 ~ "He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly."

In the doctrine of Christ's imminent return, each of the new testament writers gave admonitions to the church to be watching. Christian vigilance has always been at a premium. The Book of Revelation is the most overlooked and neglected Book of the Bible.

2 Peter 3:3-4 ~ "knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."

A promise is only as good as the virtue that it can be fulfilled. There are robbers of hope out there, and they walk in religious circles and they do so after their own lusts. Here's what they do, they mock the promise of His coming, and they say things like "Where is the promise of His coming, because He hasn't come back yet and odds are that He isn't going to."

This is a dangerous and damnable doctrine that the Bible clearly warns us about. The hour is later than it has ever been before.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee tells a story..."When a little boy who had grown up in his home with a grandfather clock, he really never paid much attention to it, until one day the clock rang past 12:00 and kept on chiming until that little boy turned to his parents and declared...with complete excitement...mommy and daddy, it's later than it has ever been before."

Romans 13:11-13 ~ "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in the revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness, and lust, not in strife and envy."

Biblically, there are those who at this hour in church history, that seek to take away from the Bible and from the hope of the Christian doctrine of imminence saying this like...

Matthew 24:45-51 ~ "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler oer all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, "My master is delaying his coming," and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping an gnashing of teeth."

Mark 13:35-37 ~ "Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming - in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning - lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

I need to make a confession: I have had this prayer in my private time with the Lord; "Lord, please come while I'm studying in the Book of Revelation!"

Revelation 22:10 ~ "And he said to me, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand."

There are churches and ministries that are guilty of sealing this book of Revelation from the people. Ministers of the Bible must teach this book of the Bible or they are in violation of the Bible...in this the Book of revelation and redemption...it's all about Jesus Christ and our future with Him.

Now is the time for us to present ourselves to the Lord because of the days in which we live.

Revelation 22:8-9a ~ ""Now, I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, "See that you do not do that."

Notice: saw and heard: heard and saw = when it is repeated like that, it means for us to pay close attention. John is making a testimony to what he personal saw and heard.

In the Greek the word "saw' is "blepo" to take in, to visually ingest it, stare at it.
In the Greek the word "heard" is "akouo" to grant audience to, to bring into the ears.

The days we live in...do they match up with what the Bible said, would be the days that would usher in Christ's return? I believe we are.

2 Timothy 3:13-14 ~ "But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them."

2 Peter 1:16 ~ " For we did not following cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

It's time for us to present ourselves to the Lord, because of the days in which we live. There is a warning for Christians in the book of Hebrews, that we can become dull of hearing. If our hearts become dull, then our ears become dull of hearing. These are connected directly to our spiritual heart, and the symptoms sound like, "I've heard this before..." Is it because you've been so schooled in the Bible, that it is time t move on to another ministry or to seek God in how you should be involved in ministry? It's possible! But the danger comes from not deciphering that clearly and saying, "I've heard this before, I don't need to listen any longer. I'm going to tune out! " Stop right there!

Is it possible, you've become dull at hearing? If you've heard this before, over and over again, the Holy Spirit is bringing it to you over and over again asking you are YOU doing it? Our first nature is to say, "I've heard this before..." God comes back and says, "I don't care if you've heard this a 1000 times before, are you DOING it? This sets the tone for the rest of the verses in this book.

We are living in the days, when we are becoming dull of hearing. We need to be paying attention and be ready to present ourselves to the Lord. We need to stop playing around with our souls because once we miss this opportunity and die, there is no turning back. Wake up!